https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/6418 2026-05-05T15:30:43Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32422 Teachers' experiences of implementing the curriculum, abridged version of section four amendments in grade 12 Mashaba, Juliet Bodibadi The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted schooling and required education systems to adjust curriculum delivery to address learning losses. In South Africa, the Department of Basic Education introduced the abridged version of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Section Four amendments to support curriculum recovery and ensure coverage of essential content. This study explored the experiences of Grade 12 teachers implementing the abridged curriculum in a rural secondary school context after the COVID-19 disruptions. Guided by the interpretivist paradigm, the study employed a qualitative single case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of teachers’ experiences. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, non-participant classroom observations, and document analysis. Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) informed the analysis of how contextual and systemic factors shaped teachers’ curriculum implementation practices. Thematic analysis identified key themes related to teacher preparedness and professional capacity, curriculum interpretation, resource availability and institutional support, classroom implementation practices, and teacher adaptation strategies. The findings indicate that teachers’ experiences were influenced by their curriculum knowledge, access to professional development, and the contextual realities of the rural school environment. Teachers adopted various adaptive teaching and assessment strategies to respond to post-pandemic learning demands. The study contributes to understanding how curriculum reforms are enacted in rural classrooms and offers insights for strengthening teacher support and curriculum implementation in post-pandemic education. 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32419 A socially constructed strategy to improve grade 5 mathematics problem-solving through indigenous knowledge systems Guduza, Stephen This study explores the collaborative development, implementation, and evaluation of a culturally responsive mathematics problem-solving framework for Grade 5 learners that integrates Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Grounded in social constructivism, Ubuntu philosophy, and participatory principles, the research addresses challenges such as low learner engagement, the marginalization of local knowledge, and limited contextual relevance in mathematics education. Using a qualitative Participatory Action Research (PAR) design complemented by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study examined how classroom and community discourses shaped the construction of mathematical meaning and cultural identity. Grade 5 learners, educators, and community knowledge holders collaborated to co-create and implement IKS-integrated teaching strategies. Data were generated through workshops, interviews, focus groups, observations, reflective journals, and document analysis. Findings reveal that IKS integration enhanced engagement, conceptual understanding, and positive attitudes toward mathematics, while fostering collective ownership and validating indigenous knowledge. Challenges included institutional rigidity and resource constraints, yet iterative PAR cycles and CDA-driven reflection enabled negotiation and adaptation. The study concludes that participatory, culturally situated, and critically discursive approaches bridge formal mathematics and learners’ lived experiences, promoting curriculum inclusivity, decolonisation, and transformative learning. Recommendations support the sustained integration of IKS and critical reflection in mathematics education to achieve meaningful, learner-centered outcomes. 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32411 Exploring the possibilities of blended learning in higher education institutions in Lesotho Mokhets’engoane, Setho John This study explored the possibilities of implementing blended learning in higher education institutions in Lesotho. Guided by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) frameworks, the research sought to examine the nature of blended learning within Lesotho’s higher education system, explore lecturers’ and students’ perceptions of factors affecting its implementation, determine best practices for learner support and to propose practical guidelines for its effective adoption. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design collecting data through document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and student questionnaires. The findings revealed that blended learning is conceptually recognised within both national and institutional policy documents including the Higher Education Policy (2013) and the Open Distance Learning Policy (2022) yet its operationalisation remains inconsistent. Lecturers demonstrated positive attitudes towards blended learning as they recognised its potential for flexibility and active learning. However, they highlighted persistent barriers such as unreliable internet connectivity, limited digital competence, and weak institutional support. Students reported generally positive perceptions with strong teaching and cognitive presence, though social interaction and peer engagement were found to be limited. This research contributes to the discourse on blended learning in developing contexts and provides a roadmap for HEIs in Lesotho to enhance educational quality through innovative teaching and learning approaches. Drawing from these findings, the study developed the Lesotho Blended Learning Readiness and Implementation Model (L-BLRIM) which is a cyclic framework comprising five interdependent components. The model and