Evaluation of the Concept
Literacy Project
Report 2 - Appendices
November 2007
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Table of Contents
Appendix A: Kwazulu-Natal Field Testing Report .........................4
Siyanda Secondary school ......................................................................................... 4
Grade 11B Physical Science by Ms Nozipho Duma ............................................................... 4
Grade 10B Mathematics lesson by Mr SS Mdlalose ............................................................... 6
Focus group discussion ............................................................................................................. 8
Nsikayethu Secondary school ................................................................................... 9
Grade 11A Mathematics lesson by Mr Duma......................................................................... 9
Grade 10A Mathematics lesson by Ms NB Zuma ................................................................ 11
Grade 9E Mathematics lesson by Ms GL Ngubane ............................................................. 12
Focus group discussion ........................................................................................................... 15
Siyahlomula Secondary school............................................................................... 16
Grade 9A Mathematics lesson by Mr Nkosi ......................................................................... 16
Focus group discussion ........................................................................................................... 18
Appendix B: Eastern Cape Field Testing Report ............................19
Nomzamo Secondary Combined school ............................................................... 19
Grade 10A Biology lesson by Mr T. Sambu .......................................................................... 19
Focus group discussion ........................................................................................................... 20
Kuyasa Combined School........................................................................................ 21
Grade 10 Science lesson by Mr SS Bethela ............................................................................ 21
Grade 11B Science lesson by Ms PT Ntoni ............................................................................ 22
Focus group discussion ........................................................................................................... 24
Ntsika Secondary school .......................................................................................... 25
Appendix C: Instruments ....................................................................26
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Appendix A: Kwazulu-Natal
Field Testing Report
Siyanda Secondary school
The school is in a semi-rural area outside Pietermaritzburg called Sweetwaters. In
this school six educators received training. They went back to the school and
informally briefed another eight educators in the school about the training they had
received.
Educators and classes observed:
Name
Class
Ms Nozipho Duma
Grade 11B Physical Science
Mr SS Mdlalose
Grade 10B Mathematics
Grade 11B Physical Science by Ms Nozipho Duma
Topic: Radox reaction
Number of learners: 35
Purpose of lesson: To teach the learners about the movement of electrons from one
element to another and also to deepen their understanding of the periodic table and
the elements therein.
Lesson development
The lesson started with a ‘good morning class’ in English. The educator then
proceeded to write the topic on the board. The class was asked to read and then
explain what the topic ‘Radox reaction’ meant. The class read out the written words
together and then one learner attempted an answer. The educator then proceeded to
give a fuller answer and wrote it on the board. As the lesson progressed, the
educator would periodically ask questions and the learners would respond and then
the educator would write up the appropriate answer on the board.
The lesson moved on to the movement of electrons between elements and then to the
periodic table and the properties of elements.
As the properties of elements were explained the process of oxidisation came up and
learners were asked to explain this. One learner answered correctly and the same
happened when they educator moved to ‘reduction’ and ‘electron donation.’ The
lesson moved quite fast and teacher did a lot of talking, periodically asking questions
and continuously writing notes on the board as the lesson proceeded. In explaining
the processes the teacher spent a bit of time explaining how electrons moved from
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one to the other element. She gave an example of people in need of jerseys and shoes
as a way of showing how one always takes all that is needed and receives what is
needed. One would not for example, get two jerseys when one was required, as the
other one would not be used. Here she spoke mostly in IsiZulu and she kept
checking that the learners were following her by asking questions.
The lesson moved on to oxidising and reducing agents and the use of a common
place example was used to explain the word agent (Old Mutual insurance agents)
before the education moved to the concept of an oxidising agent. The educator then
took the opportunity to explain why and how periodic and potential tables were
used. The lesson concluded with learners being requested to write notes from the
board.
Observations
The flow of the lesson showed that the educator had planned her lesson in advance
and was fairly well versed with the topic. She was able to also write as she taught
and as a result had notes for learners to take down at the end of the lesson.
The lesson was interactive in as far as the educator asked questions of learners as the
lesson developed. Many times the class would answer all together but at times
individuals raised their hands and answered the questions.
The educator used a good mix of both English and IsiZulu as she spoke. She
switched from English to IsiZulu many times in the lesson - mainly to simplify and
clarify issues. She did not necessarily translate terms and concepts to IsiZulu. Instead
she used some everyday common place activities in IsiZulu to explain some of the
concepts. Learners answered mainly in English particularly when they were giving
an answer which required the explanation of a concept or the explanation of a
scientific process.
Generally, the educator used a conversational tone but now and again she would use
a kind of official ‘school master tone.’ In the conversational tone the educator would
generally mix her English with IsiZulu using hybrid words like ‘uku transfera’ (to
transfer). This was also seen in her use of IsiZulu prefixes like ‘i’ or ‘ama’ with
English words like ‘i group’ or ‘ama group’. When she used her official tone she
would be giving instructions like, ‘Now lets move to the next topic which is about
….’ or when she gave a full and correct term for a concept like,
‘Radox reaction is a process whereby electrons are transferred….’
At times the educator would ask a question in English and almost immediately ask
the same question in mother tongue. This seemed a natural and automatic process of
translating for the learners. At times it was not automatic but happened when the
educator could see that the learners had not understood. Normally with the latter she
would go on to make more than one translation of the original question in English
and continue to probe the learners.
Educator comments
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The educator was quite happy with the way the lesson had developed except for the
fact that she wished that the learners had had copies of the periodic table. She could
not give them these because the photo copy machine had broken down.
