This thesis consists of a study on the Pedagogy of Alternation as a pedagogical method incorporated to the principles of Field Education, and its contribution to the spreading of ecological agriculture practices, through what was experienced at Escola Família Agrícola de Ladeirinhas (EFAL), located in the town of Japoatã, state of Sergipe, Brazil. EFAL is engaged in the education of young children of rural workers, in different times and places: in social-occupational aspects (family, community, and work) and in educational aspects (students go to boarding schools and have technical education for professional development in farming). By means of a qualitative approach, elements of ethnography grounded in hermeneutical phenomenology were used as a way to interpret the day-to-day experiences observed. This research was categorized as a case study. Data were collected by means of various instruments, such as the observation of classes and practical activities, document analysis, field journal entries, photographic record, and semi-structured interviews with students, school monitors, and the families involved. EFAL is part of regional and national networks which articulate the different Family Centers of Education by Alternation and aim at providing and enhancing the mastering of the required knowledge through alternation, and makes up an educational alternative in rural areas. While analyzing the use of the Pedagogy of Alternation in the dissemination of sustainable principles and practices, it became understood that such method, adapted to the various realities of rural areas, enables individuals to have an integral education. Immersed in territories of inequity intensified by the agribusiness, and affected by policies which encourage the use of unsustainable technology resulting from green revolution packages, EFAs make use of principles and instruments that attempt to reinforce the dialogue between the school world and the life world, between theory and practice. The articulation of the data collected and their analysis made way for critical reflections on the times of school, family, the working of the land, and daily routines, and showed that despite the difficulties in the preparation of monitors and administrators for this differentiated pedagogical method, as well as the necessity of self-financing, there is great potential for it to become a method of integral education, based on the restoring of traditional rural worker knowledge. The articulation between such knowledge and that acquired at EFAL makes it possible for rural citizens to think and act towards sustainable rural development. / Essa dissertação consiste no estudo da Pedagogia da Alternância enquanto método pedagógico incorporado nos princípios da Educação do Campo e sua contribuição na difusão de práticas agrícolas de base ecológica, por meio da experiência da Escola Família Agrícola de Ladeirinhas - EFAL, localizada no município de Japoatã, estado de Sergipe. A EFAL atua na formação de jovens, filhos de camponeses, em diferentes tempos e espaços: meio socioprofissional (família, comunidade e trabalho) e meio escolar em regime de internato, na modalidade de educação profissional técnica de nível médio em agropecuária. Por meio de uma abordagem qualitativa, utilizamos elementos da etnografia ancorados na fenomenologia hermenêutica como uma forma de interpretar as experiências cotidianas observadas. Trata-se de uma pesquisa do tipo estudo de caso. Os dados foram coletados por meio de diversos instrumentos, como observações das aulas e experiências práticas, análise documental, anotações em diário de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas com os estudantes, monitores e famílias envolvidas e registro fotográfico. A EFAL faz parte de redes regionais e nacionais que articulam os diferentes Centros Familiares de Formação por Alternância e que buscam, através da alternância, proporcionar e valorizar o domínio de saberes e se constitui como uma alternativa educacional para o campo. Ao analisar o uso da Pedagogia da Alternância na difusão de princípios e práticas sustentáveis, compreendemos que o método, adaptado as diferentes realidades no campo, possibilita a formação integral do sujeito. Imersos em territórios marcados pela desigualdade, intensificada pelo agronegócio e atingidos pelas políticas de incentivo ao uso das tecnologias insustentáveis advindas de pacotes da revolução verde, as EFAs munem-se de princípios e instrumentos que buscam reforçar o diálogo entre o mundo da escola e o mundo da vida, entre a teoria e prática. A articulação dos dados coletados e suas análises nos permitiram levantar reflexões críticas sobre os tempos escolares, familiares, de trabalhos com a terra e cotidianos, e nos mostraram que apesar das dificuldades na formação de monitores e gestores para esse método pedagógico diferenciado e do financiamento autônomo, existe uma grande capacidade de se tornar um método educativo de formação integral, respaldado no resgate dos conhecimentos tradicionais camponeses. A articulação desses conhecimentos com os aprendidos na EFAL possibilitam proporcionar aos sujeitos do campo a capacidade de refletir e agir para o desenvolvimento rural sustentável.

