Abstract
Background: Mathematics lead teachers play an important role in supporting the mathematics teaching and learning. These are often ordinary teachers who take on the added responsibility of executing leadership activities in strengthening mathematics instruction in schools. This is attributed to several strategies of plan, do, check, and act in supporting teaching activities.
Aim: This study aimed to support quality mathematics teaching in the further education and training phase through lead teachers.
Setting: Mathematics, Science and Technology Agency in Mpumalanga served as the research setting.
Methods: The research adopted the qualitative research approach and a multiple case study research design. Interviews were used as the instruments for data collection from the focus groups.
Results: Findings from the thematic analysis revealed factors such as qualifications, experience, knowledge of the subject matter, pedagogical content knowledge, assessment and collaborative efforts by lead teachers can enhance the quality teaching of mathematics in STEM disciplines.
Conclusion: Schools should have a structure and a developmental practice for work if a development plan is to be successfully implemented and conducted. Furthermore, the study presented in this article has shown how teacher ownership and a shared overarching goal must be the foundation and form the basis for participating in a practice-based development programme. The findings further indicate that when the roles involved in the development work are clearly defined, the goal-directed actions by teachers in the shared community have the potential to enhance learner achievement.
Keywords: mathematics teaching; quality instruction; lead teachers; school; mathematics teachers; teaching practice supervision.
Introduction
Different education ministries in Africa have decided to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in secondary schools through subject-lead teachers. For example, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Uganda have integrated lead teachers as the school support system (Muthala et al. 2022; Vurayai & Muwaniki 2016). South Africa has recently adopted this practice. According to Maponya (2020), lead teachers in South Africa are regarded as essential supervisors in shaping the schools’ academic achievement by defining the environment and toning teaching. A Mathematics lead teacher is often an ordinary teacher who assumes the added responsibility of undertaking leadership activities in supporting teaching of the subject in schools (Ekeh & Ramsarop 2022). Additionally, Greenes (2013:45) defines a Mathematics lead teacher as someone with a comprehensive knowledge of the ‘big ideas’ of mathematical concepts, problem-solving approaches and the knowledge of online resources to expand teaching and learning beyond understanding best practices in assessment, pedagogy and professional development. Ekeh and Ramsarop (2022) outline mathematics big ideas as: (1) stimulating the desire for solid foundations in mathematics, (2) advancing learners’ capacity for computational thinking and problem-solving, (3) fostering learners’ problem-solving abilities by applying relevant mathematical knowledge, (4) nurturing specific, logical and abstract thinking, (5) cultivating the fundamental understanding in mathematics that is necessary for further education and (6) inspiring and supporting creativity. To address these big ideas, pedagogical support is vital, whereby professional discourses between practising teachers and lead teachers can happen (Carter Andrews, Richmond & Marciano 2021).
Lead teachers in mathematics teaching are also regarded as coaches, numeracy coordinators and subject specialists (Driscoll 2021), who can significantly improve the quality of teaching and learning. According to Crowther, Ferguson and Hann (2009), professional knowledge and skills that make lead teachers different from other teachers are that they: (1) aim for pedagogical excellence by prioritising learner needs and well-being, (2) foster a shared approach to core pedagogical processes to promote communities of learning and (3) advocate for disadvantaged and marginalised learners. Borko et al. (2021) explain that mathematics lead teachers work with school district directors of secondary mathematics to prepare and support lead teachers to design and lead mathematics professional development for middle-school Mathematics teachers in the district. De Araujo, Webel and Reys (2017) outline the basic criteria in the selection of mathematics lead teachers. The authors highlight the following: expertise in mathematics content knowledge for teaching, which involves an ‘unpacking’ of mathematical concepts required to make ‘features of particular content visible to and learnable by students’ (Ball, Thames & Phelps 2008:400); mathematics pedagogical content knowledge, which focuses on the ability to translate the mathematics knowledge into pedagogical practices that are likely to result in meaningful learning experiences on the part of learners (Shulman 2015); expertise in working with adult learners, which is central to the lead teacher being able to coach as a supporter of teachers, coach as a supporter of learners, coach as a supporter of school at large and coach as a learner (Chval et al. 2010); and leadership development, which focuses on the lead teacher being able to assume leadership responsibilities within the school in ways that go beyond the support of teachers. This includes communication with parents, other teachers, education officials and active participation in professional organisations (Chval et al. 2010). For example, a study conducted in Portugal on mathematics supervision reported an improved quality in Grade 2 (Guterres 2024). The term ‘quality’ can be understood from various perspectives and contexts. The Online Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) defines quality as satisfaction with similar products and services. According to Piccolo et al. (2008), the potential for meaningful quality teaching takes place when the teacher asks questions that go beyond memorisation, to asking questions that engage learners in logical thinking explanations for solving problems. A teacher provides alternative explanations and justifications that trigger meaningful discourses when learners pose specific relevant or broad questions that go beyond the implicit ‘I do not understand’ to the explicit ‘can you explain how to solve that problem again?’
