University of the Witwatersrand
Kizito Musekiwa :
Student number :545570
E-mails: 545570@students.wits.ac.za
musindokiz@gmail.com
PhD Proposal
Supervisor
Prof. E. Vhurumuku
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable
Development
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate South Africa grade 11 physical science learners’
competencies for sustainable development (SD). In this study competencies for SD are a
combination of knowledge about sustainable development, attitudes towards sustainable
development and behaviors for sustainable development. 200 learners aged between 16 and 18
from four high schools in and around Gauteng will participate in the study. The study utilizes the
Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) conceptual model together with the theoretical framework
of system thinking to understand the learners’ competencies for sustainable development. This
study is a mix of both qualitative and quantitative research methodology.Learners’ competencies
will be elicited using three Likert scale questionnaires; knowledge about sustainable development
questionnaire ,attitudes towards sustainable development questionnaire and behaviors for
sustainable development questionnaire together with semi-structured interview schedules.50
learners from each of the four schools will be purposefully selected to respond to the questionnaire
items and 5 out of the same sample will also be purposeful selected for the semi-structured
interviews. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and t-tests
while qualitative data will employ qualitative content analysis. The importance of competencies
for sustainable development has been well documented in literature recently.The study will
contribute to address key gaps in the understandings of SD by secondary school learners from a
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
science perspective in South Africa. Insights from this study will inform relevant authorities the
extent to which the curriculum is preparing learners adequately for SD.
Keywords: sustainable development,competencies, learners,knowledge,attitudes, behavior
1. Introduction: Background and rationale of the study
Sustainable development continues to be an important concept within educational domains and
levels globally even long after the United Nations declaration of the Decade for Education for
Sustainable Development, DESD, which was from 2005 to 2014.(Klarin,2018).The concept of
sustainable development, SD, which originated from ecological issues has evolved in modern
times to be a broader concept which defines the interdependence between the long term stability
of the environment and socio-economic development (Klarin,2018;Durana, Gogana &
Durana,2015; Holden, Linerud & Banister,2014).SD is a novel way of thinking about the present
and future generations where environmental, economic and social considerations are inter-twined
and balanced in the pursuit of development and improved quality of life for
all(UNESCO,2012).With this in mind, the UN adopted seventeen Sustainable Development Goals,
SDGs, as a blue-print for the 2030 Agenda for SD in 2015.The idea of the SDGs was to deal with
the imbalances between the environment, economy, and society which consequently cause
pressing global challenges which are SD related, such as climate change, social inequity, poverty,
loss of biodiversity, overpopulation, depletion of natural resources, greenhouse gases,
environmental degradation to mention a few (UNESCO,2002).People are the focal point of SD
and, in this regard, all the seventeen SDGs are people-oriented with the hope of making the world
a better place for all.
There is need for secondary school learners to be conscious of sustainable development so that
they can be future responsible citizens who lead sustainable lives in sustainable societies. To foster
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most school curriculum with the major aim of developing learners’ competencies for SD
2
the ideas and ideals of SD, education for sustainable development, ESD, has been integrated in
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
(UNESCO,2002;Summers,Childs & Corney,2005;Vare & Scott,2007).The development of
learners’ competencies in SD has been reemphasizedand reaffirmed as an important goal of science
education globally (Gilbert,2016;Gough & Scott 2008; Disterheft, Caeiro, Azeiteiro,
Filho,2013).Because of the interconnectedness of SD and science, the assumption is that learners
will acquire knowledge skills and abilities in science to understand SD issues and their possible
solutions.It is hoped that this can help alleviate anthropogenic challenges, which are SD related,
mentioned earlier. Science education is expected to produce scientific literate citizens who can
positively contribute to SD and have the ability to make informed decisions about SD, in other
words, citizens who are competent for SD. It is within this debate that it is imperative to understand
the level of competency for SD among secondary school learners in South Africa from a science
education perspective.
This study aims at exploring South Africa grade 11 physical science learners’ competencies for
SD. Basically competencies for SD are an integration and application of knowledge, skills,
behaviors, and attitudes that promote SD (Wiek et al.,2016; Cebrián, & Junyent,2015).Today’s
learners are the future of the country; they have a major influence on the future state of the three
dimensions of SD; environment, economics and society which makes the integration of SD related
issues highly relevant in education curricula (Lozano, 2006; Wright, 2007) .Yet there seems to be
a large gap between the curriculum’s aspirations in SD teaching and learning and the competencies
acquired by the learners in the process. It is therefore important to understand the extent of the gap
by assessing the learner’s competencies for SD. Are the learners equipped with the necessary
competencies to cope with the demands of SD related challenges at both the local and the global
levels?
Despite the global emphasis on ESD, along with the implementation of the DESD from 2004 to
2015, and curriculum reforms biased towards ESD in many countries, South Africa included, little
research has so far dealt specifically with the learners’ competencies for SD at all levels of
education in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa (Manteaw,2012).This is a knowledge gap on SD
and ESD which this study seeks to address. A survey of literature shows that most studies in this
area have been done mostly in Europe and Asia. The studies have focused mostly on undergraduate
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Junyent, 2015; Eilks, 2013;Summers ,Corney & Childs,2004;Kilinc & Aydin,2013) and in-service
3
students’ competencies for SD with the majority being pre-service teachers (e.g. Cebrian &
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
teachers (e.g. Sagdic & Sahin,2016; Burmeister, Schmidt-Jacob & Eilks,2013; Adawiah &
Esa,2012). Most of these studies explored the teachers’ perceptions of SD,ESD and their
pedagogical competencies in ESD.
While this is so, it is important to note that a few studies focusing on high school learners'
competencies for SD have been done focusing mostly on the environmental dimension of SD
(e.g., Jackson & Pang, 2017; Boeve de-Pauw &Van Petegem, 2011; Cincera & Krajhanzl, 2013;
Johnson & Činčera, 2015; Olsson & Gericke, 2016; Shay-Margalit &Rubin, 2017) without
considering the economic and the social dimensions too. In some cases, the studies done have not
been from the perspective of science but such disciplines as geography (see for example, Jackson
& Pang, 2017; Angiel & Pokojski, 2019).In the same vein, several studies have investigated either
only
learners’
understanding
of
SD
(Walshe,2008
;Walshe,2013;Burmeister
&
Eilks,2013;Tuncer,2008;Kilinc & Aydin,2013),only learners’ attitudes towards SD (Gale, Martin,
& Martin,2014; Biasutti & Frate2017;Abu-Alruz, Hailat, Al-Jaradat& Khasawneh,2018) or only
learners’ behaviours for SD (Afacan,2012;Leeuw, Valois & Seixas ,2014).Studies exploring
learners competencies ; knowledge ,attitudes and behaviours for all the three dimensions of SD;
environment, economic and social are very scarce. The very few notables have been done by
(Olsson, Gericke, Boeve-de Pauw, Berglund & Chang,2019;Michalos, Creech, McDonald, &
Kahlke,2009 ;Besong & Holland,2015;Olsson, & Gericke,2016).
This study particularly investigates grade 11 learners' competencies for SD mainly because these
learners have been nurtured by the holistic CAPS physical science curriculum which covers and
supports SD. An assessment of their competencies for SD would be worthwhile because for many
of them, secondary schooling is their last hope of formal school. Therefore,there is a need to
ascertain their readiness for responsible and constructive citizenship ahead by measuring their
levels of competencies for SD. Despite global awareness and understanding of SD, Africa still lags
behind in the role of education in the quest for SD (Manteaw,2013 ;Manteaw, 2010; Gruenewald
&Manteaw,2007).The African youth’s engagement in everyday SD practices in general is found
to be low and unsatisfactory compared to other youths the world over (Ahmad et al., 2012).
contribute to the body of knowledge of SD based on the South African unique experience as a
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developed countries (Chaplin & Wyton, 2014) this study is expected to add to the literature and
4
Since many earlier studies of this nature have been conducted in other settings, particularly in
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
developing nation committed to sustainable development. The study can contribute to the
conceptualisation of competencies for SD at secondary school level and be considered as a
landmark for orienting teaching and learning for SD in the African context.Additionally, the
findings of this study can help inform the responsible authorities on the status of ESD in South
African schools so that they can take appropriate action to improve the situation.An intensive
literature search shows that no studies of this nature have been done on the African continent.
Hence the research can be regarded as a contribution to novel knowledge about competencies for
SD and ESD teaching and learning as well as being relevant to ESD research in South Africa.
1.2 The Research problem
The current unsustainable present exhibited by a complex array of environmental, economic, and
social
challenges
paints
a
bleak
future
for
the
next
generations’
survival
(Zsoka,2013;Manteaw,2012).It is generally acknowledged that developing learners’ competencies
for SD can help mitigate these challenges faced by humanity globally (Biasutti& Frate,2017;
Combes,2005; Hofmann,2015; Wiek et.al.,2015).Science education is one aspect of the
multidisciplinary effort to develop learners’ competencies for SD at secondary school level. While
it appears that there is still a need to develop a more holistic understanding of SD within learners
in schools, the importance of understanding the learners’ competencies for SD is also beyond
dispute.Have the learners acquired the knowledge and skills needed to promote SD at this level of
education?
In response to this, the current study seeks to give some insights into the efficacy of the South
African science education curricula in terms of developing learners competencies for SD. To what
extent is South African school science education developing competencies for all the three
dimensions of SD? Are there any changes in behaviours favouring SD and attitudes towards SD
taking place as outcomes of the integration of sustainable development concepts and values into
the learning process? This study is to measure if there are such changes in learners at secondary
school level by assessing their competencies for SD and by so doing bridge the lack of substantial
information in the area of ESD and SD in the South African education system.
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5
1.2.1 Aims and objectives
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
The major aim of this study is to investigate South African Grade 11 physical science learners'
competencies for SD. Within this effort, the study explores possible interactions among the
learners’ understandings, attitudes, and behaviours for SD. The objectives of the study are to:
Determine the grade 11 physical science learners’knowledge, attitudes,and behaviours for
(a)
SD: and
Explore the interactions among the learners’knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours for SD.
(b)
1.2.2 Research questions
To achieve these aims, this study is guided by the following major questions:
What is the nature of South Africa grade 11 physical science learners’ competencies for
1.
SD?
What relationships (if any) exist among learners’ understandings, attitudes, and behaviours
2.
for SD?
To elucidate the problem, the first questions are unpacked into the following sub-questions:
Research Question 1
i.
What are the grade 11 physical science learners’ understandings of SD?
ii.
What are the grade 11 physical science learners’ attitudes towards SD?
iii.
What is the nature of grade 11 physical science learners’ behaviours in SD?
Research Question 2
To answer the second research question, explorations are done to determine the nature of
interactions among the investigated variables, which are the learners ‘knowledge, attitudes and
behaviours for SD. These explorations will be done using both quantitatively descriptive and
inferential statistics methods (e.g. Correlational analysis, Chi Square Test and ANOVA) and
qualitatively using a combination sequential and interpretive analysis.
To explore the Grade 11 learners’ conceptions SD.

