Die weerstand wat ouers soms teen Spesiale Onderwys bied, kan stremmend inwerk op leerlinge. Om insig in die gesindheid van ouers van Spesiale Klas-Ieerlinge te verkry, is 'n gewysigde vorm van die Thurston Sentence Completion Form gebruik. Die vorms is deur ouers van leerlinge in 'n aantal Spesiale Klasse in Oos-Kaapland voltooi en die response is in positiewe en negatiewe reaksies ingedeel. Ook is elke item ontleed. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die meeste ouers tog weI positief ingesteld is teenoor Spesiale Onderwys en inderdaad erkenning verleen aan die werk wat in die klasse gedoen word. Die behoefte aan 'n nouer skakeling tussen die betrokke ouers en die skole het duidelik na vore gekom

No abstract available. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Construction Economics / unrestricted

The study focused on the evaluation of the integrated management system (IQMS) at selected schools within the Queenstown Education District. A quantitative research method was used for the study and questionnaires were used as a research tool to collect data. The respondents were members of the school management teams (SMT) which comprised the principals, deputy principals, heads of departments, senior educators and educators. These are key role-players in the management and implementation of IQMS. The rationale was to obtain pertinent information which would address the research questions and objectives of the study. The primary objective of the study as outlined above was to evaluate the impact of IQMS implementation in the Queenstown district with specific reference to the Lukhanji Circuit, on the performance of the high schools selected. It was envisaged that the results of the study would contribute towards developing measures to ensure that IQMS implementation achieves the desired objectives. The research questions were: To what extent can IQMS implementation be used as a tool to measure and improve teaching and learning? What measures have been put in place by the district to support and build capacity of the educators to perform? What factors hinder the effective IQMS implementation? The key findings of the study reveal that IQMS as a tool to improve teaching and learning had the overwhelming support of the majority of the respondents. However, a reasonable percentage of the respondents were of the view that IQMS constituted an administrative burden to educators. There are educators who displayed a negative attitude towards the implementation of IQMS. The respondents also felt that the district office needs to provide more support for IQMS implementation so that its objectives can be fully realised. The study makes clear recommendations such as the de-linking of IQMS from salaries and pay progression, provision of more support by the district, to make IQMS more user-friendly to educators and additional budget and teacher training to enhance educators’ professional development.

The introduction of curriculum changes in mathematics has brought about challenges for both mathematics teachers and learners in South African schools. Apart from introducing new curriculum content to learners, teachers cope with factors which impact upon their collective efficacy (the sum total of the self-perceptions of all the teachers in a particular school regarding the conduciveness of effective teaching, learning and assessment processes) and on the teacher self-efficacy of mathematics teachers (the personal self-perceptions of mathematics teachers to execute their mandates effectively in the teaching, learning and assessment of mathematics ) which consequently lead to mathematics learners developing better concepts in mathematics. This study focuses on the impact of collective efficacy on the implementation of the New Curriculum Statement (NCS) for mathematics teachers, teaching in schools situated in previously disadvantaged communities. It is within the context of the constraints that these schools face, not only the socio-economic barriers, but also the willingness of all the teachers to develop a culture of teaching and learning, and the consequent impact it has on the effective teaching, learning and assessment of mathematics in the classrooms of these schools, that the effect of efficacious/non-efficacious teachers in these schools is investigated. A mixed method approach by using quantitative data (generated from questionnaires) and qualitative data (generated from interviews) probe the primary research question, which aims to investigate the effect of collective efficacy on the introduction of a new curriculum by mathematics teachers. The sub-questions probe the specific efficacy relations relating to the primary research question in terms of the perceptions and perspectives of all the teachers about their respective sample schools, how these perceptions and perspectives influence mathematics teachers in the manner they perceive their control over the teaching, learning and assessment processes in the mathematics classroom, and the consequent impact it has on mathematics learners developing better concepts and ultimately achieving better academic results in mathematics.

