Browsing by Subject "Limpopo (Northern Province)"

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    Demographic profile and perceived INSET needs of secondary Mathematics teachers in Limpopo province
    (2010) Laugksch, Rudiger
    The findings of a study on the demographic profile and perceived INSET needs of secondary Mathematics teachers in Limpopo province are described. The survey instrument employed was the Science Teacher Inventory of Needs for Limpopo province (STIN-LP). Most teachers who responded to this survey teach at a rural or township school, are between 20 and 40 years old, and have between four and ten years experience in teaching Mathematics. Standard 10 is the highest academic qualification of half of the teachers, with 67% of teachers having an M+3 as their highest professional qualification. Teachers indicated interest in all the 38 INSET need items included in the STIN-LP with motivating learners to learn Mathematics, using audio-visual equipment and applying mathematics to daily life of learners among the most important need. The least support was indicated, among others, for needs related to the history of mathematics, improving content knowledge, how mathematics is used in society, and teaching large classes. Poor communication of INSET activities was reported to be the greatest barrier to INSET participation. Implications of the findings are discussed.
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    Development and validation of the Science Teacher Inventory of Needs for Limpopo Province (STIN-LP)
    (2005) Laugksch, Rüdiger; Rakumako, Angeline; Manyelo, Tsalane; Mabye, Daniel
    The development and validation of an instrument for establishing the perceived INSET needs of teachers of Mathematics, Physical Science, and Biology in Limpopo province, South Africa, and their pertinent demographic details are described. The instrument was modified from the Science Teacher Inventory of Needs (STIN-3) developed by previous workers. STIN-3 was adapted for use in the educational context of Limpopo province in collaboration with important stakeholders in Mathematics, Physical Science, and Biology education at the provincial and national level. The stakeholders commented on the appropriateness or otherwise of items, suggested additional items, and assessed the clarity of items and instructions for completing the questionnaire. An English Second Language expert inspected the instrument to make its language demands appropriate for the target audience. The resulting Science Teacher Inventory of Needs for Limpopo Province (STIN-LP) was pilot-tested on 132 teachers in the subjects and modified accordingly. The final STIN-LP has good alignment with the Norms and Standards for Educators and consists of 95 items: 47 items describing INSET needs in 7 different categories, 26 demographic items, 14 items describing teachers' problems, and 8 items assessing the frequency of use of particular teaching strategies.