Browsing by Author "Nguse, Hlengiwe Abigail."

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An exploration of General Education and Training (GET) teachers’ mathematical knowledge and its influence on the quality of instruction in the teaching of functions.
(2020) Nguse, Hlengiwe Abigail.; Mudaly, Vimolan.
This thesis documents a study of the General Education and Training teachers’ mathematical knowledge of functions and what this knowledge brings to the quality of instruction. The study made use of Variation Theory and Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching as theoretical frameworks. With regard to the methodology, data generation methods included, semi-structured interviews, pen and paper (written items), lesson observations, field notes and document analysis. The sample was chosen through purposive sampling. The participants were four mathematics teachers from four varying schooling contexts in KwaZulu-Natal. Data generation took place in 2016 and 2017 and a total of 28 lessons were observed. Data generated from pen and paper items corroborated the results of the interviews and the data generated from the classroom observations. This suggested that teacher knowledge does influence the quality of classroom instruction. The findings support the literature which shows that teachers’ subject matter knowledge hugely impacts on the quality of instruction. The study, however, concluded that a lack of subject matter knowledge does not stop teachers from delivering lessons of an acceptable level as required by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement if they follow readily designed lesson plans and make use of prescribed curriculum materials including learner workbooks. It was concluded that when out of field teachers use these prescribed curriculum resources effectively, they are able to involve learners in worthwhile learning of mathematics similar to that made available to learners in classrooms where the teacher has a sound knowledge of the subject matter. It is equally important that textbooks and learner workbooks are checked thoroughly for errors before being printed out and distributed to schools as this can have an adverse effect on learning especially in subjects like mathematics. It is the conclusion of this study that when teachers focus on creating a space of learning which enhances in learners the capabilities to discern which knowledge is germane, the learner and the content are placed at the centre of the process of teaching and learning which improves the quality of instruction. Finally, the study proposes a new knowledge domain based on the model of reflective practice which aims to assist teachers with identifying individual knowledge areas of need for continued professional development.
Exploring coping strategies employed by teachers to manage daily workload.
(2015) Nguse, Hlengiwe Abigail.; Chikoko, Vitallis.
Teacher workload has been the subject of interest for both local and international researchers alike. These studies have sought to investigate: how teachers perceive their workload, actual teacher working hours, possible solutions to work overload and coping resources used by teachers to manage their workload. The findings have consistently shown that teachers are faced with heavy workloads. As a teacher who once exited the profession due to burn out, I sought to conduct an investigation into how other teachers were managing to cope with workload. The majority of the previous studies employed quantitative research designs and made use of questionnaires and surveys as data generation methods. I identified a gap and saw the need to conduct a qualitative study on how teachers cope with workload. A teacher’s workload is divided into teaching duties, extra and co-curricular duties, administrative duties, interaction with stakeholders and communication. The focus of this study is on teacher workload as it relates to the teaching duties. These duties include planning, preparation, assessment, recording and reporting. The study has adopted a qualitative research design and in-depth interviews were conducted with seven teachers from two high schools. Domain analysis and open-coding were used to categorise data into themes during the data analysis stage. Apple (1986)’s theory of work intensification and Gronn’s concept of distributed leadership formed the framework underpinning this research. The findings revealed that work intensification may yield both negative and positive results. The study reported that the participants faced heavy workloads in the form of administrative and co-curricular duties, working in one-man departments, and working long hours. It was, however, found that teachers were finding ways of managing this overloading. The report of a heavy workload was therefore found not to be synonymous with the inability to cope. Some of the coping strategies reported in the study included collaborative teaching, the use of archived assessment tools, planning in the holidays, the use of written feedback and archived report comments. It is a recommendation of this study that school leaders actively research ways of promoting teacher collaboration as well as creating platforms through which teachers can freely share their experiences in non-threatening environments. I also recommend as an area for further research that studies be conducted with the aim of establishing compatibility between teaching time and the syllabi for various teaching subjects.