Gert van der Westhuizen | University of Johannesburg, South Africa (original) (raw)
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Papers by Gert van der Westhuizen
This study is concerned with teacher knowledge of learners' help-seeking behaviour. Teacher estim... more This study is concerned with teacher knowledge of learners' help-seeking behaviour. Teacher estimates of expected help-seeking behaviours of learners were compared with actual help-seeking of the learners. An in-depth study was deployed with one mathematics teacher and her grade 8 class of 20 learners solving mathematical word problems. Data were collected using a single-case design with semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observations before, during and after two lessons. The help-seeking behaviour was conceptualised and analysed using 11 dimensions (clustered into 4 aspects) as used in the work by Gurtner. The four aspects include: intention to seek help; source of help (teacher vs classmate); type of help (hints and/or self-regulatory content knowledge) and reasons for help-seeking avoidance. The analyses indicate that the teacher had detailed knowledge of her learners' intended helpseeking behaviour. In many instances this teacher's knowledge of the source of help was congruent with learners' actual help-seeking. The congruency was taken to indicate how accurate knowledge on the part of the teacher can aid interaction and learning support. The teacher data provided evidence to expand Gurtner's 11 dimensions to 13, providing two additional reasons for help-seeking avoidance by the learners. These are termed 'uncaring' (referring to lack of engagement on the part of the learners) and 'ignorance' (referring to a lack of meta-cognitive awareness that help is needed).
Introduction. The research focused on metacognition in a collaborative learning setting.
Teacher professional learning is assumed to be an ongoing priority in any education system, perha... more Teacher professional learning is assumed to be an ongoing priority in any education system, perhaps especially so in societies where democratic participation is to be enhanced. Such learning builds on teacher preparation programmes offered by higher education institutions (HEIs), and is encouraged for various purposes, one of which is to support the implementation of new policies. The introduction of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in South Africa is exemplary, and aimed at improving the equity, quality and sustainability of curriculum delivery on a national scale. The implementation of the IQMS involved the traditional cascading approach, relying upon teachers to learn, change their practices, and comply. The focus of this inquiry was into the ways in which teachers responded to the IQMS implementation demands and how they used the policy to learn and benefit from the process. The purpose was to develop an authentic and comprehensive understanding of such learning processes and how they may be sustained in order to make recommendations for future policy implementation and teacher professional learning. Data was collected by means of an action research process in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal and analysed with grounded theory methods. These methodologies were chosen for their possibility of enabling teacher voices, a key condition for the building of democratic citizenry. Based on the findings, a Teacher Professional Learning Framework (TPLF) was developed, representing teacher learning in terms of the dimensions of preparedness, policy interpretation, collaborative learning, and policy feedback. Recommendations for policy and practice are considered.
This article reports on a study that focused on the ways in which the quality of teacher educatio... more This article reports on a study that focused on the ways in which the quality of teacher education may be enhanced by mentoring, specifically conversational strategies used by lecturer mentors and the expected and actual impact on student teachers' learning. The notion of knowledge productivity in mentoring conversation was highlighted to emphasise the importance of mentoring in the professional preparation of teachers. Using a comparative case design, 12 conversations between a student teacher and his/ her mentor were video-recorded and analysed with regard to mentors' conversational moves to help students attain learning goals. This was compared with student teachers' perceived knowledge productivity as measured in terms of stated intentions to change practices. An instrument was developed to code the mentor's conversational moves. The findings of the study suggest that: (1) the mentor's approach during conversation differed, signifying how different strategies relate to the attainment of learning goals;
Teachers and Teaching, 2006
In this article knowledge productivity, a process that creates conceptual artifacts, is used as a... more In this article knowledge productivity, a process that creates conceptual artifacts, is used as a way to investigate the outcomes of collaborative and enquiry-oriented activity by teaching professionals. It is an outcome of the motivation to learn (self-regulation) in that it studies the issues from different professional perspectives (reflection on action) while aiming towards the construction of new knowledge and understanding (conceptual change). A team approach was used in order to examine how teachers working together as a team could become knowledge-productive learners in their work environment. In three different cases the outcomes of the study team process were evaluated against three different criteria of knowledge productivity: (a) improving knowledge and understanding; (b) shifting individual perspectives; (c) achieving commitment to the outcomes for professional practice. Process accounts and retrospective evaluations by the three study teams themselves were the basis for judging evidence of knowledge productivity. The approach has revealed insights into ways in which the teachers accepted the study team's (collaborative) outcomes, especially their initial (un)easiness for sharing existing knowledge and their (un)certainties about practicing the results of their collaborative enquiry.
