Department Of Basic Education Research Articles

MANAGEMENT TASKS OF SOCIAL WORKERS SUPERVISING EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) CENTRES: IDENTIFYING THE AREAS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Early Childhood Development (ECD) has become a priority area of social work, in both developed and developing countries. In this article, the term ECD supervisors refers to the social workers working with ECD centres in the capacity of supervisor. These social workers can provide valuable insight into the unique management tasks and associated professional development areas uniquely required when working in the ECD sector. The goal of this conceptual article is to identify these professional development areas of management tasks required from social workers who supervise ECD centres. Ultimately, these management tasks are synthesised into three categories, namely tasks which require technical, relational and administrative skills respectively. This is an attempt to preserve the institutional memory of South African social workers, given the current shift of ECD governance functions from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education.

Psychological Interventions Implemented to Improve Job Satisfaction of Schoolteachers in South Africa: A Scoping Review

Job satisfaction levels of South African school teachers are currently impeded by various contextual factors and affect the education system of South Africa. This research study aimed to review the extent of available scientific literature on interventions to improve job satisfaction in South African schoolteachers. A scoping review was conducted to search, appraise, synthesize, and analyze scientific literature on interventions to improve the job satisfaction of South African schoolteachers. The search was conducted between January 2022 and May 2022, and only two studies were synthesized using thematic analysis. Various antecedents influence job satisfaction. Two main themes were identified that included internal school factors (the needs within each specific school(s) and socio-economic status of school and access to resources) and external school factors (monetary rewards, the South African Department of Basic Education, job security, and positive external factors). Due to the complexity of job satisfaction, the formulation of effective interventions should consider various antecedents that accompany the construct. A need for interventions is prevalent, however, the level and strategy of intervention concerning the contextual elements of schools should be highlighted. The research study adds to the current literature regarding the complexity of job satisfaction. Moreover, the lack of scientific literature further highlights the need for interventions.

HIGHER QUINTILE SCHOOLTEACHER’S BELIEFS OF PERSONAL AND CONTEXTUAL CHALLENGES IN PROMOTING SELF-REGULATED LEARNING SKILLS

Ponte Academic JournalJun 2023, Volume 79, Issue 6 HIGHER QUINTILE SCHOOLTEACHER’S BELIEFS OF PERSONAL AND CONTEXTUAL CHALLENGES IN PROMOTING SELF-REGULATED LEARNING SKILLSAuthor(s): Vanishree Ragvan ,Bernadette Geduld, Byron BuntJ. Ponte - Jun 2023 - Volume 79 - Issue 6 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.6.2 Abstract:The province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa has manifested a myriad of contextual factors that impact on the academic performance of learners. Researchers emphasize the importance of self-directed teachers and self-regulated learners to foster 21st century skills to improve academic results in schools. Challenges exist regarding the development self-regulated learning skills (SRL). To test the assumptions that higher quintile schools are generally well-resourced and have favourable teaching environments for the development of SRL skills, we conducted a qualitative study which utilized semi-structured interviews to collect data from 16 secondary school teachers. We explored their beliefs of personal and contextual challenges in developing SRL skills. Higher quintile schoolteachers, like lower quintile schoolteachers, experienced personal, and contextual challenges to develop SRL skills. This will change how the Department of Basic Education motivates teachers and present professional development courses to enhance pedagogical knowledge of SRL skills development. Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

Relationship between situational determinants of teachers’ perceptions of organisational politics and job satisfaction

With the study reported on here we aimed to explore the relationship between situational determinants of teachers’ perceptions of organisational politics in some public high schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province. We adopted a cross-regional survey design and convenience sampling to study teachers (n = 301) at public high schools in all 10 districts in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We found that perceived organisational politics had a positive relationship to job satisfaction. Analyses of correlational and stepwise regression showed numerous significant relations between the perceptions of organisational politics and job satisfaction variables. The results of the study can be used by the Department of Basic Education to improve South African provincial school management practices for the development and retention of experienced and valuable educators.

