M.Ed. / In the light of the foregoing postulation of the problems and issues to be addressed, the present research study was aimed at determining the problems of Grade 1 and 2 facilitators with respect to Curriculum 2005, with a view to developing guidelines which the educational psychologist could follow in support of teachers' efforts to implement and apply Curriculum 2005. The study had as its point of reference an ecosystemic theoretical framework in terms of which the aim, nature and origin of the outcomes-based approach to teaching and learning, as well as the advancement thereof in Western countries, were discussed. In addition, the researcher took a closer look at how the said system impacted on the facilitator's role in the foundation phase, as well as at the paradigm shift with respect to facilitator resistance. The results of the study indicated that facilitators deemed the in-service training, advising, support and guidance of the Department to be bewildering, incongruent and akin to information overload. The majority of facilitators concurred, however, that extensive retraining and experimental practice with respect to the implementation and application of Curriculum 2005 could possibly solve a myriad of problems regarding the implementation of this curriculum. In addition, facilitators seemed to feel a clamant need for continued support and advice from the Department, as well as from the school in its capacity of a system. The future perspective hinged upon both positive and negative sentiments, however. Negative perceptions involved the failure of Curriculum 2005, whilst positive experiences, on the other hand, centred around the suitability of the model for learners' social and cognitive development and their chances of success, since they experience the implementation as a process. In spite of in-service training and the provision of documentation on the new system of education and learning, facilitators still exhibit an alarming ignorance of the philosophy and concepts underpinning OBE — ignorance that could only be explained in terms of the inadequate in-service training offered to facilitators and their lack of motivation as far as self-development is concerned. Recommendations for policy makers are also incorporated in the guidelines

M. Tech. (Department of Hospitality, Tourism and PR Management)/ -- Vaal University of Technology / Both under and over nutrition are prevalent among children in South Africa. At national level, children suffered from under nutrition. Childhood malnutrition starts early in life, the first two years being the most vulnerable period. Malnutrition is a public health problem in South Africa, especially in young children, requiring a systematic approach to improve nutrition services and promote behavior change. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the nutritional status of the primary school children in Qwa-Qwa in South Africa. The study was carried out in two phases, namely Phase 1 (Planning) and Phase 2 (data collection and analysis of socio-demographics, 24-hour recall, a food frequency questionnaire, dietary diversity and anthropometric measurements). Weight and height were measured for 70 children (100% of the sample) and analysed according to the World Health Organization documents (WHO 2007) to determine nutritional status of the respondents. The data were captured on an Excel spreadsheet by the researcher and analysed for descriptive statistics such as frequencies, standard deviations and confidence intervals on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 18.0 program. A convenience sample of 70 primary school children aged 7-13 years, including girls (n=38) and boys (n=32) forming part of 105 purposively selected households were recruited for the study. The results showed that the majority of the households (80.4%) had been living in Qwa-Qwa for more than five years and lived in RDP brick houses (86.7%) with more than four rooms (56.3%). The monthly income of the households was less than R1000.00 in the majority of the households (73.9%) and 42.0% of the households spent < R100 on food per week which is calculated at R14.29 per day and R 2.86 per household member per day. The respondents consumed a mainly carbohydrate rich diet as 10 of the 20 most consumed food items were carbohydrates (mean daily intake) such as stiff maize meal porridge(195g), soft maize meal porridge (174g) , brown and white bread(122g), potato, cooked (66g), samp, cooked (187g), potato fries (85g), breakfast cereal (300g) and rice cooked (140g). Only three vegetables and fruit formed part of the Top 20 food items mostly consumed. It is showed that very small portion sizes of mostly the vegetables and fruit as well as the protein-rich food sources were consumed. The dietary intakes of the nutrients showed deficient intakes of all except, carbohydrate, iron, Vitamin K and B12. However, these nutrients showed an adequate intake, but there were still 38% of all respondents who did not consume 100% of the EAR for the CHO compared to 38%, 73%, 71% and 60% for Fe, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and K respectively. Vitamin C intakes were low which was consistent with only three vegetables and fruit which showed that children consumed small amounts of vegetables and fruit portions. The mean (±SD) Food Variety Score for all the food groups consumed from all the food groups in a period of seven days was 23.96 (±16.08). These results revealed poor dietary diversity. Cereal was the food group with the highest mean food variety score in this study population. The mean ±SD FVS of 23.96 (±16.08) revealed poor dietary diversity in the children despite the relatively high food variety (88 individual foods consumed in seven days). More boys (28.5%) were underweight (<-2SD) compared to fewer girls (17.4%). There is thus acute malnutrition in this group of the children which is consisted with the insufficient food intakes reflected by the 24-hour recall and dietary diversity measurements. Stunting was prevalent in 21.1% and 18.7% of the girls and boys respectively, with 4.3% of all the children being severely stunted (<-3SD). This indicates chronic malnutrition and or the presence of infections over a long period leading to failure of linear growth. None of the boys and girls were overweight or obese, whilst (71.8 %) of boys and (81.5%) of girls were of normal weight. It can be concluded that poverty, household food insecurity and poor dietary intakes and diversity resulted in poor nutritional status of the children in this community. The high prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes and poor nutritional status (under-nutrition) amongst the children in this study, demonstrates the need for effective sustainable food and nutrition interventions aimed at improving dietary intake and diversity as well as the poor nutritional status. / Vaal University of Technology, SANPAD

A research report submitted to the school of Education, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science Johannesburg 2017 / South African learners perform poorly in national and international mathematics assessments (Howie, 2004). A contributing factor to this poor performance is low mathematics knowledge of mathematics teachers in South Africa (Howie, 2003). One means of addressing this is professional development programs. The Wits Maths Connect Secondary Project runs such a program. A test is required by the project in order to assess whether learners are making learning gains after being taught by teachers who participated in this program. The focus of this study is the design of a test used to assess learners’ algebraic attainment. The aim is to design an informative and fair test using Rasch analysis. A sample of 235 learners’ responses to 47 questions was analysed using the Rasch model. In this study, the mean person measure was 2,87 (SD=1,38) logits, while the mean item measure was 0,41 (SD=2,25) logits, suggesting that overall, the test was too difficult. For the learners who wrote this test the person separation index is 1,78 and the person reliability 0,76. This implies that the test may not be not sensitive enough to distinguish between learners of high attainment from learners with low attainment. Various ways of improving the test are discussed. / MT 2018

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This study aimed at exploring the experiences of Social Sciences teachers in secondary schools with regard to the implementation of the evolving curriculum policies in schools. In order for the study to be successful, a comprehensive literature review was done, and not only teachers, but also Curriculum advisors and circuit managers were selected and interviewed for the researcher to gain insight of the daily experiences in schools as they work with teachers on daily basis. The interviewees were from the Capricorn District in Mankweng circuit. The researcher used data collection instruments in a form of questerviews and individual interviews. The instruments were guided by the objectives of the study. The sampling was made in this cluster taking into cognisance its vastness, since it consists of 5 circuits which are Mankweng Circuit, Kgakotlou Circuit, Mamabolo Circuit, Lebopo Circuit and Dimamo Circuit. The total number of schools in all the circuits is 62. The study focused on the chosen high schools which comprised 2 schools per circuit and a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 teachers per school were interviewed. One circuit manager and curriculum advisor were also interviewed in the study. The study’s findings revealed that there is a lack of thorough training. This is in spite of the fact that the department hosts a series of briefings which do not seem to achieve the expected outcomes due to the limited time allocated. In the view of teachers, training serves as a cornerstone for the implementation of the curriculum policies. Findings also showed that teachers were overloaded due to low enrolment as many children prefer schools with a good infrastructure which many rural schools lack. Poor enrolment results in limited teachers who are overloaded as they end up having to teach many subjects. Since teachers are partners in education, the study made recommendations that teachers be given enough training to overcome implementation challenges. Teachers should also further their studies in order to improve their knowledge regarding curriculum changes. The universities should also serve as partners in empowering teachers with policy developments. Lastly, teachers should be assessed more often on curriculum policies to avoid the incorrect implementation of policies

Research reveals that policy intentions seldom define classroom practice. This research study uses continuous assessment as the 'case' to explore the policy-practice relationship. The research approach adopted involved a critical review of policy documents on continuous assessment; interviews with Department officials; a survey questionnaire on continuous assessment distributed to teachers in ten secondary schools; and a detailed exploration of continuous assessment practice in three institutional settings. The findings show that continuous assessment is rarely implemented as policy intended; teachers at the classroom level have transformed the aims of policy-makers to the extent that implementation proceeds at some distance from the original policy intentions; and teachers are experiencing numerous problems in attempting to implement continuous assessment. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1997.

