This study described, analyzed, and compared the internal and external factors that prevented or fostered the implementation of a cognitive tool, GeoGebra, in the mathematics practices of 12 middle school teachers who had completed a master's degree program in mathematics successfully. Through the application of a case study approach as a systematic method for the analysis of qualitative data, and under a social constructivist framework, the study examined different factors such as concerns of teachers; their beliefs about technology, mathematics as a subject, math teaching, and learning; external factors such as resources and school support; their TPACK development; and their instrumental orchestration approach through classroom observations. Among the major findings, the study revealed that the personal concerns of the teacher users of GeoGebra included the desire to continue learning the new features of the software, as well as the desire to connect themselves with others in common endeavors for the benefit of other teachers and, ultimately, the students... There was a consensus among the teacher users that they had to strike a balance between their professional goals and the available resources. / by Ana Escuder. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Computer technology has been used in education for years, and the government budgets large amounts of money to foster technology. However, it is still a debated whether computer technology makes a difference in students' learning outcomes. The purpose of this study is to find if any relationship exists between computer use by teachers and students and the students' academic achievement in math and reading for both traditional populations and English language learner (ELL) tenth graders. Computer use in this study included the computer activities by students and teachers, in terms of the time, frequency, activities types, the places students use computers, teachers' computer activities, and the training teachers received. This study used data gathered from tenth grade students from the dataset Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Fifteen thousand, three hundred and sixty-two students were randomly selected to represent all U.S. tenth-graders attending schools in 2002. The findings showed diverse relationships consistent with the literature. Based on the findings, some suggestions were made to teachers and parents about the quality of school work and computer use by students and teachers.

The fourth industrial revolution and twenty-first century employability development has emerged on education and political agendas as a priority all over the world. Researchers have suggested and investigated more innovative learning experiences using technology as part of a blended learning approach. Restructuring current programmes to include skills development has the potential to equip students with the skills needed for employment. The development of blended learning approaches is an expanding field in both developing and developed countries. Yet, the skills graduates display and employers’ dissatisfaction is a concern. Limited research has been conducted on the use of blended learning to enhance employability development in formal learning environments. Most of the available research relies on employer perceptions, with little data available on the knowledge, skills and values graduates actually possess or on the impact this has on employability outcomes. This study aims to address this gap by focussing on managing the quality of employability development in higher education using blended learning. The study was aimed at gaining insight into the perceptions, understanding, concerns and experiences of institutional managers, tutors, graduates and students in their real world when using blended learning to enhance graduateness. This aim made the qualitative research method a suitable match. This thesis reports on the resulting comparative study between a South African and an American institution using different blended learning approaches to compare different cases for similarities and variations. The South African higher education sector’s fitness for purpose and pursuit of benchmarking against international standards of academic quality, knowledge and expertise calls for redress and reform of teaching-learning. In the fourth industrial revolution with a 21st century knowledge economy, driven from a macro- meso- and microlevel perspective, higher education in South Africa has the potential to provide a workforce that is socially and economically viable and more inclusive. The thesis concludes with a model to support employability development in blended learning environments. / Uphuhliso lwezakhono nokuqesheka ngenkulungwane yamashumi amabini nanye,zivele kwii-ajenda yezemfundo kunye nezopolitiko njengeziqaqambileyo kwihlabathi jikelele. Abaphengululi bacebisile kwaye baphanda ngamanye amava amaninzi amatsha okufunda besebenzisa itheknoloji njengenxalenye yokuvelela ukufunda ngokuhlanganisiweyo/ngokudibeneyo. Ukulungiswa kwakhona iinkqubo ezikhoyo kubandakanywa uphuhliso lwezakhono kunako ukubaxhobisa abafundi ngezakhono ezifunekayo kwingqesho. Uphuhliso lokuvelela ukufunda okudibeneyo/okuhlangeneyo ngummandla owandayo kumazwe asakhulayo naselekhulile. Kunjalo, izakhono eziboniswa ngabafundi abanemfundo