https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/6419 Sat, 09 May 2026 05:47:38 GMT 2026-05-09T05:47:38Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31751 Using Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics to foundation phase learners Selepe, Mmakgabo Angelinah The international curriculum in the early childhood and foundation phase encourages play-based pedagogy in teaching and learning mathematics. Furthermore, the South African curriculum stresses integrating African culture and using technologies in the foundation phase. This study explored the use of Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics to Foundation Phase learners. Ethnomathematics and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theories underpin the study. The study employed hermeneutic phenomenology research design in qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observations were used to elicit the educators’ lived experiences using Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics to foundation-phase learners. Twelve foundation-phase educators from four public primary schools in Capricorn South District, Limpopo, participated. Three data sets were analysed using NVivo software version 14 through interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings indicated that educators use Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics to develop problem-solving, mathematical thinking and counting skills. However, educators need more understanding of the use of Africanised play-based pedagogy, they have challenges of minimal African play-based activities, a limited legislative framework, and a lack of strategies for using Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics to foundation-phase educators. In light of these findings, guided by the theoretical framework, the literature review, and the study’s findings, the study suggested strategies for educators to incorporate Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics to foundation-phase learners. These strategies include the use of theoretical components, lesson planning and implementation, assessments and parental involvement in the use of Africanised play-based pedagogy in the online teaching of mental mathematics in the foundation phase.; Lenaneothuto la boditshabatshaba mo karolong ya bobjana le ya motheo le hlohleletsa thuto yeo e theilwego go thaloko mo go ruteng le go ithuteng dipalo. Gape lenaneothuto la Afrika Borwa le gatelela go kopanya setso sa Afrika le go somisa ditheknolotsi mo karolong ya motheo. Mo karolong ya motheo, barutisi ba sa hloka go somisa mesongwana ye e theilwego go thaloko ba kopanya setso le theknolotsi, kudu mo go ruteng dipalo tsa monagano. Kamano gare ga dipalo, setso le diteori tsa leago tsa Vygotsky le Ethnomathematics (setso sa dipalo) di thekga nyakisiso. Nyakisiso e somisitse mokgwa wa nyakisiso wa fenomelotsi ya hemaniteki ka go nyakisiso ya boleng go utolla tshomiso ya thuto yeo e theilwego go thaloko ya Seafrika mo go ruteng ga mmetse wa monagano ka onlaene go barutwana ba karolo ya motheo. Dipotsiso tseo di sa latelego mokgwa wa go swana, tshekatsheko ya tokumente le ditekolo tsa bao ba sa kgathego tema di somisitswe go hwetsa maitemogelo a barutisi a thwii ba somisa thuto yeo e theilwego go Seafrika mo go ruteng ka onlaene ga dipalo tsa monagano go barutwana ba karolo ya motheo. Barutisi ba 12 ba karolo ya motheo go tswa go dikolo tsa praemari ka Seleteng sa Borwa sa Capricorn, Limpopo, ba kgathile tema. Dihlopha tse tharo tsa data di sekasekilwe go somiswa kgatiso ya 14 ya softwere ya NVivo ka go sekaseka fenomelotsi ya hlathollo. Dikutollo di bontshitshe gore barutwana ba somisa thuto yeo e theilwego go thaloko mo go ruteng ka onlaene go dipalo tsa monagano go godisa go rarolla mathata, go nagana ka mokgwa wa dipalo le go bala mabokgoni. Gape, go hweditswe gape gore barutisi ba hloka kwesiso ye ntsi ya tshomiso ya thuto yeo e theilwego go thaloko ya Seafrika, ba na le ditlhohlo tse dinnyane tsa mesongwana ya dithaloko tseo di theilwego go Seafrika, tlhako ya molao ye nnyane, le go hloka mekgwa ya go somisa thuto yeo e theilwego go thaloko ya Seafrika mo go ruteng ka onlaene ga dipalo tsa monagano go barutisi ba karolo ya motheo. Go lebeletswe dikutollo tse, nyakisiso e sisintse mekgwa go barutisi go kopanya thuto yeo e theilwego go thaloko mo go ruteng ka onlaene ga dipalo tsa monagano go barutisi ba karolo ya motheo. Tlhako ya teori, tshekatsheko ya dingwalwa, le dikutollo tsa nyakisiso di tsebisa mekgwa ye.; Kha kharikhulamu ya dzitshaka kha vhuhana thangeli na vhuimo ha fhasi hu tutuwedzwa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga u tamba kha u funza na u guda mbalo. zwiṅwe hafhu, kharikhulamu ya Afrika Tshipembe I khwathisedza mvelele ya Afrika na u shumisa thekhinolodzhi kha vhuimo ha fhasi. Kha vhuimo ha fhasi vhadededzi vha kha di