<p> In a modem society, many important products such as fuels, fertilizers and plastics are produced by chemical industries through the application of science and technology. The study of chemistry serves as a cornerstone for many disciplines such as medicine, biology, and pharmacy. However, in spite of this relevance to technology and the environment, many students see chemistry as abstract and unrelated to real life and, in fact, report that chemistry was one of the most difficult subjects they had to study in high school. This perception could explain the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, released in November 1996, which indicate that Ontario students lag behind the national average and that Canadian secondary school science and mathematics students as a whole perform behind students from such countries as Japan and Belgium. </p> <p> As a result of these science test results and other social and political factors, the Ontario government decided to implement a process of secondary reform, announced in 1997, that would integrate five years into four and modify the science curriculum one year at a time starting in September, 1999. Along with other legislative changes, secondary school teachers have found that they do not have adequate preparation time or professional development training and direction, nor the resources to prepare the new curriculum changes. However, in spite of these concerns about rapid change, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training released the Ontario Science Curriculum guidelines for Grades 9 and 10 in the late spring of 1999 with implementation to start with Grade 9 students in September, 1999. </p> <p> The purpose of this project was to design a chemistry unit and curriculum format, using the new Ontario Science Curriculum guidelines for Grade 9 and 10 (1999), to help both teachers and students relate chemistry to real life, thereby improving the standard of teaching and learning science in high school. To do this, the author developed a Grade 9 "applied" chemistry unit on " Exploring Matter." </p> <p> Based on the Kemp, Morrison and Ross (1994/1998) model, which uses an instructional development process involving nine components (e.g., identifying learner characteristics, establishing learning objectives and making decisions about instructional strategies and resources), the unit format uses a practical chart organizer. The approach, which other teachers may use as an example to develop other units, can make learning more effective by integrating the learning expectations stipulated in the new Ontario science curriculum guidelines, while relating content and activities to real life. By having the potential of improving teaching and learning, the instructional design approach used in this project also has the long-term potential of improving the national and international science test results for Ontario students. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The changes brought by the democratic government in South Africa in 1994 have also brought considerable changes to the different sectors of the government and education was not different. There was a need to redress the imbalances of the past and the education system was to be reviewed so as to bring about the new assessment methods and approaches that would improve teaching and learning in the schools. Whenever any new idea enters education, it is usually aimed at improving the old school of thought. The challenge now remains the creation of new knowledge. Continuous assessment (CASS) with its greater weight requires an in-depth understanding by the teachers for correct implementation. This study was undertaken to determine the experiences of teachers with CASS in grade 9 Geography classrooms, by determining and exploring the way through which the assessment policy guides and informs the teachers in the implementation of CASS in Geography, the way the teachers implement CASS in the teaching, the requirements for CASS in terms of the NCS as well as the impact of CASS on the teaching-learning process. CASS is a prominent component of assessment that requires the teacher to understand its implementation in the classroom. It is the responsibility of the individual teachers and schools to read and interpret the assessment policy to ensure the correct implementation of CASS. A qualitative research design was employed and data was collected through literature review, questionnaires and interviews. The experiences of the teachers with CASS in the teaching of grade 9 Geography learners were investigated. From the literature review, it surfaced that Geography offers some interesting and fulfilling careers that teachers and learners can pursue. Career guidance is necessary to expose learners to these opportunities. Open-ended questions were used in both the questionnaires and interviews with the aim of obtaining an in-depth understanding of their experiences. Based on the findings of the questionnaire and interview data, it appears that the teachers still need support in understanding the policy of the Social Sciences. Though teachers appear to have information about the policy, they often misinterpret its correct meaning. The following are the dominant key words in this dissertation: learning outcomes, assessment standards, continuity, continuous assessment, curriculum, outcomes-based education, national curriculum statement, policy, progression, teaching strategies, assessment strategies. From this investigation, it can be inferred that there is a need for the results of this investigation to be used to guide the development of policies and that future researches be done in the area of CASS at all levels of the senior phase. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Pre-collegiate teachers in Saskatchewan recognize the value of integrating archaeological content into natural and social science curricula. However, there is currently a lack of curriculum-relevant resources available to teachers who are interested in teaching with archaeology. In addition to meeting Saskatchewan Core Curriculum standards and objectives, the holistic, multi-disciplinary, activities-based approach inherent in archaeology education provides students with opportunities to inquire, investigate, connect, cooperate and collaborate as they develop higher-level understanding and cognition independently and as members of a community of learners (Short and Burke 1991). Thus, the integration of archaeology into existing curricula complements contemporary cognitive development and social constructivist theories of knowledge of scholars Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Furthermore, learning through archaeology increases students awareness and appreciation of other cultures, and promotes understanding of the need to protect and conserve cultural resources. <p>There were two aims in the research: 1) To answer the question: What do teachers require to integrate archaeology concepts, themes and activities into Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies curricula; and, 2) To assess the validity of the two assumptions that were taken after the review of the literature: i) If successful archaeology education programs in North America employed the use of hands-on, active learning, then the inclusion of hands-on, active learning in the archaeology education resources developed for the research will also prove effective ; and ii) If successful archaeology education programs in North America incorporated constructivist theories of learning, including the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotsky in their designs, then reference to constructivist theories of learning, including Piagets cognitive development theory and Vygotskys sociocultural theory, will result in the development of appropriate archaeology education materials.<p>The research occurred between January 2003 and June 2005, and involved the collaboration of nine teachers, a First Nations Elder, 689 Grade 6 and Grade 9 students, and 13 archaeologists. The research design followed a qualitative, action research approach, with the collection of data occurring through semi-structured interviews using McCrackens (1988) long interview method, as well as questionnaires, a survey, and participant observation. An open-coding approach was used to code data collected during the research.<p>In addition to providing answers to the research question and assessments of the validity of the two assumptions taken in the research, the results indicate that the benefits of integrating archaeological content into pre-collegiate curricula transcend professional jurisdictions. Outcomes include the development of Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies archaeology units that can serve as templates and resources for teachers, curriculum developers, and archaeologists. Also, participants learned about: Saskatchewans human and environmental histories; how archaeology can be used to reveal these histories; and why it is necessary to protect and conserve cultural resourcesall goals of avocational and professional archaeological associations across North America.

