Abstract
M.Ed.
This study emanated from my observations and experiences as an educator into the
teaching of Environmental Education at school. Environmental Education was infused
into all Learning Areas, as per the Revised National Curriculum Statement. However,
the teaching and learning of environmental issues and topics seemed to have been
addressed very superficially. The indifferent attitude displayed by learners was also an
area of concern. These observations were the motivation for this research.
There is an abundance of research in support of an interdisciplinary approach to
teaching Environmental Education. Research has also supported the use of a holistic
and systemic approach to the teaching and learning of Environmental Education. This
study attempts to report on the status of the integration of Environmental Education in
the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) across Grades 7 to 9 in South
Africa, through the lens of systemic and holistic thinking.
Following a study of the different models available to depict the teaching and learning of
Environmental Education holistically and systemically, I have elected to use the Van
Rooyen Model as it supported a more holistic understanding of environmental issues, in
accordance with global trends.
The mixed methods research design was most appropriate to explore how
Environmental Education was captured in the RNCS and to determine how teachers
have interpreted these policies in classroom practice. The first stage of the sequential
exploratory design was undertaken, informed by an in-depth qualitative study of the
RNCS policy documents, learner textbooks and teacher’s lesson plans. An analysis of
the RNCS policy documents in all Learning Areas in C2005 was carried out to
determine how Environmental Education had been incorporated using the principles of
systemic and holistic learning. Data that emerged indicated that there tends to be a
disjuncture between the macro, meso and micro planning on the part of policymakers.
The infusion of EE, which is done by policymakers (macro planning) and which filters
through to the different Learning Areas (meso planning) and finally down to individual
teacher’s (micro planning), has shown how Environmental Education content has
become quite diluted. The teaching of environmentally related content was done
according to broad umbrella topics, with topics being addressed very minimally in
accordance to holistic and systemic teaching.
The cross curricular approach to teaching Environmental education was implemented
by curriculum planners with an assumption that teachers were equipped with the
vi
necessary knowledge, skills and values to teach Environmental Education effectively.
This therefore informed the second stage of the sequential exploratory design within the
mixed method framework. Taking into consideration the overall findings of this research,
the study recommends that future curriculum planning to incorporate Environmental
Education should be done with much more deliberation and in accordance to holistic
and systemic principles. The study also highlights the need for Higher Education
Institutions involved in teacher training to incorporate a compulsory Environmental
course in their programme, thereby equipping all teachers, irrespective of subject
specialization, with the necessary knowledge, skills and values to teach Environmental
Education meaningfully.