Browsing by Author "Dempster, Edith Roslyn."

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Assessment in further education and training (FET) life sciences : an analysis of assessment tasks in three selected schools in the Mpumalanga Province.
(2011) Mkholo, Bhekeni Stuart Maxwell.; Bertram, Carol Anne.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
This study describes the extent to which summative assessment tasks assess the different cognitive levels and learning outcomes with reference to the SAG (2008) for Grade 10 Life Sciences. Essentially, it describes the fit between the intended and implemented assessment, using documentary analysis as a research strategy. In order to determine the fit between intended and implemented assessment the Life Sciences SAG (2008) and question papers on summative assessment tasks were analysed. The question papers were obtained from three schools which were sampled purposively in the Mpumalaga Province. The Life Sciences SAG (2008) was analysed in order to determine the official percentage weightings (marks) of the cognitive levels and learning outcomes which must be assessed in the summative assessment tasks (intended assessment). Using the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy as an analysis tool, question papers on summative assessment tasks were also analysed in order to determine the average percentage weightings (marks) of the cognitive levels and learning outcomes which were assessed (implemented assessment). When the intended and implemented assessments were compared the following results were obtained: For practical tasks and end-of-year examinations there was an incongruity between the intended and implemented assessment in terms of the cognitive levels and learning outcomes. The discrepancy between the intended and the implemented assessment was also found in controlled tests but only in terms of the learning outcomes. In controlled tests the fit between intended and implemented assessment in terms of the cognitive levels could not be determined because the SAG (2008) does not prescribe the cognitive levels which must be assessed. Furthermore, a weak fit between the intended and the implemented assessment in terms of the lower cognitive levels and learning outcomes was found in mid-year examinations. However, there was a strong fit between the intended and implemented assessment in terms of the higher cognitive levels in mid-year examinations. Lastly, for the research projects the fit between the intended and implemented assessment could not be determined because the Life Sciences SAG (2008) does not prescribe the cognitive levels as well as the percentage weightings of the learning outcomes which must be assessed.
Biology and its recontextualisation in the school curriculum : a comparative analysis of post-apartheid South African life sciences curricula.
(2009) Johnson, Kathryn Barbara.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.; Hugo, Wayne.
This study explored the way biological knowledge is transformed when it moves from its disciplinary form to a high school biology curriculum, and how this occurred in successive versions of the life sciences curriculum implemented in post-apartheid South Africa. Bernstein’s (1996, 1999) conceptualisation of biology as an hierarchical knowledge structure, the recontextualisation of knowledge, and the implications for social justice formed the theoretical framework to the study, as did Aikenhead’s (2006) distinction between traditional and humanistic approaches to science education, and Schmidt, Wang and McKnight’s (2005) concept of curriculum coherence. Firstly, I attempted to elicit core concepts and conceptual organisation in biology from the writings of the distinguished biologist Ernst Mayr, two foundational biology textbooks, and interviews with two professors of biology. Seven concepts emerged: the cell, inheritance, evolution, interaction, regulation, energy flow and diversity, which I arranged in a hierarchy according to Mayr’s “three big questions”, “what?”, “how?” and “why?”. The theory of evolution was highlighted as the key integrating principle of the discipline. Secondly, I considered biology in the school curriculum by means of a literature review and synthesis of the changing goals of a school science education. Five broad categories of objectives were derived: knowledge, skills, applications, attitudes and values , and science as a human enterprise. Aikenhead’s (2006) terminology captured the shifts in emphases of these objectives over time.Thirdly, I analysed the stated objectives and content specifications of the three most recent versions of the South African life sciences curricula – the Interim Core Syllabus (ICS), the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and the new NCS. The NCS represented a dramatic swing away from the traditional approach of the ICS, while the new NCS reverts to a more traditional approach, though with more humanistic content than in the ICS. Both the ICS and t he NCS were found to be deficient in one of the three key conceptual areas of biology. The conceptual progression of the material is strongest in the new NCS, and weakest in the original NCS. The conclusion was drawn that, of the different curricula, the new NCS has the greatest potential to induct South African learners into the hierarchical structure of biology, and represents a positive contribution to the goal of transforming education in South Africa.
A comparative study of agonistic behaviour in hairy-footed gerbils of the genus Gerbillurus (Shortridge, 1942)
(1987) Dempster, Edith Roslyn.; Perrin, Michael Richard.
