How easy is the Maths you do at OLICO?
Chapter 6: Recommendations and Conclusions 6.1 Conclusions of the research
6.2 Broader conclusions
When considering the broader context the findings of this research have multiple
implications. It would appear as counter-intuitive that an experiment informed by relevant literature, experience and observations did not show significant quantitative results. However, when considering the other factors involved this begins to make more sense. Firstly, because the learners in this study are learning in multilingual urban environments they are more likely to experience more English exposure at school than learners from rural environments. This means they probably have better-developed English proficiencies than learners in rural areas. This also means that these learners are less accustomed to learning through their L1, and would likely require time to adapt to this. The very short time frame of this experiment did not allow for this to be explored to its fullest. Furthermore, this research shows that while accessible language is vital in creating quality education for all, it is not sufficient. When considering the subject matter taught in this experiment, and also considering how much subject matter is taught throughout schools in South Africa, it is imperative that there is a move away from purely procedural teaching and learning where a correct outcome is the only goal, to including conceptual development where understanding of the processes and the concept is emphasised.
148 6.3 Implications
The findings of this research suggest that further research is imperative if this first iteration of the experiment is to be optimally useful. In creating further iterations it would be highly beneficial to create similar experiments in different contexts in South Africa; in urban and rural contexts, and in multilingual and monolingual contexts. This would allow for the experiment to be adapted to the ‘foreign language learning’ and ‘second language learning’ contexts of South Africa.
Once the theoretical codeswitching framework is refined through further iterations of the experiment in different contexts, it would be highly beneficial for this codeswitching model to be workshopped with teachers so that teachers and learners may be empowered through successful codeswitching in the classroom. This could be further realised through the creation of similar multilingual supplementary materials.
6.4 Conclusion
This research has detailed the impetus, creation and evaluation of a bilingual education intervention in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, South Africa. While the period in which this
research was conducted was too short to yield large quantitative results, the qualitative results illustrated learners’ improved motivation to learn and pride in their L1s. The multilingual resources detailed in this research project were successful and are replicable, and it would be beneficial to replicate the videos, glossary, and translanguaging model (as illustrated in the theoretical framework) throughout the different South African contexts.
By incorporating learners’ L1 in teaching and learning, South Africa’s education system could provide learners with a better understanding of classroom content, while simultaneously affirming learners’ linguistic and cultural identities and opening a space for intercultural understanding. Learners’ improved understanding of classwork would not only lead to improved test results and pass rates, but would also lead to improved life prospects as new opportunities become available to these learners in both the educational and socio- economic spaces. This in turn would allow for greater socio-economic mobility and greater equality of opportunity for all of South Africa’s learners.
149
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Appendices
Appendix A
Colour-coded scripts: English
Fractions Lesson 8: Multiplying fractions
Blue is slide heading
Green is isiZulu
Orange is English
Slide 1: Coloured-in rectangle
We’re going to have a look at multiplication of fractions today. We’re going to start with having a look at the logic, and then we’re going to see how we can do it nicely and easily.
Let’s say I have a cake, and I’ve decided to give you two thirds of my cake. What do I do? I cut it up into three pieces, and I give you two of them. So there’s your two thirds nicely in green. You’re feeling generous, and so you decide that you are going to give half of that two thirds that you’ve got to your little brother. So let’s think about what you’ll give to your little brother. What you will need to do is cut that in half, so that you can then say, ok, this bit’s going to my brother, and this is the bit that I get to keep. Let’s have that picture nice and neatly so we can talk about it.
Slide 2: Coloured-in rectangle with dark green
So half of two thirds will be this dark green portion over here. So half of two thirds, we can see quite easily, is one, two pieces, out of one two three four five six pieces, so it is two over six. In other words, one half of two thirds gave me two sixths. We can see easily how to get that answer; one times two is two, and two times three is six. So multiplying fractions is very easy, you just multiply the numerators together, and multiply the denominators together.
Slide 3: ¾ x 5/7
Ok. So now we know how to do it, we can just get the answers straight away. What is three quarters times five sevenths? Well, we multiply the numerators, three times five gives me fifteen, and we multiply the denominators and we get four times seven which is twenty-eight. We now see if this thing can be simplified at all. Well, no it can’t actually, because fifteen is just made up of five times three, and three won’t go into twenty-eight, and nor will five. So fifteen over twenty-eight is as simple as it gets. Ok, I want you to open your homework book, and there is this example there that you need to try.
Slide 4: 3/5 x 2/9
Three fifths times two ninths. Pause the video now and do it quickly in your homework book