Primary school pre-service teachers’ solutions to pattern problem-solving tasks based on three components of creativity

Education stakeholders and researchers in South Africa have emphasised the need to enhance teachers’ creativity through problem-solving tasks. Teachers’ creativity entails using new ideas of creative devices to solve problems, implement solutions, and make learning more effective. In the research reported on here, Guilford’s theory was used to explore primary school pre-service teachers’ solutions to pattern problem-solving tasks based on 3 components of creativity. The data for this research were produced from primary school pre-service teachers’ written responses to the pattern problem-solving tasks, and an extract from participants’ semi-structured interviews. The research involved a qualitative design using convenient purposive sampling to sample 62 pre-service teachers enrolled for a primary mathematics module at a selected higher education institution. Participants’ responses to the written tasks were analysed using content analysis, while the semi-structured interviews were analysed thematically. The result shows that 35 participants were able to draw patterns and express patterns in nth form, while 27 failed to do so. The most common method used to draw a new pattern was counting in 2s and 4s. Furthermore, the result shows that half of the pre-service teachers who participated in the study were not capable of producing varied solutions to pattern tasks. An indication that they did not have the creative potential to prepare learners even after they had been exposed to advanced mathematics content as part of their training process. We recommend that pre service teacher education programmes should include academic activities that could help pre-service teachers enhance creativity through tasks with divergent thinking.

South African teachers’ experiences of continuous professional teacher development: Connections and disconnections

In this article we present the findings of an investigation on how primary school teachers at 3 independent primary schools in Johannesburg experienced continuous professional teacher development (CPTD). There is a wealth of literature available on planning, organising and implementing effective CPTD. Such literature also highlights the importance of applying adult learning principles in CPTD contexts in order to promote teachers’ learning and development and in turn contributing to a positive effect on learning in the classroom. Exploring the value and usefulness of adult learning principles in CPTD can enhance primary school teachers’ learning opportunities to update their knowledge and skills. Effective CPTD is important in South Africa as there is an urgent need to improve literacy and numeracy levels across primary education levels. Using qualitative data, we explore teachers’ perspectives on how they learn and develop effectively, and what hinders their own learning and CPTD. Data collection methods included interviews, open-ended questionnaires, observations and document analysis. Fifteen primary school teachers, 3 primary school principals and 4 adult/teacher trainers participated in this investigation. A major finding of this research suggests that adult learning principles such as community of practice (CoP) are often omitted from CPTD practices. Thus, a disparity exists between literature on effective CPTD practice as compared to the everyday CPTD experiences of teachers. With this article we aim to contribute to current literature about teachers’ experiences of CPTD and propose suggestions for planning, organising and implementing CPTD that also incorporates adult learning principles and would be valuable and useful to teachers.

Development of an instrument to assess early number concept development in four South African languages

A recently published interview-based test, known by its partly German acronym, MARKO-D SA, is introduced in this article by way of a narrative of its development through various cycles of research. The 48-item test, in 4 South African languages, captures number concept development of children in the 6 to 8-year age group. The authors present their argument for the South African versioning and translation of the test for this country, where there is a dearth of suitable assessment instruments for gauging young children’s mathematical concept development. We also present the findings of the research that was conducted to standardise and norm the local version of the test, along with our reasoning about the theoretical strength of the conceptual model that undergirds the test.

Differentiating instruction for learners’ mathematics self-efficacy in inclusive classrooms: Can learners with dyscalculia also benefit?

Poor mathematics self-efficacy (MSE) has been recorded among learners at all levels in Nigeria. The study reported on here sought to establish the efficacy of differentiated instruction (DI) in raising learners’ MSE in inclusive settings. We also explored the differential effects of DI on the MSE of learners with dyscalculia, as well as on high- and low-achieving learners. We adopted a control group quasi-experimental research design involving 1 experimental and 1 control group. A total of 4 mathematics teachers and 158 Senior Secondary II (SSII) learners in 4 regular classes participated in the study. Mathematics teachers participated in a one week DI training workshop to equip them with DI skills for whole-term mathematics instruction. The Students’ Mathematics Self-efficacy Scale (SMSES) was used for data collection at pre- and post-intervention evaluations. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The major findings reveal that using DI led to significant improvements in learners’ MSE. Prior achievement (PA) had a significant influence on MSE; however, DI was effective in reducing the negative effects of poor PA on the self-efficacy of low-achieving learners and learners with dyscalculia. It was concluded that DI offers teachers the impetus to help all learners to improve their self-efficacy in mathematics.

Why do teachers code-switch when teaching English as a second language?

In post-apartheid South Africa, 11 languages, including English and indigenous languages, were given equal status as official languages. Yet, more than 25 years after democracy, Black parents still believe that their children’s wealth and success depend on English, and therefore, send them to English-medium schools where they take English as a second language (ESL), known in South Africa as English First Additional Language (FAL). Many circumstances compel teachers to code-switch between English and learners’ first language. In the study reported on here we explored the reasons behind teachers’ code-switching in FAL classrooms in 4 rural high schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Concept maps, open-ended questionnaires and open-ended telephone interviews were used to generate data. Findings indicate that FAL teachers use code-switching to clarify difficult concepts, enhance understanding of the content presented, and keep learners engaged during lessons. We argue that the use of learners’ first language may be crucial in the teaching and learning of a second language.

