M.Ed. / Technical development, which has its roots in technical education is a high priority in any developing country that aims at the creation of well being for all its citizens. On the other hand, over the past decades, technical education in the Republic of South Africa has not been able to offer sufficient drive to become a contributing factor to bring about the expected economic growth. Certain underlying causes in this regard, were and are today still acceptable. Although certain practical experience in industry is a prerequisite for entry into the education profession, this experience is ignored in terms of salary, promotion service and leave once the person is a fully fledged member of the profession. This is surely the greatest contributory factor to the disillusionment of these teachers during the past decades. Should this underlying problem be removed, it will serve as the necessary stimulus for the people concerned to address the technological demands and a new dimension will occur. The role that the well qualified teacher plays in any teachingand learning situation cannot be over emphasized. He serves as an important bolster against didactic neglect of the child. Should the most recent discussion documents namely the CUMSA, National Training Board as well as the ANC's points of view in connection with educational affairs be integrated, the possibility of an excellent epucational policy may result. The following are the main points from the discussion documents that address the proposed training model: * technology education and engineering studies, which are regarded as career subjects in the senior secondary phase, may be taken as choice subjects. * the possible integration of education and training. * that the modular system to the curriculum with its exit points be followed at schools. * that an adult trainer will receive recognition by means of a certification council for all previous learning and teaching experience (formal as well as informal). The proposed training model in this study makes provision for the trainers, namely that the fechnical teachers who comply with the provisions/requirements of the proposed model be accountably and financially considered qualified so s to optimally fulfil their education and teaching tasks.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / 457 Leaves printed single pages, preliminary pages i-xxvii and 429 numberd pages. Includes bibliography. List of figures, List of tables. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: POLICY SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF MILITARY TRAINING IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE Borders in a global economy market exist only to determine the sovereignty of nations. Modern military interventions on the other hand are caught up in a struggle to stabilise international focal points. In the midst of this struggle, is the South Africa National Defence Force, in a process of change on the way to a supportive role to the African Renaissance and an upliftment mandate of the South African society. The South African government is caught in a battle against poverty, illiteracy and unemployment of an abundance of general workers, opposing a shortage of speciality skills measured against the National Qualifications Framework. The National Defence Force in contrast, attempts to create a meaningful military development training policy for the backbone of the National Defence Force, the non-commissioned officer. This military development training policy should not only adhere to economic restrictions of the Defence Budget, but should also acknowledge the potential and skills of this specific group. A literature survey as well as an empirical study of the non-commissioned officer's military development training policy in respect of the different arms of service in the National Defence Force shows that up to 18% of the personnel budget is spent on training. In the midst of this tendency, military development training does not keep up with changing training policy systems in South Africa, and that its effectiveness should therefore be improved in an integrated military developmental training system. The study has found that there are gaps in the military developmental training policy where learners in the South African Army have to meet far more course requirements than their peers in other Arms of the Service. Furthermore, the standard of curricula of the different training courses is not the same. Both these problems could be solved by way of one responsible, joint training department in the National Defence Force.In an emotional protection of a defence force culture, the National Defence Force creates a training budget monster, where seven different training units' supply the same training. According to the different developmental training curriculums, with small exceptions of arms of service specific training, developmental training could easily be presented in one or two separate National Defence Force Units. This idea will support the concept of one force and joint operations. In addition this idea will ensure that the National Defence Force exists within a National Defence Force culture followed by an arm of service culture that is supported by a functional culture. