Math subject advisors of the Free State gathered in Kroonstad from 17 to 20 February, to jointly learn more about maths and M&E (monitoring and evaluation). The math workshop was the third in a series of four workshops for IP Math and FP subject advisors. It was facilitated by Marleen Duerloo, Pedagogic advisor, from VSKO (Educational guidance services of Catholic Education), Belgium. The M&E research workshop was the first of its kind and was facilitated by Stefaan Vande Walle, Education advisor, VVOB.What follows is a context of the workshop and some impressions of one of the participants.
Part one of the workshop: Mathematics with Marleen Duerloo
Marleen Duerloo, expert in mathematics at VSKO, the Flemish pedagogical guidance service, immersed participants in foundation and intermediate mathematics, providing participants with a wealth of guidance on teaching and learning mathematics. Participants discovered the importance of following developmental processes through the hippo metaphor.
When learners do exercises such as 7+8=…, there are many underlying skills and competences that need to be in place for the learner to actually be able to solve this sum. These competences may not be directly obvious, but still require the teacher’s attention by executing more visible mathematical tasks. This implies that, when learners fail a visible task (such as 7+8=…), exposing them to more similar exercises will not help them. Instead, teachers need to find out which underlying skills the learners are missing. Marleen applied this hippo metaphor to counting, number sense, calculating whole numbers, calculating decimals and measurement and geometry.
What is your first impression of the workshop?
Sindi Mvambi: “It helps us to develop ourselves as teachers and to look at mathematics through the eyes of a child. Furthermore, it will help us to use the right strategies to monitor teachers in schools of South Africa.”
When you heard the presentation of Marleen Duerloo, VSKO in Flanders, Belgium, what were your first impressions of the Flemish teaching system?
Sindi Mvambi: “We were very impressed by the presentation of Marleen. The Flemish teaching system is quite good and advanced. What we are learning from Marleen are practical strategies, which is good for the foundation of mathematics for children. They learn more if the lessons are practical. So we need to focus on that matter.”
Do you see any advantages of the cooperation with VVOB?
Sindi Mvambi: “Yes, it is quite developmental, on a high level. VVOB has given us the skills we need. More specifically the contemporary skills, the skills of today, the skills we need for the current situation in our schools.”
For each of the selected topics Marleen guided participants on dealing with the content (“What?”), the series of interrelated learning concepts or learning line (“Why?”) and the didactics (“How?”). She shared many examples of games and ideas for activating activities. These have great potential to introduce and strengthen self-directed learning among learners. Marleen explained how mathematical concepts are related and how the one can support the development of the other. Participants applied their insights to the ANA diagnostic reports and error analysis. They used examples from ANA scripts to develop intervention plans.
Part two: Monitoring and Evaluation
The main objective of the M&E workshop was to strengthen the skills of subject advisors pertaining conducting survey research within an M&E framework. We started the first day with some basic M&E concepts, inviting participants to relate these to their own practice. Both their M&E activities of teachers’ activities as the monitoring of their own support to teachers were considered. Secondly, we looked into the relation between M&E and research, discussing both experimental and non-experimental research approaches. We looked into surveys as an often used instrument for data collection. The importance of a sound research design as basis for a survey was discussed. Examples of ambiguous or biased questions were discussed, as well as guidelines on open vs closed questions, rating and ranking questions and the number of answer categories.
Surveys look deceptively simple. You just ask people some questions. But making a good survey involves making decisions about what to ask, how to ask and who to ask.
As a case study, we used a longitudinal research project from the University of Antwerp, in cooperation with FS DOE and VVOB, on the impact of teacher professional development on learning outcomes, as well as attitudes of teachers and learners towards learning. This research will be conducted over a period of 5 years and will provide more insights in why professional development is effective in some schools and not in others.
Subject advisors were explained the underlying research framework, before we delved into each of the questionnaires, taking apart and discussing each item. Secondly, an indicative sample of 125 schools was identified, which will later be narrowed down to approximately 40 schools.
Mpho Mosiana, subject advisor
In the next months, subject advisors will implement what they’ve learned in their work. In April, they will administer the teacher and learner survey in one school. These data will be analysed and discussed during a second workshop on M&E which will take place in October 2015.
