Evaluation of Back to Basics mathematics workbooks: a randomised control trial of the Primary Mathematics Research Project

ABSTRACTLocalised in townships across South Africa’s Gauteng province, skhothane emerged during the early 2010s as a cult of status characterised by a style of flashy, branded dress. For izikhothane (the adherents of skhothane), surface is power. This emphasis on surface and visibility reveals much about the process of identity fabrication among township youth, positioning the trend not so much as a subculture but rather as a performative aesthetic existing in a continuum of style that includes, but is not limited to, pantsula, umswenko, and amakrwala cultural practices. This continuum might also be seen to function like technology, positioning the skhothane aesthetic as an intertext of recurrent sartorial quotation which can be used as a platform for imaginative speculation. Skhothane creates a highly visible entanglement with the ideation of the “African modern” (Nuttall and Mbembe. Johannesburg: The Elusive Metropolis. Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2008), producing connections between township and late-capitalist metropolis that are not based on the historical one-way transfer of labour, but rather on complex interconnectivity between Johannesburg and its edges, the city and its inhabitants.

This paper reports a study on South African learners' knowledge about scientific inquiry using the Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 105 grade 11 learners from 7 schools across the socio-economic spectrum in a South African city. A rubric for scoring the VASI Questionnaire was developed and refined during the process of coding and is presented. Results showed that the learners held more informed views than that reported in previous international studies, except for particularly naive views regarding multiple methods of investigation. The results are discussed in terms of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) that was taught from 2003 to 2010 in South African schools. This curriculum was founded on outcomes-based principles, valuing process skills rather than content. The study found that examples provided in the RNCS document correspond closely to the aspects of inquiry as described by the National Research Council. It is argued that the RNCS contributed to the more informed views about inquiry found among South African learners in this study.

Leveraging learner-driven insights to enhance the SFE can significantly influence food choices by decreasing the consumption of unhealthy foods and increasing access to healthier options. Using learners’ voices as important stakeholders in the school food environment (SFE), this qualitative research study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives, identify barriers and enablers to fostering a healthy SFE in South African public schools, and explore the link between the SFE and learners’ food choices. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) with 4–6 participants were held in six schools, including three primary and three secondary schools in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education’s iLembe district, SA, with learners aged 12–14 and 15–18 years, respectively. Learners were asked how schools could help them eat healthier and how their SFE benefitted them. The data were analysed using thematic data analysis methods. The FGDs generated 14 themes and subthemes. Emerging information suggests a lack of control over the sale of unhealthy food despite the existence of guidelines. This is further exacerbated by the marketing of unhealthy foods, which prevents learners from selecting healthier options. Furthermore, they stated that promoting the school food programme (SFP) and changing attitudes towards healthy food intake through comprehensive nutrition education are useful ways to enhance the SFE. The findings of this study underscore the critical role of learner insights in shaping effective strategies to improve the SFE.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate sustainable strategies for skills development that is specific to the youth of South Africa. International and South African data are statistically analysed and quantified to provide inputs for the systems dynamics (SD)-based predictive skills model. The skills model simulates the impact of barriers and drivers on youth skills development towards identification of focus areas for improvement.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a mixed-methods approach. The study begins with an explorative literature study on skills development, with the findings applied in developing (1) South African specific research instruments for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and skills programme grant recipients and (2) a conceptual framework of the SD predictive skills model. The responses to the South African specific instruments are analysed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which quantifies the input coefficients to the system dynamics model. To quantify the global inputs for the SD model, an in-depth literature review of the global skills development initiatives is conducted. The SD model output on skills, for the South African inputs, is comparatively evaluated against global inputs.FindingsThe paper details the results of the literature analysis, instrument analyses, CFA and SD model. The instrument results rank experience, skills and interactions with experts and work-based learning as most important. South African and global learners identify networking as the primary medium for identifying training and employment opportunities. South African and global learners also identify qualifications and work-based experience as key to finding employment. The quantified results of the SA and global analysis are used as inputs in the SD model to deliver a forecasting tool. The SD model finds that the global data provide for better development of the skills base than the South African inputs. The key focus areas identified for improvement in South Africa include networking, work-based experience and a reduction in administrative requirements.Originality/valueThe research's originality resides in the ability to predict the impact of drivers and barriers on skills development. This research sought to transform qualitative global and South African inputs into a consolidated, predictive systems-based model. The SD model can be adopted as an indicator of drivers and barriers focused towards the optimisation of skills development.

