M. Ed. (Science Education) / South African Life Sciences teachers have been subjected to three policy changes during the past six years. The first new curriculum was implemented in 2006, and when it was found that this curriculum lacked sufficient botany content, a new version of the curriculum was implemented in 2009. Following this, a new curriculum was being implemented in 2012 in all subjects, leaving Life Sciences teachers fatigued as a result of all the professional development workshops they had to attend each year. One principle of the new curriculum was that teachers had to use a constructivist approach to teaching, but research had found that this was not the case in South African classrooms. Furthermore, research also showed that some South African teachers lacked the necessary content and pedagogical knowledge to teach science to grade 12 learners. The aim of this study was to see whether teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge could be improved by the use of communities of practice over a period of time. The content that was focused on was DNA, protein synthesis, meiosis and genetics, as these topics were flagged as problematic topics in the National Senior Certificate examinations in 2008. A generic qualitative design was used as this research was situated in an interpretive framework. The genre of the research was phenomenology with design based elements. Before the intervention started, teachers had to complete a questionnaire and this questionnaire had to be completed again after the intervention. Interviews and feedback tools were used to obtain teachers’ views on these communities of practice. The interviews also had a section that pertained to teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. Structured classroom observations were used to see whether teachers were implementing a constructivist approach when teaching the content. It also served as a method to ascertain whether the activities done during the community of practice sessions were implemented into classroom practice. It was found that communities of practice are an effective way of developing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, but that it should be continuous and would be more v effective over a longer period of time. Teachers also enjoyed these meetings, shared resources and motivated each other. Another finding of this research was that teachers did not implement a constructivist approach to their teaching as required by the new curriculum, even though they indicated that they preferred this approach to teaching. A recommendation of this research is that teachers’ professional development should take place in an informal community of practice where teachers could share ideas and resources. A keystone species is required for these communities of practice to stay sustainable. These communities of practice should be implemented on a continuous basis in order to have a positive effect on teachers’ practice.

M.Ed. (Science Education) / The South African current school curriculum, namely the National Curriculum Statement, is underpinned by outcomes-based education. The subject Biology (in the Nated 550 curriculum) has been changed to “Life Sciences” and the learning outcomes for Life Sciences are representative of the four themes of the Nature of Science (NOS), namely, science as a body of knowledge, science as a way of investigating, science as a way of thinking, and the interaction of science technology and society. The many changes made from the previous curriculum that accompanied the new curriculum left many teachers reliant on textbooks to plan, guide and inform their teaching and learning activities in the classroom. My study is concerned with the representation of the NOS in Grade 10 South African Life Sciences classrooms. I have conducted my study in two phases. The purpose of Phase One was to analyse three Grade 10 Biology textbooks and three Grade 10 Life Sciences textbooks for the representation of the NOS. A qualitative content analysis methodology was used in the analysis of textbooks, and my study adopted a textbook analytical tool designed by Chiappetta, Sethna and Fillman (2004), using the four broad NOS themes of the mentioned above. The purpose of Phase Two of the study was to observe how teachers use Life Sciences textbooks in their teaching in order to infuse the NOS. A qualitative interpretive case study was the selected methodology for this part of the study. Three practicing Life Sciences teacher-participants were invited to an in-depth interview and a lesson observation each. The lesson observations and the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. The open-coding method was used where the predetermined codes of the NOS were assigned to extracts of the transcriptions. Qualitative data analysis techniques based on the principles of Framework Analysis (Ritchi & Spencer, 1984) were used in Phase One and Phase Two of my study. There are five steps in Framework analysis, namely, (i) familiarization, (ii) identification of a thematic framework, (iii) indexing (open-coding method), (iv) charting, and (v) mapping and interpretation.