This work was developed in the Post - Graduate Education and fits within the Teacher Education Research: Knowledge and Skills, the Center for Postgraduate Education, Federal University of Sergipe - NPGED was a survey that was constituted from the need to investigate the public policy of teacher education in the city of Coronel João Sá Bahia, specifically through programs Learning Management School (Gestar II) and training Program for School Managers (Progestão). The question that guided the research was: what is the contribution of these programs for the training and practice of teachers working in the rural schools in the city of Coronel João Sá, Bahia? What is the meaning of this training for teaching practice from the rural context where they are inserted? The aim is to investigate the basis of the documents that support and practice place, the importance of these programs for training of teachers working in schools in the field in the city of Coronel João Sá-BA, in the years 2009 and 2010. This qualitative approach with studies from the reading of official documents and interviews. The analysis allowed us to infer that there is an urgent need for more specific public policies in the area of teacher training to ensure better working conditions and a field education that values and recognizes the ways of life in the field. / Este trabalho foi desenvolvido no Programa de Pós - Graduação em Educação e se insere na linha de Pesquisa Formação de Professores: Saberes e Competências, do Núcleo de Pós- Graduação em Educação da Universidade Federal de Sergipe NPGED, foi uma pesquisa que se constituiu a partir da necessidade de investigar as políticas públicas de formação de professores no município de Coronel João Sá Bahia, especificamente, através dos programas Gestão de Aprendizagem Escolar (Gestar II) e o Programa de Capacitação para Gestores Escolares (PROGESTÃO). A pergunta que norteou a pesquisa foi: qual a contribuição desses programas para a formação e prática dos professores que atuam nas escolas do campo no município de Coronel João Sá, Bahia? Qual o significado dessa formação para a prática docente a partir do contexto rural onde eles estão inseridos? O objetivo é investigar a partir dos documentos que os sustentam e da prática realizada, a importância desses programas para formação dos professores que trabalham nas escolas do campo no município de Coronel João Sá- BA, nos anos de 2009 e 2010. Trata de uma abordagem qualitativa com estudos a partir da leitura de documentos oficiais e entrevistas. A análise nos permitiu inferir que há uma urgente necessidade de políticas públicas mais específicas na área de formação de professores para garantir melhor condição de trabalho e uma educação do campo que valorize e reconheça os modos de vida no campo.

A presente dissertação se insere na área de História da Educação e objetiva analisar e compreender o processo de constituição dos saberes e dos sentidos escolas rurais do Vale dos Vinhedos – Bento Gonçalves / RS, entre os anos de 1928 a 1958. Estas escolas têm sua gênese ainda no berço da imigração italiana no Rio Grande do Sul, ao final do século XIX sendo, por isso, caracterizadas por uma cultura escolar marcada por processos identitários étnicos italianos. A pesquisa teve como recorte temporal o ano de 1928 a 1958. A narrativa construída teve como objetivo analisar as práticas e os processos que constituíram ou influenciaram os saberes e os sentidos circundantes na escola rural. A investigação assentouse na apropriação metodológica da análise documental histórica e de forma predominante, destaca-se o uso da História Oral. Tais empirias foram compreendidas a partir da História Cultural de forma ampla, plural e dinâmica, cercadas de representações e especificidades, fundamentadas principalmente nos teóricos Burke (2008), Chartier (2002), Certeau (1994). No primeiro capítulo, está a contextualização do locus em que decorre a pesquisa. O segundo é apresentado os saberes que circularam nas escolas rurais e, por último, são apresentados os sentidos que antigos alunos e professores representaram sobre o processo de escolarização vivido no Vale dos Vinhedos. As marcas da etnicidade italiana foram percebidas como aspectos influenciadores dos saberes vivenciados no meio escolar e das representações de sentidos construídos sobre as suas escolas rurais. A