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Exploring the role of contextual knowledge in the pedagogical content knowledge of grade 9 natural sciences teachers : a case study of township teachers in South Africa

- Mavuru, Lydia

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Science teachers - South Africa , Science - Study and teaching (Secondary) - South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/232400 , uj:23703
  • Description: Ph.D. , Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ knowledge and understanding of their learners’ socio-cultural practices, experiences and beliefs (contextual knowledge, or CK) and how they use the knowledge to provide situationally appropriate learning experiences for their learners. Specifically, highlighting the role of CK in pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), the study unpacked the interplay of four knowledge domains, which are subject-matter knowledge (SMK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), teachers’ orientations to science teaching and CK as they are transformed into PCK. The overarching research question was: How does CK influence the PCK of selected Grade 9 Natural Sciences teachers at township schools in South Africa? The study employed social constructivism as a theoretical framework as CK is an important factor in the contemporary teaching perspective of social constructivism. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach and involved three Natural Sciences (NS) teachers from three different township schools as participants. Data sources included interviews done before lessons, lesson observations, interviews done after the lessons and analysis of documents. Data analysis involved a constant comparative method which allowed themes and patterns to emerge from the codes derived from the data. In answering the first research sub-question: what do Grade 9 NS teachers know about learners’ socio-cultural practices and beliefs in relation to teaching topics in Natural Sciences?, the findings revealed that teachers were aware of the learners’ poor socioeconomic backgrounds which they used as a resource in problem-based learning of NS. This teaching and learning strategy engaged learners in deep rather than surface learning as it enhanced learning experiences. Teachers were also knowledgeable about learners’ socio-cultural practices, experiences and beliefs which they used to harmonise the conflict between learners’ worldviews and scientific knowledge...
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Affordances and limitations of integrating learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds in science teaching

- Mavuru, Lydia

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Learners’ socio-cultural background , Affordances , Limitations
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/274370 , uj:29269 , Citation: Mavuru, L. 2018. Affordances and limitations of integrating learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds in science teaching.
  • Description: Abstract: The study involved three Grade 9 Natural Sciences teachers reflecting on their classroom practice and on the phenomenological importance of integrating learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds into science teaching and learning. In this qualitative case study each teacher was interviewed five times using a semi-structured interview schedule to determine their willingness, challenges and benefits obtained from their experiences as they incorporated learners’ socio-cultural practices, experiences and beliefs when teaching some Natural Sciences topics. Additional information was obtained through analysis of documents related to teaching such as curriculum documents, lesson plans and teachers’ reflective journals. This was meant to answer the research question: What are the teachers’ views on affordances and limitations of the integration of learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds into science teaching? Findings from the study illuminate aspects of the role of learners’ socio-cultural practices, experiences and beliefs in science teaching and learning; processes by which individual teachers can improve the quality of their practice; and support mechanisms that teachers need to make science more relevant and meaningful to learners. Central to these findings is the contribution to the debate on the relevance and meaningfulness of science education, particularly with a focus on making it a reality in South African science classrooms. For the three teachers, reflection improved their knowledge, awareness and control of themselves and their classroom practice when teaching socio-culturally diverse learners that are typical of South African science classroom.
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Improving science classroom interactions through the integration of learners’ socio-cultural background

- Mavuru, Lydia, Ramnarain, Umesh

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia , Ramnarain, Umesh
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Beliefs , Classroom interactions , Learners’ socio-cultural practices
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceeding
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/291208 , uj:31619 , Citation: Mavuru, L. & Ramnarain, U. 2018. Improving science classroom interactions through the integration of learners’ socio-cultural background.
  • Description: Abstract: The study is based on the constructivist epistemology which assumes that in order to understand an individual’s interpretations of reality, one has to understand the particular social contexts within which they operate. The paper addresses the question: How does the integration of learners’ practices, experiences and beliefs in science teaching influence classroom interactions? Three Natural Sciences teachers were observed as they integrated their learners’ sociocultural practices, experiences and beliefs into their teaching, through the use of real-life scenarios or authentic problems familiar to learners. The teachers used argumentation activities to assist learners to evaluate the authenticity of their sociocultural beliefs against scientific knowledge or vice versa. Teachers also used group activities, learners’ home languages to explain abstract concepts, and drew on learner experiences from their communities. Learner interactions in class were valuable in fostering a sense of belonging or being valued in the class. Consequently, most learners became active participants during the teaching and learning process. Integration of learners’ socio-cultural background may support learners from disadvantaged townships in South Africa in conceptualising science concepts in a comprehensible manner, and allow them to realise the utility value of the school scientific knowledge and skills in their lives.
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Pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation of the integration and progression of life sciences concepts from grade 10 to 12

