Current pedagogical practices employed by Technical Vocational Education and Training college's mathematics lecturers

Concerns are increasing about the pedagogies employed by technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, particularly regarding the teaching of mathematics, exacerbated by the perception that TVET colleges are inferior to other types of educational institutions. Regardless of TVET colleges’ need to produce skilled workers, the concerns increasingly impede accessibility and students’ preparedness with sufficient workplace skills. While there has been a call to address several of the aforementioned concerns, one that has thus far attracted limited attention despite its importance is the pedagogical practices TVET colleges employ, particularly in mathematics. Guided by social constructivism, the study upon which this article is based explored the pedagogical practices employed by current TVET college lecturers in the mathematics classroom and the limited number of students enrolled in mathematics-based disciplines in TVET. Through a purposive sampling technique, ten (10) mathematics lecturers from a single TVET college in Gauteng were selected to participate in the study. The thematic analysis of the data revealed that these lecturers relied heavily on traditional approaches to teaching ‒ the banking zone was the only approach used extensively ‒ and only allowed for students’ passive involvement with the use of resources limited to whiteboards and textbooks. The routine approach of reviewing homework followed by classwork was dominant and there was a lack of real-life examples. A key recommendation that emerged from the study was further training in various pedagogies and the use of resources in teaching, particularly in mathematics lessons and re-training in advanced pedagogical practices

Trend analysis of first year student experience in university

Using the theoretical framework of Tinto (2013), the first objective of the current research was to establish the experience of first year students within the first few weeks of their studies in university, and the second objective addressed some of the problems they faced within those first few weeks.   Based on the research objectives, a questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The total number of participants in the survey was 4 020. This represented 27% (4020 out of 15 217) of all University of the Mega Don (pseudonym) first year students registered in 2014.                                                                                            With regards to disability, the survey results indicate that 34 (0.9%) of the surveyed students have disabilities. However, the majority (327 out of 338 (96.7%)) of these students are not registered with the disability office. More than half of students, especially those from low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds, dropout because they are unable to bear the direct and indirect costs of university attendance or are unable to continue attending when financial needs change. The results indicated that 1 001 (25.7%) of the surveyed students did not attend orientation due to late registration and other reasons. However, 1 604 (48.5%) of the surveyed students would like some orientation type activities to be repeated later in the year. The findings of this study show that 1 835 (47.3%) of the students did not know where the Student Development Support (SDS) was located on their campus. Almost half (47.5%) of the respondents indicated that they are not happy with where they live. The findings further show that 1 187 (31.8%) of the surveyed students have transport problems. The majority of the respondents 2 827 (74.9%) would choose University of the Mega Don again if they were rechoosing a higher education institution. The survey results indicate that most surveyed students, 58.3%, rated their experience at University of the Mega Don between good and very good

Fundamental influences related to language-based difficulties in financial mathematics

Motivated in part by a sustained amount of research in South Africa and principally guided by techniques of problem-solving suggested by Polya as well as error analysis by Newman, the current research examines fundamental influencers (underlying factors) relating errors due to language difficulties in financial mathematics concerning the language of instruction. The current research was accomplished using a case study design. The sample size was 105 out of a population of 186, with assumption of confidence and precision levels at 95 per cent and 0.5 respectively. The aim of the study was addressed by using both sets of structured-interview and document analysis for collecting data. Analysis of data was conducted by both content analysis as well as correlation analysis, wherein, the analysis revealed that errors committed by learners in financial mathematics were due to language difficulties. In contrast, misinterpretation of the mathematical semantics was not as a result of not indicating answers as expected, not following instructions, and not understanding instructions

Impacts of implementing geogebra on eleventh grade student’s learning of Euclidean Geometry

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of applying GeoGebra software as a teaching tool to enhance high poverty, rural grade 11 students’ understanding of Euclidean geometry circle theorems. The experimental group received instruction on how to use, make simple constructions, and measure elements in GeoGebra. The control group was taught in a traditional lecture method. Using a quantitative research design, the findings indicated that the use of GeoGebra had a statistically significant effect on the students’ ability to correctly complete problems regarding some circle geometry theorems. Additionally, using a Likert scored questionnaire, students demonstrated that they valued the use of GeoGebra and appreciated this learning innovation.  Altogether, students who interacted with GeoGebra were highly engaged in the learning processes and actively collaborated with other students rather than remaining passive learners. The students who participated in the study evaluated GeoGebra as an appropriate tool to assist them in the learning of mathematics. 

