Phenomenological study of practitioners’ lived mathematical play practices in an early childhood care and education setting

Abstract

Wêreldwyd dui navorsing op toenemende belangstelling in wiskunde-verwante spel in die vroeë kinderjare; dit is ook die geval in die informele nedersettings van Mangaung in die Motheo-distrik. Hierdie belangstelling kan toegeskryf word aan leerders wat swak presteer in wiskunde sodra hulle deel word van die formele onderwysstelsel, veral in die grondslagfase. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om ’n fenomenologiese ondersoek te doen oor praktisyns se wiskunde-speelpraktyke in vroeëkinderversorging- en onderwysinstellings. Die navorsing is gegrond op Vygotsky se sosiaal-konstruktiwistiese teorie wat sê kinders doen die beste kennis op indien bemiddeling en die boublokke deur kenners gelê is. Vygotsky definieer kenners as iemand wat ’n beter begrip of vermoë as die kind het oor ’n bepaalde taak, proses of konsep. Daarom speel taal en omgewing ’n belangrike rol in die proses waartydens die kind nuwe kennis verwerf. Vygotsky glo dat kennis eers interpersoonlik verwerf word, soos die kind by ander leer, en dan word die kennis geïnternaliseer; die proses vind plaas in proksimale ontwikkeling. Vygotsky verduidelik proksimale ontwikkeling as die verskil tussen wat kinders self kan doen, en wat hulle kan bereik met bekwame bystand van kenners. Die navorsing het ’n interpretatiewe, kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma en ’n fenomenologie-ontwerp gebruik. Data is deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en joernaalinskrywings deur die navorser ingesamel. ’n Doelgerigte steekproef van tien praktisyns wat in vyf vroeëkindersorg- en onderwysomgewings onderrig gegee het, het aan die navorsing deelgeneem. Die data is ontleed volgens Vygotsky se sosiokulturele teorie en ’n tematiese benadering, waarna subtemas ontstaan het. Die bevinding van hierdie navorsing is dat praktisyns se wiskunde-speelpraktyke in vroeëkinderversorging en onderwys tekortgeskiet het omdat hulle in hierdie konteks nie behoorlik gekwalifiseerd is nie. Die gevolgtrekking is deur behoorlike onderwyserontwikkelingsprogramme en die verkryging van voldoende kwalifikasies, praktisyns se wiskunde-verwante spel vir kinders verbeter kan word. Daarom word aanbeveel dat plaaslike hoëronderwysinstellings ’n kwalifikasie ontwerp en aanbied wat voldoende is vir dié praktisyns, wat inhoud van die kurrikulum insluit wat veronderstel is om aan kinders in hierdie omgewing geleer te word om leer deur wiskundige speelpraktyke te verbeter.

𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 Globally, research indicates growing interest in mathematics-related play in early childhood settings; this is also the case in the informal settlements of Mangaung in the Motheo District. This interest has its roots in the poor performance of learners in mathematics when they reach formal education, particularly in the foundation phase. The aim of this study was to carry out a phenomenological investigation of practitioners’ lived mathematics play practices in early childhood care and education settings.

The study is located in Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory, which maintains that children acquire knowledge best if there is scaffolding and mediation by more knowledgeable others. Vygotsky defined the more knowledgeable other as someone who has a better understanding or higher ability levels than the child on a particular task, process, or concept. Therefore, language and environment play a major role in the child’s process of new knowledge creation. Vygotsky believed that knowledge is first acquired interpersonally, as the child learns from others, then internalises knowledge; the process takes place in the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky explains ZPD as the distance between what children can do by themselves, and what they can achieve with competent assistance by more knowledgeable others.

