The study focused on the role of the school management team in curriculum change management. Apart from a literature review, an empirical investigation based on a qualitative research paradigm involving semi-structured individual and focus group interviews was used to collect data at three secondary schools in the Tshilamba circuit in Limpopo Province. Literature findings revealed that although, in the first place, politically inclined the introduction of Curriculum 2005 was also steered by the socio-economic needs of the country. Empirical findings elicited that although managing curriculum changes was a challenging effort on account of an initial and continuous lack of adequate training, the school management teams of the selected schools were acquainted with significant knowledge and skills on curriculum change management. This pertains to lesson plan management, supporting and monitoring educators, managing the school register and timetable and managing school finances to select teaching and learning resources. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

This study investigated the opportunities and impediments that were present in C2005 and which impacted on the implementation of environmental education in selected schools in the Lusikisiki District of the Eastern Cape Province. The sample consisted of 12 learners from grade 2 to grade 7, 26 educators and 2 parents from 2 GET band schools. Two Department of Education Officials also formed part of the sample. Interviews were conducted and observations were made within the two schools to get an insight on the position and status of environmental education in the two schools. The study's findings indicated that the position and status of environmental education in the two schools were low although all the stakeholders had a desire to see things improving. The study puts forward some recommendations and review of environmental education implementation strategies. It also makes suggestions for further related investigation in this area. / Educational Studies / M.Ed(Environmental Education))

Life Orientation is one the learning areas which was introduced by Curriculum 2005 in the General Education and Training band. Its inclusion in the Further Education and training curriculum from 2005 is indicative of its unsurpassed importance to learners. However, these changes have brought about challenges and uncertainty among educators. A literature study was done to discuss the concepts of Life Orientation content, the role of educators, the skills Life Orientation educators should possess and adolescence. The different approaches in relation to the teaching of Life Orientation were also explained. A survey study, using a quantitative research design, was done to investigate educators' response on their knowledge of Life Orientation content, Life Orientation skills and adolescent development. The results of the study indicate that Life Orientation educators lack confidence in these three areas. Therefore, educators require training to equip them to cope with the challenges of the learning area, Life Orientation. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisations in Guidance and Counselling)

In South Africa Outcomes-based Education (OBE) has been adopted as the approach to education in a new educational dispensation. A point of departure is that school managers have a managerial responsibility to educators. The effective implementation of OBE in secondary schools is essential to the success of OBE. The study investigates the impact of the attitudes of school managers on the implementation of OBE in secondary schools and makes recommendations for the improvement of practice. The problem was conducted by a literature study and empirical investigation using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews administered to a small sample of principals, deputy principals and heads of departments in selected secondary schools in the Umlazi South district of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Findings showed that school managers in the sample have negative attitudes towards the implementation of OBE. The Department of Education should develop school managers by means of empowerment programmes to equip them with new management skills. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study concerns the identification of the particular competences required by education, training and development practitioners (ETD practitioners) in the South African National Defence Force to develop suitable and appropriate career and training strategies. An applied research approach and a primarily quantitative approach were used. Questionnaires were completed by the commanding officers or the training managers, as well as the ETD practitioners at the education, training and development providers in the South African National Defence Force to determine the actual utilisation of ETD practitioners. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the roles, core competences, levels of competences and clusters of competences required by ETD practitioners in the South African National Defence Force. In addition, the actual utilisation of ETD practitioners was compared with a proposed competence profile that was based on the literature study in order to determine the competence gap that has to be addressed by means of career and training strategies. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Didactics)

