Learning processs and its influence in built form: towards a proposed learning centre for youth development in Umlazi.

Abstract

Previously colonized countries have had learning processes impacted, such as Sri Lanka in South Asia, because Sri Lanka experienced low literacy levels due to insufficient education facilities. In the Sub-Saharan Africa region, Burundi experiences low literacy levels in adults and youth because they are subjected to pedagogical challenges. This is after the invasion into Africa by Europe, which led to the establishment of settler-colonies in Africa. In contexts such as these, youth have yet to overcome such barriers in education. To understand the decolonization and deinstitutionalization of education that the research studies, there must be an understanding of colonization in education. This is a pivotal aspect of the research because it gives insight into the dynamics that have created education in South Africa to be what it is at present. The research study elaborates on this stating the history of South Africa. Peri-urban areas are discovered through the literature to address key pedagogical barriers hindering learner achievement. Schools located in the peri-urban areas are characterized by large school learner populations and overcrowded classrooms. Poor academic performance points to fundamental problems in behaviourist pedagogy learning approach, one of which are standardized assessments, which are imposed upon learners and do not give much learner’s control towards their own goals. It is in the peri-urban areas where there is not much variety in learning approaches, as well as lack in educational resources which leads to learner’s low confidence levels that stimulate young minds to learn. Youth experience learning difficulties with a variety of socio-economic challenges which present additional barriers to learning and development such as unfavourable/poor living conditions, generally illiterate and unskilled & semi-skilled societies, education levels are low-literate, small percentage of diploma level graduates, high youth unemployment and dysfunctional family structures. The study investigates the reasons for insufficient educational resources in learning environments, especially where the schools in the area require such assistance. The study examines the influence learning processes will have on built form through understanding learning processes towards transformative learning spaces that are culturally relevant within de-colonial urban contexts. The research study explores conventional teacher-centred learning to be transformed with learner-centred learning through theoretical frameworks highlighted in the literature research.