A comparative study of conceptualisations and practices of inclusion as an aspect of social justice in three teacher education institutions in Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe
- Authors: Musara, Ellison
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Social justice and education , Teachers -- Training of -- Canada , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Teachers -- Training of -- Zimbabwe , Educational sociology -- Canada , Educational sociology -- South Africa , Educational sociology -- Zimbabwe , Educational equalization , Inclusive education , Education -- Moral and ethical aspects , Critical realism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144138 , vital:38314
- Description: This study sought to examine understandings and practices of inclusion as social justice in teacher education programmes in three countries: Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. While inclusive education has become an issue of increasing importance globally, contemporary research shows that not much attention has been given to the preparation of teachers as a key element in developing inclusive education systems. Recognising that pre-service teacher education is vital to the success and continued development of inclusive educational practice, the purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the ways in which inclusion is understood and practiced in the field of teacher education. Using Roy Bhaskar’s (1978) critical realism as a metatheory and drawing on Fraser’s substantive theory of social justice (2008, 2009) and Tronto’s ethic of care (1993, 2013), this study explored the extent to which teacher education faculty and teacher candidates understood and practiced inclusion as an aspect of social justice. The data used in this study was generated through individual and focus group interviews and document analysis in three higher education institutions, one in each of the three countries. In Canada, four teacher educators took part in the interviews while five teacher candidates participated in the focus group. Similarly, in South Africa, three teacher educators and eight teacher candidates participated, and in Zimbabwe, four teacher educators and eight teacher candidates took part in the study respectively. Findings from the study revealed that inclusion still means different things to different people, reflecting contrasting theoretical and ideological orientations from which inclusion is considered, while still remaining a major educational policy concern in all three countries. In the Canadian and South African institutions, inclusion is viewed more in terms of systemic educational change in pursuit of equity, social justice and equal educational opportunities for all learners. In the Zimbabwean institution, the primary focus of inclusion remains creating conditions that make it possible for students with disabilities to overcome barriers to learning and participation by providing specialist educational measures and interventions intended to respond to specific forms of impairment. As a comparative study, it is hoped that this study will contribute to the knowledge of variations and patterns in the ways in which inclusive education is shaped by societal forces such as political, economic and cultural conditions.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Musara, Ellison
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Social justice and education , Teachers -- Training of -- Canada , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Teachers -- Training of -- Zimbabwe , Educational sociology -- Canada , Educational sociology -- South Africa , Educational sociology -- Zimbabwe , Educational equalization , Inclusive education , Education -- Moral and ethical aspects , Critical realism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144138 , vital:38314
- Description: This study sought to examine understandings and practices of inclusion as social justice in teacher education programmes in three countries: Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. While inclusive education has become an issue of increasing importance globally, contemporary research shows that not much attention has been given to the preparation of teachers as a key element in developing inclusive education systems. Recognising that pre-service teacher education is vital to the success and continued development of inclusive educational practice, the purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the ways in which inclusion is understood and practiced in the field of teacher education. Using Roy Bhaskar’s (1978) critical realism as a metatheory and drawing on Fraser’s substantive theory of social justice (2008, 2009) and Tronto’s ethic of care (1993, 2013), this study explored the extent to which teacher education faculty and teacher candidates understood and practiced inclusion as an aspect of social justice. The data used in this study was generated through individual and focus group interviews and document analysis in three higher education institutions, one in each of the three countries. In Canada, four teacher educators took part in the interviews while five teacher candidates participated in the focus group. Similarly, in South Africa, three teacher educators and eight teacher candidates participated, and in Zimbabwe, four teacher educators and eight teacher candidates took part in the study respectively. Findings from the study revealed that inclusion still means different things to different people, reflecting contrasting theoretical and ideological orientations from which inclusion is considered, while still remaining a major educational policy concern in all three countries. In the Canadian and South African institutions, inclusion is viewed more in terms of systemic educational change in pursuit of equity, social justice and equal educational opportunities for all learners. In the Zimbabwean institution, the primary focus of inclusion remains creating conditions that make it possible for students with disabilities to overcome barriers to learning and participation by providing specialist educational measures and interventions intended to respond to specific forms of impairment. As a comparative study, it is hoped that this study will contribute to the knowledge of variations and patterns in the ways in which inclusive education is shaped by societal forces such as political, economic and cultural conditions.
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A theory-based approach to evaluating a Continuing Teacher Professional Development Programme aimed at strengthening environment and sustainability education
- Authors: Songqwaru, Nonyameko Zintle
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Fundisa for Change , Environmental education -- South Africa , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145267 , vital:38423
- Description: This study uses a theory-based approach to evaluate the Fundisa for Change training programme, a continuing teacher professional development programme aimed at strengthening environment and sustainability education. The aim of the study was to surface assumptions that underpin the design and implementation of the Fundisa for Change training programme. The Fundisa for Change Teacher Education programme is a national collaborative programme that is implemented in all the nine provinces of South Africa. The study reports on the implementation of the programme in five provinces. The study aimed to surface the Fundisa for Change training programme’s implementation theory and programme theory as these affect programme delivery. The Fundisa for Change training programme was implemented in diverse contexts by different facilitators to different participants. To determine how training programme outcomes were achieved, use was made of context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations for each site where the programme was implemented. Data used to construct CMO configurations was generated through document analysis of Fundisa for Change documents, interviews with stakeholders and participants, as well as observations of programme implementation at five sites. There were three phases to data analysis: content analysis of Fundisa for Change documents, content analysis of observation transcripts and use of the CMO configuration, an analytical tool used in realist evaluation. An initial CMO configuration was constructed prior to observing implementation of the programme and a refined CMO configuration for the Fundisa for Change training programme was constructed based on similarities between the CMO configurations constructed for each of the five sites under study. The partnership model of the Fundisa for Change training programme brought diverse expertise and resources (material, cognitive, social and emotional) which were conducive to the achievement of programme outcomes. The programme’s action context (structure, culture, agency and relations) contributed to the achievement of programme outcomes by participants. Participants’ subject content knowledge, teaching practice and assessment practice was enhanced through attending the Fundisa for Change training. On-course tasks were mediated during training and this created opportunities for participants to discuss and reflect on current practice in ways that could lead to a change in practice. In evaluating professional development programmes, an elaborated definition of context in terms of structure, culture, agency and relations enables a comprehensive exploration of potential programme mechanisms that can be activated when programmes are implemented. It is also important to disaggregate resources and reasons when identifying mechanisms as this assists with differentiating between context and mechanisms. The study offers insights into the professional learning of teachers grappling with new content and pedagogical content knowledges related to environment in the context of recent curriculum changes where the South African national school curriculum has come into focus. Environmental education programmes in South Africa have implicitly used a realist approach. This study offers the first substantive professional learning evaluation that develops this approach explicitly using Theory of Change and Realist Evaluation in combination.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Songqwaru, Nonyameko Zintle
