South Africa’s Apartheid legislation divided ‘races’ and ultimately dictated interactions between people. Post-Apartheid children have been born into a society that focuses on the importance of tolerance, diversity and interaction across ‘race’ lines. The schooling system is one such platform that may encourage interaction among children. This study explores the patterns that emerge in the interaction between children of different ‘races’. Ethnographic observation using schedules of interaction was used to investigate patterns of interaction. To focus the observation, a sample of seven ‘Indian’ children, aged between 9-10 years were observed, paying particular attention to their interactions with children around them in various contexts such as structured/formal lessons, unstructured lessons and free time. The research data was then qualitatively analysed using ethnographic descriptions and content analysis. The study found that patterns of (de) racialised interaction between children are affected by: 1) the degree of structure in the context; 2) Gender; 3) Language. Authority figures can facilitate interaction by organising the space in particular ways, increasing cooperation between children on particular tasks. However, most interaction across ‘races’ occurs in unstructured lessons. The form of boys play tends to be physical and facilitates collective play without respect to ‘race’. Girls play in more dependent on talk and given that the children in the study speak different mother tongues, this leads to separate groups forming during playtime. The results of this study also highlight the importance of a renewed focus on contexts, activities and a revisit to the multilingual schools policy to ensure that opportunities for interaction between ‘race’ lines are increased and all barriers to interaction are reduced. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Classroom management in the context of under-resourced classrooms and mixed-ability classes is an issue that is under-researched in South Africa where most public schools are under-resourced and have mixed-ability classes. My interest in undertaking a study on managing the mixed-ability classroom is based on my experience as an educator in Africa, where I have had to manage classes of learners with mixed abilities. The literature about classroom management shows that there are different management styles available to the classroom teacher who is faced with managing learners of different abilities. Three common styles are the democratic management style, the autocratic management style and the laissezfaire management style. Thus, the main research question for this study is: How do teachers in underresourced South African schools manage their mixed-ability classes? A subsidiary question is: What management styles do classroom teachers employ to manage their classes? Ginott’s theory of congruent communication was used together with the democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire styles as the theoretical framework to interpret two case studies of teachers and how they manage their classrooms at one school in the Pinetown area of KwaZulu-Natal. Using two methods, interview and observation, the findings reveal that teachers in under-resourced public schools mostly make use of a democratic management style in the classroom. This is because it encourages inclusivity of all learners irrespective of their ability. Sometimes classroom conditions lead teachers to employ an autocratic management style. Order and discipline in the class is the rationale for the supplementary autocratic style. The study concludes that the democratic style of management is better suited than an autocratic style to under-resourced classroom conditions, which are populated with many mixed-ability learners having special needs, this is because it is more in line with South Africa’s policy on inclusive education. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2009.