análise da pesquisa demonstrou que os Saberes das escolas rurais do Vale dos Vinhedos, contemplavam um conjunto de práticas em que a dinâmica escolar não era permeada somente por saberes ditos científicos, mas também por aspectos do cotidiano e da cultura social. Os ditos saberes científicos estavam fundamentados inicialmente em conteúdos pedagógicos voltados a dimensão italiana, por conta dos manuais escolares serem ofertados e produzidos pelo governo italiano. Depois disso, percebeu-se que o domínio da leitura, da escrita e o domínio das operações básicas da matemática, tornaram-se os saberes científicos fundamentais a serem aprendidos no meio escolar. Os saberes culturais, entendidos como o conjunto de hábitos e tradições populares, como a formação religiosa, moral e cívica, os processos identitários étnicos italiano, uso do dialeto entre outras práticas herdadas da tradição italiana, constituíram o conjunto dos saberes vivenciados nestas escolas rurais. Tal pesquisa pôde evidenciar ainda que os Sentidos que tangenciaram a escola rural, em algumas práticas escolares, estavam ligados numa estreita relação com a comunidade rural. Além disso, a escola é representada pela comunidade com a função social de formação identitária dos sujeitos. A autoridade também foi outro sentido representado à escola. Nela, depositava-se a autoridade como um espaço legitimado para a formação moral, social e religiosa dos sujeitos, sendo a figura do professor percebida de forma hierarquizada. E, por fim, a pesquisa revela a escola com o sentido de “progresso”, em que se acreditava que a escola tinha a função de colaborar no desenvolvimento pessoal e social dos sujeitos. / This thesis relates to the History of Education field of study. Its main goal is to examine the process of knowledge and sense formation which influenced the educational process of rural schools from 1928 to 1958. These schools belong to a set of rural communities located in the Vale dos Vinhedos district - Bento Gonçalves/RS and have been influenced by the Italian immigration which took place at the end of the nineteenth century. We also included studies that examined the beginning of schooling system during the Italian immigration from 1875. Our methodological approach used historical documentary analysis and the use of Oral History. This approach allowed us to conduct a Cultural History analysis based on theorists such as Burke (2008), Chartier (2002), and Certeau (1994). The first chapter of this thesis presents a contextualization of the locus in which the research takes place. The second chapter discusses the knowledge embedded in rural schools. Finally, it is discussed how former students and teachers perceive the schooling process exhibited in the Vale dos Vinhedos district. Our findings suggest that characteristics of Italian ethnicity influenced several aspects of knowledge and symbolic meaning formation in the rural schools. Furthermore, knowledge in these schools incorporated a set of routines in which the school dynamics is not only permeated by scientific knowledge, but also by several aspects of daily life and social culture. Consequently, scientific knowledge was initially based on pedagogical content aimed at the Italian dimension mainly because textbooks used in the schools were provided by the Italian government. Over time, however, the mastery of reading, writing, and simple mathematical calculations became key components of scientific knowledge learned in the school environment. Furthermore, cultural knowledge defined as the set of popular customs and traditions such as religious, moral and civic formation, Italian ethnic identity processes, use of the dialect among other practices inherited from the Italian tradition, constituted the set of knowledge experienced in the rural schools. This study also suggests that the Senses seen in the rural schools were closely linked to the rural community in that the school was perceived as a key social ingredient in the formation of the subject‟s identity. Authority is another sense observed in the school. More specifically, authority is seen as a social space for moral, social, and religious formation in which the teacher is perceived in a hierarchical way. Finally, our findings suggest a school with the sense of “progress” since it would help subjects to obtain personal and social development.

