DEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies / Poor learner academic performance is a major problem in South African public schools today. A considerable number of schools in the Vhembe District are dysfunctional. While the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) is attempting to intervene in these schools to address this problem, the interventions and turnaround strategies have not been sustainable. In schools where interventions and turn around strategies are being provided, such interventions have been short lived and were not sustainable. The aim of the study was to investigate the issues affecting teachers in dysfunctional secondary schools in order to develop a model for creating a sustainable teaching and learning environment. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research designs in which questionnaires, interview and observation schedules were used, for data collection processes. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select participants. Quantitative data was analysed using IBM Statistical package for Social Sciences Version 23 (IBM SPSS statistics), and Atlas.ti Version 6 programme for qualitative data. Results showed that conditions in the schools were not conducive to the promotion of quality teaching and learning. Teachers were demotivated resulting in poor performance in all school activities which contributed to rendering the schools dysfunctional. Some teachers even left the profession. A model was developed for the creation of a sustainable teaching and learning environment in dysfunctional secondary schools in the Mutale area.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / The aim of the study was to develop a critical posthumanist and democratic theory that may be applied in the teaching and learning of Life Sciences in South Africa in order to achieve an expanded form of democracy that would not discriminate between human and nonhuman. Though both critical posthumanist and democratic theories have been used in pedagogical studies separately, this study focused on the development of a merged and broader theory that has elements of both of the theories. The term nonhuman, as used here, does not specifically refer to non-person individuals only. Rather, it also refers to people who are regarded by the dominant humans as nonhumans – inferiors and subalterns. The latter group of people include the poor, women, children, people of colour and the disabled. Owing to this binarisation characteristic of the Life Sciences as a subject – which it adopts from the nature of science, its curriculum, and pedagogical approaches – the impression is given that as the master of the universe, the human has unlimited power over all other entities. These other nonhuman entities are then regarded as resources for the use of humans. Yet, it is this attitude which has caused humans to abuse nonhumans to the extent that the earth is facing the catastrophe of the Anthropocene. The adoption of a critical education approach characterised by the development of a critical posthumanist and democratic theory that may be applied in the teaching and learning of Life Sciences is essential in dealing with the issue of the Anthropocene that is threatening the earth currently. This study thus seeks to adopt a critical education approach through the introduction of democracy into the teaching and learning of Life Sciences, specifically so that humans would get to a position where they would consider nonhumans as entities with which they co-exist, and entities with equal agency within the environment. The recognition of the need for democracy would allow the humans to treat the nonhumans (such as the environment and ‘subalterns’) with respect, as their compatriots; and by doing that, the harrowing issues leading to the catastrophe of the Anthropocene could be either avoided or averted. / Die doel van die studie was om ’n kritiese posthumanistiese en demokratiese teorie te ontwikkel wat op die onderrig en leer van Lewenswetenskappe in Suid-Afrika toegepas kan word om ’n uitgebreide vorm van demokrasie daar te stel wat nie tussen menslik en niemenslik sal diskrimineer nie. Hoewel kritiese posthumanistiese sowel as demokratiese teorieë apart in pedagogiese studies gebruik word, het hierdie studie op die ontwikkeling van ’n saamgesmelte en breër teorie wat elemente van beide teorieë bevat, gefokus. Die term niemenslik soos wat dit hier gebruik word, verwys nie spesifiek net na niepersoon-individue nie. Dit verwys eerder ook na mense wat deur die dominante mense as niemense – minderes en ondergeskiktes – beskou word. Die laasgenoemde groep mense sluit die armes, vroue, kinders, mense van kleur en gestremde mense in. Vanweë hierdie binêre eienskap van die Lewenswetenskappe as ’n vak – wat dit as gevolg van die aard van wetenskap, sy kurrikulum en pedagogiese benaderings aanvaar het – word die indruk geskep dat die mens as heerser van die heelal onbeperkte mag oor al die ander entiteite het. Hierdie ander niemenslike entiteite word dan as hulpbronne vir gebruik deur mense gesien. Dit is egter hierdie houding wat veroorsaak het dat mense niemense misbruik, in so ’n mate dat die aarde die katastrofe van die Antroposeen in die