M.Ed. (Curriculum studies) / The purpose of this study is primarily to establish whether or not the curriculum objectives of the primary schools in Davey ton are worthwhile. This study is prompted by the observation that pupils in Davey ton are reluctant to school and that they fail their examinations in area numbers. The rationale in this study is that learners become demotivated if they find the teaching learning activities incomprehensible or leaning less to them, that is, if they fail to interpret the learning experiences. In order to be meaningful and worthwhile, curriculum objectives (thus, the curriculum) must help people to meet their significant needs, such as helpin2 them to solve their social and economic problems, helping them to discover their potentials, helping them to find meaning in their life world, to pursue their goals, to lead a meaningful life and to survive. In short, to be relevant, curriculum objectives (thus the curriculum itself) must address the needs of the society wherein the schools operate. In evaluating the curriculum objectives, situation-analysis was conducted in order to find out what the community needs are. A random sampling of pupils, teachers, parents and some members of the community was done. Interviews were conducted. Pupils and teachers were asked to complete questionnaires. The results of the study indicated that the home and the school appear to be two different and incompatible worlds to the child's experience. What the child learns at school has no bearing~ to what the child experiences in the community or in real life. Learners seem to be unable to reconcile school learning with their practical daily experiences. The knowledge pupils gain from schools cannot help them to solve their social and economic problems. The learning in the schools is academically biased. Career education or vocational training is non-existent. Schools and parents do not co-operate. The most significant findings of this study is that the curriculum objectives of these schools do not address the needs of the community, and this casts's shadow of doubt whether pupils can really be motivated in pursuing studies wherein they find no solutions to the problems that beset them in their social, community or family lives. In the final chapter, recommendations are made on how to improve the curriculum objectives and how to make teaching learning activities in these schools meaningful and worthwhile.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

In South Africa, in July 2001, the National Department of Education released White Paper 6 which underpins the notion of inclusive education. It states that the needs of all children should be catered for within the South African educational framework. Subsequent guidelines from the Department (2005; 2012) also provide a strong focus on understanding individual children’s learning styles and explain the concept and application of children’s multiple intelligences. However, on closer examination, it seems that the inclusive education, as well as barriers to learning referred to in the abovementioned guidelines, are indicated to mean catering for children at the lower-ability end of the learning spectrum. This research begins to explore the notion that high potential children might require special attention, though not at the expense of those with learning impairments. An education system that provides inclusive education to children at both the lower and higher ends of the learning spectrum would be more equitable, and would give all children an equal chance of reaching their full potential. One possible strategy for accommodating the diverse needs of learners is through differentiation (Department of Education, 2005). Differentiation is a way of teaching that aims to provide stimulating and enriching learning environments to a diverse group of children within a classroom. This might be achieved by separating the class into smaller groups based on ability, or by providing children with different tasks at the same time, with the same learning objectives but at differing cognitive levels (Rogers, 2007). Vygotsky’s work on the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and mediation provides a theoretical framework for proposing differentiation as a strategy. The data was gathered through an in-depth examination (using a combination of classroom observations, document analysis and teacher interviews) of mathematics teaching in Grade 1 in three schools in Grahamstown. My analysis was based on Vygotsky’s theories (the main tenets of which were the ZPD and scaffolding, as well as the role of socio-culture in learning), using Tomlinson’s (1999) differentiated instruction framework to provide structure to the study. The following themes emerged from the data: a focus on the teachers’ understandings of differentiation; the use of grouping as a superficial form of differentiation; a lack of teacher preparation and understanding in relation to task differentiation; and an underlying sense of ‘sameness’ in teachers’ understanding of their learners. In addition to the above, I did not observe evidence of real differentiation for high potential children and hope that this research contributes to extending teachers’ training (both academic and in-service) in this area, convincing teachers of the existence and importance of critical thinking abilities in our youngest learners, and initiating a move towards the drafting of Individual Education Plans for all our learners. During the period of my research I have been convinced that the use of differentiated instruction in classrooms is the way forward in educational thinking, particularly as it relates to the notion of inclusive learning. Clearly there are challenges to be addressed in terms of school timetables, curricula, teachers’ time frames and past education system inequalities such as we have here in South Africa.

