D.Ed. / The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which secondary school educators are coping with the implementation of outcomes-based education (OBE). This will be done by conducting research in secondary schools in the Richards Bay Circuit. Through this research, the aim of this study is to provide guiding principles for implementing OBE through investigation and analysis of classroom practices of grade 9 educators by using lesson observations, educator journals, learner portfolios and interviews with relevant school management members. Ever since outcomes-based education (OBE) was first introduced in grade one in 1998, it has been fraught with controversy. Initially, there was a lot of debate about introducing a system of education that has failed in other leading countries of the world. However, the Department of Education has remained firm in its decision that outcomes-based education is the ideal system of education to put in place in South Africa, given the historical background of education in this country. They feel that 2 it can adequately redress the imbalances of the past and develop citizens who are highly skilled and marketable. As outcomes-based education was slowly phased into primary schools, educators began to come to grips with this system and implementation was made easier. Another area of implementation that has received a lot of attention is the implementation of OBE in grade seven in the senior phase. Many educators and educational critics felt that isolating one grade for implementation interrupted the pattern of normal schooling. This meant that in 2000, OBE was implemented for the first time in grades three and seven. However, due to the support that was given to grade seven educators by foundation phase educators, they were able to partially overcome initial difficulties. One of the greatest challenges facing officials from the Department of Education was introducing OBE to secondary schools. Educators from secondary schools were in the past not directly involved in implementing OBE in their schools. In 2001, when OBE was introduced to secondary schools, educators were faced with similar uncertainties and confusion as grade one educators in 1998. Educators were finding that their learners knew more about OBE than they did because they had encountered it in grade seven in 2000. They were faced with administrative changes and restructuring of the school curriculum. As with any process of change, there is fear, denial, unacceptance, negative criticism and outright rejection. It is against this backdrop of OBE implementation that the researcher has developed an interest in this area. The researcher has previously conducted research into training in the foundation phase and has concluded that educators experience difficulties due to the lack of adequate training and various other contextual factors. As an OBE facilitator for the senior phase (1999 - 2001), the researcher has encountered a similar situation as experienced by foundation phase and grade seven educators. During facilitation, some of the observations made by the researcher include : educators from different schools are implementing OBE at varying levels , educators are confused 3 because they do not have clear guidelines or a step by step process of implementing OBE. After voluntarily visiting a few rural and urban schools in order to assist them with implementation, the researcher noticed that vast discrepancies exist between the theory presented in workshops, that the researcher has facilitated and the actual implementation in schools. Many schools have unique contexts and OBE has to be adapted to suit these contexts. Based on these observations, the researcher consulted with the Superintendent of Education Management (SEM) of the Richards Bay Circuit about problems experienced by educators with OBE implementation in secondary schools. He has acknowledged the need for further investigation and supported the proposal to investigate how educators are coping with implementation of OBE in secondary schools. He has also recognised the need for checks and balances to be put in place for effective implementation to take place. The fact that both educators and schools are experiencing problems with OBE implementation indicate that there is a problem that needs investigating. The researcher's interest in this field is motivated by two reasons. Firstly, the researcher feels that there is a need for research to be conducted in the Empangeni Region of Kwazulu-Natal due to the geographical extent of the region; its vast rural population and the lack of research in this field. Secondly, the researcher has a genuine interest in providing assistance to both the Department of Education and educators with practical guidelines for implementing OBE in secondary schools. Overcoming the initial hurdles of implementing any. new system is integral to the success of the entire approach. The researcher is of the opinion that educators are the most important factor in the success of implementing OBE in schools across South Africa. A motivated, resourceful and committed educator can overcome many of the obstacles facing schools, learners and the education system in general. Therefore, the researcher feels that assisting educators with problems and difficulties that they 4 may have with implementation of OBE will actually ensure the future success of OBE in the education system of South Africa.

