OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Rochford, Kevin"

Browsing by Author "Rochford, Kevin"

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An investigation into rural and urban pupils' alternative conceptions of the concept "animal"
(1986) Tema, Botlhale Octavia; Rochford, Kevin
This is a comparative study of the conceptions that rural and urban black pupils hold with regard to the concept "animal". The study recognises the fact that the concept animal is important to the study of biology and that effective learning of the subject may be hampered if pupils hold different conceptions from those accepted in the subject. It was envisaged that the pupils would as a result of the different cultural milieu from which they come, hold different conceptions. This notion is based on the idea that one's conceptions are derived from one's conceptual ecology. It was also expected that pupils would have idiosyncratic conceptions based on their individual attempts to explain reality and that this would be a reflection of their cognitive development. The method of interview - about - instances developed by 0sborne(l979), was used in the study. This method is based on Piaget's method of clinical interviews. The subjects - 30 rural and 30 urban pupils, were presented with 19 cards depicting some familiar instances and no instances of the concept "animal". They were then asked to classify each picture and state the reasons for their classification. They were later asked to choose four reasons from a list of 26 which they consider best for classifying an animal. - V - A science reasoning task designed by S
Open Access
An analysis of Grade 9 learners' performance in the 2004 Natural Science common tasks for assessment with special reference to science process skills, learning outcomes and assessment standards
(2008) Mullajee, Ferial; Rochford, Kevin
In 2004 an educational evaluation strategy consisting of Common Tasks for Assessment (CTAs) was introduced nationally into South African high schools as an external examination, marked internally by individual teachers. It took the form of a systemic assessment for Grade 9 learners with the main intentions of promoting a common standard and serving as a validating tool for school-based assessment. This analytical descriptive investigation in 12 schools (in the Western Cape is a contribution to the research fields of academic performance testing, achievement and response. CTAs use the framework of the curriculum, broadly defined as the organising principle in how educational opportunities are provided to learners. Hence, the basis of the CT A model has three aspects: the intended curriculum, the implemented curriculum, and the attained and experienced curriculum. The CTA testing took place in 2004 with many schools participating. The CTA assessment in the area of Natural Science was framed by two organising dimensions: a content domain and a cognitive domain. The content domains that framed the science curriculum were presented as themes: life and living; energy and change and matter and materials. The cognitive domains were: factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, and reasoning and analysis.
Open Access
An analysis of pre-service teachers' HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy and their HIV/AIDS teaching tasks
(2005) Alexander, Joy; Rochford, Kevin
This dissertation examines the interface between pre-service teachers' HIV/AIDSknowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy, and their intentions to teach HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy. It is located within the models of teacher education which provides a conceptual framework to analyse HIV/AIDS pre-service teacher education. This study was conducted at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology's Faculty of Education which prepares pre-service teachers for primary school and high school teaching. It involved 68 first year foundation phase pre-service teachers in 2003. With the use of a qualitatively - based vignette probe, the pre-service teachers' intentions to teach HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy was investigated. The same pre-service teachers' were assessed for their levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS, and their self-efficacy with regard to reducing their own risk of HIV/AIDS infection, using a quantitatively based comprehensive questionnaire probe. The overall findings of the study revealed that the interface between the pre-service teacher's HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy, and their intentions to teach HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy was inconsistent. The results highlighted the need for a constructivist model for HIV/AIDS pre-service teacher education which will develop pre-service teachers' HIV/AIDS subject matter expertise and their professional dexterity to critically assess and implement school - based HIV/AIDS curricula in an HIV/AIDS context of teaching.
