Grade R Teacher Expressions of Themselves as Teachers of Early Numeracy Participating in an Intervention Programme

Abstract

This paper explores Grade R teacher expressions of themselves as teachers of numeracy, and as teachers working in the transition phase of schooling, after their participation in a research-informed numeracy-focused professional development (PD) intervention. The Early Number Fun (ENF) programme had 33 teachers from 17 Eastern Cape schools participating monthly over 18 months. Inclusion of Grade R to schooling is relatively new following policy changes in Early Childhood Development. In-service support tends to be subsumed within the Foundation Phase without attention to the specialised nature of Grade R that emphasises learning through play. ENF focused on the development of specialised teacher knowledge to support the development of early number sense through play, particularly with conceptual manipulatives. Data sources include three pre-, during, and post-PD questionnaires. Findings reveal that participation in ENF, and access to multiple research informed numeracy resources, supported teachers in their relationship with numeracy and the teaching thereof. Questionnaire responses indicate greater confidence in themselves as knowledgeable teachers of numeracy and that belonging to the ENF community supported navigation of positive professional identities within the mixed messages of policy. The findings contribute to the community-supported field of Grade R PD research and early numeracy teaching and learning. In concluding we discuss implications of this research for Grade R PD and for policy.

Keywords:

• Professional development
• Community of practice
• Grade R teachers
• Mathematics education
• Early Childhood Development

Introduction

In this paper we share the findings of an analysis of Grade R teachers’ questionnaire responses to their experiences and sense of themselves as teachers of numeracy and as specialised teachers, working in the transition phase of schooling, after participating in a research-informed Early Number Fun (ENF) professional development programme. ENF was explicitly designed as a community of practice (CoP) meeting regularly over an 18 month period. The design was informed by Lave and Wenger (1991) and Wenger’s (1998) socio-cultural learning theory, that argues that such communities hold powerful learning opportunities involving changing ways of being, belonging, doing and changing experiences (discussed below) for all participants. These changes link respectively to the four components of Wenger’s learning theory, namely: practice, meaning, identity and community.

While there is increasing recognition in South Africa and elsewhere (Feza, 2014; Atweh et al., 2014; Wright et al., 2006) that Grade R is a critically important year in terms of laying foundations for student learning trajectories, there is little research on in-service professional development (PD) of Grade R teachers. While some South African research focuses on the policy shifts and results thereof (e.g. van den Berg et al., 2013; Samuels et al., 2015), Grade R teaching practices and beliefs (e.g. Aronstam & Braund, 2015; Shaik, 2016) or levels of qualification and teacher preparation (e.g. Alex & Roberts, 2019), there is a gap in research that focuses on Grade R teacher learning in the context of in-service professional development programmes.

The overarching research question we address in this paper is: What did Grade R teachers learn through their participation in ENF? The sub-questions include:

What stated changes did teachers note in terms of their:

1. numeracy teaching practices and experiences;

2. ways of being Grade R teachers of numeracy;

3. sense of belonging to ENF and the broader Foundation Phase (FP) community?

In most schools, especially those in poorer quintiles, inclusion of Grade R is relatively new following recent policy changes in Early Childhood Development (ECD) (Department of Basic Education (DBE), 2011a). In-service support for Grade R tends to be subsumed within the FP, without attention to the specialised nature of Grade R that emphasises, among other aspects, learning through play (Long, 2020). The findings from this study contribute to the still developing field of Grade R specific PD research and early numeracy teaching and learning. We conclude with discussion of the implications of our findings for South African Grade R policy and practice.

The Theoretical Frame and the Empirical Field

Background and Empirical Field

The South African Numeracy Chair Project (SANCP) has worked with primary teachers in the broader Makhanda area on various mathematics-focused, CoP-informed PD programmes since 2011 (see Graven, 2019; Graven et al., 2022). The focus includes improving mathematical learning and teaching through creating research and development opportunities. Central to the SANCP are collaborative partnerships between teachers, researchers and teacher educators, particularly in disadvantaged contexts. One SANCP goal was the establishment of a Grade R teacher support network and PD programme (ENF).

ENF involved 33 participants from 17 Eastern Cape schools in the broader Makana area surrounding Rhodes University. This included district advisors, teacher assistants, a curriculum specialist and Grade R teachers, who were supported by several SANCP team members and researchers (including the authors). The second author designed and coordinated the programme with the first author participating alongside teachers and assisting in organisational aspects. ENF met monthly over 18 months (April 2016 to November 2017) in sessions focused primarily on the teaching of numeracy but integrated with literacy and life skills (see Graven & Coles, 2017).

ENF provided learning opportunities focused on the development of specialised Grade R teacher knowledge for supporting the development of number sense through play, particularly with manipulatives that support developing understanding of key concepts. Each ENF session was thus accompanied by a variety of research-informed resources and manipulatives that were provided to teachers for classroom use (for example, 10 frames for developing a structural understanding of number, dice for supporting subitising and counting on, mathematics story books for developing understanding of pattern, and numeral and word recognition skills, etc.). A wide range of local early grade specialists and researchers were invited to lead sessions that built on their own research with learners and teachers (for example, Feza, 2016; Roberts & Stylianides, 2013; Venkat & Askew, 2021). These specialists shared research informed ideas and demonstrated the use of a range of conceptual and physical resources for Grade R (such as using the part–part–whole diagram and structured bead strings).

