In South Africa, Physical Sciences educators play a crucial role in contributing to equal life chances for Physical Sciences learners. This is because they have the opportunity to employ functional language features for increasing access to scientific literacy - a goal of the Physical Sciences National Curriculum Statement. However, no studies were found in the literature which explicitly explored this aspect of a Physical Sciences educator's pedagogical content knowledge in the South African context. This study employs the sociocultural view of science as a language and the complementary theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics to explore the nature of the utterances of three Pietermaritzburg Physical Sciences educators during Physical Sciences lessons. The focus is on the functional language features of nominalisation, lexical density, functional recasting, and lexical cohesion in terms of repetition and cohesive harmony index. Using a multi-case study methodology, pragmatic paradigm and mixed-methods approach, this study provides a sophisticated description of the utterances of Physical Sciences educators in language contexts characterised by varying proportions of English Second Language to total number of learners. The results reveal that lexical cohesion, measured by the cohesive harmony index and proportion of repeated content words relative to total words, increased with an increasing proportion of English Second Language to total number of learners. Nominalisation and lexical density did not decrease with an increasing proportion of English Second Language to total number of learners. The functional recasting results provide insight into numerous types of functional recasting available to Physical Sciences educators. In addition, a model is proposed regarding how the outcomes to which the functional recasting types contribute, impact on movement towards the everyday or scientific registers of English. Furthermore, each individual Physical Sciences educator had a „signature‟ talk, unrelated to the language context in which they taught. This study has significant implications for the development of pedagogical content knowledge in pre-service and in-service education and training of Physical Sciences educators. Training programmes need to place a greater emphasis on the functional use of language in order to empower Physical Sciences educators to adequately apprentice their learners into the use of the register of scientific English. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1965. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Gordon N. Mackenzie. Dissertation Committee: Matthew B. Miles, Alice Miel. Includes bibliographical references.

DEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies / See the attached abstract below

Dwarf galaxies may form in the tidal tails of galaxy interactions. If these tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) detach from their parent galaxies, then an independent dwarf galaxy emerges. However, the lifespan of such objects is uncertain. Using IR, UV, and optical images, we conducted a search for detached TDGs from a set of 40 interacting galaxy pairs in the local Universe, and a control sample of 37 spiral galaxies. Both samples include 3.6 micron, 4.5 micron, 8 micron, and NUV images. In an earlier study (Smith et al. 2016), we used the IRAF daofind software (Stetson 1987) to search for star-forming regions within the main bodies of these galaxies and in their extended tidal tails. In the current study, we used the same procedure to search for such regions outside of the galaxies. We used two spatial scales to search for the TDGs, 1 kiloparsec and 2.5 kiloparsecs radius, and then used Spitzer infrared colors to identify and eliminate possible foreground stars and background quasars. The remaining objects may be detached tidal dwarfs that formed in the tails and then escaped. After comparing our observational results of the number of TDGs surrounding our interacting galaxies to the numbers around normal spirals, we find no significant difference in the number of candidate TDGs near interacting galaxy pairs compared to normal spiral galaxies. The most promising TDG candidates will be targeted by follow-up spectroscopic observations to determine their redshifts, metallicities, and their velocity structures. Younger TDGs are expected to have higher metallicities relative to their masses compared to primordial dwarf galaxies, relative to the standard mass-luminosity relationship for galaxies. Furthermore, TDGs should lack dark matter in contrast to primordial dwarf galaxies.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master Of Education in Research Methodology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University Of Zululand, 2018 / The investigation of high school learners’ attitudes towards physical science has been one of the prominent areas of research for the science education research community globally for some time now. However, its current importance in South Africa is emphasised by the mounting evidence of poor performance in physical science at matriculation level. Consequently, identifying the nature of learners’ attitudes towards physical science, and promoting favourable attitudes towards physical science is increasingly a matter of concern. The present study therefore investigated high school learners’ attitudes towards physical science and the relationship between their attitudes and learners’ biographical data such as gender, age and grade level. Both systematic and stratified sampling techniques were used to select a sample size of 298 respondents from five high schools in the Nongoma circuit in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The research was based on descriptive research design to obtain information from respondents in their natural environment through the use of adopted attitude scale. Permission was sought and obtained through email to use the attitude scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present and analyse the data. The findings from the present study suggest that majority of high school learners hold positive attitudes towards physical science. Findings with regard to the relationship between learners’ attitudes and their biographical data reveal that there is no association between attitudes and learners’ biographical data such as gender, age and grade level. The findings from this study will add value to education policy pertaining to science education in the country. It will also contribute to the theory of attitudes towards physical science. However, there is a need in future to study ways of encouraging learners to have positive attitudes towards physical science.

