Educational dispensation has brought about radical changes in schools, particularly with reference to curriculum changes and delivery, not only internationally but specifically in South Africa. With a move towards the introduction of new curricular in schools, the concept Continuous Professional Development has been revisited and thus has propagated further review on new approaches of teaching and learning, which leads to the need for establishment of school-based professional development of educators to meet the new challenges of curriculum changes. The school based training of educators should not be seen as short courses or workshops done for the educators, only to be left without a continuous support and guidance. It should be noted that school based educators are part of the community of learners with the shared purpose of ensuring quality learning experiences of all learners, every day, without exception and this is reinforced by the following goals: -- Providing of all school personnel with opportunity of further developing, and enriching their professional skills and knowledge. -- Challenging all school personnel to examine their attitudes and beliefs regarding the capacity of all students at high level, as well as their accountability for continuous improvement in student performance (Fer, 2005:2). The problem is how to cultivate the culture of school based continuous training and participation of all educators in the programmes. The Employment of Educators Act offers enormous possibilities for educators’ professional development. The principal is tasked with the responsibility of establishing staff development progammes, both school based, school focused and externally directed (Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) of 1998, as determined by the Minister of Education in terms of the Employment of Educators Act, 1998). It also stress that curriculum delivery is the basic of training in order to effect changes. This study draws a distinction between short courses and workshops, and continuous professional development. Short courses is about training educators for about three to five days and leave the on their own. Continuous professional development means training educators on regular bases with follow ups after thereafter. Finally, principals and School Management Teams should ensure that there school based professional development programmes are established at schools and all educators should participate to ensure appropriate curriculum delivery. / Dissertation (MEd (Leadership))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / unrestricted

The purpose of this theses is to determine a rate of real fulfillment of educational goals in the art education. As a research method there will be used a case study of four pupils in the secondary school with an individual educational plan. The study will focus on real application of the educational content of the art educaion for these children. The author will find out to what extent and if it is even possible to achieve educational goals for children with individual education plan in real art education classes at a standard elementary school. Using several art activities, she will diagnose the achieved level of individual educational objectives in the art education. For a better idea, there will be also offered a comparison of the secondary school children without individual education plan, selected by random selection, with children from an art secondary school, who will be selected by random selection as well, and who are expected to be more talented and passionate about art activities.

The diploma thesis deals with the issue of education of pupils with different mother tongue and intellectual disabilities. The theoretical part is focused on definition of the fundamental concepts which are narrowly associated with the subject. It speaks about pupils with intellectual disabilities and different mother tongue, their education which concludes framework education programmes and supporting measures and statistical data of number of pupils with different mother tongue. The practical part defines targets and and research questions, methodology and its subchapters delimiting technology of collecting the data, characteristics of research sample and analytical procedure. Lastly in this part we can find chapters with results of research and subchapter summarizing answers to the research questions. The last chapter is discussion and recommendation for practice. The goal of the practical part of the diploma thesis is to find support for pupils of the elementary schools who have different mother tongues and intellectual disabilities. In the research process there was found that the support of pupils of the primary schools who have different mother tongue and intellectual disabilities is an individual matter. Every pupil needs a specific form of support, its extent and that is the reason why the...

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / By the mid 1980s the Nationalist Party had sought to salvage almost four decades of apartheid policies that were based on white supremacy. In this regard it engaged in dual strategies of repression and reform. The state's strategies were challenged by organisations and movements within civil society. In this regard a number of community-based organisation mushroomed both nationally and regionally. These organisations were co-ordinated by adult political activists most of whom were perceived to lack the necessary skills to manage organisation more effectively. In this conjuncture, the Adult Education Departments at five South African universities developed certificate-level programmes to address this gap. This study focuses on three such programmes, the Community Adult Education Programme, based at the University of Cape Town, the Certificate for Educators of Adults at the University of the Western Cape, and the Community Adult Educators Training Course based at the University of Natal- Pietermaritzburg. This study investigates the social and political conditions that gave rise to the three certificate programmes. It also investigates the relationship between the external social and political conditions and the internal curriculum practices of the certificates. In this process it analyses the nature of the relationship and identifies shifts in the programmes and the curriculum practices between 1986 and 1996. The study uses a qualitative approach and draws on elements of critical theory and social constructionism to understand the data gleaned from interviews and documents. This study argues that all three certificate programmes have directly been tied into the social political context in South Africa between 1986 and 1996. In this decade the study argues, there are three distinct political periods, namely repression/reform, negotiations and fragile democracy. It argues that distinct features from each period have shaped the certificates in different ways. Along with the national political conditions as manifest at the level of the state, the private sector and civil society there are local and institutional dynamics that contribute to the different forms assumed by these certificates. The study further argues that the external social - political conditions from each period have demarcated and fixed the boundaries for the certificates as a social practice. In this process the curriculum practices for each period permitted certain words and practices in preference to others. Consequently, it argues that the external and internal social and political dimensions together construct the certificates as a discourse. This study is based on a belief that the role of a certificate practitioner is to creatively locate the day to day practices within different theoretical frameworks in order to advance studies into sites of adult education practices. This study represents a step in such a direction.

