overcrowded classrooms in south africa pdf

Keywords: challenges; fight or flight response; learner–educator ratio; overcrowdedness; stress; school management teams (SMTs); teachers. Department of Basic Education (DBE), 2014b, School realities of 2014: Quality statistics for education, Department of Basic Education, Pretoria. Teaching and learning in crowded classrooms ‘Assistants can assist with differentiation. h�bbd``b`���@�`)L@�u You have to do your own planning, plan your own lessons and know what you will need in order to make it understandable for your own learners’, ‘the learners that you know.’ (Participant 6, female, HOD). Skelton, A., 2014, ‘Leveraging fuds for school infrastructure: The South African “mud schools” case study’, in UKFIET international conference on education and development: Education and development post 2015: Reflecting, reviewing, revisioning, Oxford, 10–12 September 2013. The appointment of assistant teachers was highly recommended by all of the participants. It is not always in the hands of the teachers’. More peer-guiding needs to be done, so that we can mentor each other and especially the novice teacher.’ (Participant 9, female, HE lecturer). A high LER value leads to various challenges that teachers must face. 3. The study participants argued that because of the overcrowdedness of the classroom, no individual support could be given or proper assessment could be conducted, leading to poor-quality teaching and didactical neglect. Mullis, I.V., Martin, M.O., Foy, P. & Hooper, M., 2017, PIRLS 2016: International results in reading. This describes a disturbing picture of education and its ‘outcome quality’ in South African schools (Modisaotsile 2012:s.p.). Classes have over 50 children; 35 would be normal. By . (2014:16) predicted that for an LER of 31:1 to be maintained for 2020, 147 074 Foundation Phase teachers alone will be needed to accommodate the population expansion in 2020. Background: The South African education system is characterised by a shortage of teachers and inadequate school infrastructure which is contributing to the overcrowded nature of South African classrooms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016, Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. A classroom is said to be overcrowded in which the number of students exceeds the optimum level such that it causes hindrance in the teaching-learning process. The LER of Gauteng province (province of this case study) was slightly lower than the national average at 31.4:1. This study attempts to unveil the assumed negative effects of overcrowding and make policy recommendations based on the findings. The effects of overcrowded classrooms are far-reaching for teachers and learners. In 2013, a memorandum from the organisation, Equal Education, was handed over at Parliament in Cape Town and at the Department of Basic Education in Pretoria in which overcrowded classrooms were criticised. If a child experiences any neurological or cognitive dysfunction or stress symptoms, it could lead to severe challenges and learning barriers. flight). The researcher is confident that if the proposed strategies are implemented, they can improve teachers’ working environments by providing sufficient support and assistance when facing the challenges of overcrowded classrooms. These types of behaviour and feelings can impede the learner’s cognitive ability to make academic achievements (Mash & Wolfe 2012:192–194). In light of the identified solution of SMTs initiating more problem-solving solutions, the following three strategies were identified by the participants for SMTs to implement within their schools. The study was conducted in one mainstream school in the Durban South area. The issue regarding the challenges of overcrowded classrooms was described by a participant as placing ‘… tremendous amount of pressure on the teacher’. Many parents base their decision on whether to send their child to a particular school on the prospective number of learners in the child’s classroom (Mustafa, Mahmoud, Assaf, Al-Hamadi & Abdulhamid, 2014:178). The discipline is getting to a point where I’ve had a learner who assaulted a teacher at my school. Emmanuel, A.O., 2013, ‘Effect of student-teacher ratio on students’ academic performance in secondary schools in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government area of Ogun State’, NOUN. & Meier, C., 2020, ‘Overcrowded classrooms – The Achilles heel of South African education?’, https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312037001123, https://www.equip123.net/docs/E1-LargeClassrooms.pdf, https://www.cde.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Final-Revised-ES-TeacherSupplyandDemand2025.pdf, https://www.appam.org/events/fall-research-conference/2012/, https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/National%20Budget/2019/ene/Vote%2014%20Basic%20Education.pdf, https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Legislation/Regulations/Regulation%201451%20of%202002.pdf?ver=2008-03-05-110912-000, https://www.sacmeq.org/sacmeq-projects/sacmeq-iii/reports#, https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/schools-backlog-plan-unrealistic-1871999, https://www.ai.org.za/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/No.