Practitioners’ Perceptions of Play-Based Pedagogy on the Holistic Development of Young Children

South Africa has made remarkable progress in trying to improve early childhood education by introducing the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in 2015. The NCF encourages practitioners to engage young children in play-based activities to improve their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development, as core developmental skills. The main objective of this study was to explore practitioners’ perceptions of play-based pedagogy on the holistic development of young children. The qualitative approach was used to collect information through semi-structured interviews and lesson observations from five participants in the Mpumalanga Province. This study found that despite the Department of Basic Education mandating the implementation of play-based pedagogy in early childhood centers through the National Curriculum Framework challenges are experienced by practitioners. Practitioners had a good understanding of play-based pedagogy and play-based teaching and learning, but they needed continuous professional development and support to implement it in classrooms

Teacher Accountability on Underperforming Schools: An Investigation in Primary Schools around Mapela Circuit in Mogalakwena District

The department of Education (DoE) clearly stated that other South African primary schools are underperforming. The aim of this study was to investigate teacher causes of underperforming schools in Mapela Circuit at Mogalakwena District. Data was also collected from 5 selected primary schools where commonly known by underperforming. Semi-structured interviews which included open-ended questions were included as part of a way of changing school for open communication, to understand how underperforming can make the culture the culture of the school to look very bad. Sampled schools were referred to as a school A, B, C, D and E. The study indicated that lack of resources in the rural schools compare to urban school contribute to the poor performance. The study further indicated that the large number of students prohibit the teachers to pay attention to all learners. The main problem was the impact of teacher accountability on underperforming schools and how it affects the Circuit, District, Province and National. Schools must come with new strategies to improve their performance and the Department of Basic Education must provide the necessary support to schools. The study further recommended the principals, school governing body and teachers to work together to achieve their goal setting in order to close the gaps.

Perceived Faults that Exist in Laws Governing the Appointment of School Principals in South African Schools

The purpose of the article is to explore the faults that exist in the laws governing the appointment of school principals in schools in South Africa. The article advances an argument that there are numerous flaws in the laws that regulate the appointment of school principals in schools. The article will contribute to the revision and strengthening of the laws that are used in the appointment of school principals. Some sections of South African Schools Act 9) SASA regulate the appointment of school principals and are used to militate against the good intentions of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to have the best suitable candidates appointed as school principals. The appointment processes of educators in schools are seen as fraught with fraud and corruption. A report emerged in the year 2016 that the process of selecting candidates for appointment in the Education Sector is riddled with inconsistencies. The report emanated from the probe by a Ministerial Task Team into allegations of selling of teachers’ posts. Principals should be selected by means of experienced panels inclusive of a DBE representative. It was recommended that Cadre Deployment be done away with. The appointment of candidates as principals was supposed to be made purely on the basis of merit in terms of the report.

The entrepreneurial mindset and self-employment intention of high school learners: The moderating role of family business ownership

Entrepreneurship, through successful business venturing, plays a pivotal role in a nation’s endeavor to create jobs and boost the economy. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) reports state that South Africa’s early stage total entrepreneurial activity (TEA) is lower than most countries that are at comparable levels of development. Therefore, the entrepreneurial mindset of high school learners and its influence on self-employment intention were assessed in this study. Also, the moderating effect of family business ownership on the relationship was measured. The data collected from 320 learners in randomly selected 10 high schools in Gauteng were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. The study finds that the level of an entrepreneurial mindset is above average, which provides the potential for a higher total entrepreneurial activity (TEA) in the future. Both entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurial traits significantly influence self-employment intention, while learners’ family business background moderates the relationship. The study establishes the entrepreneurial mindset level of high school students in a country with one of the lowest TEA in the world, South Africa, where (possibly) the latest entrepreneurial mindset measure, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile (EMP) instrument is used. Also, it’s unique in testing the role of family business background in intensifying the entrepreneurial mindset toward self-employment intention. Therefore, the Department of Basic Education should aim to tap into the existing desire in high school learners and develop a curriculum that integrates theoretical and experiential learning. It is expected that this intervention will improve the future TEA of the country.

The influence of instructional strategies on natural science teachers teaching practices in rural classrooms

This is a qualitative interpretative case study. Its aim is to explore how instructional strategies shape the teaching practices of Natural Sciences teachers in the classroom. The following question guided the study: How do instructional strategies shape the teaching practices of Natural Sciences teachers in the classroom? Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect data from two purposefully sampled participants. The findings reveal that instructional strategies have a more significant effect on the teaching practices of natural science teachers. Further, Natural Sciences teachers still use the old way of teaching, which is the rote-learning which promotes meditation instead of understating scientific concepts. This consequently led to the learner’s lack of interest and poor performance in the subject. It is thus sensible to recommend that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) provides adequate support in terms of workshops to teachers on instructional strategies.