Agonistic behaviour was investigated by means of staged encounters in three species and two subspecies of deserticolous rodents of the genus Gerbillurus Indiviuals of the species G.paeba paeba, G.paeba exilis, G. tytonis, G. setzeri, and G. vallinus were used in intraspecific and interspecific encounters. Intraspecific territoriality was tested in animals of the same sex G.paeba paeba, G. tytonis, and G. setzeri Analysis of agonistic behaviour permitted identification of four groups of behaviours in most classes of intraspecific encounters. These were "exploratory and solitary", "aggressive", "submissive", and "sexual" behaviours. Males of four species were less aggressive than females in same-sex encounters, and were dominated by females in different-sex encounters; the reverse was observed in G. setzeri. Male G. tytonis and G. setzeri were more tolerant of conspecifics in the territoriality apparatus than females were. In G. tytonis-G.p. paeba encounters a hierarchy emerged: female G.. tytonis were most aggressive, followed by female G.p. paeba, male G. tytonis, and finally male G.p. paeba. In areas of syntopy, G. tytonis displace G.p. paeba through aggressive interactions. A reduction in the level of aggression was exihibited in G.p. paeba-G. setzeri and G. tytonis-G. interactions. This result may reflect the phylogenetic divergence and selection of a different habitat by G. setzeri. G. vallinus dominated G.p. paeba, a result which may have been influenced by past experience and body size, since these two species are syntopic and G. vallinus is larger than G.p. paeba. Cluster analysis of behaviour profiles of different species and sexes revealed two groups, which agree partially with the karyology of the genus. G.p. paeba and G. tytonis formed one cluster, while G. setzeri and female G.p. exilis formed a second group. Male G.p. exilis and G. vallinus were less closely related to both groups. It is suggested that several stages in the process of speciation are represented in species of this genus . A range of social types is exhibited from solitary (G.p. paeba and G. tytonis) through semi-tolerant (G. setzeri and G. tytonis) through semi-tolerant (G. setzeri and female G.p. exilis) to tolerant (male G.p. exilis and G. vallinus). Habitat has a strong influence on social type.
A comparative study of communication in six taxa of southern African elephant-shrews (macroscelididae)
(1996) Faurie, Alida Susanna.; Perrin, Michael Richard.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
Aspects of olfactory, auditory, visual and tactile communication were investigated in five Elephantulus species (E. brachyrhynchus, E. edwardii, E. intuft, E. myurus, E. rupestris) and Macroscelides proboscideus, facilitating comparisons among species and genera. The purpose of this study was to determine whether species specific patterns of communication could be identified in the southern African elephant-shrews. Scent gland structure and location was investigated to determine whether species specific differences existed and to relate gland location to marking behaviour. Prominent scent glands were found in the oral angel, foot pads, anogenital region and tail of all elephant-shrew specIes. Marking behaviours such as sandbathing, digging and anal dragging correlated strongly with sent gland location, but no glandular size and/or structural differences were apparent among the different elephant-shrew species. Species specific differences in marking frequencies did exist among the six elephant-shrew taxa, but were unrelated to glandular development. Choice chamber preference tests indicated that Elephantulus species preferred conspecific odours, with males showing higher levels of discrimination than females . Audible vocalizations and footdrumrning were investigated and compared in the sex elephant shrew taxa. Distinct differences were present in the acoustic repertoires of the southern African elephant-shrew species. Footdrumming showed very clear species specific patterns, and footdrumming characteristics were compared with an existing morphological phenogram to derive a possible path of evolution for footdrumming. Visual and tactile communication were investigated by analysis of frequencies and sequences of behavioural acts. A comparison of male-female interactions of the different taxa showed differences in behavioural frequencies both between males and females of a species, and among the different species. Discriminant function analysis showed clear species specific patterns in the visual! tactile signalling systems of southern African elephant-shrews, and this was more clearly defined in males. Elephant-shrews showed higher levels of aggressive behaviour in interspecific encounters, indicating a possible role of aggression as a premating isolating mechanism between species. However, no differences in aggressive behaviour between allopatric and sympatric malefemale interactions could be discerned. Elephant-shrew males showed high frequencies of submissive behaviour in intraspecific encounters, which may be a strategy to reduce aggression in conspecific females. Species specific patterns of behaviour were found to exist in all three modes of communication investigated, and may all act to some extent as premating isolation mechanisms between species. However, many of these patterns are very subtle and it is suggested that a combination of all sensory modalities act together to form each species' signalling system.