Use of CLP FET book
The educator did use the CLP FET sample units in planning the lesson. She used it
mainly to get additional information on the periodic table and ‘valency.’ She also
used the textbook FET Modules Study and master
On the training
The educator stated that the training was useful because before she had thought the
use of mother tongue in teaching science was wrong. The training showed her that
mother tongue can be used for the purpose of helping learners to understand better.
The educator further remarked that when learners understood what was happening
in their mother tongue, then it was easier for them to write the concepts in English in
their own way. The training was also useful because it made them practise their
lessons presentations using mother tongue in different ways.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
The educator felt that this had enhanced her lesson and helped those learners who
had a poorer grasp of English. She felt that there should be more translation of terms
and concepts into mother tongue in future.
Grade 10B Mathematics lesson by Mr SS Mdlalose
Topic: Trigonometry
Number of learners: 40
Purpose of lesson: The lesson covered trigonometry concepts including angles of
elevation and depression. Learners were expected to apply this to the real world of
building.
Lesson development
The educator opened his lesson by greeting the learners in IsiZulu and then
proceeded to switch to English by asking an opening question –‘What is a triangle?’
The learners answered in English and then the educator then asked them what to
answer in IsiZulu, which the learners were able to do. The lesson proceeded with the
educator asking the learners to describe different types of triangles, which the
learners were able to name. He then wrote on the chalk board Trigonometry – right
angled triangle. He asked learners in IsiZulu what the properties of such a triangle
were and then he translated the question to IsiZulu and used the ‘IsiZulu-ised’ word
‘i engeli’ for angle.
The educator then drew a hut on the board which was basically a triangle on top of a
square. He asked the learners to identify the angles which they could find in the
diagram. He then asked the learners to identify certain types of angles. The learners
provided ‘textbook’ answers in English (particularly in naming formulae) and at
times the learners answered all together as a class. When the learners could not
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answer the questions the educator would translate the question into IsiZulu and
continue further probing and urging learners on in IsiZulu.
As he continued teaching and receiving answers from the learners, the educator
wrote the answers on the board and illustrated his answers with diagrams. He also
referred quite a lot to a textbook as he drew up diagrams. At one stage there was a
good five or so minutes while he drew up a diagram using his reference text and
there was silence in the room as learners watched him as he also added notes to the
diagram. The educator then asked questions, mainly in English, although he used
words like ‘i sayidi’ for ‘side.’ Learners struggled to answer most of the questions so
he would revert to IsiZulu.
At this stage the lesson focused on calculating the angles in triangles. A couple of
girls were dominating the answering of questions. The educator moved to giving an
example of angles of elevation and depression by drawing a diagram of a tree on the
board. He spoke about how builders used this concept. When he asked for questions
at the end of his explanation, a learner asked in IsiZulu why certain angles were not
used. The educator redirected the question to the rest of the class. Several attempts
were made by her class mates but they did not satisfy her until the educator
answered the question. The learners were then directed to work in pairs, but the bell
rang for the end of the lesson and the work was given as homework.
Observations
Sometimes during the class the learners would answer in English and at times in
IsiZulu while still calling the mathematical terms in their original English names.
The educator had an interesting teaching mode or style which was almost theatrical.
He code switched quite frequently but what was interesting was his manner. He
would get into a particular ‘school masterly mode’ (mainly speaking in English then)
using a particular tone and then suddenly change the tone and raise his voice,
particularly as he asked questions. After a while he would change to IsiZulu and use
an almost conversational type of tone.
When the concept was hard to understand, he would revert to this conversational
IsiZulu tone and try to encourage his learners to answer the questions. In between
asking questions the educator would exclaim in IsiZulu, ‘Hayi bo!’ or ‘Kahleni bo!’
(generally translating as exclamations of shock and surprise). Many times this caused
a lot of mirth in class and it wasn’t clear whether this was directed at the shocking
answer or the exclamation but suffice to say there was a lot of amusement all round
during this session and the intermittent use of mother tongue by the educator
contributed to this. There was generally, in spite of the old fashioned school master
act, the educator put up now and again, a generally relaxed atmosphere in class and
both educator and learners seemed to enjoy the lesson. The educator also handled
incorrect answers very well. At no stage did he say an answer was wrong but he
redirected a learner to the rest of the class until the question was satisfactorily
resolved.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
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The educator felt the lesson had gone very well and that the learners had responded
positively.
Use of CLP FET sample units
The educator said that he had used Shooters Mathematics and The Subject Guidelines –
Mathematics as his resources because this topic was included in the CLP FET sample
units as they presently existed.
On the training
According to the educator the training had been useful in assisting educators with
translated terms and words which allowed learners to understand better. He added
that it was important for educators to get the additional instructions with the CLP
FET book as there were issues that were included that needed to be clarified and
explained to potential users of the book.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
The educator said that he code switched regularly in his lesson to enable learners
who had a poor grasp of English to understand the lesson. He also said that he
translated certain terms e.g., ‘i angle yokwenyukela’ for angle of elevation. He also
translated his own questions to get them to think deeper and attempt to answer
questions even if the learners found them difficult.
Focus group discussion
Five people participated in the focus group discussion – one science, one geography
and three mathematics teachers.
i. General impressions
The book has helped with the explanation of some words that are used in the
learning areas.
Learning area educators could sit down and come up with translations of terms and
concepts that can be acceptable.
ii. Purpose of book
The purpose of the book is to clarify information that already exists and elaborate on
certain topics. The book is more useful to the educator than to the learner as it
provides additional information that the learner does not need.
iii. Use of book
The book can be used to supplement information that one already has as it provides
other ways of explaining concepts. It works well as a teacher’s guide or resource
book. It is more informative than other texts, particularly in geography.
iv. Understanding of code-switching
Code-switching means moving from English to mother tongue. It is like translating.
Additionally, this can be done by giving learners examples from their common place
everyday knowledge. It is also the explanation of some things in a language that the
learners understand. It is a helpful thing to use in class as it makes things clearer to
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learners. Sometimes hybrid words (‘isiZulu-ised’ English words) as they might be
better to understand which also helps them to remember since they will write in
English, e.g., donate – ukudonetha. Sometimes educators also have a problem with
English as it is also not their mother tongue so it becomes easier to talk and explain in
one’s familiar tongue and it actually makes a lesson more enjoyable for learners.
v. Impressions of training
The training was short but very worthwhile.
vi. Readability and user-friendliness of book
The sections on mathematics link very well together.
Nsikayethu Secondary school
The school is in a township outside Pietermaritzburg called Mbali. In this school five
educators received training. They went back to the school and informally briefed five
educators in the school about the training they had received.
Educators and classes observed:
Name
Class
Mr Duma
11A Mathematics
Ms GL Ngubane
9E Mathematics
Ms NB Zuma
10A Mathematics
Grade 11A Mathematics lesson by Mr Duma
Topic: Probability
Number of learners: 47
Purpose of lesson: To show learners the chances of something happening and how
to calculate this.
Lesson development
The educator introduced the topic in IsiZulu and told the learners that they would be
dealing with Probability. He proceeded to write the topic title on the board. The
educator then asked, in IsiZulu, what probability was. When a learner answered in
English, the educator was not satisfied and asked him to repeat the answer in
IsiZulu. Another learners was able to answer correctly in IsiZulu. The educator then
drew a table on the board with symbols from card (diamonds, spades, clubs and
hearts) on the x axis and the numbers one to ten on the y axis. He then asked the
learners for the names of the symbols in IsiZulu. Much hilarity ensued over the
IsiZulu name for spades. The educator then asked about the colours of the cards and
the learners responded in English. The educator then mentioned that all learners in
the class were aware of the IsiZulu words for the colours.
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The educator then asked for some learners to come to the front and pick a card from
those he had laid on the table. (He had laid out all the cards from the deck on the
table before the lesson started.) The class was waiting for a learner to pick out a
particular card - four diamonds. The educator provided a running commentary of
the process in IsiZulu and the learners seemed to enjoy the process. In the third
round a girl picked the designated card. The educator then asked the class what the
chances had been of the card being picked. One learner provided an answer of two
percent, but he could not explain how he came up with that figure. A this stage
English was being used and the educator then said ‘Lets use IsiZulu.’ He then gave
them the equation and proceeded to solve it thus:
P (D4) = ¼ x 100%
= 2,5%
1 being the number of 4 diamond cards in the deck
40 being the number of cars in the deck
The educator then asked a question in IsiZulu about the chances of picking out a any
clubs card from the deck. The same process was followed, where learners came to the
front the picked a card. The card was picked by the sixth learner in the first round
this time. The educator then asked how easy it was to get the card. He asked the
learners what the chances were. One said 15% and another correctly said 25%. The
educator then worked out the equation on the board. He then asked the learners
what the difference was between this example and the first problem of the four of
diamonds. After a discussion the educator then gave the learners work to do. He
went around the class checking the work and later asked for the answers.
Observations
English was used quite sparingly in the class. It was used mainly to mention the
mathematical terms and concepts like ‘probability’, ‘ten percent’ and other numbers.
Interestingly, educator remarked in the interview that this was a new thing that he
was doing and he had already seen some improvements as a result of it. Questions in
the class were asked in IsiZulu and instructions were also given in IsiZulu. Learners
tried to answer in English most of the time but struggled and eventually would
switch to IsiZulu to drive their points home.
The educator also did his own translations of certain terms. He also said that he used
mother tongue a lot since the training he had attended.
From the way the learners responded to the educator in English, it was clear that this
was what they were used to, i.e., speaking English in class. It was when they tried to
elaborate on their answers that they resorted to mother tongue. The educator thought
that by using mother tongue a lot in the class he would help those learners who had
problems understanding English. The use of mother tongue made learners feel at
ease and so they participated more and tended to understand more. Also some
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translations were done to get everybody on board, e.g., the translations of the card
symbols which came from the learners themselves.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator felt that he achieved all that he had set out to do.
Use of CLP FET sample units
He used the CLP FET sample units and also found that he could translate some of the
terms himself. The CLP FET sample units gave some different ways of explaining
concepts which he found very useful. He also used the book Maths Literacy
On the training
The training was useful as it showed ways of teaching that were useful for the
educator. It also explained some topics further.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
The educator said that he actually found himself using more IsiZulu and switching
less to English. This he said he was using more and more deliberately and was
finding that the learners were actually improving. His class had many repeat learners
and he was finding that they were participating more and were in fact improving
because of the use of their mother tongue in class. He worried about how the impact
for other learners who were not part of the dominant language group.
Grade 10A Mathematics lesson by Ms NB Zuma
Topic: Interest
Number of learners: 41
Purpose of lesson: To enable learners to see the difference between simple and
compound interest. Also to see which interest made good investment.
