Summary Chapter 5. context analysis

Chapter 5
Context Analysis
What is context analysis
 Important phase in lesson planning
 Mainly on a mental level
 Identifying contextual factors that play a role in the course of planned classroom activities
» Prior knowledge
 Attempts to establish gaps, strengths, angles that the topic can be approached from
 Ongoing process
 To ensure learners understand the dynamics around new info
 Process that could contribute / influence the design/ dissemination/ implementation/ assessment of
the lesson
 Needs to be done – in preparation of the lesson and during the lesson
 Assessment of whether certain factors have an influence on a lesson
 Create a democratic teaching-learning context for learners to view new content critically against the
background of their own existing knowledge and experience.
 Context analysis is an analysis of the situation of teaching.




Learners
 Cultural background of majority of leaners = provide context that could promote effective learning
» Children express the philosophies of their community
 Know your learners = prerequisite for lesson prep
» Observing them
» Gathering and interpreting info
 Social and cultural background
» Patterns of learning / childbearing practices
» HIV/ Aids
» Poverty
» Child-headed household
o Norms, values and customs
 Indigenous knowledge helps to inform existing and new knowledge about
how the original inhabitants of communities lived and used natural
resources.
o Socio-economic status
 Has implications for the child’s achievement at school, level of aspiration,
motivational level and attitude towards school

 Developmental levels
» Teaching should be holistic
» Need to consider all aspects of development – not just concentrate on one
o Intellectual development:

,  Learners’ cognition should be considered before they are introduced to new
concepts
 Influences techniques, subject matter and teaching strategies used
 Bloom indicates the necessity for previously acquired knowledge to be
integrated with new learning
o Affective development
 Emotional development
 learners are more interested in learning about something that interests
them.
 During context analysis the needs of the learners are identified
› Address these needs in the lesson
o Physical and psychomotor development
 Success in one motor skill doesn’t imply success in others
 Degree of maturity must be present before learner can profit from schooling
 Adapt lesson to different stages of social development
 Languages spoken and understood
» We have 11 official languages in SA
o Language of learning and teaching
 Literacy in mother tongue (MT) NB!!!
 Additive bilingualism = additional language (AL) added alongside first
language
 Subtractive bilingualism = additional language replaces mother tongue too
early
 Competence in thinking and functioning in the first language is transferred
to the second language
 Switching from MT to AL too early = adverse effect on educational
performance
 BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) = everyday social
communication
› Insufficient for cognitive/ conceptual school learning
 Teacher have the responsibility to support MT and develop English
proficiency
› Code-switching in classrooms = help learners better understand
concepts
o Language in LTSM:
 The demand of learning and teaching support materials, books and other
resources make on learners.
 LTSM choices not made by the teacher
 Choice made for them by the DBE
› Pre-select learner books
 Teachers responsibility adjust lesson according to level of background
knowledge /language / reading skills for the grade
› Difficult words = explained with suitable examples
o Language ability
 For effective teaching and learning to take place = BICS (Basic Interpersonal
Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)
are important