South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

There is a dearth of research on primary school Geography in South Africa. With no Annual National Assessments (ANAs) being done in the subject, little is known about the quality of geographical learning and teaching in South African primary schools. This article begins to address this shortcoming. More specifically, it responds to the need for empirical research on Geography in primary schooling in the developing-world context of South Africa, where large scale education transformation has taken place since 1994. An overview of the national school system is given followed by a discussion of the major inefficiency characterising the South African school system, namely the low quality of learning and teaching in many schools. Our main contention is that the focus of research has been on understanding and addressing systemic factors associated with low learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy, with little attention being paid to Geography. Drawing on the findings of an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, we provide tentative insights into primary Geography from the perspective of teachers. We conclude with some propositions for a future research agenda.