UWCScholar :: Browsing by Author "Moodley, Trevor"

Browsing by Author "Moodley, Trevor"

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An investigation of the relationship between bullying and physical activity at one high school in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Chiware, Jeremiah Tendayi; Moodley, Trevor
According to Morrison (2007), bullying is considered a critical issue in the Western Cape Schools as well as in South African schools in general. This phenomenon of bullying can affect learners in schools and may lead to several problems such as low esteem, poor academic performance, depression, absenteeism and eventually dropping out of school. In addition, numerous studies in psychology have revealed that physical activity has positive effects on learners, (Ajay, 2011; Shaffer, 2002). This is because it increases self-esteem in learners, boosts confidence and builds the physical, social, emotional, moral and intellectual composition in an individual. This study will aim (1) to determine the relationship between bullying and physical activity among South African learners in one high school in the Western Cape, (2) to measure the frequency of bullying at that high school, (3) to measure the frequency of bully-victimization in the school among South African learners in that high school in the Western Cape, and (4) to establish the level of physical activity by the learners in the high school. This study used a quantitative method and a descriptive survey as research design. The participants were mostly black South African adolescent learners, aged between 14 and 20 years.
At-risk student teachers’ attitudes and aspirations as learners and teachers of mathematics
(AOSIS, 2015) Moodley, Trevor; Adendorff, Stanley A.; Pather, Subethra
This study explored foundation phase first year student teachers’ perceptions about mathematics. The focus on their attitudes towards mathematics in two roles – (1) as learners of mathematics, based on their prior experiences at school and (2) as aspirant teachers of mathematics for children in the early grades. Data sources were students’ drawings/collages as well as written interpretations and elaborations of the drawings/collages. The findings indicated that participants had generally negative attitudes towards the learning of mathematics. Factors such as the transition from primary to high school, teacher qualities and mathematics-related anxiety contributed to the shaping of their attitudes. It was encouraging to note that over half the participants expressed positive attitudes in their roles as future teachers, with all expressing the desire to provide better mathematics experiences to their future learners.
Authentic learning for teaching reading: Foundation phase pre-service student teachers’ learning experiences of creating and using digital stories in real classrooms
(AOSIS, 2016) Moodley, Trevor; Aronstam, Shelley
Teaching and learning, an evolving endeavour, is associated with many factors, with advancements in technology, playing an ever-growing role in the classroom. It is therefore important to include the use of interactive communication technologies (ICTs) in university curricula of teacher education programmes. Universities ought to be creative in advancing autonomous learning among their students by providing opportunities for integrated and rich learning experiences. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to intentionally integrate ICTs in the planning and delivery of foundation phase reading lessons. This was achieved by providing authentic learning opportunities to final year foundation phase student teachers through the provision of training in the creation of digital stories (DS), collaborating within communities of practice (COP) (peers and other relevant parties), and then using their creations in ‘real-world’ classroom contexts. The aims of this study were to explore student teachers’ perceptions and experiences of developing DS in groups with minimal formal initial input and their use of DS during foundation phase (FP) reading lessons in real-class settings during teaching practice. Data were collected via focus group interviews and participants’ reflection essays. The study’s findings indicate that the creation of their own DS provided rich, rewarding multidimensional learning experiences to student teachers. Participants reported that they found the ‘assignment’ to be of real value, since it was directly linked to classroom practice, and despite the cognitive demands of the assignment; the nature of the task nurtured, an agentic disposition towards their own learning. Participants further reported that the DS provided enthusiasm among young learners during the delivery of lessons and were of pedagogical value, despite experiencing some challenges in using DS during reading lessons. Participants were of the view that the use of DS in advancing reading and literacy holds much pedagogical promise, because it resonates with the this generation of digital natives, the present generation of learners who have been born into a world where they interact with digital technology from an early age.
The baseline assessment of Grade 1 learners’ literacy skills in a socio-economically disadvantaged school setting
(AOSIS Publishing, 2016) Wildschut, Zelda; Moodley, Trevor; Aronstam, Shelley
Research has revealed that the academic performances of learners in South Africa are below the required level. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) launched the literacy and numeracy strategy 2006–2016 in response to the low literacy and numeracy levels. In addition, the WCED introduced the Grade 1 baseline assessment in 2006, as part of the literacy and numeracy strategy. The purpose of this study was to observe the implementation of the Grade 1 literacy baseline assessment programme of the WCED. This study aimed to determine what literacy barriers, if any, the learners were experiencing and to recommend literacy support strategies, in order to inform teaching practices. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of a Grade 1 class, with English as the language of learning and teaching Thirty-seven Grade 1 learners participated in the study. A mixed-methods research design was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The data collection strategies employed included documentary analysis, by examining participants’ school admission forms to provide biographical information as well as their written baseline assessment scripts. The baseline assessment process was also observed as it was being conducted. The findings suggest that some of the learners experienced literacy barriers in terms of receptive and expressive language, perceptual skills and fine motor development. The data were summarised, and the information was used to describe the literacy barriers in terms of the biographical variables and to recommend learning support strategies for literacy development.
