This research investigates the benefits of adventure-based activities used as a learning experience at school level. In order to scientifically investigate these benefits the study is located at a school where an adventure-based programme is being developed as part of the school's curriculum. This programme consists of a range of adventure type experiences including, rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, mountain biking, group dynamic activities, survival camps, ropes courses and adventure racing. At Lilyfontein School these activities form part of the Life Orientation and life Skill programmes from grade 1 to grade 11. Specialized and qualified staff are used to conduct some of these programmes. Adventure-based activities are rigorous and contain elements of risk which require problem solving, good decision making and sound emotional management. These aspects present both physical and mental challenges to any participant. This study postulates that learners engaged in these adventure type activities are faced with using meta-cognitive strategies to help them through these mental and physical challenges. In doing these activities regularly learners will develop meta-cognitive strategies that will enable them to become better self-regulated learners. A self-regulated learner is able to use meta-cognitive strategies like problem solving, decision making, selfevaluation, self-monitoring, self-reflective thinking or emotional control in life generally. The aim of this research is to conduct an on-going action research study of the adventure-based programmes to determine their worth for the learners at Lilyfontein School and consequently the future of such experiences in a school's curriculum. This forms the primary goal of this research. The secondary goal is to gather valid and reliable evidence required to make an argument for the School's Governing Body (SGB) and Curriculum Development Committee (CDC) to be able to substantiate decisions relating to any such future programmes. This research regards the school context as the activity system which forms a primary case study. In order to extract maximum information from this educational system, embedded case studies will be conducted and monitored. These embedded case studies will be made up of the following groups of people: firstly the learners engaged in a variety of adventure-based experiences, secondly the educators as they observe and perceive the consequences of these experiences, and thirdly the parents as they identifY possible influences of adventure-based experiences on the behaviours, beliefs or habits of their children. In this research study data collecting techniques are used to extract infonnation from the embedded cases. Infonnation is elicited from parents and educators through the use of questionnaires and interviews. For learners, narratives and interviews are used to get a more qualitative sense of their beliefs and feelings on adventure-based experiences. However, in order to capture and document the learners' use of metacognitive strategies as they engage in the rigours of an adventure-based activity a more empirical approach is used. This approach uses in-depth observation, recording and measuring of the learners in action. Video footage is used to record the learners' reactions as they battle with fear, mental-strength, fatigue and decision making to accomplish their goal during an adventure activity. This study claims that an adventure-based experience helps to mediate the learning that will develop selfregulatory strategies in a learner. The limited research in the adventure-based learning field and more significantly the lack of empirical evidence of how meta-cognitive strategies fonn a crucial component of adventure-based activities has meant that the researcher has developed his own recording, measuring and analytical tools to serve this end. He has chosen to use Engestrom's third generation Activity Theory model which provides a useful underlying theory as well as an analytical and interpretive framework for this study. The research was conducted over a period of three years. Findings are considered in relation to the National Curriculum Statement for the GET and FET bands to ensure its relevance in the school context to the National Department of Education's expectations for the Life Orientation curriculum. The empirical findings of this study at Lilyfontein School and their relevance to the curriculum content of the National Curriculum Statement ought to provide convincing data for very important curriculum policy decisions at Lilyfontein School and in the broader educational context.

South African education is in the process of undergoing what has become known as a "paradigm shift", requiring a change from the familiar transmission method to outcomes-based education (OBE) founded on social constructivist theories oflearning and teaching. Teachers, (45% of whom are poorly qualified), "will play a pivotal role in the success or failure of this change. There is therefore an urgent need to re-educate in-service teachers in the philosophy, and related methodologies underpinning Curriculum 2005. To this end, in-service education courses need to be developed "which will encourage teachers to reconstruct their beliefs about teaching and learning. INSET programmes in the past were aimed at either "topping up" qualified teachers, or "adding on" for under qualified teachers - neither of which have proved successful. It is therefore unlikely that applying similar methodologies to support teachers in the shift to OBE will meet with success, nor will simply "training" teachers to use the new learning programmes. Government documents on Education Policy are calling for teachers to become reflexive practitioners, able to guide learners in their efforts to achieve the critical outcomes which are intended to develop a competent citizenry of lifelong learners. Therefore, teachers ought to be empowered as curriculum developers in their own right. This interpretative case study hoped to find out from teachers themselves what aspects of an activity-based environmental education course acted as change agents in assisting them to begin the shift to constructivist theories of teaching and learning. A variety of research tools were used, including questionnaires, interviews, journals, narratives and concept maps, all of which provided a rich source of data for interpretation. From what was gained from four participants in this research, tentative suggestions for incorporation into the next cycle of action research in future INSET programmes are made.

M.Ed. / South Africa is faced with the challenge of reconstruction and social recovery having held its .first democratic elections in 1994. Education was central to the discursive process of racial and cultural segregation (Baxen & Soudien 1999: 131). After the 1994 elections the whole education dispensation in South Africa was bound to change dramatically. This is a logical deduction since new role players will always have a new vision, in order to spell out the new roads to be embarked upon. Jansen (1999:145) puts it as follows: "...OBE as primarily a political response to apartheid schooling rather than one which is concerned with the modalities of change at classroom level". A multitude of changes have taken place in the interim. One of the major changes was legislation that provided for the establishment of SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority). The Act was promulgated in 1996, Act 58 of 1996. The main objective of SAQA is to provide for the development and implementation of the NQF (National Qualifications Framework). The NQF brought about a new structure regarding bands of education and levels of qualifications within the said bands. (Refer to diagram 1). According to Pretorius (1998:4) the framework of the NQF makes provision for life-long learning opportunities and levels of qualifications nationally agreed upon.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The purpose ofthis study is to understand and describe the experiences ofthe demands that Life-orientation, in practice, place on the educator. These experiences relate to the skills, knowledge, attitudes, values and method of instruction. This study is descriptive and a qualitative research strategy was employed. A case study was used as a research method. A literature study ofLife-orientation, the demands that the subject place on educators and Invitational Education as a possible method of instruction were described. An interview with a focus group consisting of five educators in Life-orientation from High School X was done. A class presentation ofthese five educators was observed. The data collected were analysed and categories and themes identified. The themes or subjects identified were the following: the importance ofthe doctrine of Life-orientation, focus on the learner, atmosphere in the classroom and the educational and instructional demands Life-orientation place on the educator. These themes were linked to theory and findings and conclusions were made. The following findings were made: the themes identified allude to the four assumptions and four elements of Invitational Education. It became apparent that educators implicitly acted in a professionally and personally inviting manner towards themselves and the learners in teaching Life-orientation. It can be concluded that Invitational Education may be a possible workable model used in the teaching of Life-orientation according to an outcomes-based education model and it may aid the educators to adhere to the demands of Life-orientation.

M.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Education Management) / The implementation of Outcomes-Based Education in South Africa is not as it was envisaged. This was attributed to lack of necessary skills and capacity by both office and school- based teachers to comply with policies of the Department of Education (In this concept the educators and teachers are used interchangeably). Due to the above, both institution and office-based teachers started blaming one another for poor implementation and monitoring as well as supporting the new curriculum reforms. Institution- based teachers blamed the office-based educators for the lack of capacity, monitoring and support as well as feedback. On the other hand the office- based educators blamed the institution based teachers for the lack of internal support within schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of capacity by District Learning Area Specialists in supporting and monitoring the implementation of Revised National Curriculum Statements (currently called National Curriculum Statements). To accomplish this aim, Heads of Departments, District Learning Area Specialists, and teachers were sampled randomly from Ekurhuleni West school district. The Heads of Departments and educators were selected from Thokoza, Vosloorus and Katlehong schools, while the District Learning Area Specialists were from Ekurhuleni West district office. The research was conducted in a form of case study. It focused on qualitative and descriptive research style. Various methods of collecting data such as interviews, observation, questionnaires and document analysis were used in order to ensure reliability and validity. Based on the literature reviewed and responses from the empirical research the study revealed that the type of support offered by the District learning Area Specialists is not enough for the teachers to implement and comply with all the policies of the Department of Education. It also revealed that excessive demands and pressure from the Department of Education left schools and districts with no choice but to rush to the implementation phase without capacity building. In order for both district and institution- based teachers to implement and comply with the policy, the study recommended that: conducive organizational structure; combination of support and external pressure; issuing of incentives; reward and sanctions; strategies and prioritizing of work; high level of professional leadership and capacity; district working towards developing partnership with schools; monitoring and support and that institution based teachers should become organized and effective. Finally, the researcher recommended for a further research on the IDSO (Institutional Development and Support Officer). The reason is that these district officials are the ones who develop the management and governance of schools. They ensure that all the school systems are put in place. It is believed that if the governance and management of schools are in order, it is likely that the curriculum implementation might improve.

D.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / School education in South Africa has seen a number of changes, some more far-reaching than others, since the 1994 elections. In the schooling sector these changes included the restructuring of schools along nonracial lines, the redeployment of teachers and the introduction of a new curriculum for general education and training in schools. Changes have also been effected to the education and training system as a whole the most significant systemic change has been the establishment of a national qualifications framework (NQF), in terms of which (a) education and training are integrated and (b) all standards are registered in the form of outcomes that bridge previous divides between education and training...

