Knowledge and practice of grade 2 educators in enhancing conceptual development when teaching multiplication in Thabina circuit, Mopani West district
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Date
2022
Authors
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
Teaching the multiplication concept is a challenge to Foundation Phase educators.
This study focused on Foundation Phase educators‟ Pedagogical Content Knowledge
in teaching multiplication to Grade 2 learners. The study was done qualitatively. The
use of this research methodology resulted in the incorporation of the conceptual
framework for the development of multiplication concepts at Grade 2 level. The said
conceptual framework was informed by both Vygotsky‟s (1978) socio-cultural and the
educators‟ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) development theories as outlined
by Loughran, Mulhall, and Berry (2004). This study relied on the educators‟ knowledge
and practice in teaching multiplication concepts at Grade 2 level. Data was obtained
from the educators who teach Grade 2 classes. Interviews were conducted
telephonically given the current COVID 19 pandemic regulations and restrictions. The
collected data were analysed using the thematic analysis method. Three themes
developed as the data were analysed, and its discussions centre around these
themes. These findings revealed that Grade 2 educators lacked the knowledge on
how young learners should learn multiplication concepts. This was exemplified by
their omission of procedures such as changing visual diagrams into numerals (and
multiplication operation) and vice versa, and their failure to use number lines to
represent numbers. The results were consistent with literature on how educators
should enhance the development of multiplication concepts in the Foundation Phase
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2022
Keywords
Foundation phase, multiplication, concepts, numerals