South Africa’s goal of using lead teachers is to produce learners who are literate and numerate, with effective communication and critical thinking skills and who can function effectively in society (Department of Basic Education, 2011).
Despite this initiative, secondary school learner performance in mathematics is still a cause for concern (Ayebale, Habaasa & Tweheyo 2020). This is evident in the local and international benchmark tests, such as the trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS) report, that while South African Grade 9 learners’ mathematics performance has improved, it is still low compared to other countries (Reddy et al. 2022). Mathematics learner performance continues to decline (Motseki & Luneta 2024). The persisting underperformance of learners in mathematics is primarily attributed to limited teaching resources, overcrowded classrooms, not well-trained teachers, and limited supervision of instructional activities (Amelia et al. 2022; Mampane 2018). Teaching mathematics is the focus of this article. It thus becomes imperative to understand how the Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy (MSTA), under the auspices of the Department of Basic Education in Mpumalanga province, uses lead teachers to improve the quality of mathematics teaching so that learner performance can be improved. Little is known about how lead teachers support Mathematics teachers in their professional development (Mampane 2018), with specific reference to teaching mathematics.
Teaching mathematics requires a deeper understanding of the content and interpretation of concepts (Mogari et al. 2009). This article, therefore, aims to explore the role of lead teachers in supporting fellow teachers for quality mathematics teaching in MSTA secondary schools. It addresses the research question: How do lead teachers support fellow teachers to improve the quality of mathematics teaching in MSTA secondary schools? The Deming Cycle of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) theory, which frames the study, is described in the following section. We then reviewed the literature on the quality of mathematics in sub-Saharan Africa, pedagogical strategies and the role of lead teachers in teaching mathematics. The study’s methodology follows, which covers the teachers and their treatment, data collection and analysis and the trustworthiness of methods. It is important to note that data about the role of lead teachers were sourced through teachers they support and the school leadership. Strong school leadership is necessary for quality education (Myende, Ncwane & Bhengu 2022). How school principals facilitate lead teachers’ support would enhance our understanding of the phenomenon. Moreover, we were interested in the schools’ environment to coordinate teams in providing this support. We then present the findings and their discussions and make the relevant conclusions.
Theoretical framework
This study is framed in the Deming Cycle of PDCA to understand how lead teachers support fellow teachers in promoting quality mathematics teaching in secondary schools. The PDCA proposes that quality is about people and not products (Deming 1993), intending to monitor the quality of education using coherent criteria (Dudin et al. 2017). The PDCA is appropriate for this study because lead teachers collaborate with Mathematics teachers to identify problems in teaching and assist in designing and implementing relevant solutions. A practical and strategic role is required to enhance teaching in secondary school mathematics. Thus, lead teachers must understand what sustains these practices in the classroom and their impact on quality learning (Tabulawa 2013).
Recently, PDCA has been widely used in education research as an approach for continuous improvement and quality assessment (Aggarwal et al. 2006; Knight et al. 2012; Taniguchi et al. 2018). Aggarwal (2020) expatiates on the four phases of the Deming Cycle:
- Plan: Define purpose, goals and objectives; collect data. In this phase, learners’ needs are analysed by examining various data sources ranging from performance in standardised tests per term based on individual learner or stratified by grade, gender and teaching and learning needs.
