Dr Kim Ramatlapana | University of the Witwatersrand (original) (raw)

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Papers by Dr Kim Ramatlapana

Research paper thumbnail of Teaching Methodology and Practicum : Senior Phase Mathematics

Research paper thumbnail of From too much freedom to too much restriction: The case of teacher autonomy from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS)

Africa Education Review, 2012

ABSTRACT The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed... more ABSTRACT The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed the curriculum landscape. These revisions are meant to effect among other issues, the socio-economic development for all through quality education. The latest curricula transition from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), although meant to respond to widely publicised shortfalls in the NCS, has compromised educator autonomy. This empirical case study was undertaken to explore Further Education and Training (FET) educators’ adherence to implementation of CAPS in the light of their professional autonomy. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) guided this study. This theory presumes that teachers’ beliefs direct their behaviour. Data was collected from fifty-two FET educators of varying subjects from twelve Johannesburg schools. The study revealed that the prescriptive nature of the curriculum as espoused by CAPS at times compromised educator autonomy in effecting quality education.

Research paper thumbnail of Topic Study Group No. 49: In-Service Education and Professional Development of Primary Mathematics Teachers

Research paper thumbnail of Prospective mathematics teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge of geometry in a GeoGebra-based environment

A thesis submitted to the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwaters... more A thesis submitted to the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2017.

Research paper thumbnail of Mathematics Education Prospective Teachers’ Errors Patterns on Grade 12 Mathematics

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Inevitably, life in the twenty-first century globalised world brings people into contact with "ot... more Inevitably, life in the twenty-first century globalised world brings people into contact with "others". Through these contacts, the need for interactions demands that these people find different ways of understanding one another to generate knowledge. In order for them to achieve this objective, they need a strong and coherent medium. First additional language education has been developed in South Africa to unravel as well as address challenges posed to competence in intercultural communication, with the emphasis placed on how to communicate with a different "other" since the world now has become a small village. The study made use of a qualitative research methodology, revolving around an ethnographic design. The research population constituted lecturers, tutors and students from the University of Western Cape. The four principal tools used for data collection included: Interviews, Questionnaires, Naturally Occurring data and Participant Observation.

Research paper thumbnail of Advances in the Provision of Mathematics Teacher Professional Development in Botswana

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Based on theoretical overviews covering feedback and partners in teaching practice, this paper re... more Based on theoretical overviews covering feedback and partners in teaching practice, this paper reports on a cohort of South African third year B.Ed. student teachers' impressions of feedback during a specific period of teaching practice by means of a quantitative study. By focusing on feedback on lesson presentations, 82 randomly sampled student teachers shared their impressions of feedback provided by supervisor teachers and university lecturers. Although the findings suggest that student teachers experience feedback of university lecturers as of higher quality than feedback provided by supervisor teachers, much must still be done to improve feedback practices during teaching practice periods.

Research paper thumbnail of Cooperative small-group learning in mathematics: a Botswana study of student behaviours and perceptions

Research paper thumbnail of Structuration Effects on Women Pre-service Student Teachers’ Subject Choices

Journal of Social Sciences

Research paper thumbnail of Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptual and Discursive Apprehensions when Making Geometric Connections

African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

Research paper thumbnail of Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptual and Discursive Apprehensions when Making Geometric Connections

African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

Research paper thumbnail of Cooperative Small-Group Learning in Mathematics: A Botswana Study of Student Behavious and Perceptions

This paperpresents data a rising from a study on thefeasibility of cooperative small-group learni... more This paperpresents data a rising from a study on thefeasibility of cooperative small-group learning in mathematics conducted in senior secondary schools in Botswana. It wasfound that, although students tended to spend a considerable amount of time working alone and recognised problems such as argumentativeness within the group, they generally responded positively to this instructional strategy, particularly from the perspective of idea-sharing. As well as being culturally appropriate in the African context, the method also seemed to promote gender equity in participation.

Research paper thumbnail of Structuration Effects on Women Pre-service Student Teachers’ Subject Choices

Journal of Social Sciences, Oct 2013

The paper explores the effect of societal pressures on pre-service female student teachers' choic... more The paper explores the effect of societal pressures on pre-service female student teachers' choices to train as primary, high school or mathematics and science teachers. Data on 3288 pre-service student teachers from a School of Education at a university in Gauteng, South Africa was collected. The students' choices as per their gender were analysed. The results revealed that although female students were in the majority, a few of them opted to teach at high school especially in mathematics and science. The study found that the number of female teachers was inversely proportional to the increase in school grade. Content analysis of interview data showed that gender stereotypes strongly influenced course selection as most female student teachers feared acting against common expectations. The study also found that lack of role models of women in careers subsuming mathematics and science, seem to affect female students' attitude to mathematics and science. Recommendations on increasing women's access to mathematics and science education are suggested.

Research paper thumbnail of From too much freedom to too much restrictions the case of teacher autonomy from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and assessment Statement (CAPS)

Africa Education Review, 2012

The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed the curr... more The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed the curriculum landscape. These revisions are meant to effect among other issues, the socio-economic development for all through quality education. The latest curricula transition from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), although meant to respond to widely publicised shortfalls in the NCS, has compromised educator autonomy. This empirical case study was undertaken to explore Further Education and Training (FET) educators' adherence to implementation of CAPS in the light of their professional autonomy. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) guided this study. This theory presumes that teachers' beliefs direct their behaviour. Data was collected from fifty-two FET educators of varying subjects from twelve Johannesburg schools. The study revealed that the prescriptive nature of the curriculum as espoused by CAPS at times compromised educator autonomy in effecting quality education.

