Environmental education for sustainable communities by adult practitioners in a black urban community

Abstract

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Within the broad theoretical context provided by debates and policies on
 curriculum development and current approaches in adult and environmental
 education, this study attempted to improve my own practice by making a
 meaningful contribution towards the professional development and conceptual
 understanding of student teachers who have registered for a three-year National
 Diploma in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the Peninsula
 Technikon in Cape Town. Although these students have no teaching
 qualifications, they are involved in community literacy education for
 disadvantaged people in various communities and in non-governmental
 education centres. The professional development and conceptual understanding
 of the students with regard to sustainability as a key environmental concept was
 effected by focusing on the concepts, and applying the processes of
 environmental education for sustainability (EEFS) in the teaching and learning
 process.
 In an attempt to integrate theory and practice the student teachers took action in
 community-based environmental projects organised by the Tsoga Environmental
 Resource Centre in Langa, Cape Town. The idea was that they should apply
 their acquired skills and understanding of sustained environments and teach
 adult learners to transform their local environments through their literacy classes.
 This means integration of adult literacy with environmental or ecological literacy
 The interviews and observations of the students at work in the community were
 not only aimed at providing feedback for the purposes of future programme
 design but also at monitoring what the students did with their learning
 experiences regarding EEFS as a theme, in a different teaching situation (adult
 literacy classes). In the final analysis, the present study attempted to clear up conceptual
 misunderstandings and to show that education processes are as important as its
 content and outcomes. It has attempted to operationalise curriculum approaches,
 recommended for environmental sustainability, in a practical way. The study as a
 whole is set within the general literature of both adult and environmental
 education, and particularly that of curriculum and student development for social
 transformation.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne die breë teoretiese raamwerk van diskoers en nasionale
 beleidsdokumente ten opsigte van kurrikulumontwikkeling, en huidige
 benaderings tot volwasse en omgewingsopvoeding poog hierdie studie om my
 eie praktyk te verbeter deur 'n betekenisvolle bydrae te lewer tot die
 professionele ohtwikkeling, en konseptueie begrip van studentonderwysers wat
 ingeskryf is vir 'n drie-jaar Nasionale Diploma in Volwasse Basiese Onderwys
 aan die Skiereilandse Tegnikon in Kaapstad. Alhoewel hierdie studente oor
 geen formele onderwyskwalifikasies beskik nie is hulle betrokke in
 geletterdheidsopvoeding onder benadeelde gemeenskappe en in nieregeringsentra.
 Die professionele ontwikkeling en konseptueie begrip van die
 studente ten opsigte van volhoubaarheid as 'n sentrale omgewingskonsep is
 ondersoek deur te fokus op die kernbegrippe, en die aanwending van prosesse
 eie aan omgewingsopvoeding vir volhoubaarheid (OOW) in leer en
 onderrigprosesse.
 In 'n poging om teorie en praktyk te integreer is studente aangemoeding om
 betrokke te raak in verskeie gemeenskapsgebaseerde projekte wat deur die
 Tsoga Omgewingsentrum in Langa, Kaapstad georganiseer word. Die idee
 hiermee was dat hulle ontwikkelende vaardighede en begrip ten opsigte van
 volhoubare gemeenskappe sal aanwend deurdat terwyl hulle volwasse leerders
 leer lees en skryf, hulle terselfdertyd sal bydra tot die transformasie van hulle
 gemeenskappe. Dit beteken integrasie van volwasse geletterdheid met
 omgewings of ekologiese geletterdheid.
 Onderhoude met, en waarnemings van die studente tydens hulle werk in die
 onderskeie gemeenskappe is gedoen nie alleen met die oog op
 programontwikkeling nie, maar ook met die oog op monitering van die
 verskillende wyses waarop studente hulle eie leerervarings in (OOVV) hulle
 praktyk in 'n ander konteks (volwasse geletterdsheidsklasse) beïnvloed en verryk.
 By wyse van samevatting kan gesê word dat hierdie studie ondersoek ingestel
 het na wanpersepsies ten opsigte van omgewingskonsepte en hoe dit
 aangespreek kan word, en aangetoon het dat ook in hierdie konteks, onderwys
 prosesse net so belangrik soos inhoud en uitkomstes is. Verder is
 kurrikulumbenaderings wat vir OOW ontwikkel is ondersoek en in konteks van
 Volwasse Basiese Onderwys geoperasionaliseer. Die studie as geheel is gesetel
 binne die algemene literatuur van beide volwasse en omgewings opvoedkunde,
 en in besonder die van kurrikulum en studente ontwikkeling vir sosial
 transformasie.