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: BELEIDSTELSELANALISE VAN MILITÊRE OPLEIDING IN DIE SUIDAFRIKAANSE NASIONALE WEERMAG Grense bestaan in ’n globale ekonomiese omgewing slegs ten einde die soewereiniteit van volke te bevestig. Moderne militêre intervensies hierteenoor is gewikkel in ’n stryd om internasionale brandpunte te stabiliseer. Te midde van hierdie stryd is die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag in ’n toetstand van verandering, onderweg na ’n ondersteuningsrol tot die Afrika-Renaissance en opheffingsopdrag van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering veg teen armoede, ongeletterdheid en werkloosheid wat ’n oorvloed algemene werkers bied, teenoor ’n skaarsste aan spesialisvaardighede, gemeet teen die Nasionale Kwalifikasieraamwerk. Die Nasionale Weermag hierteenoor, poog om vir die ruggraat van die Nasionale Weermag, die Onderoffisier, ’n betekenisvolle militêre ontwikkelingsopleidingbeleid daar te stel. Hierdie ontwikkelingsopleidingsbeleid moet nie slegs aan die ekonomiese beperkings van die Verdedigingsbegroting voldoen nie, maar moet ook aan die ontwikkelingspotensiaal en vaardighede van hierdie groep erkenning verleen. ’n Literatuuroorsig sowel as ’n empiriese ondersoek na die militêre ontwikkelingsopleidingsbeleid van onderoffisiere ten opsigte van die verskillende weermagsdele in die Nasionale Weermag toon dat die Weermag tot 18,2% van die personeelbegroting aan opleiding spandeer. Te midde van hierdie tendens hou militêre ontwikkelingsopleiding nie tred met die veranderende opleidingsbeleidstelsels in Suid-Afrika nie en kan die effektiwiteit daarvan in ’n geïntegreerde militêre ontwikkelingsopleidingstelsel verbeter word. Die ondersoek het bepaal dat daar veral leemtes bestaan in die militêre ontwikkelingsopleidingsbeleid, aangesien leerders in die Suid-Afrikaanse Leër aan veel meer kursusvereistes moet voldoen as hulle gelykes in die ander weermagsdele. Verder is die standaard van die kurrikulums van die verskillende opleidingskursusse ook nie dieselfde nie. Beide hierdie probleme sou opgelos kon word deur middel van een verantwoordelike, gesamentlike opleidingsdepartement in die Nasionale Weermag.In ’n emosionele beskerming van ’n weermagsdeelkultuur, skep die Nasionale Weermag ’n opleidingsbegrotingsmonster, waar sewe verskillende opleidingseenhede dieselfde opleiding verskaf. Die verskillende ontwikkelingsopleidingskurrikulums, met die uitsondering van ’n beperkte aantal weermagsdele wat unieke opleiding verskaf, kan gemaklik onder die vaandel van een of twee Nasionale Weermagsdeeleenhede aangebied word. Hierdie gedagte sal steuning verleen aan die Een Mag en Gesamentlike Operasionele gedagte van die Nasionale Weermag. Verder sal hierdie visie verseker dat die Nasionale Weermag eerstens bestaan binne ’n Nasionale Weermag kultuur, gevolg deur ’n Weermagsdeelkultuur wat gerugsteun word deur ’n funksionele kultuur.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Towards the close of the last century, a new curriculum was introduced in South Africa: Curriculum 2005. This outcomes-based curriculum (OBE) was a radical break with previous education policy: it aimed at eliminating discrimination and encouraging independent learning. This new curriculum, however, left teachers uncertain and confused largely because the in-service training provided did not provide clear direction. This study first describes the attempt by an English teacher to explore the theoretical base of the new curriculum; it then attempts to ascertain whether the teaching of English would have to change as a result of the OBE Curriculum 2005 and whether material selected in the initial phase of Curriculum 2005 would meet the needs of the learners. The survey of the literature on language teaching pays particular attention to communicative language teaching (CLT) with its emphasis on using the language for relevant, real-life communicative acts. In addition, it investigates the origins and nature of outcomes-based education to determine whether CLT and OBE combined are suitable vehicles for effective language teaching. The literature survey also suggests a disjunction between the South African version of OBE and CLT. The strong emphasis on achieving certain predetermined outcomes in South African OBE, with the underlying assumption that learning is linear, runs counter to the CLT view that language learning cannot be controlled. The survey of the literature on CLT and OBE also reveals the need for relevant, interesting material that promotes purposeful communication, encouraging learners to invest in developing their language skills. CLT requires learner engagement in real communication and OBE promotes independent learning and learner responsibility. In the light of the demands made by continuous evaluation and other record keeping, it is unrealistic to expect teachers to design or even adapt material for classroom use. The semi-empirical part of this study attempts to test the appropriacy of the material and its effect on teaching and learning. A qualitative case study traces classroom events in two grade 8 classes over a period of five weeks using a module taken from the material which was in use at the time at a particular school. This material was specifically acquired by the school with a view to meeting the requirements of the OBE curriculum. Learners in the classes were taught by two different teachers, who recorded their observations, in accordance with a basic observation schedule, during this time. Additional data were produced in two sets of questionnaires. The learners who did the module were asked to indicate their perceptions of language