This study investigates the involvement of teacher unions in the implementation of the Employment of Educators Act (Act 76 of 1998) at school level. Union involvement at school level is still characterized by controversy when it comes to the filling of promotional posts and the redeployment of educators. The inappropriate involvement of unions by ignoring their observer status, may lead to the infringement of educators’ rights if it goes unchecked by the DoE. This may consequently result in poor performance by educators who may feel discriminated against during the redeployment and the filling of promotional posts. Teacher unions have the responsibility to ensure that educators are not victimized. If unions abdicate this responsibility and attend to only key union members when promotional posts are filled, they will cease to be effective unions. Unions who protect non-dedicated and unqualified educators from redeployment will lose the respect of the teaching fraternity, and eventually their membership numbers will dwindle. This was a qualitative and exploratory study based on the grounded theoretical approach. It was conducted in Districts 11 and 12 of the Gauteng Department of Education using focus groups and one-on-one interviews with the various stakeholders from the Department of Education, and leaders of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, and the National Association of Professional Teachers’ Organizations in South Africa. The findings indicate that during the filling of promotional posts, the unions tend to use undue influence to have their members promoted, to the detriment of deserving and better qualified educators. During the redeployment process they protect their members against principals who declared them in excess. It was reported that principals make use of the redeployment processes to get rid of educators who are often absent from school because of union work during school hours. If the Department of Education does not seriously take control of the situation in respect of the filling of promotional posts and the redeployment of educators, then the teacher unions will take over. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between Education Acts and learner dropout at public schools within the South-Central education region of Botswana. Policy-related dropout Theories of Social Class and the hidden curriculum of work, as well as the Inclusive Education Policy were selected as suitable framework-settings for investigating the research problem. A comprehensive review of the literature revealed that the strategies used to implement the Basic Education Act, the Examinations Act, and Policies on Inclusive Education in Botswana diverge from their set stipulations and the current international trends in this regard. The research design used was a mixed-methods approach. Mixed paradigms of the positivists’ and the constructivists’ beliefs were used to conduct a concurrent empirical investigation. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire instrument (non-demographic variables 1-26) was .985 (close to 1). All the measuring tools were pilot-tested. The sampling technique was stratified for the questionnaire, and was comprehensive for the qualitative instruments. Ethical issues were observed during the course of the study. The scores on the questionnaire showed that 68% of the 75 teacher respondents perceived that the improper implementation of the above-named Acts contributed to learner drop-out. The content analysis transcripts further indicated that 66% of the 28 interviewees linked learner drop-out to the improper implementation of the Acts. Additionally, 84% of the Biology teachers linked the teaching strategies being used to policy decisions. The interpretation of this study has to take note of the limitation discussed in the report. The conclusion drawn from the foregoing research findings is that the teaching-learning process in the public schools is defective in relation to its relevance to the learners, and the education goal. The study therefore recommended dropout tracking strategies by means of a greater synchrony between all the departments of the Ministry of Education Skills and Development (MOESD) as well as further comprehensive research to improve education practice towards curbing learner dropout. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

Acompanha: Formação normativa docente / Esta investigação tem por objetivo o desenvolvimento de um produto educacional para a formação continuada de professores, na escola, por meio de um instrumento tecnológico Wiki. O problema consistiu em que medida a formação continuada desenvolvida por meio do instrumento tecnológico, a Wiki, poderia contribuir para a capacitação docente em sua hora-atividade? Assim, analisou-se o processo de construção e de aplicação de um curso de formação continuada sobre a legislação educacional, aplicada a professores do Ensino Médio, em uma escola pública do Norte do Paraná. O curso foi elaborado pela investigadora e instrumentalizado por meio da Wiki. O instrumento tecnológico Wiki se apresenta com recurso pouco utilizado na Educação Básica do Estado do Paraná. Parti-se da ideia de que o uso planejado desse instrumento poderá viabilizar um recurso capaz de promover formação continuada realizada na escola. O referencial teórico-metodológico está centrado na formação continuada na escola como abordada por Imbérnon (2013), Sampaio e Leite (2013) e Libâneo, Oliveira e Toschi (2012). Como resultado, tem-se a viabilidade da formação continuada na escola, com o emprego da hora-atividade docente, desde que haja uma mudança na cultura organizacional no contexto de uma escolar gestão democrática. / This research aims at the development of an educational product for the continuing education of teachers, in the school, through a technological tool Wiki. The problem was how far the continuous training developed through the technological instrument, Wiki, could contribute to the teacher training in its time-activity? Like this, the process of construction and application of a continuing education course on educational legislation applied to high school teachers in a public school in the north of Paraná was analyzed. The course was developed by the researcher and instrumentalized through the Wiki. The Wiki technology tool presents itself with a little used resource in the Basic Education of the State of Paraná. I started from the idea that the planned use of this instrument could enable a resource capable of promoting continued formation in the school. The theoretical-methodological reference is centered on the continued formation in the school as approached by Imbérnon (2013), Sampaio and Leite (2013) and Libâneo, Oliveira and Toschi (2012). As a result, there is the viability of continuing education in the school, with the use of teaching time-activity, as long as there is a change in organizational culture in the context of a democratic school-based management.

