African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

This article presents balanced views of Mathematical Literacy (ML) and Mathematics (M), from both an analytical perspective and the subjective perspectives of teachers and learners. From the analytical perspective, policy documents and the literature spanning the period from the inception of ML to date are reviewed. Glimpses into the subjective views of teacher and learners come from a case study that involved interviewing a teacher and her learners with a view to understanding how Grade 10 learners and their teacher compared not only the nature of the two subjects but also the teaching and learning strategies associated with M and ML. Our case study confirms to a great extent the sentiments of the researchers, this time from the raw and uncensored views of those teaching and learning the subjects. Triangulating our exploration, we integrate policy, research and experience to redefine the nature, interconnectedness and equal standing of ML and M. In the light of the argument presented, the perceived existing boundaries between M and ML are challenged. The purpose is not to pull down the image and value of M, but to raise the popular image and perceived value of ML to the level of a dignified partner in the mathematics education gallery. We want to advocate the opening of higher educational courses and subsequent career pathways exclusively requiring ML as a prerequisite, justified on basis of the superior problem-solving and other valuable capabilities nurtured within our conceptualisation of the funds of knowledge associated with ML.

The chain of progression from teacher education to qualification to classroom instruction and student engagement, and then to learning and achievement, is not as straightforward as often presented. Societal, political and economic pressures create either a positive climate or a stressful one for both teachers and students. Nevertheless it is safe to say that in a subject like mathematics, the importance of subject matter knowledge cannot be underestimated. Research in this area supports the presumption that formal qualifications in the subject, in this case mathematics, are necessary, as this focused engagement with mathematics provides the foundation for mathematics teaching and learning. The allocation of fully qualified teachers to schools has in the past been uneven, with the supposition that students at higher socio-economic levels are being taught by better qualified teachers. In South Africa the improvement of teacher qualifications has been identified as a core area of action with the relevant policy on teacher education renewed in 2007 and again in 2014. The focus of this paper is to understand the change in patterns of teacher qualifications, and the interrelationship with school contextual variables. The analysis is based on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data from 2003, 2011 and 2015, where teachers from the TIMSS sample provided contextual information. Descriptive statistics were calculated using the IEA IDB Analyzer. The results show that South Africa has made substantial progress in uplifting teachers’ formal qualification levels and in reducing structural inequality within its education system. Out-of-field teaching of mathematics is still shown to be a common phenomenon and is unevenly distributed.

This study aimed to understand teachers’ classroom practices using computer-based simulations (CBS) when teaching electrolysis. The study was framed by the Consensus Model of Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select three experienced chemistry teachers from three schools in Eswatini (Swaziland). Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations were used in the data collection. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis in terms of six emergent themes. The findings of this study reveal how the teachers’ views and knowledge about CBS and electrolysis relate to the way they integrate CBS into their lessons while teaching this topic. The teachers all believed that CBS enhances learners’ understanding of electrolysis because it enables learners to visualise abstract processes, and because the simulations raise learners’ interest and enhance critical thinking. Two of the teachers valued learners’ involvement in the manipulation of the CBS, while the remaining teacher believed that it was adequate for learners to ‘see’ the movement of ions and electrons. During classroom discussions following the simulations, the teachers sometimes displayed poor content knowledge, thus reducing the value of the learning experience. All of the teachers were concerned that the shortage of equipment, large class sizes and the poor socio-economic background of the learners may affect the effective use of CBS. Although the schools participating in this study had computers, they were reserved for use by the ICT departments, adding to the obstacles faced by the teachers. It is recommended that teachers are made familiar with the pedagogy of using CBS, and that teachers’ content knowledge should be prioritised during their training to enhance the effective use of CBS.