teaching in the previous year as well as during the five weeks when the module was , and a selected group of teachers at local schools completed a questionnaire on their perceptions of the new curriculum. The responses to the questionnaires are analysed in relation to the literature survey and the conclusions reached by the two teachers involved. This study reveals that the custom-designed OBE material is not much different from that in traditional language textbooks. It also highlights the difficulties associated with finding language learning material which reflects the dynamics of real-life communication and is hospitable to using the insights of current language acquisition theory, while at the same time meeting the requirements of a South African OBE approach. In reflecting on what is needed in effective curricular change, this dissertation reveals the importance of involving practising teachers in developing a new curriculum and providing them with the necessary professional development opportunities. In that context, carefully designed and selected learning material is likely to contribute significantly to successful change. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teen die einde van die vorige eeu is ‘n nuwe kurrikulum, Kurrikulum 2005, ingefaseer in Suid- Afrika. Uitkoms-gebasseerde kurrikulum (UGO), wat ‘n radikale nuwe benadering tot onderrig in hierdie land ingelui het, was daarop gemik om diskriminasie uit te skakel en om onafhanklike leer te vevorder Hierdie nuwe kurrikulum het onderwysers onseker en verward laat vole omdat die indiensopleiding nie duidelik rigtinggewend was nie. Hierdie study beskryf die poging van ‘n Engels-onderwyser om die teoretiese basis van die nuwe kurriculum te peil en dan om vas te stel of die onderrig van Engels sou moes verander as gevolg van UGO/ Kurrikulum 2005 en of die materiaal wat in die aanvangsfase van Kurrikulum 2005 geselekteer is in die behoeftes van die leerders sou voldoen. Die oorsig van die literatuur rakende taalonderrig gee besondere aandag aan kommunikatiewe taalonderrig (KTO), met sy klem op die gebruik van taal vir relevante, lewensgetroue kommunikasie. Verder ondersoek dit die oorsprong en aard van UGO om te bepaal of KTO en UGO gekombineerd voorsiening kan maak vir effektiewe taalonderrig. Dit suggereer dat die Suid- Afrikaanse weergawe van UGO en KTO nie heeltemal met mekaar versoen kan word nie. Die sterk klem op die bereiking van sekere voorafbepaalde uitkomste in Suid-Afrikaanse UGO, met die onderliggende aanname dat leer liniêr is, is teenstrydig met KTO se siening dat taalleer nie beheer kan word nie. Die literatuuroorsig van KTO en UGO openbaar die belangrikheid van relevante, interessante materiaal wat doelgerigte kommunikasie bevorder en leerders aanmoedig om te belê in hul taal vaardighede. KTO vereis dat die leerders deelneem aan werklike kommunikasie en UGO beklemtoon onderwyserfasilitering en leerderverantwoordelikheid. In die lig van die eise wat deurlopende evaluering en ander rekordhouding stel, is dit onrealisties om te verwag dat dat onderwysers materiaal moet ontwerp of selfs aanpas vir klaskamergebruik. Die semi-empiriese deel van hierdie studie poog om die geskiktheid van die materiaal en die effek daarvan op onderrig en leer te ondersoek. ‘n Kwalitatiewe studie vertel wat in twee Gr. 8 klaskamers gebeur het oor ‘n periode van vyf weke toe ‘n module, geneem uit die materiaal wat in gebruik was in ten tyde van die ondersoek, in die klaskamer geïmplementeer is. Die materiaal is spesifiek aangeskaf deur die skool met die oog daarop om die vereistes van die UGO kurrikulum na te kom. Die leerders is onderrig deur twee verskillende onderwysers wat hul waarneemings neersgeskryf het volgens ‘n basiese waarnemingskedule. Addisionele data is verkry met twee stelle vraelyste. Die leerders wat die module meegemaak het, is gevra vir hul persepsies rakende taalonderrig die vorige jaar sowel as gedurende die vyf weke toe die module gebruik is, en’n geselekteerde groep onderwysers aan plaaslike skole het ‘n vraesly voltooi oor hul persepsies van die nuwe kurrikulum. Die response op die vraelyste is ontleed met verwysing na die literatuurstudie en die gevolgtrekkings van die twee onderwysers wat betrokke was . Hierdie studie onthul dat die spesiaal ontwerpte UGO materiaal nie baie verskil van dit wat in tradisionele taalhandboeke te vinde was nie. Verder beklemtoon dit die probleme wat ondervind word met die vind van geskikte taalleermateriaal wat die dinamika van werklike kommunikasie reflekteer en die insigte van die huidige linguistiese teorie aangaande taalaanleer akkommodeer, terwyl dit die vereistes van ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse UGO benadering probeer bereik. Waanner daar gereflekteer word oor wat nodig is vir effektiewe kurrikulêre verandering, openbaar hierdie dissertasie die belangrikheid daarvan om diensdoensde onderwysers te betrek in die ontwikkeling van ‘n nuwe kurrikulum en om hulle toe te rus met die nodige professionele ontwikkelingsgeleenthede. In daardie konteks is dit waarskynlik dat sorgvuldig ontwerpte en geselekteerde leermateriaal aansienlik sal bydra tot suksesvolle verandering.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Please refer to full text for abstract