- Mavuru, Lydia

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Integration , Progression , Pre-service teachers
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceeding
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/372303 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/291215 , uj:31620 , Citation: Mavuru, L. 2018. Pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation of the integration and progression of life sciences concepts from grade 10 to 12.
  • Description: Abstract: When scientific concepts are learned as discrete science concepts learners fail to know how the concepts are related to each other. Learner conceptual understanding is enhanced when teachers develop a sense of continuity and coherency in learners as they teach one topic to another. After realising that pre-service teachers compartmentalise concepts and fail to show relationships between concepts as evidenced from their failure to teach the concepts accordingly, the researcher tasked 115 pre-service Life Sciences teachers to conceptualise and articulate the integration and progression of Life Sciences concepts from Grade 10-12 in groups of six. The study investigated how pre-service teachers articulated the way they conceptualised this integration and progression. Thematic analysis of the responses, from the 10 groups who selected the topic Cells, showed that pre-service teachers could articulate the integration and progression of concepts from Grade 10 - 12 to a certain extent. It was evident that they needed to acquire a deeper understanding of Life Sciences concepts in order to explicitly interconnect them. The study informs teacher professional development programmes of strategies that engage teachers in activities that stimulate them to identify areas for development.
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Relationship between teaching context and teachers’ orientations to science teaching

- Mavuru, Lydia, Ramnarain, Umesh

Teachers’ views and pedagogical practices when teaching the topic evolution to grade 12 learners

- Mavuru, Lydia

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Teachers’ perceptions , Pedagogical practices , Grade 12 learners
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/274375 , uj:29270 , Citation: Mavuru, L. 2018. Teachers’ views and pedagogical practices when teaching the topic evolution to grade 12 learners.
  • Description: Abstract: Life Sciences curriculum in 2008. The world over, evolution has proved to be a contentious topic to teach to high school learners despite its value in acting as ‘a blending concept’ in Biology and ‘the disease tracking foundation’ in pharmacology and medicine. In the South African Life Sciences curriculum, evolution accounts for 44% of grade 12 content in terms of mark allocation in examinations. Hence teachers are obligated to address the topic adequately as there are accountability issues at the end of the year. Unfortunately previous research showed that South African teachers question the theory of evolution and are conflicted to teach it. Teacher’s personal views on a topic or subject matter heavily influence or determine how the topic is treated in the classroom. Previous researchers alluded to the existence of a relationship between teachers’ acceptance of evolution and the emphasis and level of how they teach it. Accordingly, 15 teachers were interviewed each once to explore their views on the teaching of the topic evolution to Grade 12 high schools learners and the pedagogical practices they employ when teaching the topic. Qualitative analysis of the teachers’ responses showed teachers’ mixed views about the content of the topic of evolution, the value of that knowledge to learners and society in general and how best it can be taught in the science classroom. Teachers attested to the use of higher order questions, debates, argumentation and group discussions as strategies that allow learners to share their opinions based on their diverse cultural and religious background. The study also showed that sometimes teachers failed to reconcile their beliefs and those of the learners and their science classroom practices...
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Language affordances and pedagogical challenges in multilingual grade 9 Natural Sciences classrooms in South Africa

