A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2016 / The main purpose of the study was to investigate the Foundation Phase teachers’ understanding of play in the teaching of Grade R in the Umkhanyakude District. The study targeted Grade R educators, because they are responsible for laying a sound and solid foundation for learners, which can be effectively done through proper use of play in the teaching of young learners. The study used a qualitative approach in order to get an in-depth knowledge in terms of understanding the importance of play when teaching young learners. The research sample comprised of seven teachers from four different schools in the district. Purposive sampling of participants was used. Data were collected through inside and outside observations and interviews. The research findings were first analysed according to eight main themes according to the data elicited through interrogations during interviews. Key findings revealed that some Grade R educators did not have a clear understanding of play in Grade R teaching. The study also showed the impact of current constraints of the Department of Education, like restricted kilometres and shortage of ECD officials in terms of providing monitoring and support.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Language Education)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Assessment is a crucial component in the learning and teaching environment. Many educators often go about assessment design by emulating their own teachers or predecessors. Gronlund (1993:1) argues that “despite the widespread use of achievement testing and the important role it plays in instructional programmes, many teachers receive little or no instruction on how to construct good achievement test.” Gronlund (1993) posits that the result is that there is no innovation towards good tests construction because many educators do not study the principles that guide effective test construction. Carey (1994:1) says that “effective teachers must also be proficient in testing, and proficiency in testing requires the synthesis of many different skills.” In Limpopo Province, especially in the under-resourced regions, the actual on-site practices by educators suggest that there are problems with the implementation of school based assessment tasks as prescribed by the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) through the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). This problem is further echoed in the sentiments of some academics that are skeptical about the authenticity of marks generated by educators and schools. This loss of confidence in the assessment practices impacts negatively on the worth of the education of the learners and their readiness to take their place in the academic and vocational spheres. The purpose of this study is to find the degree of success and failure in the implementation and management of school based assessment (SBA) in English Additional First Language in Grade 10 classes. Grade 10 is a crucial level of entry into the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase in schools because it lays the foundation for focused, rigorous and careeroriented high school learning in South Africa.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: education in the Faculty of Education at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / The purpose of this study is to analyse the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement CAPS) document within the subject Natural Sciences (NS) (senior phase including Grades 7 to 9) and to explore whether the implementation of this document can possibly engender democratic citizenship within the classroom. An analysis of the sub-headings used within the NS CAPS document will be undertaken. These are the process, skills and specific aims. A brief study of the education policies, namely the Outcomes Based Education (OBE), the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) for Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Grades 10-12 will be undertaken. The purpose of this analysis is to present an argument behind the implementation of the CAPS document as part of the National Curriculum Statement. As the research is document-based a qualitative research methodology will be implemented in which document analysis will serve as the research methodology. This method will implement critical discourse analysis as the lens used to analyse the data gathered. The NS policy document will be reviewed to explore whether the aims, skills and processes have the capacity to provide learners with opportunities to think critically and to engender democratic citizenship.

Magister Educationis - MEd / Since the onset of democracy in 1994, education in South Africa has undergone many developments and changes due to curriculum innovations and interventions. For more than two decades, the government has been seeking to eliminate the divisions of the past by establishing a society based on democratic values, social justice and the observance of fundamental human rights as described in Act 108 of 1996 in the Constitution. The curriculum changes in South Africa after 1994 had a huge impact on the education system as a whole, and classroom teaching shifted from being largely teacher- centered to being predominantly learner-centered. Hence, the newly revised Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was introduced (DBE, 2011) to provide all teachers with the same outline of what should be taught, when and how. The government's efforts at improving teaching and learning as well as maintaining a high standard of education are commendable, however, findings through this research demonstrate that CAPS disregards the massive differences in terms of contexts within which schools operate and the general lack of resources faced by certain schools. The main aim of this research was to explore the nature of the capability sets of teachers with respect to the implementation of the CAPS curriculum in a no fee school community in the Western Cape. The research was conducted within the framework of a qualitative research approach with a case study design. Classroom observation, focus group interviews and document analysis were utilized as data collection methods. The capability approach of Amartya Sen was applied to unveil the nature of teachers' capability sets in a no fee school in the Western Cape. This study has established that there are several factors inside and outside the school, which influence the implementation of CAPS during the teaching and assessment processes. Therefore, recommendations are made that the policymakers should take into account the context and socio economic background of the school and learners before changing the curriculum.