COVID-19 Pandemic in Schools: An Exploration of the Self-Efficacy of Beginner Teachers in Qwaqwa

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, schools in South Africa would have lost a considerable percentage of the annual school curriculum by the end of the lockdown. The Department of Basic Education had to work out plans for curriculum recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed plan was to gradual reopening schools using the “Phasing in Approach”. This study explored the Self-Efficacy of beginner teachers in Qwaqwa schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Informed by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, we used the qualitative research approach and generated data through semi-structured interviews. The telephonic interviews were conducted in two different phases; the first (T1) was in January 2021, and the second (T2) was in August 2021. We interviewed 5 participants of beginner teachers in the Qwaqwa town of the Thabo-Mofutsanyane district. The finding showed that beginner teachers had very high levels of self-efficacy, as they were able to face the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some identified challenges had many classes to teach, and the curriculum coverage was disturbed. On a positive note, the class size was reduced. This study recommended that the Department of Basic Education attend to the issues of overcrowding in schools and the lack of sources, especially in rural schools, as these were the main challenges of beginner teachers. This paper contributes to the existing literature on how beginner teachers’ self-efficacy helped them overcome challenges during the pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Beginner teachers, Self-efficacy, Social cognitive theory

Exploring Vocabulary Knowledge as a Strategy to Enhance English First Additional Language in the Post Covid -19 Era

This paper investigated how vocabulary knowledge is an essential variable for academic achievement during the post-COVID-19 era in Grade 10 learners. Among many variables of poor performance in Grade 10 is inadequate vocabulary in First Additional Language. This paper is underpinned by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory which advocates that language learning occurs through interaction with more knowledgeable others. The present study is quantitative, in which a vocabulary size test (VST) and a productive vocabulary test (PVLT) were administered to 84 conveniently selected participants. This paper revealed that learners have very limited vocabulary knowledge and this affects academic achievement. In addition, COVID- 19 worsened the situation since social interactions were limited, thereby impeding language development. The authors argue that in order for post-COVID-19 learners to cope in the academic world, strengthening vocabulary knowledge is key to equipping these learners with the required skills to cope with virtual learning. Some of the essential skills for learners to learn online include reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. These skills would assist learners in communicating their needs, discussing solutions and expressing themselves when the need arises. This paper recommends using explicit vocabulary instruction to improve learners’ academic achievement in the post-COVID-19 era. The Department of Basic Education should train teachers on how to design fun vocabulary activities online. For instance, quizzes, the Frayer model and other virtual word activities. Keywords: Academic achievement, Explicit vocabulary instruction, Rich language contexts, Post-COVID-19, Vocabulary knowledge

Education in the New Normal: A Need for Alternative Strategies in Supporting Teaching and Learning in South African Schools in the Post-COVID-19 Era

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the educational system all over the world in many ways, including teaching and learning. Schools had to abandon face-to-face teaching and learning and adopt online teaching approaches. This means that teaching through mobile digital tools and blended approaches is to be enhanced post-COVID-19 era. This paper critically reviewed the literature on the strategies used to support teaching and learning in South African schools during the post-COVID-19 era amid the challenges experienced by the education system in South Africa. The literature review approach was adopted to gather literature on strategies to support teaching and learning in South African schools. Having considered teaching and learning in South African schools which is primarily based on face-to-face traditional pedagogical strategies before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the challenges experienced during the pandemic. The paper argues the need for educational planners to rethink how teaching and learning could be enhanced in the new normal. The digital learning, blended teaching, and eLearning/online learning approaches response of South Africa during the outbreak of the pandemic should be sustained. It emerged from the literature that although teachers and learners have embraced technology, there is no clear policy on how ICT should integrate with teaching, learning and assessment. Therefore, this study recommends that the Department of Basic Education develop an ICT integration policy providing a clear strategy that will accommodate both rural and urban schools. Furthermore, it is recommended that increased funding on education resources and the provision of continuous teacher professional development program be considered. Keywords: New normal, Post-COVID-19, Blended teaching and learning, Online learning

Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era Teaching and Learning Strategies in South African Schools

