scholarly journals A SCORM compliant e-learning content prototype for the training of OBE mathematics educators in the context of developing countries

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Xolisa Piyose
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Mathematical Literacy ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Literacy Educators ◽  
And Training

The main purpose of this study was to examine how e-learning can help resolve some of the most acute problems that are specific to the nature of the outcomes-based education (OBE) system in developing countries. This was accomplished by investigating the relevant literature on OBE and by designing an e-learning content prototype for the South African version of OBE, with the focus on the training of Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy educators. OBE is an education system centred on the theory of mastery of learning introduced by Bloom in the 1950s. It has been implemented worldwide in primary and secondary schools and also in tertiary institutions. Some studies have shown that OBE is problematic, and that both educators and learners are opposed to this system of education. Existing research also reports that the quality of education in OBE is very poor as compared to that of the traditional education system. This study was an attempt to identify the most acute problems experienced by educators and learners in the OBE context and to design a prototype for e-learning content that can be used in courses in an attempt to solve these problems. The research population of the perceptions survey consisted of Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy educators and learners from the 6 000 primary and secondary schools of the KwaZulu- Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. Eighteen schools formed part of the research sample, with an average of two schools per region (the KZN province is divided into nine regions). Both private and public schools were included in the study. Data for the study were collected from March 2007 to August 2007 in the form of a perceptions survey of 104 educators and 288 learners, yielding an average of six educators and sixteen learners for each randomly selected school. Results from the perceptions survey show that educators and learners do not understand OBE terminology. In addition, educators claim that they are not sufficiently trained for OBE. Research iii participants also report that schools’ basic infrastructure is unsatisfactory, and that their classrooms are overcrowded. Mathematics is perceived as the most difficult subject by both educators and learners. The survey also reveals that most public schools do not have computers and that neither educators nor learners have access to computers in their public libraries. A SCORM- (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) compliant e-learning course was developed in this study to address the most acute problems identified by the survey, based on the Software Engineering Unified Model. The designed e-course contains OBE terminology such as learning outcomes, OBE principles, assessment standards, assessment methods, national curriculum statement and learning fields. The e-learning course content also contains the Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy curriculum for grades 11 and 12. It was constructed using 16 documents extracted from the National Department of Education’s website: 7 documents under Further Education and Training, 4 under Teacher Guide, and 5 under General Education and Training. The evaluation of the e-learning content prototype was conducted through a survey among 36 educators from different primary and secondary schools of the Mnquma Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. They were trained in the SCORM-compliant e-learning course content at the Walter Sisulu University’s Butterworth campus. The training took place from 10 to 13 November 2009. After the training, educators filled out a questionnaire on their perceptions of the effectiveness of the proposed e-learning content prototype with regard to the practice of OBE. Results from the SCORM e-course evaluation survey showed that the proposed SCORM software artefacts allow educators to have a better understanding of OBE terminology. The proposed software artefact is user-friendly and educators recommended its use not only for Mathematics but for all subjects.

scholarly journals Harnessing the Challenges of Covid-19 Ethics on Students Learning in Chemistry

2021 ◽  
pp. 70-75
Author(s):  
Julie N. Nnoli
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Null Hypothesis ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Anambra State ◽  
E Learning ◽  
At Home

This paper discusses the challenges of covid-19 ethics on students’ learning of chemistry in secondary schools in Anambra State and how to harness the challenges. Three research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. A descriptive survey design was used. Three hundred (300) SS3 chemistry students drawn from 45 secondary schools out of 258 public schools in Anambra State formed the sample for the study. Twenty (20) item structured questionnaires on a four-point rating scale developed by the researchers were used for data collection. A reliability coefficient of 0.85 was established using Cronbach Alpha techniques. After the administration of the instrument to the respondents, the data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research question and z-test to test the null hypothesis at the significance level of 0.05. The results obtained showed that male chemistry students have greater challenges on covid-19 ethics than their female counterparts. They are faced with the following challenges of covid-19 ethics that hinder the inculcation of chemistry learning. Lack of interest in STEM education (chemistry) due to persistence lockdown, lack of E-learning abilities, lack of ICT knowledge, lack of computer or android phone to study at home and tired of being locked indoors. There is no significance difference between male and female chemistry students’ level on covid-19 ethics in the learning of chemistry in Anambra State. It was recommended that students should be encouraged to develop interest in chemistry, have access to ICT gadgets and computers, engage in E-learning abilities and inculcate more study habit at home. This should help the government and chemistry teachers to assist in ameliorating the predicaments in STEM education.