Pre-collegiate teachers in Saskatchewan recognize the value of integrating archaeological content into natural and social science curricula. However, there is currently a lack of curriculum-relevant resources available to teachers who are interested in teaching with archaeology. In addition to meeting Saskatchewan Core Curriculum standards and objectives, the holistic, multi-disciplinary, activities-based approach inherent in archaeology education provides students with opportunities to inquire, investigate, connect, cooperate and collaborate as they develop higher-level understanding and cognition independently and as members of a community of learners (Short and Burke 1991). Thus, the integration of archaeology into existing curricula complements contemporary cognitive development and social constructivist theories of knowledge of scholars Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Furthermore, learning through archaeology increases students awareness and appreciation of other cultures, and promotes understanding of the need to protect and conserve cultural resources. <p>There were two aims in the research: 1) To answer the question: What do teachers require to integrate archaeology concepts, themes and activities into Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies curricula; and, 2) To assess the validity of the two assumptions that were taken after the review of the literature: i) If successful archaeology education programs in North America employed the use of hands-on, active learning, then the inclusion of hands-on, active learning in the archaeology education resources developed for the research will also prove effective ; and ii) If successful archaeology education programs in North America incorporated constructivist theories of learning, including the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotsky in their designs, then reference to constructivist theories of learning, including Piagets cognitive development theory and Vygotskys sociocultural theory, will result in the development of appropriate archaeology education materials.<p>The research occurred between January 2003 and June 2005, and involved the collaboration of nine teachers, a First Nations Elder, 689 Grade 6 and Grade 9 students, and 13 archaeologists. The research design followed a qualitative, action research approach, with the collection of data occurring through semi-structured interviews using McCrackens (1988) long interview method, as well as questionnaires, a survey, and participant observation. An open-coding approach was used to code data collected during the research.<p>In addition to providing answers to the research question and assessments of the validity of the two assumptions taken in the research, the results indicate that the benefits of integrating archaeological content into pre-collegiate curricula transcend professional jurisdictions. Outcomes include the development of Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies archaeology units that can serve as templates and resources for teachers, curriculum developers, and archaeologists. Also, participants learned about: Saskatchewans human and environmental histories; how archaeology can be used to reveal these histories; and why it is necessary to protect and conserve cultural resourcesall goals of avocational and professional archaeological associations across North America.

This qualitative study examines the connections between teachers’ views of large-scale assessment and their classroom practice, based on a case study of Ontario teachers and the Ontario Education Quality and Accountability Office [EQAO] Grade 9 Applied Assessment of Mathematics. Large-scale assessments are a prominent aspect of the Ontario education system; given that they are also mandatory, it is imperative that their impact on teaching be documented. This study enriches the existing literature on the topic of the Grade 9 EQAO Assessment of Mathematics, and provides a more-recent portrayal of the teachers’ views of this assessment and the potential impact of these views on classroom teaching by highlighting teacher attitudes, concerns, and classroom practices.

