Thesis (MEd(Curriculum and instructional design and development))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-157). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Business Information Systems.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2012. / Organisations all over the world require skilled people to gain competitive advantage over their competition but, there is currently a shortage of specialised skills. This is evident in the high unemployment rate within the various countries, especially with the graduates. Therefore, governments, industries and institutions of higher learning have started to create initiatives that are meant to bridge the skills gap. However, the skills gap is still open. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that are causing the skills gap to remain, especially between the institutions of higher learning who are the producers of specialised skilled people and industry who require the specialised skilled people. Hence the research question: What are the factors that needs to be considered in addressing the skills gap between industry requirements and institution of higher learning curriculum development at an IT undergraduate level?

Thesis (MTech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The purpose of the study was to determine whether rural farm educators are managing the Revised National Curriculum Statement as a new approach to teaching the curriculum of outcomes-based education. For this purpose, Witbank 3 rural farm primary schools were selected. The study followed a qualitative approach. Data were collected from three principals and three educators who were all teaching multi-graded (combined grades) classes. The study found that the educators and the principals were not coping with the demands of the curriculum, therefore learners did not benefit from their everyday learning. The educators felt that there is too much paperwork involved in managing the implementation of the curriculum. The lack of support from parents, subject advisors and the deputy chief education specialist (circuit manager) is detrimental to managing the implementation of Revised National Curriculum Statement. This has led to a serious communication breakdown among these stakeholders. The research revealed grey areas in the Revised National Curriculum Statement in its interpretation of learning. The policy states that every child has the potential to learn, but it fails to state the conditions that allow for effective learning to all the learners. The study also found that the training received at the workshops is suitable for urban schools. Educators struggle to apply the teaching and learning strategies at rural farm schools. Subsequently rural farm educators resort to using the old traditional (telling and recalling) method of teaching/learning.

This study focuses on the effectiveness of the implementation of Curriculum 2005 in Grade 8 and Grade 9 in a Secondary School in Durban and it also investigates if educators have moved away from traditional ways of teaching as required by Curriculum 2005. Teachers' knowledge of the new curriculum, reactions and attitudes play a major role in any curriculum change. To make this study possible, the modules that introduced the concept of curriculum innovation are Theorizing Curriculum, Curriculum Design and Development as well as Managing Curriculum Change. These modules preceded this study. The methods of data collection were Interviews, Questionnaires and Observation (informal). The data collected suggests that educators are still experiencing problems with regard to the implementation of Curriculum 2005. Seemingly the cascading model had some discrepancies smce most educators who attended the workshops seem to be unclear of what they have to do in the classroom. It is also evident that most educators that were trained to implement Curriculum 2005 are not teaching Grade 8 and Grade 9 for various reasons like the policy of Redeployment and Rationalization. Senior Phase Learning Areas are regarded as filler subjects which means that, the Senior Phase Learning Areas are not given the same status as the Learning Areas in Further Education and Training Phase. The school will rather allocate educators at Grade 10 to 12 first before considering the Senior Phase. The attendance of Outcomes-Based Education workshops are not considered when allocating teaching loads. There is also no structure from the school or Department of Education that ensure that those educators that are trained remain in the Senior Phase so as to master the outcomes-based approach. So every year a new teacher is exposed or introduced to new ways of teaching without being trained. On the basis of the findings, there is no effective implementation of Curriculum 2005 and most teachers are still using traditional ways. The Department of Education has a great task to ensure that there is development and support of educators that are still battling with the implementation process. It is also the responsibility of the Department of Education to ensure that all children in South Africa receive quality education and narrows the gap between previously advantage and previously disadvantage communities. But all depends on the teachers' skills and knowledge of the new curriculum, structures to support the implementation process and the support from the Department of Education. Without teachers' understanding and the necessary support structure, the intended outcomes will not be achieved. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

