The study aimed to explore teachers’ mathematical knowledge in respect of teaching the
concept of fractions to Grade 6 learners. To that end a qualitative study was done, using a case
study design. Data were collected through the observation of, and interviews with, three
teachers at three schools in the Capricorn South district. Rooted in the theory of constructivism,
the study was supplemented by the conceptual framework of mathematical knowledge for
teaching (MKT) (Ball et al., 2008) and Shulman’s (1986) notion of pedagogical knowledge for
teaching (PCK). The key finding of this investigation revealed that, of the three teachers, two
did not develop the concept of fractions for their learners, but merely followed the traditional
method of teaching the concept by encouraging their learners to memorise rules without
understanding. Only one teacher emphasised an understanding of mathematical concepts. The main observation which the researcher made, was that teachers require a great deal of
knowledge and expertise, in carrying out the work of teaching subject matter related to
fractions.
Maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso e ne e le go tlhotlhomisa kitso ya dipalo ya barutabana malebana le
go ruta barutwana ba Mophato wa 6 mogopolo wa dikarolwana. Go fitlhelela seo, go dirilwe
thutopatlisiso e e lebelelang mabaka, go dirisiwa thadiso ya thutopatlisiso ya dikgetsi. Go
kokoantswe data ka go ela tlhoko le go nna le dipotsolotso le barutabana ba le bararo kwa dikolong tsa kgaolo ya Capricorn Borwa. Thutopatlisiso eno e e theilweng mo tioring ya kago
ya kitso e ne e tshegeditswe ke letlhomeso la sediriswa sa tokololo sa kitso ya dipalo ya go ruta
(MKT) (Ball et al. 2008) le mogopolo wa ga Shulman (1986) wa kitso e e kgethegileng ya go
ruta (PCK). Phitlhelelo ya botlhokwa ya patlisiso eno e senotse gore mo barutabaneng ba le
bararo, ba le babedi ga ba a tlhamela barutwana ba bona mogopolo wa dikarolwana, mme ba
latetse fela mokgwa wa tlwaelo wa go ruta mogopolo ka go rotloetsa barutwana go tshwarelela
melawana kwa ntle ga go tlhaloganya. Ke morutabana a le mongwe fela yo o gateletseng go
tlhaloganngwa ga megopolo ya dipalo. Temogo e kgolo e e dirilweng ke mmatlisisi ke gore
barutabana ba tlhoka kitso le boitseanape jo bogolo go tsweletsa tiro ya go ruta dithuto tse di
amanang le dikarolwana.
Dinyakišišo di ikemišeditše go utolla tsebo ya dipalo ya baithuti mabapi le go ruta kgopolo ya
dipalophatlo go baithuti ba Kreiti ya 6. Ka lebaka la se go dirilwe dinyakišišo tša boleng, go
šomišwa tlhamo ya dinyakišišo tša seemo. Tshedimošo e kgobokeditšwe ka go lekodišiša, le
go dira dipoledišano le, barutiši ba bararo ka dikolong tše tharo ka seleteng sa Borwa bja
Capricorn. Ka ge di theilwe go teori ya gore baithuti ba itlhamela tsebo, dinyakišišo di
tlaleleditšwe ke tlhako ya boikgopolelo ya tsebo ya dipalo go ruteng (MKT) (Ball le ba bangwe,
2008) le kgopolo ya Shulman (1986) ya tsebo ya diteng tša thuto (PCK). Kutollo ye bohlokwa ya dinyakišišo tše e utollotše gore, go barutiši ba bararo, ba babedi ga se ba ba le kgopolo ya
dipalophatlo go baithuti ba bona, eupša fela ba no latela mokgwa wa setlwaedi wa go ruta
kgopolo ye ya dipalophatlo ka go hlohleletša baithuti ba bona go tsenya melawana ye ka
hlogong ka ntle le go e kwešiša. Ke fela morutiši o tee yo a gateletšego gore go swanetše go ba
le kwešišo ya dikgopolo tša dipalo. Temogo e tee yeo monyakišiši a bilego le yona, ebile gore
barutiši ba hloka tsebo ye kgolo le botsebi, go phethagatša mošomo wa go ruta diteng tša thuto
tšeo di amanago le dipalophatlo.