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a total shutdown of global economies and education institutions to lessen the spread of the virus. Due to strict compliance with safety protocols, educational institutions were duty-bound to shift from traditional face-to-face to virtual classroom teaching and learning strategies. This new teaching approach was unanimously embraced and adopted by all institutions globally. The easing of COVID-19 restrictions has led to the re-opening of mainstream schools. As a result, the study focused on teaching strategies adopted by educators after the lockdown. This study employed an interpretive paradigm anchored on the opportunity to learn (OTL) theory. Teaching and learning strategy is one of the key variables grounded in the OTL. Critical issues emerged from this conceptual paper. Among these was the lack of uniform teaching and learning methods approved by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in the post-COVID-19 era. The teaching approach adopted during the national shutdown mostly benefited learners from affluent homes, lack of digital learning and teaching support systems disadvantaged learners from poor communities. This study recommended, among others, the provision of adequate online teaching resources for implementing blended teaching and learning methods in South African schools. Keywords: Blended teaching approach, COVID-19 pandemic, Strategy, teaching and learning, South Africa

Towards learner-centric pedagogies: Technology-enhanced teaching and learning in the 21st century classroom

Effective professional development contributes to improved teacher knowledge and practice as well as deep and meaningful student learning. Despite professional development being cited by the South African Department of Basic Education as a priority goal, teacher professional development activities have been inadequate. In this article, we use a socio-cultural perspective to investigate the pedagogical affordances of digitalisation and technology integration. This study is part of a larger mixed methods study but for the purpose of this article we focus solely on its qualitative results. The aim of the study was to understand teachers' best practices with digital technologies and how these technologies are being used to inform the 21st century classroom and encourage a learner-centric environment. The findings reveal weaknesses in the professional development activities regarding digital technologies and learner-centric pedagogies that are generally episodic, one-size-fits-all events focused largely on technical knowledge. The chief impediment towards learner-centric pedagogies and the implementation of technology-enhanced teaching and learning is the misalignment between teachers' digital abilities and the demands of the 21st century technology-equipped classrooms. Our recommendation is the continual situated professional development of teachers, including the creation of professional learning communities and the harnessing of digital technologies to provide an effective blended approach to teacher learning and instructional delivery in the 21st century.

Environmental Education in South African Schools: The Role of Civil Society Organizations

Environmental education (EE) is an integrated component of the South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document. Pro-EE civil society organisations are actively involved in the implementation of EE policies in schools. The roles played by civil society organisations contribute to the trajectory of practical environmental programmes. This study adopted an interpretive paradigm, a qualitative approach, and a phenomenological design anchored on Bronfenbrenner's philosophical view of human development. One Pro-EE civil society organisation and two respondents were purposefully sampled. Semi-structured interviews and documents were tools employed to collect qualitative data and results were analysed thematically. The study revealed that Pro-EE civil society organisations play a pivotal role which includes; equipping learners to live sustainably, teachers’ professional development, policy formulation, and implementation that actualizes the CAPS document's objectives. The study recommended that the South School Act be amended to make EE policy mandatory. The department of basic education (DBE) should provide sufficient resources to Pro-EE civil society organisations to expand Eco-Schools project-based initiatives in schools regardless of the geographical location.

The Department of Basic Education’s Expectations of Social Workers at South African Schools

Although the number of school social workers in South Africa has increased substantially in the past decade, the exact expectations that they should meet are still unclear. This deficiency was redressed in a national survey of the senior managers of all nine provincial departments of basic education, the systems in South Africa that employ most of the country’s school social workers. The survey produced a detailed and prioritised list of the responsibilities and functions that these practitioners are expected to perform. This inventory of expectations could be used as a guide in the training of local school social workers, in research into this field, in the further development of this specialisation and, ultimately, in school social work practice itself. The survey also revealed that marked differences existed in the way in which the provinces appoint, manage, use and name such practitioners. It indicated that the current school social work system is somewhat inequitable because some provinces have far too few school social workers for their learner population and also because there is a dire need for more social workers throughout the country. The national survey, in the final analysis, exposed a need for the overall “standardisation” of social work at South African schools.

