[Aims of Dissertation and Investigation, p. ix-x] The aim of this dissertation is to analyse and evaluate the results of the new junior secondary course in respect of the dull-normal child ... How well did the junior secondary course succeed in meeting the needs of the dull-normal child? That is the question which this investigation will attempt to answer.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Mathematics is felt to be one of the most important subjects in the school curriculum by educators, parents and society at large. As Bishop (1988: 1) puts it: "Anyone who cants to get on today, needs to study mathematics,. and preferably computing too." Diab (1987) also argues along these lines and says that mathematics has been a key subject in the school curriculum and it is still a basic ingredient in the educational make-up of a person who wishes to find his place in today's increasingly technological world. Mathematics promotes the development of the mental, social, emotional and occupational life of a person (Grove & Hauptfleisch, 1979: 228). ~ardner, et al. (1973: 18) outline the reasons why a person should learn mathematics. They argue that, inter alia, mathematics should be learned and taught at schools for the following reasons: ii) Living. Mathematics for living, refers to those aspects of mathematics which an individual must know in order to function adequately as a member of society. At primary level this clearly includes such topics as number, time, money, length and weight. More and more information is presented in statistical form and this trend will continue. An educated person must be able to evaluate and interpret such data effectively if he is to playful and useful part in society. Most people will, at some time or other, be involved with such complex activities as house purchase and insuarance...

M.Ed. / South Africa has already moved into a post-apartheid society, but its education system is till to date not yet fully transformed. Though the names of the various former education departments in the existing provinces have changed, because of the change in government, the integration is not completed yet. As a result, former "white" education departments and the former Department of Education and Training (DET) have been formally integrated, but in reality they are still separate. There are a number of differences among the schools of the different departments. For example, the schools which were previously controlled by the Transvaal Education Department (TED) are still maintaining the status quo in terms of curricula, syllabi, governance, appraisal and many other issues. Similarly all the schools which were previously controlled by the DET, also maintain their status quo regarding curricula, syllabi and governance. To just prove a point: in the black schools, governing bodies are presently transformed where all stakeholders are involved, whereas in the white schools, learners are excluded from governance; the names also differ: some are known as PTSA's (Parents, Teachers, and Students Associations) and others just management councils. The question is whether a new education dispensation can respond to broad social, economical and political goals, without continuing to be just political - that is, controlled by a particular ideology, not necessarily supported by all members of the society the education system serves. This is our past and present experience. This study hopes to contribute to the search for that common purpose, by considering the process by which we in South Africa Might prepare ourselves for that future education, and contribute to it in a way that is consistent with its long-term goals. There are several crises in education that are affecting the teaching and learning process directly or indirectly countrywide, but particularly in the schools previously controlled by the DET as well as former TBVC (Transkei/Bophuthatswana/Venda/Ciskei) states' schools. There have been genuine attempts on the part of government to resolve the education crises through negotiations with communities, political structures, religious structures, non-government organisations, teacher unions and student organisations. In spite of all these efforts, very little progress has been made so far. Tensions are still rife between the education authorities and the different stakeholders or structures. In the various schools now under the jurisdiction of provincial education departments, the picture is one of continuing deterioration in the relationships between the department and its teachers and pupils. The serious disruptions and ups and downs in attendance, especially in the rural schools, resulted in the total breakdown of the teaching-learning environment in most schools. Teachers are dispirited, pupils are restless, demotivated and disturbed by what is going on around them. The general environment is not conducive to learning at all. Regular learning habits have broken down, and discipline is loose or non-existent. Discipline has collapsed as a result of the abolition of corporal punishment in the schools by the government. The problem is that no alternative forms of punishment have been put into place to maintain discipline in the schools. These measures taken by the government have negative implications. There is now little respect for teachers as well as education authorities. Even where it is warranted - and sometimes it is not warranted - many teachers have given up trying to survive in the classroom. Those who try to impose punishment, are threatened or assaulted by students. Teachers, on the other hand, are also insubordinate to their immediate superiors or authorities. Lawlessness is the order of the day in the schools. Departmental professional supervision is meagre and some schools are "no-go areas" for departmental officials and inspectors of education. A further disturbing factor is the influence in education of the young people not in school. The drop-outs become street children who engage themselves in criminal activities such as burglary, car hijackings, alcohol and drug abuse. The generally negative image of the teacher, held even among teachers themselves, contributes to the breakdown of the positive learning environment. They are under pressure, criticised from all sides for inadequacies or inefficiency - for which they are often not to blame - and treated by the government not as professionals, but instruments of policy. It is not surprising, therefore, that the morale, confidence and self-image of many are at low ebb. Both public and civil servants, including teachers, are from time to time engaged in strikes or meetings during school hours, hence the pupils' interest in school attendance and learning has lessened. The impact of the transformation process is confusing the minds of educators, pupils, the general public and the authorities. Pupils do not regard their teachers as their leaders and educators anymore, but as government stooges. Teachers, on the other hand, are also negative towards the authorities, because their plight for recognition as professionals is not addressed or receiving immediate attention. They are continuously demanding, amongst other things, autonomy in. their teaching profession, like all other professions. Furthermore, the conditions of service do not motivate teachers to dedicate themselves to their work. The enrolment in the schools had risen tremendously after the general elections of 1994, due to the free education call campaign made by the new government (see Table 5). The facilities available can therefore not cope with the demands of the resultant overcrowding. The schools are now understaffed, overcrowded, there are shortages of learning materials, furniture, classrooms and teaching aids (see Table 4). The culture of teaching and learning is far from being restored, if till to date some pupils are taught in the open air or in shacks. The teacher-pupil ratio is abnormally high, it ranges from 1:50 to 100 in most of the rural schools. As a result, teachers resort to teaching without evaluating pupils regularly. Both the national and provincial education departments' authority and influence are from time to time challenged by community groupings, teachers' associations, students' organisations, young people outside the schools, parents, churches, trade unions, the business community, political parties and economic forces. There is a growing realisation that there is no certainty that the democratic changes in government and political structures would necessarily lead to democracy in education. Broad agreement has to be sought and negotiated in South Africa and a commitment found to a common purpose in education and society. Without this, questions of control, power and excess ideological baggage, will continue to dominate education to its detriment and that of its users. In spite of all the circumstances and difficulties described above, the education authorities, parents, political parties and the general public expect good results at the end of every academic year. The people who are to produce good examination results are the educators and teachers whose status and professionalism have collapsed completely.

