Why a portfolio as an assessment instrument?
To complete this portfolio, it is important that you understand the concepts described below.
General themes or concepts that are important for educators in South Africa
1. Decolonisation (Education)
An active process to change the western-dominated philosophy and approach to education to a balanced approach where indigenous
knowledge and pedagogies are acknowledged and genuinely incorporated into the formal educational system. Multiple perspectives
are included to make education relevant and practical to address needs and challenges within specific contexts. (Owuor:2007)
Principles: Mkabela – An African approach to education
Own understanding of concept and examples of implementation and teaching practice.
Students are railing against this dominance at the expense of theories, thinkers and ideas from Africa and the global South. Black
students also complain that their own lived experience isn’t reflected in lecture halls. In the old colonial fashion, they are the other, not
recognized and valued unless they conform. Decolonization, for them, involves fundamental rethinking and reframing of the curriculum
and bringing South Africa and Africa to the centre of teaching, learning and research. Decolonization is also about reconstructing the
African continent from various perspectives.
,2. African communalism:
Community and belonging to a community is an important aspect of African life. An individual is conceptualised in terms of her/his
connectedness in a community. Letseka (2000).
Principles: Individuals are interdependent. Human relationships are important. Content and knowledge must be useful for practice.
Own understanding of concept and examples of implementation and teaching practice.
It is a way of life based on the values of respect, compassion, and connectedness, all advocating that an individual's humanity is
made possible through the humanity of others. Living communally-from an Afrocentric perspective-is founded on an awareness of the
fundamental interdependence of people. Therefore, a sense of communal well-being exists if "people mutually recognize the
obligation to be responsive to one another's needs. Therefore, a sense of communal well-being exists if people mutually recognize
the obligation to be responsive to one another's needs in conjunction with meeting their own needs. The philosophy of ubuntu is a
deeply rooted African value system that also promotes an awareness of one's purpose and meaning in life which links directly to the
experience of hope.
, 3. Ubuntu (Humanness)
A philosophy that promotes the common good of society. It focuses on ethical standards that a person acquires throughout his/her
life and therefore education also plays a very important role in transferring the African philosophy of life. The values of caring,
sharing and dignity are important. (Mosana)
Principles: Understanding the uniqueness of all persons. Recognising the humanity of others to affirm your own humanity. Welfare of
others is important. Fairness and humanness are crucial to personal well-being.
In a fulfilled and flourishing life persons are reasonably well fed, well clothed and housed, in good health, loved, secure, and able to
make a conscious effort to treat others with fairness and humanness. Fairness and communality; individuals are interdependent.
Human relationships are important.
Therefore, respect, interpersonal skills and cooperative skills are important. Own understanding of concept and examples of
implementation. What does this mean in your practice as a teacher?
The teacher is considerate of and works with the student's references values, goals, purposes, interests rather than ignoring them and
only imposing his own, insofar as possible. When specific learning objectives exist, the teacher takes a mastery-approach rather than a
norm-references approach to achieving them that is with the emphasis on mastery of the objectives by all rather than grading students
into different levels of mastery such as an A, B, C, D, F approach). The teacher actively involves students in learning activities and the
teacher is competent, both as an interpersonal guide to learning and in the learning area being focused upon.
To complete this portfolio, it is important that you understand the concepts described below.
General themes or concepts that are important for educators in South Africa
1. Decolonisation (Education)
An active process to change the western-dominated philosophy and approach to education to a balanced approach where indigenous
knowledge and pedagogies are acknowledged and genuinely incorporated into the formal educational system. Multiple perspectives
are included to make education relevant and practical to address needs and challenges within specific contexts. (Owuor:2007)
Principles: Mkabela – An African approach to education
Own understanding of concept and examples of implementation and teaching practice.
Students are railing against this dominance at the expense of theories, thinkers and ideas from Africa and the global South. Black
students also complain that their own lived experience isn’t reflected in lecture halls. In the old colonial fashion, they are the other, not
recognized and valued unless they conform. Decolonization, for them, involves fundamental rethinking and reframing of the curriculum
and bringing South Africa and Africa to the centre of teaching, learning and research. Decolonization is also about reconstructing the
African continent from various perspectives.
,2. African communalism:
Community and belonging to a community is an important aspect of African life. An individual is conceptualised in terms of her/his
connectedness in a community. Letseka (2000).
Principles: Individuals are interdependent. Human relationships are important. Content and knowledge must be useful for practice.
Own understanding of concept and examples of implementation and teaching practice.
It is a way of life based on the values of respect, compassion, and connectedness, all advocating that an individual's humanity is
made possible through the humanity of others. Living communally-from an Afrocentric perspective-is founded on an awareness of the
fundamental interdependence of people. Therefore, a sense of communal well-being exists if "people mutually recognize the
obligation to be responsive to one another's needs. Therefore, a sense of communal well-being exists if people mutually recognize
the obligation to be responsive to one another's needs in conjunction with meeting their own needs. The philosophy of ubuntu is a
deeply rooted African value system that also promotes an awareness of one's purpose and meaning in life which links directly to the
experience of hope.
, 3. Ubuntu (Humanness)
A philosophy that promotes the common good of society. It focuses on ethical standards that a person acquires throughout his/her
life and therefore education also plays a very important role in transferring the African philosophy of life. The values of caring,
sharing and dignity are important. (Mosana)
Principles: Understanding the uniqueness of all persons. Recognising the humanity of others to affirm your own humanity. Welfare of
others is important. Fairness and humanness are crucial to personal well-being.
In a fulfilled and flourishing life persons are reasonably well fed, well clothed and housed, in good health, loved, secure, and able to
make a conscious effort to treat others with fairness and humanness. Fairness and communality; individuals are interdependent.
Human relationships are important.
Therefore, respect, interpersonal skills and cooperative skills are important. Own understanding of concept and examples of
implementation. What does this mean in your practice as a teacher?
The teacher is considerate of and works with the student's references values, goals, purposes, interests rather than ignoring them and
only imposing his own, insofar as possible. When specific learning objectives exist, the teacher takes a mastery-approach rather than a
norm-references approach to achieving them that is with the emphasis on mastery of the objectives by all rather than grading students
into different levels of mastery such as an A, B, C, D, F approach). The teacher actively involves students in learning activities and the
teacher is competent, both as an interpersonal guide to learning and in the learning area being focused upon.
