South Africa has a unique cultural, historical, socio-economic and linguistic contextual complexity that influences the implementation the intended curriculum and educational policies. The contextual complexity continues to result in Science teachers entering into the teaching profession with a wide spread diversity in background and qualifications. The secondary data analysis used a concurrent mixed methods approach (QUAL + quan) to explore the interconnection between teacher characteristics, classroom practices and learner achievement in Physical Science. The primary sample consisted of 18 schools that were stratified by district and quintile. From the available data, nineteen Grade 12 Physical Science teachers with varying levels of qualifications and experience were analysed. A combination of qualitative and quantitative instruments, specifically, Science teacher questionnaires, Science lesson observations and Science teacher interviews, were explored. The data was analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics, frequency tables and Pearson correlation coefficients. The qualitative data involved content analysis and the presentation of case studies and the themes that emerged. Significant Pearson correlations indicate a positive relationship between years of related experience and pass rates and also pointed to an interconnection between professional qualifications, related experience and learner achievement. Differences in teacher characteristics were also indicators of competency in content knowledge and ultimately influenced classroom practices. Four case studies are offered in an attempt to provide in-depth descriptions of the teacher characteristics and practices for Grade 12 Physical Science teachers in Gauteng. Recommendations for future research, teacher training and policy implementation are presented. The diversity in teacher characteristics, particularly in Physical Science classrooms, influences the classroom practices that teachers select in their day-to-day teaching and impacts learner outcomes in terms of achievement. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Due to developments in visual technology, teachers and students are exposed to an increasing number of images in their everyday life, which also finds its way into the classroom. This study aims to contribute to further understanding of how knowledge and positions are constructed in visual meetings in the classroom by problematizing the discursive practice of visual art education in upper secondary school.  The study investigates how art teachers construct positions when talking about their choices of images for teaching and what kind of knowledge thereby is constructed as valuable. The study also analyzes how art teachers and students construct positions in visual meetings in the classroom and what kind of knowledge thereby is constructed as valuable.   The study is theoretically framed by theories and concepts in visual culture and Foucauldian discourse analysis. The concept visual meetings refers to how art teachers and students interact and make meaning when using images that the art teachers have chosen. The perspective of discourse analysis involves that classroom interactions are seen as expressions of knowledge and power in general and of prevailing views on visual art education in particular.  Data production is carried out through ethnography, which involves interviews with two art teachers and observations of eleven lessons in visual art classes at two upper secondary schools.  The results show that a dominating overall school discourse regulates how the art teachers and students are constructed as active/adult/experienced and passive/child/unexperienced subjects. One of the classroom practices is shown to prioritize position and knowledge constructions related to production of aesthetically pleasing images. The other classroom practice is shown to prioritize position and knowledge constructions related to image interpretation in terms of understanding cultures and contexts. Both classroom practices also show that despite the art teachers’ stated intentions in constructing independent and critically examining positions for the students, looking practices are formed in the classrooms that do not allow such positions for the students to any great extent.  The study concludes that the dominating discourses in these two classroom practices reveal régimes of truth that regulate what kind of knowledge constructions that are valued within these two examples of visual art education.

No description available.