An evaluation of the impact of a life science module on teachers' scientific literacy.
(2003) Naidoo, Jaqueline Theresa.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.; Harley, Keneth Lee.; Aitchison, John Jacques William.; Sader, Mahomed Yusuf.
The Advanced Certificate in Education Programme was launched in 2002 at the School of Education, Training and Development, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, in an attempt to upgrade and retrain science educators, given the drastic shortage of qualified science educators in South Africa. This research study investigated the development of scientific literacy within a group of fifteen educators during the first semester of their two-year Advanced Certificate in Education Programme. The study focused on scientific literacy and the relationship between language comprehension skills, readability and scientific literacy. This study aimed to examine whether the Natural Sciences and Biological Sciences module of the Advanced Certificate in Education Programme was effective in raising the level of scientific literacy of educators. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the collection of data. Students wrote a pre-test at the beginning of the first semester and the same test was written as the post-test at the end of the first semester. Semi-structured interviews with tutors were also conducted. Responses of students in the Student Evaluation Questionnaire, given at the end of their first year of study, were analysed to ascertain their perceptions about the tutors, their knowledge and understanding of the content and skills of the modules and the learning material. The questions used in the achievement test were adapted from the question bank of the Science Achievement Test used for Grade 8 learners in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat in 1998/1999. The same achievement test was used in the pre-test and post-test, using questions from the Life Science and Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science content areas. The results from this research study indicated that although the level of scientific literacy of educators improved, it was not statistically significant. The study also highlights that language and comprehension skills and inability of students to express their answers in writing hampered their performance in the scientific literacy test. This was demonstrated by the significant positive correlation between language comprehension and readability with scientific literacy. Specific areas of conceptual difficulty were also highlighted in this study. Implications of these findings for further research and delivery of mixed-mode programmes are discussed.
Exploring foundation life science student performance: potential for remediation?
(2013) Kirby, Nicola Frances.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
This study is postpositivist. Adopting an ontological framework of critical realism requires the researcher to take the position of “modified” objectivist, and explore opportunities for the qualitative interpretation of quantitative data. Grounded theory is explored as the primary methodological approach, and as such the study takes on an inductive, theory-generating form in an attempt to describe and explain student performance within the context of alternative access to tertiary science studies. True to grounded theory, the researcher begins the study without a theoretical framework, this being built as the study progresses. The researcher’s experience of teaching educationally disadvantaged students Foundation Biology in the Centre for Science Access on the Pietermaritzburg campus of KwaZulu-Natal is used as a starting point, from which the initial research question emerges, namely the performance of the Access students in a first-year Life and Environmental Science stream module relative to direct entry students. Results from quantitative data analysis on students’ final marks in the first-year module pose a second research question: what factors contribute to the differing success of the student groups in the first-year module? Drawing on extant international and South African literature on factors affecting university student performance in conjunction with Regression Tree Analysis on the first-year module final mark, a theoretical framework begins to emerge. The concept of the “advantaged disadvantaged” calls for the notion of Access to be reconsidered, and curriculum responsiveness is examined in some detail. Grounded theory method of constant comparison, seeking core categories, together with efforts of triangulation prompt the third line of enquiry, specifically to establish what factors are influencing the performance of the Foundation students in their Access year. Using students’ final Foundation marks as the outcome variable, further Classification and Regression Tree analysis is conducted, including biographical, socioeconomic, school history, and academic factors as well as a measure of student motivation. In addition, literature around Access contributes to theory building. This systematic abstraction and the conceptualization of empirical data result in a substantive theory: that it is English language proficiency, above all other possible variables that can best explain Life Science (Biology) student performance. Selection into the Foundation Biology module is found to be at odds with selection into the Programme as a whole, necessitating curriculum responsiveness at the modular level. The emergent grounded theory, and the notion of “fuzzy generalization”, seen to be appropriate to critical realist research, allows opportunities to explore remediation in the curriculum on the basis of these research findings. Attention is paid specifically to scaffolding literacy in biology through a “learning to read”, “reading to learn” approach. These measures are dicussed within the context of assisting students to achieve epistemic access that will enable them to successfully participate in the academic practice of Science.