Open Access
The classroom implementation of indigenous knowledge in the science curriculum by science teachers in the Western Cape province, South Africa
(2015) Jacobs, Keith Ronald; Rochford, Kevin; Laugksch, Rudiger C
The South African policy document of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) for Natural Science (Department of Education, 2002), the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Life Science (Department of Education, 2003), and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Natural Science and Life Science (Department of Education, 2011) recognises and affirms the critical role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in science education. These policy documents expect the science teachers to integrate indigenous knowledge in their lessons. This study strove to establish how selected high school science teachers in the Western Cape Province responded to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in their teaching. The present study employed a multi-method approach, involving different research methods used in parallel or sequence but are not integrated until inferences are made (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie & Turner, 2007). This study took place in two main sequential data collection phases, namely, the quantitative data collection phase ((QUAN) and the qualitative data collection phase (qual). This contemporary approach was employed in order to provide credible and trustworthy answers to the following research questions, namely, 1) To what extent are the science teachers in the Western Cape Province integrating scientific and indigenous knowledge, as required by the Department of Education? If not, what are their reasons for this? 2) What are the teachers' views about and understanding of the nature of science and indigenous knowledge as well as their views on how the two worldviews can be integrated in the classroom? 3) How effective was the treatment in enhancing the teachers' ability to integrate science and indigenous knowledge in the classroom? 4) To what extent can the model of Snively and Corsiglia (2001) be useful for measuring change as the teachers implement the integration of indigenous knowledge in the science classroom? For the QUAN phase, the researcher adapted a questionnaire and a new questionnaire, the Nature of Indigenous Knowledge Questionnaire (NOIKQ), was developed. The purpose of this questionnaire was to obtain a detailed description of high schools science teachers' understanding of scientific and indigenous knowledge, as well as the problems the teachers encounter in their implementation of Learning Outcome 3 of Life Sciences and Natural Science. After the pilot study of the questionnaire and subsequent modifications to it, data were collected. Convenience sampling and purposeful sampling characterised the samples of respondents and schools. This sampling strategy ensured a total sample of 370 high school science teachers in 80 public schools, represented by urban and township schools in the Western Cape Province. The results of the QUAN phase indicated that the teachers did not receive training on how to integrate science and indigenous knowledge, and that they did not have sufficient knowledge of indigenous knowledge to teach this aspect confidently to their learners. An inquiry was embarked on in order to train the science teachers in how to integrate indigenous knowledge in the science classrooms. A workshop was chosen as an intervention to improve the teaching skills of the teachers and to develop new methods of teaching. A quasi-experimental design was chosen to establish how effective the intervention was. In this quasi-experimental design, one group of five teachers was assigned to the intervention, whilst the other group of six teachers received no intervention at all. This intervention was based on the model of Snively and Corsiglia (2001) for integrating IK in the science curriculum. These teachers had participated in the survey and were selected for their particular interest in the research study. Classroom observations and three teacher and six learner interviews were used for collecting qualitative data to establish the effectiveness of the intervention. A finding from this study is that the worldviews that the teachers bring into the classroom have implications for approaches they take to include IKS in their lessons. The results of the qualitative phase indicated that, given the teachers background (i.e., cultural, political and social), teachers interpreted and implemented IKS in different ways in the curriculum. The teachers who attended the workshop and were trained to integrate indigenous knowledge in the science curriculum were more confident than those teachers who were not trained to integrate IK in the science curriculum. This increased confidence resulted from the workshop which enhanced the teachers' IK content knowledge and made them less dependent on the learners for examples of IKS. The study offers important implications and recommendations to teachers and policy- makers regarding the implementation of the integration of IKS in the science curriculum, as well as fruitful avenues for further research.
Open Access
The classroom transferability of a university-based inset programme of workshops in practical work for senior high school Biology educators
(2006) Joubert, Nicola; Rochford, Kevin; Abratt, Valerie Rose
Professional criteria for assessing (a) the success and transferability of the programme and (b) the quality of the research evidence gathered from the Biology teachers and their learners in Cape Town, were adopted from a combination of the theoretical frameworks for INSET evaluation recommended by several authors, including the American National Science Standards (1996), Tamir (1997) and Oyasi & Oyasi (2000). The post-workshop data indicated that educators enjoyed the practical activities, and were active in implementing a number of them with their classes in subsequent years. It further revealed that their confidence in engaging in practicalwork improved significantly. To verify or corroborate these findings, ten educators observed at from the 1999 course were interviewed from 2002 to 2005. One educator was observed at two different schools, with different socio-economic backgrounds. The interviews were transcribed and five of the educators were observed while they dealt with the practical activities learnt during this series of workshops. The visual data from the classroom observations, and the interviewswere further processed and compared to the quantitative statistical data. It was It was found that, of the eight schools, four well-resourced schools implemented the programme successfully. This was in terms of the number of practical activities from the course that had been transferred to the classroom. Three of the under-resourced schools, with larger classes, also implemented the course successfully. This was due to the skills and motivation which the educators gained whilst participating in this series of workshops. In two of the schools the high rate of vandalism and the heavy workload of the educators was excessive to the point that they could not implement the programme successfully.
