MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHING AT EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FOUDATION PHASE LEVEL

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INTRODUCTION

In South Africa primary and early childhood education schools have a diverse learner body. It increasingly demands of Foundation Phase (FP) teachers (Grades R to 3) to continually adapt their teaching and young children’s learning to the varied learning environments for effective and efficient implementation of the new reform-based FP curriculum (Department of Education (DoE), 2003). One way to address the challenge of teacher quality or competence in the education system is through the development and sustainability of a professional teacher identity that is able to accommodate and respond positively to curriculum reform (Carlone, Haun-Frank & Kimmel, 2010; Day & Gu, 2010). For Walkington (2005:45), positive professional teacher identity formation implies that the teacher is a ‘confident’ and ‘flexible, lifelong learner, able to participate in ongoing change’ or in Samuel’s (2008:6) view ‘an agent of change’. As an agent of change or nucleus of transformation the reform-minded teacher’s professional identity is said to consist of knowledge, skills and confidence that will assist teachers to make decisions and to ‘take risks’ (Walkington, 2005:63) in order to make a difference.

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Since its transition to a democratic dispensation in 1994, South Africa has undergone radical social, political, economic and cultural changes. Changes on the education front have included curriculum transformation based on a philosophy of outcomes based education (OBE). The Revised National Curriculum Statement ((R)NCS) (Bosman, 2006; DoE, 2003) (hereafter referred to as the National Curriculum), is the school curriculum for South Africa. The National Curriculum promotes an outcomes based approach to education and of necessity demands a range of teacher competencies for its effective implementation (DoE, 1998; DoE, 2000; DoE. 2003).

CURRICULUM: EARLY MATHEMATICS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHING

For the purposes of this study, two phases of the early MST curriculum are relevant, as the initial teacher education programme that the six beginning teachers were exposed to prepared them for both phases. The two phases are the early childhood phase (ECP) and foundation phase (FP).

Early childhood phase

In this study, ECP refers to children aged between three to five where children attend an educational setting outside the home. In an ideal early childhood setting, children between three and five need to explore, investigate and discover MST concepts and skills (Van Heerden, 2011). Children are more likely to develop MST concepts and skills within meaningful, contextualised curriculum activities. MST curriculum activities can be presented as informal or intentional and instructional teaching inside or outside the classroom (Charlesworth & Lind, 2007; 2010; Van Heerden, 2011). The role of the teacher is to facilitate, scaffold and support MST learning by engaging children in planned activities that will allow them to think, reason and solve meaningful problems (Charlesworth & Lind, 2007; 2010; Davies & Howe, 2003).

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.2.1 EARLY MATHEMATICS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM
1.2.1.1 Early childhood phase
1.2.1.2 Foundation phase
1.2.2 TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
1.2.3 THE BEGINNING TEACHER AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY FORMATION
1.3 THE PROBLEM OF THIS STUDY
1.3.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.5 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.6 CLARIFICATION OF CORE CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGIES 1
1.6.1 PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY
1.6.2 PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION
1.6.3 REFORM-MINDED TEACHER
1.6.4 EARLY CHILDHOOD PHASE
1.6.5 FOUNDATION PHASE
1.6.6 INQUIRY-BASED APPROACH
1.6.7 BELIEFS
1.6.8 CRITICAL REFLECTION
1.7 CHAPTER OUTLINE
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION
2.3 TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
2.4 THE BEGINNING TEACHER
2.5 MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHING AT EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FOUDATION PHASE LEVEL
2.5.1 EARLY MATHEMATICS
2.5.2 EARLY SCIENCE
2.5.3 EARLY TECHNOLOGY
2.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.6.1 EXTERNAL FACTORS
2.6.2 INTERNAL FACTORS
2.7 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.3 CASE STUDY METHOD
3.4 SAMPLING PROCEDURE
3.5 ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY
3.6 THE RESEARCH PROCESS
3.6.1 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS
3.6.1.1 Photo collages
3.6.1.2 Narrative reflection
3.6.1.3 Semi-structured individual interviews
3.6.1.4 Informal observation, field notes and beginning teachers’ reflections
3.6.2 DATA COLLECTION STAGES AND DATA ANALYSIS PROCESSES: AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS
3.6.2.1 Photo collages
3.6.2.2 Narrative reflection
3.6.2.3 Semi-structured interview
3.6.2.4 Observation
3.6.2.5 Observation reflection
3.6.3 DATA ANALYSIS STRATEGIES
3.6.3.1 Theme construction
3.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
3.7.1 INFORMED CONSENT
3.7.2 VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION (CONFIDENTIALITY, ANONYMITY AND SAFETY IN PARTICIPATION)
3.7.3 TRUST
3.7.4 RISKS AND BENEFITS
3.8 VALIDATION OF THIS STUDY
3.9 CHALLENGES AND STRENGTH OF THE STUDY
3.10 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FOUR REPORTING THE RESULTS OF SIX CASES: THE NARRATIVE PORTRAITS OF BEGINNING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONALTEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION IN EARLY MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 NARRATIVE DESCRIPTIONS: SIX BEGINNING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY PORTRAITS
4.2.1 THE CASE OF BEA
4.2.2. THE CASE OF RIANA
4.2.3 THE CASE OF LEA
4.2.4 THE CASE OF GINA
4.2.5 THE CASE OF JENNA
4.2.6 THE CASE OF ANNE-MARIE
4.3 SUMMARY OF IDENTITY PORTRAITS OF BEGINNING TEACHERS IN EARLY MST TEACHING AND LEARNING
4.4 CONCLUDING REMARKS
CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION OF RESULTS OF SIX BEGINNING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION IN EARLY MST TO EXISTING LITERATURE
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
5.2.1 PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION OF BEGINNING TEACHERS IN MST
5.2.1.1 Initial teacher education programme 129
5.2.1.2 School context
5.2.1.3 Institutional support
5.2.1.4 MST Curriculum interpretation and implementation 139
5.2.1.5 Professional teacher identity
5.2.1.6 To summarise
5.2.2 FACTORS AFFECTING BEGINNING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION IN EARLY MST
5.2.2.1 Internal factors that influenced beginning teachers’ 154 professional teacher identity in early MST
5.2.2.2 External factors that influence beginning teachers’ professional teacher identity in early MST
5.3 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 A SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1
6.3 MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION AND SUB-QUESTIONS 1
6.3.1 MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION
6.3.2 SUB-QUESTION ONE
6.3.3 SUB-QUESTION TWO
6.3.3.1 External factors
6.3.3.2 MST curriculum interpretation and implementation
6.3.3.3 Internal factors
6.3.4 SUB-QUESTION THREE
6.4 CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY
6.4.1 CONCLUSION ONE: PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY
6.4.2 CONCLUSION TWO: TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME
6.4.3 CONCLUSION THREE: MST TEACHING AND LEARNING
6.4.4 CONCLUSION FOUR: MST CURRICULUM
6.4.5 CONCLUSION FIVE: SCHOOL CONTEXT
6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR 1RESEARCH
6.5.1 RECOMMENDATION ONE: PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY FORMATION
6.5.2 RECOMMENDATION TWO: TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
6.5.3 RECOMMENDATION THREE: MST TEACHING AND LEARNING
6.5.4 RECOMMENDATION FOUR: MST CURRICULUM (POLICY)
6.5.5 RECOMMENDATION FIVE: SCHOOL CONTEXT
6.5.6 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
6.6 FINAL THOUGHTS