scholarly journals Using Photographs and Memory-Work to Engage Novice Teachers in Collaborative Learning About Their Influence on Learner Behaviour

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Khulekani Luthull
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Novice Teachers ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Memory Work ◽  
Participative Research ◽  
Participative Methods

This article offers an account of using photographs and memory-work as a visual participative method in research conducted by a deputy principal with novice teachers in a South African primary school. The study was prompted by observations of how novice teachers struggled to manage learner behaviour in socially just and compassionate ways. It aimed to help novice teachers express the uncertainties and challenges they encounter, and prompt candid discussions on learner behaviour. The article shows how visual participative methods can facilitate collaborative learning with novice teachers. Additionally, it illustrates how the novice teachers came to see their critical role in influencing learner behaviour and the value of positive teacher-learner relationships in supporting learner behaviour. This work will be valuable to educational researchers in diverse contexts interested in growing their participative research methods repertoire. Furthermore, it illustrates how working with photographs and memory-work can facilitate the expression of participants' viewpoints and understandings and intensify educational researchers' learning from and with others in the interests of social change.

scholarly journals Using Blended Learning To Facilitate The Mathematical Thought Processes Of Primary School Learners In A Computer Laboratory: A Case Study In Calculating Simple Areas

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Naidoo ◽  
R. Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
South African ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Grade 5

Primary school learners’ first encounters with mathematics in a traditional learning environment often create lifelong ‘math phobia.’(Papert 1980) The situation in a country emerging from an oppressive education system designed to educationally disempower the majority of the population is much worse. The typical scenario in a previously disadvantaged South African primary school is a classroom filled beyond capacity with the educator struggling to establish an effective learning environment. Thus the educator resorts to rote learning, drill and practice and ‘chalk and talk’ methods of teaching.  The individual needs and levels of learners are disregarded and blanket assessment methods are employed (Naidoo and Naidoo 2006b). Collaborative learning is minimal or non-existent. These traditional teaching strategies often disregard cultural and social factors, and pre-knowledge frames of learners.  Furthermore there is a dire shortage of qualified mathematics educators in the South African schooling system. Therefore there is an urgent need for alternative teaching and learning strategies to address the teaching of mathematics in primary schools. The introduction of networked computer laboratories to previously disadvantaged South African primary schools enables the use of computers as powerful tools to analyze the thought processes of learners during their early encounters with mathematics. A blended learning approach using a networked computing environment and LOGO mathematics to facilitate the teaching and learning of area in a Grade 5 class produced significantly higher grades and an enhanced learning experience, both for learners and the educator, as compared to a second Grade 5 class utilizing traditional teaching and learning methods only. This study entailed the use of software to promote collaborative learning encompassing both learner-learner and learner-educator interaction. Apart from the educator using the computer as a medium of instruction via the software, learners were allowed to actively provide input. Furthermore the software allowed the educator to view learners’ progress during activities and provide real-time input via the computer.

The development of a contextually relevant screening protocol for auditory processing disorder in South African school children: a mixed methods study protocol. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey-Lee Cloete ◽  
Harsha Kathard
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Primary School ◽  
South African ◽  
School Children ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Auditory Processing Disorder ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Screening Protocol

BACKGROUND Effective screening is required to facilitate the early identification of central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) - a deficit within the central auditory nervous system, which can have a significant effect on a child’s listening, learning and communication. While several screening tools have been proposed, there is a lack of contextually appropriate tools that take the needs of a multilingual society, like South Africa (SA), into consideration. OBJECTIVE This study aims to develop a contextually appropriate CAPD screening protocol for children (aged 7 to 12 years) in SA. The specific study aims are: (1) to develop a contextually appropriate screening protocol for CAPD in primary school children in SA, and (2) to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the developed protocol in primary school children in SA. METHODS The study will follow a developmental, mixed methods research design, implemented in two phases. Phase 1 will be applied to address aim 1. The aim will be achieved by (i) conducting a systematic review (i.e. objective 1.1); (ii) applying the nominal group technique (NGT) on experts to identify criteria for an appropriate protocol (i.e. objective 1.2); and (iii) using a combination of expert consultations, questionnaires and rating scales (administered to experts) to devise an appropriate screening protocol (i.e. objective 1.3). Once the protocol is developed, it will be implemented by the recommended end-users. Thereafter, a feasibility study will be conducted in Phase 2 to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. This phase will include field testing the protocol and a focus group discussion with end-users. For Phase 1, the narrative synthesis approach will be used to analyse systematic review data. For the NGT the researcher will tally the participants’ ratings to identify the list of criteria for an appropriate protocol. Content analysis and descriptive statistics will be performed to analyse the expert ratings of the protocols. For Phase 2, descriptive statistics will be performed to summarise features of the study sample and measures used. Thematic analysis will be conducted to analyse the focus group data. RESULTS Ethical clearance was obtained from the university’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC reference number 636/2020) and the Western Cape Education Department granted the researchers permission to recruit educators and learners from primary schools in the area. The systematic review for objective 1.1. was completed and findings outlined the test properties, benefits, and limitations of existing CAPD screening tools. Face-to-face data collection was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Participant recruitment for objective 1.2 is currently underway and the anticipated completion date for data collection is July 2022. CONCLUSIONS The present study will aim to advance CAPD screening practice by proposing a process to develop a contextually appropriate protocol. The researcher will apply this process in the South African context to develop a CAPD screening protocol for primary school children in SA. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable.

