Exploring the influence of marine science camps on learners’ motivation and dispositions towards scientific inquiry
- Authors: Hambaze, Nozipiwo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Science projects , Marine sciences -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Case studies , Active learning , Science camps -- South Africa -- Case studies , Experiential learning , Science -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Case studies , Motivation in education -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/163626 , vital:41062
- Description: For a number of years, it has been observed that learners’ motivation towards science has decreased , especially when th ey get to higher grades in secondary school. Strengthening learners’ motivation has become a very important area for educators to understand and reflect on. Many studies suggest that inquiry - based learning activities can provide a conducive learning enviro nment and build up learners ’ abilities and motivation to learn science beyond the classroom. It is against this backdrop that t his interventionist study s ought to investigate the influence of marine science camps on learners’ motivation towards scientific inquiry. The study was informed by Vygotsky ’s social constructivist theory and Wenger ’s community of practice theory. The participants were 21 grade 10 science learners from seven high schools in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. In order to answer the research questions , data w ere collected through the use of Student Motivation T owards Science Learning (SMTSL) questionnaires prior and post science camp, learner reflection journals and focus group interviews. Excel was used to analyse quantitative data w hereas an inductive - deductive thematic approach was used to analyse the qualitative data.The findin gs of the study revealed that through active participation learners’ dispositions shifted and became more positive after the scientific inquiry activity experience at the marine science camp. Furthermore , the findings of the study revealed that as a result of the marine science camp experiences learners were highly motivated to develop their own marine related science projects for the science fairs. Science fairs bear the testimony as one learner did not only co nduct a marine related project for a science fair but was awarded a gold medal at a regional science fair and a silver medal the national fair. The same lea r ne r was awarded an opportunity to present his project in other international fair. Notably also, l earners displayed increase science motivation as a result of participating at the marine science camp. iv This study thus recommends that i n order to enhance scie ntific inquiry among science learners, efforts in developing out - of - school programs not only by th e department of education but also other stakeholders such as universities are needed to inspire and motivate more learners in sciences. Additionally , pure sc ience faculties and social science s should work closely with each other to promote science.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Hambaze, Nozipiwo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Science projects , Marine sciences -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Case studies , Active learning , Science camps -- South Africa -- Case studies , Experiential learning , Science -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Case studies , Motivation in education -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/163626 , vital:41062
- Description: For a number of years, it has been observed that learners’ motivation towards science has decreased , especially when th ey get to higher grades in secondary school. Strengthening learners’ motivation has become a very important area for educators to understand and reflect on. Many studies suggest that inquiry - based learning activities can provide a conducive learning enviro nment and build up learners ’ abilities and motivation to learn science beyond the classroom. It is against this backdrop that t his interventionist study s ought to investigate the influence of marine science camps on learners’ motivation towards scientific inquiry. The study was informed by Vygotsky ’s social constructivist theory and Wenger ’s community of practice theory. The participants were 21 grade 10 science learners from seven high schools in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. In order to answer the research questions , data w ere collected through the use of Student Motivation T owards Science Learning (SMTSL) questionnaires prior and post science camp, learner reflection journals and focus group interviews. Excel was used to analyse quantitative data w hereas an inductive - deductive thematic approach was used to analyse the qualitative data.The findin gs of the study revealed that through active participation learners’ dispositions shifted and became more positive after the scientific inquiry activity experience at the marine science camp. Furthermore , the findings of the study revealed that as a result of the marine science camp experiences learners were highly motivated to develop their own marine related science projects for the science fairs. Science fairs bear the testimony as one learner did not only co nduct a marine related project for a science fair but was awarded a gold medal at a regional science fair and a silver medal the national fair. The same lea r ne r was awarded an opportunity to present his project in other international fair. Notably also, l earners displayed increase science motivation as a result of participating at the marine science camp. iv This study thus recommends that i n order to enhance scie ntific inquiry among science learners, efforts in developing out - of - school programs not only by th e department of education but also other stakeholders such as universities are needed to inspire and motivate more learners in sciences. Additionally , pure sc ience faculties and social science s should work closely with each other to promote science.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Assessment of the role of continuing professional development on the transformation of practice: a case study of the Advanced Diploma in District Health Management and Leadership curriculum
- Authors: Ndawule, Luvuyo
- Date: 2018-06
- Subjects: Continuing education , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Active learning
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26672 , vital:65848
- Description: This study is located in the field of education, within the domain of Continuing Professional Development CPD and curriculum. The study sought to assess the role of CPD in the transformation of health practice. The media’s complaints about poor service delivery within spheres of government, from local up to national level, triggered interest in a study of this nature. Since the Department of Health falls amongst the essential services, research on current public healthcare with the intention of transforming its practice was seen as imperative. An Advanced Diploma in District Health Management and Leadership ADDHM & L offered by Health Sciences at the University of Fort was used as a case. The healthcare practitioners who attended the stated programme were studied as a second case. The setting is in the public health care centres in the Department of Health within the Amathole region and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. An interpretive paradigm was used to ordain the study, the three sets of data were collected from various categories of participants such as graduates of the ADDHM & L programme, their workplace supervisors, as well as the facilitators of the programme. The last set of data was collected from the ADDHM & L documents. Interviews and questionnaires were used as data collection tools and thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that curriculum development and design has a strong bearing on formal continuing professional development programmes. For such programmes to be able to transform practice, the curriculum pedagogies should be designed and developed in such a way that the learning taking place is authentic in nature. It is this type of learning that will influence reflective practice and translation of knowledge. The findings also revealed that institutions of higher learning do play a crucial role in closing the gap that exists between theory and practice through designing programmes that are pedagogically aligned towards authentic learning. The learning instructions, the experiences, the expectations of the learner, the assessment forms that influence the nature of tasks and activities given by facilitators can either enable or hinder the ability to transform practice. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018-06
- Authors: Ndawule, Luvuyo
- Date: 2018-06
- Subjects: Continuing education , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Active learning
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26672 , vital:65848
- Description: This study is located in the field of education, within the domain of Continuing Professional Development CPD and curriculum. The study sought to assess the role of CPD in the transformation of health practice. The media’s complaints about poor service delivery within spheres of government, from local up to national level, triggered interest in a study of this nature. Since the Department of Health falls amongst the essential services, research on current public healthcare with the intention of transforming its practice was seen as imperative. An Advanced Diploma in District Health Management and Leadership ADDHM & L offered by Health Sciences at the University of Fort was used as a case. The healthcare practitioners who attended the stated programme were studied as a second case. The setting is in the public health care centres in the Department of Health within the Amathole region and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. An interpretive paradigm was used to ordain the study, the three sets of data were collected from various categories of participants such as graduates of the ADDHM & L programme, their workplace supervisors, as well as the facilitators of the programme. The last set of data was collected from the ADDHM & L documents. Interviews and questionnaires were used as data collection tools and thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that curriculum development and design has a strong bearing on formal continuing professional development programmes. For such programmes to be able to transform practice, the curriculum pedagogies should be designed and developed in such a way that the learning taking place is authentic in nature. It is this type of learning that will influence reflective practice and translation of knowledge. The findings also revealed that institutions of higher learning do play a crucial role in closing the gap that exists between theory and practice through designing programmes that are pedagogically aligned towards authentic learning. The learning instructions, the experiences, the expectations of the learner, the assessment forms that influence the nature of tasks and activities given by facilitators can either enable or hinder the ability to transform practice. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018-06
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