Abstract
Ph.D.
This study had its origin in the challenges that currently face the delivery of high-quality education in South Africa. Tertiary institutions are grappling with the issue of adequately preparing student-teachers for the challenging and diverse circumstances that present themselves in 21st-century schools. This study formed part of a broader longitudinal research initiative of the Faculty of Education of the University of Johannesburg which considers the enhancement of pre-service teacher education in South Africa through innovative interventional strategies that strive towards an improved professional practice of teachers.
Consequently, this interpretivist qualitative study looked at what educational value and additional opportunities an educational excursion for first-year student-teachers presented regarding their integration in the faculty (and developing a sense of belonging), as well as their professional development. The aim of the research was to develop a deeper understanding of how this interventional, off-campus learning experience could inform the enhancement of teacher education, as well as to identify a set of design principles that could serve as guidance for the planning and structuring of such additional learning experiences. The excursion curriculum was rooted in the conceptual framework of the Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg and aligned to the structured teacher education programme curriculum by linking it to the content of one of the first-year modules (ISC10A1, which later became TST10A1). This ensured the integration of classroom theory to practical exposure and experience of becoming a professional teacher.
The University of Johannesburg embarked on this interventional, innovative journey of educational excursions in 2007, when the research cycle of the present study also commenced. The excursions are continuing in the year that this thesis is finalised (2016). However, this study only focused on a period of six years, namely 2007–2012, with selected post-2012 data. Due to the reiterative nature of the research study and the extended period over which the data was collected, a variety of data gathering techniques were applied to ensure a good representation of the rich content and outcomes that the programme yielded. These included document analysis of academic articles addressing aspects of the longitudinal research of which this study formed a part, as well as learning guides and reports, questionnaires, interviews, observations, photographs and other visual material and educational artefacts. A design-based research strategy was applied in this study with the aim of improving educational practices through the iterative processes of analysis, design, development and implementation in collaboration with a team of researchers and practitioners...