The use of linguistic features in school assessments, as well as the impact of these factors on the outcome of assessments have received limited attention in the literature. With this study I aimed to analyse linguistic features of accounting examinations. A quantitative technique, using tests for correlation, was employed to analyse the Grade 12…

Mathematics in its nature is exploratory, giving learners a chance to view it from different perspectives. However, during most of their schooling, South African learners are rarely exposed to mathematical explorations, either because of the lack of resources or the nature of the curriculum in use. Perhaps, this is due to teachers' inability to…

This study established whether 12 South African secondary school physics students had incorrect conceptions of basic magnetism and if they had, to what extent they consistently applied such conceptions. Different scenarios in the form of thought experiments were presented in a clinical interview approach. A complex systems perspective underpinned…

Background: This article argues that the emergence of scientific reasoning in the preschool years could be augmented by caregivers and preschool teachers through nurturing 'Habits of Mind' (HOM) and 'Habits of Body' (HOB) of young children. This type of mind--material-- body integration is proposed from an epistemological position that comprises a…

The belief that we are living in a post-truth age raises a number of complex, paradoxical questions. Does it suggest, for example, that truth no longer matters? Or, that the idea of truth no longer exists? The university, of course, has long been associated with the interests of truth -- not only in searching for truth, but in telling the truth.…

This study explored students' mathematics-related beliefs and the relationship between the beliefs and their strategies for solving non-routine mathematical problems. The study was guided by Daskalogianni and Simpson's 2001 belief systems categories and strategies for non-routine mathematical problems. The participants were 625 grade 11 students…

While a vast body of research has identified difficulties in students' understanding about forces and acceleration and their related alternative conceptions, far less research suggests ways to use students' alternative conceptions to enhance conceptual understanding of a specific fundamental concept. This study focused on distinguishing between…

The poor learners' understanding of specific topic 'Market Dynamics' (MD) is a concern in South Africa secondary schools and so it is globally. Many researchers and education stakeholders in South Africa point to the need to use TS-PCK to improve learners' understanding of MD. This research aimed to examine economics teachers' teaching of Market…

Purpose: The significance of visuo-semiotic models in biology education has increased. Students have to develop visuo-semiotic skills, which could enable them to learn biology effectively. However, a lack of a universal theory of visual literacy has made it challenging to develop and assess visualization skills, including visuo-semiotic skills.…

In this paper we analyze the outcomes of a design experiment that sought to improve the multiplicative reasoning of 12-13 year-old learners across two schools in a South African context of low performance. Using a hybrid theoretical base in Realistic Mathematics Education, variation theory and analogical reasoning, a short-term intervention…

Resilience can be viewed as successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances (e.g. poverty). This article reports on an investigation of which the primary aim was to establish how additional educational support enhances adolescents' resilience and academic performance. A quantitative approach was followed using two schools.…

Background: Given the context of low attainment in primary mathematics in South Africa, improving learners' understanding of multiplicative reasoning is important as it underpins much of later mathematics. Aim: Within a broader research programme aiming to improve Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3, 7-9-year-olds) learners' mathematical performance, the…

This is a theoretical paper that addresses the challenge of educational access to the Humanities and Social Sciences. It plots a theoretical quest to develop an explicit pedagogy to give "disadvantaged" students in the Humanities ways of working successfully with texts. In doing so it draws on Bernstein, Moore and Maton's work to…

The scarcity of trained man power in the field of science and technology has become a growing phenomenon today. Thus, we are still facing the same challenge country wide. With the multidimensional increase in the field of science and technology, there is a huge shortage of expert workforce in the field of STEM. The numbers of students who qualify…

In this article, we propose a rubric for assessing the teacher's provision of opportunities to develop mathematical proficiency in classrooms. The rubric is applied to data from 30 video recordings of mathematics lessons taught in Grade 6 in one district of KwaZulul-Natal. The results suggest that opportunities to develop procedural fluency are…