- Do: Identify needs; propose change; implement. In this phase, teachers plan the curriculum delivery by looking at what should be taught earlier in the term and later in other subjects to ensure a clear continuity of teaching plans. In addition, teachers develop personal development goals to improve their teaching where gaps are identified.
- Check: Monitor, evaluate and analyse change; compare old and new data. Formal and informal assessments are implemented. These range from daily, weekly and monthly to annual standardised tests. Teachers access the electronic database to monitor the trends and create reports. A team of teachers monitors learners with special needs. If the data trends reveal the learning that is not expected, remedial action is implemented. Remedial work can include re-teaching, changing the teaching approach, team teaching and more direct teacher mentoring. Assessments after this become the baseline for the decisions in the next step in the cycle.
- Act: Adjust strategies for improvement; refine and reinstitute. The curriculum and methods are attainable when teaching and learning goals are accomplished. Teachers share the best practices. Results from this phase become the input for the ‘analyse’ phase for the following approach cycle.
The PDCA, as a perspective to monitor the quality of teaching and learning, is regarded as efficient when education authorities are willing to critically accept criticism and reasonableness by acknowledging alternative methods (Chitpin 2016; Diller 2006). In this study, the PDCA cycle was used to understand the lead teachers’ collaborative efforts in ensuring quality mathematics teaching and to enhance new opportunities for Mathematics teachers to collaborate with others to strengthen the teaching of mathematics at MSTA hubs.
Literature review
The quality of mathematics teaching in sub-Saharan Africa
Mathematics is one of the disciplines in which learners at all school levels underperform (Gqoli, Okeke & Ugwuanyi 2023). This challenge is about providing teaching environments, conditions, methods and solutions that achieve learning goals for learners with different skills and ability levels. In Nairobi, the availability of resources, learner attitude and teacher professional development training significantly influence the performance of mathematics (Lyimo & Temba 2018). Inadequate qualified Mathematics teachers in primary and secondary schools are one of the reasons that threaten the quality of teaching. The 2024 Millennium Development Plan identifies insufficient teacher training as being among inadequate education infrastructure and teacher shortages several countries contend with (Akumbu 2024). According to Greig and Turner (2024), data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test of secondary schools across 81 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries indicate that the mean performance in mathematics in sub-Saharan Africa dropped by 1.3% between 2015 and 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa faces the steepest challenge, with only 60% of pre-primary teachers meeting standards compared to 90% in Europe and Northern America in 2022, although Britain also experiences quality issues in teaching and learning the subject (Byiringiro 2024). At the primary level, 7 out of 10 teachers in sub-Saharan Africa met the minimum required qualifications compared to 9 out of 10 in most other regions. The limited in-service training compounds this problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where enrolment growth outpaces teacher hiring. Inconsistency in national teacher qualification standards further obstructs progress.
Pedagogical strategies
The teaching process should evolve around learners working in groups and engaging in discourses to find solutions to mathematical problems. This characteristic of cooperative learning promotes the pedagogical strategy of social constructivism (Darling-Hammond 2020). The interaction between the teacher and the learners improves when learners work together and help one another to create meaningful learning experiences (Maponya 2020). Social constructivism in a mathematics classroom implies that mathematics is taught by emphasising problem solving, with interactions among teachers and learners and among learners themselves (Mabena, Mokgosi & Ramapela 2021). Instead of emphasising abstract concepts, new mathematical knowledge should be presented in using real-life contexts. Teaching must encourage learners to create problem-solving strategies (Vygotsky 1978). This aligns with the desired methods of teaching for South African teachers. They promote learning and serve as mediators and facilitators during the teaching and learning process. Teachers not skilled in applying constructivist principles and methodologies in teaching and learning are likely to negatively affect learners’ performance in mathematics (Ion, Sánchez Martí & Agud Morell 2019). The above discussion is relevant for teaching mathematics within the secondary schooling in this research.