Additionally, the study employed an interpretive qualitative research paradigm and a phenomenology design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and journal entries by the researcher. A purposeful sample of 10 practitioners who were teaching in five early childhood care and education setting took part in the study. Data generated were analysed through the lens of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and a thematic approach, through which subthemes emerged. The finding of this study is that practitioners’ lived mathematics play practices in ECCE settings were compromised, as they are not adequately qualified in this context. It is concluded that, through proper teacher development programmes and obtaining adequate qualifications, practitioners’ lived mathematics play-based learning can be enhanced. Therefore, it is recommended that local higher education institutions design and offer a qualification that is adequate for ECCE practitioners, and which incorporates curriculum content that is supposed to be taught to children in this environment to enhance mathematics play-based learning. ___________________________________________________________________

Emhlabeni jikelele, ucwaningo luveza ukukhula kwentshisekelo emidlalweni ehlobene nezibalo ezindaweni nasesikhathini lapho kukhuliswa izingane ezisencane; lokhu kuyisimo esifanayo ngisho nasemijondolo yaseMangaung esiFundeni saseMotheo. Le ntshisekelo isuka ekungenzini kahle kwabafundi ezibalweni lapho befinyelela khona ezingeni lemfundo elisemthethweni, ikakhulukazi esigabeni semfundo eyisisekelo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukwenza uphenyo lwefinominoloji kothisha mayelana nezindlela zabo zokwenza zokudlala ezihlobene nokufundwa kwezibalo ezindaweni lapho kunakekelwa khona izingane ezisencane kanye nasezindaweni zokufunda. Lolu cwaningo luhlobene netiyori ka-Vygotsky ye-social constructivism, egcizelela ukuthi izingane zithola ulwazi kangcono uma kukhona ukusebenza ngokubambisana zilekelelane zixoxisane nabanye abanolwazi oluthe xaxa. U-Vygotsky uchaze omunye onolwazi oluthe xaxa njengomuntu onokuqonda kangcono noma onamazinga aphezulu ekhono elithile kunengane emsebenzini othile, enqubweni, noma emqondweni othile. Ngakho-ke, ulimi kanye nendawo ezungezile kudlala indima enkulu enqubweni yengane yokwakha ithole ulwazi olusha. UVygotsky wayekholelwa ukuthi ulwazi lutholwa kuqala ngokuxhumana kwabantu ababili, njengoba ingane ifunda kwabanye, bese igcina ulwazi ngaphakathi; inqubo yenzeka ku-zone of proximal development (ZPD). U-Vygotsky uchaza i-ZPD njengebanga phakathi kwalokho izingane ezingakwazi ukukwenza ngokwazo, nalokho ezingakuzuza ngosizo olunekhono oluvela kwabanye abanolwazi oluthe xaxa. Ukwengeza kulokho, ucwaningo lusebenzise ipharadayimu yocwaningo lwekhwalithethivi ehumushayo kanye nohlelo lwefinominoloji. Idatha yaqoqwa ngezingxoxo ezingahlelwanga phambilini, ulwazi olubhekwayo kanye nokufakwa kocwaningo kujenali ngumcwaningi. Isampula enenhloso ibandakanye abasebenzi abayi-10 abebefundisa ezindaweni ezinhlanu ezinakekela izingane kanye nasezikoleni babambe iqhaza ocwaningweni. Idatha ekhiqiziwe yahlaziywa ngokombono nomcabango we-sociocultural theory ka-Vygotsky kanye nendlela yokukhishwa kwezindikimba, okwavela ngayo ezinye izindikimbana. Lolu cwaningo luthole ukuthi izindlela zokusebenza zabasebenzi zokufunda sakudlala zezibalo ze-ECCE azinakekelwanga ngendlela, njengoba lokhu abakwenzayo bengakufundelanga ngokwanele. Kuphethwa ngokuthi, ukufunda izibalo ekudlaleni kwabasebenzi kungathuthukiswa ngokuthi kwenziwe izinhlelo ezifanele zokuthuthukisa othisha kanye nokuthola iziqu ezanele. Ngakho-ke, kubekwa umbono wokuthi izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zasendaweni kumele zinikeze iziqu ezanele zabasebenzi be-ECCE, futhi ezihlanganisa ulwazi lwekharikhulamu olufanele kufundiswe izingane kule ndawo ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukufunda okunemidlalo kwezibalo okusekelwe.

