You are cordially invited to join us to mark Marang’s fourth year of innovation and leadership in Mathematics and Science Education in South Africa.
Friday, 9th October 2009, 15:00 – 17:00, followed by drinks and refreshments
Venue: Staff Room, Wits Education Campus (formerly JCE)
RSVP: Samantha Govender
samantha.govender@wits.ac.za
(011) 717 3414
At the end of 2008 South African school leavers wrote the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations for the first time. These examinations are based on the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and are high stakes examinations as they are used to determine, amongst other things, entry into tertiary institutions. In all its statements, the new curriculum was visionary, aiming to fulfil the aims of the South African Constitution by establishing a democratic and just nation. The first cohort of learners completed this new curriculum in 2008 and so it is appropriate at this point in history to reflect on this curriculum and its assessment.
This Marang symposium will consider how we judge the examinations through a closer look at the examination papers and assessment structure. Marang members will lead discussions in separate mathematics and science sessions on these as they relate to mathematics, mathematics literacy, life sciences and physical sciences on the following questions. Two respondents, one for maths and one for science will then provide reflections in a plenary session.
The following questions will be addressed in the symposium:
1.What do different ways of classifying questions reveal about the relationship between the intended and examined curriculum?
2.What does this reveal about the relationship between the policy documents and practice?
3.What role can taxonomies play in analyzing the standard of the examinations, the spread of mathematical and science activities and what do they reveal about nature of the examinations and the conceptualization of the subjects?
Respondents:
Aarnout Brombacher (Brombacher & Associates)
Aarnout Brombacher is a leading mathematics education consultant who has been centrally involved in national developments in Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy. He is a prominent commentator on both maths and maths literacy issues and a frequent visitor to Marang.
Maths literacy teachers' blog 