Managing Teaching and Learning of Social Sciences by Departmental Heads in the General Education and Training (GET) Band in North-West Rural Primary Schools, Ganyesa Circuit

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to investigate how to manage the teaching and learning of Social Sciences by Departmental Heads in the General Education and Training Band in North-West rural primary schools, Ganyesa Circuit. During the period 2004-2012 in the National Curriculum Statements (NCS), there were two separate subjects History and Geography however the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), has combined those two subjects known as “Social Sciences”. This study examined the managing of teaching and learning of Social Sciences in the GET band. The assumptions of the study are the SMTs members face challenges in managing the teaching of Social Sciences in the GET band and SMTs lack knowledge and understanding of optimal management strategies/approaches on how Social Sciences should be taught in the GET band. Furthermore teachers are not well trained in the teaching of Social Sciences. This study was qualitative, using a case study approach and purposive sampling was used to select participants for data collection. The sample comprised of 4 principals (2 males, 2 females), 4 departmental heads (DHs) (2 males, 2 females), 8 educators (4 males, 4 females) from the selected schools; in-depth interviews were used to gather data from the participants. A thematic approach guided by Tesch’s 8 steps model was employed to identify themes and sub-themes on management strategies for the subject. It is believed that the results would assist in identifying the difficulties that school stakeholders are having in managing the teaching and learning of social sciences, which has prevented them from achieving favourable educational outcomes. The findings showed that the DHs are not giving full support to the educators which hampers learner’s performance, DHs and the educators are not qualified to teach Social Sciences which show that there is a problem with recruitment and subject allocation. Furthermore, most of the educators are not getting full support from their DHs due to them not having enough content knowledge therefore DHs need proper trainings to empower them. The researcher identified the management strategies for the teaching and learning of Social Sciences which were subsequently utilized to develop a framework for efficiently and effectively managing Social Sciences, not only in the Ganyesa Circuit, but in other schools in South Africa. It is anticipated that the findings will be published in accredited journals and disseminated in the form of reports to all school stakeholders and the Provincial Department of Basic Education (PDBE).