Towards a facilitation framework for effective learning and teaching for first-year students in the Building Measurement Module

Abstract

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it aims to identify the pedagogical challenges faced by first-year students and lecturers in the building measurement module in South African universities. Second, it seeks to investigate the constructivist teaching approach, with a particular focus on the applicability of Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural development, as a potential solution to these challenges.

As such this study employed two separate but complementary research designs. Due to the limited contextual knowledge in the learning and teaching environment of first-year students in the building measurement module, it is essential to investigate and establish the challenges they face, as there is currently very little information available on this topic. The second methodology examines and proposes a potential solution to these challenges. The chosen research designs for this study are a convergent mixed-methods approach and a case-study design.

Data collected through a baseline survey, focus-group discussions, and semi-structured interviews in the first methodology informed the case-study design. In this case study, data from pre- and post-tests, participant observations, and reflections yielded significant results. The first methodology identified various challenges faced by first-year students and lecturers in the building measurement module. These challenges were then addressed and tested in the second methodology.

The findings of the research suggest that a constructivist teaching approach, more specifically Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural development are successful and can be applied through a facilitation framework. The value of this research study is the enhancement of first-year learning and teaching experience in Quantity Surveying Education.

Die doel van hierdie studie is tweeledig. Eerstens poog dit om die pedagogiese uitdagings te identifiseer waarmee eerstejaarstudente en dosente in die boumeetkunde-module aan Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite gekonfronteer word. Tweedens ondersoek dit die konstruktivistiese onderrigbenadering, met ’n spesifieke fokus op die toepaslikheid van Vygotsky se teorie van sosiokulturele ontwikkeling as ’n moontlike oplossing vir hierdie uitdagings. Die studie het gevolglik twee afsonderlike maar komplementêre navorsingsontwerpe gebruik. As gevolg van die beperkte kontekstuele kennis in die leer- en onderrigomgewing van eerstejaarstudente in die boumeetkunde-module, is dit noodsaaklik om die uitdagings wat hulle ervaar te ondersoek en te identifiseer aangesien daar tans baie min inligting oor hierdie onderwerp beskikbaar is. Die tweede metodologie ondersoek en stel ’n moontlike oplossing vir hierdie uitdagings voor. Die gekose navorsingsontwerpe vir hierdie studie is ’n konvergente gemengde-metode benadering en ’n gevallestudie-ontwerp. Data wat in die eerste metodolgie deur middel van ’n basislynopname, fokusgroepbesprekings en semigestruktureerde onderhoude ingesamel is, het die gevallestudie-ontwerp gelei. In hierdie gevallestudie het data uit voor- en natoetse, deelnemerwaarnemings en refleksies betekenisvolle resultate opgelewer. Die eerste metodologie het verskeie uitdagings geïdentifiseer wat eerstejaarstudente en dosente in die boumeetkunde-module ervaar. Hierdie uitdagings is toe aangepak en getoets in die tweede metodologie. Die bevindinge van die navorsing dui daarop dat ’n konstruktivistiese onderrigbenadering, meer spesifiek Vygotsky se teorie van sosiokulturele ontwikkeling, suksesvol is en deur middel van ’n fasiliteringsraamwerk toegepas kan word. Die waarde van hierdie navorsing lê in die verbetering van eerstejaarstudente se leer- en onderrigbelewenis binne die bourekenkunde-onderwys.

