Browsing by Author "Sotsaka, Douglas Thembinkosi Sibusiso."

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An exploration of the interface between Grade 11 Engineering Graphics and Design teachers' understanding of Assembly Drawing and their practice : a case study of the uThukela District, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2015) Sotsaka, Douglas Thembinkosi Sibusiso.; Singh-Pillay, Asheena.; Moodley, Merventharan Perumal.
Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) is the universal graphical means of communication in the engineering field. Assembly drawing (AD) is a quintessential part of the EGD curriculum. AD requires learner to use in spatial visualization skills when engaging in mental manipulation and rotation of objects and transform so as to 2D images into 3D images. Such skills are important for success in many fields of science and engineering. The matriculation examiners’ and moderators’ reports reflect that EGD learners encounter problem pertaining to visualization in learning of AD because current teaching of EGD occurs via static drawing and does not emphasise learners’ visualization skills. In response to the aforementioned issue raised by the matric examiners report this study seeks to explore the interface between Grade 11 EGD teachers’ understanding of Assembly Drawing (AD) and their practice of AD as a case study in the uThukela district, KwaZulu-Natal. The study is guided by three research questions: 1. What are Grade 11 EGD teachers’ understandings of AD? 2. What are Grade 11 EGD teachers’ practices of AD? 3. Is there an interface between Grade 11 EGD teachers’ understanding of AD and their practice of AD? If so, what is the nature of the interface To address these questions a qualitative case study design approach is used. Data is generated through an open ended questionnaire, focus group interview, classroom observation of AD as well as pre- and post-observation interviews. Purposive and convenience sampling are used to identify the respondents for this study. Data collected is subjected to content and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that Grade 11 EGD teachers have four core understanding of AD. These are putting components together, putting components to form a structure and draw it, putting mechanical parts to facilitate an understanding of how they all function and involves visual reasoning, thinking of graphical images of mechanical components manipulating them and then putting it onto a diagram according to specifications. With regard to their practice of AD, three themes emerge; namely, chalk and talk, lecture method and teacher demonstrations, as well as demonstrations with hands on activities or projects. The juxtaposing and (re)assemblage of data from the first two research questions indicates that an interface does exist between Grade 11 EGD teachers’ understanding of AD and their practice of AD. The analysis confirms that the nature of the interface is shaped and sculpted by factors such as teacher qualification, training received for implementation of the EGD CAPS curriculum, professional activities as well as support within the school structure. These teachers’ understanding and practice of AD are a (re)presentation and an amalgamation of their SMK, their learning style(s), the training they received to teach EGD, as well as the professional activities they engage with in terms of EGD. The findings of this study result in a proposed professional development intervention programme for teachers of EGD within the uThukela District.
Unmasking how pre-service engineering graphics and design teachers read and interpret assembly drawing at a university of technology: a case study in Umgungundlovu, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2019) Sotsaka, Douglas Thembinkosi Sibusiso.; Singh-Pillay, Asheena.
The study sought to find out how engineering graphics and design (EGD) pre-service teachers (PSTs) read and interpret assembly drawing (AD). This study was undertaken because newly qualified teachers of EGD need the relevant skills to teach EGD so that it activates learners’ spatial visual reasoning, and ensure good pass rates in the subject. Also pre-service teachers at a University of Technology in South Africa, find assembly drawings difficult to read, to interpret and to learn. The study was guided by four research questions: 1. What are first year EGD PSTs’ levels of spatial visualization ability? 2. How do first year EGD PSTs read and interpret AD? 3. Why do first year EGD PSTs read and interpret AD the way they do? 4. Does the reading and interpretation of AD, among first year EGD PSTs, change after mediation? If so how? If not why? The qualitative case study design approach was adopted. Data were generated through the Purdue spatial visualization test (PSVT), which is a mental rotation test, through two think aloud tasks, by individual interviews, focus group interview and collage making for both tasks. The findings reveal that as an object undergoes more rotations it becomes increasingly more difficult for first year EGD PSTs to mentally visualize and manipulate the object. Challenges experienced by the first year EGD PSTs include the inability to read and interpret information provided by exploded isometric drawing (3-D) and different views of each part in 2-D. The result is an inability to differentiate between orthographic and isometric projections, and to visualize the different views, inability to visualize or see spatial relationships between objects and rotate objects, inability to measure accurately and apply SANS code of practice as well as inability to assemble and recognize lines. Findings also confirm that spatial ability, the ability to mentally rotate or manipulate objects is not innate; instead it can be learned with training. The findings from this study are used to propose a model for linking the teaching and learning of AD in EGD. The model is shown as a graphic, indicating the links between teaching and learning of AD in EGD for PSTs doing Engineering Drawing and Design as their specialization subject.