ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Reflections on the Development of a Pre-Service Language Curriculum for the BEd (Foundation Phase)
Author: Nomlomo, Vuyokazi
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Education Programs,Preservice Teacher Education,Curriculum Design,Language Teachers,Curriculum Development,Student Teachers,Emergent Literacy,Early Childhood Education,Multilingualism

The initiative of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in South Africa to strengthen foundation phase teaching has resulted in the development of new foundation phase (Grades R--3) programmes at institutions that did not previously offer them. In this article we reflect on the conceptualisation and development of a pre-service language curriculum for one such programme. We base our discussion on principles that underpin teacher education programme development for early childhood education and on issues and insights about appropriate language curriculum content for a foundation phase teacher. Whilst awaiting the outcome of our accreditation, the authors, as two of the persons who assisted in the design of the language curriculum, thought it appropriate to subject the curriculum to an internal scrutiny whilst we prepare to offer the programme. This internal dialogue is informed by the literature on early language development, particularly in multilingual contexts such as in South Africa.
The Readability of Two Grade 4 Natural Sciences Textbooks for South African Schools
Author: Sibanda, Lucy
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Readability,Grade 4,Natural Sciences,Foreign Countries,Readability Formulas,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Elementary School Students,Textbooks,Illustrations,Difficulty Level,Textbook Evaluation

This paper, deriving from a larger study, evaluates the readability of two Grade 4 natural sciences textbooks used by learners who speak English as an additional language in two South African schools. The study is set within the context of the reading-related transitional challenges faced by English second language learners when they move from the foundation phase to the intermediate phase. Text readability is critical for educational achievement during this transition. The case study was conducted by means of a qualitative content analysis of factors that are not accommodated in the readability formulae which were used to investigate the textbooks. While the findings from the two instruments were ambivalent for Book 1, with the content analysis showing the book to be largely readable, but the readability calculator indicating it to be beyond the learners' reading level, both instruments indicated poor readability for Book 2. The study recommends a close consideration of text readability by both authors and teachers.
The Effect of Weight Loss on Some Physical Fitness Factors of Wrestlers
Author: Uçan, Izzet
Date: 2018-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Fitness,Athletes,Muscular Strength,Body Weight,Perceptual Motor Coordination,Physiology,Pretests Posttests,Foreign Countries

The main purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of weight loss on some physical fitness factors of wrestlers. So thirty wrestlers were voluntarily selected and randomly divided into two groups (n=15); active and sauna groups. They participated in some motor fitness factors tests such as; Sargent tests to measure the anaerobic acid-alkaline power, chest press for strength measurements, dynamic balance and coordination. We found that acute dehydration in the active group had a significant effect on strength, balance and coordination, but did not have a significant effect on strength. In sauna group, the effects of acute dehydration on strength and balance were significant but did not have a significant effect on strength.
Masekitlana &quot;Re-Membered&quot;: A Performance-Based Ethnography of South African Black Children&apos;s Pretend Play
Author: Joseph, Michael
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Play,Criticism,Ethnography,Blacks,Memory,Games,Thinking Skills,Children,Developmental Stages,Theater Arts,Child Development,Schemata (Cognition),Foreign Countries,Story Telling,Freehand Drawing,Age Differences,Imagination

The extensive empirical research inspired by Piaget and Vygotsky's theories of make-believe play has been criticised for restricting data to Western, urban, middle-class children. We seek to redress this bias by researching the traditional black South African Pedi children's game Masekitlana. Our data relies on embodied memories enacted by Mapelo (one of the authors), and interviews with two other informants. The analytical framework draws upon 'emergent methods' in ethnography such as performance ethnography, auto-ethnography and memory elicitation through 'bodynotes' within a Vygotskyian orientation to play. The findings show that Masekitlana shares features common to all pretend play, but also exhibits others unique to it including: i) extended monologue, ii) metacommunicative frames for realistic thinking, and iii) a complex relation between social and solitary play. These findings support Vygotsky. However, 'the long childhood' of Masekitlana suggests that the stages theory of Piaget, as well as Vygotskyian ideas that have come down to us via Cole and Scribner and Valsiner, require revision in the light of Bruner's two modes of cognition and Veresov's reinterpretation of the theatre movement within which Vygotsky's central ideas are embedded.
Music-Inspired Free Play to Foster Scientific Exploration in Early Childhood
Author: van Vreden, Mignon
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Music,Play,Foreign Countries,Early Childhood Education,Scientific Concepts,Music Education

