published_or_final_version / Curriculum Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (M.S.)--Southern Oregon University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-93). Also available via Internet as PDF file through Southern Oregon Digital Archives: http://soda.sou.edu. Search Bioregion Collection.

The study aimed at researching the role of materials in flexible learning teacher education courses, specifically looking at the Eastern Cape Teacher Course as a case study. The research aimed at exploring how courses and materials were developed, selected, used and adapted or redeveloped so as to support the course orientation and the intended outcomes. I did this with the hope that my research might inform the process of improving the role of course materials in flexible learning teacher education courses. I did a naturalistic enquiry within which I interviewed 39 participants (teachers and teacher educators) and two course co-ordinators. I also analysed documents such as the course materials, nine participants' journals and seven of their assignments. The observation notes compiled during the early days of the course were not used as a main source of data but as support to data sources mentioned above. Questionnaires were handed out to all the course participants, i.e. course co-ordinators, tutors and student participants. The questionnaires were intended as a means for pre interview and post interview reflection for interviewees. Through this research, I have learnt a lot about the role of materials in professional development courses, including the importance of mediation of materials and their overt use during course sessions, the importance of providing and encouraging a culture of reading through time allocation during contact sessions, through discussions on materials, and also through providing orientating comm~nts on materials rather than just handing them out to participants. Readings that are more focussed do better to motivate participants to interact with them.

The role played by Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre (SEEC) in the development of environmental awareness to its neighbouring schools has been established, described and explored. Schoemansdal's role was evaluated in relation to what other environmental education centers around the world are doing as strategies of developing environmental awareness to their neighbouring schools and communities. Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre acted as a case study and its findings are supplemented by valuable data from seventeen schools, which were selected in the Zoutpansberg West Circuit by the researcher. The sole aim was to enhance information gathered at Schoemansdal EEC with regard to its role of making the neighbouring schools aware of environmental issues. Although the research question has been adequately explored, the study does not claim to be exhaustive and without limitations. The recommendations made by the study, based on the findings will be of value to environmental officers, environmental educationists, teachers and education policy makers involved with EE implementation in formal education. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Environmental Education)

The aim of this study was to find out how praxis is fostered in professional development processes, through the assignment four of the Rhodes University / Swaziland Participatory course in Environmental Education (referred to as the Swaziland course), in the Swaziland context. The research aimed at exploring instances of praxis in assignment four development processes and in implementing the assignment ‘product’ in the field of participants’ practice at their schools. The research is intended to improve practice in professional development in the Swaziland course, and in the SADC region more broadly, although the case study does not assume generalisability. The study employed a naturalistic research methodology, involving the development of an interpretive case study to aid understanding of social phenomena in the natural setting. It is influenced by the belief that knowledge is socially constructed and the assumption that meanings are generated and shared through language. The research methods involved observing interactions in the course processes during tutorials sessions and I compiled a course processes profile. I also analyzed copies of assignment four products of two course participants, and observed them using their assignment ‘products’ in their workplaces. Using this data, I generated two ‘constructions’ of the two course participants’ experiences of praxis-based assignment work in the Swaziland course. I also interviewed two course tutors. Data was analysed with an intention to understand actions and interactions relating to praxis-based assignment work. Two ‘layers’ of data analysis were undertaken, to deepen understanding of the phenomenon studied. Through this research I have learnt that though assignment processes enable praxis basedlearning, there are problems encountered in participants’ field of practice due to power relations and participants articulation of the relationship between theory and practice. These, and other structural factors impinge on reflexive agency in the context of both educational and environmental praxis. The structures in the school system frustrate reflexive agency in environmental teaching and learning, and socio-political and socio-economic structures also constrain environmental praxis, hence false consciousness prevails. Given the above situation I recommend further research into the relationship between environmental and educational praxis in environmental education and further research into reflexive agency in environmental education contexts.

There are many curriculum guides that address environmental education. Classroom teachers do not have the time to obtain and search all of these guides. This curriculum was developed by searching numerous manuals for appropriate lessons, developing a cohesive unit, and field testing the lessons on students in two classrooms. The project, as a whole, offers teachers a thematic, multi-disciplinary, hands-on, literature based method of developing students' appreciation and understanding of the world in which they live.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education