The purpose of this study was to establish how foundation phase educators in the North West Province facilitate learning in Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) classrooms. In essence the study looked into the manner and extent to which the educators implement OBE as envisaged in South Africa. The nature of the research question led to the study following a qualitative research paradigm. Observation and interviews were used to collect data in an explanatory approach. The classroom observations were done by means of a schedule produced through literature review. The interviews were conducted in a one-to-one basis following each classroom observation, and were used to clarify any matters picked up from the observations. Two standard questions, what role do parents play in teaching and learning in your classroom? plus what do you use assessment for? were asked in every interview. In addition, any other question was asked flowing from the responses as well as matters and/or actions/behaviour picked up from the observation. The study culminated on recommendation for In-service Education and Training (INSET) programme framework. The findings of this study revealed that the educators, who participated, . although labelled the best in their cohort, were far from performing as expected. It was clear that although they tried their best to implement as directed, they need thorough training to do it right. Most of these educators have some insight of the theory of OBE but lack the skill to implement in their classrooms. For instance, although all of them indicated that assessment is an integral part of teaching in OBE, in practice it was not. These findings may be summarised by saying that the educators who participated 1 need to be retrained to implement OBE. Also, if the subject advisors who chose the participants were right in labelling them best within their cohort, then the challenge is even bigger for OBE to succeed. As such, the INSET programme framework suggested in this study, would contribute a great deal towards retraining. / Thesis (PhD) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

The introduction of OBE in South Africa, a developing country, has been characterized by problems relating to the implementation process. Thus a comparative analysis of OBE was conducted in Australia, a developed country, to compare the implementation process. A small scale sample investigation was carried out in 11 Australian and 11 South African classrooms. Findings were that Australia is a country found to be we!! resourced, politically and economically stable, with at least 10 years experience in OBE. Furthermore, small classroom sizes, support structures and teacher aides have enhanced the implementation of OBE in Australia. However, the findings indicated that similar problems have emerged in Australia and South Africa regarding the structure of OBE, assessment and reporting and the extra workload associated with the implementation of OBE. This suggests that there are problems inherent in the system of OBE. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2007. / This study sets out to explore the challenges faced by grade 9 educators in the implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in Maleboho East Circuit in Limpopo Province in view of the role played by this new education approach in the government’s agenda for social transformation. The study is mainly exploratory in design and has been undertaken within a qualitative framework. Thus, the study does not purport to come with explanations of cause and effect relations. It only explores the challenges that impact on successful implementation of the OBE approach. The research results show that the OBE approach is not effectively implemented in schools, due to inadequate teacher training, limited or little support to educators in their classroom practice, overcrowded classes and poor working conditions of educators. There is a need for a multi-dimensional approach that aims to address not only deficiencies in training, but also to impact on the attitudinal changes of educators. / N/A

Students' poor performance in the quantity surveying course at the Durban Institute of Technology appeared to be due to the lack of basic key competence in certain key areas such as mathematics and arithmetic. The students' weaknesses in key competencies were validated in the pre-tests with both the 2003 and 2004 cohorts where few students, only two out of sixteen and one out of eight respectively, displayed mastery in these key areas. Mastery learning was identified as a methodology to use for helping students because it benefited slow and fast learners alike. This study investigates the use of an e-mastery learning system to help students improve their competence in some of the key areas identified. An experiment was conducted, using the 2003 fourth-year quantity surveying students as a control group and the 2004 fourth-year quantity surveying students as the experimental group. The control group took a pre-test, were subjected to a face-to-face intervention and then they took a post-test. The experimental group took the same pre-test, were exposed to a mastery learning system, which was then followed by the same post-test. The results of this experiment showed that the mastery learning intervention helped the students, but not to the extent expected by the author. The experiment indicated that the e-based system was only marginally more helpful than the face-to-face intervention which the control group received. This quantitative aspect of the experiment was hampered by small sample sizes and was further constrained by difficulties in accessing the e-mastery system. Following this outcome, a qualitative study was undertaken, in the form of semi-structured interviews, to ascertain why the e-based system was not as successful as expected. Although the quantitative analysis indicated that the e-based system was more helpful, the interviews revealed the underlying problems were related to access to the e-based system and students' limited computer literacy skills. The conclusion drawn from these findings is that an e-based mastery learning system would help students improve their key competencies provided the computer literacy problems and access problems were solved, the mastery learning system was more comprehensively developed, and that the students were motivated enough to devote themselves to using the system on a regular basis. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Traditionally, education has been considered as the territory of educators and the participation of parents has been very limited. Nowadays, however, parents are considered as co-partners in the education of their children. In this regard, they have an important role to play both at home and school. Both educators and parents now believe that effective education requires the cooperation between educators and parents without any reservation. Changes that have taken place .in education in this country over the past decade require parents to assume greater responsibilities in the education of their children. This study was aimed at analysing the responsibilities of parents for the effective implementation and management of Curriculum 2005 in the Phokeng Circuit of Education of the North-West province. The study was further intended to find out the problems, difficulties, and challenges faced by parents, with the advent of the Curriculum 2005, the Outcome-based Education program in South Africa. The subjects involved in this study included 240 parents and 60 educators. Two separate questionnaires (Appendix A and Appendix B) were designed and administered to the respondents. The study revealed that parents have taken up their role in education very seriously, though it was discovered through the empirical investigation that some parents are still clinging to their traditional beliefs about education, that it is confined to educators. Several recommendations based on literature and empirical investigations were made in an attempt to involve more parents in the education and school life of their children. The study recommended regular and prompt communication between parents and the school, assisting parents who have difficulties in helping their children with homework and parent training. / Thesis (MBA) North-West university, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