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / The problem whether competency based modular education (CBE) programs produce better results than conventional educational methods has been investigated and discussed in this report. A comprehensive literature study indicated that the upholders of the CBE program advocated better results than the conventional educational methods in most of the instances. Most research showed positive results. An empirical research on micro-level was launched to determine whether this was the case or not. The procedure was to use a group of standard eight pupils, at a TED school in the south of Johannesburg. They were about to complete a part of the syllabus on electricity as part of this research. An experimental group and a control group was selected at random. The experimental group was sUbjected to the CBE method and the control group to the conventional method of Science teaching.

D.Ed. / This thesis is a report of a research project conducted in a Technikon within the higher education sector of South Africa. Teachers in this sector are facing major challenges due to the transformation of higher education, as well as the introduction of an Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) paradigm. Teachers thus need to adapt their teaching practice to include the principles and practices of this educational paradigm and are continuously required to improve their teaching practice to face the aforementioned challenges. This study was aimed at investigating how teachers could be assisted to improve their teaching practice. It primarily aimed at seeking a way to assist lecturers of the Technikon to improve their teaching practice, while it was hoped that I would also improve my own practice. An action research project was conducted during which I was planned, designed and implemented a teaching skills programme. Literature on teaching and learning, with specific emphasis on theories and approaches that support learners' meaningful learning, was reviewed. Furthermore, literature on staff development policies, approaches, practices and the OBE paradigm provided the theoretical foundation for the various phases in the action research project. After conducting a needs analysis to determine the perceived teaching needs of lecturers, all lecturers at the Technikon were invited to attend the teaching skills programme as a staff development initiative. Data of what was experienced, observed and learnt during the process were noted in my research journal. After I had analysed and interpreted the data gained I reflected on the experiences and learning, as well as on the value of the programme. From the research notes I learnt more about the participants, the programme and the process, while I learnt more about myself as a teacher and as a researcher. These reflections informed the findings, namely that insufficient focus is placed on teaching and learning initiatives. Furthermore, it was found that staff development policies did not seem to provide sufficient support for such initiatives. Literature indicated that these findings were not unique to the Technikon, but also seemed to be experienced in other higher education institutions. Based on the above findings it was concluded that teachers could be assisted in improving their teaching practice by focusing on their learners' meaningful learning and by continuously updating their teaching knowledge and skills. It was therefore recommend that staff development policies be revised and that teachers and managers in higher education refocus on the core business of higher education institutions, namely, teaching and learning. Finally, it was recommended that managers, teachers and staff development units accept coresponsibility for improving teaching practice in higher education and work in synergy to achieve this common goal. The co-responsibilities of role-players in academic staff development have been presented diagrammatically within a framework. The importance of all role-players taking their responsibilities is illustrated. The resulting coresponsibility amongst role-players is argued to emphasise the importance of synergy amongst them towards achieving improved practice. I argued that all three role-players needed to collaborate and support one another if they were "to move in the same direction" towards improved teaching practice. The scholarly contribution of this study lies firstly within my living theory, which is a culmination of the learning journey as well as the results thereof. My living theory of teaching practice and that of academic development is culminated into the framework.

M.A. / A number of recent variables have influenced the professionalisation of the child and youth care discipline in South Africa. These variables have had a direct impact on the training of child and youth care practitioners. The first variable is the establishment of the National Qualifications Framework, the National Qualification Authority and the focus on lifelong learning possibilities as well as competency-based training. The second variable is the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk (IMC) and the accompanying transformation of the South African child and youth care system. The third variable is the transformation of the Interim Council for Social Work with the associated recognition of Child and Youth Care as an independent discipline. The fourth variable is the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by South Africa in 1995 in which certain rights of children are recognised. The fifth variable is the knowledge that South African children have special protection under the South African Constitution. The sixth variable is the Africanisation of the profession in South Africa. These variables have stressed the importance of compiling a competency-based framework for the training of child and youth care practitioners in South Africa that embraces all these variables. Child and Youth Care is a phenomenon that is quite unfamiliar as an independent discipline in South Africa, and therefore the researcher chose a qualitative paradigm that is exploratory, descriptive, contextual and phenomenological to develop a competency-based framework for the training of Child and Youth Care practitioners in South Africa. The empirical research included phenomenological interviews with child and youth care trainers and a focus group interview with child and youth care practitioners. Literature was consulted in two stages, namely at the beginning to pose the problem and at the conclusion of the research to compare and contrast the findings (Cresswell, 1994:24). The four criteria to ensure trustworthiness are credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. The criteria to obtain this included the triangulation of various methods of data collection and by confirming results with respondents. Detailed descriptions were done to enhance the study's chance of being replicated in another setting. The services of an external coder were utilised. A detailed protocol for data collection is provided. The categories that emerged from the research were compared with literature and used to compile a competencybased framework for the training of Child and Youth Care Practitioners in South Africa.