The particulate nature of matter is a fundamental concept in science that students in lower grade... more The particulate nature of matter is a fundamental concept in science that students in lower grades find difficult to understand. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been identified as germane for addressing difficult topics and it enhances effective learning. The purpose of this study was to capture the quality of the enacted PCK that practising and pre-service teachers activate during planning. Data were collected through a validated PCK questionnaire which was completed by both practising and pre-service teachers. A rubric was used to code their responses. A Rasch analysis model was used to analyse the five components of the topic-specific PCK construct. Data from an item analysis show that pre-service teachers found the test items to be less difficult than did the practising teachers. We found that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of teachers in terms of knowledge activated during planning. These findings show that, in transforming the t...
This paper presents a two-dimensional unsteady laminar boundary layer mixed convection flow heat ... more This paper presents a two-dimensional unsteady laminar boundary layer mixed convection flow heat and mass transfer along a vertical plate filled with Casson nanofluid located in a porous quiescent medium that contains both nanoparticles and gyrotactic microorganisms. This permeable vertical plate is assumed to be moving in the same direction as the free stream velocity. The flow is subject to a variable heat flux, a zero nanoparticle flux and a constant density of motile microorganisms on the surface. The free stream velocity is time-dependent resulting in a non-similar solution. The transport equations are solved using the bivariate spectral quasilinearization method. A grid independence test for the validity of the result is given. The significance of the inclusion of motile microorganisms to heat transfer processes is discussed. We show, inter alia, that introducing motile microorganisms into the flow reduces the skin friction coefficient and that the random motion of the nanopar...
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2016
The purpose of this study was to find out teachers’ preferred teaching sequence for basic chemist... more The purpose of this study was to find out teachers’ preferred teaching sequence for basic chemistry topics in Physical Science in South Africa, to obtain their reasons underpinning their preferred sequence, and to compare these sequences with the prescribed sequences in the current curriculum. The study was located within a pragmatic paradigm and employed a multi-level learning model as an interpretive framework. A mixed-methods research design was used and survey data collected from a convenience sample of 227 physical science teachers and follow-up interviews with a subset of 11 experienced teachers. Analysis of the data revealed that in general 70% of teachers preferred sequences starting with microscopic-level knowledge such as atoms and molecules, while only 30% preferred starting with macroscopic-level knowledge topics such as solids, liquids and gases. Five main categories of reason were given by teachers. The majority of teachers’ reasons focused on general learning principles such as moving from simple to complex or linking to prior knowledge as opposed to focusing on the specific needs and demands of chemistry knowledge. In addition, it was found that the new Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement was based on starting with macroscopic-level topics which indicates a potential conflict between teachers’ preferred sequences and those required by the current curriculum.
This research explored Eswatini final year primary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) inquiry-based-sci... more This research explored Eswatini final year primary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) inquiry-based-science teaching (IBST) competencies. In the first phase of the larger study, 34 pre-service teachers’ understanding of IBST was assessed. This paper reports on the second phase of the study where six of the PST volunteered to take part in after-questionnaire interviews to obtain deeper insights into their understanding of IBST. Their lesson plans, classroom observation recordings, and semi-structured lesson interviews were used to gather evidence pertaining to how they enact IBST in schools. Data were analysed using Furtak's conceptual framework of IBST. The findings reveal that in their enactment of the cognitive dimension, the PSTs focused mainly on the conceptual domain while in the guidance dimension, most of their lessons were teacher directed. In the main, their level of comprehension of the procedural and epistemic processes of the cognitive domain of IBST and their pedagogical ...
It is widely acknowledged that understanding of science is key to becoming global citizens and to... more It is widely acknowledged that understanding of science is key to becoming global citizens and to embrace technological advancements. Although research suggests that girl’s performance in science has improved over the years, there are still concerns about the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers in most African countries, including South Africa. Variability in science performance according to gender is still an unresolved issue. In this study we aimed to examine the relationship between gender and science item achievement of Grade 9 South African learners in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015. We used data collected by TIMSS 2015. The data were further analysed using International Database (IDB) analyser and t-test statistics. The results show that in general gender did not influence learner achievement in most of the test items. However, the findings indicate that girls performed better ...
