D.Ed. / Schools have to provide quality education and maintain appropriate educational standards. Over and above that, schools have to deliver acceptable results. That will be the hallmark of schools being effective. Again, modem day schools can no longer be managed on an old fashioned way like in the past. School conditions have changed and keep on altering. Effectiveness and ineffectiveness could result from the changed teaching and learning environment. The main focus of this study is to investigate how public secondary schools in the Northern Province could be assisted to overcome ineffectiveness through the employment of vision and mission statements. Attention is placed on how clearly formulated vision and mission statements could be utilized to create effective schools. The main research question which has been driving the entire study is: What is the role and importance of clearly formulated vision and mission statements in developing and promoting school effectiveness in schools in the Northern Province? What are the perceptions of educators (principals and teachers) and parents with regard to the development and implementation of vision and mission statement in their schools? As already stated, the principal focus of the research is to address the problem of ineffectiveness as witnessed by some public secondary schools. The problem of ineffectiveness by schools is investigated from the point of view of vision and mission statements. This therefore, suggests that vision and mission statement have to be comprehended as interventionist strategy to assist ineffective schools to replace ineffectiveness with effectiveness. Vision and mission statements are located within a school as a learning organization. The reason for this is that in a learning organization every member feels an urge and drive to contribute his or her talent to the development of school as an organization. Again, in a school setting, these statements need to be approached as part of the school's comprehensive strategic plan. It is in that way that vision and mission statements could impact the school's organization structure, management process, management strategy, innovative ideas, values and culture. This will enable these statements to facilitate the occurrence of quality teaching and learning in schools.

The importance of secondary school education in moulding learners into responsible citizens of tomorrow cannot be ignored or undermined. Secondary school education is the stepping stone for unlimited opportunities for learners to explore the career choices that they have to pursue further in their lives. Every year the performance of secondary schools in the matric examination come under spotlight as soon as the results are published. Many schools in the previously disadvantaged communities perform poorly in the matric examination each year. This research aims at drawing up management strategies that could be used to improve the performance of learners in the matric examination in the poorly performing schools. The literature study reveals that effective management and leadership is an essential characteristic of a successful school. Managers of schools that are poorly performing in the matric examination have to set up proper systems in place to ensure effective teaching and learning. Effective participation of all stakeholders in the management of the education of the learners is essential to improve the academic performance of learners in the matric examination. Quality subject delivery by educators in the classroom is the most important and indispensable factor that can improve the academic performance of learners in the secondary schools. Active participation of parents in the education of their children is essential to improve the discipline of the school as well as the academic performance of the learners. The literature study also reveals that poor socio-economic conditions can negatively influence the academic performance of learners. Schools that are poorly performing require visionary and innovative managers to turn them around into centres of excellence. Managers of schools have to seek the assistance and cooperation of the community and the business people to improve the quality of education provided in schools. Availability of necessary physical facilities enhance the quality of teaching and learning and the academic performance of learners in the various subjects. A questionnaire was used to collect the data required for this research. Forty schools that are poorly performing and forty schools that are well performing in the matric examinations were selected for this research. All these schools exist in the previously disadvantaged communities. Based on the information gathered using the questionnaire, each item in the questionnaire is analysed and discussed. After the factor analysis, the significance of the difference between the factor means of the various groups for each of the factors were analysed and explained. The data obtained suggests that in many schools (66,5% of schools surveyed), there is a lack of effective management structures that are essential for the implementation of quality teaching and learning. Lack of support and active participation of the parents in the education of the learners can be noticed from the information gathered. Poor management of school resources for effective teaching and learning can be also observed from the data collected. Lack of physical facilities is still a major problem in many (54,5% of the schools surveyed) schools. Lack of shared vision and cooperation among the stakeholders of education for the provision of quality education is evident in many schools. Ill-disciplined and non-committed learner bodies are a major challenge to many schools in the previously disadvantaged communities. The research shows that, organisational support and individual support are crucial to the success and the improvement of the academic performance of a school. The management strategies to improve the academic performance of previously disadvantaged schools in the grade 12 examination has two components namely: organisational support and individual support. The SMTs of schools have to set up management systems in place to ensure effective teaching and learning at schools. It is the responsibility of the SMTs to provide a suitable atmosphere needed for effective curriculum delivery at schools. The human, physical and financial resources of a school should be managed most effectively for quality education for all. Management strategies that will provide opportunities for all stakeholders to participate effectively in the school development programmes should be organised by the SMTs of schools. Schools have to introduce and implement strategies to improve the learner attendance and discipline for quality education and to improve the academic performance. The SMTs of schools have to introduce programmes that will increase the participation and support of parents in the education of learners. The academic performance of schools cannot be improved without providing sufficient individual support to the learners and educators. Based on the needs of the educators and learners, schools have to organise various programmes to support them to improve the academic performance in the grade 12 examination. Workshops and in-house training for educators are some of the ways to support the educators to enhance the quality of curriculum delivery at schools. Additional academic support programmes like extra lessons during afternoons and holidays can assist learners to improve their performance. Schools should have necessary systems in place to address the socio-economic needs of learners. In chapter 6, the findings of the research as well as the recommendations of management strategies to improve the academic performance of previously disadvantaged schools in the grade 12 examination are also given. / Prof. T.C. Bisschoff

