Conceptualizing Learner Progression Policy and Practices: Towards A Curriculum Support Model in South African Schools

Many countries have adopted learner progression practices and policies to support learners to progress to the next grade without meeting promotion requirement. South Africa is not exception in this regard. Learner progression policy in South Africa states that a learner cannot spend more than four years in any phase. In each phase, a learner can therefore only fail one grade. Thereafter, they are progressed to the next grade even if they do not meet promotion requirements. Qualitative approach and Interpretative paradigm were used to explore learner progression implementation with an intention to recommend curriculum support model to address learner articulation gap. Data was collected through document analysis and individual semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select one curriculum advisor and three secondary school teachers. Bandura’ social learning was used as theoretical framework. To support progressed learner, Bandura proposes five essential theoretical lenses in order for the learning to take place: Observation, attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. The adopted theoretical lenses assisted progressed learner to observe their previous learning experience by paying attention to critical attributes, retain what was good by reproducing good practices and gain self-motivation. Findings of the study revealed that limited curriculum support programmes addressing specific needs of progressed learners as per their reasons for progression. The study concluded cognition and sense making determines the extent to which progressed learners receive curriculum support. The study recommended curriculum support model applicable for progressed learners to bridge content gap.