Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))-- University of Stellenbosch, 2009 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to develop a curriculum framework for engineering introduction programmes offered at a higher education institution, using a case study design. The South African government is attempting to redress the social inequalities which prevailed in the education sector during the apartheid era. One of their efforts has involved the widening of access to diverse groups in society in order to increase participation within the higher education sector. However, many students attempting their higher education studies are academically under prepared. This is mainly due to insufficient life skills, communication skills, numeric skills and literacy skills. The lack of these skills has inspired various international and national higher education institutions to develop academic programmes aimed at bridging the gap that exists between secondary schooling and higher education. Introduction programmes for prospective engineering students have to ensure high-quality curriculum development procedures in order to secure these students’ academic success throughout their engineering studies. This, in turn, leads to quality graduates and addresses the huge shortage experienced by the industry. An overview of the contextual and conceptual views on curriculum development is given against the backdrop of the current higher education legislation in South Africa. The overview regarding curriculum development links the introduction programme curriculum to generic learning outcomes specifically set at the National Qualification Framework Level 4. It suggests the application of continuous assessments, in line with outcomes-based education criteria, together with quality assurance in order to fit the Higher Education Quality Committee and the Engineering Council of South Africa’s accreditation criteria applicable to higher education institutions. During the design and methodological stages, it was established, by means of a theoretical investigation, that the first phase of this study determines whether students that successfully completed the introduction programme perform academically better than students entering the diploma programmes directly. The theoretical investigation also established that the second phase of this study determines if the diploma students dropped out of the programme for reasons other than academic performance. A triangulation approach was used to increase the validity of the empirical part of the study and to enhance the rigorous use of both quantitative and qualitative data. The study results shed light on the need for introduction programmes. In addition, it proposed a curriculum framework for improved engineering introduction programmes at the Vaal University of Technology. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om kurrikulumraamwerk vir oorbruggingsprogram vir ingenieurswese-studente in hoër onderwys te ontwikkel. Die kurrikulumraamwerk is ontwikkel deur middel van gevallestudie wat die implementering van oorbruggingskursusse in die ingenieurswese indringend ondersoek het. Die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse regering poog om die sosio-politieke wanbalanse as nalatenskap van apartheid, uit te wis. Dit word gedoen deur middel van inisiatiewe waarin onder meer hoër onderwys prominente vennoot is wat aan diverse samelewing gelyke geleenthede bied. Die huidige, meer toeganklike bedeling in hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika het groot toename van studente uit histories agtergeblewe gemeenskappe tot gevolg gehad. Die meeste studente wat in hierdie konteks die hoëronderwyssektor betree, blyk in groot mate onvoorbereid te wees vir hoër onderwys vanweë hul gebrek aan lewens-, kommunikasie-, numeriese en taalvaardighede. Hierdie tendens kom ook op internasionale vlak voor. Dit het inisiatiewe ten opsigte van akademiese ontwikkeling op nasionale sowel as internasionale vlak genoodsaak. Die doel van akademiese ontwikkeling is primêr om die gaping tussen die skool en hoër onderwys te oorbrug. Oorbruggingskursusse moet van hoë gehalte wees om sodoende te kan verseker dat voornemende studente vir hoër onderwys, en vir die doel van hierdie studie meer spesifiek ingenieurstudente, van groter akademiese sukses verseker kan wees. Die suksesvolle implementering van oorbruggingskursusse vir ingenieurswese-studente behoort in groot mate tot beter gehalte gegradueerde te lei en bydrae te lewer tot die vraag na ingenieurswese-studente vir die nywerheidswêreld. Kontekstuele en konsepsuele beskouings