Thesis (MEd (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The aim of this paper is to obtain an indication of the impact of an outcomes-based assessment policy on the workload of six teachers of a secondary school. Since the implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) there are great expectations to implement new approaches in relation to planning, instruction and assessment guidelines that teachers should follow. Despite these guidelines assessment remains a problem area because teachers are still grappling with the assessment principles of OBE. The new outcomes-based approach to assessment encourages teachers to integrate their instruction with classroom-based assessment. Teachers however do not appear to be integrating their instruction with their assessment. Teachers are blaming the lack of integration to a lack of time. This research is an attempt to assess the time teachers spend on instruction, assessment and extra mural activities. Although this is a qualitative research, it offers a quantifiable reality that is relative to the context of six selected teachers and the context in which the teachers and school is situated. Policy is not static and thus it should be continuously tested to determine whether the aim of the particular policy is practicable. Thus I am of the opinion that research of this nature can be an important mechanism for policy enactment because indicators inform policy makers about the policy. The findings of this research proposes to "put in numbers" what teachers have to say, in other words, to reflect the quantified realities of the workload of teachers.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Assessment in the inclusive classroom poses specific challenges to the educator. Due to the diversity of learners' needs, a need exists for adapted assessment. One standard type of assessment does not adequately satisfy the individual needs which exist due to the influence of various barriers on learners. The pursuit of human rights, democratic principles and the promotion of equality acknowledges that learners' differences need to be taken into consideration, also during the assessment process. The Education White Paper 6 for Inclusive Education (Department of Education, 2001, p.49) states that the principle of inclusion is applicable to the assessment process in: considering special circumstances, the adaptation of assessment tasks, the adaptation of the time allocated for the completion of a task, individual assessment strategies and techniques, and the provision of extended opportunities. This study therefore aimed to understand educators' experiences of adapted assessment in the inclusive classroom and to gain insight into the challenges encountered and the support needed. The researcher worked from an interpretive paradigm. An action research design was used, as action research attempts to actively involve participants in the research process. A qualitative research methodology was followed and included the following: purposive sample selection to identify research participants, open questionnaires, individual and focus group interviews and field notes to generate data, and content analysis to analyze data. Research findings indicate that educators experience the use of adapted assessment positively, because of the space it provides to meet individual needs and address barriers to learning in the inclusive classroom. Furthermore, it became evident that educators need support and guidance to adapt assessment to the individual needs of learners appropriately. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Assessering in 'n inklusiewe klaskamer stel bepaalde uitdagings aan die opvoeder. Daar ontstaan 'n behoefte vir die aanpassing van assessering as gevolg van die diversiteit van leerderbehoeftes. Een standaardvorm van assessering voldoen nie aan die individuele behoeftes wat weens die invloed van verskillende hindernisse op leerders bestaan nie. Die strewe na menseregte, demokratiese beginsels en die bevordering van gelykheid is juis gelee binne die erkenning dat die verskille van alle leerders in ag geneem moet word, ook tydens die proses van assessering. Met verwysing na Onderwys-witskrif 6 vir Inklusiewe Onderwys (DoE, 2001, p.49), moet die beginsel van inklusie tydens die assesseringsproses geld: die inagneming van spesiale omstandighede, die aanpassing van assesseringtake, die aanpassing van die tyd wat toegelaat word vir die voltooiing van take, individuele assesseringstrategiee en -tegnieke en die daarstelling van uitgebreide geleenthede. Daarom het hierdie studie gepoog om die opvoeder se ervaring van aangepaste assessering in 'n inklusiewe klaskamer te verstaan en insig te bekom met betrekking tot die uitdagings wat hulle ondervind en die ondersteuning wat hulle benodig. Die navorser het binne 'n interpretivistiese paradigma gewerk. 'n Aksienavorsingsontwerp is gebruik, omdat dit ten doel het om die deelnemers aktief betrokke te maak by die proses van navorsing. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik en het die volgende ingesluit: doelbewuste seleksie om te bepaal wie die deelnemers was, oop vraelyste, individuele onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude en veldnotas om data te genereer, en inhoudsanalise om die data te analiseer. Navorsingsbevindinge dui daarop dat die opvoeders se ervaring van die gebruik van aangepaste assessering positief was, juis omdat dit voldoen aan die individuele behoeftes wat in 'n inklusiewe klas ontstaan. Uit die studie was dit egter duidelik dat opvoeders leiding en ondersteuning benodig om die assessering toepaslik aan te pas by die behoeftes van die individu.

Thesis (MEd)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The political dispensation in South Africa after 1994 experienced a complete change in different spheres of life. Not only was the country greeted with a new democratic government system, but also with widespread educational reform, of which curriculum reform in schools was one of its main drivers. This study focuses on implementation dynamics related to the latest iteration of curriculum reform namely the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) that was introduced in all public schools in 2005. Educators were sent for in service training in order to implement the new curriculum in their classrooms. Continuous assessment (CASS) became the operative on everybody’s lips, though learners would be assessed according to continuous assessment activities. These assessment marks or codes, obtained by the learners, would determine progression to the next grade. This resulted in a new educator practice, namely an assessment practice. Their initial encounter was somehow problematic because they found it difficult in marrying this new practice with their teaching and learning practices due to various reasons. One of the main reasons was that the NCS was never part of their tertiary education. The study’s main point of departure is that the assessment practices of primary school educators are diverse and divergent in response to the expectations of the NCS. The study uses the analytical lenses of forward and backward mapping as well as the ambiguity-conflict model in order to investigate and ascertain the underlying relationship between educator’s assessment practices and the assessment policy. The study belongs within the qualitative interpretative paradigm, as I attempt to form an understanding of the nature and range of their assessment practices. It emphasises the manifestation of the assessment practices of educators. Qualitative research instruments, which include individual interviews, were used to answer the research question and achieve the research objectives of the thesis. The research shows how these educators experience, interpret and implement the assessment policy in unique ways. It indicates how they, in striving to adhere to the expectations of the NCS, respond by tackling their respective assessment practices in a diverse and divergent way and at times deviate from what is expected of them as set out in the NCS. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die politieke bestel in Suid-Afrika het na 1994 ‘n ommeswaai op vele terreine beleef. Die land was nie net begroet met ‘n nuwe demokratiese regeringstelsel nie, maar ook met grootskaalse onderwyshervorming, met spesifieke verwysing na kurrikulum- hervorming, wat een van die vernaamste dryfvere sou wees. Hierdie studie fokus op die implementeringsdinamieke van die Nasionale Kurrikulumverklarin (NKV) wat in 2005 ingefaseer was en wat eintlik ‘n heromskrywing of herhaling van bestaande kurrikulumhervorming is. Opvoeders was bekend gestel en van nuuts af opgelei om ‘n nuwe kurrikulum in hul klaskamers te implementeer. Deurlopende assessering (DASS) was die nuwe wagwoord op almal se lippe, want leerders sal voortaan aan die hand van deurlopende assesseringsaktiwiteite geassesseer word. Hierdie assesseringspunte of kodes sal bepaal of leerders na ‘n volgende graad vorder. Dit het ‘n nuwe opvoederpraktyk, naamlik ‘n assesseringspraktyk, genoop en opvoeders het dit problematies gevind om hierdie nuwe praktyk met die onderrig- en leerpraktyk te laat trou. Die hoofuitgangspunt is dat hierdie laerskoolopvoeders se assesseringspraktyke divers en uiteenlopend tot die verwagtinge van die NKV is. Die studie gebruik die analitiese lense van voorwaartse en terugwaartse kartering asook die dubbelsinnige konflikmodel ten einde ondersoek in te stel na die onderliggende verwantskap tussen opvoeders se assesseringspraktyke en die assesseringsbeleid. Die studie hoort tuis binne ‘n kwalitatief-interpretivistiese paradigma, aangesien ek ‘n verstaan rondom die aard en omvang van hul assesseringspraktyke probeer vorm en verstaan. Die klem val op hoe hierdie assesseringspraktyke sigself in die klaskamerpraktyke van opvoeders manifesteer. Kwalitatiewe navorsingsinstrumente, wat individuele onderhoude van laerskoolopvoeders insluit, is gebruik om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord en die navorsingsdoelwitte van die tesis te bereik. Die navorsing toon hoe hierdie opvoeders die assesseringsbeleid op unieke maniere ervaar, beleef, interpreteer en gevolglik in hul klaskamers implementeer. Dit lewer verder bewys hoe elkeen, in hul strewe om aan die verwagtinge van die NKV te voldoen, hul assesseringspraktyke divers en uiteenlopend aanpak en tot volvoering probeer bring en by geleenthede daarvan afwyk.