Factors Influencing Break-Time Physical Activity of South African Primary School Learners From Low-Income Communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 618-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Uys ◽  
Catherine Elizabeth Draper ◽  
Sharief Hendricks ◽  
Anniza de Villiers ◽  
Jean Fourie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School ◽  
South African ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Low Income ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Break Time

Background:The purpose of this study was to assess factors that influence physical activity (PA) levels during break-times in South African primary school children.Methods:The System for Observing Play and Leisure Activities in Youth (SOPLAY) was used to observe PA levels during break-times at low-income schools (4 intervention, 4 control). The intervention was based on action-planning including: school environment, curriculum, and family involvement. Categories of observed activity included Sedentary, Eating, Walking, or Vigorous PA. Contextual factors assessed included teacher supervision, equipment, and crowding. Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between PA levels and contextual factors.Results:In the 970 observations made, 31% of learners were sedentary, 14% were eating, 29% were walking, and 26% were engaged in vigorous PA. There were no differences in break-time PA between intervention and control groups (NS). With supervision, children were more likely to eat and less likely to do vigorous PA (P = .035). Playground crowding was associated with lower levels of vigorous activity and more sedentary behavior (P = .000).Conclusions:PA during break-time was adversely affected by over-crowding and lower with supervision. The results suggest that interventions may be targeted at the school policy environment to reduce these barriers to PA.

scholarly journals NEET as an Outcome for Care Leavers in South Africa: The Case of Girls and Boys Town

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Dickens ◽  
Peter Marx
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adults ◽  
South African ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Significant Risk Factor ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
Boys Town ◽  
Employment Education ◽  
Status Of Care ◽  
And Training

A well-documented outcome for emerging adults in determining their “success” is whether they are Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) or engaged in Education, Employment, and Training (EET). Being NEET can create psychological, emotional, financial, and health challenges and is a significant risk factor in youth making successful transitions into adulthood. This article describes and compares the NEET and EET status of care leavers from Girls and Boys Town after 1 and 2 years and in relation to other outcomes. The results suggest that while care leavers’ NEET rates are high, they are not significantly higher than those of the South African general population as seen elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, being NEET is associated with more negative care leaving outcomes than being EET; however, this article also highlights the vulnerability of those who are EET. Relationships with family and support networks play a critical role in helping and supporting these youth.

scholarly journals Portraits of primary school pre-service teachers at a South African university: Implications for nuanced student support

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarita Ramsaroop ◽  
Nadine Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
South African ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
School Teacher ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Primary School Teacher ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Primary School Teacher Education

In this article, we report on a study of two South African primary school teacher education cohorts undertaken to investigate and understand their readiness to succeed in higher education and to plan support accordingly. Using the methodology of portraiture, we generated data from a combination of student questionnaires and examination results. Qualitative content analysis enabled the construction of six personas and three main themes. The portraits helped with an understanding of the complexity of the themes, in particular with how an identification of both the malleable and non-malleable elements affecting students' lives could inform and shape interventions for successful transition into university. More specifically, the dominance of particular characteristics in the personas provided information about which student groups required the most psychosocial and academic support and where it was required. The portraits also helped us to gauge the value of existing first-year initiatives, such as the educational excursion, for promoting student enculturation and in overcoming their initial anxieties and preconceptions. We argue for more nuanced information about students to inform a multi-pronged approach to student support that may extend much longer than teacher educators anticipate.

Youth high unemployment/unemployability in South Africa: the unemployed graduates' perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zethembe Mseleku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cooperative Effort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Skills Mismatch ◽  
Graduate Unemployment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore youth graduate unemployment and unemployability as a development problem in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study applied a qualitative research method to elicit the perspectives of youth graduates regarding their unemployment and unemployability. A total of 30 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with unemployed youth who recently graduated from five South African universities.FindingsThe results indicate that, as youth graduate unemployment increases in South Africa, graduates become hopeless in terms of securing employment. The participants attributed their unemployment to multidimensional factors that include limited demand in the labour market, skills mismatch and lack of work experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis research exclusively focused on graduates from five South African universities; hence, the results of this small qualitative study cannot be generalised to the entire South African population. However, this paper offers important insights that may form the foundation for a nationwide study on a related topic.Originality/valueThis paper presents important insights that influence policy makers, government and other relevant stakeholders to develop alternative solutions to youth graduate unemployment. This paper recommends that government should play a critical role in bridging the gap between higher education and industry in order to address youth graduate unemployment. It also calls for a more cooperative effort between government, higher learning institutions and employers in order to create job opportunities for youth graduates in South Africa.

The Impact of Covid-19 and Lockdown on South African Revenue

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Mangalani Peter Makananisa ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Personal Income Tax ◽  
State Revenue ◽  
Regression Parameters ◽  
Sample Data ◽  
The Impact

The state revenue plays a critical role in the running of its departments and plays a significant role in the economy. The study investigates the impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown on the South African revenue collections. The study focuses on the major taxes Personal Income Tax (PIT), Corporate Income Tax (CIT) and Value Added Tax (VAT). Over the fiscal year 2008/09 to 2019/20 the three taxes contribute around 80% of the Total Tax (TTAX). The sample data was from quarter 1, 2014 to quarter 2, 2020 (50 observations) obtained with quarter 2 of 2020 carrying the impact of the pandemic. The SARIMA and Holt-Winters models were used to forecast the continuation of the historical patterns in two scenarios, (1.) Without the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (No shock), and (2.) with the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown (with a shock) on the revenue collections. The R-statistical software was used to obtain the regression parameters and for forecasting purposes. On “average”, the impact of the pandemic is expected to reduce total revenue by around R310.6bn to R1, 127 trillion (on the interval R1, 093 – R1, 162 trillion) from the original estimates of R1, 438 trillion for the fiscal year 2020/21. The average forecast for PIT, CIT and VAT due to the impact of the pandemic is R532.9billion, R172.6billion and R320.9billion respectively. The study further encourages model revision as more data impacted by the pandemic become available

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