Lessons from a mathematics and science intervention programme in Tshwane township schools - I Fricke et al

International benchmark studies confirm that school mathematics and science education in South Africa is weak and suffers from systemic problems. The Teacher Mentorship Programme (TMP) based at the Department of Civil and Biosystems Engineering of the University of Pretoria was borne out of lessons learnt from ongoing outreach and awareness creation projects and recent research findings. The most cost effective and sustainable support for maths and science learners can be achieved by mentoring their teachers in their work environment using experienced teachers as mentors. A pre-pilot implementation was launched in 2003 and a pilot project at five schools in Greater Pretoria (Tshwane) was implemented in 2004. This article describes the rationale behind the mentorship intervention programme, reports on the implementation strategies and makes recommendations based on the lessons learned during this implementation. A review of relevant literature supports the strategies employed.
From: SAJHE 22 (1) 2008