ephakamileyo,zibanga inkxalabo kubaqeshi. Uphando oluncinane luqhutyiwe ekusetyenzisweni kokufunda okuhlanganisiweyo ukuphucula uphuhliso lokuqeshwa kwiindawo zokufunda ezisemthethweni. Uninzi lophando olukhoyo luxhomekeka kwiimbono zomqeshi, onolwazi oluncinane kulwazi, izakhono kunye neenqobo ezisemgangathweni abafundi abanemfundo ephakamileyo ngokwenene abanazo okanye kwifuthe le nto enalo kwiziphumo zokuqesheka. Esi sifundo(Olu phononongo) sijolise ekuxazululeni/ ekudibeni lo msantsa ngokugxila ekulawuleni umgangatho wophuhliso lokuqesheka kwimfundo ephakamileyo kusetyenziswa ukufunda okuhlangeneyo. Uhlolisiso lwalujoliswe ekufumaneni ingqiqo kwiimbono, ekuqondeni, iinkxalabo kunye namava abalawuli beziko, abafundisi, abafundi kwizifundo zemfundo ephakamileyo abaphumeleleyo nabafundi kwilizwe labo lokwenene xa befunda ngendlela yokudibanisa ukufunda ukuphucula impumelelo yabo yokuba beneziqu. Le njongo yenza indlela yophando olusemgangathweni lufaneleke. Le ngxelo yeengcingane ezibhaliweyo engqinelwe zizixhobo ekukhutshweni kwengxelo kwizifundo zothelekiso phakathi kweziko loMzantsi Afrika neziko laseMerika kusetyenziswa uvelelo lwezifundo zokufunda ngokudibeneyo ezahlukileyo ukuthelekisa imiba eyahlukileyo kwefanayo kunye neyeleleneyo. Ukufanelekeka kwecandelo lemfundo ephakamileyo eMzantsi Afrika ngenjongo kunye nokulangazelela (nokusukela) imilinganiselo esemgangathweni yemilinganiselo yemfundo yamazwe ngamazwe, ulwazi kunye nobuchule bokulungisa nokutshintshwa kokufundisa nokufunda. Ngolwazi lwezoqoqosho lwenkulungwane yamashumi amabini nanye, oluqhutywa ngokwembono yenqanaba elikhuluu, eliphakathi nelincinane, imfundo ephakamileyo eMzantsi Afrika inokukwazi ukubonelela ngabasebenzi abafanelekileyo ngokwentlalo nangokwezoqoqosho kwaye ibandakanye okuninzi. Le thisisi iphetha okanye iphela ngemodeli/ ngomzekelo ukuxhasa uphuhliso lokuqesheka kwiindawo zokufunda ngokudibeneyo. / Ukuthuthukiswa kwamakhono kanye nokuqasheka kwabafundi abaphuma ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme kuleli khulu-nyaka lama-21 sekubonakala njengento eseqhulwini ezinhlelweni zezemfundo kanye nezepolitiki emhlabeni wonke jikelele. Abacwaningi sebephakamise futhi bacubungula izindlela nezinqubo zokufunda ezintsha kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe njengengxenye yokufunda okuxubile. Ukuhlelwa kabusha kwezinhlelo ezikhona njengamanje ngenhloso yokubandakanya ukuthuthukiswa kwamakhono kungabahlinzeka abafundi ngamakhono adingekayo ukuze baqashwe. Ukuthuthukiswa kwezindlela zokufunda okuxubile kungumkhakha okhulayo emazweni asathuthuka ngokunjalo nasemazweni asethuthukile. Kodwa-ke nakuba kunjalo, amakhono aboniswa ngabafundi abaphuma ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme, kanye nokungagculiseki kwabaqashi, kuseyinto edala ukukhathazeka impela. Lukhona ucwaningo oluncane oselwenziwe mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwezindlela zokufunda okuxubile ngenhloso yokuphucula ukuthuthukiswa kokuqasheka kwabafundi abaphuma ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ngaphansi kwezimo zokufunda ezihlelekile. Ucwaningo oluningi olukhona njengamanje luthembele emibonweni yabaqashi, futhi kunedatha encane kakhulu ekhona mayelana nolwazi, amakhono kanye nezimompilo abanazo abafundi asebephothule iziqu zabo noma idatha ephathelene nomthelela walokhu emiphumeleni yokuqasheka kwabo. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuvala leli gebe ngokuthi lugxile ekuphatheni nokulawula ikhwalithi yokuthuthukiswa kokuqasheka kwabafundi asebephothule iziqu zabo ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ngokusebenzisa ukufunda okuxubile. Ngalolu cwaningo kwabe kuhloswe ukuthola ulwazi olunzulu mayelana nemibono, ukuqonda, ukukhathazeka kanye nezimo abadlule kuzona abaphathi bezikhungo, abafundisi, abafundi asebephothule iziqu zabo kanye nezitshudeni esimweni soqobo abaphila ngaphansi kwaso lapho kusetshenziswa ukufunda okuxubile ukuze kwenziwe ngcono amathuba abo okuthi babe sebezuze ulwazi namakhono anohlonze ngenkathi bephothula iziqu zabo. Le nhloso yenza ukuthi indlela yocwaningo olukhwalithethivu kube ngefanelekile kulolu cwaningo. Le thisisi ihlinzeka umbiko mayelana nocwaningo lokuqhathanisa oluwumphumela walokhu olwenziwe phakathi kwesikhungo saseNingizimu Afrika kanye nesikhungo saseMelika kusetshenziswa izindlela ezihlukahlukene zokufunda okuxubile ngenhloso yokuqhathanisa izimo ezihlukahlukene ukuze kubhekwe izinto ezifanayo kanye nalezo ezihlukile kulezo zimo. Ukufaneleka komkhakha wezemfundo ephakeme waseNingizimu Afrika ukuqhathaniseka namazinga amazwe ngamazwe ekhwalithi yezemfundo, ulwazi kanye nobungoti kudinga ukuthi kulungiswe konke lokho okungahanjiswanga ngendlela efanele esikhathini esedlule futhi kulethwe izinguquko emkhakheni wezokufunda nokufundisa. Emnothweni wolwazi wekhulu-nyaka lama-21, oqhutshwa ngokwezinga elibanzi, elimaphakathi kanye nelincane, umkhakha wemfundo ephakeme unawo amandla okuhlinzeka ngabasebenzi abangaletha impumelelo nokusimama kwezenhlalo nakwezomnotho, futhi okungabasebenzi ababandakanya izinhlobo zabantu abavela emikhakheni yempilo ehlukahlukene kanye nasezigabeni zomphakathi ezihlukahlukene. Le thisisi iphothula ngokuhlinzeka ngemodeli ezosekela ukuthuthukiswa kokuqasheka kwabafundi ngaphansi kwezimo zokufunda okuxubile. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)