Morero wa diphuputso tsena o habedi. Ntlha ya pele, di ikemiseditse ho kgetholla diphephetso tsa thuto tse tobaneng le baithuti ba selemo sa pele le barupelli ka hara thuto ya ditekanyo tsa kaho yunivesithing tsa Afrika Borwa. Ntlha ya bobedi, di batla ho batlisisa motjha wa mohopolo wa ho ruta, o shebaneng haholo le ho sebetsa ha kgopolo ya Vygotsky ya ntshetsopele ya setjhaba le setso, e le tharollo e ka bang teng ya diphephetso tsena. Ka hona, thuto ena e sebedisitse mekgwa e mmedi e fapaneng empa e tlatsanang ya ho etsa dipatlisiso. Ka lebaka la tsebo e fokolang ya tikoloho ya ho ithuta le ho ruta ya baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba thuto ya ditekanyo tsa kaho, ho bohlokwa ho fuputsa le ho theha diphephetso tseo ba tobaneng le tsona, kaha jwale ho na le lesedi ke fokolang haholo le fumanehang ka taba ena. Mohopolo wa bobedi wa diphuputso o hlahloba le ho etsa tlhahiso ya tharollo e ka kgonehang ya mathata ana. Moralo wa dipatlisiso o kgethilweng bakeng sa thuto ena ke mokgwa o kopaneng wa mekgwa e kopaneng le moralo wa thuto ya dinyewe. Deitha ya motheo e bokelletsweng diphuputsong, dipuisanong tsa dihlopha tse tsepamisitseng maikutlo le dipuisanong tse hahelletsweng ka mokgwa o hlophisitsweng ka mokgwa wa pele, ho ile ha thusa ho qatjwa ha diphuputso tse ikgethileng. Diphuputsong tsena, boitsebiso bo fumanweng pele ho diteko le ka mora tsona, dintho tse ileng tsa bonwa ke batho ba nkang karolo le maikutlo a bona, di ile tsa fana ka diphetho tse ntle. Mohopolo wa pele wa diphuputso o ile wa kgetholla mathata a fapafapaneng ao baithuti ba selemo sa pele le barupelli ba tobaneng le ona karolong ya ho lekanya mehaho. Ka mora moo, mathata ana a ile a rarollwa mme a hlahlojwa ka mohopolo wa bobedi wa ho etsa diphuputso. Diphuputso tsena di bontsha hore motjha wa mohopolo wa ho ruta, haholoholo kgopolo ya Vygotsky ya tswelopele ya setjhaba le setso e atlehile mme e ka sebediswa ka mohopolo wa ho tsamaisa dithuto. Bohlokwa ba diphuputso tsena tsa ho etsa dipatlisiso, ke ho ntlafatsa phihlello ya ho ithuta le ho ruta ya selemo sa pele thutong ya ho lekanya ka bongata.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ihlukene kabili. Okokuqala, luhlose ukuveza izingqinamba zokufunda nokufundisa ezibhekene nabafundi bonyaka wokuqala kanye nabafundisi basenyuvesi bemojuli yeBuilding Measurement emanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrikha. Okwesibili, ihlose ukuphenya indlela yokufundisa okwakhayo, ngokugxila kakhulukazi ekusebenziseni injulalwazi kaVygotsky yentuthuko yokuhlalisana komphakathi, njengesixazululo okungaba yiso kulezi zingqinamba. Ngalokho-ke, lolu cwaningo lusebenzise izinhlaka zocwaningo ezimbili ezahlukene kodwa eziyizinhlaka zocwaningo ezihambisanayo. Ngenxa yolwazi lwesimo olungaphelele esimweni sokufunda nokufundisa abafundi bonyaka wokuqala bemojuli yeBuilding Measurement, kubalulekile ukuphenya futhi ukuthola izingqinamba ababhekene nazo, njengoba njengamanje kunolwazi oluncane kakhulu olukhona kulesi sihloko. Indlela yocwaningo yesibili ihlola futhi ihlongoza isixazululo esingaba isona kulezi zingqinamba. Izinhlaka zocwaningo ezikhethelwe lolu cwaningo ziyindlela yocwango olungxube oluhlanganayo kanye nohlaka locwaningonto. Imininingo yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa isaveyi eyisisekelo, izingxoxo namaqoqo acwaningwayo, kanye nezingxoxo ezisakuhleleka endleleni yocwaningo yokuqala ephendle indlela yohlaka locwaningonto. Kulolu cwaningo, imininingo engaphambi kwezivivinyo nangemumva kwazo, ukubukela abahlanganyeli, kanye nokuninga, kuveze imiphumela ebalulekile. Indlela yocwaningo yokuqala iveze izingqinamba eziningana ezibhekene nabafundi bonyaka wokuqala kanye nabafundisi basenyuvesi emojulini yeBuilding Measurement. Lezi zingqinamba kube sekubhekwana nazo futhi zavivinywa endleleni yocwaningo yesibili. Imiphumela yocwaningo iphakamisa ukuthi indlela yokufundisa eyakhayo, kakhulukazi injulalwazi kaVygotsky yentuthuko yokuhlalisana komphakathi iyaphumelela futhi ingasetshenziswa ekudidiyeleni uhlaka. Ubumqoka balolu cwaningo ukuqinisa isimo sokufunda nokufundisa kwabafundi bonyaka wokuqala beMfundo Yokukala Izindleko.