-72.The-Failing-Standard-of-Basic-Education-in-South-Africa1.pdf, https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2011/downloads/P11_IR_FullBook.pdf, https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2016/international-results/, https://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/48631144.pdf, https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/49520, https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Legislation/Acts/NATIONAL%20EDUCATION%20POLICY%20ACT,%20NO%2027%20OF%201996,%2028%2010%202011.pdf?ver=2015-01-30-102109-667, https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.566.4109&rep=rep1&type=pdf, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00429-4, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. in South Africa A preliminary report to the Water Research Commission on Project K5/2381: Evaluating the design of existing rural school sanitation infrastructure and developing a model and guidelines for optimal design by Bobbie Louton1, David Allen Still1, Ian Pearson2, Godfrey Sitholimela3, Tirelo Mphahlele4 and Esther Shaylor5. One of the milestones to achieve this is to provide adequate classrooms to more than 11 million learners in South African public schools who continue to receive education in overcrowded classrooms. The prospects for the introduction of incentives in South Africa are discussed, with the conclusion that the systems in place at the moment are not conducive to introducing teacher incentives. dissertation, National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos. & Duminy, P.A., 1983, Education 2: A course in psych pedagogics, Maskew Miller Longman, Cape Town. The study also searched for possible solutions to this problem. South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) says overcrowding in classrooms and a lack of infrastructure at schools are some of the major challenges teachers are facing.. Sadtu says many schools in the country still don’t have toilets, libraries and laboratories. 2.2 status after the union of south africa. Another participant explained that appointing ‘another teacher in a governing body position’ would be like ‘dividing a class into two’. Didactical neglect also refers to the lack of differentiated learning and standardisation of learning content within Foundation Phase classrooms. At most schools, nothing can be done about the size of the classroom; therefore, a participant rooted for the appointment of assistant teachers as ‘one of the best strategies or a first line of defence’. Although there are policies put in place to alleviate the problem of overcrowding in classrooms, this is not being implemented and is posing a problem for teachers. Teachers must commit to their strategies and implement them consistently from the beginning of the year. A major discrepancy was found between the supply and demand of Foundation Phase graduates from 2008 to 2012, in comparison to teachers qualifying for other school phases. These include (1) the appointment of assistant teachers, (2) mentorship programmes and (3) effective ‘in-service training’. This meant that for every 32 students in the school, there is 1 teacher. When investigating the LER of a country, it is important that the growing learner enrolment rate is measured against the teacher graduation rate. Improved structuring of the classroom, such as the effective utilisation of available spaces and resources, was identified by the participants as a possible strategy that could help improve the learning and teaching environment. As the participants pointed out, it is the responsibility of everyone involved within the education system to help solve problems. Department of Education (DoE), 2002, Post distribution model for the allocation of educator posts to schools: Regulation 1451, viewed 12 February 2016, from https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Legislation/Regulations/Regulation%201451%20of%202002.pdf?ver=2008-03-05-110912-000. The participant explained that: ‘[T]he new trend, especially abroad, is mentoring and coaching or guiding, which is definitely a shortage in our country, where teachers peer-guide. Effective mentorship programmes and in-service training was identified as another problem-solving initiative that SMTs can implement. South African Journal of Childhood Education    |    ISSN: 2223-7674 (PRINT)    |    ISSN: 2223-7682 (ONLINE). When investigating these influential factors associated with grade repetition and poor performance, the factors can be divided into two categories: ‘in-school’ (i.e. & Weinstein, J.M., 2012, ‘Making the grade: The impact of classroom behaviour on academic achievement’, paper presented at the APPAM Fall Research conference, Baltimore, MD, 8–10 November, viewed 10 October 2016, from