AVBOB STEP 12 PROVIDES LEARNERS AN AHA MOMENT

“I think it is important to reach out to Grade 12 learners who did not pass the October/November exams. The guides are designed in such a way that they could use it on their own and get ready to write their exams in May/June the next year to pass their matric,” says Julia Nedzharata, Tshivenda Subject Advisor for the AVBOB STEP 12 programme.

With the 2023 launch of the AVBOB STEP 12 programme, 33 Examination Preparation Guides in all 11 official written languages were made available for FREE to Grade 12 language teachers, learners, parents and any other interested parties. Princess Bembe, AVBOB STEP 12 English Subject Advisor, describes the programme as “a fresh and innovative way of assisting our teachers and learners.”

The Examination Preparation Guides are meticulously compliant with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), written in accordance with the most recent Examination Guidelines, and are endorsed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The AVBOB STEP 12 programme comprises three guides (one guide for each of the language examination papers) for each of the 11 official written languages. Although the guides feature elements of study guides, their focus is on preparation – an often-neglected aspect of assessment that is crucial if learners are to achieve their full potential. As such, the guides provide information on a range of relevant aspects of the language examination papers.

“The Examination Preparation Guides provide guidance on the format and structure of the papers,” says Bembe. “Equally important are the practical examples the guides provide to help clarify areas we deem relevant to the learners. The guides are unique in that they take on a slightly different stance – a focus on the ‘HOW’ part of the assessment.”

“The guides provide an overview of what each examination paper entails in addition to information on how to prepare for the examination. They focus on the format and structure of the examination papers through examples.”

Although the AVBOB STEP 12 guides were conceptualised as material for learners in a formal class setting with a full-time teacher available, they proved to play a pivotal role in assisting learners who did not pass their matric exam at the end of 2023 and had to retake their exams this year.  

This aspect of the programme is dear to Nedzharata, who recognises their value to learners who are retaking their language exams. She states, “The guides are so detailed that a second-chance matric will get enough information by reading them to get ready to write their matric papers again, with understanding of what is required in all three examination papers. The Examination Preparation Guides are easy to read, written in language that is easy to understand, and they provide example questions for self-assessment and model answers against which learners can compare their answers and see where they went wrong.”

Since inception of the AVBOB STEP 12 programme, the DBE has encouraged Grade 12 (and 11) language teachers to embrace the Examination Preparation Guides as a valuable additional resource in their education toolkits, and teachers have responded with positive feedback.

“Educators from the various assessment bodies sent us complimentary messages and mentioned how the guides had provided them guidance that helped immensely in preparing their learners for the examinations,” says Bembe.

Bembe concludes, “This was clear when, as Umalusi External Moderators, we observed improvement in the Grade 12 candidates’ adherence to questions in some of the papers when we verified marking in some of the provinces. Learners mentioned how the guides had provided clarity on aspects they previously found difficult to understand. To many learners, the guides provided an aha moment.”

The AVBOB STEP 12 Examination Preparation Guides can be downloaded for FREE at www.avbobstep12.co.za.