Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Amendments in the Design Curriculum - A Critical Overview of the Approach and Findings of the Study

Oct 15, 2026

This article examines South African Design teachers’ attitudes toward the 2020 Section 4 amendments to the Design Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). It aims to establish why teachers’ perspectives on unexpected and abrupt curriculum changes matter, and to highlight the need for transparent discussions by educational authorities about decisions, purposes, and consequences. The study compares amendments with the earlier curriculum and critically assesses teachers’ positive or mixed responses to challenging pedagogical issues. Qualitative case data from seven selected schools is analyzed through Ubuntu philosophy and South African democratic principles, concluding with heterogeneous views.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Contextualisation

Research questions

Literature review and theoretical framework

Conclusion

Teachers’ attitudes towards the amendments in the Design curriculum: a critical overview of the approach and findings of the study Anriët van Deventer, University of Pretoria, South Africa Raïta Steyn, University of Pretoria, South Africa Abstract This article 1 refers to the South African Design teachers’ attitudes towards the implementation of the 2020 Section 4 amendments of the Design Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) . The purpose of the article is twofold: first to establish the necessity for awareness of the teachers’ attitudes towards curriculum changes, especially when they are unexpected and abrupt. Secondly, to demonstrate the importance of awareness among educational authorities about the role of transparent discussions on the nature, purpose, and consequences of their relevant decisions before their final implementation. To this end, the article discusses the amendments and their differences to the former curriculum. The role of the Design teachers’positive attitude towards curriculum changes, especially in dealing with challenging pedagogical issues and communicating creative motivation to learners, is critically assessed. Theoretically, the study was guided by Ubuntu philosophy and the South African democratic principles while methodologically, based on a qualitative data collection process, the attitudes of Design teachers from seven selected schools have been individually examined. In conclusion, the teachers’ heterogeneous responses have indicated that their opinions do not reflect the à priori governmental acceptance of the amendments. Keywords South African education, Curriculum changes 2020, CAPS FET Design, Design teacher, attitude, Ubuntu. Introduction This study is part of a comprehensive research project on applying Design Thinking (specifically its process) in the nationally implemented subject of Design education. In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the focus is on initiating, accepting, and implementing change among involved parties through collaboration, which is an essential factor in acknowledging innovation, embracing change, developing adjusted attitudes, and promoting new skills (Steyn, 2020, p. 338) . The subject matter of the thesis was critically analysed and evaluated based on a qualitative case study conducted in the context of South African Design education policy guidelines. During the fieldwork, it was found that the Design teachers’ attitudes differed pointedly in response to the new changes in the curriculum. The documenting of the relevant 1 The article is based on the PhD thesis by Anriët Van Deventer, under the title: ‘Teacher engagement with the process in Design: policies, problems, and visions’, submitted at the University of Pretoria in November 2021. views emphasises the value of this article, which we believe may assist the DBE in being more flexible when applying revisions in future. Contextualisation In the democratic South African education system, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is reviewed and amended every seven years. In addition, the Design Guidelines for Practical Assessment Tasks (PAT) are annually reviewed and adopted. Therefore, before the South African government declared the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 as a working document in 2012, many dedicated collaborators had contributed to the goals and vision to achieve the ideals of Design education in South Africa. With reference to the subject Design in Grade 10 and 11, the CAPS amendment document was published by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) as Arts Subject Quality Improvement in 2019 and implemented in January 2020. Evidently, in the context of educational changes in the democratic South Africa, the two parties that need to collaborate in decision making and its implementation are the education authorities i.e., DBE and facilitators, the Design teachers. From this point of view, both parties – the government and the D

FAQs

What is the focus of the study on Design curriculum amendments?

The study focuses on South African Design teachers’ attitudes toward implementing the 2020 Section 4 amendments in CAPS.

Why does the article emphasize teachers’ awareness and authorities’ transparent discussions?

It highlights the need to understand teachers’ attitudes when changes are unexpected or abrupt, and stresses transparent pre-implementation discussions about the nature, purpose, and consequences of decisions.

How was the research conducted and guided theoretically?

A qualitative approach examines Design teachers from seven selected schools, guided theoretically by Ubuntu philosophy and South African democratic principles.

Oct 15, 2026

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