Pub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1519
M. Sello, N. De Wet-Billings, K. Mabetha, Lerato Makuapane
Background: Early childhood development (ECD) centres play a crucial role in children’s well-being. Multifaceted obstacles hinder ECD centres registration. Overcoming these challenges demands a multisectoral approach to ensure quality education for all children.Aim: This study provides an overview of the quality of ECD centres in South Africa, and then focusses on the specific obstacles ECD centres face in registering their centres with the Department of Social Development (DSD).Setting: An ECD census was conducted in nine South African provinces.Methods: This study analysed data from the South Africa ECD Census (2021). The sample size was 42 420; however, this study analysed data for 39 375 for centres who responded to whether they were registered with the DSD across all South Africa’s nine provinces. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: Only 16% of ECD centres were in the formal registration process, while 43% were not registered. Barriers included no bank account, a lack of separate classes, and insufficient staff. In multivariate analysis, the absence of a bank account strongly predicted registration barriers (RRR 4.21; CI 6.37–7.62, p 0.05).Conclusion: This study underscores the critical role of ECD centres in shaping the foundational aspects of children’s lives. There is an urgent need to streamline the ECD registration process.Contribution: The study finds 43% of childcare centres were unregistered, supporting the call for simplified registration to improve access to quality education and reduce educational disparities in South Africa.
{"title":"Removing barriers to registration for early childhood development centres","authors":"M. Sello, N. De Wet-Billings, K. Mabetha, Lerato Makuapane","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1519","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1519","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Early childhood development (ECD) centres play a crucial role in children’s well-being. Multifaceted obstacles hinder ECD centres registration. Overcoming these challenges demands a multisectoral approach to ensure quality education for all children.Aim: This study provides an overview of the quality of ECD centres in South Africa, and then focusses on the specific obstacles ECD centres face in registering their centres with the Department of Social Development (DSD).Setting: An ECD census was conducted in nine South African provinces.Methods: This study analysed data from the South Africa ECD Census (2021). The sample size was 42 420; however, this study analysed data for 39 375 for centres who responded to whether they were registered with the DSD across all South Africa’s nine provinces. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: Only 16% of ECD centres were in the formal registration process, while 43% were not registered. Barriers included no bank account, a lack of separate classes, and insufficient staff. In multivariate analysis, the absence of a bank account strongly predicted registration barriers (RRR 4.21; CI 6.37–7.62, p 0.05).Conclusion: This study underscores the critical role of ECD centres in shaping the foundational aspects of children’s lives. There is an urgent need to streamline the ECD registration process.Contribution: The study finds 43% of childcare centres were unregistered, supporting the call for simplified registration to improve access to quality education and reduce educational disparities in South Africa.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141810491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1443
Gustavo H. Orozco Cazco, Martha L. Ávalos Obregón, N. I. Usca Pinduisaca, Oscar I. Imbaquingo Cobagango
Background: Learning pre-reading skills through formal education in early childhood is vital for a child’s future personal and professional development. In this regard, integrating appropriate teaching methods and didactic strategies with the support of information and communication technologies (ICT) can facilitate this phase in the development of reading skills.Aim: To conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to investigate and analyse the scientific and academic production of methods, didactic strategies, and educational experiences with ICT applied to pre-reading development in children aged 3 years to 5 years.Method: This study was carried out through an SLR, involving eight steps that enabled the systematic and structured selection, evaluation, and analysis of qualitative research located in Scopus and Google Scholar, using quality criteria systematically and structurally.Results: The selected and analysed studies correspond to the period 2017–2022, responding to the research questions raised in this work. Notable methods include Global, Doman, Geempa, Montessori, and synthetic, among others. The integration of interactive stories, songs, images, role-playing, dramatisations, visual cards, and other strategies was highlighted to enhance pre-reading learning. Research demonstrates their importance in promoting pre-reading activities through the use of digital tablets, multimedia resources, e-books, and applications.Conclusion: The utilisation of suitable didactic methods and strategies, coupled with the implementation of educational practices involving ICT, enhances the pre-reading process in preschool children.Contribution: An amalgamation of methods, didactic strategies, and technological resources, transferrable to diverse contexts, facilitates the development of pre-reading skills in early childhood.
