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A context-based problem solving approach in grade 8 natural sciences teaching and learning.Khumalo, Leonora Thandeka Nontsikelelo. January 2009 (has links)
The demands of the new curriculum are such that problem solving is foregrounded as one of the core skills in the learning of the Natural Sciences. However teachers in general have difficulties in conceptualizing how this core skill should be incorporated into their everyday teaching of the Natural Sciences. Furthermore there seems to be some confusion in the literature on how the concept of problem solving should or ought to be understood. This is a qualitative case study to explore a grade 8 Natural Sciences educator who involves the learner's context when developing the curriculum, during teaching and learning and assessment. The educator allows the learners to use their context to negotiate during teaching and learning. The learners discuss the context-based activities in their groups and solve problems in their context, produce the portfolio boards by using the resources from their context and present their portfolio board to the class. The educator assesses the learners' activities in context and the portfolio boards. The educator and classroom activities are explored by using semi-structured interview as the main source of the data, unstructured interviews semi-structured obs~rvation schedule and classroom observation. The educator's understanding is explored by using a multifaceted methodology which targets the following key aspects namely, curriculum development, teaching and learning and assessment. In the activity theory the context is the unit of analysis. Activity theory is used as the lens and the conceptual framework in this study to understand how the educator develops the curriculum, teach learners Matter and Materials in their context and assess their context-based activities and the portfolio boards. The findings show that according to this educator he sees himself as the curriculum implementer rather than developer. The curriculum changes are at theoretical level rather than classroom level. Contextual teaching involves construction of knowledge from learners pre-knowledge and interests. Teaching within an Outcomes Based Education is transformative and educator as a mediator of learning. Problem solving needs more time but maximise non-routine thinking. Assessment is for learning, it is continuous and it contributes towards assessment for grading. / Thesis (M.Ed.)- University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.
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Experiences of clinical practice in a problem-based learning medical curriculum and subsequent clinical environments.Reddy, Sarasvathie. January 2010 (has links)
The study traced the experiences of learning the clinical aspects of a problem-based learning
(PBL) medical curriculum and the participants’ construction of a relationship with the
subsequent clinical environments. In light of international and local medical and technological
changes, the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine (NRMSM) changed its traditional
curriculum to a PBL curriculum in 2001. The participants were the first cohort to experience a
PBL pedagogy and graduated in 2005, subsequently undertaking two years of compulsory
internship and one year of community service within the South African health care system. It
was in the context of these changes and the present state of health care that such a study
sought to determine how a PBL pedagogy was experienced within the clinical environments
of South Africa.
Phenomenography was used as a methodology to describe and interpret the ‘qualitatively
different ways’ in which the participants’ experienced the phenomenon. Purposive sampling
reflecting the institution’s admission policy regarding race and gender demographics was
applied. In-depth interviews were conducted at the end of the community service experience.
Variation in the experiences was represented through logically related and hierarchical
categories of description resulting in the formulation of an outcome space.
The outcome space identified three categories of description: ‘The guinea pig identity’ which
found that the participants felt at the mercy of a curriculum experiment and felt discriminated
against by the hospital consultants who had negative views of PBL. The category of
‘knowledge construction’ saw the participants exploring issues of difference between the
knowledge and practices expected by the two different kinds of curricula. The category of
‘professional identity’ indicated an emerging sense of competence across a range of clinical
situations.
Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to augment the phenomenographic analysis and to
explore the ways in which the social structure of the clinical contexts related to the discourse
patterns emerging in the phenomenographic categories in the form of power relations and
ideological effects. CDA was used as an additional lens to develop theory and acquire deeper
knowledge about why the participants constructed a relationship with the phenomenon and
the subsequent clinical environments in the way that they did.
The thesis concludes with a proposal for an empirical model that illuminates resolutions from
the major findings in the study regarding medical knowledge construction in a PBL
curriculum. The model consists of a Y axis depicting the vertical spine of basic sciences
knowledge construction, a X axis depicting the horizontal nature of professional identity
construction and a spiral that indicates the simultaneous movement of clinical knowledge
construction along each axis. It is hoped that this model will serve as a future curriculum
innovation that will result in the production of professional medical practitioners that are
required for today’s South African communities. This study, however, revealed that despite
the hegemonic practices and the theoretical inadequacies that were reported by the
participants they finally felt like professional medical practitioners during their community
service experience. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.
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The progress examination as an assessment tool in a problem-based learning curriculum : a case study of the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine.Van Wyk, Jacqueline Marina. January 2009 (has links)
Medical schools have been reviewing their curricula to prepare caring and
competent health professionals in the midst of a knowledge and technology
explosion. The implementation of problem-based learning curricula signalled
attempts to make learning more significant, based on constructivist
perspectives that emphasise social interaction for meaning making and
understanding.
