Science teacher educators’ views on incorporating a thematic approach in science teacher education curriculum in South Africa

Abstract

Curriculum innovations influenced by shifting curriculum from teaching subjects as separate compartments into integration of related disciplines has ushered discourse on adopting pedagogical strategies for teaching sciences through amalgamated themes across disciplines. The South African Teacher Education Institutions were mandated to develop curriculum reflecting science disciplines reflecting principles of knowledge integration. Bernstein’s theory was used as a theory to frame the empirical study. The theory enabled the study to identify relevant syntax and semantics that could be used to describe how integrated knowledge in sciences curriculum could be structured to ensure that teacher trainees are adequately prepared to teach school curriculum. This study aimed at identifying perceptions and thoughts of Science Teacher Educators on how curriculum could be structured to allow knowledge integration in related disciplines. A purposive sample of teacher training universities was used to collect data for the case study. Data was collected through qualitative means, through interview and curriculum document analysis. Findings unveiled diverse patterns of thoughts on whether science multidisciplinary knowledge could be structured to allow integration of related themes in designing science teacher education curriculum structure. Further, findings unveiled that models used for the curriculum design by different institutions to some extent demonstrated divergent models influenced by lecturers as curriculum designers and developers’ perspectives are influenced by their philosophical world views on how knowledge production entails. In conclusion, knowledge integration is a paradigm shift which requires ideological and philosophical beliefs to be set aside for transformational curriculum to be developed. Knowledge integration is therefore a process from curriculum design to curriculum dissemination and it can therefore act as a principle underpinning its implementation process.