The study serves to explore teachers’ enactment of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in selected Free State Province schools. The data was collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews. The respondents were grade 11 teachers whose schools were chosen by the researcher because all the respondents had undergone a week long CAPS training. The study adopted a qualitative approach therefore a purposive non-probability sampling strategy was used to select the sample. The collected data from the respondents was analysed qualitatively and recommendations based on the research findings were made. In a nutshell, the teachers’ enactment of CAPS still remains a tall order for the South African teacher but with sufficient support and encouragement to the teacher from all stakeholders it can become a success story. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

(D. Ed. (Didactics))

Improving Grade 12 learner performance is a critical issue because only a few learners are able to go to university. Grade 8 learners lack the required subject content knowledge to be in secondary school. The aim of this study was to identify key generic curriculum factors affecting Grade 12 learner performance. The aim was addressed by conducting the relevant literature study and an empirical investigation. In various studies, the implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) has been associated with tremendous challenges, including content congestion, workload, too much paperwork, too much assessment and limited time. There are ongoing expressions of uncertainty about the type of learners the CAPS is producing. Many of these learners do not understand English, cannot read or write, do not care about their education, are not doing their homework and are ill-disciplined. Against this backdrop of uncertainty, this study offers a critical reflection of key curriculum factors affecting learners’ performance. This multiple case study was undertaken using semi-structured individual interviews with 12 Heads of Departments, which were conducted to explore their perceptions and experiences regarding the CAPS. Six focus group interviews with teachers were also conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of their views. The findings of the study offer a deeper understanding of the key generic curriculum factors affecting learner performance which require a special intervention at foundation phase to ensure that primary school learners are prepared for Grade 12. It is envisaged that the research findings will assist the Department of Basic Education with decisions relating to improving learners’ performance. The study recommends that involving as many experienced teachers as possible in the curriculum design will have a positive impact on learner performance. It is recommended that the Department of Basic Education should reduce the number of subjects at secondary school level; align time allocated to complete the syllabus with the Annual Teaching Plan; replace School-Based Assessments with tests; conduct an exit examination at the end of every phase; identify one prescribed textbook for each subject; encourage top performing students to become teachers; and make teaching a high-status profession. Experienced teachers should be given an opportunity to design the curriculum because they understand the challenges facing the education system. The Department of Basic Education should minimise changes to the curriculum because the teachers work better with what they know. iv The study concluded that the first 30 minutes of each day should be an English period to enhance reading skills; learners should be given an opportunity to choose subjects from Grade 8 not from Grade 10; the pass rate should be raised to 50% for all the subjects; Life Orientation should be done only up to Grade 7; more Further Education and Training colleges should be opened so that learners can be directed accordingly if they cannot cope in a mainstream school; progression and adjustment of marks should be stopped; more teacher training colleges should be opened; more and better resources at all under-resourced schools must be provided; each school should have a full-time psychologist on staff; and learners should be motivated regularly by educated or successful community members. / Dit is noodsaaklik om die prestasie van Graad 12-leerlinge te verbeter aangesien weinig van hulle aan ʼn universiteit verder kan studeer. Graad 8-leerders beskik nie oor die vakkennis wat op hoërskool van hulle verwag word nie. Die oogmerk van hierdie studie was om vas te stel watter betekenisvolle generiese kurrikulumfaktore die prestasie van Graad 12-leerders bepaal. ʼn Literatuurstudie en empiriese ondersoek is met die oog hierop gedoen. Volgens verskeie studies bring die implementering van die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV) geweldige uitdagings mee waaronder die vertering van lesinhoud, ʼn groot werklas, te veel papierwerk, te veel assessering en te min tyd. Bedenkinge word gereeld uitgespreek oor die soort leerder wat die KABV tot gevolg het. Talle leerders verstaan nie Engels nie, kan nie lees of skryf nie, is nie oor hulle eie opvoeding besorg nie, doen nie hulle huiswerk nie, en is ongehoorsaam. Hierdie studie besin krities oor die betekenisvolle kurrikulumfaktore wat leerders se prestasie beïnvloed. In hierdie meervoudige gevallestudie is halfgestruktureerde onderhoude met 12 departementshoofde gevoer. Hulle perspepsie en ervaring van die KABV is in die onderhoude verken. Ses fokusgroeponderhoude is met onderwysers gevoer om hulle siening daarvan te verkry. Die bevindings van die studie bied ʼn grondige insig in die betekenisvolle generiese kurrikulumfaktore wat leerderprestasie beïnvloed. Dit