HED4808
Assignment 4 PORTFOLIO 2025
Due Date: January 2026
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, SECTION A
QUESTION 1
1.1
Mr Nkosi’s experience and teaching strategies have a strong influence on how he
responds to the unexpected approach used by his learners. He has spent many
years working with teacher-centred and traditional teaching methods, and this history
shapes the way he understands learning. His instinct is to guide children towards a
single correct method rather than allowing alternative possibilities. This is common in
classrooms where the teacher is viewed as the only knowledge source. However,
early years teaching requires pedagogies that value active learning, exploration, and
inquiry. In the early years, children learn best when they are allowed to experiment
with ideas, test their own thinking, and construct meaning through doing and
discovery. Play-based pedagogy, inquiry-based learning, and constructivist
approaches allow children to take risks, solve problems, and learn from mistakes,
which is essential at this developmental stage (Morrison, 2020).
In the bridge-building activity, the children show creativity, persistence, and
collaborative thinking. Instead of following the expected approach, they develop their
own design and defend their reasoning. This reflects higher order thinking, which is
encouraged by exploratory teaching methods. When Mr Nkosi pauses and reflects,
he begins to move away from transmission-based teaching towards a more
responsive style. A suitable pedagogy for this level is emergent curriculum, where
learning experiences are shaped by children’s ideas and interests. This approach
gives the teacher the role of guide while still respecting children’s thinking. Research
on early childhood learning demonstrates that children’s cognitive development
improves when their thinking strategies are taken seriously and supported without
interruption (Edwards, Gandini and Forman, 2014).
The experience encourages Mr Nkosi to shift towards a child-centred model where
learning is co-constructed. By doing so, he positions children as capable contributors
in the learning process, which is the foundation of quality early childhood pedagogy
(Department of Basic Education, 2022).
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 4 PORTFOLIO 2025
Due Date: January 2026
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, SECTION A
QUESTION 1
1.1
Mr Nkosi’s experience and teaching strategies have a strong influence on how he
responds to the unexpected approach used by his learners. He has spent many
years working with teacher-centred and traditional teaching methods, and this history
shapes the way he understands learning. His instinct is to guide children towards a
single correct method rather than allowing alternative possibilities. This is common in
classrooms where the teacher is viewed as the only knowledge source. However,
early years teaching requires pedagogies that value active learning, exploration, and
inquiry. In the early years, children learn best when they are allowed to experiment
with ideas, test their own thinking, and construct meaning through doing and
discovery. Play-based pedagogy, inquiry-based learning, and constructivist
approaches allow children to take risks, solve problems, and learn from mistakes,
which is essential at this developmental stage (Morrison, 2020).
In the bridge-building activity, the children show creativity, persistence, and
collaborative thinking. Instead of following the expected approach, they develop their
own design and defend their reasoning. This reflects higher order thinking, which is
encouraged by exploratory teaching methods. When Mr Nkosi pauses and reflects,
he begins to move away from transmission-based teaching towards a more
responsive style. A suitable pedagogy for this level is emergent curriculum, where
learning experiences are shaped by children’s ideas and interests. This approach
gives the teacher the role of guide while still respecting children’s thinking. Research
on early childhood learning demonstrates that children’s cognitive development
improves when their thinking strategies are taken seriously and supported without
interruption (Edwards, Gandini and Forman, 2014).
The experience encourages Mr Nkosi to shift towards a child-centred model where
learning is co-constructed. By doing so, he positions children as capable contributors
in the learning process, which is the foundation of quality early childhood pedagogy
(Department of Basic Education, 2022).
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
