Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 100-104).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-104). Also available in print.

This study offers an in-depth exploration of the conditions from which the implementation of a curriculum called the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), later localised into Swaziland General Certificate of Secondary Education (SGCSE), emerged and the constraining and enabling conditions for the implementation of the new I/SGCSE curriculum. It derives its theoretical foundation from Roy Bhaskar’s critical realism and Margaret Archer’s concept of analytical separability. The study therefore offers explanations about the curriculum change and its implementation that are based on how structural, cultural, and agential mechanisms operating at a deeper level of reality (the intransitive layer of reality or the domain of the real) and existing independently of what we see, know or believe of them (the transitive layer of reality or domains of the actual and empirical) interacted to condition the emergence of I/SGCSE and the way it is implemented. I conduct a critical discourse analysis of relevant literature, I/SGCSE documents and interview data in order to identify those mechanisms that were cultural and also those that were structural and agential. Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing are used to analyse observation data in order to explore the influence of these mechanisms on the teaching practices of the teachers who took part in the study. Analysis of the data suggests that the change from General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-level) to I/SGCSE was conditioned by inconsistencies between the cultural and structural mechanisms of the Swazi context. Many of the cultural elements of the Swazi context such as the discourses of good citizens, of competitive advantage, and of quality education draw from global discourses which view relations between people from a postmodernist position and therefore support weakly classified and framed pedagogic practices. In contrast, the discourse of morality and many of the structural elements of the Swazi context, such as the pre2006 education system and the Tinkhundla government system, all view reality from a modernist position, therefore supporting strong relations of power and control. The cultural system therefore exerted more influence in conditioning the change from the strongly classified and framed GCE O-level curriculum to the weakly classified and framed I/SGCSE curriculum. Furthermore, the analysis of interview and observation data suggests that inconsistencies between the global discourses and the discourses and structures that teachers confront in their day-to-day lives, together with the decisions teachers made in response to structural constraints, created constraining conditions for the change from GCE O-level to I/SGCSE. The study adds to knowledge on curriculum change and implementation through insights into the enabling and constraining effects of mechanisms operating at a deeper level of reality on curriculum-change decisions and on the ability of teachers to implement curriculum changes. The focus on the deeper level of reality may therefore contribute towards emancipatory knowledge which could be used not only by the Ministry of Education and Training and teachers in Swaziland but also elsewhere to inform future planning, decision making, and practice in relation to curriculum change and implementation.

This study sought to explore the interface between environmental education (EE) and school geography with a view to understanding a process of curriculum reform in the context of Lesotho. The research was based on the curriculum reform process that was initiated by a Danish donor-funded project, known as the Lesotho Environmental Education Support Project (LEESP), which operated from 2001 to 2004. Driven by a sustainable development imperative, the project was intended to assist Lesotho in the implementation of local action for Agenda 21 by introducing environmental education into the formal education system. Deviating slightly from much published research on geographical and environmental education, which focuses on how geography contributes to environmental education, this study explored how the latter has shaped the former in terms of content and pedagogy. Using the lens of critical curriculum theory, I sought to understand the political nature of the curriculum and of curriculum change, focusing on the LEESP curriculum policy development, dissemination and implementation at classroom level. The study employed Bernstein's concepts of classification and framing to illuminate issues of power and control between discourses, and between teachers and learners. Operating within an interpretive qualitative research orientation, the study used a case study method focusing on five secondary/high schools in Lesotho. The data was generated through document analysis, interviews and classroom observations. The study examined the assumptions, values and ideologies underpinning environmental education curriculum intentions as reflected in LEESP documents. It also investigated the social process of conceptualising and disseminating environmental education to understand the challenges faced as education practitioners made sense of environmental education innovations in the specific contexts of Lesotho, and how these could possibly influence what happens at the classroom level. The analysis of the LEESP documents revealed that while there are many areas of synergy between the LEESP environmental education policy guidelines and the national education ideals in Lesotho, achievement of the transformational visions of action competence, which was the overarching concept in the reform process, would require major structural changes. The study also highlights issues of participation, contestations, tensions and contradictions associated with the conceptualisation and dissemination of environmental education. At implementation level, there is a disjuncture between environmental education policy intentions and practice. Geography teachers in the research schools generally understood the existence of environmental education in their schools in terms of environmental management. The findings also revealed that while there is generally a strong environmental dimension in geography content, as reflected in both curriculum materials and classroom practice, the subject still retains its disciplinary boundaries and makes little use of knowledge from other subjects or the everyday knowledge of the learners. Finally, it emerged that while the geography teachers in their rhetoric espoused learner-centred methods, in practice they generally employed traditional teacher-centred and book-centred methods. The study concludes that a lack of change in school geography in Lesotho, of the sort envisaged in LEESP, may be attributed to contextual and structural factors such as an overemphasis on examinations, and certain perceptions on the part of teachers and learners embedded in the history and culture of their society. A model of teacher professional development capable of supporting curriculum change is therefore proposed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contradiction between the teaching of integration in ETP and the actual practice of compartmentalisation within ETP at the Rundu College of Education. The second part of this study is to explore and examine the way teacher educators could integrate subjects into their specialisation areas at college level. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the following: • The reason (s) why there is a contradiction between the teaching in ETP and the actual practice of compartmentalisation within the ETP. • Examining and investigating factors that have contributed to the teaching in a compartmentalised way.

