EDUCATIONEDUCATION

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENTEDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Education Research in HSRCEducation Research in HSRC

• Is linked to the challenges faced in South African education, in Africa and the developing world.

• Challenges in education: access, equity, quality and efficiency – leading to unequal educational outcomes especially in key areas of language and mathematics.

• Despite significant efforts in the past decade, we have not succeeded in ensuring that the majority of the population, who are still living in poverty, are equipped with the capabilities promised by democracy and development.

• Research in HSRC is aimed at understanding the dimensions, causes, outcomes and interventions necessary to ensure that the capabilities of all are developed through the education system.

Areas of our ResearchLinks to DoE Strat PlanAreas of our ResearchLinks to DoE Strat Plan

• Languages and Literacy Education • Science, Math and Technology Education• Teachers, Teaching and Teacher

Education • Educational Assessment, Analysis and

Evaluation• Technical and Vocational Education • Higher Education • Transitions from and through education

and to the world of work.

Context of Education Research Context of Education Research

• We recognise the inter-relationship between education and development we are in a education and development trap.

• Each research project related to an aspect of the system, and the information contributes to slowly changing the very big system.

• It will be some time before we see the results we want – there is no magic bullet solution.

• We would like to undertake big research project which provides more comprehensive analyses.

• OECD Review.

Belgium (33)

Chile (54.9)

England (UK) (36)

Cyprus

Japan (24.9)

Korea (31.6)

Netherlands (30.9)

Sweden (25)

South Africa (72)

Botswana (61)

Ghana (41)

Tunisia (40)

Morocco (40)

Egypt (34)

Australia (35)

Bulgaria (29.2)

Romania (31)

Lebanon

200

300

400

500

600

TIM

SS

200

2 M

athe

mat

ics

Sco

re

0 10 20 30 40GNI per capita (WDI 2004)

Belgium (33)

Chile (54.9)

England (UK) (36)

Cyprus

Japan (24.9)

Korea (31.6)

Netherlands (30.9)

Sweden (25)

South Africa (72)

Botswana (61)

Ghana (41)

Tunisia (40)

Morocco (40)

Egypt (34)

Australia (35)

Bulgaria (29.2)

Romania (31)

Lebanon

200

300

400

500

600

TIM

SS

200

2 M

athe

mat

ics

Sco

re

0 10 20 30 40GNI per capita (WDI 2004)

Leverage points to improve the education system

Leverage points to improve the education system

• Investing in Early Years of Learning

• Literacy Development

• Teachers and Teacher Education

INVESTING IN EARLY YEARS OF LEARNING

INVESTING IN EARLY YEARS OF LEARNING

South African EducationSouth African Education

1. South African educational performance is low.

2. National average math achievement score at different grade levels is

almost the same and stable (around 30%).

3. High differentiation in the performance of students. We have two systems of education.

Performance across the school system is ‘stable’

Performance across the school system is ‘stable’

South Africa: Two Education SystemsSouth Africa: Two Education Systems

264

227

468 467

0

100

200

300

400

500

National Mean African Schools Privileged schools International Mean

Ave

rage

mat

hem

atic

s sc

ale

scor

es

SES and Cognitive DevelopmentSES and Cognitive Development

Enrollments in Grade R and Grade 1Enrollments in Grade R and Grade 1

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Grade R Grade 1 % Gr1 who attended GrR

Key findings from our researchKey findings from our research

1. State has improved access in early years, but there is still concern with quality.

2. Cognitive performance at an early age (6 years) can predict later performance.

3. Schooling is not/ cannot compensate for SES disadvantage.

4. School based interventions at higher grades is not changing performance.

5. If we want to change the predictable course of educational development for an individual we have to intervene and invest in the early years.

6. We need optimal conditions in schools to ensure a quality education: suitable buildings; good school climate, qualified teachers; good pedagogical practices, reasonable class size.

7. We need to strengthen the home to support education. In low income countries and households there is low level of parent education, long hours of working, very little times for interactions.

8. One strategy to intervene at home is increased quality ABET programmes which emphasises how adults can facilitate children’s cognitive development.

LITERACY DEVELOPMENTLITERACY DEVELOPMENT

Evaluation of Literacy Teaching in Primary Schools in Limpopo

Evaluation of Literacy Teaching in Primary Schools in Limpopo

• AimsTo improve literacy teaching quality & hence,

also overall academic performance.

