The curriculum of a country is crucial in molding learners into holistic (well-rounded) individuals who can actively contribute to their communities and become productive citizens. According to UNESCO International Bureau of Education (2016), a learner’s complete development involves immediate interactions with family and school, as well as engagement with their future career through a curriculum that offers career-oriented subjects. The curriculum must also ensure that learners understand societal challenges and recognize their roles in addressing these challenges. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding this holistic development.This paper intends to explore the responsibility of a curriculum system in producing a holistic and productive citizen through the lens of the ecological system theory
Bronfenbrenner’s theory highlights various environments and contexts in which learners develop, including the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. This emphasizes the interconnected and dynamic nature of these systems in shaping learner development (Ettekal and Mahoney, 2017). Thus, a country’s curriculum system should align with a specific theory to ensure holistic learner growth. This raises concerns about South Africa’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), which may conflict with ecological systems theory.
Ettekal and Mahoney (2017) note that while the ecological systems theory emphasizes various environmental systems, CAPS may excessively focus on the microsystem, neglecting broader influences such as the mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. This oversight limits a holistic understanding of learner development, exemplified by CAPS’s disconnection from real-world industry needs. Schoeman’s (2018) study reveals that the curriculum struggles to keep pace with dynamic sectors, creating a gap between students’ skills and job market requirements.
Bronfenbrenner’s theory also emphasizes the importance of interactions between different microsystems (mesosystem) and the impact of external systems (exosystem) on individuals. CAPS struggles to capture this dynamic interplay, hindering a comprehensive educational experience. For instance, CAPS tends to emphasize a standardized approach, potentially overlooking individual student needs and talents. A relevant workforce requires diverse skills, and a one-size-fits-all curriculum may not nurture each learner’s unique abilities. That is why Horton et al. (2017) argue that the 21st-century workplace demands critical thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving skills, which CAPS underemphasize in favor of rote memorization and standardized testing. Moreover, CAPS fails to adequately prepare students for the digital age, where proficiency in digital literacy, coding, data analysis, and digital communication is essential.
The misalignment between CAPS and the job market suggests that the curriculum does not adhere to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, resulting in graduates who lack holistic development. Urgent reform is necessary to address unemployment and produce employable graduates. The challenges facing South Africa emanates from an irrelevant curriculum that lacks interconnectedness, posing a threat to the nation’s growth. An effective educational system should align with ecological systems theory, providing a holistic and developmentally appropriate learning experience for learners.
It is arguments like these that prompted the development of the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS). Rooted in a humanistic approach and drawing from quality curriculum theory and competency-oriented education, PECS focuses on practical assessments to gauge students’ relevant skills, aptitudes, and values essential for navigating modern society effectively. PECS emerged as a response to dissatisfaction with the modernist curriculum system in South Africa, akin to the birth of postmodernism. It seeks to rescue learners from a curriculum that lacks progressive elements and fails to provide differentiated learning suitable for all students. Similar to the historical advent of progressivism, PECS acts as a disruptive and qualitative curriculum system aimed at resolving the confusion stemming from curriculum inconsistencies. PECS intends to restore the worth and respect of the education system by rendering it responsive to societal needs through a curriculum rooted in liberal education principles. A unique aspect of PECS is its emphasis on affording learners insights into the working world during their schooling years. This distinct feature underscores the relevance and inspiration that PECS offers to the educational community of South Africa and the broader African context. This perspective envisions an improved education system achieved through the implementation of such an approach.
Know more about PECS: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/personalized-education/
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Please answer these 3 questions and submit them: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/pecs – Questionnaires
Cite this publication: XABA, S.S. 2023.Navigating the educational ecosystem: Assessing the CAPS holistic development challenge through Bronfenbrenner’s lens .https://simnandisolutions.co.za/post/
Bibliography
UNESCO International Bureau of Education. 2016. What makes a quality curriculum. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000243975. Date Of Access: 20 November 2023
Ettekal,A. & Mahoney,J. 2017. Ecological system theory. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316046039_Ecological_Systems_Theory. Date of Access: 19 November 2023
Schoeman,R. 2018. The role of CAPS in preparing school learners for responsible leadership: An exploration of learner experiences at three high schools in the Western Cape. Masters Thesis, University of Stellenbosch. https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6f9e9ac-8050-4861-b026-77e12aca1eb9/content. Date of Access: 22 November 2023.
Horton, R., Cassilas,A., Oswald, F.L. & Shaw, A. 2017. Critical skills for the 21st century workforce. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330887332_Critical_skills_for_the_21st_century_workforce.Date of Access: 23 November 2023