The effect of instructional efficiency on grade 6 learners' mathematics achievement in Mpumalanga in SACMEQ III

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of instructional efficiency on Grade 6 learner achievement in Mathematics in Mpumalanga in SACMEQ project III. Since 1994, South Africa in pursuit of improvement in educational quality has had extensive curricular changes and increases in educational budgets. Furthermore, the country has participated in a number of national and international studies of learner achievement such as the systemic study, Southern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ), Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). However, learner results across all the studies have been consistently low. Mpumalanga learner results have been lower than that of other provinces such as Gauteng and their average score has been lower than the national average score. Mathematics achievement in particular has been very low. The study investigates the role that instructional strategies may have played in relationship to mathematics achievement.The conceptual framework is adapted from Slavin s (1995) model of effective instruction with key constructs being quality of instruction, appropriate level of instruction and time on task. The study follows a post positivist approach applying a correlational design. The population for this study is Mpumalanga Grade 6 learners. The limitations of the study were that the data were collected about nine years prior, therefore some factors have changed, for instance Mpumalanga has its first University which offer teacher professional training. Secondly the SACMEQ III project removed variables addressing teaching and assessment in the classroom. These are items such as activities, goals and approaches used in mathematics. This reduced the element of continuity from one era to another and ability to make a comparison of the behaviour of such variables. The data was analysed applying descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, Principal Components Analysis and Hierarchical Multiple Regression analysis using SPSS. Mpumalanga data was analysed in comparison with Gauteng and South Africa overall. Since the main research question is about Mpumalanga, the factors affecting this province were addressed and then the differences and similarities were related to Gauteng and the nation. The conclusions drawn from this study were that: English language proficiency and exposure has an effect on learner achievement in Gauteng and South Africa, Learners with educated parents have a higher likelihood of achieving better performance in Mathematics, teacher training has an effect on learner performance in Mpumalanga and South Africa, socioeconomic status is a predictor of learner achievement and classroom resources have an influence on performance in Mathematics.