ABSTRACT The study aims at establishing whether Foundation Phase schooling provides a proper foundation for the promotion of scientific literacy. Natural Science in the Foundation Phase is understood as scientific knowledge, process skills, and values and attitudes, which together should foster scientific literacy. Influential perspectives on learning, and teaching methods appropriate to Natural Science education in the Foundation Phase, are reviewed, and the Natural Science Learning Area in the RNCS discussed in the context of global trends in curriculum development. Finally the findings of an empirical survey on the perceptions of Foundation Phase teachers with regard to Natural Science teaching and learning, are presented. Major findings include the following: (1) Scientific literacy is currently not a curriculum priority in the Foundation Phase, due mainly to meagre time allocation and lack of applicable Learning Outcomes. (2) Although teachers appear predominantly positive towards the Learning Area, significant shortcomings need to be addressed before Natural Science teaching in the Foundation Phase may claim to provide the required basis for promoting scientific literacy. OPSOMMING Die studie poog om vas te stel of Grondslagfase-onderrig `n geskikte basis lê vir die bevordering van wetenskaplike geletterdheid. Natuurwetenskappe in die Grondslagfase word beskou as `n kombinasie van wetenskaplike kennis, prosesvaardighede, en waardes en ingesteldhede, wat gesamentlik wetenskaplike geletterdheid ten doel het. Invloedryke perspektiewe op leer, en gepaste onderrigmetodes vir die effektiewe fasilitering van Natuurwetenskappe-onderrig in die Grondslagfase word onder die loep geneem voordat die Natuurwetenskappe-leerarea in die Hersiene Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring bespreek word binne die konteks van wêreldwye neigings in kurrikulumontwikkeling. Laastens rapporterr die studie die bevindinge van `n empiriese ondersoek na die persepsies van Grondslagfase-onderwysers rakende Natuurwetenskaponderrig en -leer. Belangrike bevinding sluit in: (1) Die bevordering van wetenskaplike geletterdheid word nie as kurrikulumprioriteit in die Grondslagfase beskou word nie, soos blyk uit die karige toedeling van tyd en aantal leeruitkomste aan die Natuurwetenskappe-leerarea op hierdie vlak. (2) Alhoewel onderwysers se persepsies rakende Natuurwetenskaponderrig en -leer oorwegend positief blyk te wees, is daar ernstige tekortkominge wat aangespreek moet word voordat Natuurwetenskappe-onderrig in die Grondslagfase die vereiste grondslag sal kan lê vir die bevordering van wetenskaplike geletterdheid. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

This study was conducted in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is a qualitative case study located within the interpretive paradigm and was carried out over a period of a year. The theory implicit in the interpretive paradigm is of human beings as interpreters and constructors of a meaningful world. Thus, the focus of this study was on investigating the benefits of indigenous ways of knowing about wild food plants (imifino) in conjunction with hands-on activity-based lessons. This was done with the view to promote a conceptual understanding of nutrition and conservation in the Natural Sciences. The transformation of the school curriculum in South Africa called Curriculum 2005 (C2005) underpinned by the outcomes-based education (OBE) philosophy also triggered this study. The C2005 and OBE emphasise that learners’ prior everyday knowledge should be taken into account during the teaching and learning processes. The intention of the curriculum is to promote the idea of grounding knowledge in local contexts, while being sensitive to global imperatives. Although the acquisition of western knowledge has been and still is invaluable to all, on its own, it has been incapable of responding adequately to modern society in the face of massive and intensifying disparities, untrammeled exploitation of resources, and rapid depletion of the earth’s natural resources. Essentially, indigenous knowledge systems represent both a heritage and resource that should be protected, promoted, developed and, where appropriate, conserved. It is a resource that should serve the present and succeeding generations as many people’s cultural practices still rely on the use of wild plants. Within this context it should be borne in mind that the overexploitation of natural resources threatens not only biodiversity but also local traditional knowledge systems and ultimately cultural heritage; and research has a role to play in this regard. The research process in this study evolved into two main phases. The initial phase involved mobilising Grade 7 learners’ prior everyday knowledge on wild food plants (imifino). This led to the second phase of the research project, which was aimed at developing concepts through three hands-on activity-based lessons. I invited a community member to give a lesson on what imifino is and how to collect and prepare it, with the belief that the involvement of parents and community members in learners’ education can help bridge the gap between everyday life and school science. It is for these reasons that I believe that the constructive perspective can provide an appropriate methodological framework, conceptual structure and terminology for analysis of teaching and learning activities on the use of wild food plants in this study. The data generation techniques used in this study were questionnaires, observations and interviews (semi structured and focus group). A wide range of data generation techniques were employed to crystallise and validate the data generated using triangulation. The results from the analysed data revealed that consideration of indigenous ways of knowing in conjuction with hands-on practical activities enhanced interaction and learning among the learners. Also, linking of scientific knowledge to learners’ everyday lives was useful in fostering meaning-making and conceptual development.

