Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-123). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum and Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

This study examines multigrade teaching in selected schools in Canada and its implications for improving multigrade teaching in South Africa, where over 50 % of primary schools are multigrade and the teachers have not received preparation in multigrade teaching. The case study method was adopted because it allowed for 'an intensive, holistic description and analysis' of the multigrade classroom. The approach is interpretivist, based on the assumption that social phenomena are 'socially constituted' and 'valuationally based'. Research techniques included a literature review, interviews and observations. Four classrooms with grade combinations ranging from two grades to eight grades (Kindergarten to grade 7) were studied. Despite problems such as the lack of official recognition, inadequate teacher education and support - problems common to both Canada and South Africa - the Canadian teachers managed their classrooms effectively. This was indicated by their understanding of the children's needs, their integration of the curriculum for teaching across the grades and the learning areas, their use of effective instructional strategies and their involyement of parents in the classroom. A reason for their success may be that their teacher education includes child-centred, activity based approaches, integration of the curriculum, critical thinking, flexibility and effective instructional strategies, which they may adapt for effective multigrade teaching. The study found that successful multigrade teaching depended on the teacher. For South Africa, this may imply that intervention programmes should focus on relevant preparation and support for multigrade teachers. The emphasis on material resources in the implementation of Curriculum 2005 has not been balanced with adequate training on policy, curriculum and instructional strategies. Teacher education should include methodologies that are experiential, reflective and participatory. A variety of instructional strategies should be employed in the multigrade classroom. The respondents in the study believed further that multigrade teaching is more beneficial than single-grade teaching because it caters for the diversity of needs amongst children and allows for peer tutoring, thereby exploiting Vygotsky's theory of the 'zone of proximal development'. Thus, instead of viewing multigrade teaching as a temporary phenomenon, it should be viewed as an opportunity for improving school effectiveness.

A growing number of primary schools are acquiring computers, mainly through parent funding. The study concerns the promotion of computer use across the curriculum in primary schools. Teachers need to be trained in the use of computers as a teaching aid in different subjects. A study comparing two periods of training was undertaken. Two model C primary schools, administered by the Department of Education and Culture, with similar profiles of educational computer use, were selected for the purpose. A training course consisting of five sections, where the use of the word processor, spreadsheet and database, both as personal tools and as teaching aids were introduced, was offered. Care was taken to select topics from current syllabi and to demonstrate how these topics could be presented and enhanced by using the computer. The training was presented at school A over a period of 8 months and at school B over a period of 5 weeks. The supporting material and contents of the course were the same for both groups. A comparison between the effectiveness of the two training regimes was made. The researcher's initial perceptions of the teachers' initial low level of computer literacy were confirmed by a questionnaire, responded to by each participant. It would seem that the shorter raining period was more effective in raising the level of computer literacy and that if the training period was longer, the contact time should be increased to maintain support. Neither training period resulted in a significant increase in computer use, either as a personal tool or as a teaching aid. The failure to do so may be ascribed to a number of influences, one of which is the teaching style of individual teachers. Changing the teaching style of an experienced teacher takes time and more effort than was available for either training period.

<p> Working in school settings can present school social workers, teachers, and counselors with multiple risk factors that increase their likelihood of experiencing burnout. Providing direct services to students on a regular basis can have a negative impact on their overall sense of well-being along with other factors associated with being employed as a social service provider. Promoting Resilient School Personnel project (PRSP) consists of a series of on-site mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) workshops aimed at providing school social workers, teachers, and counselors at a public school in Los Angeles County with the resources to understand and help prevent burnout, the opportunity to learn and practice different mindfulness-based techniques, and strategies to establish long term self-care habits that promote a high sense of well-being. A potential funder was identified, although actual funding and submission of this grant proposal were not requirements for the successful completion of this project.</p>

D. Tech. Education / The research study sought to find out if social studies textbooks used at stage 4 level in Zimbabwean primary school are deficient in content. The focus was on the relevance and adequacy of the content to meet National Curriculum Standards.

The purpose of this study was to identify team development activities which occurred in public elementary schools during the implementation year of the Teacher Assistance Team (TAT) and determine if there were any significant differences between highly effective and less effective teams. The sample under study consisted of 42 elementary schools which were implementing the Teacher Assistance Team model during the 1983-84 school year. A questionnaire survey instrument was used to obtain information from the schools regarding team development activities. School staff were asked to respond to eight general areas thought to impact upon the adoption of the Teacher Assistance Team model in the school. These areas were level of service delivered, effectiveness of service delivered, personnel training, team membership, scheduling of meetings, principals' support strategies, technical assistance needs, and teacher reactions to the team process. Statistical analysis revealed the high and low service teams did not differ significantly in school enrollment, personnel trained, scheduling of team meetings, or 26 of the 27 support strategies employed by building principals. However, the analysis indicated significant differences between the high and low service levels. The high service teams operated for a larger proportion of the months possible; served a larger proportion of the student enrollment; and considered more cases per month and per team than did the low service teams. Additionally, the high service teams attempted to resolve a larger proportion of team development problems and actually resolved more problems than the low service teams. Building principals among the high service teams demonstrated more of a commitment to the team process by personally selecting team members and requiring that teachers experiencing learning or behavior problems in the classroom refer to the team for assistance. The results of this study hold implications for teachers and school administrators. Recommendations were developed enabling state and local educational agency personnel and building principals to increase the effectiveness of Teacher Assistance teams during the first year of the team's operation in the school. Future research is directed to address three outcomes of the team process. These are: referral and cost effectiveness; classroom intervention; and teacher satisfaction.

