Browsing by Author "Masinga, Lungile Rejoice."

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Enriching my teaching in English first additional language to Grade Four isiZulu speaking learners: a teacher's self-study.
(2019) Khanyile, Rejoice.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
The main purpose of this study was to conduct a self-study of my practice as a teacher to explore ways of enriching the process of teaching IsiZulu speaking learners in English. I therefore, aimed to better understand and evaluate my relationships with my grade 4 learners and to improve my teaching practice. Adopting a sociocultural theoretical perspective on teaching and learning helped me to understand that learning is culturally and socially constructed, which means that it is important to pay attention to learners' social and cultural backgrounds and circumstances, so as to draw on what they already know from social and cultural interactions. The first question that guided my research was: How have my lived experiences contributed to how I teach IsiZulu speaking grade 4 learners in English? This question helped me to look back at my personal history and the way I learnt English and how I teach in English. My second research question was: How do learners experience and respond to my teaching in grade 4 classroom? In exploring this research question, I presented work that was constructed with my learners and made use of ideas and reflections my by learners in the classroom. This allowed me to interpret how they experienced my teaching. My third research question was: How can I further improve my teaching to IsiZulu speaking grade 4 learners? In responding to this research question, I reflected on my teacher learning as I explored a variety of teaching approaches to enhance my learners' understanding of the learning content presented to them in English. I was the main participant in the study, working with my 38 grade 4 learners and my three critical friends who were also studying towards their Masters' Degree in Curriculum Studies. Data were generated using nine research tools: a) artefact retrieval; b) reflective journal writing; c) memory drawing; d) collage; e) metaphor drawing; f) curriculum policy, g) photographs; h) lesson plans; and i) audio recording of lessons and conversations. From my self-study research, I discovered that teaching learners in a language that is not their home language requires them to learn the language as much as they are learning the content, which results in them taking longer to learn than the language speakers. Therefore, in my planning of activities I should be aware of this and make them relevant to context. That I need to create a learning environment that speaks to their needs and not only what I aimed to achieve.
Exploring my enactment of teaching literature in the English second language classroom as a novice teacher: a self-study.
(2019) Mbambo, Khanyi.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
The focus of this study was to explore how I enact the English second language literature curriculum as a novice teacher. I embarked on this research because I was concerned with my learners’ performance, which could be the result of my teaching. This led me to explore my enactment of literature with the purpose of improving my practice. The transactional theory was used to direct the study. Using this approach taught me that literature can be learned in diverse ways. Through, reading and listening. I was the main participant in this self-study research. Other participants included my grade eleven learners and my critical friend whom I work very closely with, my Head of Department (HOD). He was able to enrich my professionalism; thus, he would say in order for growth and encouragement to occur, I must ignore negative influences from people. For purposes of this self-study, data was collected through the use of seven data generation sources: Journal writing (learner and myself), memory drawing, Artifacts, Lesson plans, curriculum document (CAPS), taking photographs and collage making. Reflecting on my personal literature experiences helped retain and retrieve information that was interesting to me. Through memory drawing, I was able to remember my life experiences and present my memories using mental pictures in the form of drawings. Drawing sketches of my memories helped me gain entry to the personal experiences I had perhaps ignored or suppressed. The first research question that guided my study was: What can I learn from my personal history about how I learned to enact the teaching of English second language literature? I addressed this question by journeying back on personal history memories from my life at home, early schooling years up to my tertiary education level. The second question was: What can I learn through exploring my enactment of teaching English second language literature as a novice teacher? In responding to this question I drew learnings from my personal history learnings with the purpose of developing my teaching of the literature content: (a) learning through memorizing and drawing (b) learning through story-telling (c) learning through music (d) learning through code-switching (e) learning through groups. I designed lessons with the purpose of exploring how I might improve my teaching of literature influenced by my learnings. During the research process, the following themes emerged as key to improving the enactment of English curriculum to second language speakers: (a) Curriculum versus Context (b) The need for African literature (c) The use of technological resources and demonstration as a teaching approach (d) Language barrier and code-switching.