Theoretical Framework

Lave and Wenger (1991) emphasise that learning is about co-participation resulting from increased access to central participation. They note ‘(learning) implies becoming a full participant, a member, a kind of person’ (p. 53) and define a ‘community of practice’ as ‘a set of relations among persons, activity, and world, over time and in relation with other tangential and overlapping communities of practice’ (p. 98). In this respect, Graven (2004, p. 182) notes ‘Lave and Wenger’s perspective on learning has implications for ways of enabling learning. That is, learning is maximised if one maximises learners’ access to participation in, and the resources of a community of practice in which the development of identities in relation to that community are supported.’ Thus, the design of ENF and the analysis of the data in this paper are informed by two key assumptions: (a) teacher learning would be enhanced by creating opportunities for Grade R teacher participation within ENF; and (b) learning for all ENF members would involve changes in teachers’ and researchers’ ‘ways of being, doing, belonging, and experience’.

The ENF CoP was thus designed with a focus on maximising opportunities for teacher participation and access to specialised quality resources (both physical and knowledge resources). Since the same Grade R teachers and other ENF members met regularly over 18 months and focused on the joint enterprise of strengthening Grade R teaching of numeracy, ENF was de facto a CoP. Each ENF session began with teachers discussing their experiences of using and adapting community of practice ideas and resources in their classrooms. Some sessions were led by ENF teachers showing a video of their practice or sharing a range of photos of their learners’ productions following a trialled activity. As a result, many innovative adaptations to resources and suggested resource use occurred.

Wenger’s (1998, p. 5) learning framework comprises four ‘deeply interconnected and mutually defining’ components. Namely: Practice—learning as doing; Identity—learning as becoming; Meaning—learning as experience; and Community—learning as belonging. Diagrammatically, ‘learning’ is in the centre with the four components in a circle around it. In our analysis of the teacher data about their reported learning gathered through the post-programme questionnaire, different questions foreground different learning components. As a result, teacher responses focus on different aspects of learning depending on the component foregrounded. However, in line with the interlinked nature of the components, inevitably their responses connect across all components (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Wenger’s (1998) components of a social theory of learning

Literature Review and the Policy Context

While South African literature tends to dominate research into early grade mathematics in the Southern African region (Morrison et al., 2023), it is an area that is growing regionally (especially in Malawi), as can be seen in the proceedings of the Southern African Association of Mathematics Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE) (Graven & Venkat, 2023). See for example Mpalami’s (2014) work on using concrete representations in Lesotho, and in Malawi, Gobede’s work on Grade 1 and 2 teachers’ use of artefacts (2020, 2022), Chitera and Kufeine (2012) on language use in primary teaching and learning in Malawi, and Mwadzaangati and Kazima’s (2021) work on self-regulation strategies in primary mathematics teacher education. In this paper we focus on literature relating to teaching and learning of early number in the year prior to Grade 1.

South African Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy and the Foundation Phase (FP) of schooling have recently transitioned from an optional pre-Grade 1 year of learning (previously mostly catered for in the ECE sphere), to a mandated Grade R year as the first grade of the FP in schooling (i.e. FP is now Grade R, 1, 2, and 3) (DBE, 2011a). Socioeconomically, ‘the education gap [between rich and poor] begins in the Foundation Phase [Grades R–3] and continues unbroken’ (Fleisch, 2008, p. 30). Furthermore, ‘learning deficits that children acquire in their primary school career grow over time’ (Spaull, 2013, p. 18). Acknowledging the significant evidence that children who attended pre-Grade 1 schooling benefit greatly in their learning trajectories (Wright et al., 2006; Atweh, et al., 2014; Reddy et al., 2022), South Africa released in 2011 the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the realisation of schooling in 2025 (DBE, 2011a). This document laid the groundwork for the physical and policy shift of Grade R aged children and teaching, from the ECE sphere (governed by the Department of Social Development) into the FP of the formal school system (governed by the DBE). Commonly referred to as the Grade R ‘roll-out’, this saw the government supporting (through distributing resources, building structures and hiring teachers) the establishment of a Grade R classroom in primary schools across the country. This shift has seen a significant rise in access to pre-Grade 1 learning opportunities for children aged 5–6 years nationwide—enrolments in Grade R between 2000 and 2013 grew by 244% (van der Berg et al., 2016) and recent research indicates that over 90% of primary school children have attended Grade R (Reddy et al., 2022).

Research investigating the impact of this ‘earlier start’, however, shows a challenging picture. Feza (2014) found that Grade R teachers and learners remain the ‘Cinderella’ (Feza, 2014) of the FP, with issues of what constitutes ‘good quality’ persisting (Excell & Linington, 2011; Reddy et al., 2022). Despite increased access to Grade R for learners, it must be noted that access to quality mathematical learning opportunities in these early years of learning is ‘loaded with many inequity factors’ (Feza, 2014, p. 888). Feza (2014, p. 899) found that ‘ECD children from low socio-economic backgrounds continue to be excluded in quality mathematics stimulation regardless of the changes in education policy that promises to provide quality education for all’.