vereis ingryping in die grondslagfase om laerskoolleerders vir hoërskool en uiteindelik Graad 12 gereed te kry. Op grond van hierdie bevindings kan die Departement van Basiese Onderwys veranderings aanbring wat die prestasie van leerders kan verbeter. Die studie beveel aan dat soveel ervare onderwysers as moontlik by die kurrikulumontwerp betrek word. Dit sal leerdersprestasie verbeter. Daar word voorts aanbeveel dat die Departement van Basiese Onderwys die aantal hoërskoolvakke verminder; die tydperk waarin die sillabus afgehandel word, met die jaarlikse onderrigplan in ooreenstemming bring; vii skoolassessering met toetse vervang; leerders aan die einde van elke fase ʼn uitgangseksamen laat skryf; een handboek vir elke vak voorskryf; skrander studente aanmoedig om onderwysers te word; en die aansien van die onderwysberoep verhoog. Ervare onderwysers moet aan die opstel van die kurrikulum meewerk omdat hulle die struikelblokke in die onderwysstelsel die beste begryp. Die Departement van Basiese Onderwys moet minder aan die kurrikulum torring aangesien onderwysers beter werk met dinge wat hulle ken. Die slotsom waartoe in hierdie studie gekom word, is dat die eerste 30 minute van elke skooldag ʼn Engelse periode moet wees waarin leerders hulle leesvaardighede verbeter. Leerders moet reeds in Graad 8 vakke kan kies, nie eers in Graad 10 nie. Die slaagpunt moet in alle vakke 50% wees. Lewensoriëntering moet slegs tot Graad 7 aangebied word. Leerders wat nie in ʼn hoofstroomskool die mas opkom nie, moet aan kolleges vir verdere onderwys en opleiding verder kan leer. Punte moenie opgeskuif word nie. Meer onderwyseropleidingskolleges moet geopen word. Skole met beperkte hulpbronne moet van meer en beter hulpmiddels voorsien word. ʼn Voltydse sielkundige moet by elke skool aangestel word, en suksesvolle en opgevoede gemeenskapslede moet leerders gereeld motiveer. / Kaonafatšo ya mašomelo a Kreite ya 12 ke ntlha ya bohlokwa ka ge baithuti ba mmalwa ba kgona go ya yunibesithi. Baithuti ba Kreiti ya 8 ba hloka tsebo ya diteng tša thuto yeo e nyakwaga ke baithuti ba dikolo tše di phagamego. Nepo ya thuto ye ke go hlaola dintlhakakaretšo tša kharikhulamo ya go ama mašomelo a moithuti wa Kreite ya 12. Maikemišetšo a a rarollotšwe ka go dira thuto ya dingwalwa le dinyakišišo tša thuto. Ka go dithuto tša go fapana, phethagatšo ya Setatamente sa Pholisi ya Kharikhulamo le Tekolo (CAPS) e amana le mathata a magolo,a go akaretša pitlagano, tšhomišo ye ntši ya pampiri, tekolo ye ntši, le nako ye nnyane. Go na le ditšweletšo tše dintši tša go se kgotsofale ka ga mohuta wa baithuti bao CAPS e ba tšweletšago. Bontši bja baithuti ba ga ba kwešiše Seisemane; ga ba kgone go bala goba go ngwala; ga ba na taba le thuto ya bona; ba ba dire mošomo wa bona wa gae; ga ba na mekgwa ye mebotse. Ke ka lebaka la tšweletšo ye ya go se be le nnete, thuto ye e tšweletša taetšo ya bohlokwa ka ga dintlha tša bohlokwa tša kharikhulamo tšeo di amago mašomelo a baithuti. Thutophatišišo ye e swanetše go dirwa go šomišwa ditherišano tša go hlangwa gannyane le Dihlogo tše 12 tša Dikgoro. Dipoledišano tše tša mošomo di dirilwe go lemoga mmono wa bona le boitemogelo bja CAPS. Dipoledišano le dihlopha tše tshela tša barutiši di dirilwe go hwetša kwešišo ya go tsenelela ya mmono wa bona. Dipoelo tša thuto di fana ka kwešišo ya go tsenelela ya dintlha tša motheo tša kharikhulamo tšeo di amago mašomelo a baithuti le go nyaka thušo ya go ikgetha ka go thuto ya motheo go netefatša go re baithuti ba thuto ya phoraemari a loketše sekolo se se phagamego le Kreite ya 12. Go lebeletšwe gore dipoelo tša diphatišišo di tla thuša Kgoro ya Thuto ya Motheo go dira diphetho tša go tliša kaonafalo ka go mašomelo a baithuti. Thuto e hlohleletša go re ka ge barutiši ba bantši ba maitemogelo ba tšee karolo ka go tlhamo ya kharikhulamo ka ge se se tla ba le seabe sa maleba go mašomelo a baithuti. Go dirwa tšhišinyo ya go re Kgoro ya Thuto ya Motheo e swanetše go fokotša palo ya dithutwana x maemong a sekolo se se phagamego; lekanyetša nako yeo e filwego go phetha dithuto go ya ka leano la go ruta la ngwaga; go tlošwe ditekolo tšeo di dirwago sekolong go dirwe melekwana; go dirwe hlahlobo ya go tšwa mafelelong a sekgao se sengwe le se sengwe; go hlaolwe puku ye tee yeo e kgwethilwego go thuto ye nngwe le ye nngwe; go hlohleletša baithuti bao ba šomago gabotse go re ba be barutiši; le go dira gore barutiši e be mošomo wa maemo a godimo. Barutiši ba maitemogelo ba swanetše go fiwa sebaka sa go hlama kharikhulamo ka gobane ba kwešiša mathata a tshepedišo ya thuto. Kgoro ya thuto ya Motheo e swanetše go fokotša diphetogo ka go kharikhulamo ka gobane barutiši ba šoma gabotse ka tšeo ba di tsebago. Thuto ye e rumile ka go re metsotso ye 30 ya mathomo ya letšatši le lengwe le lelengwe e swanetše go ba thuto ya Seisemane go kgontšha bokgoni bja go bala; baithuti a swanetše go fiwa sebaka sa go kgetha dithuto go tloga ka go Kreite ya 8 e sego ka go Kreite ya 10; kelo ya katlego e swanetše go phagamišwa go ya go diperesente tše 50 go dithuto ka moka; Life Orientation e swanetše go rutwa fela go fihla go Kreiti ya 7; go swanetše go bulwe dikholetšhe tša tlaleletšo tša thuto le tlhahlo go baithuti bao ba sa kgonego go kgotlelela go sekolo sa setlwaedi; tšwelopele le tlaleletšo ya meputso e swanetše go emišwa; go swanetše go bulwe dikholetšhe tše dingwe tša barutiši; methopo ye mentši ya kaone go dikolo ka moka tšeo di se nago methopo ya go lekana e swanetš go fiwa; sekolo se sengwe le se sengwe se swanetše go ba le rasaekholotši wa sa ruri gare ga bašomi; le baithuti ba swanetše go hlohleletšwa kgafetšakgafetša ke maloko a setšhaba ao a rutegilego goba go atlega. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / Ph. D. (Education (Curriculum Studies))

