Enhancing the pedagogical practice of South African Physical Sciences teachers in inquiry-based teaching through empowerment evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (10) ◽  
pp. 1739-1758
Author(s):  
Umesh Dewnarain Ramnarain ◽  
Clive Rudzirai
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Empowerment Evaluation

scholarly journals Developments in the production of economics PhDs at four research-intensive universities in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol Volume 113 (Number 3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip de Jager ◽  
Liezel Frick ◽  
Pieter van der Spuy ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Academic Departments ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Data Set ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Notable Increase

Abstract There is a national drive to increase PhD production, yet we know little about how this imperative takes shape within different disciplines. We therefore set out to explore recent developments and the current status of the PhD in economics at four South African research-intensive universities. A data set of all economics PhDs produced in these commerce faculties during the period 2008–2014 was analysed to determine whether the departments of economics responded to the call for increased doctoral production, and the role the PhD by publication might have played in the process. How an increase in quantity might influence doctoral education in the respective academic departments was also considered by supplementing the quantitative data with perspectives from heads of department at the four institutions. The notable increase in doctoral production over the time period studied shows that national and international trends have influenced doctoral education in economics departments within South African research-intensive universities. Increased usage of the PhD by publication has implications for policy and pedagogical practice within these departments, especially as there seems to be limited available supervisory capacity. Other changes in departmental practices, such as the entrenchment of a research culture and the promotion of collaborative research amongst students and staff, also contributed to maintain quality in doctoral education.

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.

“A Gay Agenda”: Troubling Compulsory Heterosexuality in a South African University Classroom

2021 ◽  
pp. 0092055X2110224
Author(s):  
Dennis A. Francis
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Compulsory Heterosexuality ◽  
Teachers And Students

Not only does teaching about gender and sexuality diversity lead to some very interesting and often emotionally evocative, pedagogical exchanges; it can also create challenging issues for teachers and students alike. This article focuses on what happens when a module that addresses compulsory heterosexuality and schooling is broached in an undergraduate sociology class. More importantly, it offers an analysis of the critical incidents and tensions that pay specific attention to how power, knowledge, and emotion feature in teaching and learning. Using antioppressive and affect theories, this article offers an analysis of how we might understand pedagogical practice, especially as it relates to addressing the power of normative heterosexuality in a university classroom. With reflections emerging from the module, I argue for more sociological theorization and analysis of the role of affect in pedagogies that seek to advance liberatory teaching and learning in the area of anti-heterosexism 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

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