Further Education and Training (FET) mathematics teacher professional learning through teacher roles and its influence on pedagogical practices in one district in Eastern Cape province

Abstract

Mathematics, like science, technology and engineering, has been given a prominent position in the school curriculum to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries vital for economic growth and employment creation. However, in South Africa, mathematics education in secondary schools has been in a crisis regarding matric learner failure and this has been blamed on teacher content knowledge gaps. Learners across all education phases have performed poorly in international and national assessments. While research has been undertaken, questions around how mathematics teachers learn and develop in their roles have not been adequately answered. An understanding of these issues is critical. The purpose of this study was to explore FET Grade 12 mathematics teachers’ professional learning through their teaching roles, the kinds of professional knowledge that they gain and how the learning influences their pedagogical practices. Through a qualitative case study located in an interpretive paradigm, a purposive sample of 26 FET Grade 12 mathematics teachers in a CHE District in the South African Eastern Cape Province provided data through focus group discussions and individual face-to-face interviews, complemented by photo-elicitation. Manual data analysis employed a Six-Step coding process. Two theories – the triple lens and the mathematical knowledge for teaching – were used to unpack and understand data, and explain findings. Professional learning of FET Grade 12 mathematics teachers through teaching roles emerged in interaction and collaboration during formal, non-formal and informal spheres of action within the school and in wider professional sites. The learning was generally prompted by a combination of personal, occupational and social domains of influence and facilitated through the transmission, transitional and transformative strategies. Professional learning occurred through practice and in interaction with colleagues and resources. Findings indicated that the FET Grade 12 mathematics teachers gained professional knowledge of general pedagogy, content, pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of learners and teaching attributes. This study discovered that professional learning influenced FET Grade 12 mathematics teacher confidence in lesson delivery, creativity, communication of facts and concepts, content mastery, general pedagogy, learner discipline and management of resources. The study also established that FET Grade 12 mathematics teachers were generally reluctant to attend workshops and seminars. Given that most professional learning occurs in interaction, instructional leaders need to increase opportunities for teacher interaction and make workshops and seminars more interactive to develop and inculcate teacher interest in these in-school and out-of-school professional learning gatherings. With regard to mathematical knowledge for teaching theory, findings revealed that albeit useful for analysing and explaining subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, this theory was insufficient on its own as it excluded other knowledge domains, like general pedagogical knowledge and knowledge of learners, which emerged in my data. I, therefore, had to draw on conceptual frameworks. My thesis, therefore, argues for an additive model to mathematical knowledge for teaching theory, which includes all the common domains of professional knowledge to expand the framework and deepen its applicability specifically in trying to understand professional learning issues. The thesis, therefore, suggests the need for more studies, drawing on the framework and developing it to determine its applicability beyond this particular inquiry.