South African learners are performing below the international average across the board. Mathematics has been performing below 60% for years in the NSC. Mpuma­langa has been performing below the national average. CAPS provides clear guidelines on assessment practices to be utilised in order to improve learner performance. Addi­tionally, the DBE introduced a framework called MTLF to guide teachers in teaching and assessing effectively in order to improve learning outcomes in Mathematics. Clearly, there are good policies and guidelines in place to improve learner performance in Mathematics; however, learner per­formance is low. Hence, the importance of conducting this study. The aim of this paper was to explore the assessment practices linked to the poor performance of learners in Mathematics in Mpumalanga Province. The paper answers the question, “What are the assessment practices linked to poor learner performance in Mathematics?” Document analysis and interviews were used as data collection tech­niques. Mathematics teachers in the sampled schools were interviewed. It was found that the assessment practices as prescribed in the CAPS document were used for compliance. Due diligence was not done in the moderation of scripts; learners were struggling with questions on the application of knowledge, and formative assessment was not adequately given to learners. It was recom­mended that learners be exposed to adequate formative assessments and that the departmental heads should moderate tasks and scripts closely. Districts should monitor assessment practices in schools. It is concluded that the assessment practices linked to the poor performance of learners were associated with the superficial implementation of the MTLF and CAPS.

Problem-based learning (PBL) has the potential to enhance both cognitive and affective engagement but has been criticised for being unsuitable for learners with low levels of knowledge and skills, such as South African learners from poor backgrounds. In such cases, guided problem-based learning (GPBL), which includes direct instruction and teacher prompting, may be more effective. However, little is known about the extent to which GPBL can replicate the cognitive and affective benefits of PBL for such learners in the context of middle-school mathematics problem-solving. It is also not clear what the optimal granularity of teacher prompting should be within GPBL. To address these issues, this instrumental case study was conducted with 26 higher-achieving Grade 8 and 9 learners from schools serving poor communities. These learners participated in a GPBL week-long extracurricular holiday mathematics programme in which they were guided to use trigonometry to determine the maximum height reached by a water rocket. Data were collected through video recordings, field notes, written work, and audio-recorded group discussions, and were coded using the multidimensional problem-solving (MPS) framework to identify cognitive and affective behaviors. The learners’ affective responses suggested general positivity towards effortful problem-solving. Their cognitive responses suggested successful engagement in some, but not all, aspects of problem-solving. Although fine-grained prompting did not promote exploratory discussion, it was found to be necessary to guide productive mathematical activity. Medium-grained prompting, which did lead to exploratory discussion, did not appear to be directly productive, although it did appear to enhance learners’ receptivity to subsequent fine-grained prompting.

Background South Africa (SA) has enforced comprehensive tobacco control measures aimed at reducing tobacco use among the population. Tobacco control is especially important for young people because a lifelong addiction to nicotine is usually established in early teenage years. The impact of these tobacco control measures on trends in prevalence and frequency of cigarette smoking among SA youth have not been fully examined. Methods Data was analysed from the four Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (GYTSs) conducted in 1999, 2002, 2008 and 2011. We assessed the prevalence and trends of current and frequent (smoked >=20 days in the preceding month) cigarette smoking by gender for grades 8 - 10 school learners. Logistic regression analysis with orthogonal polynomials was used to determine linear and non-linear trends from 1999 to 2011, controlling for age and race. Results In boys, there was a significant linear decrease in current smoking from 28.8% (95% CI: 24.5-33.1) to 21.7% (18.5-25.0) across the four surveys (p=0.004). Frequent smoking in boys showed a significant linear decrease from 13.2% (9.8-17.5) to 7.8% (6.3-9.6) (p=0.015). In girls, there was a non-linear decrease in current smoking (p=0.028) from 17.5% (13.1-21.9) to 12.1% (9.9-14.4) and a significant nonlinear decrease in frequent smoking from 7.2% (5.2-10.0) to 1.9% (1.4-2.8) (p=0.004). Conclusions In both boys and girls, the prevalence and frequency of cigarette smoking has showed significant declines. However, given that 16% of learners still smoke, increased efforts are required to address tobacco use among learners.

