Marine Sciences: A novel teaching method course as part of the PGCE qualification at Rhodes University

Have you ever wanted to be a marine biologist? Imagine if you could have learned about the ocean at school. In 2016, the Two Oceans Aquarium's education team began facilitating the development of Marine Sciences as a new school subject in South Africa in the Further Education and Training band. Developed over three years, the subject engages learners in Grades 10 to 12 in the multidisciplinary study of four strands - oceanography, marine biology, marine ecology, and human and ocean interactions. Indicative of its popularity, the growth in the number of candidates and institutions offering the subject has been exponential. Currently, one international assessment and two South African bodies are examining the subject.

The South African tertiary education context is important. Fewer than 6% of learners completing their full 13 years of school education qualify to enter a traditional science degree programme, and high drop-out rates (between 40 and 65% nationally) mean that there are very few entries into careers requiring postgraduate education. The Marine Sciences curriculum was developed in close consultation with the tertiary education sector to address these concerns. No South African university offers an undergraduate course covering the four strands included in the Marine Sciences curriculum and, thus, teachers of the subject tend to be outside of their field of education in at least one or more fields. This means there are few teachers with the confidence and capacity to teach this new subject.

To address this shortfall, St Andrew’s College’s Marine Sciences teacher Tim Barnard approached Rhodes University with a proposal to develop a course to prepare graduates to teach Marine Sciences. With experience teaching Design as a new subject twenty years ago, Barnard was concerned that the error of waiting for the demand for trained teachers should not be repeated. The Rhodes Education Department’s PGCE course coordinator, Sean Nkosi, supported Barnard’s concerns and collaborated on the development of a course outline. Nkosi helped ease the new course through the university approval process. It was important to design a curriculum that would help students learn to teach unfamiliar content, while identifying students with the capacity to take on an extra subject was also important.

Selected from a pool of 16 applicants, eight students began the course. The course was taught in a blended approach with in-person teaching by Barnard and online teaching by Rebotile Matabane, a Marine Sciences teacher from Solomon Mahlangu High School in Kariega. One student dropped out, citing the extra stress and workload. A standard PGCE only includes two teaching methods. Seven students completed the course and reflected in person and in anonymous questionnaires that the PGCE course workload was higher than in other teaching method courses. The PGCE course includes two periods of “teaching practice” during which students observe, prepare, and teach lessons. It was difficult to place students with a class, as only one school in Makhanda offered Marine Sciences in the first year of this course, and this school’s terms were poorly aligned with the PGCE programme. However, with more schools offering the subject, placement will become easier. Students had the opportunity to teach on two field trips, in large and small class settings, and online to learners at Solomon Mahlangu High School. This gave opportunities for assessment and mentoring, but the students did not spend enough time with any one class to build the pedagogic trust critical to the deep engagement of both learner and teacher.

The course has been successful, with students sought after by employers in both the private and public education sectors. The course outline will be revised, and selection criteria re-examined to ensure a better fit and a more manageable workload for the students. Other teaching practice opportunities are being explored, with more local schools offering Marine Sciences and the possibility of teaching practice through mixed-provisioning platforms.

This initiative in Marine Sciences showcases how proactive collaboration between educators and HEIs can address educational gaps and societal needs. Despite challenges, the programme's success in producing sought-after graduates highlights its impact and potential. The curriculum’s innovative, multidisciplinary approach sets a strong foundation for integrating experiential learning and preparing teachers in emerging fields. A key component of the course is exploring and challenging colonial approaches to sciences and nature. Using story-telling and critical theory provided rich insights into indigenous knowledge systems and how new teachers can shift the paradigm from “conservation protecting nature from people” to “conservation protecting people as part of nature”. This progress not only strengthens Marine Sciences but also inspires the development of methodologies in other subjects like coding and robotics, demonstrating the responsiveness of education to equip learners with future-ready skills and knowledge.

The commitment of Tim Barnard, Sean Nkosi, and Rebotile Matabane is to be commended. Launching a new teaching method course is not simple and their foresight will ensure that learners have competent educators for Marine Sciences for the future.

As 2024 drew to a close, one exciting outcome is that one of the graduates from this first PGCE programme, Sinokholo Mbozi, signed a contract with the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation to gain valuable Marine Sciences experience. This opportunity aligns with the Foundation’s strong commitment to developing Marine Sciences teachers, which it also demonstrates by facilitating educator workshops, providing content support, supplying enrichment activities to educators and students in need, and facilitating collaboration between Marine Sciences schools and educators.

Marnus Smith, Head of Marine Sciences at the Foundation, said “Marine Sciences is a dynamic subject that allows students and educators to facilitate ocean awareness within their schools and communities. Being able to employ one of the first graduates in the PGCE Marine Sciences programme is a wonderful privilege”. He added, "We are grateful to Tim Barnard and Sean Nkosi for their foresight in piloting a PGCE Marine Sciences program at Rhodes University, as this can help increase the Marine Sciences teacher numbers in South Africa. Sinokholo’s application to the Foundation stood out as an individual who deeply cares for the environment and education. She is an exemplar of the PGCE course and will become a valued asset to the Marine Sciences community."