Papers by Willem Rauscher
EDULEARN proceedings, 2017
A clearly stated lesson objective is considered an essential component of a well-planned lesson. ... more A clearly stated lesson objective is considered an essential component of a well-planned lesson. Many teachers of Technology, a relatively new subject in South African schools, teach Technology with rather limited training both in content and methodological approaches. This study sought to investigate and classify lesson objectives framed or implied by teachers in their lesson plans, according to knowledge and cognitive process dimensions. The two-dimensional Taxonomy Table introduced by Krathwohl was adapted for Technology and formed the framework for this study. A mixed modal study was used to investigate sampled lesson objectives described by Technology teachers. Explicitly stated or inferred objectives were classified according to Krathwohl's Taxonomy Table, after which the objectives in each cell were counted to establish the frequency of occurrence of objectives in each cell in the quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, specific cases of explicit or inferred objectives were selected in order to examine and discuss lesson objectives in terms of knowledge and cognitive dimensions. It was found that most of the objectives lie on the lower level of the knowledge dimension and address mainly Factual and Conceptual knowledge. Lesson objectives were also positioned low in terms of cognitive levels, with Remember and Understand occurring most frequently in the cognitive process dimension. The paucity of lesson objectives that required complex knowledge and higher-order thinking is disappointing: teaching limited to less complex knowledge types and lower cognitive levels fails to develop learners' higher-order thinking skills required for further study or independent practice in work environments. A recommendation flowing from the study is that, during pre-service training and in-service teacher support programmes, the importance of clear lesson objectives should be emphasised and assessments planned for such lessons should closely match the lesson objectives. Further research is also needed regarding the reasons for which low cognitive demands are made in the teaching of Technology.
iJET, 2020
The aim of this study was to investigate how the implementation of GeoGebra by teachers who had r... more The aim of this study was to investigate how the implementation of GeoGebra by teachers who had recently attended a GeoGebra training course, impacts on learner experience and achievement. The study was conducted in four disadvantaged and under resourced schools situated in rural areas of the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Despite the curriculum’s encouragement to use educational technology in the mathematics classroom, and evidence of the benefits of such use, literature indicates that most mathematics teachers still struggle with effective technology integration into their classrooms. Within the non-equivalent quasi-experimental design of this study, a quantitative approach was used. The conceptual framework involved the first two levels of Kirkpatrick’s (1996) four level framework. Four Grade 10 classes comprising of 165 learners participated in this research. Data collection involved a questionnaire administered to the experimental group, as well as pre- and post-tests ass...
Strategies for fostering critical thinking dispositions in the technology classroom
International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2021
Critical Thinking (CT) consists of two components, namely, skills and dispositions. Although ther... more Critical Thinking (CT) consists of two components, namely, skills and dispositions. Although there is a fair amount of literature focusing on CT and the development of CT skills, the literature on CT dispositions and, in particular, strategies to promote the dispositional component of CT is lacking. This means that there is insufficient literature available to guide teachers in their practice regarding the ways in which they could foster CT dispositions. This is particularly problematic for technology teachers as they may not be fully informed on how to use the opportunities offered by the design process, as prescribed by the South African Department of Basic Education. This study thus aimed to investigate and describe how technology teachers use the opportunities presented by the design process to foster CT dispositions. This study engaged in a qualitative research approach and a case study design. Ten purposefully sampled teachers were interviewed, 5 of whom were observed for one ...
Scientia Militaria, 2021
In 2015, the chief of human resources at the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ordered... more In 2015, the chief of human resources at the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ordered the improvement of the instructional quality and military ethos of military instructors. This article, based on a comprehensive study in this regard, reports on the perceptions of a sample of military instructors in the SANDF on the existence of a construct, known as the professional military instructor identity and its effect on military ethos and instructional quality. A qualitative approach was followed, using an interpretivist/constructivist paradigm, involving data collection by means of a focus group discussion and expert interviews and using thematic networks analysis as data analysis method. A conceptual framework for the professional military instructor identity, consisting of sub-identities, influencing factors and identifying indicators, was constructed. Findings suggest that the professional military instructor identity is not recognised as a construct in the SANDF; however, the elements are known, although only vaguely. The findings also support the view that this situation may have affected the current declining military ethos and instructional quality of military instructors. It is concluded that the institutionalisation and popularisation of the professional military instructor identity, as well as professional recognition of military instructors in the SANDF, could improve the current situation.
