School and learning readiness are continually being placed under the spotlight
in an attempt to protect the grade 1 learner from possible learning failures,
since unsuccessful learning experiences have negative effects even on a
person's adult life. A factor that plays a significant role in the current teaching
situation in the RSA is the fact that many grade 1 leamers are not instructed in
their mother tongue and that they are not familiar with the concepts which are
used in the language of learning and teaching. Another important factor is the
fact that since 2004 learners may enrol as grade 1 learners at primary schools
if they are five and a half years old and did not attend a grade R class.
In this study the problems experienced by grade 1 leamers in primary schools
since the implementation of Outcomes-based Education in the RSA in 1998,
were determined by means of a pilot study. It was followed up by a literature
study on the brain and factors that influence the working of the brain among
young learners, as well as learning and factors that cannot only promote
learning among this age group, but also disadvantage it. The literature was
also consulted to look at stimulation of the child's development in the early
development stage (0-9 years). As cross control for the study, the influence of
the implementation of the RNCS was determined by means of a Likert-type
questionnaire that was sent to grade1 teachers.
As a result of factors that were identified from the above-named literature
study and from the information acquired from the pilot project and Likert-type
questionnaire, a conceptual stimulation programme for multicultural grade 1
classes was developed to provide in the shortcomings that currently occur
among grade 1 learners.
The Aptitude Test for School beginners (ASB), a standarised school readiness
test of the HSRC, was used as a measuring instrument to acquire a
differentiated image in a scientific way of the grade 1 learners (n = 39) for the
purpose of this study. Thereafter, the learners were divided into an experimental and a control
group. The conceptual stimulation programme was presented to the
experimental group for ten consecutive weeks. The AS6 test was then
conducted again with all the grade 1 learners involved. Both the first and final
tests were marked according to the prescribed marking keys, interpreted
according to the norm tables and statistically processed.
The pre and post test scores of the two groups were compared and the
experimental group improved in all 8 sections of the test battery, namely
perception, spatial, reasoning, numerical, Gestalt, co-ordination , memory and
verbal comprehension. In each of these categories there was an increase of
d = 0.5 and more which according to Cohen's d-values, can be regarded as
practically meaningful.
The above-mentioned results indicate that the effective presentation of a
conceptual stimulation programme to a group of multicultural grade 1 learners
provides positive results and that the didactical methods used during the
presentation can be recommended to grade 1 teachers in the current
multicultural schools in the RSA. The programme can serve as a prototype to
adress the shortcomings identified in the practise (questionnaires) and the
literature study.
Keywords for indexing are: stimulation programme, schoolreadiness,
schoolreadiness programme, cognitive development, learning theories,
conceptual learning, brain development. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/1696 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Van Rensburg, Johanna Margaretha Janse |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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