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Psychosocial Development Case Study: Application

 

I was working with a boy in Grade 9. He was doing alright in his other subjects, except math.

While working with him, I noticed that whenever he attempted a math sum, he would look at the question with haste and look away almost immediately. Thereafter, he would guess a number, and place it as the answer. However, the answer was always wrong, and sometimes no where close to what it should have been. In cases where he had to show steps, the steps were totally incorrect, and did not follow onto each other.

 

 

As the CAPS system has a 40% pass mark for Mathematics in the GET (General Education and Training Phases – Grades 7 – 9), this is a steep mark for anyone who is not mathematically inclined. I always say: If you ever see on your report a mark that reflects the basic pass mark, you didn’t get that mark. You actually got way under it, but they gave you a condoned pass. Most of the time, the schools push you through, but there is usually a condition that you will not take Mathematics as a subject in the next phase.

 

 

While working with this boy, I noticed that he was petrified while doing maths. He was physically stiff and noticeably uneasy, and would panic when he was expected to perform. It took a while because it came across as disinterest in the beginning.

 

After a while, it became apparent to me, throughout the uncovering process, I realised that he had an issue with the concept of math. He could not bring himself to even try to understand it.

 

 

Using the Psychosocial Development theory as background information – remember, I had been using this theory and many others for half a decade by now – I realised that something happened in early primary school, as he had no ‘industry’ in his work. I sat and thought for a while, as he was trying to figure out his math problem, I was also trying to figure out his math problem.

 

 

And then it struck me – he was on the younger side of the age group because it is very foundational issue. A lot can occur if something negative happens later in life, because you have foundations; but this boy had no foundation, so I was certain it happened in the early years of his math education.

 

 

Upon my asking:

“Pray, tell. What happened to you when you were in primary school? Something happened either in Grade 2 or 3. I’m not certain, but something happened.”

 

The fifteen year old replies:

“When I was in Grade 2 (around 8 years old), I struggled to get a math problem. It was really difficult, and I wasn’t good at that math. My teacher called me up and demanded I give her an answer. After I was struggling for a bit, she proceeded to call me useless and said that I should be happy my dad is dead because I would be an embarrassment to him”.

 

For context, the child’s father died three years prior in a horrific car accident, leaving the mother and two kids destitute, as he was the sole breadwinner at the time.

 

 

Our practical step by step programme then consisted of the following:

 

1. You will not do Mathematics in Grade 10. You will do Mathematical Literacy.

2. Conduct career counselling session(s) in which the two subjects are highlighted and the differences are made clear:

   1. Mathematics is a theoretical subject.

   2. Mathematical Literacy is a practical, real world subject that is essentially accounting and financial practices.

3. Divide the work up and focus on the items he can excel in, and gloss over other concepts where he struggles. As he only needed 40% to pass, we focused on training the content he needed (and could) pass.

 

 

Result: The client passed the subject by a very small margin, went to Grade 10 and did Mathematical Literacy. He recently passed Matric and seems happy.