M.Ed. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M. Tech. Education / Since 1994, the field of education in South Africa has been facing a huge number of challenges. Curriculums and matters associated with curriculums in South Africa did unfortunately not escape these challenges. The current state of affairs is that South African educators do not play any part in curriculum development and are in no way involved in it. It seems that curriculums developed somewhere by government officials, or so-called curriculum specialists, and that those curriculums are then handed over to the educators for implementation. The above situation is a cause of concern for educator, who despite being regarded as the most important stakeholders in education; ironically have no say in the curriculums they have to implement. The current top down approach in curriculum development is detrimental to education in this country, since educators cannot adjust something they were not part of. Educators, business people and parents should be afforded opportunities to become partners in the process of curriculum development by letting their voices be heard before the actual implementation of any curriculum development. It is therefore imperative that educators should be given opportunities and platforms to give their inputs and to play an active role in all curriculum matters. Educators are the principal role-players in addressing educational challenges. The process has not yet stabilised and therefore it is so important that there should be dialogue about what is expected of educators when it is suggested that they should be involved in curriculum development. The main purpose of this study was to investigate and explain the possible links between curriculum development and the involvement of educators.

With an intention of opening a vantage point on the story of how curriculum is actually created, this study follows the recontextualising of the environmental discourse of the National Curriculum Statement (R-9) in three case sites. These are: Grade seven Department of Education training material developed to introduce educators to the NCS (R-9), Delta Environmental Centre an environmental education non-governmental organisation, a rural primary school situated south of Durban. Using elements of the Bernstein’s (1990) framework of pedagogic discourse, the study traces how the environmental discourse was de-located from the field of production and relocated into the pedagogic practice of each case. In trying to follow the continuity, changes and discontinuities in the official [environmental] discourse as it is recontextualised, the study utilises Bernstein’s conceptual constructs of selective appropriation and ideological transformation. These constructs of selective appropriation and ideological transformation enabled me to ‘look into’ each case and get a perspective of how to explain the recontextualising processes. The study acknowledged that discourses are shaped and steered by historical, political and economic realities and begins by tracing the genesis of the environmental discourse within formal curriculum policy in South Africa. This socio-historical review highlights the main factors and happenings that shaped the present curriculum discourse and its production as official policy discourse. The study highlighted that within each case the recontextualising story is unique but some clear patterns emerged as factors that impacted on recontextualising processes. These were the role of history and context, knowledge and experience of the discourse, ideology and emphasis, and the depth with which the discourse was engaged. The discussion of these factors gave valuable insights into the recontextualising of curriculum discourses. The study comments on the need to clarify the environmental focus in the Learning Areas and to actualise this into practice so that the discourse becomes an integral part of teaching, learning and assessment. The study also highlights the need for professional development opportunities that will enable educators to clarify the nature and focus of the environmental discourse in the NCS (R-9), and its articulation in Learning Area in context. In particular, the environment and social justice relationships appear to require greater clarity of focus and interpretation in recontextualising processes. There also appears to be a need to develop educators’ foundational knowledge of environmental issues to strengthen the recontextualising of this discourse.

D.Ed. (Educational Management) / The rendering and implementation of a suitable school curriculum for the educable intellectually handicapped pupil poses a problem on the micro level of circulating, and a managerial problem to both the teacher and the headmaster or managerial team of the special school. In the research in question, a literature study was undertaken, systematic reflection was done, a questionnaire was compiled, and practical experience as headmaster of a special school for whites in the Transvaal was implemented, to be able to: provide pedagogically founded curriculum guidelines for the teacher and the headmaster or managerial team as curriculators on the micro level and to design managerial structures and identify and describe managerial approaches, managerial styles or leadership styles and areas of management, with a view to supporting and realising curriculum implementation on the micro level...

