This qualitative study has investigated a month-long French-as-a-foreign-language summer program. Its goal was to compare teacher (n=4) and student (n=6) perspectives regarding learning objectives, challenges, and preferred teaching/learning approaches and methods, and to evaluate results against Whyte (2011), who argued that a schism in French university language teaching leads to the dominance of explicit (traditional teacher-fronted) instruction at the expense of more communicative teaching approaches. Data collection took place via classroom observations, pre-course interviews and surveys, a post-course teacher focus group, and weekly student reflective logs. A total of 2,211 references were coded to 276 thematic nodes. Results suggest that the teachers involved primarily embrace a traditional classroom dynamic but apply strategies associated with multiple methods, providing evidence for use of what has become known as the Eclectic Method. Some alignment was found between teachers and students concerning goals, challenges, and teaching approaches, and mixed support was obtained for Whyte’s claim regarding a deficit of communicative language teaching, in that both explicit and implicit teaching were observed. / Graduate

This study focused on the teaching of Mathematics to Grade 3 learners and learner underperformance in Mathematics in South Africa and worldwide. A theoretical framework examined the value of social constructivism, behaviourism and connectivism to Mathematics teaching. A comparison was made with Mathematics teaching in primary schools in South Africa, Bangladesh and Mozambique according to the literature. Against this background a qualitative inquiry was conducted in three selected primary schools with a purposeful, convenient sample of five Grade 3 Mathematics teachers in Danielskuil town, North West Province, South Africa Data were gathered by semi-structured individual interviews, non-participatory classroom observation and document analysis to explore theoretical knowledge and teaching approaches of participants, establish strategies to enhance teacher proficiency, identify successes and challenges in teaching Grade 3 Mathematics and factors that impede Mathematics teaching in the selected primary schools. Findings indicated challenges created by lack of physical classroom resources such as stationery, textbooks and learning aids, poor school infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, discipline problems, teachers' inability to meet the needs of learners with barriers to learning , language barriers , learners' social problems, teachers' lack of Pedagogical Content Knowledge , lack of developmental teacher training and limited stakeholder support from the Department and parents. Successes related to Mathematics intervention programmes, study groups after school and math's clubs. Based on the literature and empirical inquiry, recommendations were made for implementation by Department of Basic Education, schools and teachers improve the learner performance outcomes in Grade 3 Mathematics in primary schools in South Africa. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)