M.Ed. / South African education is emerging from one phase of history, the phase of a segregated education system, into another phase where the nature is still to be defined. This emergence will bring along with it transformations unknown over the previous phase of educational history which lie mainly on the level of humanity, that is to say changes affecting the beliefs, attitudes, norms and values of the individuals and the community they belong to. The whole concept of man-in-the-world as the establishment of the world, the environment of the educator as well as the educand in this total situation, leads us to conceive of education as an interhuman phenomenon. The establishment of relationships in the world is a continuous effort to give completeness to man's existence by appropriating and adopting the historical development of the cultural situation. The interaction and the close relationship of culture and education in general is indisputable. For education to succeed, man comes to the fore while his culture forms the background. The opening up of "white schools" to all the population groups in South Africa did not bring about a greater understanding of the complexity and pluralistic nature of the South Africa society. The cultural factors in education play an important role in the application of universal educational and cultural principles in the provision of education. The cultural position of the black learner in Model C or multicultural schools has been eroded and is being marginalised by socio-political and educational issues quite beyond his area of competence as a learner. As a result, the expectations the teacher has of the black pupils are too great and are daunting for the pupil. Both the teacher and the learner are not competent enough, they are being dis-empowered. It is at this point that problems in the teaching-learning situation manifest themselves. The transformation process currently taking place in most multicultural schools has many problems relating to this. There are definite areas of concern which need to be looked into, solutions to be found and implemented in order to assist the black pupil. and his teachers to find their feet in the new education dispensation. Essentially a ground motive in every community is a motive of that particular community, the driving force behind all activities, including educational activities - the spiritual root of a particular community, so to speak. The cultural aspects in education will probably remain one of the most critical areas determining whether South Africa can in fact achieve the same education through one and the same department, one and the same curriculum, one and the same examination format. This study will attempt to research the cultural aspects of education concentrating on Model C schools and will put forward some recommendations for the implementation of solutions to the problems the black learner is confronted with.

D.Ed. (Educational Management) / This research focuses on the conflict and the concomitant disruption experienced in black urban secondary schools in the RSA. The causes, the nature and the extent of such conflict and disruption are indicated, and the attempts thus far, to manage such conflict, are discussed. Attention is also given to alternative methods of managing conflict in an effort to curtail the disruption of schools so that unimpeded meaningful education may take place. The premise is that education is at the centre of conflict in black communities and that unrest and disruption at schools constitutes a specific form of conflict in the South African situation. The variable success rate achieved in attempting to combat conflict in black schools through conventional methods of managing such conflict necessitates a search for alternative conflict management methods in education. This research focuses on the process of mediation as a technique for managing conflict. The main aim is to ascertain whether mediation may be employed to manage conflict in black schools effectively. To achieve this aim, both a study of the literature and analytical research have been carried out by way of a questionnaire and interviews. The use of mediation as a technique for managing conflict in schools overseas and the successes achieved in USA schools are also addressed. The conclusion is drawn that a very real need exists to use mediation as a technique for managing conflict in black schools. This research shows that mediation is both an acceptable and a viable mechanism for the effective management of conflict in black schools. Several recommendations are made on the use of mediation as a technique for minimising conflict and disruption in the field of education. It is recommended, inter alia. that all teacher training programmes should include courses on non-violent conflict management techniques. with the emphasis on mediation. Education authorities should put to use the resources and the skills of all institutions that have managed conflict through mediation.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Education must be seen as dynamic, that is responding to the demands made on it by science, technology and society. According to Fay (1975: 19) natural science has provided men with a certain kind of knowledge by means of which they can control their natural environment by making it more hospitable and more productive. It is for this reason that technology and science are seen as exercising a great influence on our daily lives. Changes in the nature of high school population and the geometrically - increasing quantity of scientific knowledge are identified as causes leading to the changes in the high school Biology; curriculum (Falk, 1971: 21). The introduction of the new senior Biology syllabus to Soweto secondary schools should be seen as a reaction to changes in the nature of scientific knowledge. According to a report of a Workshop held by SCISA (Science Curriculum Initiative for South Africa) at Michael house, 11-12 January 1989, it was realized that the current syllabus, and syllabus development and implementation processes are "out of balance and in need of review, This implies that the current syllabus fails to meet the needs of the learner as well as those of society.