This small but in-depth comparative study sought to explore the extent to which a rural ex-farm school and an urban ex-model C school were in a position to implement C2005. It was acknowledged that a small-scale study could not address the question of whether the two schools actually were implementing the new curriculum. The question was rather whether their circumstances were conducive to C2005 implementation. Bernstein's (1971) definition of curriculum as comprising content, pedagogy, and evaluation was found to be useful categories for analysing classroom practice in relation to C2005 design features, namely the outcomes based approach, an integrated curriculum, and learner centred teaching. The social relationships associated with weak classification (or the Integrated Code) directed the study towards forms of school organisation that would be necessary for the reception of C2005. Bernstein's concept of framing was useful in that its related concepts of sequencing and pacing of lessons provided a means of analysing classroom practices. Data collection tools included semi structured interviews and observations in the two schools. While both schools experienced difficulty in implementing C2005 in grade 9, findings indicated that the rural ex-farm experienced significantly greater difficulty. Historical disadvantage, poverty, lack of resources and lack of adequate departmental support seemed to combine with a lack of will on the part of educators to develop the kinds of lessons and materials on which C2005 depends. While teachers at this school supported the idea of C2005, they felt it could not be implemented in their context. The former model C school was advantaged by its relatively favourable situation with respect to both human and physical resources, and was making impressive progress towards C2005 implementation. Despite the fact that C2005 aimed at achieving equity, the evidence from this study suggests that the gap that had previously existed between these different schools was in fact widening. The gulf separating policymakers and their planners on the one hand, and teachers and their classrooms on the other, was particularly great in the case of the ex-farm school. Implications arising from this are discussed in terms of forms of teacher development that might alleviate the difficulties experienced in disadvantaged schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The implementation of Outcomes Based education in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and American states had problems (Steyn & Wilkinson, 1998). South Africa was no exception during the implementation of OBE in the foundation phase. Since 1997 the National Department of Education has spent millions of rands on providing training and materials to facilitate the implementation of Curriculum 2005 (C200S) / OBE in the compulsory school phase. Educators who were to implement C2005 the following year had to attend development workshops the previous year. Nevertheless educators have had problems in implementing C 2005. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the training of trainers is effective in training other educators to implement OBE. A review of the related literature revealed that much research has been done on the implementation of OBE / C2005. General recommendations for the training of educators and for implementation were given. The literature consulted did not, however, address the criteria used for the selection of trainers, how the training programme was implemented and delivered and, neither was the effectiveness of trainers addressed. The study employed a qualitative approach and data were collected by the use of questionnaires and interviews. Interviews were utilised because they involve direct personal contact with the respondents. A non-scheduled structured interview was conducted since issues to be investigated were determined prior to the interviews. The sites were three schools from different ex Departments of Education in the Umvoti District in the region of Pietermaritzburg in Mshwathi and Wartburg circuits. The subjects of the study were the educators of grades one to three, foundation phase and the educators of grade seven. All these educators had attended the training workshops. The sample included Subject Advisers, who were involved in the training of the educators and the Superintendents of Education Management (SEMs). The study revealed that the workshops were not effective as a cascading model towards the implementation of C200S / OBE. Information was diluted along the way and the facilitators were not fully prepared for their roles. The methods used in the training workshops were not relevant to the different contexts of implementation. The study also revealed that educators, the implementers of C2005 / OBE lacked support from the different stakeholders. The recommendation is that authorities take into account different contexts of implementation and different levels of professional development of educators, so that training methods used are relevant to the participants. It is also recommended that support is offered from all stakeholders. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Ed)-Universtiy of Natal, Durban, 1998.

This study investigated the attitudes of Grade One teachers in Pietermaritzburg to the training they have received on Outcomes Based Education (OBE). A questionaire was developed by the researcher from documentation used in the training that took the form of various workshop sessions. The study comprised 47 Grade One teachers drawn from 18 primary schools in Pietermaritzburg. This study attempted to determine the following issues: • The attitudes of Grade One teachers to the training they have received • Whether there were any significant differences in the attitudes of Grade One teachers from the various ex-Departments of Education to the training they have received on OBE A five point rating scale namely the Likert Scale was used to determine the attitudes of teachers. A descriptive analysis was initially employed to determine the percentagew:futeachers that strongly agreed, agreed, were uncertain, disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statements in the questionaire. The results revealed that the majority of teachers agreed that the training had provided them with an understanding of various aspects of OBE. However, some teachers did state that they were uncertain on certain issues like the Foundation Phase policy document as well as the policy document on assessment, assessment itself and the compilation of portfolios and progress reports to be submittted to relevant persons. The area of resources was also highlighted as being problematic. Teachers disagreed that they were informed on how to use educational resources in accordance with OBE as well as where and how to obtain these resources. A descriptive analysis was also undertaken to determine what percentage of teachers from each eX-department felt about each statement in the questionaire. Results revealed that only teachers from the ex-NED schools strongly agreed with most of the statements, whilst the highest percentage of teachers that were uncertain came from ex-DET schools. A statistical analysis was employed to determine whether significant differences existed in the attitudes ofteachers from the various ex-departments of education. The statistical report revealed that only four statements were significant namely the issue of the OBE assessment policy document, the Foundation Phase policy document, the compilation of Journals and progress records. Recommendations were made for further training in these areas as well as further research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

This study attempts to explore, through a qualitative approach, teachers' attitudes towards curriculum change in general and OBE in particular as a curriculum innovation. Teachers' perceptions, understandings of and readiness to implement OBE are assessed. The research attempted to explore their problems and fears concerning their role in this process of curriculum change. Curriculum change as a process and outcomes-based education as a new innovation is explored in relation to the peculiarities or two schools in particular and the South African context in general. The argument centres around the past curriculum and the post (1994) curriculum in relation to outcomes based education and briefly considers what lies ahead for the future curriculum. The practicality of implementation in the present, in schools, like and similar to those in this study and the views of several scholars, especially those of Fullan (1982), Bishop (1986) and Jansen (1997) on the process of curriculum change is examined. The impact of politics on educational transformations in general and in the South African context in particular is debated. The role of curriculum change in such a milieu and the impact it has on the teacher as implementor is examined through the views of the participants in this case study. Socio-economic criteria also influences what happens within schools, and this study shows that poverty hampers the process of curriculum change. A case study approach was used so that, an in-depth study of the schools could be done. The study focused on how the teachers in two schools in Reservoir Hills are engaged in the actual implementation of OBE including the question of what in-service training they received and how effective and relevant it has been thus far. This study served as an enlightening exercise for myself. A discussion of the participants views and my own observations and recommendations are presented. The constraints I encountered and the limitations of such a study are also outlined. I hope that this study adds to the pool of research data that is rapidly developing, in this particular area of study in our context, and inspires others to further the research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.