Ontwikkeling van maatskaplik-verantwoordelike lewenswetenskappe-onderwysers deur gemeenskapsdiensleer

Abstract

Die Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysbeleid vereis van tersiêre instellings om gegradueerdes te lewer wat maatskaplik-verantwoordelike burgers is. Een van die maniere waarop dit bereik kan word, is deur diensleerinisiatiewe. Dieretuine as gemeenskapsvennote kan opwindende opvoedkundige geleenthede vir studente bied om dieregedrag te bestudeer en om maatskaplike verantwoordelikheid te ontwikkel. In ‘n steekproef het 58 voordiens lewenswetenskappeonderwysers aan 'n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit vraelyste oor hulle dieregedragstudies wat by ‘n dieretuin uitgevoer is, voltooi. Die studie was daarop gemik om te bepaal hoe dieregedragstudie suksesvol by ‘n gemeenskapsdiensleerprojek in ‘n dieretuin geïnkorporeer kan word, wat die opvoedkundige waarde van die dieregedragstudie is en wat die voordele daarvan was dat hierdie gemeenskapsdiensleerprojek in die lewenswetenskappekursus geïnkorporeer is. Die inkorporering van die diensleerkomponent in die dierkundekursus het gelei tot studente se persoonlike en professionele ontwikkeling, kennis van hulleself, sensitiwiteit vir kulturele verskeidenheid, burgerlike verantwoordelikheid en insig in die manier waarop gemeenskappe bedryf word. Vir ‘n diensleerprojek om suksesvol te wees, moet dosente, studente en gemeenskapsvennote almal ‘n sin van betrokkenheid toon. ‘n Aantal voorstelle word gemaak om die inkorporering van hierdie diensleerkomponent by die bestaande dierkundekursus te verbeter.

In South Africa, polices in higher education are urging tertiary institutions to produce graduates who are socially responsible citizens. One method of achieving this is through service-learning initiatives. Zoos as community partners can provide exciting educational opportunities for students to do animal behaviour studies and to develop their social responsibility. A sample of 58 preservice life-sciences teachers from a South African university completed a questionnaire on their animal behaviour studies. This study sought to determine how animal behaviour studies could successfully be incorporated as a community servicelearning project in a zoo setting, what the educational value of these studies was and what the benefits were of incorporating this community service-learning component in the life-sciences course. The incorporation of the service-learning component into the zoology course led to the students’ personal and professional development, knowledge about themselves, sensitivity to cultural diversity, civic responsibility and insights into the ways in which communities operate. For a successful service-learning project, lectures, students and community partners should all have a sense of engagement. A number of suggestions are made to improve the incorporation of this service-learning component into the existing zoology course.