Department of Early Childhood Education
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Browsing Department of Early Childhood Education by Author "Mulovhedzi, S. A."
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Item Open Access Parental engagement in the education of Grade 1 learners during COVID-19 Pandemic in Rakwadi 2 Circuit(2024-09-06) Mafa, Mmapotlo Constance; Mulovhedzi, S. A.The study sought to investigate parental engagement in the education of Grade 1 learners during the Covid-19 pandemic in Rakwadu 2 Circuit in Limpopo province. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an abrupt closure of all South African schools on the 18th of March 2020. Therefore, the closure of schools was the right decision to control the spreading of the virus among learners and teachers. However, learners’ performance was severely affected as they languished at home without any curricular assistance from parents. The study was guided by Joyce Epstein's theory, subsumed under the interpretive research paradigm. An explorative qualitative research design was employed, and data were collected through face-to-face interviews, observations and document analysis. Observations were conducted with the teachers only. Teachers were observed while collecting work from the learners and further analysed thematically. A purposeful sampling procedure was employed to select twelve (12) participants from two (2) primary schools; two (2) Grade 1 teachers per school (the total number of teachers was 4) and eight (8) parents whose learners were in Grade 1. There were four parents from each sampled school. The findings revealed distinctive challenges of insufficient parental engagement in the school setting. The study recommended parents to get involved in education to improve learners’ performance amidst the impact of the Covid19 pandemic.Item Embargo Strategies used by teachers to improve reading in the Foundation Phase(2026-05-19) Tshidzumba, Zwanga; Mulaudzi, L. M. P.; Mulovhedzi, S. A.Reading is generally considered a critical skill, both within and beyond the classroom walls. It is an essential skill that is required for good academic performance. This study aimed to explore teaching strategies that teachers use to improve reading in the Foundation Phase. Research has shown that teaching phonics, shared reading, and guided reading are imperative in establishing strong literacy in learners. The approaches in-volve the building of phonemic awareness and decoding to promote fluency in reading. Some other research suggests vocabulary development and using technology in making reading a richer experience, which can engage and interest learners more. Additionally, the research was guided by interpretivism as the paradigm of the study. A qualitative approach, which was exploratory, was used for research. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The population for this research consisted of all Grade Two teachers in Nzhe-lele Central Circuit primary schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Also, 6 teachers from 3 purposively sampled schools were used. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data from each participant. The study findings revealed effective teaching strategies, which teachers utilise to meet the varied reading needs of their learners. Recommendations stressed the significance of employing a range of these strategies to accommodate different learning styles and enhance reading development.Item Embargo Teaching learners number operation and relationship in Grade 2(2026-05-19) Maropene, Lazarus Tebogo; Mulovhedzi, S. A.; Shirindzi, L. S.Mathematics performance presents a significant challenge throughout the world. This study aimed to explore teaching number operations and relationships in Grade 2 classrooms. This study employed Lev Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural learning. The sociocultural theory of Vygotsky is based on the idea that learning takes place through social interactions. The researcher used a qualitative research method to conduct the study, with the use of a case study approach of an exploratory design because the researcher wanted to have a better understanding and explore the teaching of number operations and relationships to Grade 2 learners. The population of this study was all Grade 2 teachers in Johannesburg North Circuit. However, only eight teachers from two primary schools with more than 5 Grade 2 classes were purposively sampled to participate in this study, and four Grade 2 teachers from each school were selected. The researcher collected data through lesson observations during teaching and learning processes, individual face-to-face and group focus interviews and document analysis. Data was analysed thematically. The assumptions of this study were based on finding out the challenges and experiences that Grade 2 teachers face when teaching number operations and relationships in their classrooms. This study was based on recommendations for all teachers in the Foundation Phase to receive the workshops that will assist them when teaching number operations and relationships. Learners should have the opportunity to explore and have a love of working with numbers in Grade 2.Item Embargo The importance of developing handwriting skills of Grade 1 learners in the classroom(2026-05-19) Nyamuswa, Mpho; Mulovhedzi, S. A.Handwriting during the Foundation Phase is essential for the development of brain networks that facilitate superior reading skills. The ability to write by hand is a fundamental skill that teachers must instil in learners in their early grades. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement for Home Language in the Foundation Phase, Grades R-3, recommends implementing a pre-handwriting programme prior to the formal instruction of handwriting. However, the curriculum does not mandate a particular pre-handwriting programme. The main aim of this study was to explore the importances of developing handwriting skills of Grade 1 learners in the classroom. This study aimed to investigate the significance of cultivating handwriting skills among Grade 1 learners in the classroom. The research utilsed Vygotsky's Socio-cultural theory. The research employed a qualitative methodology. Data was gathered by face-to-face interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis to comprehend the significance of developing learners' handwriting skills. The study population consisted of all teachers instructing Grade 1 in the Foundation Phase. Purposive sampling was employed to select six teachers instructing Grade 1 learners, as handwriting is introduced at this level. The participants in this study were chosen from three primary schools in Vhembe District, as these schools possessed more than two Grade 1 classrooms. Thematic analysis was employed to examine the data gathered from each participant. The findings speculated that teachers frequently underscore the significance of fine motor abilities in handwriting development. The anticipated conclusion of the findings is that certain learners lack the requisite fine motor control essential for accurate letter creation. The recommendation posits that teachers provide learners with increased handwriting exercises to improve their penmanship abilities.