This research builds on and contributes to work in Natural Science teacher education and practice. The study places particular attention on the teacher’s role in the science classroom through gaining more understanding on their classroom practices. A qualitative approach was employed. Data was collected from three grade 7 Natural Science teachers using observation and interview schedules. Analysis of the data then followed using the Classroom Practice Diagnostic Framework. The findings thereafter included inadequate teachers’ teacher knowledge. The teachers’ instructional strategies where not varied enough and centred on teacher lecture and the demonstration method. Finally, authoritative discourse was very prominent as well as system accountability. Recommendations were then given ranging from use of teaching methods that encourage an active and critical approach to learning, to improving classroom discourse by avoiding authoritative discourse. The implications of the research include better understanding of how teachers link their science knowledge to how they teach it, and better science application by the teachers and learners in South Africa. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (With specialisation in Natural Science Education)

Abstracts in English, Sotho and Afrikaans / The purpose of this study was to explore the classroom practices of Senior Phase Natural Sciences teachers in some of the schools of the Vhembe District. Qualitative case study approach was employed and three teachers participated. The following research questions were explored: What is the level of the teacher’s subject-matter knowledge in the teaching of Natural Sciences (NS)? What is the nature of the teacher’s instructional strategies in the teaching of NS? How does the teacher’s subject-matter knowledge and instructional strategies shape the teachers’ classroom interaction and discourse in the teaching of NS? Interviews, observations and a questionnaire have been used for data collection. Teachers used their teaching experiences to teach NS. Results indicated lack of teachers, facilities and resources. It is recommended that the Department of Education as an arm of government should see that schools have the facilities, resources and teachers they need for proper teaching and learning as well as providing sufficient workshops to improve teachers’ classroom practices. / Sepheo sa thuto ena e ne e le ho hlahloba mekhoa ea litlelase tsa matichere a Phahameng ea Setsebi sa Tlhaho ea Setsebi tse ling tsa sekolo sa Vhembe. Ho ne ho sebelisoa mokhoa o nepahetseng oa ho ithuta litsebo le matichere a mararo. Lipotso tse latelang tsa lipatlisiso li ile tsa hlahlojoa: Mokhoa oa mosuoe oa mosuoe ke oa mofuta ofe thutong ea Saense ea tlhaho? Mokhoa oa mekhoa ea koetliso ea tichere ke efe tabeng ea thuto ea saense ea tlhaho? Mosuoe oa mosuoe o tseba joang le mekhoa ea ho ruta e amanang le ho sebelisana ha tichere le ho bua ka thutho ea saense ea tlhaho? Lipuisano, litlhaloso le lipotso. E sebeliselitsoe ho bokella data. Barupeluao ba ile ba sebelisa liphihlelo tsa bona tsa thutho ho ruta saense ea tlhaho. Liphello li bonst’a ho haelloa ke matichere a saense ea tlhaho, mehaho le thepa. Ho khothalletsoa hore Muso le Lefapha la Thuto lo bone hore likolo li na le mehaho, lisebelisoa le matichere bakeng sa thuto le thutho e nepahetseng hammoho le ho fana ka lithupelo tse lekaneng bakeng sa ho ntlafatsa mekhoa ea matichere ea tlelase. / Die doel van die studie was om die klaskamerpraktyke van senior Fase Natuurwetenskappe-onderwysers in sommige skole van skole in die Vhembe-distrik te ondersoek. Kwantitatiewe gevallestudie-benadering was in diens en drie onderwysers het deelgeneem. Die volgende navorsingsvrae is ondersoek: Wat is die aard van die onderwyser se onderwyser kennis in die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe? Wat is die aard van onderwyser se onderrigstrategiee in die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe? Hoe vorm die onderwyser se kennis en onderrigstrategiee die onderwyser se klasinteraksie en-diskoers in die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe? Onderhoude, waarnemings en vraelys wat gebruik word vir data-insameling. Deelnemers het hul onderrigervarings gebruik om Natuurwetenskappe te onderrig. Resultate dui op gebrek aan Natuurwetenskappeonderwysers, fasiliteite en-bronne. Dit word aanbeveel dat die regering en die Departement van Onderwys moet sien dat skole fasiliteite, hulpbronne en onderwysers het vir behoorlike onderrig en leer, asook voldoende werkwinkels om onderwysers se klaskamerpraktyke te verbeter. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

