The personal development of the learners as indicated by the pre and post intervention test shows that the products and processes of the art intervention increased awareness of the world, of self and of others.
According to class observation the extract below paints a picture of individual students‟ attitudes, experiences and personality differences all of which impact mathematic performance (Bottge, Heinrich, Chan & Serlin, 2001). In this extract a teacher facilitates a
discussion to encourage learners to take responsibility for their actions and come up with solutions to the mathematics challenges they faced.
Teacher: Why do you struggle so much with mathematics? Erin: But to be honest, I am lazy with maths(SI 376).
Erin: Before the exam, I did not study for maths for two weeks. I felt lazy. I did not bother. I thought I could pass. The government gives me lots of work and makes me tired…. But when exam started it was difficult. I forgot everything. I have a memory problem (SI 387).
Utar: Mathematics is difficult (FG1).
Teacher: Which areas don‟t you like the most? Andre: Everything in maths, I do not like (SI 290).
Andre: I hate math. But it depends whose teaching….when I am cross with the teacher I will not do my homework to get back at the teacher (FG 4).
Kris: I think I will try to stop talking so much (SI 234).
Charles: We will stop talking! We will sit like nerds. When we keep talking, (teacher) must put a white cardboard between us so that we cannot see each other (SI 236).
Nkoli: Putting up a board is abusive. We must be free (SI 238). Kris: We must not have the tables arranged like this, where we can see each other. It must be like a hearing school where we sit behind each other (SI 240).
Another student retorted that then they would all need to turn around and look at the person talking (signing).
Kris: That is fine. We can turn around and look (SI 242).
Nkoli: „That is not fine. Sometimes you turn around and the person is already finished talking (SI 243).
Charles: If a person needs to sign the answer, the person must go to the front of the class and then go sit down again. Each person needs to do that for every answer (SI 244).
Nkoli to Charles: You are being silly (SI 246).
Andre to Charles and Nkoli: You must be serious and stop looking everywhere and focus on maths (SI 248).
Nkoli: No! (SI 249)
Andre: Concentrate (SI 250). Charles: No! (SI 251)
The above extract reveals the maturity levels of the grade 9 class. Whilst some are advanced and honestly desire answers others display a child-like posture unable to see mathematics from their peers‟ perspective. This research identified 3 areas of lack by deaf students that most need improvement : accepting responsibility for one‟s actions; awareness of one‟s values, strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals; and making sound decisions.
Consenting that students generally possess a pessimistic view of this subject, Courant (1953) as cited in Grattan-Guiness (1994, p 1) adds that a negative sentiment towards mathematics is not a new observation in the research field. He attributes such a disposition to the place of mathematics in life and society, and especially in education. Consequently, in spite of the disparities among the learners in this grade nine class, they stood united on issues of disapproving social behaviour. One student, Kris, introspected and for the first time admitted to too much socialising in class (line 234) He was abruptly interjected by Charles with contrary and negative views to Kris‟ desire for positive change. As the discussion progressed a barrage of well thought of interjections ensued. Observations by the teacher researcher disclose that self esteem has never been so high before.
Using the class‟s spirit of co operation (with each other) the teacher tried to channel the negative influence they were having on one another to a more positive one. Empowering the learners to think independently of each other and the teacher, they were asked to set their own goals every two weeks.
When asked what changes they wanted to see in the mathematic class the following week the students suggested dividing the mathematics class in two groups according to individual levels. This was done successfully in the English class they said.
They were sure their attitudes would change and results would improve if they were grouped. The students discussed how attitudes and behaviours could change to bring about progress in mathematics.
Charles and Kris: We want to be in the high group (FG 317).
Utar: I want to be in the low group (FG 318).
Nkoli: Kris. Do you want a high level of maths? (FG 320)
Kris: I don‟t know (FG 321).
Utar: You said you wanted to be in the higher group (FG 322).
Kris: I don‟t know (FG 323).
Nkoli: I want a low level (FG 37).
Andre: It is not important which level you are in. Make one class- include the weak and strong in one group (FG 38).
Andre protects his self esteem by encouraging the class to stay in one group. He is one of the weaker learners and will fall into the weaker group if the class is divided.
Kris to Andre: How do you feel? Do you want work of a high or low standard? (FG 39)
Andre remains non-committed and Utar answers for the both of them offering Andre support that he will not be alone in the weaker group. Andre retorts:
Andre: I need work of a high level. No. A middle level (FG 41). Charles: I am down- up down (FG 42).
Utar to Charles: You must choose (FG 43).
Kris and another student communicate with each other with their eyes (open eyes wider and roll over in direction of speaker). We track Andre‟s thoughts and find him to be avoiding the group system at all costs.
Andre: If I am in the weak group and I have a problem can I ask someone in the strong group to help me? (FG 45)
Nkoli: Kris, you are lucky to be so clever. Not like the two of us. (Referring to himself and Utar) (FG 46)
Kris: You are missing the point. Focus on the topic (FG 49).
Utar to Andre: If you always don‟t do your homework then how are you going to be helped? (FG 50)
Teacher: How can we help Drew? He is always not doing his home work.
Andre: She does not do homework that‟s why her mathematics levels are low (FG 53).
Utar to teacher: Nkoli is not interested (FG 95).
A few students did not agree with the issue of grouping:
Charles: If we have two groups with different levels the teacher will waste time. It is better to have one group (FG 313).
During these focus group session learners worked towards a solution for the first time. Although there are hints of deviating from the point, the main discussion evolved around the formation of intellectually similar groups. Almost immediately the learners started classifying the groups naming them high and low according to abilities. This broke out into an argument with learners not wanting a low classification. Eventually Andre finds a solution to the challenge by „inventing‟ a “middle level” (line 41).s None-the-less the challenge has already seen him classified into the low group and this must affect his self esteem. There is thereafter an observed deviation from this topic to „homework‟ and a focus on an attempt at associating poor mathematical results with lack of interest in homework. The learners, even those guilty of habitually not completing homework, challenge each other. Charles concludes in line 313, by proposing to scrap the group system.
This excerpt reminds one that the role of social skills in learning has also undergone renewed scrutiny. Social interactions in this study served as an early warning system to the teaching signalling topics and experiences that the students find troubling and off-putting but also conveying what students pleasurable to engage in. Creating an educational environment to sustain this type of negotiated interactive dynamics is important. Part of the significance of such a system, is that social facilitation amongst peers can structure and influence their willingness and commitment to participate in education. It also teaches them how complimentary and conflicting messages can somehow be represented and reconciled through social pragmatics. One is also reminded of Vygotsky‟s position that social engagement produces higher levels of cognitive functioning and more robust logic. Although this particular type of interaction took place in the context of mathematical classroom issues, the
previous section on conceptual development has shown how art can bolster the process of mapping words and signs onto actions, thus affecting social interaction.
Thus far the study has largely focussed on the deaf students and their cognitive and linguistic challenges. However, this would be very one-sided if one fails to comment on how teachers contribute to the present scenario in South African deaf schools such as was investigated in this study. One of the biggest concerns regarding teacher characteristics is their lack of formal qualifications in deaf pedagogy.