Nie-formele leerondersteuning in die grondslagfase

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role of primary educators (parents) in the support of their children withinschool context, has in the past often been neglected. The responsibility for thesupport of their children within school context was left to teachers, or it wasaccepted that primary educators did not have specialized knowledge and thatlearning support should occur only at school. Within South African contextprimary educators are often semi-literate, illiterate or socio-economicallydisadvantaged and see themselves as incompetent to support their children withinschool context. The important role and influence that primary educators have onlearners' learning support is nevertheless emerging prominently.Research indicates that pnmary educators play a key role in the cognitivedevelopment, language acquisition, literacy, affective and normative developmentof a learner. From birth the environment and external stimuli are mediated to thechild. The primary educator supports his or her complete development. Thelearner will, for example, develop a sense of self worth through the security thatthe primary educator provides within the family system, and social behavior islearned through modelling.The question remains however as to how primary educators can be empowered tosupport learners within the family system in order to prevent potential barriers tolearning and how to actualize learners' learning potential. Currently there is aneed for literature regarding non-formal learning support and learning supportstrategies which are also directed towards the demands of Outcomes BasedEducation and also provide information regarding the profile of learners in theFoundation Phase.The aim of this study is to conduct a purposeful investigation into non-formallearning support in order that primary educators may be empowered to supporttheir children's learning in such purposeful manner. The study has implications regarding the manner in which pnmary educators deal with their children'slearning development, the actualization of the learner's learning potential in boththe school and the family system, as well as the quality of the communicationbetween primary educators, learners and teachers.The research was conducted from an eco-systemic and constructivist perspective.Learning support will remain reductionistic and ineffective without the dynamicand reciprocal interaction between the systems in which the individual functionsbeing acknowledged, whether it is in the family or school system or not. Theestablishment of a triarchic partnership between the learner, primary educator andteacher contributes to the establishment of an unobstructed system ofcommunication which promotes good systemic interaction. Each individual has aunique framework of experience (schemata) that influences the way in which heor she interacts with the social context or learning situation. This uniqueschemata must be acknowledged and incorporated into the teaching and learningsituation in order to make the learning experience meaningful for the learner.The research methodology was planned within a qualitative framework andperformed by means of an inductive investigation. Data was collected by meansof an open questionnaire directed to four teachers, short biographicalquestionnaires directed to primary educators and two focus group interviews withten primary educators. The data was continuously interpreted having regard tothe participants' own perspectives, as well as the eco-systemic and constructivistfoundation of the study. Such data was presented through a rich and detaileddescription of the participants' contributions. The completeness of thesedescriptions were verified through transcriptions and field notes. Suchdescription of data, together with the literature review, formed the foundationaccording to which categories, themes and sub-themes were identified. Thecategories and themes subsequently formed the basis according to which data wasinterpreted and conclusions and recommendations were made. Conclusions confirm the importance of the empowerment of primary educators tosupport their children within school context. This empowerment embraces theintention of the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996). Primaryeducators already have the ability and skills to support learners within the schoolcontext. These skills should however be developed and supported. Primaryeducators should be made aware of these existing skills and be motivated to use iton a continuous basis. The social and interactive nature of learning is furthermoreemphasized by the intentional and incidental interaction between the context,primary educator and learner. Knowledge of their children's development andlearning will contribute to the effectiveness of primary educators' support andwill ensure that this support is effected within the leamer's zone of proximaldevelopment.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University