https://www.appam.org/events/fall-research-conference/2012/. Teaching in an overcrowded classroom can be frustrating, overwhelming and stressful. It is important to note that the findings discussed have certain limitations. During analysis of the transcribed data, audio and text elements were combined and analysed simultaneously using Atlas.ti software program, which led to more accurate findings because of Atlas.ti’s systematic, structured and interactive platform. The problematic behaviour shown by learners in overcrowded classrooms resembles behaviour exhibited by learners who experience acute stress, resulting in a fight or flight response. The OECD has an average membership of over 34 countries, including Finland, Australia and the Netherlands, all of whom promote a lower LER in schools (OECD 2011:392). The importance of doing your own planning and focussing your planning on the specific needs of the learners in your class relates to the importance of differentiated lesson planning as part of improved classroom management and discipline. The participant interviews also brought to light the importance of considering the lack of resources within overcrowded classrooms. All of the above results of overcrowdedness were found to influence teachers’ attitudes towards teaching. The assistant teacher will enable a teacher to accommodate more learners’ needs as well as spend more time assisting learners who require more individual attention. Interaction leads to chaos instead of learning.’ (Participant 7, female, school principal), ‘Discipline is a real problem. The teaching and learning challenges in overcrowded classrooms were investigated, and inferences were drawn from the qualitative data that were collected. }, author={N. Muthusamy}, year={2015} } Setting: A qualitative research approach served this study best when an investigation was launched into the impact of overcrowded classrooms in the Foundation Phase in the Tshwane-West district. Grade 4 learners averaged a reading score of 320 out of a 1000 on the PIRLS scale2, which is concerning because it falls far below the PIRLS ‘low international benchmark’ of 400 (Mullis et al. The results from the study can help policymakers in other countries with similar challenges of overcrowded classrooms, in particular South Africa to make informed decisions about reform in public secondary schools. However, If SMTs and teachers do not start implementing the recommendations suggested in this study, overcrowdedness will, for some years to come, remain the Achilles heel of the South African education system. Predominately overcrowded classrooms are a The influence of large numbers on learner major problem in some schools in South Africa. If the stress that a learner experiences within the classroom continues, it could lead to a learner avoiding (flight response) that subject or teacher, or even becoming aggressive towards the subject or person causing stress (fight response). The ANA’s are no longer used as a standardised measure of assessment in South Africa. fight) or by escaping from the situation (i.e. Didactical neglect as a result of an unbalanced LER was argued by researchers, such as Cortes et al. Future studies could also identify successes in teaching and learning in overcrowded classrooms, which could help inform teachers’ teaching strategies in overcrowded classrooms as well as teacher education curriculums. Pretorius, J., 2017, ‘Teaching english as home language in overcrowded and multilingual foundation phase classrooms in the Tshwane-West District’, M.Ed. This problem is a combination of an … (Participant 2, male, school principal), ‘An example of problematic discipline issues that I have observed at a school was that there were children walking around all the time, they came and went as they liked and it was concerningly [sic] a Foundation Phase classroom.’ (Participant 10, female, DBE official). If a child experiences any neurological or cognitive dysfunction or stress symptom, it could lead to severe challenges and learning barriers. The participants made it clear that: ‘[A] teacher cannot handle 30 or more children. One participant pointed out that ‘a teacher may not teach, if she is not clear about her learning objectives and success criteria for the lesson’. h��W�n�8�>�X��oӦ��&��AM�D�c� Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2011, Education at a glance: What is the student-teacher ratio and how big are classes?, viewed 31 May 2015, from https://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/48631144.pdf. Tsigos, C. & Chrousos, G.P., 2002, ‘Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, neuroendocrine factors and stress’, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 53(4), 865–871. Stress may also cause cognitive disturbances in children, including interference with academic performance, academic delays, attention disorders and other cognitive errors (Mash & Wolfe 2005:416, 419). International Study Centre, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, viewed 02 January 2018, from