In terms of Section 29 (1) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, No. 108 of 1996, everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education. Notably, education is a basic human right even for those in conflict with the law (i.e. offenders). This study is geared towards investigating management of curriculum policy implementation at Correctional Centres in North West and Gauteng provinces in South Africa. It is therefore imperative for education managers in Correctional Centres to manage curriculum effectively and efficiently in order to avert criminal behaviour and relieve socio-economic hardships that citizens might experience. As the theoretical framework of this study, instructional leadership model would be engaged in order to foster the change required to make schools in Correctional Centres more effective and efficient teaching and learning environment. Instructional leadership is a critical aspect of school leadership. Instructional leaders should ensure that every student receives the highest quality instruction in line with management of curriculum policy implementation. The study seeks to outline the challenges faced by research participants towards management of curriculum policy implementation in Correctional Centres and to identify possible solutions to those challenges. The anticipated possible outcome would be a development of a model towards the proper management of curriculum policy implementation strategy in correctional centres. For the purpose of conducting empirical research, the qualitative methodology will be used. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The study investigates how the school management teams (SMTs) manage the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). The NCS has been incrementally implemented as a curriculum change in the South African secondary schools’ Grades 10-12 from 2006. In addition to literature review, this study employed empirical investigation based on qualitative research approach which involved three semi-structured focus group interviews to gather data from the six sampled schools in Moretele Area Project Office, North West Province. The review of related literature reflected that SMTs are responsible for the successful implementation of curriculum change in schools. The empirical findings revealed that SMTs experience challenges that overwhelm their function of managing the implementation of the NCS effectively. These challenges involve, poor training of SMTs, resources constraints, poor stakeholder involvement, policy overload, and lack of APO administrative support. Finally, the study elicited some strategies that can be applied to overcome certain challenges. / Educational Leadership and Management / MED (ED MNG)

`DEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies / See the attached abstract below

The main objective of this descriptive research is to determine how effective the implementation of school environmental education policies is and how this can be improved upon. If schools do have an environmental education policy, how successful are they in implementing it. The school environmental education policies provide incentives and frameworks for the development of strategies and action plans which result in the environmental education goals being achieved effectively and efficiently. For the effective implementation of the school environmental education policies within an OBE paradigm, educators need to be knowledgeable, skilled and motivated. Overall, teacher education is probably the biggest challenge to the implementation of the school environmental education policies. This research leads to the recommendations at school level to promote the effective implementation of the school environmental education policies. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Environmental Education)

Text in Afrikaans / A labour market-oriented curriculum component for grade 7 - 9 learners in the existing education curriculum for South Africa could be achieved on the basis of an analysis and synthesis of various curricula by using curriculum components. The aim of the study is to reveal the essence of curriculation in order to bring the outcomes in the curriculum in line with the labour market needs of South Africa. An appropriate educational curriculum should not only address the high unemployment rate in South Africa, but should also bring about improvements in teaching practice as well as set standards that will be comparable both nationally and internationally. An analysis of different curricula shows clearly that various relevant theories can lead to the development of a curriculum component. These theories are not necessarily contradictory, but rather attempt to reveal the essentials for teaching and training. An analysis of the definitions of curricula gives an indication of the teaching possibilities of an appropriate labour market-oriented educational curriculum, whereby such a curriculum can be integrated in a sensible way with teaching practice by using the curriculum components. This theoretical consideration of different theories, curriculum components and teaching models has found a practical expression in a teaching labour market-oriented curriculum component that could possibly address current teaching and unemployment labour problems in South Africa. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Beginner principals need support through a mentoring and coaching program to ensure effective curriculum management and to develop as curriculum leaders. The aim of the study was to determine the need of and the requirements for mentoring and coaching programs to ensure support in effective curriculum management. A comprehensive literature study was done and resulted in the success of mentoring and coaching programs and the focus pointing to effective curriculum management and specifically curriculum leadership in South Africa. The results from the literature study guided the empirical study through combined research. The focus fell on the roles, expectations, problems and support of beginner principals, curriculum management and leadership and the need of and the requirements for mentoring and coaching programs. Empirically it was dicovered that beginner principals are not supported efficiently as curriculum managers and curriculum leaders. Mentoring and coaching will address this need. The requirements of mentoring and coaching programs consist of: (1) Compulsary mentoring and coaching programs for all beginner principals; (2) Experienced principals as mentors; (3) Approved mentors who should receive training; (4) The beginner principal being allowed to choose his/her own mentor; (5) Mentors as curriculum experts / Beginnerprinsipale benodig ondersteuning in die vorm van 'n mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogram om die kurrikulum effektief te bestuur en om as kurrikulumleier te ontwikkel. Die doe! van hierdie studie was om die behoefte aan en die vereistes vir mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogramme te bepaal om beginnerprinsipale in effektiewe kurrikulumbestuur te ondersteun. 'n Uitgebreide literatuurstudie is uitgevoer wat die sukses van mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogramme vir beginnerprinsipale aandui en die fokus op kurrikulumbestuur en meer spesifiek kurrikulumleierskap in Suid-Afrika plaas. Die Iiteratuurstudie het as basis gedien vir die empiriese studie wat uit gekombineerde navorsing bestaan het. In die empiriese studie is daar op rolle, verwagtinge, probleme en ondersteuning van beginnerprinsipale gefokus. Daar is verder aandag gegee aan kurrikulumbestuur en -Ieierskap van beginnerprinsipale en die behoefte aan en vereistes vir mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogramme. Empiries is daar bevind dat beginnerprinsipale nie voldoende in kurrikulumbestuur en die ontwikkeling as kurrikulumleiers ondersteun word me. Mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogramme sal hierdie behoefte aanspreek. Die vereistes vir die mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogramme bestaan uit: (1) Verpligte mentorskap- en afrigtingsprogram vir aile beginnerprinsipale; (2) Die gebruik van ervare prinsipale as mentors; (3) Goedgekeurde mentors wat opleiding ontvang; ( 4) 'n Keuse deur die beginnerprinsipaal ten opsigte van sy/haar mentor; (5) Mentors wat kurrikulumkundiges is. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

