Perspectives of teachers on the implementation of Life Orientation in Grades R–11 from selected Western Cape schools

Abstract

Educational transformation in South Africa not only brought about Outcomesbased
Education and Curriculum 2005 but also a new Learning Area/Subject, called Life Orientation (LO). A major challenge for LO as a new Learning Area/Subject is the preconceptions that exist about it, and the fact that the attitude of school principals is not conducive to the successful implementation of LO. Against this background it was deemed necessary to investigate teachers' perspectives regarding the implementation of LO in Grades R to 11. For the survey 248 schools (124 primary, 124 secondary) were randomly
selected, of which 157 returned questionnaires. Summary statistics were done using frequency tables and histograms. Comparisons of ordinal variables were performed using one-way analysis of variance and the Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test. For the majority of the schools the learning outcomes, related to the movement component of LO in the General and Further Education and Training bands, are presented. The fact that most of the schools do not have qualified Physical Education teachers holds certain implications for the status of LO in general and more specifically for the growth and development of the
learners. To address this situation it is recommended that in-service and preservice
education and training of teachers commences immediately and that Higher Education Institutions become more involved in different forms of training initiatives than currently the practice.

Keywords: Curriculum 2005; Further Education and Training Band; General Education and Training Band; Life Orientation; National Curriculum Statement; outcomes-based education; physical education; teacher training; teachers' perspectives.

South African Journal of Education Vol. 29 (1) 2009: pp. 127-145