gesig staar. Die aanneem van ’n kritiese onderrigbenadering wat gekenmerk word deur die ontwikkeling van ’n kritiese posthumanistiese en demokratiese teorie wat by die onderrig en leer van Lewenswetenskappe gebruik kan word, is noodsaaklik om die kwessie van die Antroposeen wat die aarde tans bedreig, te hanteer. Hierdie studie wil dus ’n kritiese onderrigbenadering volg deur middel van die bekendstelling van demokrasie by die onderrig en leer van Lewenswetenskappe, in die besonder sodat mense in ’n posisie sal wees waar hulle niemense as entiteite saam met wie hulle ’n bestaan moet voer, en entiteite met gelyke verteenwoordiging in die omgewing, sal beskou. Om die behoefte aan demokrasie te erken, sal die mense toelaat om die niemense (soos die omgewing en “ondergeskiktes”) as hulle landgenote met respek te behandel; en deur dit te doen, kan die pynlike kwessies wat tot die katastrofe van die Antroposeen sal lei, moontlik vermy of afgeweer word. / Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakungukusungula umbono obucayi owenziwa ngemuva kokuphila komuntu nentando yeningi engasetshenziswa ekufundisweni nasekufundeni kwesayensi yezempilo eNingizimu Afrika ukuze kuzuzwe uhlobo olwandisiwe lwentando yeningi olungeke lubandlulule phakathi kwabantu kanye nokungebona abantu. Yize zombili izinkolelo ezibucayi ezenziwa ngemuva kokuphila komuntu nezentando yeningi zisetshenzisiwe ezifundweni zokufundisa ngokwehlukana, lolu cwaningo lugxile ekuthuthukiseni kombono ohlanganisiwe futhi obanzi onezici zombili zale mibono. Igama elithi okungebona abantu njengoba lisetshenziswa lapha, alibhekiseli ngqo kubantu abangebona abantu kuphela. Esikhundleni salokho, libhekise nakubantu ababhekwa ngabantu abaphezulu njengabantu abangebona abantu – abaphansi nabasezingeni eliphansi. Iqembu lokugcina labantu lifaka phakathi abampofu, abesifazane, izingane, abantu bebala nabakhubazekile. Ngenxa yalesi sici sokuhlukaniswa kwesayensi yezempilo njengesifundo – emukela emvelweni yesayensi, ikharikhulamu yayo, kanye nezindlela zokufundisa - kunikezwa umbono wokuthi njengomphathi wendawo yonke, umuntu unamandla angenamkhawulo kuzo zonke ezinye izinhlangano. Lezi ezinye izinto ezingezona abantu zithathwa njengezinsiza ukusetshenziswa abantu. Kodwa-ke, yilesi simo sengqondo esidale ukuthi abantu bahlukumeze abantu abangebona abantu kuze kufike lapho umhlaba ubhekene nenhlekelele yokwakhiwa nokuthuthukiswa komhlaba. Ukwamukelwa kwendlela ebucayi yezemfundo ebonakala ngokuthuthukiswa kombono obucayi owenziwa ngemuva kokuphila komuntu kanye nentando yeningi engasetshenziswa ekufundisweni nasekufundeni kwesayenzi yezempilo kubalulekile ekubhekaneni nodaba lokwakhiwa nokuthuthukiswa komhlaba olusongela umhlaba njengamanje. Lolu cwaningo-ke lufuna ukwamukela indlela yezemfundo ebucayi ngokwethulwa kwentando yeningi ekufundisweni nasekufundeni kwesayensi yezempilo, ikakhulukazi ukuze abantu bafike esikhundeni lapho bezobheka khona abantu abangebona abantu njengezinhlangano abaphila nazo, nezinhlangano ezinokumela ngokulinganayo ngaphakathi kwemvelo. Ukwamukelwa kwesidingo sentando yeningi kuzovumela abantu ukuthi baphathe abantu abangebona abantu (njengemvelo kanye nabasezingeni eliphansi) ngenhlonipho, njengabantu bakubo; futhi ngokwenza lokho, izingqinamba ezihlasimulisayo eziholela enhlekeleleni yokwakhiwa nokuthuthukiswa komhlaba zingagwenywa noma zivinjelwe. / Educational Foundations / Ph. D. (Philosophy of Education)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Es obvio que nuestro mundo ha cambiado mucho en las últimas tres décadas. Los métodos antiguos de enseñanza servían su función en las aulas y en el sistema educativo de aquella época los alumnos iban a la escuela, se sentaban delante del maestro y lo escuchaban para aprender el contenido; con estos cambios algunos maestros todavía esperan que sus estudiantes aprendan de la misma manera que en años anteriores. Todavía existe la mentalidad de que los estudiantes entran en un aula, se sientan y escuchan a su maestro. Este trabajo propone una forma de desarrollar proyectos desde la perspectiva de la teoría de actividad. Para entender mejor la teoría de actividad y su uso en el aprendizaje basado en los proyectos, empezaremos con una revisión de la historia de la teoría, una explicación de sus principios y luego presentaremos un ejemplo en un aula donde un maestro inculca confianza en los estudiantes y les da la oportunidad de hacer actividades para mostrar sus habilidades, todo guiado por la teoría de actividad.