This study was undertaken in an attempt to improve the vocational training in Electrical Systems and Construction done at the Sedibeng Further Education and Training Colleges. The development of vocational training in South Africa, as well as different approaches to effective teaching and learning, were investigated by doing a literature study. It was determined that a constructivist approach to teaching and learning that advocates an active, learner-centred approach to teaching and learning appears to be the most effective for vocational training. An empirical investigation was conducted to determine possible shortcomings in the current way of teaching, learning and assessment at Sedibeng Further Education and Training College. For this purpose, mixed method research with a triangulation design was employed. The quantitative part of the study utilized descriptive survey research with a questionnaire to establish Level 3 educator and learner viewpoints regarding the current nature of teaching, learning and assessment. A phenomenological strategy was used for the qualitative part of the study, which involved the use of semi-structured interviews with the management staff at the college, to obtain their perspectives regarding training at the college. The quantitative and qualitative data indicated weaknesses in the current approach to teaching, learning and assessment, and that teaching, learning and assessment practices could become more effective by incorporating constructivist teaching, learning and assessment principles that encourage active and interactive learning. Furthermore, a lack of teacher training and a lack of practical experience among educators, as well as inadequate infrastructure and ill-equipped facilities, are major contributing factors to ineffective vocational training. The practical contribution of the study is found in the teaching and learning programme for Electrical Systems and Construction based on constructivist principles that was developed to assist educators to improve the effectiveness of vocational training. / Thesis (PhD (Learning and Teaching))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

The crucial issue in the new democratic South Africa was to change the type of education system that was based on social discrimination to one which is non- discriminatory, unbiased and accessible to all South Africans. However, to teach in a multicultural society and being faced with the challenge of teaching multicultural diverse classes, within an OBE paradigm, demands special knowledge, skills and attributes of teachers. Therefore, this study intended to investigate teachers’ OBE practices in multicultural classrooms in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses that could be useful for the improvement of teaching and learning within multicultural contexts. The study was approached from a socio-reconstructivist point of view and focused specifically on schools in the Harrismith region. The purpose of this study was thus to explore and come to a better understanding of how teachers’ OBE practices accommodate multicultural diverse learners in the Harrismith region. In order to direct the study towards the intended purpose, a literature study was undertaken to define multicultural diversity and to conceptualize OBE practices in order to operationalize the concept within the context of the study. The empirical research was done by following a qualitative research design in the form of a case study. Semi-structured, individual interviews and observations were used as data collection instruments. Interviews were conducted with teachers teaching Grade 8 and 9 learners as well as learners from the same grades, of five purposefully selected schools in the Harrismith region. By using maximal variation sampling, ten teachers and ten learners from the selected schools eventually participated in the research. Observations were recorded by means of anecdotal notes which were used to verify and supplement data obtained through the interviews. According to the findings of the empirical research, it appears that the research participants’ understanding of multiculturalism lack substance. The findings also revealed that multiculturalism is mainly accommodated by implementing the following OBE practices: working together with others, showing respect, cultural sensitivity, acknowledgement of individual learner differences, and by creating positive classroom climates. It was also evident that teachers act as change agents by discrediting discrimination and prejudice. Teaching in multicultural classrooms also poses some challenges. These included language problems, acceptance of different cultural practices, racial differences and “inherent” segregation. Though the findings revealed that teachers’ OBE practices still need to be refined in order to successfully accommodate multicultural diversity, positive attitudes were reflected in terms of improving their competence with regard to teaching in a multicultural diverse environment. / MEd, Learning and Teaching, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

This study was undertaken in an attempt to determine the degree to which second year Mathematics education students consider critical thinking dispositions and attitudes to be important and to develop a curriculum-based mediational approach based on the data, to encourage the critical thinking dispositions and attitudes that appeared to be in need of encouragement. A literature study was undertaken to determine the positive critical thinking dispositions and attitudes students should possess. In addition it was also determined which teaching learning approaches will benefit the development of critical thinking dispositions and attitudes the most. The advantages as well as the processes and components that should form part of the mediational approach for the development of critical thinking dispositions were examined. A two-phase, sequential, explanatory mixed method study was subsequently undertaken with second-year Mathematics students at a South African university. The quantitative study made use of a self-developed questionnaire to determine the degree to which students consider critical thinking dispositions and attitudes important. Data emanating from the questionnaires were analysed and questions that had to be answered in narrative format were set for each student according to their own responses on the questionnaire. Narratives formed part of the qualitative component of the study in which students had to indicate factors that influence their critical thinking dispositions and attitudes, what could be done to improve the apparent unimportant critical thinking dispositions and attitudes and whether they regard the critical thinking dispositions and attitudes as important. Narratives were analysed and the results were used to explain the quantitative data. Results revealed that second year Mathematics education students do not consider critical thinking dispositions and attitudes, in particular inquisitiveness but also judiciousness, open-mindedness, systematicity, truth-seeking, analyticity and confidence in critical thinking to be very important and therefore these critical thinking dispositions and attitudes appeared to require encouragement. A curriculum-based mediational approach based on a section in the existing Mathematics module for second year education students was developed in order to encourage critical thinking dispositions in Mathematics. The study concluded with recommendations to encourage critical thinking dispositions and attitudes as well as proposals for future studies. / PhD, Education, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

