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
, 1.2
Mr Nkosi’s response to the lesson allows several conclusions to be drawn about his
approach to childhood and children’s agency. At the beginning, his reaction shows
that he expects young children to follow his instructions closely without questioning
the task. This reflects a traditional image of childhood where the teacher leads and
the learner complies. His attempt to redirect Ayanda’s group suggests he believes
that meaningful learning happens only when children use adult-approved methods.
Many teachers with long experience fall into routine patterns, which may not always
align with current understanding of how young children learn.
However, when he stops and reflects, he begins to recognise the value of the
children’s thinking. This shift reveals a growing appreciation of children as active
decision makers who hold valid ideas. His willingness to observe instead of control
shows that he is beginning to trust the learners’ ability to shape their own
understanding. From this we can conclude that his approach to childhood is
changing from a traditional developmental model towards a more modern, social
constructivist view, where children are seen as capable of reasoning, inventing, and
leading learning experiences (Vygotsky, 1978).
His reflection also shows respect for children’s meaning-making. This aligns with the
view that childhood is not passive, but rather a stage of competence, participation,
and curiosity. He starts to acknowledge that agency is central in learning, and that
young children demonstrate learning through exploration rather than memorisation. It
implies that he recognises the need to adapt his teaching practice in order to match
curriculum changes and contemporary theories of childhood.
In conclusion, Mr Nkosi shows growth in his understanding of children’s agency. He
is moving towards a belief that children deserve space to express their designs,
challenge expected norms, and demonstrate their understanding in varied ways.
1.3
Child agency plays a vital role in developing creativity and independence in young
learners. When children are allowed to make decisions, explain ideas, and shape
activities according to their thinking, they develop confidence in their own judgement.
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
, 1.2
Mr Nkosi’s response to the lesson allows several conclusions to be drawn about his
approach to childhood and children’s agency. At the beginning, his reaction shows
that he expects young children to follow his instructions closely without questioning
the task. This reflects a traditional image of childhood where the teacher leads and
the learner complies. His attempt to redirect Ayanda’s group suggests he believes
that meaningful learning happens only when children use adult-approved methods.
Many teachers with long experience fall into routine patterns, which may not always
align with current understanding of how young children learn.
However, when he stops and reflects, he begins to recognise the value of the
children’s thinking. This shift reveals a growing appreciation of children as active
decision makers who hold valid ideas. His willingness to observe instead of control
shows that he is beginning to trust the learners’ ability to shape their own
understanding. From this we can conclude that his approach to childhood is
changing from a traditional developmental model towards a more modern, social
constructivist view, where children are seen as capable of reasoning, inventing, and
leading learning experiences (Vygotsky, 1978).
His reflection also shows respect for children’s meaning-making. This aligns with the
view that childhood is not passive, but rather a stage of competence, participation,
and curiosity. He starts to acknowledge that agency is central in learning, and that
young children demonstrate learning through exploration rather than memorisation. It
implies that he recognises the need to adapt his teaching practice in order to match
curriculum changes and contemporary theories of childhood.
In conclusion, Mr Nkosi shows growth in his understanding of children’s agency. He
is moving towards a belief that children deserve space to express their designs,
challenge expected norms, and demonstrate their understanding in varied ways.
1.3
Child agency plays a vital role in developing creativity and independence in young
learners. When children are allowed to make decisions, explain ideas, and shape
activities according to their thinking, they develop confidence in their own judgement.
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
