Parents’ perceptions of grade R teaching and learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions of parents of Grade R children regarding teaching and learning. This will be compared to relevant education theories and the Foundation Phase curriculum and assessment policies to establish whether parents’ perceptions of Grade R teaching and learning differ from prescribed policy, and that which is age-appropriate. This study is based on qualitative methodology and uses a single case study approach. The case identified is located in the suburb of Westville in the Pinetown School District. Open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis were used for data collection. Ten parents of Grade R children from two ECD centres were purposively selected to respond to the questionnaire. The two Grade R teachers from each centre were also interviewed. A document analysis of the Mathematics, English Home Language, and Life Skills curriculum and assessment policies was also conducted. The findings revealed that parents’ perceptions regarding Grade R teaching and learning significantly differed in relation to current literature and prescribed curriculum policies. Parents’ expectations of the curriculum also exerted pressure on teachers and children, thus it is recommended that parents become au fait with the use of play as an appropriate teaching and learning strategy in the informal Grade R year.

Die doel van hierdie studie is om die persepsies van ouers van graad R-leerders rakende onderrig en leer te bepaal. Die studies al vergelyk word met relevante onderwysteorieë en die Grondslagfase-kurrikulum en assesseringsbeleid om vas te stel of ouers se persepsie van graad R-onderrig en -leer verskil van die voorgeskrewe beleid, en dit wat ouderdomsgepas is. Hierdie studie is gebaseer op kwalitatiewe metodologie en gebruik 'n enkel gevallestudie-benadering. Die geïdentifiseerde gevallestudie vind in die voorstad Westville in die Pinetown-distrik plaas. Oop eindigende-vraelyste, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentontleding is gebruik vir die insameling van data. Ouers van graad R-leerders van twee VKO-sentrums is doelgerig gekies om die vraelys te beantwoord. Daar is ook onderhoude gevoer met die graad R-onderwysers van elke sentrum. 'n Dokumentanalise van die kurrikulum- en assesseringsbeleid vir Wiskunde, Engels Huistaal en Lewensvaardighede is ook uitgevoer. Die bevindings het aan die lig gebring dat ouers se persepsies rakende graad R-onderrig en -leer beduidend verskil in verhouding met die huidige literatuur en voorgeskrewe kurrikulumbeleid. Die verwagtinge van ouers oor die kurrikulum het ook druk op onderwysers en leerders uitgeoefen, daarom word daar aanbeveel dat ouers vertroud raak met die gebruik van speel as 'n gepaste onderrig- en leerstrategie in die informele graad R-jaar.

Injongo yalo lucwaningo ukunquma mayelana nemicabango yabazali bezingane ezenza ibanga R maqondana nendlela yokufunda kanye nokufundiswa kwabo. Lokhu kuzoqhathaniswa nemihlahlandlela ephathelene nenqubomgomo kanye nokuhlola kwezemfundo esemazingeni aphansi (Foundation Phase), ukuthola ukuthi imicabango yabazali bezingane ezenza ibanga R iyahluka yini kunalenqubomgomo emiselwe leli banga mayelana nokufunda kanye nokufundiswa kwabo, kanye nokuthi ifanele abafundi abaneminyaka emingaki. Lolu cwaningo lumiselwe indlela eyikhwalithi yokwenza ucwaningo kanti kuzosetshenziswa isehlo esisodwa. Isehlo okunqunywe ukuba kusetshenzwe ngaso sizobe sitholakala endaweni eyidolobha lase Westville esifundeni sase Pinetown. Kuzosetshenziswa iphepha elinamahlelo emibuzo evulekile nenhlolovo engenazimiso kanti inhlaziyo yemiqulu yasetshenziswa ukuqoqa imininingwane. Abazali ababili bezingane ezifunda ibanga R ezikoleni ezimbili zamabanga aphansi kakhulu (ECD centres) baqokwe ngokukhethekile ukuba baphendule amaphepha anamahlelo emibuzo. Othisha bebanga R nabo abavela kulezo zikole bafakwa imibuzo yenhlolovo. Kwenziwe inhlaziyo yemiqulu yomhlahlandlela kanye nenqubomgomo yokuhlola Izibalo, IsiNgisi nezifundo zamakhono. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveze ukuthi imibono yabazali ngokufunda nokufundiswa kwabafundi bebanga R ihluke kakhulu kunezifundo zemibhalo zakamuva kanye nenqubomgomo yomhlahlandlela wezemfundo omiselwe abafundi. Lokho okulindelwe ngabazali mayelana nomhlahlandlela wezemfundo kubuye kubafakele ingcindezi othisha kanye nabafundi, ngakho-ke kunesiphakamiso sokuthi abazali babe nolwanzi olunzulu ngokusetshenziswa komdlalo njengendlela efanele yokufundisa onyakeni webanga R ongenazimiso.

Injongo yoluphononongo kukufumanisa iimbono neengcinga zabazali babafundi bebanga leR malungu nokufundisa nokufundiswa. Oku kuya kuthelekiswa neethiyori ezifanelekileyo zemfundo kunye nemigaqo-nkqubo yekharityhulam kunye novavanyo lweSigaba seSiseko ukumisela ukuba ingaba iimbono zabazali ngokufundisa nokufunda kwebanga leR zahlukile na kumgaqo-nkqubo omiselweyo, kwaye oko kufanelekile ngokweminyaka. Olu phononongo lusekwe kwindlela esemgangathweni kwaye lusebenzisa indlela eyodwa yokufunda. Ityala elichongiweyo lifumaneka kwihlomela-dolophu laseWestville kwiSithili seSikolo iPinetown. Iikhweshine ezivulekileyo, udliwanondlebe olwenziwe ngokwesiqingatha, kunye nohlalutyo lwamaxwebhu zazisetyenziselwa ukuqokelela idatha. Abazali babafundi beBanga leR abavela kumaziko amabini e-ECD bakhethwa ngenjongo-njongo yokuphendula kwiphepha lemibuzo. Ootitshala bebanga uR kwiziko ngalinye nabo benziwe udliwanondlebe nabo. Uhlahlelo lwamaxwebhu eMathematika, isiNgesi uLwimi lwaseKhaya, kunye nemigaqo-nkqubo yovavanyo lwezakhono zobomi nayo yaqhutywa. Iziphumo zaveza ukuba iimbono neengcinga zabazali ngokubhekisele ekufundiseni nasekufundeni kwabanga leR zahluke kakhulu ngokunxulumene noncwadi lwangoku nemigaqo-nkqubo emiselweyo yekharityhulam. Izinto ezilindelwe ngabazali kwikharityhulam zikwabonakalise uxinzelelo kootitshala nakubafundi, yiyo loo nto kucetyiswa ukuba abazali bahlawulwe ngokusetyenziswa komdlalo weqonga njengesicwangciso esifanelekileyo sokufundisa nokufunda kunyaka ongacwangciswanga weBanga R.