The implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in Grade 8 Natural Science classrooms in the Western Cape

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-177).The present study aimed to monitor the extent to which educators implement an outcomes-based environment in Grade 8 Natural Science classrooms in the Western Cape. The results from the current study in the Western Cape were compared to those collected in a matching study done by Aldridge, Laugksch, Seopa and Fraser (2006) in the Limpopo Province. The comparison is essential as it provides a general impression of the extent to which educators implement an outcomes-based learning environment in South Africa. This study is a replication study of research conducted by Aldridge, et al. (2006), and makes use ofa mixed-methods research approach. The nature of the study lent itself to large scale collection of quantitative data. Quantitative data were collected in the form of questionnaires. The questionnaires used, were developed by Aldridge, et al. (2006) and called the Outcomes-Based Learning Environment Questionnaire (OBLEQ). The OBLEQ was adapted for use in the Western Cape by translating the already existing questionnaire into Afrikaans and isiXhosa