• ObjectivesProvided inputs to Provincial Literacy

Strategy by interrogation of successful & unsuccessful literacy practices in schools; identification of gaps in educational provision and support of literacy in schools.

MethodologyMethodology

• In-depth case studies in grade 1- 4 classes in 20 schools (purposive sampling) in Limpopo; visits to District Offices and visits to education units at UNIVEN and U. Limpopo.

• Literature review, classroom observation, document review, facility survey, questionnaires and interviews, textbook analysis, observing teacher training practice.

Key FindingsKey Findings• Strong quality mother tongue literacy development is

essential for literacy, academic language & numeracy skills.

• Good “additive multi-lingualism” curriculum policy exists; but uneven implementation which hurts both mother-tongue and second-language instruction.

• Learners do not read and write enough.

• The use of textbooks, readers & other materials neglects progression and connection across the curriculum (other learning areas).

• Low parent literacy levels is not conducive to home support and development of a culture of reading.

RecommendationsRecommendations• Raise the bar: no compromise on teaching time,

maintain every opportunity to read, do extended writing 4 times a week.

• Enhance literacy instruction (mother-tongue and second language) to ensure that both thrive.

• Every learner must be provided with opportunities to engage with grade appropriate and cognitively demanding reading and writing activities.

• Foster strong reading culture and support at home (adult literacy, poverty relief, community upliftment)

TEACHER EDUCATIONTEACHER EDUCATION

TEACHER EDUCATIONTEACHER EDUCATION1. F. Arends, Understanding Teacher Demand in South Africa. Cape

Town: HSRC Press 2. M. Breier (2008) The RPL Conundrum: The Recognition of Prior

Learning in a Teacher Upgrading Programme. Cape Town: HSRC Press

3. L. Chisholm. A Conceptual Framework for Teacher Supply and Demand. Mimeo

4. M. Cosser, Studying Ambitions: pathways from grade 12 and the Factors that Shape Them. Cape Town: HSRC Press

5. G. Kruss, Teacher Education and Institutional Change in South Africa. Cape Town: HSRC Press

6. U. Hoadley, Managing Curriculum and Instruction in South African Secondary Schools. Cape Town: HSRC Press.

7. G. Kruss, Academic Coherence or Bureaucratic Compliance: Opportunities and Challenges for the Development of Teacher Education Curriculum. Cape Town: HSRC Press

8. A. Paterson and F. Arends, Who Are we Missing? Teacher Graduate Production in South Africa, 1995-2006. Cape Town: HSRC Press

9. N. Diko, S. Akoojee Teacher Recruitment, Retention and Attrition in South African Education. Cape Town: HSRC Press.

10. Makola Phurutse and Fabian Arends: Beginner Teachers in South Africa. Cape Town: HSRC Press.

A Few FindingsA Few Findings

1. On Recognition of Prior Learning

Teachers demonstrated poor content and conceptual knowledge, limited English literacy, and had difficulties with critical reflection tasks. However, in their interviews and observations, researchers were struck by the teachers’ ‘practical wisdom’ or ‘phronesis’, a form of knowledge and reasoning acquired with experience and associated with ethical conduct and sense of community. It could be related to the pastoral role.

2. Supply and Demand

• At the macro level there is no absolute numerical shortage of teachers. At the disaggregated level there are shortages: of mathematics and science teachers; of language teachers; of teachers in certain rural areas, etc. There is a need to shift investigation from an analysis of absolute systemic numbers of teachers to an analysis of shortages of teachers at school and classroom level.

• There is a need to shift the entire debate about teacher shortages from a numbers game to an investigation of teacher quality. Thus there is a shortage of teaching knowledge and skills in South Africa. The quality of teacher education – in-service, pre-service and distance education becomes significant.

3. Importance of pedagogical content knowledge

Teacher training institutions need to focus on both content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). PCK is related to learner outcomes.

In mathematics pedagogical context knowledge refers to the mathematical knowledge for teaching others, especially young children. Examples include the explanations that teachers use to develop understanding of concepts, the ways teachers draw linkages with other elements of mathematics and the questions they pose to students. This is developed with practice or very specialized training activities.

In conclusion……….In conclusion……….

• DoE has developed policies and improved access.

• Policy documents has created confusions with teachers. Also needs the system to settle & not constantly change.

• Quality education remains a challenge.

• Do not have good information systems to monitor the system and hence this affects accurate understanding of the system.