Open Access
A comparison of science teachers' and engineering students' rankings of science and technology related global problems
(1996) Ndodana, Cynthia Bulelwa; Rochford, Kevin
Using 262 acknowledged science educators from 41 countries, Bybee developed a scale for measuring the ranked priorities of scientists, and others, with respect to twelve major global problems related to science and technology in 1984. In 1993 this scale was re-administered to samples of 76 Cape Town science educators, 55 Transkei science educators and 129 chemical engineering undergraduates at the University of Cape Town. High correlations ranging from r = 0.68 to r = 0.90 were obtained among the four samples' mean ranked priorities on the scale as a whole, over the ten year period. Among the top six global problems in 1984, five still received consistently high overall prioritisation in 1993, namely: population growth; world hunger and food resources; human health and disease; air quality and atmosphere; and water resources. The mean ranking of war technology as a priority declined by seven places over the ten year period. Educators surveyed in follow-up studies in 1993 made numerous recommendations for teaching these global problems. These included the use of the science-technology-society (STS) approach in science education; the introduction of a core school curriculum on environmental education; the encouragement of student participation in projects which help to reduce or eliminate such global problems; and the re-allocation of money spent on nuclear arms towards the satisfaction of human basic needs such as food, housing, health and water services. In a follow-up survey of twenty lecturers in engineering at the University of Cape Town in 1993 and 1994 important goals and issues singled out by individuals included the provision of mass housing and infrastructure; sanitation; urbanisation; job creation; the abuse of high technology in communications; technological illiteracy among decision makers; abuse and reduction of oceanic resources; photochemical smog; the prediction and possible control of droughts and floods; demands on the human race of the information explosion; electromagnetic wave hazards and pollution; resource depletion education and the dissemination of knowledge; the emergence and separation of C.P. Snow's "Two cultures"; and the myth of the peace dividend. Several of these issues were then subsequently included in 1995 in an updated, modified and extended form of the Bybee Scale. Currently a reliable and validated 15-item Scale -emerging from the findings of this dissertation - is being employed by other research workers in various parts of the new South Africa. During 1995 its chief use has been offering relevant input into, and providing empirical justification for, fundamental aspects of the policy of the current Reconstruction and Development Programme, as set out in the 1995 White Paper of the Government of National Unity.
Open Access
A comparison of Science teachers' and students' priorities for improving the teaching and learning of Science in Lesotho high schools in the 21st Century
(2000) Moru, Adelina M; Rochford, Kevin
The 1995 Report of the National Seminar on Lesotho Secondary Education Policy: Localisation of the O Level Curriculum stated that there was a need to review the goals and policies which were to serve as a government framework for the development of the new curriculum materials. It is in this context that this study was conducted. The purpose of the study was to determine, with reasons, which of the 20 literature-derived policy recommendations proposed for the improvement of teaching and learning of science would be most highly prioritised and agreed upon by 171 Lesotho science teachers and 368 science students in 1999.
Open Access
A contextual investigation into selected factors associated with student performance in Financial Accounting 1 at a South African institution
(2005) Moore, Colleen; Rochford, Kevin; Cliff, Alan
In South Africa, applicants to Higher Education come from diverse socio-economic, language and educational backgrounds. Within this context many researchers (e.g. Yeld 2001; Cliff 2003) suggest that school-leaving results may not adequately reflect the entry-level abilities of many students to be successful in Higher Education. Against this backdrop, the matric aggregate and the matric results in Accounting or Mathematics comprise the main selection criteria for admission to three Accounting National Diploma courses at the Cape Technikon. The main question that this study therefore attempted to answer was whether matric Accounting HG or SG is a good predictor of success in Financial Accounting 1. The following sub-questions were also asked: Is performance in Financial Accounting 1 linked to other academic variables, like matric aggregate and matric Mathematics HG or SG, and to other measureable influences like home language, gender, and age? Using the ex post facto research method, all the aforementioned data was collected from the technikon records. Eight null hypotheses were formulated and tested for approximately 300 students registered for Financial Accounting 1 during each of the years 1998-2002. Based on the results of the ANOVA analyses, Mann-Whitney tests (Maths SG), t-tests (gender) and Pearson product-moment correlation (age), it was concluded that for all five years there is a statistically significant relationship between the Financial Accounting 1 marks of students and the variables Matric Accounting HG scores, Matric Accounting SG scores, Matric aggregate scores and Home language, although the latter result is possibly borderline significant and might need further investigation. The higher the students' above-mentioned matric scores, the higher investigation. The higher the students' above-mentioned matric scores, the higher the subsequent Financial Accounting 1 marks are likely to be.
