Browsing by Subject "high school"

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    Closing the mathematics achievement gap: exploring the applicability of growth mindset in South Africa
    (2022) Morse, Katherine; Tredoux, Colin
    Growth mindset interventions have been shown to give small but significant boosts to mathematics performance. These interventions are both brief and cheap, making them attractive for boosting mathematics performance. Is it possible that South African students can benefit from a growth mindset intervention? Mindset assessments and interventions have predominantly been developed in the United States. There have been applications of the assessments and interventions to other cultural contexts, often with minimal adaptions. Adaptions are not reported in detail (or thoroughly evaluated) in existing research literature. In a series of four studies, I establish that South African high school students do have mathematics mindsets akin to the fixed and growth mindsets reported elsewhere. Using an iterative design process and item analysis, I modified a mathematics mindset assessment for use with disadvantaged students in South Africa. In two correlational studies I established validity and reliability for a mindset assessment I call “Thinking About Maths”. I examined the contribution of mathematics mindsets to mathematics performance, in comparison with mathematics anxiety, study attitude and study milieu (or environment). I found that whilst mindsets do contribute to performance, the contribution is minimal compared to other variables measured. Additionally, I found that in an impoverished study environment males have high mathematics anxiety which inhibits mathematics performance whereas females have high study attitude, boosting mathematics performance. With assistance from students and teachers, I developed a mindset intervention that is culturally appropriate and relevant. 305 Grade 9 students participated in a field-based quasi-experiment, which had a passive control group. The intervention was delivered on WhatsApp over four weeks. Each week contained a growth mindset message, a YouTube clip, advice on a learning strategy, and an integration activity. The groups were facilitated by young adult mentors. It was clear that WhatsApp groups were an effective mode of delivery and there was good evidence of participation from students. Mathematics performance at the intervention school improved significantly beyond that of the control school. The strength of the intervention seems to lie in the combination of mindset messaging and the teaching of effective strategies.
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    Correlates of suicidality in South African high school learners: a cross-sectional study
    (2026) Kganyago, Moloko; Ward, Catherine
    Adolescent suicidality is a significant global concern, with numerous factors potentially contributing to its prevalence. However, the specific correlates of suicidality in South Africa remain inadequately understood, particularly in the context of recent social disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the pandemic, there was a notable increase in suicidality rates, prompting further investigation into its underlying determinants. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey was administered to 161 learners from two schools in Gauteng, South Africa, to examine suicidal ideation and its potential correlates. The survey explored factors including low future expectations, depression, anxiety, strained familial, teacher and peer relationships, experiences of abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, and living in unsafe neighbourhoods. Univariate analyses revealed significant correlations between suicidality and several variables, including depression, strained relationships with both parents, low expectations for the future, household conflict, strained teacher and peer relationships, bullying, cyberbullying, substance abuse, and limited social support. Strongest correlations (r > 0.40) were observed between suicidality and depression, anxiety, relationships with mothers and peers, and experiences of bullying. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that parental relationships and depression were the most critical predictors of suicidality among grade 10 and 11 learners. These findings highlight the urgent need for accessible mental health interventions, particularly within schools, as well as broader efforts to provide support through digital platforms and organizations such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, which offers free resources.
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    Investigating rural high school mathematics teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge development using GeoGebra through a lesson study approach
    (2026) Ssennyomo, Bernard John; Erwin, David; Mhakure, Duncan
    The study aimed to investigate the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) development of rural high school mathematics teachers when using GeoGebra and a school-based lesson study (LS) continuous professional development (CPD) approach to teach transformation geometry. The research objectives that guided this study's aim were to: Establish the extent of the use of GeoGebra and the LS as a school-based CPD approach in mathematics teaching in high schools in the JTG district prior to the main study. Investigate the level of TPACK developed when rural high school mathematics teachers use GeoGebra to teach transformation geometry during a school-based LS CPD approach. Investigate the experiences of rural high school mathematics teachers when teaching transformation geometry using GeoGebra. The primary research question underlying this study is: What is the TPACK development of mathematics teachers from rural high schools when using GeoGebra and the LS approach as a form of school-based CPD to teach transformation geometry? The study employed a mixed methods complementarity design, blending quantitative and qualitative approaches, guided primarily by an interpretive paradigm, while acknowledging pragmatic considerations. A total of 135 mathematics teachers from the 31 high schools in the Northern Cape Province's JTG district completed a baseline survey. The baseline survey focused on the extent of technology use (in particular, GeoGebra) in teaching mathematics and the nature of CPDs – a school-based LS CPD approach, in this case to which teachers in the JTG district were exposed. Following the baseline survey, six teachers from two specific schools (A and B) were selected purposively from the 31 high schools in the district for further study. These teachers taught Senior and Further Education and Training (FET) Phase mathematics at two rural high schools selected for research. Each of the two schools formed a LS group of three teachers. These schools' selection criteria included inter alia that they were located in low socio-economic areas, and that neither had a computer laboratory, although the teachers had laptops and mobile projectors. The Theory of Didactical Situations (TDS) was used to foreground this study. The data were collected from multiple sources, including a baseline survey, focus group interviews (FGIs) conducted after the teacher training session on GeoGebra and the LS with the six teachers and the three transformation geometry research lessons (RLs), and observation guides. The three transformation geometry RLs focused on the concepts of reflection about the x- and y-axis, reflection about the line y = x, and translation. The baseline survey findings showed limited usage of GeoGebra and the LS in mathematics teaching within the JTG district's high schools. Factors such as limited mathematical content knowledge and skills, lack of adequate technological resources and training, among others, were noted to be preventing the teachers from integrating the software into their lessons. Additionally, factors including inter alia lack of support from school administrators prevented teachers from implementing the LS in their schools. This necessitated training teachers from the two schools on how to utilise GeoGebra to teach transformation geometry, using a school-based LS CPD approach to develop their TPACK. The data gathered from the FGIs conducted after the teacher training session on the use of GeoGebra and the LS, as well as the three-transformation geometry RLs were analysed using the rubric of Niess et al. (2009). The aim was to track individual teachers' TPACK development levels in each of the four descriptors of the five TPACK levels, as shown by their self-reported scores and the researchers' interrater reliability scores. The statements from individual teachers' reflections on their TPACK development levels from training to RL3 are provided. These statements give an indication of where an individual teacher's TPACK development level was in the five TPACK level descriptors. The two schools' findings revealed that individual teachers transitioned from pre-recognising to the higher TPACK development levels (exploring and advancing) from training to RL3. Additionally, a quantitative data analysis using a repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to establish whether researchers' ratings on teachers' TPACK knowledge in schools A and B differed significantly across the four stages of professional development (training, RL1, RL2, and RL3) for each of the four TPACK dimensions: curriculum and assessment, learning, teaching, and access. This analysis merged data from the two schools (A and B). The findings revealed that the researchers' ratings of teachers' TPACK knowledge in schools A and B increased from the training stage to RL3 across the four TPACK dimensions. Notably, no discernible changes were detected between the training and RL1 phases, suggesting that meaningful improvements manifest later in the intervention. The study contributes to mathematics teaching when using GeoGebra and the LS as a school-based CPD in teacher education. A larger-scale study with a diverse sample would help to confirm and generalise the findings.