Browsing by Author "Moodley, Mogasuri."

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An investigation into learner perceptions of mathematics : a means to understanding the challenges of learning mathematics
(2007) Moodley, Mogasuri.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and perceptions that learners have in the maths class with the aim of determining learners’ attitude to maths. It also intended to identify and understand the challenges that maths learners face in the maths class. The findings from this investigation would be used in the development of strategies to (a) improve the attitude of learners in the maths class, (b) develop healthier self-efficacy beliefs in learners and (c) create a positive learning environment for maths learners. To this end, a poster activity and group interview were used as the data collection instruments for the qualitative part of the research. The poster activity entailed the development of a poster by learners in which they recorded information on their experiences and perceptions of maths. This highlighted emerging themes that were further explored in the group interview and used in the development of the questionnaire. A group interview was conducted with a select group of learners with the intention of confirming the themes that had emerged from the poster activity. The quantitative phase of the study included a questionnaire, the design of which was based on the findings from the poster activity and was administered to all grade eleven learners of maths in order to determine whether the findings from the poster activity were representative of all the grade eleven maths learners. These data collection instruments generated data that was used to answer the main research questions. Analysis and interpretation of the findings lead to the following conclusions being reached: (a) Learner attitude to maths is in part a product of the accumulated experiences and perceptions of learners in the maths class, (b) The teacher, peers and learners’ self-efficacy beliefs affect maths learning and (c) The learning environment is an important factor in maths learning. The final part of the write-up includes the implications that this research has for the practising maths teacher with suggestions for further research in the area of affect.
Mathematics for future engineers : a study of teaching and learning mathematics in an engineering curriculum.
(2014) Moodley, Mogasuri.; Hobden, Sally Diane.
This is a study of teaching and learning in the first mathematics module for engineering students at a South African university. The theoretical framing of the study is derived from multiple analytical tools: Bernstein’s theory of the Pedagogic Device; the construct of beliefs and Bloom’s revised taxonomy. As such this study draws on Bernstein’s concepts of recontextualisation, singulars and regions and classification and framing to describe the three message systems (content, pedagogy and assessments). The beliefs framework identifies the teaching styles used by lecturers while Bloom’s revised taxonomy provides the analytical tool to evaluate the quality of the final examination questions. This study took a pragmatist stance which privileged a mixed methods approach to data collection. The first research question sought to determine the role of mathematics in engineering. To fully understand the role of mathematics in engineering, document analysis was used to analyse the international (Washington Accord) and national (ECSA) professional body documents and the institutional requirements and interviews were conducted with academic staff in the department of mathematics and the school of engineering. The literature showed that mathematics is a key component in engineering education and in engineering practice. It also foregrounded the ongoing debate about whether it is sufficient for engineers to know the practical application of mathematics or whether knowledge of mathematics in all its abstraction is required. The second and third research questions looked at how teaching and learning is approached and reasons why it is approached in those ways. Data were generated from the documents stated above, observation of lectures as well as tutorials and interviews with relevant academic staff and students. An analysis of the Washington Accord and ECSA documents fell within the Official Recontextualising Field and showed the influence of the external bodies on the recontextualisation of the ME curriculum. The textbook and head of school (MSC), constituted the Pedagogic Recontextualising Field (PRF), and were found to influence the framing over selection, sequencing, pacing and evaluative criteria. It was also established that there was further recontextualisation at the level of the classroom (by lecturers). In effect, the recontextualisation resulted in the exclusion of proofs and theoretical underpinning of the mathematics taught. The module showed strong classification of content on the interdisciplinary, intradisciplinary and interdiscursive level while framing over selection, sequencing, pacing and evaluative criteria were strong. The regionalization of the ME module resulted in it being a site of conflict and struggle over ownership of the pedagogic device. Despite differences in beliefs about mathematics, the teaching styles of lecturers were similar in that they demonstrated an algorithmic, assessment-oriented approach to teaching. The analysis revealed that lecturers viewed mathematics in terms of application and as a tool to solve engineering problems. Analysis of the final examination questions showed that it fell within the cognitive domain of Apply in Blooms’ revised taxonomy. A closer inspection of the final examination questions and those of the mock examination showed a close correlation between the two indicating that the conceptual demand was not as high as initially established. Despite the strong alignment between lectures, tutorials and assessments, many students were unsuccessful in passing the module. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and suggests recommendations for the improvement of teaching and learning mathematics to future engineers and for further research.