Browsing by Author "Van Graan, Danelda Celeste"
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- ItemExploring inquiry-based education in a professional learning programme for science teachers(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Van Graan, Danelda Celeste; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda; Ndlovu, Mdutshekelwa; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Curriculum Studies.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Schools worldwide have been struggling to produce good results in Mathematics and Science. In South Africa, in particular, continued poor results in both Mathematics and the Sciences are of great concern. This has led to the evaluation of current teaching and learning practices in these subjects and the type of pre-service and in-service training provided for Science teachers. Research has shown that the Inquiry Based Education approach (IBE) proves to be very successful in igniting and holding learner interest in Science; this ultimately leads to better performance and improved school results in Science. The Stellenbosch University Centre for Pedagogy (SUNCEP) is one training centre in the Western Cape in South Africa, which supports STEM education through programmes for learners and courses for teachers to introduce and develop teaching best practices. This study explored the effect of introducing Science teachers to Inquiry-Based Science education. It aimed to ascertain whether and how the introduction affected the teachers’ perception and practice of Science teaching. The transformative paradigm was chosen for this study since it was of an emancipatory nature. This choice was motivated by the assumption that this paradigm would allow teachers to reflect and move away from established practices. The study took the form of an action research project done with five Science educators within one district of the Western Cape Education Department in South Africa. Action research was deemed an appropriate research design for this project as it addresses practical problems in a positive way, and gives the participants an opportunity to be part of the project and to play an active role in finding solutions to the problems faced by Science education. The practical nature of action research, which is focussed on change, is well-suited to the classroom environment. The teachers agreed to take part in a teacher professional learning programme where data could be collected through interviews and class observations before and after the learning programme. A thematic analysis of the data was done, and results from data sets before and after the programme were compared to ascertain whether there was any change in teachers’ perceptions and practice. The analysis indicated that all the participating teachers initially opted for more traditional teaching practices such as lecturing. However, the participating teachers were all open to learn about, and implement a new teaching method, namely Inquiry-based Science Education. A number of changes were identified when sets of data before and after the learning programme were compared to each other. It became evident that there were some changes in teachers’ perceptions and practice. It was found that teachers initially did not trust learners to take responsibility for their learning as teachers regarded learners as lazy and disinterested. However, when the participating teachers did make a shift towards a more learner centred approach, learners were cooperative and participated actively. The study further highlighted that participating teachers were willing to move away from their customary teaching practices. In order for teachers to adopt new strategies a supportive environment where learning and collaboration can occur simultaneously, is required.