BPT1501
ASSIGNMENT 6
SEMESTER 2
ANSWERS 2025
BPT1501 ASSIGNMENT 6 SEMESTER 2
ANSWERS 2025
, BPT1501 ASSESSMENT 6
ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: An Educational Intervention – [Creative Solution
Assessment]
Intervention focus and theoretical grounding
Intervention, in the context of teaching and learning, refers to a deliberate, planned
set of instructional actions designed to address a specific obstacle to students’
learning with clear aims, resources, and assessment. It is not a generic teaching
tweak but a focused strategy aimed at moving a defined aspect of learning from a
barrier toward proficiency (for example, translating language support into improved
mathematical reasoning). In South African classrooms, a prominent and tractable
issue concerns how language mediates learners’ access to mathematics, particularly
in multilingual contexts where English is often the language of instruction in higher
grades and home languages vary widely. Policy and research in South Africa have
repeatedly highlighted that language barriers can impede comprehension of
mathematical meanings, problem-solving discourse, and conceptual understanding,
contributing to low engagement and poor achievement in mathematics (Department
of Basic Education [DBE], 2011; Spaull, 2013). Given these realities, one concrete,
research-informed intervention is proposed below: a Structured Mathematical
Discourse Protocol (SMDP) designed to improve mathematical reasoning and
conceptual understanding by foregrounding language, reasoning, and peer
collaboration within the Mathematics classroom.
Identification of the issue
Issue: Language-mediated barriers in Grade 9–10 Mathematics in multilingual South
African classrooms. Context: Mathematics is a gatekeeper subject; in many schools,
learners are taught in English although their home languages differ markedly. This
ASSIGNMENT 6
SEMESTER 2
ANSWERS 2025
BPT1501 ASSIGNMENT 6 SEMESTER 2
ANSWERS 2025
, BPT1501 ASSESSMENT 6
ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: An Educational Intervention – [Creative Solution
Assessment]
Intervention focus and theoretical grounding
Intervention, in the context of teaching and learning, refers to a deliberate, planned
set of instructional actions designed to address a specific obstacle to students’
learning with clear aims, resources, and assessment. It is not a generic teaching
tweak but a focused strategy aimed at moving a defined aspect of learning from a
barrier toward proficiency (for example, translating language support into improved
mathematical reasoning). In South African classrooms, a prominent and tractable
issue concerns how language mediates learners’ access to mathematics, particularly
in multilingual contexts where English is often the language of instruction in higher
grades and home languages vary widely. Policy and research in South Africa have
repeatedly highlighted that language barriers can impede comprehension of
mathematical meanings, problem-solving discourse, and conceptual understanding,
contributing to low engagement and poor achievement in mathematics (Department
of Basic Education [DBE], 2011; Spaull, 2013). Given these realities, one concrete,
research-informed intervention is proposed below: a Structured Mathematical
Discourse Protocol (SMDP) designed to improve mathematical reasoning and
conceptual understanding by foregrounding language, reasoning, and peer
collaboration within the Mathematics classroom.
Identification of the issue
Issue: Language-mediated barriers in Grade 9–10 Mathematics in multilingual South
African classrooms. Context: Mathematics is a gatekeeper subject; in many schools,
learners are taught in English although their home languages differ markedly. This