M.Ed. / In a country which has just acquired its democracy, education for all citizens is of primary concern. The illiteracy rate in South Africa is high, especially in the rural areas of the country. During this time when South Africa finds itself in a period of transition and of prioritizing items on its agenda, education in general and in particular education of those who had little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. While the government has targeted illiteracy as a major issue, other issues such as gender make the illiteracy situation even more complex, especially in the rural areas where the traditional tenets of the communities are still observed. The aim of this study is to explore the role gender plays in the involvement of adult learners in literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programmes in other similar rural areas of South Africa. In order to achieve this aim, an interpretive design is applied and qualitative methods of data—collection are utilized. A literature study which consists of the exploration of the field of Adult Basic Education and gender in global education, with special reference to South African rural areas in particular, forms the theoretical background of the empirical research. Empirical data was obtained through observations and interviews and processed and analyzed by unitizing, categorizing and patterning, resulting in the findings of the research. Lastly, findings of this investigation are discussed in the light of relevant theory. The following are the main research findings: Gender does play a role in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga. There are learning needs that are specific to females but no particular needs specific to males. However, some needs are not gender—related and are common to both females and males. The main implications of the findings are: Adult literacy classes should be conducted during the evening, in order to accommodate workers, mostly men. There is a need for teacher training of both female and male literacy teachers. Some of the gender—related reasons for non—involvement of adult learners, particularly those that pertain to the dominance of males, would be difficult to address as they are deeply rooted in culture. In order to address the needs of male and female adult learners, a holistic approach should be applied. A holistic approach entails: not only teaching literacy but addressing other needs of the learners; not only addressing the expressed needs of learners (male and female), but also addressing the needs that they are not aware that they have.

Text in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / The study investigated assistive technology for the deaf, specifically applied to the teaching and learning of mathematics at a rural Namibian special primary school. The problem was the lack of prior research about the effects of Constructivist assistive technology for guiding Namibian special schools and educators. The objective was to conduct an experiment with deaf learners and interviews with the teachers involved. The study was a mixed methods study, involving quantitative academic achievement data and qualitative interview data. The findings suggest that there was a statistically significant effect on the multiplication and division achievement of the learners, but not their addition and subtraction achievement. The emergent Constructivist-related categories were collaborating, cooperating, exploring, selfassessing, learning from errors, seeking knowledge independently, self-regulating, selfreflecting, metacognitive thinking and being self-aware. These scientific insights contribute to the field and stem from a useful method for reviewing and selecting an appropriate learning theory and assistive technology. / Isifundo socwaningo siphenya ngobuchwepheshe obuluncedo kulabo abayizimpumputhe, ikakhulukazi lolu cwaningo lumayelana nokufundisa kanye nokufundwa kwesifundo sezibalo esikoleni sabakhubazekile endaweni yasemakhaya ngaseNamibia. Inkinga lapha ukusweleka kocwaningo lwangaphambili olumayelana nemithintela yohlelo lobuchwepheshe oluncedayo losolwazi abangama-contructivists ngokuhola izikole zabakhubazekile zaseNamibia kanye nabafundisi. Inhloso kwaye kuwukwenza ucwaningo oluphathekayo kanye nabafundi abakhubazeke amehlo kanye nenhlolovo nothisha ababandakanyekayo, ngokusebenzisa ucwaningo oluxubile, oluxuba idatha mayelana nempumelelo kwezemfundo kanye nedatha yezamanani yenhlolovo. . Okutholwe wucwaningo kuchaza ukuthi kunomthelela obonakalayo wezamanani mayelana nempumelelo yekhono lokuphindaphinda kanye nokwehlukanisa, kodwa hayi impumelelo yabo ngokwekhono lokuhlanganisa kanye nokunciphisa. Izigaba ezihambisana nosolwazi abakhasayo zisebenza ngokuncedana, ngokusebenzisana, ngokuvumbulula, ngokuzihlola wena siqu sakho, ngokufunda ngokwenza amaphutha, ngokucinga ulwazi ngokuzimela, ngokuzenzela imigomo, ngokubheka impumelelo yakho, ngokucabangisisa ngokusebenzisa ulwazi kanye nokuzibhekisisa. Lolu lwazi lwezesayensi lunomthelela emkhakheni kanti lususelwa endleleni esebenzayo ngokubuyekeza kanye nokukhetha ithiyori yokufunda efanele kanye nohlelo oluncedayo lobuchwepheshe. / Die studie het ’n ondersoek na bystandstegnologie vir dowes, spesifiek