ten opsigte van kurrikulumontwikkeling in die hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika word deur generiese leeruitkomste bepaal. Hierdie uitkomste is op vlak 4 van die land se Nasionale Kwalifikasieraamwerk vasgepen. Dit het ook tot gevolg dat alle programme volgens amptelike Departement van Onderwys-dokumente aan deurlopende assessering onderwerp moet word, dat die gehalte van die kursus onderworpe is aan die gehalteversekeringskriteria van die vi Hoëronderwys se Gehaltekomitee (‘HEQC’) en dat dit moet voldoen aan die vereistes van die Ingenieursraad van Suid-Afrika. Teoretiese raamwerk is tydens die ontwerp- en metodiekstadium van die studie daargestel. Die doel van hierdie eerste fase van die studie was om te bepaal of diplomastudente wat die oorbruggingskursusse suksesvol voltooi het, akademies beter gepresteer het as daardie studente wat nie die oorbruggingskursus gevolg het nie. Die tweede studiefase het bepaal of die diplomastudente hul studies vir redes gestaak het wat moontlik nie met akademiese sukses verband hou nie. Die navorsing het van triangulasie gebruik gemaak, ten einde die doeltreffende gebruik van sowel kwantitatiewe as kwalitatiewe data te verhoog. Die resultate van die studie werp lig op en onderstreep die behoefte aan oorbruggingskursusse. Die navorsing beveel kurrikulumraamwerk aan vir die ontwerp van verbeterde oorbruggingskursusse in die ingenieurswese aan die Vaal Universiteit van Tegnologie.

Thesis (PhD (Education)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / 334 leaves single sided printed, preliminary pages i-xiv and numbered pages 1-322. Includes bibliography, abbreviations and list of figures. / Scanned using a Hp Scanjet 8250 Scanner to pdf format (OCR). / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The world is at a rapid pace being confronted with the need to shift national education policies that reflect basic human rights, with equity and fairness to the forefront. Along side of this herald are demonstrations of active mobilizations on the part of institutions of higher learning to "internationalize" their policies and programs to help to produce global citizens that effectively interact in international settings. As South Africa experiences changing scenes in educational reform government officials, practitioners, and educators face a number of challenges. Particularly, those related to cultural interactions when engaging in activities across the diaspora of school environments. Often these challenges serve as impediments to open communication, understanding and sensitivity amongst diverse cultural groups. As these impediments are faced in classrooms teachers increasingly find themselves at a deficit to adequately host learning environments conducive to its participants. Institutions of higher learning have a responsibility to provide the kind of intercultural dialog that entrenches policies and program curricula that speak to the needs of diverse communities, in particular those preparing future teachers. The research introduces the concept of global education communities to contribute towards shaping the kind of institutions that provide opportunities for students to practice, and become skilled in intercultural understanding. The research also raises serious discussion through the proposal of the elements of intercultural education towards contributive measures to address intercultural education, communication, and training. A case study of a four year pre-service general education training program (BEd GET) at the University Stellenbosch was conducted to trace and examine the presence of intercultural education. Data was collected by means of triangulated document analysis, interviews, and questionnaires. The research looked to a metaphoric analogy using Appreciative Inquiry, power with, and elements of intercultural education. The data was analyzed using qualitative strategies including classification and category construction, with imaginative variation and heuristic inquiry. The findings revealed that themes from intercultural education found expression or appearance in some aspects of the program outcomes, various module offerings, and teacher practice and approaches of the BEd GET curriculum. While the research also revealed that intercultural education does not appear to be a wholly attended pedagogy and practice in the GET program, the findings and interpretations revealed that intercultural education has numerous opportunities for expression and appearance to lay foundations for intercultural practice in theory. Another dimension of the research also revealed that students and