M.Ed. / Education in South Africa is in a process of transformation. The opening of public schools to all races has resulted in the exodus of learners from township to suburban schools. Parents have transferred their children because of, among other reasons, lack of culture of learning and teaching, lack of quality teaching, lack of resources, and violence in township schools.The movement of learners from township to suburban schools has necessitated a new management technique that will accommodate the unique characteristics of learners from diverse cultural, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds.Head masters and educators need to develop an approach that will lead to the transformation of the total school environment, and the creation of equal educational opportunities for learners who have for a long time been deprived quality education. Headmasters and educators need to be aware that education provided by the state to African learners is not of equal standard to white education. Therefore tolerance, empathy and understanding of the problems these learners bring with them is essential. They need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge in managing learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. They require cultural literacy and sensitivity which can be acquired through in-service training. To provide all learners with an equal opportunity to achieve in the classroom, multicultural education should be practised. Diversity of culture must be acknowledged, and teaching methods ought to be altered to accommodate the different kinds of learning styles and children with different learning needs.

A research report submitted to the Wits School of Education, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Education Submission 17 October 2016 / As access to formal schooling has expanded all over the world, there is acknowledgement that the quality of learning in many schooling systems, including South Africa, is extremely weak. Nationally representative samples of South African children participated in the PIRLS 2006 and pre-PIRLS 2011 studies, along with 48 other countries as a benchmarking exercise to measure the literacy levels of primary schools according to international standards. The PIRLS 2006 study indicated that more than 80% of South African children had not yet learned to read with meaning by grade 5. The pre-PIRLS results provided a new baseline of reading literacy levels for Grade 4 learners in South Africa, 29% of Grade 4 learners that participated did not have the rudimentary reading skills required at a Grade 2 level. Learners tested in African languages, particularly Sepedi and Tshivenda, achieved the lowest performance overall and were considered to be educationally at risk (University of Pretoria, 2012). The context in which schooling takes place is key in understanding learner performance in South Africa. After decades of differential provision of education on the basis of race, the education system has been overhauled since the early 1990s. The South African government has introduced several initiatives and policies to address these systemic imbalances. All things considered, South Africa’s learner performance has remained poor, even relative to several poorer countries in the region. There is a wealth of research describing weaknesses in the education system. However, going a step further and identifying resources and practices that actually improve learner performance is central to improving education planning, policy and ultimately classroom practice. Rigorous evidence on classroom-based practice and resources that will have a measurable effect on learner performance in a developing country like South Africa is limited. The most significant shortfall of non-experimental evaluation methods (including qualitative and many quantitative approaches) is the absence of a valid estimate of the counterfactual – what outcomes would have been obtained amongst programme beneficiaries had they not received the programme. This often leads to the reporting of large positive effects of programmes being evaluated. By using a lottery to allocate participants to an intervention and a control group, the Randomised Control Trial (RCT) methodology constructs a credible ‘counterfactual’ scenario – what might have happened to those who received an intervention had they not received it. This study provides a systematic literature-based argument on why RCTs should be part of the methodological options education researchers and policy makers consider in developing countries such as South Africa. Both the strengths and limitations of RCTs are discussed in light of the debate on RCTs and evaluation methods in education, as well as the technical critique of the methodology. The main critique of external validity is also elaborated on with efforts that may be taken to diminish the limitations discussed. In addition, the study illustrates the value of RCTs using data from two South Africa RCTs on early grade reading interventions through a secondary analysis of the RCT data. The first case study in Chapter 4, is the Reading Catch-Up Programme (RCUP) conducted in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal. The main findings of the RCUP evaluation were that although learners in intervention schools improved their test scores between the baseline and the endline assessment, the learners in comparison