- Title
- Student teacher's experiences of teaching mathematics using isiXhosa in foundation phase classrooms during teaching practice
- Creator
- Bangiso, Innocentia Queen Zintle
- Subject
- Mathematics -- Study and teaching
- Subject
- Native language and education -- Africa
- Subject
- African languages -- Study and teaching
- Date Issued
- 2024-12
- Date
- 2024-12
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/68297
- Identifier
- vital:76972
- Description
- In South Africa, learning in the Foundation Phase happens in a child’s home language, thus all eleven official languages, nine of them being African languages, must and are used as languages of teaching and learning in this phase. Teacher training, however, does not happen in all eleven official languages. The dominant language of training teachers across the country is English, even in classroom contexts where the language of learning and teaching may be an African language. This raises concerns about whether student teachers trained in English can translate mathematics content knowledge into an African language. This is particularly concerning given the country’s consistent underperformance in mathematics and literacy. Against this backdrop, this qualitative study aimed to explore Foundation Phase student teachers’ perspectives on their experiences of teaching mathematics using isiXhosa during teaching practice. The question that this study sought to answer was: what are student teachers’ perspectives on their experiences of teaching mathematics in isiXhosa during teaching practice? Drawing upon classroom observations and semi-structured individual interviews as the primary methods of data collection, the study explored the mediation of mathematics learning using isiXhosa, the pedagogical challenges encountered by student teachers, the strategies employed to address these challenges, and the influence of university training on their preparation. Findings reveal a significant discrepancy between the language of instruction used in university training which is English, and the language required for teaching practice which is isiXhosa. Student teachers expressed struggles in translating theoretical knowledge into practical application, leading to diminished confidence and pedagogical inefficacy. However, participants also demonstrated resilience through innovative strategies such as code-switching, visual aids, and collaborative learning approaches. The study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive language support and pedagogical training programmes to bridge the gap between theory and practice in isiXhosa-medium mathematics instruction. Recommendations are provided for educational institutions, especially the case study university, to enhance the preparation of student teachers and promote effective mathematics education in multilingual contexts.
- Description
- Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, School of Primary School Education: Foundation Phase, 2024
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (210 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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NMU School for Education Research and Engagement
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | BANGISO, I December 2024.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |