D.Phil. / Education in South Africa is currently in a process of transformation. The transformation is aimed at facilitating equal opportunities for all learners. All educational institutions are primarily involved in the realisation of the human potential of each and every prospective citizen of this diverse country. This research was conducted with the ultimate aim of determining whether Biology as subject could unlock processes of thought in learners, resulting in the development of certain essential skills. The attainment of these mentioned skills might contribute to the optimal cultivation of human potential. A comprehensive study, in which relevant literature was scrutinised, was conducted in order to explore concepts concerning the field of human potential, as well as aspects concerning the discipline of Biology as subject. Qualitative- and quantitative research methods were used. The qualitative research entailed interviews with a focus group. For the purpose of the comparative study, a questionnaire was developed. This represented the quantitative component of the research. The questionnaire was designed to determine to what extent skills of grade 12 Biology learners were developed regarding the following domains: • Cognitive- and psychomotor domains • Affective- and ethical-normative domains • Social domain The results obtained from the empirical study indicated significant statistical differences concerning the extent of skills development in learners studying Biology as opposed to learners not studying Biology as a subject. It can be concluded that the extent of the development of cognitive-, psychomotor-, ethical-normative- and affective skills of Biology learners statistically exceeds those of the non-Biology learners. The extent of development of skills regarding the social domain did not reflect statistically significant differences between the two groups. Regarding the development of additional essential skills, the Biology learners selected Biology in particular as the specific subject contributing extensively towards the development of these additional skills. Post-hoc statistical analysis indicated disparities regarding schools with different languages of instruction. The extent of development of skills of Biology learners attending schools with Afrikaans as medium of instruction significantly exceeds the level of development of learners attending English schools. Results of this research confirm the fact that Biology as subject develops skills in learners across a broad spectrum of domains. With the proposed implementing of the 2006 Further Education and Training (FET)-Curriculum it is imperative that the training of teachers, teaching methods, the positioning of Biology/Life Sciences in the curriculum and the selection of curriculum content are amongst the important issues which have to be addressed. In conclusion it can be stated that, according to the judgement of the learners, Biology as a subject develops an exceptional range of skills and thus contributes to cultivating essential aspects of human potential. The skilful and effective application of the subject Biology can enhance self-discovery in learners and aid them in fostering positive prospects concerning their future.

A research project submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, .Johannesburg, in part fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg 1993. / This study aims at providing some evaluation of the impact of the Transvaal Senior Certificate, Higher Grade, Biology Examination on Biology teaching in the Transvaal, It also looks. at the effectiveness of this exarnlnatlon as an assessment/evaluation instrument. A questlonnalre is used to secure the views qf practising Biology teachers, and teacher trainers, about the stated objectives of Biology teaching at senior high school level in terms of:- - their relative merit and importance. - their attainment through current teachinq practices. - their evaluation by the examination Board, The views of 63 teachers and 9 teacher trainers are analysed and the views of Transvaal and Natal teachers are compared to those of Teacher Trainers. Much consensus is found in the responses of all three groups of educators. They are well aware of modern trends and methodologies in the field of Biology Education but are pessimistic about the current achievement of many of the objectives they identify as being Important for effective Biology Teaching. They see the examination as one which focuses mainly on the assessment of Recall of Knowledge, The implications of these findings are discussed and several recommendations are made. / AC2017

Thesis (M.A. (English)) --University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2007 / The study sought to investigate the challenges which teachers and learners encountered on daily basis when they use English as the medium of instruction (MOI) in content subjects. The study was conducted at Jim Chavani High school which was convenient for the researcher who is a deputy principal of the school. The researcher has purposively selected Biology which is regarded as one of the most difficult subjects and which has high failure rate in most schools in the Malamulele area. The literature review was obtained from a variety of sources which include library books, journals, government gazettes, news papers and the internet. The review shed light on the challenges of teaching through the medium of English among learners with indigenous language backgrounds. This body of research has shown that attention was placed on townships and urban areas with little or no focus on remote rural areas such as Malamulele. The researcher used the qualitative research methodology to collect data through classroom observations, interviews, and writing protocols.The use of qualitative enquiry enabled the researcher to explore the challenges in a natural setting. Three teachers and eighteen learners were respondents in the study. Data collected were discussed and analysed in order to select the most suitable information which could address the aim and objectives of the study. The result of the study showed that the learners were negative towards the use of English as the MOI. On the converse, the teachers have mixed feeling on the choice for English even though they acknowledge difficulties iv posed by English in their classrooms. Spoken data showed a varied degree of code-alternation and culturally induced strategies were found in their writing protocols. Given these findings, the study draws a conclusion that using English as the MOI in remote rural areas further disadvantages the learners from getting the full benefits for comprehension in the content subject. It was therefore recommended that language planners needed to step up the process of allowing indigenous African languages as the media of learning while English is taught as the school subject.

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When democracy was achieved in South Africa there was a need to create an education system that served the needs of all South Africans. An education system which would produce literate, creative, critical and productive citizens. This led to the introduction of OBE, Curriculum 2005 and the National Curriculum Statement policy document. The principles on which the current South African education system is based has been borrowed from countries like Canada, England and Scotland. Although there are educational changes, the legacy of apartheid continues to be felt in the education system. There still exists an unequal distribution of resources both physical and human. Many previously disadvantaged schools do not have laboratory facilities nor qualified biology educators. This unequal distribution of resources impacts on teaching and learning. The successful implementation of the NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document hinges on teachers. Teachers are expected to through their teaching espouse the philosophy of the NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document. The majority of teachers teaching in South African schools had their training in a "content era," where it was amiable to transfer as much content knowledge as possible to learners, with little inquiry and the accompanying practical work. The NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document embraces the idea of learner centredness and emphasises the development of basic and integrated science process skills, in its first learning outcome. These educational changes imply a re-examination of the ways in which activities may have been conducted in the past, and at present. The context in which practical work is done in South Africa is different from the context in which practical work is done in countries like Canada, England and Scotland. This study uses an open-ended questionnaire and focus group interview to investigate teacher conceptions of practical work, the types of practicals teachers use to teach science process skills. The purpose is to get a deeper insight and understanding of teacher practices within a South African context, taking into account the effects of the legacy of apartheid. The study also highlights the possible challenges the teachers face in embracing the NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