To evaluate the learners' attitudes towards SD
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
6
It is hoped that the following research objectives would facilitate the attainment of this aim:
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development

To evaluate the grade 11 learners’ behaviours for SD
1.2.3 Context of the Study
To fully understand the context in which this study will be undertaken, it is important to briefly
examine the South African physical science curriculum. The new national Curriculum and
Assessment Policy statements (CAPS) physical sciences for Further Education and Training,
(FET) phase (grade 10-12) was introduced in 2012.This new curriculum has three aims which are
all oriented towards equipping learners with competencies for SD and these are.
Aim (1)which states that the purpose of physical sciences is to make learners aware of their
environment and to equip learners with investigating skills relating to physical and chemical
phenomena.
Thrust of this aim is on learners’ knowledge about the environment and attitudes towards the
environment
Aim (2) which states that physical sciences promotes knowledge and skills in scientific inquiry and
problem solving; the construction and application of scientific and technological knowledge; an
understanding of the nature of science and its relationships to technology, society and the
environment.
Thrust of this aim is on learners’ capabilities to deal with issues related to society and the
environment
Aim (3)which states that Physical Sciences prepares learners for future learning, specialist learning,
employment, citizenship, holistic development, socio-economic development, and environmental
management.
Thrust of the aim is on learners to understand the interconnectedness of the three dimensions of
SD ; environment, economy, and society
All these three aims are of interest to this study since they relate to acquisition or improvement of
(Kopnina,2012).Recent research in science education has emphasized on empowering students in
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of SD is mentioned in all the three dimensions because it is the backbone of SD
7
learners’ knowledge, skills, and abilities for SD.It is noteworthy, that the environmental dimension
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
their science learning by increasing their level of input as well as crossing boundaries from the
world of the classroom to a more relevant social and physical world outside the classroom
(Feinstein & Kirchgasler,2014; Doscher, Hazari,& Klotz,2015).According to the Department of
Education (DoE,2012),Physical Sciences play an increasingly important role in the lives of all
South Africans owing to their influence on scientific and technological development, which are
necessary for the country’s economic growth and the social well-being of its people.
1.3
Conceptual Framework
This study aims at exploring South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable
Development.The study utilizes the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) conceptual framework
model togetherwith the theory of systemic thinking as the guiding theoretical lens for
understanding the nature of learners’ competencies for SD.In the first part of this section, the key
concepts of SD and Competencies for SD are discussed. This is followed by a discussion of the
theoretical systemic thinking framework as applied to the present study.
1.3.1 Sustainable Development
The concept of Sustainable Development
As noted, globally, there is vast literature showing a general consensus on prioritizing SD in
educational domains at all levels. However, in spite of this consensus, as a concept, SD is vague
and ambiguous (Dresner, 2002; Mebratu, 1998) leading to little or no agreement on how to define
and interpret it (Klarin,2018). A number of models of the concept of SD exist (Bridger & Luloff
1999; Buckland 2015; Davies 2013; Ehrenfeld 2008; Heinberg 2010; Mathews 2014; Natural Step
2015; Orr 1992). Each of these models are invariably applied and interpreted in different
contexts.The most commonly used definition of SD is from the Brundtland Report of the World
Commission on Environment and Development (WCED 1987) publication which defines SD as
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future
generations to meet their own needs”(p,43).The formalization of SD has been perceived
differently by many authors. For example, Elkington (1994) conceptualized it as the Triple bottom
the three nested fields’ model in which the economy is dependent on the society and
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environment, economy and society. Similarly, Giddings, Hopwood and O’Brien (2002) view it as
8
line model which representsthe inseparable interaction and correlation of three legs or pillars of
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
simultaneously both dependent on the environment.Both models acknowledge SD as an interaction
of the environmental, economic and social dimensions.
Even though the conception of SD is contextual and differs from region to region, UNESCO (2006)
proposed universal themes of the three dimensions of SD which are applicable and relevant to
most countries. The environmental dimension concerns
natural resources (water, energy,
agriculture, and biodiversity); climate change; rural development; sustainable urbanization; and
disaster prevention and mitigation, the economic dimension concerns poverty reduction;corporate
responsibility and accountability; and market economyand the social dimension concerns ,human
rights,peace
and
human
security,
gender
equality,cultural
diversity
andintercultural
understanding,health,HIV/AIDS and governance(UNESCO 2006).This study explores the
learners’ understandings of these themes.
The meaning of SD is a complex and contested issue in both theory and practice. Right from its
inception, the major focus of SD has been mainly on environmental dimensions (Barkemeyer,
Holt, Preuss&Tsang,2014) with little attention paid to the economic and social dimensions.
Proponents of SD have argued that too much orientation towards environmental issues is negative
and tends to underplay human capacity for solving both social and economic problems
(Kopnina,2017).Some authors, for example Tovey (2009) question whether it is the environment
or the society that needs to be sustained or developed in conceptualizing SD.In this study SD
basically is a balance between socio-economic change and environmental integrity for better
livelihoods for the present and future generations. For SD to be meaningful,both society and
environment should be sustained simultaneously.
1.3.2 Competencies for Sustainable Development
Defining competencies
Different definitions and interpretations of competence can be found in literature.Basically,
competences encompass a collection of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that are
functionally related and allows task and problem-solving to be executed satisfactorily at an
contextual base knowledge and skills.They are reflected in successful actions hence important for
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Fuentes,2013).Competencies are a person’s capacity to act and make decisions using some
9
individual level (Wiek et al.,2010; Rychen & Salganik,2003; Rychen,2002; Hidalgo &
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
defining specific tasks, jobs or professions (Barth, Godemann, Rieckmann, Stoltenberg, 2007;Vare
& Scott,2007). In this study, competencies for SD are a combination of three domains: knowledge
concerning SD, attitudes towards SD and behaviors favorable for SD. Each of the domains
incorporate the three dimensions of SD; environmental, economic and social. The competencies
for SD are measured using the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) model discussed in the next
section.
1.3.3 The Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior(KAB) model
The Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) model has been widely used to assess behavior change
in different fields including health (Hohashi,2018;Liu,2016) environmental awareness
(Kopnina2012;Mifsud,2012;Ahmad,Noor &Ismail,2015;Kollmuss& Agyeman,2002),sustainable
agriculture (Khoram, Shariat, Azar, Moharamnejad, &Mahjub, 2006)and sustainability
consciousness ((Gericke et al.,2018;Besong & Holland ,2015) to mention a few .The model has
been proposed as a way of explaining the role of knowledge and how it directly affects individual
attitudes, and indirectly affects behaviors through attitudes (Mifsud,2012;Hohashi,2018).In this
study the KAB model will be used to assess the individual’s competencies for SD, which as noted
earlier are a combination of knowledge concerning SD, attitudes towards SD and behaviors
favorable for SD.Questionnaires and semi-structured interview will be used to assess the
Knowledge,Attitudes and Behaviorsof the three dimensions SD which are referred to as
competencies for SD in this study.
Knowledge for Sustainable Development
Knowledge refers to cognitive elements associated with mental actions such as perception,
