This investigative study was undertaken against the background of the recent calls for back to
basics by the Schooling 2025 initiative, as well as to address the 2000 and 2009 Review
Committees’ reports on the training and development of teachers and on the variable quality of
learning support materials. The act of systemic transformation has led to two curriculum revisions
taking place within the South African education sector and has inevitably culminated in the
identification of shortcomings in teacher development and learning materials. This study has
positioned itself to address these shortcomings at pre-service level through the preparation of
Mathematics student teachers as prospective Mathematics teachers.
In addressing the issue of inadequate training, the focus of the study was not only on cognition,
but also on how affect could influence the learning of Mathematics so as to ensure a more
encompassing approach in understanding how student teachers learn and do Mathematics.
Integrated research on affect and cognition could lead to optimal performance in the teaching and
learning of Mathematics and researchers in mathematics education need to acknowledge the role
and impact of the affective domain and integrate it into studies of cognition. If learners are going
to become competent learners of Mathematics, their affective responses to Mathematics are going
to be much more intense than if they are merely expected to achieve satisfactory levels of
performance in low-order mathematical skills. In the studies on mathematics cognition, the focus
of mathematical competencies is on abilities and capabilities while, in the affective domain,
competencies in mathematics are more than the abilities to perform observable tasks. Rather, the
focus of the affective competencies lies in the direction, the degree and the levels of intensities of
affect constructs (or their variables) that will define mathematical competencies within the
affective domain. Evidentiary (qualitative) data from this study supported the contention that
affect does influence the learning of mathematics since there were distinct patterns in the overall
expressions of participants towards this aspect of the research.
The acknowledgment of the concerns of student teachers during field practicum could possibly
help in ameliorating these concerns through the identification of what student teachers were
mostly concerned about when teaching Mathematics and how, by addressing these concerns, could help improve their teaching skills and abilities. Based on the quantitative evidence, the three subscales
of self, task and impact used in the Student Concerns Questionnaire (SCQ) were modified
on the basis of factor analysis to a two-factor model (concerns about self-benefit and concerns
about learner-benefit). Some of the statistical results were integrated with the narrative data to
provide substantive support for the expressions of student teachers. No classical trends, as noted in
the concerns theory, could be detected in this study. It was statistically inferred that a majority of
Mathematics student teachers who participated in this study were moderately concerned about
most of the concerns statements noted in each of the items on the SCQ. In addressing the variable
quality of the learning material the study focused on the development and the use of social context
learning packages. The utilisation of these learning packages (in an intervention strategy) was
aimed at strengthening social context knowledge and education, and explored its role in the
translation (if any) of student teacher concerns within a hierarchical spectrum. The evidence on
how student teachers perceived the use of these learning packages was recorded during the
interviews. Analyses of the verbal data revealed that the participating student teachers agreed with
the use of social context learning packages as part of their Mathematics lessons. In sum, the need
to prepare effective Mathematics teachers and raise the academic calibre of prospective
Mathematics teachers was fundamental to the overall design of this study. It is trusted that
curriculum planners and designers will consider the recommendations of this study to address the
so-called inadequacies within the education system of South Africa. / Thesis (PhD (Mathematics Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/8698 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Hassan, Nazir Ahmed |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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