Although the literature reveals that primary school teachers in general are reluctant to teach science, little research has been conducted into the histories and identities of such primary school teachers, particularly in South Africa. South African society at present is in the process of great socio-political change; therefore the study has particular relevance to science education in the country. This study uses a socio-historical-cultural framework to investigate the science learning and teaching identities of a small group of pre service primary school teachers. The study is situated in science methods courses at a South African university where students from a wide variety of social and cultural clusters are registered. I argue that primary school student teachers belong to a community of practice and that primary science student teachers form part of that community. Therefore, I use Wenger’s (1998) model of practice in a community. The model relies on i.a. the concepts of participation and non-participation within the community. With reference to these concepts, the changing and contested nature of student teacher identities within the primary science teaching community of practice forms the focus of this study. A mixed methods approach to obtaining and analysing data was employed where case studies provided much of the information obtained. Study findings suggest that a number of factors contribute to science teacher identities. These include primary and secondary school experiences with particular reference to critical incidents; the ‘race’ and gender of the students in question; students’ cultural and family backgrounds as well as the personal relationships with which the students engage. For historical reasons, ‘race’ is of particular significance in South Africa, therefore at this critical conjuncture, this aspect of students’ identities was examined. The study also refers to the dialectical interplay between agency and structure. Findings suggest that although students are bound to some extent by power structures, agency or subjectivity comes into play to various degrees in terms both of participating in the community and not participating therein. I suggest that methods courses, such as those which provided the empirical field for this study, could also provide sites for transformation of science identities in terms of content knowledge, self efficacy or confidence and pedagogy. Student teachers and their mentors are in ideal positions to act as agents of change in a transforming society. Their roles as positive significant narrators enable them to provide alternative trajectories which were once unimaginable. Such transformation resonates with Wenger’s (ibid) notions of identity as being and becoming.

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This study investigated beliefs of members of an online Community of Practice (WIA) on the role of the community on professional development, teaching, and on Web 2.0 use. Through the analyses of the questionnaire, it was aimed at finding out the members&rsquo / ideas about the group as an online CoP and benefits of belonging to an online CoP. The data were collected from seventy nine members of the Webheads in Action from various countries by using an online questionnaire. Then, the responses to the multiple choice items were analyzed using PASSW. The data collected from the last section of the questionnairre were analyzed through content analysis and pattern coding. The findings revealed that the members believe that WIA plays an important role in the process of developing multiltiteracies skills and the Web 2.0 tools used in classroom teaching and for professional development. The findings also revealed that the participants believe that being a WIA member leads to motivation, collaboration and discovery. These beliefs are thought to provide insights about the advantages and disadvantages of learning in online CoPs and their effects on the members&rsquo / Web 2.0 use. The findings can also be beneficial for researchers, teacher trainers, and teachers wishing to join CoPs for professional development. They can understand the advantages and disadvantages, and the participation process in more detail. Moreover, these findings can indicate that online CoPs can provide a medium for coping with the increasing amount of information thanks to the recent technological developments, and acquiring new skills.

This study investigated beliefs of members of an online Community of Practice (WIA) on the role of the community on professional development, teaching, and on Web 2.0 use. Through the analyses of the questionnaire, it was aimed at finding out the members&rsquo / ideas about the group as an online CoP and benefits of belonging to an online CoP. The data were collected from seventy nine members of the Webheads in Action from various countries by using an online questionnaire. Then, the responses to the multiple choice items were analyzed using PASSW. The data collected from the last section of the questionnairre were analyzed through content analysis and pattern coding. The findings revealed that the members believe that WIA plays an important role in the process of developing multiltiteracies skills and the Web 2.0 tools used in classroom teaching and for professional development. The findings further revealed that the participants believe that being a WIA member leads to motivation, collaboration and discovery. These beliefs are thought to provide insights about the advantages and disadvantages of learning in online CoPs and their effects on the members&rsquo / Web 2.0 use. The findings can also be beneficial for researchers, teacher trainers, and teachers wishing to join CoPs for professional development. They can understand the advantages and disadvantages, and the participation process in more detail. Moreover, these findings can indicate that online CoPs can provide a medium for coping with the increasing amount of information thanks to the recent technological developments, and acquiring new skills.

