The school economics textbook as programmatic curriculum: An exploited conduit for neoliberal globalisation discourses

Abstract

In South African schools, the textbook serves as an indispensable trustworthy source of disciplinary content knowledge. While the constitution and vetting of such knowledge is subject to the state's textbook publication protocols as they relate to screening for discrimination and prejudice in relation to race, gender, sexuality etc., there is a dearth of understanding of covert ideological hegemony embedded in the textbook as revered artefact. This programmatic curriculum, the school textbook, has received minimal attention from local curriculum theorists and researchers, so it is likely to masquerade as innocent purveyor of selected (or subversive) ideology. In an attempt to unveil the subtext, we report on a study that set out to examine the discourses of globalisation that manifest in selected contemporary high school economics textbooks. The study draws on the tenets of Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis to reveal how particular knowledge selections romanticise globalisation through the discourses of financescapes, presenting and perpetuating a neoliberal discourse as normal and acceptable. We present reflections on how critical curriculum theory might offer insights for classroom pedagogy, especially as it relates to re-embracing the critical pedagogy project in South African schools.

Exploring the scope of and gaps in the teaching and learning of Business Studies at school and teacher education levels

“…Furthermore, a curriculum is generally the mouthpiece of a government's sociopolitical and economic goals; therefore, teaching and learning are normally aligned to such goals. Maistry et al 14 are of the opinion that business education has shown an ideological bias, which is couched within a predominant neoclassical economic world view that is mostly unrelated to local (South) African realities. Moreover, BSE is underpinned by a predominant theory of productivity and competitiveness and does not really reflect a theoretical basis that integrates educational theories.…”

Dekolonisering van die kurrikulum: ʼn Kontekstualisering van Ekonomie- en Besigheidstudie-onderrig

“…Selecting relevant EBST resource material is important, such as use of African case studies and the encouragement of Afrocentric innovations (Barnard et al 2017). For years, the most accessible and dominant resources for EBST have been from a Western and/or Eurocentric worldview from which narratives revolve around a masculine, white, and liberal view of reality (Maistry & David 2018). Over the years, educators became dependent on these knowledge systems, epistemological traditions and curriculum materials.…”

“…Die vraag is hoe die EBSOkurrikulum as deel van ʼn aanvanklike onderwysers opleidingsprogram gedekoloniseer en die kontekstuele en inhoudskennis belyn kan word. Inhoudskennis in EBSO is gemodelleer op ʼn oorwegend neoklassieke wêreldsiening wat meestal ontdaan is van plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse sosio-ekonomiese werklikhede (America 2014;Maistry & David 2018) en waar ongelykheid en armoede in die samelewing steeds aansienlik hoog is (Bernstein 2014;Wêreldbank 2018). Die pre en postkoloniale tydperke het voetspore gelaat in die hedendaagse ongelykheid en ʼn disposisie wat diep gewortel is in instellings en organisasies.…”

“…ʼn Belangrike hulpbron in EBSO is die gebruik van gevallestudies. Van die mees toegank like en dominante hulpbronne vir EBSO is egter gefokus op Westerse besigheidsopvoeding en wat dikwels teenstrydig is met die inheemse kennisstelsels in Afrika (Barnard et al 2017;Maistry & David 2018). Afrika-gevallestudies kan studente in staat stel om sin te maak van wat op die vasteland van Afrika gebeur (Barnard et al 2017).…”

Teaching business ethics to pre-service teachers: An integrated approach

“…The challenge is the teachers' understandings of ethical predicaments in the business world and how that is being taught. For example, the future realisation of the sustainability of the earth's resources, economic welfare and society's well-being is undisputed, yet many business textbooks focus on the traditional business frameworks with the ultimate goal of profit maximisation (Maistry & David, 2018). Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, 31 companies are being investigated for excessive price hikes (see SANews, 2020).…”