Supporting student teachers for a participatory pedagogy through Shier’s model of participation in Grade R (Reception Year) South Africa

Author(s):  
Naseema Shaik
Africa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (S1) ◽  
pp. S189-S209
Author(s):  
Anne Heffernan

AbstractThe movement of school teachers to primary and secondary schools around South Africa and its Bantustans in the early and mid-1970s was an intentional part of the project of propagating Black Consciousness to school learners during this period. The movement of these educators played a key role in their ability to spread Black Consciousness philosophy, and in the political forms and methods they chose in teaching it. These were shaped by their own political conscientization and training in ethnically segregated colleges, but also in large part by the social realities of the areas to which they moved. Their efforts not only laid the foundation for Black Consciousness organization in communities across South Africa, they also influenced student and youth mechanisms for political action beyond the scope of Black Consciousness politics. This article explores three case studies of teachers who studied at the University of the North (Turfloop) and their trajectories after leaving university. All of these teachers moved to Turfloop as students, and then away from it thereafter. The article argues that this pattern of movement, which was a direct result of apartheid restrictions on where black South Africans could live, study and work, shaped the knowledge they transmitted in their classrooms, and thus influenced the political consciousness of a new generation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 64-81
Author(s):  
R. J. Nico Botha ◽  
Jean-Pierre Hugo

Teachers leaving the profession before age of retirement is an ongoing problem in schools worldwide. While fewer teachers enter the profession each year, the number of teachers leaving the profession has increased. Many teachers listed lack of job satisfaction as a reason for leaving the education profession, while citing the lack of mentoring as a main cause of job dissatisfaction. This study explores the impact of an effective mentoring program at primary schools in the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa to support and improve job satisfaction among beginner teachers entering the profession. This study follows a quantitative approach, consisting of a Likert-scale questionnaire. The sample of the study was a number of 550 teachers (principals, deputy principals, heads of department, teachers and student teachers) from different races and cultures from 50 randomly selected state and private primary schools in Mpumalanga. After comparing the literature with the respondents' data, the researchers found that the development and implementation of a mentoring program in the province of Mpumalanga would positively impacts beginner teachers' job satisfaction, thus indicating a definite need for such a mentoring program.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39
Author(s):  
Angela James

In South Africa, Education policy documents abound with statements promoting scientific and technology literacy (DoE, 2002). In spite of this demand, a global trend is developing which reveals a sharp decline in students who are interested in the natural sciences (Areepattamannil, Freeman & Klinger, 2010). In an effort to increase students’ interest in Science, various mechanisms are employed both nationally and internationally. Also, the effective, contextually related implementation of Natural Sciences in the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior schooling phases is a problematic that is presently being researched, and programmes for the professional development of student teachers are being revised to respond to this issue. The re-curriculation of all programmes at UKZN, School of Education re-focuses our efforts in curriculum design on how to teach Natural Sciences in schools, in preparing learners for the 21st century. Our current countries’ responses to external testing TIMMS bears strong evidence for a need to intervene and explore avenues to effectively engaging Natural Sciences teachers and researchers in tertiary institutions on actions to be planned and implemented. In these initiatives an important aspect to consider is the role of teachers as they are regarded as the change agents in any education system. In exploring teacher intervention initiatives, Dr Angela James applied to the National Research Foundation for funding to invite Prof. (HP) Dr. Vincentas Lamanauskas, Director of the Scientia Socialis, Chairman of the Scientific Methodical Centre “Scientia Educologic, and Professor and Head researcher at Šiauliai University, Lithuania to South Africa.


Author(s):  
Ailwei Solomon Mawela

Open distance learning (ODeL) approach is used worldwide to offer different qualifications. In studying towards obtaining a teaching qualification at UNISA, students are required to participate in teaching practice sessions before they can obtain their teaching qualification. This study aims at exploring ODeL institution student teachers' teaching practice experience in selected secondary schools in Vhembe District of South Africa. This qualitative single case study employed an interpretivism paradigm and personal theory of teaching practice. Convenient purposive sampling technique was used to sample six (n=6) student teachers from the University of South Africa who were currently conducting teaching practice in secondary schools during this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data that was later analyzed through the use of themes and categories. The findings indicate a lack of knowledge, which requires ODeL student teachers to be trained prior teaching practice. Mentor teachers require professional development.


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