'n Prosesgebaseerde assesseringsraamwerk vir tegnologie-onderwys : 'n gevalstudie

M.Ed.The implementation of outcomes-based education, as part of the national education dispensation in South Africa since 1998, made Technology Education as learning area a reality in the South African Education System. The purpose of Technology Education is to equip learners with the capability of applying knowledge, skills and resources to satisfy human needs and wants and to help to solve problems, by using the technological process consisting out of ten procedural stages. Seven specific outcomes were set to pursue in the technology classroom. Learners' capability in Technology Education must be assessed in a meaningful and responsible way. Therefore more than just the end product must be assessed. A clear framework is essential to assess aspects of the technological process with its ten procedural stages and five sub-thinking processes. The problem statement of this research is that a process-based assessment framework for the assessment of Technology Education doesn't exist in South Africa. The overall objective of the study is to create a process based assessment framework for Technology Education in South Africa. A case study was done in the form of qualitative action research to find a workable solution to the problem. Observation and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. In this study the focus fell on the fifth stage of the technological process (initial ideas). Three grade 7 learners and a facilitator of a parallel medium primary school were involved in the case study. The reliability and validity of the study were ensured, inter alia, by triangulation. Triangulation was possible because different methods (observation and semi-structured interviews) and sources of data (facilitator and learners) were used. Data collected from observation and semi-structured interviews were analysed and categorised, and the results were used to answer the research questions. Three main categories (results) were identified as aspects of a process-based assessment framework, namely outcomes, content and assessment methodology. Outcomes are divided into specific outcomes and unit outcomes as sub-categories. Content as main category is divided into the procedural stages of the technological process and sub-thinking processes. Assessment methodology as main category is divided into context, type of assessment, assessment techniques and assessment instruments as sub-categories. Context has relevance to the learner task and the procedural stages of the technological process. The types of assessment are divided into the persons who perform the assessment (facilitator, learner, peer), the moment in time when assessment takes place (diagnostic, formative, summative) and the manner in which assessment is performed (formally, informally). Assessment techniques include the technique used to assess. Assessment instruments must link up with the assessment techniques used. The assessment framework is applicable for the fifth phase of the technological process (initial ideas), and its application for the remaining stages needs to be researched as well