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The facilitation of human rights values might be considered a means to rethink and redefine values education in South Africa. This study aimed at determining how human rights values were addressed in the context of independent Waldorf Education and government initiated outcomes-based education in South Africa, and how educators facilitated these values in various circumstances. In exploring the philosophies, theories and practices of these education models against the background of paradigmatic and post-paradigmatic philosophies in support of the socially constructive curriculum theory, important notions were highlighted that have preceded, and might follow, the facilitation of human rights values. The epistemologies, ontologies and methodologies of the emancipatory paradigm and postparadigmatic framework appeared to provide appropriate philosophical departure points regarding the facilitation of human rights values. This study anticipated the theoretical clarification of the concept human rights values and included a discussion on the importance of these values in various school contexts. Values identified from the Manifesto on Values, Education and Democracy (2001), that were also present in the Curriculum: Waldorf Schools in South Africa (1995), were discussed as possible human rights values. Empirical research was conducted to explore how human rights values were attended to in good practice scenarios in order to provide insight into the questions posed regarding the facilitation of human rights values. Through systematic ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews it appeared that in both school contexts human rights values were more frequently addressed in incidental situations than in formal curriculum contents. This is interesting seeing that the outcomes-based education model has a number of documents to guide the facilitation of human rights values within formal curriculum contents, whereas the Waldorf approach has no such supportive documents. One might question the value and influence of numerous documents if basic knowledge that is required for the meaningful interpretation of such documents is not communicated from the outset. Moreover, it became evident that since Waldorf educators are adequately trained in Anthroposophy, the philosophy to which Waldorf schools adhere, they deal with curriculum matters such as socially constructing a curriculum more effectively. The training of outcomes-based education educators can be questioned regarding the philosophy, theory and methodology of outcomes-based education in view of the hasty implementation of this new model for government schools. As a result of this hurried process, educators of outcomes-based education are experiencing numerous uncertainties when they have to manage curriculum matters such as socially constructing a curriculum. Recommendations and related examples were provided after the completion of the study. This included, among others, the notions of dialogically facilitating human rights values to promote learners' understanding of their rights, and the rights of others; to transform incidental facilitation of human rights values into worthwhile teaching-learning experiences; to use human resources - including learners - to convey human rights values; and to focus educators' training (both in-service and pre-service) toward the inclusion of human rights values and promoting an understanding of socially constructing a curriculum. The study was concluded with the remark that human rights values might be an appropriate means to redefine values education, provided that the facilitation of human rights values are based on suitable theoretical and philosophical premises; and that those held responsible to facilitate such values are assisted in this task. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fasilitering van menseregte-waardes kan beskou word as 'n wyse om waarde-opvoeding in Suid-Afrika opnuut te deurdink en te herdefinieer. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om vas te stel hoe menseregte-waardes in onafhanklike Waldorf Onderwys en staatsgeïnisieerde uitkomsgebaseerde onderwyskontekste in Suid-Afrika aangespreek word, en ook hoe dit in die praktyk gefasiliteer word. Die verkenning van teorieë, filosofieë en praktyke aangaande die twee opvoedingsrnodelle teen die agtergrond van paradigmatiese en post-paradigmatiese filosofieë, ter ondersteuning van kurrikulumteorie, het kardinale aspekte wat die fasilitering voorafgegaan het, en moontlik tot gevolg kan hê, uitgelig. die sosiaal-konstruktiewe van menseregte-waardes Dit kom voor asof die epistemologieë, ontologieë en metodologieë onderliggend aan die emansipatoriese paradigma en die post-paradigmatiese raamwerk 'n genoegsame filosofiese aanvangspunt bied met betrekking tot die fasilitering van menseregte-waardes. In die studie is die konsep menseregte-waardes konseptueel-teoreties verklaar. Dit het ook 'n bespreking oor die belangrikheid van hierdie waardes in verskeie skoolkontekste ingesluit. Waardes geïdentifiseer uit die Onderwysrnanifes oor Waardes en Demokrasie in die Onderwys (Manifesto on Values, Education and Democracy, 2001) wat ook sigbaar was in die Waldorf-kurrikulumdokument (Curriculum: Waldorf Schools in South Africa, 1995), is bespreek as moontlike menseregte-waardes. Empiriese navorsing is onderneem om die wyse waarop menseregte-waardes in goeie praktyk-scenarios aangespreek word te verken ten einde nuwe insig te verkry rakende die fasilitering van menseregte-waardes. Deur die sistematies-etnografiese waarnemings en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude het dit voorgekom dat menseregte-waardes in beide skoolkontekste meestal in toevallige situasies aangespreek word, eerder as deel van formele kurrikuluminhoude. Dit is interessant, gegewe die feit dat die uitkomsgebaseerde opvoedingsmodel heelwat dokumente beskikbaar gestel het om die fasilitering van menseregte-waardes te rig, terwyl die Waldorf-benadering geen ondersteunende dokumentasie in dié verband bied nie. Mens kan tereg vra wat die waarde en invloed van sulke dokumente is as basiese kennis, wat nodig is om hierdie dokumente betekenisvol te interpreteer, nie eerste oorgedra word nie. Dit het ook gelyk asof Waldorf-onderwysers beter met kurrikulumverwante sake, soos die sosiale konstruering van 'n kurrikulum, omgaan weens hul goeie opleiding betreffende Antroposofie, die filosofie wat Waldorf-onderwys onderlê. Opvoeders in uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys se opleiding in die teorie, filosofie en metodologie van die onderwysmodel, wat beïnvloed is deur die haastige implementering van die nuwe model in staatskole, kan bevraagteken word. Laasgenoemde aspek blyk onsekerhede te veroorsaak wanneer hierdie onderwysers kurrikulumverwante sake, soos die sosiale konstruering van 'n kurrikulum, moet hanteer. Ná afloop van die studie is sekere aanbevelings en verwante voorbeelde gegee. Dit het onder meer die volgende ingesluit: dat dialoog na 'n wenslike fasiliteringstrategie lyk in die bevordering van leerders se begrip van hul regte, asook dié van andere; dat situasies waartydens menseregte-waardes toevallig aangespreek word omskep kan word in waardevolle onderrig-Ieerervaringe; dat menslike hulpbronne - insluitende leerders - gebruik kan word om menseregte-waardes oor te dra; en dat onderwysersopleiding (beide indiens en voordiens ) op die insluiting van menseregte-waardes en die bevordering van begrip vir die sosiale konstruering van 'n kurrikulum moet fokus. Die studie is afgesluit met die opmerking dat menseregte-waardes tot die herdefiniëring van waarde-opvoeding mag bydra, gegewe dat dit op gepaste teoretiese en filosofiese begrondinge gebaseer is, en dat diegene wat verantwoordelik gehou word vir die fasilitering van sulke waardes, die nodige ondersteuning in dié verband sal kry.

