Question 1:

• Sarah is a final year education student with a keen interest in the natural sciences.
• She is rather interested in lecturers’ perceived impact in utilising SmartBoards in natural sciences lectures, on the learning potential of 1st year Bachelor of Education students.
• In consultation with her supervisor, Sarah suggested that she make use of the positivist paradigm / tradition, as a possible lens for interpreting the results from the data previously collected.

Comment on Sarah’s choice of paradigm / tradition, in terms of its suitability for the intended study. (10)

o Define Positivism.
o Discuss key elements of Positivism.
o Now explain why these elements make it suitable for Sarah’s study.
• Remember to reference your textbook and 2 additional sources.

2.1 Advise Sarah as to a different paradigm / tradition that could be considered for the intended study.

You need to clearly motivate the choice with relevant literature from the prescribed material, and with reference to the case study. (15)
• Which other paradigm would work with Sarah’s study?
• Explain WHY that paradigm can be used.
o To do this you need to provide a clear definition of the paradigm you’re suggesting.
o You also need to explain elements of the paradigm that makes it suitable for the study.
• Make use of references from your textbook as well as 2 additional sources.

1.3 Carefuly consider, indicate, and discuss two (2) positions of the chosen paradigm in your answer in question 1.2., that would best and further complement and refine the ‘lens’, when analysing the data. (10)

• Pick two positions from the following:
o The epistemological position
o The ontological position
o The metatheoretical position
o The methodological position
o The axiological position
• Define the position.
• Discuss the position as it relates to the paradigm you suggested in 1.2.
• Try to relate your discussion to the case study.
• Use your textbook and at least two other sources

Question 2

Quote in Context

Babbie (2007) suggest that a generally accepted definition of social theory is a set of interrelated and abstract concepts, constructs, ideas, definitions, statements, principles and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying logical relationships among variables, with the purpose of explaining, predicting and verifying the particular phenomena by established data in the social world.

• Itumeleng is a grade 3 mathematics teacher in a rural community, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

• He is in the process of raising funds for the mathematics department to enable the school to purchase iPads and SmartBoards for the mathematics classes.

• This will afford teachers and learners to engage with technology, and to enhance learners’ learning experience.

• To manage the lack of digital resources at the school, Itumeleng makes use of cardboard cuttings, to teach 2D-shapes in his mathematics classrooms.

• He is currently embarking on a small-scale research project where he wants to explore and understand the nature of the learning that takes place when learners are placed in small groups of 4, and tasked to make use of shapes (such as triangles, squares and rectangles) to construct composite / compound shapes (i.e., 2 triangles, and a square to generate a trapezium).

• Learners are encouraged to think outside of the box, and to be creative in their approach (thinking / brainstorming).

Identify a suitable theory, after perusing the web articles as listed above, and argue in favour of its applicability to support Itumeleng’s study. (10)

• You must read the additional resources.
• Choose ONE theory that you feel is most suitable for the case study.
• Explain why you feel it is suitable.
• Reference your textbook and at least two other sources.

Name and explainthe type of theory you have selected in your answer in question 2.1.
Your explanation should serve as motivation ‘why’ the type of theory warrants the chosen theory in principle. (10)

• Check your textbook to see what type of theories we get, then pick one.
• Define it.
• Provide an explanation of it.
• Explain why it’s the most suitable theory.
• Make use of your textbook and at least two other sources.

Explainwhether Itumeleng will be utilising a deductiveor inductive approach(theorising) when explaining the findings of his intended study, in line with the chosen theory identified in your answer in question 2.1., as a foundation for the intended study. (10)

• Pick either a deductive or inductive approach.
• Provide a definition of it.
• Describe it – this should also explain why it’s the appropriate approach.
• How does it relate to the theory you chose in 2.1?
• Make use of your textbook and at least two other sources.

Question 3:

Quote in Context

 Babbie and Mouton (2001) define a hypothesis as an expectation about the nature of things derived from a theory and is a statement of something that should be observed in the real world if the theory is correct.

 A hypothesis is thus a statement that postulates a certain relationship between two or more variables.

 In research, the objective may be to transform a hypothesis into a proposition, which may eventually become part of an explanatory theory.

• Kim is a social sciences teacher in Gauteng, and has a passion for mapwork activities.

• She frequently makes use of scavenger-hunt-like activities in her classroom, combined with riddles, wordsearches, and crossword puzzles, to spark curiosity and to foster the principles of searching and identifying symbols on a map.
• Kim is rather curious as to the learners who excel in completing the crossword puzzles, wordsearches and riddles, and their confidence levels in successfully completing the scavenger-hunt-like activities, and translating this notion into practice when identifying symbols on a true map.

State an alternative hypothesis for Kim’s intended study, based on the contents enclosed in the case study above. (5)

• You have to create an alternative hypothesis based on the content in the case study.
• Make sure you understand what an alternative hypothesis is.
• You do not have to give a definition or explanation.
• No referencing is necessary.

Explain whether correlation or causality exists in terms of the nature of Kim’s intended research study. Your explanation must include a description of the option chosen, as well as an explanation to motivate your choice in terms of the application. (15)

• Pick: is there correlation or causality. State your choice.
• Provide a definition of your choice.
• Provide a description.
• Explain why your choice is suitable for this case study.
• Make use of your textbook and at least two other sources.

State a null hypothesis for Kim’s intended study, after it has been established that her suspicion in terms of her learners’ confidence to engage in mapwork, has been declared invalid. (5)

• You must create a null hypothesis based on the content in the case study.
• Make sure you understand what a null hypothesis is.
• You do not have to give a definition or explanation.
• No referencing is necessary.

Based on your answer in question 3.3., describe the nature of the correlation that exists, with direct reference to the null hypothesis. (10)

• You are being told that there IS a correlation, so now you need to describe it.
• Provide a definition.
• Provide a description.
• Relate it to YOUR null hypothesis from 3.3.
• Make use of your textbook and at least two other sources.

Answers to Above Questions on Research Paradigms

Answer 1: 

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