Inequity factors relate to teachers’ policy positioning, their positioning within schools, and access to specialised teaching support relevant to Grade R early number concepts and to supporting learners in their transition into schooling. Many teachers of Grade R are under- or unqualified (Spaull et al., 2016). The DBE (2015, p. 29) acknowledges ‘the professionalisation of pre-school teachers needs to continue’ but with little support to upgrade their qualifications this is unlikely to change. With many earning minimum wage, funding further studies is not possible for many, despite their willingness (see Long, 2020). Furthermore the policy positioning of teachers is riddled with mixed messages as to whether Grade R teachers are positioned as child-minders, mothers or qualified professionals (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Grade R Descriptor Statements in the Education White Paper No. 5 on ECD (DBE, 2001) from Long and Graven (2022, p. 41)

Long’s (2020) findings indicated that many teachers of Grade R learners did not have permanent positions, were earning much less than their FP colleagues and were sometimes not paid. They expressed high levels of vulnerability in terms of job security, and a sense of not fully belonging to the community of professional teachers. The study further found that mathematics-focused and tailor-made professional development opportunities for Grade R teachers were not available in the Eastern Cape.

Acknowledging that the teacher is an important resource in disrupting the cycle of inadequate learning opportunities, and the importance of continuing in-service PD, the second author designed and coordinated the ENF programme for Grade R teachers in the Makhanda region. For almost all the ENF partner schools, inclusion of Grade R was relatively new. Most teachers were at the time of the study under- or unqualified in terms of the policy requirements for teaching in the FP of schooling and several of their classrooms were physically separated from the other FP classrooms.

In the FP of schooling, Grade R teachers are considered generalists, teaching across the curriculum, and are encouraged to integrate literacy, mathematics and life skills with a pedagogy of play. Fischer et al. (2011) describe playful learning as ‘a teaching approach that uses free play and guided play activities to promote academic, socio-emotional and cognitive development’ (p. 2). Jorgenson and Graven (2022) assert that ‘play and playful learning are the touchstones of early learning’ (p. 47). Play-based pedagogy is also advocated by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements for Grade R mathematics: ‘The approach to learning Mathematics should be based on the principles of integration and play-based learning’ (DBE, 2011b, p. 14). ENF worked to provide an integrated play-based approach to learning that built on powerful research-informed representations for the early learning of numbers.

Methodology

The design of the study was informed by a socio-cultural framing. The data gathering method reported on in this paper is the post-programme teacher questionnaire provided to all participating teachers present at the end of the ENF programme. The post-programme questionnaires were adapted from similar questions included in teacher questionnaires in previous PD programmes (SANCP 2011–2016), which yielded useful data on both teacher experiences and the nature of teacher learning within the programme. Additional questions were tailored specifically to the Grade R context, and we also drew on previous experiences of the way in which teachers had responded to the pre-questionnaire, removing some items and adapting others for greater clarity and to enable data to speak to understanding the nature of learning. Although there were 33 participants, the data discussed in this paper refer to 25 participants’ completed questionnaires, as 8 of the participants were either absent/did not complete the questionnaire (5) or were not Grade R teachers (1 assistant teacher, 1 pre-Grade R teacher, 1 district official). All ethical protocols were followed, and research permission was obtained from the Rhodes University Education Higher Degrees Committee.

The Schools and Teachers: Infrastructure, Experience and Qualifications

ENF teachers had a range of qualifications, with the most qualified teachers in wealthier schools and under- or unqualified teachers tending to be in poorer schools. Eight of the 25 participants had a Level 4 (equivalent to matric), almost half (13) had a Level 5 National Professional Diploma in Education, and only four had a Level 6 Bachelor of Education qualification, which is the minimum qualification for application to a Grade R teaching post (i.e. to be considered fully qualified and paid accordingly; see Department of Higher Education and Training, 2015). The Level 5 qualification is defined as an undergraduate diploma or certificate. This level of qualification for teachers has as its main purpose to ‘Provide access to a recognised educator qualification at Level 6 for ECD educators who have a Level 4 or Level 5 certificate in ECD, providing a bridge between non-formal and formal learning programmes’ (SAQA, 2022). Thus 21 out of 25 teachers in our sample were underqualified, despite enacting the roles and responsibilities of full-time Grade R teachers. The years of teaching experience of the ENF participating teachers also differed greatly, ranging from only one to over 30 years.

Disparities were evident across the physical classroom contexts of the different schools of participating teachers. Of the 17 schools represented in ENF, four had classrooms housed in temporary structures and had almost no resources. These findings echo those published by Equal Education (2016) that indicated ‘crisis conditions’ in Eastern Cape schools.

Although our sample is relatively small (25 teachers), it is representative of the reality across South Africa where over 20 000 teachers of Grade R are underqualified, yet ‘are enlisted into service to ensure that Grade R teaching can continue’ (Hannaway et al., 2019, p. 36). Although White Paper No. 5 (DBE, 2001) advocates for specialised teaching qualifications for all those teaching Grade R (DBE, 2001), the lack of opportunity and support for continued education is prohibitive of this goal (Green et al., 2014).

Data Collection and Analysis

While questionnaires were distributed to all participants at the beginning (April 2016), at the midway point (October 2016) and at the end (October 2017) of the programme, our research questions for this paper (focused on the nature of learning from participation in an intervention) led us to focus on the post-programme questionnaire. These questionnaires were developed collaboratively by the authors and were chosen as the most efficient way to gather information (Denscombe, 2007) with minimal demands on teachers’ time.