In South Africa the multicultural and multilinguistic nature of society has impacted on the cultural appropriateness of psychological tests. In the assessment of memory and learning, tasks such as the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) are widely used although they may not be standardised for the South African context. We investigated how South African learners performed on the RAVLT as well as on an adapted version of this test, the South African List Learning Test (SALLT). The impact of language differences on performance was also noted. Subjects were 54 first (L1) and second language (L2) English speaking secondary school learners. Results indicated that South African learners achieved a higher level of recall on the SALLT than on the Euro-American RAVLT. Findings confirmed the impact of language experience on performance and highlight the necessity for the development and standardisation of culturally relevant psychological tests in South Africa.

This study utilised a structural equation model to examine the relationship between diet quality, socioeconomic status, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in South African learners. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the indirect effects model for diet, socioeconomic status, diet quality and cardiovascular risk using pre-existing cross-sectional data. The structural equation model was fit using Lavaan version 0.6–5 in R version 3.6.1. Data were analysed from 178 children and adolescents, aged 6–18 years, from five rural schools in Cofimvaba, South Africa. Latent variables were created for dietary quality, dyslipidaemia and the socioeconomic status of participants. A negative association was observed between socioeconomic status and dyslipidaemia in school-aged children (p = 0.029).

Science fair projects require knowledge-building (knower legitimation), whereas school science focuses on knowledge reproduction (knowledge legitimation), particularly in disadvantaged contexts. This mixed-methods case study investigates the rate, success, and retarding factors relevant to knowledge-knower legitimation within a 6-hour science fair project planning intervention for grade 9 South African learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. The 756 questions written by 86 participants were categorized according to knowledge-knower legitimation, logic, and comprehensibility for four points across the intervention. Additionally, the teacher-researcher’s reflective notes were analyzed inductively. Some knower legitimation was adopted, but incomprehensibility, illogicality, superficial compliance to the scaffolding templates, and resilience of knowledge legitimation dominated. Limited knowledge of science content and practical procedures retarded outcome attainment. A qualifying pre-competition with a knowledge focus, followed by interventions to convert these according to a relatively elite focus, is argued for. The study explicates crucial but generally hidden aspects of inquiry.

Reading comprehension, a crucial skill for successful text interaction, remains a significant challenge for many South African learners, as evidenced by their persistent difficulties in answering comprehension questions. This struggle underscores the importance of examining how comprehension assessments are designed and implemented. The South African curriculum assessment policy statement (CAPS) mandates a variety of cognitive levels in reading tests, using Barrett's taxonomy for question design. However, there is a lack of research examining whether the reading comprehension questions in grade 6 English first additional language (EFAL) exams align with the cognitive levels. The purpose of this study is to examine the alignment of grade 6 EFA reading comprehension questions with the cognitive levels. The study employs Barrett’s taxonomy framework to categorize and evaluate reading comprehension questions in grade 6 EFAL exams. The results show a striking imbalance between actual question distributions and CAPS benchmarks: lower-order questions dominated at 68.75% (Paper 1) and 63.16% (Paper 2), far exceeding the CAPS target of 40%, inferential questions reached only 25.00% (Paper 1) and 26.32% (Paper 2), falling short of the 40% requirement, higher-order questions were critically underrepresented at 0.00% (Paper 1) and 10.53% (Paper 2), versus the 20% benchmark. The study recommends a substantive rebalancing of examination questions to achieve the CAPS-mandated distribution of cognitive levels (40% lower-order, 40% inferential, 20% higher-order).

University funding is an important measure to promote educational and social equity, and it is a vital effort to safeguard people􀆳s livelihoods and warm people􀆳s hearts [1]. However, against the backdrop of the elimination of absolute poverty, there remains a disconnect between the efforts to alleviate poverty and the goal of educating people, such as “focusing on material support while overlooking personal and intellectual growth” hinders the innovative development of the work of funding education in colleges and universities. In this context, this paper focuses on the core issue of “the effectiveness of funding education”. Firstly, this paper makes an investigation and research on the education assistance work in colleges and universities, and analyzes the existing problems and causes of the current education assistance work. Secondly, it studies the construction of the “comprehensive funding chain” system in colleges and universities, covering six interconnected dimensions: the content of funding education, supporting team, the platform. for education, the venues for funding activities, practice initiatives, and various forms of educational support. Then, the empirical research has validated the theoretical premise that the ‘comprehensive funding chain’ system enhances the effectiveness of education. Finally, from expanding the breadth of funding teams, exploring the new degree of fundingactivities, strengthening the publicity of funding policies, and improving the accuracy of funding object identification, the author puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions to improve the education effectiveness of the “whole chain of funding” system in colleges and universities.