toda thuso ya u shumisa nyito dzo disendekaho nga u tamba dzi elanaho na mvelele na thekhinolodzhi nga maanda kha u funza mbalo dza murekanyo. Mbalo dza ethno na thyeori dza mvelele na matshilisano dza Vygotsky ndi mutheo wa ngudo. Ngudo dzo shumisa nyolo ya thodiso ya tshibveleli ya hemeneuthiki nga ngomu ha thodisiso dza khwalithethivi u itela u sedzulusa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga u tamba ya Afrika kha u funza ha kha lubuvhisia ha mbalo dza murekanyo kha vhagudi vha vhuimo ha fhasi. Inthaviwu dzo dzudzanywaho zwituku, musaukanyo wa maṅwalwa na mbono dza u sa dzhenelela zwo shumiswa u wana tshenzhelo vhukuma dza vhadededzi nga u shumisa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga u tamba ya Afrika kha u funza nga kha lubuvhisia ha mbalo dza murekanyo kha vhagudi vha vhuimo ha fhasi. Vhadededzi vha vhuimo ha fhasi vha fumimbili u bva kha zwikolo zwa phuraimari zwa nnyi na nnyi kha Tshitiriki tsha Capricorn South, Limpopo, vho dzhenela. Sethe dza data tharu dzo lavhelelwaho dzo saukanywa nga u shumisa NVivo software vesheni ya 14 nga kha musaukanyo wa tshibveleli. Mawanwa o sumbedza uri vhadededzi vho shumisa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga u tamba ya Afrika kha u funza mbalo dza murekanyo kha lubuvhisia na u bveledza u tandulula thaidzo, kuhumbulele kwa mbalo na zwikili zwa u vhalela. Zwiṅwe hafhu, zwo wanala uri vhadededzi vha toda u pfesesa vhukuma kha kushumiselwe kwa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga u tamba ya Afrika, vha na khaedu dza nyito dzi si gathi dza nga u tamba ho disendekaho nga zwa Afrika, muhanga wa kushumele wa theo ya mulayo wo fhimiwaho, na u shaya zwitirathedzhi zwa u shumisa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga zwa Afrika kha u funza kha lubuvhisia ha mbalo dza murekanyo kha vhadededzi vhuimo ha fhasi. Ho sedzwa mawanwa aya, ngudo dzo dzinginya zwitirathedzhi zwine vhadededzi vha nga zwi dzhenisa zwa pfunzo yo disendekaho nga u tamba ya Afrika kha mbalo dza murekanyo dza kha lubuvhisia u itela vhadededzi vha vhuimo ha fhasi. Muhanga wa kushumele ya thyeori, tsedzuluso dza maṅwalwa na mawanwa a ngudo dzo tikedza zwitirathedzhi izwi. Abstract in English, Sepedi and Venda Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31751 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31687 Practitioners' experiences in support language development of peri-urban preschool children Mahan, Sibongile J. Language matters have always been contentious, including the language of teaching and learning in schools. Despite policies enacted by the SA democratic government to promote and support early learning in the mother tongue, schools are allowed through the school governing bodies (SGBs) to offer education in a language other than the home language of the majority of the children enrolled in such schools. Research has proven the correlation between language and achievement and this study explored how early childhood care and education (ECCE) practitioners support the development of home language in the birth-to-four age group. A blend of Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory, the funds of knowledge (FoK) theory, Bakhtin’s dialogism theory and Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory of language and symbolic power was used and resulted in a fused theory which I termed socio-cultural dialogic language development (SCDLD) theory. A qualitative approach and a case study research design were employed. It focused on six ECCE practitioners from three different preschools in Mamelodi. Interviews, observations, field notes, casual conversations and document and visual data analysis were used as the primary tools for data collection. An ethics application was made to UNISA and clearance was granted. A permission letter from the University was given to the contact persons on site, and a brief statement that conveyed the reasons for the study, its duration, information about the researcher, organisational affiliation, uses of the data and an assurance that the rights of human subjects would be protected. The findings show the discord between practitioners’ conceptions and their classroom practices of home language development. The children use multiple home languages, which differ from the practitioners’ home languages. Practitioners speak and understand these home languages but opt to use English for teaching to accommodate children coming from minority languages. Unfortunately, practitioners are not conversant in English, thus wrongly used concepts are conveyed to the children. Making up for this, teachers resort to translanguaging, i.e., teaching in both English and majority languages to ensure that the meaning of the content is conveyed to the children. The implications of this practice is that children do not develop language proficiency, be it in their home