Assessing the policy options for the public provisioning of early childhood development programmes

Levels of access to early childhood development (ECD) programmes in South Africa are around 35 per cent for children aged zero to five, and lower for children in poor households. This despite evidence linking participation to benefits that address poverty, inequality and unemployment, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Notwithstanding government’s commitment to ECD as a universal right in ECD policy, state subsidies benefit only 13 per cent of children in quintiles one to three, limited by marginal increases in public sector budgets over the past decade. Shifting responsibility for ECD programmes to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has the potential to catalyse broad reform to ensure universal access to quality ECD programmes. This paper considers the access gap that the DBE must address to realise the universal right to ECD. It evaluates two policy approaches to the expansion of public provision of ECD programmes: through a purpose-built centre approach or a mixed-model approach. The cost, capacity and policy implications for these two expansion approaches are evaluated, showing that a mixed-model approach will enable the realisation of the universal right to ECD more cost-efficiently than a purpose-built centre approach.

Advancing early childhood development: The role of local government

This article details various interpretations of local governments’ responsibilities relating to their ‘child care facilities’ function in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It concludes that municipalities have historically had the primary function of ensuring a healthy and safe physical environment for young children, and this function must continue. There is room, however, for a broader interpretation of this function – to include building and providing facilities to advance access to early childhood development programmes. Given the importance of these programmes to a young child’s development, these responsibilities should be mandatory. Based on several rights in the Constitution and a child’s right to development, local governments arguably have positive obligations to provide these facilities, particularly in poor communities. This requires enabling legislation and committing capacity and budget. A ring-fenced conditional grant should be explored for the provision of childcare facilities, and the Department of Basic Education must monitor and support municipalities in carrying out this function.

The necessity for up-scaling resource mobilization for implementation of competency based curriculum at basics education level

School resources comprise of necessary materials both financial and human. A growth towards evidence-based allocation and utilization of school resources is affected by inadequate capacity of the school managers, ministry of education, parents and non-governmental organizations. Inadequate teaching and learning resources limits individual schools’ strength to make judicial decisions on equitable trade-offs in education resource demand, supply and consumption. This paper sought to identify the locally available resources for utility in competency-based- curriculum implementation; ways of improving the available resources for enhancing teaching and learning; and analyze factors militating against effective mobilization and utilization of resources at basic education level. Online surveys were used in collecting secondary data. Stratified sampling technique was used in obtaining data from journals, internet, textbooks and research reports. The findings showed that the rural urban migration factors significantly affect trained teachers from arid and semi- arid areas by moving away from their local homes to towns in search for jobs. When learners fail to interact adequately with trained teachers, the consequences are dire resulting to poor acquisition of competencies by learners. The paper established that more than 70% of the teachers teaching at Kakuma Refugee Camp were not sensitive to learner’s plights. Furthermore, 60% of the tutors at Kakuma Refugee Camp are untrained in pedagogical and andragogical skills necessary for giving instructions in competency-based-curriculum. The critical mass of activities under CBC including disciplines such as arts, music, and sports all creates new opportunities of supply chains that present avenues for partnering with organizations that support basic education activities. The paper established that the cost of needed materials and trainings for improving implement the CBC was expensive and therefore; action research could explore avenues for economies of scale by sharing materials, orders and coordinating purchases between and among neighbourhood schools. In conclusion, the national and County government’s department of preprimary and basic education should generate guidance on the use of alternative and low-cost materials for teaching so as to alleviate the persistence shortages of teaching resources.

Entrepreneurial intention of matric commerce students: An empirical study

Background: In the first quarter of 2021, the official unemployment rate in South Africa was 32.6%. Among young persons between the ages of 15 and 34, the figure was 46.3%. One in two young people in the labour market are unemployed, Entrepreneurship is widely recognised as an effective mechanism to address the tripartite challenges of unemployment, inequality, and poverty.Aim: The study’s aim was to look into the factors that influence matric commerce students’ entrepreneurial intentions in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Setting: A survey was conducted among commerce students in 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal.Methods: The study was based on a sample of 433 commerce students from the matric commerce students, South Africa. Data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were performed on the data.Results: The results of the study show that attitude towards entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial education are key drivers of entrepreneurial intention. The study found no evidence of innovativeness as a driver of entrepreneurial intention.Conclusion: The study recommends that the department of basic education should develop strategies that will help innovative and creative students to embrace entrepreneurship. This is because entrepreneurs typically operate in perfect market conditions, with homogeneous products and freedom of entry and exit, so innovativeness is critical.