There has been a growing need in environmental education to develop students' ability and will to take part in democratic processes that enable them take environmental action in their local environment. This study examined learner action competence in waste management practices in two primary school contexts in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. An interpretive case study design is used to probe how learner participation in Eco-School waste management practices enabled the acquisition of knowledge in purposeful learning and action experiences that developed the vision and agency of informed action. The research was centred on two guiding questions: 1. How informed, purposeful and action-orientated is learner participation in Eco-School waste management activities? 2. What Eco-School waste management activities are fostering active participation towards a learner-led agency? Educators in the two schools were interviewed and Eco-School portfolios were examined for evidence of the learning activities and learner achievement. This provided the contextual data for reviewing focus group interviews to probe what was significant to learners, what they came to know and how they had contributed to the process of developing better waste management in the Eco-School context. The evidence generated in the study was used to identify the roles of the various players, the significant activities and processes that enabled and constrained the emergence of learner-led agency. The main findings in the study were that teacher intentionality and school management ethos were significant in engaging learners in meaningful waste management activities in both cases. The study also revealed that although most of the waste management activities in both cases were teacher-initiated, there were spaces open for learner initiatives. However, it appeared that the activity based waste management practices mostly allowed learners to learn how to do waste management more than allowing them to find out more about the scope and nature of ii the problem of waste. This then resulted in learners talking more about what they were doing with waste than talking about what they knew about waste. There were differences in the way in which learners approached waste in the two cases. In the one case, Kingswood Junior School learners used waste artistically and carried out activities that allowed for better use of waste resources like paper while in the other School, Grahamstown SDA School, learners approached waste as a resource for making money. However, in both cases, learners appeared to enjoy the positive experiences of doing things that contributed to a cleaner environment and were of benefit to others and this gave them a sense of pride to share their experiences with others. This study was significant as it allowed me to probe learner participation and examine the development of their action competence through listening to the voices of the learners themselves and understanding what was important to them about the knowledge they gained and their vision of better waste management.

The transformation processes occurring in the South African curriculum context has highlighted a need for improving ways of interpreting and implementing curriculum requirements, in ways that are relevant to the context of learners and their experiences. Outcomes Based Education (OBE) encourages teachers to develop learner centred and active learning approaches. In this research I explore the development of how a School Environmental Policy can contribute to active learning in the context of the National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-9 (NCS R-9). I employed a participatory action research approach in which I worked with other teachers in my school to develop a School Environmental Policy, and then implement associated lessons. In cycle 1 this research focused on the School Environmental Policy development processes. In cycle 2 the research focused on designing and implementing three Lesson Plans in Makana Public Primary School (in three phases). I used a range of data generation strategies such as observations, use of a reflective journal, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, a workshop, photographs and document analysis to generate data for the study. All participants collaboratively discussed and agreed upon the research , and the two teachers who developed the lessons with me also reflected on the process of Lesson Planning and active learning, but I was responsible for the final interpretation presented in this thesis. The research indicates that the School Environmental Policy led to the planning of active learning processes and that the School Environmental Policy and the active learn ing approach are consistent with OBE policy and philosophy. The study also indicates that the School Environmental Policy and the active learning approach strengthened the use of Learning Outcomes, but not necessarily Assessment Standards and that the active learning approach promoted enquiry in lessons. The research further indicates that the School Environmental Policy and active learning processes contributed to school improvement and work towards a healthy environment. The School Environmental Policy also encouraged educators to address school community environmental issues and build stronger links with parents. The study also led to a set of recommendations to improve the School Environmental Policy and active learning process in ways that address the NCS requirements for learning and assessment.

This is an interpretive case study that explores the workplace epistemologies and institutional structures of two nested cases within the broader context of the Environmental Education, Training and Development Practices - Level 5 qualification (EETDP qualification) that is registered on the South African National Qualifications Framework. The study provides insights to inform EETDP curriculum development that is enabling of reflexive environmental education and training processes. The study develops an understanding of workplace epistemologies related to environment and education, the structural factors that enable and constrain agency of environmental educators and the role of reflexivity in practice and in education in two nested cases: the agricultural and local government sectors. It draws on findings from workshops, semistructured interviews and document analysis of education materials in these two nested cases. The study notes that there are diverse and seemingly ambiguous understandings of both environment/sustainability and education processes in the two nested cases. This ambiguity seems to relate to environmental education practitioners drawing on different forms of knowledge, including differentiated or theoretical knowledge, and 'common-sense' ways of knowing, in their education practice. The understandings related to theoretical knowledge are, in both nested cases, dominated by scientific or technical understandings where environment is understood in the terms of the natural sciences and education is seen in instrumentalist terms as the transfer of mainly technical environmental knowledge to learners in order to effect behaviour change. The study opens up deeper understandings of the epistemological, socio-cultural and structural features of context, in the two nested cases, that have a bearing on environmental educators. It provides insights into workplace structures that can be both enabling and constraining of agency and notes that the causal power of structures to enable or constrain does not lie only in the structures but also in relation to the intentionality of the environmental education practitioners/agents. The study then examines reflexivity as one of the means through which environmental educators in the nested cases are able to consider appropriate actions or responses to structural constraints or enablements. Based on the insights offered by the research findings, the study makes recommendations for the EETDP curriculum development. It frames these recommendations within an understanding of curriculum as a contextualised social process that involves structural aspects of curriculum such as materials, as well as socio-cultural processes such as learning on the course and in the workplace.