The introduction of OBE in South Africa, a developing country, has been characterized by problems relating to the implementation process. Thus a comparative analysis of OBE was conducted in Australia, a developed country, to compare the implementation process. A small scale sample investigation was carried out in 11 Australian and 11 South African classrooms. Findings were that Australia is a country found to be we!! resourced, politically and economically stable, with at least 10 years experience in OBE. Furthermore, small classroom sizes, support structures and teacher aides have enhanced the implementation of OBE in Australia. However, the findings indicated that similar problems have emerged in Australia and South Africa regarding the structure of OBE, assessment and reporting and the extra workload associated with the implementation of OBE. This suggests that there are problems inherent in the system of OBE. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: (Management) at the Durban Institute of Technology, 2004. / Since 1994 South Africa has been undergoing political change and this has impacted tremendously on education. There have been major shifts in education policy, structures and curriculum. Since the introduction of the new curriculum which is Outcomes-Based Education, educators, learners, parents, school governors and principals have been faced with numerous challenges and have also been confronted with a variety of problems / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Education (Management), Durban Institute of Technology, 2003. / The introduction of Curriculum 21 in South Africa in 1998 has brought with it added responsibilities for parents. According to the South African Schools' Act, No.84 (1996), parents have been granted powers to "support teachers in the performance of their task "and "determine subject choices" for their children. However, when Curriculum 21 was introduced in 1998, relevant programmes for introducing parents to these ideas dia not exist. According to Schlebusch and Spady (1999) family, home, identity and respect are important features of Curriculum 21 and only parents can create the best conditions for the academic development of their children. Therefore, the involvement of parents in the education of their children is vital. This dissertation is a case study of a rural KwaZulu- Natal public school, Hopewell Primary School, in which a pilot study of a programme to introduce parents to their responsibilities in the implementation of Curriculum 21, was first introduced. / M

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Philosophy of Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 1999. / This study focused on the use of media as resource in art outcomes-based class (OBE). The research was conducted mainly in black schools. The researcher established that media could be used as an effective educational tool, for the new school curriculum- This study attempted to emphasise the feet that schools should be provided with both print and electronic media. It also tried to emphasise that rural schools should be taken into consideration, by improving the mfrastnicture and supplying them with media equipment and material. Of importance was the discussion of various critical outcomes and how media can make them practical. The study showed that educators need support from education authorities, school management and parents. Former, educators need more workshops where they could be equipped with sew teaching methods. This could motivate and inculcate confidence in educators. In order to have motivated and confident learners, we need dedicated educators. The we need dedicated educators. The researcher looked into various media resources and few steps on bow they can be employed were suggested The researcher looked at the new approach to teaching and learning, which is outcomes-based education. It was established that a learner-centred approach, group work and activity-based learning could be easier with the use of media. However, as has been mentioned above, in order to be successful an educator needs proper training. Since the researcher found that very few schools employed media for the effective implementation of OBE, it was suggested that parents, schools, NGO's, the government, the department of education and the private sector collaborate in order to devise mechanisms of making media available in schools. This collaboration would also help in the provision of infrastructure in schools as the available media will need to be kept in storerooms, strongrooms or locked classrooms and laboratories. It emerged from this study that the future of OBE was bright as educators were given a chance of attending workshops and seminars by their school managements). Of importance, however, is the suggestion mat the government, parents, the VTll NGO's, the private sector and schools should assist in establishing more media centres that may help augment the work that is done by schools alone. The researcher also found that there is a strong feeling that media have to be employed as early as the level of play and pre-primary schools. This is in line with the idea of activity-based learning which emphasises the fact that learning should be as concrete as possible. It also emerged from the study that the use of media can really help make the educator and the learner partners in the teachmg-Iearaing situation. It became abundantly clear that when educators used media on outcomes-based education, and more importantly as facilitators, a culture of learning was enhanced. Undoubtedly, learners learn when learning was enjoyable and they found success in it.