The enhancement of psychosocial support for foundation phase learners who experience psychosocial challenges at one no-fee school in the Cape Metropole
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Brown, Alzette; Moodley, Trevor
Psychosocial support has been identified as a priority action area by the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. It is therefore a pivotal part of teaching and learning, especially for vulnerable learners who attend schools in low socio-economic communities that face various social challenges such as poverty, violence and substance abuse. The Care and Support for Teaching and Learning policy document emphasises the importance of psychosocial support provision to alleviate the impact of the psychosocial challenges experienced by learners, thus creating opportunities for all learners to develop holistically. This study explored the psychosocial challenges experienced by foundation phase learners at a no-fee school in the Cape Metropole. The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development.
Experiential learning through virtual and augmented reality in higher education
(ACM, 2018) Jantjies, Mmaki; Moodley, Trevor; Maart, Ronel
Educational technology can enhance learning by supporting the learning environment through various digital resources. There have been numerous emerging technologies which are able to bridge the resource gap in learning environments enabling students to get access to an abundance of resources on digital platforms. This paper presents a literature review, exploring the potential of using Mobile Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to support experiential learning in South African institutions. While there have been studies which aim to assess the use of AR and VR for educational purposes such as in mining safety education in South Africa, there is a need for studies that look at the potential of AR and VR in augmenting higher educational institutions such as universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges which require students to complete an experiential learning component in their studies in order to complete their qualifications. The study aims to establish the potential role that AR and VR can provide in enhancing experiential learning by providing students with practical experience in various educational fields, leveraging augmented and virtual reality technologies to simulate such learning environments.
Factors influencing the implementation of a grade R school readiness learning support programme in two previously disadvantaged primary schools in the Cape Town metropole
(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Hans, Mariotte M; Moodley, Trevor
This study investigated the factors that impacted positively or militated against the implementation of a learning support programme (ISP) in grade R classes at two primary schools located in the same poor socio-economic area within the Cape Metropole of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Learner Support Teachers used this programme to enhance learning in grade R and was called an Intervention Support Programme (ISP). The purpose of the ISP was to improve the school readiness skills of the Grade R learners in four domains: language development, gross and fine motor skills, auditory perceptual skills and visual perception. The study followed a qualitative research approach and was guided by a case study research design. The sample comprised both designers as well as implementers of the ISP who were school-based as well as education district-based officials to explore their views and/or experiences of the ISP. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews after all ethical protocols were followed. The data was analysed using a thematic approach. The findings highlighted, that despite the learners experiencing barriers to learning, they improved by participating in the ISP. The study identified the following factors that facilitated the successful implementation of the ISP: the grade R teachers and LSTs’ work experience and qualifications, their positive attitudes and commitment towards teaching, the designers, implementers and grade one teachers’ positive views about the ISP, the constant review of the ISP, and adapting the ISP to suit local learning and teaching contexts of the schools. The study also identified the following factors that militated against the successful implementation of the ISP: the non- involvement of the ISP implementers (grade R teachers and LSTs) in the input and design of the ISP, the nonalignment of the school curriculum (CAPS) with the ISP, the manner in which ISP leaners were selected, time constraints regarding the delivery of the curriculum, the non- or under-involvement of parents and the community in their children’s schooling, the non-involvement of principals in the ISP and the unrealistic expectations of the district- based officials with regard to the ISP. The study also makes recommendations about how the ISP could be improved to enhance its effectiveness.
Parental involvement at a School of Skills in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Dick, Ayabulela; Moodley, Trevor
Parental involvement in their children’s schooling has been found to be an important factor with regard to children’s experience of schooling including their academic performance. This quantitative study focused on parental involvement at a school of skills in the Cape metropole, Western Cape. Epstein’s (2009) six typologies of parental involvement in their children’s schooling provided the theoretical framework of the study and guided the formulation of the research instrument and the data analysis of the study. A survey research design was used and 74 parent/caregiver participants were conveniently sampled after all ethical protocols were followed. The findings indicated that participants: (i) indicated a very positive attitude towards being involved in the education of their children at the school of skills and were inspired to be involved in the education of their children, (ii) were highly involved in the following typologies of parental involvement: learning at home, parenting and collaboration with community, (iii) communication between school and the parents as a form of parental involvement was found to be at a moderate level, (iv) participants were found to be minimally involved in decision-making as a form of parental involvement, (v) volunteering as a form of parental involvement was represented by low to moderate levels of involvement, (vi) participants’ marital status, forms of kinship relations with the learners at the school of skills (e.g. biological mother, foster parent) and levels of formal education were not found to have a significant statistical relationship with their levels of parental involvement in their children’s schooling. (vii) The challenges that participants faced with regard to their involvement in their children’s schooling included the following: a) a fair number of about 30% participants frequently found language as a barrier for them to assist their children with homework, b) about 46% of the participants indicated that they were seldom or never recruited by educators to volunteer at the School of Skills, c) about half of the participants indicated that their challenge was that they were not trained on how to offer their talents for volunteering at the school, d) participants also found it difficult to share information with the school about their child’s cultural background, talents, and needs.