Since 1994, education policy documents in South Africa have prioritised the goal of equity in edu... more Since 1994, education policy documents in South Africa have prioritised the goal of equity in education, understood as increased access to programmes, more equitable staff and student profiles, and curricula that are more responsive to the needs of all students. The challenge of effecting the goal of equity at levels of teaching and learning in university classrooms still remains. This article therefore focuses on notions of 'learning equity' in an attempt to problematise the need for equity at the level of teaching and learning. The purpose is to use a learning theory perspective to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges of equity in practice in order to make recommendations for a more responsive and responsible pedagogy in university environments.
This article explores the role of social media in reading education in schools. It offers an anal... more This article explores the role of social media in reading education in schools. It offers an analysis of literature on how social media are changing reading practices, and makes a case for learning conversations as a necessary condition for progress in reading development and information literacy. The argument is developed that reading development (i.e. improvement in comprehension and performance) may be greatly enhanced through learning conversations, or what is called discussion-based reading; even more so with social media reading (SMR), which is conceived of as reading in electronic forms. Based on an exemplary analysis of how learning conversations about readings in school settings can be done, guidelines are proposed for the use of learning conversations in SMR.
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 2010
This article explores the value of writing as an instrument for learning in academic disciplines.... more This article explores the value of writing as an instrument for learning in academic disciplines. The purpose is to describe how forms of writing are related to learning purposes, and to advance a pedagogy of writing-for-learning based on a literature review and anecdotal evidence on the use of freewriting in university courses. The literature review describes theoretical perspectives on the relation between writing and learning, and highlights how different forms of writing are associated with learning purposes. This relationship is analysed with reference to data obtained during the use of freewriting activities in a range of university courses. The article concludes with an outline of what may be considered principles of a writing-for-learning pedagogy.
The focus of this article is on the role and contribution of policy research in contexts of socia... more The focus of this article is on the role and contribution of policy research in contexts of social transformation. With reference to education transformation policies in postapartheid South Africa, the argument is developed that research varies in their contribution to change, as a function of the paradigmatic assumptions and methodological choices of the researcher. Based on an analysis of post-colonial theory and transformative perspectives on policy research, a framework is proposed which could be used to evaluate research contributions. This is then used to evaluate a selection of policy research reports on Inclusive Education published since 1994. Findings from this exemplary analysis suggest that there is a disjuncture between policy research practices and transformation imperatives inherent to current policies, and that these reflect the paradigmatic and methodological assumptions made by researchers. Strategies are proposed which could strengthen policy research contributions to social change in South Africa.
This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergr... more This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergraduate teacher education qualifi cation present their conceptual understanding of and learning in textual format.
Teacher Development, 2000
Teachers' portfolios are emerging as a significant tool for professional development and assessme... more Teachers' portfolios are emerging as a significant tool for professional development and assessment of competence. What teachers choose to include in their portfolios is often a function of external factors, such as what is publicly rewarded and valued as good performance. This article reports on an extension of research conducted in South Africa and Israel on the specific reflections teachers report about their own portfolios. Teachers were invited to indicate what they would include in their portfolios of performance and learning, to write reflections on what they see as evidence for professional growth, and to indicate how these inclusions are valued. The article reports on a comparative analysis of these reflections. The purpose is to develop an understanding of differences (and similarities) in terms of socio-political realities and broader educational culture. A comparative analysis drawn on interviews and portfolio entry data indicate similarities in the way teachers view good teaching, and the choice of 'hard' and 'soft' evidence in portfolios. The main differences are related to external factors such as facilities within the school, degrees of autonomy teachers have, and the social cultural context in which they teach.
This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergr... more This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergraduate teacher education qualifi cation present their conceptual understanding of and learning in textual format.
Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors... more Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors describe the background and scope of a community development programme in the Western Cape and explore the possibilities of taking a theory of change evaluation to it.
Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors... more Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors describe the background and scope of a community development programme in the Western Cape and explore the possibilities of taking a theory of change evaluation to it.