No description available.

This research study has emerged as a result of my concern regarding the apparent low self-efficacy amongst initial teacher education students in my mathematics education classes. It also reflects a reported renewed interest in values, and the promotion of excellence in education. The effects of a values-based approach to mathematics education towards improving students’ self-efficacy and promoting excellence have been investigated, grounded within my ontology of excellence in mathematics education, which incorporates the values of respect, fairness, accountability, honesty and compassion. An inquiry-based teaching and learning approach formed the framework within which the study took place. Notions of ‘new scholarship’, premised on the view that teaching is about engagement in participatory learning, and the development of communities of creative students, provided the theoretical framework. Both quantitative and qualitative data gathering methods were used. Data-collection tools included affective-disposition statements, interviews, journal entries, as well as a video recording of a mathematics education lesson. The quantitative and qualitative data generated suggest improved levels of self-efficacy amongst the students who participated in the study. The data also suggest that a valuesbased approach to teaching can be used as an effective approach by mathematics teachers – and mathematics teacher educators – for the purpose of promoting the pursuit of excellence. As teacher education worldwide is currently characterised by a lack of vitality in teacher preparation (Grossman, 2008), the findings of this study should provide insights for teacher educators, teachers and policy makers who wish to promote mathematics self-efficacy, excellence and facilitate enhanced vitality within the teaching profession.

M.Ed. / The researcher’s initial observations and discussions with educators revealed that secondary schools in the Northern Free State district perform below the required standard. The problem of this research lies in the lack of effectiveness in secondary schools which is due to factors such as historical political development, the collapse of the culture of teaching and learning at schools, under qualified teachers and poor infrastructure. These factors made worse by lack of clearly defined models for improving school effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to suggest and develop a model for improving schools effectiveness in the Northern Free State district and to determine the extent to which secondary schools in the Northern Free State district are using the Total Quality Management approaches or the Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS) approaches as well as characterizing those secondary schools that are viewed as effective or ineffective. The research method is qualitative in nature. The researcher collected data through observations, interviews and analysis of school records. The findings of this research support the purpose of the study which is to develop a model for improving secondary schools effectiveness. This research is regarded as a direction pointer in the development of the model that can be effectively applicable to improve effectiveness of the secondary schools in the Northern Free State district and the country as a whole hence it is recommended that the suggested model which is a combination of the known powerful models for improving school effectiveness be expanded to other schools.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Some teamwork in learning are effective and others are not. There are a number of factors or attributes that are needed for the implementation of an effective teamwork. The aim of this study was to describe how learners grapple with the use of teamwork for effective teaching and learning in impoverished rural secondary schools. A case study research design was adopted to gather data. The study was conducted in Luthuli Park Combined School in Limpopo Province. The research participants were learners from this school. The study was oriented in an interpretive paradigm following mixed methods approach. Multiple methods of data collection were used. First, data were collected through individual interviews with learners. Second, questionnaires were distributed to the learners to gather quantitative data. Finally, an observation method was used to collect data such as time management by learners, their behavioural patterns and the way they team themselves in the classroom. The study found that the majority of the learners did not listen to suggestions from their team members; they lacked listening skills. In particular, the study indicated that 46% of the learners listened to each other’s suggestions while 54% reported that they did not listen to each other’s suggestions. The main finding of the study is that teamwork among learners is still problematic. The conditions within the classroom prohibited the effectiveness of teamwork. For example, lack of textbooks, physical resources (chairs, desks, data projectors, et cetera). The findings of the study reveal an indecisive and autocratic mind-set among learners regarding the involvement of teamwork. The study recommends that the implementation of effective teamwork will play a vital role in improving performance of the learners.

