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.