Perceptions of isiZulu-speaking pre-service teachers’ classroom English proficiency

Despite less than 10% of South Africans claiming English as their home language, it has become the de facto language of instruction. Yet we cannot assume that teachers have sufficient command of this language when using it for instructional purposes. As a sub-study, in this article we report on the oral proficiency of isiZulu-speaking pre-service teachers who use English when expounding content in rural schools. The conceptual framework draws primarily on research relating to instructional communication and Classroom English. For this mixed methods case study, using questionnaire data from 52 pre-service teachers and 18 tutors, we sought to establish the perceptions that respondents had of students’ oral proficiency while teaching in situ. Responses were statistically analysed using computing software. Unedited audio recordings of lessons presented in rural KwaZulu-Natal schools during pre-service teachers’ work-integrated learning stint provided oral data from which to gauge proficiency using a self-designed rubric. Findings correspond with those of previous studies, pointing to pre-service teachers’ oral proficiency being less than ideal for effectively facilitating learning. However, what is considered adequate proficiency and what is ideal is yet to be agreed upon. We recommend that interventions which address the development of oral proficiency required for classroom use be considered. Our pilot rubric may serve as a useful data-gathering tool in future research.

Teachers’ beliefs and practices when teaching life sciences using their second language

African township schools are characterised by cultural and linguistic diversity, hence, teachers have the dual task of ensuring that learners grasp scientific concepts, while also catering for the diversity in the learners’ backgrounds. The study reported on here was aimed at investigating teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching life sciences using English, a language that is not their own home language. The study was underpinned by a socio-constructivist perspective, emphasising how one’s personal context, including prior experiences, influences the development of beliefs about language use in life sciences classes and the manner in which teaching and learning might occur. The sample comprised 6 teachers who all spoke English as a second language. We collected the data using structured interviews to ascertain the teachers’ beliefs about the teaching of life sciences in English to Grade 11 classes, and classroom observations to identify their classroom practices. The findings indicate that the beliefs that the teachers expressed differed from their actual choices and practices in the lessons observed.

Language as contextual factor of an education system: Reading development as a necessity

Language is a contextual factor of an education system as it determines the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT). In order to provide for diversity in South Africa, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, makes provision for 11 official languages and the Language in Education Policy (LiEP) promotes respect for not only these official languages, but languages in general as well as the preservation of cultural diversity by means of multilingualism. Having measures like these in place creates the assumption that different languages are used as LOLT. However, mother tongue education is not fully realised in South Africa. A large percentage of learners’ LOLT is not their home language. This lack of mother tongue education may cause poor reading ability. South Africa’s government and Department of Education (DoE) has certain strategies available to promote reading, however, the feasibility of these strategies is questionable when the poor reading performance of South African learners is taken into account. To find a solution for the above-stated problem, due to the fact that reading plays an important role within an education system, and the integral part it forms in nation-building, we conducted a literature study to identify current national and international reading strategies. In this article we present a synthesis of these strategies, which we refer to as a reading motivation framework, outlining the responsibilities of various social role players.

Experiences and attitudes of Setswana speaking teachers in using an indigenous African language on an online assessment platform

Education in the 21st century must have a vision that will support and empower teachers to face the demands of the digital age. The use of information communication technology (ICT) in education can serve this end but ensuring access to digital resources will not address the digital disparity. Culture and language play an equally important role in exacerbating and maintaining the digital disparity as the traditional factor of access. In the study reported on here we investigated the experiences and attitudes of Setswana-speaking teachers in 3 primary schools in the North West province, South Africa, as they were exposed to online software in Setswana, an indigenous African language. Purposive sampling was used to select 7 teachers for the study. Two research questions were answered using systematic self-observation (SSO) instruments, the participant observation (PO) instrument and the in-depth interview (IDI) instrument to determine the experiences and attitudes of the teachers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. It was found that accuracy of translation was key for adopting and using software in an African language. The teachers felt that English was the language of ICT and that African languages were not intellectual languages and did not have the capacity to be used in ICT. It is, therefore, recommended that more must be done to translate software into African languages and an effort must be made to raise the status of African languages in academic and technical fields.

Promoting multilingualism: Foundation Phase teachers’ experiences in teaching isiXhosa to native speakers of Afrikaans

After 1994, South African policy changes brought about variations in language education resulting in many monolingual classrooms becoming multilingual. Much of the current literature focuses on either providing recommendations to diverse approaches of teaching a second language or describing the experiences of second language learners while limited studies unearthed teachers’ experiences in multilingual classrooms, especially where the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) was Afrikaans. In this article we examine responses of teachers in the Northern Cape to teaching isiXhosa to learners whose mother-tongue is Afrikaans. From an interpretivist lens and using a case study design, we present 6 Afrikaans Foundation Phase teachers’ (FPTs) experiences in teaching isiXhosa as a second First Additional Language (FAL) to non-isiXhosa speakers. Data from in-depth email interviews were coded and thematically analysed. The results from this study show that, while teachers regard multilingualism as fundamental, they equally regard the isiXhosa curriculum as a tool to develop learners’ language proficiency.