Early in 2009 it became apparent from articles in the newspapers that first year mathematics students were not performing as well as the students of previous years. There was great concern regarding the insufficient transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics, as well as the preparedness of first year students for university studies. This research focuses on the different factors that are potential causes of the underachievement of first year mathematics students. Students‟ and lecturers‟ beliefs are shaped by their experiences, the impact of continuous perceptions from the world around them, the present dominant paradigm, as well as the beliefs of their teachers. The different views of the nature of school mathematics show how a worldview has an effect on these views and the implications of this on the teaching of mathematics in secondary, as well as tertiary institutions. The paradigm shift from the modern era to the post-modern era caused an awareness of and interest in the construction of meaningful mathematical understanding. The gap between first year students‟ and lecturers‟ beliefs regarding the nature of mathematics and how mathematics is learned became apparent. The changes in the thoughts about the structure of mathematics were investigated and a better understanding of the processes through which mathematical understanding develops emerged. This brought insight into the gap between the reasoning abilities of incoming students from secondary schools and the reasoning needed to succeed in university mathematics. The theoretical study of the global theories of Piaget and Van Hiele gave insight into conceptual development through different stages and that a person should be on an appropriate conceptual level to make sense of what they learn. If not, then rote learning is likely to occur. The local theory of Tall implies that to facilitate understanding of a concept in mathematics, one should go through three worlds of mathematics: the embodied world, symbolic world and the formal world. The embodied view helps someone to give deep meaning to a concept, otherwise one can be trapped in the symbolic world and not be able to move on to the formal world of mathematical thinking. The theoretical investigations led to an empirical study in three phases. Phase 1 was an investigation into the views of mathematics held by the students and the lecturers. In phase 2 an investigation was done to establish the students‟ preferences on how they learn mathematics and how mathematics should be taught, using the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire of Felder and Silverman. The results were compared with the way lecturers want their students to learn and how they themselves prefer to teach. Phase 3 included a classification of the questions in the first mathematics test written at tertiary level and subsequent analysis of the answers of students to obtain information on the type of reasoning required from students at tertiary level, as well as the reasoning abilities of the students. The empirical study assisted in understanding the problematic transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics with regard to the nature of mathematics, the beliefs on teaching and learning of mathematics, as well as the reasoning skills that the students possess when entering university. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Natural Sciences Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Hochschuldidaktisches Zentrum Sachsen (HDS)

