M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The main purpose of this study is to determine whether pupil quality influences educational standards. The development and growth of pupils are the result of hereditary and environmental factors. Environmental factors inter alia include the school's and teacher's involvement with pupils. The role that the school plays in the life of the pupil, is very important for his development. The school is the pupil's living place in which he becomes involved with his peer group. The pupil has to learn to socialise and to respect authority. Knowledge becomes unlocked through the pupil as well as for him. The school is the preparatory phase for his adult life. The qualities that the pupil obtains during his school years, largely determine the career that he will follow, his social status, his economic welfare and his self-concept. The empirical component of the investigation was based on the implementation of a questionnaire. Concerning validity and reliability, a principal component analysis (P.C.A.) was followed by a principal factor analysis (P.F.A.) in the first order analysis. This was followed by a second order P.C.A. and P.F.A. The variables resulting from this factor analysis procedure were then subjected to an item analysis. The identified variables, i.e, sex differences, educational qualifications, occupation, primary and secondary schools, school models, permanent place of residence, religion, marital status, children and income, were used to investigate the importance of pupil qualities and educational standards. The most important findings are: The majority of respondents regards pupil quality as a very important determinant which can influence educational standards. Great emphasis should be placed on reading in primary schools. Pupils with specific reading problems should receive continuing formal reading tuition in the secondary schools. Rationalisation within the teaching profession should not have an effect on support classes and remedial education. As far as achievement oriented education is concerned, care should be taken to ensure that pupils with problems and needs receive the necessary attention. The primary aim should be child centred education.

The new political dispensation in South Africa has seen a lot of changes taking place. The democratic wind, which has been blowing in all spheres of the political arena, could not leave out Education. This has led to the transformation in education and the revision of the curriculum guided by the Outcomes-Based Education philosophy (OBE). Thus, require education authorities as well as educators to look at education more comprehensively. The challenge posed to educators now is to develop tools and strategies that will make learning accessible to as many learners as possible and to teach for understanding and construction of knowledge. The principal objective of this study was to investigate the important role the learner's prior knowledge plays and the use of different tools and strategies in stimulating conceptual understanding and construction of knowledge of redox reactions. This was done using learners' own investigations, practical activities, teaching settings and a workshop. The findings show that the learners lacked organized and structured prior knowledge. Learners could not integrate prior experience with new experience. The main issue seems to be the failure of learners to relate classroom experience to everyday redox phenomena. Possible reasons are discussed with some implications for teaching redox. The study further postulates that to assist learners to develop conceptual understanding of redox reactions, different tools and strategies should be employed and teaching made relevant to real-life situations. In so doing, redox concepts would not be abstract to learners.

Curriculum 2005 and outcomes-based education was introduced to South African educators in 1996 by the Minister of Education, Prof. S.M.E. Bengu as an alternative to the racially divided education system prior to the first democratic elections of 1995. The new curriculum was designed to transform the education system into a more equitable system by focussing on creating learners who would become creative thinkers, independent, productive workers and responsible, non-racial citizens. Learners would take a greater role in their own education and teachers would take on new roles as facilitators in the learning process. The new approach was introduced into grade 1 in 1998 and grade 2 in 1999. By using a modified ethnographic approach, this research project studies how one teacher has begun to think about Curriculum 2005 and implement an OBE approach to ESL teaching in a grade 2 classroom. It also focuses on gaining insights into how the teacher has attempted to make sense of the new curriculum in terms of her current practice and the training she has received in OBE. The ethnographic approach of the thesis has allowed the researcher to draw on many forms of data providing a holistic view. Tentative findings show that the teacher is experiencing difficulty in “unpacking” the underlying principles of OBE in terms of her current methods of teaching ESL. She continues to work from tacit knowledge. Because she has received very little training in OBE, she lacks the tools to become a more reflective practitioner. Despite this, her ESL lessons show a positive communicative approach to language teaching by focusing on stories, rhymes and songs as comprehensible input for the learners. The findings of this thesis tentatively suggest that unless teachers are given more adequate training and learning support materials, their classroom practices will remain relatively unchanged.