This study is concerned with teacher knowledge of learners' help-seeking behaviour. Teacher estim... more This study is concerned with teacher knowledge of learners' help-seeking behaviour. Teacher estimates of expected help-seeking behaviours of learners were compared with actual help-seeking of the learners. An in-depth study was deployed with one mathematics teacher and her grade 8 class of 20 learners solving mathematical word problems. Data were collected using a single-case design with semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observations before, during and after two lessons. The help-seeking behaviour was conceptualised and analysed using 11 dimensions (clustered into 4 aspects) as used in the work by Gurtner. The four aspects include: intention to seek help; source of help (teacher vs classmate); type of help (hints and/or self-regulatory content knowledge) and reasons for help-seeking avoidance. The analyses indicate that the teacher had detailed knowledge of her learners' intended helpseeking behaviour. In many instances this teacher's knowledge of the source of help was congruent with learners' actual help-seeking. The congruency was taken to indicate how accurate knowledge on the part of the teacher can aid interaction and learning support. The teacher data provided evidence to expand Gurtner's 11 dimensions to 13, providing two additional reasons for help-seeking avoidance by the learners. These are termed 'uncaring' (referring to lack of engagement on the part of the learners) and 'ignorance' (referring to a lack of meta-cognitive awareness that help is needed).
Introduction. The research focused on metacognition in a collaborative learning setting.
Teacher professional learning is assumed to be an ongoing priority in any education system, perha... more Teacher professional learning is assumed to be an ongoing priority in any education system, perhaps especially so in societies where democratic participation is to be enhanced. Such learning builds on teacher preparation programmes offered by higher education institutions (HEIs), and is encouraged for various purposes, one of which is to support the implementation of new policies. The introduction of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in South Africa is exemplary, and aimed at improving the equity, quality and sustainability of curriculum delivery on a national scale. The implementation of the IQMS involved the traditional cascading approach, relying upon teachers to learn, change their practices, and comply. The focus of this inquiry was into the ways in which teachers responded to the IQMS implementation demands and how they used the policy to learn and benefit from the process. The purpose was to develop an authentic and comprehensive understanding of such learning processes and how they may be sustained in order to make recommendations for future policy implementation and teacher professional learning. Data was collected by means of an action research process in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal and analysed with grounded theory methods. These methodologies were chosen for their possibility of enabling teacher voices, a key condition for the building of democratic citizenry. Based on the findings, a Teacher Professional Learning Framework (TPLF) was developed, representing teacher learning in terms of the dimensions of preparedness, policy interpretation, collaborative learning, and policy feedback. Recommendations for policy and practice are considered.
This article reports on a study that focused on the ways in which the quality of teacher educatio... more This article reports on a study that focused on the ways in which the quality of teacher education may be enhanced by mentoring, specifically conversational strategies used by lecturer mentors and the expected and actual impact on student teachers' learning. The notion of knowledge productivity in mentoring conversation was highlighted to emphasise the importance of mentoring in the professional preparation of teachers. Using a comparative case design, 12 conversations between a student teacher and his/ her mentor were video-recorded and analysed with regard to mentors' conversational moves to help students attain learning goals. This was compared with student teachers' perceived knowledge productivity as measured in terms of stated intentions to change practices. An instrument was developed to code the mentor's conversational moves. The findings of the study suggest that: (1) the mentor's approach during conversation differed, signifying how different strategies relate to the attainment of learning goals;
Teachers and Teaching, 2006
In this article knowledge productivity, a process that creates conceptual artifacts, is used as a... more In this article knowledge productivity, a process that creates conceptual artifacts, is used as a way to investigate the outcomes of collaborative and enquiry-oriented activity by teaching professionals. It is an outcome of the motivation to learn (self-regulation) in that it studies the issues from different professional perspectives (reflection on action) while aiming towards the construction of new knowledge and understanding (conceptual change). A team approach was used in order to examine how teachers working together as a team could become knowledge-productive learners in their work environment. In three different cases the outcomes of the study team process were evaluated against three different criteria of knowledge productivity: (a) improving knowledge and understanding; (b) shifting individual perspectives; (c) achieving commitment to the outcomes for professional practice. Process accounts and retrospective evaluations by the three study teams themselves were the basis for judging evidence of knowledge productivity. The approach has revealed insights into ways in which the teachers accepted the study team's (collaborative) outcomes, especially their initial (un)easiness for sharing existing knowledge and their (un)certainties about practicing the results of their collaborative enquiry.