The role of lead teachers in mathematics teaching
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 2007) has shifted its focus in recent decades from quality concerns related to enrolment and access to areas such as skill acquisition, teacher quality and the quality of teaching. This is driven by the fact that achievement in school and performance are measures of how well subjects are taught and learned, and lead teachers are believed to be essential in supporting such endeavour (UNESCO 2007). Lead teachers’ strategies of collaborating with principals, deputy principals and teachers can ensure successful curriculum delivery, which is vital in enhancing learning outcomes. Leaders recognised the importance of teachers’ knowledge, teachers’ mathematical dispositions and teachers’ preparedness to change, in the achievement of their goals (Downton, Cheeseman & Roche 2022). This includes recognition of the need to prioritise mathematics improvement, time allocated for mathematics leadership and school structures that support teachers’ collaborative learning. As a professional growth technique aimed at in-service Mathematics teachers, Braseth (2022) discusses a practice-based development programme in Norway termed the Mastering Ambitious Mathematics Teaching (MAMT) programme. In this situation, teachers are divided into groups and tasked with collaborating with lead teachers to carry out a teaching strategy centred on adopting specific approaches for ambitious mathematics teaching. After the planning sessions, there is a rehearsal whereby some teachers assume the role of ‘learners’ and ask questions that actual learners would ask. The rehearsal allows the teachers to try out and discuss their planned teaching strategies and moves. During the rehearsal of the teaching activity, teachers and the supervisor pause the teaching by initiating a teacher time-out. This activity freezes the situation and lets the group think aloud together for a moment and determine the direction of further teaching. The cycle ends with a group discussion in which the teachers reflect on the teaching activity and the planning process conducted with the supervisor before briefly preparing for the next event.
Mathematics teachers in Ethiopia face numerous teaching obstacles because of a lack of appropriate training modalities (Sebsibe et al. 2023), resulting in low performance of students in Mathematics and Science. The lack of qualified Mathematics teachers, well-designed curriculum, teaching aids and infrastructure are among the challenges that constrain the implementation of the curriculum to achieve the national interests (Madaki 2021). Thus, Sebsibe et al. (2023) call for the urgent need to improve teachers’ preparation and pedagogical support to enhance learning and assessment of performance in Mathematics and Science.
However, studies in South Africa that focus on teacher knowledge (Mabena et al. 2021; Taylor 2021; Verster & Sayed 2022) and learner performance reveal a negative relationship between teacher knowledge and learner performance. For instance, a study that was conducted in Kwagga West Circuit, Nkangala district in Mpumalanga province of South Africa revealed a lack of pedagogical content knowledge and skill and a lack of appropriate professional training among the Grade 12 Mathematics teachers. When the teacher lacks mathematical knowledge, learners might not be able to develop a relational understanding of the subject. Recent assessments reflected in the progress in international reading literacy study (PIRLS) reveal a decline in Mathematics and reading scores, especially in marginalised and low-income communities with limited access to education (Greig & Turner 2024). Prioritising teacher training, among other critical matters, can help achieve equal quality education (Öztemur et al. 2024).
Professional learning communities
In the last decades, professional learning communities have caught the attention of researchers focusing on school leadership, training of teachers and school culture with the focus on continuing learning and development of teachers, learners and school organisations (Brodie 2020). Considered among the essential elements of in-service teacher professional development, monitoring the teaching and learning process, clarity of lesson presentation, appropriate pacing and classroom management, well-structured lessons and enlightening and supportive feedback have all been demonstrated to influence learner achievement positively (Maponya 2020). A group of teachers working together to investigate their teaching methods and learners’ learning with the aim of enhancing both is referred to as professional learning communities (McLaughlin & Talbert 2010). According to Brodie (2020), investigating teaching methods and learners’ learning is particularly important in mathematics education, in which the aim is to support teachers’ orientations towards understanding and engaging learners’ mathematical thinking and development of conceptual understanding.
A core principle in professional learning communities is that members of the school community should be continually engaged in intellectual learning if schools are to be mentally stimulating environments (Curry 2008). According to Katz and Earl (2010:28), professional learning communities are ‘fundamentally about learning – learning for pupils as well as learning for teachers, learning for leaders, and learning for schools’. In order to bring about change, effective learning communities challenge their members to reflect on traditional views. For instance, they question the idea that following procedures inevitably fosters conceptual understandings of mathematics. At the same time, not all practices are problematic, and successful professional learning communities incorporate best practices with ideas for new practices.