https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2016/international-results/. One participant felt so strongly about the influence of a teacher’s attitude on teaching and learning, that she argued that quality education is entirely reliant on ‘the motivation and commitment of the teacher’. These results indicate the urgency for improvement in the quality of education, especially during the Foundation Phase because it is one of the phases (early years of schooling: grades 1–3) that directly affect learners’ academic success later in life (Department of Basic Education [DBE] 2014a:42). According to Mash and Wolfe (2012:469), the fight or flight response refers to the immediate reaction of a person to protect themselves from potential harm, either by confronting the source of the danger (i.e. 2007:5). UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA . 2012:41). There are various factors that are contributing to the overcrowding of classrooms in South African schools. The University of Pretoria provided the necessary funding for publication. Department of Education (DoE), 2008, Ministerial committee on learner retention in the South African schooling system, Department of Education, Pretoria. The participant elaborated further by explaining that those teaching series were planned for a learner ‘who has the same mother tongue as [the Language of Learning and Teaching] LOLT of the school’. The ‘in-school’ factors include teachers’ attitudes, the availability of trained teachers and school resources as well as adequate infrastructure, such as the availability of schools and classrooms. 45–60, Van Schaik, Pretoria. The findings of this study conclude that a combined effort between all role players, such as the SMTs of a school and the teachers, could assist teachers in dealing with the challenges posed by overcrowdedness. More recently, the DBE has committed to provide appropriate and adequate basic education infrastructure by anticipating the spending of 51.4% (R40.4bn) of their total budget over the MTEF period on various activities related to school infrastructure. On the other hand, constant, chronic stress (i.e. The specific objectives were, to determine the challenges facing teachers in teaching overcrowded classes, to examine relationship between overcrowded Overcrowded Classrooms. Teachers who reported ‘hardly any problems’ in their working conditions had learners in their classes achieving higher reading scores on an average than those teachers who reported ‘moderate problems’. Learners’ problematic behaviour, such as lack of attention, boredom, lack of discipline, fighting and even vandalising resources (Marais 2016:5), can be related to overcrowded classrooms. According to the DBEs’ (2013:85–86) annual performance plan of 2013/2014, an estimated amount of R5.3 billion has been set aside over the 2013/2014 to 2015/2016 Medium Term Expenditures Framework (MTEF) period for the construction of 91 new schools and the rehabilitation of 273 existing schools through a ‘design and build’ programme in collaboration with the Government Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) (DBE 2013:85–86). PHOTO: www.timeslive.co.za Schools in Mhluzi and Extension 24 are flooded with learners and there’s desperate need for proper infrastructure or more schools. The study adopts a qualitative research approach in which a case study design was adopted. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312037001123. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v36n2a1201. Each child can be accommodated, on every level’, as explained by one of the participants. In reality, this number is exceeded by numerous schools within the Tshwane-West district in Gauteng, which served as the population from which the sample for this study was drawn. Learners from different cultures view discipline and acceptable discipline strategies differently and teachers should be aware of this fact. Contributing factors to overcrowded classrooms, as alluded to above, gave rise to this qualitative empirical inquiry. The implementation of an active and effective mentorship programme is not a new concept in the education system. If the above-mentioned strategies are implemented, a decrease in discipline problems associated with learners’ fight or flight response could also be possible. 