Bibliography: leaves 87-91. / Given the political changes in South Africa in recent years, an exploration of any particular set of education-related documents, as far as the impossibilities/possibilities they allow for action, is made tempting and promising. This is what the present study takes on; more particularly, a discourse analysis (disciplined reading) of school mission statements. The results in general reveal support for both a traditional and a liberal/progressive orientation to schooling and control, arguably limiting the possibility of realising democracy within the school, and increasing the likelihood of punitive techniques of control. One of the most evident ideals seems to be of providing for the nation's person-power needs, and of ensuring later financial security for the individual. Finally, it was found that at well resourced schools, there is a resistance to transformation and in particular social equality, accompanied by support for a liberal capitalist system. In comparison, at less resourced schools there is less support for a capitalist system, but rather a desire for socioeconomic transformation.

Bibliography: leaves 85-90. / This study is aimed at examining school developmental processes with regard to leadership and management experienced by Intlanganiso, a secondary school located in the disadvantaged community of Khayelitsha (a township situated approximately thirty kilometres from Cape Town), and the relationship of these processes to the school organisation development approach (OD) used by the Teacher Inservice Project (TIP). It also includes discussing the "findings" of this study in terms of education reforms in South Africa. Participants in the study included the principal, deputy principal, heads of department, educators, learners, parents and people from TIP.

Bibliography: leaves 53-57. / The purpose of this dissertation was to document the findings of a study on what the parents of children with epilepsy understood as the cause of their childrens' condition, and how they managed it The study utilised the framework of medical, anthropological and eco - systemic models to gain an understanding of the causes and management of epilepsy. Twelve parents of children with epilepsy in Khayelitsha, a peri-urban township in Cape Town, were interviewed with the use of a semi- structured interview schedule. Interviews were recorded and later transcribed and data was analysed through the constant comparative method. The interview explored the causes of epilepsy and the factors that trigger the onset of seizures of which most respondents had no understanding. It further explored the medical management of epilepsy in regard to kind of treatment received by child, understanding of required dose and when medication bad to be taken.

This is an exploratory study of the teaching strategies of non-native speakers English who teach English as a second language in secondary schools. Classroom observations of three teachers were conducted. It was found that teaching and through English as a second language is not a single decisive factor in teaching and learning effectiveness. Other factors such as cultural norms and the teacher's choice of strategies could impinge on the quality and effectiveness the teaching-learning process

The transformation of the educational system since 1994 has been marked by a multitude of policy documents envisaging change at a number oflevels. This study sets out to explore possible ways in which the arts education policy could be taken up by those who must read and act on them. i.e. educators at sites oflearning. The subject of this study are the policy documents which have been analysed through quantitative analysis and discourse analysis. Quantitative analysis assisted in the initial phase of identifying themes in the policy documents; Parker's discourse analytic framework was used to unpack the themes exposed in greater depth. The results revealed different ways of conceiving arts education, all of which have possibilities and limitations for practice. In addition, the study raised concerns regarding competing discourses across the documents, namely the hegemony of the political discourse over aesthetic considerations for arts education.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of helicopter parenting and the motivation behind overinvolved parenting of college-aged children. The literature reviewed in this study includes factors that contribute to helicopter parenting in the higher education environment: Millennial characteristics, parental demographics, and technology. In addition, the privacy act, higher education rankings, and financial aid (i.e., tuition and enrolment management strategy), which contribute to the higher education environment, are discussed. Literature on why parents engage in helicopter parenting is limited. As such, this study helped to address this gap in research. Using a social constructivist approach, data were obtained using a qualitative, multi-instrument case study method. Five parents of female, undergraduate students at a Canadian university participated in the telephone interviews. This study found financial and emotional support were the foremost ways parents supported their children. Parents were motivated by their desire to offer guidance; need for connection and communication; and need to show and receive love. Parents who participated in parent programming offered by the university, regardless of the type of programming, found it to be beneficial. Future research is needed to study father-son dyads as well as explore the reciprocation of support, specifically emotional support, from students to parents.

Although multi-agency working isn’t a new concept, the previous Labour government encouraged professionals and services to work collaboratively and in partnership to address issues of social exclusion, poverty and deprivation in order to provide support and interventions to children, young people and their families. As a result, a range of initiatives and programmes under the banner of multi-agency working were developed in health, education and social services aimed at addressing these issues. One such initiative was the development of the multi-agency Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BEST). Previous research into multi-agency working has tended to focus on the structural development of the multi-agency service, including the barriers and benefits to multi-agency working. Less research has been undertaken on the perceptions, experiences and views of the individuals working within those multi-agency teams. Using a grounded theory approach this thesis explores the perceptions and experiences of individuals working in a multi-agency team, considering the impact multi-agency working has had on individual team members, their interactions with one another and selected school staff, co-located within a secondary school. In analysing the data (content analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews) the use of a qualitative research methodological approach has enabled the research to identify an emerging category of professional identity and three properties; roles and responsibilities, knowledge and skills and terminology. Running through the discussion of each of these three properties is the issue of co-location. The research will draw on examples taken from the data to illustrate and to inform throughout. Using Wenger’s (1998) ‘communities of practice’ as a theoretical framework, this research then considers the emerging theme of professional identity and how multi-agency teams and selected school staff negotiate the experience of self [identity]. Finally the research asks and answers the question ‘Is BEST a ‘community of practice’?

Background: Inclusive Education (‘Support for Learning’ in the UK) is now a mandatory educational policy across the European Union. And yet, we understand remarkably little about its psychosocial impact on students. Scant research has been conducted in this area, particularly with respect to typically-developing students. Findings from existing studies are difficult to extrapolate from, due to methodological flaws and/or contradictory results. Method: A Systematic Review was carried out of international qualitative research in this area, to summarise and critique findings. An empirical study was also conducted with typically-developing Scottish adolescents, to explore their views of Support for Learning using a robust qualitative methodology. Results: Findings from the Systematic Review showed that existing qualitative studies are mostly of poor to medium methodological quality; that typically-developing students tend not to understand Inclusive Education; and that the majority regard it with fearful wariness. The empirical study mirrored these themes, and provided new insights into how students perceive the benefits and dangers of Inclusive Education, as well as barriers to understanding it. Conclusion: Schools urgently need to inform students about the principles and practices of Inclusive Education, and professionals working with adolescents should be mindful of its perceived psychosocial dangers, in order to challenge prejudicial attitudes.