An investigation into natural sciences educators' perceptions and practices of classroom assssment [sic] : a case study of the grade eight educators in the Pietermaritzburg region.
(2004) Nkabane, Ethel-Maria Terresah Kholiwe.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
The aim of this study was to investigate Grade eight (8) Natural Science educators' assessment classroom practices and their perceptions about assessment. This study was based on the theory of a hierarchy of knowledge and skills that underpins the Revised National Curriculum Statement for Natural Sciences. An assumption was made that if assessment practices are to promote learning, as conceived in Curriculum 2005, educators' assessment practices must reflect a hierarchy of knowledge and skills. The educators' perceptions and their assessment practices were explored in the light of how learning is conceived to take place in the Revised National Curriculum Statement for Natural Sciences, i.e. learning is conceptualised as a "process". It was on this basis that an "accumulative" nature of learning was perceived as a relevant theoretical framework informing this study, i.e. learning ranges from simple to complex capabilities. To facilitate the educator's assessment practices and perceptions, a qualitative and quantitative approach was adopted. Interview schedules, observations and document analysis instruments were used as a means of collecting relevant data. The interview schedule included questions that elicited educators' biographies, perceptions the educators hold in relation to a hierarchy of knowledge and skills and the perceptions the educators hold about assessment. The observation schedule and the document analysis instrument were based on Gagne's hierarchy of knowledge and skills. These skills are discrimination learning, concept learning, rule learning and problem solving learning. The sample consisted of four Grade eight Natural Sciences educators drawn from four high schools in the greater Pietermaritzburg district. Three of these educators were from well-resource urban schools and one was from a poorly resourced Imbali Township. Interviews, documents and observations were analysed in terms of a hierarchy of knowledge and skills as a research framework informing the study. The results show that all the respondents assessed concrete and concept categories more frequently than the rules and problem- solving categories. This assessment strategy was common in both oral and written assessment tasks. The results exposed some inconsistencies between the educators' perceptions and their assessment practices. All four educators have unclear perceptions of the notion of a hierarchy of knowledge and skills, while in practice a wide range of categories of knowledge and skills were used in assessment tasks. The findings led to the conclusion that the policy needs to be explicit about the fact that the expected assessment standards within each learning outcome are organised around the notion of a hierarchy of knowledge and skills. This will make it clear to science educators why assessment should form an integral part of learning. In- service programmes are necessary to sensitise educators about organising assessment practices on the basis of a hierarchy of knowledge and skills.
An investigation into the attitudes of teachers and learners towards evolution, the conceptual changes that occur when learners are taught evolution, and the factors that influence this conceptual change.
(2012) Schroder, Debra Daphne.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
Evolution is considered a controversial topic and has been met with much debate, concern and conflict in its inclusion in the school curriculum. The aim of his investigation was to determine what conceptual change occurs when learners are taught evolution and what factors influence this change looking in particular at learners’ conceptual ecologies and the role that religious beliefs play. The attitudes of the learners, teachers and school community towards evolution were also investigated. A mixed methods approach was used because it obtains a fuller picture and provides a deeper understanding of a phenomenon by combining the strengths of qualitative and quantitative research. Learners were given a pre-and post-instruction survey and concept mapping task, and a sample of learners were interviewed post instruction. Results showed that learners made significant conceptual changes and that religious beliefs are the main contributing factor to learners’ conceptual ecologies and the conceptual changes that occurred. An overall negative attitude was initially experienced from learners, but this developed into curiosity and interest. Teachers had a positive attitude towards teaching evolution. This study also highlights the notion that conceptual change theory is not sufficient in explaining how all learners learn evolution. Learners that experience cultural conflict follow various other learning paths explained by collateral learning. Collateral learning is considered because it more accurately explains how religious learners learn evolution. Collateral learning puts emphasis on the importance that learner cultures have in learning and highlights the importance of teaching for cultural border crossing
Learning to change : a study of continuing teacher development in two contexts of educational reform.
(2013) Samson, Annie-Hélène.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
Systemic educational reforms entail major changes at the different levels of the system, of which classroom practice is ultimately crucial to obtaining the desired output. Within this paradigm shift, experienced teachers have to replace what they are likely to consider good teaching and learning approaches with unfamiliar strategies. Continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) plays a key role in successfully changing classroom practices. This in-depth case study research —six teachers in two different countries, Canada and South Africa—looks into the information acquisition process of instructors. Interviews were performed at different levels of the educational system – policy makers, pedagogic/subject advisors as well as teachers for which questionnaires and classroom observation were also used to collect data. A research-based analytical tool developed by Laura Desimone (Desimone, 2009) guided the exploration of the vast data collected and served as the analytical framework for the various data sources, drawing a link between the intended, implemented and attained policies. The thorough discourse analysis situated in the interpretivist framework gives global insight into the teachers’ perception of the impact of CPTD as it enables a deep understanding of the information acquisition and utilization by teachers. The examination of teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in different reform contexts brings a profound perspective on how professional development activities contribute to the professional capital of educators, as envisaged by Hargreaves and Fullan (2012). Data suggest that policies related to professional development are adequate in Québec and in South Africa, but that planning around implementation is hasty or lacking altogether. Regardless of the socio-economic environment and the professional development accessibility, teachers do not perceive CPTD as being a major vector of change and they were found to lack the necessary capacity to change their practices to reflect their beliefs. Finally, teachers reported that the most influential factor on practices is the availability of teaching and learning material and learners’ reaction to it. In conclusion, in the two contexts observed, CPTD was not emphasised to the level required for a paradigm change such as constructivist-based systemic reforms. I suggest adapting CPTD delivery methods to teachers’ need by ensuring widespread and reform-aligned professional development. In addition, access to information through appropriate teaching materials combined with appealing and applicable activities should be facilitated.
The relationship between life sciences teachers' knowledge and beliefs about science education and the teaching and learning of investigative practical work.
(2015) Preethlall, Prithum.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
The advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994 resulted inter alia in the transformation of its education system. Revision of the school curriculum was an important component of the total transformation of education. The resulting National Curriculum Statement (NCS) required not only a change in educational or subject specific content, but also a change in educational processes. The ultimate purpose or goals of education are the Critical Outcomes (COs) and Developmental Outcomes (DOs) which reflect the beliefs, needs and aspirations of the people of South Africa. Learners are expected to relate to and use the knowledge and skills that they acquire in everyday life. Also, the learner is expected to use cognitive and social strategies such as reasoning, researching, collaborating, and expressing opinions and debating. The learning environment required to achieve the COs and DOs therefore necessitates active learners as well as teachers who use various strategies to promote learning that will result in understanding. In South Africa reform in Life Sciences education is articulated via a policy framework referred to as the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Life Sciences in Grades 10 – 12 The NCS asserts that investigations as part of inquiry teaching and learning should feature prominently in science teaching and learning. This is an attempt to ensure that scientific content is not the only focus of science teaching and learning but that some understanding of the methods or processes of science are also involved. In order to accomplish this in the South African Life Sciences curriculum investigations feature as part of the prescribed practical work. It prescribes two types of practical work as part of the continuous assessment (CASS) or school-based assessment (SBA). Practical activities can take the form of ‘hands-on’ and/or ‘hypothesis testing’ tasks for the purposes of formal assessment. The ‘hands-on’ type of practical work is highly structured with a sequence of step-by-step procedures laid out by the teacher or text book to be followed by learners while the ‘hypothesis testing’ type of tasks has a leaning towards authentic, open-ended inquiry with minimal guidance and is learner directed or driven and was the subject of this study. Within the context of this study the ‘hypothesis testing’ type of activity is referred to as investigative practical work (IPW). IPW is an example of inquiry-based teaching and learning. Many teachers do not readily appreciate the implementation of inquiry teaching and learning because of the many challenges or barriers that they encounter. One such challenge is teachers’ beliefs about vii classroom management that interfere with learning about ‘doing’ inquiry. Another is their knowledge base for implementing inquiry. Hence, this study focused on establishing the relationship of teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about science education and the teaching and learning of IPW in the Life Sciences. A qualitative, multiple case study approach was followed in executing this research. Data was collected through a questionnaire, a structured interview, lesson observations and study of documents which included tasks completed by the participating teachers, teacher and learner artefacts, as well as the different South African Biology and Life Sciences curricula. The findings of the study shows that there are consistencies as well as inconsistencies between teachers’ knowledge and teachers’ beliefs regarding some aspects of teaching and learning. It also found consistencies and inconsistencies between knowledge and practice and between beliefs and practice. The strongest influence on teachers’ practice is their previous experiences and knowledge, which have resulted in deep seated beliefs about the practice of IPW. For the successful implementation of the transformed curriculum and more especially, IPW several recommendations have been provided. These recommendations involve strategies to be implemented from a micro (school) level to the macro level (National Department of Basic Education). If teachers’ knowledge and beliefs are not taken into account, efforts to reform science education will have difficulty in succeeding.