Mediated Conversations and the Affective Domain: Two Case Studies
International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2020
While much research has been done on Critical Thinking (CT) skills, the disposition toward CT has... more While much research has been done on Critical Thinking (CT) skills, the disposition toward CT has not been adequately investigated. The paucity of literature regarding technology teachers' disposition toward CT is particularly problematic as these teachers have to assist learners with the designing and making of solutions (artefacts) to problems that are often ill structured. Solving these problems is complicated and involves critical thinking. Helping learners to find solutions to these problems, therefore, requires teachers to be willing to think critically and encourage critical thinking in the classroom. Profiling these teachers' dispositions could reveal their inclination to employ critical thinking, and give an indication of the likelihood that they may foster CT skills and the disposition toward CT in the classroom. In addition, such profiling could provide a descriptive baseline for further investigation into the relationship that seems to exist between CT dispositions and professions. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate technology teachers' disposition to think critically in terms of their habits of mind. Quantitative research, using an online survey, was employed in this study. A Likert Scale instrument comprising 42 statements, derived from Facione's (Informal Log 20(1): 61-84, 2000) seven habits of mind, was administered to South African technology teachers. The participants had to rate their level of agreement with each statement on a six-point scale. The research findings revealed that this sample had a positive disposition toward CT. The habits of mind that ranked the strongest were CT Self-confidence and Inquisitiveness, while Mature Judgment ranked the weakest (although still in a positive direction). Further research is needed to establish which dispositions should be emphasised in order to address the dispositional needs in technology education.
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2016
Technology teachers should have a sound understanding and knowledge of artefacts in order to assi... more Technology teachers should have a sound understanding and knowledge of artefacts in order to assist learners in the designing, making, and evaluating of artefacts. Unfortunately, technology teachers in South African schools seem to have a poor grasp of the complexity of this important part of knowledge that is specific to technology. As a result, many technology teachers are unable to support learners in designing and making artefacts that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and have utility value outside the classroom. This deficiency in their knowledge can, among other things, be attributed to the fact that most technology teachers have not received formal training in technology education. Also, the limited research base and the paucity of subject-based philosophical frameworks in technology education, which could inform classroom pedagogy, exacerbate this situation. Therefore, the purpose of this theoretical essay is to draw on, inter alia, literature from the philosophy of technology to provide an overview of the nature of technical artefacts with a view to creating a framework that will help teachers to understand technical artefacts and be able to teach about them effectively. The framework may be a useful tool for teachers to support learners in designing and making technical artefacts that work properly, are fit-for-purpose, and are well finished. The framework, which provides a structure for designing and developing technical artefacts, may also serve as an instrument to help learners in evaluating existing artefacts, which, in turn, may enhance their understanding of the knowledge that is embedded in artefacts.
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2019
The South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement for Technology stipulates that Techn... more The South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement for Technology stipulates that Technology should provide learners with the opportunity to solve authentic problems that are embedded in real-life experiences. Solving these authentic technological problems requires learners to use critical thinking skills and teachers are expected to support learners in this regard. Questions around teachers' perspectives of what constitutes critical thinking and their ability to support the development of critical thinking skills in Technology classrooms are rarely asked. It is in this regard that this study sought to explore Grade 9 Technology teachers' understanding of critical thinking and how they develop critical thinking skills in their classrooms through the use of a mini-Practical Assessment Tasks. The study applied a multiple case study design, in which a literal replication strategy was used to identify consistent patterns of description of the six participants' understanding and enactment of critical thinking in practice. Facione's framework for critical thinking was used to guide the analysis of interview and classroom observational data for various stages of the design process. The participants' understanding of the notion critical thinking brought about four conceptions of critical thinking skills, namely interpretation, analysis, evaluation and inference. The results of the study show that there is a huge discrepancy between what Technology teachers say and what they do in reality, highlighting the difficulty of translating and employing critical thinking skills in the classroom setting.
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2012
Project-based learning (PBL) is the recommended approach for teaching technology in South Africa.... more Project-based learning (PBL) is the recommended approach for teaching technology in South Africa. The implementation of this approach, however, is problematic since the vast majority of technology teachers are not formally trained in technology education. Consequently, many of these teachers rely on technology textbooks for guidance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how PBL is represented in technology textbooks. A set of criteria, identified by Thomas, capturing the uniqueness of PBL, formed the conceptual framework of this study and was used to conduct the content analysis of twelve of the most commonly used textbooks. The study engaged a combination of quantitative and qualitative research to provide insight into how project-based learning is presented, if at all, in these textbooks. It was found that PBL is poorly represented in the sampled textbooks; the criteria that require projects to be central to the curriculum and to involve learners in a constructive investigation seem to be most problematic. The study recommends that teachers involved in teaching technology deepen their understanding of PBL by studying the theory of this approach, since a proper understanding of PBL in schools is crucial to ensure that we do justice to technology education.
