An investigation into how grade 9 girls participate during practical work in Physical Science lessons : a case study
- Authors: Munyanyo, Johanna
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Teenage girls -- Education , Sex differences in education -- Namibia , Sex discrimination in education -- Namibia , Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Sex differences
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2042 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017353
- Description: This research report documented in this thesis focused mainly on the participation of grade 9 girls during practical work in the topic of ‘Electricity’ in Physical Science lessons at Mwatya (pseudonym) Junior Secondary School in Ohangwena region of Namibia. The study was triggered by the lack of participation of girls during practical work. Underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, the study took the form of a qualitative case study and my unit of analysis was girls’ participation during practical work on electricity in particular. The perceptions and experiences of girls about practical work in Physical Science were investigated using the administered questionnaires. The participation of girls during practical work was further explored using interviews (semi-structured and focus group interviews) and observations of selected girls. A thematic approach to data analysis was adopted. The qualitative data from the audio and video transcripts were analysed according to the categories developed and themes that emerged from the analysis process. The categories developed for presenting the data are: teaching methods preferred by girls; importance and roles of practical activities; things that girls enjoy during practical activities; problems experienced by girls during practical activities; preference for doing practical work in groups or as an individual task; if practical work given in groups should the sex of learners be considered or not; activities preferred by girls when they are in single sex and in mixed sex groups; factors that enable girls to participate; and factors that prevent girls from participating. The study found that girls’ perceptions about practical work affect their participation during practical work in the topic of Electricity. It also revealed different factors that contribute to either good or poor participation of girls, namely, factors such as mixed-sex group-work, limited science prior experience (knowledge), unequal treatment from teachers during lessons and home environment were identified as contributing to poor participation. Girls however suggested some factors that they think could enable them to participate freely and actively during practical work. In view of these findings, this study recommends that teacher training institutions should train teachers to plan practical work in a gender sensitive manner. Schools should be provided with enough materials as sharing materials can contribute to poor participation of girls during practical work especially when they are in mixed groups with boys. There is a need for science teachers to assess the learning taking place during practical work and, finally, textbook suppliers should be monitored in a way that enables the supply of gender sensitive printed materials.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Mathematics teachers' experiences of designing and implementing a circle geometry teaching programme using the van Hiele phases of instruction as a conceptual framework: a Namibian case study
- Authors: Dongwi, Beata Lididimikeni
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Geometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1412 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003133
- Description: The aim of this case study was to examine, analyze and report on the findings of the experiences of selected mathematics teachers when they used the van Hiele phases of instruction in designing and implementing a Grade 11 circle geometry teaching programme. The sample consisted of three selected mathematics teachers from the school where the researcher teaches. This school is located in the Oshikoto Education Region in Namibia. The school serves a multicultural group of 759 learners from a middle-class economic background. The site and participants were selected conveniently as the researcher had unrestricted access to both the facilities and the participants. This research takes the form of a case study and is underpinned by the interpretive paradigm. Data for this research was collected using a variety of techniques such as interviews, classroom observation and document analysis. This facilitated easy triangulation of the data. The findings of this research make four claims with regard to the experiences of the mathematics teachers with designing and implementing the circle geometry teaching programme using the five van Hiele phases of instruction as a conceptual framework. The findings revealed that firstly, all three participating mathematics teachers used and implemented all the five van Hiele phases of instruction in their lessons I observed. Secondly, the teachers navigated quite freely from one phase of instruction to the next, but also returned to the earlier phases for clarification and reinforcement in their teaching. Thirdly, the teachers saw the phases of instruction as a good pedagogical tool or template for planning and presenting lessons. Fourthly, the majority of the learners followed the instructions and seemed to obtain the answers faster than expected. The lesson presentations were lively and both teachers and learners communicated at length to discover angle properties of circles while developing and nurturing the technical language of geometry.
