Elaine Browne.pdf - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Introduction
Chapter 4
Data presentation and discussion
This chapter provides a discussion of the experiences of Intermediate Phase teachers
responsible for implementing the Arts and Culture learning area at previously disadvantaged
schools. After applying the open coding method according Tesch’s coding steps (De Vos 1998,
343), five general themes emerged. These referred to the curriculum itself, teacher
(in)competence, the teaching and learning environment, the value of the learning area, and the
role of the Department of Education. Within these general themes, specific sub‐themes could
be identified which will now be discussed.
Theme 1: The curriculum
The curriculum that the teachers are required to implement featured strongly in their
responses. Within this theme, the following sub‐themes emerged:
Sub‐theme 1.1: Assessment
From the responses it became clear that teachers did not know how to assess learners’
performance in the arts. Most teachers did group assessment in the various art forms as
individual assessment was seen as too time consuming because classes normally consist of forty
learners or more. One teacher mentioned: “We do group assessment a lot. But individual
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