How can I effectively integrate sexuality education in my teaching practice in a grade 6 class? : a teacher's self-study.
(2007) Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.; Moletsane, Relebohile.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.
This dissertation reports on the self-study in which I, as a practicing educator, reflect on my attempts at integrating sexuality education across three learning areas in grade 6 class over a period of one semester. Through the anonymous questionnaire, my grade 6 learners identified issues around sexuality that they would have liked to be taught. From this exercise, I then conceptualized a curriculum unit integrating the issues they identified. The dissertation documents and reflects on the process of my self-study of the process we went through during the curriculum unit, particularly in relation to integration of the controversial and complex issues around sexuality. It is from this reflection that I offer lessons learned from the process regarding, for example, dealing with emotions of self-study, the importance of teacher lives, and the capabilities that learners have in being effective partners in the learning process.
Improving continuing professional teacher development in the Foundation Phase: a subject advisor’s self-study.
(2020) Makhanya, Hlengiwe Delicia Bawinile.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
I am a subject advisor in the Foundation Phase (Grades R–3) in the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. For this study, the focus was on my practice and learning as a subject advisor concerning the continuous professional teacher development (CPTD) programmes for teachers conducted by subject advisors. I looked into how I, as a subject advisor, could better support teachers. This study was located within the methodology of self-study of practice, where I used an arts-based self-study approach. Since I was looking at myself in practice, I was the main research participant. The other participants were three other subject advisors and 13 teachers from three different primary schools. Three research questions kept me focused in this study: What are the lived experiences and perspectives of subject advisors in relation to CPTD? What are the lived experiences and perspectives of teachers in relation to continuing professional development? And How might I use insights into subject advisors’ and teachers’ lived experiences and perspectives to improve my understanding and practice of CPTD? I used multiple methods to generate and analyse data, including audio recording of discussions, reflective journal writing, self-portrait drawing, and collage. Throughout my self-study journey, I learnt from a sociocultural theoretical perspective and social constructivism. A sociocultural perspective assisted me in understanding teachers’ and subject advisors’ learning backgrounds. In understanding social constructivism, I discovered that teachers and subject advisors learn better if they interact as they construct knowledge together. Self-study enabled me to change as I had to go deep and examine my own practice and reconstruct my thinking about how I have conducted CPTD. I gained confidence and valuable insights into my practice as I came to understand more about teachers’ and subject advisors’ experiences of CPTD. This thesis demonstrates the power of self-study to facilitate a process of learning, whereby improvement in practice can be achieved as we discern context-appropriate ways of bringing about changes in offering CPTD in challenging circumstances. The study also demonstrates how we can start to value teachers’ voices and input in planning and facilitating CPTD programmes that are more inclusive and participatory, and that address teachers’ genuine concerns.
Improving my pedagogical approach to teaching sexuality education at a technical and vocational education and training college: a teacher’s self study.
(2021) Moses, Melissa.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
This thesis is based on a self-study, which I conducted as a Life Orientation lecturer in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Sector. I undertook a journey on exploring how I could improve my sexuality education teaching practice. In order to improve my pedagogical approach in teaching sexuality education, I had to first develop three research questions that were the foundation of the study. These included: How have my lived experiences contributed to my pedagogical choices when I teach the sexuality education component in the Life Orientation curriculum? How do students experience and respond to my teaching of the sexuality education component of the Life Orientation curriculum? What can I learn from my teaching experiences to improve my teaching practice of the Life Orientation curriculum? To address these questions, my self-study took me through a journey of discovery into my personal history and the role of sexuality education and how it has influenced my life and my teaching practice. In doing this, I had to make use of artefact retrieval and memory drawings that took me back in time as I engaged in this retrospective process. In this study, my students were my participants and using their class activities as one of my data methods, I identified how students experienced my teaching of sexuality education. My critical friends also played an important role in this self-study as it was their input and comments that assisted me in improving my pedagogical approach in teaching sexuality education. In working on improving my pedagogical approaches in teaching sexuality education, I had to first understand my study from a socio-cultural theoretical perspective. This perspective helped me in understanding that my students come into the learning environment with different backgrounds and cultures and as their lecturer, I need to acknowledge this when planning my lessons. This work brought an understanding for me, that teaching sexuality content needs a collaborative process of engagement with students. That implies the use of teaching strategies that would provide those collective opportunities. There is valuable input that can be drawn from the students, to facilitate effective and productive learning for all. It lies in the pedagogical choices I make as a lecturer that moves the process of learning beyond my own limitations.
