Die effek van die probleemoplossingsbenadering op leerders se prestasie in Wiskundige Geletterdheid

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Date
2020-06
Authors
Saayman, Irene
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University of the Free State
Abstract
EN: The poor performance in Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy in South Africa motivated me to do research to investigate possible solutions to the problem. The failing rate of Mathematics in 2014 during the Grade 12 final examination increased between 5% and 6% (Volmink, 2015) and Mathematical Literacy's failure rate increased by 20% in the same year during the Grade 12 final examination (Volmink, 2015) which was disturbing. I started studying the results of the TIMSS and observed that countries such as Korea are doing well in Mathematics because they apply the problem-based learning approach in the schools and this motivated me to investigate whether this is not the possible solution to the problem in South Africa. The main aim of the study was to determine to what extent the problem-based learning approach enables learners to perform better in Mathematical Literacy after being exposed to problem-based learning for six months. The research group consisted of Grade 11 learners at a Namaqualand high school. The learners were taught through traditional mathematics teaching methods up to grade 10 and their marks had always been weak. In December 2016, their pass rate in Mathematical Literacy for Grade 10 was 17%. As the Grade 11 mathematical literacy teacher, I decided to use the problem-based learning approach as my teaching strategy. I also decided to make use of the opportunity to utilize problem-based learning as the teaching strategy for this study and to evaluate its usefulness as teaching strategy. An action research design was used as it enabled me to sensibly bring practice and theory together and to study the growth and development of participants involved in the study. Data collection combined quantitative data collection with qualitative data collection. The research consisted of two quantitative evaluation phases and a intervention teaching phase. The learners completed a Mathematical Literacy Test at the beginning of the year, without any assistance. In this activity, their skills and knowledge of the Grade 10 curriculum was assessed. The marks were recorded on a class list and compared to the results of an equivalent test six months later after the learners had exposure to problem-based learning. After six months of exposure to problem-based learning, the learners completed an equivalent knowledge test. The knowledge tests provided descriptive data of learners’ progress over the six months intervention period. The result of each question of the test is shown separately on different graphs and subsequently discussed. Since Mathematical Literacy Education not only involves solving problems, I have also included aspects related to character development in the class situation as part of my research design. For this reason, I conducted interviews with groups of students on their experiences before and after being exposed to problem-based learning in mathematics literacy. Audio recordings were made of the interviews in which fifteen volunteer learners individually participated. Informed consent from the parent was obtained. From the interview data collected and analysed, it emerged that the learners' skills and attitude towards the subject Mathematical Literacy improved over the six month period. Extensive field notes were kept of the teaching intervention and the examples used in problem-based learning are presented in the study. Each topic assessed in the knowledge test were taught through problem-based learning and evaluated in class. This was aimed at assessing the progress of the learners during the activities they did in class. The analysis of the various data sources revealed that the problem-based approach to the teaching of Mathematical Literacy does hold the prospect of improved performance in Mathematics Literacy.