This study aimed to investigate whether there was evidence of variation in the quality of School-Based Assessment (SBA), with specific reference to Grade 9 mathematics. Assessment has been a prime focal point for educational reform in recent years. In the South African context, there are common external assessments carried out below Grade 12. However, assessments are placed entirely in the hands of individual teachers. Moderation and monitoring as quality assurance mechanisms are also conducted internally at varying degrees, which raises the issues regarding the validity, reliability, and credibility of SBA tasks. Learner achievement in mathematics had recently been a debated issue in national and international assessments. Furthermore, South Africa's Grade 9 learners have been performing below the expected levels in mathematics as compared to the rest of the world. A qualitative research approach was used within a case study research design. Purposeful sampling was employed, and five schools with 15 participants were selected. The data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observations and field notes, and were triangulated by document analysis in order to make the findings and conclusions more reliable. This study revealed that there is a varying degree in the quality of mathematics SBA tasks, and a lack of knowledge about quality assurance mechanisms. In addition, the study revealed that the participating teachers lacked knowledge on how to develop high quality SBA tasks. This study followed Scheeren's input-process-output model (2004), which was further adapted to provide an opportunity to identify enhancing or impeding issues associated with the quality of SBA and learner achievement at Grade 9 level. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Thesis (M.Ed. (Mathematics Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / A classroom in which learners are afforded opportunities to engage in meaningful mathematical discourse (Sfard, 2008) is desirable for the effective teaching and learning of mathematics. However, engagement in mathematical discourse requires learners to use appropriate mathematical vocabulary to think, learn, communicate and master mathematics (Monroe & Orme, 2002). Hence, I have undertaken this study to explore how mathematical vocabulary is used during mathematical classroom discourse using the lens of the commognitive framework. I chose a qualitative approach as an umbrella for the methodology with ethnography as the research design whereby participant observation, structured interviews and documents were used to collect data. One Grade 9 mathematics classroom with 25 learners and their mathematics teacher were purposefully selected as participants in the study. During data analysis, I looked at Sfard’s (2008) constructs of the commognitive theory to analyse the data and identify the mathematics vocabulary used in the discourse. This was followed by the use of realisation trees that I constructed for the teacher and learners’ discourse, which I used to identify learners thinking as either being explorative or ritualistic. Results indicate that both the teacher and learners use mathematical vocabulary objectively with positive whole numbers to produce endorsed narrative regulated by explorative routines. However, with algebraic terms both positive and negative, the teacher and learners’ discourse is mostly disobjectified, and produces narratives that are not endorsed and are regulated by ritualistic routines. It also became evident that the mathematical vocabulary that the teacher and learners use in the classroom discourse includes words that are mathematical in nature and colloquial words that learners use for mathematical meaning. v Furthermore, learners’ responses to the given mathematics questions which they are solving are mostly correct, hence it can be argued that the learners’ narratives were endorsed. However, their realisation trees indicates that learners were not working with mathematical objects in their own right (Sfard, 2008) and hence their narratives were not endorsed. I have recommended in this study, that teachers need to be cautious when operating with entities and not separate operations from their mathematical terms. Furthermore, the department of basic education, during workshops should encourage educators to always request reasons from learners substantiating their answers to questions in order to enhance their explorative thinking.

The newly developed Differential Aptitude Test Form S (DAT) does not give an indication of general intelligence or expected achievement in Grade 9. The aim of the current study was to determine the relationships of the aptitude subtests (measured by the DAT) with intelligence and achievement. Two affective factors, motivation and self-concept, as well as study orientation, were included as variables predicting achievement. An empirical study was carried out in which 60 Grade 9 learners were tested. The variables were measured using reliable instruments. Correlations were calculated and multiple regression analyses used to predict achievement. Moderate to high positive correlations between aptitude and intelligence were found. Affective factors explained more of the variance in achievement in key subjects than aptitude variables. One conclusion is that Grade 9 achievement measures affective rather than cognitive factors. Recommendations are made regarding the use of the DAT-S in predicting school achievement. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The teaching and learning of algebraic linear graphs in the school have experience problems with regards to understanding this topic. The learner's inability to understand algebraic linear graphs as a result of scaling was evidence in this study. Learners experience difficulties in interpreting, constructing and predicting from linear graphs without the knowledge of scaling. Four tasks were considered necessary for constructing linear graphs. This research focused on scaling task. The objective of the research is to establish the fact that scaling has influence on the understanding of algebraic linear graphs. An empirical method of research was employed to carry out this research. The results proved that scaling has influence on the understanding of algebraic linear graphs at grade 9 (Form B). Learners will find it easy to construct, interpret and make prediction from a graph drawn by scaling. / Mathematical Sciences / M.A. (Mathematics Education)

Text in Afrikaans, summary in English / The object of the study was to determine if the use of different types of music would have an influence on the study effectiveness of the high school pupils. The music was used by the educational psychologist together with study methods. An empirical study was done in which three groups of students were used. The first group had no music, the second group had pop music and the last group had baroque music in their study session. The empirical study showed that music and then specifically baroque music had an influence on the study effectiveness of pupils. A program was compiled in which guidelines were given for study, the program is now used in a study program for high school students. Recommendations were made for the use of music with study methods for the Educational Psychologist, teachers and pupils / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)