A research report submitted to the faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science. 20 July 2017. / Disciplinary knowledge is recognised as teacher professional knowledge base that is central in promoting effective teaching and learning in science education. Although that is the case, in one of the South African University, that this study was conducted in, the 4th year Life sciences Pre-service teachers’ were not tested on their understanding of the disciplinary nature of their subject of specialisation. As a result, the type of disciplinary gaze that they acquired by the end of the teacher training remained unknown within the institution. Thus, this study then used a case study methodology to investigate the Pre-service teachers’ levels of understanding of the disciplinary nature of Life Sciences as a discipline. The participants of this study consisted of twenty nine 4th year Pre-service teachers’ who were enrolled for a Life sciences Bachelor of Education program and one Life sciences lecturer who was involved in teaching the subject. This research took on a qualitative approach, which yielding both qualitative and quantitative data, through the use of questionnaires as well as semi-focused interviews as research instruments. The outcomes of this study showed that, although the Pre-service teachers’ were not explicitly taught about the nature of the subject, but they still showed a satisfactory understanding of it. Although that was the case, the Pre-service teachers’ still demonstrated a fractured comprehension of the disciplinary knowledge aspects, such as the history, philosophy and the nature of science. On the other hand, the findings of this study also demonstrated that, the Pre-service teachers’ acquired an extensive gaze of understanding of Subject Matter Knowledge, which is another component of Disciplinary knowledge, and this was because, this knowledge base was explicitly taught and assessed with the teacher training program. / LG2018

A mediação do professor é fundamental para a construção de argumentos em aulas de Ciências. Nesse sentido torna-se importante estudar as interações discursivas entre professor e alunos. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo analisar como os propósitos e as ações do professor estimulam a argumentação dos alunos em uma aula investigativa de ciências. Para caracterizar a mediação do professor foi utilizada a ferramenta analítica \"propósitos epistêmicos e ações típicas para promoção da argumentação\" de Ferraz e Sasseron (2014) e de Ferraz (2015), enquanto que o layout de Toulmin (TAP) (2006) foi utilizado para identificar os elementos do argumento construídos pelos alunos. Foram identificados dois argumentos contendo os elementos básicos do TAP construídos coletivamente ao longo da aula. Durante a construção dos argumentos, o professor utilizou os propósitos retomar, problematizar, explorar e qualificar. As ações \"retoma dado\" e \"explora ponto de vista\" contribuíram para a construção do elemento dado. A construção da garantia deveu-se as ações \"retoma conceito\", \"retoma informações\", \"explora ponto de vista\" e \"qualifica variáveis, objetos ou fenômenos\". A construção do elemento conclusão foi promovida pela ação \"propõe um problema\". As ações \"qualifica variáveis, objetos ou fenômenos\", \"qualifica explicações ou pontos de vista\", \"retoma informações\" e \"explora ponto de vista\" auxiliaram na construção do elemento refutação do TAP. A maior frequência dos propósitos explorar e qualificar deveu-se ao esforço do professor em promover a avaliação de dados e garantias que os alunos estavam utilizando para a construção de suas conclusões sobre a presença ou não de seres vivos na amostra analisada. / The mediation of the teacher is fundamental for the construction of arguments in science class. Like this it is important to study the discursive interactions between teacher and students. This study aimed to analyze how the teacher\'s purposes and actions stimulate the reasoning of students in an inquiry science class. The analytical tool \"epistemic purpose and typical actions to promote the argumentation\" (FERRAZ; SASSERON, 2014; FERRAZ, 2015) was used to characterize the mediation of the teacher while the Toulmin Argument Pattern (TAP) (2006) was used to identify argument elements built by students. Two arguments containing the basic elements of TAP collectively built along class were identified. During the construction of the arguments, the teacher used the purpose resume, problematize, explore and qualify. The actions \"given recovery\" and \"explores view\" contributed to the construction of the data element. The construction of the warrants was due to the actions \"recovery concept\", \"recovery information\", \"explores points of view\" and \"qualifies variables, objects or phenomena\". The construction element conclusion was promoted by the action \"proposes the problem\". The actions \"qualifies variables, objects or phenomena\", \"qualifies explanations or points of view\", \"recovery information\" and \"explores perspective\" helped in the construction of refutation element of TAP. The highest frequency of the purposes explore and qualify was due to the teacher\'s effort to promote the evaluation of data and warrants that students were using to build its conclusions on the presence or absence of living organisms in the sample.

