The implementation practices of Physical Education by Grade R teachers

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine Grade R teachers’ understanding and implementation of Physical Education (PE) as part of their daily programme in relation to the Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS). A selected group of teachers from three government primary schools participated in the study. This is a qualitative study using a multiple case study research design. The methodological paradigm used to underpin the study is that of interpretivism. The theoretical lens used is the Concerns Based Model of Teacher Development. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants in this research project. The findings indicate that teachers generally have a positive attitude towards implementing PE but most felt that they do not have enough time in the day to do this, so although lessons were planned and prepared, other lessons tended to take priority over PE. All the teachers were satisfied with the equipment available to them, however, not all teachers utilised these resources due to lack of time. Overall, teachers were vague in their understanding of the importance of PE in a child’s development. The findings of this study indicate that there is a gap in resources available to assist teachers in their planning; and insufficient training in the implementation of PE to contribute to the body of knowledge on teachers’ understanding and implementation of PE in Grade R. The study recommends that the Department of Education and policy makers should review teacher’s training and continuous professional development on the use of CAPS with specific reference to PE. The findings of the study indicate that teachers can indeed benefit from training resources to support implementation of PE in Grade R.