M.Ed. (Science Education) / The topic of evolutionary theory is new to the South African Life Sciences curriculum, having only been introduced in 2008 to the grade 12 cohort. A great deal of controversy and discussion surrounds the teaching and learning of evolution in many countries, and since the introduction of the topic, including South Africa. The primary source of this controversy arises from the conflict that many Christian and Muslim people experience between what their respective religions teach them about the act of Creation by God and the biological theory of evolution. As a result of its recent inception into South African school, not much research has been done to explore how this topic is experienced by Hindu secondary school learners and teachers. The aim of this study is therefore to address two gaps, firstly to add to the almost total lack of information about the Hindu perspective of the topic of evolution. Secondly, to add to the knowledge base of the teaching and learning of evolution in secondary schools since the scant information available on the teaching and learning of evolution in South Africa is mainly confined to tertiary education. Literature was reviewed on various aspects relevant to this study such as the PCK, NOS, CCC, Hinduism and the teaching and learning of evolution overseas and locally. In order to investigate the lived experiences of Hindu Life Sciences teachers and learners to the topic of evolution a qualitative study with elements of phenomenology was the chosen research design. This prompted the need to use a series of focus group and individual interviews with the various role-players as laid out by the overarching conceptual framework CHAT, the lens through which this study was viewed. Triangulation of data increased the reliability and validity of this study and was obtained by interviewing a Hindu priest as well as Hindu parents of Life Sciences learners. Interviews were transcribed, coded using the coding model by Saldana (2009) and analysed according to common themes. The main finding of this study was that Hindu teachers and learners experience no conflict with the topic of evolution thus displaying a lack of major tensions linked to the CHAT model. Many Hindus are however ignorant of their religion and scriptures but nevertheless remain accepting of the theory of evolution. Their acceptance could be attributed to three major tenets of Hinduism that link to evolutionary concepts: the cyclical concept of time; the evolution of the soul during reincarnation and the idea that during times of calamity, God manifests on Earth in the form of Avatāras. Misconceptions of evolutionary theory abound among learners and to a lesser extent the parents and teachers, particularly with respect to the notion of common ancestry. The teachers had adequate PCK but their knowledge of the NOS was limited. Recommendations emerging from these findings therefore warrant greater attention to the NOS in both PRESET and INSET teacher training courses. These courses can also use the lack of tensions between the Hindu religion and the topic of evolution as a case in point to show that religion and science can exist in harmony with each other. The concept of a nearest common ancestor (NCA) should also be emphasised in these courses – thereby helping to dispel the misconception that humans descended directly from apes.

This research focused on an investigation of the pedagogy and strategies used by Grade 11 Life Sciences teachers when mediating Biodiversity concepts with English second language learners. My interest in this investigation was triggered by the Examiners’ Reports for Life Sciences from 2009 to 2012 which consistently noted learner challenges in answering, interpreting and analysing questions during exams. The reports highlighted learners’ lack of understanding of the questions which led to them providing irrelevant information in their exam scripts. These reports claimed that challenges experienced by these learners could be attributed to language issues experienced by English second language learners. Influenced by these reports, a qualitative case study of two Senior Secondary schools in East London, Eastern Cape South Africa was conducted. Underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and driven by the desire to achieve an in-depth understanding of the case under study, three phases of information gathering were followed. The first phase was that of gathering information through document analysis. Documents were analysed to gain insights and understanding of the issue before conducting interviews. The next phase was that of gathering information through semi-structured interviews followed by classroom observations. Findings from these observations were verified through stimulated recall interviews which provided clarity on the intentionality of choosing a certain method and strategy over another when assisting learners in making meaning of biodiversity concepts. The main findings of this study are that factors which limit learner understanding of biodiversity concepts are a result of a combination of factors such as failure to interpret questions, spelling problems which alter meaning of concepts and an inability to make distinctions among closely related concepts within the topic of Biodiversity. Responding to these factors, teachers demonstrated knowledge of a variety of teaching strategies to support learners. The choice of teaching strategies seemed to be guided by their experiences as well as the challenges they often encounter. Furthermore, teachers’ reflections on their practice provided opportunities for them to identify strengths and limitations of their choice of strategies and possibilities for improvement. It was also noted that factors such as large class sizes, gaps in content knowledge and a lack of detail in chalkboard summary limited the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. The study recommends that: • Teacher-learner ratio needs to be considered for effective support; • There is still a need to capacitate educators in environmental education. In-service training should focus on developing teacher understanding of foundational knowledge in life sciences; and • Teachers need to improve their chalkboard summary skills to increase the level of support that could be provided by comprehensive chalkboard summary through the elaboration of ideas