memory, learning, and prediction during the processing of information (Salas-Zapata, et al.,2018).
For this study, the learners’ knowledge about SD refers to learners' cognitive knowledge about the
three dimensions of SDwhich enables them to make informed decisions of the interconnectedness
of the three dimensions of SD; environmental, economic and social
Attitudes towards SD
positive, negative, or neutral feeling toward some object or behavior. In this study, learners’
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on several dimensions; good/bad, pleasant/unpleasant. Another definition considers attitude as a
10
According to Maio and Haddock (2014) attitude is defined as the overall evaluation of an object
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
attitudes to the three dimensions SD are their affective responses to the concept of SD and these
responses depend on their beliefs, values and personal experiences (Bohner & Wanke, 2002).
Behaviors for Sustainable Development
Learners' behaviors for SD are the favorable behaviors that promote SD through self and social
transformation (Shaeffer, 2007). This involves the learner’s demonstration of SD through their
actual actions to embrace the three dimensions SD thus acting as change agents for SD.
The KAB model,Figure 1,to be used in this study to assess the learners’ competencies for SD was
adapted fromSustainability Consciousness (SC) model by Olsson et al., (2018).The KAB model
guides towards understanding the key areas (independent variables) in which competencies for SD
(dependent variable) can be measured.
Knowledge of
Environmental
Economic
Social dimensions
of Sustainable
Development
11
Competencies for SD
Behaviors for Environmental
Economic and Social dimensions
of Sustainable Development
Page
Attitudes towards
Environmental,Economic and
Social dimensions of Sustainable
Development
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Figure. 1. KAB conceptual model of competencies for SD adapted from Sustainability
Consciousness (SC) model by Olsson et al., (2018)
1.4 Theoretical framework
System thinking
Several conceptualizations of systems thinking exist in science education , science, technology,
psychology or sociology, geographyas well as SD (e.g. Ben-Zvi-Assaraf & Orion, 2005; Boersma,
Waarlo, &Klaassen, 2011; Brandstaedter, Harms, & Groschedl, 2012; Evagorou, Korfiatis,
Nicolaou,& Constantinou, 2009; Manderson, 2006; Rempfler & Uphues, 2011; Riess & Mischo,
2010;Wiek et al., 2011).Generally, system thinking is a concept that focuses on recognizing the
interconnections and interrelationships between the parts of a system and then synthesizes them
into a unified view of the whole (Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf,2005; Riess & Mischo, 2010; Wiek et al.,
2011).
For this study,conceptualisation of systems thinking is based on Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf (2005)
model. Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf (2005) describes systems thinking as a framework of knowledge,
skills and abilities that enables one to observe the interrelationship and the mutual connections in
complex systems. This framework was chosen for this study firstly because the context in which
was applied, geography education, at junior high school by Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf (2005 is like the
context of this study. Secondly the framework is appropriate for this study because it offers ways
to understand multidimensional complex systems like the hydro-cycle (Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf
,2005) and similarly SD for this study.Essentially systems thinking include the ability to identify
important elements of systems and the varied interdependency and interconnectedness between
these elements (Rohweder & Virtanen,2009 ).Lastly,the framework is ideal for this study since it
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to meet one of the major aims of this study.The Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf (2005) theoretical framework
12
can be used for assessing system thinking abilities and skills of the learners which is a guideline
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
applies for both development and assessment of system thinking of which the latter is required for
this study.This theoretical framework will be adapted to suit the needs of this study.
To understandthe nature of South Africa grade 11 physical science learners’ competencies for SD,
the theoretical framework by Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf (2005) recommends firstly learners’ability to
identify the components of a system and processes within the system. Systems thinking assists
learners in understanding ways in which the environmental social and economic systems function
and how they may be inter-related (Adomßent & Hoffmann ,2013).In this regard, the cognitive
(knowledge),affectional (attitude) and behavioural domains of competencies are considered for
each dimension of SD (Waltner Rieß & Mischo,2019).
Secondly,learners need to be able to identify relationships among the system’s components.Within
the context of competencies for SD learners need to acknowledge the connections and relations
between the environmental ,economic and social dimensions of SD. This framework encourages
students to see the many interrelationships present within a system and how various actions in one
area can have significant consequences in other parts of the system (Jarchow, Formisano, Nordyke,
& Sayre,2017) . Thirdly the systemic view enables learners to identify dynamic relationships
within the system, cascading effects, feedback loops, and system states (Meadows, 2008).For
example,economic activities such as energy production having cascading effects on the
environmental and social dimensions of SD.Lastly, the system thinking competence model enable
an understanding of the learners’ temporally thinking that is in retrospection and prediction. An
understanding that some interactions within parts of a system today may have been due to what
happened in the past and future events maybe because of present interactions (Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf
,2005).
1.5
Review of Literature
Research on the development and assessment of competencies for SD started after the Brundtland
Commission report in 1987 initially focusing mainly on undergraduate studentsand professionals
in industry. With the integration of SD in formal schooling and tertiary education, there has been
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on assessment of competencies for ESD and SD has fallen into two major strands;assessment of
13
a marginal increase in studies on ESD and SD across the whole spectrum of education.Research
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
competencies in ESDfocusing on mostly undergraduates’ pre-service teachers and competencies
for SD focusing on any individual in society.
Although numerous studies have focused on undergraduates predominantly pre-service teachers’
competences in ESD and competencies for SD (Cebrián & Junyent,2013), there is little research
addressing development of secondary school learners’ competences for SD or evaluation of their
respective competencies.Generally, research has shown that most undergraduates , despite
acknowledging the importance of ESD, appear to show low levels of competencies in ESD
(Burmeister, Schmidt-Jacob &Eilks ; Summers & Childs, 2007; Spiropoulou et al., 2007;
Zachariou & Kadij-Beltran, 2009).These studies have also shown that undergraduates have
limited knowledge and experiences in ESD and SD hence they do not appreciate the
interconnectedness of the ecological, economic, and societal dimensions of SD making it difficult
for them to devise pedagogical strategies in ESD.
Research on undergraduate students’ competencies for SD has shown that disciplinary knowledge
is one of the factors that influences a better understanding of the concept of SD. For example,
Summers, Corney, and Childs (2004) found out that geography student teachers’ conceptualization
of SD was better compared to science teachers. These findings were similar to Sammalisto et al.,
(2016) who compared engineering and nursing students’ understanding of SD and found out that
the latter had a better understanding. According to Summers et al., (2004), the differences in
understandings of the concept of SD between the students from different disciplines may be
attributed to the fact that SD is included explicitly as part of the formal education in some
disciplines while in other disciplines it is implicitly included or even not all. This agrees with
Chaplin and Wyton (2013) and Zeegers and Clark (2013) who concluded that integration of some
educational courses on SD informal teaching and learning can contribute to a better understanding
of the concept. Hence there is general advocacy amongst researchers for the integration of SD
content or courses in all disciplines from primary to university level for individuals to acquire SD