Since 1994, education policy documents in South Africa have prioritised the goal of equity in edu... more Since 1994, education policy documents in South Africa have prioritised the goal of equity in education, understood as increased access to programmes, more equitable staff and student profiles, and curricula that are more responsive to the needs of all students. The challenge of effecting the goal of equity at levels of teaching and learning in university classrooms still remains. This article therefore focuses on notions of 'learning equity' in an attempt to problematise the need for equity at the level of teaching and learning. The purpose is to use a learning theory perspective to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges of equity in practice in order to make recommendations for a more responsive and responsible pedagogy in university environments.
This article explores the role of social media in reading education in schools. It offers an anal... more This article explores the role of social media in reading education in schools. It offers an analysis of literature on how social media are changing reading practices, and makes a case for learning conversations as a necessary condition for progress in reading development and information literacy. The argument is developed that reading development (i.e. improvement in comprehension and performance) may be greatly enhanced through learning conversations, or what is called discussion-based reading; even more so with social media reading (SMR), which is conceived of as reading in electronic forms. Based on an exemplary analysis of how learning conversations about readings in school settings can be done, guidelines are proposed for the use of learning conversations in SMR.
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 2010
This article explores the value of writing as an instrument for learning in academic disciplines.... more This article explores the value of writing as an instrument for learning in academic disciplines. The purpose is to describe how forms of writing are related to learning purposes, and to advance a pedagogy of writing-for-learning based on a literature review and anecdotal evidence on the use of freewriting in university courses. The literature review describes theoretical perspectives on the relation between writing and learning, and highlights how different forms of writing are associated with learning purposes. This relationship is analysed with reference to data obtained during the use of freewriting activities in a range of university courses. The article concludes with an outline of what may be considered principles of a writing-for-learning pedagogy.
The focus of this article is on the role and contribution of policy research in contexts of socia... more The focus of this article is on the role and contribution of policy research in contexts of social transformation. With reference to education transformation policies in postapartheid South Africa, the argument is developed that research varies in their contribution to change, as a function of the paradigmatic assumptions and methodological choices of the researcher. Based on an analysis of post-colonial theory and transformative perspectives on policy research, a framework is proposed which could be used to evaluate research contributions. This is then used to evaluate a selection of policy research reports on Inclusive Education published since 1994. Findings from this exemplary analysis suggest that there is a disjuncture between policy research practices and transformation imperatives inherent to current policies, and that these reflect the paradigmatic and methodological assumptions made by researchers. Strategies are proposed which could strengthen policy research contributions to social change in South Africa.
This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergr... more This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergraduate teacher education qualifi cation present their conceptual understanding of and learning in textual format.
Teacher Development, 2000
Teachers' portfolios are emerging as a significant tool for professional development and assessme... more Teachers' portfolios are emerging as a significant tool for professional development and assessment of competence. What teachers choose to include in their portfolios is often a function of external factors, such as what is publicly rewarded and valued as good performance. This article reports on an extension of research conducted in South Africa and Israel on the specific reflections teachers report about their own portfolios. Teachers were invited to indicate what they would include in their portfolios of performance and learning, to write reflections on what they see as evidence for professional growth, and to indicate how these inclusions are valued. The article reports on a comparative analysis of these reflections. The purpose is to develop an understanding of differences (and similarities) in terms of socio-political realities and broader educational culture. A comparative analysis drawn on interviews and portfolio entry data indicate similarities in the way teachers view good teaching, and the choice of 'hard' and 'soft' evidence in portfolios. The main differences are related to external factors such as facilities within the school, degrees of autonomy teachers have, and the social cultural context in which they teach.
This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergr... more This article focuses on how students in one specifi c undergraduate training module in an undergraduate teacher education qualifi cation present their conceptual understanding of and learning in textual format.
Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors... more Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors describe the background and scope of a community development programme in the Western Cape and explore the possibilities of taking a theory of change evaluation to it.
Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors... more Funders and policy-makers need evaluation information to assess development progress. The authors describe the background and scope of a community development programme in the Western Cape and explore the possibilities of taking a theory of change evaluation to it.