The findings of the study revealed among others that the shift of the language of instruction from the mother tongue at the foundation stage to English at the intermediate stage requires attention. Finally, teachers who were not trained to teach at a foundation stage were found to be making it difficult for students to transition from foundation to intermediate stages.
Lack of learner academic development 73
No training of teachers in handling overcrowded classes 79
Lack of training on handling learners with special need 82
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Lack of preparation for next grade 85
Establishment of communication and orientation programme
The title of this study is: Managing students' transition from primary to intermediate in Mashishing, Mpumalanga. Intermediate stage teachers face difficulties in dealing with classes progressing to their stage from the primary stage.
Objectives
The researcher will therefore go much deeper to determine the cause of the gap between the two phases and how it can be managed and addressed. This study grappled with the problem of disharmony between the foundation and the intermediate phases and how best to create harmony between the two phases for the benefit of the affected learners.
THEORATICAL FRAMEWORK
It reveals the difference between the intended goal and the existing problem, condition or process (Harman, 1998). This theory is crucial to this research because it addresses the need for change to experience a well-managed transition between the two phases discussed.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Confidentiality and anonymity
- Voluntary Participation
- Safety of Participants
- Honesty and clarity
To avoid unnecessary conflict, the researcher initiated the research application with the University of Limpopo Ethics Committee for approval before conducting the study. The safety of the participants rested entirely with the researcher, meaning that safety had to be the researcher's priority.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
- Qualitative Research
- Research design
Out of the population of 11 urban primary schools in Mashishing, only 3 primary schools were adequately sampled. In each elementary school, 3 research participants were part of the research, namely the HOD, a teacher and a parent of a 4th grade student.
DATA COLLECTION
- Interviews
- Document Review
Such aspects can provide researchers with adequate information to add to the oral responses of the research participants (Maree (2008). They were intended to provide a clearer picture of the teacher's ability to work with the grade or stage.
DATA ANALYSIS
In this study, the researcher used thematic content analysis and the constant comparative method to analyze data. Using constant comparative method, the researcher looked at the themes that emerged from interviews, document review and observation.
QUALITY CRITERIA
- Credibility
- Trustworthiness
- Transferability
- Dependability
- Confirmability
With the data that was collected from the interviews, the researcher used thematic constant analysis by analyzing the interview schedules and then categorizing them into themes. Reliability emphasizes the need for the researcher to take into account the ever-changing context in which the research takes place.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
To promote confirmability in this study, the researcher recorded the procedure of checking and re-checking the data throughout the study.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER OUTLINE
The purpose of the research was set out together with its objectives, one of which was to determine how the harmony of the foundation and intermediate phases could be understood. The point of the researcher's research is focused on managing students' transition from primary to intermediate stages.
MOTHER TONGUE VERSUS FOREIGN TONGUE
This is clearly seen in the students in the foundation phase, when in the intermediate phase they learn English and no longer in their mother tongue. Introducing a second language at an early age could alleviate the challenges experienced in the transition of learners from the basic to the intermediate stages.
ENGLISH AS A STATUS BOOSTER
In the intermediate phase, students have different teachers for the first time in their school career. Trevor tended to be a slow reader and writer, although his reading skills developed above average in the primary stage.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS
The researcher believes that this is valuable advice that can help bridge the gap in performance between the foundation and intermediate learners. Parents must contribute to a smooth transition process between the foundation and the intermediate learners.
THE EFFECTS OF OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS
Parents can use travel and play time to help students memorize and review difficult areas with fun tricks. Parents can run fun quizzes and friendly debates at home that cover students' lessons or include flashcard activities to review subjects with fun (Darling-Hammond, 2015).
THE CHALLENGE OF READING
- Importance of reading
- Reading performance of grade 4 learners
- Lack of training for intermediate teachers on reading skills
Pretorius and Ribbens advise that students move from learning to read during the foundation stage to reading for learning in the intermediate stage. Students are expected to be able to read an expository text and critically analyze a variety of texts.
THE ABSENCE OF DEPARTMENTAL SUPPORT
It is obvious that there is no connection between the teaching of reading in the basic phase and in the intermediate phase in the teacher education curricula. While CIs supervise and support teachers with content, they also need to support teachers in dealing with the real problems they face in the classroom, namely the teachers.
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
In general, educators require support to be able to handle the reality of the teaching and learning process (DBE, 2013:8). As mentioned earlier, school effectiveness and educator professionalism are two of the priority programs of the then Minister of Basic Education as set out in the Tirisano Implementation Plan.
CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION
New teachers can take a long time to adapt to the system and understand learners under their guidance.
IMPORTANCE OF CAREER COUNSELLING
- Impact of lack of career counselling
Therefore, career counseling is a way of crystallization, specification, implementation, stabilization and consolidation of a career, according to Gordon and Habley (2000). Sajid (2010) reveals that there is a reported lack of career counseling in Pakistan.
