Le Roux, Anke Renee (2011-03)
Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the twenty years since Namibia declared independence many changes have taken place, especially in die educational system. One of these changes has been in pre-school education. Public pre-school institutions have been done away with. Only private institutions remain to attempt to furnish the demand in this field. Limited access to pre-school education has an impact on school-readiness as learners from different educational backgrounds start Grade 1 together.
The primary purpose of this study is to collect the experiences of Grade 1 teachers, to analise those experiences and to describe them with reference to the diverse pre-school backgrounds of the learners.
Grade 1 teachers interact with learners from three backgrounds: those with formal pre-school education; those with non-formal pre-school education; and those with no pre-school education. The Grade 1 teacher's experiences is the problem studied and it is done with reference to these forms of pre-school education. It focuses on the opinions of the teachers as formulated in their own words.
A child's environment and early experiences, especially the level of education - or deprival thereof - has a marked effect on learning and development. Education in the early years of childhood can deliver an outstanding return on investment for a country. Phases of education should build on one another using syllabusses and working methods that work together. The logic is that a child should first be able to crawl before learning to walk and thus follow the right steps to the phonetics, spelling and writing required in Grade 1.
The cost of neglecting some of the elementary steps will be borne by the Grade 1 teacher when he/she is forced to set time aside to repair the foundation that should have been in laid in the pre-school years.
A qualitative research method was used to attain and analise the information in this study. Data was collected by studying relevant literature, using questionaires in interview situations and by conducting interviews with stakeholders. Data was analysed by doing content analysis of the transcripts from individual interviews and focus groups. The research takes the form of an interpretative epistemological construct as it focuses on the essence of the experiences of the Grade 1 teacher. It is an exploratory study that made use of a sample of the designated group.
Contributing factors, such as government policy, the curriculum, training of teachers, language, poverty, school, parents and learners, reveal guidelines for improving the classroom experiences of Grade 1 teachers.
This can be applied advantageously to the development of the educational sector. The study suggests that teachers and parents should collaborate more closely. It is further suggested that the curriculum be ammended to accommodate learners from diverse backgrounds leading to a more positive experience for Grade 1 teachers.
The findings show that the experiences of Grade 1 teachers are not taken into account by many people, especially judging by the available literature. It is important to acknowledge what these teachers experience as well as the role it plays in their classrooms. Their experiences lead to certain reactions and changes. The point made by this study is that Grade 1 teachers display a definitive experience in their classrooms and that it has an effect on their learners. The point of departure is to let the Grade 1 teacher distinguish between the different groups of learners in the classroom and empower him/her to support each individual to ensure a positive experience. Not all teachers will have such a positive experience with a diverse group. Before the burden becomes too heavy alternative teaching methods should be employed. There is a shortage of research in this field and further study on the experiences of the Grade 1 teacher is needed to deepen the provision of support. Although this is a limited study, it can possibly encourage further research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die twintig jaar sedert Namibië se onafhanklikheidswording het baie veranderinge in die land plaasgevind, veral in die onderwysstelsel. Een van die veranderinge was die afskaf van openbare voorskoolse instellings. Slegs die private sektor voorsien steeds in dié behoefte.
Die beperkte toegang tot voorskoolse onderrig het egter 'n invloed op skoolgereedheid. Die leerders wat Graad 1 betree, kom uit verskillende onderrigsagtergronde.
Die primêre doelwit van hierdie studie is om die ervaringe van Graad 1-onderwysers te ondersoek, te analiseer en te beskryf aan die hand van hierdie diverse voorskoolse agtergronde van die leerders.
Die Graad 1-onderwyser het te doen met leerders uit drie agtergronde: dié met formele voorskoolse onderrig; dié met nie-formele voorskoolse onderrig; en dié met geen voorskoolse onderrig nie. Met verwysing na dié vorme van voorskoolse onderrig word die probleem van die Graad 1-onderwyser se ervaring in die klaskamer ondersoek. Dit fokus op die opinies van die Graad 1-onderwysers geformuleer in hul eie woorde.
'n Kind se omgewing en vroeë ervaringe, veral die vlak van opvoeding - of die ontneming daarvan - het 'n groot effek op 'n kind se leer en ontwikkeling. Opvoeding in die vroeë kinderjare is 'n belegging wat uitstaande resultate vir die land kan oplewer. Onderwysfases behoort op mekaar te volg met leerplanne en werkmetodes wat aanvullend saamwerk tot die kind se opvoeding. Die logika daaragter is dat 'n kind eers moet kruip voordat hy kan loop en net so behoort 'n kind die regte stappe te volg ten einde gereed te wees vir die klank-, spel- en skryfwerk wat in Graad 1 vereis word. Die afskeep van sekere elementêre stappe kan tot gevolg hê dat die Graad 1-onderwyser waardevolle tyd sal moet afstaan om die basis, wat gedurende die pre-primêre fase (of in die voorskoolse instelling) gelê moes word, dan nou in Graad 1 te lê. Dit beklemtoon die groot taak wat op die Graad 1-onderwyser se skouers rus.
'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp is gebruik vir die verkryging en ontleding van inligting vir hierdie studie. Die data insamelingsmetodes sluit 'n literatuuroorsig, onderhoudsvraelyste en onderhoude met die betrokke rolspelers in. Data is geanaliseer met behulp van inhoud-analise van die transkripte uit die individuele en fokusgroep-onderhoude. Die navorsingstipe is 'n interpretatiewe epistemologiese konstruk omdat dit fokus op die essensie van die ervaringe van die Graad 1-onderwyser. Dit is 'n verkennende ondersoek en daar is gebruik gemaak van 'n doeldienende streekproefneming.
Uit die aanleidende faktore soos regeringsbeleid, kurrikulum, opleiding van onderwysers, taal, armoede, skool, ouers en leerders kom daar riglyne na vore vir die verbetering van die ervaringe van die Graad 1-onderwyser in die klas. Dit kan met vrug aangewend word in die ontwikkeling van die onderwyssektor. Die studie maak die aanbeveling dat daar 'n nouer samewerking tussen onderwysers en ouers moet wees. Verder word voorgestel dat die kurrikulum aangepas word om diverse leerders te akkommodeer wat positiewe ervaringe vir die Graad 1-onderwyser tot gevolg sal hê.
Die bevindinge toon aan dat die ervaringe van Graad 1-onderwysers in hul klaskamers nie deur baie mense in ag geneem word nie, veral as daar gekyk word na die literatuur. Dit is belangrik om te sien wat hul ervaar en watter rol dit speel in hul klaskamers. Hul ervaringe lei tot sekere reaksies en aanpassings wat hulle daagliks beleef. Die punt wat met hierdie studie gemaak word, is dat Graad 1-onderwysers 'n definitiewe ervaring in hul klaskamers openbaar wat só weer 'n uitwerking op die leerders het. Die uitgangspunt is om die Graad 1-onderwyser te laat onderskei tussen die verskillende groepe leerders in die klaskamer en sodoende in staat te stel om elkeen in die klas so te ondersteun vir 'n positiewe ervaring. Nie alle onderwysers gaan altyd met diverse leerders so 'n positiewe siening en ervaring hê nie. Voordat dit vir hul te veel raak moet alternatiewe benaderings en metodes gebruik word om leerders te onderrig. Ook wat hierdie aspek betref, is daar 'n tekort aan navorsing en is verdere ondersoeke oor die ervaringe van die Graad 1-onderwyser nodig, om sodoende die nodige ondersteuning te kan bied. Alhoewel hierdie 'n beperkte studie is, kan dit moontlike verdere navorsing aanmoedig.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6600