Lesson development
The educator introduced the topic and wrote it on the board. She then asked what
interest was in IsiZulu. Learners answered ‘inzuzo’ and ‘inzalo.’ She asked what
investment was and what its purpose was and wrote the answers on the board. The
educator used English mostly and she spoke quite quickly as she gave information
on percentage interest and interest rate as well explaining the concept of the
principal amount. She then asked what the interest would be if the rate was 10% and
the principal amount was R100. Swiftly after this she moved to compound interest
and wrote the term on the board. She explained compound interest and gave a few
examples. She worked out some examples on her own, and some with the whole
class. The learners struggled somewhat as the calculations were being done. The
educator moved quite fast and seemed intent on completing her topic no matter what
happened with the learners. The learners provided the answers in a chorus together
and so there it would be difficult to identify how many learners were actually
following. She used English most of the time and only very rarely used IsiZulu. Later
she directed learners to their text books and asked one learner to read from the book
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Maths Literacy for the classroom. She then asked learners which interest they preferred
and asked which they thought mashonisas (loan sharks) would prefer. The class
became lively when she spoke in IsiZulu about the mashonisa and they laughed out
loudly. Later the educator asked the learners to do the exercises in the textbook.
Observations
This educator was of the old school, very textbook based and quite formal. She used
English a lot of the time and only spoke in IsiZulu very rarely and when she did it
excited the class as if it was some momentous event. It showed how learners respond
to their mother tongue more naturally because when she did use it and give relevant
examples from their life contexts they became animated.
The lesson moved very fast and the educator gave more input than her learners. It
was interesting though that the term interest was translated upfront when the lesson
began so all learners would have understood what the lesson was about from the
beginning.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator said that she enjoyed her lesson and felt that the learners followed it
otherwise they would have asked questions.
Use of CLP FET sample units
She said that she had used the CLP FET sample units for the introduction of the
lesson as it was explained clearly there. She also used Classroom Mathematics.
On the training
The educator felt that the training they had received had been very useful because it
showed them how they could use mother tongue to assist learners to understand
concepts. She also felt that the book was very useful as a resource to supplement
other texts. It was necessary, she felt, that educators be trained in its use so that they
did not just use it as another textbook.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
She felt that code switching was necessary because learners took time to understand
some things that were said in English, hence her translation of interest upfront. She
said she used IsiZulu mainly in introducing new concepts. She used English
generally and put in IsiZulu now and again to simplify certain issues. She also used
real life examples that the learners understood and spoke in their language when
illustrating these. She felt that there was a need for more translations of concepts to
be done so as to help educators in class.
Grade 9E Mathematics lesson by Ms GL Ngubane
This educator had not been trained and had not seen the book
Topic: Congruency
Number of learners: 43
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Purpose of lesson: To teach the concept of congruency and use congruence to
calculate angles and sizes of sides.
Lesson development
The educator started the lesson by asking the learners, in English, what they had
learnt last time. She then drew up a diagram to illustrate some angles.
A
D
60
50
B
70
C
The educator asked learners to give statements on the angles they found and reasons
based on the diagram. The class gave their answers altogether in chorus (they were
actually reading from their exercise books). She then said they were moving to
today’s tasks which were based on triangles. She drew up a diagram of a triangle
with an extended line on one of the sides on the board. The educator then asked the
learners to take note of what she was doing as she wrote out statements on the board.
As she wrote she spoke in a kind of conversational tone mixing English and IsiZulu
as well as using English words ‘IsiZulu-ised’, e.g., ‘In this triangle ikhona into e very
interesting’. She spoke about the features of triangles, the sides, angles and other
qualities. She then wrote up the problem:
Triangle ABC is equal to Triangle EFG
and then:
Triangle ABC is congruent to Triangle EFG
She then asked the learners what it was that proved these statements. She asked in
English and then in two different ways in IsiZulu. When the learners struggled to
answer, she called up two boys to the front and used them as examples. She pointed
out how similar their dressing was (they were in uniform) and used it as an example
to show congruence. In IsiZulu she instructed learners to work in pairs on certain
problems in finding out what made certain triangles congruent and then went
around the class checking their work. They had to give a reason to support their
statements. Learners worked cheerfully and noisily and those that finished raised
their hands and eagerly tried to get the attention of the educator.
Later she went back to the front of the class and concluded the exercise by writing on
the board – All sides are equal, which was written as SSS.
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She then drew up a table thus:
Statement
ABC
Reason
is congruent
SSS
angle B = angle F
corresponding angles
angle C = angle G
corresponding angles
The class then read out the statements written on the table as well as the reasons.
The educator then moved to angles and asked learners about them and learners
identified the corresponding equal ones. The lesson continued and mainly became
about identifying the corresponding angles. The diagram on the board was made
more complex with the lines being extended in all directions with many more angles
appearing. As the educator drew up the diagram and asked questions the class
became quieter, making whispered conversations among themselves in IsiZulu.
However when they gave out answers, they spoke in English, though some did use
IsiZulu. The educator made jokes about one learner, who shared her clan name,
being clever. The learner responded by giving correct answers to the educator’s
questions. The lively atmosphere returned to the class. The educator then summed
up all the statements that had come out and their reasons. One learner then asked a
question and much discussion took place as learners then tried out their theories.
They spoke animatedly in IsiZulu while still retaining the terms and mathematical
concepts in English. The lesson was concluded with the educator giving out
homework to the class.
Observations
In this class a lot of code switching did take place. The educator did move quite a lot
from English to IsiZulu. However she never at any stage translated any terms or
concepts into IsiZulu. She kept the numbers, terms and concepts in English and only
the instructions and other statements she made were in IsiZulu. She gave examples
to illustrate certain concepts like congruence with everyday examples and spoke
informally in IsiZulu. She made a few jokes in IsiZulu as well. It was clear the
intentions to use formal language and mother tongue was to relax the learners and
put them at ease. The learners were clearly relaxed most of the time. When a question
elicited little response, the educator would translate it to IsiZulu in a bid to
encourage answers. While at times the learners answered in English, they clearly
were more uninhibited when answering in IsiZulu and would be more forthcoming
and less shy.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator felt that the time moved too quickly but that she had achieved what she
wanted and enjoyed the lesson.
