Transformative learning through a youth enrichment programme - in search of Talisman

Abstract

All human beings are endowed with unique talents and potentialities, and are able to bring to life the hidden gifts or the talisman within them. Being in the prime of their lives, youth should be engaged in developing themselves, acquiring virtues, and striving for excellence. Reports from schools and other sources, however, indicate that many South African youth have become prey to various social ills, such as teenage pregnancy, violence, crime, and drugs and alcohol abuse, which inhibit them from achieving their talisman. In response to this situation, a life skills programme was designed to awaken the sense of talisman in youth. Believing that all human beings are gifted with special talents and potentialities, the Youth Enrichment Programme (YEP) aims to improve and transform the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of youth, thus bringing them closer to the state of talisman. The programme intends to equip youth with values and skills that improve their social, moral and cognitive behaviour, so that they can become responsible citizens in a united and peaceful society. It pays special attention to the moral and spiritual aspects of the learners, aspects severely neglected by most education systems. The principles of YEP are founded on the spiritual nature of man, the oneness of mankind, unity in diversity, and equality. The programme adopts transformational and multi-domain teaching strategies to transform learners through interactive critical assessment of values in the context of real-life moral and social issues. The main purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate YEP in terms of its influence on the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of adolescent learners and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Various aspects of the programme were investigated, including its underlying theoretical principles, methodological approaches and design characteristics. The researcher evaluated the influence of the programme on the behaviour of adolescent learners in five institutions in two provinces. The qualitative and quantitative data from the learners, teachers and facilitators in the five case studies showed that the programme had a positive influence on the learners in the cognitive, social and moral domains. It broadened their view of life and developed problem solving skills in the cognitive domain, enhanced their communication skills and co-operation in social domain, and improved their general moral behaviour especially in the areas of trust and respect in the moral domain. Overall, the effect of the programme was most prominent in transforming the moral behaviour of the learners, bringing some of them closer to their state of talisman. The study also discovered three unexpected phenomena - the beneficial role of peer learning facilitation, the positive effect of facilitation on the young facilitators, and the salutary effect of the programme on the general learning atmosphere in the schools. All human beings are endowed with unique talents and potentialities, and are able to bring to life the hidden gifts or the talisman within them. Being in the prime of their lives, youth should be engaged in developing themselves, acquiring virtues, and striving for excellence. Reports from schools and other sources, however, indicate that many South African youth have become prey to various social ills, such as teenage pregnancy, violence, crime, and drugs and alcohol abuse, which inhibit them from achieving their talisman. In response to this situation, a life skills programme was designed to awaken the sense of talisman in youth. Believing that all human beings are gifted with special talents and potentialities, the Youth Enrichment Programme (YEP) aims to improve and transform the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of youth, thus bringing them closer to the state of talisman. The programme intends to equip youth with values and skills that improve their social, moral and cognitive behaviour, so that they can become responsible citizens in a united and peaceful society. It pays special attention to the moral and spiritual aspects of the learners, aspects severely neglected by most education systems. The principles of YEP are founded on the spiritual nature of man, the oneness of mankind, unity in diversity, and equality. The programme adopts transformational and multi-domain teaching strategies to transform learners through interactive critical assessment of values in the context of real-life moral and social issues. The main purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate YEP in terms of its influence on the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of adolescent learners and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Various aspects of the programme were investigated, including its underlying theoretical principles, methodological approaches and design characteristics. The researcher evaluated the influence of the programme on the behaviour of adolescent learners in five institutions in two provinces. The qualitative and quantitative data from the learners, teachers and facilitators in the five case studies showed that the programme had a positive influence on the learners in the cognitive, social and moral domains. It broadened their view of life and developed problem solving skills in the cognitive domain, enhanced their communication skills and co-operation in social domain, and improved their general moral behaviour especially in the areas of trust and respect in the moral domain. Overall, the effect of the programme was most prominent in transforming the moral behaviour of the learners, bringing some of them closer to their state of talisman. The study also discovered three unexpected phenomena - the beneficial role of peer learning facilitation, the positive effect of facilitation on the young facilitators, and the salutary effect of the programme on the general learning atmosphere in the schools.