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Fundisa for Change , Environmental education -- South Africa , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145267 , vital:38423
- Description: This study uses a theory-based approach to evaluate the Fundisa for Change training programme, a continuing teacher professional development programme aimed at strengthening environment and sustainability education. The aim of the study was to surface assumptions that underpin the design and implementation of the Fundisa for Change training programme. The Fundisa for Change Teacher Education programme is a national collaborative programme that is implemented in all the nine provinces of South Africa. The study reports on the implementation of the programme in five provinces. The study aimed to surface the Fundisa for Change training programme’s implementation theory and programme theory as these affect programme delivery. The Fundisa for Change training programme was implemented in diverse contexts by different facilitators to different participants. To determine how training programme outcomes were achieved, use was made of context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations for each site where the programme was implemented. Data used to construct CMO configurations was generated through document analysis of Fundisa for Change documents, interviews with stakeholders and participants, as well as observations of programme implementation at five sites. There were three phases to data analysis: content analysis of Fundisa for Change documents, content analysis of observation transcripts and use of the CMO configuration, an analytical tool used in realist evaluation. An initial CMO configuration was constructed prior to observing implementation of the programme and a refined CMO configuration for the Fundisa for Change training programme was constructed based on similarities between the CMO configurations constructed for each of the five sites under study. The partnership model of the Fundisa for Change training programme brought diverse expertise and resources (material, cognitive, social and emotional) which were conducive to the achievement of programme outcomes. The programme’s action context (structure, culture, agency and relations) contributed to the achievement of programme outcomes by participants. Participants’ subject content knowledge, teaching practice and assessment practice was enhanced through attending the Fundisa for Change training. On-course tasks were mediated during training and this created opportunities for participants to discuss and reflect on current practice in ways that could lead to a change in practice. In evaluating professional development programmes, an elaborated definition of context in terms of structure, culture, agency and relations enables a comprehensive exploration of potential programme mechanisms that can be activated when programmes are implemented. It is also important to disaggregate resources and reasons when identifying mechanisms as this assists with differentiating between context and mechanisms. The study offers insights into the professional learning of teachers grappling with new content and pedagogical content knowledges related to environment in the context of recent curriculum changes where the South African national school curriculum has come into focus. Environmental education programmes in South Africa have implicitly used a realist approach. This study offers the first substantive professional learning evaluation that develops this approach explicitly using Theory of Change and Realist Evaluation in combination.
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An analysis of how visualisation capabilities in dynamic geometric software develop meaning-making of mathematical concepts in selected Grade 11 learners
- Authors: Mavani, Deepack Pravin
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa , Mathematics -- Computer programs , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Case studies , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Activity programs , Educational technology , Visualization
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143213 , vital:38211
- Description: Visualisation plays a central role in developing mathematical ideas because it can be used to make these ideas explicit and visible, and thus has the potential to advance understanding. This study centred around the GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP), a teacher development initiative in Mthatha that aimed to grow and develop appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills in teachers, to harness the teaching and learning potential of GeoGebra. GeoGebra is a dynamic geometric software package that is very interactive and makes use of powerful features to create images which can be moved around the computer screen for mathematical exploration. This research project was located within GLIP and analysed how GeoGebra applets develop conceptual and procedural understanding in selected Grade 11 learners. One aspect of GLIP was for teachers to use GeoGebra applets that they had developed themselves and implemented in their classrooms in pre-determined cycles that were aligned to the curriculum. My study specifically focused on how the selected learners made use of these applets and explored how learning had taken place in terms of developing mathematical meaning-making. This interpretive research study was designed as a case study. The case was a cohort of selected Grade 11 learners who had been taught by GLIP teachers, and my unit of analysis was the learners’ interaction with the applets. A screen capturing software package was used to capture learners’ interactions with the GeoGebra. My data consisted mainly of recorded observations and interviews. An analytical framework derived from the works of Kilpatrick, Swafford, and Findell (2001) and Carter et al. (2009) guided and informed the data analysis of the learners’ activities with the GeoGebra. The theoretical orientation of this study was constructivist learning. An in-depth analysis and detailed descriptions of the participants’ interactions enabled me to gain a comprehensive understanding of their meaning-making processes in a technological classroom context. An analysis across the participants identified distinguishable patterns or differences in the development of the learners’ mathematical proficiency and making sense of mathematical ideas. The research argued that technology enabled visualisation was a powerful tool to not only enrich mathematically activities, but to also enrich conceptual and procedural understanding. The findings recognised that exploration of, or manipulation on mathematical objects in GeoGebra was a key activity in the participants’ meaning-making process. It also enabled learners to offer self-proclaimed theories
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mavani, Deepack Pravin
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa , Mathematics -- Computer programs , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Case studies , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Activity programs , Educational technology , Visualization
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143213 , vital:38211
- Description: Visualisation plays a central role in developing mathematical ideas because it can be used to make these ideas explicit and visible, and thus has the potential to advance understanding. This study centred around the GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP), a teacher development initiative in Mthatha that aimed to grow and develop appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills in teachers, to harness the teaching and learning potential of GeoGebra. GeoGebra is a dynamic geometric software package that is very interactive and makes use of powerful features to create images which can be moved around the computer screen for mathematical exploration. This research project was located within GLIP and analysed how GeoGebra applets develop conceptual and procedural understanding in selected Grade 11 learners. One aspect of GLIP was for teachers to use GeoGebra applets that they had developed themselves and implemented in their classrooms in pre-determined cycles that were aligned to the curriculum. My study specifically focused on how the selected learners made use of these applets and explored how learning had taken place in terms of developing mathematical meaning-making. This interpretive research study was designed as a case study. The case was a cohort of selected Grade 11 learners who had been taught by GLIP teachers, and my unit of analysis was the learners’ interaction with the applets. A screen capturing software package was used to capture learners’ interactions with the GeoGebra. My data consisted mainly of recorded observations and interviews. An analytical framework derived from the works of Kilpatrick, Swafford, and Findell (2001) and Carter et al. (2009) guided and informed the data analysis of the learners’ activities with the GeoGebra. The theoretical orientation of this study was constructivist learning. An in-depth analysis and detailed descriptions of the participants’ interactions enabled me to gain a comprehensive understanding of their meaning-making processes in a technological classroom context. An analysis across the participants identified distinguishable patterns or differences in the development of the learners’ mathematical proficiency and making sense of mathematical ideas. The research argued that technology enabled visualisation was a powerful tool to not only enrich mathematically activities, but to also enrich conceptual and procedural understanding. The findings recognised that exploration of, or manipulation on mathematical objects in GeoGebra was a key activity in the participants’ meaning-making process. It also enabled learners to offer self-proclaimed theories
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An exploration of how Grade 3 Foundation Phase teachers develop basic scientific process skills using an inquiry-based approach in their classrooms