Research and the literature show that there is a culture of failure in science subjects in South African schools. Among many factors responsible for this state of affairs, it is assumed that lack of language proficiency in the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) could be the cause. Studies indicate that mother-tongue learning is key to better academic performance in schools. The question of which language should be used as the LoLT in South African schools is a hugely debated issue. Arguments regarding this debate centre around two main issues, namely, the Language in Education Policy (LiEP) and psycholinguistic theories. Means have to be sought to address the issue of poor academic performance by learners in these schools. One of the central areas which needs attention to improve learners academic performance in these schools is learner comprehension. An empirical research study was done in an attempt to determine whether mother-tongue subtitling would improve learners‟ comprehension of science. A total of 93 Grade 12 learners from two schools in one township were used in this study. The participants were divided into two equivalent groups: one group watched and listened to mother-tongue subtitled science content material, and the other group watched and listened to the same science content material that was not subtitled. Both groups then wrote a physical science comprehension test after watching and listening to the video. This process was repeated over a period of six weeks during which one lesson was given and one video was shown each week. The comprehension test questions were divided into the recall and understanding domains. The results of this experiment revealed that mother-tongue subtitling improved the science comprehension of learners in as far as recall is concerned. / MA (Language Practice), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

A Research Report submitted to Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science. Johannesburg July 2016. / The study reported in this research report was motivated by the continuous poor performance by South African learners in physical sciences. This poor performance is evidenced by the below expectations year in, year out grade 12 physical science final examinations results. Several factors may be contributing to this poor performance such as lack of resources (both financial and human resources), overcrowding, ineffective teaching methods, and the language of teaching and learning. The assertion for this study was that teacher’s oral classroom instructional language impacts on learning of classroom science. The study, hence investigated how South African physical science teachers use their oral instructional language to enhance the understanding of science concepts. The raw data was gathered through naturalistic observation and video recording of physical science lessons by two participant South African physical science teachers drawn from two different high schools located in the Gauteng Province. The two school were chosen on the basis of their matric results that are also below average. Follow up educator interviews were also conducted and video recorded. The videos of the lesson observations and educator interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed. The study revealed that the participant educators were not explaining the meanings of all technical and non-technical words that were used in the observed lessons. Teachers did not distinguish between the everyday meanings and scientific meanings of non-technical words used. Participant educators did not seek and make use of the participant learners’ pre-instructional meanings of non-technical words to help learners understand better the new scientific meanings of these words. One of the participant educators did not engage learners in the ongoing lesson talk. The findings of this study will sensitise physical science teachers to important role of their oral instructional language to successful learning of science concepts in the classroom. This might help in ensuring science teachers use their oral instructional language effectively to enhance understanding of science concepts, by adopting teaching approaches that facilitate shared meanings of vocabulary used in science classrooms. Key words: technical and non-technical words, instructional language, science language. / LG2017

The study provides a closer look at Physical Science teachers in the rural secondary schools (of the Bafokeng area). It puts focus on the different teaching methods that they use in order to overcome the realities of teaching in an under-resourced environment. This includes different aspects that affect the teaching and learning process, both directly and indirectly. In view of the above, the study displays the necessity and roles that different stakeholders have to play. For instance, the contribution of NGOs/ companies towards the development of teachers and school learning areas. The need for parental involvement in their children's learning process has also been highlighted. In the midst of having problems with resources, and learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, this study enlightens that" by going an extra mile, teachers can make a difference in the (disadvantaged) teaching environment, as well as to the lives of learners. Teachers in this study do not use any unknown special methods to deal with their situation. They do what they feel has to be done in order to continue with what is expected of them. The study has not managed to link any direct negative impact between class size and learning, since the school which had most learners in Physical Science, seemed to have being doing well under similar conditions as others. Also highlighted, is the importance of the relationship amongst Physical Science teachers themselves. Since most of the schools in this study did not have enough materials for teaching Physical Science/Chemistry, building relations with other teachers from different schools seemed worthwhile. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

Research and the literature show that there is a culture of failure in science subjects in South African schools. Among many factors responsible for this state of affairs, it is assumed that lack of language proficiency in the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) could be the cause. Studies indicate that mother-tongue learning is key to better academic performance in schools. The question of which language should be used as the LoLT in South African schools is a hugely debated issue. Arguments regarding this debate centre around two main issues, namely, the Language in Education Policy (LiEP) and psycholinguistic theories. Means have to be sought to address the issue of poor academic performance by learners in these schools. One of the central areas which needs attention to improve learners academic performance in these schools is learner comprehension. An empirical research study was done in an attempt to determine whether mother-tongue subtitling would improve learners‟ comprehension of science. A total of 93 Grade 12 learners from two schools in one township were used in this study. The participants were divided into two equivalent groups: one group watched and listened to mother-tongue subtitled science content material, and the other group watched and listened to the same science content material that was not subtitled. Both groups then wrote a physical science comprehension test after watching and listening to the video. This process was repeated over a period of six weeks during which one lesson was given and one video was shown each week. The comprehension test questions were divided into the recall and understanding domains. The results of this experiment revealed that mother-tongue subtitling improved the science comprehension of learners in as far as recall is concerned. / MA (Language Practice), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-111). Also available on the Internet.