FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Department of Early Childhood Education

6 April 2023
Dear pre-service teacher

Invitation to participate in a research project

As part of the integration of teaching and learning with research, I am planning a project which is focused
on supporting pre-service foundation phase teachers’ mathematics word problem solving instruction
through a lesson study intervention approach. This research design of this intervention study is
participatory action research (PAR).

The study is aimed at second year pre-service foundation phase teachers. The study will comprise
three stages; a pre-intervention phase, an intervention phase and a post-intervention phase.

Pre-service teachers who agree to take part in the study, will be guided through the different aspects of
PAR and the lesson study approach where they will collaboratively design a lesson on mathematics
word problem solving suitable for Grade 3 learners. The lesson will be transferred to a lesson plan and
will be taught to Grade 3 learners.

I would thus like to invite to consider becoming part of this professional development initiative where
pre-service teachers are supported in mathematics word problem solving instruction through a lesson
study intervention approach. Transport will be provided for pre-service teachers to visit selected schools
on pre-arranged dates.

All ethical considerations will be adhered to while pre-service teachers are teaching word problems to
learners. The names and identity of learners and pre-service teachers will be kept confidential at all
times. The name of the schools that participate in this study, will also be kept confidential. Pre-service
teachers can withdraw from the study at any time without consequences. The lesson taught by pre-
service teachers will be recorded, but every effort will be made to ensure that learners’ faces are not
part of the recording. The recording is essential for pre-service teachers to collaboratively discuss the
teaching and learning process of mathematics word problems and to reflect on success of the strategies
implemented.

The foreseen contribution that this study aims to achieve, is to positively contribute to the state of South
Africa’s mathematical performance by starting with pre-service foundation phase teachers’
understanding and teaching of mathematics word problem solving.

Yours faithfully

Nadia Swanepoel (PhD) 6 April 2022

nadia.swanepoel1@up.ac.za

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