- Authors: Nhase, Zukiswa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Elementary school teaching-- South Africa , Elementary school teachers -- South Africa , Elementary school teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa , Science -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Learning, Psychology of , Cognition in children , Inquiry-based learning -- South Africa , Active learning -- South Africa , Pedagogical content knowledge -- South Africa , Educational change -- South Africa , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145181 , vital:38416
- Description: Some studies have looked at Foundation Phase teachers’ perspectives on the teaching of science in this phase. Such studies have highlighted various challenges on the teaching of science in the Foundation Phase. They pointed out issues such as large class numbers, lack of resources and lack of science knowledge from Foundation Phase teachers. However, none of these studies have looked at how Foundation Phase teachers are using an Inquiry-Based Approach in their classrooms instead few studies have looked at the Foundation Phase teachers’ perspectives about scientific inquiry in this phase. Even though many scholars have presented several challenges to the teaching of science both at secondary and primary level, the argument is strongly made that Foundation Phase learners should be exposed to the learning of science. Generally, children at the Foundation Phase level naturally enjoy observing and thinking about nature; exposing learners to science develops positive attitudes towards science; the use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts; children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically; and science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. It is within these arguments and discussions that this interpretive case study research sought to explore the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of four Foundation Phase teachers in developing the Scientific Process Skills using an Inquiry-Based Approach in their classrooms and subsequently, the significance of this research study. The socio-cultural theory, Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Zaretskii’s six conditions for development during mediation and the principles of an Inquiry-Based Approach were used as analytical lenses in this research. To use an Inquiry-Based Approach, generally teachers have to understand its principles and know how to develop basic Scientific Process Skills while teaching the science content. In the Foundation Phase, the Natural Sciences component or content is embedded in the Beginning Knowledge study area of the Life Skills subject and this can create difficulties for teachers to even recognise the scientific concepts in the Life Skills. The four IsiXhosa female teachers used the home language of learners as the language of instruction to implement an Inquiry-Based Approach in their classrooms. Data were generated in four phases. Phase one was baseline data through document analysis. Three of the phases were directed by the research question asked. Data were generated using questionnaires, interviews (semi-structured and stimulated recall), lesson observations (videotaped) and group reflections and discussions. From the work of Vygotsky, Zaretskii formulated six conditions that can be used to develop learners’ zone of proximal development in learning and these were used as analytical lenses to analyse data to understand how teachers mediated learning and development of Scientific Inquiry in their Grade 3 classrooms. In addition, the principles of an Inquiry-Based Approach were used as analytical lenses as to how teachers implemented the scientific inquiry approach. The categories or components of Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge were used as analytical lenses as to how these teachers dealt with science concepts or content when using an inquiry-based Approach in their classrooms. Using the home language of learners as an instructional tool, data showed that learners were afforded the opportunity to freely engage in activities and as a result, the context of learning was non-threatening for both teachers and learners. Although learning activities could be improved, teachers created social spaces for learners to take part in learning. In addition, the use of learners’ environments in the observed lessons made it comfortable for learners to act as young scientists. The new knowledge in this research was presented by the use of the adapted analytical tool, which combined diverse components of theory and literature that aligned with each other. The reflection space for the participants did not only afford the participants to discuss about each other’s lessons or experiences in this research, it allowed the participants to engage with the research objectives. The reflection space strengthened the research ethics if this study. Hence, the concept that says, ‘Absenting the absences’. In conclusion, the study thus recommends further professional development spaces that promote community of practice in using an Inquiry-Based Approach in the Foundation Phase.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nhase, Zukiswa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Elementary school teaching-- South Africa , Elementary school teachers -- South Africa , Elementary school teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa , Science -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Learning, Psychology of , Cognition in children , Inquiry-based learning -- South Africa , Active learning -- South Africa , Pedagogical content knowledge -- South Africa , Educational change -- South Africa , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145181 , vital:38416
- Description: Some studies have looked at Foundation Phase teachers’ perspectives on the teaching of science in this phase. Such studies have highlighted various challenges on the teaching of science in the Foundation Phase. They pointed out issues such as large class numbers, lack of resources and lack of science knowledge from Foundation Phase teachers. However, none of these studies have looked at how Foundation Phase teachers are using an Inquiry-Based Approach in their classrooms instead few studies have looked at the Foundation Phase teachers’ perspectives about scientific inquiry in this phase. Even though many scholars have presented several challenges to the teaching of science both at secondary and primary level, the argument is strongly made that Foundation Phase learners should be exposed to the learning of science. Generally, children at the Foundation Phase level naturally enjoy observing and thinking about nature; exposing learners to science develops positive attitudes towards science; the use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts; children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically; and science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. It is within these arguments and discussions that this interpretive case study research sought to explore the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of four Foundation Phase teachers in developing the Scientific Process Skills using an Inquiry-Based Approach in their classrooms and subsequently, the significance of this research study. The socio-cultural theory, Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Zaretskii’s six conditions for development during mediation and the principles of an Inquiry-Based Approach were used as analytical lenses in this research. To use an Inquiry-Based Approach, generally teachers have to understand its principles and know how to develop basic Scientific Process Skills while teaching the science content. In the Foundation Phase, the Natural Sciences component or content is embedded in the Beginning Knowledge study area of the Life Skills subject and this can create difficulties for teachers to even recognise the scientific concepts in the Life Skills. The four IsiXhosa female teachers used the home language of learners as the language of instruction to implement an Inquiry-Based Approach in their classrooms. Data were generated in four phases. Phase one was baseline data through document analysis. Three of the phases were directed by the research question asked. Data were generated using questionnaires, interviews (semi-structured and stimulated recall), lesson observations (videotaped) and group reflections and discussions. From the work of Vygotsky, Zaretskii formulated six conditions that can be used to develop learners’ zone of proximal development in learning and these were used as analytical lenses to analyse data to understand how teachers mediated learning and development of Scientific Inquiry in their Grade 3 classrooms. In addition, the principles of an Inquiry-Based Approach were used as analytical lenses as to how teachers implemented the scientific inquiry approach. The categories or components of Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge were used as analytical lenses as to how these teachers dealt with science concepts or content when using an inquiry-based Approach in their classrooms. Using the home language of learners as an instructional tool, data showed that learners were afforded the opportunity to freely engage in activities and as a result, the context of learning was non-threatening for both teachers and learners. Although learning activities could be improved, teachers created social spaces for learners to take part in learning. In addition, the use of learners’ environments in the observed lessons made it comfortable for learners to act as young scientists. The new knowledge in this research was presented by the use of the adapted analytical tool, which combined diverse components of theory and literature that aligned with each other. The reflection space for the participants did not only afford the participants to discuss about each other’s lessons or experiences in this research, it allowed the participants to engage with the research objectives. The reflection space strengthened the research ethics if this study. Hence, the concept that says, ‘Absenting the absences’. In conclusion, the study thus recommends further professional development spaces that promote community of practice in using an Inquiry-Based Approach in the Foundation Phase.
