Petro Marais

Hear our voices : student teachers' experiences during practical teaching

Abstract Practical teaching forms an integral part of teacher training. Teacher education programmes at the University of South Africa (Unisa) are no exception. However, there are two sides to this coin. On the one side, research studies led to the conclusion that teaching practice is a valued and a very necessary part of teacher education for students to become competent teachers. On the other side, it was also concluded that teaching practice was less than satisfactory because of deficiencies in the quality of supervisor teachers and in the application of theory in practice. Given the critical importance of practical teacher education, there has been a concern among lecturers at Unisa about how student teachers experience their teaching practice periods. A survey based on two unstructured questions and open-ended semistructured questions as a data collection instrument was undertaken with a sample population of third-year teacher training students to determine the negative and positive experiences of student teachers during their teaching practice. It was evident from the findings that the most outstanding positive experience of the student teachers concerned was the support system offered to them by the supervisor teacher. Negative experiences included exposure to bad discipline in the classrooms and the enlistment of students as cover teachers, thus precluding the presentation of lessons as planned. These findings compelled the researchers to prepare students during their training more thoroughly for what they might experience while doing their teaching practice.

Adapt or die: The views of Unisa student teachers on teaching practice at schools

Abstract This study focuses on the views of Unisa distance education (DE) students enrolled for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) who had completed their teaching practice. The research questions were: What are student teachers’ experiences of the way in which Unisa prepared them for teaching practice, the school context in which they practised teaching, the mentoring they received or did not receive and the way they were assessed? Socio-constructivist learning and situated learning theory were used as the theoretical framework. A maximum variation sampling technique was used to select 16 participants who had completed 10 weeks of teaching practice to participate in the study. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that, in preparing students for teaching practice, all role players need greater clarity on what is expected of students with regard to learning outcomes, assessment criteria and lesson plans. Students need to be placed at schools that will provide constructive learning environments, mentoring teachers should receive training and there should be greater clarity on the who, what and how of the assessment of students during teaching practice.

Student teachers’ understanding of multicultural education in public schools

Abstract As schools in South Africa become increasingly multicultural, pressure is being put on them to meet the needs of all learners. The South African Schools Act, No 84 of 1996, affirms the recognition of all forms of diversity in public schools. It seems clear from media reports, however, that diversity in schools is not readily accepted and that teachers are largely held accountable for racial prejudice in schools. This raises the question whether teachers fully understand multicultural education as a means to adequately manage diversity in schools. Against this background, a project was undertaken to establish what student teachers’ understanding of multicultural education is, and what they regard as the most important aims of multicultural education. Data were obtained by the use of semi-structured questions serving as a self-report instrument. The data collected were consolidated and categorised into themes. It became clear from the data that most respondents showed a seriously deficient conception of the nature, aims and material manifestations of multicultural education. It is therefore recommended that teacher education programmes should be scrutinised to ascertain whether they are providing the right kind of knowledge content to prepare student teachers to function competently in multicultural schools.

Growing Early Childhood Education Teachers in Rural Areas

Abstract Currently in South Africa, there are over 20 000 underqualified Grade R teachers who are enlisted into service to ensure that Grade R teaching can continue. The aim of the study reported on was to investigate the challenges and needs faced by underqualified teachers in order to promote the professional development of teachers teaching in rural areas. Phenomenology was used as the research design. By means of a qualitative research approach, purposeful sampling selected only underqualified early childhood education (ECE) teachers teaching in rural schools for more than five years or more in three provinces, as well as their school principals. The findings revealed the following needs and challenges: the need for resources; poor infrastructure; lack of parental involvement; overcrowded classrooms; the need for in-service training; needs of the rural communities; and support from an open distance learning (ODL) institution.