its accompanying practical guidelines provide a contextually grounded roadmap for transforming blended learning from policy aspiration to sustainable practice. The study concludes that achieving successful blended learning in Lesotho requires coordinated leadership, equitable infrastructure, continuous professional development and, most importantly, a culture of reflective evaluation.; Boithuto bona bo hlahlobile menyetla ea ho kenya ts’ebetsong thuto e kopaneng (blended learning) litsing tse phahameng tsa thuto naheng ea Lesotho. E tataisitsoe ke maoa a kang Community of Inquiry (CoI) le Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Liphuputso tsena li ikemiselitse ho hlahloba mofuta oa thuto e kopaneng tsamaisong ea thuto e phahameng ea Lesotho, ho hlahloba maikutlo a barupeli le baithuti ka lintlha tse amang ts’ebetso ea eona, ho fumana mekhoa e metle ea tšehetso ea baithuti, le ho hlahisa tataiso e sebetsang bakeng sa ts’ebetso e atlehileng. Boithuto bo sebelisitse moralo o kopaneng oa mekhoa e fapaneng (convergent parallel mixed-methods design), ka ho bokella lintlha ka tlhahlobo ea litokomane, lipuisano tse hlophisitsoeng, le lipotso tsa baithuti. Liphuputso li fumane hore thuto e kopaneng e amoheloa ka molao litokomaneng tsa maano a naha le tsa litsi tsa thuto tse kang Higher Education Policy (2013) le Open Distance Learning Policy (2022), leha ts’ebetso ea eona e ntse e sa tsitsa. Barupeli ba bontšitse maikutlo a matle mabapi le thuto e kopaneng kaha ba bone menyetla ea eona ea ho fana ka bolokolohi le ho kenya letsoho ha baithuti. Leha-ho-le-joalo, ba totobalitse mathata a ntseng a tsoela pele a kang inthanete e sa tsitsang, bokhoni bo fokolang ba marangrang, le tšehetso e fokolang ea litsi tse amehang. Baithuti le bona ba bontšitse maikutlo a matle ka kakaretso, ba bontša boteng bo matla ba ho ruta (teaching presence) le ho nahana ka botebo (cognitive presence), leha puisano le tšebelisano ea lithaka li fumanoe li fokola (social presence). Boithuto bona bo kenya letsoho lipuisanong tsa thuto e kopaneng maemong a linaha tse ntseng li hōla, ’me e fana ka moralo o hlophisitsoeng bakeng sa litsi tsa thuto e phahameng ho ntlafatsa boleng ba thuto ka mekhoa e mecha ea ho ruta le ho ithuta. Ho ipapisitsoe le sephetho sena, liphuputso li hlahisitse Lesotho Blended Learning Readiness and Implementation Model (L-BLRIM) e leng mohlala o potolohang o nang le likarolo tse hlano tse hokahaneng. Moetso ona hammoho le tataiso ea oona e sebetsang, li fana ka tsela e ipapisitseng le maemo a Lesotho bakeng sa ho fetola thuto e kopaneng hore e se ke ea lula e le toro ea maano empa e be ts’ebetso e tsitsitseng. Boithuto bona bo phethela ka hore katleho ea thuto e kopaneng naheng ea Lesotho e hloka boetapele bo kopaneng, lisebelisoa tse lekanang, koetliso e tsoelang pele ea barupeli, ‘me holim’a tsohle, tloaelo ea ho hlahloba le ho ithuta ka mehla. Text in English with abstract in English and Sesotho 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32377 Factors contribution to grade 10 learners' choice of commercial subjects in Mpumalanga Province (Nkangala district) Ngoma, Patrick This study explored “Factors contributing to Grade 10 learners’ choice of commercial subjects in Grade 10 in the Mpumalanga Province (Nkangala district)”, with a specific focus on the Nkangala District. The study was guided by four research questions that examined (1) the extent to which Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) teachers in Grades 7–9 influence learners’ future commercial subject choices, (2) the forms of support schools provide to Grade 9 learners when exploring commercial subject opportunities, (3) learners’ perceptions of commercial subjects, and (4) the role of the Mpumalanga Department of Education in the declining enrolment in the commercial stream. Constructivist learning theory, which emphasises that learners create meaning through interactions with teachers, peers, and their larger learning environment, served as the foundation for this study. The theory offered a framework for understanding how learner views are shaped by inadequate teacher preparation, limited exposure to subject opportunities, and weak institutional support, which in turn affects subject-choice decisions. To enable a thorough examination of participant perspectives, meanings, and experiences, a qualitative research approach located within the interpretivist paradigm was utilised. The researcher was able to investigate the phenomena in its actual setting by using a case study approach. Grade 9 learners, PL1 EMS teachers, departmental heads, and subject advisors from a few chosen secondary schools in the Nkangala District made up the population. Purposive sampling was used to choose 25 learners, five teachers, five department heads, and two subject advisors who were directly involved in EMS teaching, curriculum oversight, or subject advisory positions. In order to obtain genuine participant replies, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews that employed verbatim questioning. The findings reveal several key challenges: EMS is often taught by unqualified or underprepared teachers; there is a general lack of career guidance in schools; parental involvement in subject choice is limited due to socioeconomic and educational barriers; and there is minimal departmental promotion or marketing of commercial subjects. These issues are compounded by misconceptions about commercial careers and the perception that subjects like Accounting are too difficult or irrelevant. The study concludes that the drop in enrolment in commercial subjects is a systematic problem that stems from deficiencies in instruction, institutions, and policies. Future studies should look into the pedagogical content expertise of EMS teachers, parental viewpoints on subject choice, and the effects of curriculum reform on subject-choice trends in Mpumalanga's several districts. 2025-11-30T00:00:00Z