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Item Open Access Vulnerability: self-study’s contribution to social justice education(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Knowles, CorinneTeaching, as a social justice project, seeks to undo and re-imagine oppressive pedagogies in order to transform teachers, their students, and the knowledge with which they work. In this article, I argue that self-study can contribute to social justice in a number of ways by, for instance, making the sometimes limiting norms that frame teaching and learning visible; inviting my own vulnerability through peer and student reflections and feedback, and noticing the important relationship between ontology and epistemology in teaching and learning. One means to avoid the narrow way in which self-study might apply to only one person’s practice is to use theory to legitimise it and make it more broadly applicable. In this study, I use Judith Butler’s ideas relating to vulnerability in order to explain the way in which my teaching and learning is framed and to show how normative frameworks that define teaching can be expanded to be more inclusive. I use excerpts of peer and student feedback in order to demonstrate how vulnerability, reconfigured, can lead to powerful new knowledge.Item Open Access “Digging deep”: self-study as a reflexive approach to improving my practice as an artist, researcher and teacher(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Scott, LeeIn this article, I show how I enhanced my understanding of my practice as an artist, researcher and teacher using a self-study approach in my recently completed Master of Technology (M.Tech.) dissertation in Graphic Design. As part of my M.Tech. research, I conceptualised and developed a creative teaching tool that I named ‘PicTopics’. PicTopics are palm-sized cards with pictographic illustrations similar to street signage. I used these PicTopics in a variety of ways, but essentially as creative prompts to foster a variety of creative educational skills within the university, and personally as a tool to generate my own artistic expression at a deeper level. I demonstrate the re-storying of my learning through writing about these artworks as visual indicators of my values, personal and professional growth. I show how the paintings reflect my experiences and perceptions of my youth, their effect on my adult self, my individuality and ultimately my teaching self.Item Open Access The director’s ‘I’: theatre, self, and self-study(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Meskin, Tamar; Van der Walt, TanyaThis article interrogates the connections between the self-study research methodology and the making of a piece of theatre, and explores ways in which self-study can offer a new arts-based research paradigm for theatre-makers. There are a number of useful parallels to be explored between the self-study project and structures of drama and performance-making. While the methodology is, to a large extent, aimed at teacher educators, we argue that it is sufficiently flexible to be transferable to the context of theatre-making because of the emphasis on practice in both self-study research and theatre. Using the a/r/tographic frame, we explore ways in which the experiential dynamic of both fields offers a unique intersection point from which to generate new thinking. The dialogic necessity of self-study is paralleled by the interactive processes of performance-making – what Marowitz (1978: 49) calls the “actor-director two-step”. Hence, the article uses dialogue as a way of demonstrating our thinking-in-action, and reflects the co-created space of learning and knowledge generation. Using self-study to interrogate our own creative work opens up space for new understandings in relation to both the discourse of Drama study and the broader self-study project.Item Open Access Values-based self-reflective action research for promoting gender equality: some unexpected lessons(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Wood, LesleyThe idea of using values as a means of guiding our research decisions and judging the validity of our claims of knowledge is well established in literature on the self-reflective genre of action research. Values in action research should always result in virtuous behaviour – to promote the general social good. However, ideas of what constitutes the social good may differ from context to context. This article problematises the notion that ‘good’ values lead to ‘good’ action. Presenting one research project as a case study, I show that the articulation of values does not always result in what I, as a researcher and White, middle-class woman, would recognise as health-promoting action. Yet, the participants view such behaviour as a legitimate means to improve their quality of life, at least in the short term. First, I describe the social and cultural context of the research, before highlighting some value conflicts that emerged, as the participants and I critically reflected on our understanding of more equal and healthy gender relations. It is important to expose such conflicting value interpretations through critical self-reflection, so that researchers and participants can work towards a deeper mutual understanding of how to best address complex social issues such as gender relations in specific social contexts.Item Open Access Beyond metaphor drawings to envisage integration of HIV & AIDS education: a self-study in primary mathematics teacher education(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Van Laren, LindaResearchers using participatory methods that are engaging, purposeful and facilitate social change may need further pragmatic strategies to encourage the required change. Using pencil-and-paper drawings to introduce HIV & AIDS integration in a discipline such as Mathematics Education is an innovative participatory strategy to initiate change. However, following up on such innovations to encourage take-up of HIV & AIDS integration would benefit the initiative. The following research question guides this study: What pragmatic strategy could I use in pre-service Mathematics Education to further take-up of HIV & AIDS education integration in school disciplines? I explore HIV & AIDS integration in a pre-service Primary Mathematics Education module that I taught at a higher education institution in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, by studying the drawings and experiences of eight final-year pre-service teachers. I use a metaphor-drawing activity to disrupt the ‘comfort zone’ of teaching Mathematics, following up by providing the pre-service teachers with learner activities suitable for primary school