ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The School Readiness Performance of a Group of Grade R Learners in Primary Schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa
Author: van Rensburg, Ona Janse
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,School Readiness,Kindergarten,Young Children,Elementary Schools,Early Childhood Education,Teacher Qualifications,Preschool Teachers,Learning Readiness

Grade R is the year before learners in South Africa start formal schooling and has been part of the General Education Training Band (GET) since 1998. New efforts are being made to enable all five- to six-year-olds to attend a Grade R class. The nine provinces of South Africa approach this problem in different ways. Some of them, like Gauteng, try to establish Grade R classes at primary schools, but in the process seem to appoint many teachers with only minimum qualifications. This article reports on research requested by the Gauteng Department of Education about the school readiness of Grade R learners. The school readiness performance of 114 Grade R learners was measured by means of a standardized school readiness test. The results confirmed the worst fears of department officials: most of the participants were not school ready after attending a year in a Grade R class. The article concludes with some recommendations, among others that attention should be given to the qualifications of teachers and that parents should become more involved.
Can Pre-Grade R Be the Stepping Stone to Social Equality in South Africa
Author: Kotzé, Janeli
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Education,Social Justice,Role of Education,Young Children,Public Policy,Access to Education,At Risk Persons,Educational Policy,National Surveys,Enrollment,Geographic Regions,Educational Finance

Investment in early childhood development (ECD) has the prospect of cultivating potential within individuals and can assist in bridging the social equity gap from a very young age. Over the past decade Grade R has been the strongest policy lever used by the Department of Basic Education to improve early learning. The National Development Plan calls for universal access to two years of early childhood development prior to entering Grade 1. This paper explores the merits of this proposal, given the specific South African context. More specifically, this analysis intends to bring new information to bear on three matters. The first relates to the demand side and aims to identify participation trends among four- and five-year-olds. The second objective is to consider the supply side and aims to understand the policy space in which pre-Grade R will function, the quality and quantity of infrastructure already in place, and the expertise of ECD practitioners. The final matter considers the implementation of a universally accessible pre-Grade R within a constrained system and the requirements to ensure that it will have a significant impact on those children most in need.
The Relationship between Internationalisation, Creativity and Transformation: A Case Study of Higher Education in Hungary
Author: Smith, Melanie K.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,International Education,Creativity,Transformative Learning,Foreign Countries,Correlation,Higher Education,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,College Students,Student Attitudes,Barriers,Cooperative Learning,Student Projects,Active Learning,Problem Solving,Teaching Methods

The main objective of this article is to explore the relationship between internationalisation, creativity and transformation in the context of higher education. It is argued in academic theory that the process of internationalisation in higher education has two pillars: transformational learning and creative development, and that creativity is an integral part of transformational learning. To explore this relationship further, the authors draw on primary research undertaken in the context of a higher education institution in Budapest, Hungary. A Delphi study with senior academic staff and a focus group with Hungarian and international students were included in the research. Questions were asked which aimed to determine whether creativity is indeed an integral part of transformational learning, and whether creativity and transformation are the most important elements of internationalisation. Staff and students recognise the creative and transformative potential of internationalisation, but they also identified several challenges. These include encouraging students to go beyond instrumental approaches to learning, providing staff with the relevant training and support, changing the culture of institutions and overcoming the lack of flexibility in existing national education structures. Overall, the research findings reinforced theoretical perspectives, which propose creative thinking, cooperative and communicative learning, project-based and problem-solving activities as some of the main tools in the process of transformational learning and prerequisites for internationalisation.
Examining Oral Reading Fluency among Rural Grade 5 English Second Language (ESL) Learners in South Africa: An Analysis of NEEDU 2013
Author: Draper, Kim
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Oral Reading,Reading Fluency,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Rural Schools,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Reading Comprehension,Benchmarking,Reading Tests,Readability