ten opsigte van hoe dit in die onderrig en leer van wiskunde by ’n landelike spesiale laerskool in Namibië toegepas word, behels. Die navorsingsprobleem was die gebrek aan navorsing oor die effek van konstruktivistiese bystandstegnologie wat leiding aan Namibiese spesiale skole en opvoeders kan bied. Die navorsingsdoelwit was om ’n eksperiment met dowe leerders uit te voer en onderhoude met die betrokke onderwysers te voer as deel van ’n gemengdemetodestudie, wat die insameling van kwantitatiewe data oor akademiese prestasie en kwalitatiewe onderhouddata behels het. Die bevindings van die studie dui op ’n statisties beduidende effek op die leerders se prestasie met betrekking tot vermenigvuldiging en deling, maar nie hulle prestasie met betrekking tot optel en aftrek nie. Die voortkomende konstruktivisties-verwante kategorieë is meewerking, samewerking, verkenning, selfassessering, die vermoë om uit foute te leer, ’n onafhanklike soeke na kennis, selfregulering, selfbesinning, metakognitiewe denke en selfbewussyn. Hierdie wetenskaplike insigte lewer ’n bydrae tot die studieveld en spruit uit ’n nuttige metode vir die beoordeling en seleksie van geskikte leerteorieë en bystandstegnologie. / School of Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

The aim of this study was to investigate the responsiveness of rural primary schools in Zimbabwe to the needs of in-school OVC. The study adopted a qualitative approach in which the phenomenological and case study designs were employed to study in-school OVC in their natural setting. The target population for the study comprises OVCs, principals and school counsellors. From this population, a sample of 24 participants was purposively drawn. Data was collected from the participants in the three sampled rural primary schools in Masvingo district through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and observation. Tesch’s model was applied to analyse data qualitatively. The study revealed that rural primary schools’ capacity to address the needs of in-school OVC was deemed ineffective by all the participants due to a myriad of factors which include inter-alia: lack of specialist school-counsellors; lack of funds to initiate school-based projects aimed to assist OVC; lack of a comprehensive school-feeding scheme; and a dearth of workshops to equip principals and teachers with knowledge to handle and deal with OVC. To improve the responsiveness of schools to the needs of OVC the study recommends that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education should train specialist counsellors in teachers’ colleges. The study also recommends that the government should increase funds allocated for the Basic Education Assisted Module scheme to cater for more OVC. In addition, the study recommends that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should conduct workshops in schools on how to deal with challenges confronting OVC. Lastly a model to improve rural primary schools’ capacity to address the needs of OVC was suggested, which proposes partnerships among stakeholders in projects aimed at supporting in-school OVC. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

The South African Schools' Act No 84 (SASA 1996) replaced Parents, Teacher and Students' Associations ( PTSAs) with School Governing Bodies whose members are democratically elected to perform mandated duties. The study focused on the role of SGBs in improving school performance in rural areas. The purpose was to investigate the role SGBs play in improving school performance in the rural areas of Taung. The SGB, as a concept and praxis, emanated from the need to involve communities, especially parents, in education. The assumption was that school improvement is dependent on responsibilities delegated to community members, especially parents, in the affairs of public schools. The study investigated the topic by a literature review on school governance, observation and interviews conducted with SGB members in three selected schools. Six focus group interviews were conducted on parents and educator components of the SGBs. The principals of the three selected schools were interviewed individually for the views on the topic. The data collected were arranged under selected themes and manually analysed and interpreted. The study reveals that * community members, particularly parents, caregivers and guardians are beginning to see themselves as equal partners with educators in education of children * the improvement in learner performance is the co-responsibility of the home and the school * community members (parents and guardians) must be empowered with relevant skills to enable them perform their tasks as school governors. The study recommends further research into greater representivity and involvement in Education. / Educational Studies / M. Ed (Education Management)