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- Date Issued: 2013
An investigation of school gardens in the curriculum: recontextualising the biodiversity discourse in the national curriculum statement: a case of Mount Zion Junior Secondary School
- Authors: Tundzi, Kenneth Simphiwe Vuyisa
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: South African National Biodiversity Institute Curriculum change -- South Africa Case studies Environmental education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Case studies School gardens -- South Africa -- Case studies Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Case studies Teacher participation in curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Case studies Educational change -- South Africa -- Case studies Education -- South Africa -- Curricula Education and state -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1642 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003524
- Description: With the dawning of a new era in South African politics in 1994 it became evident that education was going to be re-organised along with other government structures in South Africa. I begin the study by reviewing this curriculum change in South Africa that has taken place since 1995. This involved the development Curriculum 2005 (C2005) and the subsequent revision of C2005, which is now the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). This curriculum introduced an environmental focus into all the Learning Areas, which gave teachers a mandate not only to teach about environmental concepts and issues (such as biodiversity) at schools but to also address them in the communities outside the schools. This study considers biodiversity issues as biodiversity is a new focus in South African policy more broadly, and particularly in the Natural Science Learning Area. Our school has received vegetable and indigenous plant gardens from the South African National Biodiversity Institute, which provides a rich new resource for teaching about biodiversity, particularly in the Natural Sciences. My interest in the study was to investigate how schools (teachers) can use school gardens in the recontextualisation of the National Curriculum Statements focusing on the Natural Science Learning Area in Grade 7 at my school. I used Bernstein’s (1990) concepts of delocation, relocation, ideological transformation and selective appropriation and Cornbleth’s (1990) theory of curriculum contextualization to understand and interpret the recontextualisation process in the four lessons studied. In this research I was involved in the planning of the lessons with the Grade 7 Natural Science teacher. I taught one lesson as a demonstration and then observed while the teacher taught the other three lessons. I conducted this study as an action research case study. I used focus group interviews, classroom observations, document analysis and interviews as methods of data collection. The study found that the use of school gardens for teaching biodiversity can help with the recontextualisation of NCS in schools, and for the teaching of biodiversity, but that there is a need to understand and address various recontextualisation issues if this is to be done effectively. The study revealed that use of the school gardens for learning about biodiversity in the NS Learning Area is influenced by teachers’ knowledge, experience, teaching styles and available resources, as well as management issues and the complexity of the NCS discourse itself. The study also revealed that socio-cultural and structural factors (e.g. language and class size) also affect how biodiversity is taught in schools, and thus how the recontextualisation of the NCS takes place. The study concludes by making recommendations for taking this work forward in the context of our school as it addresses the gap that exists between policy and practice.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Investigating grade 10 geography teachers' implementation of a learner-centred approach in selected Namibian schools
- Authors: Angula, Adelheid
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Geography -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia Student-centered learning -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1851 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004459
- Description: Geography, more than other subjects in the curriculum, plays a central role in general education in equipping learners with skills and competencies needed for modern living and global citizenship. A learner-centred education in Namibia was adopted to provide more opportunities for learners to develop the required skills and competencies irrespective of their different cultural background. This small-scale case study investigated three Grade 10 geography teachers' understanding and implementation ofa learner-centred approach to gain insights into how leamer-centred education is being implemented in the context of Geography. The research design adopted a qualitative approach within an interpretative orientation. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations and documentary analysis. The research was conducted at three selected schools in Oshikoto Region with three Grade 10 geography teachers The findings revealed, firstly, that teachers have a limited understanding of the key ideas ofLCE, such as, prior knowledge, role of questioning, and social interaction in learning; use of resources and the types of assessment activities which comply with the aims of LCE. Seconclly, the findings revealed that the policy documents, such as syllabuses, that are being used by the participants are not in line with the tenets ofLCE. Thirdly, teachers appeared to have limited subject knowledge, as revealed by their lack of understanding of how to translate the aims and assessment objectives into their daily lessons. The study therefore raises some possibilities for improving the implementation of LCE in the selected schools if the gaps as identified by this study are reduced.
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- Date Issued: 2007
An investigation of local community contributions to the Malawi College of Fisheries curriculum: a case study focussing on the Chambo fishery
- Authors: Kachilonda, Dick Daffu Kachanga
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Malawi College of Fisheries -- Curricula Fishery management -- Study and teaching Fishery management -- Malawi Fisheries -- Malawi Fishes -- Nyasa, Lake
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1857 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004537
- Description: The aim of the study was to investigate local community contributions to the existing Malawi College of Fisheries curriculum with a focus on Chambo fishery. Chambo fish (Oreochromis species) is the most favoured fish in Lake Malawi. Chambo catches have declined over the years. Responding to the declining catches, the Fisheries Department is engaged in a number of management options to address the issues. Most of these management options are governed by scientific recommendations and do not consider the socio-economic situation of the people who are dependent on fishery. This approach to fishery has influenced the Malawi College of Fisheries curriculum. The existing curriculum is product-centred, developed by a consultant. During the development of the curriculum, there was little consultation with the lecturers and no consultation with the local communities who are using the resource. The fishing communities have been fishing for a long time and have acquired knowledge, skills and experience worth investigating for its potential role in improving the existing curriculum. Through the use of interviews, focus group discussions and workshops with local communities local knowledge was identified for inclusion into the curriculum. A review of the existing curriculum revealed that it has primarily technical focus, grounded in the protection, control and management of the fish stocks, while the local knowledge has a practical focus based on existing practices and requiring an understanding of the sources of the issues. There is also more emphasis on a historical perspective and the context in which fishing practices take place at the moment. It was evident from the study that local communities have much of knowledge, skills and experience gained over the years of fishing , and if properly utilised, it can improve the MCF curriculum. I therefore recommend in this study that the curriculum be reviewed in order to integrate and draw on the local knowledge through a deliberative and participatory process between the local communities and the government so that it addresses the needs of the local communities and improves the training of the extension workers.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Developing strategies for creating an environmental focus in a school: narrating the change process
- Authors: Hope, Megan Samantha
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Environmental education Educational change School environment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1946 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008093
- Description: Effective environmental education goes beyond raising environmental awareness and developing positive environmental values, to the encouragement of personal responsibility and action in response to contextual environmental issues in particular. The whole school approach has been advocated as the best approach to environmental education, based on the assumption that the values and attitudes espoused in the classroom need to be reflected in the day-to-day school practice. By practising what they teach, schools reinforce values with action. In contrast, inconsistencies between the formal and non-formal curriculum may lead young people to question the integrity of their teachers or condition them to accept such inconsistencies as cultural and social norms, which in turn may lead to apathy about the environment. Adjustments to the ethos of a school to foreground the environment, both within the curriculum , the management of the school and the behaviour of teachers, pupils and support staff, is not a straightforward undertaking. Institutional factors influence the change process in schools and each school presents a unique context. It is, therefore, difficult to develop a general strategy for the evolution of an environmental ethos. This case study narrates an attempt to implement a change towards an improved environmental focus in a school, and focuses on developing an understanding of how available resources can assist this process while engaging with complexity of change.
