Local history teaching in the Overberg region of the Western Cape: The case of the Elim Primary School.
Abstract
The problem of this study deals with the indifference of the Grade 8 learners
of the Elim Primary School towards school History, and its relevance to their
everyday lives. The following research question was formulated: What can the
Social Sciences teachers at the Elim Primary School do differently to make the
subject more relevant and interesting to the Grade 8 learners? It was concluded
that the learners had to be more actively involved in the local history of their
region. To this end, a series of four local history lessons with as topic Heritage – The
village of Elim: past and present was designed and implemented. The lessons were
mainly for enrichment purposes, linked to Heritage Day of 24 September, and to
create interest in and enjoyment of the study of history. The research design was a
qualitative single case study of the Elim Primary School’s visit to a local heritage
site, the Elim Moravian Mission Town. It was a detailed explanatory narrative of
the mechanics of a local history teaching strategy – two classroom lessons and two
fieldtrips to the heritage site concluded by a feedback, reflection and assessment
session in the classroom. The hands-on personal experience of the Grade 8 Social
Sciences learners as young historians was illustrated by means of seven images
which included images of the material sources and relics and the learners doing
history as young historians. The case study resulted in step-by-step guidelines for the
preparation and implementation of a local history teaching strategy. The historical
imagination of the learners was also operationalised.