The ability to read for meaning and pleasure is arguably the most important skill children learn in primary school. One integral component of learning to read is oral reading fluency (ORF), defined as the ability to read text quickly, accurately, and with meaningful expression. Although widely acknowledged in the literature as important, to date there have been no large-scale studies on ORF in English in South Africa, despite this being the language of learning and teaching for 80% of English Second Language (ESL) students from Grade 4 onwards. We analyse data provided by the National Education and Evaluation Development Unit (NEEDU) of South Africa, which tested 4,667 Grade 5 ESL students from 214 schools from rural areas in South Africa in 2013. This included ORF and comprehension measures for a subset of 1,772 students. We found that 41% of the sample were non-readers in English (&lt;40 words correct per minute, or WCPM) and only 6% achieved comprehension scores above 60%. By calibrating comprehension levels and WCPM rates, we developed tentative benchmarks and argue that a range of 90-100 WCPM in English is acceptable for Grade 5 ESL students in South Africa. In addition, we outline policy priorities for remedying the reading crisis in the country.
Embedding Experiments: Staking Causal Inference in Authentic Educational Contexts
Author: Motz, Benjamin A.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Causal Models,Statistical Inference,Inferences,Educational Experiments,Educational Research,Educational Improvement,Research Design,Ethics,Teacher Participation,Intervention,Data Collection,Data Analysis,Theory Practice Relationship,Educational Benefits,Scaling

To identify the ways teachers and educational systems can improve learning, researchers need to make causal inferences. Analyses of existing datasets play an important role in detecting causal patterns, but conducting experiments also plays an indispensable role in this research. In this article, we advocate for experiments to be embedded in real educational contexts, allowing researchers to test whether interventions such as a learning activity, new technology, or advising strategy elicit reliable improvements in authentic student behaviours and educational outcomes. Embedded experiments, wherein theoretically relevant variables are systematically manipulated in real learning contexts, carry strong benefits for making causal inferences, particularly when allied with the data-rich resources of contemporary e-learning environments. Toward this goal, we offer a field guide to embedded experimentation, reviewing experimental design choices, addressing ethical concerns, discussing the importance of involving teachers, and reviewing how interventions can be deployed in a variety of contexts, at a range of scales. Causal inference is a critical component of a field that aims to improve student learning; including experimentation alongside analyses of existing data in learning analytics is the most compelling way to test causal claims.
What the Annual National Assessments Can Tell Us about Learning Deficits over the Education System and the School Career
Author: van der Berg, Servaas
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Scores,Correlation,Achievement Tests,Elementary Secondary Education,Mathematics Achievement,International Assessment,Mathematics Tests,Grade 1,Grade 2,Grade 3,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 9,Reading Tests,Reading Achievement,National Standards

Much hope is placed on education systems to reduce socio-economic learning gaps. However, in South Africa, uneven functioning of the school system widens learning gaps. This paper analyses education performance using ANA data. Weak calibration and inter-temporal or inter-grade comparability of ANA test scores limit their usefulness for measuring learning gains. However, relative performance provides meaningful information on learning gaps and deficits. A reference group that is roughly on track to achieve the TIMSS average is used to estimate the performance required in each grade to perform at TIMSS' low international benchmark. By Grade 4, patterns across quintiles of on-track performance approximate matric exemption patterns. Viewed differently, academic and labour market prospects may be bleak for children who are no longer on track. Improvement in outcomes requires greater emphasis on the Foundation Phase or earlier, before learning deficits have grown to the extreme levels observed by the middle of primary school. This statement is true whether deficits arise from weak early instruction, or simply because a disadvantaged home environment requires early remedial action. The emphasis on the early grades that this analysis of the ANAs suggests is contrary to the conclusions drawn from the ANA results by policy makers that weak test scores in Mathematics in Grade 9 require major interventions in that grade.
Collegial Teaming for Inclusive Education Using Photovoice as Tool
Author: Geduld, Deidre C.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Inclusion,Student Diversity,Teacher Collaboration,Preservice Teachers,College School Cooperation,Elementary School Teachers,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Cooperating Teachers,Photography,Social Action

As a Foundation Phase (FP) and inclusive education (IE) lecturer I am responsible for preparing teacher education students for the diversity in classrooms in low socio-economic environments, where teachers have very little professional help in the form of health professionals and remedial and support teachers. This qualitative study explored how collegial teaming amongst pre- and inservice FP teachers can promote the practice of IE. Photovoice technology was used to explore teachers' challenges in mainstream classrooms and to investigate how teaming can promote IE practices. Participants included five practising inservice mentor teachers and five fourth-year preservice teachers from the local university. The findings have implications for an IE conception of quality, academic rigour and depth in initial teacher education focusing on school-based learning and teaching experiences. This study, with its 'research as intervention' approach, enabled collegial teams to make their voices heard and to reflect critically on what it is that they can do to contribute to promoting the practice of IE.
Initiating the Learning Processes at the Preschool and Lower Primary Level: Challenges and Possibilities
Author: Streit, Christine
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preschool Education,Primary Education,Teaching Methods,Kindergarten,Models,Interdisciplinary Approach,Learning Activities,Teacher Role,Student Participation,Teacher Education Programs,Faculty Development

The intended convergence of preschool and school education in accordance with educational policy is challenging. Firstly, one must become aware of the different institutional cultures, and secondly, one needs to be aware of existing similarities and develop common didactic ideas. This article presents a model, based on the situation in German-speaking countries. The model--as a basis for discussion--describes specific features of teaching at this level and at the same time provides a framework for the teachers' activities. The aim is to make appropriate didactic decisions in an environment alternating between free and instructed activities for children as well as between specific and interdisciplinary orientation. The model and its potential will be discussed on the basis of a practical example.
Analysis of Alienation in Informal Education: Media Skepticism and Spiral of Silence in the Network Society
Author: Kartal, Osman Yilmaz
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Alienation,Informal Education,Social Networks,Social Media,Cultural Context,College Students,Correlation,Psychological Patterns,Student Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Learning Processes,Religious Factors,Social Influences,Political Influences

In the study, the alienation in the network society is investigated. Facebook, which is highly effective among network community applications, has been examined as an informal learning tool. In this context, the topic of learning is &quot;political, social, religious, cultural contents that society is sensitive&quot;. The research was conducted with the participation of university students who are members of the network society. Spiral of silence (SoS) was taken into account as a sign of alienation. It has been examined whether the media skepticism is effective in solving the problem of alienation. In this context, the relationship between spiral of silence and media skepticism has been investigated. As a result of the research, it was understood that young adults who are university students are in the spiral of silence in sharing about &quot;political, social, religious, cultural contents, society is sensitive&quot; and therefore alienation exists. In the context of media skepticism, participants' skepticism to others' posts is high, skepticism to self posts is low. While there is a significant, negative and low level of correlation between spiral of silence and skepticism to others posts, there is no significant relationship between spiral of silence and skepticism to self posts. There is a potential for skepticism to others' posts to be effective in resolving alienation in network society.
Foundation-Phase Children&apos;s Causal Reasoning in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Author: Naude, Francois
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Logical Thinking,Astronomy,Biology,Chemistry,Physics,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Science,Foreign Countries,Scientific Concepts,Concept Formation

This study aimed at finding out how young children express their thinking about some of the themes in the early-grades school science curriculum. Foundation-phase children at a primary school in Soweto, Johannesburg, were interviewed after they had watched classroom demonstrations of the production of carbon dioxide gas, absorption of water and the propulsion of an inflated balloon and after a discussion about living organisms had been introduced. Interviews were conducted in each of four classes, ranging from grade R to grade 3, asking questions about what they had just observed in the four different lessons. The findings show that the children expressed their own ideas, but that they were using the discourse structure of causality, albeit that the content of the reasoning came from their naïve or intuitive theories. The article recommends that teachers in the primary school consider (and utilise) children's spontaneous reasoning and naïve or intuitive theories of natural phenomena when they teach the natural science curriculum. This study has shown that, although early-grades children may lack formal science concepts, their ability to reason is developed sufficiently to grasp the causal relationships in natural phenomena. The question this research asks, ultimately, is, 'How can some basic science concepts be woven into the curriculum of the entire foundation phase curriculum, integrating it with language and literacy, and especially with mathematics?' The author argues that firmer conceptual knowledge of science can be developed in younger children in the early grades, because the thinking mechanisms for understanding and reasoning seem to be in place at a young age.
Effect of Visual Feedback on Classroom Noise Levels
Author: van Tonder, Jessica
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Acoustics,Classroom Environment,Visual Aids,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,Public Schools,Teacher Attitudes

This study explored the effect of visual feedback on classroom noise levels, using a SoundEar II device that monitors noise levels in real time with feedback on intensity levels using a lighting system. During phase one, noise levels from three classrooms in the same school were measured over 36 h of classroom activities. For phase two, six teachers from two schools completed a questionnaire describing their experiences using the device. Visual feedback resulted in a 1.4-dBA reduction in the average noise levels. Classroom noise levels were above 70 dBA for 33% of the time in the baseline period compared to 24% in the intervention period with visual feedback provided on noise levels. Teacher perceptions indicated that visual feedback was beneficial to classroom noise levels and positively influenced the behaviour of learners. Visual feedback reduced overall classroom noise and can provide a cost-effective, noninvasive tool to create a more enabling classroom environment.
Strengthening Maths Learning Dispositions through &apos;Math Clubs&apos;
Author: Graven, Mellony
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Clubs,After School Programs,Grade 3,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Mathematics,Elementary School Students,Mathematics

In this paper, I argue that the establishment of after-school mathematics clubs in early grades holds rich potential for supporting the development of increasingly participatory and sensemaking maths learning dispositions. Within the South African Numeracy Chair project, lead by the author, multiple after-school mathematics clubs have been set up for learners in Grades 3-6 across Eastern Cape schools. These clubs are a complementary initiative to teacher development, aimed at improving low levels of numeracy learning across the majority of schools in the province. Two sources of data, learner interviews and teacher questionnaires, from one case study club, are shared in this article to illuminate the potential such clubs hold in developing increasingly participatory mathematics learning dispositions.
Continuous Assessment and Matriculation Examination Marks--An Empirical Examination
Author: van der Berg, Servaas
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Admission (School),Foreign Countries,Correlation,Feedback (Response),National Curriculum,Educational Assessment,Comparative Analysis,Grades (Scholastic)

This study analyses information and feedback from matriculation-level continuous assessment in the South African education system in 2005. Continuous assessment (CASS) at the time carried a 25% weight in the final matriculation (Grade 12) mark, and it provided feedback that affected examination preparation and effort. Weak assessment in schools sends wrong signals to learners, which may have important consequences for the way in which they approach the final examination. Moreover, similarly wrong signals earlier in the learners' school careers may also have affected their subject choice and career planning. This study compares CASS data to the externally assessed matric exam marks for a number of subjects. There are two signalling dimensions to inaccurate assessments: (i) inflated CASS marks can give learners a false sense of security and lead to diminished exam effort; and (ii) a weak correlation between CASS and exam marks could mean poor signalling in another dimension: relatively good learners may get relatively low CASS marks. Such low correlations indicate poor assessment reliability, as the examination and continuous assessment should both be testing mastery of the same national curriculum. The paper analyses the prevalence and magnitude of each of these dimensions of weak signalling in South African schools and draws disturbing conclusions for a large part of the school system.
Factors Supporting and Preventing Academics from Becoming Lifelong Learners
Author: Ayvaz-Tuncel, Zeynep
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Lifelong Learning,Faculty Development,Barriers,Teacher Motivation,Faculty Workload

In present circumstances, it has become inevitable for individuals to continue obtaining new information and skills throughout their lives. Having learned to learn and information literate individuals are able to meet their learning needs both in career and personal terms by themselves. The important aspect is the individual feels the need to learn and knows how and where to meet these needs. Feeling those can be considered as the basic requirement to make efforts in order to meet them. However, the surrounding circumstances may support or prevent meeting these needs. Since the situation of being a lifelong learner will be examined based on the present working conditions, the study is designed as embedded multiple case study. Maximum variety is ensured in the study group by taking into account the various academic titles, gender, and fields of study. The interview form is developed based on the literature and revised according to the opinions of specialists. The data has been collected by doing individual interviews with academics and a content analysis has been performed. In conclusion of the analysis performed, such themes as the need to become lifelong learners, the factors supporting to become lifelong learners and the factors preventing from becoming lifelong learners have been reached. [This study was presented as an oral presentation at the International Conference on Lifelong Leadership for All (3rd, Porto-Portugal, September 12-14, 2017.)]
South African Research in Mathematical Cognition and Language in Childhood: Towards an Expanded Theoretical Framework
Author: Henning, Elizabeth
Date: 2013-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Models,Neurosciences,Educational Research,Cognitive Science,Language of Instruction

The article proposes that cognitive developmental psychology and cognitive neuroscience theory need to feature more prominently in the theoretical frameworks for South African research on language in mathematics learning in the early years of school. I argue that, considering the state of mathematics learning in the foundation phase and the conundrum around the language of learning and teaching debate in the country, we need more integrated theoretical work for equally integrated analyses of learners and learning, moving beyond the practice of drawing from mostly single theories, such as bilingual education theory, or sociocultural theory. The article explains the reasoning behind the proposition for an expansion of the theoretical work in this field, claiming that policy decisions about language of learning and teaching depend on empirical research that includes theories from the cognitive sciences as framework.