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Research Outputs

Life after school for recent matriculants in South Africa

In this policy brief, Gabrielle Wills, identifies six insights into the realities facing young matriculants after school in South Africa.
The available opportunities for youth after completing school have not grown commensurately with improvements in school completion.

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May 26, 2025 By: Gabrielle Wills PDF

Assessing the Relationship Between School-Based Assessment and Matric Performance in Mathematics: A Quantitative Analysis of Poor Schools in Limpopo

This study investigates whether the quality of school-based assessment (SBA) influences matriculation performance in Mathematics within quintile 1 to 3 schools in Limpopo, South Africa. It builds on previous literature that identified poor schools in Limpopo excelling in Mathematics achievement at the matriculation level.

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April 24, 2025 By: Janke Claasen PDF

Incomplete resourcing of inclusive education in South Africa: Implications for the reading crisis

In 2021, teachers instructing the average Grade 4 student in South Africa faced reading abilities spanning almost four grade levels in one classroom (Böhmer & Wills, 2023). In this context, curriculum or instruction differentiation is a necessary classroom strategy. The South African curriculum and inclusive education policies recognise learner diversity and envisage class teachers as responsible for curriculum differentiation supported by district and circuit experts.

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April 24, 2025 By: Gabrielle Wills, Nicola DeghayeNicola Deghaye & Gabrielle Wills PDF

Linguistic interdependence? Foundation Phase mastery in home language as a predictor of grade 4 repetition and EFAL marks

For most South African learners, the destination language of instruction (typically English) is not their mother tongue; thus, proficiency in English is necessary for educational success. However, research has shown that development of linguistic skills is more effective in the mother tongue, and that these skills can be transferred to a second language (especially when high levels of proficiency are reached in the first language).

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February 6, 2025 By: Ros Clayton PDF

The impact of the 2023 Back-on-Track Programme on learning

The 2023 Back-on-Track (BoT) programme, launched by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), aimed to address significant learning deficits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic over a period of three years. This R1.2 billion initiative targeted improvements in mathematics and language through interventions for learners and teachers in grades 4, 7, and 8. Using Systemic Tests and School-Based Assessments (SBAs), this evaluation assesses the programme’s impact on grade 4 and grade 7 learners.

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February 6, 2025 By: Chloé van Biljon, Chris van Wyk, Servaas van der BergChloé van Biljon, Chris van Wyk and Servaas van der Berg PDF