lecturers collectively were not familiar with the concept of intercultural education, nor could a distinction between multicultural, and intercultural education be made. Furthermore, students' understandings and feelings reveal some resistance to themes in cultural diversity. The findings seem to reveal a need to incorporate strategies that raise intercultural consciousness. In view of the University of Stellenbosch's plan to internationalize, the findings present critical implications and recommendations toward incorporating intercultural pedagogy and practice into the methodological framework of the BEd General Education program. It finally poses future program and module development with respects to intercultural education and practice through the suggested use of the Hammer and Bennett's (1998, 2002) Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wereld word teen 'n versnelde tempo gekonfronteer met die noodsaaklikheid om nasionale onderwysbeleid wat menseregte, veral billikheid en regverdigheid, op die voorgrond stel. Saam met hierdie oproep is daar aanduidings van die mobilisering van institusies van hoer opvoeding om hu1le beleid en programme te "internasionaliseer" om burgers te vorm wat effektief met 'n globale wereld kan omgaan. Soos wat Suid-Afiika veranderende situasies ervaar in onderwyshervorming, word amptenare, praktisyns, opvoeders en ander betrokke in onderwysgemeenskappe gekonfronteer met 'n verskeidenheid uitdagings. Veral die verbonde aan kulturele interaksies betrokke by 'n diaspora van skoolomgewings. Die uitdagings dien dikwels as hindernisse vir oop kommunikasie, begrip en sensitiwiteit tussen verskillende kulturele groepe. In besonder wanneer hierdie hindernisse in klaskamers aangedurf word deur onderwysers wat meesal self 'n tekort aan voldoende leerervaring het om leeromgewings in belang van die deelnemers te fasiliteer. Hoeronderwys institusies het 'n verantwoordelikheid om beleid en programkurrikula te voorsien wat interkulturele dialoog verskans wat spreek tot die behoeftes van diverse gemeenskappe, veral die wat voornemende onderwysers voorberei. Die navorsing stel die konsep globale onderwysgemeenskappe voor om by te dra tot die vorming van institusies wat geleenthede skep vir studente om interkulturele begrip te oefen en vaardig daarin te word. Die navorsing stel elemente van interkulturele onderwys voor wat kan dien tot die bevordering van dialogiese betrokkenheid in interkulturele onderwys, kommunikasie en opleiding. 'n Gevallestudie van 'n vierjaar voordiens algemene onderwysprogram (BEd Algemeen) by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch was ondemeem vir spore van en om die voorkoms van interkulturele onderwys in oenskou te neem. Data is versamel deur middel van 'n getrianguleerde dokument analise, onderhoude en vraelyste. Die navorsing kyk na 'n metaforiese analogie waarin waarderende ondersoek, mag-met, en elemente van interkulturele onderwys gebruik is. Vir die analise van die data is kwalitatiewe strategiee gebruik, wat klassifikasie en kategorie konstruksie in kombinasie met verbeeldingsryke variasie en heuristiese ondersoek insluit. Die bevindings toon dat temas van interkulturele onderwys uitdrukking vind of verskyn in aspekte van die programuitkomste, verskillende module aanbiedings, en onderwys praktyke en benaderings van die BEd Algemeen kurrikulum. Terwyl ook bevind is dat interkulturele onderwys nie werklik in die pedagogie en praktyk van die program figureer nie, toon die interpretasie talle geleenthede om interkulturele praktyk te vestig en tot uitdrukking te bring. 'n Ander faset van die navorsing het getoon dat studente en lektore kollektief nie bekend is met die konsep van interkulturele onderwys nie, en dat dit nie onderskei kon word van multikulturele nie. Boonop, het studente se begrip en gevoelens 'n neiging tot verset teenoor temas van kulturele diversiteit getoon. Die bevindinge suggereer 'n behoefte aan die insluiting van strategiee om interkulturele bewussyn te verhoog. In die lig van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch se planne om te internasionaliseer, hou die bevindinge kritiese implikasies en aanbevelings in vir die inkorporasie van interkulturele pedagogie en praktyk in die metodologiese raamwerk van die BEd Algemeen-program. Dit stel die ontwikkeling van modules in interkulturele onderwys en praktyk voor deur die gebruik van Hammer en Bennett se (1998,2002) Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In a post apartheid South African educational environment, learners’ academic achievement is generally seen as a barometer of the quality of education in