UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Education
⋄
HED4802 ASSIGNMENT 2
Semester 1, 2026 – Due 22 June 2026
⋄
Module Code: HED4802
Module Name: Curriculum Studies in Higher Education
Assignment No.: Assignment 2
Due Date: 22 June 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for HED4802
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | HED4802 Assignment 2 – 2026
Question 1: Reflective Writing on My Curriculum Experience
Curriculum in South Africa has undergone significant transformation since 1994, shifting from
the racially segregated norms of apartheid education to a series of post-apartheid reforms
aimed at equity and redress (Chisholm, 2005; Jansen, 1998). These transitions shaped not
only what was taught in classrooms but also how learners came to understand themselves and
their place in society. This reflection draws on Chapters 2 and 3 of the prescribed material
to examine how the curriculum I encountered influenced my learning, my identity, and my
approach to teaching.
1.1 Schooling Context
I attended school during the period when South Africa was navigating a particularly turbulent
shift from the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) toward the Curriculum and Assessment
Policy Statement (CAPS). Post-apartheid curriculum reform introduced outcomes-based edu-
cation (OBE) in 1995 as part of the government’s immediate effort to dismantle the inequities
of the previous system (Jansen, 1998). However, by the time I progressed through secondary
school, the OBE approach had already attracted widespread criticism. A further revision
began in 2009, and the review committee argued for a clearly specified curriculum, which
resulted in CAPS being introduced in 2011 (Hoadley, 2011, as cited in Chisholm, 2015).
The main curriculum I experienced was therefore one in transition, partially governed by NCS
frameworks in the earlier grades and later by CAPS in the senior phase. This curriculum was
characterised by a more structured, content-driven approach compared to the open-ended
nature of C2005. CAPS specified what should be taught and which topics should be covered
per subject, grade and quarter of the school calendar year (Musitha and Mafukata, 2018).
One change I clearly remember in the education system was the shift in language around
assessment: Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards were removed and reworked into
general aims of the South African curriculum and specific aims for each subject (Department
of Basic Education, 2011, as cited in Maphalala, 2016).
1.2 Explicit Curriculum
In my schooling, the subjects that were most emphasised included Mathematics, English
Home Language, and the Sciences. These were foregrounded not only in timetabling and re-
Page 1 of 11
College of Education
⋄
HED4802 ASSIGNMENT 2
Semester 1, 2026 – Due 22 June 2026
⋄
Module Code: HED4802
Module Name: Curriculum Studies in Higher Education
Assignment No.: Assignment 2
Due Date: 22 June 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for HED4802
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | HED4802 Assignment 2 – 2026
Question 1: Reflective Writing on My Curriculum Experience
Curriculum in South Africa has undergone significant transformation since 1994, shifting from
the racially segregated norms of apartheid education to a series of post-apartheid reforms
aimed at equity and redress (Chisholm, 2005; Jansen, 1998). These transitions shaped not
only what was taught in classrooms but also how learners came to understand themselves and
their place in society. This reflection draws on Chapters 2 and 3 of the prescribed material
to examine how the curriculum I encountered influenced my learning, my identity, and my
approach to teaching.
1.1 Schooling Context
I attended school during the period when South Africa was navigating a particularly turbulent
shift from the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) toward the Curriculum and Assessment
Policy Statement (CAPS). Post-apartheid curriculum reform introduced outcomes-based edu-
cation (OBE) in 1995 as part of the government’s immediate effort to dismantle the inequities
of the previous system (Jansen, 1998). However, by the time I progressed through secondary
school, the OBE approach had already attracted widespread criticism. A further revision
began in 2009, and the review committee argued for a clearly specified curriculum, which
resulted in CAPS being introduced in 2011 (Hoadley, 2011, as cited in Chisholm, 2015).
The main curriculum I experienced was therefore one in transition, partially governed by NCS
frameworks in the earlier grades and later by CAPS in the senior phase. This curriculum was
characterised by a more structured, content-driven approach compared to the open-ended
nature of C2005. CAPS specified what should be taught and which topics should be covered
per subject, grade and quarter of the school calendar year (Musitha and Mafukata, 2018).
One change I clearly remember in the education system was the shift in language around
assessment: Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards were removed and reworked into
general aims of the South African curriculum and specific aims for each subject (Department
of Basic Education, 2011, as cited in Maphalala, 2016).
1.2 Explicit Curriculum
In my schooling, the subjects that were most emphasised included Mathematics, English
Home Language, and the Sciences. These were foregrounded not only in timetabling and re-
Page 1 of 11
