The quality of education in South Africa has come increasingly under scrutiny for various reasons and learners ‘performance in mathematics is one of the main areas of concern. Learners in secondary schools in Nzhelele East Circuit in Limpopo Province, South Africa, are not performing well in mathematics. Learners who want to pursue careers such as civil engineering, medicine and other qualifications where mathematics is a prerequisite find it difficult to follow these careers. The study used focus group discussions with 20 Grade 12 learners, face-to-face semi-structured interviews with six teachers and four SMT to investigate factors affecting grade 12 learners performance in mathematics in two secondary schools. The study highlighted socio-cultural and psychological factors that are seen to be barriers in mathematics performance. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that affect Grade 12 learners’ performance in mathematics. As there are many factors, this study's main emphasis was on the influence of the home environment, teachers’ competence and attitudes in teaching mathematics, learners’ attitudes towards mathematics and strategies that can be used to improve learners’ performance in mathematics. The afore-said were named themes each of which related to questions contained in the semi-structured interview schedule. The study included literature review from Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. Qualitative research method was used. Interviews were conducted with SMT, teachers and learners. The researcher set out to answer the following question What are the dominant and most profound socio-cultural and psychological factors of the Grade 12 mathematics learners affecting performance in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province? The following points will also be taken into consideration during this research. How do learner performance trends in mathematics education look like among Grade 12 mathematics learners in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, and South Africa? What are the teacher-based factors established to have been contributory to the state of learner performance in mathematics in the selected participant schools? What are the School Management Team (SMTs) factors established to have been contributory to the state of learner performance in mathematics in the selected participant schools? THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Aim This study investigates the dominant and most profound socio-cultural and psychological factors affecting learner performance in mathematics among Grade 12 learners in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, and South Africa. Objectives The objective of this study was to explore the socio-cultural and psychological factors in the home and school environment that affect Grade 12 learners performance in mathematics at Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province. Based on the above question the following were findings of the research. • Mathematics is believed to be a critical school subject in most regions of the world in general, and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular. • A plethora of governments – especially those in developing economies where governments are targeting industrialization and technological development believe mathematics is crucial for facilitating development and advancement of the general populace of their regions. • Mathematics is a compulsory subject in most education systems around the world. • There are a variety of complexities and constraints affecting the teaching and learning of mathematics in most regions of the world. • There is poor learner performance in mathematics. This is indicated by high failure rate in mathematics during end-of-year learner assessments. • The reasons for the poor performance of learners in mathematics in the selected schools were vast and intertwined. • Efforts have been made at international level to intervene with regard finding solutions to complexities and constraints affecting teaching-learning environment in mathematics. • The complexities and constraints affecting the teaching-learning environment of mathematics in South Africa stem from South Africa's past era of apartheid education. • Mathematics has been a major target of improvement and transformation by the post-apartheid government in South Africa. • Regardless of the efforts made by the post-apartheid government in South Africa to improve and transform teaching-learning environment in mathematics, there are perpetual complexities and constraints still hindering progress, and this affects learner output in mathematics. • Mathematics is one of the poorly performing subjects in the post-apartheid education system in South African schools – especially those schools which are based in formerly disadvantaged areas such as homelands and townships. • There is a growing body of literature investigating the complexities and constraints affecting the teaching-learning of mathematics in South Africa. Apart from the conclusions based on general observations, the study furthermore concluded that critical learner-based factors, teacher-based factors and SMT-base factors contributed to the state of affairs in the selected participant schools. This study therefore concluded thus: • Learner-based factors Mathematics learners were poorly prepared in the lower grades for senior grades. In other words, learners lacked proper foundation and background in mathematics. Learners were not well taught the basics of mathematics in previous grades. Furthermore, mathematics learners lacked assistance with homework for example because the majority of parents were illiterate and therefore not involved in supervision of learners beyond school environment. Learners showed negative attitude towards their teachers and the subject. Learners were not self-motivated in mathematics. • Teacher-based factors Teachers did not have enough workshops on how to teach mathematics, and also on content knowledge improvement. Less creative teachers were teaching mathematics. Teachers lacked support from their principals. The majority of teachers lacked passion in mathematics. • School Management Teams (SMTs) factors This study concludes that mathematics teachers were not receiving adequate support from the School management Teams (SMTs). Lack of teacher support by SMTs stems from poor organisation of supervisory roles expected from SMTs. Teachers' work is not being properly monitored and supervised. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the conclusions drawn from the study, the following recommendations are crucial, and they have to be implemented: • Recommendations to the Department of Education This study recommends that the Department of Education should monitor or revisit the methods of teaching and learning of mathematics. Assessment should also be revisited to ensure that the mathematics paper is not too long for the learners during examinations. Enlisted service providers who facilitate teacher workshops for mathematics must be conversant with content requirements of mathematics. Considerations should be made to simplify the mathematics question paper. The Department of Education should also provide necessary resources such as textbooks timeously. Knowledgeable mathematics specialists and advisers could be enlisted to visit regular visits to schools to assist teachers and learners throughout the year. • Recommendations to the School Management Teams (SMTs) The SMT should ensure that their educators are adequately qualified to teach mathematics. as a subject as well as being able to teach their learners in a way that they understand the subject. In addition, teachers who are knowledgeable in teaching mathematics should be appointed to teach mathematics. The SMTs should also ensure that compulsory workshops are provided for mathematics teachers at school level. Furthermore, the SMTs should ensure that educators are able to identify learners that are under-performing, monitor the utilisation of study time and assist in resolving problems regarding the poor performance of such individual learners. School Management Teams shall facilitate additional after-hours lessons and sessions to assist learners identified as lacking in home environment assistance for example. Moreover, SMTs should also encourage all Grade 12 mathematics learners to participate in supervised extra mathematics lessons and extra-mural activities in order to develop and build their self-confidence and positive self-esteem. In addition, the SMT members should be more supportive to their mathematics teachers. Continuous moderation of teachers' work should be encouraged. School Management Teams (SMTs) should also develop motivational programmes and instruments to encourage and motivate learners in their respective schools. For example, performing learners could be awarded with prizes in public – especially during school organised functions which might include learners, teachers and parents. • Recommendations to the teachers The teachers should make it a point that they attended mathematics workshops as organised by various stakeholders. Teachers' interest in mathematics could be improved by improving their knowledge of subject content in mathematics, and personal recognition by authorities. Performing teachers could also be recognised and awarded with prizes publicly at school gatherings and meetings. Teachers should also be encouraged to obtain further qualifications and skills in mathematics. • Recommendations to the learners Efforts should be made to improve learners’ attitudes towards mathematics, and in addition to their mathematics teachers. Learners should be made aware of national target for mathematics education and the implications thereof. This could be achieved by utilizing educators – especially those who teach Guidance as a subject to learners to provide more convincing evidence of the spin-offs of obtaining good passes in mathematics in South Africa. SUGGESTION FOR AREAS NEEDING FURTHER STUDY There is a need to conduct follow-up research on: • applied strategies and instrument to improve learner attitude towards mathematics. • Establishing whether the complexities and constraints affecting learner performance in mathematics affect both girl and boy learners the same considering that their circumstances and conditions might materially differ. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The main purpose of the research was to investigate the influence of scientific calculators on Grade 8 South African learner's understanding of fractions in learning mathematics. Quasi-experimental quantitative research methods were used. A sampling frame was selected using non probability sampling technique. A total of 15 learners in each group were randomly selected for an experimental and control group for the study. Both groups were taught fraction concepts by different teachers for the same duration and at the same time. The experimental group used a calculator as a learning aid while the control group used the traditional paper pencil method. Two tasks (post-test and assignment) were administered to both groups and a questionnaire to the experimental group. The results indicated that the scientific calculator has a positive influence in learner's conceptual understanding of fractions in mathematics as reflected in their performance. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)