schools improved by a similar margin. The results should contribute to a sobering realisation that the effects of the various interventions introduced by education stakeholders including NGOs and government are not obviously positive or more importantly, different from normal schooling. This points to the need to evaluate programmes before they are rolled out provincially or nationally, using RCTs and other rigorous methods. The new analysis of data in this study explores the so-called “Matthew Effect” - the notion that initially better-performing children typically gain more from additional interventions and from schooling itself. The data from the RCUP RCT indicates that children with higher baseline test scores benefited from the intervention, whereas children with very low English proficiency at the outset did not benefit from the programme. Although females significantly outperform males in the reading tests used, there was no clear evidence of a differential effect of the intervention by gender. The Matthew Effect therefore seems to be driven by prior knowledge and not gender or any other characteristic that was measured in the data. The second case study in Chapter 5, is the Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS) conducted in the North West province. The EGRS may be seen as a more extensive follow-up to the RCUP to answer some of the unanswered questions. For example, will an early grade reading intervention that is implemented over a longer duration (two years) have an impact? Can intervening right at the start of school be a strategic point to intervene? Can a Home Language literacy intervention have lasting educational benefits? In conclusion, although the policy formulation and evaluation process should draw on research using a variety of methods, the policy process will certainly be impoverished if there is a lack of research meeting two core criteria: interventions and findings that are relevant to the larger schooling population; and the precise measurement of the causal impact of interventions and/or policies. This study makes a clear literature-based argument on the contribution of internally valid methods, specifically RCTs in fulfilling these criteria and illustrates this with two case studies of RCTS. The study also provides a demonstration of the insights that are possible through secondary analysis founded on the richness of RCT data. / MT2017

D.Ed. / The school is an institution that came into being on demand of the community and as such is also responsible to the community for all its activities. This entails that the teaching provided by the school should be directed, amongst other things, to the interests and needs of the learners and the community. To ensure that the teaching is systematic, purposeful and progresses according to specified contents, all school activities are organized by a programme, known as a curriculum. This research was directed at a definite aspect of formal teaching provision, viz. vocationally-oriented education and more specifically to technical education at secondary school level. Observation and commentary from various sources indicate that the relevance of technical education at school level is questioned by post-school "users of technical education". This is particularly pertinent if it is considered against the background of, inter alia, the appeal for a greater shift in emphasis of vocationally-oriented and vocational education, the revision of the broad curriculum for pre-tertiary education that is currently being undertaken and the economic, social and political climate that prevails in the RSA at present. The problem for the present research was defined against this background as the search for measures to ensure that the curricula for the technical field of study at school level comply with the needs and demands of the community with specific reference to the post-school "users of technical education". The purpose of the study centres around the development of a curriculum for technical education. As a result of restrictions imposed on the extent of the study the developmental activities were curtailed to the design of a part-theory that comprises a situation and goal analysis followed by the setting of guidelines for a structure whereby the contents for the electrical field of study (as exemplar for the technical field of study) can be selected and organized. In achieving this aim, brief consideration was initially given to the didactic-pedagogic founding of the school curriculum and curriculum development as a process. An extensive literature study was subsequently undertaken regarding technical education at school level (as a form of vocationally - oriented and vocational education). This literature investigation mainly covered two fields, viz. the historical development of technical education at school level in the RSA and definite aspects directly related to the provision of vocationally-oriented vocational education and specifically technical education at school level. Regarding the latter, consideration was given, amongst others, to relevance and differentiation as principles of educational provision, the task of the school with reference to the provision of generally-oriented and specialized education (vocationally-oriented and vocational education), the status of technical education as well as the rationalization of technical subjects at school level...