A mediação do professor é fundamental para a construção de argumentos em aulas de Ciências. Nesse sentido torna-se importante estudar as interações discursivas entre professor e alunos. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo analisar como os propósitos e as ações do professor estimulam a argumentação dos alunos em uma aula investigativa de ciências. Para caracterizar a mediação do professor foi utilizada a ferramenta analítica \"propósitos epistêmicos e ações típicas para promoção da argumentação\" de Ferraz e Sasseron (2014) e de Ferraz (2015), enquanto que o layout de Toulmin (TAP) (2006) foi utilizado para identificar os elementos do argumento construídos pelos alunos. Foram identificados dois argumentos contendo os elementos básicos do TAP construídos coletivamente ao longo da aula. Durante a construção dos argumentos, o professor utilizou os propósitos retomar, problematizar, explorar e qualificar. As ações \"retoma dado\" e \"explora ponto de vista\" contribuíram para a construção do elemento dado. A construção da garantia deveu-se as ações \"retoma conceito\", \"retoma informações\", \"explora ponto de vista\" e \"qualifica variáveis, objetos ou fenômenos\". A construção do elemento conclusão foi promovida pela ação \"propõe um problema\". As ações \"qualifica variáveis, objetos ou fenômenos\", \"qualifica explicações ou pontos de vista\", \"retoma informações\" e \"explora ponto de vista\" auxiliaram na construção do elemento refutação do TAP. A maior frequência dos propósitos explorar e qualificar deveu-se ao esforço do professor em promover a avaliação de dados e garantias que os alunos estavam utilizando para a construção de suas conclusões sobre a presença ou não de seres vivos na amostra analisada. / The mediation of the teacher is fundamental for the construction of arguments in science class. Like this it is important to study the discursive interactions between teacher and students. This study aimed to analyze how the teacher\'s purposes and actions stimulate the reasoning of students in an inquiry science class. The analytical tool \"epistemic purpose and typical actions to promote the argumentation\" (FERRAZ; SASSERON, 2014; FERRAZ, 2015) was used to characterize the mediation of the teacher while the Toulmin Argument Pattern (TAP) (2006) was used to identify argument elements built by students. Two arguments containing the basic elements of TAP collectively built along class were identified. During the construction of the arguments, the teacher used the purpose resume, problematize, explore and qualify. The actions \"given recovery\" and \"explores view\" contributed to the construction of the data element. The construction of the warrants was due to the actions \"recovery concept\", \"recovery information\", \"explores points of view\" and \"qualifies variables, objects or phenomena\". The construction element conclusion was promoted by the action \"proposes the problem\". The actions \"qualifies variables, objects or phenomena\", \"qualifies explanations or points of view\", \"recovery information\" and \"explores perspective\" helped in the construction of refutation element of TAP. The highest frequency of the purposes explore and qualify was due to the teacher\'s effort to promote the evaluation of data and warrants that students were using to build its conclusions on the presence or absence of living organisms in the sample.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T13:10:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nathalie Emanuelle Pigoretti Lousan.pdf: 1484683 bytes, checksum: de509fc931bc259c98cf3ef88683c0cf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-24 / The health transverse theme, wich is present at the curriculum proposal (PC) from the departament of education from the state of Sao Paulo- SEE-SP, it its subscribed in the subject of Biology that have a goal to apply its contents and concepts to practice a reflexive and conscious citzenship on the questions of evolution of natural life and human life, within all diversity of organization and interaction. One of the biology teacher's atributions is to articulate the proposal themes from the curriculum into works to promote health and to prevent deseases, taking in consideration, the specific needs of each school community, because in this way, they can contribute for effective learning of the student to increase his quality of life. However, many of these professionals find difficult to relate the PC activities from SEE-SP contain in the teacher's and student notebooks of the biology subject into actual preventive actions. Facing this reality, it was pretend with this study to identify the diadatic pedagogy resources that are used by the teachers to work the theme about health, the easy and hard ways of the work, as a feedback of the students and the feeling of responsability about the student health,that is manifested on the teacher. Besides that, we were looking for the evidence of these actors perception about the active metadology of learning and its application in health education. For the data collecting were made 24 interviews semi stuctured by teachers that belong from Unit School (U.E), the board of eduaction from Votorantim (D.E Vot). On the data organization it was used the colective subject speech (DSC) and the words clouds to visualize the procedure of the words that contained on the interviewer s speech. For the analisys it was used the content analisy (AC), category theme analisy (AT). It was shown that even melding pedagogic didatics resources that are part of a traditional and participative class, having the feeling of responsability of the students health, the teachers have a difficulty to mesuare the feedback of the students after the health themes study, those who notices something is always in a subjective way.The major suporters for the work with themes that are related to your day by day, the improvement of your previous knowlogy and experiences that they arrive in school and the use of resources and metadology of different studies. They do not know the active metadology of learning, but they have the desire to know beliving that it can contribute of positive learning of the students and with the health education in a school enviroment. To conclude, it its propose for the biology teachers the capacitation and implementation of learning based in teams- at first to work with health relate theme- that one of the modalities is the active metadology of learning can contribute with the real knowledge of the students but also for the fix education of teachers, besides it can be apply to a large number of students / O tema Transversal Saúde, presente na Proposta Curricular (PC) da Secretaria de Educação do Estado de São Paulo SEE-SP, está inserido na disciplina de Biologia, que tem como pressuposto a aplicação de seus conteúdos e conceitos para a prática de uma cidadania reflexiva e consciente nas questões da evolução da vida natural e da vida humana em toda a sua diversidade de organização e interação. Uma das atribuições dos professores de Biologia é articular os temas propostos no currículo em trabalhos de promoção de saúde e prevenção de doenças, levando em consideração as necessidades específicas de cada comunidade escolar, para que, dessa forma, contribuam para a efetiva aprendizagem do aluno, melhorando sua qualidade de vida. No entanto muitos desses profissionais encontram dificuldades para relacionar as atividades da PC da SEE-SP, contidas nos cadernos do professor e aluno da disciplina de Biologia, a ações preventivas eficazes. Diante dessa realidade, pretendeu-se com este estudo identificar os recursos didático-pedagógicos utilizados por esses professores para trabalhar os temas sobre saúde, os facilitadores e dificultadores desse trabalho bem como o feedback dos alunos e o sentimento de responsabilidade sobre a saúde do aluno, manifestado nos professores. Além disso, buscou-se evidenciar a percepção desses atores sobre as metodologias ativas de aprendizagem e sua aplicação na educação em saúde. Para a coleta de dados foram realizadas 24 entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores pertencentes a unidades escolares (U.E) da Diretoria de Ensino de Votorantim (D.E Vot). Na organização dos dados, foi utilizado o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo (DSC) e a nuvem de palavras para visualização da ocorrência das palavras contidas nos discursos dos entrevistados. Para análise, foi utilizada a Análise de Conteúdo (AC), modalidade da Análise Temática (AT). Constatou-se que, mesmo mesclando recursos didático-pedagógicos característicos da aula tradicional e participativa, tendo o sentimento de responsabilidade pela saúde dos alunos, os professores têm dificuldade em mensurar o feedback dos alunos após o estudo dos temas sobre saúde. Aqueles que percebem alguma devolutiva, percebem-na sempre de forma subjetiva. Os maiores facilitadores para o trabalho com os temas sobre saúde foram o interesse dos alunos por temas relacionados ao seu cotidiano, a valorização dos seus saberes prévios e experiências com que chegam à escola e o uso de recursos e metodologias de ensino diferenciados. Eles não conhecem as Metodologias Ativas de Aprendizagem, mas possuem o desejo de conhecer, acreditando que elas podem contribuir para a aprendizagem significativa dos alunos e com a educação em saúde no ambiente escolar. Concluindo, propõe-se aos professores de Biologia a capacitação e a implementação da Aprendizagem Baseada em Equipes - a princípio para trabalhar os temas relacionados à saúde que, como modalidade das Metodologias Ativas de Aprendizagem, pode contribuir tanto com a aprendizagem significativa dos alunos como para a educação permanente dos professores, além de ser aplicável a turmas com grande número de alunos

This study analyzes the effect of three different high school scheduling options on the delivery of biology instruction, on student achievement, and on student perceptions of their instructional activities. Participants were biology students and teachers from twelve high schools in a north Texas urban school district of 76,000. Block classes had 11 to 18 percent less instructional time than traditional classes. Texas Biology I End-of-Course Examination achievement results for 3,195 students along with student and teacher surveys provided information on instructional activities, attitudes, and individualization. Using an analysis of variance at a j i< .01 the following results were found; student achievement was significantly different for each of the scheduled comparisons groups, test score means were not statistically significant between the scheduled comparison groups for different ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged students, and magnet students. No significant differences were found between the science learning activity index for each of the scheduled groups. Student response data when disaggregrated and reaggregrated into program groups found a statistically significant higher index of science activity at a p. < .01 for magnet students when compared to both the regular and honor students. Regular program students had a significantly higher index of individualization than honors program students. Accelerated and rotating block classes were found to hold a significantly more positive attitude about their science learning conditions than did the traditional students. These data suggest that during the first two years of block scheduling, the initial impact of block scheduling, where total time for science is reduced, results in lower student achievement scores when compared to traditionally scheduled classes. Yet, block scheduled student attitudes and perceptions about science learning are significantly more positive than the traditionally scheduled students.

