Die problematiek van wiskunde en wiskundige geletterdheid as voorbereiding vir BAgric-studie aan die Elsenburg Landbou-opleidingsinstituut
Date
2016-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
Een van die dramatiese veranderinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolkurrikulum was die feit dat leerders sedert 2006 verplig is om óf Wiskunde óf Wiskundige Geletterdheid tot en met graad 12 te neem, terwyl Wiskunde vroeër ’n keusevak was. Verder het die veranderinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolstelsel in 2006 die behoefte aan billike keuringsmeganismes tot hoër onderwys laat toeneem. Hierdie faktore het besondere implikasies vir die Elsenburg Landbou-Opleidingsinstituut ingehou, aangesien die vereistes vir toelating tot die BAgric-program nou slegs verkry word deur die Nasionale Senior Sertifikaat-eksamen met ʼn minimumpunt van 50% vir die vier toelatingsvakke te slaag. Wiskunde met ʼn minimumpunt van 50% en Wiskundige AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Geletterdheid met ʼn minimumpunt van 60% is twee van hierdie vakke. Die BAgric-program is een van die min graadprogramme waar ʼn student toelating kan kry met óf Wiskunde óf Wiskundige Geletterdheid.
Hierdie studie het ondersoek ingestel na die Wiskunde-vereistes van die BAgric-program vir eerstejaars aan die Elsenburg Landbou-Opleidingsinstituut. Vir hierdie doel het die navorser hoofsaaklik van kwantitatiewe data gebruik gemaak in die vorm van ʼn dokument-analise, die statistiese analise van prestasiepunte en vraelyste aan dosente wat benut is om die navorsingdata in te samel.
Die ondersoek het bevind dat studente wat Wiskunde aan die einde van graad 12 geslaag het, waarskynlik beter voorbereid sal wees vir eerstejaar- BAgric-studie as dié wat Wiskundige Geletterdheid gehad het, aangesien daar geen wiskundige onderwerp is wat vir hulle totaal nuut sal wees nie. In teëstelling daarmee is daar minstens ses wiskundige onderwerpe wat geensins in Wiskundige Geletterdheid op skoolvlak hanteer word nie en wat belangrik is vir eerstejaar- BAgric-studie. Studente wat Wiskundige Geletterdheid tot graad 12 geneem het, sal dus moontlik ondersteuning benodig om die Wiskunde-inhoud in die BAgric-program te kan baasraak, veral wat basiese algebra betref. Die implikasies van die navorsingsresultate dui veral daarop dat Wiskundige Geletterdheid geskik sou kon wees vir BAgric-studie, maar dat daar noodsaaklike veranderinge aan die keuringsbeleid by die Elsenburg Landbou-opleidingsinstituut gemaak sal moet word om te verseker dat die sterkste akademiese kandidate wel tot die BAgric-kursus toegelaat word.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : One of the dramatic changes in the South-African school curriculum was the fact that since 2006, learners were compelled to take either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy up to Grade 12 while previously, Mathematics was an optional subject. Furthermore, the changes in the South African school system in 2006 increased the need for fair selection mechanisms in higher education. These factors held special implications for the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, as the admission requirements of the BAgric programme could now only be met by passing the National Senior Certificate examination with a minimum mark of 50% for the four university admission subjects. Mathematics with a minimum mark of 50% and Mathematical Literacy with a minimum mark of 60% are two of these subjects. The BAgric programme is one of the few degree programmes where a student may be granted admission with either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy. This study investigated the Mathematics requirements of the BAgric programme for first-year students at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute. For this purpose, the researcher made use of mainly quantitative data in the form of a document analysis, the statistical analysis of performance marks and questionnaires for lecturers which were used to gather the research data. The investigation found that students who had passed Mathematics at the end of Grade 12, were probably better prepared for first-year BAgric study than students who had passed Mathematical Literacy because there is no mathematics topic that will be completely new to them. As opposed to this, there are at least six mathematical topics that are not at all dealt with in Mathematical Literacy at school level, but which are important for first-year BAgric study. Students who studied Mathematical Literacy up to Grade 12 will therefore possibly need support in order to cope with the Mathematics content in the BAgric programme, especially with regard to basic algebra. The implications of the results are that Mathematical Literacy would be appropriate for BAgric study, but urgent changes need to be made to the selection policy at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute to ensure that the strongest academic candidates are indeed admitted to the BAgric course.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : One of the dramatic changes in the South-African school curriculum was the fact that since 2006, learners were compelled to take either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy up to Grade 12 while previously, Mathematics was an optional subject. Furthermore, the changes in the South African school system in 2006 increased the need for fair selection mechanisms in higher education. These factors held special implications for the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, as the admission requirements of the BAgric programme could now only be met by passing the National Senior Certificate examination with a minimum mark of 50% for the four university admission subjects. Mathematics with a minimum mark of 50% and Mathematical Literacy with a minimum mark of 60% are two of these subjects. The BAgric programme is one of the few degree programmes where a student may be granted admission with either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy. This study investigated the Mathematics requirements of the BAgric programme for first-year students at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute. For this purpose, the researcher made use of mainly quantitative data in the form of a document analysis, the statistical analysis of performance marks and questionnaires for lecturers which were used to gather the research data. The investigation found that students who had passed Mathematics at the end of Grade 12, were probably better prepared for first-year BAgric study than students who had passed Mathematical Literacy because there is no mathematics topic that will be completely new to them. As opposed to this, there are at least six mathematical topics that are not at all dealt with in Mathematical Literacy at school level, but which are important for first-year BAgric study. Students who studied Mathematical Literacy up to Grade 12 will therefore possibly need support in order to cope with the Mathematics content in the BAgric programme, especially with regard to basic algebra. The implications of the results are that Mathematical Literacy would be appropriate for BAgric study, but urgent changes need to be made to the selection policy at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute to ensure that the strongest academic candidates are indeed admitted to the BAgric course.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2016
Keywords
Mathematical literacy, UCTD, School curriculum -- South Africa, Mathematics -- Study and teaching, Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute -- South Africa, Agriculture -- Study and teaching -- South Africa, Prerequisites in agricultural training