Factors affecting collective management process of mathematics teaching and learning : a case for Highveld Ridge East Circuit, Mpumalanga

Abstract

This study aimed at examining factors that affect the collective management process of mathematics teaching and learning in the Highveld Ridge East Circuit of the Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The study intended to establish parental and social level, school level as well as system and policy level factors that influence the collective management process of mathematics teaching and learning of Grade 12 learners. In undertaking the study, the revised Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development as well as the Taylor and Baker’s theory of learning performance were used as guiding theoretical frameworks. These theories were sourced from literature and were used in this study to provide a lens for the analysis of data and interpreting results for this study. An interpretivist/constructivist research paradigm was adopted for this study to support a qualitative case study approach. Three schools were included in the case study research design and eight in-depth interviews with school principals, heads of department responsible for mathematics and selected parents of Grade 12 mathematics learners. One non-participant observation was also conducted at each sampled school. Policy document analysis was also conducted. Data were analysed through qualitative content analysis which helped to establish themes and sub-themes. The findings, presented and analysed in accordance with the themes and sub-themes, indicated that the factors that affect the collective management process of mathematics teaching and learning can be grouped into three broad categories. The first category is for those factors that emanate from families and societies, the second one comprises factors emanating from the school environment and thirdly, other factors emanate from system and policy environments. This study recommends that to improve mathematics teaching and learning, there should be close collaboration between parents, communities and school management teams. Furthermore, the study recommends large-scale quantitative survey studies to further clarify factors impacting the collective management process in mathematics teaching and learning.

Boithuto bona bo reretsoe ho hlahloba lintlha tse amang tsamaiso e kopanetsoeng ea ho ruta le ho ithuta thuto ea lipalo Seterekeng sa Highveld Ridge East Seterekeng sa Gert Sibande, Mpumalanga, Afrika Boroa. Boithuto bo ne bo rerile ho theha boemo ba batsoali le sechabeng, boemo ba sekolo hammoho le lintlha tsa boemo ba tsamaiso le leano tse susumetsang tsamaiso e kopanetsoeng ea thuto ea lipalo le thuto ea baithuti ba Kereiti ea 12. Ha ho etsoa boithuto, ho ile ha sebelisoa mohlala o ntlafalitsoeng oa Bronfenbrenner oa bioecological oa nts'etsopele ea batho hammoho le khopolo ea Taylor le Baker ea ts'ebetso ea ho ithuta e le tataiso ea moralo oa thuto. Likhopolo tsena li nkiloe libukeng 'me li ile tsa sebelisoa phuputsong ena ho fana ka lense bakeng sa tlhahlobo ea lintlha le liphetho tsa tlhaloso ea phuputso ena. Ho ile ha amohelwa paradigm ya mofetoledi/ constructivist bakeng sa phuputso ena ho tshehetsa mokgwa wa boithuto ba maemo. Likolo tse tharo li kenyelelitsoe moralong oa lipatlisiso tsa mohlala le lipuisano tse tebileng tse robeli le baokameli ba likolo, lihlooho tsa mafapha a ikarabellang bakeng sa lipalo le batsoali ba khethiloeng ba liithuti tsa lipalo tsa Kereiti ea 12. Ho ile ha boela ha etsoa tlhokomeliso e le 'ngoe ea ba sa nkang karolo sekolong se seng le se seng sa mohlala. Ho ile ha boela ha etsoa tlhahlobo ea litokomane tsa maano. Lintlha li ile tsa hlahlobjoa ka tlhahlobo ea litaba tsa boleng tse thusitseng ho theha meralo le lihloohoana. Dikutollo, tse hlahisitsweng le ho hlahlojwa ho ya ka meralo le metheonyana, di bontshitse hore dintlha tse amang tsamaiso e kopanetsweng ya ho ruta le ho ithuta dipalo di ka hlophiswa ka dikarolo tse tharo tse pharalletseng. Mokhahlelo oa pele ke oa lintlha tse hlahang malapeng le lichabeng, oa bobeli o na le lintlha tse tsoang tikolohong ea sekolo, 'me ea boraro, lintlha tse ling li tsoa tikolohong ea tsamaiso le maano. Phuputso ena e khothalletsa hore ho ntlafatsa thuto le thuto ea lipalo, ho be le tsebelisano e haufi pakeng tsa batsoali, sechaba le lihlopha tsa tsamaiso ea likolo. Ho feta moo, phuputso e khothalletsa liphuputso tse kholo tsa lipalo ho tsoela pele ho hlakisa lintlha tse amang tsamaiso e kopanetsoeng ea thuto ea lipalo.

Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola izici ezithinta inqubo yokuphatha ngokuhlanganyela yokufundisa nokufunda izibalo e-Highveld Ridge East Circuit yesiFunda sase-Gert Sibande, eMpumalanga, eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo luhlose ukusungula izinga labazali nelenhlalo, izinga lesikole kanye nezici zesistimu nenqubomgomo ezinomthelela ohlelweni lokuphatha ngokuhlanganyela lokufundisa nokufunda izibalo zabafundi beBanga le-12. Ekwenzeni ucwaningo, imodeli ye-Bronfenbrenner ye-bioecological ebuyekeziwe yokuthuthukiswa komuntu kanye nethiyori kaTaylor no-Baker yokusebenza kokufunda yasetshenziswa njengezinhlaka zetiyori eziqondisayo. Lezi zinkolelo-mbono zithathwe ezincwadini futhi zasetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo ukunikeza ilensi yokuhlaziywa kwedatha kanye nemiphumela yokutolika yalolu cwaningo. I-paradigm yocwaningo lokuhumusha/i-constructivist yamukelwa kulolu cwaningo ukuze yeseke indlela yocwaningo lwecala. Izikole ezintathu zafakwa ekwakhiweni kocwaningo lwecala kanye nezingxoxo ezijulile eziyisishiyagalombili nothishanhloko bezikole, izinhloko zeminyango ebhekele izibalo nabazali abakhethiwe babafundi bezibalo beBanga le-12. Ukuqaphela okukodwa okungahlanganyeli nakho kwenziwa esikoleni ngasinye esiyisampula. Ukuhlaziywa kwemibhalo yenqubomgomo nakho kwenziwa. Idatha yahlaziywa ngokuhlaziywa kokuqukethwe okuyikhwalithi okusize ekutholeni izingqikithi nezindikimba. Okutholakele, okwethulwa futhi kwahlaziywa ngokuhambisana nezindikimba nezindikimba, kubonise ukuthi izici ezithinta inqubo yokuphatha ngokuhlanganyela yokufundisa nokufunda izibalo zingahlukaniswa zibe izigaba ezintathu ezibanzi. Isigaba sokuqala esalezo zici eziphuma emindenini nasemiphakathini, esesibili sihlanganisa izici ezivela endaweni yesikole futhi okwesithathu, ezinye izici zivela ohlelweni nezindawo zenqubomgomo. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukuthi ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukufundisa nokufunda kwezibalo, kufanele kube nokusebenzisana eduze phakathi kwabazali, imiphakathi kanye namathimba aphethe izikole. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luncoma izifundo zocwaningo lwezibalo ezinkulu ukuze kuqhutshekwe nokucacisa izici ezinomthelela ohlelweni lokuphatha oluhlangene ekufundiseni nasekufundeni izibalo.