This study explored the link between teachers’ inputs and process and students’ academic achievement in Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) Mathematics for the period 2006 to 2010.The outcome (teacher effectiveness) was obtained by means of value added measures (students’ aggregate JSC Mathematics scores for 2006 to 2010 by school). One hundred and fifty JSC schools out of a total of 573 constituted the units of analysis for the study. The data regarding teachers were obtained by means of self-administered questionnaires, and JSC Mathematics results from 2006 to 2010 were obtained from the Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (DNEA). Multi-correlation and regression techniques at alpha =0.001; 0.05 and 0.10 were used to analyse the link between teachers’ inputs and processes, and students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. The null hypotheses formulated for the study were tested at the 0.05 (5%) level of significance. In summary, it appears that the various aspects of teachers’ inputs (teachers’ educational qualifications, teaching experience, subject specialisation etc.), processes (standards-based professional development, standards-based classroom activities, and classroom management beliefs) are related to students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. In particular, a linear combination of the following variables had a significant and positive association with students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics: teachers’ major in Mathematics (teachers’ inputs); teachers’ usage of whole class discussion (standards-based classroom activities); perceived knowledge of algebra; teachers’ professional development in interdisciplinary instruction; teachers’ review of students’ homework/assignments; and students talking to other students about how to solve mathematics problems. Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in general, and some classroom practices were not significantly related to students’ academic achievements. This study, therefore, recommends that teachers’ professional development should focus on the subject matter that the teachers will be teaching, as well as alignment of teachers’ learning opportunities with real work experience using actual curriculum materials and assessment. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Thesis (PhD) -- Stellenbosch University, 2001. / Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My study investigates opportunities that may currently be available to enable the transformation of post-apartheid teacher education. I examine two case studies of my own professional practice. The first case study involves in-service education work that I performed with teachers in a local community, Grassy Park. The second case study represents work I performed with students in a pre-service education programme at the University of Stellenbosch. My study aims to: • Critically examine the implications of social issues, particularly environmental issues, for pedagogical practices generally and for South African pedagogical work in particular. • Critically review the changing socio-historical determinants of pedagogical practices in South African teacher education. • Investigate changing pedagogical practices by describing and reflecting on work done in my own professional contexts as a science/environmental teacher educator at a historically Afrikaner university. With respect to teacher education, Pendlebury (1998) argues that we are seeing shifts in public space, evaluative space, pedagogical space and institutional space from insulated space (hidden from public scrutiny) to a more porous space. In this study I am concerned with pedagogical space that, in Pendlebury's (1998:345) terms determines 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. I use these categories of Pendlebury (1998:345) together with Turnbull's (1997) perspectives on knowledge production as conceptual tools to frame my analyses of the cases. Although a significant part of my study focuses on classroom practices, I take pedagogy to have a much broader meaning that incorporates in Hernandez's (1997:11) terms 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed'. This research report offers a brief insight into the complexities of change at the micro-level of classroom practices. But, importantly also contextualises these micro-level pedagogical practices within broader socio-historical determinants and provides praxiological comments on postapartheid education policies. The research also initiates an investigation into the social organisation of trust in post-apartheid South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie ondersoek ek die geleenthede vir die transformasie van onderwyseropleiding in die post-apartheidsera. Ek bespreek twee gevallestudies uit my eie professionele praktyk. Die eerste gevallestudie handel oor die indiensopleiding van onderwysers in Grassy Park, 'n plaaslike gemeenskap. Die tweede gevallestudie handel oor die werk wat ek met studente in 'n voorgraadse onderrigprogram aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gedoen het. Die studie het die volgende ten doel: • 'n Kritiese ondersoek na die uitwerking van sosiale aspekte, met die klem op omgewingsaangeleenthede, op opvoedkundige praktyke in die algemeen en op die Suid- Afrikaanse opvoedkundige praktyk in die besonder. • 'n Kritiese oorsig oor die sosio-historiese veranderinge wat deeI vorm van die opleiding van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysers. • 'n Ondersoek na veranderende opvoedkundige praktyke aan die hand van 'n beskrywing van en refleksie op my eie professionele werk as dosent in die wetenskap/omgewingsopvoeding aan 'n historiese Afrikaanse universiteit. Ten opsigte van onderwyseropleiding beweer Pendlebury (1998) dat verskuiwings in die publieke ruimte, evaluerende ruimte, pedagogiese ruimte en institusionele ruimte, plaasvind van 'n afgesonderde ruimte (verberg vir publieke waarnemimg/evaluasie) na 'n meer deursigtige ruimte. In hierdie studie fokus ek op die pedagogiese ruimte wat, volgens Pendlebury (1998:345), bepaal 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. Ek gebruik Pendlebury (1998: 345) se kategoriee saam met Turnbull (1997) se perspektiewe oor kennisproduksie as konseptuele raamwerk vir my analise van die twee gevallestudies. Alhoewel 'n beduidende gedeelte van my studie op klaskamerpraktyke fokus, moet die term pedagogie(k) volgens my 'n veel breer betekenis verband gesien word om ook Hernandez (1997: 11) se 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed' intesluit. Hierdie navorsingsverslag lig die komplekse aard van transformasie op die mikro-vlak van klaskamerpraktyke toe. Van groot belang is ook die kontekstualisering van opvoedkundige praktyke op mikro-vlak binne die breer sosio-historiese veranderlikes en lewer praktykverwante kommentaar op die opvoedkundige beleid van die post-apartheidsera. Die navorsing dien ook as vertrekpunt om sosiale vertroue in die post-apartheids-Suid-Afrika te ondersoek.