Parental involvement at a school of skills in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Dick, Ayabulela; Moodley, Trevor
Parental involvement in their children’s schooling has been found to be an important factor with regard to children’s experience of schooling including their academic performance. This quantitative study focused on parental involvement at a school of skills in the Cape metropole, Western Cape. Epstein’s (2009) six typologies of parental involvement in their children’s schooling provided the theoretical framework of the study and guided the formulation of the research instrument and the data analysis of the study. A survey research design was used and 74 parent/caregiver participants were conveniently sampled after all ethical protocols were followed. The findings indicated that participants: (i) indicated a very positive attitude towards being involved in the education of their children at the school of skills and were inspired to be involved in the education of their children, (ii) were highly involved in the following typologies of parental involvement: learning at home, parenting and collaboration with community, (iii) communication between school and the parents as a form of parental involvement was found to be at a moderate level, (iv) participants were found to be minimally involved in decision-making as a form of parental involvement, (v) volunteering as a form of parental involvement was represented by low to moderate levels of involvement, (vi) participants’ marital status, forms of kinship relations with the learners at the school of skills (e.g. biological mother, foster parent) and levels of formal education were not found to have a significant statistical relationship with their levels of parental involvement in their children’s schooling. (vii) The challenges that participants faced with regard to their involvement in their children’s schooling included the following: a) a fair number of about 30% participants frequently found language as a barrier for them to assist their children with homework, b) about 46% of the participants indicated that they were seldom or never recruited by educators to volunteer at the School of Skills, c) about half of the participants indicated that their challenge was that they were not trained on how to offer their talents for volunteering at the school, d) participants also found it difficult to share information with the school about their child’s cultural background, talents, and needs.
Parental involvement at a school of skills in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2020-03) Dick, Ayabulela; Moodley, Trevor
Parental involvement in their children’s schooling has been found to be an important factor with regard to children’s experience of schooling including their academic performance. This quantitative study focused on parental involvement at a school of skills in the Cape metropole, Western Cape. Epstein’s (2009) six typologies of parental involvement in their children’s schooling provided the theoretical framework of the study and guided the formulation of the research instrument and the data analysis of the study. A survey research design was used and 74 parent/caregiver participants were conveniently sampled after all ethical protocols were followed. The findings indicated that participants: (i) indicated a very positive attitude towards being involved in the education of their children at the school of skills and were inspired to be involved in the education of their children, (ii) were highly involved in the following typologies of parental involvement: learning at home, parenting and collaboration with community, (iii) communication between school and the parents as a form of parental involvement was found to be at a moderate level, (iv) participants were found to be minimally involved in decision-making as a form of parental involvement, (v) volunteering as a form of parental involvement was represented by low to moderate levels of involvement, (vi) participants’ marital status, forms of kinship relations with the learners at the school of skills (e.g. biological mother, foster parent) and levels of formal education were not found to have a significant statistical relationship with their levels of parental involvement in their children’s schooling. (vii) The challenges that participants faced with regard to their involvement in their children’s schooling included the following: a) a fair number of about 30% participants frequently found language as a barrier for them to assist their children with homework, b) about 46% of the participants indicated that they were seldom or never recruited by educators to volunteer at the School of Skills, c) about half of the participants indicated that their challenge was that they were not trained on how to offer their talents for volunteering at the school, d) participants also found it difficult to share information with the school about their child’s cultural background, talents, and needs.
Parental involvement at a school of skills in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Dick, Ayabulela; Moodley, Trevor
Parental involvement in their children’s schooling has been found to be an important factor with regard to children’s experience of schooling including their academic performance. This quantitative study focused on parental involvement at a school of skills in the Cape metropole, Western Cape. Epstein’s (2009) six typologies of parental involvement in their children’s schooling provided the theoretical framework of the study and guided the formulation of the research instrument and the data analysis of the study. A survey research design was used and 74 parent/caregiver participants were conveniently sampled after all ethical protocols were followed.