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An intervention on supporting teachers’ understanding of and mediation of learning of stoichiometry in selected schools in the Zambezi Region
- Authors: Denuga, Desalu Dedayo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Stoichiometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Chemistry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Participant observation -- Namibia , Constructivism (Education) -- Namibia , Pedagogical content knowledge -- Namibia , Continuing education -- Namibia , Teachers -- In-service training -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/103855 , vital:32315
- Description: This study has been triggered by the results on stoichiometry questions in the Directorate of Namibian Examination Assessment’s (DNEA) scripts. As highlighted in the examiners’ reports, stoichiometry is an ongoing annual problem for most students in Namibia. It is against this background that I decided to explore the possibility of an intervention in the form of continuing professional development (CPD) and collaboration workshops to improve the understanding and the mediation of learning of stoichiometry by Physical Science teachers in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. The study was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and within this paradigm a qualitative case study approach was adopted. Since this study was in a form of an intervention, a participatory action research (PAR) approach was employed within the community of practice (CoP). I used document analysis, workshop discussions, observations and videotaped lessons, interviews (semi-structured and stimulated recall interviews) and reflections to gather data. The study was carried out at three senior secondary schools and six Physical Science teachers were involved. The study drew on the theory of constructivism as a theoretical framework, namely, Piaget’s cognitive constructivism and Vygotsky‘s social constructivism as well as Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Within PCK, Mavhunga and Rollnick’s Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TSPCK) was used as an analytical lens (Appendix L) in this study. The findings reveal that the use of a diagnostic test on learners made the Physical Science teachers aware of the learners’ challenges and what was difficult for them to understand in stoichiometry. It also helped in their understanding of the use of prior knowledge, one of the tenets of TSPCK, to access what learners knew about stoichiometry. Further findings of the study illuminate that the Physical Science teachers’ subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and skills had shifted as a result of their participation in the intervention workshops. The findings of this study indicate that the CoP members acquired the professional transformations which were important breakthroughs in their careers. The study thus recommends that teachers should develop effective teacher professional development activities such as study teams, exemplary lessons, cluster teaching, and peer coaching where teachers are expected to examine their assumptions and practices continuously. The implication of my study is that the developed exemplary lesson during the intervention workshops by CoP members could be useful to other Physical Science teachers in the teaching of stoichiometry in all the schools in the Zambezi Region.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Denuga, Desalu Dedayo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Stoichiometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Chemistry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Participant observation -- Namibia , Constructivism (Education) -- Namibia , Pedagogical content knowledge -- Namibia , Continuing education -- Namibia , Teachers -- In-service training -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/103855 , vital:32315
- Description: This study has been triggered by the results on stoichiometry questions in the Directorate of Namibian Examination Assessment’s (DNEA) scripts. As highlighted in the examiners’ reports, stoichiometry is an ongoing annual problem for most students in Namibia. It is against this background that I decided to explore the possibility of an intervention in the form of continuing professional development (CPD) and collaboration workshops to improve the understanding and the mediation of learning of stoichiometry by Physical Science teachers in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. The study was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and within this paradigm a qualitative case study approach was adopted. Since this study was in a form of an intervention, a participatory action research (PAR) approach was employed within the community of practice (CoP). I used document analysis, workshop discussions, observations and videotaped lessons, interviews (semi-structured and stimulated recall interviews) and reflections to gather data. The study was carried out at three senior secondary schools and six Physical Science teachers were involved. The study drew on the theory of constructivism as a theoretical framework, namely, Piaget’s cognitive constructivism and Vygotsky‘s social constructivism as well as Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Within PCK, Mavhunga and Rollnick’s Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TSPCK) was used as an analytical lens (Appendix L) in this study. The findings reveal that the use of a diagnostic test on learners made the Physical Science teachers aware of the learners’ challenges and what was difficult for them to understand in stoichiometry. It also helped in their understanding of the use of prior knowledge, one of the tenets of TSPCK, to access what learners knew about stoichiometry. Further findings of the study illuminate that the Physical Science teachers’ subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and skills had shifted as a result of their participation in the intervention workshops. The findings of this study indicate that the CoP members acquired the professional transformations which were important breakthroughs in their careers. The study thus recommends that teachers should develop effective teacher professional development activities such as study teams, exemplary lessons, cluster teaching, and peer coaching where teachers are expected to examine their assumptions and practices continuously. The implication of my study is that the developed exemplary lesson during the intervention workshops by CoP members could be useful to other Physical Science teachers in the teaching of stoichiometry in all the schools in the Zambezi Region.
