Teachers’ Views On The Challenges They Experience When Implementing The Curriculum And Assessment Policy Statement In The Foundation Phase

Abstract

The South African education system has been evolving since the democratically elected government came into power in 1994. As a result, a number of curriculum reforms have been introduced within a short space of time. Curriculum change impacts on the work of the teachers who are at the forefront of curriculum innovation and implementation. This study attempts to provide a picture of what is currently occurring in primary schools pertaining to the challenges that Foundation Phase teachers encounter when they implement Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in the classroom. The research aims to provide a view from teacher’s perspectives and understanding of the curriculum and how it impacts on their teaching practice. The literature review revealed that curriculum change is inevitable because in order to keep up with the needs of a constantly changing society, it also has to change. The question that captivated the researcher regarding curriculum change is how the teachers view this change and their experiences when implementing the new curriculum. The literature reviewed also revealed that, in any curriculum change, teachers as curriculum implementers should be involved in curriculum development processes and should undergo extensive training before the envisaged curriculum can be implemented. Furthermore, teachers should be exposed to continuous professional development so that they can be informed on developments and increase their knowledge and skills, which will result in quality teaching and learning. The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed method research design. This design afforded the researcher an opportunity to obtain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the challenges Foundation Phase teachers experience when they implement CAPS. The findings of the study reveal that there is a statistically significant relationship between Foundation Phase teachers’ views and their implementation of CAPS. The results also reveal that the implementation of CAPS in the Foundation Phase is a burden; it is difficult and time consuming to implement CAPS in the Foundation Phase; there is lack of the school management teams’ assistance in the implementation of CAPS; there is lack of in-service training; schools’ infrastructure does not provide learners with a safe and healthy learning environment, there is minimal parental involvement at schools; there is lack of teaching and learning support material; there are overcrowded classrooms; progressed learners frustrate effective teaching and lastly, there is lack of teacher initiative. This research recommends that before a new curriculum is implemented, thorough research must be done along with an analysis to check the viability and implications of the curriculum in the South African context; assistant teachers should be introduced in the South African education system to reduce the administration load of teachers; teachers should receive training in the teaching of learners with learning barriers; there should be a review of CAPS’ content and allocated teaching time; there should be a provision of adequate teaching and learning support material; and members of the school management team must nurture and mentor their staff to enhance a positive school climate.