Use of CLP FET sample units
Se had not seen the CLP FET sample units previously.
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On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
She said that she mostly used IsiZulu because the lesson should be the one that
learners understood best. However she felt that it was best to leave terms and
concepts in English as it might lead to confusion because these were not standard.
Different educators might use different terms and this might lead to confusion
amongst learners in their educational lives.
Focus group discussion
Five teachers participated in the focus group discussion – three science teachers and
two mathematics teachers.
i.
General impressions
The educator reported that the book was very relevant. They felt that the
encouragement of mother tongue in teaching encouraged learners to participate and
be more active in class. There were many learners who were repeating grades and
these were benefiting from the attempt to make the lessons simpler by using mother
tongue. They said that concepts were easier to grasp when explained in mother
tongue.
ii.
Purpose of book
The book could be used as a reference book as well as a text book. The educators said
the book gave much simpler explanations of concepts than many of the books they
had used previously.
iii.
Use of book
One educator reported that she had used the book to check for the translated terms
so that she could use them in class. Another said he used it to obtain simplified
explanations of certain concepts. One of the educators felt the book could be used by
learners as well as it used simple language.
iv.
Understanding of code-switching
Code switching was understood to refer to switching in speech from one language to
another. It was also seen to refer to the casting away of old methods and taking up
new ones. The educators further said that code switching referred to flexibility and
changing to accommodate learners. They said it was used mainly to create learner
centred lessons. The book assisted educators who could become more confident
when using their mother tongue.
However, some educators pointed out that there were issues with the translation of
concepts and terms because some words had more than one meaning and also some
dialects of the same language used words differently. This could all result in
confusion as people tried to ‘code switch.’
v.
Impressions of training
The training was important as the educators needed to get instructions on how to use
the book. This should be necessary for all the educators who received the book.
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vi.
Readability and user-friendliness of book
The book was easy to use according to the educators. The topics were clearly laid
out, pronunciation and language headings were clear. There was a need for the
outcomes of the topics to clearly spelt out at the beginning of each topic.
vii.
Additional comments
It was suggested that each region of KwaZulu-Natal should have its own book with
region specific examples. Another suggestion was that the book should have all the
region specific examples in one book.
Siyahlomula Secondary school
The school is in a township outside Pietermaritzburg called Ashdown. Unfortunately
the research team got to this school on World Teachers’ Day. The schools in the area
had decided that they would meet and have a commemorative event for the day and
therefore were breaking up school early. As a result only one lesson could be
observed. In this school none of the educators had received training but they had
been provided with the CLP FET sample units.
Educators and classes observed:
Name
Class
Mr Nkosi
Grade 9A Mathematics
Grade 9A Mathematics lesson by Mr Nkosi
Topic: Factorisation
Number of learners: 48
Purpose of lesson: The differences of squares and the factorisation thereof.
Lesson development
The educator introduced the topic and the purpose of the lesson to the learners in
English. As he spoke he pointed to the words that he had written on the board (topic
and purpose.) He then asked a question in English and when there was no response
he repeated it in IsiZulu. He asked the learners to feel free (in IsiZulu). One learner
then answered correctly. The educator asked for one learner to come up to the board
and solve a problem that was written there. A girl came up and solved it correctly.
Another learner was invited and she also successfully solved the problem. The
educator then announced that they were moving to squares. He then introduced a
problem that was already written and worked on, on the board. He took the learners
through it and then asked for more examples from the learners. He asked for a girl to
come up this time and made a joke about this in IsiZulu which made the learners
laugh. A running joke throughout the lesson was ‘ I am going to call on you next
time!’ made in IsiZulu and generally being interpreted as a general threat to those
who were not responding that he would pick on them next time he asked a question.
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16
This would be met with giggles by the class. A further joke was that everybody
would get their turn as there was plenty of time.
The problem being solved by the class was led by the formula:
A square is the quantity of the form a to the power y, where
A difference of squares will involve
eg, a2 - b 2
x2 - y 2
y=2
“ – “ and squares
4x2 - 36y 2
The lesson flowed quite smoothly with the chalk board being used effectively by
both learners and educator. The lesson ended with the written work being given to
the learners to complete at home.
Observations
The educator used English most of the time as he explained the mathematics. Now
and again he made some comments in IsiZulu particularly when the class seemed
unresponsive. The class enjoyed it when the educator made comments in IsiZulu. It
got them excited. The learners also generally gave mainly one word answers without
really making full sentences. He also kept on saying to the learners ‘Khululekani’ (be
free) as if he could sense that the learners were tense. Whenever he asked a question
and he did not get a response, the educator would make a side comment in IsiZulu
and this would get the class into fits of giggles. It was clear that they were
responding to the use of IsiZulu as a sign that the educator was being informal. The
lesson flowed very smoothly and the educator seemed to know what he was doing,
and after every example he asked the learners to come up and work a few more
before he moved to the next problem. The chalkboard was used very effectively.
Some examples had already been written on the board before the start of the lesson
and some were written as they were being worked on. By the end of the lesson, the
board was full of examples which effectively became notes for the learners. The
longest sentence in IsiZulu was said by the educator when one learner came up to
the board and got the answer wrong. He said ” Thank you to all those who came and
worked for us on the board. It does not matter if you go the answer wrong. It is your
attempt that is important and helps us to learn.” This was meant to encourage all
those who were scared of coming up to the board to answer questions.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator felt that the lesson had developed quite well and whatever effect the
visitors had, had been minimal. The learners had only been slightly reserved but all
the outcomes were covered and achieved.