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Informal learning in local farming practices by rural women in the Lake Chilwa Basin, Malawi: towards coping and adaptation to climate variability and climate change
- Authors: Mphepo, Gibson Yadunda
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Women -- Non-formal education - Malawi , Non-formal education -- Malawi , Women -- Malawi -- Social conditions , Crops and climate -- Malawi , Agricultural extension work -- Government policy -- Malawi , Environmental education -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167540 , vital:41490
- Description: Evidence reveals that informal learning is a neglected research area, globally and nationally. Informal learning, like formal and non-formal learning, is context specific. In the case of my study, the context was in local maize cultivation and the associated local farming practices which are also neglected. Research has shown that rural women in Malawi are significant change agents in socio-economic sectors, yet they are heavily affected by inequality. For example, extreme weather events of droughts and floods in the Lake Chilwa Basin, disproportionately affect more women than men because of their traditional gendered roles such as home care. The complexity of the dualistic nature of being change agents and victims of injustices at the same time offers a catalytic opportunity for potentially transformative social learning for transformative adaptation. Against this backdrop, I conducted a study to investigate and expand informal learning processes to contribute to building the resilience of women and other community members in Domasi and Nsanama Extension Planning Areas (EPA) within the Lake Chilwa Basin. Specifically, the study answered the following question: “How do drought and inter-seasonal dry spells influence informal learning processes to enable transformation adaptation among rural women cultivating maize in the Lake Chilwa Basin, Malawi?” To address the question, the first stage was to review local farming practices and the associated informal learning processes in Malawi. I then used third generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as an overarching theoretical framework to guide the subsequent research processes which were split into three main phases: mirror data collection for expansive learning, formative change laboratory workshops, and data analysis and reflection. CHAT is a theoretical framework that helps us comprehend and analyze the relationship between the human mind (i.e. what people think and feel) and activity (what people do). It is a formative and activist learning theory that posits learning as occurring through collective activities to meet or change a common object (Mukute and Lotz-Sisitka, 2012, p. 345). For Koszalka and Wu, 2001(p. 493), within a CHAT framework, knowledge is socially constructed by individual learners, building on existing historical experiences, within the learners’ context. To construct this knowledge, learners use technology or mediating tools, as Vygotsky (1978) calls them. To collect mirror data, I conducted focus group discussions, observation studies, and document analysis. I also conducted key informant interviews with selected extension workers responsible for the two case study sites. The hub of my research constituted change laboratory workshops to expand learning through four of the seven expansive learning actions, namely questioning, analysis, modeling and testing the model. One of the essential procedures I relied on to expand learning during these change laboratory workshops was identification and analysis of contradictions that were mirrored back to women. The use of contradictions as fertile ground for learning is premised on Engstrom’s arguments that contradictions form a catalyst for learning. Data were analysed using two approaches: layered and power relations. A layered analysis is a step-by-step process of understanding a situation from the lower to a higher level (mature stage). For my research, this meant understanding sequential learning from questioning (session 1 – lower level) to testing the model (session 8 – higher level). The second data analysis approach, power relations, relates to the Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), a measure of the degree of women empowerment, their agency and inclusion in farming (Ruth et al., 2013, p. 3). I used this type of power analysis tool because my research was agriculture based. Both data analysis approaches relied on N-vivo which is a form of computer-based qualitative data management software. The software was ideal for my study which was also mostly qualitative. During phase 1 of data collection, I identified five local farming practices associated with local maize cultivation, a focus of my study. These practices were slash and burn (mphanje); traditional insect pest control measures; soil fertility enhancement techniques through kuojeka (crop residue incorporation) and livestock manure; traditional weather forecasts; and multiple cropping (mixed and sequential cropping). Among these, the most preferred by the women I interacted with were kuojeka, livestock manure and mixed cropping. I discovered that these local farming practices are informally learned mainly through word of mouth, observation, trials, women-dominated social networks and drama. I also discovered that some of these informal learning pathways are catalyzed by drought and dry spells. For example, during the 1949 and 2002 drought periods, women reported that they had learned new types of coping strategies such as the use of sawdust and banana root flour in place of maize flour to prepare nsima, a staple food in Malawi. During phase 2, change laboratory workshops, I identified 19 contradictions associated with local farming practices, most of which were related to the Government of Malawi bias towards modern farming practices such as hybrids. Other contradictions were related to traditional structures and norms and religion and traditional beliefs. Solutions were suggested for each of the contradictions. Some of these solutions were tested for their workability. These included setting up diversity blocks (demonstration plots) for local maize cultivation under irrigation and engagement of the youth through WhatsApp groups for the first time at the study sites. The results of the tests show that there is potential to transform local farming practices at the study sites and build social resilience against drought and dry spells. For example, from a local maize demonstration plot in Nsanama Extension Planning Area (EPA), farmers learned that kafula local maize is fast maturing and therefore cushions them against hunger as they wait for the main harvest in later months. Eighty-eight households shared local maize seed harvested from the demonstration gardens for upscaling. The Head of Nsanama EPA had also set up another demonstration garden in 2018-2019 growing season consisting of kafula at Nsanama EPA Headquarters for further informal learning purposes. This research has contributed new knowledge to the existing knowledge base about local farming practices and informal learning. These contributions are in the form of methods I used as well as results obtained. Among the key highlights of my contribution to the knowledge base is the development of scenarios as double stimulation tools for the emerging local farming activity system which emanates from the new model solutions resulting from change laboratory workshops. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time rural communities were engaged in scenario development in Malawi. The first scenarios of this type were developed in 2010 for the Malawi State of Environment and Outlook Report and the process involved middle to senior managers of various institutions in Malawi. Through historical analysis, my research identified local crops that existed in the past but which are currently non-existent or rare. My study also identified unique local farming practices that even puzzled professionals, including the use of ripe banana peels of makumbuka and sukari to eradicate nansongole grass and native bamboos respectively. Both plant species are considered a nuisance in that they colonize land for cultivation. A breakthrough for radical transformation of local farming practices via informal learning requires development and review of relevant policies in Malawi. Such a process requires evidence. This research has provided background information for this process. For those policies already developed, this research has provided information that can help guide implementation of the generalized list of activities outlined in implementation plans of the respective policies.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mphepo, Gibson Yadunda
