EXPLORATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTENT IN GRADE 12 MATHEMATICAL LITERACY SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT none

Abstract

A qualitative exploratory design was utilised in this study through the application of assessment theory to explore the extent to which Grade 12 Mathematical Literacy (Maths Lit) national examination papers spanning from 2014 to 2018 assessed environmental content. Environmental education (EE) is a cross-curricular discipline integrated in all school subjects. The assessment of environmental content in Maths Lit is important to ensure learners have adequate environmental knowledge to sustain the fragile environment. Purposive sampling was used to select Maths Lit from school subjects owing to a shortage of literature on EE. Data was analysed through coding and thematic techniques. It was established that environmental content did appear in the question papers in the specific period, but there was a significant disparity between the marks allocated to environmental content each year. The study contributes to the fields of EE and Maths Lit by highlighting disparities between the marks allocated to environmental content in the question papers.