Quelle est la nature des mathématiques enseignées dans les classes de l’enseignement secondaire? Dans quelle mesure l’enseignement des compétences n’handicape-t-il pas l’accès à des mathématiques telles qu’en rêvent les enseignants ?Ce qu’on enseigne a les caractéristiques d’un texte, d’une forme scripturale qui présente des différences avec la forme orale d’une société qui ne connaît pas l’écriture. Il apparaît que la formulation des définitions présente un outil performant pour cette analyse. Les investigations empiriques dévoilent, à travers quatre tensions, les difficultés qu’ont les enseignants à faire entrer leurs élèves dans l’apprentissage d’une théorie mathématique. L’analyse des différentes manières de valider ce qu’ils enseignent conduit à montrer dans quelle situation problématique se trouve l’enseignement des mathématiques aujourd’hui. Un remède serait l’apprentissage de la compétence idiomatique.<p><p><p><p>What is the nature of the Mathematics which are taught in secondary education classes (pupils from 12 to 18 years old)? How far does it impair learning mathematics like teachers dream them ?The taught matter shows the features of a text, of a scriptural form showing up differences with the oral form of a society without writing. The formulation of definitions appears to be a powerful tool to perform this analysis. Empirical investigations reveal through four tensions, how hardly the teachers bring their pupils into the learning of a mathematical theory. The analysis of the various ways to validate what they teach leads to show in what serious difficulties is today the teaching of mathematics. A remedy could be the learning of idiomatic competence.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences Psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Submitted in compliance with the requirements for Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Quality, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Quality has emerged as a necessity in education as we are faced with increasing competition and a demand for better quality of life. There is an enormous gap in South Africa’s education system; 60% of South Africa’s children do not reach the final matriculation school year. Many Grade 12 learners, despite being taught Mathematics, remain effectively mathematically illiterates. The ability to provide quality education is more than ever essential and there is at present a consensus for fundamental reforms in our education sector, with emphasis on Quality. The result of quality education is not only about achieving academic excellence but the total development of the learner. If education does not cater for the future needs and challenges of the new millennium then it is ineffective for the new generation. Low scores in Mathematics are a major concern as learners are not able to meet the challenges in secondary schools to pursue careers in Mathematics. South Africa was placed last out of 41 countries worldwide in terms of Mathematics performance in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The World Economic Forum has placed South Africa last amongst 62 countries on the quality of Mathematics and Science Education in their annual report in 2012. Apartheid in South Africa was a complex period that paved the way for the new education dispensation. A paradigm shift was thus imperative and challenging to a democratic South Africa. It is more than two decades into the 21st century and into a democratic South Africa. The effects of apartheid are visible in many areas, more so in education. This study is underpinned by the transformation agenda attached to curriculum policy reform in South Africa. There is an interface in respect of policy construction and Skills, knowledge, attitudes and values (SKAV) constitution from the Department of Education to primary and to secondary schools. The implementation of various curriculum reforms led to a decline in the pass rate of learners in the National Senior Certificate examinations and in the Annual National Assessment. Some of the serious problems articulated by teachers were inadequate subject training in Mathematics, lack of communication, job dissatisfaction and the demanding administrative workload. It is envisaged that the findings of this study will make recommendations for SKAV development in teaching and learning of Mathematics in primary and secondary schools. In this regard, a model to improve quality in Mathematics education was proposed. The ability of education to meet the needs of the future both at individual and societal level is one of the critical elements of quality education. / D

