Insufficiency in literacy is seen as a worldwide problem. The scope of the problem is confirmed by the fact that the United Nations declared the years 2003–2012 as International Literacy Decade. Literacy is seen as a necessary skill – the cornerstone of human capital development – and a fundamental competency on which the mastering of all other skills depends. Fundamental skills such as reading, writing and numeric skills and technological literacy influence the economic prosperity of any country in different ways. The language and numeric skills of learners are declining, and employers are of the opinion that candidates applying for work do not have sufficient basic skills for available jobs. The above has led to the decision to focus in this study on the development of a teaching framework for the improvement of job access skills for Grade 10 Computer Applications Technology (CAT) learners. The concepts of “literacy” and “job access” are discussed in the literature review. Job access skills are anchored in literacy. An analysis of the Grade 10 CAT learning programme and work schedule was done to determine to which degree literacy skills are addressed in the assessment standards. A framework and an accompanying workbook were developed in this study to address the gaps that were identified during the analysis of the Grade 10 teaching and learning programme and work schedule. Various requirements and determinants for the development of a teaching framework were studied. These requirements and determinants were considered for the development of the suggested teaching framework. A workbook containing literacy tasks was used to improve literacy skills of learners and was used as the instrument for the implementation of the teaching framework. The empirical study being reported here was aimed at determining to which degree the use of the workbook that had been developed as the instrument for the integration of the teaching framework, contributed to the improvement of the learners’ literacy skills. During the qualitative study, it was revealed that the teachers at the schools participating in this study were very positive about the workbook, and also that they were of the opinion that it could contribute to the improvement of the literacy skills of the learners. A practical significant influence with a large effect regarding general literacy and a small effect on general numeracy were reported. The analysis of the quantitative data showed that completion of the learning tasks in the workbook does indeed have an influence on improving the literacy level of the learners, and it is thus recommended that literacy skills be integrated into the existing CAT learning programme. / PhD (Teaching and Learning), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Insufficiency in literacy is seen as a worldwide problem. The scope of the problem is confirmed by the fact that the United Nations declared the years 2003–2012 as International Literacy Decade. Literacy is seen as a necessary skill – the cornerstone of human capital development – and a fundamental competency on which the mastering of all other skills depends. Fundamental skills such as reading, writing and numeric skills and technological literacy influence the economic prosperity of any country in different ways. The language and numeric skills of learners are declining, and employers are of the opinion that candidates applying for work do not have sufficient basic skills for available jobs. The above has led to the decision to focus in this study on the development of a teaching framework for the improvement of job access skills for Grade 10 Computer Applications Technology (CAT) learners. The concepts of “literacy” and “job access” are discussed in the literature review. Job access skills are anchored in literacy. An analysis of the Grade 10 CAT learning programme and work schedule was done to determine to which degree literacy skills are addressed in the assessment standards. A framework and an accompanying workbook were developed in this study to address the gaps that were identified during the analysis of the Grade 10 teaching and learning programme and work schedule. Various requirements and determinants for the development of a teaching framework were studied. These requirements and determinants were considered for the development of the suggested teaching framework. A workbook containing literacy tasks was used to improve literacy skills of learners and was used as the instrument for the implementation of the teaching framework. The empirical study being reported here was aimed at determining to which degree the use of the workbook that had been developed as the instrument for the integration of the teaching framework, contributed to the improvement of the learners’ literacy skills. During the qualitative study, it was revealed that the teachers at the schools participating in this study were very positive about the workbook, and also that they were of the opinion that it could contribute to the improvement of the literacy skills of the learners. A practical significant influence with a large effect regarding general literacy and a small effect on general numeracy were reported. The analysis of the quantitative data showed that completion of the learning tasks in the workbook does indeed have an influence on improving the literacy level of the learners, and it is thus recommended that literacy skills be integrated into the existing CAT learning programme. / PhD (Teaching and Learning), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Abstract in Afrikaans and English / This study was initiated when the researcher became aware of the problem that learners from low socio-economic environments tend to experience barriers to learning in numeracy and literacy. These barriers were identified in a class of Grade 1 learners through extensive literature study, after which the development, teaching and learning of numeracy and literacy in grade 1 were investigated. The researcher then developed