competencies required for a sustainable future (Poza-Vilches et al.,2019; Lambrechts et al.,2013;
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14
Fuertes-Camacho et al.,2019).
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Studies on assessment of secondary school learners’ competencies for SD, though very limited,
generally show that learners are unaware of the concept of SD (Petersen & Alkıs¸, 2009; Siegel,
2006), they do not exhibit behaviors that are compatible with sustainable lifestyles (Olsson &
Gericke,2016; de Leeuw, Valois & Seixas,2014) and most of the learners' conceptualizations of
SD are from an environmental perspective( Walshe,2008; Walshe,2017; Ozturk, Olgan &
Guller,2012). On evaluation of the high school learners lack of competencies for SD, several
authors Petersen and Alkıs¸(2009), Siegel, (2006) Ozturk, Olgan and Guller (2012) argue that
teaching and learning content related to SD has focused more on environmental issues disregarding
the economical and the social issues too. They have also stressed that the learners' ideas about SD
are limited maybe due to the abstractness of the concept hence there is a need to give learners a
more tangible experience for SD for them to understand it.Content on SD needs to be contextual
for it to be meaningful and relevant to the learners.
Research has shown that there are differences in how pupils relate to the three dimensions of SD.
Biasutti and Frate (2016) found out that learners had problems with perceiving the full scope of
SD, that is an understanding of the relatedness of the environmental, economic and social
dimensions. In this study, most of the learner participants understood SD mostly through the social
dimension neglecting the economic and the environmental dimensions indicating that learners
have problems with perceiving the full scope of SD. These findings are similar to other research
findings that revealed that pupils had difficulties perceiving the interconnectivity between SD
dimensions (Manni, Sporre, & Ottander 2013; Walshe 2008; Olsson, Gericke & Rundgren,2016)
found the social dimension to be the most emotional of the SD dimensions for leaners hence the
most easily understood. However, learners failed to comprehend the interconnectivity of all the
three dimensions of SD. The use of different models in explaining and interpreting SD to the
learners must be emphasized. It is assumed that by so doing learners can understand and interpret
SD from different perceptions and develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of the three
dimensions of SD.
Chang Rundgren 2015). Firstly, the term competence is contested and debatable. What is a
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instruments for the evaluation of competencies for SD (Michalos et al., 2012; Olsson, Gericke &
15
Methodologically, several issues have arisen in the construction of the assessment tools or
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
competence? What are key competences for SD? Why do they differ depending on the contexts?
How can they be acquired? How can they be assessed? Are the competencies universal? All these
questions are still indiscussions and they do not have a precise or definite answer to them. This
contentious nature of competency has problematic consequences in measuring levels of
understanding SD. The different definitions and interpretations for competences is found in
literature depend on the different contexts or interests.
Secondly, competencies can only manifest themselves in action and behaviour in certain contexts.
Posch and Steiner (2006) claim that for an individual to act appropriately in certain contexts, there
needs to be congruence between knowledge and behavioral attitudes. The cognitive knowledge
acquired on SD is presumed to be translated into favorable behaviors and attitudes for SD. From a
behavioural-functionalistic approach, individual competencies are derived from detailed activity
descriptions that are central for accomplishing specific work tasks and then translating those
activities into personal attributes (Sandberg, 2000 ; Franz & Regina,2013;Rychen & Salganik
2003). Competencies cannot be displayed or detected by single, isolated performances ; they are
supposed to prove themselves multi and cross-contextually.
Thirdly, different theoretical backgrounds and educational settings of the assessments (Mochizuki
& Fadeeva, 2016; Kopnina,2012) have also been topical issues on assessment of competencies for
SD. Several theoretical frameworks for guiding assessments in competencies for SD exist (de
Haan,2006; Sterling and Thomas,2006; Barth et al.,2007; Rickman,2012; Wiek et.al.,2011b;
Thomas & Day 2014).System thinking competencies theoretical framework has gained
prominence amongst researchers because it is considered as a means to cope with the complexity
nature of SD and finding balance between its three dimensions ( Svanstro¨m , Lozano-Garcı´a&
Rowe,2008 ; Adomßent & Hoffmann,2013 ; De Haan, 2006 ; Segala`s et al.,2009).
Lastly, there has been no widely accepted and validated approaches used to assess individual's
competencies for SD. Researchers have devised quantitative instruments, mostly Likert-scale type
sustainability competencies, Waltner, RieB and Mischo (2019); Sustainable Development scale,
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interviews. Examples of such instruments include; an instrument for measuring students
16
questionnaires and qualitative instruments such as pictures, probes, contextual questions, and
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Shephered, Kushova and Patzelt (2009); Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes towards
Sustainable development scale Kopnina (2012); Attitudes towards Sustainable development scale,
Biasutti and Freta (2016) and Michalos et al.,(2011). Many studies reported in the literature on
assessment of individual competencies for SD have used these instruments either as conjunctions,
variations, or adaptations. However, the uses of these instruments have been under scrutiny and
criticism mainly because when exploring knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to SD, it is
reasonable to find heterogeneity (Salas-Zapata et al.,2018) due to the contextuality of the concept
of SD.
1.6
Research Methodology
1.6.1 Research Design
To explore the grade 11 learners’ learners’ competencies for SD, this study will use a mixedmethod approach, which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies.
While the quantitative data shall be used to give a descriptive statistical analysis of the general
picture of the grade 11 learners’ competencies for SD, the qualitative data from the semi-structured
interviews will ascertain, clarify and add narrative evidence to the quantitative insights
(Panke,2018). The qualitative data will reveal if there is any causal relationship between
knowledge about SD and the other two variables: attitudes towards SD and behaviors for SD.
Figure 2 below summarizes the methodological framework to be used in this study. As the figure
shows, data will be collected on three independent variables namely; learners’ knowledge of the
three dimensions of SD, learners’ attitudes towards the three dimensions of SD and learners’
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17
behaviors for three dimensions of SD.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Knowledge about Sustainable
Development (KSD)
KSD Likert-scale Questionnaire(N=200)
KSD interviews (N=20)
Behaviors for Sustainable
Development (BSD)
Attitude towards Sustainable
Development (ASD)
BSD Likert-scale Questionnaire
(N=200)
ASD Likert-scale
Questionnaire(N=200)
BSD interviews(N=20)
ASD interviews(N=20)
Learners’ Competencies
for Sustainable
Development
Figure 2: A summary of the methodological framework
The mixed-method approach used in this study will be a quantitative-qualitative combination
which implies the sequence in which data will be collected (Creswell,2014; Panke,2018). The data
collection will be done in two distinct phases with rigorous quantitative in the first phase and with
purposeful sampling in the second qualitative phase.
1.6.2 Sampling
Schools
Four schools located in and around Johannesburg (within a radius of 50 km) in the Gauteng
province of South Africa have been selected for their proximity and accessibility to the researcher.
The schools are different in terms of the availability of teaching and learning resources because of
their locations. Two schools with fewer resources are from the historically economically
disadvantaged townships where poverty is rife with extremely poor living conditions while the
other two schools with more resources are from the suburbs where living conditions are
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Learners
18
exceptionally good.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
The participants will be physical science grade 11 learners (N=200) from the four schools
mentioned above. The participants will be both boys and girls. For the questionnaires, purposeful
sampling will be done on learners in grade 11 who are studying physical science and are willing
to participate at each of the schools. The researcher expects to have a sample of at least 200 learners
from all four schools. For the semi-structured interviews, purposeful sampling will be done on the
sample randomly selected from each respective school.
1.6.3 Data Collection Instruments
In this study, I propose to use three questionnaires Knowledge about Sustainable Development
(KSD) questionnaire, Attitudes towards Sustainable Development (ASD) questionnaire and
Behaviors for Sustainable Development (BSD) for quantitative data .In addition to that the study
will also use follow-up semi-structured interview schedules for the respective questionnaires for
qualitative data. All the three questionnaire items were adapted from a scale for measuring
knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors with regard to SD, developedby Michalos etal., (2009) in
Canada. According to the authors their instrument is holistic meaning that it includes the three
psychometric constructs of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and the three dimensions of SD as
identified in the literature describing SD. The questionnaire was piloted several times with major
modifications on simplifications of language to the level of both primary and secondary school
learners.
Questionnaires
KSD questionnaire
The Knowledge about Sustainable Development ,KSD, questionnaire(AppendixA) is made up
oftwo parts. The first part is composed of demographic questions such as gender and a
questionabout the learners’ previous experiences related to SD. The second part is a set of
statements where respondents are asked to express agreement or disagreement on a five-point
Likert scale(1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 =Disagree , 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree).The
statements are divided into three parts which evaluate knowledge about the environmental,
development, sustainable urbanization, disaster prevention, and mitigation), nine are on
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knowledge about the environmental dimension (natural resources, climate change, rural
19
economic and social dimensions of SD respectively.Out of the thirty statements, ten assess
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
knowledge about the economic dimension(poverty reduction, corporate responsibility, market
economy) and eleven are on the social dimension(human rights, gender equity, peace, and human
security, health, HIV/AIDS, governance, cultural diversity, and intercultural understanding).
The KSD questionnaire statements have been used in several studies previously (Michalos et al.
2012;Berglund et al., 2014; Olsson et al., 2016; Olsson & Gericke, 2016) to assess high school
learners’ knowledge and perceptions of SD and as a starting point for the development of other
instruments to measure SD competencies (Zeegers & Clark,2015 ; Gericke,Boeve‐de
Pauw,Berglund &Olsson,2018; Sammalisto, 2013; Waltner, Rieß & Mischo,2019).Readability
and comprehension of the questionnaire statements will be addressed by piloting the instruments
with grade 11 learners from three other schools in Gauteng which are not part of the main study.
This is to ensure that the understanding of the statements and the questionnaire language is ideal
and will not affect the learner’s responses. There is no time limit to respond to the questionnaire
statements. The quantitative data from this questionnaire is expected to answer research question
1; part one of this study. To ensure trustworthiness and validity of the questionnaire data, the KSD
questionnaire will undergo construct validity tests. Despite having been used and validated in
previous studies, the questionnaire items will be construct validated to meet the theoretical
demands of this study.
ASD questionnaire
The Attitude about Sustainable Development ,ASD, questionnaire(Appendix B) is structurally
likethe KSD questionnaire. Out of the thirty questionnaire statements, ten assess attitudes towards
the environmental dimension (natural resources, climate change, rural development, sustainable
urbanization, disaster prevention, and mitigation), ten are on attitude towards the economic
dimension (poverty reduction, corporate responsibility, market economy) and ten are on attitudes
towards the social dimension. (human rights, gender equity, peace, and human security, health,
HIV/AIDS, governance, cultural diversity, and intercultural understanding).
The ASD questionnaire items have been used in several studies previously (Michalos et al. 2012;
SD competencies (Spiropoulou et al.,2007 ; Gericke, Boeve‐de Pauw, Berglund & Olsson,2018;
Sammalisto, 2013; Waltner, Rieß
& Mischo,2019). Readability and comprehension of the
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attitudes towards SD and as a starting point for the development of other instruments to measure
20
Berglund et al., 2014; Olsson et al., 2016; Olsson & Gericke, 2016) to assess high school learners’
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
questionnaire items will be addressed by piloting the instruments with grade 11 learners from three
other schools in Gauteng which are not part of the main study. This is to ensure that the
understanding of the items and the questionnaire language is ideal and will not affect the learner’s
responses. There is no time limit to respond to the questionnaire items. The quantitative data from
this questionnaire is expected to answer research question 1; part two of this study.To ensure
trustworthiness and validity of the questionnaire data, the KSD questionnaire will undergo
construct validity tests. To ensure trustworthiness and validity of the questionnaire data, the ASD
questionnaire will undergo construct validity tests. Despite having been used and validated in
previous studies, the questionnaire items will be construct validated to meet the theoretical
demands of this study.
BSD questionnaire
The
Behaviour towards Sustainable Development ,BSD, questionnaire(Appendix C) is
structurally likethe KSD and the ASD questionnaires . Out of the thirty questionnaire statements
ten assess behaviors for the environmental dimension (natural resources, climate change, rural
development, sustainable urbanization, disaster prevention, and mitigation), ten are on behaviors
for the economic dimension (poverty reduction, corporate responsibility, market economy) and
ten are forbehaviors for the social dimension. (human rights, gender equity, peace, and human
security, health, HIV/AIDS, governance, cultural diversity, and intercultural understanding).
The BSD questionnaire items have been used in several studies previously (Michalos et al. 2012;
Berglund et al., 2014; Olsson et al., 2016; Olsson & Gericke, 2016) to assess high school learners’
behaviours for SD and as a starting point for the development of other instruments to measure SD
competencies (Gericke, Boeve‐de Pauw, Berglund &Olsson,2018; Sammalisto, 2013; Waltner,
Rieß
& Mischo,2019). Readability and comprehension of the questionnaire items will be
addressed by piloting the instruments with grade 11 learners from three other schools in Gauteng
which are not part of the main study. This is to ensure that the understanding of the items and the
questionnaire language is ideal and will not affect the learner’s responses. There is no time limit
to respond to the questionnaire items. The quantitative data from this questionnaire is expected to
Page
questionnaire data, the BSD questionnaire will undergo construct validity tests. Despite having
21
answer research question 1; part three of this study. To ensure trustworthiness and validity of the
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
been used and validated in previous studies, the questionnaire items will be construct validated to
meet the theoretical demands of this study.
Interview schedules
KSD interview schedule
The KSD semi-structured interviews will be done after the administration of the KSD
questionnaires. The KSD interview schedule will be done around a set of 6core questions (see
Appendix D).These questions were adapted from the literature (Gericke, Boeve‐de Pauw,
Berglund &Olsson,2018; Sammalisto, 2013; Waltner, Rieß & Mischo,2019). The KSD interview
will seek to probe more and to get deeper insights into the learners' knowledge about
SD.Moreover,the KSD interview intends to find out if there are any interactions between the
variables ;knowledge, attitude and behaviors and how they influence learners’ competencies for
SD It is mostly through interviews that individuals are asked if their views are consistent with their
questionnaire responses (Schwartz et al.,2003) and this increases the reliability and credibility of
data gathered (Lindelöf& Taylor,2017). It is envisaged that qualitative data from the interview will
be used to answer research question 2 of the study.
ASD interview schedule
The ASD semi-structured interviews will be done after the administration of the KSD
questionnaires. The ASD interview schedule will be done around a set of 6 core questions (see
