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INTRODUCTION The Centre also conducts the
external Certificate Tasks as required by the National Curriculum
Statement grades 10-12 (General), Subject Assessment Guidelines, Life
Orientation, September 2005. It will be noticed from the Table of Contents (secondary school study skills material) that, while each module consists of two or three chapters covering related skills, the modules themselves are not sequential i.e. the modules are ‘stand-alone’ modules. In other words, a learner does not have to do the skills covered, for example, by module one before he/she can tackle the skills covered by module two and so on. The learner can start with the skills covered by any module at any stage of his/her schooling career and can tackle the different modules in any order. Having said the above, we would nevertheless recommend that learners in each of the different grades cover the following topics and skills: 1. Grade 8: diagnostic questionnaire, life skills
for success and time management. Of course, as a learner progresses from one set of skills to another, reference will be made from time to time to the skills he/she has covered in previous years. Let us look at each grade in greater detail. 1. Grade 8 The extensive diagnostic questionnaire enables learners to ascertain what their difficulties at present are. Unfortunately, learners do not ask themselves these types of questions. Completing the questionnaire will help learners to focus on the skills in which they are weakest. Additionally, the experience of educators, together with the completed questionnaire, will enable them to identify and focus on the main areas that they regard as problematic as the learner progresses from grade to grade. Estimated time required to cover the recommended skills: 3 to 4 hours 2. Grade 9Skills covered in this grade: note writing skills, memory techniques and methods of assessment At this early stage of a learner’s high school career, it would be preferable for him/her to acquire the basic techniques of writing notes from a textbook or from listening to a speaker, to stop learning ‘by heart’ and begin mastering the numerous memory techniques and to learn different strategies in preparing for exams and adopting helpful tips in tackling different types of questions. Estimated time required to cover the recommended skills: 4 to 6 hours 3. Grade
10 By this time in their high school career, learners should be polishing their reading skills. They should master the techniques of skimming, scanning and speed reading. In addition, they should be familiar with the different types of comprehension and appreciate the differences between them. In two appendices, we have outlined how to use a dictionary and a library. Many secondary and tertiary students still do not know how to effectively use dictionaries and libraries. These two skills are, of course, fundamental for writing and research skills. Writing and Research Skills is the core area and should be the central focus for all students. No matter what one’s area of study in the future may be, one will always be required to write and research, at least on some basic level. In this chapter, we pose some essential questions that must be considered well before writing takes place. We outline the anatomy of a research project and the different stages that must be fulfilled. For a practical task, it is suggested that a template from tertiary level could be introduced in this area. Research at tertiary level has definite stages; the proposal, research (desk or field) and the final report. There is no reason why learners at grade 10 cannot complete a practical task along the tertiary level template. Before
undertaking the research project, learners should be required to draw
a plan of action as to how they intend tackling the project together with
the time lines. (Here, the educator can recap or quickly cover the essentials
of time management which include drawing a plan of action). At each stage
of the research project and the end of each time line, learners can be
awarded marks. The educator will also cover citation which we have detailed systematically with numerous examples for learners to refer to. As a matter of interest, the IEB report of 2005 regarding the writing skills of high school learners complains about their poor quality of writing and plagiarism. The report also found that student involvement in research projects was particularly problematic and that critical thinking (which requires learners to give their own opinions) was sorely lacking. For the most part, students were good at collecting data but were unable to manipulate the data or to conclude on their findings. Under Communication Skills, learners will attempt to acquire listening and public speaking skills. Estimated time required to cover the recommended skills: 6 to 8 hours depending on the number of exercises done under Reading Skills. The estimated time required excludes the practical task under Writing and Research Skills which should be done in non-contact time. The policy document suggests that some tasks should be done in non-contact time (National Curriculum Statement, Grades 10-12 (General), Subject Assessment Guidelines, Life Orientation, September 2005). 4. Grade 11 Skills covered in this grade: logical and lateral thinking skills. Mastering the above thinking skills will help learners to think analytically, critically and creatively. This, in turn, will improve the learners’ reading and writing & research skills. We provide many practical exercises which learners will not only find beneficial but also enjoyable. Estimated time required to cover the recommended skills: 3 to 4 hours 5. Grade 12 Topics
covered in this grade: career planning and job hunting The chapter on career planning provides one line definitions of hundreds of careers in different fields, e.g. what is a hydrobiologist and what does he/she do. The job hunting chapter provides a sample CV. Learners can be asked to respond to a real life job advert from the newspaper by drawing their own CV. Interview tips as interviewee are also provided. A practical exercise via role play for the purpose of assessment can also be done. One learner plays the role of an employer while another plays the role of a job interviewee. The role playing will help to improve learners’ oral communication skills i.e. their listening and speaking skills. Estimated time required to cover the recommended topics: 2 to 3 hours Please note that the above estimated times can be adjusted upwards or downwards depending on the number of exercises the educator decides to do with regard to each of the skills. This factor, the manner in which our study skills material is delineated and the flexibility of the order in which the material can be tackled makes it easy to integrate it into the Life Orientation syllabus and lesson plans of any school. Study skills is part of the Life Orientation syllabus and even if it is not done as an external Certificate Task, it must be covered as part of the internal tasks. It can be observed from the attached table of contents and the above grade breakdown that our CD contains enough study skills material to more than adequately cover this aspect of the syllabus and to satisfy the requirements of completing some of the internal tasks in this regard. Educators will not have to look for any additional study skills material or exercises. Now that study skills is part of the school syllabus (via Life Orientation), the vital elements of continuity and sustainability are maintained. It is difficult although not impossible to incorporate these two elements in weekend study skills workshops. It may be pointed out that, besides the study skills material being used in Life Orientation, it can also be integrated with subjects such as English, History, Geography etc. By using learners’ notes in different subjects in order to do the prescribed study skills exercises, learners will be learning their material in those subjects at the same time and thereby preparing themselves for tests and exams. The media have recently highlighted that a large percentage of students drop out and fail first year at tertiary level. In fact, only a very small percentage of students complete a degree or diploma in the minimum period. See the article in the Mail and Guardian entitled ‘Shock varsity dropouts stats’ (M & G, 22 – 28 September 2006, p6). The article refers to a department of education cohort study which advances ‘inadequate academic preparation’ as one of the reasons for the high drop-out rate. The article also quotes the vice-rector of the University of the Free State that “even school leavers with good results are increasingly under-prepared for higher education”. In another article in the Natal Witness entitled ‘Universities slammed for VC salaries’, the national Minister of Education is quoted as saying: “[A]nother factor in the high drop-out rate is that students are ill-prepared when they arrive at the institutions” (The Natal Witness, Friday October 13, 2006, p2). It is common cause amongst all stakeholders in the education sector that a lack of study skills can result in “inadequate academic preparation”. Most schools now accept that their function and duty is not only to teach learners content and to ensure that they obtain a decent pass in matric but also to equip learners with study skills so that they will be better prepared for studies at tertiary level. Be that as it may, there is a general consensus among all stakeholders in the education sector that study skills is not just a set of skills for studying; it is a set of life skills that not only adequately prepares students to cope with studies at tertiary level but also for the job market and for life in general. CERTIFICATE TASKS Currently, we provide the external Certificate Tasks in Public Speaking, Stress Management and Goal Setting under Learning Outcome 1 and Study Skills under Learning Outcome 4. The modus operandi of doing the CTs with us is as follows: we will provide a master copy of the exam paper. The school will run out the number of copies required and invigilate the exam. The scripts will then be sent to us for assessment and moderation by assessors and moderators registered with the Education and Training SETA. We will then issue the Certificates of Competency to those learners who have been declared competent and forward them to your school for filing in each learner’s Portfolio. (Please note that the exam for the 2007 CTs is scheduled for the end of the first term). HOW WE OPERATE Schools can elect to acquire just the study skills material from us, to acquire the study skills material and our services to conduct the external Certificate Tasks or to hire our services for the Certificate Tasks only. Schools generally enter into a five year licence to acquire our study skills material. In terms of the licence, every learner will obtain our Study Skills CD and will be entitled to one free Certificate Task in Study Skills. Many schools elect to provide every learner from grades 8 to 12 with a copy of the CD. They believe that it is best to begin equipping learners from grades with study skills. However, all our terms are negotiable as the needs of each school are different. We will enter into an agreement that suits your school and your school’s financial situation. SOME OF OUR CLIENTS We are currently the number one service provider of Study Skills material and CTs to some of the premier high schools in the country, such as St Mary’s School, Waverely; St Dunstan’s, Benoni; The King’s, Bryanston and Sacred Heart College. For more information, contact us Click here, to see the Table of Contents of the primary school study skill material. |
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