“We often spend too much time coping with problems along our path that we forget why we are on that path” Peter Senge This study describes and analyses the implementation of Organisation Development (OD) to a previously disadvantaged school. OD is a relatively new method of planned change in South Africa. Unlike more traditional change initiatives, OD promotes collaboration; it tries to involve all members of an organisation in problem solving and decision-making. It is an applied behavioural science discipline dedicated to improving organisations and the people in them. Previously disadvantaged schools in South Africa continue to be disadvantaged. Ten years after the introduction of democracy there have been few changes in some of these schools and some seem to be getting worse. This study was an attempt to introduce a process of planned change to one such school. Since 1994 many changes have been imposed on our schools with new curricula, increased class sizes, changes in systems of assessment and teaching methods and the abolishment of past procedures such as corporal punishment. Teachers have had little say in any of these changes and this has resulted in resistance, resignation, frustration and in many cases a lack of ability to cope. OD was introduced to Acacia High School in the form of a Survey Data Feedback (SDF). An action research process followed and a diagnosis was made followed by action planning and then the execution of a plan. My study follows this process and the implementation of the plan describing its successes. Sadly change was not sustained and I highlight some of the challenges that face the school in order to bring about real long-term improvement in the culture of learning and teaching.

The present study aimed at describing and analysing stakeholders' perception of the role of the school in providing moral education in a multicultural society. The relevance of moral education today in the context of the Mauritian society cannot be underscored given the widespread concern about the collapse of family structures and the demise of family role models as agents of moral education. The adoption of a materialistic philosophy of life and the increasingly influential role of the media have contributed to the disintegration of the moral fibre of society. Using a qualitative approach, the understanding of various categories of stakeholders, namely teachers, students, parents and school administrators, regarding the issue of morality, moral education and the role of the school have been investigated through a survey. The sample consisted of 33 teachers, 30 students and 9 school administrators and 10 parents. The data was collected through four focus group discussions with students and teachers respectively and a series of individual in depth interviews with parents and school administrators. The data collection period extended over eight months. The conceptual framework used in the study was based on the social learning model developed by Bandura (1991:91). The notion of modelling or vicarious learning as a form of social learning is particularly relevant in the case of moral learning and moral socialisation in the context of the school. The findings reveal a general consensus among adults of the need for schools to seriously reconsider its function as a moral educator. Their perceptions of the ways in which it ought to take place focus primarily on the use of role modelling and dialogue within the school set up. Adults also seem to believe that some form of direct moral instruction could be considered if the strategy used is more student-centred and based on discussions about case studies. The students, however, perceive indirect moral instruction through the hidden curriculum to be more effective in helping them to understand and internalise moral values. Chief among their concern is the role of the teacher and his or her professionalism as well as communication skills. In the light of the findings, guidelines have been developed to implement a moral education programme at secondary school level. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Psychology of Education)

The successful social development of adolescent girls is dependent on the acquisition of the skills required to face the challenges of adult life. Young girls are faced with the problem of a growing aggressive behaviour displayed by the girls who are supposedly their friends. This aggressive behaviour may negatively affect social, psychological or emotional development, possibly resulting in long term social adjustment problems. This investigation identifies the types and causes of aggressive behaviour displayed by adolescent girls, with the intention of ultimately identifying strategies to address aggressive behaviour. The implementation of a schoolbased approach, including all sectors involved in the education of the child in a whole-school programme to address aggressive behaviour, is recommended. Including all parties, firmly committed to addressing aggressive behaviour from a preventative perspective, may result in reducing aggressive behaviour and possibly provide adolescent girls with the coping skills required for successful social development. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Socio-Education)

