The mathematics education of youth at-risk : Nellie and Wiseman.
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Date
2003
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Abstract
This study examines the mathematics education of youth at-risk in South Africa. It
explores how two learners at the margin understand and perform in mathematics in two
radically different educational environments. It also examines what provisions, if any, are
incorporated into the mathematics curriculum to accommodate these pupils. One of the
research participants attended Thuthukani, a residential school for youth at-risk and the
other was based at Sanville Secondary, a mainstream school. The differences between the
two contexts were in the scarcity of resources, limited space and class sizes.
The qualitative case study, which was the preferred method of choice, was carried out in
two stages. Observation of learners at the residential school was stage one. Stage two was
the observation of a learner at the margin in a mainstream school. Observations were
captured through audio and visual recordings and photographs. Pupils' written reflections
and workbooks, combined with the information acquired through interviews, informal
discussions and a research diary, supplemented the instruments to produce a rich data for
analysis.
The analysis suggests that each of the components of this study, namely: the educational
environment (context), the mathematics curriculum, the teacher and the learner at the
margin influence the teaching and learning in the classroom. The study concludes with
the researcher's recommendations on the mathematics education of learners at the
margin.
Description
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2003.
Keywords
Problem youth--Education (Secondary), Mathematics--Study and teaching., Theses--Education.