The disparate numbers of boys and girls who elect to continue with mathemalics and/or physical science in the higher slandards of the school system has recently attracted much research atlention and the complexity of the interrelaledness of causal factors has become obvious. The broad aim of the study was to investigale the significant drop-out rate of girls at the end of the junior secondary phase of education (approximate age of fourteen lo fifteen). This was to be carried out for mathematics and physical science and undertaken using a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. The cross-sectional study entailed administering mathematics and physical science attitude questionnaires to 3531 standard six, seven and eight pupils from 4 co-educational, 2 allgirls' and 2 all-boys' schools, from middle and upper socioeconomic communities with similar language and cultural backgrounds . The longitudinal study involved pupils from two coeducational schools and one all-girls' school. It was a progressively-focused study starting with questionnaires administered to 358 standard six girls and boys, narrowing down to questionnaires and interviews used with 50 girls and 28 boys in standard seven and finally to interviews with 10 girls from standard eight. The parents of these ten girls were interviewed at the end of the study. The attilude questionnaires yielded strong sex differences which favoured the boys in both subjects for all the attitudes measured and also pointed to a progressive deterioralion of altitudes over the three-standard span. They also established significant differences in attitudes which favoured the pupils from Single-sex schools. It was further concluded that the girls were more strongly guided by their attitudes when making their subject-choice decisions. In the longitudinal study, reasons were suggested for pupils either taking or dropping mathematics and physical science. The introduction of algebra in the first year of high school presented a problem to pupils. In physical science, electricity was singled out as giving the subject a male bias. Socialization influences in the home were the main issue dealt with from the parent interviews . Sex-roles and stereotypes were dealt with in depth. Recommendations were made involving classroom strategies, curriculum possibilities, school policies and further research

D.Ed. / According to Prof. Linda Chisholm (2000) in an address delivered at the Annual Conference of APEK,"...the report of the Review Committee on Curriculum 2005 has evoked a great deal of debate and discussion in two main areas related to the values that it promotes: the first is the relationship between outcomes-based education and Curriculum 2005 and the second is the role of technology and economic and management sciences in the curriculum." The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) promotes the idea of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) and the principles of Curriculum 2005 (C2005), but the emphasis is now to develop a schools' policy built on a set of recommendations for it to be revised and streamlined by substituting the terminology with "user-friendly" phrases and language (Chisholm, 1999:1). By preparing the science teachers in South Africa with the necessary skills to effectively transform the present curriculum into a workable and flexible system, the empowerment they gain from such an exercise is crucial to their focus on science teaching and learning. According to Prof. Chisholm, "a human rights based, antidiscriminatory approach demands a higher level of reading, writing and arithmetic that has existed to date, whether before C2005 or with C2005. For us there can be no return to basics, and the challenge now is to ensure not only that more have access but also that all have access to higher levels than before." This is a sustainable demand of the twenty-first century; hence the term curriculum was adopted.With an environmental education approach, the cross-curricular and dynamic nature of the environment (Van Rooyen, 1998: 104) that is exposed to South Africans today can be positively channelled through the acquisition of basic scientific skills needed to confront the 21s t Century. Outcomes Based Education is one approach that has been tabled, and has its merits and disadvantages. If an environmental education programme becomes the learning programme upon which the curriculum is based, then the overall quality of education in South African schools and the quality of life of the nation can be uplifted through the application of such a model or programme, particularly in the fields of general and physical science: The long-term aims of this study include the following: To encourage a broad, participatory process of Curriculum development for environmental education in South Africa, in accordance with the EEPI (Environmental Education Policy Initiative); To provide educators teaching Physical Science with a programme which can be applied to determine methods which enable the scientific problem solving skills of South Africans and their overall quality of their lives to be uplifted and improved; To carry out the above process through effective education for the environment; To contribute to and refine the new C2005 through the application of environmental strategies and methods of assessment , based on critical and specific outcomes.(OBE)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, August 2014. / The general poor performance in physical science in South Africa is a cause for concern. The reasons for this situation includes lack of basic content knowledge by science teachers, unprofessional attitudes, ineffective teaching approaches, lack of resources and failure to understand the language of science by the learners. This study investigated South African grade 12 learners’ meanings of everyday words when used in science context. The study focused on grade 12 physical science learners from four different government secondary schools in Johannesburg. These learners had different home languages and socio-economic background. Data was obtained through a questionnaire given to learners followed by group interviews with the learners. A face-to-face interview with each physical science teacher from each school was also conducted. This study reveals that learners face difficulties with meanings of everyday words when used in science context as was reflected by their response in the questionnaire. The physical science teachers from the four secondary schools were not aware that everyday words (nontechnical words) are misunderstood by the learners when they are teaching them. As such teachers were not explaining the meanings of these words to learners in their context of use. Also the teachers did not know the difference between technical words and non-technical words. The study seeks to make the science teachers aware of this problem so that they can take time to explain the meanings of these words when teaching and this might improve understanding of science concepts. It is hoped that if there is shared meaning of words used in the instructional language between the teacher and learners it would improve the general performance in physical science.