Bibliography: pages 66-71. / In 1984 Bybee used 262 science educators from 41 countries to develop an instrument for measuring their ranked priorities of science and technology related global problems. In 1995 the original Bybee scale was updated and clarified, and a new 15-item version, the Le Grange Global Priorities Instrument (LGPI) was piloted, refined and administered in fifteen schools to 946 secondary school pupils speaking three different home languages in two provinces in South Africa. The study is an enlargement of the work of Bybee and Mau (1986); Bybee and 'Najafi (1986); Ndodana, Rochford and Fraser (1994); and Le Grange, Rochford and Sass (1995), and is carried out in the context of the new key programme of Meeting Basic Needs presented in Section 1.4.1 of the Government White Paper on the Reconstruction and Development Programme for the New South Africa which states:- The basic needs of people extend from job creation, land and agrarian reform to housing, water and sanitation, energy supplies, transport, nutrition, health care, the environment, social welfare and security (Government Gazette No. 16085, 23 November 1994:9). The 946 pupils surveyed in this study in 1995 comprised 414 rural-Northern Sotho pupils (sample 1) from the Northern Province; 189 urban-Xhosa speaking pupils (sample 2) and 343 urban-English speaking pupils (sample 3) from the Western Cape.

Bibliography: pages 167-184. / Through this study I will be able to focus on how school effectiveness factors as identified in school effectiveness literature operate in relation to the individual circumstances of a particular school. This is an element that signifies a point of departure from the school effectiveness paradigm that sought to generalize or view such factors as operating similarly in all schools with similar outcomes. Through this study I intend to understand that factors of effectiveness identified in school effectiveness literature operate differently in different schools.

Many learners find the study of introductory computer programming difficult. This is also true of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and we need an improved understanding of how they learn programming. After reviewing the constructivist approach to teaching and learning and investigating ADHD, this study explored strategies for constructive learning of introductory programming. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Karplus learning cycle to teach introductory programming. This was done through qualitative research from an interpretive perspective. Action research techniques were employed and data analysed using grounded theory methods. Four major constructivist teaching categories emerged, all of which support the use of the Karplus cycle. It is concluded that the three-phase Karplus cycle can be used to assist these learners learn introductory programming. However, it needs to be understood more broadly and the middle phase broken into two subphases to ensure effective learning. / Mathematical Sciences / M. Sc. (Mathematical Sciences)

In the twenty-first century, many educational systems are embracing a new paradigm of educational management that utilises team management in schools. The democratic nature of this notion in South Africa involves the use of School Management Teams (SMTs). Reflecting on this movement, this research explored the capacity of these SMTs to cultivate moral purpose in six purposively sampled schools in Limpopo Province. The data collection methods included a series of semi-structured interviews with SMT members, examination of relevant documents, and scheduled observations. The data from the interviews was transcribed manually and this, together with document analysis and scheduled observations, was analysed in three interrelated stages using the four research questions as guides (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The research highlighted that the moral purpose is a relatively new concept to the majority of SMTs. Only a few school managers presented explicit references to the notion, perceiving it as a “compelling moral imperative” or “moral goal of achievement” or “whole-school vision for academic success” or simply “respect”. Notwithstanding the different perceptions, this moral purpose is directed towards raising the level of learner achievement and it is realised when the SMTs articulate the values of commitment, discipline and responsibility. The SMTs members affirmed their commitment to various aspects of instructional leadership. Furthermore, teamwork exemplified in participative decision-making was highlighted as a notion that enhances learner achievement. The findings also affirmed the opportunities that shared leadership offered schools to share moral purpose. However, the findings also enumerate lack of parent involvement, learners discipline, and teachers’ lack of commitment to moral purpose as crucial factors that inhibit the sharing of moral purpose in schools. The two critical responsibilities accepted by the SMTs to address the constraints of sharing moral purpose are highlighted as consulting with legitimate stakeholders and reinforcing policy in the schools. As a result of this research, a number of recommendations and opportunities for further research are offered to Limpopo schools and their SMTs, the systemic authorities responsible for Limpopo education and for those responsible specifically for policy making and curriculum development in the South African education system. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)