The introduction of outcomes based education, what in South Africa is called Curriculum 2005, in 1998 ushered in a new era in South African education. Curriculum 2005 will take some years to filter through the whole schooling system, yet a revision has already had to be instituted and a New Curriculum Statement is envisaged to be introduced to schools starting in 2004. This study has examined the experiences of teachers with regard to the purpose, scope and practices of professional support within the changing educational setting of South Africa. In doing so the study also examined the actual experiences of teachers with regard to educational change and professional support, particularly in relation to outcomes based education. The study also indicated the measures that can be taken in order to improve the provision of professional support for teachers. The study used a qualitative method of research. It used a non¬positivist interpretative/constructivist approach. To obtain information, the study used open ended interviews with five teachers from Thohoyandou District, Limpopo Province. The teachers, three males and two females, all teach grade 7 classes. Purposeful sampling was used to select those teachers who I regarded as having the necessary and relevant knowledge, understandings, and experiences for this research and were willing to share their experiences. The data analysis used here is based on the ideas of grounded theory, which argues for detailed grounding of theory in the systematic and intensive analysis of empirical data in a microscopic detailed fashion. The report discusses issues such as politics and educational change, the context of change, teacher collaboration, commitment and accountability. Other issues discussed included advocacy for the changes, the timing of workshops for outcomes based education and training for teachers, in school support by principals and heads of department and site visits by curriculum advisors to provide support for teachers as they grapple with the changes. The research indicates that teachers within the same context can have different conceptions or multiple mental constructions about educational change and professional support which may contradict each other, or be in conflict with each other. This research therefore calls for a more personal interactive mode of professional support provision, involving a juxtaposition of conflicting and contradicting ideas, in which efforts are made to obtain the multiple perspectives that teachers have. This will lead to a reconsideration of ideas, methods and positions as the provision of professional support progresses, thus allowing for complementarities to be discovered. / Thesis (D Phil (Comparative Education))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

In line with Montessori methodology, the Knysna Montessori School runs its programmes in an integrated and holistic manner. Learning programmes are based on a blend of various Montessori learning programmes and the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). Classes are divided into three year-age groupings; and integrated learning programmes are in place within the pre-school, (including grade R), the grade 1 to 3 class, and the grade 4 to 6 class. However, the grade 7 to 9 Montessori class has been running in a more traditional and less integrated manner since its inception in 2004. That has motivated the undertaking of this study. The main aim of this qualitative study has been to determine how to best arrange the RNCS according to Montessori principles, that is to say, in a holistic and integrated manner, with the intention of presenting a learning programme for the grade 7 to 9 class. This aim was based on a constructivist philosophical foundation and addressed in conjunction with interpretivism and critical theory. The grounded theory research paradigm was followed. In this paradigm research findings are grounded in the data gathering and the analysis. Three methods of data collection were applied, namely a literature review, interviews and document analysis. A literature review was conducted to gain a better overview and understanding of the RNCS and Outcomes-Based Education (OBE). Furthermore, through the literature review, an in-depth understanding of the Montessori method of education, adolescent development and integrated and holistic education have been achieved. Interviews were conducted with staff from the Knysna Montessori School, with the purpose of gathering information on the Knysna Montessori School and its current application to the RNCS, from pre-school to grade 6. An availability and purposive sampling method was applied, in order to determine which staff members to interview. Finally, document analysis was done. The learning areas for the senior phase (grades 7 to 9) of the General Education and Training Band (GET) of the RNCS were coded and analysed in order to discover emergent themes within the RNCS and how these link with the Montessori curriculum arrangement for this age group. It became apparent that Montessori classrooms, both prior to and for the senior phase, are divided into three areas, namely language, mathematics and cultural studies. Based on this knowledge, as well as the documentary analysis, an integrated learning programme, grounded in the data analysis, was designed. It was found that the RNCS matches well with Montessori’s curriculum arrangement. Thus, this learning programme is in line with Montessori’s curriculum arrangement for the senior phase of the GET band. Such a curriculum arrangement integrates the learning outcomes and assessment standards from arts and culture, economic and management sciences, life orientation, natural sciences, social sciences and technology into different studies. These are globally referred to as cultural studies. However, specific attention was also given to moral education, self-expression through music, art and drama, entrepreneurship, career education and sport. The conclusion was reached that an integrated learning programme, based on Montessori principles and in line with the RNCS requirement, is possible for the Knysna Montessori School.