Appendix E)These questions were adapted from the literature (Gericke, Boeve‐de Pauw, Berglund
&Olsson,2018; Sammalisto, 2013; Waltner, Rieß & Mischo,2019). The KSD interview will seek
to probe more and to get deeper insights into the learners' knowledge about SD. In addition,the
ASD interview intends to find out if there are any interactions between the variables ;knowledge,
attitude and behaviors and how they influence learners’ competencies for SD It is mostly through
interviews that individuals are asked if their views are consistent with their questionnaire responses
(Schwartz et al.,2003) and this increases the reliability and credibility of data gathered (Lindelöf&
Taylor,2017). It is envisaged that data from the interviewing will be used to answer research
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BSD interview schedule
22
question 2 of the study.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
The BSD semi-structured interviews will be done after the administration of the BSD
questionnaires. The BSD interview schedule will be done around a set of 6core questions (see
Appendix F). These questions were adapted from the literature (Michalos et al. 2012; Berglund et
al., 2014; Olsson et al., 2016; Olsson & Gericke, 2016). The BSD interview will seek to probe
more and to get deeper insights into the learners'behaviors for SD.Moreover,the BSD interview
intends to find out if there are any interactions between the variables ;knowledge, attitude and
behaviors and how they influence learners’ competencies for SD It is mostly through interviews
that individuals are asked if their views are consistent with their questionnaire responses (Schwartz
et al.,2003) and this increases the reliability and credibility of data gathered (Lindelöf&
Taylor,2017). It is anticipated that data from the interviewing will be used to answer research
question 2 of the study.
1.6.4 Data collection procedures
Data collection will be done over six months starting from the beginning of the second quarter to
the end of the third quarter of the Grade 11 level of the FET phase. The questionnaires will be
administered first followed by their respective semi-structured interview; for example, a KSD
questionnaire will be followed by a KSD semi-structured interview. The follow up semi-structured
interviews will be done preferably week after so that the researcher can immediately get deeper
insights into the learners’ questionnaire responses. The questionnaire administration and
interviews will be conducted after school to avoid any disruptions in teaching and learning time.
In the first week of data collection, the researcher will administer the KSD questionnaire at School
A.Afterevaluation of the questionnaire items by the researcher, five learners from each school will
be purposefully sampled for semi-structured interviewing for them to elucidate their responses
from the questionnaire items. This process will be repeated for ASD and BSD instruments at
schools B, C, and D.
1.6.5 Data Analysis
Quantitative Data Analysis: KSD, ASD, and BSD questionnaires data
questionnaires. The data will be entered into a spreadsheet which is MS Excel and then analyzed
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it (Panke,2018; Punch,2006). Quantitative data, which is numerical will be generated from the
23
Data analysis involves finding patterns and themes in the data for evaluation and making sense of
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
using IBM SPSS Statistics 22 software. The evaluation framework for the study is an assessment
of the Grade11 learners’ knowledge about SD, attitudes towards SD and behaviors for SD.
Regarding this framework, both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics will be used in the
analysis. Descriptive statistics will be used to organize and summarize data using a combination
of tabulated description ; tables, graphical description; graphs and charts, and statistical
commentary (Fisher& Marshall2000).Measures of central tendency and measures of spread are
the two general types of statistic that will be used in descriptive statistical analyses.A three-way
ANOVA inferential statistic will be ideal for this study since there are has three independent
variables ; knowledge, attitude and behaviour and one dependent variable; competency for SD.To
test for causal relationships between the independent variables, the Spearman`s Rho test will be
used. This test is expected to show whether there is a significant relationship or not between level
of knowledge of SD and attitude and behavior towards SD of the grade 11 secondary school
learners.
Qualitative Data Analysis: KSD, ASD, and BSD interview data
Face to face interviews are one of the most flexible survey strategies (Miles&
Huberman,1994)because they can accommodate any type of question and questionnaire.
Interviews allow for questions to be asked in simpler or complex sequences, for long or short
questions to be administered and for the interviewees to clarify vague responses and reveal hidden
responses. Qualitative data, which is information about qualities and not numerical will be
generated from the interviews and will be analyzed using the qualitative content analysis process
(Creswell, 2013; McMillan and Schumacher ,2010; Gibbs,2007).This data will be analyzed in the
form of transcripts, which are a verbal account of what was said by the interviewees. Because of
the large volumes of data expected, software such as Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis
Software (CAQDAS) will be used. CAQDAS software such as Atlas.ti, NUD*IST, NVivo, and
STATA are readily available on theWits network. Opie (2004) recommends the software
NUD*IST as one of the best software for qualitative data analysis.
The software can organize the data, ensure consistent coding and provide tools for subsequent
examples of frames of analysis could be the leaners' comments on the three dimensions of SD,
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Frames of analysis are levels of specificity within which data will be examined. In this study
24
analysis. Coding begins with reading the data and identifying frames of analysis (Hatch,2002).
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
economy, environment, and society. Codes are identified from the frames of analysis. For example,
within a frame of analysis such as environment,several codes could be identified such as to make
money; for cleanliness; to protect the environment to mention a few. Identifying the codes entails
reading through the data several times to get a sense of the whole and giving meaning to the
segments of the data (McMillan and Schumacher 2006).Comparing codes across data sets will
make it possible to develop a coding system for the whole data which is linked to my research
questions.
1.7
Delimitations
Different definitions and interpretations of competences for SD can be found in literature. For the
learners’ views, this study limits itself to competency for SD defined as knowledge about SD,
attitudes towards SD and behaviors for SD.Additionally,this study focuses on competencies for
SD at a secondary school level which is less advanced as compared to key competencies for SD at
higher levels of learning.
1.8
Ethical Issues
This study involves human participants in a social setting and thus there is a need to consider
ethical issues. The researcher had to adhere to research ethics to make the research credible. Ethical
guidelines which include policies regarding informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, caring,
fairness, and privacy are to be followed in this study (McMillan and Schumacher (2006). Cohen
et al., (2000) warn that researchers must balance between their profession in pursuit of knowledge
and their participants' rights and values which can be potentially threatened by the research. To
fulfill the research ethical obligations, the researcher must incorporate strategies that are designed
to ensure that the rights of participating learners are observed. Participationin this research will be
voluntary and based on negotiation and consensual agreement. This is in line with one of the major
ethical issues; informed consentwhich according to Manson & O'Neill (2007) means that a person
knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently, and clearly and manifestly gives his or her consent. The
written consent of authorities and individuals at all levels at which schools operate will be obtained.
communication channels and ensuring that the learners’ welfare is observed and assuring that they
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property. This can be accomplished by such things as punctuality for appointments, open
25
To gain the learners’ trust, the researcher has to be honest, openness and respect for intellectual
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
are not exposed to psychological harmful conditions during the study are important(Veatch,1996;
Fouka&Mantzorou,2011).
1.9
Timeline
This researcher expects to complete this study inthree yearswithin the following time guidelines.
The date indicated is my set deadline.