The school effectiveness, the school's ability to deliver (produce results), and the improvement of the matriculation (Grade 12) results in the Limpopo Province has been a priority ever since the new democratic government took over in 1994. The Limpopo Province has always scored lower than all the other nine provinces in the country in the matriculation (Grade 12) results. Among the reasons given as contributing to this state of affairs, was the ineffective way of governing and administering schools. This research investigated the development of the school governing structures in the Limpopo Province. The focus was mainly on revealing the nature of the school governing structures that existed in the province and how those governing structures influenced the overall performance of the schools. The researcher found that the most suitable school governing structures for the Limpopo Province schools are those that will provide parents with more meaningful participation in the education of their children and will inculcate democracy in the governance of schools. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (History of Education)

Despite educational legislation and school reforms to promote improved performance and quality education, underperformance among secondary school learners is still the norm in the rural schools of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This dissertation investigates the problem of learner underachievement by means of a literature study and an empirical inquiry. The former provides an overview of the provisions for and problems of rural schooling in both an international and local context and it is followed by a discussion of learner assessment and learner achievement in the South African education system, with specific reference to KZN's schooling system and the problem of learner underachievement. The empirical inquiry investigates the experience of learner achievement in four rural schools in KZN and makes use of qualitative data gathered during individual and focus group interviews conducted with a small sample of underachieving learners and their parents, educators and school managers. Based on these findings, recommendations for improvement are made. / Comparative Education / M.A. (Comparative Education)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of negative influences facing children with physical disabilities living in rural areas. Children with physical disabilities living in rural areas of South Africa have to deal with many negative influences in addition to their disability. The main theme is that all children in rural areas face negative influences, but these are far worse for the children with physical disabilities. Societal and educational exclusion and poverty continue to place these children at a disadvantage despite South Africa’s policies that promote inclusion and equality. These rights are central to a meaningful democracy yet; research indicates that children with physical disabilities remain in a hopeless situation in the rural areas. To escape their plight inclusive education is pivotal. It is argued that the government’s capacity to deal with all the negative influences is limited and this therefore necessitates community involvement. Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological approach was used both to investigate the impact of the negative influences facing children with physical disabilities as well as providing a framework that tackles the barriers that prevent this marginalised group of children having an equal opportunity to education. A qualitative and ethnographic study was undertaken to investigate these issues. This entailed the researcher living in four rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, and collecting data through community participation, observations, questionnaires and interviews as well as photographs and drawings collected from the children. Data was analysed and poverty and exclusion clearly impacted not only on the children with physical disabilities, but their parents/caregivers. It became clear to the researcher that unless this group of children received early intervention to prepare them for education they would not be able to be included in formal education from Grade 1 but would need to begin their schooling in a specialised and exclusive environment. A framework for intervention based on Bronfenbrenner’s model was formulated that involved community involvement on the micro and mesosystemic levels. This framework is unique in that it will provide intensive early intervention for children with physical disabilities with the explicit aim of preparing them for inclusion and at the same time giving their parents/caregivers an opportunity to escape their plight of poverty.Every child in South Africa according to our Constitution and other policies is guaranteed equality. This equality needs to be provided to children with physical disabilities before they attend formal schooling and end up floundering never having had the opportunity to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty that they face. Contemporary models for understanding these negative impacts and exclusion suggest that an important outcome of rehabilitation services is to optimise children with physical disabilities participation in the home, school and community life. Bronfenbrenner’s Model is based on the premise that disability involves an interaction between features of the child and features of the environment that can be adapted to promote educational inclusion and thus reduce the cycle of poverty. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)