as well as the learners. You learn more about the learning outcomes, we know them by heart and all the assessment standards and what is expected from you as a teacher.
A: How did this programme impact on your professional development in terms of your teaching methods?
B: This programme helped me a lot because the teaching methods we learnt there like the methods you teach the learners whereby to do the area or perimeter. There are some topics in pure math you find out that when you were teaching the learners you were not talking to yourself, probability we were unable to do it but now as I am teaching math literacy I can teach those chapters very well, the area of the circle and all those things. I used to run away from those topics but now they call us to teach for them.
A: How did this programme impact on your professional development in terms of your confidence?
B: I am very much confident when I am teaching the Math Lit because I know the skills of teaching math lit and I know all my learning outcomes and I know what is expected of me to teach learning outcome no 1 and learning outcome no 2, I know everything.
A: What was the most useful module that you did and why?
B: Grade eleven, it was nice especially the material they gave us it was excellent. The module for grade eleven was wonderful.
A: What is in your opinion about timetabling, the contact sessions, what do you think of it.
B: We used to go there for a week and we did not stay at home for one week. We stay for one week without the family, there was too much attending but it helped us a lot. When we used to write exams, we used to go there and spend one week there.
A: Which module was least useful and why?
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B: The last one, it was not useless but there was too much reading and the grade ten was very challenging.
A: What is your opinion about the study materials, were they sufficient exercises and explanations.
B: Yes, the grade ten books were very helpful. Those books from Mark are very good. You can still use it even if the learners are in grade twelve.
A: What is your opinion about the admin staff from the university in terms of registration, queries, and dps?
B: For the Ace course it was very nice and simple because we would just come to the dates that they prescribed even our schools they were supporting us when we go there. There were no fusses at all.
A: What is your opinion about the centers?
B: The venue was quite very good and the atmosphere was good and the travel distance was just one hour.
A: What can you say about the academic support, is there any way that they can improve it? At any time did you feel like dropping out?
B: No I did not feel like dropping out because as I said that the course was quite relevant. The most relevant Ace course is here at NMMU. You know exactly what to do in class and it was very good.
A: What can you say about your previous qualification, you were a teacher of another subject, did it help you with this programme and do you think that the work you did then was very different from what you are doing now.
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B: Yes a little bit different. In math lit there was a lot of material and we were getting the support to do the course but the previous qualification you have to find the books yourself, you go to the library for research whatever. We have to sweat and sweat for it but with the Ace most of the things were provided. The materials were available with the Ace.
A: Do you think it is necessary for a math lit teacher to teach grade 8 and 9, is it necessary? Do you think if you have a non math teacher like an accounting teacher who is teaching math lit now do you think it was necessary for them to have taught grade 8 and 9 math.
B: Yes I think it is necessary what I have seen in grade 8 and 9 math (too much static cannot hear the words) so maybe if the teacher has got a background of math they can teach grade 8 and 9. Like for instance in my school there is a teacher that is teaching math grade 8 and 9 they used they used to call us math lit teachers to teach probability even the grade 12 teacher should to call us so I think they can.
A: The pass rate for the ladies in the math lit was lower than the men. Why do you think this is so?
B: I am not sure on that one. I think it is normal not in math only maybe because even of the load we carry at home when we are adults you see, we have a lot of work to do than men. So I think it is a matter of time. Maybe we spend a little time on school work, I don’t know.
A: Do you think as an African teacher you are disadvantaged to teach math because of the context.
B: Yes we find out that as we are teaching in black schools most of our learners have got a language barrier, they have difficulty in answering questions, you find out that in the test the learner has failed the test but when you explaining to them they say that they know it, it was just a problem of the language.
A: So do you think that language is kind of a barrier?
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B: Yes, there is a lot of reading in math lit; you have to follow the story before you answer the question.
A: Okay think you very much. I do appreciate the fact that you gave some time to interview you and this information you have given me will help in the long run.
If the university had to improve on the ace math lit programme what do you think they should do. Can they improve on the programme or is the programme good enough.
B: Maybe the university can improve on learning outcome no three because you find out that teachers don’t teach outcome no 3, space and shape and measurement and at the end of the day especially during exam time our learners are unable to answer most of the questions in paper 2 so maybe I think there should be more work the university supply on paper 2 especially the learning outcome no 3.
A: Okay thank you very much.
END OF INTERVIEW
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