Abstract
D.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
Through quality education for all, learners will be able to reach their full potential and will
be able to “meaningfully contribute to and participate in that society throughout their lives”
(Department of Education, 1997, p.11). To facilitate this process, Life Orientation (LO) has
been introduced as a compulsory subject in grades 8 to 12 and, according to the National
Curriculum Statement, it will be “guiding learners to develop their full potential in all
spheres of life (i.e. holistic development)”, and focusing on “skills that empower learners to
relate positively and make a contribution to family, community and society life in South
Africa” (Department of Education, 2003, p.19). This implies that those responsible for
teaching this subject would require specific qualities and characteristics, as they face many
challenges in terms of what learners bring to school, such as the effects of violence, HIV,
abuse, divorce, poverty and teenage pregnancy. The expectations of the learning outcomes
are high, and as yet little is known about the experience of LO within schools. This
research therefore aimed to explore the learners’ lived experiences of LO within secondary
schools in Gauteng, in order to understand their perspectives of LO and LO teachers in the
first phase, so that intervention strategies could be developed in the second phase to
enhance its implementation. The research utilised a qualitative paradigm and included a
literature review, focus group interviews with six to eight learners in each grade of four
secondary schools, five individual interviews with learners, four individual interviews with
LO teachers, and open-ended questionnaires completed by one class in each grade in
secondary school. Data analysis was deductive and themes identified focused on the
relevancy of LO, the attitude to LO, the acquisition of life skills, LO teachers and their
teaching methods, and the LO needs of learners. Several gaps were identified between
learners’ experiences and the learning outcomes of LO. Intervention strategies, based on
the findings of the study in phase one, were developed in phase two in order to address
these gaps, to further develop LO as a learning area, and to facilitate the acquisition of life
skills by secondary school learners. The overall principles of the intervention programme
focused on improving the practical applicability of LO for learners, making it more
relevant to adolescents, linking it to the community, assisting with the necessary teacher
selection criteria and teaching qualities, and highlighting the necessity for more health
promotion in schools.