Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

He placed much emphasis on standing up straight (with arms at the back) to answer
questions.
He often reprimanded pupils for providing 'one word' answers to questions. (Very often, all
the question needed was a 'one word' answer). Pupils who answered in single words were
sometimes ridiculed (labelled 'mad') while those who stood up straight and answered in a full
sentence were applauded by the class after being prompted to do so by the teacher.
(T =Teacher, P=Pupil)
T: Which is the winter month?
P: May.
T: You can't just say "May". Someone will think that you are mad!
Another pupils answers in a full sentence and is then applauded in the same rhythm
described above.
Ben appeared to revel in the fact that he could speak and understand English well, while his
pupils could not.
Ben presented himselfas a strict disciplinarian who was not unwilling to use punishment
and coercion as a means ofcontrolling his pupils. For him, good lessons involved firm
discipline, an adherence to rules and rituals.
Second extract ofBen's first lesson observation report:
Ben began the lesson by asking pupils questions about the origin of resources. He used the
school desk as an example. Pupils were asked what the desk was made of and where the
different parts came from. Pupils were able to trace back the timber to its origin as a tree.
They did experience some difficulty with the metal items like the framework and the
screws that held the desk together. Ben tried to explain the origin of the metal products.
He switched between English and isiZulu. It was clear that many children were excluded
from the conversations when the language used was mainly English.
After the origins of the components were established. the teacher attempted to categorise
the different activities into the three sectors of the economy (primary, secondary and
tertiary) - wrote these three terms on the board and asked pupils to repeat them after him.
Ben's explanation of the different sectors was very limited - had difficulty explaining
clearly the activities and the characteristics of the primary and tertiary sectors.
Although Ben had used the chalkboard to write out the terms, that was all the board was
used for. He then asked pupils to write a list of all the ingredients that went into making a
loaf of bread to figure out where they had originated (individual task). Much of his
explanation of the question was in isiZulu. Some pupils still appeared confused as to what
was expected of them. Others began making lists of pOSSible ingredients for making bread.
After about fifteen minutes, the teacher stopped the class and asked for answers to the
questions he posed. Many children responded with correct answers, naming the ingredients
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