{"title":"Methods, didactic strategies, and educational experiences with ICT for pre-reading in childhood","authors":"Gustavo H. Orozco Cazco, Martha L. Ávalos Obregón, N. I. Usca Pinduisaca, Oscar I. Imbaquingo Cobagango","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1443","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Learning pre-reading skills through formal education in early childhood is vital for a child’s future personal and professional development. In this regard, integrating appropriate teaching methods and didactic strategies with the support of information and communication technologies (ICT) can facilitate this phase in the development of reading skills.Aim: To conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to investigate and analyse the scientific and academic production of methods, didactic strategies, and educational experiences with ICT applied to pre-reading development in children aged 3 years to 5 years.Method: This study was carried out through an SLR, involving eight steps that enabled the systematic and structured selection, evaluation, and analysis of qualitative research located in Scopus and Google Scholar, using quality criteria systematically and structurally.Results: The selected and analysed studies correspond to the period 2017–2022, responding to the research questions raised in this work. Notable methods include Global, Doman, Geempa, Montessori, and synthetic, among others. The integration of interactive stories, songs, images, role-playing, dramatisations, visual cards, and other strategies was highlighted to enhance pre-reading learning. Research demonstrates their importance in promoting pre-reading activities through the use of digital tablets, multimedia resources, e-books, and applications.Conclusion: The utilisation of suitable didactic methods and strategies, coupled with the implementation of educational practices involving ICT, enhances the pre-reading process in preschool children.Contribution: An amalgamation of methods, didactic strategies, and technological resources, transferrable to diverse contexts, facilitates the development of pre-reading skills in early childhood.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141811056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1547
Rosemary D.L. Brien, Sharon Mc Auliffe
. The MSAP seeks to provide teachers with a programme of strategic and efficient mathematical skills development to assist Grade 3 learners to move beyond inefficient and time-consuming single-unit counting (counting all) on their fingers and similarly, the use of tally marks on paper. Background: The Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) seeks to address poor performance in Grade 3 mathematics. The programme focusses on eliminating inefficient counting methods and promoting strategic mathematical skills, including numerical sense, mental calculation and rapid recall skills. Additionally, MSAP supports teachers’ professional growth by providing them with a toolkit of effective calculation strategies to bridge the performance gap and enhance mathematical education. Aim: This paper explores the insight gained from reflections of final year Bachelor of Foundation Phase (FP) initial teacher educators (ITE) students in South Africa. Setting: Grade 3 classrooms. Methods: The ITE students were given training and materials to implement the MSAP, and this occurred over a 4-week teaching practicum, after which they completed a reflective task on the implementation. A total of 20 students were selected from a cohort of 138 based on their academic performance. Results: The analysis of the reflections showed that ITE students benefitted from reflecting on their practice and highlighted important elements of their professional learning. The reflections raised issues related to challenges in their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as well as their confidence and competence to teach mathematics and manage the classroom context. Conclusion: With a multi-dimensional model of reflection, ITE students can achieve a deeper understanding of mathematics teaching and learning when building learners’ mental strategies, fostering professional growth and elevating the overall quality of mathematics education. Contribution: Overall, the findings provide insight into the benefits of reflective practices for ITE students’ professional development and the improvement of mathematics education.
