THE PERSPECTIVES OF STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF INCORPORATING CHESS INTO THE CURRICULUM PRACTICE IN KING CETSHWAYO DISTRICT PRIMARY SCHOOLS by NtandokaMenzi Penelope Dlamini A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND SUPERVISOR: PROF M. C. MAPHALALA December 2018 Declaration I, NtandokaMenzi Penelope Dlamini declare that the study, THE PERSPECTIVES OF STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF INCORPORATING CHESS INTO THE CURRICULUM PRACTICE IN KING CETSHWAYO DISTRICT PRIMARY SCHOOL is my own work and all cited and quoted sources have been acknowledged. This study is being submitted for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand. 22 December 2018 ___________________ _________________ Signature Date i Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to the following who made this study possible: My supervisor for his guidance throughout the study My family for their support The participants for sharing their experiences Tsogo Sun Moves for Life for its contribution The King Cetshwayo District Chess Association for their assistance. iii Abstract The continuous protest from various quarters of society about the weakening education standard are a concern. Chess has been found to be a solution to remedy this problem in many countries through studies testing its effectiveness on the learners. However, very little is said about the teachers who are key in the success of this integration. This study aimed at getting the perspectives of the stakeholders regarding the incorporation of chess into the curriculum in the four subjects in the Foundation Phase, namely, isiZulu, English, Mathematics and Life skills. This qualitative design research looks at the perspectives of the stakeholders about the impact of incorporating chess into the curriculum practice through the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life programme piloted in the King Cetshwayo district. Through interviews, observations and document analysis, this study acquired the insights of 14 teachers who work as Tsogo Sun Moves for Life facilitators in schools under the programme, the district official who is tasked with ensuring that the curriculum is well delivered in schools, and the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life co-ordinator who assist the facilitators in incorporating chess into the curriculum. The study reveals that teachers find chess to be helpful as it helps the learners learn better while having fun, their attention span is increased, and they tend to concentrate better when chess is integrated. However, the teachers face many challenges as they struggle to merge chess into the curriculum, from those who view it as an add- on detached from the curriculum, and therefore see it as additional workload for them. The language used in the chess instruction appeared to be a challenge as the chess resources are not written in the learners’ home language. Key words: chess, curriculum reform, Foundation Phase, critical thinking, numeracy, literacy, Tsogo Sun Moves for Life, MiniChess iv Table of Contents Declaration ............................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................... v List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY ............................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background: The Incooperation of chess into the curriculum .................................. 3 1.3 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Objectives of the Study ........................................................................................................ 9 1.5 Intended contribution to the body of knowledge .......................................................... 9 1.6 Definition of Operational Terms ....................................................................................... 10 1.6.1 Curriculum Practice .......................................................................................................... 10 1.6.2 Chess ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 1.6.3 Stakeholders....................................................................................................................... 10 1.7 The Structure of the Study ................................................................................................ 11 1.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................... 12 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Challenges in South African public education ............................................................ 14 2.4 The history of chess ............................................................................................................ 20 2.5 The game of chess ............................................................................................................... 21 2.6 Chess and the curriculum.................................................................................................. 23 2.7 Studies on the impact of chess on teaching and learning........................................ 25 2.8 Capability of Performing Well ........................................................................................... 30 2.9 Chess as the solution ......................................................................................................... 32 2.9.1 Academic Benefits of Chess ............................................................................. 34 v 2.9.1.1 Chess and mathematics ..................................................................................... 35 2.9.1.2 Chess and literacy ............................................................................................... 38 2.9.2 Social benefits ....................................................................................................... 39 2.10 Teachers’ views on chess.................................................................................................. 40 2.11 Chess educational research.............................................................................................. 41 2.12 General attitudes of teachers ........................................................................................... 45 2.13 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 46 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .................................................... 48 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 48 3.2 Research design ................................................................................................................... 48 3.3 Research paradigm ............................................................................................................. 49 3.4 Research methodology ...................................................................................................... 50 3.4.1 Sampling procedure and sample ..................................................................... 50 3.4.2 Data collection methods, instruments and procedures ............................. 53 3.4.2.1 Interviews ............................................................................................................... 53 3.4.2.2 Observation ........................................................................................................... 56 3.4.2.3 Document analysis .............................................................................................. 57 3.4.3 Data analysis ......................................................................................................... 58 3.5 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................... 60 3.6 Credibility and trustworthiness ........................................................................................ 62 3.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................