Abstract

APLOON-ZOKUFA, Kaylianne. Locating the difference: A comparison of pedagogic strategies in high and low performing schools. SAJCE [online]. 2013, vol.3, n.2, pp.112-130. ISSN 2223-7682.

A number of research studies have suggested that specific pedagogic strategies can have a positive impact on learning, and in turn, have a positive impact on school performance, in particular for children being schooled in disadvantaged contexts. This analysis describes and measures how four of these pedagogic strategies identified in research - the pacing of a lesson, the sequence and coherence of a lesson, cognitive demand and the nature of feedback within a lesson - are displayed in higher and lower performing schools located in lower-income communities in the Western Cape. The analysis forms part of a broader research project, SPADE (Schools Performing Above Demographic Expectation), and is based on fifteen video-recorded Grade 3 numeracy lessons. The analysis suggests a relationship between specific pedagogic strategies and higher performance for individual learners and for schools. The analysis also identifies further effective pedagogic strategies in higher performing schools in lower-income communities.

Keywords : pedagogy; numeracy; comparative research studies; teaching strategies; variation in learner and school achievement; primary education.

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