The integration of modern science and indigenous knowledge systems in the science education curriculum for South African schools represents social justice for the majority of South Africans as they determine the knowledge necessary for themselves and for future generations in the new South Africa. An exploratory research reveals tension and a dichotomous relationship between modern science and IKS, caused by false hierarchies that are influenced by factors such as colonialism, capitalism and modernisation to the exclusion of the core values held by indigenous people in their relationship with nature. The thesis demonstrates that the integration requires an epistemology that puts humanity first and a framework that accommodates both ways of knowing. This should allow for the best in the two systems of knowing to serve humanity in a dialogical manner. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

In the majority of schools gifted learners are given the same quantity and quality of academic work as their non-gifted classmates. In some cases gifted learners are left to look after themselves when they are done with class work or worse still, asked to teach their non-gifted classmates. Some educationists advocate for a differentiated curriculum between gifted and non-gifted learners. This study sought to establish the impact of enrichment programs to gifted Science learners. Forty gifted learners were identified and drawn equally into one of the two groups — experimental or control. These learners wrote a pre-test after which the twenty learners in the experimental group received enrichment. The forty learners then wrote the same post-test to assess their understanding of the concepts learnt. The cycle was repeated but with a different topic. Learners’ marks were compared and it emerged all twenty learners in the experimental group performed better than those in the control group. Gifted learners should therefore be given enrichment as it deepens, broadens, and sharpens their understanding of concepts. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

The structure of an education system and its curricula reflects the influence of a specific paradigm. Since the onset of colonial rule and apartheid in South Africa about everything in the South African society, including the education system and curricular issues in particular, have been shaped in accordance with the macro paradigm: the modern Western paradigm. The emergence of a new paradigm: the postmodern paradigm, created the possibility of a new order of thinking which influenced all societal domains and aspects and propelled the society into the new millennium. Since 1994 a new approach forms the corner stone of all the new South African policy documents on education. It is for this reason that the issue of an arts education curriculum is investigated from a paradigmatic point of view with reference to the modern, the postmodern and the African paradigms. Various components, roles and dynamics of educational curricula cast in the modern paradigm framework are compared with characteristics of their counterparts in the postmodern paradigm framework, and how they can influence the design of curricula, especially arts education. The contribution of an African paradigmatic perspective is accounted for. A new approach to curriculum development based on the ideals of a learner-centred education approach, an outcomes-based education approach and the integration of subjects into specific learning areas has officially been adopted as the approach for transforming education and curricular issues, resulting in the present Curriculum 2005. Within the context of the Arts and Culture learning area of this Curriculum, the study concentrates on and emphasises the integration of the four art forms of dance, drama, music and visual art in order to overcome the legacy of fragmentation of a curriculum. The study culminates in a proposed integrated arts education outline for curriculum development that defines the rationale and vision for South African arts education. The researcher contends that there is sufficient scope for arts education to contribute its unique aesthetic values to the new national curriculum in South Africa and that integration of these art forms does not in any way diminish the unique character of each. / Didactics / D. Ed. (Didactics)

This study provides a historical-educational evaluation of the teaching of vocational subjects at the Indian secondary school. The Indian secondary school curriculum is examined and evaluated and recommendations are made based on these findings for the vocational Africa. education future development of in contemporary South The study is structured in the following manner: * Chapter One Examines the concept of vocational education. * Chapter Two Traces the development of Indian education since 1860. * Chapter Three Retrospective look at the development of vocational education in the Indian education system. * Chapter Four Provides an exposition of the vocational education curriculum at the Indian secondary school. * Chapter Five Evaluates the vocational education curriculum. * Chapter Six Recommendations for the future of vocational education in South Africa. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)