{"title":"Exploring insights from initial teacher educators’ reflections on the Mental Starters Assessment Project","authors":"Rosemary D.L. Brien, Sharon Mc Auliffe","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1547","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1547","url":null,"abstract":". The MSAP seeks to provide teachers with a programme of strategic and efficient mathematical skills development to assist Grade 3 learners to move beyond inefficient and time-consuming single-unit counting (counting all) on their fingers and similarly, the use of tally marks on paper. Background: The Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) seeks to address poor performance in Grade 3 mathematics. The programme focusses on eliminating inefficient counting methods and promoting strategic mathematical skills, including numerical sense, mental calculation and rapid recall skills. Additionally, MSAP supports teachers’ professional growth by providing them with a toolkit of effective calculation strategies to bridge the performance gap and enhance mathematical education. Aim: This paper explores the insight gained from reflections of final year Bachelor of Foundation Phase (FP) initial teacher educators (ITE) students in South Africa. Setting: Grade 3 classrooms. Methods: The ITE students were given training and materials to implement the MSAP, and this occurred over a 4-week teaching practicum, after which they completed a reflective task on the implementation. A total of 20 students were selected from a cohort of 138 based on their academic performance. Results: The analysis of the reflections showed that ITE students benefitted from reflecting on their practice and highlighted important elements of their professional learning. The reflections raised issues related to challenges in their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as well as their confidence and competence to teach mathematics and manage the classroom context. Conclusion: With a multi-dimensional model of reflection, ITE students can achieve a deeper understanding of mathematics teaching and learning when building learners’ mental strategies, fostering professional growth and elevating the overall quality of mathematics education. Contribution: Overall, the findings provide insight into the benefits of reflective practices for ITE students’ professional development and the improvement of mathematics education.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141365868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-05DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1440
Emmanuel S. Akinmolayan, Claudine A. Hingston, Udoh J. Akpan, Omolola A. Arise
Background: Despite the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, most black schools in the country still embrace coloniality through policies and practices. This leads to disempowerment, loss of identity, inequalities and inferiority in the learners, which are nurtured till their adulthood. It is therefore important to decolonise the inherited curriculum and recognise African identity, culture and system as valuable for Africans.Aim: This article aims to explore coloniality within the primary school education system in South Africa and aims to motivate curriculum transformation that will divest coloniality in Africa.Setting: This article centres around South African Primary schools.Methods: This article employs a desktop approach and a systematic literature review. To collect the data, the study selected articles from different search engines such as EBSCO, Science Direct and Google Scholar. This enables the synthetisation of previous works to provide knowledge on the topic. The decoloniality theory underpins the study.Results: Primary school education in South Africa is influenced by coloniality; hence, there is a need for transformation.Conclusion: The primary school curriculum in South Africa needs to be revised in a decolonised manner to suit a multi-racial or ethnic South Africa for the realisation of an equitable and just future for Africans.Contribution: This article provides knowledge about coloniality within the context of primary schools in South Africa and further recommends curriculum transformation to a truly African manner. It thus aligns with the journal’s theme and scope, which is the interrogation of coloniality in South African primary schools.
背景：尽管南非的种族隔离制度已于 1994 年结束，但该国大多数黑人学校仍然通过政策和做法接受殖民主义。这导致学习者丧失权力、丧失身份、不平等和自卑，并一直延续到成年。因此，重要的是要使继承下来的课程非殖民化，承认非洲的身份、文化和制度对非洲人的价值：本文以南非小学为中心：本文采用了桌面方法和系统的文献综述。为收集数据，本研究从 EBSCO、Science Direct 和 Google Scholar 等不同搜索引擎中选取了文章。这样就能对以前的作品进行综合，从而提供有关该主题的知识。非殖民主义理论是本研究的基础：南非的小学教育受到殖民主义的影响；因此，有必要进行改革：结论：南非的小学课程需要以非殖民化的方式进行修订，以适应多种族或多民族的南非，为非洲人实现公平公正的未来：本文提供了有关南非小学殖民主义的知识，并进一步建议以真正非洲的方式进行课程改革。因此，它符合本期刊的主题和范围，即对南非小学中的殖民主义进行审视。
{"title":"Towards decolonisation of primary school education in South Africa","authors":"Emmanuel S. Akinmolayan, Claudine A. Hingston, Udoh J. Akpan, Omolola A. Arise","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1440","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1440","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Despite the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, most black schools in the country still embrace coloniality through policies and practices. This leads to disempowerment, loss of identity, inequalities and inferiority in the learners, which are nurtured till their adulthood. It is therefore important to decolonise the inherited curriculum and recognise African identity, culture and system as valuable for Africans.Aim: This article aims to explore coloniality within the primary school education system in South Africa and aims to motivate curriculum transformation that will divest coloniality in Africa.Setting: This article centres around South African Primary schools.Methods: This article employs a desktop approach and a systematic literature review. To collect the data, the study selected articles from different search engines such as EBSCO, Science Direct and Google Scholar. This enables the synthetisation of previous works to provide knowledge on the topic. The decoloniality theory underpins the study.Results: Primary school education in South Africa is influenced by coloniality; hence, there is a need for transformation.Conclusion: The primary school curriculum in South Africa needs to be revised in a decolonised manner to suit a multi-racial or ethnic South Africa for the realisation of an equitable and just future for Africans.Contribution: This article provides knowledge about coloniality within the context of primary schools in South Africa and further recommends curriculum transformation to a truly African manner. It thus aligns with the journal’s theme and scope, which is the interrogation of coloniality in South African primary schools.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141383855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-13DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1354