Research proposal – August 2020

Human Ethics Clearance-October 2020

Literature Review-expected to be on-going but most of it be done by June 2021

Building a relationship with the participants. Majortask starting January 2021

Data Collection-May to September 2021

Data Analysis and Reporting (will run concurrently with data collection) Begins
Write-up -September 2021 to September 2022

Submission- October 2022
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Appendix A
as honest as possible in your responses
Page
Complete the questionnaire on your own. There are no grades for your answers. Please be
34
Knowledge about Sustainable Development (KSD) Questionnaire
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Thank you for your cooperation.
The name of your school…………………………………………………………………………….
Gender: Female
Male
Age………….
My first language (the language I speak at home) is
English
Afrikaans
Zulu
Sotho
Xhosa
Venda Other…………………………
Have you heard of the notion of Sustainable Development?
YESNO
If YES, in what connection have you heard of Sustainable Development?
in school
on TV
in the newspapers
on Radio
from friends
via the internet
Other, state which……………………………………………………………
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
The three dimensions of
sustainabledevelopment are
environmental, economic, and social.
Reducing water consumption is
necessary for sustainable development.
Preserving nature is not necessary for
sustainable development
Sustainable development demands that
we humans reduce all sorts of waste
Sustainable development requires a
shift to renewable natural resources
Preserving the variety of living
creatures is necessary for sustainable
development (preserving biological
diversity).
For sustainable development, people
need to be educated on how to protect
themselves against natural disasters.
We cannot slow the rate of climate
change.
Conservation of freshwater is not
important in South Africa
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
2
3
4
Strongly
Agree
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Page
ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION
35
For each statement below, mark with an Xthe alternative which ties in best with your
understanding.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Maintaining biodiversity (the number
and variety of
living organisms) is essential to the
health of ecosystems.
ECONOMIC DIMENSION
1
2
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
3
4
5
Neutral
Agree
2
3
4
Strongly
Agree
5
11
Economic development is necessary for
sustainable development.
12
Sustainable development requires that
companies act responsibly towards their
employees, customers, and suppliers
Sustainable development requires a fair
distribution of goods and services
among people in the world.
Sustainable development demands that
people understand how the economy
functions.
‘Sustainable consumption’ is about
using goods and
services in ways that minimize the use
of natural resources
and reduce waste.
Sustainable development does not
require that businesses
to behave responsibly.
Non-renewable resources should not be
used faster than
the rate at which we find renewable
substitutes.
Helping people out of poverty in South
Africa is important forSouth Africa to
become more sustainable.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
SOCIAL DIMENSION
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
2
3
4
Strongly
Agree
5
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Improving people’s chances for a long
and healthy life contributes to
sustainable development.
Page
10
36
because we have plenty.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
A culture where conflicts are resolved
peacefully through discussion is
necessary for sustainable development.
People who exercise their democratic
rights are necessary for sustainable
development (for example, they vote in
elections, involve themselves in social
issues, express their opinions)
Reinforcing girls’ and women’s rights
and increasing equality around the world
is necessary for sustainable
development.
Respecting human rights is necessary for
sustainable development.
To achieve sustainable development, all
the people in the world must have access
to a good education.
Having respect for other cultures is
necessary for sustainable development.
Wiping out poverty in the world is
necessary for sustainable development.
Reinforcing girls' and women's rights
and increasing equality around the world
is necessary for sustainable
development.
For sustainable development, major
infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS
and malaria must be stopped.
Sustainable development is as much
about what the
children in the future need as it is about
what we need today.
Sustainable development has nothing to
do with social
justice.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Appendix B
The name of your school………………………………………………………
Page
This questionnaire consists of a series of claims to which you respond by putting a cross next to the
choice you make.
37
Attitudes towards Sustainable Development (ASD) Questionnaire
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Gender: Female
Male
Age………….
My first language (the language I speak at home) is
English
Afrikaans
Zulu
Sotho
Xhosa
Venda
Have you heard of the notion of Sustainable Development?
Other………….
YES
NO
If YES, in what connection have you heard of Sustainable Development?
in school …. on TV
in the newspapers
on Radio
from friends
via the internet
Other, state which……………………………………………………………
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Disagree
1
People who pollute land, air or water
should pay for the damage they cause to
the environment.
2 We need stricter laws and regulations to
protect the environment.
3 It is important to take measures against
problems that have to do with climate
change.
4 The governments should provide
financial aid to encourage more people to
make the shift to green cars.
5 There is no point in getting involved in
environmental issues, since governments
and industries, have all the power and can
do whatever they like
6 It is okay that each one of us uses as
much water as we want.
7 Awareness of environmental issues
contributes to a country’s development.
8 Environmental education at schools
should be offered to students practically
(by doing by experiencing).
9 Everyone ought to be given the
opportunity to acquire the knowledge,
values, and skills that are necessary to
live sustainably.
10 People who are living now should make
sure that people in the future enjoy the
same quality of life as we do today.
Page
Environmental Dimension
38
For each statement below, mark with an Xthe alternative which ties in best with your understanding.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
Disagree Neutral
Agree
Disagree
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Strongly
Agree
Companies in rich countries should give
employees in poor nations the same
conditions as in rich countries
The government should make all its
economic decisions based on
sustainable development.
Companies have a responsibility to
reduce the use of packaging and
disposable articles
It is important to reduce poverty.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
People who pollute land, air or water
should pay for the damage they cause to
the environment.
It is OK for companies to make
products that are designed
to be thrown away after one use
Using more resources than we need is a
serious threat to the
health and welfare of future generations
Sustainable development will not be
possible until richer nations stop
exploiting the workers and the natural
resources of poorer countries
Environmentally responsible companies
are more
likely to make a profit over the long run
Governments should encourage greater
use of fuel-efficient
vehicles
SOCIAL DIMENSION
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Everyone ought to be given the
opportunity to acquire the knowledge,
values, and skills that are necessary to
live sustainably.
People who are living now should make
sure that people in the future enjoy the
same quality of life as we do today.
39
Strongly
Page
ECONOMIC DIMENSION
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
People in society must exercise their
democratic rights and become involved
in important issues
Women and men throughout the world
must be given the same opportunities for
