Abstract:
The implementation of experiential learning within schools may hold many
advantages. The objective of this study was to identify how experiential learning
influences the teaching and learning of Life Sciences (biology). This qualitative
inductive research focused on creating a rich amount of data through a multiple
case study approach. The collection and analysis of data were done through the use
of interviews, classroom observations and worksheet checklists. The interpretivist
researcher in this study chose dual-medium public high schools of different socialeconomic
backgrounds to participate in this study. Life Sciences teachers in
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa were interviewed and observed in their
classes while teaching. This study showed that teachers do not fully understand the
context of experiential learning. The issue that was addressed was the need for
quality education by enforcing the correct use of experiential learning. The
insertion of generic skills in schools will improve the development of Life Sciences
learners and enable them to subsequently progress in the classroom. An experience
not utilized in another area of education has not value, specifically in the Life
Sciences classroom. This experience permitted learners to form a union between
the outside of the classroom and the theory taught inside the classroom when
testing implications. These implications can form part of experiments, subject
matter or any theme related to science and society. Experiential learning sustained
a gateway to the learners’ outside lives, where the concepts came alive in common
areas of their daily lives.