Acompanha: Formação continuada docente na escola a partir do uso de um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA) / Este trabalho tem por objetivo demonstrar a contribuição de um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA) utilizado para a formação continuada de docentes no espaço escolar. A questão principal de investigação é como apresentar a escola como esse espaço de formação. Para tal compreensão será apresentado a legislação vigente sobre o tema. Essa questão é relevante pois demonstrará a abrangência de conhecimentos legais destes profissionais bem como contribuirá para a ampliação do conhecimento de três eixos de formação, que são: A escola como espaço de formação, A importância de conhecer as legislações educacionais e a Educação em Direitos Humanos, com a proposta de humanização do outro para humanizar-se. Para tanto, foram empregados como instrumentos metodológicos, pesquisa bibliográfica e análise qualitativa de dados - observação, segundo Lüdke & André (2013) e Severino (2013). Espera-se oferecer contribuição tanto na compreensão da ampliação de entendimento de escola, bem como no destaque das questões legais que embasam os temas tratados. / This study aims to demonstrate the contribution of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) used for a post graduate education program of teachers at school. The main point of this research is how to present the school as a place for teachers to study. For this to be understood, the current legislation about this subject will be presented. This issue is important because it will demonstrate the knowledge of these professionals about legal terms towards their careers, and contribute to the expansion of knowledge about three axes of post graduate education programs, which are: the school as a place for teachers to study, the importance of knowing the educational legislation, and the human rights education, with the proposal of humanizing the other to humanize yourself. Therefore, this study’s methodological approach was based on a bibliographic research and on a qualitative data analysis - observation, according to Lüdke & Andrew (2013) and Severino (2013). It is expected to provide contributions to expand the understanding of the concept of school, as well as highlight the legal issues that are the base of this study´s theme.

Acompanha: Formação normativa docente / Esta investigação tem por objetivo o desenvolvimento de um produto educacional para a formação continuada de professores, na escola, por meio de um instrumento tecnológico Wiki. O problema consistiu em que medida a formação continuada desenvolvida por meio do instrumento tecnológico, a Wiki, poderia contribuir para a capacitação docente em sua hora-atividade? Assim, analisou-se o processo de construção e de aplicação de um curso de formação continuada sobre a legislação educacional, aplicada a professores do Ensino Médio, em uma escola pública do Norte do Paraná. O curso foi elaborado pela investigadora e instrumentalizado por meio da Wiki. O instrumento tecnológico Wiki se apresenta com recurso pouco utilizado na Educação Básica do Estado do Paraná. Parti-se da ideia de que o uso planejado desse instrumento poderá viabilizar um recurso capaz de promover formação continuada realizada na escola. O referencial teórico-metodológico está centrado na formação continuada na escola como abordada por Imbérnon (2013), Sampaio e Leite (2013) e Libâneo, Oliveira e Toschi (2012). Como resultado, tem-se a viabilidade da formação continuada na escola, com o emprego da hora-atividade docente, desde que haja uma mudança na cultura organizacional no contexto de uma escolar gestão democrática. / This research aims at the development of an educational product for the continuing education of teachers, in the school, through a technological tool Wiki. The problem was how far the continuous training developed through the technological instrument, Wiki, could contribute to the teacher training in its time-activity? Like this, the process of construction and application of a continuing education course on educational legislation applied to high school teachers in a public school in the north of Paraná was analyzed. The course was developed by the researcher and instrumentalized through the Wiki. The Wiki technology tool presents itself with a little used resource in the Basic Education of the State of Paraná. I started from the idea that the planned use of this instrument could enable a resource capable of promoting continued formation in the school. The theoretical-methodological reference is centered on the continued formation in the school as approached by Imbérnon (2013), Sampaio and Leite (2013) and Libâneo, Oliveira and Toschi (2012). As a result, there is the viability of continuing education in the school, with the use of teaching time-activity, as long as there is a change in organizational culture in the context of a democratic school-based management.

