Exploring the development of a mentorship programme for teachers through a reflexive democratic practice

Thesis (MEd (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosc, 2006.This thesis explores the possibility of developing a mentorship programme for teachers through a reflexive democratic practice in order to support student teachers at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville Campus), when they do their internship in the host schools. It argues that critical dialogue and reflection are at the core of practices that are more democratic and that the development of a mentorship programme within the context of a community of practice holds transformative possibilities for teaching and learning. Aspects of current practice at the schools and at the academy, which may enhance or hinder the development of a reflexive democratic practice, are identified. It is hoped that a critical analysis and reflection of the research findings will contribute to the improvement of the practice teaching experience of the student teachers as well as contribute to the development of an effective mentorship programme

Towards a conceptual framework for the integration of critical thinking into a teacher education curriculum : addressing some of the educational challenges of South Africa

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.ENGLISH SUMMARY : There seems to be a general acceptance that the development of critical thinking should be an important aim of higher education. The notion of critical thinking was presented as being particularly pertinent to the transformative goals of the new South African democracy and was included as an essential cross-field requirement in educational policy at both higher education and school level. The purpose of this study is to explore how notions of critical thinking manifest in relation to policy and pedagogy in initial science teacher education. My research methodology is interpretive hermeneutics and my research method entails a conceptual and deconstructive analysis of notions of critical thinking as they are revealed in the literature, dominant South African educational discourse, South African teacher education policy and physical science school curriculum documents. Each subsequent cycle of the analysis results in an expansion of a conceptual framework on notions of critical thinking in relation to science teacher education. Throughout the dissertation I develop insights through an interrogation of the literature, where I search for and formulate constitutive meanings, that is, shared assumptions and understandings of notions of critical thinking. These constitutive meanings serve as indicators that guide my analysis of education policy pertinent to my study. In addition, I identify conceptual gaps by reflecting on how notions of critical thinking may be relevant to the role of the science teacher. Furthermore, my own personal experience as a teacher educator informs my exploration. The study culminates in the development of an elaborated conceptual framework which contains dimensions of critical thinking that hopefully have the potential to inform how science teacher education programmes can operationalise notions of critical thinking in the subject discipline of Physical Science. These dimensions are perspectives on notions of critical thinking which influence the teacher’s conduct, features of critical thinking which are key concepts related to critical thinking, particularly the notion of a reflexive praxis that highlights the teacher’s professional judgement, pedagogical aspects which are likely to promote critical thinking in the classroom, and finally, the pedagogical focus which highlights the epistemological and methodological nature of science. Implications of the elaborated conceptual framework for science teacher education programmes are discussed.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Daar is blykbaar algemene aanvaarding dat kritiese denke ‘n belangrike rol van hoër onderwys speel. Dit is veral belangrik vir die transformerende doeleindes van die Suid-Afrikaanse demokrasie. Kritiese denke is dus as ‘n belangrike kruisveld behoefte in opvoedingsbeleid in beide hoër en basiese onderwys ingesluit. My navorsingsmetodologie is interpretatiewe hermeneutiek en dit behels ‘n konseptuele en dekonstruktiewe ontleding van begrippe van kritiese denke soos dit voorkom in Suid-Afrikaanse opvoedkundige diskoers, die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysbeleid en die beleidsdokumente vir die fisiese wetenskap kurrikulum. Elke opeenvolgende siklus van hierdie ontleding dra by tot die opbou van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk wat uiteindelik idees van kritiese denke in die wetenskaponderwys verteenwoordig. My navorsing behels die ondersoek na konstitutiewe betekenisse van die konsep ‘kritiese denke’ in die literatuur. Dit wil sȇ, gedeelde, aanvaarde betekenisse van ‘n konsep wat in die literatuur voorkom. In hierdie verhandeling ontwikkel ek deurgaans insigte deur middel van ‘n bevraagtekening van die literatuur oor kritiese denke waar ek na konstitutiewe betekenisse soek en dit formuleer. Hierdie konstitutiewe betekenisse dien as rigtingaanduiders vir die analise van die opvoedingsbeleid van my keuse. Ek identifiseer ook konseptuele gapings wat van toepassing op die rol van die wetenskaponderwyser is, maar in die literatuur ontbreek. Verder, belig my persoonlike ervaring as ‘n opvoeder in die onderwysopleiding ook die rigting wat my studie inneem. Hierdie studie kulmineer in die ontwikkeling van ‘n uitgebreide konseptuele skema of raamwerk met dimensies van kritiese denke wat hopelik tot die hantering van die konsep ‘kritiese denke’ in die skoolvak, fisiese wetenkap kan bydra. Hierdie dimensies sluit in perspektiewe van die konsep, ‘kritiese denke’ wat die onderwyser se gedrag kan beïnvloed, sleuteleienskappe van kritiese denke veral die idee van ‘n refleksiewe praktyk wat die onderwyser se profesionele diskressie belig, pedagogiese aspekte wat kritiese denke in die klaskamer bevorder en laastens die pedagogiese fokus wat die epistomologiese en metodologiese aard van wetenskap beklemtoon. Implikasies van die bevindings vir wetenskap onderwys word ook bespreek.Doctora