Thesis ((M.Ed. (Science Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The new curriculum introduced in the Further Education and Training phase has had a great impact on the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences in the classrooms. The policy documents for Physical Sciences emphasis that practical work to be integrated with the teaching of Science. However, much remains desired on how teachers use their Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) to conduct practical work in their classrooms. This study explored teachers’ perceptions of practical work in the context of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement. PCK was used as the theoretical framelens to understand teachers’ perceptions of practical work. Data in the study were collected through interviews and observations from four Grade 11 teachers. It was also collected by scrutinising teachers’ portfolios. Observations were used to discover the teachers’ actual classroom conduct of practical work. The sample of the study was drawn from Mankweng Circuit, in the Limpopo province. The findings of the study revealed that teachers conduct demonstrations which were structured and inquiry based practical work was not conducted. It was also found that they conduct practical work for promotional marks only. Furthermore, it was revealed that teachers appreciate the value of practical work in the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences but lack of resources and time constraints hinder them from conducting good practical work. It was also found that teachers do not have practical work lesson plans in their portfolios except those for reporting. However, apparatus in some instances were limiting teachers to conduct good practical work. Large classes, lack of time table for practical work and pressure to complete the curriculum were also mentioned by the teachers as limitations. It is recommended that subject specialists should help in developing teachers’ knowledge to conduct inquiry based practical work.

The study aimed to add to our understanding of why many girls in rural high schools were not choosing to study Physical Science. A case study of a local high school was used as the research method. Questionnaires to the 120 learners in grade 9 and 10 were the main instrument used to gather data. This was followed up with interviews of a sample of learners and some classroom observations. The science teacher was also included as a key informant in this study. The data collected aimed at answering the following key question: What influences girls in their decision to choose to study Physical Science at a rural school? The following sub questions guided the researcher in answering the key research question: (a) Are there any differences in participation between boys and girls? (b) What influences their choice in Grade 9? (c) Were Grade 10 learners happy with their subject package choices made in grade 9? The data were captured, coded, analysed and interpreted. The study produced evidence that the learners' family, the classroom environment, peer influence and the shortage of role models were the main reasons for the low • number of girls participating in Physical Science. The study found that these factors have a significant influence on girls' subject choices. Ofthe four factors found, the family was the most significant factor (i.e. where the family members tended to choose the subject package for girls). In the classroom the girls were involved in proportionally the same number of interactions but importantly the female teacher had a disproportionate number of interactions with the boys. In apparent contradiction to the teachers comments that the boys were the more active learners, the girls initiated more interactions with the teacher. However, the girls reported that they were uncomfortable in the class as boys mocked and intimidated them during the lessons. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the girls who did choose to take Physical Science were unhappy with their choice as they then found it difficult. The main recommendations of the study were that; teacher and community awareness programmes should be established to raise awareness of the gender issues and to promote girls taking science; career guidance should be given to learners so they could make their own informed decisions; and possibly specialist science girls schools could be established. Further suggestions for research were made. The findings of this study should provide policy makers, curriculum developers, and science teachers with valuable information about some of the factors that influence girls not to take Physical Science. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

The introduction of the National Curriculum statement (NCS) in Further Education and Training (FET) phase in 2005 had a great impact on classroom practice, resulting in a shift to Outcomes Based Education (OBE). The Physical Sciences curriculum created challenges for Physical Science teachers. The Learning Outcome (LO)-1 recommends that scientific inquiry and inquiry based practical work be taught in Physical Sciences lessons. However, much remains to be understood regarding teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in inquiry based practical work. This study explored the conception of practical work by Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers within the NCS curriculum. Using the PCK as a theoretical lens, the study explored how the Physical Sciences teachers used practical work in their teaching. Furthermore, the exploration sought to ascertain whether there was any relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the purpose of practical work and their use of practical work. The data was collected by interviewing two Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers and also by conducting some classroom observations involving practical work to ascertain teachers’ actual practice. The sample was drawn from two high schools at Empangeni District, in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The findings revealed that teachers value using practical work in teaching of Physical Sciences. Qualitative data analysis enables recommendation to be made for the improvement of the use of inquiry-based practical work in the teaching of Physical Sciences. Both teachers held the view that the most important aim of practical work was to promote conceptual understanding. During their teaching, both teachers use practical work to verify theory through non-inquiry practical instructional practices and strategies. However, there were limiting factors which do not provide opportunities for teachers to engage learners in inquirybased practical work. Amongst the factors that were reported by the teachers as limiting their use of inquiry-oriented practical work are limitations of resources, time constraints, large classes and pressure to complete the prescribed curriculum. It is recommended that curriculum developers through the use of subject education specialist (SES), facilitate teachers’ transformation from expository to inquiry instruction. More discussions on how to design and conduct inquiry-based practical work are recommended. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

