Examining the Effect of Resource Constraints on Teaching and Learning of Grade 12 Mathematics in Gauteng Community Learning Centres
Keywords:
community learning centres; deliverology; implementation science; mathematics; resource constraints; teachersAbstract
The study focused on the effects of resource constraints on the teaching and learning of Grade 12 Mathematics in Gauteng Community Learning Centres (CLCs) in South Africa. It highlighted the historical and socio-economic context of apartheid and its enduring effects on educational inequalities. The lack of resources in CLCs, including substandard facilities, scarcity of teaching materials, and under-resourced teachers, was identified as a persistent issue. Grade 12 Mathematics is a vital subject for higher education and career paths, and proposed solutions include using deliverology and implementation science to mitigate these challenges.The methodology involved a multiple-case study design, with semi-structured interviews conducted with Grade 12 Mathematics teachers in CLCs in the Gauteng North region. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data gathered from the interviews. The findings highlighted a severe lack of resources in CLCs, reliance on out-dated and borrowed materials, and a heavy burden on teachers to supply resources. Challenges included limited access to basic materials, financial and logistical strains on teachers, and a negative impact on teaching quality. Furthermore, the implications of these findings suggest that addressing resource constraints through these frameworks could significantly enhance the quality of Mathematics education in CLCs. The study recommends a strategic approach using deliverology and implementation science, focusing on structured goal setting, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, continuous improvement, policy advocacy, and technology integration to improve Grade 12 Mathematics delivery. These recommendations are aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of resource constraints and improving the teaching and learning of Grade 12 Mathematics in CLCs.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.10.22
References
Adeoye, M. A. (2023). Review of sampling techniques for education. ASEAN Journal for Science Education, 2(2), 87–94. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370358209_Review_of_Sampling_Techniques_for_Education
Ahmadi, M. (2023). The state of social justice in academia in Quebec: A literature-based exploratory exploration (Doctoral dissertation, Concordia University).
Amadi, U. V., & Nwogu, U. J. (2023). The impact of funding on educational development in Nigeria. Journal of Education in Developing Areas, 31(3), 61–82. https://journals.journalsplace.org/index.php/JEDA/article/view/383
Anthony, G., & Walshaw, M. (2009). Effective pedagogy in mathematics (Vol. 19). Belley, France: International Academy of Education. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789087905019_011
Bali, M., Cronin, C., & Jhangiani, R. S. (2020). Framing open educational practices from a social justice perspective. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2020(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.565
Baloyi, G. (2013). Students support in context of open distance and e-learning for adult students using new technologies. In Proceedings of the International Conference on e-Learning (pp. 31-37).
Barber, M., Rodriguez, N., & Artis, E. (2015). Deliverology in practice: How education leaders are improving student outcomes. Corwin Press. ttps://doi.org/10.4135/9781071800621
Barcelona, K. E. P., Daling, B. A. J., Doria, P., Balangiao, S. J., Mailes, M. J., Chiang, P. M., & Ubatay, D. (2023). Challenges and opportunities of TLE teachers in Philippine public schools: An inquiry. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 4(4), 44–60. https://doi.org/10.37745/bjmas.2022.0247
Belete, S., Duke, C., Hinzen, H., Owusu-Boampong, A., & Khau, H. P. (2022). Community learning centres (CLCs) for adult learning and education (ALE): Development in and by communities. International Review of Education, 68(2), 259–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-022-09954-w
Bell, H. (2014). Becoming a successful student in pre-registration nurse education: A qualitative multiple case study (Doctoral dissertation, University of East Anglia).