Use of CLP FET sample units
The section covered was not included in the topics offered by the CLP FET sample
units. The text book Classroom Mathematics was used.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
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The educator said that he sometimes used mother tongue to get learners to
understand. He said he used English in class as well because as they moved up the
grades it was necessary to get them to improve their English language skills as well.
Focus group discussion
Three teachers participated in the focus group discussion – two mathematics
teachers, and one Biology/Maths teachers.
i.
General impressions
According to the educators some of the IsiZulu terms were used incorredtly – auch
as ‘initial velocity’ was given in the book as, ’ijubane lokuqala’ and it implied that it
was someone running more than once. There was a need, they said, to get an
agreement on some of these terms and concepts
ii.
Purpose of book
These educators felt that this book was good as a supplementary text or a study
guide.
iii.
Use of book
Some had used it for planning a lesson with other texts as well. It also gave other
methods and concepts of teaching.
iv.
Understanding of code-switching
According to this group of teachers, code switching referred to the switching from
English to isiZulu when teaching Maths or Science in order to ensure that the
learners understood what was being taught. It was also done to make learners more
comfortable in class. They thought the book could help in this.
v.
Additional comments
Challenges arise because isiZulu is used differently in different areas- 9n the
townships the isiZulu is different from that of the rural areas.
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Appendix B: Eastern Cape Field
Testing Report
Nomzamo Secondary Combined school
The school is in a township in the small coastal town of Port Alfred.
Educators and classes observed:
Name
Class
Mr T. Sambu
Grade 10A Biology
Grade 10A Biology lesson by Mr T. Sambu
Topic: The human digestive system
No. of learners: 36
Purpose of lesson: To teach and explain the different parts and components of the
human digestive system.
Lesson development
The educator introduced the topic as ‘Digestive systems in man’ He then asked the
learners what they knew about the systems of the human being. They mentioned the
excretory and skeletal systems. The educator then asked the about word digest and
made them think about it. One learner answered in isiXhosa saying, ‘It is how food is
broken down.’ Another question was raised about the different parts involved in
digestion. Learners then mentioned intestines, rectum, stomach, etc. The educator
then produced and pinned on the board a drawing showing the digestive system. He
went through the system showing what happened as food entered the mouth until
waste was excreted through the anus. As he did so he pointed to the parts and at
times asked the learners to inform him what was going on. He asked learners what
some of the parts were called in isiXhosa and asked them to give their experiences of
seeing a beast being slaughtered. The lesson moved to the different components of
the system and the educator wrote some of them on the board including the parotid
gland, the sublingual gland and the submaxillary gland. The educator was clearly
experienced and though he had his textbook open he rarely glanced at it. He used
English most of the time and his learners also answered in English with a few using
isiXhosa. The isiXhosa was also used when explaining some of the body parts in the
language. The learners were generally able to name the parts in isiXhosa.
Observations
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English was the main medium of instruction in this class and the educator was an old
fashioned school master type who had a booming voice and showed he had done
this many times before. The learners also used English mainly and only used
isiXhosa when they struggled to express themselves or were called upon to give the
parts in isiXhosa. Sometimes the educator used isiXhosa to emphasise a point or give
an everyday example or illustration. At one stage he was explaining how the valves
in the body worked and gave the example of a bicycle valve and how it allowed air
in but did not allow the air to escape. For large parts of the lesson, the learners were
quiet except when they were answering questions. For the most part it was the
educator who did the talking, pointing to his drawing and writing notes on the board
as he spoke. Sometimes he cracked a joke in isiXhosa and this would liven up the
class. The lesson lent itself quite easily to the translation of terms and concepts as it
was based on the body.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator said he had enjoyed the lesson and felt that it had gone well.
Use of CLP FET sample units
He had referred to certain parts of the sample units.
On the training
He had found the training useful and felt that all educators needed to attend it as it
took them through the different ways of teaching and using the book. He had also
used the text Active Biology.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
It was necessary to assist those learners who struggled to understand the language to
grasp the concepts being taught.
Focus group discussion
Three people participated in the focus group discussion – one biology teacher and
two mathematics teachers.
i.
General impressions
The educator reported that the book was nice because it explains some terms and
concepts in isiXhosa. It used simple English which was easy to understand
ii.
Purpose of book
According to these educators the purpose of the book could be to explain some terms
using isiXhosa as well as to assist to understand them in other languages. However
one educator pointed out that it used outdated terms like cold blooded animals.
iii.
Use of book
The book could be used by both learners and educators
iv.
Understanding of code-switching
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Code switching was seen by these educators as the use of mother tongue in teaching.
It was a way to get learners to participate in class.
v.
Impressions of training
The training was necessary so as to encourage educators to use mother tongue in
teaching.
vi.
Readability and user-friendliness of book
The book was readable, simple and the translations were very helpful.
vii.
Additional comments
More everyday examples should be used in the book. Those terms that had different
meanings in science from everyday English should also be identified and explained.
Kuyasa Combined School
The school is in the township of Port Alfred known as Ecawa.
Educators and classes observed:
Name
Class
Mr SS Bethela
Grade 10 Science
Ms PT Ntoni
Grade 11B Science
Grade 10 Science lesson by Mr SS Bethela
Topic: Matter and material
No. of learners: 38
Purpose of lesson: The introduction of matter and material. The aim is to teach
learners about what matter is and to introduce new concepts related to matter.