classrooms. When asked if they were able to integrate HIV & AIDS in Mathematics classrooms, these generalist pre-service teachers appeared to rely on phase-specific teaching material in order to take up the initiative. There is a need to use innovative participatory methods to initiate change and to provide pragmatic support for this envisaged change.Item Open Access Arts-based self-study: documenting the ripple effect(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Weber, SandraLike all forms of inquiry, arts-based self-study research can have unexpected consequences. Although we may start out with a fairly clear objective, the data we generate through arts-based methods might address other questions that are even more important than the ones we thought to ask initially, and our study might have an impact that extends beyond the original parameters of the design. The most powerful results of an arts-based self-study intended to improve our own practice might occur in another arena, a ripple effect that is visible only after our inquiry is completed, and hence, undetected because our gaze has shifted elsewhere. By describing and analysing what happens during and after three self-studies done by teachers and teacher educators, this article illustrates the use of visual and other arts-based methods (photography, video, creative writing and drawing) and explores the challenge and nature of the potential ripple effect in/of self-study for learning and growth for many.Item Open Access Self-study of educational practice: Re-imagining our pedagogies(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen; Mitchell, Claudia; Pillay, DaisyAbstract not availableItem Open Access A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Sewry, Joyce; Mokilane, PaulThe National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations were written for the second time in 2009 amid much criticism. In this study, scripts of candidates who wrote the NSC Mathematics examinations (papers 1 and 2) in 2009 were used as data to analyse the marks scored and then polytomous Rasch analysis was conducted for all the subquestions to determine the level of difficulty of the questions. The purpose of applying Rasch measurement models is to explore the extent to which a test or an examination and its associated data set permit the interpretation of an underlying linear scale of ability against which to interpret overall performance and item difficulty. In the NSC data, some questions discriminated well at the lower-ability levels of candidates, but no questions were found to discriminate among higher-ability candidates.Item Open Access Questioning the validity of inquiry assessment in a high stakes Physical Sciences examination(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Ramnarain, UmeshThe South African science curriculum advocates an inquiry-based approach to practical work. Inquiry is a complex and multifaceted activity involving both cognitive and physical activity; thus, paper-and-pencil items do not provide the authentic context for this assessment. This study investigates the construct validity of inquiryrelated questions in three national Grade 12 Physical Sciences examinations. Clarity about what is being assessed and how well a test samples a construct are critical to validity. The analysis that was guided by Stobart’s conceptualisation of construct validity revealed that, to a large extent, inquiry-related questions exhibited threats to validity. The identified threats were categorised as contested validity, unclear validity and construct irrelevance. The findings of this study suggest that greater attention needs to be paid to the formulation of inquiry-related questions in written tests and examinations.Item Open Access A model for assessment: integrating external monitoring with classroombased practice(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Long, Caroline; Dunne, Tim; Mokoena, Gabrielwas that the quality of education would improve. Assessment instruments in the form of written tests were constructed in order to perform a monitoring function. The introduction of standards and the associated monitoring have been replicated in South Africa. It was intended that these elements would result in a more equitable education across the country. In neither of these countries has this process borne the results expected. The lack of substantive progress may be due to the fact that socioeconomic disadvantage and, therefore, opportunity to learn, has not been addressed. It may also be that systemic-type assessments have little meaning for the teachers, and bear little relation to classroom assessments; the perceived lack of relevance resulting in a lack of commitment to the process. Our education system is in need of serious deliberations about the broad curriculum goals relevant to society, a classroom environment that is conducive to learning and an assessment model that supports instruction. Within the assessment model we propose an instrument design that supports instruction. The assessment model includes a monitoring component, a formative component and a professional development component. We propose an assessment process where general trends can be reported for systemic purposes but also that the results of the individual learner progress obtained through both a monitoring and a formative component, are to be suitable for engagement by teachers. We honour the central teacher role in communicating both the emerging teaching successes and the currently troublesome areas of classroom learning challenges.Item Open Access Reviewing the language compensation policy in the National Senior Certificate(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Taylor, StephenThe National Senior Certificate or “matric” examination is a key point of access to further education and the labour market in South Africa. Since 1999, matric candidates whose first language is not Afrikaans or English and are, therefore, forced to write in a second or third language have received a compensation of five per cent of their original mark in non-language subjects. Whether this policy, which was intended as an interim measure, should continue is a matter of on-going debate. Two questions must be answered for a decision to be made. The first is an empirical question: is there a significant disadvantage facing candidates not writing in their first language? The second is normative: should these candidates receive the compensation? This paper employs several statistical techniques, beginning with a replication of the method used previously by Umalusi (the official education quality assurance council), to arrive at a credible estimate of the language