Magister Educationis - MEd / Since the onset of democracy in 1994, education in South Africa has undergone many developments and changes due to curriculum innovations and interventions. For more than two decades, the government has been seeking to eliminate the divisions of the past by establishing a society based on democratic values, social justice and the observance of fundamental human rights as described in Act 108 of 1996 in the Constitution. The curriculum changes in South Africa after 1994 had a huge impact on the education system as a whole, and classroom teaching shifted from being largely teacher- centered to being predominantly learner-centered. Hence, the newly revised Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was introduced (DBE, 2011) to provide all teachers with the same outline of what should be taught, when and how. The government's efforts at improving teaching and learning as well as maintaining a high standard of education are commendable, however, findings through this research demonstrate that CAPS disregards the massive differences in terms of contexts within which schools operate and the general lack of resources faced by certain schools. The main aim of this research was to explore the nature of the capability sets of teachers with respect to the implementation of the CAPS curriculum in a no fee school community in the Western Cape. The research was conducted within the framework of a qualitative research approach with a case study design. Classroom observation, focus group interviews and document analysis were utilized as data collection methods. The capability approach of Amartya Sen was applied to unveil the nature of teachers' capability sets in a no fee school in the Western Cape. This study has established that there are several factors inside and outside the school, which influence the implementation of CAPS during the teaching and assessment processes. Therefore, recommendations are made that the policymakers should take into account the context and socio economic background of the school and learners before changing the curriculum.

The enrolment of music in especially the secondary school is declining in many countries such as South Africa, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Brazil, China, Finland, Israel, Korea, Mexico and the United States of America. This decline in the number of learners doing the subject in secondary school, despite its popularity outside of the school, is often ascribed to the socio-economic context and the level of difficulty of the subject, but most of all due to a music curriculum that is in stark contrast to what learners are doing in their daily lives. Post-Apartheid education focused on the redress of education by working towards the provision of quality education through the improvement of educational resources, wider subject choices for previously disadvantaged learners and transforming the national curriculum to suit the needs of young people to prepare them adequately and appropriately for tertiary education and the world of work. The demands of poor communities for greater access to subjects that were previously denied to them, compelled the national education department to introduce subjects such as the arts and technology in secondary schools located in low socio-economic areas where these subjects have not been offered before. The Western Cape Education Department, as lead agent for the province’s Human Capital Development Strategy (HCDS), established ten dedicated focus schools for the arts that would become centres of excellence to provide quality arts education to secondary school learners from poor urban and rural areas. It was envisaged that these arts institutions would be equipped with the appropriate infrastructure, technology, teaching and learning support materials and qualified arts teachers to ensure that music, dance, drama, design and visual arts would be accessible to a broader spectrum of secondary school learners. The aim of the study focused on the provision of music education at these institutions by investigating the essential aspects of the focus school phenomenon such as infrastructure that was built to create a conducive environment for music education, curricular and extra-curricular music programmes, learner enrolment and retention, use of technology, teaching and learning support materials and teacher effectiveness. The study has a qualitative research approach and is based on a case study design that served to provide a rich and in-depth description of the phenomenon. The data was collected by means of focus group and individual interviews as well as observations of lessons, extra-mural activities and music performances. An interrogation of government policies and school records also informed the research to provide trustworthy findings. After each finding, some suggestions are made concerning the alleviation of challenges which focus schools face regarding the delivery of Music in the FET phase. Finally, the study makes recommendations for future research related to the provision of Music in the FET phase of South African schools. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