Kelly A. Long, Carolyn (Callie) Grant
Background: The concept of ‘learner voice’ has received global attention in recent years, frequently credited to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC recognises that children have (1) the right to express a view and (2) the right to have the view given due weight. However, in many countries, including South Africa, despite legislation that recognises child rights, there is a relative absence of learner voice and participation in school-level decision-making.Setting: The setting of this continuing professional development (CPD) initiative is GADRA Education, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in Makhanda Eastern Cape.Method: A consultative participation approach was adopted with Grades 2–4 learners, under the auspices of GADRA Education. Eight child participation consultations were held, followed by a further eight feedback sessions 5 months later. All were audio-recorded.Results: The results of the CPD initiative suggest that the model provides a useful framework for increasing child participation in primary schools. However, further deliberation is necessary ‘with’ learners around choices related to space, audience, and the alternative ‘hat’ of the facilitating teacher.Conclusion: Building on our learning, we aim to develop these ideas further through a more sustained research project, involving not only consultative participation but also collaborative participation and child-led participation.Contribution: Insight into the extent to which the Lundy model of child participation (Lundy 2007) can be used as a framework to guide researchers and practitioners in assisting primary school learners to develop their voice and exert influence in matters concerning them.
{"title":"Child participation in South African primary schools: How useful is the Lundy model?","authors":"Kelly A. Long, Carolyn (Callie) Grant","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1354","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The concept of ‘learner voice’ has received global attention in recent years, frequently credited to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC recognises that children have (1) the right to express a view and (2) the right to have the view given due weight. However, in many countries, including South Africa, despite legislation that recognises child rights, there is a relative absence of learner voice and participation in school-level decision-making.Setting: The setting of this continuing professional development (CPD) initiative is GADRA Education, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in Makhanda Eastern Cape.Method: A consultative participation approach was adopted with Grades 2–4 learners, under the auspices of GADRA Education. Eight child participation consultations were held, followed by a further eight feedback sessions 5 months later. All were audio-recorded.Results: The results of the CPD initiative suggest that the model provides a useful framework for increasing child participation in primary schools. However, further deliberation is necessary ‘with’ learners around choices related to space, audience, and the alternative ‘hat’ of the facilitating teacher.Conclusion: Building on our learning, we aim to develop these ideas further through a more sustained research project, involving not only consultative participation but also collaborative participation and child-led participation.Contribution: Insight into the extent to which the Lundy model of child participation (Lundy 2007) can be used as a framework to guide researchers and practitioners in assisting primary school learners to develop their voice and exert influence in matters concerning them.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140985098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-10DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1535
Marna Hendriks, Sonja Cruywagen
Background: Embracing the influential role of music in education, teachers an cultivate an environment that fosters learners’ curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge. The first author, experienced in teaching Intermediate Phase music and mathematics, was keen to explore how to bridge the gap between the educational vision for 21st-century knowledge and skills and current teaching practices through the adoption of active music integration and appropriate pedagogy to full engage learners.Aim: The study aimed to explore how general teachers, with no previous formal music exposure perceived and engaged with the process of correlating concepts and learning experiences in music and mathematics.Setting: The research was conducted over nine weeks in three South African, Afrikaans-medium, middle-class governmental primary schools located in the Tshwane North district of the Gauteng province.Methods: This study employed a qualitative case study research approach and was situated within the pedagogical design of constructive alignment for effective teaching and learning.Results: The results underscore the significance of generalist teachers’ ability to effectively incorporate music into mathematics lessons without extensive musical training or instrumental skills.Conclusion: The article challenges the notion that musical expertise is a prerequisite for integration, highlighting the fact that generalist teachers can successfully incorporate music into mathematics instruction by fostering meaningful connections between the two subjects.Contribution: This article draws attention to the importance of constructive alignment in promoting independent thinking and the practical application of knowledge. These findings offer guidance for the development of pedagogical frameworks and instructional practices that prioritise meaningful teaching and learning experiences.