language or English. Robust professional development that focuses on upskilling practitioners in specialising in home languages will ensure that children from birth to four years old participate successfully in subsequent grades. Mon, 01 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31687 2021-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31685 Educators' experiences of teaching phonological awareness skills to English first additional language learners in grade R Barnes, K. The study conducted explored the educators’ experiences of teaching phonological awareness skills to English First Additional Language learners in Grade R and the importance of these skills in laying the foundation for future reading. The participants in this study were Grade R educators, principals, and student educators from two schools in Mpumalanga Emalahleni. Grade R learners were observed during lesson presentations on phonological awareness. A qualitative research approach was used together with a case study design. In total nine participants took part in the research study. Data were collected using observation, one-to-one interviews, and field notes. The findings that came into view from the study were that educators have an understanding of phonological awareness skills, and they included the teaching of phonological awareness skills across the curriculum. The emphasis was placed on building the learners' English vocabulary and hearing of sounds and syllables. The educators used a diversity of resources, including the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement documents as a guideline. The conclusion drawn was that teaching phonological awareness skills cannot be conducted in a void but can be realised through kinesthetic awareness as children learn through active participation. If phonological awareness skills are not taught in Grade R, the learners’ abilities will be compromised, especially when they move to higher grades. As educators, it is important to understand children’s development and growth continuum irrespective of their age. Phonological awareness skills can be seen as a ‘staircase to success’ laying a good foundation for the learners’ education. Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31685 2024-02-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31616 The role of indigenous games in enhancing early learning among preschool children in Chibombo District, Central Province, Zambia Mwinsa, Grant Mapoma Indigenous games have been used to promote learning globally. Scholars have shown that traditional games are vital for a smooth learning process for all learners including those from low-income communities for them to have equal access to quality Early Childhood Education (ECE). This study sought to determine the role of indigenous games in promoting early learning among preschool children in Chibombo District, Central Province, Zambia. The study was anchored on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), Jean Piaget’s theory of play and Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. A qualitative research approach using participatory action research (PAR) through an interpretivist paradigm and critical theory was used to gather data from ten teachers in four purposively selected schools in Chibombo District through individual interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations and document analysis. Data was transcribed and analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti 23 to generate codes and themes. Four themes emerged: indigenous games preschool teachers use in teaching emergent literacy and numeracy skills; indigenous games as a pedagogical approach for teaching emergent literacy and numeracy skills; challenges teachers face when using indigenous games in teaching; and intervention measures teachers can use to deal with challenges faced. The findings confirmed earlier studies that learners found traditional games enjoyable, inexpensive and fun than Eurocentric games that are unfamiliar and expensive. Traditional games were found to support preschool learners in exploring fundamental concepts in emergent literacy and numeracy. The implication of this study to theory and practice shows that preschool learners learn better when teachers work as scaffolders in teaching using culture, social experiences, zone of proximal development (ZPD) and imitation of learners from adults. The study recommends that the ECE curriculum incorporates the indigenous games that are appropriate for ECE practice such as CPDs and workshops. As such, a 6-step framework to support holistic child development has been suggested in this study. In conclusion, the study has shown that indigenous games are vital in supporting early learning in preschools. Text in English Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/31616 2024-02-19T00:00:00Z