No description available.

No description available.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2014. / Outcomes-based education was introduced into South Africa almost 20 years ago amidst much controversy. During the period of my study, a modified version of the outcomes-based curriculum was in use, i.e. the Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9. In this curriculum, critical and learning outcomes were described and a learner-centred approach advocated which would enable learners to achieve the outcomes. Human reproduction was introduced as one of the content areas in the senior phase of the Natural Sciences. Human reproduction is a sensitive but very relevant topic in South Africa where HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and child abuse are prevalent and so was selected as a Grade 7 topic in one educational district of Gauteng. In my study, I was interested in finding out what factors influenced Grade 7 teachers' implementation of outcomes-based approaches when teaching Human Reproduction. I explored the use of learner-centred approaches and the extent to which the critical and Natural Sciences learning outcomes could be achieved through these approaches. Firstly I wanted to know to what extent Grade 7 teachers used outcomes-based and learner-centred approaches when teaching human reproduction. Secondly I was interested in the factors that influenced the teaching of human reproduction. Thirdly I set out to find which factors affected the use of outcomes-based and learner-centred approaches during the teaching of human reproduction. Lastly the influence of teachers' behavioural, normative and control beliefs on their teaching of human reproduction in outcomes-based and learner-centred ways were of interest. My theoretical framework took into account the above-mentioned factors and beliefs about the influence of these factors and their possible impact on teaching human reproduction in outcomes-based and learner-centred ways. My research involved a workshop for Natural Sciences teachers on the teaching of human reproduction to Grade 7's, followed by a survey. Forty teachers completed the survey questionnaire in which they recorded their perceptions of the expected influence of the learners, the learning environment and support structures, as well as teachers' beliefs, on the teaching of human reproduction. Ten of these teachers participated as the case studies in my multiple case study, forming a convenience sample. I used a mixed methods approach in my investigation, starting with the survey questionnaire and then narrowing my focus to the ten case study teachers and becoming a participant observer in their classes. I recorded my data in field notes and as digital recordings of class discussions and when teachers had completed teaching human reproduction, I interviewed them. The data from the questionnaires, interview and lesson transcripts and field notes were analysed and conclusions drawn. I used profiles to assess the achievement of the critical and learning outcomes by each teacher and to assess the extent to which each teacher used learner-centred approaches when teaching human reproduction. A cross case analysis enabled me to compare the teachers with regard to each outcome and learner-centred feature. Some quantitative data from my surveys and mostly qualitative data from my observations and interviews were used to explore the influence of factors internal to the teacher, i.e. personal and professional factors, and those external to the teacher such as the learners, the iii learning environment and support structures. I also used the qualitative data to identify the influence of behavioural, normative and control beliefs about teaching human reproduction in outcomes-based ways on practice. My findings were that all teachers taught towards some outcomes and used some learner-centred approaches and these differed amongst teachers. The profiles enabled me to identify overall strengths of each teacher as an outcomes-based and learner-centred teacher, and the cross-case analysis indicated which outcomes were being met by learners through the teaching and learning approaches used. I found that the learning environment, and in particular the provision of or lack of learning support materials and other resources, impacted on the achievement of the outcomes. The school principals, colleagues, parents and friends proved to be mostly very supportive of the teaching of human reproduction and the need for strong communities of practice became evident. The choice of language was seen as a dilemma but my findings pointed to the use of home language or preferably code-switching to promote conceptual development and the development of English language skills. Cultural beliefs of learners contributed to their prior knowledge, and religious beliefs influenced some teachers who promoted more conservative values amongst their learners regarding sexuality. The need for clear boundaries on what could be discussed in class became evident, to protect both the teacher and learner from intrusion into their personal lives. Group work was seen as an important approach for this sensitive topic, and the need for workshops to strengthen teacher's subject content knowledge and thus their self efficacy when teaching human reproduction and to build strong communities of practice in which ideas and experiences could be shared amongst teachers, was a finding of this study. In conclusion, some teachers were more outcomes-based and learner-centred than others. Subject content knowledge, choice of an appropriate language or language mix for teaching and learning, suitable learning environments with adequate learning support materials, school, district and parental support for the teaching of human reproduction all promoted a teachers sense of self-efficacy and made a difference to their teaching of human reproduction using outcomes-based approaches.

Typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (M.A. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / Refer to the document

This project aimed at helping second grade children gain environmental sensitivity and awareness by infusing the existing English Language Arts curriculum with environmental activities. The purpose is to demonstrate how one can infuse the California state's mandated curriculum, Houghton Mifflin, with children's literature in order to promote environmental sensitivity and awareness.

The purpose of this thesis was to capitalise upon information processing models to develop and test the impact of a question-answering intervention on Year 5 students' reading comprehension, question-answering and vocabulary performance. The study provides empirical evidence that question-answering instruction can lead to statistically significant comparisons in reading comprehension performance that favoured intervention participants compared to students completing regular classroom reading instruction. The current study involved a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design that targeted 267 students enrolled in 10 regular Year 5 classes across three schools. Classroon teachers implemented the intervention over 10 weeks. The application of information processing models in extant research of effective instruction in literacy and numeracy has been documented. The current intervention is the first application of this theoretical framework to a complex skill in reading comprehension, namely question-answering. Potential future applications of this instructional technology to complex cognitive skills are discussed. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The research problem reported in this thesis is an investigation of the teaching and learning of area measurement in the early years of school. Research indicates that children confuse the measurement of area and perimeter and also the use of linear and two-dimensional units of measure. The first phase of the study investigated the knowledge and skills which underpin an understanding of the L x B formula for calculating rectangular area. Those factors were used to plan a teaching program of four lessons for Year 1 and Year 2 children, focusing on: establishing the attribute of area; making, describing and drawing the spatial structure of arrays of repeated informal units to measure areas; and methods of counting to determine the total number of units. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated by implementing the lessons in four classes. Lessons planned from the then current syllabus were implemented in another four classes. Comparison of student learning outcomes from all classes indicated that the research lessons were more effective in assisting children to develop an understanding of a grid pattern or array of repeated informal units. The second phase of this study described the researcher’s investigation, design and trial of teacher professional learning strategies which would assist teachers to adopt successful methods of teaching young children to measure area. Seventeen volunteer teachers in seven school teams participated in one of three models of professional learning, based on varying levels of consultancy support. The models were based on the provision of lesson notes and teaching materials, facilitation of team meetings to discuss the implementation, and the provision of additional time to interview individual children following each lesson. Participation in the project assisted all of the participating teachers to develop their content knowledge and to modify their teacher-centred teaching practices. The key strategies and factors which contributed to this success included ongoing school based professional dialogue and support, the provision of a teaching program which emphasised students’ conceptual development within a sequence of activities, the role played by teacher leaders within each team, opportunities to develop questioning techniques and the motivation and disposition of the participating teachers.ABSTRACT / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The purpose of this study was to examine whether teaching materials designed around fourth graders' preconceptions effectively produced conceptual change about light propagation. Four Taiwanese fourth-grade intact classes (194 subjects), taught by two teachers, participated in this study. The experimental group was exposed to the conceptual change materials (CCM), and the control group was exposed to the current traditional materials (non-CCM). A 10-item paper-and-pencil instrument for assessing conceptual change was developed, which included three categories: Category I, a window image, a phenomenon children observe in life experiences; Category II, a pinhole image, a classroom demonstration of how light travels; and Category III, shadows, an advanced application of light propagation. T tests were employed to assess differences between the pretest and posttest in each group. ANCOVA with the General Linear Model procedure was used to assess differences between the control and experimental groups. No teacher effect and no interaction between pretest and treatment were found in the procedure; therefore, pretest scores were used as the covariate and posttest scores were used as the response in the analysis. Results revealed that, both in the overall test and in Category I, significant differences existed between the experimental group and the control group after the teaching interventions. However, no significant differences existed between the groups in either Category II or Category III after teaching interventions. Children in the experimental group performed significantly better than did children in the control group in Category I (t=-2.44, p<.05 posttest; t=-2.57, p<.05 delayed posttest), but there was no significant difference between the groups in Categories II and III. CCM appears to work better in life application than in classroom activities and advanced application. The study suggested that the CCM teaching approach was effective, but the low percentage (55%) of the scientifically accepted concepts retained after teaching intervention needs to be improved. The test-retest stability between posttest and delayed posttest indicated that the CCM teaching approach had a lasting effect after two weeks. / Graduation date: 1996

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts