Activities
FUNDISA FOR CHANGE (FFC) ACTIVITIES -TIMELINE
2023
- Developed online learning courses including Introductory to ESD Teaching Practices, Climate Change Education for Geography, Climate Change Education for Natural Science.
- Review of the Programme and redevelopment of the Business Plan
- Redevelopment of the Monitoring and Evaluation System.
- Upscaling of the Fundisa for Change Programme for teacher education.
- Presenting research at Global Change Conference and SOLT 4.
2022
- Developed an online learning platform for Fundisa courses.
- Developed three Life Orientation Online Courses for Teachers teaching LO in Grade 8 to 12.
- Review of the Programme and redevelopment of the Business Plan
- Redevelopment of the Monitoring and Evaluation System.
- Upscaling of the Fundisa for Change Programme for teacher education.
- Presented research and findings at conferences.
2021
- 200 teachers from 100 schools to be trained on Climate Change Education through the KIC-CCE project.
- Comparative Research conducted in schools engaged in Climate Change Education through the KIC-CCE project.
- 120 teachers/ teacher educators to be trained in Business Studies and Economic and Management Science on Green Economy and Entrepreneurship.
- Review of the Programme and redevelopment of the Business Plan
- Redevelopment of the Monitoring and Evaluation System.
- Upscaling of the Fundisa for Change Programme for teacher education.
- Research book to be Finalised and published synthesising research from the Fundisa for Change programme.
2020
- Evaluation of the Fundisa for Change programme completed.
- PHD completed on the Fundisa for Change Programme – Evaluative Study
- Fundisa for Change together with VVOB, Green Matter and EEASA hosts online international conference on Climate Change Education.
- Fundisa for Change presented at the UNFCCC 8th Regional Dialogue as a good practice in teacher education.
- New Online course developed on Green Economy and Entrepreneurship for Business Studies and Economic and Management Sciences teachers and teacher educators.
- Researchers across the universities develop a comparative research design for Climate Change Education linked to the Keep it Cool – Climate Change project.
- Formalisation of the Fundisa for Change Programme Steering Committee.
2019
- National Coordination Secretariat established at the South African National Biodiversity Institute.
- A new 3-year project to support teachers in Business studies and Economic Management Sciences developed: Green Economy and Entrepreneurship
- A new 3-year Climate Change Education Project called Keep it Cool – Climate Change Education developed and implemented by VVOB(SA), GreenMatter in partnership with Fundisa for Change and funded by the Flanders Government.
- Courses re-endorsed by the South African Council of Educators.
- Department of Environmental Affairs supports the training of curriculum advisors.
- Department of Environmental Affairs supports Fundisa for Change streams at the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa Conference (EEASA).
- Inclusion of the Fundisa for Change programme as an example for scaling – South African UNFCCC 3rd communication report.
2018
- Department of Environmental Affairs supports training of teachers and curriculum advisors on topics of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Water.
- Fundisa for Change participates in Community of Practice (COP) for Science education through HRD Network.
2017
- Department of Environmental Affairs supports training of teachers on topics of Climate Change, Biodiversity, Water and Life and Living.
- Fundisa for Change participates in Community of Practice (COP) for Science education through HRD Network.
- Research synthesized into easily accessible resource and included onto website
- Online Training of Trainers developed
- Fundisa participates and is presented at the international Researching Work and Learning conference.