<p> English learners are expected to acquire academic language and content simultaneously. Long Term English Learners (LTELs), a growing English Learner subgroup, struggle academically and do not have the necessary academic vocabulary proficiency to achieve academic success in our current educational system. </p><p> This mixed-methods study examined the implementation of Academic Vocabulary Instructional protocols in the upper grades in a small urban elementary school district. Semistructured interviews, focus group, observation protocol, and data analysis methods were used as primary methods for data collection. Overall, four key themes emerged in this study. First, all 4th- and 5th-grade teachers implemented the new Academic Vocabulary Toolkit and protocol to address the academic language needs of English learner students. Second, teachers consistently used the academic vocabulary and grammatical frames. Third, teachers regularly modeled the use of an academic register. Finally, there was an increase in the use of grammatical sentence frames and academic vocabulary by students across the content areas. Language Acquisition and Sociocultural Theory in Language conceptual frameworks were used.</p>

On t.p.: Magister in Opvoedkunde (Spesialiseringsonderwys) / Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role of primary educators ("parents") in the support of their children within school context, has in the past often been neglected. The responsibility for the support of their children within school context was left to teachers, or it was accepted that primary educators did not have specialized knowledge and that learning support should occur only at school. Within South African context primary educators are often semi-literate, illiterate or socio-economically disadvantaged and see themselves as incompetent to support their children within school context. The important role and influence that primary educators have on learners' learning support is nevertheless emerging prominently. Research indicates that pnmary educators play a key role in the cognitive development, language acquisition, literacy, affective and normative development of a learner. From birth the environment and external stimuli are mediated to the child. The primary educator supports his or her complete development. The learner will, for example, develop a sense of self worth through the security that the primary educator provides within the family system, and social behavior is learned through modelling. The question remains however as to how primary educators can be empowered to support learners within the family system in order to prevent potential barriers to learning and how to actualize learners' learning potential. Currently there is a need for literature regarding non-formal learning support and learning support strategies which are also directed towards the demands of Outcomes Based Education and also provide information regarding the profile of learners in the Foundation Phase. The aim of this study is to conduct a purposeful investigation into non-formal learning support in order that primary educators may be empowered to support their children's learning in such purposeful manner. The study has implications regarding the manner in which pnmary educators deal with their children's learning development, the actualization of the learner's learning potential in both the school and the family system, as well as the quality of the communication between primary educators, learners and teachers. The research was conducted from an eco-systemic and constructivist perspective. Learning support will remain reductionistic and ineffective without the dynamic and reciprocal interaction between the systems in which the individual functions being acknowledged, whether it is in the family or school system or not. The establishment of a triarchic partnership between the learner, primary educator and teacher contributes to the establishment of an unobstructed system of communication which promotes good systemic interaction. Each individual has a unique framework of experience (schemata) that influences the way in which he or she interacts with the social context or learning situation. This unique schemata must be acknowledged and incorporated into the teaching and learning situation in order to make the learning experience meaningful for the learner. The research methodology was planned within a qualitative framework and performed by means of an inductive investigation. Data was collected by means of an open questionnaire directed to four teachers, short biographical questionnaires directed to primary educators and two focus group interviews with ten primary educators. The data was continuously interpreted having regard to the participants' own perspectives, as well as the eco-systemic and constructivist foundation of the study. Such data was presented through a rich and detailed description of the participants' contributions. The completeness of these descriptions were verified through transcriptions and field notes. Such description of data, together with the literature review, formed the foundation according to which categories, themes and sub-themes were identified. The categories and themes subsequently formed the basis according to which data was interpreted and conclusions and recommendations were made. Conclusions confirm the importance of the empowerment of primary educators to support their children within school context. This empowerment embraces the intention of the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996). Primary educators already have the ability and skills to support learners within