APPENDIX 1
~.!1~!;.'9i!1!t1~~~~:o
.':....:~:::;:::KwaZulu-Natal National
Exam Total entered History entered Total entered History entered year
2003 102,485 22,859 457,615 95,565
2002 102,830 24,002 466,170 101,871
2001 98,411 24,348 471,621 106,951
2000 103,563 28,781 521,517 128,391
1999 112,114 37,082 547,327 153,788
1998 116,569 45,181 585,745 189,256
SuppliedbyWillie Venter, Department of Education, National Examinations and Assessment.
APPENDIX 2
Sections included in the questionnaire: a comparison between my first draft and the final product:
1. General Information
2. Attitude to History and Historians 3. Attitude to History as a school
subject
4. Cultural Perceptions 5. Attitude to Time 6. Sense of the Past 7. Attitudes to sources
8. SA Past and National Unity
1. General Information 2. General understanding of
History and the Past
3. Learner Attitudes to History as a school subject and factors
influencing this.
- Ability - Effort
- Experience oflearning History - Future Career
- Parents - Peers
- Personal Interest - Relevance - School - Teachers
4. Attitude towards South Africa History
APPENDIX 3
Reseal1ch
Questionnaire
I am currently researching a Master's Degree in History which aims, in part,: to investigate schoolleamers' attitudes to History.
Thank you for taking the time ,to complete this questionnaire and in doing so, helping me with my study.
Your participation is much appreciated.
Please feel free to ask as many questions as you need to.
There are no right answers.
Note: This is a voluntary exercise and all responses will be treated as confidential.
Unless otherwise indicated, please TICK ./ only ONE box...
1) Please indicate your...
Ia) Sex(Tick the appropriate box)
I
MaleI
femaleIb) Age (Tick the appropriate box)
1'-1_5_-L1_16__I_l_7__----'--I_l_8__ ~12o [21] 22
1c) Race(Tick the appropriate box) Black White Coloured Indian Other (Pleaseindicate)
2) Name your High School. _
3) Does your school offer History as a Matric subject?(Tick the appropriate box)
I
Yes~
4) What does 'History' mean to you? _
5) What do you think 'the past' is?
- - - -
P.T.O
6) Tick the box which you consider to be the most accurate description ofHistory and the past
(Tick only ONE box).
History tells us the History and the past History is an History is many truth about the past. are the same thing. opinion of the past. opinions of the past.
7) Tick the box that most accurately reflects your response to the following statement:
We need to understand the past Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
to understand the present. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
8) What do you think of when you hear the word 'historian'? _
9) What Grade were you in when you last
studied History?(Tick the appropriate box) Grade9 I am currently studying Other (Please indicate) History (Grade 12)
10a) Did/ do you enjoy (like) studying History? (Tick the most appropriate box)
I
Yes~
b) Why/ Why not? _
11) If you had to choose, which do you prefer (Tick the most appropriate box)
Learning historical content. Eg: learning what happened in the past.
or
Learning historical skills. Eg: learning how to find out what happened in the past.
P.T.O
?
12) In each case, tick the box that most accurately reflects your response to the following statements:
12a)
12b)
School History only tells one Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
side of the story. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
School History is too Political. Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
13) Tick the box which you feel best explains your experience oflearning History.
Learning History is mostly about. .. Dates and
Facts Stories Analysis and Investigation
14a) Can you see how the History you were/ are taught at school affects your life?
EB
Yes No (Tick the most appropriate box)b) Explain your answer above _
15) Tick the box which most accurately expresses your response to the following statements:
15a)
15b) 15c)
15d)
Learning History at school has
Strongly Partly Agree/ Strongly
taught me more about who I am and Agree Disagree
where I come from. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
Learning History at school has Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly taught me useful thinking skills. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
;
Learning History at school has given Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
me a useful general knowledge. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
Learning History at school will Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
NOT help to get me a job. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
P.T.O
16a) Do you think that you are a part of History?(Tick the most appropriate box)
I
Yes [ ; ]b) Explain your answer above _
17a) On average, what marks did! do you get for History? Indicate the symbol, Eg: B
b) If you take History as a Matric subject, indicate whether you are studying History on Higher (HO) or Standard Grade (SO) _
18) How much effort would you say you put into your History classes?(Tick the most appropriate box).