Birch, L., & Jacob, S. (2019). “Deliverology” and evaluation: A tale of two worlds. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 34(2), 303–328. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.53365
Bischoff, K., & Owens, A. (2019). The segregation of opportunity: Social and financial resources in the educational contexts of lower-and higher-income children, 1990?2014. Demography, 56(5), 1635–1664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-019-00817-y
Borg, S. (2017). Teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices. In P. Garrett, & J. M. Cots (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of language awareness (pp. 75–91). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315676494-5
Cahilog, D. T., Sarong, J. S., & Arcilla Jr, F. E. (2023). Exploring the motivations and challenges of teachers leaving DepEd for overseas opportunities. Randwick International of Education and Linguistics Science Journal, 4(3), 516–534. https://doi.org/10.47175/rielsj.v4i3.754
Cevikbas, M., & Kaiser, G. (2023). Can flipped classroom pedagogy offer promising perspectives for mathematics education on pandemic-related issues? A systematic literature review. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 55(1), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01388-w
Chen, G. A., & Horn, I. S. (2022). A call for critical bifocality: Research on marginalization in mathematics education. Review of Educational Research, 92(5), 786–828. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543211070050
Cook, C. R., Lyon, A. R., Locke, J., Waltz, T., & Powell, B. J. (2019). Adapting a compilation of implementation strategies to advance school-based implementation research and practice. Prevention Science, 20, 914–935. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-019-01017-1
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2018). From “separate but equal” to “No Child Left Behind”: The collision of new standards and old inequalities. In E. B. Hilty (Ed.), Thinking about schools (pp. 419–437). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429495670-34
Davies, C., O’Donnell, D., Radomska, A., Shé, N. E., O’Shea, M., Devaney, C., Donnely, S., O’Donoghue, G., de Bruin, A., Whitty, H., Harnett, P., Lang, D., Harrison, R., McAuliffe, E., & Ahern, E. (2024). Sustaining health and public services in an uncertain future: What role for implementation science? Implementation Science, 19(1), Article 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-024-01341-3
Davis, J. M. (2015). Sampling and what it means. In J. D. Brown (Ed.), The Cambridge guide to research in language teaching and learning (pp. 198–205). Cambridge University Press.
Desjardins, R. (2015). Participation in adult education opportunities: Evidence from PIAAC and policy trends in selected countries, background paper for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2015. UNESCO. https://unes doc. une sco. org/ark:/48223/pf000, 232, 396.
Dhivyadeepa, E. (2015). Sampling techniques in educational research. Lulu.com.
Eeckhout, D., Aelbrecht, K., & van der Straeten, C. (2023). Informed consent: Research staff’s perspectives and practical recommendations to improve research staff–participant communication. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 18(1–2), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/15562646221146043
Gewirtz, S., Maguire, M., Neumann, E., & Towers, E. (2021). What’s wrong with ‘deliverology’? Performance measurement, accountability and quality improvement in English secondary education. Journal of Education Policy, 36(4), 504–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2019.1706103
Green, L. N. (2015). Investigating adult learning centre performance in the General Education and Training Certificate in relation to district socio-economic profiles in KwaZulu-Natal (Doctoral dissertation, University of KwaZulu-Natal.).
Heflin, H., Shewmaker, J., & Nguyen, J. (2017). Impact of mobile technology on student attitudes, engagement, and learning. Computers & Education, 107, 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.01.006
Houchen, D. F. (2020). An “organized body of intelligent agents,” Black teacher activism during de jure segregation: A historical case study of the Florida State Teachers Association. Journal of Negro Education, 89(3), 267–281. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7709/jnegroeducation.89.3.0267
Husband, G. (2020). Ethical data collection and recognizing the impact of semi-structured interviews on research respondents. Education Sciences, 10(8), Article 206. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10080206
Ihebom, B., & Uko, J. O. (2020). Challenges and prospects of secondary education in Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific Research in Education, 13(4), 670–688. https://ijsre.com.ng/assets/vol.%2c-13(4)-bartholomew-ihebom.pdf
Kang, H. (2021). Sample size determination and power analysis using the G*Power software. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2021.18.17
Karunarathna, I., Gunasena, P., Hapuarachchi, T., Ekanayake, U., Rajapaksha, S., Gunawardana, K., Aluthge, P., Bandara, S., Jayawardana, A., de Alvis, K., & Gunathilake, S. (2024). The crucial role of data collection in research: Techniques, challenges, and best practices. Uva Clinical Research, 1–24. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383155720
Knott, E., Rao, A. H., Summers, K., & Teeger, C. (2022). Interviews in the social sciences. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2(1), Article 73. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-022-00150-6
Legotlo, M. W. (Ed.). (2014). Challenges and issues facing the education system in South Africa. Africa Institute of South Africa. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvh8r1tk
Leithwood, K. (2021). A review of evidence about equitable school leadership. Education Sciences, 11(8), Article 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080377
Margot, K. C., & Kettler, T. (2019). Teachers’ perception of STEM integration and education: A systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 6(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0151-2
Meier, C., & West, J. (2020). Overcrowded classrooms–the Achilles heel of South African education?. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v10i1.617
Melhuish, K., Fukawa-Connelly, T., Dawkins, P. C., Woods, C., & Weber, K. (2022). Collegiate mathematics teaching in proof-based courses: What we now know and what we have yet to learn. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 67, Article 100986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2022.100986
Mouton, C. (2021). Performance measurement of policy priorities: Tracking government performance (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch University).