education and employment.
I often make lifestyle choices that are
not good for my health.
Good citizenship is necessary for
sustainable development
The cleaning of the school is performed
by the students during the first eight
years of education; this will increase
their awareness of environmental
cleanliness.
Every girl or boy should be taught the
knowledge, values, issues, and skills for
sustainable development
We should be sure that the next
generation inherits a community at least
as healthy, diverse and productive as it
is today
Gender equality has nothing to do with
sustainable
development
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Appendix C
The name of your school………………………………………………………
Gender: Female
Male
Age………….
Page
Complete the questionnaire on your own. There are no grades for your answers. Please be as honest
as possible in your responses
40
Behaviours for Sustainable Development (BSD) Questionnaire
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
My first language (the language I speak at home) is
English
Afrikaans
Zulu
Sotho
Xhosa
Venda
Have you heard of the notion of Sustainable Development?
Other………….
YES
NO
If YES, in what connection have you heard of Sustainable Development?
in school …. on TV
in the newspapers
on Radio
from friends
via the internet
Other, state which……………………………………………………………
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral
Agree
Strongly
3
4
Agree
5
I have studied some issues related to climate
change
I never wastewater.
I try to recycle as much as I can.
I try to save electrical energy
I divide waste into certain categories such as
paper, glass, plastic, etc
Where possible, I choose to cycle or walk
when I'm going somewhere, instead of
traveling by motor vehicle
I pick up rubbish when I see it out in the
countryside or public places.
I don't think about how my actions may
damage the natural environment
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
I always separate food waste before putting
out the rubbish when I have the chance.
I have changed my lifestyle to reduce waste
(e.g., throwing away less food or not wasting
materials).
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
ECONOMIC DIMENSION
Strongly
Disagree
Disagre
e
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
I watch news programs or read newspaper
articles to do with the economy.
I avoid buying goods from companies
with a bad reputation for looking after
their employees and the environment.
I watch news programs or read newspaper
articles to do with the economy.
1
2
3
4
Agree
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Page
ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION
41
For each statement below, mark with an X the alternative which ties in best with your understanding.
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
14
15
I bring my lunch to school in reusable
containers to
reduce waste
I talk to other people about how to help
people living inpoverty
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
SOCIAL DIMENSION
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral
Agree
Strongly
1
2
3
4
Agree
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
16
When I use a computer or mobile to chat,
to text, to play games and so on, I always
treat others as respectfully as I would in
real life.
17
I often make lifestyle choices which are
not good for my health
18
I work on committees (e.g. the student
council, my class committee, the cafeteria
committee) at my school.
19
I do things that help poor people.
20
I treat everyone with the same respect,
even if they have another cultural
background than mine.
21
I show the same respect to men and
women, boys and girls.
22
I participate in democratic activities
related to student life at my school
23
I try to make sure that both boys and girls
are treated fairly
in my home and at school
24
The household chores in my home are
equally shared
among family members regardless of
gender
25
I do some things mostly because they are
things a goodcitizen should do
Appendix D
Knowledge about Sustainable Development (KSD)Interview Schedule
To get more information relating to learners’ Knowledge about SD, the interviewing will be guided by the
1.
What do you think the term sustainable development means?
Page
Environmental
42
following questions:
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2
What is currently the main cause of the increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Economic
3.
What do you understand by fair trade?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4.
What is poverty? How can poverty be reduced
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Social
What does it mean to “live sustainably”?
5.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6.
What do you understand by human rights?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I would like your beliefs/views on the above questions. This is not about wrong or right responses.
However, your response should be more than just yes or no; you need to offer supporting statements and
explanations and examples if necessary, to your responses.
Potential Prompt/Probe questions:

Can you please expand on your answer?

Can you please illustrate what you are saying using an example?
Appendix E
Attitudes towards Sustainable Development (ASD) Interview Schedule
To get more information relating to learners’ attitudes towards sustainable development, the interviewing
1. The protection of the environment is more important than economic growth or vice versa.
Page
Environment
43
will be guided by the following questions:
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
What is your view?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What do you do to help reduce pollution?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Economic
3. Do you think the economical use of water and energy is important for the sustainable use of the
natural resources?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Eradication of poverty ensures well-being for all. Comment.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Social
5.What is your view on replacing traditional culture with modern things?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Should women and men throughout the world be given the same opportunities for education and
employment?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I would like your beliefs/views on the above questions. This is not about wrong or right responses.
However, your response should be more than just yes or no; you need to offer supporting statements and
explanations and examples if necessary, to your responses.
Potential Prompt/Probe questions:

Can you please expand on your answer?

Can you please give an example?
Appendix F
Behaviours for Sustainable Development (BSD) Interview Schedule
1.
What is recycling? Why would you or would you not recycle?
Page
Environmental
44
To get more information relating to learners’ behaviors for SD, the interviewing will be guided by the
following questions:
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.
Do you try to save water and electricity? Give reasons.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Economic
3.
Are you interested in anything to do with the economy? Do you watch news programs or read
newspaper articles to do with the economy?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4.
Do you take any consideration when you buy goods? Are you aware of companies with a bad
reputation for looking after their employees and the environment?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Social
5.
People should be prosecuted for littering. What is your opinion?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6.
Are you comfortable with living, learning or working with people with a different cultural
background than mine?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I would like your beliefs/views on the above questions. This is not about wrong or right responses.
However, your response should be more than just yes or no; you need to offer supporting statements and
explanations and examples if necessary, to your responses.
Can you please expand on your answer?

Can you please illustrate what you are saying using an example?
Page

45
Potential Prompt/Probe questions:
Page
46
An investigation of South African Grade 11 learners’ competencies for Sustainable Development