Integrated planning of activities using the national curriculum framework in early childhood care and education rural centres=Ukuhlelwa kwemisebenzi okudidiyelwe kohlaka lohlelozifundo lukazwelonke lokunakekelwa nokufundiswa okokuqala kwezingane ezincane.

Abstract

Young children easily learn where teaching and learning activities are integrated in relation to their age and interest (Ebrahim & Irvine 2012; Murris, 2019). The introduction of the South African National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for children from birth to four years provided guidance to the planning of quality experience and equal learning opportunities in the variety of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres. This research study aimed to explore rural ECCE teachers experiences of working with the NCF for the planning of teaching and learning activities that are integrated to prepare three to four years children for school readiness as they advance further to the Reception year class (Grade R). This is primarily to probe how they learn to follow the guidelines of the NCF, identify and bring together teaching and learning activities from the six Early Learning Developmental Areas (ELDAs) included as subjects in the document. The research study also aimed to develop the Transformative Planning Model for Integrated Activities (TPMIA) as the original contribution to be followed when other ECCE teachers in the related context plan the integrated activities. Jack Mezirow’s (1978) transformative learning theory and the theoretical contributions of Thomas Kuhn (1970) and Jurgen Habermas (1971) framed the study and assisted to understand integration as the meaning making process that requires preparedness, willingness, and the desire to engage in the new learning process. This qualitative case study targeted three ECCE centres that adopted the NCF for guidance in the rural Umbumbulu area in KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. The research study was underpinned by the interpretive paradigm and three ECCE teachers from each centre were purposively sampled. Data collected from the nine participants using semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis were organised into themes using the data analysis spiral as an inductive method of analysis. The findings suggested thematic approach as the useful strategy to integrate teaching and learning activities for the development of young children. The participants in all the three rural ECCE centres organised suitable times to collaborate, communicate, share knowledge and select suitable themes for integration. They learned the NCF content, organise teaching and play resources and identify teaching and learning activities from the six Early Learning Developmental Areas (ELDAs). The study discovered the development of the daily programme (time-table), lesson planning and the organising learning environment as important steps in the planning process. The important and heartening outcomes were that after learning the NCF, rural ECCE teachers embraced their new insights with conviction and explored new roles as interpreters of the new curriculum, creative thinkers, reflective teachers and assessors for learning. However, challenging factors including lack of support from the Department of Basic Education, lack of physical space and the shortage of teaching and play resources contributed negatively to the integrated planning process. The researcher recommends further workshops and training for the rural ECCE teachers to further learn the vision of the NCF. Moreover, further research of a similar nature is also recommended in the ECCE sector.

IQOQA LOCWANINGO:

Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi abantwana abasebancane bafunda ngokuqonda bejabule ngohlelo lokufunda imisebenzi edidiyelwe ((Ebrahim & Irvine 2012; Murris, 2019). Iningizimu Afrika ifake amava okufunda kothisha be-ECCE ngokusungula i-National Curriculum Framework (NCF) njengesiqondiso somsebenzi esiqondisa ukufundisa nokufunda kwezingane ezineminyaka emi-3 kuya kwe-4 be-ECCE. Inhlosonqgangi ukubheka indlela othisha esigabeni sokuqala i-Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) abahlela ngayo imisebenzi edidiyelwe yokuthuthukiswa kwezingane ezincane ezikhungweni ezintathu ezisendaweni esemakhaya. Ngokusebenza ngokubambisana, ababambiqhaza baholwa ekuhlanganiseni imisebenzi yokufundisa neyokufunda ebhekelele okuyisithupha okuyi-Early Learning Developmental Areas (i-ELDA) egqugquzela izindlela zemfundo esigabeni se-ECCE, kubhekwa ukulungela kwezingane isikole ngaphambi kokuya esikoleni. Enye inhlosonqgangi ukubamba iqhaza ekuthuthukisweni kwe-Transformative Planning Model for Integrated Activities (TPMIA) engasetshenziswa kunoma yikuphi okuqukethwe okuhlobene ne-ECCE. Ithiyori yokuguquka kokufunda kaJack Mezirow (1978) kanye neqhaza lethiyori kaThomas Kuhn (1970) noJurgen Habermas (1971), lube nomthelela okhulu ekwenzeni kwami lolu ucwaningo ngoba lungisize ngaqonda ukuthi ukulungiselela ukufundisa kuwuchungechunge oludinga ukulungela, ukuzimisela kanye nesifiso sokubamba iqhaza ekucebiseni izinqubo zokufundisa nokufunda. Ngiqoke indlela yekhwalithethivi ukwenza lo msebenzi ukubheka izikhungo ezintathu ze-ECCE endaweni esemaphandleni eMbumbulu esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natali eNingizimu Afrika. Indlela engiyisebenzisile yasekelwa yi-paradigm yokuhumusha. Othisha abathathu be-ECCE abavela esikhungweni ngasinye basampulelwe ngamabomu ukuhlola kwami izinqubo okuhlela ukusungula amasu okufundisa nokufunda asebenzayo ezinganeni ezisencane. Imininingwane yaqoqwa kulabo babambiqhaza abayisishiyagalolunye, besebenzisa izingxoxo ezihleleke kancane (semi-structured,) inhlolovo (interviews), izingxoxo ezigxile emaqenjini kanye nemibhalo yabo yokuhlela eskeniwe (scanned) futhi yahlaziywa. Idatha ihlelwe ngezindikimba, kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziywa kwedatha njengendlela yokuhlaziya yokufaka okuthile (inductive method). Okutholakele kuphakamisa ukuthi indlela yendikimba iyasiza ekuhlanganiseni imisebenzi yokufundisa nokufunda ebhekise ezinganeni ezisencane ezineminyaka emi-3 kuye kwe-4. Ababambiqhaza be-ECCE kuzona zontathu izikhungo zasemakhaya ze-ECCE basebenze ngokubambisana ukutolika imihlahlandlela ye-NCF nokwenza imisebenzi ehlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwezindikimba esekwe yi-ELDA, ukuze kufundiswe futhi kufundwe ngempumelelo. Ukusebenzisa imihlahlandlela ye-NCF ngokubambisana nakwezokuxhumana kuthuthukiswe ukuqonda kwabo futhi kwabasiza ekwabelaneni ngobuhlakani babo nolwazi ekukhetheni izingqikithi, ukuhlela imisebenzi edidiyelwe, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezinsizakusebenza zokufundisa. Indlela eyaqokwa yileyo ebandakanya izinhlelo zansuku zonke, ukulungiselelwa kwezifundo kanye nokuhlela izindawo zokufunda zangaphakathi nangaphandle zemisebenzi yokudlala edidiyelelwe ukufundisa. Imiphumela ebalulekile nekhuthazayo ukuthi labo thisha be-ECCE babenentshisekelo, bamukela ukuqonda kwabo okusha ngokuqiniseka, futhi benza izindima zabo njengabahumushi bekharikhulamu entsha (NCF) ongqondongqondo bokudala, futhi babonakalisa ukuzethemba. Yize noma bezikhona izinselelo, othisha bafunde ukuthuthukisa imisebenzi yokufundisa nokudlala kanye nokuzenzela izinsizakufundisa. Ngokutholakele kulolu cwaningo, kunconywa ukuthi imihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi yenzelwe bonke othisha abasezikhungweni ze-ECCE lapho bengakwazi khona ukukhipha khona i-NCF, bahlole imisebenzi edidiyelwe yokufundisa nokufunda, futhi bafunde ukukhuthaza ukubamba iqhaza kwabazali ekwakheni izinsizakufundisa ezifanele izingane. Ucwaningo lwesikhathi esizayo lwento efanayo luyanconywa ukuthi luqhubeke ukuze luqaqe futhi lukhanyise indlela edidiyelwe yokufundisa nokufunda kulo mkhakha we-ECCE.