7.3. Stakeholders and Leadership of the Mathematics Group
7.3.3. Non-Governmental Organisation
In 2007 the NGO became involved in the Mathematics Group. As stated earlier, the aim of the NGOs’ intervention in the Mathematics Group was:
To target Mathematics teachers in under-resourced schools in order to improve their competence and confidence in Mathematics and to improve their enthusiasm for, and ability to teach Mathematics. (NGO, 2012)
In a CHAT context, these aims may be seen as the fundamentally important objects of the Mathematics activity systems pursued by the subjects (Group of Mathematics teachers in a circuit). There are three types of NGO that are part of the Mathematics Groups.
NGO that is in charge of organising Mathematics Workshops in the central venue and in- house workshops for teachers and learners. The in- house workshops are held during holidays at the NGO institution. These NGOs include the Director of the Mathematics Project and the Mathematics expert teacher who facilitate during Mathematics workshop
NGO that is funding the Mathematics Projects.
NGO responsible for the evaluation of the progress of Mathematics projects in Mathematics Groups. The aim of the workshop programmes is to assist Mathematics teachers to learn Mathematics. According to the Mathematics Evaluation Report (2012) the external evaluation was commissioned to determine the impact of the work on educators participating in the project. The NGO facilitator, Siza further explained about the evaluators:
As far as the learners’ pass rate is concerned, it is quite difficult to correlate the pass rate with the workshops. We have an independent evaluator who is paid to evaluate us for funders. As she did the report about this Mathematics Group, definitely the more workshops that
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teachers go to, the better pass we get. Of course, there are other factors that have contributed to the improvement of the pass rate in Mathematics. I think it was a 63% correlation, which is quite high (Interview held with the NGO facilitator on the 20th of November 2014).
From the CHAT perspective, these three groups of NGOs (community) act according to their division of labour to provide physical tools such as funding, and psychological tools such knowledge and experience to achieve the outcome (mastery of Mathematics concepts). This study focusses on the NGO that does training. The outcome of this learning is mastery of Mathematics concepts and strategies of teaching those Mathematics concepts. For example, Jabulani stated the outcome:
I think my level of understanding Mathematics has been enhanced through participating in these workshops. I am more confident, more competent and there are few topics, if any topics that I struggle with especially for high school Mathematics (Interview held on the 1st of October 2013).
The improvement in the Mathematics pass rate in schools appears to be one of the outcomes of the activity systems (workshops) in the Mathematics Group. However, there are other factors that may also have contributed. Table 25 below was adopted from the Overview and Analysis of 2013 Grade 12 results obtained by schools.
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SCHOOL TEACHERS 2012 2013 Change
A T2 32.2% 15.0% - 17.2%
B 100% 61.0% - 39.0%
C T1 and T8 42.3% 37.8% - 4.5%
D 38.9% 83.8% 44.9%
E 35.3% 45.0% 9.7%
F T5 35.3% 41.7% 6.4%
G 11.8% 13.2% 1.4%
H T3 33.3% 78.9% 45.6%
I 15.0% 31.0% - 16.0%
J 19.0% 18.5% - 0.5%
K 50.0% 38.5% - 11.5%
L 100.0% 100.0% 0.0%
M T4 and T9 60.0% 42.1% - 17.9%
N 28.6% 8.3% - 20.3%
O T11 62.5% 51.2% - 14.3%
P T12 and T14 38.5% 20.05% - 18.0%
Q T6 16.7% 30.0% 13.3%
R 50.0% 100.0% 50.0%
S T7 1.8% 11.5% - 9.7%
T 28.3% 37.3% 9.0%
U T10 20.0% 100.0% 80.0%
V T13 18.8% 0.0% - 18.8%
Table 24: Grade 12 Mathematics results obtained by schools of the Mathematics Group The above Table 25 was adapted from the Overview and Analysis of Grade 12 compiled by the Director of NGO. It shows the pass percentage of the Mathematics of 22 schools that are members of the Mathematics Group. The Table shows that the Mathematics results in 11 out of 22 schools dropped. The analysis of Mathematics results shows that some of these 11 schools whose results dropped had learners who were supposed to do Mathematics Literacy.
From the 14 Mathematics teachers who were in the Mathematics workshops whom were observed for data collection purposes, in six schools, Mathematics results dropped in 2013 although other schools the Mathematics results increased. Using the CHAT perspective, the dropping of Mathematics results suggest a contradiction between the community (learners, parents, DBE) and the object (performance/results) because learners did not perform as well
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because they were doing Mathematics instead of Mathematical Literacy. According to the report on the Analysis of Grade 12 results, the average Mathematics results of the Mathematics Group shows a slight improvement in each year starting from 2011;
2011– 37.1%
2012 – 38.1%
2013 – 43.9%
Although the NGO, through its director, maintains that the Mathematics results are closely linked to teacher competence, this study did not track teachers to their classroom to check their competence in teaching Mathematics. From a CHAT perspective, the improvement in the Mathematics pass rate and the high correlation when compared with workshops appear to be the outcome of Mathematics activity systems. In this case, Mathematics teachers learnt and became competent in teaching new and difficult topics hence there was a slight improvement in the Mathematics results. For example, one of the participants highlighted the results of participating in Mathematics workshops:
… With the material we get from the group, the support from our co- ordinator and the support we get from the other educators who are also members of the group that creates a positive atmosphere for you as an individual. For example if there was a concept I am not sure about or a concept that I have been teaching incorrectly or a concept s that was a challenge to you as an individual. (Interview held with Jabulani on the 1st of October 2013)
The object pursued by the subjects (Mathematics Teachers) is learning Mathematics;
therefore, this quotation suggests the outcome of object enactment by subjects (Mathematics teachers).