scholarly journals Correction: South African physical sciences teachers’ use of formulae and proportion when answering reaction-based stoichiometry calculation questions

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Elisabeth Stott
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Physical Sciences

Correction for ‘South African physical sciences teachers’ use of formulae and proportion when answering reaction-based stoichiometry calculation questions’ by Angela Elisabeth Stott, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2021, 22, 443–456, DOI: 10.1039/D0RP00291G.

scholarly journals UNPACKING THE SOUTH AFRICAN PHYSICS-EXAMINATION QUESTIONS ACCORDING TO BLOOMS’ REVISED TAXONOMY

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 919-931
Author(s):  
Abraham Motlhabane
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
The South ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Revised Bloom's Taxonomy ◽  
South African Education

The quality and standard of South African examination questions for the grade 12 examination have become an important issue for the South African education system. So far, the focus of empirical research has been on factors that lead to poor performance in the Physical sciences as well as the alignment of the grade 12 Physical Sciences examination with the core curriculum in South Africa. On the contrary, this research paper focuses on a different aspect: the weaknesses and the strengths of the Physics examination questions. It addresses the question of how the Physics examination questions cover higher and lower order level questions in the Bloom’s revised taxonomy. To answer this question, the Physics examination questions of the year 2014 and 2015 were analysed using Bloom’s revised taxonomy of learning objectives. The examination questions were codified and the frequencies and percentages of occurrence of different learning objectives were calculated. The results show that third level cognitive skills were more prevalent than other ones. Furthermore, examiners asked questions that require application and few questions requiring the recall of knowledge. Keywords: physics examination, revised Bloom’s taxonomy, quality of education.

scholarly journals Reconceptualising the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement in a South African Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Cedric Bheki Mpungose
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Physical Science ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Policy Statement ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Spider Web ◽  
Assessment Policy ◽  
Science Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Study

Post-apartheid South African curriculum reforms, from outcomes-based education (OBE) to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), resulted in different challenges. Teachers, in particular those teaching Physical Sciences in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase from Grades 10-12, were expected to cope with changes and master Physical Sciences curriculum for the attainment of good results, but were unable to do so because they were missing an understanding of curriculum concepts. The success of any curriculum depends on ten fundamental and broad curriculum concepts: rationale, goals, activities, assessment, accessibility, resources, content, roles, environment, and time. However, empirical findings show that Grade 12 Physical Science teachers in South African schools still struggle to understand and contextualise curriculum concepts in order to redefine specific CAPS Physical Science concepts. Consequently, this conceptual study uses Van den Akker (2004) curriculum spider web concept framework in reconceptualising Grade 12 CAPS Physical Science concepts. This study argues that teaching without knowing specific subject curriculum concepts can lead to poor teacher performance and poor subject results, this study concludes by proposing a formal, non-formal and informal framework for CAPS Physical Science to resolve this.

High school learners’ perceptions of value as motivation to choose music as an elective in Gauteng, South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 025576142110431
Author(s):  
Lauren Venter ◽  
Clorinda Panebianco
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High School ◽  
South African ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Expectancy Value ◽  
Value Perception ◽  
Value Perceptions ◽  
Intention To Continue

A growing concern is the low number of learners who choose to participate in music during their high school years. Extending previous research by McPherson and O’Neill, this study explored South African high school learners’ motivation and value perceptions to continue with music as an elective in grade 10. A further objective was to understand how value perceptions vary according to grade, gender, and intention to continue with music. 180 music leaners in grades 9 and 10 completed questionnaires modeled on those by McPherson and O’Neill, based on the expectancy-value framework. Results show that learners value music less than physical sciences and life sciences/biology, but more than history, geography, and accounting/EMS. Overall, outcomes show that learners who select music exhibit higher (and more intrinsic) value perceptions for music than for other electives and hold a higher value perception for all electives combined. Males hold higher value perceptions for music than females.

scholarly journals IMPROVING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SCIENCE LEARNERS IN RURAL SCHOOLS THROUGH ASSESSMENT PRACTICES: A SOUTH AFRICAN CASE STUDY

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-531
Author(s):  
Rekai Zenda ◽  
Johanna G. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
South African ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Science Achievement ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Informal Assessment ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Group Interviews

This research was embarked on to explore the underperformance of Physical Sciences learners and the subsequent increasing unpopularity of the subject in South African rural schools. As poor academic achievement in science is a concern in many countries and not only in South Africa, qualitative research was undertaken to determine whether assessment can contribute to the improvement of learners’ academic achievement in this particular school subject. The research uses the Cultural and Historical Activity Theory as theoretical lens to analyse how assessment can improve the academic achievement of learners. Data were collected by means of face-to-face interviews with teachers, school principals and subject advisers, the “community” as advocated by the Activity Theory, while focus-group interviews were held with the learners who are the “subjects” in the Activity Theory. Verbatim findings highlight the views of participants and reveal that though efforts are made to incorporate a variety of informal assessment methods, key issues such as poor formulation of questions, weak comprehension skills and unsatisfactory interpretation of questions, remain a problem. Based on these findings, recommendations for improvement are proposed. Key words: case study; improving science achievement; physical sciences assessment; rural schools

scholarly journals A REFLECTION ON GENDER ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCES’ RURAL SCHOOL SETTINGS OF MULTICULTURAL SOUTH AFRICA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Mokoena ◽  
◽  
Gregory Alexander ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High Schools ◽  
South African ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Rural High Schools ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
South African Education ◽  
Gender Achievement

The participation of learners in science is important to a country’s socio-economic development impediments, therefore, the argument is that the girl learner should be increasingly encouraged to perform well in STEM related subjects (STATS SA). UNESCO indicates 35% women representative in STEM as students in higher education globally, whilst less than 40% of South Africa’s scientists, engineers and technologists are women. This situation also relates to the South African education system, particularly in rural schools where girl learners are outperformed by boy learners in STEM, especially, in subjects such as Life Sciences and Physical Sciences. The purpose of this reflective paper is to ascertain the factors prohibiting excellent achievement of females in sciences in rural high schools of South Africa. The data has been gathered from numerous documents such as national and provincial analysis of result, examination and assessment directorate analysis and the district statistics in solidifying our investigation as couched by document analysis. Based on our observations and experiences of the conditions prevailing in rural high schools and less participation of female learner access in STEM, suggestions are put forth as to how their performance can be improved. The investment thereof in the body of knowledge will be to fulfil the concern not only of the country but the world at large when the number of female participants increase in STEM.

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