Preschool teachers’ facilitation of emergent mathematics activities with three-to-four-year-old children

Abstract

The purpose of this empirical study was to explore the facilitation of emergent mathematics by preschool teachers of three-to-four-year-old children. Literature shows that there is a correlation between early mathematics exposure and later performance. The study aimed to establish how emergent mathematics was being facilitated from the grassroots level. A qualitative approach within an interpretative paradigm was embraced. Purposeful sampling was employed to select five preschool teachers from the Tembisa residential area. A multiple case-study design was employed and data was generated through semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the collected data. The categories that emerged resulted in the formulation of six themes parallel with the findings of the study, namely facilitation of emergent mathematics activities and instructional practices; teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of mathematics; understanding the curriculum; resources for the facilitation of emergent mathematics activities; and planning and beliefs about emergent mathematics The study concluded that preschool teachers lack PCK for facilitating emergent mathematics activities, and although positive attitudes towards mathematics were evident, this did not manifest in practice. Based on these findings, recommendations were made at government, institutional and individual levels. Firstly, it was recommended that the Department of Basic Education should create awareness about the existence of the National Curriculum Framework and the implementation thereof. Secondly, teacher training institutions should provide training that is directly linked to appropriate mathematics content. Lastly, teachers should be provided with opportunities for professional development to enhance their PCK and relevant knowledge and skills to facilitate emergent mathematics.

Die doelwit van hierdie empiriese studie was ‘n ondersoek na die fasilitering van ontluikende wiskunde aan drie- tot vierjarige kinders deur voorskoolse onderwysers. Literatuur toon ‘n korrelasie tussen vroeë wiskunde-blootstelling en latere prestasie. Die studie was daarop gemik om te bepaal hoe ontluikende wiskunde vanaf die voedsoolvlak gefasiliteer word. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering binne ‘n interpretatiewe paradigma is gevolg. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om vyf voorskoolse onderwysers uit die residensiële-area van Tembisa te kies. ‘n Veelvoudige gevallestudie-ontwerp is gebruik en data is deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en dokumentanalises gegenereer. Tematiese analise is gebruik om die versamelde data te analiseer. Die kategorieë wat ontstaan het, het gelei na die formulering van ses temas parallel tot die bevindings van die studie, naamlik die fasilitering van ontluikende wiskunde-aktiwiteite en instruksionele praktyke; onderwysers se Pedagogiese Inhoudkennis (PIK) van wiskunde; begrip van die kurrikulum; hulpbronne vir die fasilitering van ontluikende wiskunde-aktiwiteite; en beplanning en opvattings oor ontluikende wiskunde. Die studie se gevolgtrekking was dat PIK om ontluikende wiskunde-aktiwiteite te fasiliteer by voorskoolse onderwysers ontbreek, en alhoewel positiewe houdings teenoor wiskunde sigbaar was, het dit nie in die praktyk gemanifesteer nie. Gebaseer op hierdie bevindings is aanbevelings op regerings-, institusionele en individuele vlakke gemaak. Eerstens is aanbeveel dat die Departement van Basiese Onderwys bewustheid moet skep oor die bestaan van die Nasionale Kurrikulumraamwerk en die implementering daarvan. Tweedens moet onderwysopleidingsinstellings opleiding voorsien wat direk gekoppel is aan gepaste wiskunde-inhoud. Laastens moet geleenthede vir professionele ontwikkeling aan onderwysers verskaf word om hul PIK en toepaslike kennis en vaardighede te verbeter ten einde ontluikende wiskunde te fasiliteer.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo olususelwa ekubukeni nasekulinganisweni kwezimo bekuwukuhlola ukulekelelwa kwesifundo sezibalo esisathuthuka ngothisha basenkulisa bezingane ezineminyaka emithathu kuya kwemine ubudala. Imibhalo ikhombisa ukuthi kunokuhlobana phakathi kokuvezwa kwesifundo sezibalo sakuqala nokusebenza kamuva. Ucwaningo kuhloswe ngalo ukuthola ukuthi isifundo sezibalo esisafufusa sasisizwa kanjani kusukela emazingeni aphansi. Indlela yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane engeyona eyamanani ngaphakathi kokuphathelene nokuqonda umhlaba njengoba kuvela kokuhlangenwe nakho okuzimele kwabantu abathile kwamukelwa. Isampuli enenjongo yasetshenziswa ukukhetha othisha abahlanu basenkulisa endaweni yokuhlala yaseTembisa. Kwasetshenziswa umklamo wokukhethwa amacala amaningi aboshelwe ukuthuthukisa ukuqonda okujule futhi imininingwane yenziwa ngezingxoxo ezihleleke kancane, ukuhlolwa kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo. Indlela yokuhlaziya nokuqoqa imininingwane engeyona eyamanani yasetshenziswa ukuhlaziya imininingwane eqoqiwe. Izigaba ezavela zaholela ekwakhiweni kwezindikimba eziyisithupha ezihambisana nokutholwe ocwaningweni, okungukuthi ukulekelelwa kwemisebenzi yesifundo sezibalo esisathuthuka kanye nezindlela zokufundisa; uhlobo lolwazi olwenza othisha besifundo sezibalo babe ngothisha bezibalo kunokuba ngosozibalo (PCK); ukuqonda izifundo nokuqukethwe kwezemfundo okufundiswa esikoleni; izinsiza kusebenza zokwenza lula imisebenzi esanda kuvela yesifundo sezibalo; nokuhlela nezinkolelo mayelana nesifundo sezibalo esisathuthuka. Ucwaningo luphethe ngokuthi othisha basenkulisa baswele i-PCK yokwenza lula imisebenzi esisathuthuka yesifundo sezibalo, futhi yize izimo zengqondo ezinhle ngesifundo sezibalo zazibonakala, lokhu akuzange kubonakale ngokwenza. Ngokuya ngalokhu okutholakele, kwenziwa iziphakamiso emazingeni kahulumeni, ezikhungweni kanye nakumuntu ngamunye. Okokuqala, kuphakanyiswe ukuthi uMnyango Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo kumele uqwashise ngobukhona boHlaka lukaZwelonke Lwezifundo nokuqukethwe kwezemfundo okufundiswa esikoleni kanye nokusetshenziswa kwalo. Okwesibili, izikhungo zokuqeqesha othisha kufanele zinikeze ukuqeqeshwa okuxhumene ngqo nokuqukethwe okufanele kwesifundo sezibalo. Okokugcina, othisha kufanele banikezwe amathuba okuthuthuka kobungcweti ukuze bathuthukise i-PCK yabo kanye nolwazi olufanele namakhono okwenza lula isifundo sezibalo esisathuthuka.