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Good intentions are not actions: Mathematics education of South Africa demands action and pride from citizenry
Abstract
A desktop review of three educational systems is conducted to gain insight on factors that hinder quality mathematics education in South Africa. Mathematics performance of South African students has be repeatedly reported to be at a lowest level compared to other countries. Research has highlighted social class as an emerging factor in the system that plays a significant contribution in this low performance. This paper examines the barriers behind aiming for excellence in the mathematics education of the country. This examination uses the highest performing countries' stories to se the bar and highlight challenges. The findings indicate that social class, teacher morale, mathematics knowledge, and curriculum instability are key areas that challenge the country's mathematics education system. This paper recommends international teacher exchange programmes, curriculum stability that puts student in the center using national assessments to improve practice rigorously, and attention to teacher welfare.
... The intended CAPS prescribed various topics and the content areas to be covered in each grade with time allocated specifics together with the weighting of the content areas in each phase, outcomes and relevant assessment examples. Mathematics is taught at foundation (grades 1-3), intermediate (grade [4][5][6], senior (grade 7-9) and further education and training (grades 10-12) phases. Ramatlapana and Makonye [14] assert that although the teachers were free to teach the previous curricular as they saw fit, CAPS was prescriptive and demanded uniformity in implementation across the country. ...
... However, Ramatlapana and Makonye [14] argue that the said prescription restricts the mathematics teachers' professional autonomy. This curriculum is favored in the country because it is helpful in the teaching of low achieving learners from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds using a more structured teacher directed instruction [5]. In addition, systematic efforts to change the practice, attitudes and beliefs of mathematics teachers in the classroom so as to effect the learning outcomes of students and familiarize teachers with the implementation of the curriculum are effected through Mathematics Continuous Professional Development programs. ...
... South Africa's poor performance in Mathematics and Science education quality was highlighted in the first three TIMMS reports-1995, 1999 and 2002. Feza [5] asserts that South Korea and Singapore which are two of the top performing countries in TIMSS had gone through curriculum changes reforms driven by political influences and have managed to have their students as the lead performers in TIMSS. However, South Africa's repeated ranking at the very bottom of TIMMS and equally poor outcomes in the annual high-stakes national grade 12 matric examination results, follow with endless speculation about the reasons and causes of South Africa's continued poor mathematics performance. ...
... Another reason for difficulties experienced by learners when biotechnology concepts are tested is that, until now, curriculum planners have paid more attention to policy changes driven by politics rather than changes that focus on learners' difficulties and sound curriculum planning (Feza, 2014;Maluleka, Wilkinson & Gumbo, 2006;Masemula, 2013). The result of these studies have indicated that while the National Curriculum Statement speaks of valuing indigenous knowledge and mentions the word "integration", there was no evidence of any practical integration (Masemula, 2013). ...
Teacher quality matters. As stated by Kind (2016) “pedagogical content knowledge...offers a potential contribution to developing high quality science teacher education” (p.123). This study explored the relationship between the developing espoused TSPCK of PGCE pre-service teachers and their classroom practice (enacted TSPCK). According to Kind (2016), teachers have to be educated effectively if they are expected to promote student achievement. A PGCE teacher development program is typically a one-year program that hosts pre-service teachers who have completed a non- teaching qualification degree and have switched into a teaching career. This study focused on a cohort of eight (8) 2018 PGCE physical science pre-service teachers registered for a chemistry methodology course. The class had explicit discussions of the knowledge for transforming content knowledge of chemical equilibrium. Data collected constituted a set of pre, intermediate and post CoRes on chemical equilibrium, accompanied by 2 video recorded lessons delivered by three (3) pre-service teachers on the topic. The analysis of collected data was mainly in- depth qualitative analysis for evidence of TSPCK, represented for comparison pictorially using a TSPCK Map (Park & Chen, 2012). Explicit links between the evidence of developing TSPCK during the coursework and that seen in the enacted classroom were highlighted. The findings revealed: a visible learning progression across the intervention; the quality of the teachers’ espoused TSPCK grew remarkably from basic to developing after the treatment. The links in the pre-service teachers’ espoused TSPCK level was evident in their teaching with their enacted TSPCK mainly at a proficient level. An argument for what is to be considered for description of quality teaching from the TSPCK perspective is presented.
In all its efforts, the current South African regime advocates equal and quality education with its educational reforms in particular. However, adapting the curriculum for the previously oppressed in the classroom as the language of the colonist still dominates post the Covid-19 pandemic. It is imperative that Africanisation of the curriculum could be effectively implemented especially in Mathematics classes since the subject is viewed as a scarce skill. Currently, reports indicate that learners are performing poorly in languages and Mathematics. In this theoretical paper, the authors argue that if strategies addressing teaching beyond Covid-19 are embedded in principles of decolonisation and Africanisation are properly addressed in the teaching and learning of Mathematics, the above gloomy picture can be changed for the better. In that process, aspects and issues that can be barriers to learners, namely, the background culture of the learner, language and socio-economic factors need to be addressed. To effect this in the classroom, meaningful Mathematics teaching and learning in this era post covid-19, the authors believe and advocate that constructivist theory can be of benefit. This theory incorporates community and school ecosystems, which can engage various stakeholders in the development of Mathematics learners. This paper posits that within the constructivist theory, teachers will be employing both their Mathematics content knowledge (MCK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in teaching to advance decolonisation and Africanisation of curriculum. Keywords: Africanisation, collaboration, collegiality, effectiveness, Mathematics, pedagogy
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