Universities South Africa
TLM CoP News
Why it is beneficial to measure an applicant’s academic readiness for university
There is an expectation gap between high school and university life, which arises from differences in academic expectations and the level of independence required at university. First-year...
The challenges facing first-year mathematics students transitioning from high school
Transitioning from high school mathematics to university mathematics can be daunting for many first-year students, possibly leading to lower success rates. These gaps and the...
Using Digital Art to teach Mathematics: a practical, fun, innovative way of teaching Mathematics
A novel initiative to empower township learners with algorithmic thinking and digital art – even traditional African fabric shweshwe is being used as a teaching...
Goodbyes in the TLM CoP as two office bearers vacate their seats for new incumbents
The extensive achievements of Universities South Africa’s (USAf) Teaching and Learning of Mathematics Community of Practice (TLM CoP) were named, and applauded, at the group’s...
Two new office bearers elected to lead Universities South Africa’s TLM CoP from 1 January 2025
At its last sitting for 2025, on 13 November, the Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics (TLM CoP) elected a new...
The Carnegie Math Pathways project is key to advancing students’ quantitative skills for enhanced success in mathematical sciences
Persistent disparities in students’ mathematics performance highlight the need for a more cohesive and dynamic approach to teaching mathematics, remarked Professor Alfred Msomi, Acting Chair...
From vision to strategy: transforming postgraduate mathematics training through NGA(MaSS) Research Training Networks
“Innovative and collaborative strategies are essential in addressing the challenges in mathematics education,” Professor Alfred Msomi (right), Acting Chairperson of the Community of Practice for...
Teacher competency and passion in mathematics are vital for nurturing mathematical talent and love in students
Appropriate levels of mathematics competency and passion in the subject can bring out the best in students, raising their competency in and love for the...
USAf’s Teaching and Learning of Mathematics Community of Practice learns of an innovative use of AI to support learning
An artificially intelligent learning, tutoring and assessment programme, ALEKS – combined with the crafting of a student support system using National Benchmark Test (NBT) data...
AI is here to stay and academics need to embrace its use
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Academics should embrace the excitement around it and explore its potential and many possibilities while incorporating it into...
What follows the Joint Colloquium of Mathematicians, Linguists and Education Deans?
The Joint Colloquium on Multilingualism in the teaching and learning of Mathematics in Higher Education –Enhancing Success achieved its intended objectives with success, says the...
Mathematics teachers in the Venda region of Limpopo need to disclose the secret behind their high success rate
South Africa needs to study why TshiVenda communities produce an astronomical number of actuaries for this country, and why the Venda region of the Limpopo...
State funding for universities’ language initiatives could increase with compelling evidence of potentially bigger impact
The year 2023 marks the first year that the government has given more money to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) – an amount...
The changing profile of university students calls for a decolonial re-thinking of higher education, says Professor Emmanuel Mgqwashu
Despite all the financial and human resources pumped into higher education in South Africa, the depressing educational outcomes remain the same. Throughput, pass and dropout...
Teachers preferred adapting words from English rather than using coined terms in their first languages — a study revealed
Last week, Universities South Africa (USAf) held a Colloquium on Multilingualism in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics – Enhancing Success but framing mathematics education...
Learners run away from any career that requires mathematical competence, says Dr Mxiwoxolo Krexe
At the recent Joint Colloquium on Multilingualism in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics – Enhancing Success, Dr Mziwoxolo Krexe of theDepartment of Adult, Foundation Phase...
A framework for thinking about languages and literacies towards university mathematics curriculum for access and transformation
To make a case for a curriculum that encourages greater access and transformation, a mathematics education language development specialist used students’ talk about their experiences,...
Language is fundamental, but is not always the only enabler for university mathematics success
Results from research into engineering mathematics of students in the University of Cape Town’s Engineering Extended Programme showed that female students (58.6%) outperformed their male...
Research exploring alternatives to one-size-fits-all solutions to students’ Academic Literacy needs
Critical research is being done into improving curriculum responsiveness to enhance responding to students’ needs in both teaching and assessment. This is to move away...
Why meaning making is critical in multilingual mathematics classrooms
Professor Anthony Essien, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education and Interim Numeracy Chair, Wits School of Education used a rainfall chart to show his audience how...
Multilingual mathematics classrooms can enhance learner understanding, change attitudes towards mathematics and increase success
Africa is endowed with works of art available for classroom illustration of various mathematical concepts from elementary schooling, all the way to university instruction —...
Multilingual education provision is invaluable provided this model is appropriately resourced, says a higher education top executive
Learning environments allowing students to exchange mathematical ideas in their mother tongue enable learners to grasp complex concepts more naturally and deeply, thereby turning multilingualism...
Issues warranting priority attention in universities’ pursuit of multilingualism in mathematics teaching and learning
Each of the three communities of practice (CoPs) that jointly hosted last week’s Colloquium on Multilingualism in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics – Enhancing...
USAf’s three groups congregate at Stellenbosch University this Thursday to explore multilingual mathematics education in higher education
About 70 delegates representing all public universities in South Africa are expected to descend on Stellenbosch University this Thursday, 17 August, 2023. These are members...
USAf’s three Communities of Practice to explore Multilingualism in the teaching and learning of mathematics at universities
August 17 is a very special day for Universities South Africa (USAf), the representative body of South Africa’s 26 public universities. It marks the gathering...
High school learners underprepared for critical foundational university mathematics courses
There is a significant gap between high school and university mathematics for science and engineering students in South Africa with learners entering institutions of higher...
Mathematics teachers’ Work Integrated Learning in the context of 4IR
An initial idea of the Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics (TLM CoP) to gather empirical data for the purpose of...
Academics offer solutions for the challenges encountered during Mathematics Teaching Practice
South Africa’s public universities face shared challenges regarding Teaching Practice (TP) and giving students the best possible experience. These include lack of communication, supervision and...
Mathematics Teacher Practice during the 4th Industrial Revolution
Teaching Practice (TP) is a vital component of teacher education and training because it provides student teachers with an opportunity to gain experience in the...
The importance of ICTs in Teacher Education
It is vital that teachers – including students pursuing teaching careers – are digitally literate and understand the enormous benefits of using ICTs (information and...
First-year mathematics students need intensive support to improve their experience, an on-going study has shown
Intensive support, small groups and repeated exposure to information are some of the interventions needed to improve first-year mathematics students’ experience. These, and other findings...
Imagining the Mathematical Science Landscape of 2040
What will the mathematical science landscape look like in 2040? Who will teach, what will be taught and how it will be taught? ...
Projects that explore experience of first year mathematics students unpacked
Early findings of two research projects being undertaken to improve the teaching and learning experience of first year students in mathematics, have exposed problem areas...
Measures that can be taken to improve first year students’ mathematics experience
First year mathematics students are often in much need of guidance and support. That is why student experience was the focus of the Diagnostic Mathematics Information...
A collaborative project aimed at improving first year mathematics students’ experience
The facilitation of engaged participation and not just the acquisition of knowledge is the aim of the Community of Practice on the Teaching and Learning...
A project that will benefit academics, institutions and students unpacked at Mathematics CoP
A moment of thoughts and prayers was dedicated to KwaZulu Natal communities and colleagues at the first meeting for the year, of the Community of...
Technical Mathematics dominates discussions at USAf’s Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
The Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics (TLM CoP) held the first of its quarterly meetings for 2019, at the University...
The Mathematics Teaching & Learning CoP gets off to a busy start
The newly-established Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics came to a consensus on 31 August, that that there is a mismatch...