Research methods and design
The design of the study
Interpretive paradigm was used to gather multiple realities and beliefs of Mathematics teachers and heads of the Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) departments and principals. The study was premised on the ontological proposition that lead teachers influence the teaching and learning process. Furlong and Marsh (2010) define ontology as the theory of being and the nature of reality. Multiple realities explored and reconstructed through teacher interactions are known as ontological beliefs (Furlong & Marsh 2010).
This is a case study design of MSTA sub-hub schools, which are placed in four districts each – Bohlabela (Acorn to Oaks), Ehlanzeni (Khumbula), Gert Sibande (Izimbali) and Nkangala (Siyabuswa) in Mpumalanga were used to gather the rich narratives of the lived experiences of teachers on the role played by lead teachers, facilitated by the principals, as collaborators in advancing quality mathematics teaching in rural areas (Denzin & Lincoln 2008). The sub-hub schools were chosen based on their establishment to increase the number of learners taking MST, enhance the quality of the passes in the subjects, assist with the training of teachers, enhance and develop teachers’ competency levels in teaching the MST subjects, strengthen the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a broad term that includes the use of digital technologies such as the hardware and software applications to share information (Charfeddine & Umlai 2023), and develop strategies that will enhance learner performance. In-depth narrations of the realities of the phenomenon were achieved through focus group interviews and onsite observations with eight purposively selected teachers, which included four Mathematics teachers and four Heads of Departments (HoDs) who provided deeper insights into the phenomenon under inquiry (Creswell 2015). Participants were purposely selected on the basis that they received regular support from lead teachers in relation to teaching strategies that could be implemented enhancing the quality of mathematics teaching. The fact that there is no set formula for sample size in qualitative research other than the research strategy employed (Creswell 2015) was considered. The average teaching experience of participants in teaching mathematics spanned for over 20 years. This implied that participants were well-qualified and know their subject content well.
A set of developed interview questions guided the focus group discussions (FGDs). The research team spent 3 h – 4 h at each school in 2022 on FGDs and observations, which were audio-recorded with the teachers’ permission. The schools were visited again in 2023 for member checking and data analysis with the teachers. Ethical clearance was obtained from UNISA. The Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education also granted permission for research to the team. Access to the schools was negotiated through MSTA, and one official accompanied the research team. This made the team’s access to the schools easier. The teachers granted the team permission to use their real names in reporting the study findings.
The first two questions focused on the biographical information (qualifications and teaching experience); the second set of questions; focused on the mathematical topics that teachers deemed challenging to teach; the third set of questions; focused on the support for teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, subject knowledge, methods, assessment practices and resources including technology (Box 1). Without putting ideas into the teachers’ responses, the researchers ensured that FGDs raised the issues. Records of verbatim responses provided by teachers were kept (Leedy & Ormond 2005).
| BOX 1: The structure of focus group interviews, with Mathematics teachers. |
Data analysis
The research team started by having a debriefing to discuss what the data were showing them. The team interacted with the data and agreed on the emerging themes. The data to be analysed can be misinterpreted or misreported during the analysis. Therefore, the likelihood of errors during data processing could influence the reliability and credibility of the findings (Creswell 2021). Considering this possibility, the team followed the steps required to conform to the phenomenological data analysis process, which requires researchers to get back to members to check the correctness of the information sourced from them (Polit & Beck 2010). The research question, theoretical framework and literature review guided the deductive content analysis process (McMillan & Sch umacher 2001; Neuman & Cunningham 2009). In addition, the data presentation, analysis and findings were guided by the PDCA. Data were coded into aspects aligned with the topic (Creswell 2021).
Ethical considerations
Ethical clearance to conduct this study was obtained from the University of South Africa, College of Education Ethics Review Committee (Reference no: 2024/04/10/90065050/18/AM).
Results
Findings are summarised and presented under the aspects from the FGDs’ data analysis.