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Women -- Non-formal education - Malawi , Non-formal education -- Malawi , Women -- Malawi -- Social conditions , Crops and climate -- Malawi , Agricultural extension work -- Government policy -- Malawi , Environmental education -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167540 , vital:41490
- Description: Evidence reveals that informal learning is a neglected research area, globally and nationally. Informal learning, like formal and non-formal learning, is context specific. In the case of my study, the context was in local maize cultivation and the associated local farming practices which are also neglected. Research has shown that rural women in Malawi are significant change agents in socio-economic sectors, yet they are heavily affected by inequality. For example, extreme weather events of droughts and floods in the Lake Chilwa Basin, disproportionately affect more women than men because of their traditional gendered roles such as home care. The complexity of the dualistic nature of being change agents and victims of injustices at the same time offers a catalytic opportunity for potentially transformative social learning for transformative adaptation. Against this backdrop, I conducted a study to investigate and expand informal learning processes to contribute to building the resilience of women and other community members in Domasi and Nsanama Extension Planning Areas (EPA) within the Lake Chilwa Basin. Specifically, the study answered the following question: “How do drought and inter-seasonal dry spells influence informal learning processes to enable transformation adaptation among rural women cultivating maize in the Lake Chilwa Basin, Malawi?” To address the question, the first stage was to review local farming practices and the associated informal learning processes in Malawi. I then used third generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as an overarching theoretical framework to guide the subsequent research processes which were split into three main phases: mirror data collection for expansive learning, formative change laboratory workshops, and data analysis and reflection. CHAT is a theoretical framework that helps us comprehend and analyze the relationship between the human mind (i.e. what people think and feel) and activity (what people do). It is a formative and activist learning theory that posits learning as occurring through collective activities to meet or change a common object (Mukute and Lotz-Sisitka, 2012, p. 345). For Koszalka and Wu, 2001(p. 493), within a CHAT framework, knowledge is socially constructed by individual learners, building on existing historical experiences, within the learners’ context. To construct this knowledge, learners use technology or mediating tools, as Vygotsky (1978) calls them. To collect mirror data, I conducted focus group discussions, observation studies, and document analysis. I also conducted key informant interviews with selected extension workers responsible for the two case study sites. The hub of my research constituted change laboratory workshops to expand learning through four of the seven expansive learning actions, namely questioning, analysis, modeling and testing the model. One of the essential procedures I relied on to expand learning during these change laboratory workshops was identification and analysis of contradictions that were mirrored back to women. The use of contradictions as fertile ground for learning is premised on Engstrom’s arguments that contradictions form a catalyst for learning. Data were analysed using two approaches: layered and power relations. A layered analysis is a step-by-step process of understanding a situation from the lower to a higher level (mature stage). For my research, this meant understanding sequential learning from questioning (session 1 – lower level) to testing the model (session 8 – higher level). The second data analysis approach, power relations, relates to the Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), a measure of the degree of women empowerment, their agency and inclusion in farming (Ruth et al., 2013, p. 3). I used this type of power analysis tool because my research was agriculture based. Both data analysis approaches relied on N-vivo which is a form of computer-based qualitative data management software. The software was ideal for my study which was also mostly qualitative. During phase 1 of data collection, I identified five local farming practices associated with local maize cultivation, a focus of my study. These practices were slash and burn (mphanje); traditional insect pest control measures; soil fertility enhancement techniques through kuojeka (crop residue incorporation) and livestock manure; traditional weather forecasts; and multiple cropping (mixed and sequential cropping). Among these, the most preferred by the women I interacted with were kuojeka, livestock manure and mixed cropping. I discovered that these local farming practices are informally learned mainly through word of mouth, observation, trials, women-dominated social networks and drama. I also discovered that some of these informal learning pathways are catalyzed by drought and dry spells. For example, during the 1949 and 2002 drought periods, women reported that they had learned new types of coping strategies such as the use of sawdust and banana root flour in place of maize flour to prepare nsima, a staple food in Malawi. During phase 2, change laboratory workshops, I identified 19 contradictions associated with local farming practices, most of which were related to the Government of Malawi bias towards modern farming practices such as hybrids. Other contradictions were related to traditional structures and norms and religion and traditional beliefs. Solutions were suggested for each of the contradictions. Some of these solutions were tested for their workability. These included setting up diversity blocks (demonstration plots) for local maize cultivation under irrigation and engagement of the youth through WhatsApp groups for the first time at the study sites. The results of the tests show that there is potential to transform local farming practices at the study sites and build social resilience against drought and dry spells. For example, from a local maize demonstration plot in Nsanama Extension Planning Area (EPA), farmers learned that kafula local maize is fast maturing and therefore cushions them against hunger as they wait for the main harvest in later months. Eighty-eight households shared local maize seed harvested from the demonstration gardens for upscaling. The Head of Nsanama EPA had also set up another demonstration garden in 2018-2019 growing season consisting of kafula at Nsanama EPA Headquarters for further informal learning purposes. This research has contributed new knowledge to the existing knowledge base about local farming practices and informal learning. These contributions are in the form of methods I used as well as results obtained. Among the key highlights of my contribution to the knowledge base is the development of scenarios as double stimulation tools for the emerging local farming activity system which emanates from the new model solutions resulting from change laboratory workshops. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time rural communities were engaged in scenario development in Malawi. The first scenarios of this type were developed in 2010 for the Malawi State of Environment and Outlook Report and the process involved middle to senior managers of various institutions in Malawi. Through historical analysis, my research identified local crops that existed in the past but which are currently non-existent or rare. My study also identified unique local farming practices that even puzzled professionals, including the use of ripe banana peels of makumbuka and sukari to eradicate nansongole grass and native bamboos respectively. Both plant species are considered a nuisance in that they colonize land for cultivation. A breakthrough for radical transformation of local farming practices via informal learning requires development and review of relevant policies in Malawi. Such a process requires evidence. This research has provided background information for this process. For those policies already developed, this research has provided information that can help guide implementation of the generalized list of activities outlined in implementation plans of the respective policies.