{"title":"Mathematics in South Africa’s Intermediate Phase: Music integration for enhanced learning","authors":"Marna Hendriks, Sonja Cruywagen","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1535","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1535","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Embracing the influential role of music in education, teachers an cultivate an environment that fosters learners’ curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge. The first author, experienced in teaching Intermediate Phase music and mathematics, was keen to explore how to bridge the gap between the educational vision for 21st-century knowledge and skills and current teaching practices through the adoption of active music integration and appropriate pedagogy to full engage learners.Aim: The study aimed to explore how general teachers, with no previous formal music exposure perceived and engaged with the process of correlating concepts and learning experiences in music and mathematics.Setting: The research was conducted over nine weeks in three South African, Afrikaans-medium, middle-class governmental primary schools located in the Tshwane North district of the Gauteng province.Methods: This study employed a qualitative case study research approach and was situated within the pedagogical design of constructive alignment for effective teaching and learning.Results: The results underscore the significance of generalist teachers’ ability to effectively incorporate music into mathematics lessons without extensive musical training or instrumental skills.Conclusion: The article challenges the notion that musical expertise is a prerequisite for integration, highlighting the fact that generalist teachers can successfully incorporate music into mathematics instruction by fostering meaningful connections between the two subjects.Contribution: This article draws attention to the importance of constructive alignment in promoting independent thinking and the practical application of knowledge. These findings offer guidance for the development of pedagogical frameworks and instructional practices that prioritise meaningful teaching and learning experiences.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140991788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-07DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1497
Mere Idamokoro, A. Pienaar, Barry Gerber, Maria M van Gent
Background: Motor development of many children in rural areas of South Africa is compromised because of various socio-economic factors, hence, the need to address these developmental needs.Aim: To examine the immediate and sustainable effects of a 9-week movement programme on fundamental movement skills (FMS) of school children.Setting: Seven to eight years old school children in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, Eastern Cape province.Methods: A two-group, pre-post-re-test research design was used. Fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3) at pre-test, post-test and re-test after 6 months. Ninety-three school children (intervention group [IG] = 57) and (control group = 36), with a mean age of 7.12 (± 0.71) participated in the study. The twice-a-week FMS programme of 30 min was conducted during school hours. Statistical analysis included an ANOVA type of hierarchical linear model (HLM) (mixed models) procedure to test for intervention effects with school, time, sex and group as covariants. Cohen’s effect size was calculated to assess the practical significance of changes.Results: Immediate and sustainable effects were found on locomotor (p 0.05; d 1.7, p 0.05; d 2.0), ball skills (p 0.05; d 0.7, p 0.05; d 1.5) and the gross motor index (GMI) of the IG (p 0.05; d 1.0, p 0.05; d 2.0).Conclusions: A short-duration FMS intervention significantly improve locomotor, ball skills, and GMI of school children in rural areas.Contributions: Interventions of this nature are encouraged to improve the FMS development of school children, especially in rural areas, as it can enhance the building blocks required in the future development of these children.
{"title":"Positive effects of a 9-week programme on fundamental movement skills of rural school children","authors":"Mere Idamokoro, A. Pienaar, Barry Gerber, Maria M van Gent","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1497","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Motor development of many children in rural areas of South Africa is compromised because of various socio-economic factors, hence, the need to address these developmental needs.Aim: To examine the immediate and sustainable effects of a 9-week movement programme on fundamental movement skills (FMS) of school children.Setting: Seven to eight years old school children in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, Eastern Cape province.Methods: A two-group, pre-post-re-test research design was used. Fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3) at pre-test, post-test and re-test after 6 months. Ninety-three school children (intervention group [IG] = 57) and (control group = 36), with a mean age of 7.12 (± 0.71) participated in the study. The twice-a-week FMS programme of 30 min was conducted during school hours. Statistical analysis included an ANOVA type of hierarchical linear model (HLM) (mixed models) procedure to test for intervention effects with school, time, sex and group as covariants. Cohen’s effect size was calculated to assess the practical significance of changes.Results: Immediate and sustainable effects were found on locomotor (p 0.05; d 1.7, p 0.05; d 2.0), ball skills (p 0.05; d 0.7, p 0.05; d 1.5) and the gross motor index (GMI) of the IG (p 0.05; d 1.0, p 0.05; d 2.0).Conclusions: A short-duration FMS intervention significantly improve locomotor, ball skills, and GMI of school children in rural areas.Contributions: Interventions of this nature are encouraged to improve the FMS development of school children, especially in rural areas, as it can enhance the building blocks required in the future development of these children.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141003934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-18DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1423