intervention programmes for literacy and numeracy, each running for a period of six weeks, in order to overcome learners’ difficulties in these learning areas. Each programme was subdivided into three shorter programmes of two weeks each, which addressed different aspects of literacy and numeracy. Each sub-programme was supplemented by a schedule of daily activities in order to reinforce learning. Learners’ competence in literacy and numeracy was assessed before starting the programme and re-assessed at the end, using the same tests they had done at the beginning. Learners’ marks in both sets of tests were compared, which demonstrated their progress or non-progress after having participated in the intervention programmes. / Inleidend tot die studie word ‘n uiteensetting gegee van hoe die navorser bewus geword het van die navorsingsprobleem, wat as volg gestel word: Die navorser is bewus daarvan dat leerders uit ‘n lae sosio-ekonomiese milieu gewoonlik struikelblokke in leeraktiwiteite in gesyferdheid en geletterdheid ervaar. Deur literatuurstudie is die struikelblokke wat graad 1-leerders in geletterdheid en gesyferdheid ondervind, geïdentifiseer. Vervolgens is die ontwikkeling, onderrig en leer van geletterdheid en gesyferdheid volledig uiteengesit en intervensieprogramme in geletterdheid en gesyferdheid saamgestel om leerders se struikelblokke tydens leeraktiwiteite te bowe te kom. Drie intervensieprogramme in geletterdheid en drie in gesyferdheid is saamgestel, wat elk vir twee weke gevolg is. Volledige skedules van daaglikse aktiwiteite wat by elke program uitgevoer is, is ook ingesluit. Leerders se bedrewenheid in geletterdheid en gesyferdheid is geassesseer voor daar met die programme begin is. Na afloop van die intervensieprogramme het leerders weer dieselfde toetse afgelê waardeur hulle vordering of nie-vordering bepaal kon word. Verskeie tabelle is saamgestel wat leerders se vordering aantoon. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Thesis (MEd) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Learning and the development of numeracy in the foundation phase are regarded as highly important. In this critical period learners attain the fundamental knowledge that is needed for future learning and development. A serious problem within South African schools is that a great number of foundation phase learners show difficulties in numeracy. Various reasons can be provided for these difficulties, for example, learners do not receive good teaching, they hold negative attitudes towards numeracy, they encounter language barriers, and so forth. It is important that the learners’ difficulties in numeracy are attended to immediately and effectively, to be able to minimise the gaps between the learners’ functioning level and the level the learner is suppose to be on. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) laid bare their concern with the current problem in numeracy when they launched the WCED Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2006-2016. As part of this the Metropole North Education and Management Development Centre (EMDC) requested and implemented an intervention programme for grade 2 and grade 3 learners. Part of this problem is that many foundation phase educators lack the necessary knowledge to identify the learners with difficulties and especially to attend to these difficulties. The goal of this research study was to investigate the realization of an early intervention programme implemented over a limited period of time of ten weeks in grade 2 and grade 3 classrooms. The current study aimed at providing educators with resources to offer learning support to their disadvantaged learners within the Numeracy classroom. This study has implications for the way in which educators approach and teach numeracy, as well as for the type of learning support the educators provide their disadvantaged learners with. The intervention programme is based on a problem centered approach with constructivism as underlying epistemology. This approach views the educator as a facilitator who provides the learners with opportunities to be actively involved in the learning environment to construct knowledge. The importance of word problems and discussion within the Numeracy classroom are emphasized and it is necessary that the educator create the appropriate classroom atmosphere so that this approach can be implemented effectively. Learning is an active process and it is the responsibility of the educator to provide the learners with appropriate learning activities for learning and development to take place. The study made use of programme evaluation as research methodology. Programme evaluation refers to a research goal instead of specific research methods, because various methods can be used which may be quantitative or qualitative in nature. The gathering of data was done through classroom observations by the researcher, informal interviews with participating educators, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with the educators at the four schools the researcher monitored intensively during the implementation process of the intervention programme. The gathering of data was an ongoing process and the researcher analysed and interpreted the learners’ work at the end of the implementation process. The researcher checked this analysis by means of the literature review, transcripts and field notes. This formed the basis on which conclusions and recommendations could be made. The conclusions confirmed the importance of early intervention and the efficacy of the problem centered approach within the numeracy classroom. It also confirmed the disadvantages of the training model that was used, that is the Cascade model. With this study it was possible to determine that a ten week intervention programme was too short a period to observe meaningful improvements in learners. Therefore further research should be done on addressing learners’ difficulties and to train and support educators to provide learning support to their learners.