IN RECENT YEARS several studies have been made of the effectiveness of linear programs com pared with other methods of learning, but the results are inconclusive. For example, Austwick (1) com pared learning and retention with programmed ver sus conventional instruction in English, and found that immediate post-test scores were better for the conventional instruction group, while retention sev eral weeks later was relatively better for the exper imental group. Brown (4) compared the same two variables for mathematics. The experimental group proved to be significantly superior to the control group in a test of general ability, and about the same level of superiority was maintained in eight out of nine achievement tests given during the school term. The author concludes that ... no student was penal ized in his level of mathematics achievement be cause of having used programmed materials. Feld husen, et al (9) also compared the same two varia bles for teaching arithmetic. One group was taught by a program and the other by a teacher for the first seven weeks; the procedures were reversed for the second seven weeks. No significant differences were found between the groups either on achieve ment tests given after the seventh week or on others given after the 14th week. Smith (22) compared the teaching of elementary statistics by the conventional classroom method with the method of programmed instruction. He found no significant difference in performance between the experimental and the con trol group, although the program required less time. Barcus (2) and Bushanell (6) also did not find any significant difference between teaching by pro grammed text and conventional teaching. Beane (3) compared the linear and branching techniques of programmed instruction in plane ge ometry, and found no significant amount of learning during the experiment for all the treatments. Bur ton and Goldbeck (5) presented three programs to ninth-grade students. They consisted of a) construc ted responses, b) multiple-choice questions with dif ficult responses, and c) multiple^choice questions with easy responses. The results did not support the idea that constructed response is superior to multiple choice. Glaser and Reynolds (11) com pared linear with multitrack programs of mathemat ical decision-making. Results of testing indicated little difference in efficiency between the two pro grams. Roe (19) conducted an experiment to com pare simple branching methods with linear program ming. Introduction to certain probability concepts was taught to 189 freshman engineering students. Significant learning took place from the program, but there were no significant differences between any of the branching methods and the linear program when measured by the amount of learning. Zucker man (24) made a study of the effectiveness of differ ent response modes and of ordered versus random sequence of items. No significant differences were found in gain scores between groups which had stud ied constructed response, multiple-choice, and true false programs. Likewise, no significant differ ences were found between groups studying an or dered and a random program. McNeil and Keislar (15) performed an experiment to testthe hypothesis that because covert responses would occur more readily to questions than to statements a program made of questions would elicit more learning than one made of statements. No significant difference was found in the learning resultingfrom the two pro grams. Campbell's (7), Silverman's (21), and Hough's (12) studies are other examples of experi mentation of the same nature. Ginther (10) has suggested a conceptual model for analyzing instruction. Four studies have been made so far using the different cells of the model. Rippey (18) used four cells of the Ginther model in his doc toral dissertation. They were errorless teacher, errorless materials, dialectical teacher, and dia lectical materials. Analysis of the data showed that the achievement in English grammar, punctuation, and usage was not significantly affected by variation along the errorless-dialectical dimension of the in structional model, but was significantly affected by the involvement of the teacher. Sayegh (20) com pared the relative effectiveness and efficiency of lin ear programmed materials and conventional text books and found no significant difference between

This paper draws on conceptualization of pupil-centred and teacher-centred methods to explore the views of primary school and junior high school (JHS) mathematics and science teachers on teaching. The purpose of the study was to ascertain whether the views of these teachers place the pupils at the centre of the teaching and learning process. The research participants were selected from all the six circuits in the Cape Coast Metropolis using stratified random sampling procedure. Questionnaires were administered and responded to by 157 primary and JHS mathematics and science teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. The data collected were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. The findings from the study showed among others that the participants’ views about teaching were predominantly teacher-centred. Implications of the findings for mathematics and science teacher education particularly and research in mathematics and science education in Ghana generally are provided.

Distance education, e-learning, and virtual university are similar terms for a trend of modern education. It is an integration of information technologies, computer hardware systems, and communication tools, to support educational professionals in remote teaching. This paper presents an overview of distance education from the perspective of policy, people, and technology. A number of questions frequently asked in distance learning panel discussions are presented, with the suggested answers from the authors. The survey presented in this paper includes communication, intelligent, and educational technologies of distance education. Readers of this paper are academic researchers and engineers who are interested in new research issues of distance education, as well as educators and general participants who are seeking new solutions.