HIV and AIDS are still among the world's most significant public health challenges. Education is widely regarded as an effective response to the pandemic - a “social vaccine” that can increase young people’s awareness of the dangers of HIV infection and thus decrease their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. Integrating HIV and AIDS awareness across the school curriculum is therefore one of the strategies being implemented to educate learners about the pandemic. There are challenges; however, related to the central goal of integrating HIV and AIDS education and also to the form – in particular, the pedagogical practices - that this might best take. This qualitative case study research investigated teachers’ perspectives, experiences, and levels of preparedness with regard to integrating HIV and AIDS information in the main carrier subjects, mathematics and geography, in some junior secondary schools in Namibia. The study situates debates on curriculum integration and draws on Fogarty’s (1999) models of curriculum integration as a conceptual and analytic tool to examine the nature, form and content of integration. It includes a questionnaire on curriculum integration completed by 53 teachers as well as a component consisting of observations and interviews with four teachers from two schools. The results reveal patterns that also emerge in earlier studies on curriculum integration. This approach is already widely recognized as challenging and problematic in the context of general education. However, this and other studies show that when HIV and AIDS are brought into the arena, additional factors come into play and further complicate the process, because of the sensitivity of this topic. In addition, the task of integrating HIV and AIDS education has been added to an already overcrowded curriculum. Teachers have not been provided with adequate (or any) training with concrete examples that might facilitate their efforts to integrate HIV and AIDS information into subjects like the ones under scrutiny in this study. The picture that emerges from examining the evidence on HIV and AIDS integration against Fogarty’s (1991) 10 models of curriculum integration is one in which teaching practices are ad hoc, opportunistic and haphazard right across the sample. The choice of integration models for implementation of the HIV and AIDS component in these subjects has been largely left to the opportunity, ability and personal inclinations of individual teachers. The results point to a range of responses, with many teachers not teaching HIV and AIDS at all or some hesitantly experimenting with different approaches; all to limited effect in realizing the intended national goals of this curriculum project. The overall pattern also reveals a degree of frustration among the teachers in the sample, who acknowledged and were concerned at the enormity of the HIV and AIDS challenge facing the country. They recognised the motive behind the policy to have the education system play an important role in response to the HIV challenge, but felt frustrated with the social, personal and practical difficulties of actually implementing the policy within the context of poor (or no) training, knowledge, and support.