Background: The importance of music and play in early childhood development is widely acknowledged. However, no recent studies have investigated the potential of music-inspired free play to foster scientific exploration. Aim: The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explain the rationale in utilising musical skills, knowledge and experiences during free play to foster scientific exploration, applying a constructivist approach with the learner placed at the centre of the educational process, while the teacher acts as observer and facilitator. Setting: Data were primarily collected through documents to create a concept map that informed observations of preschoolers during free play at two day-care centres in Mohadin in the North-West Province of South Africa. Methods: An explanatory case study provided the context for this study and a document analysis informed the findings. Results: Through data analysis, key themes were identified from the literature and observations to generate a conceptual model that illustrates the influence of music-inspired free play to foster scientific exploration by stimulating creativity and emphasising the necessity of free play in preschool settings. Conclusion: The conclusion of this investigation was a better understanding of the capacity of young learners to apply scientific exploration, utilising a transdisciplinary approach for teaching and learning the sciences in the early years to develop a better understanding of their world through music-inspired free play.
Work and Play in Early Childhood Education: Views from Nigeria and South Africa
Author: Ogunyemi, Florence T.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Cross Cultural Studies,Play,Constructivism (Learning),Child Development,Educational Policy,Educational Environment,Preschool Education,Teaching Methods,Poverty,Economic Development,Developing Nations,Foreign Countries

The work reviews the ongoing controversy over work and play within the framework of a constructivist early childhood curriculum. Educators and parents with narrow perception of play view it as mere physical actions of walking, clapping and singing outside class work. However, educators who hold a constructivist epistemological view of child play see play as educative, and possessing ingredients for stimulation that foster an all-round development of children. The paper examines various dimensions of play and work within a constructivist early childhood education paradigm, with special reference to playful learning. The authors argue that teachers of young children need to conceptualize play with a supportive policy and procedural environment that meet the criteria for evaluational, relational and instrumental relevance. Some challenges associated with the use of playful learning in early childhood education centres in Nigeria and South Africa are highlighted.
A Science-Technology-Society Approach to Teacher Education for the Foundation Phase: Students&apos; Empiricist Views
Author: Kok, Lyn
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science and Society,College Faculty,Science Instruction,National Curriculum,Interpersonal Relationship,Elementary School Teachers,Numeracy,Technology Education,Scientific Concepts,Teaching Methods,Problem Solving,Childrens Literature,Scientific Principles,Foreign Countries,Science Teachers,Scoring Rubrics,Check Lists,Teacher Education Programs,Student Attitudes

Teacher education for South African foundation phase education requires student teachers to be prepared for teaching science concepts in an integrated programme in a learning area known as life skills. This study examined the challenges faced by university teachers of foundation phase student teachers in the development of science modules/ courses. The national curriculum for this subject aims to strengthen learner awareness of social relationships, technological processes and elementary science (DBE 2011a). We developed an integrated numeracy, science and technology module for foundation phase student teachers, based on the science-technology-society (STS) approach to teaching science concepts. Students' understanding of science concepts was assessed, using a project method in which they solved a problem derived from children's literature. Then students' views of this integrated approach to teaching science concepts were gathered. The negative views of the foundation phase student teachers towards the integrated STS approach was thought to indicate an empiricist view of the nature of science that could impede their future teaching.
Working with Children with Special Needs in Finnish Kindergartens: Professionals and/or Specialists?
Author: Nislin, Mari A.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Kindergarten,Special Needs Students,Professional Identity,Inservice Teacher Education,Inclusion,Foreign Countries,Well Being,Service Learning,Disabilities,Job Satisfaction,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Trauma,Teacher Competencies,Self Efficacy