The implementation of an inclusive education system in South Africa after 1994 has challenged public schools to revisit their management structures; and, in the process, it has offered learners with barriers to learning the opportunity to become independent and employable members of society – especially in disadvantaged school communities, where learners are often limited in their development because of financial constraints. However, many education policies – based on humanity, equality, social justice and accessibility – are often neglected at some schools; and this causes many learners with barriers to learning to lose heart or drop out of mainstream schools. The main aim of this study was to investigate and describe school leadership‟s management strategies to implement intervention programmes to the benefit of learners in need, since schools are required to accommodate and support all learners in partnership with the wider school community. To understand how these amendments influence disadvantaged schools, an in-depth qualitative inquiry was conducted with 10-13 different leaders, selected through purposive sampling, at each of three disadvantaged primary schools in Port Elizabeth that are directly responsible for teaching learners with barriers to learning. During the data-collection, individual interviews, group interviews and an observation were used. The process of content analysis was implemented to analyse the data. This entails coding, categorising, comparison and conclusion of the information. Four main themes emerged, namely: barriers to learning experienced in these disadvantaged schools; insufficient infrastructure in these schools; dealing with the problem at present; and possible interventions and guidelines, which were closely associated with the four sub-questions of the study – and eventually answered the research questions.

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of D. Litt in Communication Science at the University of Zululand, 2007. / The main task of Chief Superintendents of Education Management (CSEMs) and Superintendents of Education Management (SEMs) and principals is to achieve the goals of the Education Department. They direct the activities and performance of their supervisees. In pursuing this, a leadership relationship and interaction between the supervisors and his supervisees is necessary. These leaders however, perform two significant roles; that of leading and that of being led. The leadership of these leaders is influenced /affected by the relationship the leader has with his supervisor to perform optimally or rninimally. For these managers in Education to lead effectively, they need to be well and timeously informed about matters. The SEMs need to be kept abreast of education related issues because of the type of work they do. It ranges from communicating departmental goals and objectives, consultation with stakeholders, chairing workshops and meetings of principals, parents and School Governing Bodies. They also serve on recruitment panels, among many other functions. Various forms of communication styles systems and communication strategies are viewed as significantly crucial in the work of the SEM. The SEM however relies on senior management for information. Latest and revised policies come to the SEM via the line function. Reaching the set destination depends on the leadership styles of the supervisors, whether they are traditional or transformational leaders. The SEM likewise, disseminates the information to the principals of schools. They in turn do the same to their supervisees at school and to School Governing Bodies, where necessary. The leadership styles of the SEMs and principals also affect information dissemination either positively or negatively. The results of the study points out that communication channels are not always adhered to in the Department of Education. Information does not reach the SEMs on time. E-communication is still minimally used in the Department of Education.

A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Humanities School of Human and Community Development Psychology For the Degree of Masters in Educational Psychology University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2019 / Inclusive education, a system adopted in post-apartheid South Africa, is an education system which seeks to protect the rights of all learners, irrespective of the barriers to learning and development which they may be facing. It is based on the premise that all learners have the right to an education, and that the education system needs to ensure that they have the appropriate systems in place to ensure that this right is protected. Barriers to learning and development impedes the learning process, and they need to be addressed in order for the basic need of education to be met. One of the key stakeholders in overcoming barriers to learning and development, and ensuring the successful implementation of inclusive education, are parents. This exploratory and descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore the manner in which parents conceptualise barriers to learning and development, and their attitudes towards them. Seven parents participated in individual interviews, and the data from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants were parents of school-going children, who had placed their child in one specific mainstream school in Lenasia. The analysis of the interviews revealed that parents hold an overall positive view of inclusive education, but that this perception shifts to a more negative one in light of considering the impact it might have on their own children. Parents are also able to identify barriers to learning and development being faced by the general population of learners in South Africa; these included language and cultural barriers, socio-economic deprivation, transport barriers, as well as large classrooms, and a lack of discipline within classrooms. Most of the participants’ responses regarding the barriers to learning being faced by their own children related to barriers within the chosen school, such as teacher attitude and teacher competence, as well as a perceived lack of support from the school. Finally, parents regarded parental involvement as a central contributing factor to the successful education of their children. / XL2019