M. Ed. (Educational and Learning Support) / Society has never before experienced a human tragedy of the magnitude caused by the orphan crisis. Life for the estimated 4 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa is often desperate where children attempt to care for themselves and each other without adequate adult· support. Orphaned children are not only traumatized by the loss of their parents, they then also lack adult guidance during crucial developmental stages of their lives, and educational concerns are usually neglected. The social costs that emerge are juvenile crime, reduced educational levels, unskilled workers and a general burden on the state. With the introduction of the School Based Support Teams (SBST) in an attempt to further the implementation of inclusive education, schools have become aware of the need to support all learners in their community, including orphans. This study investigated the nature of the role played by the SBST of a primary school in their endeavours to support orphaned learners. During their work with the orphans, the SBST encountered many challenges that emerged as diverse needs of the children were revealed.Initially, the focus was on meeting lower order needs such as food, clothing, shelter and school equipment. In meeting these needsthe SBST embraced a position of collaboration with local businesses and child welfare organisations in providing the necessary resources. Help was also given in the planting of a vegetable garden, with an irrigation system which was tilled by volunteers from the parent community. School uniforms were provided by the Department of Social Development and the Rotary club. With time however, the SBST, started taking an additional responsibility, such as obtaining identity documents, applying for child grants and arranging for social worker involvement in the management of foster parents and custody. Caregivers and foster parents were approached and aided in their applications for exemption from paying school fees and close collaboration with custody courts was maintained. Working more deeply with the orphans, higher order needs emerged regarding grieVing for lost parents, the need to re-establish social groups and family ties, and the need for spiritual guidance and a sense of hope for the future. Responding to this additional challenge the SBST established a link with the local church to provide counselling support for the orphans. The schools guidance department conducted a workshop for the teachers on basic counselling and bereavement counselling which serve to empower the staff to deal with the orphans' emotional trauma on a daily basis. Since the orphaned learners were now being physically and emotionally supported, learning problems emerged due to their previous interruptions in schooling. The SBST called on the expertise of remedially trained teachers to provide extra classes and supervise homework for these learners in an attempt to address their scholastic backlog. Selected orphans were loaned solar powered reading lamps for use at home where there is no electricity. Orphaned learners were also encouraged to participate in the school's sporting and extra-mural programme and the necessary sport gear and arrangements were facilitated by the SBST. As the nature of the SBST's involvement deepened, a sub-committee was established, the welfare portfolio, whose sole responsibility was the well-being of the school's orphans. In managing the growing orphan population in the school, they compiled a database of the orphans in the school detailing their specific problems, needs, home circumstances and the actions required by the school in supporting each child's individual needs. A workshop was conducted for the foster parents and caregivers on budgeting and using the child care grants wisely for the orphans. Since it was revealed that some caregivers were abusing the funds on alcohol and neglecting the orphans in their care. The welfare committee also negotiated half price transport fees with the local taxi service in the transportation of orphaned learners to and from school. Apartnership was established with the local police station to gain their support. Should any orphaned learners report physical abuse, they would be respectfully treated. The systemic and collaborative nature of the role of the SBST in this primary school is highlighted in this case study. Without the visionary focus and strategic planning of the SBST in supporting the orphaned learners, they would probably have dropped out of school. Thus the transformation of the SBST into a broad-based structure which networks with a myriad of sources is crucial in fostering inclusive educational practices in South African schools.

This research study seeks to examine the impact of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE)from a developmental perspective in the Eastern Cape. Two schools were selected as research sites, one from a previously advantaged area and the other from a previously disadvantaged area. These schools were evaluated on their understanding of OBE and its relationship to development. OBE was introduced in South Africa under controversial circumstances because of the legacy of apartheid education from which we are coming. Because of that, schools in South Africa reflect the inequalities that are resulting from apartheid legislation. In 1994 the government introduced the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to eradicate all the discrepancies resulting from apartheid. On the educational sphere, OBE was the curriculum policy aimed at eradicating the legacy of apartheid education. The then Minister of Education was convinced that OBE or Curriculum 2005 would be a developmental approach to education and would take South Africa into the 21st century. Ever since its introduction, educators have encountered many problems with the implementation of OBE, especially in the previously disadvantaged areas of the Eastern Cape. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to collect data from the respondents. However, one set of questionnaires was prepared for the educators, students, parents and education government officials. Because of the qualitative nature of the questionnaire the data collected was also analyzed qualitatively. Each question was analyzed from each of the focus groups and the researcher established findings that were analyzed in relation to the literature review. The researcher then was able to reach his own conclusions on the impact that OBE has on the South African education system and recommendations on what could be done for OBE to be successfully implemented and to be developmentally effective in previously disadvantaged areas of South Africa. The recommendations propose useful interventions, which could be made by the government to assist all the stakeholders involved in education in both an understanding and better implementation of OBE in Previously Disadvantaged Areas (PDA’s). They include provision of support to stakeholders and that teachers should be taught about the relationship between OBE and reconstruction. The research study focuses mainly on OBE and its relationship to development in urban or Previously Advantaged Areas (PAA’s) of two Eastern Cape schools. It will be relevant to the Eastern Cape Education Department in its efforts to implement OBE in schools and it could be a source of knowledge to educators. The conclusion that has been reached, however, is that there is a lot of ignorance about this new system of education to both educators and parents. There is also evidence of ignorance to matters pertaining to the relationship between OBE and it’s relationship to the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). A major recommendation that is made then is that for OBE to be relevant in the South African context, it should help to improve the lives of ordinary people in South Africa, especially in Previously Disadvantaged Areas.