Educators in the basic education system are facing extreme challenges in assessing learners in general and in implementing assessment policy in particular. These challenges influence the pass rate, particularly in grade 12. The validity of the evidence of the learners’ performance depends on the quality and type of assessment tasks administered to those learners. Therefore, it was critical that those aspects, which pose challenges in the management of the assessment policy within the education system, be addressed by developing policies which would assist educators in managing assessment at school, since assessment forms an integral part of teaching and learning. Support programmes on policy implementation had to be developed for learners and for the training of educators, the implementation of which should improve the pass rate. These programmes had to include the conditions and roles of provincial and district education officers. A South African policy development model had to be developed to address the unique situation of developing such programmes. The introduction of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and the National Protocol on Recording and Reporting (NPRR) were some of the measures aimed at improving learner performance and assisting educators in implementing and managing assessment which is in line with national policy. An exploratory study, aimed at providing a broad framework on policy analysis, was used with the view to understand how the NCS and National Protocol for Recording and Reporting are managed. A proportional representative sample of 25% of the schools from the six clusters in the Mopani district formed part of this study. To ensure that the historically white, urban and rural schools were represented, an incidental biased sampling method was used. Data obtained from the questionnaire indicates that educators have knowledge of the various policies, acts and guidelines which should be used in assessing learners. However, some data indicates that some educators know about the existence of such policies, acts and guidelines but do not have knowledge of the content thereof. Data obtained from the interviews indicates that educators either know the content of policies or are only aware of them. Therefore, the lack of knowledge of policy content which regulates the practice of a policy has an influence on the teaching and assessing of learners. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

Education is a fundamental precondition for progress and growth in South Africa (Spaull, 2011, p. 1). Literacy opens the doors to better livelihoods, improved health and expanded opportunity (UNESCO, 2011). Illiteracy is a serious constraint to improving education standards in South Africa. Prominent research studies stress the low levels of reading ability across the country. At the onset of Grade One, pre-reading skills are taught. Pre-reading skills are foundational skills and essential for later reading success. Teachers in English Second Language environments face the daunting challenge of teaching learners to read in a foreign language. This qualitative research study, which was conducted at a low-fee private school in Pretoria Central Business district, aimed to explore the methods that educators were using to teach second language English Learners (ESL) pre-reading skills. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and document analysis revealed that educators had a limited theoretical knowledge of pre-reading skills due to a lack of tertiary education and curriculum training. Numerous methods of teaching pre-reading skills were identified during pre-reading lesson observations. The synthetic phonics approach, multisensory teaching, using dramatization and subtractive bilingualism were methods of instruction used to develop phonemic awareness and English oral language competency. The study highlighted the numerous challenges faced by ESL teaching working in a low-socioeconomic environment and the ways in which the teachers overcame these challenges. Based on this study’s results, recommendations are provided to enhance the teaching of pre-reading skills to ESL learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

In South Africa today, the challenge is to redress past inequalities and to transform the higher education system. This transformation of the higher education system is necessary in order to serve a new social order. The introduction of outcomes-based education and training requires a new approach to education, including the process of assessment. An outcomes-based approach to education and training focuses on continuous assessment through the use of a range of assessment methods. The Ministry of Education tasked the National Department of Education to embark on a review of their academic programmes. This review has been in response to register programmes on the National Qualifications Framework. This review has also been part of an attempt to improve the quality of qualifications. In most learning organisations, assessment and learning have always been closely related. If assessment has not simply been seen as the end point in learning but has been an important component in the design of the learning process itself, this statement will be severely tested by the movement towards an outcomes model for education and training. The primary aim of the study was to develop a conceptual model for the management of the impleme tation of a continuous assessment plan in a university of technology by means of aliterature study and an empirical investigation. Currently, information regarding the conceptualisation of this topic is inadequate and vague. If the nature of the complexities involved in the management and implementation of CASS at universities of technology are known, a conceptualised model can be developed for the effective management of the implementation thereof. The implementation of an integrated model of assessment requires the creation of an enabling environment in which the model can be implemented. This study has found that this is not true for many universities of technology, as: • programme design still rests on subjects