A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in Educational Psychology in the faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018. / Education White Paper 6 was developed with the aim of transforming the educational system of South Africa from one of exclusion of learners with disabilities to one that is more inclusive of all learners. This was to be done through the establishment of an integrated educational system that embraces children with barriers to learning into mainstream public schooling systems. This system should hold a flexible curriculum, structures to provide support for teachers and other schooling staff in implementing and maintaining the new inclusive system. The skills of teachers are to be improved so as to effectively manage classes wherein diverse ranges of learning needs are present. The primary aim of this research was to examine inclusive education research conducted in South Africa since its implementation in 2001. This was done through a systematic literature review analysis. Articles were selected for inclusion in the review based on the following criteria: the studies had to have been published in peer-reviewed journals between the years 2001 and 2016 to represent the extent of research on inclusive education in South Africa since its implementation. Studies had to be data based (either primary or secondary) and documented in English with a focus on inclusive education in South Africa. Studies had to meet all the inclusion criteria in order to be selected for inclusion into the review. Thirty seven eligible journal articles were included for the current review, of which 43% (n=16) used a qualitative methodology, 16% (n=6) used a mixed methods design and 6% (n=2) used a quantitative methodology. The remaining 35% (n=13) were conceptual articles. To obtain a thematic review of inclusive education research in South Africa Thomas and Harden’s thematic synthesis approach of data analysis was used. The results identified the following main emergent themes: Attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and practices of key stakeholders, Dissemination of information, Teacher training, Contextual factors, History, culture and traditions toward inclusive education, and Collaboration. Findings of the review clearly indicate that there are drawbacks and limitations as well as successes in relation to inclusive education implementation in South Africa. There are lessons to be learned from the South African experience of inclusive education in relation to the implementation of educational policy and the need for research to inform practice. / MT 2018

Includes bibliographies. / This study focuses on a group of African adult students who were registered at St. Anthony's Adult Education Centre on the East Rand in order to complete the secondary education they did not complete at school. It investigates why adult students perceive education, and the matric examination in particular, to be of importance. To this end, an empirical survey was carried out to approach an understanding of the views and perceptions adult students had of themselves and what they were doing and why the empirical survey looks at the question of matric "from below" so to speak, through the eyes of the adult students. In the belief that education is about people and their needs, it is hoped that the empirical survey will bring us closer to the adult students involved. However, to examine the views and perceptions of the adult students in isolation would deny them the contextual richness that gives them life. For this reason, the empirical survey is preceded by a theoretical discourse which offers three perspectives or ways of understanding the education system for Africans: education as a means towards social advancement; education as the reproduction of cultural capital and education as social reproduction. It is hoped that these diverse explanations may not only give insight into the views and experiences of the adult students who took part in the empirical survey, but also offer contrasting thoughts on the role of the education system and the matric examination in particular. Indeed, in the light of the question asked by the title, it is hoped that the contrasting perspectives will contribute to an understanding of the nature of the "second chance" adult students believe they have by studying towards matric.

Includes bibliography. / Utilising an individual-difference model of student learning, this study set out to explore the manifestations of qualitative differences in study behaviour at the individual level, amongst a group of educationally disadvantaged students enrolled in the Academic Support Programme in Engineering at Cape Town (ASPECT). The first aim of the study was to describe and conceptually categorise, within the concept of the study orchestration, the manifestation of these individual differences in study engagement, by means of a retrospective analysis of students' school-based study of Science. This process was undertaken when the students first arrived at the university. The quantitative process of classification, done independently of the author, was augmented by each student being individually interviewed by the author about his (retrospective) study behaviour. The second aim was to investigate the study orchestrations of these students in the transition between school and university. Stability over time, in the absence of explicit intervention, of (in particular) students whose study orchestrations had been classified as "at risk" on entry to the university, confirmed the findings from previous studies (some of which had been conducted with groups of educationally disadvantaged students). In previous studies, it had been shown that students in this conceptual category were likely to fail or achieve poorly in conventional university examinations. An ongoing programme of intervention was then designed with the specific aim of enabling "at risk" students to 'reorchestrate' aspects of their study behaviour in qualitatively 'deeper' ways. Modelled in part on previous, more narrowly focused, intervention strategies, the intervention in this study set out to improve "at risk" students' qualitative levels of perceptions of their learning contexts, but it also focused more broadly on the whole ASPECT group without losing sight of the manifestations of qualitative differences in learning conceptions, student epistemologies, and so on, amongst this group. This was achieved by engaging all students in ongoing discourse about crucial learning processes, such as the development of metacognitive awareness and the .need to assume personal responsibility for learning. The study confirmed the findings of other studies: that it is possible to alter "at risk" students' contextualised perceptions in qualitatively 'deeper' ways. In addition, the study suggested lines for individual and subgroup intervention that (1) is possible within the context of everyday learning and teaching; (2) can be carried out by the average academic practitioner, and (3) is transferable to other contexts of academic support.