Multiculturalism is a policy of support for exchange among different groups of people to enrich all while respecting and preserving the integrity of each. South Africa comprises one of the most multi-ethnic, multiracial, multireligious and multicultural societies in the world. South Africa is a vast country of many peoples with many musics. Multicultural music can contribute to educational reform by providing equity and equality of learning experiences to all learners in a multicultural society. Music is not just an art to be practised within the education of a multicultural society. It is, in itself, a truly multicultural education. In the study of music education, the culture and nature of a people must be understood. There must be opportunities for all to be immersed in the music of other indigenous cultural groups and of world cultures. Music activity is not an isolated activity within a culture; music education as culture is the concept. Children have developmental levels and specific needs in different stages. This learning and becoming child experience music as a group of processes that reflect in sound what is happening in life. There is a difference in the development and behaviour between children of various cultures. Each child has special needs to become self-actualized. Multicultural music education attempts to meet these needs. In this thesis a curriculum model for multicultural music education is proposed. A common elements approach used in a spiral of musical and human development and based on the sound approach is used to expand awareness of fundamental elements of music to include all types of music of all people. This approach would lead to better understanding of other peoples and cultures. Based on these findings, guidelines and recommendations for multicultural music education are provided. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Empirical Education)

D.Ed. / The general objective of this study is to illuminate the challenges experienced by educators in the provision of Environmental Education at schools in Curriculum 2005. In order to realize this general aim, the following serve as specific aims: Firstly, to provide a theoretical base for Environmental Education with a view to increasing the understanding of this relatively new discipline. Secondly, to examine and analyse the factors hindering the successful implementation of Environmental Education in schools. Thirdly, to identify and discuss potential solutions. An extensive literature review was undertaken to examine core areas impeding effective teaching of Environmental Education and its emphasis on Curriculum 2005. The investigation included data collection from experienced educators who have been incorporating Environmental Education in their subject teaching. The qualitative research design was utilized. The data collection methods the researcher applied include observation where personal visits were made to schools promoting Environmental Education. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with different individual educators; in schools with more than four environmental educators, focus group interviews were preferred. The data of this research were collected in schools in Gauteng Province through qualitative data collection techniques. The data collected was also analysed, coded, clustered and categorized. The empirical findings of the study were confirmed by using different methods and sources. The main findings indicated that where Environmental Education is well coordinated and all educators are involved, it is carried out in a more effective way compared to schools where Environmental Education is left to one educator and poorly coordinated. The study recommends that Environmental Education should not be left to one committed environmental educator, but that all educators need to be trained to incorporate Environmental Education into their school curriculum.

