An exploration of Intermediate Phase English First Additional Language teacher learning through the use of PILO toolkits to improve curriculum coverage: case study of three primary schools in the King Cetshwayo District.

Abstract

In South African Primary schools, the education policy states that the learners may learn in their mother tongue up to grade three. Thereafter, English or Afrikaans becomes the compulsory Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT) from grade four. But most grade four to six learners demonstrate a poor understanding of English First Additional Language (EFAL). A further concern is that the teachers do not complete curriculum coverage when teaching EFAL. The initiation of Jika iMfundo (JM) programme was intended to help and support teachers in KwaZulu-Natal through the use of PILO toolkits in order to improve curriculum coverage. Toolkits are resources designed to help teachers to improve curriculum coverage and to influence learning outcomes. JM provided PILO toolkits that included curriculum planners to teachers during workshop training. The curriculum planners were used to pace teachers’ teaching and assessment against CAPS expectations in order to help teachers to reflect and recognize the gaps that were related to curriculum coverage. The purpose of this research was to explore Intermediate Phase English first Additional Language (EFAL) teacher learning through using the PILO toolkits to improve curriculum coverage in three primary schools in the King Cetshwayo District. This research used qualitative methods within the interpretative paradigm. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews, participants’ biographic information, field notes and document analysis. The research data reveals that teachers acquired content and subject knowledge from training workshops through the use of the PILO toolkits offered by the JM programme. The collaborative active participation was implemented during workshop trainings provided teachers with the understanding needed to deliver effective learning and teaching in their classrooms. Moreover, the findings indicated that regular collaborative interaction between teachers and their Heads of Departments (HODs) was ensured by meetings that were held within their respective schools by the HODs, and they were visited by subject advisors as well as attended cluster meetings, which helped them to cover the expected curriculum. However, there were tensions between the monitoring and support aspects of the PILO toolkit planners and the fast pacing of the curriculum and learners’ grasp of concepts.