Definition of Didactics

Didactics is the science which studies teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are interrelated aspects of reality and as such form an integral part of man’s life world. In addition, because teaching and learning form an essential part of man’s existence, it is obvious that he will not only observe and experience these aspects, but also describe and explain them in terms of their origin nature, essential characteristics and meaning. Didactics enables one to understand what is observed and experienced and to organise it logically. For this reason didactics is also known as a teaching theory, instructional theory or teaching science or instructional science. Educational Reality . Educational Teaching Perspective Didactics The activities of teaching, being taught and learning are known as “didactic activities”. Teaching is an activity which aims at presenting certain (learning) content to somebody else in such a way that the person learns something from it. Learning, on the other hand, is an activity in which the person being taught activity wishes to benefit from the teaching and acquire particular (learning) content. In didactics teaching does not occur incidentally in a vacuum, but is an intentional, dynamic, systematic and well-founded activity involving man in particular circumstances and in relation to specific aspects of reality. Didactics attempts to answer questions such as: • What is teaching? • Where do we teach? • Who do we teach? • When is teaching effective? • How are teaching and learning related? The general didactic situation can now be described more completely as the situation in which the tutor deliberately and systematically teaches particular learning content to the learner so that the latter can learning something. The learning content is taught in a well-founded manner using particular teaching methods and teaching media. The didactic activities can be described as well –founded because they based on and guided and influenced by specific didactic principles. General didactic situation Tutor Aims, Method Evaluation Teaching principle etc Learning Content Learner The above is a typification of the general didactic situation. However, a distinction can be drawn between pedagogic didactic situations and andragogic didactic situations, parents and teachers are adult tutors who teach basic learning content to immature children of pupils (the learner) in order to lead them to adulthood. On the other hand, in andragogic didactic situations, lectures and trainers are examples of adult tutors who teach and guide students, apprentices and other adult persons by means of specialised learning content to become more mature. Didactics is a science because, like all other science, it attempts to come to valid, well founded and verified conclusions concerning the fundamental characteristics of a particular aspect of reality, and to do so by mean of specific methods of investigation. Didactics as a discipline of pedagogics: As a science didactics is also a discipline of pedagogics. In other words didactics is a branch of pedagogics which is the mother science. Pedagogics or educational science is the science which studies education as an aspect of reality. Pedagogy can be described as the activity engaged when an adult who has superior knowledge and insight (educator) purposefully teaches a child who has inferior knowledge and insight (educand) in order to help him to become intellectually independent and socially responsible ( that is a mature adult). Ed Pedagogic Educational Perspective Pedagogy is a science in its own right, because each one studies a particular aspect of education from a specific scientific perspective. For instance, at Midlands State University in Media and Society Studies Department, students can study Journalism as a particular area of specialisation. Didactics is the science which studies, inter alia, educative teaching and learning. For this reason didactics as a part discipline is also referred to as didactics pedagogic. Tertiary educational institutions as didactic environments Tertiary teaching institutions are academic institution established in the community so that science and technology can be practised formally in an educative teaching, research, and community service setting. Examples of institutions are universities, technikons and technical, teacher, agricultural and nurse training colleges. In these institutions adult people who have completed their formal schooling up to a certain level receive further teaching and education in enhanced scientific knowledge and skills in order that they may join the community as vocationally competent adults. It can be argued strongly that andragogic didactic situations are the order of the day in these types of didactic environments. The lecturer, instructor or trainer is the tutor and is formally trained for this purpose. Like at Midlands State University (MSU) we have lecturers for various discipline like in Media and Society Studies, Geography and Environmental Studies, Department of Education, English and Communication Studies and many more others to mention. In addition, the learner in tertiary institutions like MSU are usually post school youths, late adolescent or early adult who has left the pedagogic didactic environment of his or her family home and school to continue their studies as students in the company of other adults. As such he finds himself in andragogic didactic situations, where his obligations towards school are replaced by obligations towards society in general. Now, on an independent, autonomous and responsible basis, he must make final choices and decisions concerning his philosophy of life, his area of specialisation and his vacation (Van Vuuren, 1979:49). Furthermore, Students become responsible for their participation in didactics activities and in the didactic situations in which he prepares and qualifies himself with respect to the aspects mentioned above. At tertiary teaching institutions the learning content must provide for educative teaching, because science and technology also make certain moral, cultural and social demands with regard to the independent and justified practice thereof, either through research and training. Like at MSU, students from various disciplines are compelled to conduct research in an area of interest which should add value to the already existing body of knowledge. Such knowledge should be educative and should add to the society’s economic, social, political, technological or cultural traits. Didactics Theories: A didactic theory can be described as a system of ideas, opinions and conclusion concerning educative teaching. Didactics involves scientific thought about the interrelationship between the origins, nature and meaning of teaching and learning. Scientific investigation, including reflection upon the didactics activities, is a typical human activity. However, all people do not reflect upon reality in the same way: different people have different points of departure. The impression must not be created that these different theories contradict each other; each merely endeavour to reveals the essentials of the didactic realities and contributes in its own rights towards a better understanding of teaching and learning and towards improving teaching practices. Didactics theories which De Corte et al (1985:5-25) prefers to call them models rather than theories are as follows; • Formative theory. • Cybernetic and Information theory model • System theory didactics Didactics and modern teaching technology: Didactics is not only related to different areas of science, but also links up with modern technology as an outcome of science. For example, at Midlands State University, in the Media and Society Studies Department, lectures use a projector, Power-Point and e-learning to share ideas with their students from various levels. This is very evident in the prominence being given in didactics to teaching technology and the media science. Didactics is also a discipline of andragogic. Like pedagogic this educational science studies education as an aspect of reality. Didactics addresses the way in which educative teaching takes place between adults. From this part-discipline perspective, didactics is also referred to as didactic andragogic. It can be concluded that didactics is the science which, in conjunction with other related sciences, tries to explain the nature and fundamental characteristics of teaching and learning as aspects of reality. In addition, as a science didactics focuses on the didactic activities which manifest themselves in particular didactic activities which manifest themselves in particular didactic situation. To ensure that the didactic activities can be conducted in an orderly manner, particularly didactic situations are established on either a formal or a non-formal basis. Since the study of didactic events is a typically human activity, there are various different opinions, theories and conclusions regarding teaching and learning. Didactics is important in tertiary institutions like MSU where teaching and learning is the order of the day in various departments across the institution. Referencing Borst C.B, Van Niekerk L.J and VanKooy M.P (1998) Education: Study Guide 2 for Edu 202-Q (Didactics) Pretoria. UNISA. Duminy P.A and Sohnge W.F (1987) Didactics: Theory and Practice. Cape Town. Maskew Miller Longman. Fraser. W.J, Louberser, C.P and Van Rooy, M.P (1990) Didactics for the Undergraduate students. Durban Butterworths. Steyn. P.J.W (1985) Didactics:Study Guide for HED (Post-Graduater) and HED (Technical) Pretoria: UNISA. Stuart.J.F (ed) (1987) Didactics: An Orientation for First Year Students. Johannesburg: McMillan South Africa. Van Vuuren JCG (ed). (1976) Orientering in die Pedagogiek. Pretoria: UNISA. Van Vuuren JCG. (1979) Die taak en doelstellings van universitere onderwys en die aansluiting daarvan by die beroepsvoorbereiding van die technikon. Mededelings: Jaarblad van die Technikon Pretoria, No 1, 48-58.