This study explored the social inclusiveness of classrooms with culturally competent teachers who were identified both by their participation in in-service diversity training and by principal nomination. The design of this study was primarily quantitative using a one-way ANOVA to analyze whether fourth and fifth grade students (N = 125) in classrooms with teachers identified as culturally competent are more inclusive in their mutual friendships than students (N = 117) in classrooms with not trained teachers at the same schools. Sociometric questionnaires were used to collect data on mutual friendships. Observations of students in lunchroom settings were also conducted. Findings from the sociometric questionnaire suggest that students with culturally competent teachers, also referred to as culturally responsive teachers in the literature, have broader and more diverse social networks than students in classrooms with not trained teachers. However, in the lunchroom settings where a given student must choose a limited number of students to sit next to at the lunch table, no notable differences between the classrooms emerged. Other than training in diversity issues, teachers in the two groups were very similar.

This study is concerned with how competent mathematics teachers develop pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in statistics teaching. Pedagogical content knowledge was used as the theoretical framework that guided the research and data collection. The study’s methodology consisted of two phases. In the first phase, the six identified mathematics teachers undertook a conceptual knowledge written exercise. The result of this exercise was used to select the best four performing teachers for the second phase of the study. The second phase consisted mainly of lesson observations, interviews, written documents in the form of completed questionnaires, written diaries or reports, document analysis designed to produce rich detailed descriptions of participating teachers’ PCK in the context of teaching statistics concepts at school level. The concept mapping exercise was used to indirectly assess participating teachers’ content knowledge and their conceptions of the nature of school statistics and how it is to be taught. The qualitative data obtained were analysed to try to determine individual teachers’ content knowledge of school statistics, related pedagogical knowledge, knowledge of learners’ conceptions in statistics teaching, knowledge of learners’ learning difficulties as well as how they developed their PCK in statistics teaching. The analysis was done based on iterative coding and categorisation of responses and observations made to identify themes, patterns, and gaps, in school statistics teaching. Commonalities and differences if any, in the PCK profiles of the four participating teachers were also analysed and determined. The results of the study showed that overall, individual teachers develop their PCK in school statistics teaching by: (a) formally developing their knowledge of the subject matter in a formal undergraduate educational programme, as well as subject matter content knowledge during classroom practice; (b) using varied topic-specific instructional skills such as graphical construction skills in teaching statistical graphs; (c) using diagnostic techniques (oral questioning and pre-activity, class discussions and questioning) and a review of previous lessons to introduce lessons, and to determine learners’ preconceptions in statistics teaching ; (d) Using teaching strategies that can help to identify learners’ learning difficulties as well as intervention to address the difficulties; (e) continually updating their knowledge of school statistics by attending content knowledge workshops and other teacher development programmes designed to improve content knowledge and practice. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted