ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Executive Function Challenges on the Behavioural Adaptation of One Learner with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author: de Jager, Petronella
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Executive Function,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Autism,Educational Environment,Foreign Countries,Attention,Behavior Problems,Inhibition,Goal Orientation

In South Africa, many learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attend mainstream and private schools. This study explores the influence of executive function (EF) challenges experienced by one learner with ASD on his behavioural adaptation in an inclusive school environment. An interpretive case study approach was followed to help understand one unique ASD learner and explain the complexity of the behavioural adaptation challenges that he was experiencing. Observations and an interview were used as data collection methods. During data analysis, themes were identified within each section of the transcript. The processes of coding and categorising were employed to find connections and similarities between all the data collected. The results indicate that Learner T experienced EF challenges. Without acquiring and implementing appropriate EF skills, he found it difficult to exhibit appropriate social behaviour in the inclusive learning environment. The study attempts to debunk misconceptions people may have regarding the behavioural adaptability of ASD learners in an inclusive school environment.
The Difficulty Level of a National Assessment of Grade 9 Mathematics: The Case of Five Schools
Author: Bansilal, Sarah
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Difficulty Level,Mathematics Instruction,Grade 9,Secondary School Mathematics,Feedback (Response),National Competency Tests,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Summative Evaluation,Correlation,Grade 12,Mathematics Teachers,National Curriculum,Teacher Attitudes

The introduction of the Annual National Assessment (ANA) programme by the South African education department was met with much resistance from unions with some stating that it is not matched well to the curriculum. In this small-scale study, I compare the differences in outcomes between the internal summative assessment and the ANA for Grade 9 learners from five schools. The results indicate that the learners' results from the final exam were statistically significantly higher than that from the ANA for all five schools. This suggests that the ANA was considerably more difficult than the schools' assessments. However, the learners' scores in each of the two assessments were strongly correlated, suggesting that both tests assessed similar skills. Interviews with the teachers suggested that some of the reasons for the lower results in the ANA were that the test was too long, some instructions were not clear, the timing in September was not ideal and there were too many higher level questions. It is hoped that the results from this study could be used by the education department to improve the functioning of the assessment programme.
The Patterns and Prevalence of Monosyllabic Three-Letter-Word Spelling Errors Made by South African English First Additional Language Learners
Author: Fleisch, Brahm
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Spelling,Error Patterns,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Grade 4,Elementary School Students,Transfer of Training,Native Language,African Languages,Underachievement,Vowels,Interference (Language),Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence,Oral Language,Interviews,Reading Achievement,Reading Tests

There is growing evidence of systematic underachievement of South African primary school learners in reading in English as the first additional language. There is a small but growing literature that provides insights, that is, causes, patterns and prevalence, into this phenomenon. Through a secondary analysis of a spelling component of a literacy test that was administered as an end-line assessment for a randomised control trial, this article provides new evidence for and insight into the patterns and prevalence of English language spelling errors made by Grade 4 second-language learners. The study specifically coded errors on four monosyllabic three-letter words for 2500 Grade 4 learners tested individually at the end of the second term in 2014. Three distinct linguistic error patterns were identified. The most frequent error patterns involved the incorrect use of the vowel grapheme, for example bed was spelled 'bad'. The second pattern related to common errors associated with the transfer of linguistic, orthographic patterns from the first language (isiZulu). The final pattern suggests that between 6% and 8% of learners were struggling to make the basic phoneme-grapheme connection. This pattern, however, would need to be confirmed with oral interviews. The implications of these error patterns are discussed.
Writing and Mathematical Problem Solving in Grade 3
Author: Petersen, Belinda
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Instruction,Word Problems (Mathematics),Problem Solving,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Mathematics,Grade 3,Learning Strategies,Ability Grouping,Outcomes of Education,Critical Thinking,Content Area Writing

This article looks at writing tasks as a methodology to support learners' mathematical problem-solving strategies in the South African Foundation Phase context. It is a qualitative case study and explores the relation between the use of writing in mathematics and development of learners' problem-solving strategies and conceptual understanding. The research was conducted in a suburban Foundation Phase school in Cape Town with a class of Grade 3 learners involved in a writing and mathematics intervention. Writing tasks were modelled to learners and implemented by them while they were engaged in mathematical problem solving. Data were gathered from a sample of eight learners of different abilities and included written work, interviews, field notes and audio recordings of ability group discussions. The results revealed an improvement in the strategies and explanations learners used when solving mathematical problems compared to before the writing tasks were implemented. Learners were able to reflect critically on their thinking through their written strategies and explanations. The writing tasks appeared to support learners in providing opportunities to construct and apply mathematical knowledge and skills in their development of problem-solving strategies.
A Blueprint for Data-Based English Reading Literacy Instructional Decision-Making
Author: Nel, Carisma
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Achievement,Literacy,Decision Making,Reading Instruction,Foreign Countries,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Grade 4,Reading Tests,At Risk Students,Reading Difficulties,Elementary School Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Reading Skills,Elementary Schools,Elementary School Teachers

Making decisions about English reading instruction is as core a component to teaching as providing the instruction itself. When providing support to learners at risk for poor reading outcomes, for which currently there is a large percentage in South Africa, it is especially important to ensure that the decisions that are made have the highest likelihood of accuracy as possible and they lead to improving those reading outcomes. The learners with the greatest needs require the most accurate and effective decisions. Now more than ever, effective use of reading literacy assessment data to plan and critically review instruction is a fundamental competency for good teaching. The purpose of this article is to provide districts, schools and teachers with a blueprint for data-based English reading literacy instructional decision-making at a system-wide level.
A Finnish Model of Teacher Education Informs a South African One: A Teaching School as a Pedagogical Laboratory
Author: Loukomies, Anni
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Education Programs,Classroom Techniques,Foreign Countries,Student Teachers,Student Teaching,Teaching Methods,College School Cooperation,Technology Transfer,Educational Innovation,Practicums,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Mentors,Cross Cultural Studies,Workplace Learning,Student Teacher Attitudes

In this study, we examined student teachers' learning during their teaching placement period in Finland and South Africa. The setting of the inquiry in both countries was a 'teaching' school, affiliated to a university teacher education programme. The teaching school is also referred to as an educational innovation that was transferred from the Finnish context to the South African context. Data were collected through an interview protocol. The findings show that the students, like many of their counterparts in different parts of the world, focused on teaching tools and methods as well as classroom management as a gateway to their teaching career. The extended teaching placement period at both the university teaching schools was expected to yield some findings about the intersection of teaching practice and its supporting theories because of the close collaboration of the schools and the universities. Some of the findings satisfied this expectation while other parts did not, confirming that initial teacher education may be regarded as a platform for learning to be teachers, but it has its own limits even in a pedagogical 'laboratory'. The transfer of the educational innovation was regarded as successful.
Arts across the Curriculum as a Pedagogic Ally for Primary School Teachers
Author: van Vuuren, Eurika N. Jansen
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Art Education,Grade 4,Elementary School Students,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Dance Education,Drama,Visual Arts,Music Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Rural Schools,Integrated Activities,Art Activities

The arts as a pedagogic medium can be an important tool for language learning, and yet many teachers avoid it, often because of a lack of confidence. The main purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of generalist educators, as opposed to art specialists, using the arts successfully as a cross-curricular tool to accelerate English First Additional Language acquisition. Most South African learners speak African languages as a mother tongue, yet they are taught in English from Grade 4 onwards. With the use of an action research project, learners' English proficiency was assessed with a custom-designed tool and, thereafter, they participated in 10 weekly sessions of arts-integrated English activities before being re-assessed. Positive results confirmed that generalist educators are able to utilise arts, and it showed the urgency for more focused arts-integrated educational training in generalist educator courses at South African universities. Although the research was limited in scope, it raises the question of how teachers for the primary school are educated with regard to learning a language with the use of the arts.
Through the Eyes of Children: Exploring Grade 7 Career Aspirations
Author: Robinson, Lucy
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Middle School Students,Grade 7,Occupational Aspiration,Low Income Students,Community Schools,Career Choice,Family Influence,Barriers

Background: The shift in recent years towards the lifespan concept of career development, which views career behaviour as occurring in stages beginning in childhood and continuing throughout life, has meant that it has become increasingly important to assist learners in fulfilling their career goals. There is, however, a scarcity of research on the career aspirations of primary school learners, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Aim: This article describes research conducted on the career aspirations of Grade 7 learners at a community school. Setting: The study is set within an interpretivist paradigm and utilises a generic qualitative research design. Methods: The study involved a purposefully selected group of Grade 7 learners from a local community school. As part of the study, each learner completed a collage and sociogram, and took part in a group interview. Results: Themes that emerged from the data analysis were: career aspirations that seek to fulfil hopes and dreams, the role of the family in shaping career aspirations and counting the 'cost' of career aspirations. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that there is a need to explore learners' career aspirations from an early age in order to expose them to various career choices in the constantly changing world of work.
Gender Effects on Phonological Processing and Reading Development in Northern Sotho Children Learning to Read in English: A Case Study of Grade 3 Learners
Author: Wilsenach, Carien
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Gender Differences,Phonological Awareness,Reading Comprehension,Elementary School Students,Grade 3,Case Studies,Reading Instruction,Bilingual Students,Short Term Memory,Reading Achievement,Reading Ability,Child Development,Cognitive Processes,Correlation,Biology

Gender differences in reading development are a global phenomenon, with girls typically performing better than boys. Some studies have reported gender differences favouring girls in reading comprehension in South Africa, but little systematic evidence exists about gender differences in the cognitive-linguistic abilities that underlie reading development. This study investigated the effect of gender on phonological processing and reading development in Northern Sotho-English bilingual children. Grade 3 learners who received their literacy instruction in English were tested on various phonological processing and reading measures. Phonological awareness was assessed using phoneme isolation and elision tasks. Phonological working memory was assessed using memory for digits and non-word repetition tests while rapid automatised naming was tested using rapid letter, rapid digit, rapid object and rapid colour naming tasks. Reading achievement was assessed with various word reading tasks and with a fluent reading task. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that gender had a significant effect on the phonological processing and reading abilities of Northern Sotho-English bilingual children. Girls performed significantly better than boys on all the reading measures, as well as on some aspects of phonological processing. The findings provide behavioural evidence in support of biological theories of gender differences, in that girls seemed to have developed some of the cognitive-linguistic skills associated with reading before boys. The girls also coped better with tasks that required increased cognitive processing. This study suggests that sex differences in reading development cannot be ignored in South Africa and need to be addressed in future curriculum development.
Teaching Schools as Teacher Education Laboratories
Author: Gravett, Sarah
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Education Programs,Preservice Teacher Education,Educational Practices,Practicums,Laboratories,Experiential Learning,Student Teaching,Role Models,College School Cooperation,Semi Structured Interviews,Questionnaires

This study emanated from the &quot;Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa.&quot; This Framework proposes that teaching schools should be established in the country to improve the teaching practicum component of pre-service teacher education. A generic qualitative study was undertaken to explore the affordances of a teaching school to enable student teacher learning for the teaching profession. The overarching finding of the study is that a teaching school holds numerous affordances for enabling meaningful student teacher learning for the teaching profession. However, the full affordances of a teaching school will not be realised if a teaching school is viewed merely as a practicum site. Foregrounding a laboratory view of practice work in a teaching school could enable true research-oriented teacher education. A teaching school as a teacher education laboratory would imply a deliberate inclusion of cognitive apprenticeship and an inquiry orientation to learning in the school.
The Cognitive Processing Potential of Infants: Exploring the Impact of an Early Childhood Development Programme
Author: van Eeden, René
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Infants,Cognitive Processes,Intervention,Early Childhood Education,Nursery Schools,Pretests Posttests,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Program Descriptions,Social Development,Emotional Development,Cognitive Development,Foreign Countries,Child Development,Program Effectiveness

Background: Many South African learners seem unprepared for formal education, and a need for intervention during early childhood has been identified. Aim: The present study explored the effect of infant exposure to an early childhood development programme aimed at the sensory developmental stage of the infant's brain. Setting: Participants were recruited through local baby clinics and nursery schools in the Western Cape. Participants were from the middle-income sector and the sample consisted of 63 infants between the ages of 3 and 12 months--gender representation was approximately equal and 17% of the infants were of mixed race, 8% black and 75% white. Methods: A pretest-posttest design was used involving an intervention group (N = 29) and a control group (N = 34) of infants. There was no known bias in group allocation. Intervention was provided in the form of the Numbers in Nappies programme and cognitive performance was assessed with the BSID (III) before and after the intervention for both groups. Results: The intervention group showed theory expectant increases, most notably on the Cognitive Scale and the Social-Emotional Scale of the BSID (III). The performance of the intervention and the control group on the cognitive subscales (Cognitive, Language and Motor) was compared before and after the intervention. The only significant difference was on the Cognitive Scale after the intervention. Conclusion: The findings indicate that appropriate intervention taps into the cognitive processing potential of infants, thus increasing their cognitive ability and enhancing their social-emotional functioning. The stimulation provided by parents and primary caregivers is essential in enhancing this experience-dependent development and the Numbers in Nappies programme provides a cost-effective intervention suitable for a home environment.
The Use of isiXhosa Children&apos;s Poetry as a Tool to Integrate Literacy, Mathematics and Life Skills in Foundation Phase: Grade R-3
Author: Gxekwa, Nozuko
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Early Childhood Education,Primary Education,Poetry,Language Usage,Culturally Relevant Education,Interdisciplinary Approach,Literacy Education,Mathematics Education,Daily Living Skills,Interviews,Observation,Preservice Teachers,Knowledge Level,Educational Resources

Literature helps us understand and make sense of the world around us. It is a part of education, which broadens one's mind about how to understand, transfer knowledge and provide meaningful and authentic learning. Thus, this article aims to highlight how some elements of isiXhosa children's poetry can be used to help pre-service teachers to teach and integrate mathematics and life skills with literacy in Foundation Phase (FP). This approach of using poems for integration strengthens concepts and skills in more than one subject area. The theoretical framework that informed the article is integrative learning. The data in this article were generated through non-participant classroom observations and non-structured interviews with the participants of the study and the researchers adopted the interpretative phenomenological analysis method for data analysis. This article was prompted by findings of lack of understanding of integrative teaching and learning and lack of teaching resources in isiXhosa to enhance integrative teaching and learning in FP intervention undertaken with 25 first year isiXhosa-speaking FP students.
A Longitudinal Study of a Reading Project in the Northern Cape, South Africa
Author: Snyman, Maritha E.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Longitudinal Studies,Foreign Countries,Reading Programs,Individual Development,Reading Materials,Intervention,Reading Motivation,Outcomes of Education,Females,Multiracial Persons,Indo European Languages,Native Language,Program Descriptions

The topic of this longitudinal study was reading promotion and its perceived benefits. The aim was to determine if reading promotion can lead to reader development and if reader development can lead to self-development, as is often claimed in the literature. A reading promotion project in the Northern Cape, South Africa, was monitored over a period of five years by using a selection of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The outcome of the study indicates that the reading promotion project was responsible for positive changes in the lives of the beneficiaries of the intervention. It especially points to the positive role access to appropriate reading material and prolonged and enthusiastic reading motivation can play in the lives of a developing community with little means.
Developing Mindfulness in Children through Participation in Music Activities
Author: Auerbach, Christina
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Metacognition,Poverty,Slums,Music Education,Music Activities,Foreign Countries,Well Being,Spiritual Development,Informal Education,Teaching Methods,Music,Acoustics,Listening Skills,Self Concept,After School Programs

The vast majority of young South African children grow up in socially- and economically-challenging settings. These impeding conditions hamper their intellectual growth and affect their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Increasingly, mindfulness is being recognised as a means to enhance holistic well-being of children. Likewise, music is widely acknowledged for its potential contribution to the holistic development of children. In this article, we reflect on a non-formal music programme, implemented on a weekly basis over a period of 10 months, at an aftercare facility in an impoverished township area in South Africa. Our aim was to develop, through the children's active participation in music activities, some aspects of mindfulness. Data were generated through personal observations, field notes and semi-structured interviews. Two salient themes emerged, namely, enhanced awareness of self and others, and improved listening and attention skills. These are key aspects of mindfulness. We subsequently argue that aspects of mindfulness in young children can be developed through focused activities centred on music and sound.