This mixed-methods study examined the extent to which teacher performance and student performance measures correlated, and to understand which specific practices of mathematics teachers in Grades 3-5 related to student performance. Research was conducted at five elementary schools in a large, urban north Texas school district. Data sources included component scores and recorded evidence from observation rubrics, interviews with campus administrators, and value-added modeling (VAM) student growth scores. Findings indicated a modest relationship between teacher performance levels and student performance levels. Lack of access to individual teacher VAM data, per district policy, might have impacted the strength of the relationship. Interviews with administrators and an examination of the evidence cited in the observation rubrics identified specific practices associated with highly rated mathematics teaching. Differences in administrators’ experience levels with both mathematics instruction and the observation instrument might have influenced rubric scores and the level of specificity shown in evidence statements.

MEd / Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Management

A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Education University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education. / This qualitative research aims to explore the constructs of Bridging Classes within a mainstream environment. The investigation focuses primarily on how the teacher works with what Bernstein (1973) considers key aspects to education relay, namely curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Bridging Classes are provided for learners with moderate learning disabilities that may be caused by an attention deficit disorder or emotional upheaval due to chaotic home circumstances. The deconstruction process is conducted through the lens of Productive Pedagogy which Lingard, Hayes & Mills (2003) developed with four key components, namely, Intellectual Quality, Supportive Classroom Environment, Engagement with Difference, and Connectedness to the World. Productive Pedagogies support sociologists, Bernstein’s (2004) and Bourdieu’s (1999) belief that a universal pedagogy could ensure that learners from all backgrounds can access knowledge. The pedagogy applied in Bridging Class supports this notion by using a high quality curriculum but working at a slower pace, providing opportunities to consolidate concepts and integrating learners back into the mainstream when they are ready. Three teachers from Grade 1, 2, and 3 respectively were asked to participate in this research. The investigation comprised of interviews and observations of Maths and English lessons. The teachers were asked, during interviews, to reflect on their perceptions, experiences and pedagogy as Bridging Class teachers. The research applied a thematic analysis to identify patterns within the data set After coding, themes which emerged were the Cognitive and Academic Challenges Bridging Class learners experience. There are also suggested Strategies for Support to create a learning environment to enhance the academic and social outcomes for Bridging Class learners in a mainstream school. Key Words: Bridging Class, Mainstream, Productive Pedagogy, learning disabilities, perceptions, experience, support, strategies, learning environment. / MT2017

Bibliography: pages 167-184. / Through this study I will be able to focus on how school effectiveness factors as identified in school effectiveness literature operate in relation to the individual circumstances of a particular school. This is an element that signifies a point of departure from the school effectiveness paradigm that sought to generalize or view such factors as operating similarly in all schools with similar outcomes. Through this study I intend to understand that factors of effectiveness identified in school effectiveness literature operate differently in different schools.