The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers’ practice either supports or constrains learners’ conceptual understanding. The study is structured within an interpretive paradigm. The research takes the form of a case study and focused on the teaching practice of two purposefully selected teachers who had been identified as being effective/successful practitioners. The data was collected in two stages. In the first stage, qualitative data was collected by video recording six classroom lessons, three for each of the two participating teachers. In stage 2, participating teachers were individually interviewed. In these interviews the two participating teachers were asked to reflect on their classroom practice, through a process of stimulated recall, where their actions seemed to either support or constrain the development of learners’ conceptual understanding. The study identified a number of elements of the two teachers’ practice that related to the development of learners’ conceptual understanding in the classroom. These include building on learners’ prior knowledge, the use of concrete manipulatives, questioning that promotes critical thinking, and the use of multiple representations and connections. The study also identified elements of the two teachers’ practice that had the potential to constrain the development of learners’ conceptual understanding. These include the lack of opportunities for co-operative or peer-oriented learning, the absence of questioning that leads to discussion, and a scarcity of activities that build mathematical concepts through hands-on engagement. The study highlights the need for supporting teachers and helping them strengthen their practice with regard to those activities that support the development of conceptual understanding in their learners.

Text in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / The study investigated assistive technology for the deaf, specifically applied to the teaching and learning of mathematics at a rural Namibian special primary school. The problem was the lack of prior research about the effects of Constructivist assistive technology for guiding Namibian special schools and educators. The objective was to conduct an experiment with deaf learners and interviews with the teachers involved. The study was a mixed methods study, involving quantitative academic achievement data and qualitative interview data. The findings suggest that there was a statistically significant effect on the multiplication and division achievement of the learners, but not their addition and subtraction achievement. The emergent Constructivist-related categories were collaborating, cooperating, exploring, selfassessing, learning from errors, seeking knowledge independently, self-regulating, selfreflecting, metacognitive thinking and being self-aware. These scientific insights contribute to the field and stem from a useful method for reviewing and selecting an appropriate learning theory and assistive technology. / Isifundo socwaningo siphenya ngobuchwepheshe obuluncedo kulabo abayizimpumputhe, ikakhulukazi lolu cwaningo lumayelana nokufundisa kanye nokufundwa kwesifundo sezibalo esikoleni sabakhubazekile endaweni yasemakhaya ngaseNamibia. Inkinga lapha ukusweleka kocwaningo lwangaphambili olumayelana nemithintela yohlelo lobuchwepheshe oluncedayo losolwazi abangama-contructivists ngokuhola izikole zabakhubazekile zaseNamibia kanye nabafundisi. Inhloso kwaye kuwukwenza ucwaningo oluphathekayo kanye nabafundi abakhubazeke amehlo kanye nenhlolovo nothisha ababandakanyekayo, ngokusebenzisa ucwaningo oluxubile, oluxuba idatha mayelana nempumelelo kwezemfundo kanye nedatha yezamanani yenhlolovo. . Okutholwe wucwaningo kuchaza ukuthi kunomthelela obonakalayo wezamanani mayelana nempumelelo yekhono lokuphindaphinda kanye nokwehlukanisa, kodwa hayi impumelelo yabo ngokwekhono lokuhlanganisa kanye nokunciphisa. Izigaba ezihambisana nosolwazi abakhasayo zisebenza ngokuncedana, ngokusebenzisana, ngokuvumbulula, ngokuzihlola wena siqu sakho, ngokufunda ngokwenza amaphutha, ngokucinga ulwazi ngokuzimela, ngokuzenzela imigomo, ngokubheka impumelelo yakho, ngokucabangisisa ngokusebenzisa ulwazi kanye nokuzibhekisisa. Lolu lwazi lwezesayensi lunomthelela emkhakheni kanti lususelwa endleleni esebenzayo ngokubuyekeza kanye nokukhetha ithiyori yokufunda efanele kanye nohlelo oluncedayo lobuchwepheshe. / Die studie het ’n ondersoek na bystandstegnologie vir dowes, spesifiek ten opsigte van hoe dit in die onderrig en leer van wiskunde by ’n landelike spesiale laerskool in Namibië toegepas word, behels. Die navorsingsprobleem was die gebrek aan navorsing oor die effek van konstruktivistiese bystandstegnologie wat leiding aan Namibiese spesiale skole en opvoeders kan bied. Die navorsingsdoelwit was om ’n eksperiment met dowe leerders uit te voer en onderhoude met die betrokke onderwysers te voer as deel van ’n gemengdemetodestudie, wat die insameling van kwantitatiewe data oor akademiese prestasie en kwalitatiewe onderhouddata behels het. Die bevindings van die studie dui op ’n statisties beduidende effek op die leerders se prestasie met betrekking tot vermenigvuldiging en deling, maar nie hulle prestasie met betrekking tot optel en aftrek nie. Die voortkomende konstruktivisties-verwante kategorieë is meewerking, samewerking, verkenning, selfassessering, die vermoë om uit foute te leer, ’n onafhanklike soeke na kennis, selfregulering, selfbesinning, metakognitiewe denke en selfbewussyn. Hierdie wetenskaplike insigte lewer ’n bydrae tot die studieveld en spruit uit ’n nuttige metode vir die beoordeling en seleksie van geskikte leerteorieë en bystandstegnologie. / School of Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)