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- Date Issued: 2005
A comparative case study of the strategies used by grade one teachers who teach through the medium of English
- Authors: Jackson, Gail
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Native language and education -- South Africa Language policy -- South Africa Language and education -- South Africa English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa Multilingualism -- South Africa Education, Bilingual -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1941 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007855
- Description: This research project begins by exploring the problems surrounding the implementation of the 1997 Language in Education Policy (LiEP), and offers insight into why some schools, despite the promotion of additive bilingualism, choose English as the primary medium of instruction. It is a comparative case study of two Grade 1 classes in different situational contexts, which highlights the teaching strategies and language practices of teachers who teach predominantly non-English speakers through the medium of English. Research carried out through this case study illustrates the use of a wide range of teaching strategies, which assist young learners when learning through an additional language. In School A, thematic linking between different learning areas to maximise vocabulary development in both the mother tongue and the additional language, as well as repetition, recycling, scaffolding and contextualisation of content were found to be important. In addition, the use of questioning to elicit understanding, as well as classroom organisation and code-switching were strategies which assisted both the teacher and learners in this multilingual environment. In School B, class size, group work and the inclusion into the timetable of a wide range of diverse activities over and above the main learning areas, which provided opportunities for language development, were important considerations. In addition, routine, predictability and an attention to detail, in keeping with a form-focussed approach, aided the children in understanding the mechanics of literacy and guiding them towards becoming phonologically aware.
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- Date Issued: 2004
An investigation of factors which influence integrating indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants into the learning programme for Grade 9 General Science
- Authors: Kimbugwe, Francis Kambugu
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Ethnoscience Ethnoscience -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Curriculum planning -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1624 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003506
- Description: This study explores knowledge of some medicinal plants amongst the sub-urban community of and around a township in the Eastern Cape province. This qualitative interpretivist case study presents the prior knowledge of medicinal plants possessed by Grade 9 learners, which is used as a springboard toward interviewing traditional healers, herbal practitioners and lecturers at a university in the departments of Botany and Pharmacy. The data obtained from the informants reveals the factors that can influence integration of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants in the learning programme for grade 9 General Science. These factors include: prior knowledge and enthusiasm of Grade 9 learners and teachers, support of the community which include parents, traditional healers, herbal practitioners and professionals who could introduce indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants into formal education, availability of resource materials and complexity of identifying pharmacologically tested plants from other indigenous medicinal plants. The analysis and discussion of the findings, have led me to conclude that the enthusiasm of learners who have a rich background of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants is likely to be hampered by the unenthusiastic teachers as well as the reluctance of herbal practitioners in their communities to part with this knowledge. Hence I recommend that teachers be motivated through workshops and in-service training, conducted by goverr\ment paid herbal practitioners using the prior knowledge of learners as a stepping-stone.
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- Date Issued: 2001
An investigation of the effects which using the word processor has on the writing of standard six pupils
- Authors: McKenzie, Donald John
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Written communication -- Study and teaching -- Data processing Word processors in education Language arts -- Computer-assisted instruction English language -- Writing--Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1648 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003531
- Description: In order to discover to what extent the use of the word processor affects the motivation of high school students when engaged in writing tasks, and to determine the effects of the word processing on the length and quality of their work and editing, two groups, carefully matched in terms of prior computer experience, intelligence and language ability were given eight writing tasks. The test group used word processors while the control group used pen and paper. Their behaviour was closely observed and their writing was subsequently compared. It was found that while the test group were more motivated and spent longer both writing and editing their work, the quality of the work of both groups was similar. The degree of editing was greater for the test group. The conclusion is that there is a place for the use of the word processor in the English classroom, but specific strategies need to be developed to optimise its benefits.