The performance of mathematics and physical science students are very low in South Africa. These students lack algebraic knowledge and skills in physics education. They tend to treat mathematics and science as separate entities; to them the two subjects are not related. Even the teachers seem not to realise the interrelationship of the two subjects, because according to the research, they perpetuate this attitude. A possible reason could be that they are unfamiliar with common objectives and applications. Knowledge of science is enhanced by the application of mathematics, but the role of mathematical knowledge and skills in the understanding of physical science is uncertain. Even in the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS) of South Africa the relationship between mathematics and physical science is not clearly indicated. Algebraic language is a main tool used in physics, but students still display a lack of understanding of mathematical concepts and problem solving skills. The study was aimed at identifying the mathematical knowledge and skills that would enable students to solve physics problems in grades 11 and 12. The aim was also to identify the specific problems experienced by students in applying these skills and knowledge in physics at grades 11 and 12 level. The empirical study was conducted amongst a group of 120 students in four schools in the Rustenburg Region, North- West Province, South Africa and 28 teachers of which 10 were from these schools and 18 were teachers participating in the Sediba project of the North-West University. The investigation was done by means of a self constructed test and questionnaires. The results indicate that the biggest problem lies with a lack of conceptual knowledge, especially with a basic understanding of proportional reasoning. Other problems were identified and possible remedies proposed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Metacognition in collaborative learning settings is an emerging topic in research on metacognition. This study focused on the development of metacognitive skills during pair programming in order to enhance knowledge productivity. Pair programming entails collaboration between two programmers, each fulfilling a specific role during the execution of the programming task, and has recently been used in educational contexts as a teaching and learning strategy to improve learning in computer programming (DeClue, 2003:49; Preston, 2006b:16). In this study the outcomes of collaborative learning during pair programming are referred to as knowledge productivity, which is measured against the criteria of enhanced knowledge construction, enhanced problem-solving skills, conceptual changes in individual perspectives, commitment to work with the other member of the pair, and application of the results of the learning process (Tillema & Van der Westhuizen, 2006:51,55). To investigate the influence of a metacognitive teaching and learning approach to pair programming on knowledge productivity, a repeated-measures experiment with a control group was conducted among a number of Grade 11 learners who had been implementing pair programming in the learning of Information Technology at secondary school level. At the beginning of the study both groups completed two questionnaires, one on metacognition and the other on knowledge productivity. At the same stage, a number of randomly selected participants from each group were interviewed on the same two topics, using a semi-structured interview approach. This procedure was repeated three months later, without any intervention. During the intervention phase, the experimental group implemented a set of self-directed metacognitive questions that they had to answer while doing a pair programming task. These self-directed metacognitive questions form part of a metacognitive teaching and learning strategy suggested by the researcher. The members of the experimental group also kept a journal to describe how the self-directed questions directed their thinking during the execution of the pair programming task. At the end of the experimental period, the mo questionnaires on metacognition and knowledge productivity were completed by both groups again, supported by the interviews of the same selected participants. The results derived from the empirical study showed that the knowledge productivity of learners programming in pairs can be enhanced by implementing a metacognitive teaching and learning strategy. The metacognitive teaching and learning strategy implemented during this study was then adapted to make it suitable for use by teachers and learners during pair programming. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Im Folgenden soll aufgezeigt werden, dass Hochschuldidaktik sich im Verlauf der Hochschulreformdebatte der 70er Jahre zunehmend als Wissenschaftsbereich etablierte und schließlich im Rahmen von Bologna grundsätzlich neuen Aufwind bekommen hat und so die Chance erhält, die Forderungen aus dem "shift from teaching to learning" tatsächlich umgesetzt hat.

Metacognition in collaborative learning settings is an emerging topic in research on metacognition. This study focused on the development of metacognitive skills during pair programming in order to enhance knowledge productivity. Pair programming entails collaboration between two programmers, each fulfilling a specific role during the execution of the programming task, and has recently been used in educational contexts as a teaching and learning strategy to improve learning in computer programming (DeClue, 2003:49; Preston, 2006b:16). In this study the outcomes of collaborative learning during pair programming are referred to as knowledge productivity, which is measured against the criteria of enhanced knowledge construction, enhanced problem-solving skills, conceptual changes in individual perspectives, commitment to work with the other member of the pair, and application of the results of the learning process (Tillema & Van der Westhuizen, 2006:51,55). To investigate the influence of a metacognitive teaching and learning approach to pair programming on knowledge productivity, a repeated-measures experiment with a control group was conducted among a number of Grade 11 learners who had been implementing pair programming in the learning of Information Technology at secondary school level. At the beginning of the study both groups completed two questionnaires, one on metacognition and the other on knowledge productivity. At the same stage, a number of randomly selected participants from each group were interviewed on the same two topics, using a semi-structured interview approach. This procedure was repeated three months later, without any intervention. During the intervention phase, the experimental group implemented a set of self-directed metacognitive questions that they had to answer while doing a pair programming task. These self-directed metacognitive questions form part of a metacognitive teaching and learning strategy suggested by the researcher. The members of the experimental group also kept a journal to describe how the self-directed questions directed their thinking during the execution of the pair programming task. At the end of the experimental period, the mo questionnaires on metacognition and knowledge productivity were completed by both groups again, supported by the interviews of the same selected participants. The results derived from the empirical study showed that the knowledge productivity of learners programming in pairs can be enhanced by implementing a metacognitive teaching and learning strategy. The metacognitive teaching and learning strategy implemented during this study was then adapted to make it suitable for use by teachers and learners during pair programming. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Since 1999, Aboriginal Education policy in British Columbia requires School Districts to collaborate with their local Aboriginal communities to establish appropriate definitions of success, set measureable goals and actions plans to enhance Aboriginal student’s educational achievement. Together these groups produce five-year Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements. This study employs Indigenous Methodology and Institutional Ethnography to learn whether and how process of working together to create these agreements contributes to relationship-building between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Key findings demonstrate that an engaged a dialogue between Indigenous peoples and education policy-makers changes the way that Aboriginal education is approached in BC school districts. Participants reported that the process changed them, touched their soul, and left them feeling humbled and renewed. The Enhancement Agreements hold promise as a process that works from within the institutional processes to address the unequal social relations of education for Aboriginal students. / Graduate