Open Access
The development of an enabling self-administered questionnaire for enhancing reading teachers' professional pedagogical insights
(2006) Condy, Janet; Rochford, Kevin
There have been many national and provincial studies on children's literacy levels in recent years in South Africa. However, none has determined the teachers' own understandings of the core indicators of an effective reading teacher. During a preliminary feasibility study, the researcher was surprised to discover how many under-qualified teachers there were who had a limited professional understanding of current primary school reading instructions, approaches and practices. To assess more accurately these experienced teachers' perceived professional competencies in teaching reading, the current study reports the development, refinement, validation and implementation of a conveniently self-administered profile of professional competencies designated the "Core Indicators of an Effective Reading Teacher Questionnaire" (CIERTQ).
Open Access
Differences between student perceptions of the actual and the preferred science laboratory classroom learning environments at a South African college of education
(1993) Adams, William Edward; Rochford, Kevin
This preliminary research study aimed to investigate, with the aid of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), the actual and the preferred laboratory environments as perceived by 264 first, second and third year college Science and Biology students in Cape Town, South Africa. This investigation sought to answer the following main questions: * Are the English and the Afrikaans versions of the SLEI valid and reliable for use as perceptive instruments in a South African context? * What are the relationships between variables such as class membership, the year level of study, the type or level of the science subject studied, the particular lecturer concerned, home language and gender and the students' perceptions of their science laboratory classroom environments? * Do appreciable differences occur between the actual and the preferred environments as perceived by the students? * Are the findings of the present investigation consistent with the results of parallel investigations undertaken overseas? The data was collected by means of standard answer sheets, and analysed by comparison of the mean scores, standard deviations, discriminant validities and the alpha reliabilities of the various scales of SLEI. Bibliography: p. 130-141.
Open Access
The early identification of academic support needs of first year university engineering drawing students in a multicultural society
(1985) Millroy, Wendy; Rochford, Kevin
Batteries of exercises requiring visualization in three dimensions were administered to more than 900 freshmen engineering students at the University of Cape Town in 1983, 1984 and 1985, and at the Cape Technikon in 1985. They were found to be consistently powerful predictors of performance in the midyear and final first year engineering drawing examinations. The cultural populations under consideration consisted of students classified by statute as "Black", "White" and "Coloured". By law most pupils in each ethnic group are educated within separate education systems in South Africa. Cultural differences existing between ethnic groups tend to be reinforced by these three different education systems and by socio-economic classes which tend to be distributed along racial lines. Although individual students with gross spatial disabilities were identified in all three ethnic groups, the cross-cultural study carried out in this investigation illustrates the significant differences in the mean performances of students emerging from the three different education systems both in the spatial batteries and in the first year engineering drawing course at UCT. These differences are discussed in terms of language problems, educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and cultural differences. The spatial batteries were found to be the best predictors of engineering drawing examination results at tertiary level irrespective of cultural group, and are proving to be particularly useful for identifying students urgently in need of special academic support in engineering drawing right from the commencement of their course.
Open Access
An empirical evaluation of students' perceptions of the nature of science : a comparison between groups
(1999) Edwards, Nazeem; Rochford, Kevin
In 1991 Evans and Schibeci used a modified Views of Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) instrument to assess 434 Australian students' views on selected aspects of the Science-Technology-Society (STS) theme. In South Africa , Parker and Rochford (1995), and the writer Edwards et al. (1997) conducted and published further corroborative studies with more than 1400 students. Set in the context of the debate on the "traditional" and "contemporary" models of the nature of science (after Palmquist and Finley, 1997), this study measures, compares and interprets the response patterns of five convenient sample groups to 26 items on the modified VOSTS instrument. The three subscales measure students' perceptions of the definition of science, scientific method and how scientific knowledge changes. The reliability of the instrument was computed for Cape Town students using Cronbach's coefficient which yielded α = 0.78; and its content had been shown to be inherently valid at the time it was developed. A self-completion questionnaire was administered by the writer to four Cape Town student samples in 1995 during normal periods of instruction at two high schools, a technikon and a college of education. The samples comprised 320 year 10 high school science students, 340 year 12 high school science students, 108 electrical engineering students, and 55 first year college of education science students respectively. The 434 year 10 Australian students' (sample 5) responses were compared with the responses of their South African counterparts. In order to determine statistically significant differences between the response frequencies of the sample groups on the 26 items, the χ² - test statistic was used.