The Framework Education Programme for Preschool Education is a legislative curriculum document which establishes the basic requirements for the state preschool education. The educational objectives and requirements are binding for the teachers. However, the way in which those objectives and requirements are met, is fully in the hands of each nursery school. This diploma thesis illustrates one of the possible ways of educating preschool children, namely the dramatic education. The dramatic education is presented here not only as an educational method but also as a style of pedagogical work. This particular style respects individuality and originality of each child with the intention of developing his/her potentials and with the effort to equip the child with necessary social skills. The practical part of the diploma thesis offers insight into the authentic dramatic and educational process which explores topics of human life. During this process, each child goes through a full-fledged personal and social development by means of dramatic activities, which are based on topics of literary text

This diploma thesis deals with the way to teach politeness in elementary schools. Based on the theoretical literature, in the first theoretical part on the background of the Czech language there are defined basic terms such as pragmalinguistics, politeness principle, politeness strategies, face etc. Considering the didactic character of this work, both verbal and nonverbal aspects of politeness are described in the relation to the teacher-student communication. The practical part of the thesis focuses on the analysis of how the aspects of politeness are taught in Czech language lessons and included in three contemporary textbook series. Other source studied is the analysis of the relevant survey among teachers. On the basis of the survey results there are made up some activities with presumably good influence on practicing examined aspects of politeness.

This thesis deals with specific learning disabilities on the first level of primary education. The theoretical part is devoted to the definition of the basic concepts, to the etiology of the occurrence of specific learning disabilities and to the classification of their manifestation. It draws up the possibilities of the diagnostics and of the follow-up re-education. It describes the possibilities of educating students with disabilities at basic schools or individually. The practical part of this thesis focuses on exploring the issue of specific learning disabilities on the first level of primary education, namely, in the third and fourth grade. Three case reports whose results most visibly pointed to a problem are also present here.

Possibilities of multicultural approaches in kindergarten work. This thesis focuses on multicultural education and the possibilities of use in kindergartens in Cheb, where the teachers very often encounter children of other nationalities, in particular with children of Vietnamese parents coming to the Karlovy Vary region to pursue their business activities in this border region. The theoretical part highlights the increasing number of immigrants in the Czech Republic. The thesis explains the terminology relating to multicultural education and it also emphasizes its links with the Framework Education Programme and classroom education programmes. It places emphasis on the preparedness of teachers for multicultural education as well as their preparedness in the domain of child speech development and possibilities of helping children of different nationalities with learning Czech language. The practical part points out the focus on developing vocabulary and communication skills as one of the possibilities of multicultural approach of teachers and kindergartens. In addition, it presents the results of a pedagogical survey related to Vietnamese parents and their attitude to the need of learning Czech language by their children.

Title: Educational projects focused on the area of Milíčov forest and ponds. This graduation thesis deals with project education in the field of natural monument Milíčov forest and ponds. It directly borders with southern city housing estate. Result of this work is a collection of materials focusing on environmental education and upbringing pupils on 2nd stage of basic schools, which are located near this monument. These are mainly a methodology for teachers, manual to the project education, worksheets for pupils and creative solution of worksheets for teachers. The starting point for creating projects has been a partial study, questionnaire and open discussion with students. Teoretical part at its beginning describes general conservation and special nature protection, to place issues in a boarder context. The historical aspect is also mentioned. In the thesis are also defined Milíčov forests and ponds characteristics, taking into account their rarities. It is mainly dealt with occurring of important species and specially protected species in this area. In my work is also given the emphasis on the General educational program, environmental education, analysis of schoolbooks and organizational forms of teaching. I bear on didactic theory of which I issued in projects creating. Keywords: General...

This thesis deals with the possibilities of application of Zdenek Sverak's work in a kindergarten drama education. The theoretical section summarizes the information about the life and works of Zdenek Sverak and the findings regarding the possibility of using a literary narrative in a kindergarten, while applying the methods of drama education. There follows a description of the developmental patterns of preschool children and their significance for the drama education. The practical part of the thesis uses the books of Zdenek Sverak to process and reflect upon thematic units, in which the drama education methods were used. At the conclusion of the thesis, there is an evaluation of the research observations, obtained during my implementation of the thematic units.