This dissertation contains three schools used as the sample when conducting the study on curriculum reform implementation. This change in curriculum follows the change in the South African politics in 1994. The year 2006 was the year for implementing the curriculum change in the Further Education and Training band (FET). Learners in grade 10 were the first ones to be taught following the OBE principles in secondary schools with FET. The purpose of this study was to explore how schools are managing the transition and implementation of the National Curriculum Statement. The research design followed the qualitative approach. All three schools are in the deep rural area of Msinga in the Umzinyathi District. The research was informed by two types of leadership theories which are: the Bureaucratic and Collegial theories; these theories helped to find how the principals are using their roles and understanding of the change process to bring about curriculum delivery in their schools. This study built upon the findings of the previous studies conducted by De Jager, Davey and Clark. Their findings revealed complexities and inequalities in the preparation for the curriculum change due to various factors including: lack of proper training and planning for change. My study sought to find how the principals and their school management teams including educators are recontextualising change to make it suitable to their schools' needs. The understanding of their roles in leading and managing change was the yardstick of how change was implemented. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

This research focuses on how Road Safety Education can be incorporated into the Revised National Curriculum Statement in the Further Education and Training Band. Education is based on theories about how learners learn, what influences that learning and what is effective practice. Such theories are based on research. Educational research may be seen as a systematic attempt to gain a better understanding of the educational process, generally with a view to improving its efficiency. Varied view points are obtained when qualified individuals with common or divergent backgrounds are brought together to explore a problem, to provide information or to valuate the merits of a proposition. I chose to interview the Heads of Department of the existing learning areas in order to explore their attitudes and opinions towards the incorporation of Road Safety Education in the Revised National Curriculum Statement. The interview focused on their understanding of this curriculum, implementing it, Road Safety Education and how it can be incorporated into this curriculum. Questionnaires and interviews are a way of getting data about people by asking them rather than by observing and sampling their behaviour. For this study the 50 grade 11 learners were presented with carefully selected and ordered questions in a combination of closed and open form. This enabled the learners to answer freely and fully in their own words and their own frame of reference concerning the incorporation of Road Safety Education in the Revised National Curriculum Statement. This research was prompted by the high fatality rate in the country as a result of road accidents. An in-depth analysis of documents, provided by the KZN Department of Transport, were undertaken. This researcher found that documents provided information about aspects of road safety, proper road usage, and other factors that contribute to the high fatality rates on our roads, aspects that could not be observed because they had taken place before this investigative study had occurred. Each year, publication of the figures for road accidents bring fresh disappointments especially for those who have striven so hard for an improvement. The time has now come for us to recognise that the conventional road safety programmes of the past years are incapable, no matter how delicately applied, of yielding anything but marginal improvements. What is surely needed is some new approach with a potential for huge improvements. Road safety should be about education and not about prosecution. Educational programmes must be undertaken to overcome existing areas of ignorance and to initiate a process of change concerning road safety. It is therefore imperative that the Revised National Curriculum Statement incorporates a comprehensive, compulsory Road Safety Education Programme. / Theses (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu Natal, 2004.

Multiculturalism is a policy of support for exchange among different groups of people to enrich all while respecting and preserving the integrity of each. South Africa comprises one of the most multi-ethnic, multiracial, multireligious and multicultural societies in the world. South Africa is a vast country of many peoples with many musics. Multicultural music can contribute to educational reform by providing equity and equality of learning experiences to all learners in a multicultural society. Music is not just an art to be practised within the education of a multicultural society. It is, in itself, a truly multicultural education. In the study of music education, the culture and nature of a people must be understood. There must be opportunities for all to be immersed in the music of other indigenous cultural groups and of world cultures. Music activity is not an isolated activity within a culture; music education as culture is the concept. Children have developmental levels and specific needs in different stages. This learning and becoming child experience music as a group of processes that reflect in sound what is happening in life. There is a difference in the development and behaviour between children of various cultures. Each child has special needs to become self-actualized. Multicultural music education attempts to meet these needs. In this thesis a curriculum model for multicultural music education is proposed. A common elements approach used in a spiral of musical and human development and based on the sound approach is used to expand awareness of fundamental elements of music to include all types of music of all people. This approach would lead to better understanding of other peoples and cultures. Based on these findings, guidelines and recommendations for multicultural music education are provided. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Empirical Education)