Research paper thumbnail of Provision of in-service training of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana: teachers’ perspectives

Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, Jan 1, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Teaching Methodology and Practicum : Senior Phase Mathematics

Research paper thumbnail of From too much freedom to too much restriction: The case of teacher autonomy from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS)

Africa Education Review, 2012

ABSTRACT The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed... more ABSTRACT The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed the curriculum landscape. These revisions are meant to effect among other issues, the socio-economic development for all through quality education. The latest curricula transition from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), although meant to respond to widely publicised shortfalls in the NCS, has compromised educator autonomy. This empirical case study was undertaken to explore Further Education and Training (FET) educators’ adherence to implementation of CAPS in the light of their professional autonomy. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) guided this study. This theory presumes that teachers’ beliefs direct their behaviour. Data was collected from fifty-two FET educators of varying subjects from twelve Johannesburg schools. The study revealed that the prescriptive nature of the curriculum as espoused by CAPS at times compromised educator autonomy in effecting quality education.

Research paper thumbnail of Topic Study Group No. 49: In-Service Education and Professional Development of Primary Mathematics Teachers

Research paper thumbnail of Prospective mathematics teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge of geometry in a GeoGebra-based environment

A thesis submitted to the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwaters... more A thesis submitted to the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2017.

Research paper thumbnail of Mathematics Education Prospective Teachers’ Errors Patterns on Grade 12 Mathematics

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Inevitably, life in the twenty-first century globalised world brings people into contact with "ot... more Inevitably, life in the twenty-first century globalised world brings people into contact with "others". Through these contacts, the need for interactions demands that these people find different ways of understanding one another to generate knowledge. In order for them to achieve this objective, they need a strong and coherent medium. First additional language education has been developed in South Africa to unravel as well as address challenges posed to competence in intercultural communication, with the emphasis placed on how to communicate with a different "other" since the world now has become a small village. The study made use of a qualitative research methodology, revolving around an ethnographic design. The research population constituted lecturers, tutors and students from the University of Western Cape. The four principal tools used for data collection included: Interviews, Questionnaires, Naturally Occurring data and Participant Observation.

Research paper thumbnail of Advances in the Provision of Mathematics Teacher Professional Development in Botswana

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Based on theoretical overviews covering feedback and partners in teaching practice, this paper re... more Based on theoretical overviews covering feedback and partners in teaching practice, this paper reports on a cohort of South African third year B.Ed. student teachers' impressions of feedback during a specific period of teaching practice by means of a quantitative study. By focusing on feedback on lesson presentations, 82 randomly sampled student teachers shared their impressions of feedback provided by supervisor teachers and university lecturers. Although the findings suggest that student teachers experience feedback of university lecturers as of higher quality than feedback provided by supervisor teachers, much must still be done to improve feedback practices during teaching practice periods.

Research paper thumbnail of Cooperative small-group learning in mathematics: a Botswana study of student behaviours and perceptions

Research paper thumbnail of Structuration Effects on Women Pre-service Student Teachers’ Subject Choices

Journal of Social Sciences

Research paper thumbnail of Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptual and Discursive Apprehensions when Making Geometric Connections

African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

Research paper thumbnail of Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptual and Discursive Apprehensions when Making Geometric Connections

African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

Research paper thumbnail of Cooperative Small-Group Learning in Mathematics: A Botswana Study of Student Behavious and Perceptions

This paperpresents data a rising from a study on thefeasibility of cooperative small-group learni... more This paperpresents data a rising from a study on thefeasibility of cooperative small-group learning in mathematics conducted in senior secondary schools in Botswana. It wasfound that, although students tended to spend a considerable amount of time working alone and recognised problems such as argumentativeness within the group, they generally responded positively to this instructional strategy, particularly from the perspective of idea-sharing. As well as being culturally appropriate in the African context, the method also seemed to promote gender equity in participation.

Research paper thumbnail of Structuration Effects on Women Pre-service Student Teachers’ Subject Choices

Journal of Social Sciences, Oct 2013

The paper explores the effect of societal pressures on pre-service female student teachers' choic... more The paper explores the effect of societal pressures on pre-service female student teachers' choices to train as primary, high school or mathematics and science teachers. Data on 3288 pre-service student teachers from a School of Education at a university in Gauteng, South Africa was collected. The students' choices as per their gender were analysed. The results revealed that although female students were in the majority, a few of them opted to teach at high school especially in mathematics and science. The study found that the number of female teachers was inversely proportional to the increase in school grade. Content analysis of interview data showed that gender stereotypes strongly influenced course selection as most female student teachers feared acting against common expectations. The study also found that lack of role models of women in careers subsuming mathematics and science, seem to affect female students' attitude to mathematics and science. Recommendations on increasing women's access to mathematics and science education are suggested.

Research paper thumbnail of From too much freedom to too much restrictions the case of teacher autonomy from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and assessment Statement (CAPS)

Africa Education Review, 2012

The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed the curr... more The major curricula revisions in South Africa in the last two decades or so have changed the curriculum landscape. These revisions are meant to effect among other issues, the socio-economic development for all through quality education. The latest curricula transition from National Curriculum Statement (NCS) to Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), although meant to respond to widely publicised shortfalls in the NCS, has compromised educator autonomy. This empirical case study was undertaken to explore Further Education and Training (FET) educators' adherence to implementation of CAPS in the light of their professional autonomy. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) guided this study. This theory presumes that teachers' beliefs direct their behaviour. Data was collected from fifty-two FET educators of varying subjects from twelve Johannesburg schools. The study revealed that the prescriptive nature of the curriculum as espoused by CAPS at times compromised educator autonomy in effecting quality education.

Research paper thumbnail of Provision of in-service training of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana: teachers’ perspectives

Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, Jan 1, 2009