Digital information technology has been defined as “changing how people learn, teach, work, and play. By the year 2005, the capabilities and the affordability of digital technology could catalyze and facilitate the wholesale transformation of education and the communities that support it” (Center for Technology in Learning, 1994[online]) Education as a professional field is also constantly changing, values shift, new curricula are introduced, and new technologies redefine how we teach and learn. The most interesting and important innovation in education in recent years is the widespread introduction of computers into schools. Computers represent powerful tools that can be used by both students and teachers for instructional purposes. Of particular interest is the Internet and more specifically, the World Wide Web (www), which is radically redefining how we obtain information and the way we teach and learn (Adams, 1995 [online]). Images and information from all around the world can be accessed easily in the classroom. Biology is one of the school subjects taught in South Africa. This demands sessions that may include dissections. Dissection can be defined as cutting and separating of constituent parts of an animal or a plant specimen for a scientific study and as observing or cutting into a dead animal for purposes of learning anatomy or physiology (Balcombe, 1997:34). It is thought that dissection enhances the knowledge and understanding of internal organs, their relationships and their functioning, and that maximum learning is most likely to be achieved by maximising the personal experience of the reality being taught (Wheeler, 1993:39). However, dissection has always been a controversial issue in biology teaching. In fact, when forced to use animals in ways to which the student objects, the student may even be traumatised and learn less (Adams, 1995: [online]). / Mr. G.V. Lautenbach

The new curriculum in Namibia has introduced a new approach to teaching and learning requiring teachers to make use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge (PEK) including indigenous knowledge (IK) and practical work/activities. It further emphasizes some variations in teaching methods such as; the use of analogies, the use of mind maps, and so forth with the aim to actively involve learners in the learning process and develop skills to solve global challenges. The emphasis is on understanding of knowledge, skills and the will to use them appropriately throughout their lives. The main aim of this study was to understand and document how Biology teachers mediate learning of the topic respiration. Informed by an interpretive paradigm, a qualitative case study was conducted at two secondary schools in the Kunene region. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling. Data were gathered using three main sources, namely, documents, semi-structured interview questions which culminated into a questionnaire and observations. Triangulation was thus used to give credibility, objectivity and validity to the interpretation of the data. Data analysis in this case study involved a multi-stage process of organizing, coding and categorizing, synthesizing and summarizing. The audio recorded lessons were transcribed into text and I analyzed data using a colour coding technique by segmenting and labelling text to identify descriptions and broad themes in the data. Vygotsky’s Mediation of Learning and Social Constructivism in conjunction with Shulman’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) informed the data analysis process. Teacher-learner interactions were the main theme for mediation of learning (social constructivist perspective), hence during analysis I paid more attention to moments where interactions evolved and I used PCK to gain insights in teaching and instructional strategies used by teachers. The findings of this study revealed that: 1) teachers endeavor to use a variety of teaching methods such as the use of a mind maps and question and answer method. Learners were keen to ask questions in order to understand this topic. 2) The study also revealed that a lack of practical activities is one of the challenges teachers are faced with. Based on my research findings, I therefore suggest that there is a need for continuous professional development of biology teachers and capacity building in order to improve both their content and pedagogical content knowledge.

Senior high school students in a Human Biology course were given college level work through the Phase Achievement System (PAS), a biology course at Brigham Young University (BYU). Statistical analysis showed significant growth in high school student learning through the PAS. When ability to work with PAS was measured, significant differences between the high school and college groups were not evident. A high percentage of college and high school students dropped out of the PAS, probably becasue students could fail at the PAS without experiencing academic failure.

Since 1970, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have studied the effects of a game technique called the tearns-games-tournament method on the achievement scores, attitudes, and classroom process of elementary and junior high students. Their findings raised many questions about the applicability of team-games to affect achievement at the high school level or in subject areas other than math and English. In 1980, the National Science Foundation allocated funds for the creation of TGT materials for seventh-grade science, even though research of its effectiveness for science courses had not been conducted. This study was designed to provide answers to the following questions: Would high school students playing teams-games-tournaments have greater academic achievement in a high school biology course than students in classes using traditional classroom methods? Would high school students in TGT classes have greater retention of knowledge after a delayed period of time than those students in classes using traditional classroom methods? Would high school students in TGT classes have more positive attitudes toward the subject of biology than students in classes using traditional classroom methods? Would high school students like TGT better as a means for studying chapter material than traditional methods? Eight biology classes were involved in the seven-week treatment period. Analysis of variance was used to compare control and experimental groups for (1) pre-test cognitive knowledge, (2) post-test cognitive knowledge, (3) delayed post-test cognitive knowledge, (4) pre-test attitudes towards biology, and (5) post-test attitudes towards biology. Analysis of covariance was computed using I.Q. and pre-test scores as covariates for post-test cognitive means and delayed post-test cognitive means. A dependent t-test was computed for attitudes of experimental classes towards team-games. TGT had no significant effect on the biology achievement scores or attitudes towards biology of high school students in this study. Experimental classes did like team-games and sustained their attitudes towards them for the duration of the study. / Ed. D.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Arts in Education