Exploring Grade 10 Rural Physical Science Teachers’ Perceptions and Usage of Everyday Words in Acornhoek Science Classrooms, Mpumalanga Province
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Exploring Grade 10 rural physical science teachers’ perceptions and usage of everyday words in Acornhoek science classrooms, Mpumalanga Province Sphamandla Innocent Zulu Student number: 700650 Protocol number: 2017ECE027M Supervisors: Prof. Samuel Oyoo Dr. Thabisile Nkambule A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Education by Research Report Johannesburg, South Africa March 2018 0 ABSTRACT Science is a specialized language on its own and literature has revealed that science learners face conceptual challenges when learning about science concepts and words which are used in both everyday and science classroom with different meanings according to context of use. Science as a language is composed of scientific concepts (technical words) and ordinary words (non-technical words), of which the latter is the focus of this study because of its importance in ensuring sound comprehension of the technical words for effective teaching and learning of science. As such, teachers also need to mediate the non-technical words, especially Everyday Words when used in Science (EWS) classroom context, because they serve as conveyor belts of meanings inside the classroom and if explicitly mediated it can help enhance the teaching and learning of science. The purpose of this study was to explore Grade 10 rural physical science teachers‘ perceptions and usage of everyday words in science context during teaching. The study also sought to understand teachers‘ level of awareness with EWS difficulties in learning science, while it also critically analysed factors shaping physical science teachers‘ perceptions and usage of EWS. To unearth rural teachers‘ language practices, this study used a case study design and qualitative research approach drawing from Vygotsky‘s concept of mediation, Scott, Mortimer and Ametler‘s concept of pedagogical link-making; and Mortimer and Scott‘s concept of social language of science as conceptual framework. Research data was collected through ten classroom observations of Grade 10 physical science lessons and individual interviews with the participant teachers from rural settings of Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province. The main findings of this study illustrates that greater percentage of classroom talk was teacher talk. In their talk, teachers were explicit in explaining the technical words while either ignoring or implicitly addressing the non-technical words, especially EWS. Additionally, teachers‘ perceptions of the value of addressing non-technical words in their teaching varied. The study also established that the teachers‘ language practices were to some extent influenced by the rural contextual social realities, teacher content knowledge, teacher knowledge of EWS and the importance of science language, and other several personal and contextual constraints. The findings also shown that rural Acornhoek physical science teachers were not aware of the learners‘ difficulties instigated by the use of EWS, and more disturbingly is that some teachers also lack knowledge of the contextual meanings of EWS. The paucity of physical science education research in rural schools has not been able to offer account of teachers‘ perceptions and usage of EWS during teaching in rural schools. Hence, this study as i introductory for other science education researchers in researching teaching and learning physical science in rural schools, more specifically the understanding of STL, influence LOLT and the LOLTS. The findings of this study demonstrates that teachers are often oblivious of the functional value of EWS due to their negative perceptions hence their lack of explicit explanation of EWS when encountered during teaching and such practice is influenced by various factors. Therefore, this study recommends research intervention intending to equip teachers with skills in noting and dealing with language demands in their classrooms. Keywords: Science Teachers‟ Language (STL), Technical words, Non-technical words, Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT), Everyday Words used in Science context (EWS), rural, teaching physical science, and perceptions. ii DECLARATION I SPHAMANDLA ZULU (700650) declare that this research study is my own work. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination in any other university. All the work taken directly from other works has been cited accordingly and the full list of references has provided. I fully understand that the University of the Witwatersrand will take disciplinary action against me if evidence suggests that this is not my own unaided work or that I failed to acknowledge the sources of the ideas or words in my writing. ………………………………………………………………………… University of the Witwatersrand, March 2018 Protocol number: 2017ECE027M iii ABBREVIATIONS ACE - Advanced Certificate in Education CAPS - Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement DBE – Department of Basic Education (Republic of South Africa) DoE – Department of Education (Republic of South Africa) EFAL - English First Additional Language EWS - Everyday Words used in Science context FET - Further Education and Training KZN - KwaZulu-Natal LCA - Learner-Centered Approach LOLT - Language of Learning and Teaching LOLTS - Science contextual Language of Teaching and Learning physical science MSTA - Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy NOS - Nature of Science NS - Natural Sciences NSC - National Senior Certificate examination NSNP - National School Nutrition Programme PG - Postgraduate PGCE - PostGraduate Certificate in Education PLM - Pedagogical Link-Making QATA - Question and Answer Teaching Approach QCA - Qualitative Content Analysis SADC - Southern African Development Community SCOP - Science Community of Practice iv SCT – Sociocultural Theory SMC - Subject-Matter Centered SMT - School Management Team SSIP - Senior School Intervention Programme SSMK - Science Subject Matter Knowledge STL - Science Teachers‘ Language TCA - Teacher-Centered Approach TIMSS – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ZPD – Zone of Proximal Development v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my genuine gratitude to my supervisors: Dr. Thabisile Carol Nkambule and Prof. Samuel Ouma Oyoo for their professional guidance, patience, support, encouragement and profound advices. You have been the greatest supervisors who always saw something good in me, even at difficult times. This study would not been possible without you. Thank you!! To my family, thank you for your prayers, love, words of wisdom and encouragement, endless support towards this research and your permission for me to do this study rather than working, I know it was hard but thank you. You are a great family and thank you for your patience, support and endless love even though I would complain to you about my academic pressure but you always comforted me and also reminded me of the bigger picture of the study. Much appreciated! Through this study I met a family away from home, the research colleagues and I would like to thank you all for your inputs in this study; Nonhlanhla Kunene, Xolile Mazibuko, Khairoon Nisha, Lebogang Molefe, Dr. Dan Na Allah, Addmore Hapanyengwi, and most importantly Annie Mafunganyika and Hlamulo Wiseman Mbhiza. Dr Mbhiza and Dr Mafunganyika thank you so much for teaching me research, for all the time you spent helping me to develop academic language and skills, thank you ‗buddy‘. To Dr. Nkambule, your critical but thoughtful comments were very helpful in this study. You were not only a supervisor to me but a mother, a sister, a friend, a counsellor, and an advisor. Thank you so much! The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) through my supervisor Dr Nkambule, your support towards this research is highly acknowledged. However, opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF. I also like to thank the physical science teachers from Acornheok schools, Mpumalanga Province for allowing me to intrude their teaching spaces and for their time in sharing their views on science teaching. It was nice working with you all, thank you. I can do all things not by my power but through Christ, I sometimes felt like giving up but I thank God who continuously gives me wisdom, strength and guidance. vi DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my mother Sizakele Mathenjwa and to my late father. Special dedication to my mother, thank you mom for all your support and by being the pillar of my strength. To the most high God, thank you Lord this dissertation was not possible without you. May the glory be unto you Lord! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... i DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................................... iii ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... vi DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ..........................................................................................................................