Redeveloping an introductory plant sciences course : content, competencies and barriers to change

Abstract

The need to produce well-trained graduates that are capable and competent enough to enter the working world and tackle the problems they will be facing has never been greater. In light of some departmental changes and a national call for the transformation of university curricula, the decision to reform the introductory plant sciences course at the University of Pretoria was taken. The aim was to produce a course that is of an international standard, by aligning the course with the Vision and Change document, but also to ensure the content remains relevant and locally applicable. Using the Delphi Technique, this study aimed to determine broad learning objectives for an introductory plant science course, in terms of content and competencies, based on the opinion of plant science lecturers from top universities around South Africa. The Delphi Technique involves asking a series of questions, over a number of iterations, to a group of experts with the goal of reaching a consensus amongst the experts’ opinions. Secondly, I aimed to explore the potential barriers that could arise throughout the process of implementing curricular changes in an introductory plant science course. Results indicated a clear majority of opinions within the participants with regards to the inclusion of specific areas of content in the curriculum as well as in the inclusion of the process of science as a competency. Results also indicated a clear majority in regard to the purpose of an introductory plant science course being to spark interest in the field rather than instil basic knowledge. The exploration of the potential barriers to change show a number of common themes. The data suggest that the largest barrier to change is found in resistance to change from lecturing staff, followed by meeting specific curriculum and institutional requirements. Limitations to change due to issues around students, such as large classes and under-preparedness are also discussed. Further studies should aim to include industry representatives in the discussion in order to help increase student preparedness in the work place, as well as creating more specific learning objectives for the course.