Life orientation teachers’ perspectives on a pastoral approach to the topic: “Development of the self in society”

Life Orientation (LO) teachers should be prepared to employ a pastoral approach – i.e., emotional support to learners – particularly when facilitating the topic “Development of the self in society” as prescribed in the curriculum and assessment policy statement (CAPS). Currently, LO teachers have limited knowledge and strategies to develop a pastoral approach due to limited training and resources. The purpose of this article is to present 10 LO teachers’ perspectives on employing a pastoral approach. Two unstructured focus-group interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed inductively following a qualitative research design. The analysis indicates that LO teachers are constrained by their lack of access to resources, assistance, expertise and competencies to establish a pastoral approach. To address this, it is recommended that a variety of teaching strategies are applied, attachment relationships are developed, proficiencies akin to those of community counsellors are acquired, cooperative partnerships are set up, and contextually appropriate interventions are tailored. Implementing suggestions that emerged from the findings might support LO teachers to employ a pastoral approach. Recommendations from the findings imply possible LO curriculum reformation and training. This might bring about a change in the attitude of school communities towards the compulsory nature of LO as a subject. It might also provide more nurturing and supportive relationships in schools and a more socially just dispensation for all involved.