The impact of Grade R readiness on Grade one teaching

Abstract

Grade R readiness development is an ongoing challenge in the Foundation Phase in South Africa. In response to this issue, the overarching aim of the study was to investigate the impact of Grade R readiness on Grade One teaching and to understand the skills, strategies and methods Grade R teachers use to develop readiness. To further the aim of the study, a qualitative research design and methodology were employed in a cross-sectional case study design. The study drew on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore the perspectives of four Grade R teachers from two different settlements in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. This framework allowed the researcher to unpack and explore the multi-level development processes related to Grade R readiness, how learners interact within the different systems, their understanding of and physical being in their environment and how it impacts on the context. Data were generated using semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. The findings revealed that the two schools developed readiness; however, their understanding of how readiness is developed and the skills and strategies they used to develop readiness in Grade R classes differed. The teachers still encountered challenges, including a lack of infrastructure that would have allowed them to lay out all the learning areas prescribed in the DBE's Resource Kit, which provides relevant teaching aids for learners to use in the different learning areas to develop holistically. Fully equipped playgrounds would ensure that teachers are able to assess the development of learners’ readiness holistically during outdoor activities. Therefore, the DBE should review its policies as there are setbacks concerning practice and implementation in schools. It is recommended that the DBE revisits the following issues: the no-repeat policy at the Grade R level; the policy on admission of undocumented learners; building Grade R centres equipped with indoor and outdoor learning resources; and the employment of qualified Grade R teachers.