Thesis (D. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Chan Ho-leung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-120). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / English version --- p.ii / Chinese version --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF ACRONYMS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES --- p.x / Chapter CHAPTER ONE: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background of the Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Syllabus --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Syllabus and Curriculum --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2 --- Infrastructure of English Language Curriculum in Hong Kong --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Focus --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research Questions --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Significance --- p.6 / Chapter 1.6 --- Thesis Outline --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO: --- REVIEW OF LITERATURE --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- Historical Development of English Language Education in Hong Kong --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3 --- Oral-Structural Approach in the 1960s and 1970s --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Primary English Syllabus in 1967 --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Primary English Syllabus in 1976 --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Relationships between the Two Syllabuses --- p.17 / Chapter 2.4 --- Communicative Language Teaching from the 1980s to the Early 1990s --- p.19 / Chapter 2.5 --- Target Oriented Curriculum (TOC) Initiatives --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- First Phase: TTRA and Genesis of the TOC --- p.23 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Second Phase: The TOC in Shape --- p.25 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Third Phase: The TOC beyond 1997 --- p.26 / Chapter 2.6 --- Summary of Chapter Two --- p.29 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE: --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2 --- Focus of the Study --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3 --- Nature of the Research --- p.34 / Chapter 3.4 --- Procedures of Data Collection --- p.36 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Syllabuses --- p.36 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Interviews --- p.36 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Triangulation of Data --- p.37 / Chapter 3.5 --- Analytical Framework --- p.38 / Chapter 3.6 --- Methods of Data Analysis --- p.40 / Chapter 3.7 --- Data Reliability --- p.41 / Chapter 3.8 --- Limitation --- p.41 / Chapter 3.9 --- Summary of Chapter Three --- p.41 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR: --- ORAL-STRUCTURAL APPROACH --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction...................................................................... --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Rationale for Introducing the Oral-Structural Approach --- p.43 / Chapter 4.3 --- Theoretical Basis of the Oral-Structural Approach --- p.45 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Genesis of the Oral-Structural Approach --- p.45 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Theory of Language --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Theory of Language Learning --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4 --- Oral-Structural Approach Manifested in Hong Kong --- p.47 / Chapter 4.5 --- Analysis of Pedagogical Features --- p.51 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Goal Setting --- p.51 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Curriculum Selection --- p.52 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Curriculum Structuring --- p.53 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Instructional Planning --- p.54 / Chapter 4.5.5 --- Technical Evaluation --- p.55 / Chapter 4.6 --- Discussion of the Hong Kong Adaptation of the OSA --- p.56 / Chapter 4.7 --- Syllabus and the Oral-Structural Approach --- p.57 / Chapter 4.8 --- Limitations of the OSA --- p.58 / Chapter 4.9 --- Summary of Chapter Four --- p.59 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE: --- COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING --- p.61 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.61 / Chapter 5.2 --- Rationale for Introducing CLT in the 1981 Syllabus --- p.61 / Chapter 5.3 --- Theoretical Basis of Communicative Language Teaching --- p.64 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Genesis of Communicative Language Teaching --- p.64 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Theory of Language --- p.66 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Theory of Language Learning --- p.67 / Chapter 5.4 --- Communicative Language Teaching Manifested in the 1981 Syllabus --- p.68 / Chapter 5.5 --- Analysis of Pedagogical Features --- p.71 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- Goal Setting --- p.71 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- Curriculum Selection --- p.73 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- Curriculum Structuring --- p.74 / Chapter 5.5.4 --- Instructional Planning --- p.75 / Chapter 5.5.5 --- Technical Evaluation --- p.77 / Chapter 5.6 --- Discussion of the Hong Kong Adaptation of CLT --- p.78 / Chapter 5.6.1 --- Merits --- p.78 / Chapter 5.6.2 --- Demerits --- p.80 / Chapter 5.7 --- Syllabus and Communicative Language Teaching --- p.81 / Chapter 5 .8 --- Summary of Chapter Five --- p.82 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX: --- TASK-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING --- p.83 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.83 / Chapter 6.2 --- Rationale for introducing the TOC in the 1997 syllabus --- p.84 / Chapter 6.3 --- Theoretical Basis of TBLT --- p.86 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Genesis of TBLT --- p.86 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Theory of Language --- p.87 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Theory of Language Learning --- p.88 / Chapter 6.4 --- TBLT Manifested in the 1997 syllabus --- p.89 / Chapter 6.5 --- Analysis of Pedagogical Features --- p.90 / Chapter 6.5.1 --- Goal Setting --- p.91 / Chapter 6.5.2 --- Curriculum Selection --- p.93 / Chapter 6.5.3 --- Curriculum Structuring --- p.94 / Chapter 6.5.4 --- Instructional Planning --- p.94 / Chapter 6.5.5 --- Technical Evaluation --- p.97 / Chapter 6.6 --- Syllabus and the TOC --- p.98 / Chapter 6.7 --- Summary of Chapter Six --- p.101 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN: --- CONCLUSION --- p.103 / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.103 / Chapter 7.2 --- Research Question 1 --- p.104 / Chapter 7.3 --- Research Question 2 --- p.106 / Chapter 7.4 --- Research Question 3 --- p.107 / Chapter 7.5 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.109 / Chapter 7.6 --- Implications and Recommendations --- p.110 / REFERENCES --- p.113 / APPENDICES --- p.121 / Appendix I Newspaper Clipping --- p.121 / Appendix II Semi-Structured Interview Questions --- p.123 / Appendix III Profile of Interviewees --- p.124 / Appendix IV Sample Transcript of Interview A --- p.125 / Appendix V Sample Transcript of Interview B --- p.135 / Appendix VI Sample Transcript of Interview F --- p.144 / Appendix VII Interview Data Recorded in CDs

by Frank Wai-ming Tam. / "June 1998." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