Following Independence in 1991 Namibia embarked on a major reform of the entire education system. The reform was perceived as a way of redressing the apartheid legacy and bringing about a democratic learner centred education for all. At the same time the reform was also seen as a prime vehicle to bring about sustainable development through incorporating relevant environmental education into various carrier subjects. One such carrier has been the subject Life Science, which is compulsory from Grade 8 to Grade 10. The Life Science Project was a joint venture between the Ministry of Education and Ibis, a Danish Development NGO, established to develop and support the implementation of Life Science in junior secondary schools. This half-thesis is an evaluation of the Life Science Project through an analysis of the central assumptions on which the Life Science curriculum is based and by investigating different stakeholders’ perceptions and understanding of the learner centred approach adopted by the curriculum. Three questions have guided this research: 1. Are there curriculum models that are more conducive for reform and change than others? 2. Do stakeholders and curriculum developers in Namibia understand the theory of social constructivism, and the systemic implications such an approach has for the education system? 3. Which approach to environmental education complements a transformative curriculum and the changes outlined in policy? From the research carried out in this half-thesis, it would appear that the Namibian education system and the Life Science curriculum suffers from what could be termed “ideological confusion”. Confusion in the sense that there are marked inconsistencies between policy and praxis, between the stated goals and aims of the reform and the curriculum designed to achieve these. This confusion is further exacerbated by various stakeholders’ different interpretations of both policy and the systemic implications the reform policy has on education. In this half-thesis I argue that embarking on an objectives driven model of curriculum cannot bring about change and transformation of the Namibian education system. I further argue that, by not having considered and implemented the necessary systemic changes to the education system, Namibia has, in fact, developed a child centred education system which is fundamentally different from a learner centred education system. Finally, I argue that environmental education, through the subject Life Science, set within an objectives driven, Child Centred Education system is inappropriate for and unable to address the need for developing an environmentally literate citizenry who are able to take informed decisions in order to address the environmental crisis and bring forth a more sustainable future.

The value of frogs is compared to the value of canaries used in coalmines: they are indicators of the environmental status of our environments, thus crucial to our survival. One third of all frogs worldwide are threatened with extinction. Frogs are found in our immediate environment. Are our Natural Science educators, teaching the Life and Living curriculum aware of this threat, the possible impact that the extinction of frogs will have on our welfare? Are our educators making use of the resources in their immediate environment? This study aimed to investigate the prior knowledge in both the horizontal and vertical discourse, in Grade7 learners and their educators, to inform the design of an amphibian resource pack. By investigating their prior knowledge an insight would be gained in their knowledge of Natural Science concepts as well as their everyday knowledge of their immediate natural environment. It would also highlight any misconceptions formed as well as alternative concepts within both educator and learner groups. These insights would be used to inform the contents of said resource pack.

It is important to find strategies to assist learners who are taught in English especially as learners show different levels of English proficiency. English is taught as an Additional Language in many South African schools. Code switching is a well documented and researched strategy that teachers use in multilingual classrooms where the language of teaching and learning is not the learners’ home language. The study is concerned with and seeks to investigate the teaching strategies that Life Science teachers use in multilingual classes in addition to code switching. A case study of two Grade 11 Life Science teachers was conducted. The study adopts classroom observations and face-to-face interviews as qualitative data – gathering methods. The findings of this study, among other issues, reveal that in addition to code switching teachers use a variety of teaching strategies that include the use of textbooks, preparing notes for students, etc. Evidence available further suggests that the choice of teaching strategies is examination oriented rather than based on an understanding of current thinking on the ways of learning Life Sciences.

The effects of instruction integrating pictorial and textual components in a fifth and a seventh grade Social Studies lesson were investigated. Measures of recall were examined both immediately after the lesson and after a two week delay. Experimental instruction focusing on the integration of illustrations with the expository text was compared to the more conventional classroom procedure of focusing on the written text through guided silent reading. The fifth grade experimental group outperformed the conventional group on all measures of immediate and delayed recall. The seventh grade experimental group had higher scores than the conventional group on one delayed measure of recall, a short answer test. No particular reading ability level was benefited more than another by the experimental treatment in either grade. An examination of gender differences revealed that fifth grade females in the experimental group outscored males on one immediate measure of recall, a short answer test. Implications for instruction and further research are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