Lefatshe ka kakaretso, diphuputso di bontsha thahasello e kgolo ya dithuto tsa Mathematics ka mokgwa wa papadi mme thutong ya motheo ya bana, sena se bonahala hape dibakeng tsa baipehi ba Mangaung seterekeng sa Motheo. Thahasello ena metso ya yona ke mosebetsi o mobe wa barutwana thutong ya Mathematics ha ba fihla dikolong, haholoholo karolo e qalang ya sekolo qadisong. Sepheo sa diphuputso tsena ke ho ithuta ka tshebediso ya diphuputso tsa boiqapelo ba mofuputsi le ba bafuputsuwa ka diphihlello tsa bona tsa papadi ya dipalo ka tlhokomelo ya nakong ya dilemo tse tlase le Nakong ya bophelo ba sekolo. Diphuputso di etswa di itshetlehile ka lewa la Vygotsky la Constructivist le tiisang hore bana ba batla ho fumana tsebo e ntle ha ba e hahella le ho boelana le ba bang. Vygotsky o hlalosa hore tsebo e ngata ya ya nang le kutlwisiso e ka hodingwana kapa ya nang le boiphihlelo bo phahameng ho feta ba ngwana ya etsang mosebetsi o itseng, ho o thuisa, kapa ho o hopola. Ha ho le jwalo, puo le tikoloho di bapala karolo e kgolo ha ngwana a thuisa tsebo e ntjha eo a e bopang. Vygotsky o dumela hore tsebo e fumaneha lekgetlo la pele ho motho ka ho kopana le batho ba bang, ebe o tetebetsa tsebo eo ka ho yena, ho thuisa hona ho tsebahala karolong ya kgolo e haufiufi (ZPD). Vygotsky o hlalosa ZDP e le sebaka se dipakeng tsa seo ngwana a ka iketsetsang ka boyena ba hae le seo a ka atlehang ho se etsa ka thuso ya ba bang. Ho feta moo, diphuputso tsena di sebedisitse mokgwa wa katamelo ya diphuputso wa ditlhaloso le tshebediso ya boiphihlelo ba mofuputsi. Pokello ya ditaba e entswe ka dipotso tsa patlisiso tse sekgeqe, tebello le bukana ya diketsahalo tse tlatswang letsatsi le letsatsi ke mofuputsi. Kgetho ya boemedi ka ho ba le sepheo ke ya bankakarolo ba leshome ba neng ba ruta boemong ba thuto e tlase ya sehlopha sa bohlano le boemong ba thuto ba nkile karolo diphuputsong tsena. Ditaba tse bokelletsweng di manollotswe ho ya ka ka tjhadimo ya Vygotsky ka lewa la meetlo ya setjhaba le tlhophollo ho ya ka mookotaba o hlahisang mookotaba o mong ka teng. Ditshibollo tsa diphuputso tsena ke hore ditsebi tsa papadi ya dipalo boemong ba ECCE di e sekiseditse, hobane ha se batho ba nang le mangolo a mona. Qeto ke hore ho be le mananeo a nepahetseng a kwetliso ya matitjhere mme ba fuwang mangolo e be a loketseng, ditsebi tsa papadi e be e ipapisitseng le thuto ya Mathematics, e ka phahamisang kutlwisiso ya thuto ena ya dipalo. Kahoo, kgothaletso ke hore ditsi tsa thuto e phahameng tsa lehae di etse le ho fana ka mangolo a loketseng ditsebi tsa thuto le dikateng tse lokelang ho rutwa bana tikolohong, e le ho phahamisa mokgwa wa ho ithuta Mathematics ka papadi.