schools. The low academic performance of black learners has contributed to an overall, but narrow and decontextualised view, that these learners generally produce poor results because of something inherently wrong with their abilities to learn. Educational research has hitherto focused on unproblematized pedagogical approaches that result in narrow and decontextualized, functionalist views that working class learners’ learning is problematic. What is less known are the challenges that working class learners have to face on a daily basis as they try to navigate deeply constraint lived spaces of their homes, communities and schools in their quest to realise their educational goals. The study explores selected working class high school learners’ navigation and mediation practices as they engage with their schooling over different spaces of their rural town. I assert that these learners have the ability to shift their habitus just enough to enable them to stay on course in their quest for educational achievement and a better future. I argue that, through the optimal utilisation of available resources in their lived spaces and the strategic deployment of embodied adaptive practices, these youth develop a ‘self-schooled’ habitus that enable them to re-imagine their daily realities and aspire to better futures despite their adverse living conditions. In order to study these learners’ habitus adaptations, I utilise Bourdieu’s theoretical lenses of field, capital and habitus to argue that the youth in this study are not mere passive recipients of global influences and changing environments, but active agents in the shaping of their local realities. Through ethnographic study I explore the self- schooled navigation practices that these youth employ to help them mediate between the structural reproductive influences of their educational environments and their educational aspirations. The thesis is motivated by the position that qualitative research can offer a view of the intersections of fast changing macro-community processes and young people’s micro-lived educational dimensionalities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ´n post-apartheid Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysopset word leerders se akademiese prestasies oor die algemeen beskou as die maatstaaf van kwaliteit in skole. Die lae akademiese prestasie van veral werkersklas- leerders in die land dra by tot ´n hegemoniese, maar nou en gedekontektualiseerde siening dat werkersklas-leerders oor die algemeen swak uitslae oplewer omdat daar iets inherent verkeerd is met hul leervermoeëns. Opvoedkundige navorsing in Suid-Afrika sentreer hoofsaaklik rondom onuitgedaagde pedagogiese benaderings wat werkersklas-leerders se leervermoëns as problematies sien. Wat minder bekend is, is die uitdagings wat werkersklas-leerders op ´n daaglikse basis moet trotseer soos hulle probeer om deur die verskillende leefruimtes van hul ouerhuise, gemeenskappe en skole te navigeer in die nastrewing van hul opvoedkundige aspirasies. Hierdie studie eksploreer geselekteerde werkersklas-hoërskoolleerders se navigering en mediëringspraktyke soos hulle omgaan met hul skoling oor die verskillende ruimtes van hul landelike dorp. Ek asserteer dat hierdie leerders hul aspirasies lewend hou deur hul habitus sodanig te verskuif dat dit hulle aan koers hou deur die skool. Ek argumenteer dat hierdie jeugdiges, deur die maksimalisering van hul leefruimtes en die strategiese ontplooiing van beliggaamde aanpassingspraktyke, ´n selfgeskoolde habitus ontwikkel wat hulle in staat stel om ´n beter toekoms te ‘sien’ en struktureel-reproduktiewe ruimtes te transendeer. Om hierdie studente se habitusaanpassing te verken, maak ek in hierdie studie gebruik van Bourdieu se teoretiese lense van veld, kapitaal en habitus om te argumenteer dat die jeugdiges in hierdie studie nie net passiewe ontvangers is van globale invloede en snel-veranderende omgewings nie, maar aktiewe meemakers in die vorming van hul plaaslike realiteite. Gebaseer op ´n etnografiese studie, eksploreer ek die selfgeskoolde navigeringspraktyke wat hierdie jeugdiges ontplooi om hulle te help om tussen die strukturele reproduktiewe invloede van hul opvoedingsomgewings en hul eie opvoedkundige aspirasies te medieer. Hierdie tesis is gemotiveer deur die posisie dat kwalitatiewe navorsing ´n siening kan bied van die interseksies van snel-veranderende makro-prosesse en jongmense se mikro-beleefde opvoedkundige dimensionaliteite.