2015
- FFC researchers present at NESS
- FFC 25 year curriculum seminar hosted
- First FFC M.ED researchers graduate
- PhD study on FFC Professional Learning Communities complete
- FFC training offered in 6 provinces
2014
- FFC programme launched by Deputy Minister, Ms. Rejoice Mabudafhasi
- FFC hosts its first conference
- FFC establishes a research programme
- FFC research programme receives funding from NRF
- Rhodes University hosts “Training of trainers” workshop for provincial teams in preparation for teacher training
2013
- A national coordinator is appointed
- The FFC band is launched
- First set of teacher education materials are published
- An implementation plan is developed and implementation begins
- Stage 1 training begins training school-based supporters
- The DBE approves FFC business plan
- Materials development & workshops are run
- Stage 2 training begins. Train the Trainer workshops are run to prepare teams for piloting materials
- Stage 3 training begins. Training of FET Life Sciences and Geography teachers
- FFC website goes live
2012
- Consortium lead by DEA, SANBI further engages DBE, SETA and SACE
- Consortium finalizes production of CAPS modules and pilots them in selected sites
- Consortium extends to form a national network of universities, environmental organisations and other teacher education service providers
- Consortium motivates for funding for national roll out of courses once piloted
- Consortium motivates for the accreditation of the course
2011
- DEA leads establishment of National Environmental Skills Planning Development Forum and engagement with all SETAs
- SANBI and Lewis Foundation establish a TDN consortium. Led by Rhodes University, partners include DEA, SANBI, Sanparks, NGO’s
- Consortium engages DBE, ETDP SETA and SACE, as well as other universities
- Consortium reviews CAPS, produces training framework and drafts first modules, with university partners
2010
- DEA produces the first environmental sector skills plan
- DEA, DST, SANBI & Lewis Foundation produce Human Capital Development Strategies for the environmental sector
- All confirm the need for teacher training in environmental content across the curriculum
To achieve the Fundisa for Change capacity building objectives, we’ve undertaken the following activities:
- Developed a range of teacher education materials;
- Engaged in the design, implementation and evaluation of highly regarded nationally relevant capacity building programmes for teacher educators (first level, implemented through the national coordinator) and teachers (second level, to be implemented by partners).
DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS
All our materials are written collaboratively, with writing teams consisting of a teacher education partner (e.g. university), an environmental sector partner and DBE subject advisors. The writing teams work together to create living resources that are reviewed, piloted and adjusted in response to updated knowledge and needs in the sector.
Materials are freely available for education purposes and can be accessed in our resources section.
TRAINING
Fundisa is currently running three stages of training:
Stage 1 training is for partners who support school-based environmental activities. The purpose of this training is to develop an understanding of the changes in the national curriculum system and implications for how this influences school-based support activities.
Stage 2 training is for partners who want to provide fully accredited, nationally recognised training for teachers. This training is offered to partners who have the requisite qualifications to offer teacher education (as per DoE requirements), and could either be DBE personnel with responsibility for teacher training, university partners who can accredit training, or accredited training providers offering training accredited by ETDP SETA. The training workshops currently focus on planning and designing the offering of accredited Fundisa for Change courses for teachers using the Fundisa for Change shared materials and resources.
Stage 3 training is the training of teachers and curriculum advisors by partners using the Fundisa for Change materials. The purpose of these training workshops is to improve teachers’ environmental subject content knowledge, teaching practices and assessment practices. DBE partners can use the SACE endorsed programmes to enable teachers to obtain CPD points.
SACE ENDORSEMENT
Fundisa for Change has obtained SACE endorsement for the programme. Longer and short versions of the Fundisa for Change programmes are available. Longer versions of the training programmes are endorsed for 20 SACE points. Shorter versions of the training programmes are endorsed for 15 SACE points. Providers also need to be SACE endorsed. All Higher Education Institutions and the DBE are automatically SACE endorsed to offer the Fundisa for Change training programmes. The following programmes have obtained SACE endorsement:
Fundisa for Change Courses (can be run either long or short versions):
- Teaching Climate Change in Natural Sciences, Grade 7-9
- Teaching Indigenous Knowledge and technology in Natural Sciences and Technology 4-6
- Teaching Biodiversity in Life Sciences, Grades 10 – 12
- Teaching Water in Social Sciences, Grades 7-9
- Teaching Water in Social Sciences, Grades 4-6
- Teaching Healthy Living in Life Skills, Grades R-3
- Teaching Climate Change in Geography, Grades 10-12
- Teaching, Marine Biodiversity in Life Sciences, Grades 10-12
- Teaching Life and Living in Natural Sciences and Technology, Grades 4-6
- Teaching Water in Geography, Grades 10 – 12
- Teaching Integrating Sustainability into Economic and Management Science Curricular, Grades 7 – 9
- Teaching Integrating Sustainability into Business Studies Curricular, Grades 10 – 12