disadvantage faced by candidates qualifying for the compensation. After demonstrating that a language disadvantage does persist, the normative question of whether the policy should be continued is discussed. It is argued that the answer to this question depends on various political, economic and philosophical considerations regarding the fairness and the purpose of the matric examination.Item Open Access Setting standards and primary school teachers’ experiences of the process(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Scherman, Vanessa; Zimmerman, Lisa; Howie, Sarah J.; Bosker, RoelIn South Africa, very few standard-setting exercises are carried out in education and, if they are, teachers are not involved in their execution. As a result, there is no clear understanding of what the standard is and how it was arrived at. This situation is compounded when teachers are held accountable when learners do not meet the prescribed standards. The aim of this paper is to explore how teachers experienced a standard-setting process and if any reflection on teaching and learning practices took place. The research question addressed is: How was the SAMP standard-setting exercise experienced by teachers? Standard setting is an important component in monitoring systems whether national or school-based monitoring systems. The South African Monitoring system for Primary Schools (SAMP) is a school-based monitoring system. The Grade 1 SAMP assessment is administered in English, Afrikaans and Sepedi. As part of SAMP, a standard-setting exercise was undertaken for the Grade 1 assessment to better inform the dissemination of performance results to schools. As part of a bigger research project, a participatory qualitative approach was followed in which 27 participants were asked to partake in a modified Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) process. Several themes were identified by the teachers, namely reflections on practice; emotions before and during the standard setting workshop; benefits of working in a group; and improvements in the process. In this article, these themes are explored and their relevance for standard setting within school contexts discussed.Item Open Access Teachers’ conceptions of standards in South African Basic Education and Training: a case study(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Sosibo, Lungi; Nomlomo, VuyokaziIn South Africa, the Department of Basic Education and Training (DBE) is responsible for primary and secondary education (Grades R-12). In an effort to improve educational standards in literacy, numeracy and mathematics, especially in the Foundation Phase (FP) levels of education, the DBE has developed several initiatives and campaigns. To monitor the standards and set targets, the department administers high-stakes standardised tests similar to those conducted in the United States of America (USA) at elementary and secondary schools. In spite of these efforts, the national low performance levels of Grades R-12 remain a grave social concern. This study investigated the conceptions of standards from a purposive sample of twenty elementary school teachers selected from three Cape Town schools, with the objective of establishing how their understandings of standards influenced their classroom pedagogical practices. Activity theory informed this research. Data were collected through focus group semi-structured interviews. Results showed that teachers perceived the disadvantaged contexts in which they function as limiting their pedagogical practices and availability of socio-cultural artefacts that they need, thus preventing them from achieving their objectives of maintaining good educational standards. Evidently, the lack of a clear definition of standards, and teachers’ exclusion from participation in the standards-setting processes appear to restrict their understanding of standards and, by implication, their classroom practices and activities aimed at promoting standards. We conclude that a lack of clarity on the definition of standards for FP teachers has detrimental effects on their classroom practices as they function in diverse educational environments.Item Open Access Supporting transition or playing catch-up in Grade 4? Implications for standards in education and training(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Pretorius, Elizabeth J.This paper describes an intervention programme that was originally intended to support transition to English as language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in Grade 4 in a township school, using a pre- and post-test design. Because the pre-tests revealed very poor literacy levels in both Zulu home language and English, the intervention programme was modified in an attempt to fast-track the learners to literacy levels more appropriate to their grade. This paper outlines the intervention, presents the pre- and post-test results of the English literacy assessments, reflects on the effects of the intervention, and briefly considers some of the reasons for the initial poor literacy performance. Finally, a model for literacy development in high-poverty contexts is proposed to minimise the need to play catch-up in the Intermediate Phase.Item Open Access An exploration of the common content knowledge of high school mathematics teachers(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Bansilal, Sarah; Brijlall, Deonarain; Mkhwanazi, ThokozaniMany studies point to the problem of poor mathematics content knowledge of mathematics teachers in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ knowledge of the mathematics they are themselves teaching. Data was generated from the teachers (n = 253) written responses to test that was a shortened form of a previous Grade 12 Mathematics Paper One examination. The sample of teachers were studying towards an Advanced Certificate in Education (an upgrading high school mathematics qualification) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The findings revealed that the teachers in this sample obtained an average of 57% in the test. Using an APOS theory analysis it was found that many teachers who were working at an action level of a concept would require help and scaffolding to move to process or object levels of understanding of that concept. Furthermore it was found that on average teachers obtained 29% on questions which were at the problem solving level, raising concerns about how these teachers would mediate tasks that are set at high cognitive levels, with their Grade 12 learners.Item Open Access Mapping socio-economic status, geographical location and matriculation pass rates in Gauteng, South Africa(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Pienaar, Richelle; McKay, Tracey