Foundation Phase (FP) teachers’ reluctance to teach science might stem from their weak science backgrounds that has resulted in their limited science content knowledge and their congruent science misconceptions and low self-efficacy with respect to science (Boyer, 2010; Luera, Moyer, & Everett, 2005). This study was guided by the following research question: What lessons, if any, can be learnt from a representative sample of FP teachers from six rural schools in the Libode Mega District with respect to the implementation of the Natural Sciences aspect of a new curriculum? The sample comprised 18 black, female, isiXhosa speaking teachers that represented six schools in the Libode Mega District (Libode, Ntlaza and Lusikisiki). A mixed-methods approach was used to collect qualitative and descriptive quantitative data using two structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews in the form of focus groups.

Inclusion of learners with diverse needs implies a shift from a medical deficit model to a social systems model. The latter does not view the learner as a problem; instead it considers the environment or society’s response to the individual as barriers to learning. This study focuses on collaborative co-teaching as a key to inclusion. Collaborative co-teaching requires the learning support teacher and the general education teacher to partner in all aspects of instruction. The outcome of collaborative co-teaching includes effective instruction, a cohesive, accepting class community, positive learner development and the professional and personal growth of the learning support teacher and the general education teacher. A literature review provided the background to an empirical inquiry using a qualitative approach. Data was collected from a small sample by interviews, observations and documents and inductively analysed. Recommendations for the improvement of practice were made based on the findings. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Inclusion of learners with diverse needs implies a shift from a medical deficit model to a social systems model. The latter does not view the learner as a problem; instead it considers the environment or society’s response to the individual as barriers to learning. This study focuses on collaborative co-teaching as a key to inclusion. Collaborative co-teaching requires the learning support teacher and the general education teacher to partner in all aspects of instruction. The outcome of collaborative co-teaching includes effective instruction, a cohesive, accepting class community, positive learner development and the professional and personal growth of the learning support teacher and the general education teacher. A literature review provided the background to an empirical inquiry using a qualitative approach. Data was collected from a small sample by interviews, observations and documents and inductively analysed. Recommendations for the improvement of practice were made based on the findings. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Teachers tend to use traditional teaching methods, even though young learners are more digitally oriented. The purpose of this study was to analyse teachers' understanding and practices in grade R classes to clarify their use of digital play for language acquisition. The participants consisted of eight grade R teachers at one selected primary school in an urban area that had access to digital technology. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a theoretical framework informed this study. This qualitative single case study generated data from teacher participants and their interaction with the learners. The data generation included semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, and non-participant observations. Analyses to answer the research questions were conducted by means of thematic analysis. The main finding was that grade R teachers have some knowledge and understanding of digital play and they are willing to try new games, but they feel they need to know more about digital technology and the use of digital games for language acquisition. Recommendations include the need for the development of more digital games relevant to language acquisition and for teachers to adopt relevant pedagogies to benefit from available digital games. A similar study in a rural area and a comparison between this study and such a study will then be useful in determining teachers' understanding and use of digital play for language acquisition. / Onderwysers is geneig om tradisionele onderrigmetodes te gebruik, selfs al is jong leerders meer digitaal georiënteerd. Die doel van hierdie studie was om onderwysers se begrip en praktyke in graad R-klasse te ontleed, om hul gebruik van digitale spel vir taalverwerwing duidelik te maak. Die deelnemers het bestaan uit agt graad R-onderwysers by een uitgesoekte laerskool in ʼn stedelike gebied, met toegang tot digitale tegnologie. Hierdie studie is geïnspireer deur Bronfenbrenner se ekologiese stelselteorie as ʼn teoretiese raamwerk. Hierdie kwalitatiewe enkelgevallestudie het data van onderwyser-deelnemers en hul interaksie met die leerders gegenereer. Die datagenerering het halfgestruktureerde individuele onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude en niedeelnemer-waarnemings ingesluit. Die vernaamste gevolgtrekking was dat graad R-onderwysers oor ʼn mate van kennis en begrip van digitale spel beskik en dat hulle bereid is om nuwe speletjies te probeer, maar hulle voel hulle behoort meer te weet van digitale tegnologie en die gebruik van digitale speletjies vir taalverwerwing. Aanbevelings sluit in: die behoefte aan die ontwikkeling van meer digitale speletjies wat op taalverwerwing betrekking het; en dat onderwysers tersaaklike pedagogieë moet inspan om uit die beskikbare digitale speletjies voordeel te trek. ʼn Soortgelyke studie in ʼn landelike gebied en ʼn vergelyking tussen hierdie studie en so ʼn studie sal dan nuttig wees om onderwysers se begrip en gebruik van digitale spel vir taalverwerwing te bepaal. / Barutiši ba na le go šomiša mekgwa ya sekgale ya go ruta, le ge e le gore baithuti ba baswa ba na le tsebo ya theknolotši. Morero wa nyakišišo ye e be e le go sekaseka mašomelo le kwešišo ya barutiši ka diphapošing tša kreiti R go hlalosa tšhomišo ya bona ya papadi ya ditšitale ya go ithuta polelo. Bakgathatema ba bopilwe ke barutiši ba seswai ba kreiti R sekolong se se kgethilwego sa poraemari ka nagasetoropong seo se nago le theknolotši ya ditšitale. Teori ya mekgwa ya ekolotši ya Bronfenbrenner bjalo ka foreimiweke ya teori e thekgile nyakišišo ye. Kheisesetati ye e tee ya khwalithethifi e tšweleditše datha go tšwa go bakgathatema ba e lego barutiši le kopano ya bona le baithuti. Tšweletšo ya datha e akareditše dipoledišano tša motho o tee ka o tee tša go beakanywa seripa, dipoledišano tša go nepiša sehlopha, le ditlhokomelo tša ba go se kgathe tema. Ditshekatsheko go araba dipotšišo tša dinyakišišo di dirilwe ka go šomiša tshekatsheko ya thematiki. Kutullo ye kgolo e bile gore barutiši ba kreiti R ba na le tsebo le kwešišo ye nyane ya papadi ya ditšitale le gore ba rata go leka dipapadi tše diswa, eupša ba kwa ba nyaka go tseba tše ntši ka ga theknolotši ya ditšitale le tšhomišo ya dipapadi tša ditšitale tša go ithuta polelo. Ditšhišinyo di akaretša nyakego ya tlhabollo ya dipapadi tša ditšitale tše ntši tša maleba go ithuteng polelo le gore baithuti ba amogela serutiši sa maleba gore ba holege dipapading tša ditšitale. Nyakišišo ye bjalo nagamagaeng le papišo gare ga nyakišišo ye le nyakišišo ye bjalo gona e tla ba le mohola taetšong ya kwešišo ya barutiši le tšhomišo ya papadi ya ditšitale ya go ithuta polelo. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)