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise de aspectos da aprendizagem presentes nas conversas de visitantes adultos em uma exposição de zoologia. Adotamos a perspectiva sociocultural de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento de Vigotski (2009), segundo a qual o uso da linguagem é entendido como forma de compartilhar e desenvolver conhecimentos conjuntamente, mas também como ferramenta que orienta os processos psicológicos internos do indivíduo. Nesse sentido exploramos o processo cognitivo de percepção verbalizada, ou seja, mediada pela linguagem (VIGOTSKI, 2009; LURIA, 1970), além da aprendizagem colaborativa entre pares (MERCER, 2000). Nosso objetivo foi analisar como a linguagem verbalizada é utilizada na interação para qualificar e ampliar as percepções sobre os elementos da exposição e para construir significados conjuntamente sobre os objetos e conteúdos apresentados. Para isso, buscamos caracterizar as conversas dos sujeitos ao longo da exposição por meio da análise das operações epistêmicas realizadas na fala e também das formas de interação como caracterizadas por Mercer (2000) (conversas acumulativas, disputativas e exploratórias). As operações epistêmicas foram organizadas em três grupos: operações dirigidas pela percepção; operações de conexão com conhecimentos e experiências; e operações de maior elaboração conceitual. Nossos sujeitos foram adultos, integrantes do ensino médio na modalidade Educação de Jovens e Adultos, visitando em duplas a exposição Fauna da América do Sul, que é centrada na apresentação de animais preservados e dioramas de ambientes naturais, do Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, em agosto de 2011. Observou-se que a maior parte das conversas se desenvolveu de forma colaborativa para aprendizagem, em geral com construção positiva, mas não crítica, dos parceiros sobre as falas uns dos outros (conversas acumulativas), sendo raras as conversas centradas na argumentação de pontos divergentes (exploratórias). Durante as visitas as conversas foram majoritariamente centradas em elementos da exposição, indicando a atratividade dos objetos. Por meio das operações epistêmicas de Nomeação, Apontamento, Afetividade e Caracterização os sujeitos direcionaram a atenção dos parceiros, qualificaram e compartilharam percepções, atuando na construção conjunta de significados para os objetos; dentre essas se ressalta a importância da Nomeação dos objetos para os visitantes, que promoveu em algumas ocasiões discussões e um engajamento mais profundo na exposição. Também observamos, porém com menor ocorrência, as operações de Conexão com o conhecimento, Suposição e Explicação que indicavam conversas de maior elaboração conceitual. Ressalta-se, entretanto, que as conversas mais elaboradas em geral apresentaram maior articulação das operações epistêmicas, incluindo sobreposições, como por exemplo, no caso de Explicações constituídas por Conexões com o conhecimento ou Caracterizações, o que indica a importância das operações dirigidas pela percepção para as operações mais elaboradas conceitualmente. Os questionamentos também apresentaram papel relevante na promoção de operações epistêmicas. As conversas mais elaboradas foram desenvolvidas tanto em função da percepção dos objetos, como por demandas da própria conversa, apontando a relevância da experiência concreta com os objetos e dos aspectos da interação social para a aprendizagem. Esperamos que este estudo contribua para a compreensão do papel educativo de exposições, e para a compreensão de como visitantes adultos compartilham percepções, negociam e constroem significados relacionados aos conhecimentos e objetos musealizados. / This study presents an analysis of aspects of learning through the conversations of adult visitors at an exhibition of zoology. We adopt the sociocultural perspective of learning and development of Vygotsky (2009), according to which the use of language is understood as a way to share and develop knowledge together, but also as a tool that guides the internal psychological processes of the individual. Accordingly, we explore the cognitive process of perception verbalized, i.e., mediated by language (Vygotsky, 2009; LURIA, 1970), and the collaborative learning among peers (Mercer, 2000). Our goal was to analyze how language is used in the voiced interaction to qualify and expand perceptions of the elements of the exhibition and to jointly construct meaning about objects and contents. For this, we seek to characterize the conversations of the subjects throughout the exhibition, through the analysis of epistemic operations performed in speech and also the forms of interaction as characterized by Mercer (2000) (cumulative, disputational and exploratory talk). Epistemic operations were organized into three groups: operations guided by perception; operations connecting to knowledge and experiences; and operations of greater conceptual elaboration. Our subjects were adults, members of school in the modality of Youth and Adult Education, visiting in pairs the exhibition Fauna of South America, which was focused on the presentation of preserved animals and habitat dioramas, at the Museum of Zoology, University of São Paulo, in August 2011. It was observed that most of the conversations developed collaboratively to learning, often with partners building positively, but uncritically, on what the other has said (cumulative talk), being rare conversations centered in arguing divergent points (exploratory talk). During the visits, the conversations were mostly focused on elements of the display, indicating the attractiveness of objects. Through the epistemic operations of Naming, Pointing, Affectivity and Characterization subjects directed the attention of partners, qualified and shared perceptions, acting on the joint construction of meanings about objects. Among these stands out the importance of Naming objects for visitors, that has promoted discussions on some occasions and deeper engagement in the exhibition. We also observed, but with lower occurrence, the operations of Knowledge-connection, Supposition and Explanation, which indicated talks with greater conceptual elaboration. It is noteworthy, however, that more elaborated conversations generally showed greater articulation of epistemic operations, including overlapping, such as in the case of Explanations constituted by Knowledge- connections or Characterizations, which indicates the importance of operations guided by perception for operations of greater conceptual elaboration. Questions also had an important role in promoting epistemic operations. Operations of greater conceptual elaboration were developed as both a function of the perception of objects as per demands of conversation itself, indicating the relevance of concrete experience with objects and aspects of social interaction for learning. We hope that this study may contribute to understanding the role of educational exhibits, and to understanding how adult visitors share perceptions, negotiate and construct meanings related to musealized knowledge and objects.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study explored three aspects related to ESL students in a mainstream grade 11 biology classroom: 1) the nature of students' participation in classroom activities, 2) the factors that enhanced or constrained ESL students' engagement in social interactions, and 3) the role of language in the learning of science. Ten ESL students were observed over an eight-month period in this biology classroom. Data were collected using qualitative research methods such as participant observation, audio-recordings of lessons, field notes, semi-structured interviews, short lesson recall interviews and students' written work. The study was framed within sociocultural perspectives, particularly the social constructivist perspectives of Vygotsky (1962,1978) and Wertsch (1991). Data were analysed with respect to the three research aspects. Firstly, the findings showed that ESL students' preferred and exhibited a variety of participation practices that ranged from personal-individual to socio-interactive in nature. Both personal-individual and socio-interactive practices appeared to support science and language learning. Secondly, the findings indicated that ESL students' engagement in classroom social interactions was most likely influenced by the complex interactions between a number of competing factors at the individual, interpersonal and community/cultural levels (Rogoff, Radziszewska, & Masiello, 1995). In this study, six factors that appeared to enhance or constrain ESL students' engagement in classroom social interactions were identified. These factors were socio-cultural factors, prior classroom practice, teaching practices, affective factors, English language proficiency, and participation in the research project. Thirdly, the findings indicated that language played a significant mediational role in ESL students' learning of science. The data revealed that the learning of science terms and concepts can be explained by a functional model of language that includes: 1) the use of discourse to construct meanings, 2) multiple semiotic representations of the thing/process, and 3) constructing taxonomies and ways of reasoning. Other important findings were: talking about language is integral to biology teaching and learning, ESL students' prior knowledge of everyday words does not necessarily help them interpret written questions on worksheets, and ESL students' prior knowledge of concepts in their first language does not necessarily support concept learning in the second language.