The study examined student perceptions of global issues when introduced through their Logarithms unit in the Principles of Math 12 course and student opinions regarding the suitability of the issues within the course. Through journal books, the students expressed thoughts, ideas, and concerns related to the mathematics and the global issues. With our global environment being threatened in numerous ways, a need to educate through 'responsibility' is essential. In mathematics, students require relevancy when expected to learn increasingly difficult material. The study addresses the questions of: do students concerns for global issues increase when viewed through a mathematical lens and do the students believe that the global issues have a place in the math class? The findings were varied based on individual experiences of students within the study. In summary, the majority of the students gave positive feedback towards the use of the global issues within the math class. However, there were concerns from weak and strong students and from students currently studying similar topics in Geography. As well, several ESL students expressed concerns surrounding their difficulties with the written language, and anxiety regarding their emergent academic standing. The students favoured global exposures in the math class when they were able to actively participate with a solution, and when direct links to the mathematics being studied at the time was relevant to the global issue. Conclusively, more accessible resources are required for instructors, and more time is needed in the classroom to effectively implement, for all learners, global issues in the mathematics course. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Orientador: Celso Dal Ré Carneiro / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T17:36:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_GleiseReginaBertolazidos_M.pdf: 1023177 bytes, checksum: fb762072a9fb1e9bd3bd822801d2aede (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A educação técnica tem sido a base da qualificação profissional aos jovens que anseiam entrar no mercado de trabalho. O ensino técnico de nível médio, baseado na metodologia do desenvolvimento de competências, comportamentais e técnicas, alicerça-se nos quatro pilares da educação apontados pela UNESCO: (a) aprender a conhecer; (b) aprender a fazer; (c) aprender a conviver; (d) aprender a ser. O Centro Estadual de Educação Tecnológica Paula Souza (CEETEPS), responsável pela educação técnica pública no estado de São Paulo, considerando tais princípios, vem formando profissionais em diversas áreas, entre elas a ambiental. O curso Técnico em Meio Ambiente capacita jovens e adultos para "cuidarem" do ambiente e do homem. Com currículo próprio, desenvolvido em três eixos principais, Ciências da Terra, Biologia e Química, garante disciplinas básicas e técnicas durante três semestres. A temática Ciências da Terra é representada pela disciplina Geociências; a partir de 2011, a disciplina denomina-se Práticas em Ciências da Terra. O CEETEPS habilita vários profissionais para lecionarem Geociências, de engenheiros a tecnólogos. Diante desse fato, a pesquisa tem por principal objetivo identificar as práticas pedagógicas adotadas pelos docentes que ministram a disciplina, analisando o grau de formação dos docentes, seu envolvimento com os conteúdos da disciplina e suas práticas pedagógicas, e discutir o perfil necessário para tal habilitação. As informações necessárias foram coletadas por meio de questionários aos docentes e alunos, além de entrevistas com nove docentes, dentre quatorze escolas. Concluiu-se que os docentes não abordam todo o conteúdo programado devido a: (a) dificuldades estruturais do curso e das escolas, (b) práticas pedagógicas inadequadas e, em especial, (c) má formação acadêmica de 50% deles. Os motivos impedem que os alunos atinjam a visão sistêmica do planeta e desenvolvam as competências exigidas pela disciplina. Para garantir excelência ao ensino profissional, é preciso redefinir o perfil do profissional que leciona Geociências no CEETEPS, restringir a lista de profissionais habilitados, capacitar/reciclar professores na ativa, e alterar os critérios e o sistema de seleção de docentes das ETECs, além de implementar política de valorização do corpo docente / Abstract: Technical education has been the basis of professional qualification to young people who yearn to enter the labor market. The mid-level technical education, based on the methodology of developing skills, both behavioral and technical, is based on UNESCO's pillars of education: (a) learning to know, (b) learning to do, (c) learning to live, (d) learning to be. The State Center for Technological Education Paula Souza (CEETEPS), responsible for public technical education in the Sao Paulo state, working along with these principles, has been training professionals to work on the environment, among other areas. The Technical Course in Environment enables young people and adults to "take care" of the environment and man. With its own curriculum, developed along three main axes of Earth Sciences, Biology and Chemistry, ensures basic and technical courses during three academic semesters. Earth Sciences contents are represented by the discipline of Geosciences; since 2011, the name changed to Practices of Earth Sciences. The CEETEPS enables several professionals to teach Geosciences, from engineers to technicians. Given this fact, the objective of the research is to identify the pedagogical practices of a representative sample of teachers, and to analyse levels of teacher training and degrees of involvement by these professionals with related contents. The profile required for qualification of teachers is also discussed. The data was collected by means of questionnaires to teachers and students, and interviews with nine teachers of 14 schools. It was concluded that teachers do not address all the programmed contents due to structural difficulties of the course and schools, inappropriate teaching practices, and poor academic background by almost 50% of the sample. These reasons prevent students from reaching the systemic view of the planet and to develop the required skills. To ensure excellence in professional education, CEETEPS is suggested: (a) to redefine the profile of professionals who teach Geosciences; (b) to restrict the list of qualified professionals; (c) to enable a program for recycling in-service teachers; (d) to change the criteria and selection system of teachers, and (e) to implement an appreciation policy of teacher careers / Mestrado / Ensino e Historia de Ciencias da Terra / Mestre em Geociências