M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Ph.D. (Didactics) / This study deals with the problems encountered in the teaching of history in black secondary schools . Amongst others it refers to the poor performance in examinations, and the general apathy of pupils towards the subject . It is proposed that empathy should be an integral part of history teaching - from a teaching strategy to evaluation. The study consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 serves as introduction and states the problems and subsequent methodology of the research. Chapter 2 further analyses the reality of history teaching in black secondary schools. Attention is specifically given to how history is taught and textbooks are analysed from an empathic perspective. Chapter 3 contains an exposition and analysis of the concept "empathy". An attempt is made to establish whether an empathic -approach· is feasible in South Africa. Chapter 4 considers the thorny issue of the evaluation of empathy and seeks to integrate the divergent standpoints on evaluation into a theoretical model. In Chapter 5 a trial-run is undertaken in a few secondary schools to qualitatively test this model for the teaching and evaluation of empathy. The final chapter draws the findings together. The central argument is that , aside f rom the present political reality , there is nothing basically wrong with e subject history at school , but that there are several lacunae in the presentation of history . The teaching and learning is generally centred on the teacher , consequently pupils are not really able to experience the past empathically . Therefore it is necessary to strive after empathy-related skills and evaluation techniques . These ills could be useful in the struggle of history to survive as a subject.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Faculty of Humanities Department of Psychology Date: 29 May 2017 / The transition to higher education is a complex period for most youth that challenges them to constantly negotiate their identities. In the university campus, students interact and socialize with students from diverse cultural backgrounds and they are confronted with reflecting on their existing attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours. The current study aims to understand how different cultural values and beliefs may influence the personal identity of students in a multicultural university. This study employed a qualitative research approach. The study employed an interpretive research design which entailed conducting semi-structured, individual interviews to collect data. The participants were 6 second year students enrolled in the Humanities faculty, who were purposely selected at the University of the Witwatersrand. Thematic analysis was employed in analysing the data. The specific thematic analysis method employed was interpretative phenomenological analysis, in which the focus was on understanding how students make sense of the experience regarding being in contact with other students from diverse backgrounds. The findings of the study show that students identify with different social structures, thus maintaining multiple identities in diverse setting of the university. These identities are found to be dominant in contexts in which they are established. The findings show that students maintain a positive self-concept, which is contributory to how they adjust and find belonging in the university environment. Belonging was found to occur within the student cultures inherent in the university setting, such as leisure activities, religious involvement, and other activities of entertainment on campus. Religion emerged as the dominant influence on the personal identity of the majority of the participants; however, other students highlighted other social structures as contributory factors as compared to religion. Parental involvement and childhood experiences continue to influence students' negotiation of a personal identity in the university campus. In conclusion, based on the findings of the study, it is clear that students embrace the diversity within the university campus, while maintaining connections with identities that existed prior their time spent in university. This is a clear demonstration of the continuity in identity formation and belonging in the social setting of Higher Education. / MT2018

A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Coursework and Research Report), University of the Witwatersrand. / This research report examines the nature of drama as a means of facilitating adult learning, especially in the South African rural context, by conducting a literature review and by compiling case studies of the use of drama at Akanani, an association. of rural development projects in South Africa where theatre-for-development is the principal methodology employed. The literature review explores the use of drama as a methodology in education and then focuses on how and why theatre-for-development has been used in Africa for community development and empowerment. The international developments in popular theatre are also considered so that as much information as possible can feed into the guidelines which are this report's conclusions. This chapter concludes with a consideration of how drama can be used for adult learning in South Africa. This research was conducted primarily by compiling a number of case studies of the use of drama at Akanani in the far northern Transvaal. Participant observation, illuminative evaluation and semi-structured interviews were used within a Participatory Research apprgach to gather information about Akanani. The researcher spent two periods of time at Akanani conducting the interviews and observing the daily operations as well as the use of drama in various contexts at Akanani. The cases studies were compiled to discover whether drama, as it is used at Akanani, is a successful and appropriate methodology for adult education in the rural areas of South Africa. This research finds drama to be a a very effective means of facilitating learning amongst adults in rural areas and concludes by offering guidelines for the use of drama as a methodology in adult education in South Africa, especially in the rural areas.