- Full Text:
Not Yet Uhuru! Attuning to, re-imagining and regenerating transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis across times Khapa(ring) the rising cultures of change drivers in contemporary South Africa
- Authors: Kulundu-Bolus, Injairu
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Not Yet Uhuru (Arts Project) , Anti-imperialist movements -- South Africa , Education -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Social change -- South Africa , Education -- Philosophy -- South Africa , Arts and society -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/166081 , vital:41327 , 10.21504/10962/166081
- Description: The “Not yet Uhuru!” project positions itself as emancipatory African research in motion. It is a regenerative project that responds to the concern that whilst dominant discourses can articulate what African states, societies and economies are not, we still know very little about what they actually are. This is a particularly important gap in how research on Africa is conceptualised, especially as it pertains to apprehending the futures that the majority of young people on the continent are instinctively leading themselves to (Mbembe, 2001, p.9). The project seeks to forgo youth development strategies that act as a form of containment by prescribing normative aspects of citizenship on young leaders in ways that stifle the transgressive impulses they have reason to value (Kelley in Tuck and Yang, 2014, p.89). The study traces rising cultures in transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis across times, as a way of “khapa(ring)” or accompanying the contemporary questions that Change Drivers in South Africa hold at the edge of their praxis. The study co-conspired with 21 Change Drivers in South Africa who were interested in regenerating and re-imagining what transgressive decolonial praxis could be in these times based on their experiences and learnings. Residential art-based workshops that explored each co-conspirator’s offerings on the subject were distilled through the medium of film. These in turn were analysed using an “ethics of attunement” that produced songs as a reflexive pedagogical tool (Lispari, 2014, p.176). Sharing the resonate echoes of their praxis through song created another iterative reflection on their praxis two years after their initial offerings. As a way of weaving together the findings with a historical perspective, the resonant praxis of Change Drivers was put into conversation with three unconventional reviews that trace impulses around transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis through fictional texts, political theory, poetry and intergenerational analysis, in order to surface resonant themes in praxis that echo across different times in history. This methodology sought to engage the question of the archive in pluriversal ways that appealed to different sensibilities, including the imaginative and hermeneutical, the traditionally analytical as well as the gifts of the lyrical and the erotic as different conceptual threads needed to resource the study. The reviews additionally spanned periods in the history of the continent that hold questions around precolonial and nascent colonial encounters, efforts to transgress within the liberatory movements and the intergenerational transmissions embedded in women and queer people’s struggles. The themes that coalesced across times were leveraged into capsules of rising cultures that form an experimental nexus for the practice of transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis that is already underway. These rising cultures were conceptualised as meditations on what it means to live into a vision of home built on the explorations of a paradigm of peace, humanness, pluriversality and decolonial love for those like and unlike us that strive for freedom on this continent (Dlala, 2017, p.52; Ndlovu- Gatsheni, 2013, p.142; Gqola, 2017, pp.197, 199). The rising ultures were reconciled through the creation of a litany that chronicles different refrains in transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis in contemporary times. The litany is a tool that charts particular experiences that are surfacing as symptomatic. It seeks to generously surface the contradictions that we are collectively starting to see past, whilst acknowledging the tensions that we need to straddle, integrate and navigate towards greater synthesis. The litany is an honest way of acknowledging the glimpses gained of who we are in this present moment, while we continually challenge ourselves to open up to questions about what it means to grapple towards decolonial futures. This stance has influenced my role as an educator to unconditionally embrace movements that already underway, and reflect these back to those that I am conspiring with in ways that promote an ethic of care, solidarity and critical engagement. The study celebrates what is possible when we do not theorise ourselves away from the questions embedded in our current praxis. This is an ethic that chooses to stay close to the phenomena arriving at present, whilst acknowledging the historical experiences that echo it as a collective pulse for meaningful experimentation and praxis. The study believes by being faithful to ways of amplifying, integrating and reflecting what has been emerging for us over time, we build our capacity to better respond with an ethic centred on transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis. This is the kind of accompaniment and care that Change Drivers across the continent deserve as they make the way towards a future worthy of their longing (Rushdie, 1999).
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kulundu-Bolus, Injairu
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Not Yet Uhuru (Arts Project) , Anti-imperialist movements -- South Africa , Education -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Social change -- South Africa , Education -- Philosophy -- South Africa , Arts and society -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/166081 , vital:41327 , 10.21504/10962/166081
- Description: The “Not yet Uhuru!” project positions itself as emancipatory African research in motion. It is a regenerative project that responds to the concern that whilst dominant discourses can articulate what African states, societies and economies are not, we still know very little about what they actually are. This is a particularly important gap in how research on Africa is conceptualised, especially as it pertains to apprehending the futures that the majority of young people on the continent are instinctively leading themselves to (Mbembe, 2001, p.9). The project seeks to forgo youth development strategies that act as a form of containment by prescribing normative aspects of citizenship on young leaders in ways that stifle the transgressive impulses they have reason to value (Kelley in Tuck and Yang, 2014, p.89). The study traces rising cultures in transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis across times, as a way of “khapa(ring)” or accompanying the contemporary questions that Change Drivers in South Africa hold at the edge of their praxis. The study co-conspired with 21 Change Drivers in South Africa who were interested in regenerating and re-imagining what transgressive decolonial praxis could be in these times based on their experiences and learnings. Residential art-based workshops that explored each co-conspirator’s offerings on the subject were distilled through the medium of film. These in turn were analysed using an “ethics of attunement” that produced songs as a reflexive pedagogical tool (Lispari, 2014, p.176). Sharing the resonate echoes of their praxis through song created another iterative reflection on their praxis two years after their initial offerings. As a way of weaving together the findings with a historical perspective, the resonant praxis of Change Drivers was put into conversation with three unconventional reviews that trace impulses around transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis through fictional texts, political theory, poetry and intergenerational analysis, in order to surface resonant themes in praxis that echo across different times in history. This methodology sought to engage the question of the archive in pluriversal ways that appealed to different sensibilities, including the imaginative and hermeneutical, the traditionally analytical as well as the gifts of the lyrical and the erotic as different conceptual threads needed to resource the study. The reviews additionally spanned periods in the history of the continent that hold questions around precolonial and nascent colonial encounters, efforts to transgress within the liberatory movements and the intergenerational transmissions embedded in women and queer people’s struggles. The themes that coalesced across times were leveraged into capsules of rising cultures that form an experimental nexus for the practice of transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis that is already underway. These rising cultures were conceptualised as meditations on what it means to live into a vision of home built on the explorations of a paradigm of peace, humanness, pluriversality and decolonial love for those like and unlike us that strive for freedom on this continent (Dlala, 2017, p.52; Ndlovu- Gatsheni, 2013, p.142; Gqola, 2017, pp.197, 199). The rising ultures were reconciled through the creation of a litany that chronicles different refrains in transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis in contemporary times. The litany is a tool that charts particular experiences that are surfacing as symptomatic. It seeks to generously surface the contradictions that we are collectively starting to see past, whilst acknowledging the tensions that we need to straddle, integrate and navigate towards greater synthesis. The litany is an honest way of acknowledging the glimpses gained of who we are in this present moment, while we continually challenge ourselves to open up to questions about what it means to grapple towards decolonial futures. This stance has influenced my role as an educator to unconditionally embrace movements that already underway, and reflect these back to those that I am conspiring with in ways that promote an ethic of care, solidarity and critical engagement. The study celebrates what is possible when we do not theorise ourselves away from the questions embedded in our current praxis. This is an ethic that chooses to stay close to the phenomena arriving at present, whilst acknowledging the historical experiences that echo it as a collective pulse for meaningful experimentation and praxis. The study believes by being faithful to ways of amplifying, integrating and reflecting what has been emerging for us over time, we build our capacity to better respond with an ethic centred on transgressive decolonial pedagogical praxis. This is the kind of accompaniment and care that Change Drivers across the continent deserve as they make the way towards a future worthy of their longing (Rushdie, 1999).
