User:MariaBotha/sandbox

About Dr Retha van Niekerk

1. International Teaching experience

• Lecturer at St Andrews University Houston Texas (2002)

• Lecturer at Rice University Project Houston Texas (2002/2003)

2. National Teaching experience

• Current Position; Senior Lecturer in mathematics education at North-West University Potchefstroom campus, in the Faculty of Education. Early childhood Education. 2012- current.

• Senior lecturer in mathematics and chemistry ENGAGE PROGRAMME. Faculty Engineering and the built environment, University of Pretoria (2011-2012).

• Lecturer at Wits School of Education SENIOR (grades 7-9) and FET phase (grades 10-12). Marang Institute for Mathematics and Science education, 2004 - 2010.

3. Projects • Project Leader of the Little African Scientists Project LASP –Standard Bank sponsored (2017- current) Teacher and learner support initiative to uplift STEM (Science, Technology/Coding/Robotics, Engineering design, and Mathematics) related subjects for Foundation Phase/intermediate Phase in 10 Primary schools. – in Potchefstroom area North-West Province

• Curriculum Coordinator of Targeting Talent Project (Wits) 2007-2015.

4. National and International Curriculum Design

• Subject specialist advisor for the design of Progress Maps for GICD (Gauteng Institute for Curriculum Development a non-profit organization) in 1998. Responsible for co-design of the Progress Maps for the learning area mathematic and mathematical numeracy with special focus on the Special outcomes that deal with the development of spatial (geometric) knowledge for grades 1 to 9.

• Co-designer of the geometry curriculum for the Gauteng Institute of curriculum design in South Africa (GICD-1999/2000)

• Co-designer of the geometry curriculum assessment standards (Grades K-9) for the National Education Department in South Africa (2001-2002). RNCS document.

• Original designer and project initiator of the “Geometry Initiative” that became the focus for Houston Independent schools district (Fourth largest school district in the USA) for grades K to 12. (2003-2004) (International consultant). This work was done in collaboration with Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) Houston/Texas, USA. The final product of this collaboration has been the acceptance of this development line as the official geometry curriculum for the State of Texas with the title “ Geometry Module developed by The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) – Houston, Texas. 2004)”.

• Co-designer of the curriculum (mathematics and science) for the Targeting Talent program from 2007 -2015 at Wits University

North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit, North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit, Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Elementary Education and TeachingDoctor of Philosophy - PhD, Elementary Education and Teaching May 2012 - Dec 2023May 2012 - Dec 2023 • 1997 Philosophia Doctor (PhD)** Title: A subject didactical analysis of the spatial development of young children through a problem-centred approach to mathematics teaching and learning Potchefstroom University for Higher Education (currently called North-West University).
 * After initial submission of the MEd thesis it was recommended for a PhD by the original examiners. Professor Koeno Gravemeijer of the Freudenthal Institute at Utrecht University in Holland acted as the external examiner and after re-submission a PhD was awarded for this work.

PUBLICATIONS Abstract Background: This article argues that the emergence of scientific reasoning in the preschool years could be augmented by caregivers and preschool teachers through nurturing ‘Habits of Mind’ (HOM) and ‘Habits of Body’ (HOB) of young children. This type of mind–material– body integration is proposed from an epistemological position that comprises a Hybrid (morphinuum) of theories about early learning and human development. Aim: The aim of this article is to present an exemplar of the capacity of one preschooler to show emergence and integration of two HOM, namely conjecturing and reasoning with invariance, in tandem with the Habit of Body (HOB), namely hand-eye coordination that can lay the foundation for scientific reasoning in the early years. Setting: The study referred to in this article is an exemplar (case study) taken from a larger, 18-month educational design research intervention, the ‘Little African Scientists Project’. That study investigated the emergent scientific HOM and HOB through a multimodal material approach to pedagogy at preschool level (Grade RR to R). Methods: A three-layered digital video analysis was utilised to interpret the data pertaining to a specific interaction of one child, who was manipulating magnets during one of the many free-play activities that formed part of the larger project. Results: Several specific HOM and HOB were evident in the one child who was engaged in an activity in which he was moving magnets. Two HOM that emerged were those of making and testing conjectures and reasoning with invariance, while the HOB that emerged was a close alignment of hand movement and eye coordination. Conclusion: This type of close observation and micro-analysis could be utilised for studies of more children in similar settings.