All questionnaires were transcribed for systematic coding. Thematic analysis was conducted on written responses. The first author transcribed all the data and summarised this data per question into multiple categories. This generated discussion among the authors as to which questions correspond most clearly to our research questions and discussion about further refinement of categories. Some questions were not particularly relevant to our research questions and thus were not coded. For example, a question about the disadvantages of participating in the programme yielded little information as most teachers stated ‘none’ or raised logistical concerns such as travel time for those traveling from out of town. Table 1 gives the questions that became the focus of our analysis, which were then coded according to the four learning components (Meaning, Practice, Identity and Community) and thematic categories within these.

Table 1. Post-programme questions and the prevalent learning component addressed

Question	Learning component most prevalent
What do you think are some of the advantages of continually participating in ENF? Explain. Do you feel you have been learning through your participation in ENF? If so, explain the nature of that learning?	Practice, Meaning, Identity and Community (ways of doing, experiencing, being and belonging)
(iii) What changes, if any, have you experienced in your classroom practice over the past 18 months? (iv) Has anything changed in your numeracy/mathematics teaching/classroom practice as a result of your participation in ENF? If so, explain	Changes in Practice (ways of doing)
Has ENF supported your understanding of mathematics/numeracy content knowledge at all so far? If so, explain.	Changes in Meaning (ways of experiencing)
(vi) Has the way you see yourself changed over the last 18 months? Explain. (vii) Complete the sentence: Through participating in ENF I have become the kind of mathematics/numeracy teacher who …  (viii) Please write your story of your personal journey of mathematics teaching and learning from becoming a teacher of mathematics/ numeracy through to participating in ENF and your relationship with mathematics/numeracy teaching and learning now.	Changes in Identity (ways of being and becoming)
(ix) Describe your involvement in mathematics education activities or general school organisational activities over the past year. Has ENF had any effect on these activities? Explain (x) In what way, if any, has your relationship to other maths teachers, other teachers, principals, etc., changed over the past 18 months? Explain.	Changes in Community (ways of belonging)

ENF, Early Number Fun.

Findings

We share data on the 25 Grade R teachers who participated in ENF and completed the post-programme questionnaire (October 2017). All four learning components emerged in responses to questions (i) and (ii), as these focus on general, open ended perceptions of participation in the CoP, while a narrower range of learning components dominated in other questions. Coding involved finding phrases that linked to one of the four learning component categories. After analysis of the nature of the responses, the following indicators were identified for coding:

• changes in classroom practice (including increased enjoyment of learners) and the benefits of available resources (Practice/Doing);

• increased numeracy knowledge and Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (Meaning/Experience);

• how the ENF CoP supported ways of engaging in the ENF community and other learning communities (Belonging);

• descriptions of changed ways in which they described (identified) themselves, e.g. I am more confident; I am more knowledgeable, etc. (Being/Becoming).

Tables 2–6 outline the learning component, indicators of the component, the frequency of statements (given in parentheses next to the category heading in each row) across all 25 teachers, and exemplar statements across the question responses. In the second row of each table, we have included the total frequency of teacher responses in each learning component (and in each sub-category in the rows below). For each sub-category we provide the statements of the teachers. Utterances are referenced using a number symbol as a substitute for the name of the teacher responsible, and a letter symbol to represent his or her affiliate school (see teacher codes, e.g. B3 is the third teacher in school B). This shows the range of schools and teachers represented in each category of responses.

Table 2. Coded teacher responses for questions (i) and (ii) with exemplar statements

Learning component: Changes in Practice and Meaning (ways of doing and ways of experiencing)
Total frequency of statements: 37
Benefits of resources (15) The resources made it easier to explain concepts in different ways so that all learners can understand and enjoy mathematics. B3 It also gives us more time to change activities as we have enough material to work with. D6 The most advantage is to have or get resources that you used to do activities with your learners so that teaching and learning in Mathematics can be fun. E7 The resources is very useful in our classroom. J13 To see how the resources work in a big and small class situation. L16 The fact that we got resources at every session is also an added advantage, because we can’t say that we cannot do some things because we don’t have resources. R24	Teacher codes A1 B2 and B3 C4 D6 E7 G10 × 2^a J13 L16 M17 and M18 O20 Q23 R24
Increased learner enjoyment and understanding (6) It makes it interesting and learners are having a lot of fun. J13 The learners could identify immediately what I ask and in so doing they can remember their numbers in a fun full way. I12	D5 and D6 J13 O20 I12 F8
Increased activities and changing ways of teaching (including hands-on activities) (4) The advantages of continually participating in these ENF session is that, there are more interest activities that me as a teacher I gain to teach math’s in my classroom. D6 I have learned many different kind of numeracy activities to do with my children. S25	A1 D6 S25 ×2
New knowledge (new methods, integration, assessment activities) (12) New methods in teaching maths which can also be integrated with language. L16 I’ve learn a lot, how to teach young ones numeracy than before in our class. For example you can take them with individual, peers, or groups to teach them, and how to assess them after that. F9 By telling the story ex. With the story book, with puppets and resources fitting to story and lesson. Allows the learners to touch and feel and experiment. B2 I do feel that I learn a lot because I learn that I have do different activities or a different way if doing the activities with the resources. H11 There are changes from the first I attend it—how to teach learners using different strategies of counting, using different objects with doing the same activity. Makes me to be confidence on how to teach the learners. Also to arrange mathematics area. P22	L16 × 2 F8 & F9 B2 × 2 I12 H11 E7 J14 M17 P22