The main purpose of this study was to determine whether a Physical Science intervention programme that has been running for three years at St John’s College for selected Grade 10-12 students from under-resourced schools in inner city Johannesburg, has had any impact on the final academic results of these selected students in the National Senior Certificate examination. There is little international or local research that deals with third world academic extension and enrichment programmes, particularly with respect to South Africa. A mixed methods case study on the programme was carried out. Numerical data was collected over a period of three years to be used to determine the effectiveness of the programme. Interviews with the participants and teachers on the programme were conducted and surveys were carried out with participants on the programme as well as students who were not on the programme from the three partner schools. The three instruments used in the research provided different forms of data which produced findings that were combined to look for common trends and understandings. The data collected from the surveys, interviews and term scores were coded, captured organised, analysed and interpreted. Among the more significant findings were: (a) Not all of the participants on the programme showed academic improvement; (b) The overall academic improvement of the two groups researched was marginally better than their peers who were not part of the programme; (c) In the view of the participants, the intervention had a greater influence on their academic achievements than the actual findings from analysis of the numerical data indicated; (d) There are a number of factors that determine the success of the programme; (e) The self-motivation is an important determinant for success of individuals on the programme. These findings could assist current programme organisers and institutions that seek to introduce similar types of intervention programmes in the future. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the problem solving proficiency of Physical Science learners in Highveld Ridge East circuits in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationship between proficiency in conceptual and algorithmic problem solving, to compare the percentage of algorithmic and conceptual problems that were correctly and incorrectly answered, problems not attempted at all and finally to categorize Physical Science learners according to their stoichiometry problem solving proficiencies. The target population for this study was Grade 12 Physical Science learners in Highveld Ridge East and West circuit in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. To achieve the aim of this study and its subsequent objectives random sampling was used to select the three schools and the sample after a stoichiometry achievement test was administered by Physical Science teachers, who were teaching the participants at their respective schools. The researcher scored the tests using a memorandum. The results of this study indicated that learners’ proficiency in both algorithmic and conceptual problem solving was low, there was a weak positive correlation between algorithmic and conceptual problem solving proficiency, the percentage of solutions that were correctly solved was the lowest compared to the percentage of incorrect solutions and problems not attempted. The other result of this study was that there were no grade 12 Physical Science learners with high algorithmic and high conceptual abilities, a few learners had high algorithmic and low conceptual abilities and the majority of the learners had low algorithmic and low conceptual problem solving abilities. This implies that Physical Science teachers in these circuits should focus on developing both algorithmic and conceptual problem solving strategies when teaching stoichiometry. / Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

The aim of the study was to investigate the factors associated with high school learners’ poor performance in physical science in the Libode District in the Eastern Cape. The research also meant to answer the following research objectives on factors associated with high school learners’ poor performance in physical science. The first research objective was based on determining the school related factors that cause poor performance in physical science in the Libode District, while the second research objective was based on determining the home related factors that caused poor performance in physical science in the Libode district. The third research objective was based on ascertaining the skills and competencies of both physical science educators and physical science learners to improve performance while the fourth objective was based on suggesting strategies that could improve performance of both the physical science learners and educators. Research objectives three and four were addressed as recommendation. The study employed a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach. Six public high schools in the Libode District participated in this study. The identities of all the respondents were protected accordingly. Upon analysis of the results, several school related and home related factors respectively were identified as causing poor performance in physical science. No single factor was accountable for the poor performance in physical science. Recommendations for improvement in the areas identified were provided as well as areas for further research. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Education in the Faculty of Education at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / There is currently a strong emphasis on the teaching of Physical Sciences in the school system. The National Department of Education has established Dinaledi schools to address this situation to increase the number of learners taking Physical Sciences as one of their school subjects and to also increase the number of passes in the subject. Furthermore, Physical Sciences learners struggle to understand certain scientific concepts and develop alternative ideas about these concepts that have a negative influence on further development of other integrated science concepts. The thesis proposes the importance of developing concept mapping to enhance the teaching of topics in a Physical Sciences classroom. The research focused on the chemical equilibrium in a Grade 12 Physical Sciences tutoring classroom. This happened in a group setting, with learners enrolling with the specific aim of improving their marks for Physical Sciences as one of the important gateway subjects for entrance to tertiary education. The research focused on their prior knowledge of the topic and how they understood the topic. Using social constructivism as underpinning theoretical framework, and conceptual change theory, learners were taken through a process to identify and rectify their alternative ideas on chemical equilibrium. In this, perspective learning is seen as a social process in which learners actively participate and contribute with their understanding and arguments. The research was carried out in a science tutoring classroom and focused on three groups from secondary schools in the Paarl Valley, Drakenstein area, Western Cape, South Africa. The groups were taught and observed in the science tutoring classroom with special attention to data collection in order to capture their thinking and work on the topic. Data were collected by means of concept mapping, where each learner completed a minimum of three or maximum of four concept maps. Within each concept map, learners connected key concepts of the topic with one another. Each concept map identified the learner‟s prior knowledge as well as any alternative ideas created by using existing frameworks. Data were analysed using a rubric to determine each concept map‟s quality. Conclusions were that learners became actively involved in the process of concept mapping as well as learning. There were no definite differences between higher performing and lower performing learners. As for the enhanced teaching aspect, alternative ideas were identified quickly using the concept maps; these were centred on the individual learner, and were not general.