The private and social returns to education literature share the same conclusion: that education is beneficial for both the individual and society. However, the theoretical underpinnings are flawed as the literature does not account for the main feature that leads to the acquisition of education: the private demand for education. An understanding of the factors that motivate the individual to invest in education would lead to a deeper insight as to why both private and social returns to education exist, and would provide a clearer framework on which to base the government funding of education. This thesis provides a first attempt at filling this gap by introducing a method of estimating the returns to government investment in education, which is labelled the ‘labour market drop-out rate approach’. The approach focuses on the social return to education, not in terms of graduate earnings, but in terms of the interaction of the graduate with the economy. The approach introduces a measure of expertise utilisation, based on the premise that there is no social return to an individual acquiring education if he or she does not utilise the acquired knowledge base on entering the labour market. The approach is tested using the labour market for marine scientists in South Africa as a case study. In this case the private demand for education is found to be heavily influenced by the provision of student bursaries from the National Research Foundation, with a resulting estimate of the social return to a degree in marine science being a mere 20% to 25%. Owing to this, a new approach to government investment in marine science is introduced, that of graduate contribution schemes. Of broader significance is the ease of application of this approach, it may be adopted to analyse any funding programme in which a government may decide to invest. As such, the labour market drop-out rate provides an extension to the returns to education literature through its theoretical dealings of the private demand for education, as well as a practical tool which government agencies can use to evaluate the efficacy of any government funding of education.

No description available.

This project examines the impact factors such as parent involvement and teacher support have on Mexican American students' decisions about higher education.

Post-World War II public schools in Harlem, New York were segregated, under-resourced and educationally inequitable. Addressing disparities in education was of paramount importance for the socioeconomic mobility and future of the neighborhood. In an effort to understand how race, religion, community, and education intersected in this context, this dissertation answers the following research question: How did St. Philip’s, the first Black Episcopal church in the city and one of the most historic churches in Harlem, participate in education during the post-World War II period? Responding to and preventing inequities in the neighborhood, including the substandard state of the public schools, St. Philip’s served as an educational space and organizational base for the community. St. Philip’s participation accounts for the way a Black church emerged as a space for education when the public schools were foundering. The church’s ethos of education - community engagement - reframes traditional frameworks of teaching and learning beyond schoolhouse doors. During the postwar period, St. Philip’s expanded its in-house programming for Black children, youth and adults, constructing a new community youth center, where classes, tutoring, after-school activities, college counseling, career guidance, day-care, recreation and clubs were community staples. Understanding the importance of inclusivity, continuity and consistency, programming was accessible to the entire neighborhood, regardless of membership with year-round services such as summer camp and career counseling. As an organizational base, the church hosted education talks and committee meetings, facilitating a forum for the community to engage in critical conversations about the state of education. It was a safe space for transparency and troubleshooting. Concerns about education expanded beyond conversations in the church, however. St. Philip’s corresponded directly with city governance, petitioning school-makers with recommendations and demands. This dissertation broadens the traditional civil rights narrative of Black religious activism, which has the tendency to dichotomize who participated and how they participated. This polarization includes regions: North-South, religions: Christian-Muslim, figureheads: Martin Luther King, Jr.-Malcolm X, and strategies: peaceful-militant. Historians Charles Payne and Nikhil Pal Singh push back on this oversimplified interpretation as “King-centric.”* St. Philip’s educational activism foils this paradigm as a Black Episcopal institution in a northern city. St. Philip’s brings nuance to categorizations of Black churches as either being focused on the far-reaching goal of social transformation or compliant with conservative social philosophies based on respectability politics. Its participation was both radical (such as establishing educational programming at the Community youth center that was open to members and non-members alike, regardless of class, age, political or religious beliefs) and conservative (such as sitting out of the 1964 citywide school boycott, while the majority of the Black community participated). In this way, St. Philip’s educational activism in Harlem calls into question criticisms of the Black Episcopal Church that position it as elitist and accommodationist to white values and white power, hence, apathetic to the challenges facing the Black population in cities during the post-World War II period. *Nikhil Pal Singh, Black Is a Country: Race and the Unfinished Struggle for Democracy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004), 6; and Charles Payne, I’ve Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995), 419.

This study served to highlight the aggressive nature of learners in the Foundation Phase, namely of those who are between the ages of 5 to 6 years. The project is based on qualitative research, and the data were collected from three primary schools in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Interviews were conducted with two principals, three educators and three parents. Four learners were used in order to gather further information on the causes of the aggressive behaviour of learners. Their input assisted the researcher to understand the various discipline structures within the school and also, how parents and educators manage the aggressive behaviour of learners. The study sought to identify whether primary and secondary socialisation, and the influence of the media are related to learners behaving aggressively. The information collected confirmed that children model the behaviour of adults and of their peers. The principals and the educators were of the opinion that positive primary socialisation is of the utmost importance, as it lays the foundation for future socialisation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)