Table 2. Continued

Learning component: • Changes in Community (ways of belonging) Total frequency of statements: 11		Learning component: • Changes in Identity (ways of being/ becoming) Total frequency of statements: 11
Collegiality and engaging with others (5) It also helps getting ideas for colleagues. I12 Firstly, meeting fellow Grade R teachers has been of value—speaking to these colleagues about similar struggles and how to combat them has been great. Q23	I12 J13 ×2 P21 Q23	More confident/ motivated/positive (11) Gaining experience in teaching Math’s and confidence within it. J14 I learn and I feel confident through my participation in ENF. C4 Makes me to be confidence on how to teach the learners. P22 Again, not being a mathematical thinker, the ENF sessions have equipped me to see things in a different way. I have learned so much through each session. Q23 What I have learned make me feel positive to share the teaching strategies with my learners. J13	B3 J14 M18 P21 × 2 R24 M17 C4 Q23 L16 J13
Feel supported and appreciated (6) If you have missed something in the activities or you were not understand how to do it you get advice and support from others and when you do it again things get simpler. E7 Loved the fact that we all come here to learn and that we all participated very well. Good support and structure from the team. A1 For me it brings all the Grade R’s in all angels of Grahamstown and the surroundings. It made us to feel appreciated, to be known what work we do in our tiny corners. P21	E7 K15 × 2 P21 × 2 A1

^a × 2 indicates that the teacher shared responses pertaining to this category across her responses to both questions.

Table 3. Coded teacher responses for questions (iii) and (iv), with exemplar statements

Learning component: • Changes in Practice (ways of doing)
Total frequency of statements: 25
Practice as broader repertoire of strategies (incl. integration, assessment practices and classroom management) (11) I could approach mathematics through many different methodologies. R24 There are changes from the first I attend it—how to teach learners using different strategies of counting, using different objects with doing the same activity. Also to arrange mathematics area. P22 It changes the method of doing thing/counting or using other simply resources to count. F8 This helps me to plan according to their strength and weaknesses. M18 I have become more organised and prepared for Numeracy lessons thanks to this programme and has improved classroom practice. Q23 ENF made me realise that I can go beyond and I started developing my own maths games/resources and activities. A1	Teacher codes J14 R24 P22 × 2 F8 × 2 J13 M18 S25 Q23 A1
Practice as changes in experience (7) The learners mathematical knowledge improved a lot, as well as my own knowledge. J13 I am enjoying teaching mathematics. M17 Mathematics is not my strong point and I am not a logical thinker. These sessions have really help me to see the bigger picture. Q23 Yes even though I was teaching/practicing maths I think I was just doing it now I enjoy doing it. J14	J13 and J14 M17 Q23 K15 G10 P21
Practice as changes in ways of being and becoming (6) Makes me to be confidence on how to teach the learners. P22 When teaching I’ve got confidence. O20 I teach mathematics without any fear. O20 Every day when I entering my class I got a big smile because I know exactly what to do with my kids. F9	D5 P22 O20 × 2 K15 F9
Practice as changes in belonging (1) I always loved teaching mathematics, but being part of the ENF group encouraged me to do better in my classroom.^a R24	R24

^a Although this statement may be interpreted as a change in doing/practice, it is included here because it is a change in practice (‘do better') which is explicitly connected to belonging to the ENF community.

Table 4. Coded teacher responses for question (v), with exemplar statements

Learning component: - Changes in Meaning (ways of experiencing)
Total frequency of statements: 26
Meaning as numeracy/mathematics knowledge and experience (10) ENF has in fact broadened my understanding of mathematics. Q23 I understand much more that the first. D5 It’s easy for me and my learners to understand mathematics. E7 The ENF supported my understanding because when I come from the workshop I have to go back to school and practice to my learners what I have learnt. H11 It support my way of understanding of … how to teach the learners. For example using the correct language, using different strategies. J13	Teacher codes B2 and B3 D5 Q23 L16 F8 C4 E7 H11 J13
Meaning as changing practice (incl. new methods/activities/strategies) (12) Yes so far I have learnt so many strategies of teaching maths, e.g. I wasn’t interested in the dominoes in my whole life I had them at home while I was growing up but they never made sense to me because I was avoiding them thinking is the tool that doesn’t make any sense but I have learnt the exciting way here and I gave those knowledge to my learners. J14 It showed us many different ways of how to teach—many different skills. And also how to achieve our ‘assessment standards’. R24 ENF made me see and realise that there are lots of different ways to teach it. A1 ENF made me do thing in the class that is fun. I12 It is very much by giving many ways to teach a child to count. F9 It supported me because the ENF give us resources for mathematic all the sessions. G10 Now I have resources for each activity. E7	J14 R24 P22 A1 D6 I12 F9 H11 S25 K15 G10 O20 E7
Meaning as changes in ways of being/becoming (1) I have learned a lot and I had more confidence in presenting lessons in mathematics. B3	B3
Meaning as changes in belonging (3) Yes ENF has because when you don’t understand something you can always ask and they will help. They are very supportive no matter what problem you have. M17 It helped me a lot because [researcher] came to my class to see how I teach maths. It was the second day we open the school and the learners forgot everything we learnt the last term but she calmed me down saying she understand the background of our learners and we just open. P21	M17 A1 P21