MortonIn South Africa, prior to 1994, the racially defined geographical neighbourhood in which a child resided usually determined which school they could enrol in. Post 1994, this changed to legally allow enrolment in any public school. Unfortunately, due to the legacy of apartheid, in particular, resource allocation inequity, schools in African areas seldom offered quality education. Thus, African parents seeking quality public education for their children had to either opt for commuting or moving home, both options having financial implications. For the purposes of this study, quality education is defined using three variables: matriculation pass rates, learner-to-teacher ratios, and quintile rankings, even though use of these variables have their limitations. Almost two decades since the demise of apartheid, this study found that there is still a strong relationship between the old ‘apartheid’ geographical zoning, where the right to reside in an area was previously designated by race, and resourced schooling in the South African province of Gauteng. It also found a collinear relationship between resourced schools, teacher-to-learner ratios, school fees and matriculation pass rates. That is, schools ranked as quintile 4 and 5 schools, which have low teacher-to-learner ratios and charge more than R6 500 per year in school fees, generally produce high matriculation pass rates. There were some exceptions, with a few no-fee, quintile one schools, located in formerly African zoned areas, which also achieved high matriculation pass rates.Item Open Access Constantly weighing the pig will not make it grow: do teachers teach assessment tests or the curriculum?(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Le Cordeur, MichaelFor a number of years now, South Africa, like many other countries, has been debating a major paradigm shift in education, a shift from learning and teaching, which focused primarily on content to learning and teaching focused on outcomes. One of the most dramatic trends in education over the last decade has been the shift towards the use of assessment-based criteria, as opposed to assessment tests based on marks, scores and data. However, as Jordaan (2010) quite rightly points out, assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning, not just a means of monitoring or auditing learners’ performance. Assessment is much more than just measuring learning outcomes: it is an instrument to improve teaching, the curriculum and conditions for learners’ learning. The question is why the negativity about testing if assessment is associated with effective teaching. Since South Africa became a democratic country, it has been struggling with low levels of literacy. Poor performance of South African learners in basic literacy in national and international tests has moved the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) since 2010 to place more emphasis on systemic tests as a way of securing an improvement in learner performance. However, many researchers have blamed the emphasis placed on standardised tests for the poor state of our education system. More and more voices are going up for improved teacher development and more support to teachers and learners. In this article, I shall argue that too much emphasis is placed on standardized tests, and not much is being done to develop teachers in providing a balanced teaching and learning experience to learners. I shall indicate that the continual testing of learners’ performance in literacy through systemic and standardised tests has not led to improved reading ability, but has in fact contributed to a decline in learners’ creativity, innovation and independent thinking, and the skills needed to leapfrog this country into the 21st century. These tests emphasised the skills involved in taking multiple-choice tests over those of researching, analysing, experimenting and writing, the tools that students will more likely need to be great thinkers, excellent university students and valued employees. I will argue that today’s children spend too much time preparing for tests and this has come at the expense of a broader education in other subjects. Drilling pupils to pass tests does not help their longer-term learning and results in a narrower curriculum, poorer standards of teaching and lower quality of education. The point I want to make is that teachers have learnt very fast how to coach for the tests, which led to inflated results. Thus, while test scores have risen, educational standards might actually have declined. Therefore, rather than adding new measurements of progress, schools need to move away from data and towards a more holistic approach to assessing educational quality. I shall also argue that we must assess students’ work throughout the year by means of portfolios, rather than by means of a narrow snapshot of learning measured on one test day. As Jordaan (2010) puts it, we need to ensure that learning is not simply assessment-driven. Students are highly intelligent people; if we confront them with a game where learning is linked to a rigid and monotonous diet of assessment, they will learn according to the rules of that game. To improve their learning, we need to improve our game.Item Open Access Standards and standard setting and the post school curriculum(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Young, MichaelThis paper is concerned with the role of standards and standard setting in shaping the expansion of post school education in highly unequal society. It draws on an account of the debates and policies on standards in the UK from the 1980’s to today and the wider lessons that can be learned from them. It argues that relying on any type of standards on their own, independently of any consideration of curriculum, pedagogy and the distribtution of educational resources is doomed to failure. It concludes by linking the idea of higher stadards for all to Morrow’s concept of ‘epistemic access’.Item Open Access Language, literacy, and the needs of the multilingual child(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Snow, Catherine E.In this article, I first take on the issue of standards and the degree to which they do or do not contribute to the improvement of language and literacy outcomes for children in multilingual societies. Then I consider the relation of standards to language and, finally, raise the vexed issue of content knowledge and its relation to standards, on the one hand, and to language, on the other.Item Open Access Standards in education and training: the challenge: editorial(Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, 2014) Lepota, Biki; Murray, SarahAbstract not available