Qualifications and teaching experience
Mr. NW (Deputy Principal) had a BEd in Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics and 9 years of teaching experience. Mr. DB Dlowu (HoD) had a Senior Teachers’ Diploma in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, a Further Diploma in Mathematics and Computer and an Advanced Certificate in Education in Mathematics and Statistics. He had 33 years of teaching experience. A 46 years old female mathematics teacher indicated that she had 15 years of teaching experience in mathematics in the Further Education and Training Phase. Another 27 years old male, Mathematics teacher indicated his teaching experience in mathematics as having 3 years. Of these, 40% were teachers with more than twenty years experience in teaching high school mathematics. In this group, participants have been teaching mathematics using the blended approach, which involves the use of the traditional chalk-and-board method and the incorporation of technology such as smartboards and educational software, and therefore exhibit acceptable levels of exposure to technology usage.
The teachers were well-qualified and knew their subject content well. They bravely spoke about their subjects and highlighted problematic areas on which they focused more. The five sub-hub schools employed teachers from neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique to better their teacher expertise. Teamwork made teachers to assist their colleagues and at times, to seek assistance from them as well. They rewarded learners through certificates of performance and had subject improvement plans. The mathematics subject improvement plans included data on pedagogy issues identified in previous classroom evaluations and why these issues still needed to be addressed. These included the reports on situations in which a teacher’s proficiency was shaky. For instance, if a teacher required support in teaching certain topics, action steps taken were to shadow another teacher within the same grade who used various teaching approaches to make learning accessible to learners, participate in intervention workshops aimed at enhancing pedagogical content knowledge, and monitor learners’ understanding after the implementation of an alternative teaching strategy. Teachers outlined their mathematics improvement plans based on their respective sub hubs. The plans included the name of the subject, key issues to address, topics, intervention strategies, activities, timeframes and progress updates. The plans are aimed at improving learner attainment and performance using defined intervention strategies.
Support on subject knowledge
Teachers were asked to explain their experiences with the support they received from lead teachers and their role in mathematics achievement related to topics that appeared too challenging to teach. They perceived the core role of lead teachers as providing the required teaching support to teachers on sections of mathematics that appeared too difficult to teach. This was based on the review of learner achievement per term. The planned remedial activities for the interventions were informed by the topics in mathematics in which learners did not perform well. They archived mathematics analysis per term, per test and examination. The lead and Mathematics teachers met before to examine the data trends in learner performance. The trends in mathematics focused on topics in which learner performance was below 50% per grade, per classroom and individual learners’ needs. The trends in the data indicated the need for emphasis on using mathematics learning activities to solve real-life problems, problem-solving and reading and comprehension of mathematics word problems. To improve learners’ understanding and achievement in mathematics, lead teachers developed improvement plans to capacitate teachers in the identified areas of need. Teacher training on reading and comprehension was aimed at enabling learners to understand better and pick out information.
Teachers were asked about the workshops offered by the lead teachers:
‘I attended two workshops; they were helpful, but some of the topics were challenging’. (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
This teacher was asked to mention these topics; it was Geometry and Probability. The teachers were also asked if they could comfortably teach the challenging mathematical topics after undergoing the training that MSTA lead teachers offered. A teacher responded thus:
‘Yes, I am. I attended one last month here in Witbank. It was about helping learners who are struggling. I feel that more could be done, especially with science. You cannot separate Mathematics and Science.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
A teacher responded thus:
‘Yes, I attended several MSTA workshops. The first one was for Mathematics; the last one was for Coding and Robotics. I learned about coding, robot programming and encryption.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
When asked if she felt confident teaching Coding and Robotics, she responded that:
‘[A]s for Coding and Robotics, I am not yet confident because it is still new to me. But I believe that in future I will be able to teach them.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
‘I attended MSTA for four [4] years. I gained the following: subject content, integration of technology – digitalisation through classroom settings and different teaching approaches in the classroom.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
Support for pedagogical content knowledge
