Inclusion of learners with diverse needs implies a shift from a medical deficit model to a social systems model. The latter does not view the learner as a problem; instead it considers the environment or society’s response to the individual as barriers to learning. This study focuses on collaborative co-teaching as a key to inclusion. Collaborative co-teaching requires the learning support teacher and the general education teacher to partner in all aspects of instruction. The outcome of collaborative co-teaching includes effective instruction, a cohesive, accepting class community, positive learner development and the professional and personal growth of the learning support teacher and the general education teacher. A literature review provided the background to an empirical inquiry using a qualitative approach. Data was collected from a small sample by interviews, observations and documents and inductively analysed. Recommendations for the improvement of practice were made based on the findings. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The policy of Inclusive Education (IE) in White Paper 6 (2001) acknowledges that all children can learn with support. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) in supporting Foundation Phase teachers in implementing Inclusive Education (IE) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A lack of support for teachers and learners in IE has dominated current discussions on education. According to the Department of Education (DoE, 2000:28), the establishment of an IE system in schools would require appropriate district as well as institution level support services, and more than just accepting learners with different learning needs in mainstream classrooms. Many teachers have not had the benefit of being trained to teach learners who experience barriers to learning, hence most find it difficult. Although specialist teachers in the form of Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) have been employed in the Foundation Phase to fill that gap and assist classroom teachers, the learners are not receiving the assistance hoped for. Based on an assumption that the failings may largely be systemic, this study therefore uses Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and a qualitative research design to examine the implementation of IE in selected schools, with seven LSTs being interviewed and observed, while documents pertaining to the support rendered were analysed. Seven principals and seven classroom teachers were also interviewed. The analysis employed Creswell’s method and the findings highlighted factors affecting the implementation of IE. The factors include inadequate district support, socio-cultural issues, classroom and management factors, lack of resources and inadequate collaboration between the stakeholders. The study makes recommendations and suggests further areas of research. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the perceptions of the nurses’ CPD and its contribution to quality patient care in the Gauteng province of the Republic of South Africa. Significance of the study: The significance of the study is to highlight the importance of CPD as one of the contributing factors to the quality of patient care through on-going competence. The researcher hopes the recommendations from the study may serve as a motivation to health institutions that are not actively involved in continuing professional development. Method and data analysis: Quantitative descriptive explorative design was used to achieve the objectives of the study. The study involved registered professional nurses (n =105) and enrolled nurses (n=56) employed in a state health institution. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire.A total of 200 questionnaire were distributed and 162 completed questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 162/200=81%. Statistical analysis was conducted using the SAS software version 9.3.The internal and external validity was enhanced by selecting a large homogenous sample. Ethical issues: An information leaflet indicating the key elements of the study such as the research title, the purpose of the study, voluntary participation and when to withdraw from the study was distributed to all the participants. Results: The study found that nurses participate in CPD activities to maintain their professional competence, thereby contributing to quality patient care. The findings are consistent with the findings from other studies / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Constructivist teaching strategies are undeniably accepted as effective in achieving the desired educational goals of constructing knowledge through active and creative inquiry. Inasmuch as teachers would love to adopt these strategies in their teaching, mathematics teachers find themselves in a situation where they are forced not to use them. This study investigated the factors that impacted on the selection and adoption of constructivist teaching strategies in selected Gauteng’s urban schools. Four (4) public schools and sixteen (16) mathematics teachers participated in the study. The parallel mixed methods design was employed in the study to produce both quantitative and qualitative data. The data were therefore analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. It was found that the participating mathematics teachers had an understanding of constructivist theories of teaching and that they perceived their classroom environments to be constructivist in character. The study also found that the adoption of constructivist teaching strategies was hindered by teachers’ lack of skills and competencies to handle a curriculum that they felt was handed down to them without their full involvement at all the stages of its development. Learners’ family backgrounds were also identified as a major social factor that impacted negatively against selection of constructivist strategies. Based on these findings, recommendations were made on how constructivist views can be realised in the teaching of mathematics in South African schools. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)