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- Date Issued: 1994
Developing a problem solving approach to primary mathematics teaching: a case study
- Authors: Naidoo, Anandhavelli
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) Problem solving -- Study and teaching (Elementary)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1493 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003374
- Description: According to recent research a focus in teaching mathematics to children is the development of problem solving abilities. Problem solving means the process of applying mathematical knowledge and skills to unfamiliar situations. A case study was done using a problem solving approach to the learning and teaching of mathematics with a sample of teachers registered at the Umlazi College For Further Education. These teachers were familiar with the traditional approach of teaching mathematics through drill and practice methods. The new syllabus that is to be implemented emphasises a problem solving approach to the teaching of mathematics. This study set out to implement a problem solving approach with primary school mathematics teachers so that they would be someway prepared for the innovations of the new syllabus. Workshops were conducted using an action research approach with discourse and practice leading to reconstruction with improvements. Early theorists like Piaget and Bruner offered ways of understanding children's learning, to help the teacher develop his teaching. Dienes introduced an element of play and Dewey spoke of the importance of experience. Dienes and Dewey show the first positive signs of recognising the importance of social interaction in the learning situation. Social interaction lays emphasis on language and discussion in the mathematics classroom. A social constructivist model of teaching and learning was used for the research. This research includes a study of the established ideas on developing a problem solving approach to mathematics teaching. These ideas were incorporated into the workshops that the group of teachers attended. During the workshops teachers were gradually exposed to the essence of problem solving techniques through much group discussion and doing practical exercises, which they could then implement in their classes. The teachers reported back at each subsequent workshop. A non-participant observer evaluated the development at the workshops. The workshops' success was evident from the change in the teachers' attitudes and behaviour as well as their feedback of what transpired in the classroom. They reported on the change in their roles as information suppliers to facilitators where the thinking process was focused on, rather than the importance of a correct answer. In the workshops the teachers themselves moved from passive listeners to active participants. It would appear from this preliminary investigation that through using a problem solving approach in workshops, inservice teachers can benefit constructively from this approach and will attempt to use it in their own teaching.
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- Date Issued: 1992
Organisational structures for effective geography teaching in selected medium and large primary schools
- Authors: Kaschula, Nathaniel Ronald
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Geography -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa Education, Primary -- Research -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1859 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004552
- Description: Effective teaching is determined by a host of factors, not least of which is the educational guidance given to the teacher. This guidance should come about through an effecctively designed support structure initiated by the school principal as part of his management strategy. Very little has been written on this topic, particularly with reference to primary schools. In the past, geography teachers were trained, appointed to a school and expected to get on with their teaching. However, present-day teachers, in order to be effective educators, require in-service training. This should occur In a variety of ways and on a continuous basis, because teaching is an on-going business and not a job to be learned once and for always. This thesis investigates the organisational structures that exist for the teaching of geography in selected medium and large primary schools in the Eastern Cape. The author found that principals used either a subject head or standard head model. In large primary schools a subject head model was preferred i.e. a specialist geography teacher was responslble for developing the subject vertically from standard 2 to 5. The opposite was true in medium-sized schools. Principals of these schools preferred to delegate responsibility to a standard head. It was the duty ot the standard head, usually a generalist teacher without specific training in geography, to develop geography horizontally among, for example, all the standard 3 pupils. The role played by key members of a primary schools' instructional leadership team, namely the principal, subject head, and the standard head are examined in detail. The author offers justification why geography should be included In the primary curriculum. It is his contention that geography contributes to a child's general education, develops basic geographical skills, extends general mental abilities and fosters positive attitudes towards other people with whom he shares this world. A management model is proposed for principals, flexible enough for application in all schools. It is designed to ensure that teachers continue growing professionaIIy within the structure of a small group. There is no best way to organise the teaching of geography because each school has its own unique resources which should be optimally utilised in order to bring about learning. The professional development of geography teachers is possible because someone competent in geographical education should assume leadership of the qroup. This will enable ideas to be shared, plans made and strategies implemented in an eftort to improve teacher-competence through an efficiently organised geography department. In the final chapter conclusions are drawn and a recommendatlon is made for primary school principals to Implement an organlsatlonal model for the teaching of geography. A choice may be made from three models, namely a standard head, subject head or a comblnation of both models. It Is within the parameters of one of these structures that the subject can be properly managed, for example, field-trips planned, teaching aids purchased, envlronmental educatlon programmes designed, teaching strategies discussed and examinat(ons set. Thls view is supported by Cawood and GIbbon's (1980) empirical evidence. They found that good educatlonal leadership fosters effective teaching in schools.
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- Date Issued: 1988