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Student discourse in a natural science classroom : a case study of high school teaching in SwazilandSitsebe, Vusi Friday 07 1900 (has links)
The aim of the study was to investigate classroom discourse among high school natural science students in Swaziland.
The research problem was:
Can student interactions tell us something about the negotiation of understanding during natural science teaching?
A qualitative approach was used, specifically, the observational case study style. The population comprised three Form 4 students and their natural science teacher, purposely selected. Data was collected using the non-participant observation and the standardised open-ended interview methods.
The collected data was analysed using the discourse analysis approach. The analysed data indicated that prevailing discourse patterns were teacher and student talk, as well as written work.
A conclusion was that student classroom discourse in the natural sciences should be encouraged among all students for improved understanding and meaning making. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)
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English language teaching in Hungarian primary schools with special reference to the teacher's mother tongue useNagy, Krisztina January 2009 (has links)
This thesis is a study of language use in English language classrooms in primary schools in Hungary. The focus of the study is on the use of the target language (English) and the mother tongue (Hungarian) by the teachers and the learners. The teachers are all Hungarian native speakers, with varying levels of competence and previous experience in communicative language teaching, and this presents a challenge to the adoption of a communicative approach to the teaching of English. The National Core Curriculum endorses the communicative approach, with the expectation that the target language will be used as much as possible. However, in practice, the mother tongue is widely used in these classrooms, both by the teachers and by the students. There is therefore a conflict between policy and practice: the policy is that the target language should be used wherever possible, whereas the practice is that the use of the target language is limited to predictable and routine contexts. It is this conflict which constitutes the central question which is addressed in this thesis: how do teachers resolve the conflict between what they are expected to do, and what they feel capable of doing. Data from classrooms and interviews were collected and analysed, using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The focus of the analysis was on the amount and function of the use of the mother tongue by the teachers. Comparisons were drawn between teachers of Grade 4 pupils who started to learn English in Grade 1 and those who started in Grade 4. This analysis is complemented by evidence concerning the teachers‘ beliefs and understandings about the pressures and constraints which affect their teaching of English to young learners. The results suggest that the possibility of communicative language teaching in these classrooms is constrained by various factors, including the limitations in the children‘s cognitive capabilities and the proficiency level of the children, and the teachers‘ preference for using their previous methods which included grammar, translation and memorisation; also by curriculum requirements such as the use of the textbook, and the necessity to prepare the children for examinations. The implications of these findings for curriculum development in foreign language teaching in other comparable contexts are discussed.
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A Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Culturally Responsive Teaching And A Mathematical Practice Of The Common Core State StandardsHowse, Tashana 01 January 2013 (has links)
This collective case study explores the nature of the relationship between teachers’ use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices and students’ engagement in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others (SMP3). This study was informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative related to developing mathematically proficient students through the use of student engagement practices consistent with the standards for mathematical practice. As a means to support teachers’ facilitating specific student engagement practices, professional development was provided. This study is situated in the growing body of research associated with student engagement and cultural identity. The case of two teachers was defined from interviews, classroom observations, journal prompts, and student artifacts. Data was collected before, during, and after professional development following a cross-case analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) shift in teacher practice; (b) depth and breadth of the knowledge of culturally responsive teaching and standard for mathematical practice three; (c) teacher reflection and reception; and (d) classroom management. The findings suggest that the shift in teacher practice can be supported by professional development focused on reflective practice. This shift is impacted by classroom management and teachers’ depth and breadth of their knowledge of CRT and SMP3.
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Teaching difficulties of natural sciences educators in the planet, earth and beyond strand in the Sekgosese East Circuit of LimpopoNkanyani, Tebogo Edwin 12 1900 (has links)
This study aimed to explore teaching difficulties of Natural Sciences teachers
when offering lessons in the Planet, Earth and Beyond strand. The aim was to
understand their teacher knowledge, type of instructional strategies, and
classroom discourse and interactions in their Natural Science classroom. The
following question guided the study: What are the teaching difficulties of Planet,
Earth and Beyond strand? A qualitative case study design was used for the study.
The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations. The
study revealed that NS educators: carry misconceptions to class; show poor
knowledge of context in specific aims and assessment strategies while also
choosing poor and irrelevant instructional strategies and; still see themselves as
authority in class by applying a one- way approach. It is recommended that:
educators be trained on how to implement active and critical learning, while
empowering them with knowledge on NS specific aims and assessment
strategies; departmental heads, SMTs, and subject advisor should engage in
regular class visits in the NS educators` classes, reviewing lesson plans that
educators prepared; schools should provide educators with CAPS relevant
documents; the DoE should provide more education to educators on the
importance of following the curriculum as prescribed in the CAPS document; the
department should provide educators with relevant teaching aids and practical
apparatus and in the absence advice educators on how to improvise and; the
subject advisors should assist educators in identifying misconceptions. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Sciences Education)
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