No description available.

Notre travail porte sur une analyse des pratiques de classe au cours de la mise en œuvre d’une séquence d’enseignement sur les circuits électriques en 5ème. Nous étudions la vie du savoir, son évolution et sa continuité à travers ces pratiques. Nos outils théoriques s'appuient largement sur la Théorie de l’Action Conjointe en Didactique (TACD) qui permet la description de la pratique en fournissant des outils pour cette description notamment la notion de jeu. Nous étudions dans un premier temps les effets des pratiques de classe sur la vie du savoir, ensuite nous effectuons une étude sur la continuité du savoir. Notre analyse des effets des pratiques de classe sur la vie du savoir se fonde principalement sur notre analyse en jeux et elle est complétée par une analyse au niveau microscopiques en facettes qui représentent des parties du discours de l’ordre d’une phrase ou d’une intervention portant sur un élément de savoir. L’étude de l’ensemble des jeux des séances analysées nous a permis de distinguer certains jeux particuliers du point de vue du développement du savoir. L’étude de ces jeux nous a permis de montrer l’influence des actions du professeur et des élèves sur l’évolution du savoir. Une comparaison avec ce qui était prévu par le professeur selon les propositions des concepteurs de la séquence montre deux cas de développement suivant la façon dont le professeur prend l’activité effective des élèves en considération. Dans un cas il y a un élargissement et une densification du savoir autour d’une notion, les éléments de savoirs introduits sont en cohérence et continuité avec ceux déjà introduits, et dans l’autre cas il apparaît une dispersion des éléments de savoir autour d’une notion, les éléments de savoir introduits n’ont pas ou peu de lien avec l’enjeu de savoir.Dans notre étude nous considérons que la continuité du savoir est établie grâce à des liens créés entre éléments de savoir, méthode, procédure ou discussions à propos de ces éléments, qui peuvent avoir été en jeu à différents moments de leur enseignement., Pour cette étude la méthodologie est adaptée à la définition de la continuité et à nos données, elle inclut une analyse microscopique en facettes nourrie dans certains cas par l’analyse en jeux. Nous avons construit des catégories du fonctionnement du savoir qui permettent de relier des éléments de savoir introduits à différents moments de l’enseignement. Pour cela nous avons fait appel aux niveaux de modélisation ainsi qu’aux taches épistémiques comme définir, interpréter, décrire, comparer, etc.Cette analyse a montré que le développement du savoir est principalement initié par le champ expérimental et non par des relations entre concepts. Les nouveaux concepts sont introduits lors du passage d’une description entre objets et événements à une conceptualisation ou relation entre concepts. Cette introduction est assez souvent imposée et peut expliquer des discontinuités repérées dans la séquence.Pour terminer nous proposons des perspectives pour la formation des maitres et la conception de séquences. / Our work is focused on the analysis of classroom practices during a physics teaching sequence on electrical circuits in 7th grade. We study the life of knowledge, its evolution and continuity through these practices. Our theoretical tools are largely based on the Joint Action Theory in Didactics (JATD) that allows us to describe the practices by providing tools for this description especially the concept of the learning games. We first study the effects of classroom practices on the knowledge’s life, then we study the continuity of knowledge.Our analysis of classroom practices’effects on the life of knowledge is based primarily on our learning games analysis and is completed by a microscopic level analysis of facets that represent parts of a speech at the level of a sentence or an intervention on an element of knowledge. The study of the whole learning games analysed in the studied sessions allowed us to distinguish some particular learning games from the development of knowledge perspective. The study of these games allowed us to show the influence of the actions of the teacher and students on the evolution of knowledge. A comparison with what was planned by the teacher according to the proposals of the designers of the sequence shows two cases of development according to the way the teacher takes into considerationthe actual activity of the students. In one case there is an enlargement and densification of knowledge about a concept, elements of knowledge are introduced in consistency and continuity with those already introduced. In the other case there is dispersion of knowledge elements around a concept, elements of knowledge introduced has no or little connection with the knowledge at stake.In our study we consider that the continuity of knowledge is established through links between elements of knowledge, methods, procedures or discussions about these elements, at different teaching moments. Thus, in order to study the continuity of knowledge, we built a methodology adapted to this definition and our data by relying on microscopic analysis of facets completed in some cases by our learning games analysis. We built categories of processing knowledge that allows to connect different elements of knowledge introduced at different teaching moments. For this purpose, we used the modelling levels as well as the epistemic tasks such as defining, interpreting, describing, comparing, etc. This analysis ha shown that the development of knowledge is mainly initiated by the experimental field and not by relations between concepts. The new concepts are introduced during the passage of a description between objects and events to a conceptualization or relationship between concepts. This introduction is often imposed and may explain discontinuity of knowledge identified in the sequence.Finally, we offer perspectives for teacher training and sequences design.