The enrolment of music in especially the secondary school is declining in many countries such as South Africa, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Brazil, China, Finland, Israel, Korea, Mexico and the United States of America. This decline in the number of learners doing the subject in secondary school, despite its popularity outside of the school, is often ascribed to the socio-economic context and the level of difficulty of the subject, but most of all due to a music curriculum that is in stark contrast to what learners are doing in their daily lives. Post-Apartheid education focused on the redress of education by working towards the provision of quality education through the improvement of educational resources, wider subject choices for previously disadvantaged learners and transforming the national curriculum to suit the needs of young people to prepare them adequately and appropriately for tertiary education and the world of work. The demands of poor communities for greater access to subjects that were previously denied to them, compelled the national education department to introduce subjects such as the arts and technology in secondary schools located in low socio-economic areas where these subjects have not been offered before. The Western Cape Education Department, as lead agent for the province’s Human Capital Development Strategy (HCDS), established ten dedicated focus schools for the arts that would become centres of excellence to provide quality arts education to secondary school learners from poor urban and rural areas. It was envisaged that these arts institutions would be equipped with the appropriate infrastructure, technology, teaching and learning support materials and qualified arts teachers to ensure that music, dance, drama, design and visual arts would be accessible to a broader spectrum of secondary school learners. The aim of the study focused on the provision of music education at these institutions by investigating the essential aspects of the focus school phenomenon such as infrastructure that was built to create a conducive environment for music education, curricular and extra-curricular music programmes, learner enrolment and retention, use of technology, teaching and learning support materials and teacher effectiveness. The study has a qualitative research approach and is based on a case study design that served to provide a rich and in-depth description of the phenomenon. The data was collected by means of focus group and individual interviews as well as observations of lessons, extra-mural activities and music performances. An interrogation of government policies and school records also informed the research to provide trustworthy findings. After each finding, some suggestions are made concerning the alleviation of challenges which focus schools face regarding the delivery of Music in the FET phase. Finally, the study makes recommendations for future research related to the provision of Music in the FET phase of South African schools. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Background: Gender bias in the Physical Sciences education favours male learners to the disadvantages of female learners, bringing along sex discrimination. Physical Sciences Curriculum reinforces masculinity, resulting in few females enrolling for science-related subjects. Male learners outperform female learners in Physical Sciences. Also, sex discrimination due to gender bias is visible in the workforce in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Therefore, the purpose of this study was aimed at exploring gender biased texts in the Physical Sciences CAPS document and also its impact on Grade 12 female learners. Method: A qualitative exploratory phenomenological study design was conducted. In my study, participants were Physical Sciences Grade 12 female learners and their teachers. The total number of participants was 12 (8 female learners and 4 teachers) and the sample depended on data saturation. Also, data were collected using document review (Physical Sciences Curriculum and AssessmentPolicy Statements document and prescribed textbook), classroom observation and interviews with learners and teachers. One-on-one interviews were conducted with participants using interview guides for both teachers and learners. Data collected from interviews were analysed using thematic 8 steps of Tesch’s inductive and descriptive open coding technique. Results: The results from the document review showed the existence of gender bias in the Physical Sciences textbooks and Curriculum and AssessmentPolicy Statement document. Classroom observation showed that male learners were more interested and participated actively in the Physical Sciences lesson as compared to female learners. Both teachers and learners are aware of the existence of gender biased texts in Physical Sciences education. Further, this impacts negatively towards female learners leading to a bad attitude towards sciences and subsequently, to poor performance as compared to male learners. Female learners believe that they were to perform better in Physical Sciences if they were of the male gender. Conclusion: The existence of gender biased texts in the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements document and prescribed textbooks reinforce masculinity in the field. There is a need to review the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement document and prescribed textbooks to ensure inclusivity, eliminate sex discrimination and also to achieve balance in the workforce in the science field. Key concepts Physical Sciences; Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements; Female learner; Gender Biased texts; Performance; Inclusive education

Thesis (M.Ed. (Language Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of English First Additional Language on learners‘ academic performance. Qualitative approach was used to elicit responses from a sample of 12 learners and 4 teachers. The participants were purposefully sampled from a secondary school in Soshanguve. The researcher collected data using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Both selected teachers and learners were interviewed, and content subject lessons were observed. The data was analysed using inductive thematic data analysis method. The findings of the study indicated that different factors such as poor English Language proficiency, the use of mother tongue language in the classes, lack of parental involvement, and lack of tangible resources and instructional materials had a negative impact on learners‘ academic performance. The findings also showed that lack of exposure to English language among both teachers and learners is a critical factor that resulted in the poor academic performance of Grade 10 learners. The study recommends that all the recommendations made to all the stakeholders involved, such as the Department of Education, teachers, parents and learners, should be implemented in order to improve the academic performance of all learners in schools.