Journeys to self-knowledge : a participatory study of teachers as sexuality educators.
(2013) Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.; Francis, Dennis Anthony.
In the light of the HIV&AIDS epidemic in South Africa, sexuality education has become a vital responsibility for South African teachers. However, in many South African schools, there is a habit of silence where particular issues are off-limits and many teachers concede that they find it difficult to tackle sexuality-related topics. Hence, in this study, I engaged myself and a group of my fellow teachers of the Life Orientation learning area in a collaborative self-study inquiry to review who we are as sexual beings, how we understand sexuality and how this self-knowledge might affect our interaction with learners and our teaching of sexuality education. To take us on this collaborative journey of self-knowledge, we employed qualitative methods of storytelling, audio recording of conversations, reflective journaling, collage-making and letter-writing. This study revealed that although, as teachers, we have been positioned as knowledge bearers and pedagogic expects, who are expected to be capable of making appropriate choices for teaching sexuality education, our own personal relationships with sexuality influence the different positions that we adopt as we interact with the content and the learners. Through our collaborative inquiry process, we began to recognise and shift the various positions that we held on sexuality. We came to appreciate and show that our positions are flexible, as when we were within a safe, interactive environment that both respected the positions we brought into the process and encouraged critical re-thinking of these positions, we began to reposition ourselves. Through the study, we also became more aware of how we were positioning others through our actions and our words. We came to a realisation that learners, colleagues and parents also bring their positions on issues and thus they too need to be understood within their own contexts, for the improvement of sexuality education in schools. The study revealed how the challenging of teacher positioning, when done in a supportive, interactive environment, can result in a repositioning of the self that brings us closer to becoming the teachers we wish to be, as we collectively influence change.
Possibilities for teaching sexuality education in the further education and training phase: a personal history self-study.
(2023) Nkwanyana, Emmanuel Phumlani.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
This research study was undertaken with the aim of identifying discoveries and possibilities for teaching sexuality education in the Further Education and Training Phase (Grades 10-12) of school education. I adopted a personal history self-study approach because I wanted to explore my lived experiences and my teaching experiences to establish how my past experiences could have moulded me and shaped me to become the sexuality education teacher that I became. I also wanted to recognise any significant events and experiences in my past personal and professional history to reveal any discoveries and possibilities of teaching sexuality education that will contribute to the improvement of my practice. My two research questions were: What can I learn from my personal history about how I learned about sexuality education? What new discoveries and possibilities can I learn for my practice when teaching sexuality education? I was the main participant in this research study and I elicited the contribution of my two colleagues who I described as my critical friends because they provided encouragement and support during my research study. They also contributed to my study my helping me to view my study from different perspectives. I also invited my closest friend and my former learner as well as my sister into my research process to help me rekindle some of my past personal and professional experiences. This research study was situated with the sociocultural theoretical framework within an interpretive paradigm. To generate data for my research study I made use of artefacts, visual images, photographs, collage and memory drawings. My learnings from this research study were: Understanding the impact of my religious influences when teaching sexuality education; Importance of learner-centred teaching to allow for learner voices to be heard during my teaching; Working with external experts to facilitate learning and Creating a supportive relationship with learners.