Academic, social and economic experiences of first-year students: Case study

The main precept of the current study was to explore first-year students’ academic, social and economic experiences at a University of Technology (pseudonym: University of Hard Knocks (UHK)). In response to the research questions, the study sought to interrogate the challenges faced by students by finding out whether they would choose the university again given a second chance, and if not why not. It also sought to establish how students would like the institution to improve in order to enhance first-year students’ experiences (FYSE). The approach applied was both quantitative and qualitative to allow students to reveal their experiences of the university, while simultaneously expressing such perceptions in descriptive format (for the quantitative part). Guided by Tinto’s (2013) student departure theory, data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires distributed and sent through invites to all 16 000 first (1st) year students – which served as the population. However, rested upon the research questions for the current study and given that the instrument used was semi-structured, data was received from participants totally 4020 for the quantitative aspect (mainly descriptive). Of this sample (4020), and for the purpose of the current research questions, forty (40) participants were further selected randomly, to evaluate their responses as directed and coordinated by the current research objectives. The results revealed that to ensure appropriate economic and social integration, efforts should be made to automate and secure university processes and, most importantly, provide accredited/licensed accommodation. To achieve effective academic integration systems, learning space and the lack of transparency in accommodation allocations should be addressed. It is therefore recommended that UHK considers economic, social and academic integration processes and procedures to improve the campus experience. &nbsp

Higher Education in the melting pot

The idea of this book emerged from the Education Deans Forum (EDF) meeting held in Johannesburg in 2018. The forum discussed the twin issues of the 4IR and Decolonisation and how these were likely to impact the future development of Higher Education in South Africa. Essentially, this book provides scholarly analyses of a range of possible impacts of the two discourses. On one hand, the discourses are discussed as representing convergences and divergences in relation to their epistemological, ontological, axiological and methodological assumptions. On the other, they are portrayed as competing for dominance in the contemporary and future discourses in Higher Education. As a scholarly compilation of high-end research, the book is a must-read resource for academics generally and those in teacher education disciplines particularly. Issues of the automation of academic workspaces, impact of digital divides, the opportunities and constraints of the technologisation of curricula, pedagogies, teaching and learning and the intractable challenges of remote modalities of university instruction are dealt with by some of the leading thinkers in the South African academies

Higher Education in the melting pot

The idea of this book emerged from the Education Deans Forum (EDF) meeting held in Johannesburg in 2018. The forum discussed the twin issues of the 4IR and Decolonisation and how these were likely to impact the future development of Higher Education in South Africa. Essentially, this book provides scholarly analyses of a range of possible impacts of the two discourses. On one hand, the discourses are discussed as representing convergences and divergences in relation to their epistemological, ontological, axiological and methodological assumptions. On the other, they are portrayed as competing for dominance in the contemporary and future discourses in Higher Education. As a scholarly compilation of high-end research, the book is a must-read resource for academics generally and those in teacher education disciplines particularly. Issues of the automation of academic workspaces, impact of digital divides, the opportunities and constraints of the technologisation of curricula, pedagogies, teaching and learning and the intractable challenges of remote modalities of university instruction are dealt with by some of the leading thinkers in the South African academies

Maternal postpartum stress and toddler developmental delays: Results from a multisite study of racially diverse families

Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy can adversely influence child development, but few studies have investigated psychosocial stress during the postpartum period and its association with risk of toddler developmental delays. Moreover, given the expanding diversity of the U.S. population, and well-documented health and stress disparities for racial and ethnic minorities, research examining the effect of postpartum stress on risk of developmental delays in diverse populations is of critical importance. In this study, data from the Community Child Health Network provided the opportunity to test maternal postpartum stress as a predictor of toddler risk of developmental delay in a sample of African American, Latina and non-Hispanic White women and their toddlers (N = 1537) recruited in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Postpartum maternal stress over 1 year was operationalized as perceived stress, life events, and negative impact of life events. Regression results revealed higher risk of developmental delays in toddlers whose mothers experienced more negative life events, greater negative impact of events, and higher perceived stress over the year. Prenatal stress, pregnancy/birth complications, and postpartum depression did not explain these associations. Maternal postpartum stress may contribute to increased risk for developmental delays and is an important target for psychosocial intervention