Lesson development
The class was a combination of two grades 10 classes. The educator started by
writing the topic on the board and then spoke briefly about it. He directed learners to
their textbooks although he told them that they would not be helpful. The book was
Shuters Physical Science. All the while the educator spoke in English. He asked the
learners to define ‘matter’. The learners answered in English and the educator wrote
on the board. ‘Anything that has mass, found in the universe, that you can smell or
touch, that you can see’
The first use of isiXhosa in the class came when the educator was emphasising that
everything that was found in the universe was made of matter. -‘ Yokinto!’
(Everything!) He gave the example of the text book as one other thing made of
matter. He then drew up a mind map, talking as he was doing this. He then asked all
the learners to read together what he had written. He then pointed to certain parts of
the mind map and said those were the parts that he wanted to deal with. One of
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these was the periodic table He then asked learners to go and have a look at the
periodic table which was on two walls of the classroom. He said 1-20 were the ones
they would deal with. As learners were looking at the two periodic table posters on
the wall, he went to one of them and pointed out the 1-20 he was referring to and
read them out loud. Learners were then asked to go and sit down. He then drew up
another mind map. He spoke about Homogeneous and Heterogeneous mixtures. As
learners read out these terms the educator made a joke in isiXhosa as if to put the
learners at ease about the pronunciation of these terms. He asked learners about the
states of matter and made jokes about it being a grade seven task. He also asked
them about the mixtures they knew. A few learners did try to answer. The educator
then read out a few mixtures from the text book that he had open on his desk. He
spoke about some mixtures and asked learners for more. They gave a few. He
suddenly went to his store room and came out with iron filings saying the learners
did not know them. He then spoke about ‘soluble’ and said in isiXhosa it meant ‘iya
nyibilika.’ He then gave out some notes written on a piece of paper and asked
learners to share and complete their notes for home work.
Observations
The educator relied on the text book and as such rarely departed from the language
of the book, i.e., English. He also copied his diagrams from it and sometimes read out
section directly from the textbook. The only time he used his own words was when
he gave an example to illustrate what insoluble meant. He gave an example of a car
battery and the carbon that is found in there in isiXhosa.
Sometimes when learners could not answer his questions he used isiXhosa to
encourage and cajole them. He did come up with his own translation of soluble ‘ukunyibilika.’
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator was quite happy with the way his lesson had developed.
Use of CLP FET sample units
The educator had used some of the material from the sample units in his planning as
well as some from other textbooks.
On the training
The training had been useful and showed different ways of teaching. The concept of
teaching using mother tongue was also very useful as was the material provided.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
The educator reported that he sometimes used code-switching but he said he felt that
this should minimised so that learners could practise their English language skills.
Grade 11B Science lesson by Ms PT Ntoni
Topic: The hydrological cycle
No. of learners: 40
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Purpose of lesson: To explain the water cycle and how it occurs.
Lesson development
The educator wrote the topic on the board explained the lesson for the day in
English. She then said in isiXhosa that learners should take down notes as the class
proceeded.
In English, she then asked the class what a hydrological cycle was. A learner replied
that it was water. She accepted the answer and proceeded to explain why it was a
cycle. She then introduced the term hydrosphere.
The educator had two text books open on her desk in front of her and constantly
referred to them as she continued with the lesson.
She spoke about the different states of water. She asked the class first for the states of
water and got blank stares. One learner then said it was precipitation. She asked for
more answers unsuccessfully and eventually gave them the answer. She then
switched to isiXhosa obviously realising that was the way to get them to answer. She
asked the learners how water changed from liquid to gas. Incorrect answers were
given until one girl attempted and succeeded in isiXhosa. After a bit of explanation
and writing of notes, the educator asked for questions but did not get any. She then
moved to the hydrological cycle and wrote this on the board. Se also wrote ‘points to
remember’ as a heading. She asked where air got its energy to evaporate water from.
No one could answer and then she asked where people got their energy from. A
learner said from food. She then asked why the snow in the Poles did not evaporate.
Again there was no response from the class. Eventually a girl speaking isiXhosa gave
the correct answer. The educator then gave out photocopies of a diagram of the
hydrological cycle. She asked the class to explain.
Observations
The educator generally taught in English and used some isiXhosa when she asked
questions or tried to probe and encourage learners to speak. Learners used isiXhosa
generally but some did attempt to answer questions in English but struggled to
express themselves. Sometimes they threw up words like precipitation and
condensation without clearly showing that they knew the meaning of these words.
Educator comments
Feelings about lesson
The educator was very happy with the way the lesson went.
Use of CLP FET sample units
The educator consulted the sample units and used some of the concepts in planning
the lesson. The educator also used Geography for all and The World in our hands
On the training
The training was useful and it showed educators that code switching was useful many educators were previously told that code switching was wrong in class.
On code-switching and the use of mother tongue in the lesson
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Code switching is good because the English language is not the learners’ language
and they do not understand well. Teacher training makes then feel guilty when using
mother tongue because code switching is not included in teacher training. English is
still used because the learners are assessed in English.
Focus group discussion
The two teachers observed participated in the focus group discussion.
i.
General impressions
The book is seen as simplifying the terms in the learning areas as well as translating
some words.
ii.
Purpose of book
All subjects should have these books which educators could use with their textbooks
as a resource. The learners can also use the book as it is simple in its explanations. Its
greatest asset is its simplicity e.g. the explanations that text books give are still the
complicated language of science but the book gives a simple explanation, e.g.
definition of atoms.
iii.
Use of book
The educators said they would use the book mainly as a resource while one said she
would use it as a textbook for her learners if it was possible. Many of the concepts in
the book were very relevant to the current syllabus.
iv.