Some strategies used by isiZulu-speaking learners when answering TIMSS 2003 science questions.
(2006) Zuma, Sandile Cleopas.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
The purpose of this study was to describe the performance of the South African Grade 8 learners in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 science test, to explore the translatability of TIMSS 2003 science items into isiZulu without significant loss of meaning, and to explore the strategies used by isiZulu-speaking learners when answering questions in the TIMSS 2003 test. Thirty six isiZulu-speaking learners were tested using written test questions taken from the science test in the TIMSS 2003. The degree to which a sample of 36 learners represented their understanding of the questions in a written test compared to the level of understanding that could be elicited by an interview is presented in this study. The findings of this study are presented, interpreted and discussed using Pollitt & Ahmed's (2001) model of question answering process as well as other relevant literature. The key findings of this study are as follows : • the South African Grade 8 learners performed very poorly on TIMSS 2003 science test, • close translation of TIMSS 2003 science items into isiZulu is possible if conducted with care by expert teachers, • the language of the test had some effect on isiZulu-speaking learners' performance on TIMSS 2003 science test, • the strategies used by isiZulu-speaking learners when answering science questions included: • translating the question into isiZulu before trying to answer it, • choosing an answer containing a word/term common in the question stem and in the options, • choosing the answer containing a familiar/unfamiliar word in the options, •guessing , •looking at patterns of previous choices, •'picture memory', and •'general knowledge'. When Pollitt & Ahmed's (2001) model of question answering is applied to isiZuluspeaking learners, two 'new' phases are introduced. The findings of this study suggest that language factors are embedded within other factors, importantly, the appropriate level of cognitive proficiency to enable correct answering of science questions. The findings of this study further suggest the need for development of cognitive/academic language proficiency (CALP) in both English and isiZulu languages, or in one of them.
A survey of life sciences teachers' understanding of the theory of evolution.
(2012) Magubane, Gugulethu Primrose.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
The theory of evolution is relatively new to the majority of teachers who teach Life Sciences in South African schools. It was introduced into the Grade 12 Life Sciences curriculum in 2008. The purpose of this study was to examine the subject matter knowledge of Life Sciences teachers regarding the theory of evolution. Furthermore the study aimed at finding out about the challenges that the Life Sciences teachers encounter during the teaching of evolution to their learners and how they deal with those challenges. This study also aimed to contribute to the field of research regarding Life Sciences teacher’s understanding of the theory of evolution in a South African context. The focus of the research was on the teachers who were teaching Life Sciences at Grade 12 level in 2008. This study was underpinned by the conceptual framework developed by Lee Shulman (1986; 1987). Shulman (1986; 1987) argues that the subject matter knowledge should be the foundation for teaching. The research was conducted within the pragmatic paradigm. The data was collected from the Life Sciences teachers under Vulindlela Circuit in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The methods of collection included questionnaires and individual interviews with selected teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS while qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings indicated that the Life Sciences teachers who were enacting the new curriculum do possess some knowledge of the theory of evolution. However there were some gaps in their understanding of the concepts related to the theory of evolution by natural selection. Probably Life Science teachers will also increase their knowledge and levels of understanding of evolutionary concepts as they teach these year after year. This was evident from the scores of the teachers under the section of genetics. They scored high marks in this section because genetics was introduced into the Biology curriculum more than twenty years ago. Fossils, biogeography and natural selection were introduced in 2008, and teachers had much less knowledge about these topics than about genetics. This study also found that some teachers do encounter problems such as the views of students which contradict with that of evolution by natural selection. Teachers mentioned that they do not know how to handle such problems in the classroom during teaching in a manner that would not criticise religious beliefs of other learners. This study concluded that professional development of teachers in the form of workshops and in-service training should be an ongoing process within the Department of Education in order to help teachers with the ever-changing curriculum.
