English additional language student teachers’ development of oral strategic competence and confidence
- Authors: Meyers, Rozanne Elanore
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Student teaching South Africa , Communicative competence South Africa , Oral communication , Native language and education , Language arts , Verbal ability , Multilingual education
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263613 , vital:53643
- Description: This case study sought to understand how oral strategic and discourse competence and confidence developed in student teachers using English, their additional language, firstly as a tool of learning and secondly, as a medium of instruction in education environments. Within the broad qualitative approach an interpretive framework was adopted using multiple data collection tools. This was in order to privilege detailed accounts of participants’ experiences. Namely, unstructured interviews, drawings, observational checklists, and selfassessment questionnaires. Participants’ oral strategic and discourse competence were assessed using an observation checklist as they presented micro-teaching lessons. Additionally, participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire, reflecting on their oral competence after conducting their micro-teaching lessons. These perceptions were confirmed through a discussion of drawings that illustrated how they perceived themselves during lectures when they had to use English during oral interaction with lecturers and fellow students. Finally, unstructured interviews were conducted after participants completed their micro-teaching lessons and after participants had completed their drawings. The raw data from the four tools were analysed using a thematic approach. Main themes and categories were analysed and discussed to provide answers to the research questions. Data correlated the attitude of participants towards English and their level of oral confidence and competence. The main findings were that students were motivated to develop their oral English competence because they believed it was an important skill for teachers to possess. This motivation also proved to be a leading factor in participants’ competence despite the negative emotions they identified during spoken exchanges. Furthermore, the analysis found that collaborating with fellow students in making meaning of oral communication during lectures, increased students’ oral competence and their confidence because they were communicating in smaller groups. However, in certain situations, collaborating with students also decreased their confidence. Findings indicated that reciprocal facial expressions and the body language of those who engaged orally with the student teachers, increased their oral confidence as it served as an indication to them that they were understood. Based on these findings, recommendations are made regarding interactions during lectures for teacher training programmes in Higher Education in South Africa, for lecturers and lecturing practices, and curriculum designers in the South African Department of Education. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
- Authors: Meyers, Rozanne Elanore
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Student teaching South Africa , Communicative competence South Africa , Oral communication , Native language and education , Language arts , Verbal ability , Multilingual education
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263613 , vital:53643
- Description: This case study sought to understand how oral strategic and discourse competence and confidence developed in student teachers using English, their additional language, firstly as a tool of learning and secondly, as a medium of instruction in education environments. Within the broad qualitative approach an interpretive framework was adopted using multiple data collection tools. This was in order to privilege detailed accounts of participants’ experiences. Namely, unstructured interviews, drawings, observational checklists, and selfassessment questionnaires. Participants’ oral strategic and discourse competence were assessed using an observation checklist as they presented micro-teaching lessons. Additionally, participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire, reflecting on their oral competence after conducting their micro-teaching lessons. These perceptions were confirmed through a discussion of drawings that illustrated how they perceived themselves during lectures when they had to use English during oral interaction with lecturers and fellow students. Finally, unstructured interviews were conducted after participants completed their micro-teaching lessons and after participants had completed their drawings. The raw data from the four tools were analysed using a thematic approach. Main themes and categories were analysed and discussed to provide answers to the research questions. Data correlated the attitude of participants towards English and their level of oral confidence and competence. The main findings were that students were motivated to develop their oral English competence because they believed it was an important skill for teachers to possess. This motivation also proved to be a leading factor in participants’ competence despite the negative emotions they identified during spoken exchanges. Furthermore, the analysis found that collaborating with fellow students in making meaning of oral communication during lectures, increased students’ oral competence and their confidence because they were communicating in smaller groups. However, in certain situations, collaborating with students also decreased their confidence. Findings indicated that reciprocal facial expressions and the body language of those who engaged orally with the student teachers, increased their oral confidence as it served as an indication to them that they were understood. Based on these findings, recommendations are made regarding interactions during lectures for teacher training programmes in Higher Education in South Africa, for lecturers and lecturing practices, and curriculum designers in the South African Department of Education. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
BEd foundation phase fourth year student teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics and the self-reported factors that influence these self-efficacy beliefs
- Authors: Harrison, Chloe
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Educational evaluation -- South Africa , Student teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Student teachers -- Rating of -- South Africa , Social cognitive theory , Self-efficacy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147004 , vital:38584
- Description: The underperformance of mathematics teaching and learning is a pressing concern in South Africa. Many foundation phase in-service teachers show inadequate mathematics content knowledge which creates barriers to their learners acquiring adequate mathematics skills. Teacher training programmes offer a key opportunity to improve the instructional practices of teachers at foundation phase level. In order to improve the teaching skills of in-service teachers, one focus must be on teacher training programmes. Unfortunately, there are many foundation phase student teachers who are leaving the profession within the first few years of teaching reportedly due to low levels of motivation. This research investigates the self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service student teachers. It also focuses on foundation phase student teachers as they experience significant challenges to their self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics and mathematics teaching. Self-efficacy is the key theory of the study. It stems from Bandura’s social cognitive theory and is an individual’s judgments about their capabilities, skills and perceived performance. This qualitative research adopts an interpretivist approach which seeks to identify Bed foundation phase fourth year student teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics and the self-reported factors influencing such beliefs. This research found that BEd foundation phase fourth year student teachers have low self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics. The purpose of this research is to raise awareness of the BEd student teachers’ low self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics. The results from this research will provide a platform for future intervention research, as well as potentially influencing student teacher training programmes.