Open Access
Evaluation of the drawings in a new South African textbook for science and technology : a comparison between groups
(2001) Jacobs, Keith Ronald; Rochford, Kevin
The purposes of this study are: 1) to investigate learners' and teachers' perceptions and evaluations of 40 illustrations in a new South African school textbook for Natural Science and Technology, and 2) to compare assessments of the illustrations made by different groups of users, e.g. by classes in advantaged and disadvantaged schools; learners speaking different home language; learners of different grade levels; biology teachers compared with biology learners; and so on. Repeated null hypotheses are used to test each dependent variable against each independent variable. These are: 1) That, when rating the quality of a given textbook illustrations, no significant differences will occur between the expressed levels of satisfaction of two given samples of respondents (e.g. the disadvantaged and advantaged learners; the grade 8 and grade 9 learners; the high school and primary school teachers; and the science learners and the science teachers).
Open Access
An experimental study of self-regulated learning in biology with special reference to instructional control, locus of control, and academic performance
(1993) Paterson, Craig Chalmers; Rochford, Kevin
Applying theoretical conceptualisations of current theories of self-regulated learning, a biology instructional programme facilitating learner perceptions of control by offering choices in task engagement was undertaken with two intact samples of Caucasian standard ten higher grade biology pupils in Cape Town, with the student groups matched for IQ and ability. A counter-balanced, quasi-experimental research design was implemented for two five-day cycles. Learner locus of control and self-regulatory behaviour were established using, respectively, the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (Crandall, et al, 1965), and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich and De Groot, 1990). The primary aim was to test the prediction that, in contrast to teacher-regulated instruction, academic performance after learner self-regulation would be appreciably greater. Differences between the experimental and control group mean achievement scores at the end of the programme were highly significant.
Open Access
Galvanic electrochemical cells: a study of the understanding and knowledge responses genera ted by students tested as individuals, in pairs and in groups
(2001) Gallant, Moegamad Riedwaan; Rochford, Kevin
This investigation is an application and extension of the work of Swain (1999) who recorded the productivity of the responses generated by student groups of different sizes during science lessons. The present study selected the topic Galvanic Electrochemical Cells. It sought to gather achievement data from 584 high school students studying physical science by recording their technical knowledge responses generated under several different socially-determined conditions. The investigation proceeded in three phases: - xi In phase 1, physical science students in Western Cape high schools were taught the textbook chapter Galvanic Electrochemical Cells by their usual chemistry teachers in normal classroom lessons, without any special programme of external assistance. At the same time, the researcher was formulating, designing, compiling, trialing and defining a summative set of twelve achievement test questions covering the topics oxidation, reduction, electrode current flow, forms of energy, salt bridge, oxidation and reduction half reactions and industrial applications of electrochemical cells. The wording and content of the final full electrochemistry test was progressively improved through three pilot trials involving consecutive groups of 63, 34 and 79 students; after which it became a self-evaluation worksheet scoring 30 marks. This worksheet test was then utilized for both formative and summative purposes, in two further phases.
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How learners prefer to be taught and assessed in biology : a study in eight Western Cape schools
(2002) Asary, Melanie Bernadette; Rochford, Kevin; Siebörger, Rob
This study aimed to investigate how high school learners in eight schools in Cape Town,South Africa, perceive how they prefer to be taught and assessed in biology. The investigation sought to answer the following focus questions: 1. To what extent are teacher-centred methods of teaching and assessment perceived to be appropriate for biology as a school subject? 2. In what ways do diverse samples of learners perceive how biology should be taught and assessed? 3. Can the learners' perceptions be reconciled to current curricular pronouncements and expectations in biology as a school subject? The study engaged two research paradigms, qualitative and quantitative. The quantitative approach used a survey methodology to gauge if there were differences between learners' preferences. Data were collected by means of two surveys. The total data collected were the responses of911 biology learners for the questionnaire "How would you prefer to be taught biology?" and 1259 biology learners for the questionnaire "How would you prefer to be assessed in biology?”. The data were analysed in three steps. Firstly, the learners' most preferred and least favoured responses were summarised for each questionnaire. Secondly, the qualitative responses suggesting why the learners prefer particular methods of teaching and assessment, the most and least, were re-arranged and sorted into emerging indicators, descriptive categories, trends and themes presented at several levels of analysis. In the final part, school-by-school comparisons were made. Chi-square tests were used to compare the frequencies of "yes" or "no" responses to each of the sixteen items on the questionnaire "How would you prefer to be taught biology?" and to the eighteen items on the questionnaire "How would you prefer to be assessed in biology?" Explanations for the similarities and differences between schools were then offered, derived from the qualitative data collected.