Table 5. Coded teacher responses for questions (vi) and (vii), with exemplar statements

Learning component: • Changes in Identity (ways of being or becoming)
Total frequency of statements: 17
Identity as changes in being and becoming—‘I am’ (9) I am A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER and not just a Grade R as many will say. We have the most important job—and that is to lay a SOLID FOUNDATION (emphasis in original). A1 I am encouraged, I have the self-esteem. J14 I have confidence. P22 I started to relax and enjoy although I enjoyed working with the kids, sometimes I was stressed am I doing this or that right. Now I am more relaxed. B2 I am more confident. B3	Teacher codes A1 J14 S25 P22 B2 and B3 O20 D6 F8
Identity as changes in knowledge and experience—‘I know’ (6) [I] know how to teach mathematics. P22 I can say now I am sure of what I am doing with my learners. J14 It change my style of teaching maths I do different activities. G10 Every day I gain more knowledge as a teacher. L16	P22 J14 K15 Q23 G10 L16
Identity as changes in belonging -’I belong’ (2) I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the ENF group. L16 I went out and give other Grade R teacher this information to colleagues that is not in the ENF programme. I12	L16 I12

Note that in Table 2 (unlike in Tables 3–5) we do not distinguish utterances between expressions of changes in practice and expressions of changes in meaning. This is because for questions (i) and (ii) (focused on advantages of participating in ENF and the learning enabled), responses linking to the components practice and meaning overlapped to the extent that separating them would not be meaningful or useful. The learning components of ‘practice’ and ‘meaning’ are often too closely linked to separate, and often a knowledge statement is implicitly a practice statement, as is evident in many of the responses to questions (i) and (ii) shown in the table. See for example, in the third category below: ‘I have learned many different kind of numeracy activities to do with my children’ (S25).

From Table 2, it is evident that the learning component most referred to by respondents across questions i. and (ii) relates to ways of experiencing and doing/teaching (Meaning and/or Experience) (37). Statements within these combined components include references to the benefits of resources (15), in particular how access to numeracy focused and Grade R appropriate resources influenced changes in the teachers’ numeracy knowledge and Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching. As one teacher commented: ‘The resources made it easier to explain concepts in different ways so that all learners can understand and enjoy mathematics’ (B3). Reference is also made by these teachers to how their knowledge and experience of ‘how to teach’ has shifted, as they indicate integration/new methods/new assessment strategies (11), more or hands-on activities (4) and increased learner enjoyment and understanding (6).

The learning components of Identity and Community equally each have 11 statements relating to them. For Identity, changes in self were indicated by statements in which teachers referred to changing ways of being by sharing statements such as ‘I am’, ‘I have’ and ‘I feel’. The category emerging within this component related to increased confidence, motivation and positivity. Within the Community learning component, teachers referred to feeling a sense of belonging or feeling supported within and appreciated by the ENF community (6 of the 11 statements). They also referred to their sense of belonging in the broader Foundation Phase community as well as within the Grade R teacher community as they share the benefits of collaborating with other Grade R teachers, and share challenges unique to this grade (5), under the heading of ‘collegiality and engaging with others’.

Questions (iii) and (iv) asked questions specifically focused on teachers’ perceptions of changes in their practice (ways of teaching). As discussed above, Wenger (1998) suggests that any of the four learning components can become the focus and be placed at the centre of the four components of learning diagram (Figure 1). For the data emerging from questions (iii) and (iv), the learning component ‘Practice: Learning as doing’ is foregrounded. Table 3 outlines the practice related categories (in italics), frequency, and exemplar statements that emerged from responses to questions (iii) and (iv)

Thus, the following categories emerged from teacher responses:

• Practice as broader repertoire of strategies (11)—teacher responses included using different strategies for counting, and the benefits of the resources on their practice. The indicator is ‘better classroom management/easier organisation’.

• Practice as changes in experience (7)—these responses related to Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and referred to understanding how to assess and identify learner problems, knowledge of different methodologies to use, and increased understanding and knowledge of mathematics. Teachers also included in their responses reference to the inclusion of integration.

• Practice as changes in ways of being and becoming (6)—although there are a few explicit statements regarding ways of becoming i.e. increased confidence (‘Makes me to be confidence … ’), most of the statements within this indicator show identity shifts, e.g. ‘I’m becoming a teacher who enjoys teaching’, ‘I am becoming/being someone who shares with colleagues’.

• Practice as changes in belonging (1).

Question (v) explicitly asked teacher participants about their perceived changes in their own meaning-making/knowledge repertoire (particularly numeracy and mathematics knowledge). Whereas the previous questions and responses foregrounded the learning component ‘Practice: learning as doing’, these questions foreground ‘Meaning: learning as experience’. Table 4 outlines the indicators, frequency, and exemplar statements related to Meaning, particularly Meaning as increased knowledge repertoire and changed teaching practice.

The categories within the ‘Meaning: learning as experience’ component outlined in Table 4, include:

• meaning as numeracy/mathematics knowledge and experience (10);

• meaning as changing practice (incl. new methods/activities/strategies) (12);

• meaning as changes in ways of being/becoming (1);

• meaning as changes in belonging (3).

Responses related to developing mathematical knowledge and knowledge of how to teach numeracy dominate, with 22 statements from teachers (as expected since the question asked explicitly about this). However, we see that some teachers further link this to their changing ways of being and the support they get through ‘belonging’ to communities aimed at providing support.

