CLARENCE VERNON VISAGIE

ABSTRACT
This thesis was undertaken as an empirical studie which focuses on curriculum
iv
implementation in a remote geographical region in post-apartheid South Africa, known as
the Overberg. The identity basis on which teachers receive and implement Curriculum
2005 in the Overberg region, served as the sentral focus for undertaking this study. My
key findings was made on the basis of empirical-interpretative tegniques that included
observations and semi-structured interviews. Accordingly, I found that the personal,
ontological, contextual, training, professional and pedagogical influences have had an
impact on the composition of the identity basis of teachers in the Overberg region. The
teachers received and implemented Curriculum 2005 in the light of the impact of their
prior identities.
I compared the empirical results of the study with the conceptual framework of my
literature studies. This results indicated that their exist a gap between a curriculum
formulation and a curriculum-implementation. This gap pointed to the need to hear and
account for the ‘voices’ of teachers at the level of a curriculum policy formulation. The
study thus employs qualitatative and interpretive methods in order to understand the
institusional behavior and voice-identities of teachers. The study suggest that the impact
of the teachers’ socio-cultural contexts as embedded in their biographies is primary in
shaping their professional identity basis. Relevant for the study is how teachers respond
to Curriculum 2005 on the basis of their identities.