Investigating science teachers’ response to curriculum innovation

This paper explores how teachers’ pedagogic practices changed in response to a curriculum innovation and, more importantly, why they changed in the ways that they did. The study describes the changes in pedagogy of six Grade six primary school teachers who were exposed to a training programme designed to develop science process skills in school pupils. It explores the educational setting of each teacher in order to identify factors, both physical and social, affecting the ways in which teachers’ pedagogy changed. Three kinds of data were used: observations, interviews with teachers and field notes. The data show patterns of adaptation influenced by different factors in different schools. How teachers perceived their needs for development was heavily influenced by each particular educational setting. This in turn influenced the level of engagement in the training programme and how they adapted pedagogic strategies to their particular circumstances

First steps in teaching argumentation: A South African study

South African student teachers were studied to see how they coped with requirements to teach science using argumentation. Lesson observations, plans, reflective logs, post-teaching interviews and assessment of pupils’ argumentation were used to compare student teachers’ preparedness and interactions with pupils. Two clusters of students were identified representing high preparedness and low interaction. A high degree of preparedness alone did not guarantee high levels of argumentation. Schools’ educational situations were independent of success in teaching argumentation. The outcomes and implications for further development of teaching critical thinking are discussed

Gauging students' untutored ability in argumentation about experimental data: A South African case study

This paper reports on a study into the untutored ability of Grade 10 students to engage in argumentation about the interpretation of experimental data, and the effect of unsupported small group discussions on this ability. In this study, argumentation intends to promote critical thinking. The sample includes 266 students from five South African schools across the resource spectrum, forming 70 friendship groups. Students are required to provide written interpretations of experimental data, and justify these interpretations based on the evidence and concepts of measurement. Individual responses form the basis of small group discussions after which students again provide written justified interpretations of the readings. The data show an initial low level of argumentation, with significant variation according to school resource levels. Considerable improvement in the level of argumentation occurs merely through small group discussions unsupported by the teacher. The findings suggest several factors influencing argumentation ability such as experience with practical work, perceptions of the purpose of small group discussions, the language ability to articulate ideas and cultural influences. Methodological issues arising from the study and implications for teaching and assessment are discussed

An approach to delivering sustainable teacher development in large science classes

The research reported here is the first stage of monitoring the sustainability of the 'Teaching Science to Large Classes Project'. This project has been introducing teachers, in the Western Cape, South Africa, to paper and pencil 'Translation Activities' (TAs) as a strategy for learning science process skills within the new South African Outcomes Based Education curriculum. By January 2001, 24 sets of TAs complete with teachers' guidance notes had been produced and compiled into four Learning Area Programmes suitable for a complete year of work in the Senior Phase. Two thousand booklets of this resource were reproduced by the Western Cape Education Department and distributed to all primary and secondary schools during a series of training workshops. This paper reports, survey and interview data monitoring the uptake by teachers of this provision. The appropriateness of the intervention and modes of dissemination are discussed in the context of an evolutionary model of teacher development and in relation to future sustainability of the innovation

South African teachers’ ability to argue: The emergence of inclusive argumentation

This paper explores the argumentation ability of ten science teachers in two South African schools on opposite ends of the resource spectrum. Toulmin’s model is used to analyse individual contributions in six group discussions. The findings show that levels of argumentation improve with teachers’ involvement in the development of teaching resources and the closeness of the argumentation task. The nature of the arguments is permeated by inclusiveness, thus precluding the use of rebuttals, traditionally a requirement for high-quality arguments. Based on the ubuntu worldview, a model of inclusive argumentation is proposed with implication for teaching and a scheme of assessable levels of argumentation

Learning to teach argumentation: Facilitated reflection on a pre-service curriculum in South Africa

In South Africa, critical thinking is a prominent aim of education. Argumentation (the processes and products of arguing) is central to critical thinking and important in science and technology, but teachers have not been trained in classroom methods. This article reports an evaluation of the university-based part of a programme to train science and technology student teachers to teach argumentation. Observations of the university sessions produced detailed descriptions of the enacted curriculum with respect to argumentation and the teaching of argumentation. A model called SIMPL facilitated critical reflection by the programme’s teacher educators. These reflections validated course structures, identified key assumptions made by teacher educators and clarified the interplay between student teachers as learners, and teachers’ and teacher educators’ instructional roles. The findings showed that while the curriculum provided student teachers with ample experience of argumentation and opportunities to plan for and teach peers, they needed more support in facilitating argumentation discussions and drawing on sufficient, relevant science in peer teaching. SIMPL allowed teacher educators to realise they had not identified or differentiated student teachers’ learning of argumentation from learning to teach argumentation. Implications for future cohorts and the application of SIMPL to better understand the integration of aspects of training are discusse