Enabling Grade 3 Teachers to Transform an Intended Curriculum into an Enacted Curriculum in Mathematics Classrooms

Author(s):  
Lyn Webb

The introduction of a new mathematics curriculum is usually heralded by the production of a plethora of learner workbooks and teacher aids. In South Africa this study researches the effect of curriculum change on Grade 3 mathematics teachers in an endeavour to understand what elements enable the transition from an intended curriculum to an enacted curriculum. The theoretical framing for this paper is Fullan’s (2006) change theory that focuses on new materials, new practices and new beliefs. The research identifies that current South African curriculum documents and workbooks focus on mathematical content almost exclusively, and give minimal guidance concerning pedagogical content knowledge and teacher agency. A tri-level system is suggested to narrow the gap between policy and praxis.

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Manono Mdluli

The poor performance of South African learners on national and international benchmark tests in mathematics and literacy has prompted the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) to devise intervention strategies, one of which is the provision of workbooks for learners. This paper is based on a case study of six Grade 3 teachers’ use of DBE workbooks. Data from classroom observations and interviews are reported and analyzed in relation to literature on mathematical and pedagogical resources. The key finding is that teachers use the workbooks in disparate ways as a resource and that the majority of the teachers in the case study use the workbooks in ways that do not resonate with the DBE’s intentions. We argue that the provision of resources alone may not lead to improved teaching and learning in primary school mathematics classrooms and that pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes need to include a focus on how resources such as workbooks can be utilized optimally


Pythagoras ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verona Leendertz ◽  
A. Seugnet Blignaut ◽  
Hercules D. Nieuwoudt ◽  
Christo J. Els ◽  
Suria M. Ellis

This article reports on a secondary data analysis conducted on the South African mathematics teachers’ dataset of the Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES 2006). The sample consisted of a stratified sample of 640 mathematics teachers from 504 randomly selected computer-using and non–computer-using schools that completed the SITES 2006 teachers’ questionnaire, which investigated their pedagogical use of Information Communication Technology (ICT). The purpose of the current investigation was to investigate the level of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of mathematics teachers, and how TPACK attributes contribute towards more effective Grade 8 mathematics teaching in South African schools, using the TPACK conceptual framework. The findings are presented according to the three clusters identified through the association between the main variables of the TPACK model and other variables on the SITES 2006 teachers’ questionnaire: (1) impact of ICT use, (2) teacher practices and (3) barriers. A Cramér V of between 0.3 and 0.4 was considered to signal a medium effect that tended towards practically significant association, and a Cramér V of 0.4 or larger was considered to signal a large effect with practically significant association. The results indicate that the TPACK of mathematics teachers contributes towards more effective Grade 8 mathematics teaching in South African schools.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
Brantina Chirinda ◽  
Mdutshekelwa Ndlovu ◽  
Erica Spangenberg

The COVID-19 global pandemic widely affected education across the world and engendered unprecedented scenarios that required expeditious responses. In South Africa, the pandemic came on top of pre-existing inequalities in the education system. Using a qualitative research method of exploratory and descriptive nature, this study engaged a social justice framework to explore the teaching and learning of mathematics during the COVID-19 lockdown in a context of historical disadvantage. A sample of twenty-three Grade 12 mathematics teachers at various public secondary schools in Gauteng, South Africa was used in the study. The teachers were selected through purposive sampling. A Google-generated open-ended questionnaire and follow-up telephonic interviews were used to collect data. Data were analysed thematically in five steps. The findings revealed that the WhatsApp platform is a valuable tool that can support the teaching and learning of mathematics beyond the classroom in the contexts of historical disadvantage. The findings also provided insights into how mathematics teachers became learners themselves during emergency remote teaching (ERT) as they had to adapt to digital teaching, find solutions to unfamiliar problems and acquire knowledge from a larger mathematics education community around the globe. The article discusses these findings and teachers’ challenges of transitioning from traditional face-to-face classrooms to ERT and how they were addressed. At the time of publishing the article, most learners in South Africa had started going to school on a rotational basis. Nonetheless, the study reported in this article is of importance as ERT in the context of historical disadvantage has foregrounded issues of inequality in the South African education system that must be dealt with urgently.


1996 ◽  
Vol 178 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert A. Cuoco ◽  
E. Paul Goldenberg

New technology poses challenges to mathematics educators. How should the mathematics curriculum change to best make use of this new technology? Often computers are used badly, as a sort of electronic flash card, which does not make good use of the capabilities of either the computer or the learner. However, computers can be used to help students develop mathematical habits of mind and construct mathematical ides. The mathematics curriculum must be restructured to include activities that allow students to experiment and build models to help explain mathematical ideas and concepts. Technology can be used most effectively to help students gather data, and test, modify, and reject or accept conjectures as they think about these mathematical concepts and experience mathematical research.


Author(s):  
Veronika Fitri Rianasari ◽  
Beni Utomo ◽  
Marcellynis Andy Rudhito

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to analyze the competence of teachers as part of the teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in applying scientific approach in Mathematics PLPG (in-service teacher education and professional training) program rayon 138 Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2014. The research method used is descriptive with quantitative approach. The subjects of the study consisted of 23 mathematics teachers including mathematics teachers of junior high school, high school and vocational school from Kebumen, Purworejo, and Magelang. Data was collected by filling in a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the training, observing microteaching activities, and documenting the learning material arranged by PLPG participants. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that PLPG especially PLPG rayon 138 Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2014 gives benefits for the development of teachers’ PCK, especially in terms of teachers’ competence in applying scientific approach. Based on the analysis of learning materials arranged by the teachers and analysis of learning videos, it is known that the majority of the teachers have been able to construct a learning material using scientific approach and implement it properly.  Keywords: teacher’s competence, pedagogical content knowledge, scientific approach, PLPG


Author(s):  
Josef J. De Beer ◽  
Ben-Erik Van Wyk

Although the life sciences curriculum asks for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in the classroom, it is either done very superficially by only providing an example or two, or ignored completely. This mixed-methods study (with emphasis on the qualitative inquiry) on the status of indigenous knowledge in the life sciences classroom in Gauteng and Limpopo, once again echoed what Rogan and Grayston (2003) reported: the South African curriculum process focuses too much on the what (the curriculum itself) at the expense of the how (the implementation of the curriculum). Although the progressive curriculum makes it clear that indigenous knowledge should be addressed, it provides very little guidance to teachers on how this should be done. Two problems are highlighted in this article: teachers’ lack of pedagogical content knowledge in addressing indigenous knowledge systems, as well as their poor understanding of the nature of science. A teacher’s social responsibility also entails making learners aware of the cultural and practical value of indigenous knowledge, and stimulating learners’ interest in scientific fields such as ethnobotany and chemotaxonomy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adri van der Nest ◽  
◽  
Caroline Long ◽  
Johann Engelbrecht ◽  
◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Tracy Goodson-Espy ◽  
Lisa Poling

This chapter examines the literature on the use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) in secondary mathematics instruction and notes barriers and achievements. The chapter links the use of IWBs to models for teaching Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Specifically, it proposes ways in which pre-service secondary mathematics teachers can be prepared to use IWBs to help their students develop understanding of critical mathematics ideas while engaging with worthwhile mathematical tasks and engaging in meaningful discourse.


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