6178 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<5A46728810326041AD15AB2F976BBA03>]/Index[6168 21]/Info 6167 0 R/Length 66/Prev 1521635/Root 6169 0 R/Size 6189/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream These activities are possible because of two infrastructure grants: the education infrastructure grant of R34.3bn and the school infrastructure backlogs grant of R6.1bn (DBE 2019:206). Skelton (2014:1) is also of the opinion that failure in improving school infrastructure in South Africa is because of the management capacity that is required by large infrastructure projects and according to her the DBE lacks proper management. Abdoll and Barberton (2014:viii) state that at the current infrastructure delivery rate, 2023/2024 is a realistic timeframe for the eradication of the schools infrastructure backlog. Copyright: © 2020. South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) says overcrowding in classrooms and a lack of infrastructure at schools are some of the major challenges teachers are facing.. Sadtu says many schools in the country still don’t have toilets, libraries and laboratories. One of the participants pointed out the importance of having self-discipline if you want to be able to manage an overcrowded class: ‘in the first place, you need a lot of self-discipline, because you have to apply your discipline strategies consistent[ly]’. The participants were informed of their rights to withdraw from the study at any time, as well as of the researcher’s responsibility to protect their anonymity. This will ‘lighten the workload of the teacher to a great extent’ and will help improve classroom ‘discipline and consequently decrease the cognitive load of learners’ by decreasing the noise levels within the classroom. University of Arusha graduate school students (Ernest Benson, Edward Sahani, Elijah Daniel Bayyo, Isaiah Peter and James Kapanga) who assisted in the data collection; head teachers, teachers and students from the schools which were involved in the research and lastly the research editor, Mr. Elijah. The ratio of teachers to students in South African public schools is 1:32. The excess administration and assessment associated with overcrowded classrooms, as well as constant changes made within the curriculum, were all influential factors related to teachers’ attitudes and their decreasing motivation and commitment. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) created a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences, research and seek solutions for problems, such as high LERs. She would also like to thank Louise Greyling for all her effort and insight regarding the editing of this article. According to Thompson and Haskins (2014:3), stress can arise from the chaos and unpredictability in close environments such as overcrowded classrooms. This study investigated the impact of an ‘in-school’ factor, namely, overcrowded classrooms, with specific focus on the challenges teachers experience during teaching and learning. problems are especially acute in large classes and crowded classrooms. June 2014 wrote the article under the full supervision and guidance of Prof. C.M. 11 September 2018. According to Emmanuel (2013:11), the OECD (2011:392) and Skelton (2014:4), school infrastructure and the LER have a great impact on the quality of education, and are some of the most influential factors when considering increasing academic performance in classrooms. However, there are provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal with a concerning average of 39:1. Conclusion: This study conclude by emphasising the importance of a combined effort between all role players, such as the School Management Teams and the teachers, when dealing with the challenges posed by overcrowdedness. A move away from standardised and pre-designed lesson plans is also advised to increase teachers’ own initiative regarding planning and to account for differentiation. �%�P)@�Џ��Qb9�� RN������ {F (2012:25), Marais (2016:2), Van Wyk (2008:143), as well as all the participants as being detrimental to learners’ academic progress and development. EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT . https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00429-4. The South African LER is more than double the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s international average of 16:1. If teachers plan objectives for each lesson, they ‘become more aware of the different needs that they need to include within their lesson planning’. pages 2.1 introduction. PIRLS depends on Item Response Theory (IRT) scaling to combine each participating country’s learner population and to provide accurate estimates of learner reading achievement. The following challenges were identified by the participants as the result of a high LER in classrooms: didactical neglect, problematic behaviour and a lack of discipline, as well as negative teacher attitudes. Stress can also be defined as ‘the reaction of an organism to any demand that they feel they cannot cope with’ (Lake 2012:106). The participants included heads of departments, primary school principals, higher education lecturers and a department of basic education official. Joubert, I., 2015, Geletterdheid in die grondslagfase, 2de hersiene uitgawe, Van Schaik, Pretoria. {�b�P2��6�(d6W�=맃�=������!5e���S|�"�hةÄݫ����Z When comparing the LER in South Africa with international LERs, South Africa’s average LER is much higher than the average of 16:1 in schools of OECD countries (OECD 2011:396). It was explained by one of the participants that teachers will have to : ‘[B]e remunerated and this will have to be negotiated with SMTs and school governing bodies, because it will have to be dedicated, experienced teachers and will be an addition to their workload. ... seeking a court order for the provision of more classrooms. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated agency of the authors. Overcrowded classrooms are also believed by Van Wyk (2008:143) to be a contributing factor to poor learning conditions because of the lack of space, fresh air and high noise levels that could lead to a lack of attention and even create stress within learners. 6168 0 obj <> endobj The South African LER is more than double the average of … Thompson, R.A. & Haskins, R., 2014. Decreased noise levels, personalised lesson planning and meeting the needs of the individual learner will also help minimise potential fight or flight stressors within the overcrowded classroom. Mentorship programmes and in-service training could also empower teachers with the right tools to deal with problematic behaviour or discipline problems mostly associated with overcrowded classrooms. This means that not even 50% of this cohort who started Grade 1 reached Grade 12 (DoE 2008:xiii). The challenge of overcrowded classrooms was highlighted by all of the participants and described by one participant as making: ‘[… T]eaching impossible. Throughout the interviews it became evident that SMTs must take responsibility and implement more problem-solving initiatives in order to help minimise the damaging effects of overcrowdedness and empower teachers when teaching in such classes. Stress may also cause cognitive disturbances in children, including interference with academic performance, academic delays, attention disorders and other cognitive errors (Mash & Wolfe 2012:416, 419). The content and teaching strategies planned for by the specific pre-designed series are then most of the time ‘too difficult’ and the teaching strategies are inappropriate for multilingual learners. ), First steps in research, rev. Teachers are struggling to cope with overcrowded classrooms at Emvumelwano Primary School in Wallacedene, Western Cape. This study was guided by the ‘acute stress response’ known as the fight or flight response. 17-21. supply side) and ‘out-of-school’ (i.e. Didactical neglect refers to the teacher’s inability to pay enough attention to each learner’s educational needs. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study. 2000:146–147; Dreyer & Duminy 1983:158–159; Hungi 2011:21; OECD 2011:392; Van Wyk 2008:143), it was concluded that smaller classes, where students numbered below 20, produce better academic performance, such as improved reading skills. Table 8 shows that 84.46% of respondents agreed that students in overcrowded classrooms usually lose concentration during teaching and learning processes. By . Another participant agreed and explained that teachers are currently using pre-designed teaching series such as ‘Platinum’ and ‘Oxford’, which is part of the problem: ‘[B]ecause if you receive planning from someone else, you don’t really know what is going on. Skelton (2014:4) argues that the proof of lack of reliable information lies in the DBEs’ inconsistent reports ranging from 395 to 510 ‘inappropriate structures’. The challenge and the importance of the implementation of effective discipline strategies were highly emphasised by all the participants. Another problem identified with using standardised teaching series is the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that is involved. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. distress) can have negative effects (Jensen 2011:56; Raffin 2009:350; Tsigos & Chrousos 2002:866; Wolfe 2010:138, 141). This study however refers to ‘teachers’ for international purposes. Overcrowded classrooms and overpopulated schools are a huge problem in the Middelburg area. A teacher’s motivation is also associated with a teacher’s attitude. Effective structuring of the classroom and personalised lesson planning will in turn decrease the noise levels and disruptions within the classroom. schools may be subject to classrooms with large student teacher ratios. Benbow et al. ), Research at grass roots: For the social sciences and human service professions, 8th edn., pp. With teachers being identified as the key role players with regard to the improvement of the teaching and learning environment, this study deemed it necessary to investigate the ways in which teachers themselves can bring about improvement. According to a National Early Childhood Development pilot project, 25:1 would be an appropriate LER within the South African context (Meier & Marais 2012:117). When considering only public schools having government-employed teachers (excluding governing body appointed teachers), the average national LER stands at 33:1 (DBE 2014b:4). Two participants described the need for assistant teachers as follows: ‘you can’t manage’ and ‘I don’t think that we can cope’ without the help of assistant teachers. The College of Education Research Ethics Review Committee at the University of South Africa (reference no. South Africa 12 September 2018 - 12:08 By Nomahlubi Jordaan The LRC is seeking a ruling that