Mutual benefits of an experiential learning community project in South Africa : perceptual skills development and learning support

Abstract

This paper draws on Kolb’s experiential learning theory. Experiential learning can be used to create and verify knowledge or to analyse truths and belief systems. The experiences of third-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) students and the benefits of stakeholder engagement in the delivery of teacher training are highlighted in this paper. Although learners were the focal point of this community engagement project, both in-service and pre-service teachers benefitted in terms of skills transfer and upskilling. Special emphasis was placed on reading comprehension and the effects of the underdevelopment of perceptual skills on learning. The epistemological theoretical insights in this paper contribute to teaching practice, equipping in-service teachers with the skill to link perceptual skills development to learning. The project made use of participatory action research (PAR) underpinned by Kolb’s interactive learning cycle of active experimentation, reflective observation, concrete experience and abstract conceptualisation. Two hundred and seventeen (217) student teachers, 20 Foundation Phase teachers and 300 learners from one school participated in this project. The results of this community engagement project revealed that community projects are essential in disseminating theoretical knowledge to in-service teachers, and thus, in sharing learning support strategies for children with special needs.