The study investigates Setswana Home Language teachers’ conceptions of assessment and assessment standards and determines to what extent teachers ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices are aligned. The achievement of the overall aim is facilitated by the achievement of a number of objectives, mentioned under Chapter 1 section 1.5. In order to answer to these questions; namely, How did curriculum changes influence teaching, learning and assessment practices in South Africa?, What does assessment entail and what are the principles of high quality assessment practices?, What is meant by the alignment of teaching, learning and assessment?, Do teachers understand the new approach to assessment and the role of assessment standards in aligning, teaching, learning and assessment?, To what extent do Setswana teachers use assessment standards to align teaching, learning and assessment in Setswana Home Language and what challenges do they face in this regard?, What can be done to help teachers to ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices in the teaching of Setswana Home Language are aligned?, the study utilizes qualitative research methodology specifically sampling and the three data collection strategies, namely, interviews, observations and document analysis, to obtain data from the research participants. The research acknowledges the educational changes that have been implemented in South Africa through Curriculum 2005, which was later revised and led to the development of the Revised National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement for Grades 10-12. The study highlights that the problems with these curricula led to the development of yet another curriculum, namely the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements. The study investigates Setswana Home Language teachers’ conceptions of assessment and assessment standards and determines to what extent teachers ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices are aligned. The achievement of the overall aim is facilitated by the achievement of a number of objectives, mentioned under Chapter 1 section 1.5. In order to answer to these questions; namely, How did curriculum changes influence teaching, learning and assessment practices in South Africa?, What does assessment entail and what are the principles of high quality assessment practices?, What is meant by the alignment of teaching, learning and assessment?, Do teachers understand the new approach to assessment and the role of assessment standards in aligning, teaching, learning and assessment?, To what extent do Setswana teachers use assessment standards to align teaching, learning and assessment in Setswana Home Language and what challenges do they face in this regard?, What can be done to help teachers to ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices in the teaching of Setswana Home Language are aligned?, the study utilizes qualitative research methodology specifically sampling and the three data collection strategies, namely, interviews, observations and document analysis, to obtain data from the research participants. The research acknowledges the educational changes that have been implemented in South Africa through Curriculum 2005, which was later revised and led to the development of the Revised National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement for Grades 10-12. The study highlights that the problems with these curricula led to the development of yet another curriculum, namely the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements. The study investigates Setswana Home Language teachers’ conceptions of assessment and assessment standards and determines to what extent teachers ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices are aligned. The achievement of the overall aim is facilitated by the achievement of a number of objectives, mentioned under Chapter 1 section 1.5. In order to answer to these questions; namely, How did curriculum changes influence teaching, learning and assessment practices in South Africa?, What does assessment entail and what are the principles of high quality assessment practices?, What is meant by the alignment of teaching, learning and assessment?, Do teachers understand the new approach to assessment and the role of assessment standards in aligning, teaching, learning and assessment?, To what extent do Setswana teachers use assessment standards to align teaching, learning and assessment in Setswana Home Language and what challenges do they face in this regard?, What can be done to help teachers to ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices in the teaching of Setswana Home Language are aligned?, the study utilizes qualitative research methodology specifically sampling and the three data collection strategies, namely, interviews, observations and document analysis, to obtain data from the research participants. The research acknowledges the educational changes that have been implemented in South Africa through Curriculum 2005, which was later revised and led to the development of the Revised National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement for Grades 10-12. The study highlights that the problems with these curricula led to the development of yet another curriculum, namely the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements. The study investigates Setswana Home Language teachers’ conceptions of assessment and assessment standards and determines to what extent teachers ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices are aligned. The achievement of the overall aim is facilitated by the achievement of a number of objectives, mentioned under Chapter 1 section 1.5. In order to answer to these questions; namely, How did curriculum changes influence teaching, learning and assessment practices in South Africa?, What does