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation argues that women on the African continent experience moments of internal exclusion in higher education discourses. Although women are statistically represented in higher education discourses, they remain subjected to internal exclusion on the grounds that their contributions are evidently unsubstantive. Through a conceptual analysis of women’s experiences of African higher education, the study reveals that internal exclusion can be attributed to patriarchy, male chauvinism, authoritarianism and a gendered view of equality, mostly generated in people’s social, political and cultural practices. I contend that a ‘non-gendered’ ethics of care can undermine the debilitating effects caused by the internal exclusion of women in higher education discourses. By examining the implications of a reconstituted ethics of care for teaching and learning at higher education institutions on the continent, the study offers some ways in which exclusionary higher education practices can be remedied. This dissertation contends that, if higher education in Africa were to halt the dilemma of internal exclusion and move towards engendering a reconstituted ethics of care, both conceptually and pragmatically, then it stands an authentic chance of cultivating compassionate, imaginative and responsible citizens who can reason, not only for themselves, but for humanity as well. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif argumenteer dat vrouens op die vasteland van Afrika momente van interne uitsluiting ondervind. Alhoewel vrouens statisties goed verteenwoordig is in hoër onderwys diskoerse, bly hulle steeds onderhewig aan interne uitsluiting op grond daarvan dat hulle bydrae nie genoegsaam geag word nie. Gegrond op 'n konseptuele analise van die wedervaringe van vrouens in hoër onderwys in Afrika, bevind hierdie studie dat interne uitsluiting van vrouens toegeskryf kan word aan patriargie, manlike chauvinisme, outoritarisme, en 'n geslagsblik van gelykheid wat meestal aanslag vind in mense se sosiale, politieke en kulturele praktyke. Ek voer aan dat 'n nie-geslagtelike etiek van sorg die verlammende effekte van interne uitsluiting van vroue in hoër onderwysdiskoerse kan ondermyn. Die studie stel maniere voor hoe uitsluitende hoër onderwys praktyke beredder kan word deur 'n ondersoek van die implikasies van 'n rekonstruksie van 'n etiek van sorg aan hoër onderwys instansies op die vasteland. Hierdie proefskrif voer aan dat as hoër onderwys in Afrika die dilemma van interne uitsluiting wil stuit en dan konseptueel en pragmaties wil beweeg na 'n rekonstruksie van 'n etiek van sorg, daar dan 'n outentieke kans kan bestaan om verantwoordbare burgers te kweek wat deernisvol is, wat verbeeldingryk is, en wat nie alleen vir hulleself kan redeneer nie, maar ook vir die mensdom.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation argues that teacher education and development policy lacks an explicit philosophy of education and a responding pedagogy that would promote transformation. Through a conceptual analysis of teacher education and development, the study points to a deficit in philosophical underpinning that calls for an inquiry into ontology − ways of being, and epistemology − ways of knowing to contribute to critical citizenship. I contend that it is in a Freirean philosophy of education and a pedagogy of hope that teacher education praxis establishes the notion of a teacher as an unfinished being. This dissertation contends that for this to become established practice, the authority of educators, teachers and learners, and their status as subjects of their own learning and teaching, have to become part of the reflexive praxis. A pedagogy of hope constitutes the unleashing of the emancipatory potential of a teacher as an agent of democratic change, authority and reflectiveness. In line with the National Development Plan and the Vision for 2030, and in order to make an impact on society, I suggest an agenda for mass-based dialogue for the re-orientation of current teacher education policy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif argumenteer dat beleid ten opsigte van onderwyseropleiding en -ontwikkeling nie eksplisiete opvoedingsfilosofie en ‘n ooreenstemmende pedagogie wat transformasie voorstaan, openbaar nie. ̓n Konseptuele analise van onderwyseropleiding en -ontwikkeling wys op die afwesigheid van ̓n filosofiese onderbou, wat vereis dat ’n ondersoek van ontologie, as wyses van wees of bestaan, en epistemologie, as wyses van weet of met kennis omgaan, tot kritiese burgerskap kan bydra. Ek gaan van die veronderstelling uit dat dit in ̓n opvoedingsfilosofie en ̓ isn pedagogie van hoop, soos deur Freire voorgestel, dat onderwyserpraksis die idee kan vestig van ̓n onderwyser as “onklare/onvoltooide wese”. Die proefskrif gaan verder van die veronderstelling uit dat om hierdie idee as praktyk te vestig, die outoriteit van die opvoeders, onderwysers en leerders en hulle status as onderwerpe van hulle eie leer en onderrig, deel moet word van hul refleksiewe praktyk. ̓n Pedagogie van hoop behels die ontketening van die emansipatoriese potensiaal van die onderwyser as agent vir demokratiese verandering, outoriteit en reflektiwiteit. In ooreenstemming met die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan en die Visie vir 2030, stel ek voor dat om ̓n impak op die samelewing te kan maak, ons ̓n agenda vir massagebaseerde dialoog ter bevordering van die reoriëntering van huidige onderwysopleidingsbeleid moet onderneem.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of an intervention programme on the reading levels of ten grade two learners. A case study was used as research method. The research group of five boys and five girls between the ages of 7 and 8 years were Grade 2 learners at a Boland primary school. These learners did not meet the Assessment Standards for reading and looking (LO3: 3, 4) The research process consisted of a pre evaluation phase, the intervention and a post evaluation phase. The learner’s reading levels were determined during the evaluation phases. The observation during the intervention was coded and recorded. The group was taught during a period of 10 weeks, 3 times a week for 30 minutes at a time. Ananlysis of data showed improvement of reading levels with regards to fluency, speed, accuracy analysis and self correction. The study thus shows that the intervention was effective for improving reading levels. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van die studie was om die invloed van ‘n intervensie op tien graad 2- leerders se leespeil te bepaal. ‘n Gevallestudie is as navorsingsmetode gebruik. Die navorsingsgroep, bestaande uit vyf seuns en vyf dogters tussen sewe en agt jaar oud, was almal in graad 2 aan ‘n Bolandse laerskool. Die leerders het nie voldoen aan die Nasionale Assesseringstandaarde vir lees en kyk (LU3: 3.4) nie. Die navorsing het uit twee evalueringsfases en ‘n intervensieprogram bestaan. Tydens die evalueringsfases is die leespeil van die leerders voor en na die intervensie bepaal. Tydens die intervensie is waarneming gedoen en met behulp van ‘n koderingstelsel aangeteken. Die navorsingsgroep is oor ‘n periode van tien weke drie keer per week vir 30 minute aan ‘n program blootgestel. Die data-analise het ‘n verbetering getoon ten opsigte van vlotheid, spoed, akkuraatheid, analise en selfkorrigering. Die studie het dus aangetoon dat die intervensie die leespeil van die tien leerders verbeter het.

Thesis (MEd) -- Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In December 1998 the Assessment Policy in the General Education and Training Band, grades R to 9 and ABET was introduced by the Department of Education. According tot the principles of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) the previous system of mainly test-based summative evaluations was replaced by a number of cumulative assessments. The principle of automatic promotion, which stipulates that a learner should ideally progress with his or her age cohort, is endorsed by this policy. Despite various other promotion and progression policies which have been implemented since then, this principle of automatic promotion still stands. In this study I explore some of the implications of the present promotion policy, the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band for epistemological access to quality education. In my literature study I put the development of the promotion policy in historical perspective. Making use of the interpretive framework, I conduct a qualitative study and I interview three educators in an attempt to get an understanding of their experience of the implications of the policy. I also study the promotion schedules of one school in order to estimate the number of learners who have been automatically promoted and to investigate the degree in which they answer to the demands of the curriculum. I will argue that the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band does not necessarily contribute to the vision of the Education Department of “equal access to lifelong education and training opportunities which will contribute towards improving the quality of life and build a peaceful, prosperous and democratic society” as stated in the South African Schools Act of 1996. The principles of equity, access and redress are not necessarily supported by the promotion