Thesis (MTech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The purpose of the study was to determine whether rural farm educators are managing the Revised National Curriculum Statement as a new approach to teaching the curriculum of outcomes-based education. For this purpose, Witbank 3 rural farm primary schools were selected. The study followed a qualitative approach. Data were collected from three principals and three educators who were all teaching multi-graded (combined grades) classes. The study found that the educators and the principals were not coping with the demands of the curriculum, therefore learners did not benefit from their everyday learning. The educators felt that there is too much paperwork involved in managing the implementation of the curriculum. The lack of support from parents, subject advisors and the deputy chief education specialist (circuit manager) is detrimental to managing the implementation of Revised National Curriculum Statement. This has led to a serious communication breakdown among these stakeholders. The research revealed grey areas in the Revised National Curriculum Statement in its interpretation of learning. The policy states that every child has the potential to learn, but it fails to state the conditions that allow for effective learning to all the learners. The study also found that the training received at the workshops is suitable for urban schools. Educators struggle to apply the teaching and learning strategies at rural farm schools. Subsequently rural farm educators resort to using the old traditional (telling and recalling) method of teaching/learning.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master 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 Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The present dissertation is a synthesis of whole language education guided by an action research perspective with the main purpose of developing a series of articles to introduce whole language to Chinese teachers. It falls into two parts: the first part provides the background information about language and education in Taiwan, and the second part is a whole language program for Chinese teachers. Part I discusses the purpose and research questions of this dissertation with an emphasis on current issues of educational reform in Taiwan. Part II is designed to be a resource book of whole language education. It consists of four sections of two to three chapters each. Each chapter stands by itself and all together offer a whole language framework. Section one, Roots of Whole Language, focuses on general and specific philosophical elements of whole language. Section two, Connection to Related Theories, highlights the relationship between the theory of whole language and the practice of literacy education in Taiwan. Section three, Research Applying Whole Language to Chinese Literacy and Education, consists of three qualitative research studies. Section four, A Whole Language Classroom, discusses how a teacher translates her educational beliefs into classroom practices. The arguments are illustrated with examples from the Experimental Textbooks and instructional methodologies in Taiwan with the purpose of making connections between theoretical frameworks related to whole language and educational research in Taiwan. In summary, this dissertation explores whole language from interrelated perspectives. It offers a personal interpretation of whole language that builds up connections between the whole language movement as has been developed in the United States and Chinese literacy education as it is practiced in Taiwan. The major concern of this work is to share information about whole language with Taiwanese teachers and invite them to adapt whole language in their local contexts.

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This study examined the effect of the absence of the military parent due to a temporary duty assignment (TDY) on student adjustment in terms of TDY-induced negative affect and school performance. Data were also collected with regard to student coping responses used to manage negative TDY affect, perceived social support, and emotional conceptualization. Participants were 42 elementary school students attending a public school operating on an United States Air Force Base in southern Arizona. Data were collected by individual student interview and supplemented with teacher and parent surveys that measure teacher rating of student academic performance and personal adjustment, and parental perception of the role of school attendance in facilitating their child's TDY adjustment and satisfaction with school efforts to help their child cope with TDY. Results indicated that while the majority of students reported experiencing negative affect during TDY; compared to non-TDY report of these same emotions, report of negative affect during TDY did not appear significantly pronounced. Further, the majority of students did not report experiencing difficulties in school performance during TDY. Individual differences in TDY emotional experience emerged as a function of gender, teacher rating of academic performance, and characteristics of the TDY. While students were able to cogently discuss characteristics of the coping responses they would use to manage negative TDY affect and available social support providers, these variables were not found to organize individual differences in student TDY emotional experience. Individual differences in coping responses emerged as a function of age, grade level, gender, and parental report of satisfaction with school TDY efforts. Students were also able to cogently discuss emotional conceptualization. Individual differences in emotional conceptualization emerged in terms of student age, grade level, gender, and TDY emotional experience.