Marlene Amusuglo, Antonín Jančařík
Background: Many studies have been done in the past to compare country-specific curricula to international standards. However, there is an apparent lack of literature that focusses on evaluating the alignment of country-specific early grade mathematics curriculum to the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) for mathematics.Aim: This study aims to investigate how the domains of the national early grade mathematics curriculum and the Bachelor of Education curriculum for pre-service early grade teachers in the Colleges of Education (CoE) in Ghana align with the GPF for mathematics.Setting: The study was conducted in Ghana using the national early grade and Colleges of Education (CoE) curricula.Method: Document analysis was employed to compare the list of domains in the GPF to the lists of domains in the Ghanaian national early grade mathematics curriculum and the Bachelor of Education curriculum.Results: The results showed an alignment in the list of domains in GPF and the two curricula. The Bachelor of Education curriculum included theories of early-grade numeracy development which was absent in the GPF. The indicators in the two curricula were found to have exceeded the global minimum proficiency levels in the GPF.Conclusion: The results showed an alignment between the GPF and the two curricula signifies that the mathematics curriculum used for teaching early grade learners in Ghana meets international standards and can help learners compete on a global scale in mathematics learning.Contribution: The study provided valuable insights for policy-makers to consider while making decisions about curriculum standards and teacher training programmes. This is a significant step towards enhancing the quality of early grade mathematics education in Ghana.
{"title":"Global proficiency framework: Analysis of national and Colleges of Education curricula in Ghana","authors":"Marlene Amusuglo, Antonín Jančařík","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1423","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1423","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Many studies have been done in the past to compare country-specific curricula to international standards. However, there is an apparent lack of literature that focusses on evaluating the alignment of country-specific early grade mathematics curriculum to the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) for mathematics.Aim: This study aims to investigate how the domains of the national early grade mathematics curriculum and the Bachelor of Education curriculum for pre-service early grade teachers in the Colleges of Education (CoE) in Ghana align with the GPF for mathematics.Setting: The study was conducted in Ghana using the national early grade and Colleges of Education (CoE) curricula.Method: Document analysis was employed to compare the list of domains in the GPF to the lists of domains in the Ghanaian national early grade mathematics curriculum and the Bachelor of Education curriculum.Results: The results showed an alignment in the list of domains in GPF and the two curricula. The Bachelor of Education curriculum included theories of early-grade numeracy development which was absent in the GPF. The indicators in the two curricula were found to have exceeded the global minimum proficiency levels in the GPF.Conclusion: The results showed an alignment between the GPF and the two curricula signifies that the mathematics curriculum used for teaching early grade learners in Ghana meets international standards and can help learners compete on a global scale in mathematics learning.Contribution: The study provided valuable insights for policy-makers to consider while making decisions about curriculum standards and teacher training programmes. This is a significant step towards enhancing the quality of early grade mathematics education in Ghana.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140690010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-17DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1376
Kelly A. Long, Tracy N. Bowles
Background: The Progress in International Reading and Literacy 2021 results draw stark attention to an ongoing crisis in primary education in South Africa. Research attempting to understand and address continued underperformance has focused on literacy learning and teaching in schools where the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) is the same as the learners’ home language. What has yet to be addressed is that a significant dilemma still exists for the many English Second Language (ESL) learners who attend schools where the LOLT is English.Aim: To establish to what extent involvement in the Whistle Stop School (WSS) early grade reading programme impacts on reading rate and comprehension performance for ESL learners learning to read in English.Setting: This research examines the WSS programme in partnership with a local quintile three school.Methods: Longitudinal, quantitative secondary data was used from oral reading fluency and comprehension assessments conducted annually over the first six years of the programme.Results: Results showed that involvement in the WSS programme had a significant impact on learner performance, with those learners involved in the programme notably outperforming those not in the programme and existing national benchmarks.Conclusion: Small-scale though the WSS is, the results demonstrate that with the right approach, the national goal to see every 10-year-old learner reading for meaning may be achievable.Contribution: This research aims to contribute to national conversations around early grade reading in South Africa by addressing the paucity of early grade reading learning research, specifically for ESL learners where LOLT is English.