This study explored the link between teachers’ inputs and process and students’ academic achievement in Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) Mathematics for the period 2006 to 2010.The outcome (teacher effectiveness) was obtained by means of value added measures (students’ aggregate JSC Mathematics scores for 2006 to 2010 by school). One hundred and fifty JSC schools out of a total of 573 constituted the units of analysis for the study. The data regarding teachers were obtained by means of self-administered questionnaires, and JSC Mathematics results from 2006 to 2010 were obtained from the Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (DNEA). Multi-correlation and regression techniques at alpha =0.001; 0.05 and 0.10 were used to analyse the link between teachers’ inputs and processes, and students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. The null hypotheses formulated for the study were tested at the 0.05 (5%) level of significance. In summary, it appears that the various aspects of teachers’ inputs (teachers’ educational qualifications, teaching experience, subject specialisation etc.), processes (standards-based professional development, standards-based classroom activities, and classroom management beliefs) are related to students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. In particular, a linear combination of the following variables had a significant and positive association with students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics: teachers’ major in Mathematics (teachers’ inputs); teachers’ usage of whole class discussion (standards-based classroom activities); perceived knowledge of algebra; teachers’ professional development in interdisciplinary instruction; teachers’ review of students’ homework/assignments; and students talking to other students about how to solve mathematics problems. Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in general, and some classroom practices were not significantly related to students’ academic achievements. This study, therefore, recommends that teachers’ professional development should focus on the subject matter that the teachers will be teaching, as well as alignment of teachers’ learning opportunities with real work experience using actual curriculum materials and assessment. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

No description available.

Text in Afrikaans / This study, which was undertaken within a qualitative and quantitative methodological framework, is a collaborative action research project that focuses on the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) teaching in the classroom as intervention to prevent the inappropriate behaviour of learners that could lead to violence and crime. The study also concentrates on how action research can enhance the educator’s teaching practices. The objective was to prevent learners from misbehaving by implementing EI as a teaching strategy in the classroom on the basis of various definitions and models of EI. This research project also explored the coordinated and integrated management of positive learner behaviour, overall school development and the management of a culture of positive behaviour. The empirical study concludes that there is a correlation between EI teaching methods and learners’ behaviour. In view of the fact that the use of EI in the classroom can prevent the inappropriate behaviour of learners it can therefore be regarded as preventative discipline. / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkunde)