In 2016, Lara Ragpot, D.Ed., and her research team made an important discovery among young learners in South Africa who were learning math in school for the first time.
Dr. Ragpot is Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Masters of Educational Studies at TWU.
The work of Dr. Ragpot and her team was published in the South African Journal of Childhood Education in the article, “Early numeracy performance of South African school beginners.”
After conducting a cross-sectional study of 443 first graders (206 girls and 237 boys) from South Africa’s Gauteng Province, Dr. Ragpot and her team discovered that there were “statistically significant differences” among the children's abilities to learn and do math.
These differences in numeracy skills were related to “the home language of the first graders in the English medium schools, as well as the type of school (public vs. private).”
The study concluded that variations in numeracy skills among South African children at the outset of their academic journey “has implications for teaching in the vastly different classroom populations that are all served by one national curriculum.”
Winner of AOSIS Laureatus 2020 Awards
Recently, Dr. Ragpot’s article was recognized by AOSIS Laureatus 2020 Awards as “the most highly cited manuscript of 2019 within the AOSIS Humanities and Social Sciences scholarly field.”
In an announcement on their website, ASOS said:
“Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic and our concern for the well-being of all our authors and editors, the directors of AOSIS have decided to cancel our annual Laureatus Awards Ceremony for 2020. However, we would still like to give recognition to all our authors, editors and researchers for producing outstanding work during these challenging times.”
Trinity Western University joins TWU's School of Education in expressing its congratulations and appreciation for the scholarly work of Dr. Ragpot and her team in the field of international education.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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