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- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Harrison, Chloe
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Educational evaluation -- South Africa , Student teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Student teachers -- Rating of -- South Africa , Social cognitive theory , Self-efficacy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147004 , vital:38584
- Description: The underperformance of mathematics teaching and learning is a pressing concern in South Africa. Many foundation phase in-service teachers show inadequate mathematics content knowledge which creates barriers to their learners acquiring adequate mathematics skills. Teacher training programmes offer a key opportunity to improve the instructional practices of teachers at foundation phase level. In order to improve the teaching skills of in-service teachers, one focus must be on teacher training programmes. Unfortunately, there are many foundation phase student teachers who are leaving the profession within the first few years of teaching reportedly due to low levels of motivation. This research investigates the self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service student teachers. It also focuses on foundation phase student teachers as they experience significant challenges to their self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics and mathematics teaching. Self-efficacy is the key theory of the study. It stems from Bandura’s social cognitive theory and is an individual’s judgments about their capabilities, skills and perceived performance. This qualitative research adopts an interpretivist approach which seeks to identify Bed foundation phase fourth year student teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics and the self-reported factors influencing such beliefs. This research found that BEd foundation phase fourth year student teachers have low self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics. The purpose of this research is to raise awareness of the BEd student teachers’ low self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching mathematics. The results from this research will provide a platform for future intervention research, as well as potentially influencing student teacher training programmes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Using a classroom library to promote extensive reading in a Grade 8 class in a Fort Beaufort District School, Eastern Cape : an action research case study.
- Authors: Bushula, Bruce Simphiwe
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Classroom libraries -- South africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , Reading (Secondary) , Literacy -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , Literacy programs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2022 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017333
- Description: This thesis reports on a collaborative action research case study with Grade 8 learners in a rural high school in Fort Beaufort District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The goals of the case study were firstly, to understand best practices for promoting extensive reading using a classroom library, and secondly, to use these insights to put an extensive reading programme in place with a view to improving my practice as a language teacher and to gain better understanding of ways of enhancing my Grade 8 learners’ literacy skills. The following qualitative methods were used to collect data: observation, semi-structured interviews, class discussion, questionnaires, journal reflections and document analysis. Analysis of data involved identification of emerging themes and patterns. The findings suggest that the strategies used in the extensive reading intervention improved my learners’ levels of engagement with reading. Putting these strategies into practice, and reflecting critically on how to refine them helped enrich my own professional insight and development in relation to the implementation of extensive reading programmes. Since action research is usually designed in spirals of action, this research serves as a first spiral and a foundation upon which to build second and subsequent spirals (which do not form part of this research). The study highlighted the fact that certain challenges that emerged (for example, shortage of books at the learners’ level, and a lack of parental cooperation) need to be addressed in a second spiral of intervention. The study further suggested that the implementation of effective extensive reading programmes by teachers in the middle and upper phases of secondary schooling requires further investigation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Bushula, Bruce Simphiwe
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Classroom libraries -- South africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , Reading (Secondary) , Literacy -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , Literacy programs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2022 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017333
- Description: This thesis reports on a collaborative action research case study with Grade 8 learners in a rural high school in Fort Beaufort District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The goals of the case study were firstly, to understand best practices for promoting extensive reading using a classroom library, and secondly, to use these insights to put an extensive reading programme in place with a view to improving my practice as a language teacher and to gain better understanding of ways of enhancing my Grade 8 learners’ literacy skills. The following qualitative methods were used to collect data: observation, semi-structured interviews, class discussion, questionnaires, journal reflections and document analysis. Analysis of data involved identification of emerging themes and patterns. The findings suggest that the strategies used in the extensive reading intervention improved my learners’ levels of engagement with reading. Putting these strategies into practice, and reflecting critically on how to refine them helped enrich my own professional insight and development in relation to the implementation of extensive reading programmes. Since action research is usually designed in spirals of action, this research serves as a first spiral and a foundation upon which to build second and subsequent spirals (which do not form part of this research). The study highlighted the fact that certain challenges that emerged (for example, shortage of books at the learners’ level, and a lack of parental cooperation) need to be addressed in a second spiral of intervention. The study further suggested that the implementation of effective extensive reading programmes by teachers in the middle and upper phases of secondary schooling requires further investigation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
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