This thesis deals with the role of teacher agency in the reform of curriculum under Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda. It draws on empirical research conducted in two UPE case study schools in Uganda. The study was conducted in order to highlight the role of teacher agency in teachers’ professional practice and to analyse the ecological factors that contribute in shaping it, as well as its effects. The thesis begins with a description of the UPE curriculum in its global dimensions. It subsequently reviews the theoretical and empirical literature dealing with the role of teacher agency in the reform of curriculum under UPE, under the themes of ‘globalisation’, ‘teacher/biographical barriers to UPE reforms’, ‘contextual challenges of the reforms on teachers’, ‘teachers’ mediation of the reform challenges’ and ‘effects of the teachers’ mediation of reforms’. The study’s theoretical position draws on the critical realist philosophy of Roy Bhaskar and Margaret Archer, which guided the development a two-phased study design comprising of secondary document analysis using retroduction (Elder-Vass 2010; Edwards et al. 2014) in phase one and field work within the framework of Priestley et al.’s (2015b) ecological approach to teacher agency in phase two. The field work involved semi-structured interviews, observation and primary document analysis. The study established that the globalisation of UPE was driven by Education for All (EFA) under a neo-liberal agenda, which involved both structural and cultural reform. The structural reform has impacted UPE’s ecology through the evolution of a new ‘governance’ structure underpinned by partnership, decentralisation and performativity. Furthermore, it has involved access and inputs reform, which has been characterised by universalisation and the adoption of a partnership funding approach. Cultural reform has focused on curriculum and pedagogy. However, at the micro level of school/classroom practice, most of the reforms have resulted in ‘first order’ changes (Cuban 1998; Priestley 2011a), which are currently manifested by only partial success in absorbing the curriculum and pedagogy reforms, coupled with the continued lack of inputs. This is attributed, among others, to the responses of the teachers, or teacher agency. The study analysed the role of teacher agency in the case studies and concluded that it is widely manifested and is primarily driven by the practical-evaluative dimension, followed by the projective and iterational dimensions respectively. Furthermore, it has significant effects, which are both positive and negative. It therefore plays a significant role in the teachers’ professional practice, which needs to be acknowledged in educational planning. Finally, the study offered some recommendations and suggestions for further research.

A pilot study of the use of groupwork in biology education at the Griffiths Mxenge College of Education: The Government of National Unity in 1994 introduced a new educational policy for the country. This represented a shift in paradigm from a transmission mode of teaching and learning to learner-centered education. The shift marks a transformation from a contentbased curriculum to an outcomes based education (aBE). aBE, which is underpinned by Constructivism and Social Constructivism advocates for the use of groupwork as a strategy for achieving the outcomes envisaged in our learners. The challenge facing teachers and educators is how to implement outcomes based education. The intention of this research is therefore to serve as a pilot project to find out about how groupwork may be used in teaching. It looks at types of groups, considerations a teacher should have in forming groups, dynamics which come into play during teaching and gives suggestions as to how groupwork problems may be solved. Others issued are also raised which were not fully covered in the research. It is the hope of the researcher that the project would be a basis for further research on the use of group work in teaching under outcomes based education. Towards an effective implementation of assessment of biology practical work under "curriculum 2005" Transformation taking place in education in the Republic of South Africa has implications for assessment. It involves a move away from the transmission mode of teaching and learning, to a learner-centered education with the attainment of outcomes. It is a move away from the summative mode of assessment to a formative mode, where assessment leads to the development of the learner and monitor and support teaching and learning. Questions arise as to what to assess, how, when to assess and by whom? This research project is an initial attempt to look at how this assessment policy may be implemented effectively in schools and colleges, using the teaching and learning of practical biology as a tool. It looks at examples of assessment methods that may be used to assess learners work, their functions and problems that may arise in the teachers attempt to transform hislher practices. Suggestions are made on factors to consider in implementing assessment practice and how problems, which may arise in assessment, may be overcome.