This study explores the link between a mentorship program for in-service teachers and their profe... more This study explores the link between a mentorship program for in-service teachers and their professional development. The participants are under-qualified mathematics, science, and technology teachers employed in junior secondary schools. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected through a questionnaire responded to by 163 mentees, and semi-structured interviews with 4 in-service teachers. Despite tensions between mentors and mentees, the results show a strong link between mentoring and the professional development of in-service teachers. The majority of the sampled teachers learnt new teaching approaches and improved their content knowledge. The findings are emergent, suggesting that experienced in-service teachers require different models of mentoring relationships between mentors and mentees to those suggested in the literature.
The Advanced Certificate in Education programme in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST ACE) ... more The Advanced Certificate in Education programme in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST ACE) offered by the University of KwaZulu-Natal was a collaborative effort between the university and the national Department of Education. The programme was originally offered by the university with classroom support provided to in-service teachers in the general education and training phase. The programme aimed to improve the subject content knowledge and teaching skills of teachers. One innovation of the programme was the inclusion of classroom based mentoring. This paper explores the impact of classroom-based support as offered in the programme on the development of in-service teachers. Data was collected through programme evaluation questionnaires, written submissions from in-service teachers and school visit mentors. Our results show that both in-service teachers and school visit tutors were supportive of the inclusion of the school visit support component of the MST ACE programme. The ...
Teachers’ accurate understanding of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST) is crucial for the prop... more Teachers’ accurate understanding of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST) is crucial for the proper enactment of this pedagogical approach. In this research, a qualitative case study design was used to explore and interpret pre-service teachers’ understanding of IBST at the conclusion of their three-year primary diploma at a university in Swaziland. Data were collected using a semi-structured teaching scenario-based questionnaire in conjunction with individual semi-structured interviews. Thirty-four participants completed the questionnaire and eight of them were subsequently interviewed. The data were analyzed using a conceptual framework of IBST that outlines two dimensions of IBST; namely the cognitive and guidance dimensions. The results show that in the cognitive dimension, participants focused mainly on the procedural domain. With regard to the guidance dimension, they associated the pedagogical approach more with teacher-directed than learner-directed learning activities. This...
The particulate nature of matter is a fundamental concept in science that students in lower grade... more The particulate nature of matter is a fundamental concept in science that students in lower grades find difficult to understand. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been identified as germane for addressing difficult topics and it enhances effective learning. The purpose of this study was to capture the quality of the enacted PCK that practising and pre-service teachers activate during planning. Data were collected through a validated PCK questionnaire which was completed by both practising and pre-service teachers. A rubric was used to code their responses. A Rasch analysis model was used to analyse the five components of the topic-specific PCK construct. Data from an item analysis show that pre-service teachers found the test items to be less difficult than did the practising teachers. We found that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of teachers in terms of knowledge activated during planning. These findings show that, in transforming the t...
This paper presents a two-dimensional unsteady laminar boundary layer mixed convection flow heat ... more This paper presents a two-dimensional unsteady laminar boundary layer mixed convection flow heat and mass transfer along a vertical plate filled with Casson nanofluid located in a porous quiescent medium that contains both nanoparticles and gyrotactic microorganisms. This permeable vertical plate is assumed to be moving in the same direction as the free stream velocity. The flow is subject to a variable heat flux, a zero nanoparticle flux and a constant density of motile microorganisms on the surface. The free stream velocity is time-dependent resulting in a non-similar solution. The transport equations are solved using the bivariate spectral quasilinearization method. A grid independence test for the validity of the result is given. The significance of the inclusion of motile microorganisms to heat transfer processes is discussed. We show, inter alia, that introducing motile microorganisms into the flow reduces the skin friction coefficient and that the random motion of the nanopar...