A systemic functional linguistic analysis of the utterances of three Pietermaritzburg physical science educators.
(2011) Jawahar, Kavish.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
In South Africa, Physical Sciences educators play a crucial role in contributing to equal life chances for Physical Sciences learners. This is because they have the opportunity to employ functional language features for increasing access to scientific literacy - a goal of the Physical Sciences National Curriculum Statement. However, no studies were found in the literature which explicitly explored this aspect of a Physical Sciences educator's pedagogical content knowledge in the South African context. This study employs the sociocultural view of science as a language and the complementary theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics to explore the nature of the utterances of three Pietermaritzburg Physical Sciences educators during Physical Sciences lessons. The focus is on the functional language features of nominalisation, lexical density, functional recasting, and lexical cohesion in terms of repetition and cohesive harmony index. Using a multi-case study methodology, pragmatic paradigm and mixed-methods approach, this study provides a sophisticated description of the utterances of Physical Sciences educators in language contexts characterised by varying proportions of English Second Language to total number of learners. The results reveal that lexical cohesion, measured by the cohesive harmony index and proportion of repeated content words relative to total words, increased with an increasing proportion of English Second Language to total number of learners. Nominalisation and lexical density did not decrease with an increasing proportion of English Second Language to total number of learners. The functional recasting results provide insight into numerous types of functional recasting available to Physical Sciences educators. In addition, a model is proposed regarding how the outcomes to which the functional recasting types contribute, impact on movement towards the everyday or scientific registers of English. Furthermore, each individual Physical Sciences educator had a „signature‟ talk, unrelated to the language context in which they taught. This study has significant implications for the development of pedagogical content knowledge in pre-service and in-service education and training of Physical Sciences educators. Training programmes need to place a greater emphasis on the functional use of language in order to empower Physical Sciences educators to adequately apprentice their learners into the use of the register of scientific English.
Understanding life sciences teachers' engagement with ongoing learning through continuous professional development programmes.
(2014) Keke, Bulelwa.; Dempster, Edith Roslyn.
Teacher education in South Africa has had to be overhauled in line with the reform of the South African school curriculum since 1996. Both initial and continuous teacher qualification programmes are constantly being reviewed to improve impact on prospective and currently practising teachers. In addition, efforts are being made to scale up non-qualification continuous professional development programmes for better implementation of the curriculum. Despite these endeavours, there is evidence that continuous professional development programmes in particular, are not responding adequately to the needs of the teachers and the education system in general. This is partly due to the failure by the system to differentiate between the needs of different groups of teachers who received their initial teacher education in racially segregated teacher education institutions. This research study aims to determine what teachers of Life Sciences perceive as their development needs, and how these needs are addressed through various forms of in-service teacher education, both formal and informal. Life Sciences is the name of the subject called Biology in the pre-reform curriculum. It is offered only in the final three years of schooling, Grades 10 – 12. The Life Sciences curriculum has experienced at least three revisions in a period of six years since the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement in 2006. Data was gathered in two phases, using mixed methods approaches. During the first phase, data was collected using a teacher questionnaire. The questionnaire dealt with teachers’ content and pedagogical development needs; their participation in both qualification and nonqualification CPD programmes; their motivation (or lack of) to engage in CPD programmes; and the perceived benefits of CPD programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Subject Advisors dealing with similar themes. During the second phase of the study, intervention programmes in the form of teacher training workshops were conducted and data was gathered through documenting the workshop activities and by conducting evaluations. Findings revealed that whilst a large proportion of Life Sciences teachers were furthering their studies through formal qualifications, they were not necessarily choosing Biological Sciences specialisations. A considerable proportion of teachers in the study were teaching out of their field of specialisation. These limitations likely account for teachers’ low selfconfidence, articulated as a strong need for development in almost every area of the content and pedagogy. Teachers that choose Biological Sciences specialisations in formal in-service qualifications seem to be benefiting significantly. Life Sciences teachers also benefit immensely from ‘hands on’ training in practical work skills rather than using passive, demonstration methods of training. Cluster-based CPD programmes present an ideal opportunity for teachers to learn and share knowledge and expertise in content and pedagogy, yet this platform is constrained mainly to development of assessment activities. Filling vacant posts and increasing the number of Subject Advisors is critical to ensuring that teachers received adequate support from districts.