The aim is to investigate the links between job satisfaction of Finnish early childhood professionals (ECPs) and the appreciation they receive for their work, and how these are associated with their competence to work with children with diverse needs and backgrounds. Data was collected via nationwide online survey for practitioners (n = 885) working in Finnish kindergartens. The main findings show that ECPs experience their work as satisfactory and receive appreciation from colleagues, friends and the children's parents. It was also evident form the data that ECPs felt themselves to be incompetent to work with children with disabilities or children who had experienced trauma. This may reflect that more in-service training regarding these special education issues is needed. We argue that satisfaction, appreciation and competence, are key factors in the development of a strong professional identity, enhanced well-being at work and in other domains of life and particularly for high quality and inclusive early childhood education.
Bridging the Gap between Advantaged and Disadvantaged Children: Why Should We Be Concerned with Executive Functions in the South African Context?
Author: Fitzpatrick, Caroline
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Advantaged,Disadvantaged,Achievement Gap,Executive Function,Preschool Children,Foreign Countries,Academic Achievement,Predictor Variables,Achievement Tests,Correlation,Socioeconomic Status,Intervention,At Risk Students,Preschool Education,Cost Effectiveness,Kindergarten,Play,School Readiness

Reducing the economic and social burden associated with poor academic achievement represents an urgent concern in South Africa. Increasingly research suggests that child characteristics in kindergarten play an important role in charting courses towards academic success and educational attainment by early adulthood. Although math and reading skills are important predictors of later achievement, executive function skills which underlie children's ability to focus attention and become autonomous, self directed learners also play a key role in later adjustment to school. Disadvantaged children perform more poorly on tests of achievement and executive functions. Furthermore, executive functions have been found to partially account for the relationship between socioeconomic status and later achievement. It is possible to target executive functions in at-risk children using specific interventions. These programs are generally cost effective. It is proposed that increasing efforts towards promoting executive functions in preschool-aged children represents a promising strategy for reducing economically based disparities in the education and eventual life chances of individuals.
Teaching Reading in a Multi-Grade Class: Teachers&apos; Adaptive Skills and Teacher Agency in Teaching across Grade R and Grade 1
Author: Ramrathan, Labby
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Instruction,Grade 1,Literacy,Case Studies,Multigraded Classes,Elementary School Students,African Languages,Native Language Instruction,Professional Autonomy,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Decision Making,Foreign Countries,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Oral Reading,Teaching Methods,National Programs,Recreational Reading

The skill of reading is regarded as the cornerstone of literacy learning in the foundation phase. Although it is the most complex skill to master, it forms part of literacy teaching. Most learners begin schooling without having any kind of exposure to reading. This lack of exposure introduces a number of challenges, which are consequently exacerbated if teachers have to teach in multi-grade classes. This case study was conducted in two primary schools in the Ndwedwe Circuit in KwaZulu-Natal. It is framed within the interpretive epistemology embedded in a qualitative research methodology. Empirical data were generated from two rural schools where multi-grade teaching was undertaken. To produce data, two teachers teaching multi-grade classes (incorporating both grade R and grade 1) were observed during an isiZulu Home Language reading period. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were used to elicit more data for corroboration of findings. The findings show that teacher agency is crucial in making adaptive decisions. These decisions are based on the intersection of formal knowledge, situational knowledge and experiential knowledge that the teachers have acquired over time.
Service Learning in Foundation Phase Teacher Education: Experiential Learning Opportunities for Student Teachers
Author: Petker, Gadija
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Education Programs,Service Learning,Foreign Countries,Teacher Qualifications,Program Descriptions,Learning Activities,Experiential Learning,Laboratory Schools,Elementary School Teachers

This paper reports on the implementation of a model that infuses service-learning into a four-year foundation phase teacher education programme. We argue for an integrated curriculum design utilising specifically the teaching (laboratory) school of the faculty, not only for clinical experience or work-integrated learning, but also for service-learning. In this way, the relation of the teacher education programme to the teaching school and its location within Soweto, an area within Johannesburg, optimises the affordances of learning from and through experience for students. The service-learning activities were designed to inform and draw on students' practical and situational learning (learning in and about context) and address the notions of integrated and applied knowledge in the 'Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications' (RSA DHET 2011). We argue in this paper that the incremental inclusion of service-learning over a four-year period and the varied nature of the service-learning projects within the programme extend students' learning from practice, provide opportunities for students to see people outside of formal education as 'experts' who have something to contribute to their education, and maximize the potential civic and academic outcomes for students.
Foundation Phase Teachers&apos; (Limited) Knowledge of Geometry
Author: Luneta, Kakoma
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Geometry,Geometric Concepts,National Curriculum,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Student Teachers,Teacher Education Programs,Student Attitudes,College Freshmen,Foreign Countries

