Exploring the lived experiences of Grade 11 Geography teachers regarding fieldwork

Abstract

The South African national curriculum for school geography, the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), lays emphasis on the requirement for all syllabus topics within the Geography Further Education and Training (FET) phase to be studied through an enquiry-based learning approach. This crucial emphasis on enquiry-based learning calls for fieldwork to be utilised as a significant and indispensable signature pedagogy, through which an enquiry-based learning approach is realised and made possible. A rich array of existing literature positively reckons fieldwork as a distinct learning strategy that enhances effective teaching and learning of geography education. However, despite all the acclaimed benefits concomitant to fieldwork as evidently laid in a myriad of literature, the application and implementation of fieldwork is crippled by various contextual barriers; causing fieldwork to be less applicable at school level. This study uses a qualitative and phenomenological philosophical approach to explore the lived experiences of Grade 11 geography teachers regarding the feasibility and applicability of fieldwork in their practice. The study used semi-structured interviews and focus groups to explore the experiences of the geography teachers regarding fieldwork. Geography teachers were asked to reflect on their fieldwork experiences and further share their perspectives about the feasible operationalisation of fieldwork in their practice. The findings of the study contribute significantly to the understanding of how geography fieldwork can be operationalised feasibly in the geography curriculum. The acquired understanding emanating from these research findings will further render an essential opportunity in informing the policymakers, curriculum developers, curriculum advisors and geography teachers regarding the applicability and efficacy of fieldwork in South Africa. The researcher endorses that an effective application of fieldwork creates a phenomenal opportunity for effective teaching and learning of geography.