The findings revealed that the MSTA lead teachers initiated the support programmes in the district. Support for pedagogical content knowledge was perceived as a fundamental responsibility of lead teachers. From the data analysis, receiving support on pedagogical content knowledge was a positive contributor to learners’ improved mathematics achievement. Teachers reported that the scheduling of workshops boosted their teaching. At the start of each workshop, teachers designed personal development plans (PDPs) and presented them to lead teachers. A team of lead teachers evaluated each PDP and provided feedback about identified gaps. Remedial work during the workshops included reteaching, changing the teaching method, direct mentoring and sharing best practices. The outcome of the workshops was inputting data to plan the next workshop. Teachers indicated that the enrichment of their teaching from the positive influence of lead teachers cascaded to learners, making them (learners) value their teaching responsibilities. Teachers had this to say:
‘My name is Adami A.A. Yes, I have participated in four [4]workshops. I learned different methods and approaches to solving problems from other teachers.’ (24 years old, Male, Mathematics teacher)
‘I have attended several workshops while at Magwazaza. I learned a lot about content enrichment.’ (30 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
‘I was trained by curriculum advisors at MSTA and other members from the department. These workshops helped me a lot in terms of different teaching strategies.’ (49 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
‘I attended the workshop for Mathematics. I learned a lot from other teachers on how to present the same topic in diverse ways. Well, when we had Mathematics workshops for all teachers at the school, we discussed things such as “what are we going to do next in the MSTA training, and how are we going to work with it?” That is, how do we remain engaged to ensure that we do not forget.’ (55 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
Support for assessment methods and practices
Teachers’ views revealed that ongoing support for assessment methods and practices was a pivotal task that enhanced learner performance in mathematics. This included the development of assessment tasks to consider monitoring the time taken by learners to complete mathematical tasks, questions that yielded answers that enabled the teacher to analyse the evidence of learning that goes beyond what learners did correctly or incorrectly and questions that elicited explanations and justifications for answers. They further indicated that when the syllabus was well managed, it had the ability to contribute towards quality teaching and learning by ensuring its coverage and development of quality assessments. This is what teachers had to say:
‘I attended one workshop, and I learned different approaches on how to balance the paper, especially covering different cognitive content levels in Mathematics.’ (49 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
‘We have noticed that after trial examination, 50% of the students are struggling. We then changed our timetable and included two hours for Mathematics and two hours for science. In Mathematics, we made them write two fully fledged examination papers so that they get used to the full paper. We then give them corrections. We also arranged for a camp at school from the first to the last paper.’ (55 years old, Male, Mathematics teacher)
‘We meet twice a week to discuss the progress. We also divide them in two groups. Those who are doing well and those who are struggling aside. We then attend to those who are struggling and teach them slowly.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
They were asked about the types of assessment or methods that they were using:
‘We give them monthly tests. We give them test on the first day of school as baseline after that we give them diagnostic assessment. Normally we do revisions during holidays. We have a challenge with learners that are pushed to the next grade when they are not ready. This is done by our system of education. We use timed assessments to check if learners fail because they could not complete the assessment on time.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
‘What is the purpose of pushing learners to the next grade when we know very well that they will not make it in Grade 12? We focus on aligning the cognitive demand of the task and the time [in minutes] needed by learners to complete the assessment task.’ (35 years old, Female, Mathematics teacher)
Teachers could ensure that assessment tasks were properly managed and marked and that learners received timely feedback. In consultation with the lead teachers, teachers championed the remedial process to address learners’ weaknesses and areas of need. Based on their views, we assumed that this allowed the teaching and learning committees adequate time to quality-assure the assessments using pre- and post-moderation, identifying the teaching and learning gaps, and plan the improvement plans that curbed identified anomalies during the assessment.
Discussion
The primary goal of teacher development and support in every nation and institution entrusted with the responsibility of providing professional training of Mathematics teachers is unquestionably to enhance the practice of teaching. This is a matter entrenched in the curriculum policy documents in societies that support public education. Teachers possessed minimum teaching qualifications, coupled with mathematics teaching experience spanning over 10 years. This suggests that mathematics content knowledge taught in secondary school is best developed in formal mathematics courses (Archibong 2021).
