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The use of dynamic geometry computer software (DGCS) is important in educational environment, and it is more advantageous for learning mathematics comprehensively. This study examined the importance of dynamic geometry computer software on learners' performance in geometry. A quasi experimental, non-equivalent control group was used. The instrument used in this study was geometry achievement mathematics test (GMAT) that comprised 15 multiple choices items. The GMAT was administered to 87 grade nine learners in two secondary schools in Tshwane south district, Gauteng Province South Africa. One school was used as experimental group and the second school was used as the control group. Data analysis employed the use of the statistical t-test independent sample. The result of the study shows that using DGCS is important in geometry whereby it improves the performance of learners. In addition, the results show that the software affects the female learners' mathematics performances more positively than the male learners. Hence, the results of this study showed that there is great potential in using the DGCS (GeoGebra) to teach secondary schools mathematics. The study recommends that the use of technology in teaching and learning of mathematics should be a priority in the schools.

Nurturing creativity in Technology classrooms will, potentially, prepare learners for adaptability to the sweeping transformations that the new industrial revolutions portend and equip them to maximise the opportunities inherent in these revolutions. This study examined the effects of physical factors on the development of creativity in Grade 9 Technology classrooms. A qualitative research design was employed to purposively sample three Grade 9 Technology teachers to participate in this study. Open-ended questionnaires and non-participant observations were used as the methods of data collection for the study and the data were analysed thematically. The research findings show that creative pedagogy and the resultant development of creativity in the classroom, to a significant extent, are influenced by physical factors - class size and availability of Technology equipment. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by outlining how unfavourable physical conditions hinder the development of creativity skills in Technology classrooms, which is a core objective of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) guiding Technology education in South Africa. The study outlines the importance of a conducive learning environment to the quest to enhance learners' creativity. Furthermore, the study recommends solutions to the paucity of resources for the enhancement of creativity in the Technology classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning support materials, including commercially prepared textbooks, play a central role in the implementation of a new curriculum. In South Africa, classroom resource materials such as textbooks are reported to have had a considerable influence on Teachers' pedagogical practices. The aim of the article is to explore the criteria that Grade 9 teachers use for the selection of technology textbooks. The data were purposefully collected from technology teachers at ten schools in the Tshwane South and Tshwane North districts through semi-structured interviews. The linguistic notion of textbook register was used to classify the selection criteria used by teachers according to the field, mode and tenor of the textbook. Results indicate that when technology teachers select textbooks they mainly use criteria related to the field (the nature of the content of the text) and the mode (the way the content is presented) of the book. Few criteria relate to relationships conveyed by the book (the tenor) which is expressed as the extent to which it provides teacher support and the influence it allocates to the student. The findings confirm the high frequency of the use of criteria in the area of breadth, depth and accuracy of content knowledge and, less frequently, its progression and relationship with students' everyday experiences. Selection criteria related to activities presented in the book include the number and detail of practical activities and design tasks, and the variety and the relevance of activities with respect to the content knowledge presented. A concern with the quality of communication of a book is more often expressed in selection criteria for illustrations than for language difficulty. Lastly, criteria for selecting textbooks do hardly focus on the teaching strategies in the book, and infrequently on the guidance for lesson planning and assessment. However, several teachers select texts on the basis of the opportunities for tailoring information and activities specifically for their students' contexts.

The article presents a speech by Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Honorable Minister of Health of South Africa, at the end of a conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference has brought together a high caliber of international scientists from around the world. He said that the determination by the organizing committee to bring together the disciplines of molecular medicine and natural medicine in pursuit of a greater understanding of natural products was inspirational.