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2016
The purpose of this study was to find out teachers’ preferred teaching sequence for basic chemist... more The purpose of this study was to find out teachers’ preferred teaching sequence for basic chemistry topics in Physical Science in South Africa, to obtain their reasons underpinning their preferred sequence, and to compare these sequences with the prescribed sequences in the current curriculum. The study was located within a pragmatic paradigm and employed a multi-level learning model as an interpretive framework. A mixed-methods research design was used and survey data collected from a convenience sample of 227 physical science teachers and follow-up interviews with a subset of 11 experienced teachers. Analysis of the data revealed that in general 70% of teachers preferred sequences starting with microscopic-level knowledge such as atoms and molecules, while only 30% preferred starting with macroscopic-level knowledge topics such as solids, liquids and gases. Five main categories of reason were given by teachers. The majority of teachers’ reasons focused on general learning principles such as moving from simple to complex or linking to prior knowledge as opposed to focusing on the specific needs and demands of chemistry knowledge. In addition, it was found that the new Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement was based on starting with macroscopic-level topics which indicates a potential conflict between teachers’ preferred sequences and those required by the current curriculum.
This research explored Eswatini final year primary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) inquiry-based-sci... more This research explored Eswatini final year primary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) inquiry-based-science teaching (IBST) competencies. In the first phase of the larger study, 34 pre-service teachers’ understanding of IBST was assessed. This paper reports on the second phase of the study where six of the PST volunteered to take part in after-questionnaire interviews to obtain deeper insights into their understanding of IBST. Their lesson plans, classroom observation recordings, and semi-structured lesson interviews were used to gather evidence pertaining to how they enact IBST in schools. Data were analysed using Furtak's conceptual framework of IBST. The findings reveal that in their enactment of the cognitive dimension, the PSTs focused mainly on the conceptual domain while in the guidance dimension, most of their lessons were teacher directed. In the main, their level of comprehension of the procedural and epistemic processes of the cognitive domain of IBST and their pedagogical ...
It is widely acknowledged that understanding of science is key to becoming global citizens and to... more It is widely acknowledged that understanding of science is key to becoming global citizens and to embrace technological advancements. Although research suggests that girl’s performance in science has improved over the years, there are still concerns about the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers in most African countries, including South Africa. Variability in science performance according to gender is still an unresolved issue. In this study we aimed to examine the relationship between gender and science item achievement of Grade 9 South African learners in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015. We used data collected by TIMSS 2015. The data were further analysed using International Database (IDB) analyser and t-test statistics. The results show that in general gender did not influence learner achievement in most of the test items. However, the findings indicate that girls performed better ...
This study explores the link between a mentorship program for in-service teachers and their profe... more This study explores the link between a mentorship program for in-service teachers and their professional development. The participants are under-qualified mathematics, science, and technology teachers employed in junior secondary schools. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected through a questionnaire responded to by 163 mentees, and semi-structured interviews with 4 in-service teachers. Despite tensions between mentors and mentees, the results show a strong link between mentoring and the professional development of in-service teachers. The majority of the sampled teachers learnt new teaching approaches and improved their content knowledge. The findings are emergent, suggesting that experienced in-service teachers require different models of mentoring relationships between mentors and mentees to those suggested in the literature.
The Advanced Certificate in Education programme in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST ACE) ... more The Advanced Certificate in Education programme in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST ACE) offered by the University of KwaZulu-Natal was a collaborative effort between the university and the national Department of Education. The programme was originally offered by the university with classroom support provided to in-service teachers in the general education and training phase. The programme aimed to improve the subject content knowledge and teaching skills of teachers. One innovation of the programme was the inclusion of classroom based mentoring. This paper explores the impact of classroom-based support as offered in the programme on the development of in-service teachers. Data was collected through programme evaluation questionnaires, written submissions from in-service teachers and school visit mentors. Our results show that both in-service teachers and school visit tutors were supportive of the inclusion of the school visit support component of the MST ACE programme. The ...
Teachers’ accurate understanding of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST) is crucial for the prop... more Teachers’ accurate understanding of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST) is crucial for the proper enactment of this pedagogical approach. In this research, a qualitative case study design was used to explore and interpret pre-service teachers’ understanding of IBST at the conclusion of their three-year primary diploma at a university in Swaziland. Data were collected using a semi-structured teaching scenario-based questionnaire in conjunction with individual semi-structured interviews. Thirty-four participants completed the questionnaire and eight of them were subsequently interviewed. The data were analyzed using a conceptual framework of IBST that outlines two dimensions of IBST; namely the cognitive and guidance dimensions. The results show that in the cognitive dimension, participants focused mainly on the procedural domain. With regard to the guidance dimension, they associated the pedagogical approach more with teacher-directed than learner-directed learning activities. This...
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