The primary aim of this qualitative case study was to explore the relevance of seven in-service Grade 10 Life Orientation teachers' teaching-learning operations in two different quintile schools regarding the curriculum topic social and environmental responsibility. Accounts of teaching-learning strategies were used to define the orientation of…

The study investigated the effects of condonation on the promotion of senior phase mathematics learners into the FET phase in a high school in KwaZulu-Natal. Condoned learners were assisted to progress, despite not meeting the pass requirements. The study suggests learning support strategies teachers could use to improve condoned FET mathematics…

This paper explores and compares the language learning strategies of high and low performing second language (L2) learners participating in peer tutoring. The participating learners were grouped into high and low performing learners based on their scores in English second language. The classification of strategies by Griffiths into base, core and…

The concept of self-directedness is a missing link in South African science classrooms, and as a result, science teachers are often not self-directed in employing innovative teaching and learning strategies such as blended problem-based learning (BPBL) that might enhance self-directed learning. The literature is replete with studies showing that…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is considered to be an effective teaching and learning strategy as it leads to longer retention of concepts learnt, improves problem-solving skills and enhances critical thinking. However, teachers often find it difficult to implement as they do not receive guidance during their initial training. A professional…

Background: Poor mathematics performance in South Africa is well known. The COVID-19 pandemic was expected to exacerbate the situation. Aim: To investigate Grade 7 learners' mathematical knowledge at the end of primary school and to compare mathematical performance of Grade 7 and 8 learners in the context of the pandemic. Setting: Data were…

This study investigated the potential benefits and challenges associated with the implementation of blended learning as a strategy for curriculum recovery and enhancement of student performance in Grade 12 science and mathematics education. Blended learning, which combines traditional face-to-face teaching methods with online learning, was…

The experiences of pre-service teachers who come from rural backgrounds differ widely from those who are from urban schools. It can be assumed that these experiences play a crucial role in shaping their teaching careers during and after the formal teacher training. Even though much research has already dwelt on the various challenges experienced…

This article presents balanced views of Mathematical Literacy (ML) and Mathematics (M), from both an analytical perspective and the subjective perspectives of teachers and learners. From the analytical perspective, policy documents and the literature spanning the period from the inception of ML to date are reviewed. Glimpses into the subjective…

Classroom practitioners are expected to facilitate effective learning under the "Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement" (CAPS) in South Africa. During this facilitation process, educators are required to become more resourceful in terms of their learning and teaching strategies. This article is based on a case study -- within the…

As part of curriculum changes in South Africa, an introductory programming language, Scratch, must first be taught before switching to the well-established teaching of Delphi. The nature of programming in Scratch is considerably different from that in Delphi. It was assumed that the teaching of Scratch as introductory programming language could…

The introduction of progression policy, which prohibits the repetition of a grade to more than once within each of the four phases of Basic Education, was enforced in South Africa in the Further Education and Training phase in 2013, but appropriate strategies which could be applied to support progressed learners are not addressed. This research…

The importance of the enactment of formative assessment as a pedagogical tool in science teaching and learning cannot be over-emphasized. Teachers encounter pedagogical challenges when enacting formative assessment in science classrooms. These pedagogical challenges underscore the need to explore teachers' perspectives on pedagogical strategies…

There is a huge challenge of high failure rate in physical science across the world and South Africa, in particular at the high school level in recent times. This is in spite of the fact that both the educators and learners go to schools almost on daily basis perhaps doing the same thing in the same way and manner and achieving the same level or…

Background: The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study of 2016 lays claim to the need for critical thinking to be developed since, in the South African context, 78% of learners could not even retrieve explicitly stated information (lower-order thinking) from texts, as opposed to 4% in the rest of the world. Critical, higher-order…