Available literature suggests that learning in PBL should be assessed by
authentic, contextual real-life tasks that support and encourage students’
learning. To this end, the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine
implemented the progress examination (PE) to complement the aims of
Curriculum 2001 (C2001). The potential formative function of the PE was
specifically appealing in terms of allowing for the development of reflective,
self-directed and deep learning. Early explorations revealed an apparent
mismatch between the aims of C2001, the expectations of stakeholders and
their experiences with the PE at the site and these resulted in a number of
adaptations to the examination.
Cognisant of the influence of assessment on students’ learning, this study
sought to examine whether the educational principles governing the
implementation of C2001 also informed the implementation and adaptations
of the PE. Using a qualitative case study methodology, the study investigated
stakeholders’ understandings of the PE and its goals and the lived
experiences of its implementation as a suitable tool to assess students’ cognitive learning. In addition, the study also investigated the possible factors
that influenced the reform.
Findings suggest that the PE was not suitable to assess students’ learning in
C2001. Despite the perceptions of a strong educational need for curriculum
reform and the apparent suitability of the PE, some members of staff lacked
understanding, skill and confidence to apply and implement its aims. Staff
failed to apply transformative practices of teaching and learning, while the
principles of the PE and C2001 were not well diffused through the
organisation. Members of staff expected the PE to differentiate between high
and low performing students, while students came to regard the examination
as just another hurdle in an already hostile learning environment. Factors
such as the unstable and poor leadership, the restructuring of the health and
education sectors, impacted on the implementation of the reform.
Curriculum and assessment reform is challenging for students and lecturers,
requiring the transforming institution to actively prepare and support
stakeholders in a conducive educational climate. This case study highlights
the need for comprehensive planning for effective and sustained curriculum
reform. Collaborative strategies and educational systems should be sought
and implemented to sustain conceptual and practical reform. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.
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The nursing student's experiences of PBL at North West UniversityRakhudu, Mahlasela Annah 11 1900 (has links)
A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct a study. In-depth individual phenomenological interviews with students purposively selected were conducted. Data saturation was reached after interviewing eight students. The following categories emerged: the participants experienced problem-based learning (PBL) as challenging, problematic group collaboration and cohesion, PBL as a good strategy.
The challenges experienced included: unfamiliarity with the strategy, inadequate resources in the library, inaccessible computer laboratories because of limited space and operational hours, time pressures and overload. Clinical learning is not given adequate attention and some professional nurses in the clinical areas are not supportive to the university students as compared to college students. Positive conclusions about PBL include that students need the strategy as it promoted critical thinking, improved communication and presentation skills, helped teamwork and learning from others. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)
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The nursing student's experiences of PBL at North West UniversityRakhudu, Mahlasela Annah 11 1900 (has links)
A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct a study. In-depth individual phenomenological interviews with students purposively selected were conducted. Data saturation was reached after interviewing eight students. The following categories emerged: the participants experienced problem-based learning (PBL) as challenging, problematic group collaboration and cohesion, PBL as a good strategy.
The challenges experienced included: unfamiliarity with the strategy, inadequate resources in the library, inaccessible computer laboratories because of limited space and operational hours, time pressures and overload. Clinical learning is not given adequate attention and some professional nurses in the clinical areas are not supportive to the university students as compared to college students. Positive conclusions about PBL include that students need the strategy as it promoted critical thinking, improved communication and presentation skills, helped teamwork and learning from others. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)
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The analysis of knowledge construction in community based service-learning programmes for basic nursing education at two selected nursing schools in South Africa.Mthembu, Sindisiwe Zamandosi. January 2011 (has links)
Community based service-learning is one of the fastest growing reforms in higher education, especially in the field of health care. The increased interest in this phenomenon is based on the demands by government and society that higher education institutions should be more responsive to the needs of the community. Literature, however, reflects that service learning lacks a sound theoretical base to guide teaching and learning due to limited research in this area. This study was, therefore, aimed at exploring the phenomenon knowledge construction in basic nursing programmes in selected South African nursing schools with the intention to generate a middle range theory that may be used to guide the process of knowledge construction in community-based service-learning programmes. This study adopted a qualitative approach and a grounded theory research design
by Strauss and Corbin. Two university-based schools of nursing were purposively selected to participate in the study. There were a total number of 16 participants. The collection of data was intensified by the use of multiple sources of data (participant observation, documents analysis and in-depth structured interviews). The data analysis process entailed three phases; open, axial and selective coding. The results of the study revealed that the phenomenon “knowledge construction” is conceptualised as having specific core characteristics, which include the use of authentic health-related problems, academic coaching through scaffolding,
academic discourse-dialogue and communities of learners. The findings showed that there are a number of antecedent conditions and contextual circumstances contributing to how knowledge is constructed in a community based service learning programme. The process of knowledge construction emerged as cyclical in nature, with students, facilitators and community members having specific roles to play in the process. A number of intervening variables were identified that had an influence on the expected outcomes on knowledge construction in community based
service learning programmes. These findings led to the generation of a
conceptual model. Knowledge construction according to this model takes place in an environment which is characterised by interactive learning, collaborative learning, actively learning and inquiry-based learning through continuous reflective learning processes. The main concepts in this conceptual model include concrete learning experiences, continuous reflection, problem posing, problem analysis, knowledge deconstruction and knowledge generation, knowledge verification, knowledge generation, testing of generated knowledge and evaluation of generated knowledge. The sub-concepts include learning through senses, an initial situation, health-related triggers, social interaction, reflection-in action,
reflection-on action, hypotheses generation, conceptualisation of learning
experiences, information validation and community interventions.
