A framework for supporting foundation phase novice teachers’ instruction competencies in natural science

Ethical reference number: EFEC 3-8/2020Globally, scientific literacy and general knowledge of the nature of science (NoS) are invaluable since they equip societies to make informed decisions about current economic, social and environmental issues. Foundational Natural Science (NS) knowledge affords learners the building blocks for understanding the natural world and is essential for nurturing their innate curiosity, and for fostering critical thinking and problem solving. Currently in South Africa, the Foundation Phase Life Skills Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document, which incorporates NS, lacks a distinct emphasis on scientific literacy, thereby creating a possible gap in NS foundational skills. The absence of explicit coverage of both content knowledge (CK) and subject matter knowledge (SMK) limits teachers’ ability fully to integrate the subject into their teaching. Inadequate training in inquiry-based practice at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) restricts trainee teachers’ exposure to hands-on exploration, critical thinking, and the understanding of basic scientific concepts, which are crucial for early cognitive development.<br>This study aimed to answer the question: What framework can be developed to support novice teachers’ (NTs’) instruction competencies in NS in the Foundation Phase? This main research question was explored by addressing three supporting sub-questions: i) What were the novice teachers’ experience and understanding of the teaching of Natural Science before the intervention programme? ii) How did the novice teachers develop cognitive and higher-order thinking abilities during the intervention programme? iii) What were the novice teachers’ experience and understanding of the teaching of Natural Science after the intervention programme?<br>Addressing the gaps identified as developmental needs, this research involved the creation of a structured yet flexible framework to inform an intervention programme (IP) aimed at addressing NTs’ diverse needs in the context of the NS curriculum. The IP further provided targeted support to develop the requisite skills, pedagogical knowledge and practices for NS education.<br>An amalgam of several theoretical frameworks underpins the research. Its components are Shulman’s theory of pedagogical content knowledge, Strampel and Oliver’s levels of reflection (2007), Bloom's taxonomy (1956), the theory of andragogy (1975), and the community of inquiry (2000). Collectively, these five theories, widely recognised in educational research and grounded in reliable principles, formed a comprehensive foundation for the intervention aimed at improving the NTs' teaching.Situated within the interpretivist paradigm of enquiry, this research employed a qualitative approach and a collective case study design that was fundamental to the research process. The research took place in three urban, public primary schools in the Metro Central Education District (MCED) in the Western Cape. The sample of seven purposively selected Foundation Phase NTs all had three or fewer years of experience and had qualified at different HEIs.<br>The comprehensive eight-week IP covered a wide range of FP NS themes, concepts and exploratory practical activities. Pedagogic strategies included a variety of inquiry-based practices involving collaboration, critical reflection, self-guided inquiry and the application of scientific methods. The IP addressed the NTs’ identified needs and bridged the theory-practice gap, facilitating changes in their professional discourse. The gradual release model employed featured exploration, discussion, direct instruction and guided collaborative practice. Gains in confidence and self-efficacy among the participants culminated in independent application.<br>On account of the COVID-19 pandemic, the eight-week IP was largely conducted on the digital platform, Microsoft TEAMS. Qualitative research methods employed to gather data included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, field notes, reflective journal entries, and one informal focus group interview conducted ten months after the IP. These data collection methods were carefully chosen to address the study’s research questions. The data collected tracked the NTs’ evolving pedagogical perspectives and cognitive development over time. The pre-intervention interviews and the IP itself were piloted and the necessary adaptations were effected.<br>Data analysis involved both deductive and inductive strategies. Open coding was employed to identify trends and determine main themes and sub-themes. The findings revealed the NTs’ perspectives before, during and after the intervention programme. It was established that before the IP, NTs who had not been exposed to Science at school level or had little to no training at tertiary level had very limited knowledge of NS teaching. Some were not even aware that NS was included in the FP curriculum and were therefore dubious about teaching the subject. During the intervention programme, they acquired knowledge of NS concepts, scientific process skills and SMK. A shared discourse of scientific inquiry through learner-centred inquiry-based teaching (IBT) emerged among the participants. Reflective practices facilitated cognitive engagement, internalisation and goal setting. The ethic of collaboration and inquiry inspired them to employ cognate pedagogical practices, promoting critical thinking, problem-solving and scientific terminology. After the IP, there was clear evidence of the NTs’ increased confidence and growth in terms of professional discourse and classroom engagement. Their teaching became constructivist and learner-centred, prioritising inquiry.<br>The salient concepts gleaned from the findings facilitated the development of a new conceptual framework, the Collaborative, Reflective and Cognitive Development Framework (CRCD). Set against a background of recent and current research in the field, the CRCD is based on the findings of the study as interpreted through a blend of the four theories mentioned above, each reliable and grounded in its specific principles. The framework focuses on the three main concepts that emerged from the findings during and after the IP: collaborative learning, cognitive processing and learner autonomy. Combining these essential concepts with the sub-concepts of a supportive environment, progressive skills building, critical reflection, self-guided inquiry and resolution, produced a ‘road map’ for teacher training and teacher professional development (TPD) programmes. The pathway empowers teachers to develop socially, through promoting continual collaborative learning and the co-construction and sharing of knowledge; cognitively, by developing scientific knowledge, critical thinking skills, ownership and self-direction in their learning; and affectively, through acquiring a positive disposition toward NS and becoming self-guided, reflective practitioners.<br>Since NS plays a pivotal role in a holistic education and inculcates the cognitive and inquiry skills essential for other subjects in the FP curriculum, it is recommended that NS be afforded the same status as the other subjects in the CAPS FP curriculum. Concepts such as scientific literacy and the NoS should be explicitly defined in the CAPS, with a clear description of Science’s role in society. It is recommended that a targeted comprehensive TPD programme be developed using the CRCD framework for both pre-service and in-service teacher training, to address the gaps in teachers’ curriculum and scientific knowledge. It is also recommended that future research investigate how the CRCD framework could be employed across the curriculum subjects and phases to facilitate changes in teachers’ professional discourse. A further recommendation is to conduct quantitative research to measure the impact of the intervention on learner outcomes.<br>The limitations of this collective case study included the sample size, since three of the seven participant NTs withdrew for personal reasons plus the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction in participants highlighted the constraints of conducting research during the COVID-19 period, but also underlined the resilience and adaptability of the research design. A second limitation, also COVID-related, was that the data collection and IP mediation had to be conducted online.<br><br>