the school context. These skills should however be developed and supported. Primary educators should be made aware of these existing skills and be motivated to use it on a continuous basis. The social and interactive nature of learning is furthermore emphasized by the intentional and incidental interaction between the context, primary educator and learner. Knowledge of their children's development and learning will contribute to the effectiveness of primary educators' support and will ensure that this support is effected within the leamer's zone of proximal development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol wat primêre opvoeders in die ondersteuning van hulle kinders binne skoolverband speel, is dikwels in die verlede nagelaat. Die verantwoordelikheid vir die ondersteuning van hulle kinders binne skoolverband is aan onderwysers oorgelaat, of daar is aangeneem dat die primêre opvoeder nie spesialiskennis het rue en dat die leerondersteuning dus eerder geïsoleerd by die skool moet plaasvind. Binne Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is primêre opvoeders dikwels semigeletterd, ongeletterd of sosio-ekonomies benadeel en beskou hulself as onbekwaam om 'n rol te vervul in leerders se ondersteuning binne skoolverband Ten spyte hiervan kom die belangrike rol en invloed wat die primêre opvoeder op die leerder se leerondersteuning het al hoe sterker na vore. Navorsing wys daarop dat primêre opvoeders 'n sleutelrol III die kognitiewe ontwikkeling, taalverwerwing, geletterheid, affektiewe en normatiewe ontwikkeling van die leerder vervul. Van geboorte af word die omgewing en eksterne stimuli aan die leerder gemedieer en word hy of sy deur die primêre opvoeder ondersteun in sy ofhaar totale ontwikkeling. Deur die sekuriteit wat die primêre opvoeder en die gesinsisteem verskaf, ontwikkel die leerder byvoorbeeld 'n sin van selfwaarde en word sosiale gedrag deur modellering aangeleer Die vraag blyegter hoe primêre opvoeders bemagtig kan word om leerders binne die gesinsisteem te ondersteun om potensiële leerhindernisse te vermy en hul leerpotensiaal te aktualiseer. Daar is tans 'n leemte in die literatuur wat betref 'n studie na nie-formele leerondersteuning en leerondersteuning-strategieë, wat gerig is op die eise wat Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys stel, en wat ook inligting verskaf aangaande die profiel van leerders in die Grondslagfase. Die doel van die studie is om 'n doelgerigte ondersoek na rue-formele leerondersteuning in te stel sodat primêre opvoeders bemagtig kan word om hul kinders se leer doelgerig te kan ondersteun. Die studie hou implikasies in vir die wyses waarop primêre opvoeders met leerders se leerontwikkeling omgaan, die aktualisering van die leerder se leerpotensiaal in beide die skool- en gesinsisteem, asook vir die kwaliteit van kommunikasie tussen primêre opvoeders, leerders en onderwysers. Die navorsing is gedoen vanuit 'n ekosistemiese en konstruktivistiese perspektief. Sonder die erkenning van die dinamiese en wedersydse interaksie van die sisteme waarbinne die leerder beweeg sal enige leerondersteuning, hetsy binne die skoolof gesinsisteem, reduksionisties en oneffektief bly. Die stigting van 'n triargiese vennootskap tussen die leerder, primêre opvoeder en onderwyser dra by tot die vestiging van 'n onbelemmerde kommunikasiesisteem wat goeie sistemiese interaksie sal bevorder. Elke individu beskik verder oor 'n unieke ervaringsraamwerk wat die wyse waarmee hy of sy met die sosiale konteks en leersituasie omgaan, beïnvloed. Hierdie eiesoortige verwysingsraamwerk moet erken word en by die onderrig-en leersituasie betrek word ten einde die leerervaring vir die leerder sinvol te maak. Die navorsingsmetodologie is binne 'n kwalitatiewe raamwerk beplan en uitgevoer deur middel van 'n induktiewe werkswyse. Data-inwinning is gedoen deur 'n oop vraelys wat gerig is aan vier onderwysers, kort biografiese vraelyste gerig aan primêre opvoeders en twee fokusgroeponderhoude met tien primêre opvoeders. Die data is deurlopend geïnterpreteer met inagneming van die deelnemers se eie perspektiewe, asook die konstruktivistiese en ekosistemiese grondslag van die studie. Die data is weergee deur 'n ryk en gedetailleerde beskrywing van die deelnemers se insette. Die volledigheid van hierdie beskrywing is gekontroleer deur transkripsies en veldnotas. Hierdie beskrywing van die data, asook die literatuuroorsig, het die basis gevorm waarvolgens kategorieë, temas en subtemas geïdentifiseer is. Die kategorieë en temas het daaropvolgend die grondslag gevorm waarvolgens die data geïnterpreteer en gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak is. Die gevolgtrekkings het die belangrikheid van die bemagtiging van primêre opvoeders om leerders binne skoolverband te ondersteun bevestig. Hierdie bemagtiging sluit aan by die bedoeling van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet, 1996 (Wet 84 van 1996). Primêre opvoeders beskik reeds oor die vaardighede om leerders binne skoolverband te ondersteun, hierdie vaardighede moet egter verder ontwikkel en ondersteun word. Hulle behoort bewus gemaak te word van hierdie bestaande vaardighede, asook gemotiveer te word om dit op deurlopende basis te benut. Die sosiale en interaktiewe aard van leer word beklemtoon deur die intensionele en insidentele interaksie tussen die konteks, primêre opvoeder en leerder. Kennis van hul kinders se ontwikkeling en leer sal bydra tot die effektiwiteit van primêre opvoeders se ondersteuning en die aansluiting van die ondersteuning by leerders se sone van proksimale ontwikkeling, bevorder.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education