CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, CONCLUSION
4.3 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA .1 Biographical data of the learners
4.4.1 Major Subjects Figure 4.5 Major Subjects
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Geography teaching and learning. This was further worsened by one dissenter who did not provide the necessary data requested. Nevertheless, four frequencies for Honours and one for a Master’s degree served as an encouragement in terms of the qualifications of Geography teachers and the potential of this to boost good performance in the subject.
4.4.1 Major Subjects
121 Figure 4.6 Professional Proficiency
Initially the researcher wanted to know the combinations of specific major subjects: Geography + African languages; Geography + English; Geography + maths; Geography + others; and non- geographical qualifications. The same qualifications mentioned above would apply to expected certificates in Chart 4.5. The researcher had expectations that this would assist subject teachers to effect good performance in learners, or the converse. The actual yielded responses by the teacher respondents in terms of administered statements were registered as follows:
Only one teacher (7.692%) held a professional Geography certificate; ten teachers (76.92%) had a diploma in Geography; two teachers (15.38%) had a diploma without English. This was a stark contrast; in that there was no mention of a combination of Geography and English, Geography and maths; or non-geography combinations. The implications of this are reflected in Chart 4.6;
and these would be consequential to teaching and learning Geography. It may be concluded that subject teachers without essential combinations of Geography plus English, Geography and maths; and teachers without Geography at all; or without Geography with African languages would impact seriously on learners’ performance in Geography. Such teachers could create serious problems for learners; because of their lack of effectiveness and proficiency in their teaching. The latter qualification shortcomings would be manifested in the deliberations on the specific objectives under 4.5 below.
122 Professional Proficiency
Figures 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 refer to this issue.
The researcher deduced from Table 4.4 and Figure 4.4 critical information, which implied that some teachers were under-qualified or unqualified for offering Geography to the learners. This evidence was deduced from the data on the major subject combinations, and in terms of knowledge-based profession, would impact negatively on second-language learners’
performance in Geography (Turner-Bisset, 2001:147).
According to Van Rooyen (1990:105), attested by Bloch (2009:90-91), highest qualifications and major subjects enhance one’s professional proficiency, which influences second-language learners’ performance. The researcher probed professional proficiency with the objective of establishing the effectiveness of the combination of Geography and English. According to Serrao (2010:6) and Setati (2011:11), a combination of Geography and maths would promote learners’
performance in literacy and numeracy. Statements 1 to 4 and Figures 4.16 to 4.19 bear evidence to this effect. The evidence deduced from Figure 4.6 was contrary to the views held by Van Rooyen (1990:105), Setati (2011:11) and Bloch (2009:90-91).
In reconciling the claim by the researcher, based on the evidence highlighted from the data in Figure 4.6, the Geography and vernacular combination had far-reaching teaching and learning consequences for Geography learners.
123 Figure 4.7 Teaching Experience
Their teaching experience was depicted as follows:
Three teachers (20%) had 1-10 years’ experience; one teacher (6.67%) had 11-15 years’
experience; six teachers (40%) had 16-20 years’ experience; while five teachers (33.33%) had 21 and more years of teaching experience. The professional implications that can be drawn from this picture would imply that in view of the lack of qualifications and under-qualifications of the teachers informed by Charts 4.4 and 4.5, this would impact on their learners in terms of optimal learning.
The concept of teaching experience was viewed as a critical factor by the researcher, based on the views of Howell and Lazarus (2003:5). Howell and Lazarus (2003:5) assert that experience is very consequential to teaching and learning; because it minimises or removes barriers to learning, especially those linked with a second-language as the medium of instruction. This is interlaced with lesson organisation and management, methods selection for teaching and selection of learning materials, and the assessment of learning. Sibanyoni (2009:3) confirms the views of Howell and Lazarus (2003) that a command of the content competencies by the content/Geography teacher, interlaced with personal experience in the content enhances learners’
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performance. Butt (2002:201) also agrees with Howell and Lazarus (2003); and Butt says that the proficient and efficient Geography teacher successfully directs learners’ talking, writing and reading in Geography in the second language.