The study involves an in-depth case study on the leadership task of the grade heads at a private secondary school in Gauteng with the main research problem arising as: After defining the leadership task of grade heads at a private secondary school in Gauteng, how important do the learners in the grade view the individual grade head tasks to be? From the mixed-method research conducted, it stems that the leadership tasks of the grade head (and also the grade head system as a whole) have a positive impact on the learners and the holistic school environment. Therefore, it is recommended that the particular school under study continue with the structure of grade seven roles of the teacher as this provides a clear background for an organised educative approach to leadership within a grade head system.heads and that the leadership roles of the grade head continue to function within the seven roles of the teacher as this provides a clear background for an organised educative approach to leadership within a grade head system. / Educational Leadership and Management / M.A. (Education Management)

This research is aimed at identifying the challenges facing the effective management of a multicultural teaching environment in Gauteng primary schools by the school management team and educators. The research addressing the problems and sub-problems involved a literature review conceptualising multicultural education. The empirical investigation included the use of observations, a questionnaire and interviews to gather data. The findings linked to the literature review, revealed areas of strength and weakness of the school management team and educators. Based on the findings recommendations were made for school management teams and educators to design development programmes to inculcate in school management teams and educators the competencies necessary to perform effectively in a multicultural environment. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Many factors are present in the teaching and learning environment that could influence students’ motivation positively or negatively. This study explores and describes the factors influencing motivation of nursing students in order to identify student support strategies to enhance motivation in the teaching and learning environment. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design was used. The accessible population was all final-year students registered for the certificate leading to enrolment as a nurse (R.2175) and studying at two campuses of a selected private Nursing Education Institution (NEI) in Gauteng province. The sample selection was non-probability, convenient sampling. Data was collected by means of semi-structured focus group interviews. The three main themes that emerged from the collected data were factors related to interpersonal relationships, factors related to the teaching and learning milieu and factors related to self-worth. Recommendations for student support in nursing education, student support in practice and for future research were made. / Verskeie faktore bestaan in die leeromgewing wat motivering van studente positief sowel as negatief beïnvloed. Hierdie studie ondersoek en beskryf die faktore wat die motivering van verpleegstudente beïnvloed om sodoende studentondersteuning-strategieë te identifiseer wat motivering in die leeromgewing sal bevorder. Die navorser het kwalitatiewe navorsing gebruik. Die toeganklike populasie was al die finale jaar studente geregistreer vir die kursus wat lei tot inskrywing as verpleegkundige (R.2175) en aan twee kampusse van ‘n geselekteerde privaatverpleegskool in die Gauteng provinsie studeer. Die nie-waarskynlikheids-, gerieflikheidsteekproeftegniek is gebruik. Semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroeponderhoude is gebruik om data in te samel. Die drie hooftemas wat navore gekom het uit die ingesamelde data was faktore geassosieer met interpersoonlike verhoudings, faktore geassosieer met die leeromgewing en faktore geassosieer met selfwaarde. Aanbevelings vir studentondersteuning in verpleegonderrig, studentondersteuning in praktyk en vir verdere navorsing is gemaak. / Ho na le dintlha tse ngata tse teng tikolohong ya dithuto tse ka bang le kgahlamelo e itseng ho baithuti ka tsela e ntle kapa e bosula. Diphuputso tsena di hlakisa dintlha tse ka bang le kabelo morolong wa baithui ba booki e le hore ho tle ho hlauwe meralo ya tshehetso e tlang ho matlafatsa tikoloho ya dithuto. Ho sebedisitswe mokgwa o nang le boleng, o batsi o hlakileng. Batho bao ho entsweng diphuputso tsena ho bona, e ne e le baithuti ba selemo sa ho qetela ba ingodiseditseng setifikeiti sa ho ya ithutela booki, ba ithutelang dikhemphaseng tse pedi tsa lekala la poraefete la Nursing Education Institution, profensing ya Gauteng. Mokgwa o sebedisitsweng wa ho kgetha, o ne o sa fane ka sephetho se hlakileng, se bobebe. Ho ilwe ha bokelletswa lesedi ka tsela ya dihlopha tse hlonngweng dipotso. Dihlooho (mokotaba) tse tharo tse ka sehlohong tse hlahellang leseding lena le bokelleditsweng, e bile dintlha tse amanang le dikamano tsa batho, dintlha tse amanang le tikoloho ya dithuto le dintlha tse amanang le boitshepo ya motho. Ho entswe dikgothalletso tsa tshehetso ya baithuti thutong ya booki, tshehetso ya baithuti kwetlisong le bakeng sa diphuputso tsa nako e tlang. / Health Studies / M. P. H. (Health Studies)