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

The disparate numbers of boys and girls who elect to continue with mathemalics and/or physical science in the higher slandards of the school system has recently attracted much research atlention and the complexity of the interrelaledness of causal factors has become obvious. The broad aim of the study was to investigale the significant drop-out rate of girls at the end of the junior secondary phase of education (approximate age of fourteen lo fifteen). This was to be carried out for mathematics and physical science and undertaken using a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. The cross-sectional study entailed administering mathematics and physical science attitude questionnaires to 3531 standard six, seven and eight pupils from 4 co-educational, 2 allgirls' and 2 all-boys' schools, from middle and upper socioeconomic communities with similar language and cultural backgrounds . The longitudinal study involved pupils from two coeducational schools and one all-girls' school. It was a progressively-focused study starting with questionnaires administered to 358 standard six girls and boys, narrowing down to questionnaires and interviews used with 50 girls and 28 boys in standard seven and finally to interviews with 10 girls from standard eight. The parents of these ten girls were interviewed at the end of the study. The attilude questionnaires yielded strong sex differences which favoured the boys in both subjects for all the attitudes measured and also pointed to a progressive deterioralion of altitudes over the three-standard span. They also established significant differences in attitudes which favoured the pupils from Single-sex schools. It was further concluded that the girls were more strongly guided by their attitudes when making their subject-choice decisions. In the longitudinal study, reasons were suggested for pupils either taking or dropping mathematics and physical science. The introduction of algebra in the first year of high school presented a problem to pupils. In physical science, electricity was singled out as giving the subject a male bias. Socialization influences in the home were the main issue dealt with from the parent interviews . Sex-roles and stereotypes were dealt with in depth. Recommendations were made involving classroom strategies, curriculum possibilities, school policies and further research

This study investigated the cognition of Form III English language teachers and evaluated their preparedness in implementing the revised English language curriculum. The study investigated teachers’ understanding of the integrated curriculum; described the relationship between teachers’ implementation strategies and curriculum requirements; established the effect of cognition on the process of implementation and determined challenges of implementation. A descriptive survey design was used in Eldoret East Sub-County in Kenya. Data was collected using a questionnaire and in-depth interviews, student focus group interviews, observation in Form III language classrooms, document analysis and journal entries. Data analysis was done by use of frequency and descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis involved transcriptions of interviews and filed notes which were coded, categorized and patterns and themes identified. The study established that (1) teachers had varied cognition of the integrated curriculum (2) teachers showed integration at varying levels (3) more than 50% of the teachers still believe that English language and literature should be taught separately. (4) Teachers who had a better cognition of integration made more effort in the preparation and actual implementation of the integrated lessons. However, some teachers who did not seem to have any problem with conceptualizing integration still fell short of implementing it with fidelity (5) the practice of concentrating teaching on examination areas is still entrenched in teachers’ beliefs. Factors that were established to affect curriculum implementation efforts include: lack of appropriate Teacher Professional Development (TPD), content overload and complexity, non-suitable learner characteristics, inadequate directions in course books on integration and inappropriate pre-service training. The study recommends involvement of teachers in the development of curriculum innovations, organized Continuous TPD, development of materials that support teachers in their implementation and review of assessment procedures. This study has contributed to the dearth of literature in the area of teacher cognition of English language in Kenya. It has also provided insights to stakeholders in the field of curriculum on implementation issues that are pertinent which may lead to more fitting implementation in the future. This may help in suggesting necessary improvements to curriculum implementation such as material development, programme review at teacher colleges and universities and enhanced professional development training for teachers. The findings thus have a potential to inform and improve practice when stakeholders consider ways to improve the implementation of the curriculum in language classrooms in Kenya. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)