Open Access
Hundred percent successful throughput rates of Masters and doctoral research students
(2003) Rochford, Kevin
This article describes how 25 Master's and doctoral students commenced their dissertations, with the writer as their supervisor, and how all subsequently succeeded in graduating, many within a time period of one to three years. These students also efficiently produced 18 articles in refereed journals, ten refereed published international conference papers, ten papers published in national conference proceedings, ten published seminar papers and several books as an integral part of the work for their dissertations. Most of these publications were written, under guidance, by students who either originated in historically disadvantaged backgrounds, or were handicapped by speaking English as a second language, or both. The article presents and discusses the teaching strategies, interventions and time management techniques adopted to ensure research student success even under adverse conditions, resulting in zero dropouts and a zero throughput failure rate under super vision from the early 1980s through to 2002.
Open Access
The impact of a laptop computer assisted technology option on biology students' choice of a multi-media instructional methodology
(2000) Demirtas, Ilhami; Rochford, Kevin
This investigation was conducted with volunteer students in Cape Town in 1998-1999. analyses a sample of 323 students' improvement in achievement scores in physiology. The aim of this study was to explore the ,impact of the three instructional options, achievement, and preferences, on biology students with respect to gender and choice of instructional programme. The quantitative data was obtained from pre-test to post-test improvement scores, and qualitative data from open-ended questionnaires. The purpose of this investigation was to offer students a free choice of learning details of human physiology, using labels. by anyone of three available options: (a) by a laptop computer graphics physiology instructional programme; or (b) by equivalent hand-held coloured pictures of human organs and systems; or (c) by hands-on manipulation of the articulated components of the equivalent life-size dissembled torso model of a human body.
Open Access
Improving the teaching and learning of science and technology in South Africa : congruence between North West science teachers and science Expo students
(1998) Sokopo, Zoleka N; Rochford, Kevin
The purpose this empirical investigation is to determine how closely the science and technology curriculum views of South African science teachers concur with those of science Expo students in 1997. The study is also substantial contribution to an on-going national survey of the views of more than 1000 respondents for improving the teaching and learning of school science and technology as part of the Reconstruction and Development Programme. The 1995 Government White Paper states that there is a need for curriculum development that includes finding criteria to prepare and recruit students for subjects in short supply, particularly science, mathematics and technology. In its statement of Values and Principles of Education and Training, the White Paper (15 March 1995:22) states: -An appropriate mathematics, science and technology education initiative is essential to stem the waste of talent, and make up the chronic national deficit in these fields of learning, which are crucial to human understanding and to economic advancement. Subsequent to the release of the White paper, a panel of seven South African researchers reviewed the science and technology (S&T) literature and extracted fifteen possible policy recommendations for the improvement of teaching methods, curriculum and textbooks in science and technology programmes.
Open Access
An investigation into the attainment of spatial concepts by university science students
(1984) Rochford, Kevin; Meyer, JHF
This investigation sought answers to three main questions 1. Irrespective of level of performance in undergraduate anatomy, descriptive astronomy or engineering drawing, do students with poor spatial visualization ability significantly under-achieve in university class examinations in these subjects relative to their spatially competent peers? If this is the case: 2. Can a battery of spatial exercises be employed to diagnose severe three-dimensional impairment amongst students failing in anatomy, descriptive astronomy and engineering drawing and, if so, what is the optimum composition of such a battery? 3. For the purposes of counselling and possible remedial teaching, at which stage during a course of university study should failing students be tested for suspected spatial ineptitude? The investigation from 1980 to 1983 involved four populations of anatomy students, three populations of astronomy students, one year of engineering students and one group of clinical remedial mathematics students. The academic performances of 1126 students were monitored during this period, and 621 of these students were singled out for special measurement of spatial achievement in their academic subjects.

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