AFR: Die swak prestasie in Wiskunde en Wiskundige Geletterdheid in Suid-Afrika het my gemotiveer om navorsing te doen om moontlike oplossings vir die probleem te ondersoek. Die druipsyfer van Wiskunde in 2014 tydens die Graad 12-eindeksamen het tussen 5% en 6% gestyg (Volmink, 2015) en Wiskundige Geletterdheid se druipsyfer het in dieselfde jaar met 20% gestyg tydens die Graad 12-eindeksamen (Volmink, 2015) wat ontstellend is. Ek het die uitslae van die Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) begin bestudeer en het waargeneem dat lande soos Korea uitstekend in Wiskunde vaar omdat hulle die probleemoplossingsbenadering in die skole toepas en dit het my gemotiveer om te ondersoek of dit nie die moontlike oplossing vir die probleem in Suid-Afrika is nie. Die hoofdoel met die studie was om vas te stel na watter mate die probleemoplossings- benadering leerders in staat stel om beter te presteer in Wiskundige Geletterheid nadat hulle vir ses maande aan die probleemoplossingsbenadering blootgestel is. Die navorsingsgroep bestaande uit Graad 11-seuns en -dogters, is leerders aan ʼn Namakwalandse hoërskool. Die leerders is deur tradisionele metodes onderrig en die punte was uiters swak. In Desember 2016 was die slaagsyfer vir Graad 10 in Wiskundige Geletterdheid 17%. Aangesien ek die Graad 11-klasse onderrig, was die rasionaal om die probleemoplossingsbenadering op hierdie Graad toe te pas en die uitkomste daarna te evalueer. Die navorsing het uit twee evalueringsfases bestaan. Die leerders het aan die begin van die jaar, sonder enige hulp, ʼn opgestelde Wiskundige Geletterdsheidstoets voltooi. In dié aktiwiteit is Graad 11 -leerders se voorkennis van die vaardighede en kennis wat in Graad 10 hanteer is, getoets. Die punte is op ʼn klaslys aangeteken en na ses maande van die leerders se blootstelling aan die probleemoplossingsbenadering, die veldnotas, klankopnames en die vordering van die leerders, tydens die ekwivalente aktiwiteite wat hulle in klassituasies gedoen het, vergelyk. Daar is ook klankopnames gemaak van die onderhoude waaraan vyftien vrywillige leerders met die toestemming van hul ouers deelgeneem het. Daar is ook klassikaal onderhoude met 84 vrywillige leerders gevoer. Die vrae van die onderhoude was semi-gestruktureerd. Die leerders se vaardighede en gesindheid teenoor die vak Wiskundige Geletterdheid is eëvalueer. Na ses maande se blootstelling aan die probleemoplossingsbenadering het die leerders ekwivalente aktiwiteite voltooi. Aangesien Wiskundige Geletterdheidonderwys nie slegs die oplos van probleme behels nie, maar wel ook karakterontwikkeling aanmoedig, was daar ook kriteria wat karakterontwikkeling in die klassituasie ëvalueer het en waarvan voetnotas geneem is. Daar is van ʼn Gevallestudie gebruik gemaak. Dit is op die navorser self toegepas aangesien dit op die professionele sowel as -vaardigheidsontwikkeling van die onderwyseres van toepassing was. Aksienavorsing is gebruik aangesien van die eienskappe daarvan is om die praktyk en die teorie bymekaar uit te bring, asook die ontwikkeling van almal wat betrokke in die studie is, te bepaal. Die kwalitatiewe data is deur middel van ʼn onderhoud ingesamel. Daar is van inferensiële statistiek gebruik gemaak om inligting van die steekproef te verkry. Verskeie vrae is aan geselekteerde, vrywillige leerders gestel. Die ander afdeling van die data-insameling was dat die deelnemers ʼn vraestel, wat die Graad 10 kurrikulum dek, geskryf het. Die kwantitatiewe data wat beskrywend van aard is, word deur middel van grafieke aangetoon. Daar is dus van beskrywend-statistiese metodes gebruik gemaak. Die uitslag van elke vraag van die toets word afsonderlik op verskillende grafieke aangetoon en daarna bespreek Eerstens is primȇre kwalitatiewe data-analise gedoen. Tematiese analise is vir die kategorisering van die kwalitatiewe data gebruik. Daar is van ‘n hoofkategorie en sub-kategorieë gebruik gemaak. Alle ontoepaslike data is eenkant gehou. Kristallisasie is gebruik om die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die studie te bevestig. Verskillende data-insamelingstegnieke is onder toesig implementeer. Die studie het aangetoon dat die probleemoplossingsbenadering wel ʼn oplossing vir die swak prestasie in Wiskundige Geletterdheid in Suid-Afrika is.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies))--University of the Free State, 2020, Mathematical Literacy, Mathematics, Problem-based learning
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