Questions (vi) and (vii) explicitly asked participants to share their experiences of changing ways of being and becoming – the participants were asked if the ‘way you see yourself has changed over the last 18 months? Explain’ and to complete the sentence: ‘Through participating in ENF I have become the kind of mathematics/numeracy teacher who … ’. As a result, the Table 5 responses from these questions relate primarily to the learning component of ‘Identity: learning as becoming’.

The categories emerging from teacher statements include:

• identity as changes in being and becoming—‘I am’ (9);

• identity as changes in knowledge and experience—‘I know’ (6);

• identity as changes in belonging -’I belong’ (2).

Question (viii) from the post-programme questionnaire asked participants to share their mathematics/numeracy learning and teaching story (see Table 1). Although also related to Identity and Changes in being/becoming, we select only a few responses to share owing to the length of those responses. These lengthier responses, shared in full, provide more holistic insights into the teachers’ learning that integrate across the four learning components, although the greatest frequency of statements in these response ‘stories’ related to changes in self as a teacher of numeracy and as a learner of mathematics (24 and 3 utterances, respectively). Teachers also shared their experiences of change in relation to previous negative relationships with numeracy/mathematics to more positive and confident expressions arising after participation in the programme (10). Teachers also mentioned witnessing improvements in their learners’ understanding of numeracy (2), and experiences of crossing boundaries between communities (3).

Below is Edwina’s shared story:

I always use to like mathematics, but now I love it. Things were just done because we had to do it. You just take for granted that children should know certain concepts and skills, but through ENF it changed my whole view on things. Things get done a certain way for a reason. I managed to have more patience and understand that you might not get it right the first time. I started developing a ‘free me-time’ where I do reflections on my actual maths teaching. What went well and why. What did not go well and why. What can I do to improve. I definitely grew within the process and would like to continue with these workshops by taking it back to other schools in my area. [Edwina, October 2017]

Edwina shares a change in her affective relationship with mathematics (‘now I love it!’) and a change in how she approaches and understands the teaching of numeracy (‘changed my whole view on things’). She also describes changes in her ‘way of being a teacher’ as she says she now has more patience, and she has changed her teaching practice to include time for reflections. She also notes professional growth, and shares a desire for her future trajectory to involve sharing ENF workshops with ‘other schools in my area’.

Nikita echoed some of Edwina’s experiences in her response, in particular sharing her changing ways of being a numeracy teacher in practice, through an increased knowledge repertoire and as a more confident teacher:

Before I attended the session I did not have much confidence in teaching mathematics. I did not have much knowledge about presenting maths or how to help learners struggling with maths. I gained more knowledge and confidence during the ENF sessions. I can say that I don’t see teaching mathematics as a challenge now. I can use different methods to present lessons and I have a clearer understanding of teaching mathematics. [Nikita, October 2017]

Finally, questions (ix) and (x) asked teacher participants to reflect on their relationships with multiple members of various overlapping education communities and as such, statements predominantly linked with the learning component ‘Community: changes in ways of belonging’. Table 6 shares the findings.

Table 6. Coded teacher responses for questions (ix) and (x), with exemplar statements

Learning component: • Changes in Community (ways of belonging)
Total frequency of statements: 20
Belonging as changes in community membership/relationships with others (5) District workshops. I could share some of the information in our phase meetings. I started studying towards the B Ed Foundation Phase degree. ENF definitely helps me with that. I can even teach the rest of the class things that I have learnt here. I also teach her how to make use of your resources when teaching. R24	Teacher codes P22 O20 M18 C4 R24
Belonging as changes in knowledge and experience (9) The relationship now is very impressive because now they [Foundation Phase teachers] can ask me to teach their learners. P21 Foundation Phase teachers: To suggest somewhere when I saw there is a learner who is not understanding. H11 I am studying Level 6 I saw the difference the ENF in mathematics that it has made for me. I usually passed mathematics in a weak kind of way or that I won’t be proud but I was mesmerised with the end of the year results and also helping my kids at home with maths. J14 I do some lessons in Grade 1 when their teacher is not there. E7	P21 H11 × 2 E7 × 2 J14 D6 M18 C4
Belonging as changes in practice (3) We share ideas/resources and news. This helped a lot in problem areas we might have encountered. A1 I try to help even those struggling in my Foundation Phase like playing with them hop-scotch places numbers and skip to it, they think we play but at the same time we learn, playing games with number also it helps them. F9	A1 F9 × 2
Belonging as changes in being/becoming (3) I am more confident to share my expertise that I have gained—I could conduct workshops, which the Grade R teachers really enjoyed. R24 In my school we have maths week where we each teacher grade demonstrate lesson plan. I can stand to do it without fear of being judged. P21	B2 R24 P21

The categories emerging from teacher statements include:

• belonging as changes in community membership/relationships with others (5);

• belonging as changes in knowledge and experience (9);

• belonging as changes in practice (3);

• belonging as changes in being/becoming (3).