{"title":"No-fee school consistently outperforms Progress in International Reading and Literacy benchmarks: Presenting early grade reading data from a case in Makhanda, Eastern Cape","authors":"Kelly A. Long, Tracy N. Bowles","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1376","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The Progress in International Reading and Literacy 2021 results draw stark attention to an ongoing crisis in primary education in South Africa. Research attempting to understand and address continued underperformance has focused on literacy learning and teaching in schools where the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) is the same as the learners’ home language. What has yet to be addressed is that a significant dilemma still exists for the many English Second Language (ESL) learners who attend schools where the LOLT is English.Aim: To establish to what extent involvement in the Whistle Stop School (WSS) early grade reading programme impacts on reading rate and comprehension performance for ESL learners learning to read in English.Setting: This research examines the WSS programme in partnership with a local quintile three school.Methods: Longitudinal, quantitative secondary data was used from oral reading fluency and comprehension assessments conducted annually over the first six years of the programme.Results: Results showed that involvement in the WSS programme had a significant impact on learner performance, with those learners involved in the programme notably outperforming those not in the programme and existing national benchmarks.Conclusion: Small-scale though the WSS is, the results demonstrate that with the right approach, the national goal to see every 10-year-old learner reading for meaning may be achievable.Contribution: This research aims to contribute to national conversations around early grade reading in South Africa by addressing the paucity of early grade reading learning research, specifically for ESL learners where LOLT is English.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140693452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-12DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1477
Lesley Wood, S. Esterhuizen
Background: The recent migration of early childhood care and education function brought with it many changes that affect the workplace well-being of practitioners and centre managers, yet little research has reported on the voices and experiences of those working on the ground.Aim: To find out the current state of well-being of practitioners working in resource-constrained contexts to help us theorise how might they take action to improve it.Setting: Early childhood care and education centres in rural and township areas in six different provinces.Methods: The first author conducted 10 semi-structured focus group interviews with 80 practitioners recruited by collaborating researchers at various universities. All ethical protocols were adhered to. The focus groups were audio-taped, transcribed and thematically analysed independently by the two authors before reaching consensus.Results: Two themes were identified: (1) participants experienced negative emotions arising from both internal and systemic aspects that were affecting their well-being. (2) Several factors promoted the well-being of practitioners despite their difficult circumstances.Conclusion: Based on the findings, it appears that close collaboration among practitioners within centres and, with other external stakeholders, was an important factor for enhanced well-being. Drawing from action learning theory, we suggest how practitioners can collaborate to sustain their well-being while addressing the challenges they face.Contribution: This collaborative action learning approach can be applied not only by ECCE centres, but to any organisation wishing to improve the well-being and practice of their members.
{"title":"Enhancing the well-being of early childhood education practitioners working in resource-constrained contexts","authors":"Lesley Wood, S. Esterhuizen","doi":"10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1477","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1477","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The recent migration of early childhood care and education function brought with it many changes that affect the workplace well-being of practitioners and centre managers, yet little research has reported on the voices and experiences of those working on the ground.Aim: To find out the current state of well-being of practitioners working in resource-constrained contexts to help us theorise how might they take action to improve it.Setting: Early childhood care and education centres in rural and township areas in six different provinces.Methods: The first author conducted 10 semi-structured focus group interviews with 80 practitioners recruited by collaborating researchers at various universities. All ethical protocols were adhered to. The focus groups were audio-taped, transcribed and thematically analysed independently by the two authors before reaching consensus.Results: Two themes were identified: (1) participants experienced negative emotions arising from both internal and systemic aspects that were affecting their well-being. (2) Several factors promoted the well-being of practitioners despite their difficult circumstances.Conclusion: Based on the findings, it appears that close collaboration among practitioners within centres and, with other external stakeholders, was an important factor for enhanced well-being. Drawing from action learning theory, we suggest how practitioners can collaborate to sustain their well-being while addressing the challenges they face.Contribution: This collaborative action learning approach can be applied not only by ECCE centres, but to any organisation wishing to improve the well-being and practice of their members.","PeriodicalId":509519,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Childhood Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140711748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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