The results showed that the students' Chinese language ability is low, especially their literacy skills. There was significant discrepancy between the students' oral and written language competence. Further analyses were conducted in accordance with models derived from the simple view of reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986), in which reading comprehension is assumed to be the product of decoding and linguistic comprehension. The analyses showed that the language-literacy discrepancy was related to the students' poor decoding ability. The students' reading comprehension performance was related more closely to Chinese character recognition ability than their linguistic comprehension competence. Moreover, the students' Chinese orthographic awareness and knowledge was found to be related to Chinese character recognition. The effect of the former on reading comprehension was mediated through the latter. / The study supports the relevance of the simple view model for understanding learning to read Chinese by second language learners. Studies of reading in alphabetic languages adopting the simple view have shown that the importance of decoding relative to linguistic comprehension depends on the developmental stage and proficiency of the readers, as well as orthographic transparency of the language. These results are consistent with our finding that for the participants in this study who were in upper primary level learning a deep orthography (i.e., Chinese), decoding accounts for more variance in reading performance than linguistic comprehension. Furthermore, just like understanding of the alphabetic principle helps reading in alphabetic languages, awareness and knowledge of the structural properties of Chinese characters, that is, the componential structures of the orthography and their phonetic and semantic functions, have a facilitative effect on Chinese character recognition and reading performance. Educational implications for the Hong Kong ethnic minority students and for Chinese second language learning were discussed. / This study investigated acquisition of Chinese literacy by ethnic minority children in Hong Kong primary schools. Ninety-seven primary-four ethnic minority students from four schools participated in the study. Their Chinese orthographic awareness and knowledge, Chinese character recognition ability, Chinese listening comprehension and reading comprehension competence were assessed. / Wong, Yu Ka. / Advisers: Pui Wan Cheng; Ling Po Shiu. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-02, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-131). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; some appendixes also in Chinese.

Thesis (M.Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The purpose of this study was to look at the experiences, trainings, resources, benefits and challenges faced by schools in the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in the primary schools of the Nkowankowa Circuit at the Mopani District of Limpopo Province. As a result, the researcher was motivated to conduct a study on this topic. The scope of the research was restricted to two primary schools in the circuit. The government officials, principals, school development teams and educators had to respond to the questions asked during the interview between the researcher and the participants. Thus, the research methodology was qualitative in which a case study design was used. The sampling strategy was non-probability which led to purposive sampling to schools and participants. Data were collected through interviews, observations and documents and were analysed using the spiral steps of Creswell (2007). The findings of this study were that training was inadequate to the implementers. The support given by the Department was not enough. The resources at schools were lacking, hence little benefit by educators since IQMS started. The results showed disclosed that the majority of the participants feel that many things still have to be done for the effective implementation of IQMS, and all role players in schools need to join hands and assist one another. That is why there were lot of challenges which schools are encountering. This will give schools new shapes and performance in general will improve. Therefore, IQMS is partially implemented

This study investigated the extent to which human and civic values were addressed in the Life Skills and English Literacy curriculum for grade three. It also looked at the extent to which these values were applied in the Rainbow workbooks, which are workbooks provided to all learners by the national Department of Basic Education. The study began by defining values and selecting two lists of values, a democratic/civic list of values which included: democracy, social justice, equity, equality, non-racism, non-sexism, ubuntu (human dignity), an open society, accountability (responsibility), rule of law, respect, reconciliation and peace. The second list was a human/spiritual list of values which included: truth, respect, kindness, tolerance, responsibility, cleanliness, neatness, contentment, courage /creativity. The research method used was a content analysis. The discourse in this field indicates that there is a need to define a list of common values that will transform people into citizens with characters that will be of benefit to them and to the society at large, and that education should play an important role in promoting these values. The important role of values in the curriculum is endorsed by local and international studies as well as the Department of Basic Education. The Department of Education developed a Manifesto of Values (2001) as a blueprint for values in education. Despite this, the present CAPS has a minimal focus on values and as a result so do the workbooks. A number of very fundamental and pertinent values don’t appear in the curriculum or the workbooks. The values most addressed are responsibility towards personal hygiene and the environment and respect. The values least addressed are truth and peace. The present state of the values addressed in the curriculum does not equip it to transform society to the one that was envisioned in the Manifesto. This study recommends that the curriculum needs to be infused with human and civic values across the subjects, additionally special attention needs to go into developing educators to ensure they know how and why to practice these values. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2014.