‘Talking in geography’ means the learner can communicate in complex geographical terms in class. The teacher’s experience in Geography can remove any existing barriers in Geography;
because the learners are in command of Geography-specific concepts/literacy. The geographical literacy and mathematical literacy/skills are sorely needed in the teaching and learning of map- work. The teacher’s command of literacy skills was probed under Objective 1 regarding the Geography teacher’s professional proficiency.
Bloch (2009:90-91) advises that teachers’ effectiveness and efficiency enhances performance in curriculum but this is not related exclusively to teaching experience. Bloch (2009) says performance in curriculum is affected by poor geography knowledge, ineffective teaching practice, insufficient training the teacher has had, and little performance evaluation. Therefore, it could not be deduced from the data on experience that performance could be ensured by many years of experience, as explained by Bloch (2009:90-91).
125 Figure 4.8 Staffing
Number of Geography Teachers
The staffing was described as follows:
There were seven teachers (58.33%) who indicated that they were solitary subject teachers at their schools. The implications in such a scenario would mean that such teachers could not cater for all the sections of the prescribed curriculum. The issue of textbooks will be dealt with under Objectives 1, 2 and 3 of the study – with presupposed implications for Objective 4. The second scenario presented a fair practice at some schools. Two teachers (16.67%) share the various sections of the curriculum. The implications would be beneficial for both the teachers and learners; because teachers would have better chances of selecting sections of the curriculum in which they are more effective. Lastly, three teachers (25%) shared the subject; the implication is that this would assist in producing good performance of teachers in the classroom.
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The concept of staffing is considered critical by Skehan (2005:31), and by Uline, Johnson et al.
(2005:44-52). They advise school managers to create support structures for curriculum teachers.
They recommend school-based instruction for colleagues in a curriculum to help one another with their specific curriculum challenges that need specific expertise to improve their performance. Uline, Johnson et al. (2005:4) advocate collective staff development to enable professional teaching to take effect across the curricula. The collective staff development approach would help the staff to grow to accomplish the vision and mission statement of the school, resulting in the production of knowledgeable citizens in Geography.
Bloch (2009:11) maintains that professional development is ensured by the effective evaluation of all the curriculum areas. Collective teacher development, in terms of the curriculum areas, should address the teacher’s lack of knowledge in some sections of the Geography curriculum.
Geography is characterised by specialised sections, which need specialised teachers to handle them; map-work is a case in point. The concept of staffing was examined under Objective 1, which probed the teacher’s professional proficiency in the teaching and learning of map-work.
Figure 4.9 Area in which you are teaching
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This statement was allocated four rating scales, namely, urban, semi-urban, rural and semi-rural.
However, only the semi-urban and the rural scales were chosen with two teachers (12.5%) and fourteen teachers (87.5%), respectively. Upon interpreting the values, the researcher considers the question of rurality, as a major contributing factor to the learners’ learning. The learners’
learning in rural areas is always affected significantly in terms of their linguistic level development as second-language learners (English). Their learning of geography would be impacted by the rivalry of the home languages that would preoccupy their cognition as a principle of psychological premise. In most cases, the learners’ social background would not be conducive for effective learning in the LoLT. This is due to the lack of development opportunities for the LoLT.
The families are generally poor in terms of affording technological facilities and literature provisioning to enrich the learners with vocabulary acquisition in the LoLT. Over and above this, the scarcity of the learning material level of illiteracy in parents compounds the problem. The underlying factor on the part of parents would be their failure to guide and develop literacy in their children.
128 Figure 4.10 District in which your school is situated
Firstly, Chart 4.10 above reconciles with Chart 4.3. Secondly, Chart 4.10 and Chart 4.9 are linked with each other; as they indicate that many of the districts are found situated in rural areas.
The implications thereof have already been pointed out. The concept of ‘learner situatedness’ has been central in the educating of the learner; as the learner is viewed as inseparable from the environment. It would mean that a conducive environment benefits learners. On the contrary, a non-conducive learning environment yields negative results in the learners.