MONETARY INCENTIVES
EFFECTS OF TRAUMA
- Children's reactions to trauma
- Possible intervention of parents and carers
Professional guidance may be necessary to improve the child's cognitive status and thus make the transition process from the basic to the intermediate phase a success. The first step in helping the child could be to openly talk about what happened and why it happened, using age-appropriate language.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
A parent can also try to gauge whether the child understands what happened by helping the child play or talking about his thoughts and feelings. In case a child chooses to express his feelings to someone else, a parent should comply and not make demands on the child as this can lead to conflict.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
As explored by Swart and Phasha (2005), South African teachers are inadequately trained to deal with parents and communities and this can be detrimental to teacher efficacy, particularly in helping to transition students from initial to intermediate stages. From the literature review, it is quite clear that parents and teaching staff play a vital role towards the transition process of primary learners from the foundation stage to the intermediate stage.
RESEARCH APPROACH
RESEARCH DESIGN
- Population
- Sampling
Common characteristics of groups distinguish them from other individuals, institutions, objects, and so on. Out of the population of 18 urban primary schools in Mashishing, only 3 schools were sampled.
DATA COLLECTION
- Interviews
- Document review
- Observation
Documents were interpreted by the researcher to give meaning and weight to the research topic (Bowen, 2009). The researcher was convinced that the observed aspects were directly related to the transition of students from the mentioned phases.
DATA ANALYSIS
- Thematic Content Analysis
- Constant Comparative Method
The researcher emphasized on observing the four aspects mentioned to determine their impact on students' transition from primary to intermediate stages. The researcher used the thematic content analysis and constant comparative analysis methods to analyze data.
QUALITY CRITERIA
- Trustworthiness
- Transferability
- Dependability
- Confirmability
- Confidentiality and anonymity
- Ethical Clearance
- Voluntary Participation
- Safety of Participants
- Honesty and clarity
In order to promote the credibility of this study, the researcher cross-checked the data collected from the research participants in various ways. In this study, the researcher ensured the confidentiality of the information collected from the research participants by first using this information exclusively for the study.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
- School Y
- School Z
However, due to the high number of intakes caused by the increasing population, the school needs mobile classes. However, there are only 11 classrooms and one grade R class accommodated in the school hall.
ADMINISTRATION OF DATA COLLECTION TOOLS
- Interviews
- Document review
- Observation
The researcher aimed to find out whether the annual teaching plan did not play a role in the struggle for the transition of learners from the foundation to the intermediate phases. The qualification of an educator plays a role in the transition of learners from the foundation to the intermediate phases.
THEMES ASSOCIATED WITH INTERVIEWS
- Slow pace in writing
- Lack of time-consciousness in grade 3
- Unfamiliar with handwriting
- Unresolved psychological assessments
- Reading incompetency
- Complex content
- Lack of training on sounds for Intermediate teachers
- Language change
- Lack of parental support
- Language shift
- Lack of practise
- Anxiety
- Introduction of new subjects
- Uncollected report cards
- Behavioural change
- Unattended trauma
- Home and schooling Abuse
- Poverty
- Lack of learner academic development
- Economic hardships
- Low parental support
This could be the cause of disharmony in the transition of students from the basic phase to the intermediate phase. HOD Y: “The low pass rate in group 4 is due to the language change in the intermediate phase.
THEMES ASSOCIATED WITH DOCUMENT REVIEW
- Abnormal number of learners per class
- Lack of infrastructure
- Inconsistency in performance
- Lack of teacher academic upgrade
- No training of teachers in handling overcrowded classes
- Effects of the language policy
HOD Y: “The department made a promise to provide mobile classrooms for the last five years, but the promise is in vain. Lack of academic development for teachers causes friction in students' transition from elementary to intermediate, teachers may not have up-to-date training on how to address students' needs.
THEMES ASSOCIATED WITH OBSERVATION
- Inconducive environment
- Overcrowded classrooms
- Lack of training on handling learners with special need
- Teacher frustration
- Unpreparedness for the next phase
- No plan for orientation week
In light of this truth, teachers must make an effort to create a conducive environment so that the transition process of learners from the foundation to the intermediate phase is made pleasant. This frustration of teachers can interrupt the transition process of learners from the foundation to the intermediate phase by constantly diverting the teacher's mind from the core business of the day preparing learners for the next phase.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
If students are introduced to new subjects early enough, their stress in the next grade is likely to be reduced. The process of introducing students to new subjects while they are still in 3rd grade should not be compromised as the consequences could be detrimental to the transition process.
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 1 INTRODUCTION
- Themes derived from interviews
- Slow pace in writing
- Language barrier
- Poor writing skills
- Themes derived from document review
- Overcrowding in class
- Inconsistency in performance
- Themes derived from observation
- In-conducive environment
- Teacher frustration
- Lack of preparation for the next phase
- Establishment of a communication program
- Reinforcing the English language from the foundation phase
- Training of intermediate teachers to teach reading
- Developing language skills
- Building of extra schools
- CONCLUSION
Insufficient departmental support was one of the findings that seemed to cause friction in the transition process of learners from the foundation to the intermediate phase. This will eliminate the issue of overcrowding in classes which plays a negative role in the transition of learners from the foundation to the intermediate phase.
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE – HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Explain how you think you can best help improve your child's performance in grades 3 and 4. Explain how you best think teachers can help improve your child's performance in grades 3 and 4.
