Exploring affordances and hindrances when using Grade 8 Physical Science learners’ home language to mediate learning of chemical bonding
- Shilongo, Wilhelm Nghidiputate
- Authors: Shilongo, Wilhelm Nghidiputate
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Code switching (Linguistics) , Chemical bonds , Education, Bilingual Namibia , Native language and education Namibia , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191079 , vital:45056
- Description: It seems code-switching from English to learners’ home language is a regular practice in Namibian schools. That is, science teachers mediate specific challenging science topics such as chemical bonding through code-switching from English to learners’ home languages. Based on anecdotal evidence and on Grade 10 Examiners’ Reports for previous years, chemical bonding is one of the challenging key concepts in Physical Science, and yet it is an important concept in the study of chemistry. Therefore, the purpose of this interventionist study was to investigate how the use of learners’ home language enables and/or constrains Grade 8 Physical Science learners’ sense making of the topic, chemical bonding. The study is a convergent parallel mixed method case study and was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. It was conducted with 17 Grade 8 learners in a rural school, where I teach, in the Oshana region. I used a diagnostic test to elicit learners’ prior knowledge on this topic, a post-intervention test, observation, reflections, focus group interview and stimulated recall interviews as my data collection methods. I used Vygotsky’s (1978) Socio-Cultural Theory as my theoretical framework to help explain how learners make sense of the concept of chemical bonding when learners’ home language is used in a Physical Science class. To analyse the quantitative data obtained, I used a descriptive statistics and inferential statistics method. In the descriptive statistics, data were compiled into graphs, tables, and other visual representations, while for the inferential statistics, a t-test was used to establish the significant difference of the data collected. On the other hand, a thematic approach to analyse the qualitative data was employed to come up with sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that learners’ home language stimulates learners’ interest to learn new concepts, and enhances learners’ understanding and participation during the science lessons. Another finding of the study revealed that learners’ prior knowledge in chemical bonding contained some misconceptions. Furthermore, the findings of the study also revealed that learners learn best when their prior knowledge are elicited before they are introduced to new concepts in their science classrooms. The study recommends that learners’ home language should be incorporated into Physical Science lessons, especially when the teachers are teaching challenging concepts such as chemical bonding. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shilongo, Wilhelm Nghidiputate
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Code switching (Linguistics) , Chemical bonds , Education, Bilingual Namibia , Native language and education Namibia , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191079 , vital:45056
- Description: It seems code-switching from English to learners’ home language is a regular practice in Namibian schools. That is, science teachers mediate specific challenging science topics such as chemical bonding through code-switching from English to learners’ home languages. Based on anecdotal evidence and on Grade 10 Examiners’ Reports for previous years, chemical bonding is one of the challenging key concepts in Physical Science, and yet it is an important concept in the study of chemistry. Therefore, the purpose of this interventionist study was to investigate how the use of learners’ home language enables and/or constrains Grade 8 Physical Science learners’ sense making of the topic, chemical bonding. The study is a convergent parallel mixed method case study and was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. It was conducted with 17 Grade 8 learners in a rural school, where I teach, in the Oshana region. I used a diagnostic test to elicit learners’ prior knowledge on this topic, a post-intervention test, observation, reflections, focus group interview and stimulated recall interviews as my data collection methods. I used Vygotsky’s (1978) Socio-Cultural Theory as my theoretical framework to help explain how learners make sense of the concept of chemical bonding when learners’ home language is used in a Physical Science class. To analyse the quantitative data obtained, I used a descriptive statistics and inferential statistics method. In the descriptive statistics, data were compiled into graphs, tables, and other visual representations, while for the inferential statistics, a t-test was used to establish the significant difference of the data collected. On the other hand, a thematic approach to analyse the qualitative data was employed to come up with sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that learners’ home language stimulates learners’ interest to learn new concepts, and enhances learners’ understanding and participation during the science lessons. Another finding of the study revealed that learners’ prior knowledge in chemical bonding contained some misconceptions. Furthermore, the findings of the study also revealed that learners learn best when their prior knowledge are elicited before they are introduced to new concepts in their science classrooms. The study recommends that learners’ home language should be incorporated into Physical Science lessons, especially when the teachers are teaching challenging concepts such as chemical bonding. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
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Mobilising stories about cultural beliefs and practices on traditional foods to contextualise the topic on nutrition in a Grade 6 township class
- Authors: Nuntsu, Sipho Nimrod
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Culturally relevant pedagogy South Africa , Science Study and teaching (Elementary) South Africa , Nutrition Study and teaching (Elementary) South Africa , Traditional ecological knowledge South Africa , Storytelling , Reasoning , Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT) , South African Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS) , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190940 , vital:45043