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The cyber Peer-Led Team Learning (cPLTL) workshops are a synchronous online adaptation of the educational intervention PLTL, in which students, under the guidance of undergraduate peer facilitators, collaboratively solve problems in small groups. The purpose of this parallel convergent mixed methods study was to assess the impact of implementing cPLTL in an organic chemistry course on students’ workshop experiences, performance, and development of curved-arrow formalism skills. Statistical analyses revealed comparable attendance rates, distribution of course grades, and achievement on American Chemical Society First-semester Organic Chemistry Exams. However, plotting workshop grades by AB, C, and DFW grade groupings revealed that PLTL students earned more successful grades than their cPLTL counterparts (91% vs 77% ABC grades). Utilization of a new curved-arrow formalism analytic framework for coding student interview artifacts revealed that cPLTL students were statistically less likely to successfully draw the product suggested by the curved-arrows than their PLTL classmates. Both PLTL and cPLTL students exhibited a comparable incidence of relational to instrumental learning approaches. Similarly, both PLTL and cPLTL students were more likely to exhibit a common Scheme for Problem-Solving in Organic Chemistry (SPOC) than having dialogue that could be characterized by Toulmin’s Argumentation scheme. Lastly, implications for faculty are suggested, including: developing more explicit connections concept, mode, and reasoning components of understanding curved-arrow formalism for organic chemistry students; optimizing graphical collaborative learning activities for online learners; and developing online students’ sense of community.

This study was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of practitioner training in underprivileged early childhood settings. The quantitative study set out to test a target group of 800 Grade R children, ranging in age from five to six and a half years, in order to determine the impact that practitioner training on early intervention has on young children. A pre-test evaluated the initial level of each child‟s abilities, including physical-motor, language and speech, cognitive, play and social and emotional development. Children were placed into control and experimental groups through random selection of practitioners. The experimental group's teachers (practitioners) underwent an eight-month part-time intervention programme which focused on the importance of early intervention, the domains of development, planning, preparation and assessment as well as encouraging community awareness. The control and experimental groups continued with their normal school programmes, but the practitioners in the experimental group were developing a deeper understanding of early childhood development and activities which enhance development in children. The results indicate that the impact of effective practitioner training and enhancing a deep understanding of stimulation in young children can have positive, long-term results in children's cognitive ability, laying foundational concepts and scope for development. Vast differences were noted in the ability level of children which were stimulated, as compared with those children who were not as stimulated. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of practitioner training in underprivileged early childhood settings. The quantitative study set out to test a target group of 800 Grade R children, ranging in age from five to six and a half years, in order to determine the impact that practitioner training on early intervention has on young children. A pre-test evaluated the initial level of each child‟s abilities, including physical-motor, language and speech, cognitive, play and social and emotional development. Children were placed into control and experimental groups through random selection of practitioners. The experimental group's teachers (practitioners) underwent an eight-month part-time intervention programme which focused on the importance of early intervention, the domains of development, planning, preparation and assessment as well as encouraging community awareness. The control and experimental groups continued with their normal school programmes, but the practitioners in the experimental group were developing a deeper understanding of early childhood development and activities which enhance development in children. The results indicate that the impact of effective practitioner training and enhancing a deep understanding of stimulation in young children can have positive, long-term results in children's cognitive ability, laying foundational concepts and scope for development. Vast differences were noted in the ability level of children which were stimulated, as compared with those children who were not as stimulated. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study explores the various processes that constructed and transformed the undergraduate curriculum in a Faculty of Education at a South African university. It attempts to delve beneath the representation of post-apartheid curriculum change as a linear process. The thesis argues that scholars should attempt to unravel how the curriculum performs the task of social transformation at the site of the university by empirically investigating how the relationship between structure and action links with the ideals of post-apartheid higher education policy. Theoretically, this study posits that the deficit in the local literature on the use of the structure/agency relationship as a heuristic device for examining institutional change should be addressed with the relational sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