Nilsen, P., & Bernhardsson, S. (2019). Context matters in implementation science: A scoping review of determinant frameworks that describe contextual determinants for implementation outcomes. BMC Health Services Research, 19, Article 189. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4015-3
Pepin, B., Gueudet, G., Yerushalmy, M., Trouche, L., & Chazan, D. I. (2015). E-textbooks in/for teaching and learning mathematics: A potentially transformative educational technology. In L. English, & D. Kirshner (Eds.), Handbook of international research in mathematics education (pp. 636–661). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203448946-37
Placencia, A. A. (2021). Teacher effectiveness in underserved, underfunded, and under-resourced elementary schools (Bachelor’s thesis, College of Community Innovation and Education, Orlando, FL, USA).
Powell, C. G., & Bodur, Y. (2019). Teachers’ perceptions of an online professional development experience: Implications for a design and implementation framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.09.004
Rakoma, M., & Schulze, S. (2015). Challenges in adult education in the rural areas of limpopo province in South Africa. Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 13(2), 163-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972639x.2015.11886723
Rust, K. (2013). Sampling, weighting, and variance estimation in international large-scale assessments. In L. Rutkowski, M. von Davier, & D. Rutkowski (Eds.), Handbook of international large-scale assessment: Background, technical issues, and methods of data analysis (pp. 117–153). Chapman and Hall/CRC. https://doi.org/10.1201/b16061-11
Sabnis, S. V., & Wolgemuth, J. R. (2024). Validity practices in qualitative research in school psychology. School Psychology International, 45(2), 87–114. https://doi.org/10.1177/01430343231194731
Saloviita, T. (2020). Teacher attitudes towards the inclusion of students with support needs. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 20(1), 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12466
Setia, M. S. (2016). Methodology series module 5: Sampling strategies. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 61(5), 505–509. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.190118
Singh, R. B. (2024). Challenges and coping strategies of teaching English in an under-resourced context: A narrative inquiry (Doctoral dissertation, Kathmandu University).
Slade, S., & Sergent, S. R. (2023). Interview Techniques. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Steiner-Khamsi, G., & Draxler, A. (Eds.). (2018). The state, business and education: Public–private partnerships revisited. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Tandon, R., & Chakrabarty, K. (2018). Partnering with higher education institutions for SDG 17: The role of higher education in multi-stakeholder partnerships Approaches to SDG, 17, 75–85.
Tibane, C. C., Mafa-Theledi, O. M., Masebe, T. P., & Peter, M. (2024). Challenges experienced by mathematics teachers in the implementation of Grade 12 mathematics curriculum in community learning centres: South African perspective. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(7), 141–166. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.7.8
Trafimow, D., & Earp, B. D. (2017). Null hypothesis significance testing and Type I error: The domain problem. New Ideas in Psychology, 45, 19–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2017.01.002
Trantopoulos, K., von Krogh, G., Wallin, M. W., & Woerter, M. (2017). External knowledge and information technology. MIS Quarterly, 41(1), 287–300. https://doi.org/10.25300/misq/2017/41.1.15
Tumele, S. (2015). Case study research. International Journal of Sales, Retailing & Marketing, 4(9), 68–78.
UNESCO. (2015). Education 2030: Incheon Declaration (ID) and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all [Document code ED-2016/WS/28]. UNESCO.
Williams, M. J., Leaver, C., Mansoor, Z., Qarout, D., Bilous, A., Mundy, K., Asim, M., & Bell, S. (2021). Delivery approaches to improving policy implementation: A conceptual framework [DeliverEd Initiative Working paper]. Education Commission and Blavatnik School of Government.
Yang, M., & Lee, H. J. (2022). Do school resources reduce socioeconomic achievement gap? Evidence from PISA 2015. International Journal of Educational Development, 88, Article 102528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102528
Youn, S. J., Boswell, J. F., Douglas, S., Harris, B. A., Aajmain, S., Arnold, K. T., Creed, T. A., Gutner, C. A., Orengo-Aguayo, R., Oswald, J. M., & Stirman, W. (2024). Implementation science and practice-oriented research: Convergence and complementarity. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 51(3), 336–347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-023-01296-5
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Carlit Casey Tibane, Olivia Neo Mafa-Theledi, Tshediso Phanuel Masebe, Peter Mathye
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).