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016 / This study aimed to explore parents’ perceptions on inclusive education in private South African schools with the focus on two inclusive practices: bridging classes and classroom facilitators. The sample for this study consisted of 10 parents from two private schools in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. A semi-structured in-depth interview schedule was devised to examine parents’ perceptions on the support and inclusive practices offered within their schools. The results indicated that majority of parents found bridging classes to be more beneficial than classroom facilitators in assisting children experiencing barriers to learning. Furthermore, results demonstrated that the quality of teaching ultimately influences the success of inclusive education within the school. / XL2018

This study is about adult learners in formal secondary schools attending normal day classes with school pupils. Ii is particularly about the aspirations of 1,430 adult pupils. these adults, after a break in their formal education, return to study in the secondary schools in the Herschel district of Transkei in the 1993 academic year. / GR 2016

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education / The recognition of prior learning (RPL) is framed in the discourse of equity and redress. It is tasked with transforming education and training and bringing about opportunities of access to those whose educational paths were disrupted by apartheid. While policy in higher education has a vision, conditions on the ground remain unexamined, bringing to the fore complex challenges which relate to prior knowledge on the one hand and its capacity to compete with academic ways of knowing on the other, begging the question: Can RPL deliver on espoused goals of equity, access and redress? This research utilises critical education theory and qualitative research to enquire into participants', recipients' and implementers' perceptions of RPL programmes. In particular the research probed the epistemological and philosophical framings of such programmes, participants' perceptions of the capacity of RPL to deliver equity and redress in education and their ideas for changes and improvements to future RPL programmes and practices. The predominant research method consisted of in-depth interviews with 37 respondents in five RPL projects within four institutions of higher education in South Africa, 14 of whom were academics who implemented RPL, and 23 of whom were RPL students who were the recipients of RPL. In addition, scholarly articles and reports written by the academics as well as RL portfolios, compiled by the students were used as source material. The research results are reported as institutional case studies reflecting the initial responses to RPL in higher education and the ideas, beliefs and perceptions that animate them. The case studies provide a picture of the institutional environment in which RPL operates, and highlight the different levers that are shaping and influencing the practice of RPL in South Africa. The research results show that RPL in practice raises personal questions for those who implement it and for those who receive it - questions about themselves as raced, gendered and classed actors. Different academics have responded to these personal questions in varied ways resulting in contending versions of RPL propelled by different epistemological orientations. On another level the research results show that RPL in practice requires institutional support from senior managers in particular, that such support needs to be driven by an institutional vision and an institutional champion. In the institutions in this study these variables were largely absent. Equity and redress on their own have not been the levers for the implementation of RPL in higher education in South Africa. Keywords: Access; Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning; Equity; Higher Education; Recognition of Prior Learning; South Africa / AC 2018

A research report submitted to the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education. Johannesburg 2017. / In this study, the affordances of Digital Mobile Devices for educational purposes was explored, with an emphasis on determining the feasibility of integrating Digital Mobile Devices into secondary education in South Africa; particularly in the area of Learner Social Support. An empirical, qualitative research approach was adopted, where a questionnaire was administered for the collection of data, and this data was analysed for possible trends. The experiences and perceptions of both educators and learners at both schools have been detailed. It was ascertained through both the literature and the analysis of data that Digital Mobile Devices are advantageous, and ubiquitously owned and used by both educators and learners. This exposed the fallacy of the existence of a digital divide on the basis of access to ICTs. Conclusions have been drawn as to the feasibility of integrating Digital Mobile Devices into secondary education in South Africa, and recommendations have been made for further investigation into the non-adoption of Digital Mobile Devices into secondary education in South Africa. / LG2018