This study explores the various processes that constructed and transformed the undergraduate curriculum in a Faculty of Education at a South African university. It attempts to delve beneath the representation of post-apartheid curriculum change as a linear process. The thesis argues that scholars should attempt to unravel how the curriculum performs the task of social transformation at the site of the university by empirically investigating how the relationship between structure and action links with the ideals of post-apartheid higher education policy. Theoretically, this study posits that the deficit in the local literature on the use of the structure/agency relationship as a heuristic device for examining institutional change should be addressed with the relational sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

The mandate from the government is for schools to integrate Environment Education (EE) in all subjects. However, some Life Sciences teachers in the Vhembe District still fail to integrate EE into their lessons. This qualitative case study, hence, investigated how Life Sciences teachers in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province are supported by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to integrate EE into their lessons. The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines to enhance the support given by DBE, to Life Sciences teachers, in their attempts to integrate EE into their lessons. Studies have been conducted about factors that inhibit the integration of EE in school subjects. However, little has been written about how the DBE supports teachers to integrate EE in their lessons. This study contributes knowledge to this gap. This study was based on interpretivism, followed a qualitative approach and a phenomenological case study design. Three schools in Vhembe District in Limpopo Province were conveniently selected and one Life Sciences teacher was purposively selected from each school to get rich-information about the research topic. One subject advisor was also purposely selected as a participant from the Vhembe District under, Mutshindudi circuit. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with the teachers and the subject advisor. Before the interviews, the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document, pacesetter and textbooks were first analysed. Findings from the CAPS document analysis show support for teachers towards integrating EE in Life Sciences, although, the pacesetter does not provide such support. The teachers, however, do not take advantage of the offered support from the documents because they do not read these curriculum documents. Further, the findings reveal that the subject advisor was not doing enough to support the teachers as the limited support that the teachers received was only reactive. This study also found that lack of training for teachers and the subject advisor, lack of understanding of EE and lack of resources were still challenges in the integration of EE in the research context. This study recommends that there should be a more proactive support for to integrate EE into their lessons so as to produce environmentally informed learners. Thus, the DBE must take responsibility of providing teachers with necessary trainings and resources for EE to support them to integrate it into the lessons. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Environmental Education)

Stakeholder involvement in strategic planning: a strategy to mitigate the effects of HIV and AIDS on secondary education in Botswana. This study explores the involvement of stakeholders in strategic planning to mitigate the effect of HIV and AIDS in secondary education in Botswana. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS-related illness and deaths is high in Botswana and affects both teachers and learners. Education provision has been affected through increased mortality and morbidity and increased absenteeism which affect education-related personnel and the demand for education has been reduced due to growing numbers of orphaned and vulnerable children as a consequence of parent/guardian mortality and morbidity related to HIV and AIDS. The problem was investigated by means of a literature review and an empirical inquiry which combined quantitative and qualitative data collection. Based on the findings, in addition to medical and other interventions, an education management approach is required to mitigate the effects of HIV and AIDS on secondary education in Botswana. The strategies of coping, caring and preventing have been effective in this regard. Some internal stakeholders of the Department of Secondary Education (DSE) are not meaningfully involved in strategic planning. Similarly, most of the selected external stakeholders were not involved in the DSE HIV and AIDS strategic plan. Both external and internal stakeholders should be involved at all stages of planning. Furthermore, inducement-contribution exchanges and teacher credibility should be considered in a strategic plan. To improve the current DSE strategic plan, a stakeholder involvement model to involve internal and external stakeholders was designed. Based on this model and the above findings, recommendations for practice and suggestions for future research are made. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Educational Management)