An investigation into the implementation of outcomes based education in the Western Cape province

Abstract

The aim of this research was to establish how successfully schools in the foundation phase (Grades 1 and 2), where training and implementation of OBE has been completed, were able to reach the goals of OBE. As part of the broader goal, this investigation attempted to clarify whether the inclusionary approach of OBE was working in primary schools in the foundation phase based on its central premise that all students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day and in the same way. More specifically, this investigation attempted to establish: (i) How successfully had the 66 specific outcomes been implemented in Grade 1 and Grade 2? (ii) What was the level of success of implementation in the different learning areas? (iii) What was the level of success in the implementation of mastery learning? (iv) How many learners had been moved from special education sites to regular education sites? (v) Did schools have the resources to deal with diversity? (vi) Had there been sufficient human resource development to ensure teachers had been trained to deal with diversity? And (vii) Did teachers feel they could teach all learners? In order to arrive at the above-mentioned aim, this study included a survey in a sample of primary schools in the Western Cape. A survey was conducted in 108 primary schools which constitutes 10% of the primary schools in the Western Cape Province. The 108 schools were chosen based on socio-economic and rural/urban considerations. Schools were identified on the following basis: 25% of the poorly resourced schools in urban areas, 25% of the well resourced schools in urban areas, 25% of the poorly resourced schools in the rural areas and 25% of the well resourced schools in the rural areas. Regarding the results of the study concerning the specific outcomes and learning areas, in grade one and grade two results relating to the specific outcomes and learning areas revealed that the majority of teachers rated the level of success at average and below. For example, the range of those teachers who indicated average and below in grade 1 was from 41.03% to 81.96% and in grade 2 from 43.56% to 79.50%.