Reconceptualising teacher education for teachers of learners with severe to profound disabilities
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023) McKenzie, Judith; Kelly, Jane; Moodley, Trevor
This paper considers teacher education for teachers of learners withsevere to profound disabilities (SPD) in South Africa, in both formaland non-formal learning programmes within a disability studies ineducation framework. Qualitative data were collected from a rangeof education stakeholders including non-governmental (NGOs) anddisabled people organisations (DPOs). Based on a thematic analysis,findings show limited pre-service teacher education programmesfocused on teaching learners with SPD. In-service teacher trainingthrough education departments and NGOs and DPOs, is usuallythrough basic short courses or workshops and are notcomplemented by on-going support.
The role of the school-based support team (sbst) in two primary schools in the Cape metropole
(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Agulhas, Caroline; Moodley, Trevor
The primary South African policy document on Inclusive Education, Education White Paper 6 (EWP 6) (DoE, 2001), states that all children can learn, and they should be supported and assured of equal and equitable education. EWP 6 further states that all educational systems should be transformed to accommodate all learners in mainstream schools and proposes the establishment of support teams at school level. The main function of the School-based Support Teams (SBSTs) in all schools is to assist teachers to effectively provide support to all learners experiencing learning barriers. This qualitative research study explored the role of the School-based support team (SBST) in two primary schools in the Cape Metropole. Purposive sampling was used and the sample size was nine participants.
The role of the school-based support team (sbst) in two primary schools in the Cape Metropole
(University of Western Cape, 2021) Agulhas, Caroline; Moodley, Trevor
The primary South African policy document on Inclusive Education, Education White Paper 6 (EWP 6) (DoE, 2001), states that all children can learn, and they should be supported and assured of equal and equitable education. EWP 6 further states that all educational systems should be transformed to accommodate all learners in mainstream schools and proposes the establishment of support teams at school level. The main function of the School-based Support Teams (SBSTs) in all schools is to assist teachers to effectively provide support to all learners experiencing learning barriers.
The role that parents play in their children's academic progress at a previously disadvantaged primary school in Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Page, Richard Daniel; Moodley, Trevor
Different studies indicate that parents, who offer their services as volunteers at their children's school, assist with homework and participate in school activities, can influence the learners’ academic success in a positive manner (Lunenberg & Irby, 2002; Sanders & Sheldon, 2009). Therefore, parents are considered to be one of the most important and indispensable stakeholders in education. Parental involvement in their children's schooling is a critical factor that influences academic success of learners, but despite its importance, parental involvement at previously disadvantaged primary schools appears to be discouragingly low. This study explored the role parents play in their children's academic progress at a previously disadvantaged primary school in Cape Town. The study attempted to answer the following research questions: (i) How does parental involvement influence the academic achievement of their children? (ii) What roles do educators expect parents to play in the development of their children's academic achievement? (iii) Which factors enhance and hinder parental involvement across the phases of primary schooling? (iv) How does parental involvement in children's academic progress change over time as learners' progress through the primary schooling phase? The study is located within the interpretive paradigm, using qualitative case study design. The study began by undertaking a literature review to explore the phenomenon of parental involvement in their children's schooling and its relationship to the academic achievement of learners. Therefore, data was collected using three groups of participants. Participants were purposively chosen with the aim of exploring perspectives about parental involvement (in their children’s schooling) from diverse role players. Data was collected via questionnaires and individual semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed thematically. The study's findings report on parental involvement in terms of both school-based (e.g. voluntary assistance at school) as well as home-based involvement (e.g. homework activities). The findings of this study revealed that parental involvement can positively influence academic achievement of primary school learners. The parent participants regarded education as important and this notion was affirmed by the learner participants. There was also sufficient evidence in this study to suggest that the parent participants associated the concept of parental involvement with more home-based activities. The learner participants in this study expressed both positive and negative feelings about their parents' involvement with regard to their homework activities. The learner participants reported that their mothers rather than their fathers assisted them with homework. The weaker scholastic achievement learner participants reported that they received less homework assistance from their parents in comparison to the average and strong scholastic achievement groups. The parent participants also reported that they were unable to assist their children with certain homework activities. The parent participants reported that the homework workload was far too much for their children. Encouraging their children to read was more prevalent in the average and strong scholastic achievement categories than the weak scholastic achievement group. The findings revealed that those parents who were more involved in their children's schooling produced academically stronger learners than those who were less involved. The educator participants reported that parental involvement had a positive influence on the learners' academic achievement. The findings highlight the various factors responsible for enhancing and hindering parental involvement at a specific primary school. The study revealed that parental support declined as the learner's progressed from one phase to the next. There is no doubt that parental involvement plays a pivotal role in a learner's academic achievement. Furthermore, since education is often regarded as the primary way to develop our country, encouraging parental involvement in their children’s schooling is essential in developing an educational society

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