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Setswana / This study investigated the feasibility of using WhatsApp Messenger as a tool to enhance the professional identity and inquiry-based pedagogy through the professional development of university chemistry teachers. The epistemological interpretive paradigm was used to guide the study. The study assumed a naturalistic, exploratory investigation. The qualitative research methodology was used to conduct the study. Nine university teachers were purposively sampled from three universities (three teachers from each university) for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and focus group discussions. Data analysis was completed using the thematic networks analysis. Ethics considerations were observed by not disclosing personal information of the participants or information about the universities where they represented. This study was guided by four theoretical underpinnings: the connectivism theory, the transformative learning theory, the expectancy-value theory, and the dual systems theory. The primary research question guiding this study was: How does the professional identity of university chemistry teachers develop as they learn IBP through WhatsApp Messenger? A two-pronged approach was used in the research: (1) comparing the professional identity of the teachers before and after the course, and (2) observing and describing the professional identity process as the teachers undertook the course. The results from the interviews conducted before the teachers undertook the WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP course showed that most teachers had a negative professional identity. They had become teachers for a variety of reasons, but they did not consider themselves teachers and believed they would leave university teaching if opportunities arose in the industry. They had no formal qualifications in pedagogy, and they did not believe that such knowledge was necessary. The majority of these teachers used teacher-centred approaches. Results from participant observations during the WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP course showed that the course slowly imparted to the teachers the norms associated with not only IBP, but other teaching approaches as well. WhatsApp Messenger provided a flexible online platform where the teachers interacted and exchanged ideas without the need to meet in a physical space. The results from the interviews conducted after the teachers participated in the WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP course showed that the participants' professional identity had changed positively. They now recognised the importance of pedagogy in teaching, they positively identified with the teaching profession, and some were considering acquiring formal qualifications in pedagogy. / Lolu cwaningo beluphenya ithuba lokusetshenziswa kwangempela kwe-WhatsApp Messenger njengethuluzi lokuqinisa isithombe sesisebenzi kanye nohlelo lokufundisa olwencike phezu kophenyo lothisha besifundo seKhemistri (chemistry) enyuvesi, ngohlelo lokuthuthukisa abasebenzi. Uhlelo lwepharadayimu echazayo ye-ephistemoloji lwasetshenziswa ukuhlahla indlela yesifundo, okuyindlela enqume ukulandela indlela yemvelo, ephenyayo. Umethodoloji wocwaningo olwencike kuKhwalithi (Qualitative) lusetshenzisiwe ukwenza ucwaningo, ndawonye nothisha basemanyuvesi ayisishiyagalolunye abakhethwe ngenhloso kumanyuvesi amathathu (abathathu kwinyuvesi eyodwa). Idatha yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa izinhlolovo ezimbaxambili (semi-structured interviews), ngokubheka izenzo zomdlalindima (participant observation) kanye nezingxoxo zeqembu eliqondiwe (focus group discussions), kanti ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kwenziwa kwaqedwa ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lokuhlaziya oluwuthungelelwano lwendikimba (thematic network analysis). Kubonakele ukulandelwa komgomo wokuziphatha ngokungadaluli ulwazi lomuntu ongumdlalindima noma ulwazi olumayelana namanyuvesi ababewameleyo. Ucwaningo beluholwa yizinhlaka ezine zethiyori: i-connectivism theory, i-transformative learning theory, i-expectancy-value theory kanye nama-dual systems theory. Umbuzo wokuqala wezocwaningo ohola ucwaningo bewuthi: Ngabe isithombe sobizo lobuthishela wekhemistri enyuvesi sithuthukiswa kanjani ngesikhathi befunda uhlelo lwemfundo eyencike ekuphenyeni (inquiry-based pedagogy (IBP) ngokusebenzisa i-WhatsApp Messenger? Indlela embaxambili iye yasetshenziswa: 1) ukuqhathanisa