M.Ed. / Education in South Africa assumes that all learners should have access to effective teaching, so that inequalities can be eliminated and the skills of all learners be optimally developed. It is of cardinal importance that career guidance in schools attempt to maintain a balance between the technological demands of the world of work and the needs of each unique individual learner. Technology Education involves a radical change in the approach to education. It moves away from giving students a set body of knowledge, to a style of creating a wide range of learning activities. One such learning activity is problem-solving which teach learners to think for themselves and provides them with the skills and experiences in researching, designing and evaluating knowledge. Teachers become facilitators and work together with and help learners to reach successful outcomes and competencies. In recent research by the Curriculum 2005 Initiative (1997) in the field of career guidance, the emphasis has been placed on enabling learners to access career and other opportunities and to set goals which will enable them to make the best use of their full potential and talents. It is stated clearly that it has become imperative for education and the world of work to forge closer co-operation in order to prepare the learners for their future working lives and life-long learning prospects. The world of work changes from time to time. There is a need to continuously develop human resources to meet the demands of a growing economy and the needs of all people in the country. An effective career guidance programme is therefore essential in linking the needs of the country with the aspirations, abilities and skills of learners. The research in this study focuses primarily on career guidance in a technologically stimulating school environment. The secondary aims are to investigate the effectiveness of the career guidance teacher, the correlation between the possible influence of the career guidance teacher in grade 11 and 12, and the correlation between learners with Mathematics and Science and their study and career choices. A questionnaire with both open and closed questions was given to grade 12 learners to complete. The questionnaire was validated during a pilot study. The following interesting results were gathered: the aspects that mostly influenced the learner's subject, study and career choice are their interest and love for the subject; there is a correlation between the effectiveness of the guidance teacher and the teaching aids he or she uses in promoting careers; there is a positive correlation between the influence of the guidance teacher in grade 11 and his/her influence in grade 12. there is a correlation between learners with Mathematics and their eventual career choices. This study confirms the importance and influence of career guidance and highlights the reasons and choices which are made by learners regarding careers.

D.Ed. / In view of the problem statement the main aim of this research is: To address the structural and personal changes that may be necessary to bring about the significant change to influence the status quo of the three schools. The following objectives have been identified to direct the process of achieving the aim of this study. These objectives are as follows: To establish what the current status at the three individual schools are with regard to anti-bias and anti-racist practices. To determine the structural intervention processes that are necessary for meaningful change to occur in the structure of the school to bring about change to the status quo if necessary. To determine the intervention processes that are necessary for personal change to occur in educators which will influence the change in the status quo of the school. To be able to achieve the above aims and objectives, qualitative research methods are used.

1. Reasons for Choosing the Topic. Much has been written about secondary education in England, Continental Europe, the United States, Canada, China and other countries mainly "because Secondary Education has been one of the most prized of all formal types of education ... because it has been the rung of the educational ladder that has led to opportunity and preferment". Very little research work has been done on Bantu secondary education in the Ciskei, and still less about Bantu urban secondary education. This is a shortcoming since the Ciskei has been one of the most important educational areas for the Bantu in the Union of South Africa and the territories outside her borders. It was here that the experiment of Bantu day secondary schools was carried out. It could aptly have been said of the Ciskei, too, that "experimental work (destined one day to blaze into a consuming fire) has been carried on, where men and women of faith and inspiration have lit up some dark corner of the field, and where teachers of genius have defied tradition and convention, gone their own way in scorn of consequence, and have lit a candle which will never be put out". The Bantu Urban Day Secondary Schools started amidst conflicting opinions as regards their advantages and disadvantages. Difficulties were encountered and efforts made to overcome them. The present writer attempts to show how the problems of these schools were overcome and to assess the progress that was made. 2. Need for the Study. There is a great need for the study of the history and problems of Bantu Urban Day Secondary education because for many years to come these schools will have to serve an increasing number of urban Bantu pupils. The results of the research may serve as a guide to teachers appointed to these schools. The important history of these institutions preserved only in the minds of old men and women, may be lost to posterity. There is also a great need to bring to light the unique problems confronting these schools. 3. Scope of Dissertation. The dissertation limits itself to Bantu Urban Day secondary education, in specific areas of the Ciskei. Two secondary and two high schools have been chosen for special study. Bantu Urban Day Secondary Schools are those schools which are situated in areas under the jurisdiction of municipalities or town councils irrespective of whether the school admits largely pupils who are outside such an area or only those within it or both. The entrance qualification to these schools has always been a pass in Standard VI (normally after eight years of primary or elementary schooling). For the Bantu pupil the Junior Certificate Course was of three years' duration. The successful completion of the J.C. course qualified pupils to train as nurses, in the case of girls, and agricultural demonstrators in the case of boys. Both sexes could undertake studies for Native Primary Higher Teachers' Course, and the Senior Certificate Course or the Matriculation leading to university degrees.