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2010
Technology 1 is often perceived simplistically as applied science, and therefore regarded as infe... more Technology 1 is often perceived simplistically as applied science, and therefore regarded as inferior to science. Scholars of technology, however, reject the view that technology is applied science and insist that technology is a cognitive system consisting of a separate body of technological knowledge. Although science is acknowledged as an important source of knowledge for technology, Vincenti (1990) identified six other knowledge-generating activities that contribute to the knowledge base in technology. These seven knowledge-generating activities were derived from an analysis of aeronautical history cases and give some insight into how engineers know what they know. However, before one can draw on Vincenti's framework of knowledge-generating activities to provide insight into how technology education students know what they know, one needs to engage with such a framework to determine its usefulness in an educational context. The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate the usefulness of Vincenti's framework, which was derived chiefly from engineering, to be able to describe how technology education students know what they know. Quantitative research was used to provide insight into the knowledge-generating activities drawn upon by education students when they design and make artefacts at the University of Pretoria. The research employed an analysis of a questionnaire administered to the students after they had finalised two different capability tasks. Findings suggest that Vincenti's framework of knowledge-generating activities is useful in technology education. The study recommends that researchers and educators deepen their understanding of how technology education students come to their technological knowledge by considering the knowledge-generating activities presented in the conceptual framework.
South African Journal of Education, 2014
A clearly stated lesson objective is considered an essential component of a well-planned lesson. ... more A clearly stated lesson objective is considered an essential component of a well-planned lesson. Many teachers of Technology, a relatively new subject in South African schools, teach Technology with rather limited training both in content and methodological approaches. This study sought to investigate and classify lesson objectives framed or implied by teachers in their lesson plans according to knowledge and cognitive process dimensions. The two-dimensional Taxonomy Table introduced by Krathwohl was adapted for Technology and formed the framework for this study. It was found that most of the directly stated objectives are directed to the lower level of the cognitive process dimension and address mainly factual knowledge, while no activities or lesson components address meta-cognitive knowledge. Some lesson objectives inferred from planned assessment activities placed higher demands on learners' cognitive domain. A recommendation flowing from the study is that, during pre-service training and in-service teacher support processes, the importance of clear lesson objectives should be emphasised and that assessments planned for such lessons should closely match the lesson objectives. Further research is also needed on the reasons why low cognitive demands are made in the teaching of Technology.
South African Journal of Higher Education, 2005
The Internet offers a new dimension to distance learning: there is no arguing against the advanta... more The Internet offers a new dimension to distance learning: there is no arguing against the advantages of online learning ± it transcends time and space in offering convenient (anywhere, anytime, own pace, etc.) access to learning. It seems, however, that despite the extensive research into cognitive aspects (e.g. content and instructional design) and the technology that supports online learning, the affective aspects have been neglected or dealt with very superficially. This article presents an analysis according to Krathwohl's taxonomy (Bloom, Krathwohl and Masia 1973) of the affective domain, of email messages sent during an online course. It finds that most messages relate to the category of valuing.
International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2010
Since technology education is, compared to subjects such as mathematics and science, still a fair... more Since technology education is, compared to subjects such as mathematics and science, still a fairly new subject both nationally and internationally, it does not have an established subject philosophy. In the absence of an established subject philosophy for technology education, one can draw on other disciplines in the field, such as engineering and design practice, for insights into technological knowledge. The purpose of this study is to investigate the usefulness of an epistemological conceptual framework chiefly derived from engineering, to be able to describe the nature of technological knowledge, in an attempt to contribute towards the understanding of this relatively new learning area. The conceptual framework was derived mainly from Vincenti's (1990) categories of knowledge based on his research into historical aeronautic engineering cases. Quantitative research was used to provide insight into the categories of knowledge used by students at the University of Pretoria during capability tasks and included an analysis of a questionnaire administered to these students. Findings suggest that the conceptual framework used here is useful in technology education and that the categories of technological knowledge apply to all the content areas, i.e. structures, systems and control, and processing, in technology education. The study recommends that researchers and educators deepen their understanding of the nature of technological knowledge by considering the categories of technological knowledge presented in the conceptual framework.
Online Conversations: Two Cases That Break the Mold
Typically, online conversations within a university course or a community of professionals tend t... more Typically, online conversations within a university course or a community of professionals tend to take the form of a dialogue or discussion focusing on a given theme. The two cases presented here are quite different, despite being goal-related. Cronje and Rauscher explored the affective domain of e-mail messages sent during an online course, whereas Sherry and Obermeyer explored design conversations among key administrators and technology leaders within a national network of teacher educators.
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Papers by Willem Rauscher