Beyond the silo: Intermediate phase teachers’ experiences of integrated teaching in a selected school in the West Rand District of Gauteng, South Africa

Beyond the silo: Intermediate phase teachers’ experiences of integrated teaching in a selected school in the West Rand District of Gauteng, South Africa

Hildegard Brummer & Matshidiso Joyce Taole

Issue: Vol. 7 No.7 2026 Article 19 pp. 2009 – 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267719 Published online 21st September 2026

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ABSTRACT

Integrated teaching is increasingly recognised as a necessary response to the demands of 21st-century education, yet its implementation remains uneven across contexts. This article explores the experiences of Intermediate Phase teachers who implement integrated lessons in a public school in the West Rand district of Gauteng, South Africa. Guided by a constructivist paradigm, the study employed a qualitative, exploratory case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that while teachers value the pedagogical benefits of integration—such as enhanced learner engagement and critical thinking—they also encounter significant barriers. These barriers include limited planning time, inadequate professional development, and challenges in aligning integration with existing assessment structures. Despite these challenges, teachers showed adaptability, collaboration, and a commitment to fostering meaningful learning. The study recommends that educational stakeholders invest in sustained, context-specific professional development and create collaborative spaces for planning and reflection. These measures can help bridge the gap between curriculum policy and classroom practice, thereby contributing to a more holistic and relevant learning environment for South African learners.

Keywords: Learner Engagement, Professional Development, Lesson Integration, Critical Thinking, Collaboration.

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Hildegard Brummer is an Education Specialist at the Skoleondersteuningsentrum and a postgraduate student at the University of South Africa, where she is completing her Master’s in Education. Her professional work focuses on curriculum design, teaching and learning model development, and supporting innovation in Intermediate Phase education. As head of the Intermediate Phase at her organisation, she leads teacher training initiatives aimed at promoting integrated teaching practices and learner-centred pedagogy in private and public school contexts. Hildegard is registered with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) and works closely with a private team to design and implement curriculum interventions aligned with contemporary educational demands. Although this is her first formal publication, she has contributed to professional development programmes and curriculum reform efforts that impact schools across South Africa. Her research interests include integrated curriculum design, constructivist pedagogy, and professional learning communities. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Hildegard is an avid equestrian who enjoys training young horses. She is married and a mother of two children.

Matshidiso Joyce Taole is a Full Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA). She has extensive experience in teaching and learning in higher education, with many years of service as an academic involved in programme design, alignment, development, and evaluation. Her scholarly work is underpinned by a commitment to strengthening practical, context-responsive teaching and learning as a means of advancing sustainable educational transformation. Her academic vision and mission focus on fostering students’ self-efficacy and nurturing them to become lifelong, critical, and innovative thinkers. She is actively involved in the supervision of postgraduate students within the College of Education. Professor Taole publishes and presents widely on issues of inclusivity, rural education, curriculum, teaching and learning, and professional development. She has presented research at both national and international conferences and holds an NRF C rating.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Brummer, Hildergard, and Matshidiso Joyce Taole. “Beyond the silo: Intermediate phase teachers’ experiences of integrated teaching in a selected school in the West Rand District of Gauteng, South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.7 (2026): 2009 – 2022. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267719