Implementing the scouts’ patrol system in Science education for holistic development

Abstract

Holistic education is an educational practice that engages with students as relational beings, as living in connection with others within a dynamic network of interrelationships. Holistic education challenges the understanding of education as an academic activity that excludes the complex relational experiences of students. Science education contributes to scientific literacy; however, it can also lead to the holistic development of young people and attend to the relational nature of students. In Scouting, the patrol system allows young members to interact in small groups, working together as a team towards a common goal; this contributes to the acquisition of various skills and values. This dissertation explores how the Scouts’ patrol system can be utilised as a pedagogic strategy in the Science classroom towards the holistic development of students. A mixed method approach is taken; action research is employed whereby the Scouts’ patrol system is implemented in two Science classrooms of Year 8 over a period of two double lessons. Data is collected through questionnaires, interviews and observations, so as to obtain an insight about the participants’ views, attitudes and experiences in relation to this study. The Scouts’ patrol system proves to be a successful cooperative learning strategy that can be implemented in Science classrooms so as to contribute towards the holistic development of students. Through the patrol system we can shift from Science education that is identified with transmission of facts to Science education that nurtures all elements of the students’ personalities.