Linking technology and environmental education in the South African outcomes based curriculum, at grade 1

This study is contextualised within educational transformation in South Africa, and a 'new paradigm' of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). A starting point is a consideration of 'values' issues in technology education around technicist and human centred definitions of capability. Constraints and opportunities attached to the capacity of South African teachers to work towards outcomes that contextualise technology socially and environmentally are reviewed. The history of environmental education in South Africa is summarised to show an evolving human centred perspective, that values learners' life world understandings as a starting point for educational action. It is argued that since technological action is environmental action, environmental pedagogy may be helpful in contextualising and developing human centred approaches. Interpretative research with a group of ten primary teachers is reported that combined environment and technology approaches within an OBE framework, where the Programme Organiser 'Environment' is available, and technology is a core Learning Area. Teachers' reports indicated the value of further exploration of environmental education approaches in order to meet the requirements of OBE technology that: learners must be encouraged to arrive at solutions which are their own unique, creative and individual responses to real problems.