A Grounded Theory Perspective on Leadership in Multicultural Schools

The methodology of grounded theory has great potential to contribute to our understanding of leadership within particular substantive contexts. Leadership is a global phenomenon, but appears to have a variety of attributes and seems to elude clear definition. In this research we argue that such variation is contextually derived. Leadership is not only a socially influenced process but also a relation-influenced process that occurs within a social system. The focus in this paper is on the challenges facing leaders engaged in multicultural education. In general, grounded theorists seek to develop theory inductively from systematically gathered and analysed data. An integrative picture or story is developed from this process. In the present instance we explore how conducting grounded theory research according to a qualitative approach accentuates the need to understand and explain contextualised leadership. We conclude by suggesting how leaders might overcome challenges in multicultural education.

Learnership in South African Schools as a Community of Practice: An Open Distance Learning Approach

Abstract The appropriateness of Learnership Programs (LPs) that combine work-based experience for teacher training through an Open Distance Learning (ODL) Institution motivated this research. The specific aim of this paper was to investigate the experiences of student teachers participating in LPs and to empower them towards a career in teaching. A qualitative research approach was chosen as the research methodology. Interviews with semistructured and open-ended questions were used to gather data from 35 participants. The theoretical framework focused on the situated learning theory by Lave and Wenger. It is evident from the findings that student teachers experienced their learnership appointments at schools as mostly a very valuable positive learning experience. These LPs could be a key influence in the success and/or failure of enticing and keeping student teachers in schools. The recommendations indicate LPs as the way forward to improve teacher training.

Strategies for Prevention and Intervention of Drug Abuse among Students in Secondary Schools in Kenya.

ABSTRACT Drug abuse is becoming an increasing problem among students in Kenya. The major cause for concern is that a high proportion of the Kenyan youth in secondary schools are involved in drugs (NACADA 2012). As a result, these young people eventually become addicted, posing a threat to their own health and safety. This study sought to establish the current trend of drug abuse among students in Kenyan secondary schools. The aim was to analyse the strategies used to address the problem and propose prevention and intervention measures. This article reports on the findings of the study which was carried out in Machakos County in Kenya. The study, being descriptive in nature, adopted a field survey approach to collect both quantitative and qualitative data using structured questionnaires and interviews. The sample population consisted of students, teachers and parents from selected secondary schools in Machakos County, Kenya. Some of the major findings of the study showed that drug abuse is widespread among students, regardless of gender, and that there is a strong relationship between drug abuse and family members using/abusing drugs, as well as the easy availability of drugs to students. The findings also emphasise key challenges in addressing the drug abuse problem among students. The study makes a number of recommendations for developing strategies for drug abuse prevention and intervention.

Open Distance Learning Community Engagement: Identifying the Needs of a Community School

Abstract dysfunctional early childhood development (ECD) school will have a direct negative effect on the teaching and learning activities of the children attending it on their development. The objective was to determine the needs and challenges of a community school in order to determine what role lecturers at Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions could play as part of their community engagement in transforming a dysfunctional school into a functional school. Aqualitative research design was applied to obtain answers to the research questions and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain data from four staff members. Findings revealed that the school was indeed dysfunctional due to unqualified and under-qualified teachers. It was concluded that ODL lecturers need to support untrained teachers through ODL teaching and learning strategies in order to become qualified teachers.

The Right to be Heard: Open Distance Learning Student Teachers' Challenges Regarding Extra-Curricular Activities

Abstract It is incumbent at all teacher training institutions to ascertain whether they are imparting appropriate made-to-measure skills that will enable student teachers to attain internationally competitive levels when entering the teaching profession. The specific aim of the paper was been to determine open distance learning student teachers’ reflections on the problems they experienced with regard to extra-curricular activities when they had to do their teaching practice at schools. Within the perspective of qualitative research, phenomenology as a qualitative research design has been chosen as the method of obtaining data. Semi-structured and open-ended questions were used to collect data. Two theories were used as theoretical frameworks, namely, an ODL theory called the Commodel and Piaget and Vigotsky’s social-constructive learning theory. The results revealed that numerous problems were experienced by ODL student teachers with regard to their participation in extra-curricular activities during their teaching practice periods at schools.