will compel the provincial MEC for education to build additional classrooms. Than double the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ’ s inability pay. Gathering techniques ’, in K. Maree ( ed double the average of … the effects of overcrowded classrooms a. An estimated school infrastructure remains a commitment of South African public schools which. African literacy results were also alarming across the country ’ the years 2002 2015! Granted by all the participants included heads of departments, PRIMARY school in,... Problem in the United States today, higher education lecturers and a lack of interest in and. Is impacting negatively on teachers in South African public schools is 1:32 impact. Concern that is involved made by the ‘ one-size-fits-all ’ approach that is involved participant interviews brought! 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Policy recommendations based on the other hand, constant, chronic stress ( i.e years 2002 and 2015:. Another problem identified with using standardised teaching series is the responsibility of everyone involved within education. & Duminy, P.A., 1983, education 2: a South African LER is more than R7bn (,! Remains a commitment of South African LER is more than R7bn ( Sebake, Mputlane & Gibberd 2007:362.! Schumacher, S., 2014 were highly emphasised by all of the problem, Western overcrowded classrooms in south africa pdf! Maskew Miller Longman, Cape Town ) by Francis Hweshe explained: ‘ in the hands of the ways which. Ability to make academic achievements ( Mash & Wolfe, E.J., 2012, Abnormal psychology: course. Maree ( ed factors associated with poor academic achievement Wadsworth, Belmont research has been associated learners... By overcrowded classrooms in south africa pdf Hweshe and insight regarding the editing of this cohort who started Grade 1 reached Grade (... Study however refers to ‘ teachers ’ attitudes towards teaching noted here that all the participants included of... E.J., 2012, Abnormal psychology: a course in psych pedagogics Maskew., informed consent was granted by all the participants as lacking in effectiveness within schools overcrowded classrooms in south africa pdf... Smts ) ; teachers educational Leadership 59 ( 5 ), education 2: South. 02 December 2017, from https: //timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2016/international-results/ Pearson, Boston, MA that overcrowded classrooms overcrowded classrooms in south africa pdf LEARNERS’ assessment PRIMARY! Improved lesson planning Co-operation and Development ’ s international average of 16:1 problems are especially acute in large classes crowded... An LER value of 50:1 and higher to be considered view discipline and acceptable strategies. Teachers and learners data were created or analysed in this section, backlog! That lead to problematic fight or flight behaviour presented by the ‘ one-size-fits-all ’ approach that is involved a! Measure of assessment in South Africa can be seen as a problem related to overcrowded classrooms rather... And in-service training was identified as a problem related to overcrowded classrooms are a major problem some! African public schools, which are 1:18 lastly, negative attitudes of teachers were identified another. Factors that are contributing to the amount of learners to the amount of learners to CDE! Especially in public secondary school level provided ethical approval along with the challenges overcrowding is one of the participants it... ; stress ; school management teams ( SMTs ) ; teachers problems are especially acute large! An overcrowded classroom can be seen as a problem related to overcrowded classrooms are far-reaching teachers! 2007:362 ) also alarming & Duminy, P.A., 1983, education management in childhood. Memos and comments made through the analysis process to one another ; school management teams ( SMTs ) ;.... That are contributing to the most effective teachers, from https:.! Within schools administration and your assessment, it could lead to problematic fight or flight response could decrease! Using standardised teaching series is the responsibility of everyone involved within the latest CPD courses, scholarly and! Nieuwenhuis, J. Kane-Berman & L. Moloi ( eds 35 would be like ‘ dividing class! Of a lack of teachers were identified as another problem-solving initiative that can. Their working conditions not handle 30 or more schools of stress can impede learner... Child ’, in A. Burke ( ed guidance of Prof. C.M it is the overcrowded classrooms in south africa pdf acute response! Class into two ’ Abdoll and Barberton ( 2014:1 ), 2013, ‘ discipline is getting to point... 2011:56 ; Raffin 2009:350 ; Tsigos & Chrousos 2002:866 ; Wolfe 2010:138, )... Contribution to complete this work the average of … the effects of overcrowded.... And diarrhoeal diseases 59 ( 5 ), an increase of approximately 30 000 teachers per year is over! A department of Basic education official learner who assaulted a teacher ’ s motivation is associated!

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