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

D.Ed. / The question arises whether the present system of apprentice education in the Republic of South Africa is in pace with the current technological development or whether the present system is in pace with the changing educational needs and demands of learners. It is important to mention that no provision is made for accreditation of learner experience during screening tests, to determine whether the learner has the necessary admission qualification to be appointed as apprentice. The possibility of combining distance education with contact education in order to provide support (contact) to the learner, should be investigated. The question proceeding from the previous one is whether the emphasis should not fall on the mastering of a number of selective skills rather than the completion of the prescribed number of weeks of practical education. Besides, the present system is so complex that practical instruction is not possible at more than one institution. From the above, it is concluded that the present education system for tradesmen (is not sensitive enough with regard to) does not comply with the unique needs and problems of adult learners. There are mainly two groups of learners in the electrical trade that are handicapped to pass the final electrician trade test due to the present training system. The first group consists of persons who want to change their profession because they have become redundant or have reached a point of saturation in terms of stimulation or promotion in their particular profession. People who want to start their own business and who consequently want to receive training to make a success of it can also be classified in this group. These two groups of learners are respectively referred to as vocational changing and vocational facilitating learners. The second group of learners became educators due to a shortage of educators, without the necessary trade qualification. They do have a professional teaching qualification but they lack the practical experience especially with regard to the electrical trade. This group is referred to as the instructional learners. If the former group of learners can receive a trade qualification it can change their role of job hunters to job creators and improve their chances of getting fixed posts. The instructional group will, by obtaining a trade qualification, improve their professional qualifications and thus secure their posts. The first-mentioned learners reveal the same needs and problems with study as experienced by adult learners. Consequently, they give up their studies because traditional education at technical colleges and Technisa is mainly reserved, especially with regard to their needs and demands to the instructional-learner situation. This reservation can mainly be attributed to the fact that they do not get the opportunity to study at their own pace and that their study experience (mainly with regard to the electrical trade) is not taken into account, nor accredited in terms of subjects or modules already passed during the training situation. Different aspects are identified in the present electrician education system in the Republic of South Africa which indicate that the present education system should be reconsidered and where possible adapted to accommodate the first-mentioned groups. It thus seems possible to address these aspects by combining contact instruction at technical colleges and distance instruction at Technisa in order to promote the quality of training of especially the adult learner. Such components include a modular instructional system which can, together with a study guide, accompany the learner step by step through the electrical trade so that (s)he knows exactly what is expected of him/her. It also includes the component of reduced contact time. Communication is improved and the learner gets the opportunity to discuss problems. The study experience of the learner, especially concerning the electrical trade, can be-compiled by means of a portfolio. It is arranged in such a way that it indicates similarities and shortcomings in terms of the prescribed electrical trade criteria as contained in the National Qualifications Framework. On account of this portfolio, the learner can be referred to further training, or further job experience via the process of accreditation. Consequently, to enable the vocational changing, vocational facilitating and the instructional groups of learners to qualify as electrician trade persons, a combined contact and distance education programme is proposed for the purpose of this study. The guidelines to the framework of such an education programme include the following: a modular training system, a study guide, decreased contact time, a portfolio and accreditation procedure.

This study investigated what constitutes a teaching curriculum for students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand. The researcher employed 3 qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews, document analysis of curricula and lesson plans, and nonparticipant observations. Six schools were selected as the sites. Participants for interview included 6 principals and 24 teachers. The researcher observed one inclusive classroom for each of the 6 selected schools. The study concentrated on 3 questions: (a) What contributes to appropriate instructional curricula to promote teaching of students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand? (b) What teaching strategies improve the achievement and learning skills of students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand? (c) What are the problems of curricula for teaching students with autism in inclusive classroom in Thailand? Key findings for the research questions were as follows: Common features of effective curricula for teaching students with autism in inclusive classrooms include opportunities, health care, specialized curriculum, students' individual needs and abilities, guidelines of teaching, teacher training and supervision, transition plan, parent involvement, tools/classroom environment, and students' class assignments. The teaching strategies include varying the teaching format (large group, small group, and one-on-one), teaching functional communication (giving direction, close-ended questions or open-ended questions), reinforce communication, using demonstration, modeling, and shaping to teach skills, expecting to gather the child's attention, demonstrating nonverbal communication (use gestures with speech), using appropriate language for the child (short sentence structure), providing visual materials (books, computers, or real objects), starting with small intervals of time and reinforcing, using other children as peer models for helping, working to maintain eye contact, asking the child to say the word, pointing to objects with hands and with gestures, including regular exercise (active movement activity), providing time to be alone, and using math activity (to include counting one-to-one, odd and even, and patterns). Moreover, the results revealed that all of interviewees always used applied behavior analysis (ABA), such as discrete trial instruction (DTI), task analysis, and peer tutoring in their classrooms. However, these classrooms never used floor time approach. The problems in teaching students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand include lack of special teachers, lack of knowledge or training for teachers, lack of a good plan and curriculum, lack of supportive services or effective collaboration, lack of budget, and lack of essential information and materials.