Teaching computer applications technology in an under-resourced school: a teacher’s self-study.
(2021) Memela, Balungile Pinky.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
My personal history self-study research focus was on teaching Computer Applications Technology in an under-resourced school. This study aimed to ascertain what I can learn from my personal history, to improve my CAT teaching practice in an under-resourced school by exploring effective teaching strategies. I was frustrated by my CAT learners, who were performing poorly in CAT due to the ineffective implementation of the CAT curriculum, thus producing the poor quality of CAT results. Adopting a Sociocultural perspective on teaching and learning assisted me in understanding that learning is constructed through social and cultural interaction and learners learn more efficiently by using tools to solve problems by using resources available to them in their environment. My first research question was: What can I learn from my personal history about teaching Computer Applications Technology in an under-resourced school? This question allowed me to revisit and re-examine my learning and teaching experience from when I first fell in love with technology at home and through doing practical subjects in high school and college studying computer studies. And as a novice teacher, I have a better understanding of strategies I can employ to improve my teaching of CAT in an under-resourced school. Throughout this self-study research journey, I worked closely with my critical friend, who was also a master’s student. I used various data sources to generate data for this self-study, such as my reflective journal, photographs, memory drawings, and a collage. My second research question: How can I improve my teaching of Computer Applications Technology in an under-resourced school? To respond to this question, I worked with my college friend, who is also my colleague, deputy principal, and a former CAT learner, as my participants. The different discussions and activities we had for this study helped me understand how they perceived and received my CAT teaching in an under-resourced school. I used multiple self-study practices that helped me generate data for my research. I used artefact retrievals such as photographs, a stiffy disk, and collage making. From my personal history selfstudy and contribution from my participants, I identified four significant learnings regarding teaching and learning of CAT in an under-resourced school: (i) CAT teacher as a resource manager, (ii) Time allocation according to policy document versus disadvantaged school and (iii) Collaborative learning as a response to limited computer resources. As a CAT teacher, I learned that I serve as a human resource that can connect other resources through interacting and collaborating with others to help me facilitate valuable teaching support to learners.
Teaching geometrical shapes to grade 4 learners: a teacher’s self-study.
(2019) Makhaye, Jane Buyisile.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
My research focus was on my learning as a teacher, with a view to understanding how I might improve my teaching practices as a Grade 4 teacher in relation to geometrical shapes. Adopting a sociocultural theoretical perspective on teacher learning helped me to understand that learning does not only take place within you as an individual teacher, but with others, in a particular context. I was the main participant in the study and I worked with my Grade 4 learners as research participants. In addition, I worked closely with two of my fellow Master’s students as critical friends. Data were generated using five research practices, namely, artefact retrieval, lesson planning and classwork activities, taking photographs, audio recording, and journal writing. The first question that guided my research was: What can I learn about learning and teaching of geometrical shapes from my personal history? I addressed this question by stepping back to give an account of my personal history with my family, the community I grew up in, and my schoolteachers and classmates. My second research question was: How can I improve my teaching of geometrical shapes to Grade 4 learners? In responding to this question, I drew learnings from my personal history to develop my teaching of geometrical shapes through encouraging: (a) learning through making and hands-on learning (b) learning through story telling (c) learning through exploring the surroundings and (d) learning through playing games. These learnings influenced me to design lessons to explore how I might improve my teaching of geometrical shapes. I created a collage to represent my learning from designing and teaching these lessons. Images in my collage represented key aspects that I need to be mindful of in continuing to improve my teaching practice: (a) paying attention to the learners in the classroom; (b) designing lessons to stimulate learners’ senses; (c) addressing the challenge of lack of space in my school; (d) addressing time management in completion of tasks; and (e) encouraging learners’ enjoyment and learning through playing games. Overall, from my self-study research, I discovered that my own learning as a teacher could be enhanced by appreciating the contributions of my personal history and by listening to and respecting the contributions of my learners as active participants in learning and learning.