Recommendations were categorised into education and training of academic staff, application of the model and further research with regard to quality assurance in CBSL programmes as well as the use of other research designs for similar studies. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.
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Investigating the problem-solving proficiency of second-year Quantitative Techniques students : the case of Walter Sisulu UniversityBester, Lynette 07 1900 (has links)
Quantitative Techniques is traditionally a subject with a poor pass rate at Walter Sisulu
University. In search of a turnaround strategy, the purpose of this study was to determine the
level of problem-solving proficiency of Quantitative Techniques students, which is suspected
to influence achievement in this subject. A descriptive survey design was used in this
research. Second-year ND (Marketing) students (128) took part in the study. A questionnaire
and a written test were used to collect data. A profile of participants’ problem-solving was
determined. Their weaknesses and strengths in problem-solving were investigated. The
problem-solving proficiency of participants with regards to the biographical variables of
Gender, Age, Mathematics background and whether they took Data Handling training at
school or not were explored.
A model, based on Polya’s four stages of problem-solving, was used to measure the students’
level of problem-solving proficiency, which was 59,16%. Findings suggest that the students
achieved highest in understanding a problem (72,29%) and making a plan to solve the
problem (73,77%). They are weakest at interpreting their results (29,38%). MANOVA results
showed no statistical significance for the biographical variables. The univariate results
suggest that age, Data Handling training at school and Gender could affect problem-solving
proficiency. Since the findings of this study indicate a strong relationship between participants’ problem-solving proficiency and their actual achievement, some intervention is
recommended. An intervention could be in the form of a section on problem-solving in the
course, supplemental instruction or an introductory course. Course and curriculum content should be revised to address students’ proficiency in problem-solving. / Mathematical Sciences / M. A. (Statistics Education)
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Effects of chess instruction on the intellectual development of grade R leanersBasson, Mary Rose 02 1900 (has links)
Text in English / The literature review indicated similarities between education and chess
playing and possible transfer of knowledge between these two different domains. A
link was then suggested between some aspects of intellectual abilities and chess
instruction in children, but not in adults (Frydman & Lynn, 1992; Waters, Doll & Mayr,
1987). In this research study the aim was to explore the relationship between chess
playing and cognitive and intellectual development in Grade R learners at
Garsieland. Therefore the positive influence that chess playing brings to bear on the
intelligence of 64 Grade R learners (as measured on intelligence scales) was
investigated. The data was collected through short biographical questionnaires and
psychometric tests and the participants in both groups were assessed on two
occasions.
The study suggested that chess instruction exerted a positive (small) effect on
Performance intelligence and subsequently on the Global scale of the Junior South
African Intelligence Scales. The children in both groups also exhibited improved
cognitive development after the 40 week period during 2009. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)
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Context for mathematics paper 1 and mathematics paper2 : an analysis of grade 12 mathematics papers in South AfricaMagidi, Junic 02 1900 (has links)
The study intends to investigate the nature and cognitive demands of contextual word-problems posed in the FET mathematics examinations of IEB and NSC. The analysis of the mathematization of real-life situations to form contextual word-problems is based on the theory of authentic task situations. The theoretical basis for analyzing mathematics teaching and learning is the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theory. Data was obtained using the schedule of mathematization of real-life situations and the schedule of total marks of contextual word-problems and national performance.
All contextual word-problems included in the 2008-2013 question papers of IEB and NSC mathematics examinations were analysed. The research revealed that 509 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in IEB examinations; whereas 473 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in NSC examinations. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematical Education)
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The development of mathematical problem solving skills of Grade 8 learners in a problem-centered teaching and learning environment at a secondary school in Gauteng / The development of mathematical problem solving skills of Grade eight learners in a problem-centered teaching and learning environment at a secondary school in GautengChirinda, Brantina 06 1900 (has links)
This mixed methods research design, which was modelled on the
constructivist view of schooling, sets out to investigate the effect of developing
mathematical problem solving skills of grade 8 learners on their performance
and achievement in mathematics. To develop the mathematical problem
solving skills of the experimental group, a problem-centred teaching and
learning environment was created in which problem posing and solving were
the key didactic mathematical activity. The effect of the intervention
programme on the experimental group was compared with the control group
by assessing learners’ problem solving processes, mathematical problem
solving skills, reasoning and cognitive processes, performance and
achievement in mathematics. Data were obtained through questionnaires, a
mathematical problem solving skills inventory, direct participant observation
and questioning, semi-structured interviews, learner journals, mathematical
tasks, written work, pre- and post- multiple-choice and word-problem tests.
Data analysis was largely done through descriptive analysis and the findings
assisted the researcher to make recommendations and suggest areas that
could require possible further research. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematical Education)
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