No description available.

This study reports on recurring difficulties experienced by undergraduate students with respect to understanding and interpretation of certain symbolism, nomenclature, terminology, shorthand notation, models and other visual representations employed in the field of Molecular Biology to communicate information. Based on teaching experience and guidelines set out by a four-level methodological framework, data on various topic-related difficulties was obtained by inductive analyses of students’ written responses to specifically designed, free-response and focused probes. In addition, interviews, think-aloud exercises and student-generated diagrams were also used to collect information. Both unanticipated and recurring difficulties were compared with scientifically correct propositional knowledge, categorized and subsequently classified. Students were adept at providing the meaning of the symbol “Δ” in various scientific contexts; however, some failed to recognize its use to depict the deletion of a leucine biosynthesis gene in the form, Δ leu. “Hazard to leucine”, “change to leucine” and “abbreviation for isoleucine” were some of the erroneous interpretations of this polysemic symbol. Investigations on these definitions suggest a constructivist approach to knowledge construction and the inappropriate transfer of knowledge from prior mental schemata. The symbol, “::”, was poorly differentiated by students in its use to indicate gene integration or transposition and in tandem gene fusion. Idiosyncratic perceptions emerged suggesting that it is, for example, a proteinaceous component linking genes in a chromosome or the centromere itself associated with the mitotic spindle or “electrons” between genes in the same way that it is symbolically shown in Lewis dot diagrams which illustrate covalent bonding between atoms. In an oligonucleotide shorthand notation, some students used valency to differentiate the phosphite trivalent form of the phosphorus atom from the pentavalent phosphodiester group, yet the concept of valency was poorly understood. By virtue of the visual form of a shorthand notation of the 3,5 phosphodiester link in DNA, the valency was incorrectly read. VSEPR theory and the Octet Rule were misunderstood or forgotten when trying to explain the valency of the phosphorus atom in synthetic oligonucleotide intermediates. Plasmid functional domains were generally well-understood although restriction mapping appeared to be a cognitively demanding task. Rote learning and substitution of definitions were evident in the explanation of promoter and operator functions. The concept of gene expression posed difficulties to many students who believed that genes contain the entity they encode. Transcription and translation of in tandem gene fusions were poorly explained by some students as was the effect of plasmid conformation on transformation and gene expression. With regard to the selection of transformants or the hybridoma, some students could not engage in reasoning or lateral thinking as protoconcepts and domain-specific information were poorly understood. A failure to integrate and reason with factual information on phenotypic traits, media components and biochemical pathways were evident in written and oral presentations. DNA-strand nomenclature and associated function were problematic to some students as they failed to differentiate coding strand from template strand and were prone to interchange the labelling of these. A substitution of labels with those characterizing DNA replication intermediates demonstrated erroneous information transfer. DNA replication models posed difficulties integrating molecular mechanisms and detail with line drawings, coupled with inaccurate illustrations of sequential replication features. Finally, a remediation model is presented, demonstrating a shift in assessment score dispersion from a range of 0 - 4.5 to 4 - 9 when learners are guided metacognitively to work with domain-specific or critical knowledge from an information bank. The present work shows that varied forms of symbolism can present students with complex learning difficulties as the underlying information depicted by these is understood in a superficial way. It is imperative that future studies be focused on the standardization of symbol use, perhaps governed by convention that determines the manner in which threshold information is disseminated on symbol use, coupled by innovative teaching strategies which facilitate an improved understanding of the use of symbolic representations in Molecular Biology. As Molecular Biology advances, it is likely that experts will continue to use new and diverse forms of symbolic representations to explain their findings. The explanation of futuristic Science is likely to develop a symbolic language that will impose great teaching challenges and unimaginable learning difficulties to new generation teachers and learners, respectively. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.