While it is generally acknowledged that a solid understanding of mathematics is necessary for quality mathematics teaching, Arends, Winnaar and Mosimege (2017) argue that there is little evidence that shows a direct correlation between learners’ academic success and teachers’ preparation for the subject. However, findings from this study suggest that learners’ performance improved because of the interventions that lead teachers provided. Using teamwork, lead teachers could plan the intervention workshops on mathematics learner performance using the data. Data from mathematics problem-solving, reading and comprehension of mathematics word problems and real-life activities to solve problems were used as focal points that informed the planning of the intervention workshops. When teachers are provided with professional intervention to enhance the subject matter knowledge and the ability to use different teaching approaches in the classroom, this positively influenced their confidence to teach. This finding is in line with Greene (2013), who claims that a Mathematics teacher is someone who possesses the skills, such as knowledge of online resources, to expand teaching and learning beyond the understanding of practices in assessment, pedagogy and professional development. This view is further supported by Tabulawa (2013), who highlights that to bring forward the required improvements to teaching in secondary school mathematics, teachers must understand the classroom environment in relation to what sustains teaching practices and how these practices influence quality learning.
Teacher support is a contributing factor to teaching enhancement (Ertesvåg 2021), and making adequate time for teachers to collaborate is an important factor in teacher learning (De Jong, Meirink & Admiraal 2022). By looking at teachers’ PDPs to identify the intervention needs, lead teachers engaged directly with the teachers’ learning process by proposing alternative ways that teachers could learn by getting involved in the development process. Through sharing of best practices, lead teachers paid attention to the development of teachers’ professional development work. Tachie (2022) established that lead teachers’ experiences with Mathematics teachers are necessary to overcome the paucity of global mathematics teaching skills for early childhood mathematics, to foster learners’ knowledge of mathematical concepts and to stimulate their interest in the subject. Furthermore, teachers managed to collaborate to create a learning community where they developed an understanding of mathematics teaching. This further supports Dudin et al. (2017), who state that learning through a community assists teachers in developing personal development goals to improve their teaching where there are gaps identified.
The dimension that focused on teacher support on teacher assessment practices and methods was associated with learner achievement. In this study, teachers were capacitated on assessment practices that enabled them to examine learners’ mathematical thinking and provide them feedback. Data on teacher assessment methods were used to improve their assessment practices. The intervention workshops included the development of assessment questions that helped teachers evaluate the evidence of learning having taken place, the development of assessment questions that elicited explanations and justifications, and more importantly, checking the time taken by learners to complete a question (cognitive demand of the assessment questions). Data on assessment practices were used as input for the next step, ‘Act’, in which the intervention workshops focused on sharing best assessment practices. We further documented the important role of collaboration, coherence and teachers’ beliefs in supporting new assessment practices. This finding is in line with Briars (2016), who writes that when ‘Adjusting’ strategies for improvement, refining discussion, selecting and implementing common research-informed teaching strategies and plans can enhance collaborative teamwork. Similarly, when lead teachers use techniques such as classroom observation, teacher visitation, demonstration, workshop, micro-teaching, listening to recordings and guided practice as means of quality pedagogical support, these are considered to have a positive influence on learner achievement (Archibong 2021).
Conclusion
In exploring how Mathematics lead teachers provide pedagogical support for teaching, this article found that the MSTA lead teacher played a positive role in helping Mathematics teachers develop their classroom practice, and they could thus be mediators in enhancing the quality teaching process. Schools should have a structure and a developmental practice for work if a development plan is to be successfully implemented and conducted. Furthermore, the study presented in this article has shown how teacher ownership and a shared overarching goal must be the foundation and form the basis for participating in a practice-based development programme. The findings further indicate that when the roles involved in the development work are clearly defined, the goal-directed actions by teachers in the shared community have the potential to enhance learner achievement. Lead teachers turn challenging topics into comfortable subjects to teach. Thus, lead teachers play an important role in the provision of quality education. The variety of support they provide to teachers play a critical role in enhancing the overall performance in mathematics. The study had a limited number of participants which was made up of four HoDs and four teachers in one education institution (MSTA) in Mpumalanga. To achieve more generalised results, future research can be expanded to other schools, not particularly MSTA, but those that offer mathematics, science and technology in other provinces. Therefore, findings on teaching experience, support on subject knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and assessment methods and practices can yield different results if participant range is broadened to include other subjects.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the teachers as participants who contributed to the development of this work.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors’ contributions
P.D.M. started the first original draft. Z.J. edited the first original draft and added more information. M.G. reviewed and edited the draft from Z.J.
Funding information
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, P.D.M., upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. It does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.
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