policy. I reach the conclusion that, despite the advantages it holds for formal access to education, the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools experiences some difficulty in delivering quality education in the GET phase. It is often contradictory to the strive for quality education due to the lack of epistemological access it provides, not only for learners who repeat or who were automatically promoted, but also for the more advanced learner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Desember 1998 is die Assessment Policy in the General Education and Training Band, grades R to 9 and ABET, deur die Departement van Onderwys bekend gestel. In lyn met die beginsels van Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys (UGO) is „n stelsel van deurlopende assessering ingestel wat die plek moes inneem van hoofsaaklik summatiewe toetsgebaseerde assessering. Die beginsel van outomatiese bevordering waarvolgens leerders hoofsaaklik volgens hul ouderdomskohort moet vorder, is ook hierin vervat. Sedertdien is hierdie bevorderingsbeleid vervang deur verskeie ander, maar die beginsel van outomatiese bevordering tot en met graad 8 bly „n kernelement van al hierdie bevorderingsbeleide. In hierdie studie ondersoek ek enkele implikasies wat die huidige bevorderingsbeleid, die Nasionale Beleid op Assesserings en Kwalifikasies vir Skole in die Algemene Onderwys- en Opleidingsband (NBAK) inhou vir epistemologiese toegang tot kwaliteit onderrig. In my literatuurstudie plaas ek die ontwikkeling van die bevorderingsbeleid in historiese perspektief. Binne die interpretiewe raamwerk doen ek „n kwalitatiewe ondersoek en voer onderhoude met drie onderwysers om hul ervaring van die implikasies van die beleid te verstaan. Ek ondersoek ook die bevorderingskedules van een skool om sodoende „n idee van die omvang van leerders wat outomaties bevorder word, asook die mate waartoe hulle bybly by die eise van die kurrikulum, te bepaal. Ek argumenteer dat die NBAK nie noodwendig bydra tot die onderwysdepartement se visie van “equal access to lifelong education and training opportunities which will contribute towards improving the quality of life and build a peaceful, prosperous and democratic society” soos vervat in die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet van 1996 nie. Die beginsels van geregtigheid (equity), toegang (access) en herstel (redress) word nie noodwendig deur die NBAK ondersteun nie en ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat, ten spyte van die voordele wat die NBAK vir formele toegang tot onderwys inhou, die NBAK probleme het met die lewering van kwaliteit onderrig in die AOO-band. Inteendeel, dit is dikwels teenstrydig met die strewe na die lewering van kwaliteit onderrig as gevolg van die gebrekkige epistemologiese toegang wat dit voorsien, nie net vir herhalers en vir leerders wat outomaties bevorder is nie, maar ook vir die skrander leerders.

Thesis (MEd) -- Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the major features of educational transformation in Namibia revolves around the democratisation of education. However, despite various endeavours by the government to transform the education system in an effort to provide quality education, there remain many challenges to the delivery of urgently needed quality education. This thesis seeks to explore how democratic education can possibly contribute towards eliminating identified challenges. My contention is that the promulgation of the education policy document "Toward Education for All" of 1993 was meant to bring about changes in the Namibian education system. However, the promulgation of this policy does not imply the effective implementation thereof. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die belangrikste kenmerke van onderwystransformasie in Namibie is die demokratisering van die onderwys. Ten spyte van verskeie pogings deur die regering om die onderwysstelsel te transformeer in 'n poging om gehalteonderwys te verseker, is daar steeds baie uitdagings met betrekking tot die lewering van dringend nodige gehalteonderwys. Hierdie tesis ondersoek hoe demokratiese onderwys moontlik daartoe kan bydra om die uitdagings soos gerdentifiseer die hoof te bied. Die skrywer is daarvan oortuig dat daar met die bekendmaking van die onderwysbeleidsdokument, Toward Education for All (1993), bedoel word om veranderinge in die Namibiese onderwysstelsel teweeg te bring. Die openbaarmaking van hierdie beleid impliseer egter nie die effektiewe implementering daarvan nie.