It's almost like a dinner party and a buffet. A dinner party you get dished up stuff and you eat it and a buffet you can choose what you want out of a range of stuff. I mean think about it when you go to a dinner party- they always dish up something you don't like and you don't want to eat it anyway. It's the same if you have a lecturer in the front that just dishes out what you're going to learn, ... you have to learn it. But in terms of the curriculum negotiation process, I've got to choose what I wanted to leam. (Melissa II 27/11/01: 3) This thesis focuses on the process of negotiating the curriculum with twelve pre-service teachers registered for the Bachelor of Education (Primary) Degree during their Mathematics Education Course in their third year of study. The research is presented methodologically as an action research located within two paradigmatic positions, interpretive and critical. The research attempted to understand, interpret and critique the process of curriculum negotiation within the context of teacher education in South Africa In order to understand the negotiated curriculum process, experiences of the participants are presented through the use of their voices within the thesis. The interpretation is based on the construction and reconstruction of meaning during the enactment of the negotiated curriculum process and during the writing and reviewing of this thesis. The critique is rooted in the historical, cultural and social contexts of both the students and the author. The main contention of this thesis is that curriculum negotiation is not necessarily a suitable vehicle for developing a critical pedagogy in pre-service teacher education when all the participants form a homogenous group in this case, white middle-class women. The democratic values promoted within the context of our curriculum negotiation were fraught with dilemmas and entrenched the values of western liberalism. At most, the curriculum negotiation process and the development of a democratic learning environment, promoted a conscientisation at an individual level, namely a ' transformation of consciousness' . The democratic values promoted in our pedagogy were not sufficient in bringing about social change, a 'transformation for social action'.

Many changes especially in the education system were introduced when the ANC-led government came into power in 1994. Curriculum change emerged as key focus in restructuring the educational system and strong emphasis was placed on its implementation. People in leadership in schools were expected to play a pivotal role to ensuring its effective implementation. Curriculum changes are intended to improve the quality of education for the benefit of learners and teachers. However, the curriculum changes that have happened over the years in South African education system do not seem to achieve its intended goals. As a result, it might be argued that some of the changes are contributing to the challenges faced by the school management teams (SMTs), teachers and learners in schools. Poor capacitation of teachers in successfully implementing the curriculum and availability of necessary resources needed are some of the contributing factors that impact on proper effective implementation of curriculum changes. Therefore, this qualitative study investigated the experiences and challenges faced by the school stakeholders in particular, SMTs and educators towards implementation of curriculum change in selected high schools in Mount Fletcher District in the Eastern Cape Province. Data were generated by means of open-ended interview questions and documents review to provide a rich description and explanation of what challenges school stakeholders (SMT and teachers) face in managing the curriculum implementation in their particular contexts. It became apparent from the findings that there are major curriculum challenges facing SMTs and teachers in managing the curriculum implementation in their schools. These included lack of resources, inadequate training and heavy workloads. However, measures were suggested to limit the challenges towards curriculum implementation in order for the SMTs and teachers to manage and implement the curriculum effectively. The study concludes by pointing out that although SMTs and teachers try to perform their roles and responsibilities to ensure effective implementation of curriculum in their contexts, they still require training and on-going support to execute certain aspects of their duties. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of the study was to investigate the factors associated with high school learners’ poor performance in physical science in the Libode District in the Eastern Cape. The research also meant to answer the following research objectives on factors associated with high school learners’ poor performance in physical science. The first research objective was based on determining the school related factors that cause poor performance in physical science in the Libode District, while the second research objective was based on determining the home related factors that caused poor performance in physical science in the Libode district. The third research objective was based on ascertaining the skills and competencies of both physical science educators and physical science learners to improve performance while the fourth objective was based on suggesting strategies that could improve performance of both the physical science learners and educators. Research objectives three and four were addressed as recommendation. The study employed a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach. Six public high schools in the Libode District participated in this study. The identities of all the respondents were protected accordingly. Upon analysis of the results, several school related and home related factors respectively were identified as causing poor performance in physical science. No single factor was accountable for the poor performance in physical science. Recommendations for improvement in the areas identified were provided as well as areas for further research. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)