No description available.

This study explores the feelings, perceptions and experiences of Mathematics educators as they use classroom management to improve Mathematics education in the sampled four secondary schools in the Gauteng province. The main research question was to understand the place and role of effective classroom management in the improvement of mathematics education. In answering this question, the researcher collected data through purposively and conveniently selected four schools in Gauteng province. The researcher engaged the Mathematics head of department and Mathematics educators of participating schools to conduct face-to-face semi-structured interviews with heads of departments, and focus group discussions with Mathematics educators. Data was also collected through limited observation of different administrative aspects in Mathematics classrooms. Data collected was thematically analysed. The data analysis resulted in four main themes emerging. Overall, it was identified that Mathematics educators are expected to perform multiple tasks which necessitate good classroom management skills thereby enhancing an improvement in the performance of learners. From the data obtained, analysed and discussed, the study established that good Mathematics teaching cannot be separated from effectively managing classes, and that effective classroom management is a necessity in Gauteng province. Several elements which enhance effective classroom management were found to be, possession of relevant and adequate resources in the form of material and physical or material, educator professional skills and characteristics, parental and school management support as well as positive learner participation. it was seen that educators were facing several challenges which interfere with their efforts to restore and maintain an organised teaching–learning environment. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Educational Management)

The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the scores on the quantitative portion of the SAT for 110 students and these students' math teachers' ratings on the TTAS, (2) to determine the nature of the relationship of the students' SAT scores to their teachers' TTAS ratings, and (3) to determine the nature of the relationship of the students' SAT scores to their sex. It was hypothesized that (1) there would be no significant relationship between a student's math score as measured by the quantitative portion of the SAT and the effectiveness of the student's math teacher as measured by the TTAS, and (2) there would be no significant relationship between a student's math score as measured by the quantitative portion of the SAT and the student's sex. The 110 subjects (60 males and 50 females) In this study took the quantitative portion of the SAT during the 1986-87 school year. This sample was drawn from a large suburban high school in the North Texas area. The effectiveness of the math teachers who taught the 110 students was measured by the Texas Teachers Appraisal System (TTAS). The statistical analyses indicated that (1) there was no significant relationship between a higher SAT score and a math teacher's higher TTAS rating and (2) there was no significant relationship between male and female SAT scores. Recommendations for future research include: (1) does the TTAS actually measure teacher effectiveness, (2) do appraisers in Texas follow state mandated training procedures, (3) does the quantitative portion of the SAT contain sexually biased items, (4) does the SAT actually predict student ability, (5) do teachers respond in like manner to male and female students, (6) does the high school curriculum tend to favor one sex more than the other.

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)

Bibliography: leaves 131-155 / The central objective of the present research was to provide a better understanding of stereotype threat and its underlying effects on female high school students’ intention to major in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Specifically, the study investigated the intervening effects of mathematics/science self-efficacy and the conditional effects of perceived social support with regards to the implications of stereotype threat. For this reason, three studies were conducted. Participants were female (Study 1 – 3) and male (Study 1) high school students from Harer and Dire Dawa Regions, located in the Eastern part of Ethiopia. Study 1 provided evidence that both female and male participants were well aware of the existence of the negative stereotype about females’ mathematics/science ability. Participants reported that the Ethiopian society attributes less mathematics/science ability to females than to males. Although female participants were well aware of the existence of the negative stereotype about females’ mathematics and science ability, they did not endorse it. Study 2 showed experimentally that stereotype threat reduces indeed females’ intention to major in STEM fields. Moreover, Study 2 revealed that mathematics/science self-efficacy mediated the relationship between stereotype threat and females’ intention to major in STEM fields. Study 3 addressed the role of social support. The results revealed that female participants who felt socially supported in their intention to major in a STEM field were found to be resistant to the negative effects of stereotype threat. In other words, it is the interaction between stereotype threat and the lack of social support that reduces females' intention to major in STEM fields. The findings of the present study are discussed in relation to stereotype threat theory and related literature as well as in relation to potential educational interventions relevant for the Ethiopian context. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)