Understanding of code-switching
Code switching was defined as the switching of languages to enable learners to
follow. Code switching is necessary for learners because the English language is
difficult for them. There is a difficulty that learners face. They face the difficulty of
learning the language and jargon of the learning area and then they also have to
understand the English language. This makes learning doubly difficult for learners.
Sometimes code switching comes naturally with the educators because it is their
language and they also think naturally in isiXhosa so they do not have to translate
before they speak. At the same time it is also easier for learners to approach the
educator when they have a problem if they have the confidence that they can
approach him or her and speak in their mother tongue. Afrikaans speaking learners
are at an advantage because they can read the Afrikaans paper to understand some
terms even if they are learning in English because the translated full paper is
available to them. The availability of translated words in the book helps the
educators in code switching.
v.
Impressions of training
The training was seen as fruitful and necessary for educator to use the book.
vi.
Readability and user-friendliness of book
The book was seen as very user friendly and the translations were good. The
language and explanation was at a level that was understandable to the learners.
vii.
Additional comments
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There are many different speakers of the isiXhosa language but they speak slightly
different dialects.
Ntsika Secondary school
This school did not have educators trained in the use of the book. Only one of the
educators had a copy of the book and had used it. It was not possible to observe a
lesson in this school because most of the furniture from the classrooms had been
taken away to be used by the matric learners writing exams in the township hall.
School was therefore not taking place in the school and only a discussion with one
educator was possible.
Discussion with Mr Jonas (Science Grade 10-12)
i.
General impressions
According to Mr Jonas he was not very comfortable with some of the translations in
the book. He felt that some of the translated terms were too long – for example,
‘acceleration’.
ii.
Purpose of book
The book could be used for overcoming language barriers in the teaching of the
learning areas covered.
iii.
Use of book
The book could also be used in conjunction with other texts as a learning and
teaching support material. If it was possible it could also be used by the learners.
iv.
Understanding of code-switching
Code switching referred to the use of mother tongue when it is difficult for learners
to understand what was being said by the educator. Educators should also encourage
the learners to use their mother tongue when in class so as to overcome shyness.
Research that has been done supports the use of code switching, according to Mr
Jonas.
v.
Readability and user-friendliness of book
The English is simple and easy to understand unlike in most text books.
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Appendix C: Instruments
Training Evaluation – Participant Questions
1. What is your understanding of the project?
2. What is your impression of the training? Was it sufficient?
3. Do you the think the modules/book will be useful?
a. How?
b. How do you think you could use this in the classroom?
4. Any comments?
Field testing Instrument – Classroom Observation
1. Prior to the lesson, ask the teacher about
a. The purpose of the lesson
b. The scope of the lesson
c. Expectations from students for the lesson
2. Observe the lesson and provide sequential, detailed notes on what is actually
happening. This must take the form of a narrative report of the lesson.
3. Take note of everything that is said by the teacher, and the students. What did
the teachers say? What did the students say? How are the students responding?
4. Languages
a. What languages are being used?
b. What is the main language used by the teacher?
c.
What is the main language used by the students?
d. What other languages are used?
5. Is there code switching – when is this used and for what purpose?
6. What resources are being used?
After you have observed the lesson, please comment on the following:
1. What was the overall purpose of the lesson?
2. Was there evidence of lesson planning? What was the extent to which the CLP
FET ‘book’ had been considered or included in the lesson plan?
3. Comment on the usage of the CLP FET ‘book’ during the classroom visit to
enhance teaching
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4. Comment on the usage of the CLP FET ‘book’ during the classroom visit to
enhance learning
5. Comment on the methods of usage of the CLP FET ‘book’ during the classroom
visit
6. Comment on the code-switching in the lesson (when and for what purpose was
it used) and the impact on teaching and learning?
a. Social dimension – putting learners at their ease
b. Clarification of ‘everyday’ words e.g. revolution, as they pertain to the
subject.
c. Clarification of concepts for teacher and learners
d. Dealing with learners’ conceptions and misconceptions
e. Content knowledge and confidence of teacher and learners
7. Comment on the interaction between teacher and learners? How is this facilitated
by language, and does the CLP FET ‘book’ help?
Field testing Instrument – Interview with Teacher Following Observation
1. Did you receive training?
a. Was it useful? How?
b. Were the additional instructions useful? Should this be provided to
everyone who receives the book?
2. How did you plan the lesson?
a. Did you use the CLP FET ‘book’ to plan your lesson? How? Was this
helpful?
b. Did you use other books? Which ones?
3. How did you feel the lesson went?
4. Did the use of language (and code switching) enhance the lesson? How?
a. What could be improved (in your teaching or the CLP FET ‘book’) to
further enhance this?
5. Any other comments?
Field testing Instrument – Focus Group Discussion
1. What is your general impression of the book?
2. What do you seen as the purpose of the book?
3. How have you used the book?
a. In your (or your students)’s understanding of the concepts;
b. In your teaching of the concepts.
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c. Other ways in which you have used the book
4. How do you intend to use the book?
a. In your (or your students)’s understanding of the concepts;
b. In your teaching of the concepts.
c. Other ways in which you intend to use the book
5. Are the concepts relevant to your teaching? How?
6. What is your understanding of code-switching?
a. Do you use this in the classroom? How?
b. Can the book facilitate this? In what ways?
c. What are the implications of systematic code switching for teaching and
learning?
d. Any other language issues?
7. (If this group received training): What were your overall impressions of the
training? Any suggestions/requests for follow up?
d. Were the additional instructions useful? Should this be provided to
everyone who receives the book?
8. Comment on the readability and user-friendliness of the CLP FET ‘book’
a. Instructions
b. Structure
c. Specific comments/clarity
9. Please provide suggestions for how the book could be improved (to be given to
the book developers).
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