SAFETY WITH ELECTRICITY iN OUR HOMES
4.3. Conclusion
5.2.2 Analysis of Critical Question 2
5.2.2.1 What kinds of meanings were arrived at?
The analysis shows a range of eight different aspects that the Grade 8 learners took out of their learning. These responses were obtained form the interview sheets and the learner's diaries. These meanings were derived from an analysis of the learner's responses to the question: what did you learn?
The responses are recorded and ranked according to the number of learners who learnt particular aspects. The analysis indicates eight focus areas on what was learnt.
• How electricity is produced - 5 learners;
• Safety with electricity - 5 learners;
• How to connect a plug - 4 learners;
• The source of electricity - 4 learners;
• About negative and positive charges - 3 learners;
• The steps in the electricity production process (local electric power distribution) - 2 learners;
• How to help other people - 2 learners;
• The effect of electricity on the environment (pollution or it can shock people and animals - 2 learners.
The above responses from the learners reflect (a) the different needs of the participants, (b) the meaningfulness of their learning is linked to their interests and needs, (c) that PBL activity foster greater levels of commonality of understanding in social learning
situations, (d) that through groupwork each group member contributes to the meaning making process of others in the group. The above meanings or learning by participants indicates how engaging PBL can be in the generation of the kinds of meanings learners can make.
5.2.2.2 How do Grade 8 learners do what they do?
The results indicate six ways in which learners mediate own meaningful learning.
• The use of own experiences as well as a knowledgeable other (teacher, adult, peer) to mediate their own learning.
Lwazi: The teacher... helped me when I needed to know ... helped me to look and listen. I did not like it when the teacher turned the (my) question around and asked me ... as I needed to know (and not be questionedfurther at that point). The group, it helped me when I did not know the answer(to a particular learning context - see Annexture 2, 4.1).
Cameron: The teacher gave us a chance to correct our work and gave us help when we needed it. My helper, one that 1 like, is a person who corrects me when I am wrong.
Thapelo: 1 listened to others (peers and guest speakers at the portfolio boards showcase) about their topic (see 3.3.2 in Annexture 2). The team, it helped me (see Annexture 3).
Thandeka: That it was going to be difficult learning and understanding electricity, but I was wrong, and that my peers in class to-day taught me a lot about
electricity (see reflective diaries, 4.3 in Annexture 2).
The above responses reflect the extent to which learners make use of own, peers' and influential others' knowledge and experiences to mediate their own learning.
• The use of available resources (as well as the Portfolio Boards or visual tools) to construct and showcase what one has learnt.
Thandeka: ... the portfolio boards, learning visibly step-by-step how electricity is
Nkosenhle: Theportfolio boardshelped me. (see Annexture 3)
Cameron: ...The presentation or portfolio boards, and the Workbook noteshelped me.
Lwazi: Working with (picturesoj) the generator, and my interest in ... what electricity is(see 4.1. in Annexture 2).
Thapelo: Unscrambledpicture puzzle piecesto show the process ofproducing electricity in a power station(se 4.3 in Annexture 2).
The above responses show the extent to which available resources allow learners to participate meaningfully in own learning.
• The use of peer collaborative group activities to construct meaning (sharing of experiences with peers, being focussed and listening).
Thandeka: ... mypeershelped me understand.
Lwazi: ...The other learnershelped me when I needed to know. They helped me to look and listen.
Thapelo: The team, it helped me (see Annexture 3).
The above responses illustrate the role played by one's peers in social learning situations.
• The use of dialogue is seen as important in learning.
Nkosenhle: (We made) use ofpicture puzzles todescribe/discuss the process of electricity production at a power station(see context 5 in Annexture 2).
Thandeka: ...we talked and talked and talked (my peers in class taught me a lot about how electricity is produced - see 4.3 in Annexture 2).
Lwazi: Talking helped me to learn about electricity (in the different learning contexts in Annexture2), 'Sharing behaviour'... useful learning tool. The group, it helped me when1did not know the answer. Because 1felt that we would talk so that 1 would know what I know now, this helped me (see 4.1 in Annexture 2).
Cameron: The presentation (ofportfolio boards as a persuasive visual) ...1was a bit afraid, but when1saw the other teams deliver(using their portfolio boards) 1 got a more confidence (see 3.3.2 in Annexture 2).
The responses provided above illustrate the importance of dialogue in social and meaningful learning situations.
• The use of hands-on participation and the variation of activities.
Thandeka: ...doing experiment on electricity, writing things, stuck pictures on electricity (see Annexture 4).
Thapelo: The experiment (on producing electricity using a magnet and copper coils) helped me to learn. It gave me an example on how electricity is produced.
Nkosenhle: Connecting a 3-pin plug using colour codes (using an actual plug, electrical chord and screw driver) (see Annexture 4), and drawing ofelectrical circuit diagrams is a good thing to draw using symbols(see reflective diaries 4.3 in Annexture 2).
Lwazi:Solved/re-arranged a puzzle ofa power station (using picture puzzle pieces) ... to learn the steps ofhow electricity is produced (at a power station)
(see Annexture 5). 1learnt about the steps ofproducing electricity in a power station. This1learn with the experiment we demonstrated in the class, what was interesting was that it gave me an idea how it (electricity) is produced(see the focus group interview, 4.1 in Annexture 2).
The above responses show how hands-on learning experiences that are varied, can make learning better (Kovalik, 1994; Wolfe, 2001).
• The disclosure of the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the desired learning.
Nkosenhle: ... Other learners saying I was stupid when I went to the science class during interval. Sometimes IJelt dumb.
Thapelo: I could not attend to all the group sessions as I had to rush home to look after the babies at home.
Cameron: The school could have taken action to reduce the noise while I was learning.
The above responses from the learners reflect the different ways in which learners gain access to learning that is meaningful to them. Furthermore, these responses allow us to bring to the fore some of the obstacles that the Grade 8 learners had to overcome, and the different idiosyncratic ways in which they make their own meaningful learning, through project based learning.
5.2.3 Analysis of Critical Question 3.
CQ.3: What are Grade 8 learners' understanding of meaningful learning?
In other words, CQ3 sought to find out the meaning that Grade 8 learners attach to their learning of a science unit on electricity through PBL. The question that directed the analysis of data was: Why Grade 8 learners do what they do? The results to this question indicate five meanings that learners attach to their learning.