- Mavuru, Lydia, Ramnarain, Umesh

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia , Ramnarain, Umesh
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Language affordances , Multilingual classrooms , Sciences teaching
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/457564 , uj:40608 , Citation: Mavuru, L. & Ramnarain, U. 2020. Language affordances and pedagogical challenges in multilingual grade 9 Natural Sciences classrooms in South Africa.
  • Description: Abstract: This article draws from an exploratory study of science teachers’ experiences when utilising learners’ home languages in teaching grade 9 learners in three South African township high schools. This case study research investigated teacher use of learners’ home languages in science instruction, with a particular focus on the affordances and challenges of using learners’ home languages in sciences classrooms. The analysis of data from 15 lesson observations and 15 post lesson teacher interviews yielded four main themes. Themes one and two highlighted the affordances of integrating learners’ home language with the language of instruction. These two themes were that teachers drew on learners’ home language as a tool in facilitating conceptual understanding, and that through code switching, learners acquired confidence to critically express their views on science issues. Collectively, the third and fourth themes revealed limitations in this practice as teachers experienced pedagogical difficulties when invoking learners’ home languages in science instruction. The third theme revealed that teachers had limited vocabulary of African language for scientific concepts, and this limited translation between English and learners’ vernacular language. The fourth theme highlighted that learners who were accustomed to learning science through code switching struggled with test or examination tasks that require them to answer in English. The implications of this study for pre-service and in-service science teacher professional development are discussed.
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Learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds and science teaching and learning : a case study of township schools in South Africa

- Mavuru, Lydia, Ramnarain, Umesh

  • Authors: Mavuru, Lydia , Ramnarain, Umesh
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Socio-cultural background , Township schools , Argumentation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/459335 , uj:40833 , Citation: Mavuru, L. & Ramnarain, U. 2020. Learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds and science teaching and learning : a case study of township schools in South Africa.
  • Description: Abstract: In pursuit of quality and equity in science education, the South African National Curriculum Statement aims to ensure learner acquisition and application of knowledge and skills in ways that are meaningful to learners. In this regard, the curriculum promotes knowledge in both local and global contexts. This study investigated how teachers’ knowledge of learners’ socio-cultural practices, experiences and beliefs is invoked in enacting multiple pedagogical and instructional strategies that make science relevant to learners. Three high school science teachers from three township schools were observed teaching while incorporating learners’ socio-cultural practices, experiences and beliefs into teaching the topics reproduction, nutrition, and healthy diet. The teachers were interviewed after each lesson via a closed-ended protocol. Science local curriculum documents and lesson plans were also analysed. A total of five lesson observations and five post- lesson interviews per teacher were analysed using the constant comparative method. The findings revealed that teachers use probing and open-ended questions, argumentation in groups, authentic problem-solving activities and resources, examples, experiences and language familiar to learners. Such practices promote class and group interaction, develop critical and analytical thinking skills in learners, and promote conceptual understanding. The research findings provide insights into how certain science topics can be taught in meaningful ways to socio-economically and culturally diverse learners, which can contribute to the current debate on relevant education in a country faced with huge diversity.
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Adsorptive and coagulative removal of trace metals from water using surface modified sawdust-based cellulose nanocrystals

- Oyewo, Opeyemi A., Ramaila, Sam, Mavuru, Lydia, Leswifi, Taile, Onyango, Maurice S.

Challenges and Growth Trajectory of the Hospitality Industry in South Africa (1994-2020)

- Olowoyo, Mary, Ramaila, Sam, Mavuru, Lydia

Differences in factors responsible for lateness at school by male and female learners in selected schools in Soshanguve Township, South Africa

- Olowoyo, Mary Motolani, Ramaila, Sam, Mavuru, Lydia

Life Sciences teachers’ conceptions about socioscientific issues in the topic evolution

- Relela, Mokgadi, Mavuru, Lydia

Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in aqueous solution using copper sulfide nanoparticles

- Ravele, Murendeni P., Oyewo, Opeyemi A., Ramaila, Sam Ramaila, Mavuru, Lydia, Onwudiwe, Damian C.

Pre-service teachers’ preparedness and confidence in teaching life sciences topics: What do they lack?

- Mavuru, Lydia, Pila, Oniccah Koketso

Teaching Life Sciences using second language: How do teachers cope?

- Motloung, Amos, Mavuru, Lydia

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