assessment entail and what are the principles of high quality assessment practices?, What is meant by the alignment of teaching, learning and assessment?, Do teachers understand the new approach to assessment and the role of assessment standards in aligning, teaching, learning and assessment?, To what extent do Setswana teachers use assessment standards to align teaching, learning and assessment in Setswana Home Language and what challenges do they face in this regard?, What can be done to help teachers to ensure that their teaching, learning and assessment practices in the teaching of Setswana Home Language are aligned?, the study utilizes qualitative research methodology specifically sampling and the three data collection strategies, namely, interviews, observations and document analysis, to obtain data from the research participants. The research acknowledges the educational changes that have been implemented in South Africa through Curriculum 2005, which was later revised and led to the development of the Revised National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement for Grades 10-12. The study highlights that the problems with these curricula led to the development of yet another curriculum, namely the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements. The study recognizes the new assessment approach as an important component in the teaching and learning process because assessment provides teachers with information that is significant in decision making in the classroom. The study also discusses the launch of the modern standards movement and its roots in the back-to-basics movement and the reasons behind its formation. It also discusses the concept of alignment and its links with the two well-known taxonomies of learning. The study also embarks on data v analysis which brings forth findings that help develop recommendations and future research possibilities. / Linguistics / M. Ed. (Didactics)

The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement or CAPS (which is the modified extension of the National Curriculum Statement policy), Music learning area, gives an option for Music learners to follow the Indigenous African Music (IAM) stream. This caters for them to be examined in African instruments. Currently, there are no available prescribed instrumental curricula in any IAM instrumental practices that learners can follow should they choose the IAM stream. Therefore, this research was prompted by the need for graded curriculum in IAM instruments for Music learners at the Further Education and Training (FET) level. This quantitative research focuses on the incorporation of contemporary African instrumental music practices in the modern Music curriculum as demanded by current trends, multiculturalism and multi‐ethnic societies with their emerging modern culture which to an extent nevertheless still embrace old traditions. The research is underpinned by the theoretical framework of multicultural music education. This study comprises two sections. Section one analyzes the dilemma that the South African Music curriculum faces when incorporating indigenous African instruments for examination at FET level and poses questions on how and which instrumental practices can be part of the possible solution. It revisits the epistemology of traditional African drumming and investigates how some of the traditional drumming practices have changed and are practised in the contemporary context. Section two introduces a contemporary African instrumental practice whose development is rooted in the generic traditional idioms of African drumming. This contemporary drumming style is not tied to a specific ethnic group but rather a creative continuum of African traditional drumming. This practice is explored as a potential instrumental option for the South African Music curriculum (IAM stream); through conducting of training workshops, progress survey and the evaluation of the implementation process of the pilot graded model curriculum. Lastly, pedagogical instructions on teaching, learning and evaluation of this contemporary drumming practice are provided. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Music / DMus / Unrestricted

MA (Linguistics) / Department of Communication and Applied Linguistics / The purpose of this study is to investigate the content of the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase Home Language (HL) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The Tshivenḓa HL content was translated from English for teaching and learning purposes. The study adopted both the qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to attain holistic results. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires from educators and subject advisors. Document analysis was also used (by analysing CAPS documents). The findings of this study will benefit the South African society, especially the Tshivenḓa HL educators and learners. The educators believed that the Tshivenḓa newspapers articles are not well-taught because they are not available in Tshivenḓa and educators did not know how to prepare them. The study also revealed that there are no prefixes but suffixes for formulating antonyms in the Tshivenḓa HL, however both are found in the English HL. Furthermore, educators complained about the shortage of film study resources in literature which the department of education delivers late. The findings of the study suggest that Tshivenḓa newspapers should be reintroduced as they aid learning for learners, and enable educators to plan their lessons. Prefixes in the Tshivenḓa HL should be introduced so that learners are able to attach them in their words, similar to what do they do in the English HL. In addition, ample resources for HL literature such as textbooks, Television sets (TV), overhead projectors for film study, and other resources should be delivered timely. / NRF