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study explores the perceptions of Namibian teachers of democratic school governance and its contribution to school discipline. The research examines the education policy shifts towards democratic school governance from before to after 1990. The study further investigates the views of twelve teachers from four secondary schools in the Oshana education region on how democratic school governance can contribute to lack of discipline among learners. The study exposes how learner representation on the school board and their participation in the discussions during meetings is experienced. The study also discusses how learners who are elected to serve on the school board are accountable to other learners who have elected them. The study shows the link between democratic school governance and school discipline, internationally, nationally and locally. Finally, given the exploratory nature of the study, some issues that warrant further investigation to add to the existing knowledge are highlighted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsverslag ondersoek die persepsies van Namibiese onderwysers met betrekking tot demokratiese skool bestuur en die bestuur bydrae tot skool disipline. Verder word die opvoedkundige riglyne vir demokratiese skoolbestuur voor en na 1990 ondersoek en die indrukke van twaalf onderwysers van vier sekondêre skole in die Oshana Onderwysdistrik met betrekking tot die bydrae van ‘n demokraties verkose skoolbestuur tot ‘n gebrek aan dissipline onder leerlinge word bespreek Hoe leerlingverteenwoordiging op die skoolraad en leerlinge se bydrae tot besprekings gedurende vergaderings ervaar word, sowel as hoe leerlinge wat gekies is om op die skoolraad te dien aan die leerlinge wat hulle verkies het, verslag doen, word ook oorweeg. Die verband tussen ‘n demokratiese skoolbestuur en skooldissipline op internasionale, nasionale en plaaslike vlak word getoon, Weens die ondersoekende aard van die studie word kwessies laastens uitgelig vir verdere ondersoek om sodat meer inligting by die reeds bestaande kennis gevoeg kan word.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / Internationally, contemporary youth struggle to make sense or meaning of their lives. That is so because they live in a world where they daily witness unsolvable problems of struggling economies, poverty, HIV, and religious and national conflict, and where they are generally treated with ambivalence and a threat to the existing social order. Youth also struggle because within the public imagination they exist on the fringe of society. Giroux (2012: 2) argues that youth are given few spaces where “they can recognise themselves outside of the needs, values, and desires preferred by the marketplace” and are mostly subjected to punitive and zero tolerance approaches when they behave in unacceptable ways. In South Africa presently, it is generally claimed that “discipline problems” amongst youth have become the most endemic problem in South African schools, with policy makers and educators daily complaining about the disciplinary problems within schools that affect how learners engage with learning. Equally, discipline as punitive coercion has been shown to be an unsuccessful educational method in dealing with youth (Porteus & Vally 1999). With the above schooling challenge in mind, this qualitative study explored the views of thirteen young learners at Avondale High School in the Western Cape on school discipline. Via semi-structured interviews, the youth were asked about their understandings of the rules, disciplinary structures, forms of authority and order at the school, how they interpreted the role of discipline, and how they thought this would influence the futures awaiting them. The goal of the study was to provide a multi-dimensional view of what youth regarded as discipline at one school, and to explore whether different learners adopted different meanings of ‘discipline’ according to the context of their individual lives. I show in the study - utilising the views of Emile Durkheim, Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu - that school discipline needs to be thought of as more than punishment or structures of ordering per se if it is to play a productive role in the functioning of schools. Along with Yang (2009: 49) I suggest that only when schools recognise that discipline has multiple meanings and (limited) roles within their daily functioning, will the emancipatory and transformative possibilities of school discipline be unlocked. For that to happen, the voices and views of youth in schools have to be taken account of, and meaningful relationships developed between learners, educators, and school management.