Multiculturalism and a committment to an ideology of cultural pluralism has been both a high profile and contentious government policy since its origin in Canada in the early seventies. Multiculturalism has also influenced educational practices and opened the way for multicultural and race relations education. With continuing high immigration, successfully meeting the challenges of cultural pluralism in society and education, and gaining support for its commitments from the public, is increasingly important. This study examines these challenges by considering the ideals, strengths, weaknesses, evolution and misconceptions of a philosophy of multiculturalism with emphasis upon educational implications. Three fundamental elements of multiculturalism are considered: ethnic identity, social integration and intergroup relations. This research contributes to the literature by providing a qualitative component focusing upon the experiences and perceptions of immigrant youth who are experiencing social integration into the Canadian multicultural society. The above themes are examined through the relevant literature and an exploratory study. Group discussions were held with adolescents, mostly immigrants, in homogeneous or similar ethnic/cultural groups--Latin Americans, Chinese, Vietnamese and South Asians. The conversations focused upon ethnic identity development, acculturation, intergroup relations and the youths' perspectives on North American culture and multiculturalism--particularly in the context of secondary schools in Vancouver. Three of the groups were held in the mother tongue. The themes are discussed by respective ethnic/cultural groups and comparisons and commonalties between the groups are explored. The interviews emphasize the development of "new ethnicities" as the youths engage in "cross-cultural analysis" and accommodate their new environment without forfeiting their ethnic identities. The latter part of the study exposes misconceptions around multiculturalism and, supported by the findings from both the literature and the interviews, illustrates both the evolution and potential of multiculturalism as an approach to managing cultural diversity. The final section examines the implications of the findings for schooling in a culturally pluralistic society. Although the study is set in the Canadian context, it has applicability for various culturally diverse nations concerned with social integration, intergroup relations and their educational implications.

This study investigated the perceptions of fifteen minority preservice teachers about teacher education. Research questions guiding data collection included (a) what is the life history and past educational experiences of the participants, (b) what is it like to be a minority preservice teacher in a teacher education program, and (c) what meaning do the participants place on these life experiences? A phenomenological interviewing format was used with each participant, where three 60-90 minute interviews were conducted 5-7 days apart. Focusing questions for each interview (respectively) were the research questions. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and coded into categories using constant comparison. Member checking, peer debriefing, and prolonged engagement assured triangulation of the data. Four distinct topics emerged from the interviews with the participants: (a) feelings about being a minority, (b) features of elementary and secondary school experiences, (c) coping strategies, and (d) presence of support systems. Participants' feelings about being a minority varied from those who were proud and vocal to those who did not publicly recognize or acknowledge that participants' feelings about being a minority varied from those who were proud and vocal to those who did not publicly recognize or acknowledge that part of their identity and even suppressed it. Participants' elementary and secondary school experiences were interpreted as feelings of discontinuity among their minority identity and the structure of the dominant society's educational system, to those participants who did not view their school environment as incompatible with who they were as a minority. A collection of coping strategies was identified by participants which helped them survive as a cultural minority in a dominant society. These coping strategies ranged from actions that were culturally introverted to behaviors that were culturally immersive. The presence of support systems was discussed. These were addressed by participants as giving them a sense of belonging and structure to their daily lives. Ultimately, participants identified daily anxieties that European American preservice teachers simply do not face. These included (a) feelings of incompatibility between their teacher education program and their cultural heritage, (b) inability to speak English effectively (ESL), (c) feelings of alienation due to a lack of minority support, and (d) feelings of isolation as the only or one of a few minorities in their program or classes.

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This study included an environmental ethics syllabi research project, an environmental ethics curriculum development survey of all colleges in California, and the subsequent development of tables to compare the results. The curriculum development survey of California colleges includes a listing of all course descriptions of environmental ethics and related courses.