Teaching number operations and number relationships in a grade 7 classroom: a self-study.
(2021) Mdabe, Prisca Ntombifuthi.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.
My self-study research focused on the teaching of numbers, operations, and relationships in a grade seven class. This study aimed to improve my teaching practice by exploring new and innovative strategies for effective teaching and learning of numbers, operations, and relationships. I was concerned with the systematic pattern of underperforming learners in this content area: numbers, operations, and relationships. I was also worried by my unintentional role in continuing with this pattern. Adopting a Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theoretical perspective of teaching and learning helped me connect the classroom and the real world where the context has to resonate with learners' lived knowledge level. The first question that guided my research was: What can I learn from my personal history about teaching and learning of number operations and number relationships? This question helped me reflect on my personal educational journey and my engagement with mathematics, commencing with primary school, then high school followed by college and my first teaching experiences where I interacted with the curriculum for the first time. I identified three significant learnings from my lived experiences that influenced my teaching of numbers, operations, and relationships: i) learning to be a present teacher ii) learning through mental calculations and computations iii) learning to teach and learn mathematics using games. My second research question was: How can I improve my teaching and learning of number operations and number relationships? To respond to this question, I worked with my grade seven class as research participants on different lessons that I designed for this study. The learners’ engagement with the classroom activities and reflections from their reflective journals helped me to understand how they perceived the teaching and learning of numbers, operations, and relationships. Throughout this self-study research journey, I worked closely with a colleague who was also a master’s student, as my critical friend. I used various data sources to generate data for this self-study namely my personal reflective journal, learners’ journals, photographs, memory drawings, collage, Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement document (CAPS) and lesson plans. My engagement with this self-study journey brought about four key learnings concerning the teaching and learning of numbers, operations, and relationships: a) Aligning myself with other mathematic teachers through committees and cluster meetings b) Reimagining my enactment of the mathematics curriculum policy c) Seeing learner voice and participation as an asset in teaching and learning d): Knowledge of learners – teacher’s instruction tailored to meet each learner’s needs. I also learned that mathematics cannot not be taught in isolation but should be connected to learners' daily experiences.
Teaching patterns to grade 2 learners: a teacher’s self-study.
(2021) Ntshangase, Bettah Ntombizethu.; Masinga, Lungile Rejoice.; Shoba, Makhosazana Edith.
The focus of my self-study was on improving my teaching of patterns in mathematics to grade two learners. My concern was that learners failed to complete, identify, create and describe patterns in mathematics. I therefore decided to examine my methods of teaching patterns in mathematics so that I could improve my practice and thereby enhance learners’ understanding of patterns. I had to scrutinise my personal history of learning mathematics, patterns in particular, and explore how my experiences of learning patterns in mathematics may have had an impact on how I was teaching my learners. I employed social constructivism as a theoretical perspective to frame this study so that I could understand how people come to know and then channel my methods into assisting learners understand patterns. The participants in this study included me as the main participant, my grade two learners, and my critical friend who was also completing her master’s degree qualification. My research was steered by two questions. The first question: What can I learn from my personal history about my teaching and learning of patterns? It helped me unearth the learnings I acquired from my journey through my past learning experiences and this changed my perception of effective teaching. The learnings I acquired from my personal history were: creating a positive learning environment, employing practical-based learning, incorporating games into learning and teaching of patterns, and understanding parental involvement in learners’ education. The second question: How can I improve my teaching of patterns to grade two learners? In response to this question, I employed the learnings stated above to guide me when planning my lessons so that my teaching would then be different. I generated data using self-study methods such as collage, artefacts, drawings, audio-recordings and journal writing. A review of the literature on mathematics learning and teaching, emphasised using games and practical activities in order for learners to learn and understand in a fun way. This self-study research helped me understand that as teachers, we need to reflect on our teaching and engage in introspection to find answers within ourselves.