I work(ed) hard and I am (was) attentive
I do (did) just I hardly do (did) any do (did) more than is and do (did) what is
enough to pass. work at all.
(was) required of me (was) required of me.
19) How much effort would you say you put into your school work in general?(Tick the most appropriate box).
I work hard and do more I am attentive and do I do just enough I hardly do any than is required of me what is required of me. to pass. work at all.
20a) Do you think children should learn History at school? !, Yes
[;E]
No(Tick the appropriate box)
b) Why/ why not? _
P.T.O
21) Tick the box that most accurately reflects your response to the following statements:
My History teachers really like/d All of Most of Some of None of
teaching History. them them them them
22) In each case, tick the box which best describes yourlastHistory teacher.
22a) 22b) 22c)
MylastHistory teacher was mostly... Fun Ok Boring MylastHistory teacher was mostly... Helpful Ok Unhelpful I was scared of mylastHistory teacher... Yes No Sometimes
23) Do (did) your parents/ caregivers talk to you about Hist0ry or the past?
(Tick the appropriate box) Often Sometimes Never
24) How do you think your parents/ caregivers feel about History as a school subject? _
25) Is History one of your Matric subjects?(Tick the appropriate box)
History IS one of my Matric subjects.
r - - - l
I
BoxA!
If
you ticked box A, you MUST answer column A.!
26)
History is NOT one of my Matric subjects.
I
BoxB!
If
you ticked box B, you MUST answer column B.!
P.T.O
(Ifyou ticked box A, go to column A)
1
(Ifyou ticked box B, go to column B)
1
DO NOT answer both columns COLUMNA
Put a tick next to the reasons that BEST describe why youchose
History as a Matric subject(Do NOT tick more than THREE options).
COLUMNB
Put a tick next to the reasons that BEST describe why youdid NOT choose
His~oryasa Matric subject(Do NOT tick more than THREE options).
I chose NOT to study History because...
a History was not on my subject line.
b My friends were not taking History.
My parents/ caregivers advised me not c tot~keHistory.
I like History, but think that the d subjects whichI chose will be more
worthwhile.
I don't see the value of the skills e History teaches.
f I will not use my knowledge of historical events in my future career.
g I wiJI use not use the skills that History teaches in my future career.
h I find History difficult.
I
1 I did not do well in History.
j History requires too much studying.
k What happened in the past is over, I don't need to learn about the past.
I I have no interest in the past.
II I di~not like the History teacher.
n History is boring.
Oth~r(please indicate)
0
I chose to study History because...
History was the only other subjectI could take on my subject line.
My friends were all taking History . My parents/ caregivers advised me to take History.
I don't really like History,butI couldn't find another subject to take.
I feel that the skills which History teaches are very valuable.
I will use my knowledge of historical events in my future career.
I will use the skills that History teaches in my future career.
I find History easy.
I do well in History.
I enjoy the challenge of History . We need to understand the past to understand the present.
I like learning about what happened in the past.
I like the History teacher.
History is fun.
Other (please indicate) h
n m g f
k e
o J d c a b
P.T.O
27a) Do you intend to study further after school?(Tick the appropriate box)
I
Yes [ ; ]b) If you ticked [yes], say what do you intend to study _
28) In ONE word, describe how you feel about South Africa's past _
29) Tick the box which most accurately expresses your respcJnse to the following statements:
29a)
29b)
South Africa puts too much Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
focus on the past. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
In South Africa it would be
better simply to forget about Strongly
Agree Partly Agree/
Disagree Strongly
the past. Agree Partly Disagree Disagree
29c) Explain your answer to 29b. _
THANK YOU
***
The End***
APPENDIX 4
A breakdown of the types of questions included in the questionnaire:
8 questions dealt with administrative issues! such as background information about the learner.
5 questions asked for a yes or no response, but they then asked learners to explain their answer further.
9 questions provided a set of what were thought to be common statements about History and asked learners to respond to these statements using the options: Strongly Agree, Agree, Partly Agree/Partly Disagree, Disagree or Strongly Disagree.
12 questions presented learners with a choice of statements and they were asked to choose the statement which best reflected the way they felt about the selected topic.
11 questions were deliberately left as open ended questions, allowing room for individual response.
APPENDIX 5
12-03-04