- Description: The South African Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS) document stipulates that science teachers should integrate indigenous knowledge (IK) into their science teaching. The rationale for this is to contextualise the content and make science accessible and relevant to learners. Despite these ideals, however, CAPS seems to be silent on how science teachers should go about doing this. Instead, it assumes that all teachers know how to integrate IK in their science teaching. As a result, many teachers are still not sure of how to integrate IK into their science classrooms. Such rhetoric and tension between curriculum formulation and implementation triggered my interest to do a study on how to mobilise stories about cultural beliefs and practices of traditional foods to mediate learning of nutrition in a Grade 6 Natural Sciences township class. The study was underpinned by an interprevist paradigm complemented with an Ubuntu paradigm to enhance explanations. Within these paradigms, a qualitative case study research design was adopted. It was conducted at Mdoko Primary school (pseudonym) in a semi-urban community in the Amathole West district of the Eastern Cape. The participants were 34 Grade 6 learners (15 boys and 19 girls), a Grade 6 Natural Sciences teacher who was my critical friend, and two expert community members. To generate data, I used a focus group discussion, group activities, classroom observations, and learners’ reflective journals. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory and Ogunniyi’s Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT) were used as theoretical and analytical frameworks, respectively. A thematic approach to data analysis was employed. That is, data were analysed inductively to identify sub-themes and subsequently similar sub-themes were grouped together to form themes. The two expert community members’ presentations equipped my learners with stories on cultural beliefs and practices that were used in the olden days (past) and how such stories are used in our days (present). For instance, the findings of this study revealed that women during menstruation must not drink amasi as it is believed that it would prolong the menstruation time. The findings also revealed that eating of amaqanda and inside meat by youths should be minimised as it is believed that it can stimulate their sex hormones. It also revealed that there is no relevance to science that men eating imifino would be weak among other men who do not eat them. The implications for this study is that science teachers should make some efforts to integrate IK in their teaching to make science accessible and relevant to their learners. To achieve this, the study thus recommends that science teachers should find ways of tapping into the cultural heritage and wisdom that is possessed by the expert community members to enable learners to cross the bridge from home to school. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nuntsu, Sipho Nimrod
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Culturally relevant pedagogy South Africa , Science Study and teaching (Elementary) South Africa , Nutrition Study and teaching (Elementary) South Africa , Traditional ecological knowledge South Africa , Storytelling , Reasoning , Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT) , South African Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS) , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190940 , vital:45043
- Description: The South African Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS) document stipulates that science teachers should integrate indigenous knowledge (IK) into their science teaching. The rationale for this is to contextualise the content and make science accessible and relevant to learners. Despite these ideals, however, CAPS seems to be silent on how science teachers should go about doing this. Instead, it assumes that all teachers know how to integrate IK in their science teaching. As a result, many teachers are still not sure of how to integrate IK into their science classrooms. Such rhetoric and tension between curriculum formulation and implementation triggered my interest to do a study on how to mobilise stories about cultural beliefs and practices of traditional foods to mediate learning of nutrition in a Grade 6 Natural Sciences township class. The study was underpinned by an interprevist paradigm complemented with an Ubuntu paradigm to enhance explanations. Within these paradigms, a qualitative case study research design was adopted. It was conducted at Mdoko Primary school (pseudonym) in a semi-urban community in the Amathole West district of the Eastern Cape. The participants were 34 Grade 6 learners (15 boys and 19 girls), a Grade 6 Natural Sciences teacher who was my critical friend, and two expert community members. To generate data, I used a focus group discussion, group activities, classroom observations, and learners’ reflective journals. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory and Ogunniyi’s Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT) were used as theoretical and analytical frameworks, respectively. A thematic approach to data analysis was employed. That is, data were analysed inductively to identify sub-themes and subsequently similar sub-themes were grouped together to form themes. The two expert community members’ presentations equipped my learners with stories on cultural beliefs and practices that were used in the olden days (past) and how such stories are used in our days (present). For instance, the findings of this study revealed that women during menstruation must not drink amasi as it is believed that it would prolong the menstruation time. The findings also revealed that eating of amaqanda and inside meat by youths should be minimised as it is believed that it can stimulate their sex hormones. It also revealed that there is no relevance to science that men eating imifino would be weak among other men who do not eat them. The implications for this study is that science teachers should make some efforts to integrate IK in their teaching to make science accessible and relevant to their learners. To achieve this, the study thus recommends that science teachers should find ways of tapping into the cultural heritage and wisdom that is possessed by the expert community members to enable learners to cross the bridge from home to school. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
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