The poor mathematics achievement of South African learners is a great shock and reason for concern in our country. The question is asked why the learners achieve so poorly and whether something can be done to improve learners’ mathematics achievement. Research has shown that the field of study orientation is a primary factor for learners’ mathematics achievement. A positive study orientation towards Mathematics has a great influence on the positive achievement of learners in Mathematics. The use of metacognition has also been found to improve learners’ mathematics achievement and their ability to solve problems. It has been decided to find the relationship between learners’ study orientation and metacognition and to determine what the influence of the relationship is on learner's mathematics achievement. Learners’ study orientation is identified as six fields that have an influence on learner's mathematics achievement. The fields are learners’ study attitude in Mathematics, Mathematics anxiety, study habits in Mathematics, problem solving behaviour in Mathematics, study milieu (social, physical well-being and classroom atmosphere) in Mathematics and information processing in Mathematics. Metacognition is described as the learners’ thoughts concerning their own thinking and is divided in two separate components: • Metacognitive knowledge: it addresses the questions of what you know, how you think, when and where to use certain strategies. Metacognitive knowledge consists of strategic knowledge, knowledge of cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. • Self-management: self-management is 'metacognition in action' and learners use it to effectively apply the metacognitive knowledge. Self-management consists of prediction, planning, monitoring and evaluation. The study population comprise of Grade 7-learners in the Potchefstroom district. The schools that participated in the study serve learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds (ex-Model C, multicultural, township, farm and learners living in the township but their school is in an affluent environment. The sample was chosen from an expedient sample. The study consists of a quantitative research as well as a qualitative research. The quantitative research was conducted by making use of the study orientation questionnaire in Mathematics, a metacognitive questionnaire and a mathematics achievement questionnaire for Grade 7. The average of the high achievement learners as well the low achievement learners were determine, intercorrelations between the variables and a regression analysis has been done to find out which fields is a good predictor for mathematics achievement. The qualitative research was conducted, using interviews. The Mathematics teachers (involved in the learner's teaching and learning), high achievement learners and low achievement learners where interviewed. The interviews were interpreted and combined with the qualitative research findings. The study found that both a positive study orientation and use of metacognition in Mathematics can enhance learners’ mathematics achievement. High achieving learners are better orientated towards Mathematics and make use of metacognition in a greater extent than learners that achieve poorly in mathematics. In general learners have a positive attitude towards Mathematics and their study milieu is positive. It has been found that learner's orientation toward study habits is weak and their problem solving behaviour is weak also, especially with solving non routine problems. Out of the correlations it was found that learners which experience a high level of mathematics anxiety and a negative study milieu make less use of metacognition than learners that experience less mathematics anxiety and have a positive study milieu. There is a relationship between metacognition and study-orientation and this relationship has an influence on learners’ mathematics achievement. Recommendations were made concerning metacognition and study orientation. In order to enhance learners’ mathematics achievement, it is necessary to improve their use of metacognition and study orientation towards mathematics / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The poor mathematics achievement of South African learners is a great shock and reason for concern in our country. The question is asked why the learners achieve so poorly and whether something can be done to improve learners’ mathematics achievement. Research has shown that the field of study orientation is a primary factor for learners’ mathematics achievement. A positive study orientation towards Mathematics has a great influence on the positive achievement of learners in Mathematics. The use of metacognition has also been found to improve learners’ mathematics achievement and their ability to solve problems. It has been decided to find the relationship between learners’ study orientation and metacognition and to determine what the influence of the relationship is on learner's mathematics achievement. Learners’ study orientation is identified as six fields that have an influence on learner's mathematics achievement. The fields are learners’ study attitude in Mathematics, Mathematics anxiety, study habits in Mathematics, problem solving behaviour in Mathematics, study milieu (social, physical well-being and classroom atmosphere) in Mathematics and information processing in Mathematics. Metacognition is described as the learners’ thoughts concerning their own thinking and is divided in two separate components: • Metacognitive knowledge: it addresses the questions of what you know, how you think, when and where to use certain strategies. Metacognitive knowledge consists of strategic knowledge, knowledge of cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. • Self-management: self-management is 'metacognition in action' and learners use it to effectively apply the metacognitive knowledge. Self-management consists of prediction, planning, monitoring and evaluation. The study population comprise of Grade 7-learners in the Potchefstroom district. The schools that participated in the study serve learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds (ex-Model C, multicultural, township, farm and learners living in the township but their school is in an affluent environment. The sample was chosen from an expedient sample. The study consists of a quantitative research as well as a qualitative research. The quantitative research was conducted by making use of the study orientation questionnaire in Mathematics, a metacognitive questionnaire and a mathematics achievement questionnaire for Grade 7. The average of the high achievement learners as well the low achievement learners were determine, intercorrelations between the variables and a regression analysis has been done to find out which fields is a good predictor for mathematics achievement. The qualitative research was conducted, using interviews. The Mathematics teachers (involved in the learner's teaching and learning), high achievement learners and low achievement learners where interviewed. The interviews were interpreted and combined with the qualitative research findings. The study found that both a positive study orientation and use of metacognition in Mathematics can enhance learners’ mathematics achievement. High achieving learners are better orientated towards Mathematics and make use of metacognition in a greater extent than learners that achieve poorly in mathematics. In general learners have a positive attitude towards Mathematics and their study milieu is positive. It has been found that learner's orientation toward study habits is weak and their problem solving behaviour is weak also, especially with solving non routine problems. Out of the correlations it was found that learners which experience a high level of mathematics anxiety and a negative study milieu make less use of metacognition than learners that experience less mathematics anxiety and have a positive study milieu. There is a relationship between metacognition and study-orientation and this relationship has an influence on learners’ mathematics achievement. Recommendations were made concerning metacognition and study orientation. In order to enhance learners’ mathematics achievement, it is necessary to improve their use of metacognition and study orientation towards mathematics / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

Assessment, as an integral part of teaching and learning, gained unprecedented prominence in the curriculum in South Africa post 1994. When the new curriculum was introduced, it was assumed that teachers would effortlessly adapt their teaching and assessment practices, and swiftly implement the curriculum. Fourteen years after the inception of the new curriculum, majority of teachers are still grappling with issues of assessment. Previously, there was an exclusive bias towards summative assessment, which is mainly learning product–orientated and less or no focus on the other assessment typologies such as diagnostic and formative assessment, which are learning process–orientated. Of these typologies, diagnostic assessment is not being used maximally to enhance mathematics learning and inform the nature of the interventions to attend to learners’ needs. The study focused on diagnostic assessment by investigating the impact of a particular model, GIST model, on the learning barriers and learner achievement in mathematics among the grade 9 learners. The investigation of the impact of the GIST model was done through the experimental design in four schools with class sizes of d > 40. Data were collected quantitatively through Study Orientation Questionnaire (SOM) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) as well as qualitatively through interviews, observations and document analysis. The t–test and the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the GIST model improved the learner achievement practically significantly (d = 0.79). However, the GIST model could not mitigate the learning barriers and improve correlations between SOM and MAT. The study, however, does find grounds to conclude that the latter findings can be attributed to teachers’ lacking understanding and implementation of diagnostic assessment, in particular the GIST components. Hence, certain recommendations are posed with regard to the applicable training of teachers in order to empower them to effectively utilize diagnostic assessment and to guide learners in overcoming learning barriers in mathematics. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Mathematics Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Assessment, as an integral part of teaching and learning, gained unprecedented prominence in the curriculum in South Africa post 1994. When the new curriculum was introduced, it was assumed that teachers would effortlessly adapt their teaching and assessment practices, and swiftly implement the curriculum. Fourteen years after the inception of the new curriculum, majority of teachers are still grappling with issues of assessment. Previously, there was an exclusive bias towards summative assessment, which is mainly learning product–orientated and less or no focus on the other assessment typologies such as diagnostic and formative assessment, which are learning process–orientated. Of these typologies, diagnostic assessment is not being used maximally to enhance mathematics learning and inform the nature of the interventions to attend to learners’ needs. The study focused on diagnostic assessment by investigating the impact of a particular model, GIST model, on the learning barriers and learner achievement in mathematics among the grade 9 learners. The investigation of the impact of the GIST model was done through the experimental design in four schools with class sizes of d > 40. Data were collected quantitatively through Study Orientation Questionnaire (SOM) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) as well as qualitatively through interviews, observations and document analysis. The t–test and the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the GIST model improved the learner achievement practically significantly (d = 0.79). However, the GIST model could not mitigate the learning barriers and improve correlations between SOM and MAT. The study, however, does find grounds to conclude that the latter findings can be attributed to teachers’ lacking understanding and implementation of diagnostic assessment, in particular the GIST components. Hence, certain recommendations are posed with regard to the applicable training of teachers in order to empower them to effectively utilize diagnostic assessment and to guide learners in overcoming learning barriers in mathematics. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Mathematics Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.