Abstract
M.Ed.
Outcome Based Education (OBE) also referred to as curriculum 2005 has been
implemented since 1998 in South Africa. Recent research done in OBE indicates that
there are many varied reasons for the little progress in the implementation of OBE.
Among the reasons and criticisms levelled against OBE is the training programme for
'teachers which is often said to be hurried and the complex terminology that is used in
the workshops.
This is the third year since the inception of OBE and the retraining of teachers in
South Africa, but results indicate that very little progress has been achieved. Teachers
confess that they become more confused in the workshops and that the terminology
used is complex to them. As a result they are unsure of whether they are
implementing OBE successfully in their classrooms or not.
The focus of this study was on whether adult education principles had been
incorporated in the training of teachers in OBE. Since teachers are adult learners it
becomes important therefore that principles of adult education be incorporated in the
training for effective teaching and learning to take place in these workshops.
This study was conducted with a sample of five clusters of schools undergoing OBE
training in the Alberton district. The findings indicated that adult education principles
were generally not employed in these OBE training workshops. Facilitators were not
well trained on how to approach the teaching and learning of adults, thus there was
confusion and little understanding of OBE by teachers.
The study concludes with a number of recommendations among which the training of
facilitators on content and on the skills and knowledge of planning, organising and
approaching adult teaching and learning are of importance.