Abstract
M.Ed.
The "hands off' kind of culture by South Africans towards the Environment is a serious concern.
However it is encouraging to see that attempts are being made to improve the situation. The Environment and Environmental Education (EE) are receiving some attention in the formal education sector lately. The preservice (PRESET) sector of colleges of education was targeted by this study. This sector comprises teacher educators and teacher designates, it is on the basis of that, that their views were solicited in this attempt of making proposals for and EE curriculum framework for preservice teachers.
These important stakeholders' views and expectations were used in making proposals for this Junior Primary Teachers Diploma (JPTD) EE curriculum framework. Essentially the content of such a curriculum framework should help in enviromnentalizing prospective teachers. The literature reviewed indicated that many countries of the world are engaged in the exercise of institutionalizing EE. This matter is receiving attention globally.
Local and overseas initiatives have put EE in the forefront of educational discourse. Even though, there is still a lot of ground to be covered before EE can be viewed as having made significant impact in school systems. Indications are that, globally there is still a shortage of properly trained environmental educators. Colleges of Education in the Free State have to double efforts in addressing this problem_ Visits and interviews with Environmental studies lecturers at three (3)
colleges of education in the Free State revealed disturbing inconsistencies. Great care was taken when proposals were made. The dictates and stipulations of outcomes based education (OBE) and curriculum 2005 were carefully considered.
The proposals for JPTD EE curriculum framework were grounded on the latest trends in
education. Flowing from that, this study views environmental educators as facilitators, not
dispensers of knowledge.
Learners should be enabled to construct knowledge by thinking and doing. Cross-curricular,
interdisciplinary and integrated approach is viewed as critical in this study. Teaching and learning
should be viewed from and environmental perspective.
The success of the proposed EE curriculum framework for JPTD is dependent on colleges'
preparedness to undergo fundamental changes. Management and lecturers have to facilitate this
paradigm shift, so that permeation of subjects in the curriculum by EE can be implemented. This
context compatible EE curriculum framework allows a large degree of flexibility for the colleges to
determine how learners achieve specific and critical outcomes. Continuous assessment (CA) and
assessment criteria, which take range statements and performance indicators into consideration, are
acceptable. Lecturers' discretion is critical in this aspect; rigidity and prescriptions have been
avoided.
Recommendations by the following instances were carefully considered:
Committee On Teacher Education (COTEP).
Environmental Education Curriculum Initiative (EECI).
Environmental Education Association of South-Africa (EEASA).
South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
National Qualification Framework (NQF).
Colleges of education in the Free State are faced with the challenge of im