- Full Text:
Teachers’ perceptions, experiences and challenges related to using ICTs in teaching Social Sciences in marginalised classrooms in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Gunzo, Fortunate Takawira
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Educational technology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information technology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Technological innovations -- Employee participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teachers -- Attitudes , Technological innovations -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Technology Acceptance Model , Teacher Cognitions theory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146964 , vital:38581
- Description: This study seeks to examine teachers’ perceptions and experiences of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching as the basis for actual use in the classroom. I conducted an eclectic study with a multidisciplinary theoretical viewpoint combining theories from Information Technology (IT) and education to examine how perceptions and prior experiences with ICT influence cross-curriculum ICT integration. Specific aspects of five theories and models were used in different phases of this study. I drew on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Teacher Cognitions theory to understand teachers’ perceptions towards ICT in general and towards ICT in the classroom. The classroom observations were conducted using an observation guide informed by Activity theory. I then utilised the Adoption of Innovation and the Diffusion of Innovation theories to explain why and how ICT was utilised in the classrooms. A mixed methods research approach located within a pragmatic paradigm was chosen. Three data sets were collected. First, a questionnaire of attitudes and perceptions towards ICT was conducted with 183 teachers (mainly working at marginalised schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa). Questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square correlations test. Second, teachers enrolled in an in-service Advanced Certificate in Education specializing in ICT (ACE-ICT) at Rhodes University were supported in planning and implementing an intervention involving the use of a mobile computer lab in rural and peri-urban schools. Three key participants were observed while teaching in class using ICT for the first time and they were subsequently interviewed. Third, drawing from lessons learnt from this experience, students in the in-service education bachelor’s degree in ICT (BEd-ICT) – which replaced the in-service ACE-ICT – were supported and encouraged to experiment with cross-curriculum integration using ICT already at their disposal. Planning and reflections by three in-service BEd-ICT teachers were subjected to theory-based document thematic analysis. Findings indicate that the vast majority of the teachers had positive attitudes towards ICT and perceived ICT as useful, mainly as a productivity tool in teaching. ICT was used mostly for administration, planning and preparation of lessons and not for teaching or as a cognitive tool. Despite all key participants having access to similar ICTs and support, their experiences of teaching with ICT were different based on their personal commitment, access to and frequency of use of ICTs in their personal lives. Teachers who were self-motivated to use ICT in their teaching made efforts to do so regardless of infrastructure and resource challenges they faced at their schools. The main barriers to the use of ICT in the classroom appear to be lack of technical support and time constraints.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Gunzo, Fortunate Takawira
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Educational technology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information technology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Technological innovations -- Employee participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teachers -- Attitudes , Technological innovations -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Technology Acceptance Model , Teacher Cognitions theory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146964 , vital:38581
- Description: This study seeks to examine teachers’ perceptions and experiences of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching as the basis for actual use in the classroom. I conducted an eclectic study with a multidisciplinary theoretical viewpoint combining theories from Information Technology (IT) and education to examine how perceptions and prior experiences with ICT influence cross-curriculum ICT integration. Specific aspects of five theories and models were used in different phases of this study. I drew on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Teacher Cognitions theory to understand teachers’ perceptions towards ICT in general and towards ICT in the classroom. The classroom observations were conducted using an observation guide informed by Activity theory. I then utilised the Adoption of Innovation and the Diffusion of Innovation theories to explain why and how ICT was utilised in the classrooms. A mixed methods research approach located within a pragmatic paradigm was chosen. Three data sets were collected. First, a questionnaire of attitudes and perceptions towards ICT was conducted with 183 teachers (mainly working at marginalised schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa). Questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square correlations test. Second, teachers enrolled in an in-service Advanced Certificate in Education specializing in ICT (ACE-ICT) at Rhodes University were supported in planning and implementing an intervention involving the use of a mobile computer lab in rural and peri-urban schools. Three key participants were observed while teaching in class using ICT for the first time and they were subsequently interviewed. Third, drawing from lessons learnt from this experience, students in the in-service education bachelor’s degree in ICT (BEd-ICT) – which replaced the in-service ACE-ICT – were supported and encouraged to experiment with cross-curriculum integration using ICT already at their disposal. Planning and reflections by three in-service BEd-ICT teachers were subjected to theory-based document thematic analysis. Findings indicate that the vast majority of the teachers had positive attitudes towards ICT and perceived ICT as useful, mainly as a productivity tool in teaching. ICT was used mostly for administration, planning and preparation of lessons and not for teaching or as a cognitive tool. Despite all key participants having access to similar ICTs and support, their experiences of teaching with ICT were different based on their personal commitment, access to and frequency of use of ICTs in their personal lives. Teachers who were self-motivated to use ICT in their teaching made efforts to do so regardless of infrastructure and resource challenges they faced at their schools. The main barriers to the use of ICT in the classroom appear to be lack of technical support and time constraints.
- Full Text:
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