that are not aimed at outcome-based models; • administrative systems are not designed to accommodate the recording of continuous assessments; • students, lecturers and other stakeholders have not undergone the necessary training regarding the change in paradigm from content-based to outcomebased education; and • policy regarding modularisation and continuous assessment has not yet been defined and implemented. The study serves to present a useable model for the management of the implementation of continuous assessment at universities of technology. The study is based on a balanced opinion as the experiences of both lecturers and students were investigated by means of structured questionnaires. The findings were verified by means of a focus group interview with administrative staff involved with continuous assessment. The model that was developed is a usable model as it was subjected to a number of verification tests. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Teaching and Learning))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

A private, nonprofit university in Mexico invested millions of U.S. dollars in a strategic initiative to build and operate technology-knowledge transfer parks (TKTP) with the mission of supporting the development of Mexican society's entrepreneurial capabilities. The university, however, lacked an assessment policy for gauging the effectiveness of the TKTP initiative. The purpose of this study was to explore stakeholder values about TKTP effectiveness in order to inform future assessment of TKTPs. The triple helix conceptual framework of collaboration between universities, business and industry, and government informed the design of this study. The central question for this study sought to clarify what stakeholders perceive to make TKTPs effective. The study employed stratified random sampling and cross-sectional stakeholder survey data (N = 129). Data analysis included descriptive statistics to present common themes about TKTP stakeholder values, as well as ANOVA to discern significant differences in TKTP valuations between the stakeholder groups. A key finding was that stakeholder groups lack enough information to assess whether the university achieved its original objectives by using the TKTP initiative. Other findings revealed that the stakeholder groups agreed on several criteria for TKTP assessment. A policy recommendation for TKTP assessment, based on the research findings, is provided as part of the project component of this study. This project study supports positive social change by encouraging the region's transformation into a more entrepreneurial, innovative, and knowledge-based economy through continued but more accountable use of TKTPs in Mexico.

In South Africa today, the challenge is to redress past inequalities and to transform the higher education system. This transformation of the higher education system is necessary in order to serve a new social order. The introduction of outcomes-based education and training requires a new approach to education, including the process of assessment. An outcomes-based approach to education and training focuses on continuous assessment through the use of a range of assessment methods. The Ministry of Education tasked the National Department of Education to embark on a review of their academic programmes. This review has been in response to register programmes on the National Qualifications Framework. This review has also been part of an attempt to improve the quality of qualifications. In most learning organisations, assessment and learning have always been closely related. If assessment has not simply been seen as the end point in learning but has been an important component in the design of the learning process itself, this statement will be severely tested by the movement towards an outcomes model for education and training. The primary aim of the study was to develop a conceptual model for the management of the impleme tation of a continuous assessment plan in a university of technology by means of aliterature study and an empirical investigation. Currently, information regarding the conceptualisation of this topic is inadequate and vague. If the nature of the complexities involved in the management and implementation of CASS at universities of technology are known, a conceptualised model can be developed for the effective management of the implementation thereof. The implementation of an integrated model of assessment requires the creation of an enabling environment in which the model can be implemented. This study has found that this is not true for many universities of technology, as: • programme design still rests on subjects that are not aimed at outcome-based models; • administrative systems are not designed to accommodate the recording of continuous assessments; • students, lecturers and other stakeholders have not undergone the necessary training regarding the change in paradigm from content-based to outcomebased education; and • policy regarding modularisation and continuous assessment has not yet been defined and implemented. The study serves to present a useable model for the management of the implementation of continuous assessment at universities of technology. The study is based on a balanced opinion as the experiences of both lecturers and students were investigated by means of structured questionnaires. The findings were verified by means of a focus group interview with administrative staff involved with continuous assessment. The model that was developed is a usable model as it was subjected to a number of verification tests. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Teaching and Learning))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe - FAPITEC/SE / Brazilian assessment policy-Prova Brasil is a large – basic - scale evaluation of basic education applied to the 5th and 9th years of elementary education in Brazilian public schools, which aims is to measure performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language, in problem solving and reading skills. To solve mathematical problems, one must read the statement and understand what is required to develop mathematical procedures. Therefore, there is a relation between the performance in the Brazilian Course of Portuguese Language and Mathematics, which is the objective of this research study of this thesis, developed in three stages. The first step was to identify the cognitive boundaries between reading and mathematics. From the pedagogical point of view, the two disciplines are sealed and separated. From the cognitive point of view, although the two areas of knowledge access distinct neural circuits, both share processes of representation and retrieval of symbolic information, attention, functional memory and cognitive control, which shows the approximation in terms of cognitive processing. The second stage consisted of the elaboration of a standardized test according to the Brazilian Course, in order to allow the monitoring of individual student performance. The tests were elaborated from the available items on the website of the Pedagogical Devolutive Platform of Inep; we chose two selection criteria using the proficiency, scoring levels and the Reference Matrix topics of each area / series evaluated; we distribute the items according to the stratification of difficult levels as: easy, medium and difficult; we tested the items to identify the degree of difficulty in three parameters: discrimination, probability of randomization and degree of difficulty, following the Precepts of Item Response Theory. After the validation of the elaborated test, we moved to the third stage, which objective was to compare students' performance in reading and problem solving. There was a total of 227 students who participated of this research from the 6th and 9th years of an elementary school in two public schools in Sergipe (state school and federal school), students’ average aged between 10 to 19 years old. The data collection procedures was evaluated by the research ethics committee, CAAE 2,008,797. The data was submitted to statistical analysis. Reading performance is associated with problem solving performance, presenting a strong and significant correlation for the 6th year (r = 0.62 and p = <0.001) and for the 9th year (r = 051 and p <0.001). The results indicate that the highest proficiencies in Mathematics correspond to the higher levels in Portuguese Language, for the 6th and 9th years. In the comparison between the performance in Mathematics and the Portuguese Language questions that required basic levels of proficiency, that is, those presented more elementary and more direct statements, there is no significant difference statistically. However, for more complex levels items, which skills are required to establish relationships between the textual elements and the problem statement, we observe the influence of the level of the proficiency Portuguese language in problem solving performance. We conclude that there is a relationship between performance in the Brazilian Mathematics and Portuguese Language Test, more specifically, in the relation between problem solving and reading proficiency, which points to the necessity of the articulated pedagogical work between the subjects for the effectiveness in the results. / A Prova Brasil é uma avaliação em larga escala da educação básica aplicada aos 5º e 9º anos do ensino fundamental em escolas públicas brasileiras, cujo objetivo é aferir o desempenho em Matemática e em Língua Portuguesa, nas habilidades de resolução de problemas e em leitura. Para resolver problemas matemáticos, é preciso ler o enunciado, compreender o que é solicitado e desenvolver os procedimentos matemáticos. Logo, existe uma relação entre o desempenho na Prova Brasil de Língua Portuguesa e no da prova de Matemática, que é o objetivo de investigação desta tese, desenvolvida em três etapas. A primeira etapa teve por objetivo identificar as fronteiras cognitivas entre a leitura e a matemática. Do ponto de vista pedagógico, as duas disciplinas são estanques e separadas. Do ponto de vista cognitivo, embora as duas áreas do conhecimento acessem circuitos neurais distintos, ambas compartilham processos de representação e recuperação de informação simbólica, atenção, memória funcional e de controle cognitivo, o que mostra a aproximação em termos de processamento cognitivo. A segunda etapa consistiu na elaboração de um teste padronizado aos moldes da Prova Brasil, de modo a permitir o acompanhamento do desempenho individual do estudante. Os testes foram elaborados a partir dos itens disponíveis no site da Plataforma Devolutivas Pedagógicas do Inep. Elegemos dois critérios de seleção utilizando os níveis das escalas de proficiências e os tópicos da Matriz de Referência de cada área/série avaliadas. Distribuímos os itens conforme estratificação de níveis de dificuldades: fácil, médio e difícil. Testamos os itens para identificar o grau de dificuldade em três parâmetros: discriminação, probabilidade de acerto ao acaso e grau de dificuldade, seguindo os preceitos da Teoria de Resposta ao Item. Após a validação do teste elaborado, passamos para a terceira etapa, cujo objetivo foi comparar o desempenho dos estudantes em leitura e em resolução de problemas. Participaram da pesquisa 227 alunos dos 6º e 9º anos do ensino fundamental de duas escolas públicas de Sergipe (estadual e federal), com idades entre 10 e 19 anos. Os procedimentos da coleta foram apreciados pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa, CAAE 2.008.797. Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística. O desempenho em leitura está associado ao desempenho em resolução de problemas, apresentando uma correlação forte e significativa para os sextos anos (r=0,62 e p=<0,001) e para os nonos anos (r=0,51 e p<0,001). Os resultados apontaram que as maiores proficiências em Matemática correspondem aos níveis superiores em Língua Portuguesa, para os sextos e nonos anos. Na comparação entre o desempenho em Matemática e as questões de Língua Portuguesa que exigiram níveis básicos de proficiência, isto é, aquelas que apresentaram enunciados mais elementares e mais diretos, não existe diferença estatisticamente significativa. Porém, para itens em níveis mais complexos, em que são exigidas habilidades para estabelecer relações entre os elementos textuais e o enunciado dos problemas, observamos influência do nível de proficiência em Língua Portuguesa no desempenho em resolução de problemas. Concluímos que existe relação entre o desempenho na Prova Brasil de Matemática e de Língua Portuguesa, mais especificamente, na relação entre resolução de problemas e proficiência em leitura, o que aponta para a necessidade de trabalho pedagógico articulado entre as duas disciplinas para maior efetividade nos resultados. / São Cristóvão, SE

En esta tesis se analizan aspectos relacionados con exámenes de segundas lenguas de alto impacto (high-stakes). A diferencia de estudios anteriores, se trata de un trabajo de investigación comparativo que toma como referencia los contrastes y las similitudes que existen entre la PAU española y el sistema inglés de exámenes A-levels en relación a distintos aspectos. Por un lado, se presenta el tema desde una perspectiva histórica de la evolución de los exámenes de acceso a la universidad en cada país. Por otro, se hace un análisis en profundidad de aspectos clave de la evaluación como la validez del constructo, las características de las actividades o ítems y la fiabilidad. El contraste entre dos realidades evaluadoras diferentes nos permite ilustrar los desaciertos del sistema español mediante una evaluación de los éxitos relativos al procedimiento de evaluación pre-universitario inglés. Además, al comparar la naturaleza de la prueba en España con un equivalente europeo, se pretende comprender la manera en la que la PAU puede ser mejorada en el futuro. Finalmente, en esta tesis presentamos una propuesta de cambios fundamentales y viables para la prueba de inglés en la PAU actual. / López Navas, MD. (2012). COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO FOREIGN LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY ENTRY IN ENGLAND AND SPAIN [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/18055 / Palancia

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Background: Gender bias in the Physical Sciences education favours male learners to the disadvantages of female learners, bringing along sex discrimination. Physical Sciences Curriculum reinforces masculinity, resulting in few females enrolling for science-related subjects. Male learners outperform female learners in Physical Sciences. Also, sex discrimination due to gender bias is visible in the workforce in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Therefore, the purpose of this study was aimed at exploring gender biased texts in the Physical Sciences CAPS document and also its impact on Grade 12 female learners. Method: A qualitative exploratory phenomenological study design was conducted. In my study, participants were Physical Sciences Grade 12 female learners and their teachers. The total number of participants was 12 (8 female learners and 4 teachers) and the sample depended on data saturation. Also, data were collected using document review (Physical Sciences Curriculum and AssessmentPolicy Statements document and prescribed textbook), classroom observation and interviews with learners and teachers. One-on-one interviews were conducted with participants using interview guides for both teachers and learners. Data collected from interviews were analysed using thematic 8 steps of Tesch’s inductive and descriptive open coding technique. Results: The results from the document review showed the existence of gender bias in the Physical Sciences textbooks and Curriculum and AssessmentPolicy Statement document. Classroom observation showed that male learners were more interested and participated actively in the Physical Sciences lesson as compared to female learners. Both teachers and learners are aware of the existence of gender biased texts in Physical Sciences education. Further, this impacts negatively towards female learners leading to a bad attitude towards sciences and subsequently, to poor performance as compared to male learners. Female learners believe that they were to perform better in Physical Sciences if they were of the male gender. Conclusion: The existence of gender biased texts in the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements document and prescribed textbooks reinforce masculinity in the field. There is a need to review the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement document and prescribed textbooks to ensure inclusivity, eliminate sex discrimination and also to achieve balance in the workforce in the science field. Key concepts Physical Sciences; Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements; Female learner; Gender Biased texts; Performance; Inclusive education