Teaching strategies used by geography teachers to teach sustainable development in Pinetown district.
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Date
2019
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Abstract
Several researchers have noted that many learners do not practice what they have been taught at schools regarding sustainable development. This is evident as the environmental issues are continually increasing, and this threatens our existence. This study sets out to explore the teaching strategies that geography teachers use to teach sustainable development in Pinetown District. The main purpose of the study is to explore geography teachers’ understanding of sustainable development and the different strategies that they use to teach it. The study purposefully targeted social sciences (geography) teachers in primary school.
This study is located within the interpretivist paradigm. The first research instrument administered was semi-structured interviews to solicit teaching strategies that teachers use to teach sustainable development and their conceptions about environmental issues. These were further explored by unstructured observations in class and around the school premises. Limitations, and recommendations for future research and more fruitful teaching of sustainable development were discussed in the last chapter.
The results revealed that teachers are facing challenges in instilling sustainability-oriented values. This is because there is no correlation with what learners are encultured with at schools and at home. Although most participants are keen on using technology to unpack sustainability, skills, and availability of resources to do so are limited. The critical analysis of findings further revealed that teachers use strategies that are convenient to them as time is limited by CAPS demands. Furthermore, the teachers involved in sustainable development initiatives are not necessarily geography (social sciences) teachers.
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Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2019.