M.Ed. / This study forms part of a comprehensive research project concerning teacher competence and its evaluation. A pilot study had been completed by lecturers from the Education Department at Rand Afrikaans University in 1994/5. An analysis of the data identified eight factors linked to teacher competence. These are: * The learning environment * Professional commitment * Order and Discipline * Educational foundation * Teacher reflection * Co-operative ability * Effectiveness * Leadership In addition to the above, five factors concerning the person evaluating teacher competence were identified. These are: * Invitational feedback * Transparent feedback * Tactful feedback * Credible feedback * Culturally sensitive feedback This research essay is part of the research undertaken on tactful feedback provided by educational managers during teacher evaluation. Tactful feedback has been conceptualised to consist of the following four aspects, namely: clarity, motivation, approach and openness (Bell, 1988:176-177; Montgomery & Hadfield, 1989:105-107). This particular research paper, therefore, focuses on the aspect of clarity in tactful feedback and its implication for the management of teacher competence. In view of the preceding brief introduction, the motivation for this study will be discussed.

Since the of the Outcomes-based-Education system in South Africa, great emphasis has been placed on assessment of learners' performance, as a strategy to ascertain that learners achieved the desired learning outcomes. However, OBE assessment strategies appear to be contrary to traditional evaluation methods, which are characterized as teacher-centred and authoritarian, which promote rote-learning and are obsessed with content, show a lack of integration between education and training, rigid divisions, and involve punitive formal examinations designed to yield high levels of failure. Given the rhetorical framework, OBE, as a paradigm shift, must represent the opposite of negative aspects often found in the education system. The review of literature on which this research is based emphasized the importance of assessment in not only focusing on what learners can do, but also on developing learners holistically. In other words, assessment in this study required both teachers and learners to regard assessment as an integral part of teaching and learning activities. In this way learners could demonstrate learned values, skills and knowledge for the promotion of the culture of learning. If assessment is viewed in this light it will not only enhance learning amongst learners, but it will also ensure that learners gain access to further learning. The following hypotheses were tested in the study: Hypothesis 1. An assessment system built upon the traditional evaluation methods has a detrimental effect on the development of the culture of learning in schools. Hypothesis 2. Assessment strategies built upon an Outcomes-based assessment policy are more effective in contributing toward the development of a culture of learning in schools. The empirical investigation also tested the following Null hypothesis: Hypothesis 3. No distinction can be drawn between teachers' perceptions regarding the impact or influence of traditional evaluation methods and teachers' perceptions regarding the impact or influence of Outcomes-based assessment strategies on the culture of learning in schools. The literature survey contributed to the drafting of 84 objective statements. These statements were based on the premise that assessment strategies built upon an Outcomes-based Education policy are more effective in contributing towards the development of a culture of learning than an assessment system built upon the traditional product-driven teaching strategies. Teachers' opinions or perceptions were then assessed on these item statements by means of a structured questionnaire. The teachers' opinions or perceptions were then subjected to investigative factor analysis, and three' prominent factors were revealed by the factor analysis. The first factor related to "Outcomes-based-Assessment strategies", and loaded an eigenvalue of 54.34000251. The second factor was related to "traditional evaluation" and loaded an eigenvalue of 10.8298612. The third factor was linked to "assessment and its influence on the culture of learning” and loaded an eigenvalue of 7.5540027 from the results of the factor analysis. The high Cronbach Alpha Reliability correlation coefficient of 0.97 implies that the questionnaire and items were reliable in terms of what they were supposed to measure. The results of the empirical analysis supported Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 2, and rejected the null hypothesis, Hypothesis 3. The limitations of the study are discussed, and a number of recommendations are made for further research. These concern aspects relating to teacher education, how practicing teachers can improve their understanding of assessment, the relationship between formative and summative assessment, and finally, how different assessment strategies should be applied to different learning areas. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Curriculum Studies / DPhil / Unrestricted

Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2017. / The potential for South African science teachers to become powerful agents of transformation needs to be explored. Speaking of Fensham's (2002) term “educo-politics” Aikenhead (2010) argues that, "all science teachers are constantly engaged in ‘educo-politics'” (Aikenhead, 2010:615). In this study I attempted to uncover some of the socially critical aspects of science and society related themes. This study investigated how science and society themes outlined in the Natural Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) (Department of Basic Education [DBE], 2011) are understood and valued by teachers. The study provides an account of how science teachers under the direction of the curriculum statement conceptualise the pedagogical use, and social value, of Specific Aim 3 in their regular teaching of Grade 9 Natural Sciences. The Science-Technology-Society- Environment (STSE) currents presented by Pedretti & Nazir (2011) provided a theoretical framework from which this inquiry was conducted and structured. This was a qualitative, small-scale study limited to 32 participants. The theoretical foundation of this study was influenced by the ideology and pedagogical frameworks which underpin science and society philosophies and movements in science education. An evaluation of the Natural Sciences CAPS (DBE, 2011) using such frameworks informed the development of the two research instruments used. A questionnaire was administered to 32 Grade 9 Natural Sciences teachers from government schools in the Johannesburg-West and Johannesburg-North districts in Gauteng. Three of the questionnaire participants were then interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The participants varied in age, race demographics, distribution of home languages, professional qualifications and years of teaching experience. The schools where participants teach were varied in terms of demographics and available resources. The study found that participants did not communicate a clear understanding of the principles which form science and society in the Natural Sciences CAPS. Time constraints, deviation from science content and limited usefulness for science learning were commonly cited to justify limited science and society practices. Furthermore, participants regularly made statements which communicated their belief in the superiority of science in terms of its explanatory value. In this regard participants showed insensitivity to the cultural barriers students may experience when learning science. This study has contributed to our understanding of how South African science teachers conceptualise and use science as society themes as outlined in the Grade 9 Natural Sciences CAPS. The findings of this study confirmed that the effects and consequences of the prescriptive elements and nature of the Natural Sciences CAPS (DBE, 2011) need to be critically evaluated. Although curriculum reform in South Africa was intended to empower teachers in their decision-making about what and how to teach, over-reliance on work schedules and Learning Support Materials (LSMs) results in the constriction of teacher agency (Stoffels, 2008). Such tendencies were observed in this study and hence it is suggested that this aspect of teacher agency be explored in further research. KEY WORDS Science and Society Scientific literacy Humanistic science education Curriculum Teachers Science-Society-Technology Science-Society-Technology-Environment Socioscientific Issues / EM2018

1. This pilot study is a survey of practices of natural sciences educators at Cape College of Education to establish if they reflect the conceptual development, development of skills, change of attitudes and values that are the pillars of the Outcomes Based Education (OBE). Their approaches of lecturing have been assessed to determine if they incorporate investigative approaches based on social constructivism, the theory underpinning Curriculum 2005. The status of science education in the college has been analyzed to establish whether the curriculum can adapt itself to the specifications of the new curriculum. It has been concluded that the educators at Cape College of Education need to be empowered about strategies that will help them function along the principles embracing Curriculum 2005 specifications. The educators have shown not to be ready to practice social constructivism and the assessment strategies incorporated in their programmes do not embrace a variety of approaches that will enable their learners to develop conceptually, skill wise and enable them to develop change in attitudes and values. Investigative approaches to practical work appear to be lacking in the college teaching/learning and this also indicates that Curriculum 2005 will take time to be properly implemented at Cape College of Education. 2. This study is based on the practices of science educators in the squatter-camp school in Khayelitsha, a densely populated area for blacks near Cape Town. Teachers at Vuselela primary school were interviewed about their teaching assessment strategies to establish whether they incorporate a learner centred approach, which is the necessity for the Outcomes Based Education approach. Also some of the lessons they taught were observed in order to find out whether they validate what transpired from the interviews through a process of triangulation. It has become evident that the teachers are to some extent aware of the changes the education system is going through in South Africa. It also became clear from the study that the teachers are still lacking expertise as to how to practice along the lines of Curriculum 2005, the South African version of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). They also showed that they are keen to learn and practice OBE even though more opportunities need to be created for their epistemological empowerment as well as empowerment on the content of science.