Open Distance E-Learning Student Teaching Practice Mentorship Experience in Selected Secondary Schools in South Africa

2019 ◽  
pp. 256-277
Author(s):  
Ailwei Solomon Mawela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The University

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.

scholarly journals An International Comparison of Educational Systems: the Columbian, Iraqi and Kurdish cases

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-120
Author(s):  
Peshawa Jalal Mohammed ◽  
Jennyfer Casas ◽  
Sanaa Taler Saleh ◽  
Karolina Eszter Kovács
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
International Comparison ◽  
Comparative Education ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Iraqi Kurdistan ◽  
Curriculum Provision ◽  
And Training ◽  
Structure Of Education

As developing countries aim to improve their education to address the challenges of globalisation's economic and social demands, comparative education can provide references for reforms and changes. Through studying the educational systems of other countries, we can discover which reforms are possible and desirable. This article attempts to demonstrate some specific aspects of the educational systems of Columbia, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan and to compare them. It shows the decentralisation process and challenges of the systems. It also reveals the structure of education of the three systems and their differences related to duration and organisation of primary and secondary schools. Following that, the curriculum provision and their orientations are explained. Finally, the article also tries to find the differences in teacher training in terms of duration and training types, occurring before / during service. The obtained results show that the decentralisation process and its challenges are very similar in these educational systems while there are differences in the duration, structure, and curriculum subjects.

scholarly journals The Data of the Initial Motivation – a Valuable Source for the Development of the Course Content. A Case Study in the Group of Business Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.28) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Iveta Daugule ◽  
Atis Kapenieks
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Individual Motivation ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Complex Knowledge

This study continues the authors’ previous search for key factors to determine the stickiness of different kinds of knowledge. In the authors’ opinion, identifying the stickiness of every type of knowledge in the e-course it is possible to create the optimal distribution of the intensity of time and study materials, paying more attention to the more complex knowledge, while promoting the acquisition of the free flow of knowledge with some tasks aimed at collaboration between students. Also, our previous study showed that individual motivation plays an important role in students’ success. That is why the scope of this study embraces the link of students' personal characteristics with their behavior and achievements in a learning environment. In this study, we are looking for key features for the future development of a more advanced learning system. Our scope of this study embraces the aspects of student’s initial motivation – how to ascertain, define and then use it for the development of the further learning content. Students were divided into three groups, according to their plans for engagement in business projects. The study was conducted in the course, that’s organized according to the blended learning delivery approach. Part of this course takes place in a classroom, while the other part is embedded in an electronic environment on an Open edX platform-based E-Learning environment.  

scholarly journals Mathematical Literacy – mathematics and/or literacy: What is being sought?

Pythagoras ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 0 (66) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamsa Venkat
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
General Education ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Mathematical Literacy ◽  
Alternative Option ◽  
Further Education And Training ◽  
Mathematical Sciences ◽  
And Training ◽  
Learning Area

Mathematical Literacy was introduced as an alternative option to Mathematics in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase (Grades 10-12, learners generally aged 15-18) in South Africa in January 2006. As a new subject in the FET phase, and with aims that differ somewhat from the notion of mathematical literacy that figured within the Mathematical Literacy / Mathematics / Mathematical Sciences (MLMMS) learning area in the General Education and Training (GET) phase, teachers are faced with implementing a subject which does not have established aims, understandings and practices associated with it.

scholarly journals Teacher education for Mathematical Literacy: A modelling approach

Pythagoras ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 0 (64) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Brown ◽  
Marc Schäfer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematical Modelling ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Literacy Teachers ◽  
Mathematical Literacy ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Literacy Teaching ◽  
And Training ◽  
Modelling Approach

The introduction of Mathematical Literacy into the Further Education and Training (FET) curriculum in South Africa has brought with it formidable challenges to teacher education in this field.  This paper attempts to unravel some pertinent issues arising in the training of Mathematical Literacy teachers, using an approach based on mathematical modelling. It does this by discussing the design and implementation of an ACE(ML), an Advanced Certificate in Education, specialising in Mathematical Literacy teaching.

scholarly journals Thinking styles of Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy learners: Implications for subject choice

Pythagoras ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica D. Spangenberg
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
General Education ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Thinking Styles ◽  
Mathematical Literacy ◽  
Subject Choice ◽  
Literacy Learners ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Training

In this article I report on research intended to characterise and compare the thinking styles of Grade 10 learners studying Mathematics and those studying Mathematical Literacy in eight schools in the Gauteng West district in South Africa, so as to develop guidelines as to what contributes to their subject choice of either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy in Grade 10. Both a qualitative and a quantitative design were used with three data collection methods, namely document analysis, interviews and questionnaires. Sixteen teachers participated in one-to-one interviews and 1046 Grade 10 learners completed questionnaires. The findings indicated the characteristics of learners selecting Mathematics and those selecting Mathematical Literacy as a subject and identified differences between the thinking styles of these learners. Both learners and teachers should be more aware of thinking styles in order that the learners are able to make the right subject choice. This article adds to research on the transition of Mathematics learners in the General Education and Training band to Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy in the Further Education and Training band in South Africa.

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