Discussion

It is interesting from the data presented in this paper that all four of Wenger’s (1998) learning components are clearly visible across teacher responses across questions. In response to questions (i) and (ii), this was anticipated, as the questions were designed to be ‘general’ and therefore illicit responses which touched on each of the components. This was somewhat expected as the ENF was explicitly designed as a CoP and the conceptualisation was therefore rooted in the theoretical framework. What was less expected was how in questions (iii)–(x), which were designed to illicit component-specific responses (i.e. questions (iii) and (iv) focused on changes in practice), responses relating to the focal component emerged alongside references to the other learning components. For example, in the context of practice, responses such as ‘When teaching, I have confidence’ (O20) is an example of how teachers spoke of their ways of ‘doing’ (teaching) in terms of their sense of ‘being’ (‘I have’ statements). These instances are echoed throughout the data, and these findings therefore point to the usefulness of Wenger’s (1998) four-component theory for analysing teacher learning in a PD CoP. This framing has been used effectively across mathematics teacher learning research (see Graven, 2004; Essien & Adler, 2016; Graven & Pausigere, 2017), and is extended here to speaking to and understanding its relevance to specialist teacher learning in the pre-Grade 1 transition phase into schooling.

The dominance of the learning components of changes in Meaning (experience) and Practice (doing) across the data is interesting as it speaks to the effectiveness of the ENF as enabling improved Grade R-specific practice and pedagogical understanding. Furthermore, the consistent reference made by teachers to changes in belonging (to ENF and to the FP) and changes in being/becoming (particularly in being a more confident teacher) is important—these references, as framed within the four-component learning theory, bring to the fore affective issues of reported changes within teachers and in their participation and positioning within school communities. The latter is particularly important for sustainability of learning as these speak to greater confidence in ones’ being a life-long learner. It also points to the importance of systemic teacher support structures to create Grade R specific learning communities (vs. one-off ‘training’ sessions) to support desired professionalisation of this year (as acknowledged to be critically important in the literature review and policy overview section of the paper).

Also pertinent to mention is the prevalence of references made to the provision of quality and useful resources across teacher responses, and across the four components of learning. In particular, in response to questions (i) and (ii), a subcategory emerged under ‘changes in Practice and Meaning’ entitled ‘Benefits of Resources’, with almost half the responses in this category referring to such benefits. This points to the importance of systemic support for Grade R teachers that provides both quality resources that are specifically tailored to early learning of number and for learners transitioning into schooling, as well as opportunities for teachers to trial these in their classrooms and share their experiences and adaptations. Grade-appropriate resources have been established as integral to providing quality numeracy learning (Graven & Venkat, 2017). Key resources are recommended by the Department of Basic Education (DBE, 2011b) for Grade R specifically and for the FP generally. Such resources and particularly research informed resources are important in the professional development of teachers of mathematics (Adler, 2000). The reality of the allocation of resources in the Grade R classrooms of participating teachers (before ENF) was however very low. Although more than half of the teachers had been provided basic manipulatives (such as dice and counters), only seven of the 33 teachers had access to dominoes and flashcards, used to support the learning of key mathematical ideas (South African Numeracy Chair Project, 2013). Furthermore, while a range of physical resources (e.g. dice and cards) are suggested for use in the Grade R and FP mathematics curriculum, effective use of the resources provided should be supplemented with opportunities for learning about the power of each resource that resides in the nature of the activity and the specific learning goal for which it is used.

As noted in the literature review, access to Grade R is much less of an issue than access to quality Grade R. Former Model C schools and some fee-paying schools have had Grade R attached to their schools for decades (and have accumulated a rich range of resources and physical infrastructure over time). On the other hand, since the policy transition that made Grade R a compulsory year of schooling many poorer quintile schools have needed to build new classrooms, playgrounds and ablution facilities, stock these classrooms with appropriate resources and recruit new teachers with very limited resources. This has led to marked disparity amongst Grade R learning opportunity offerings nationwide. We have argued that Grade R is widely noted as a powerful opportunity for addressing inequity in education, yet if the issues of inequality in the quality of Grade R offerings are not addressed, the policy move to mandate Grade R as the first year of formal schooling will simply continue the status quo, where children from poorer communities will start school and progress through school on an unequal footing.

Concluding remarks

While long-term Grade R focused PD programmes like ENF support teachers to navigate a changing landscape of practice, and negotiate their professional identities, it will of course not solve the systemic challenges linked to the relatively recent introduction of this grade into formal schooling. The so-called ‘Cinderella’ status and treatment (Feza, 2014) of many of these teachers and the unequal quality of offerings owing to most Grade R teachers being poorly qualified (Spaull et al., 2016) —despite a willingness for further studies prevented by poor job remuneration and job insecurity (Long, 2020) —means that urgent policy intervention is needed to address these issues at a systemic level. However, the study and the data shared in this paper have shown that there is potential within long-term Grade R-specific PD programmes to support teachers, and their learning, in effective and appropriate ways. Focusing on the specialised nature of Grade R is paramount, as evidenced by the responses from the participants.

This paper further highlights that through access to regular participation in well-functioning PD CoPs that focus on access to powerful grade-specific resources (physical and conceptual and the resource of time and opportunity to engage with others), Grade R teachers can narrate positive expressions of themselves as teachers and as learning participants in a PD intervention. Through their participation and belonging, Grade R teachers became increasingly able to navigate the mixed messages of institutional identities inscribed in policies and practices of their employment and came to see themselves as professional ‘educators’ and ‘teachers’, able to embrace the roles and responsibilities associated with these with increased confidence, knowledge, and resources for teaching mathematics with Grade R learners.

Acknowledgement

This work is based on research supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the National Research Foundation (grant no. 74658).

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).