isithombe sobizo lobuthishela ngaphambi nangemuva kwesifundo,, kanye no-2) baqhathanisa isithombe sobizo lobuthishela sothisha ngaphambi nangemuva kwesifundo, kanye no 2) babheke futhi bachaza uhlelo lwezimpawu zokwakha isithombe sobizo lobuthishela njengoba othisha baye badlala indima kulesi sifundo. Imiphumela evela kwizinhlolovo ezenziwe ngaphambi kokuba othisha bahambele isifundo se-WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP, ikhombise ukuthi iningi lothisha libe nesithombe sobizo esibi. Baye bafundela ubuthishela ngezizathu ezahlukahlukile, kodwa abakaze bazibona bangothisha futhi baye bacabanga ukuyeka inyuvesi uma ngabe kuvela amathuba kwimboni. Abakaze babe neziqu zokufundisa, kanti abazange bakholwe ukuthi ulwazi olunjalo kwakunesidingo sokuba nalo, kanti iningi lothisha lwalandela indlela izindlela ezencike kuthisha. Imiphumela evela ekubukeni izenzo zothisha ngesikhathi sesifundo se-IBP ikhombise ukuthi isifundo kancane kancane sinikeze othisha izimfundiso ezithile, kanti futhi nezinye izindlela zokufundisa. Uhlelo lwe-WhatsApp Messenger lunikeze inkundla ye- inthanethi engenamngcele lapho othisha bebahlangana futhi baphakelane ngemibono nhlangothi zombili ngaphandle kwesidingo sokuhlangana endaweni ephathekayo. Ngemuva kwesifundo se-IBP abadlalindima baye babika ukuthi babone izithombe zobizo lwabo zizinhle kakhulu. Manje sebeyakwazi ukubaluleka kwendlela yephedagogi ekufundiseni, bazibona behambisane kahle kakhulu nobizo lobuthishela. Kanti abanye baze bacabanga ukuthola ezinye iziqu ezisemthethweni zobizo lobuthisha. / Thuto e, e dirile dipatlisiso tsa kgonagalo tsa go dirisa WhattsApp Messenger jaaka sediriso sa go tlotlomatsa tlhaolo ya borutegi le potsiso theo ya thuto ya sekolo ya barutabana ba Yunibesithi ba thuto ya khemise, ka tlhabololo ya borutegi. Go dirisitswe pharataeme ya phetolo ya episitemoloji go kaela thuto e e tsaletseng botlhagiso jwa tlhago le tlhotlhomiso. Thutatsela ya patlisiso e e boleng e ne ya dirisiwa go tsamaisa thuto, le barutabana ba ba robongwe ba diyunibesithi tse di neng di na le maikemisetso a bosupi go tswa mo diyunibesithi tse tharo (ba bararo go tswa mo go nngwe le nngwe ya tsona). Didatha di ne di kgobokantswe ka seka-popego sa dipuisano, kelotlhokomelo ya batsayakarolo le tsepamiso ya setlhopha sa dipuisano, fa tshekatsheko ya datha e feditswe ka go dirisa tshekatsheko ya kgokagano ya thitokgang. Kelotlhoko ya maitshwaro e ne e na le tlhokomelo ka go se senole tshedimosetso ya batsayakarolo kgotsa tshedimosetso ka diyunibesthi tse e leng baemedi ba tsona. Thuto e ne e kaelwa ke metheo e mene ya tiori: tiori ya kopano, tiori ya phetogo ya thuto, tiori ya boleng jo bo solofetsweng le tiori ya thulaganyo. Potso e kgolo ya patlisiso e e kaelang thuto e ne e le: tlhaolo ya borutegi e gola jaang mo barutabaneng ba yunibesithi ba thuto ya Khemise fa ba ithuta thuto ka theo-potsiso ya petakoji (IBP) ka WhatsApp Messenger? Go thapilwe tlhagiso e e tlhagelelang gabedi 1) go farologanya tlhaolo ya barutabana pele le morago ga khoso le 2) go ela tlhoko le go tlhalosa tshedimosetso ya tlhaolo ya borutegi jaaka barutabana ba batsayakarolo mo khosong. Dipholo tsa tsamaiso ya potsotherisano e e neng e le teng pele ga go tsena khoso ya WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP, di bontsha gore ba bantsi ba na le tlhaolo ya borutegi jo bo sa siamang. Ba ne ba nna barutabana ka mabaka a a rileng a a sa tshwaneng fela ba sa ipone sentle jaaka barutabana, ka megopolo ya go tlogela Yunibesithi fa ditšhono tsa intasetari di tlhagelela. Ba ne ba sena boatlhodi jwa semmuso ba petakoji, mme ba ne ba sa dumele gore kitso e jaana e a tlhokagala, ka bone bontsi bo ne bo tsaletswe ditlhagiso tsa go tsepama mo borutabaneng. Dipholo tsa kelotlhoko ya batsayakarolo mo nakong ya khoso ya IBP di bontsha gore khoso e e neetse barutabana ditlwaelo tse di rileng tse di sa tsamaisaneng fela le IBP gape le ditlhagiso tse dingwe tsa borutabana. WhatsApp Messenger e kgona go abelana mo polatefomong e e bonolo ya inthanete mo barutabaneng ba ba tlhaeletsanang le go abelana dikakanyo kwa ntle ga tlhokego ya go kopana mo lefelong ka sebele. Morago ga khoso ya IBP batsayakarolo ba begile gore ba leba ditlhaolo tsa bone tsa borutegi ka letshwao la koketso. Jaanong ba lemogile botlhokwa jwa petakoji mo go ruteng, se se tlhagisiwa ka letshwao la koketso mo boruteging jwa go ruta, ba bangwe ba ntse ba akanya go nna le boatlhodi jwa semmuso ka mo petakoji. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Phil. (Curriculum Studies)