The study explored the classroom practices of Natural Sciences teachers when teaching the Matter and Material strand in senior phase schools in the Siyabuswa circuit. The following research questions were explored: What is the nature of the teacher’s teacher knowledge when teaching Matter and Material strand in the senior phase schools? What is the nature of the teacher’s instructional strategies when teaching the Matter and Material strand in the senior phase schools? How does the teacher’s teacher knowledge and instructional strategies shape the classroom interactions and discourse? The qualitative case study approach was employed, wherein three teachers participated. Interviews and observation were used for data collection. The findings revealed that Natural Science teachers lack content knowledge and inadequate Subject Matter Knowledge which influences their instructional strategies, hence their classroom interactions and discourses. Recommendations were made to the Department of Education and government to look into the factors that influence the teaching of Natural Sciences as far as teacher’s knowledge and contextual factors are concerned. / Irhubhululo leli liphathelene nomfundisi nakafundisa ngekumbeni isifundo se Natural Sciences khulu khulu sitjheje amakghono kunye nobukgwari I Matter and Material strand emabangeni aphakathi (Senior Phase) isiyingi sange Siyabuswa. Imibuzo erhujululiweko netsengiweko ngelandelako: inzindzolwazi lomfundisi lingangani lokha nakafundisa isifundo se Matter and Material strand emabangeni aphakathi (Senior Phase)? Anjani amakgono womfundisi nakafundisa / nokwethula isifundo se Matter and Material strand emabangeni aphakathi (Senior Phase)? Ingabe ilwazi neendlela zokufundisa zomfundisi ziletha njani ukuzwisisa nokuragela phambili kwesifundo ngekumbeni? Irhubhululo elingeneleleko mayelana nokufuna ilwazi ngesihloko esingehla lisetjenzisiswe. Kusetjenziswe abafundisi abathathu kulelirhubhulo. Ukuhlolwa kwelwazi babuzwe imibuzo begodu baphoswa ilihlo elibukhali ukubuthelela inzinzolwazi. Imiphumela iveze pepeneneni bona abafundisi be Natural Sciences bayatlhayela ngelwazi kunye nelwazi elingeneleleko mayelana nesifundo, lokho kunomthelela omumbi ngendlela abathula ngayo ilwazi kunye nendlela yokuzwisisa kwabafundi. UMnyango wezeFundo kunye norhulumende bayelelisiwe bona batjheje amaphuzu anemithelela emimbi lokha nakufundiswa isifundo se Natural Sciences khulu khulu inzinzo lwazi lomfundisi kunye neenqabo zokufunda. / Die studie is die ondersoek na klaskamer praktyke van Natuurwetenskaponderwysers wanneer onderrig gegee word in Materie-en Materiale vesel in senior fase skole, in die Siyabuswa omgewing. Die volgende navorsingsvrae was ondersoek: Wat is die aard van die onderwyser se onderrigkennis wanneer Materie-en Materiale vesel in senior fase skole onderrig word? Wat is die aard van die onderwyser se onderrigstrategie wanneer Materie-en Materiale vesel in senior fase skole onderrig word? Hoe vorm die onderwyser se kennis-en onderrigstrategieë die klas se interaksies en diskoers? Die kwalititatiewe gevallestudie benadering was toegepas waartydens drie onderwysers deelgeneem het en die versamelde data gebruik was. Die bevindinge het die Natuurwetenskaponderwysers se gebrek aan inhoudskennis en onvoldoende Vakkennis, wat hul onderrigstrategieë nadelig beïnvloed uitgewys, vandaar hul klaskamer en interaksie diskoerse. Aanbevelings is gemaak aan die Departement van Opvoeding en die Regering om ondersoek in te stel na wat die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe benadeel in so verre dit die kennis van die onderwysers betref. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Natural Science Education)

This study aimed to explore teaching difficulties of Natural Sciences teachers when offering lessons in the Planet, Earth and Beyond strand. The aim was to understand their teacher knowledge, type of instructional strategies, and classroom discourse and interactions in their Natural Science classroom. The following question guided the study: What are the teaching difficulties of Planet, Earth and Beyond strand? A qualitative case study design was used for the study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations. The study revealed that NS educators: carry misconceptions to class; show poor knowledge of context in specific aims and assessment strategies while also choosing poor and irrelevant instructional strategies and; still see themselves as authority in class by applying a one- way approach. It is recommended that: educators be trained on how to implement active and critical learning, while empowering them with knowledge on NS specific aims and assessment strategies; departmental heads, SMTs, and subject advisor should engage in regular class visits in the NS educators` classes, reviewing lesson plans that educators prepared; schools should provide educators with CAPS relevant documents; the DoE should provide more education to educators on the importance of following the curriculum as prescribed in the CAPS document; the department should provide educators with relevant teaching aids and practical apparatus and in the absence advice educators on how to improvise and; the subject advisors should assist educators in identifying misconceptions. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Sciences Education)