5.3. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS
5.3.1. Document analysis
When analysing documents some findings were established by the researcher that assisted in answering the postulated research question. Below are the findings that were established by the researcher during the analysis of documentations.
Foundation Phase Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements: The researcher established that all the participants from the sampled schools do have the policy statements and they were capable of interpreting the policy statements.
Teachers’ work-schedules: The researcher established that two of the participants experienced challenges in complying to the work-schedule
112
because there was no evidence of proper compliance to the work-schedule resulting from lack of pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics while the other teacher experienced challenges in complying with the work-schedule due to multi-grade teaching in her classroom.
Lesson plans: The researcher in this study established that all the sampled participants’ lesson plans were properly planned and grade appropriate. Only one teacher’s lesson plan did correspond with the supplied work-schedule. It was further established that even though the lesson plans were grade appropriate, there was no evidence of quality assurance by the DHs prior administration to the learners.
Learners’ rainbow workbooks: The researcher discovered that, in all the sampled schools, all the learners had rainbow workbooks. The challenge that was established from this workbooks was that, not all teachers were utilising these workbooks as expected by the DBE. From the sampled participants, only one participant utilised the rainbow workbook on daily basis based on the topic that was taught for that day. The remaining two participants relied mainly on utilising an exercise book and they didn’t give learners much work in the rainbow workbooks that were supplied by the department. Another challenge that was identified by the researcher was that learners couldn’t partition the circular represensentations properly.
Grade 2 mathematics - Subject Improvement Plan (SIP): The researcher discovered that none of the sampled participants had developed a SIP for grade 2 mathematics.
Item analysis reports: The conclusion reached by the researcher was that none of the sampled teachers conducted item analysis post administering of assessment tasks to their leaners and it was also established that none of the sampled teachers had developed proper intervention strategies pertaining to fractions teaching in grade 2.
Minutes of grade meetings addressing the teaching of fractions: It was confirmed that all the participants did not have a platform to discuss the challenges encountered when teaching fractions in grade 2 since all the
113
schools sampled had only one class for grade 2 and therefore there was no evidence found of the implementation of resolutions taken during grade meetings because such meetings were not held at all the sampled schools.
Minutes of parent-teacher consultation meetings: The researcher established from all the sampled participants that no parent-teacher consultation meetings were held.
Class visits and/or support programmes reports findings:.The researcher established that there were class visits schedules to conduct support programmes to the teachers on quarterly basis at all the sampled schools however, the implenetation of those schedules was a bit slow sighting reasons of lack of time due to numerous disruptions as a result of teacher memorial services and workshops that are conducted during teacher-learner contact time.
Monthly written work output: The researcher discovered that all the participating teachers were not able to comply with the expected number of written work output specified for a month due to contact time disruptions that were often encountered and also it was verified from one of the teachers that marking of learners’ workbooks was not properly done because leaners were credited even if their responses were not correct.
Evidence of catch-up programmes that were conducted in case of lost contact time: The researcher confirmed that there was no evidence of catch- up programmes being administered to grade 2 learners in all the sampled schools.
Monitoring tools for quality assurance of assessment tasks: The researcher established from all the sampled schools that all assessment tasks were moderated prior and post their administration to the learners. The only challenge identified was the fact that teachers did not cover all the cognitive levels when setting tasks.
Learner daily attendance registers: It was established from all the sampled schools that learner daily attendance registers were properly marked on a daily
114
basis and the researcher further noted the high rate of learner absenteeism without valid reasons from parents.
Teacher movement registers: The researcher established that most of the participants’ trips that were authorised by the SMTs in all the sampled schools were for attending memorial services of other teachers and for attending workshops. The researcher further established that the teacher memorial services usually started at 12h00 and the commencement time for workshops normally vary, some starts at 9h00 while others starts at 12h00. This is an indication that, the trips that were taken by teachers disrupted the expected contact time of learners and teachers and the researcher further established from all participants that catch-up programmes were not administered with their learners to cover the time lost.
Teachers’ leave register: The researcher confirmed from all the sampled schools that the teachers’ leave registers were available and updated on regular basis by the school principals. In addition, records of teachers’
absenteeism were properly kept, where all teachers were required to sign for their leave of absence on submission of leave forms. Furthermore, the researcher established from the all the sampled participants that they were attending school on regular basis.