Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate guidelines for the educational psychologist in the
assessment of foundation phase mathematics. The investigation takes place in the light of
Outcomes-based education, which is a new practice of education in South Africa, within
the paradigm of post-modernism. Outcomes-based education framed within the National
Curriculum Statement, has necessitated far-reaching changes in education and assessment
alike. Educational psychology has not been untouched and the field has had to re-look its
approach to assessment. Therefore, it has been necessary for educational psychologists in
South Africa to develop an approach to the assessment of foundation phase mathematics
that will yield credible information in order to support the learner in the best way
possible.
Educational psychologists have tended to use standardised mathematics tests and IQ tests
exclusively when assessing foundation phase learners in mathematics. But, the emphasis
of an educational psychological assessment is moving from, not only discovering the
learner’s IQ score and the grade or age level that they function at mathematically but
also, to question ‘why’ the specific learner is not making progress, ‘what’ the learner can
or can’t do, and from the teacher’s point of view, ‘how’ the child can best be helped. This
can be achieved by making use of the curriculum as the starting point for the assessment
and then assessing each task using an approach which encompasses a dynamic and assetbased
approach, where the assessor seeks to understand the learner's areas of personal
strength and assets in mathematics.
A qualitative interpretivistic design was used in this study. The research methods
employed were a literature search of existing literature including mathematics
documents, a focus-group interview with foundation teachers from a local primary
school, an interview with a lecturer of educational psychological assessment and an
incomplete-sentences questionnaire completed by second year masters’ degree students
in the educational psychology programme─ both at the University of Johannesburg.
A content analysis of two documents─ the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) (2002)
and the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000), an American
mathematics curriculum─ revealed that the NCS (2002) seems to be based, because of
the similarities and at times the exactness of content, on the Principles and Standards for
School Mathematics (2000) The value of the process undertaken was that both the
documents provide insight into how curriculum-based assessment could be carried out.
The constant comparative method of analysis was used to analyse the focus group
interview, the individual interview and the incomplete questionnaires. The findings
confirm that the changes in education have impacted on educational psychologists’
‘medical model’ approach to assessment and on the way in which they have been used to
working. Educational psychologists’ when carrying out an assessment should aim to
ascertain how much an individual has learnt and whether support for learning is required.
They should use a variety of assessment tools which should result in a comprehensive
understanding of the learner resulting in feedback and a report that is meaningful to
teachers and parents.
Dr. Elzette Fritz
Mrs. Raine Pettipher