published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chinese Language and Literature / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

Reading is an important capability to assist in learning. When students are promoted to higher levels at primary school, they have to read more informative texts instead of narrative texts. A number of studies have indicated that many primary school students have difficulty comprehending informative texts. The ways in which teachers structure lesson content and students experience the lesson are important in helping students understand informative texts in terms of genres and genre features. To help students take on the challenges arising from reading informative texts, teachers play a vital role in bringing students to encounter critical aspects of understanding informative texts and make it more possible for students’ discernment happen. In the light of this, this study aims to investigate how structures of lessons and patterns of variation and invariance affect the learning outcomes of students’ understanding of genres and the genre features of informative texts, and even their future learning. This study features a design-based approach to two rounds of trial lessons. Phenomenography and variation theory are adopted as the theoretical framework. In the first round of trial lessons, there were 38 students from a primary 6 class divided into 2 groups. One group was given a lesson which was structured both sequentially and hierarchically. The lesson for the other group was, however, framed in a hierarchical structure only. The former lesson emphasized the use of similar examples while the latter focused on the use of different examples to teach students the meaning of genre features of informative texts. In the second round, there were 39 students from a primary 5 class also divided into 2 groups. Although the structures of the lessons for the two groups were similar to those in the first round, the object of learning was to enhance students’ understanding of informative texts and the delayed post-test was conducted only in this round. The students in both rounds of trial lessons, who were from the same school, were taught by the same teacher. The data was analysed and triangulated with the post-lesson interview data and verbatim lesson record. The students’ different learning outcomes stemmed from the different structures of the lessons and the adoption of the patterns of variation and invariance. The students who had more opportunities to encounter the patterns of variation and invariance serving as contrasts tended to perform better than those who did not. The appropriate teaching arrangements enhanced students’ understanding of genre awareness and genre features, and contributed to generation of learning. The findings of this study support variation theory as a powerful pedagogical tool for improving students’ understanding of informative texts and enabling students to generate new learning after teacher instruction. One implication of the findings for teachers is that appropriate teaching arrangements, including the structure of a lesson and patterns of variation and invariance, are of paramount importance. As a result of such arrangements, students are more likely to develop a powerful way of reading informative texts. Teachers are instrumental in preparing the necessary conditions of learning. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study was concerned with determining the effectiveness of two methods of teaching arithmetic in the first grade. The primary dimension of this problem was to determine and compare the arithmetic achievement of an experimental group using the Cuisenaire program and the achievement of a control group using a conventional program for the purpose of finding which was the more efficient. The secondary dimension of the problem was to determine whether socio-economic status or sex affects the achievement which results from either the conventional or the Cuisenaire method of instruction.

M.Ed. / The identification and development of youthful leaders in the primary school is a complex matter. Firstly, pupil potential must be identified correctly and, secondly, this potential must be suitably developed. Proper management is essential if justice is to be done to this matter. In the primary school the Head of Department: Educational Guidance is the obvious person for the task of ensuring that the leaders' council comes into its own right.

This research aimed to understand the coaching experiences in the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy of 4 Foundation Phase teachers in 1 state school in Gauteng. It is a qualitative case study in an educational setting. The participants included 3 teachers, the Head of Department of the Foundation Phase, the coach and the coach’s supervisor. Interviews and observations of teachers’ lessons and of feedback sessions were the primary research instruments. The data was analysed using a model proposed by Ehrich, Hansford & Tennent (2001). The research found that the personal attributes and performance of the coach are important features in a successful coaching relationship. It also found that coaching appears to be making a positive contribution to these teachers’ understanding and interpretation of curriculum documents, as well as adding to their content knowledge and methodology. The study suggests that a focus on enhancing teachers’ reflective capacity, especially in relation to their pedagogy, may be a beneficial addition to current coaching practice.

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