Please read the Abstract in the 00front part of this document. Copyright 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Addo, GHK 2003, Utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) for education in South Africa : An examination of the world links for development (WorLD) programme, DPhil thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09192005-142901/ > / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted

Teachers in the field of autism education encounter multiple professional challenges in their roles as educators. Autism spectrum disorder presents with a broad range of symptoms, which places additional demands on the teacher expected to meet all the learners' needs. Insufficient teacher education and training, coupled with limited access to resources and a lack of support from the Department of Basic Education can lead to teachers feeling overwhelmed and powerless to adequately address work-related challenges. This study employed a participatory action research methodology and sought to identify challenges and develop solutions in the field of autism education. Furthermore, the goal of this study was to find ways of making use of existing resources to better meet the teachers' needs, as well as reconsidering the classroom environment in order to better meet the learners' needs. The cyclical nature of a participatory action research approach allowed the participants to renegotiate the research goals throughout the study. Data were generated through the use of open-ended group interviews, observation and written critical self-reflections. From the data, six themes emerged. First, the participants reported feeling empowered as a result of creating and sharing their personal reflections. Next, they identified the lack of support for teachers as a professional challenge. The participants also indicated that more flexible teaching strategies were required in the field of autism education. Another challenge was that teachers were uncertain of their legal rights within the field of ASD education. Poor communication between parents and teachers was identified as an important issue. Finally, it emerged that the classroom environment had a significant impact on the learners' behaviour. These findings led to the conclusion that teachers in the field of autism education should be supported and the challenges they face acknowledged and addressed by their employers as well as by the Department of Basic Education and the institutions responsible for educating and training new teachers. Finally, recommendations for possible solutions and further research were presented, based on the data generated during the study.

The HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa has increased the number of orphans and vulnerable children in the school system. Given the prominent role that teachers can play in ensuring that these children receive a quality education so as to maximise their life opportunities, it is important for teachers to be empowered and equipped to enable them to deal with issues surrounding orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) at schools. This study focuses on how teachers are experiencing the impact of HIV and AIDS in schools as a result of having OVC in their classes. The Department of Education has developed training courses to help teachers cope with the impact of HIV and AIDS, but the effectiveness of these programmes has not yet been evaluated. This study aims to establish how teachers who have attended these programmes feel about the assistance rendered to them to deal with OVC related issues. In order to meet this aim, a qualitative enquiry was conducted among a sample of selected teachers from the Eastern Cape. The findings suggest that, while the training has helped to improve the knowledge and attitudes of the teachers, it has not equipped them with the necessary skills to overcome barriers to implement the training programmes at school level. The findings also suggest that there is a need for ongoing support from the Department of Education and the trainers it contracts to ensure that learning from the training is implemented in the schools. Based on the research findings, the study concludes with recommendations that will help teachers to better cope with OVC related issues at school.

South Africa’s borders were opened up in 1994 after Nelson Mandela became president. Since then South Africa has been battling xenophobia as immigrants from African nations started to come to the rainbow nation for a better life away from persecution, civil wars, and extreme poverty. Still, up until 2008 when massive riots broke out in Alexandria Township in Gauteng, xenophobia was an unknown word to most people outside academic, social work, and government circles. This has all changed now as 2008 will in all likelihood be remembered as the year when xenophobic violence erupted in South Africa and became a general feature in our daily media bulletins, prime time television broadcasts, and in our society as a whole. The South African university where the current study took place was also affected by xenophobia although without any displays of public violence. The current study sought to understand and describe the lived experience of xenophobia by individual, international, African students at a South African university. The study adopted a qualitative approach and the methodology used was multiple case studies employing Tesch’s model of content analysis. The findings of the study showed that the research participants, as a combined group, have lived through a wide range of xenophobic experiences excluding physical violence and that the research participants’ personal characteristics influenced their exposure to and experience of xenophobia. The study contributed to the understanding of the lived experience of xenophobia within a South African university by international, African students.

In line with Montessori methodology, the Knysna Montessori School runs its programmes in an integrated and holistic manner. Learning programmes are based on a blend of various Montessori learning programmes and the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). Classes are divided into three year-age groupings; and integrated learning programmes are in place within the pre-school, (including grade R), the grade 1 to 3 class, and the grade 4 to 6 class. However, the grade 7 to 9 Montessori class has been running in a more traditional and less integrated manner since its inception in 2004. That has motivated the undertaking of this study. The main aim of this qualitative study has been to determine how to best arrange the RNCS according to Montessori principles, that is to say, in a holistic and integrated manner, with the intention of presenting a learning programme for the grade 7 to 9 class. This aim was based on a constructivist philosophical foundation and addressed in conjunction with interpretivism and critical theory. The grounded theory research paradigm was followed. In this paradigm research findings are grounded in the data gathering and the analysis. Three methods of data collection were applied, namely a literature review, interviews and document analysis. A literature review was conducted to gain a better overview and understanding of the RNCS and Outcomes-Based Education (OBE). Furthermore, through the literature review, an in-depth understanding of the Montessori method of education, adolescent development and integrated and holistic education have been achieved. Interviews were conducted with staff from the Knysna Montessori School, with the purpose of gathering information on the Knysna Montessori School and its current application to the RNCS, from pre-school to grade 6. An availability and purposive sampling method was applied, in order to determine which staff members to interview. Finally, document analysis was done. The learning areas for the senior phase (grades 7 to 9) of the General Education and Training Band (GET) of the RNCS were coded and analysed in order to discover emergent themes within the RNCS and how these link with the Montessori curriculum arrangement for this age group. It became apparent that Montessori classrooms, both prior to and for the senior phase, are divided into three areas, namely language, mathematics and cultural studies. Based on this knowledge, as well as the documentary analysis, an integrated learning programme, grounded in the data analysis, was designed. It was found that the RNCS matches well with Montessori’s curriculum arrangement. Thus, this learning programme is in line with Montessori’s curriculum arrangement for the senior phase of the GET band. Such a curriculum arrangement integrates the learning outcomes and assessment standards from arts and culture, economic and management sciences, life orientation, natural sciences, social sciences and technology into different studies. These are globally referred to as cultural studies. However, specific attention was also given to moral education, self-expression through music, art and drama, entrepreneurship, career education and sport. The conclusion was reached that an integrated learning programme, based on Montessori principles and in line with the RNCS requirement, is possible for the Knysna Montessori School.

The objective of this research study was to obtain a better understanding of the factors that affect lecturer and student participation in distributed collaborative learning assignments (DCLAs). A substantial number of courses worldwide have included DCLAs in their curricula in an attempt to teach students virtual communication and teaming skills, and to allow distributed students to learn course content collaboratively in a virtual environment. The execution and management of these assignments have proven to be more challenging that expected. Several attempts reported on in the literature had to be abandoned when cost exceeded the rewards for both lecturers and students. In a fouryear cyclical action research project carried out at the PETech (Port Elizabeth Technikon, currently part of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa), ICT students at several of the PETech campuses were required to complete a DCLA in virtual teams. This project also had to be terminated when it was realised that virtual team learning was minimal and the time investment unacceptably high. For the research study reported on in this thesis the data collected during the four “preresearch” cycles and the experiences reported in the literature were analysed. The lessons learnt were applied to a new additional DCLA cycle which formed part of an ICT course, although this execution still showed room for improvement. A second additional cycle was then executed which had a high participation rate and was overwhelmingly labelled by the participating students as a valuable and enjoyable learning experience. Analysis of the factors affecting participation in DCLAs shows that they are numerous and tightly interlinked, and that each factor is able to take on a wide range of values. This complicates descriptive reporting as each of the DCLAs was unique with unique outcomes and would have to be reported as such in order to iii ABSTRACT iv gain an understanding of the factors. Hence, a level of abstraction was needed, which was accomplished by applying the traditional Glaserian grounded theory method to the data collected during the four “preresearch” and the two additional cycles, and from the literature on the topic. The outcome is a perceived costs and rewards (PCR) theory for participation in DCLAs. As participation is crucial for the learning experience of each student as well as his/her team members in an action learning environment, deciding on participation by continually calculating the costs versus rewards became the focal point of the theory. To the best of the author’s knowledge this research study makes a theoretical contribution to the existing body of ICT educational knowledge in the form of a perceived costs and rewards theory for DCLA participation and a practical contribution in that it provides a theory that can be used to explain, understand, interpret and predict participation in DCLAs. This research study provides guidance for future research in both of these areas.

M.Ed. / The aim of this study is to investigate and determine the effect of a strategy like the computer in the equalisation of the educational opportunities for people with visual impairment. Furthermore, the study seeks to establish the effect of computer usage in subjects considered inaccessible to people with visual impairment. The attitude and perception of the educator toward) both the learner and the role the assistive device plays in the education situation will be examined. The perception that the person with visual impairment has about his potentials will be studied. Ultimately, educational opportunities constitute the core of the research. In other words, the focus of this study will be on what must be done to fully and in the best possible terms meet the educational needs of persons with visual impairment. What strategies must be employed to equalise educational opportunities for visually impaired people?