The fragmented and unequal system of technical and vocational education and training in South Africa is a consequence of the apartheid era. Since 1994 comprehensive legislation has been introduced to create a transformed system of Further Education and Training (FET) guided by the principles of redress, equity and lifelong learning and aimed at producing graduates who can contribute to making South Africa a key player in the global economy. In particular, the Technical College sector requires transformation. This in turn demands new knowledge, attitudes and skills from college managers and educators. Therefore, relevant staff development programmes is a key instrument of change in colleges. Against this background this study examines the management of staff development programmes in FET colleges in Gauteng Province by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The former addresses the management of change, human resource management, staff development and organisational development with an emphasis on the application of chaos/complexity theory. Moreover, the dynamic FET landscape in South Africa is sketched and FET policies and legislation since 1994 are discussed. The empirical investigation adopts a qualitative approach using focus group and individual interviews, observation and document analysis to gather data from a small sample of participants: educators and members of senior and middle management. Participants were selected by purposeful sampling from three former Technical Colleges (one previously advantaged and two previously disadvantaged) in Gauteng, which have recently merged to create a new multi-campus college, the Tshwane North College. The findings of the interviews present the experience of participants according to six themes: the management of change; communication during change; stakeholder involvement in change; the impact of FET legislation; human resource management and the role of staff development programmes in this process. These findings were integrated with observations of staff development programmes and their management and analysis of key documents. It was concluded that people are complex and may resist change; during change effective communication, stakeholder participation, adequate funding for staff development and its effective management are essential. Recommendations for the improvement of practice are presented based on the findings of the literature and empirical study. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The fragmented and unequal system of technical and vocational education and training in South Africa is a consequence of the apartheid era. Since 1994 comprehensive legislation has been introduced to create a transformed system of Further Education and Training (FET) guided by the principles of redress, equity and lifelong learning and aimed at producing graduates who can contribute to making South Africa a key player in the global economy. In particular, the Technical College sector requires transformation. This in turn demands new knowledge, attitudes and skills from college managers and educators. Therefore, relevant staff development programmes is a key instrument of change in colleges. Against this background this study examines the management of staff development programmes in FET colleges in Gauteng Province by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The former addresses the management of change, human resource management, staff development and organisational development with an emphasis on the application of chaos/complexity theory. Moreover, the dynamic FET landscape in South Africa is sketched and FET policies and legislation since 1994 are discussed. The empirical investigation adopts a qualitative approach using focus group and individual interviews, observation and document analysis to gather data from a small sample of participants: educators and members of senior and middle management. Participants were selected by purposeful sampling from three former Technical Colleges (one previously advantaged and two previously disadvantaged) in Gauteng, which have recently merged to create a new multi-campus college, the Tshwane North College. The findings of the interviews present the experience of participants according to six themes: the management of change; communication during change; stakeholder involvement in change; the impact of FET legislation; human resource management and the role of staff development programmes in this process. These findings were integrated with observations of staff development programmes and their management and analysis of key documents. It was concluded that people are complex and may resist change; during change effective communication, stakeholder participation, adequate funding for staff development and its effective management are essential. Recommendations for the improvement of practice are presented based on the findings of the literature and empirical study. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

South African learners transitioning into the world of work are currently lacking adequate career education in schools. It is well documented that preparedness for the world of work sets learners in a locus of control. The main aim of this case study was to interpret learners’ reflections of selfconstructing a career with the psychosocial construct of career adaptability as an instructional scaffold. The study leaned on the life design for career construction theory, a combination of the career construction theory of Savickas, and the selfconstruction theory of Guichard. I utilised interpretivism as a research paradigm and a single case study design. Following purposeful convenience sampling, sixteen Grade 11 learners in a South African public school participated in Phase 1: a workshop comprising five sessions. Phase 2 consisted of a focus group interview with eight learners selected from the original group on their level of contribution and commitment. Data collection included group reflection, reflective writing, observation, researcher reflective field notes, and a focus group interview. Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the data. Learners successfully initiated career planning activities by reflecting on the career adaptability construct. The research results suggest a need for an alternative approach in the manner career education is presented in schools. This study hopes to provide insight into career selfconstruction initiatives learners employ when using the career adaptability construct as an instructional scaffold. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)