'n Onderrig-leerperspektief op faktore wat Wiskundeprestasie bevorder

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Date
2016-01
Authors
Theron, J. H. R. K.
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: There are for some time major concerns about the standard of Mathematics in South African schools. The annual poor results of the Grade 12 learners in the end of the year examination, add to this concern. The general standard of Mathematics in South Africa is much weaker than the international standard and cannot be compared to countries that perform well internationally in Mathematics, such as Canada, Finland, Singapore and Japan. Apart from the poor results in Mathematics in South Africa there are certain schools in the Free State, more specifically in the Motheo district, which achieved good Grade 12 Mathematics results in the end of the year examination. A qualitative research approach was followed to identify the possible factors that could contribute to annual good Grade 12 Mathematics results in certain schools. In order to achieve this goal, objectives were pursued to determine what factors contribute to the establishment of a powerful learning environment, what characterizes a good mathematics teacher, and why some schools consistently achieve top performance in the end of the year examination in Mathematics in Grade 12. Four schools were identified which constituted the sample of the study. The schools were selected on the basis of the good results they obtained in Mathematics in the Grade 12 end of the year examination over the past four years in the Motheo district. One teacher per school was identified according to the criterion that they should have presented Mathematics in the FET phase for the past four years at the participating schools. The data in this study were collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. Although the schools were globally observed, the observations were mainly done in the four classrooms of the participating teachers. These observations occurred during a Mathematics lesson for Grade 11/12 learners. The portfolios of the participating teachers were analyzed according to a schedule. The collected data were analyzed and classified in themes, subthemes and coded meaning units. Ethical considerations ensured privacy, anonymity and confidentiality. The data were also verified in several ways to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. The data analysis identified common factors in these top schools. The researcher combined these common factors and came to the conclusion that the quality of Mathematics teachers, the learning environment in which students receive instruction and the leadership in the school as the main factors to be considered for the schools' successes in Mathematics Education in the FET phase. All the teachers showed that they have the necessary subject content and pedagogical content knowledge to teach Mathematics. All the teachers have more than 10 years’ experience in the teaching of Mathematics in the FET phase. The school and the classroom of the participants contributed to a learning environment that is suitable for academic excellence. Each of the participating schools consisted of a leadership structure which sees academy as their school's main priority.
Afrikaans: Daar heers vir ‘n geruime tyd groot kommer oor die standaard van Wiskundeonderwys in Suid-Afrikaanse skole. Die jaarlikse swak uitslae van die graad 12- leerders aan die einde van die jaar dra by tot hierdie bekommernis. Die algemene standaard van Wiskunde in Suid-Afrika is baie swakker as die internasionale norm en kan nie vergelyk word met lande wat internasionaal goed presteer in Wiskunde, soos Kanada, Finland, Singapoer en Japan, nie. Afgesien van die swak Wiskunde-uitslae in Suid-Afrika is daar tóg skole in die Vrystaat, meer spesifiek in die Motheoonderwysdistrik, wat jaarliks goeie graad 12-Wiskunde-uitslae lewer in die jaarlikse eindeksamen. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbedadering is gevolg om die moontlike faktore te identifiseer wat bydraend kan wees tot jaarlikse goeie graad 12-Wiskunde-uitslae by sekere skole.Ten einde hierdie doelstelling te kon bereik is doelwitte nagestreef om te bepaal watter faktore bydraend was tot die daarstelling van ‘n kragtige leeromgewing; watter faktore ‘n goeie Wiskunde-onderwyser tipeer, en waarom sekere skole deurlopend topprestasies in die eindeksamen in Wiskunde van graad 12 behaal. Vier skole is geïdentifiseer wat die steekproef van die studie uitgemaak het. Die skole is geselekteer op grond van die goeie Wiskunde-uitslae wat hulle in die graad 12 eindeksamen oor die afgelope vier jaar in die Motheo-onderwysstreek behaal het. ‘n Onderwyser per skool is geïdentifiseer volgens die kriterium dat hulle vir die afgelope vier jaar Wiskunde in die VOO-fase by dié deelnemende skole moes aangebied het. Die data in hierdie navorsing is ingesamel deur middel van onderhoude, observasies en dokumentanalises. Alhoewel die skool globaal geobserveer is, is die observasies hoofsaaklik in die vier klaskamers van die deelnemende onderwysers gedoen. Hierdie observasies het tydens ‘n Wiskundeles van graad 11/12 leerders plaasgevind. Die onderwysersportefeulje van die deelnemende onderwysers is geanaliseer volgens ‘n skedule. Die data wat ingesamel is, is ontleed en in temas, subtemas en gekodeerde betekeniseenhede geklassifiseer. Etiese oorwegings het privaatheid, anonimiteit en vertroulikhied verseker. Die data is ook op verskeie maniere geverifieër om die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die bevindings te verseker. Met die data-analise is gemeenskaplike faktore by hierdie toppresterende skole geïdentifiseer. Die navorser het hierdie gemeenskaplike faktore saamgevoeg en tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die gehalte van die Wiskunde-onderwysers, die leeromgewing waarin die leerders onderrig ontvang en die leierskap in die skool as die vernaamste faktore beskou kan word vir dié skole se suksesse in Wiskundeonderrig in die VOO-fase. Verder het al die onderwysers getoon dat hulle oor die nodige vakinhoudelike en pedagogiese inhoudskennis beskik om die vak Wiskunde te kan onderrig. Die onderwysers het ook almal meer as 10 jaar ervaring in die onderrig van Wiskunde in die VOO-fase. Die skool en die klaskamer van die deelnemers het bygedra tot ‘n leeromgewing wat geskik is akademiese uitnemendheid. Elkeen van die deelnemende skole beskik oor ‘n leierskapstruktuur wat akademie as hul skool se belangrikste prioriteit beskou.
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Keywords
Teacher, Environment, Leadership, Teaching and learning, Knowledge, Excellence and performance, Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- South Africa, Dissertation (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies))--University of the Free State, 2016
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