This study is about student teachers' conceptual understanding of shapes. While the National Curriculum Statement stipulates that by the time learners exit high school they should have grounded knowledge of basic geometry and know shapes such as polygons and polyhedrons and their properties, this study finds that the majority of student teachers have limited knowledge of basic geometry and require not remedial, but re-learning of these basic concepts. The Van Hiele levels of geometric thought model is used as a lens to gauge and understand students' knowledge of geometry. A cohort of 128 first-year students registered for a foundation phase programme took part in the study. It was found that while Grade 12 learners are expected to operate at levels 3 and 4 of the Van Hiele's levels, the majority of the participants in the study were operating at level 1, the level of the learners they will be teaching when they complete the course. Suggestions are made for how to address this problem.
The Reading Literacy Profiles of First-Year BEd Foundation Phase Students
Author: Nel, Carisma
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Reading Skills,Preservice Teachers,College Freshmen,Spelling,Oral Reading,Reading Fluency,Vocabulary,Reading Comprehension,English,Decoding (Reading),Silent Reading,Student Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,English (Second Language),Reading Tests

Reading is not simply an additional tool that students need at university; it constitutes the very process whereby learning occurs. Pre-service students are required to read prescribed course material which is predominantly in English. An overview of the reading literacy profiles of first-year BEd foundation phase students from diverse language backgrounds in a Faculty of Education Sciences indicates a diverse pattern of strengths and needs in terms of pseudo-word reading, spelling, oral reading fluency, vocabulary size and depth, and reading comprehension. An assessment and support rocket system for addressing the academic reading literacy needs of these students is discussed. This system seeks not only to facilitate success for all students, but also to fulfil requirements of quality student outcomes and timely completion and throughput rates.
An Error Analysis in the Early Grades Mathematics -- A Learning Opportunity?
Author: Herholdt, Roelien
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Error Patterns,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Tests,Problem Solving,Difficulty Level,Knowledge Level

Error analysis is the study of errors in learners' work with a view to looking for possible explanations for these errors. It is a multifaceted activity involving analysis of correct, partially correct and incorrect processes and thinking about possible remediating strategies. This paper reports on such an analysis of learner tests. The tests were administered as part of the evaluation of an intervention project that aimed to teach mathematical problem solving skills to grade 1-4 learners. Quantitative error analysis was carried out using a coding sheet for each grade. A reliability coefficient was found for each test, as were item means and discrimination indexes for each item. The analysis provided some insight into the more common procedural and conceptual errors evidenced in the learners' scripts. Findings showed similar difficulties across intervention and control schools and highlighted particular areas of difficulty. The authors argue that this analysis is an example of large-scale error analysis, but that the analysis method could be adopted by teachers of grades 1-4.
Social Identities and Racial Integration in Historically White Universities: A Literature Review of the Experiences of Black Students
Author: Bazana, Sandiso
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Blacks,Minority Group Students,Student Experience,Racial Composition,Racial Integration,Identification (Psychology),History,Racial Segregation,Racial Discrimination,Social Justice,Barriers,Educational Change,Racial Identification,Higher Education,College Students,Social Influences,Socioeconomic Influences,Academic Achievement,Acculturation,School Desegregation

South African government has been promulgating pieces of legislation aimed at ensuring racial integration, especially in higher education, and indirectly enforcing acculturation in historically white universities. Studies have proven that institutional cultures in historically white universities alienate and exclude black students' identities. These students' sense of social identity, which includes culture, heritage, language and traditions, and consequently self-esteem and self-concept, is altered in these institutions. Research has been scant regarding the shape and form that black students' identity assumes when they get to these spaces. Using Tajfel and Turner's (1979) social identity theory and Berry's (2005) theory of acculturation, this article explores the experiences of black students in negotiating their social identities in historically white universities. Evoking Steve Biko's analysis of 'artificial integration' (1986), we hope to illustrate how the 'integration' narrative sought to discard the identity of black students and psychologically enforce a simulation of black students into white-established identities. The study has implications for policy development as we hope to sensitise theoretically the historically white universities to, apart from mere opening of spaces of learning, understand the social identity challenges of black students in these institutions.