Abstract
Curriculum differentiation has been in the forefront of the education system in South Africa for a long time. The goal of this study was to explore the perceptions of Foundation Phase teachers regarding curriculum differentiation in the Motheo district in the Free State. Although the importance of curriculum differentiation is communicated regularly to all stakeholders in the education system, it seems that more research is needed to assist teachers with curriculum differentiation in the Foundation Phase. This article draws from a research study of curriculum differentiation in the Foundation Phase and focuses on the pedagogical factors influencing Foundation Phase learners with regards to curriculum differentiation in the mainstream classroom. An interpretative qualitative approach was taken, following a multiple case study research design to investigate the perceptions Foundation Phase teachers had regarding the pedagogical factors influencing curriculum differentiation in the Foundation Phase classroom. The data collection methods were non-participant classroom observations, field notes, semi-structured individual interviews and reflective diary entries. Curriculum differentiation can be viewed as the attempt to have learners work with a variety of different peers and on different tasks, that not only draws out the strengths of all the learners but also support learners with different educational needs (Tomlinson 2017:4). Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory was viewed as suitable to serve as the theoretical framework for the study, as MI focuses on inborn multiple intelligence preferences of learners to complete given tasks, thus addressing the individual needs of learners. The different learning styles of Foundation Phase learners highlighted in this study, served to complement and support MI as one cannot be viewed as separate from the other. The findings highlight that participants acknowledge the needs of Foundation Phase learners and that these needs are influenced by certain pedagogical factors. It is argued that if Foundation Phase teachers understood the inborn intelligence preferences of Foundation Phase learners in their classrooms, apply MI in their classrooms in accordance with their different learning styles, Foundation Phase teachers may be able to differentiate lessons more effectively in mainstream classrooms.
Keywords: curriculum; differentiation; Foundation Phase; multiple intelligences; pedagogical factors; school readiness; teachers
- This article’s featured image was created by Atanu Tanmoy and obtained from Vecteezy.
Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans
Pedagogiese faktore wat kurrikulumdifferensiasie in die Grondslagfase beïnvloed