Acompanha: Formação continuada docente na escola a partir do uso de um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA) / Este trabalho tem por objetivo demonstrar a contribuição de um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA) utilizado para a formação continuada de docentes no espaço escolar. A questão principal de investigação é como apresentar a escola como esse espaço de formação. Para tal compreensão será apresentado a legislação vigente sobre o tema. Essa questão é relevante pois demonstrará a abrangência de conhecimentos legais destes profissionais bem como contribuirá para a ampliação do conhecimento de três eixos de formação, que são: A escola como espaço de formação, A importância de conhecer as legislações educacionais e a Educação em Direitos Humanos, com a proposta de humanização do outro para humanizar-se. Para tanto, foram empregados como instrumentos metodológicos, pesquisa bibliográfica e análise qualitativa de dados - observação, segundo Lüdke & André (2013) e Severino (2013). Espera-se oferecer contribuição tanto na compreensão da ampliação de entendimento de escola, bem como no destaque das questões legais que embasam os temas tratados. / This study aims to demonstrate the contribution of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) used for a post graduate education program of teachers at school. The main point of this research is how to present the school as a place for teachers to study. For this to be understood, the current legislation about this subject will be presented. This issue is important because it will demonstrate the knowledge of these professionals about legal terms towards their careers, and contribute to the expansion of knowledge about three axes of post graduate education programs, which are: the school as a place for teachers to study, the importance of knowing the educational legislation, and the human rights education, with the proposal of humanizing the other to humanize yourself. Therefore, this study’s methodological approach was based on a bibliographic research and on a qualitative data analysis - observation, according to Lüdke & Andrew (2013) and Severino (2013). It is expected to provide contributions to expand the understanding of the concept of school, as well as highlight the legal issues that are the base of this study´s theme.

M.Ed. (Education Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The Department of Education, as part of the public sector, employs educators in terms of the Employment of Educators Act (EEA),1 whereas the rest of the public servants are employed in terms of the Public Service Act (PSA). If an educator is absent for more than 14 consecutive days without the permission of the employer, the educator is deemed to be discharged according to section 14(1)(a). With regard to the rest of the public sector, a similar provision is put in place, where section 17(5)(a) provides for the discharge of a public officer who is absent from his / her duties without the permission of the Head of Department for a calendar month (31 days). Sometimes long absent periods are caused by personal circumstances of the employee which are unforeseen. If the employee reports for duty after the dismissal, section 14(2) of the EEA provides that, the employee may be reinstated by the employer on good cause shown, after a post-dismissal hearing. If an employee in the public sector is discharged based on these deeming provisions, the employment is terminated by the operation of the law and there is no dismissal. This means that the employer is not responsible for the termination, meaning than there exists no option to review the dismissal. The supreme law of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (the Constitution).5 The question at hand is whether the deeming provision of section 14 of the EEA6 is constitutional. The Labour Relations Act (LRA) goes further by stipulating that every person has the right not to be unfairly dismissed, and not to be subjected to unfair labour practice.7 Section 23 of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right to fair labour practices. Furthermore, section 33 of the Constitution provides for fair administrative action. The question is whether these provisions, dealing with the dismissal of educators, limit the employee’s constitutional right to a fair labour practice.

M.Ed. / This study was influenced deeply by among other issues the current sociopolitical reforms in South Africa, an overt paradigm shift in education and educational practices, growing concern for the environment and the need to empower teachers with environmental education knowledge, action competencies and skills through participation in curriculum development activities at both local and national level. The main aim was to uncover barriers towards the meaningful involvement and subsequent participation of teachers in environmental education curriculum development processes. This was done by determining teachers' perceptions about involvement in environmental education curriculum development processes. The literature review in this study revealed that teachers have been passive recipients and implementers of externally developed curricula both in South Africa and world-wide. No significant open-ended strategies have been formulated to involve teachers in curriculum development. The use of both the questionnaire and group interviews for this study proved to be very useful for providing insights into teachers' perceptions about the issue of curriculum development and their involvement in such processes. Several obstacles towards successful environmental education curriculum development and the subsequent involvement of teachers have been highlighted. The findings and recommendations of this research are expected to help elevate teachers' interest and awareness on issues of curriculum development for environmental education and to enable them to realise the need to engage in collaborative participatory curriculum initiatives. Based on the findings of this study, it can be argued that networking among environmental educators from various schools at local, provincial and national level, as well as with other informal environmental education providers should be encouraged by establishing appropriate policy and structural support systems in the Department of Education and Training. An appropriate model which highlights this idea, has therefore been developed.

This treatise investigates the potential for law (including courts and tribunals) to intervene and act as a lever for the protection and advancement of the rights of the child including the right to basic education. The dissertation critically explores the debate on the educator‟s right to strike and fair labour practices and the child‟s right to education, by assessing the rights and liberties, which accrue to educators and the child (learners) in terms of existing law. The South African Constitution has made specific provision for the protection of the rights of children and the rights of educators and these rights are fundamental to the development of a society in transition. The vexed question that arises is whether these rights can co-exist in a society that has inherited a legacy of discrimination and inequality. The consequences of this legacy have resulted in the rights of educators competing with those of learners. The normalisation of the balance of these opposite rights is the challenge that lies ahead and this process will require intervention of all stakeholders rather than purely legislative intervention. This dissertation recommends a consensus-based approach, which is the most appropriate solution to balance the rights of educators with this of the child‟s right to education, as opposed to a declaration of the education sector as an essential service. It further proposes the establishment of a more structured and organised forum / institution and its sole purpose would be to deal with the individual or collective rights of educators that compete with the rights of learners.