The Department of Education has introduced a policy of Continuous Assessment (CASS) in grades 11 and 12. This, however, does not mean that the current policies such as senior certificate examinations will immediately change. It appears that the old and the new practices will co-exist. This implementation of CASS took place in some environments characterised by enormous infra-structural backlogs, resource limitations, inadequate supply of quality learning support materials and absence of common national standards for learning and assessments. Consequently, the purpose of this interpretive research is to investigate how CASS has been implemented in grades 11 and 12 Physical Science classrooms in three disadvantaged secondary schools. This research study is a qualitative case study of three secondary schools in a school circuit. The three secondary schools were chosen on the basis of their varying socio-economic backgrounds and history related to quality of work and innovation. The research study examines the contexts and processes that took place during the implementation of CASS in these schools. The principal theories underpinning this study are those supporting educational change and curriculum innovation. The argument is that different understandings of the nature of the curriculum have important implications for the implementation of curriculum change. The literature was reviewed to expand the argument that curriculum change has different meanings and is dependent on the context. In this research study, curriculum changes in South Africa, the meaning of curriculum changes, CASS and CASS policy are discussed. The research methods used to gather data are semi-structured interviews, document analysis and questionnaires. The participants in this study were grade 11 and 12 Physical Science teachers, the Science Head of Departments (HOD) and grade 11 and 12 Physical Science learners from each school. The three schools were visited in the second half of 2002. This research study considered the roles and importance of learners, teachers, school management team, community and external inputs for the successful implementation of CASS. The feedback from teachers, HOD's, and learners were analysed and discussed. The schools were found to have profiles and strategies that were unique, but also some principles, practices and characteristics were common. The overall findings show that CASS has been implemented in these classrooms, but the strategies that are mostly used are those which were used in a content-based curriculum. For example, tests, classwork and homework were common in these schools. This study therefore suggests that more thorough and different support and developmental programmes be put in place so as to equip teachers with the skills necessary to implement CASS. This study also suggests that further research in schools be conducted, so that the best procedures are used to ensure the effective implementation of curriculum innovation in South Africa. / Theses (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

During the years of apartheid (pre 1994) there were two main streams that one could follow while studying at school viz. academic or technical. The majority of South African learners followed the more traditional academic stream allowing some to enter careers as doctors, lawyers, policemen/woman, school teachers and the like, while the remainder ended up jobless. Those pupils who followed the technical stream were considered by some of the more academically inclined persons, to be the 'duller' type of pupil, who could learn a trade and end up as a blue-collar worker. As the cost of technical education has always been much higher than the purely academic courses, the number of schools offering technical subject courses in South Africa has always been in the minority. The entire scene changed after the banning of apartheid (post 1994) and the introduction of the notion of globalisation. Rapid developments suddenly appeared world-wide especially with the introduction of new technologies, mainly in informatics. Suddenly the world seemed to be a much smaller place as one could e-mail, fax, or use a cell phone anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. In order for South Africa to become part of the new world order, and to think about global markets, certain essential changes had to be made firstly to the local environment. A depressed economy needed rejuvenation. There was a growing awareness that serious change was needed in the way children think and learn at school and to start aligning ideas with international trends. To do this, the Department of Education in Pretoria (DoE), decided to radically transform the education sector by introducing a new system of education known as outcomes-based education (OBE). The new OBE system brought with it mixed reactions from the South African public and from the teachers within the system. Many teachers did not want to accept that education could be done in a different way than they had been used to, in the past twenty to forty years. Younger teachers on the other hand did embrace change but are still trying to get the right balance within the prescribed parameters laid down in national education policy documents. To try and achieve such balance, the minister of education called for an independent review committee to re-work the general education and training phase curricula in order for them to be made more 'user-friendly' as many complaints had been received about the policy documents being overly complicated and unmanageable in the normal classroom situation. This process was concluded in May 2001 and Technology education remained as one of the eight new learning areas within the general education and training phase (GET) of South African schooling. The first draft of the Technology education curriculum was handed out for public comment in October 1997 and was used as the basis for a pilot study at selected schools in 1998. This information was used as the basis for analyzing the design of the Technology curriculum at grade 9 level. Grade 9 was selected as it is the final exit from general education and training (GET) into further education and training (FET), and because it was the starting point for the pilot project in 1998. Valuable data was available at the pilot project school sites to be used in this study. Not all the provinces were able to initiate a pilot project due to a number of reasons but those that did viz. Kwazulu/Natal, Gauteng, and the Western Cape were visited individually to collect data. This study therefore 'unpacks' the Technology curriculum into component parts using an analysis tool developed from a theoretical framework. This unpacking of the parts allows one the opportunity to critically check whether or not certain important aspects of the design were omitted either intentionally or unintentionally by the design team (NTT). Chapter one orientates the reader and sets the scene from where I, as researcher, locate myself and what the prevailing conditions are like at South African schools. The study problem is highlighted as are the obstacles that have tended to have an impact on the final curriculum design. Chapter two provides an overview of the related theory associated with the field of curriculum study. Technology education is discussed as broadly as possible within the framework of the new OBE education system for South African schools. Chapter three discusses the methodologies applied to ensure reliability and validity of the findings. The design analysis tool is presented with an explanation of each of the eight components. Chapter four relates an interesting story about the findings. A description of the educational sites is presented together with descriptions of the educators at the six pilot schools, as well as some background of the national technology design team (NTT). All recorded evidence was gathered during personal visits to the schools and individual meetings with the design team members. Chapter five provides a discussion of the data to analyse the Technology curriculum. In this way the reader is directed to the problem areas that were identified and supported the purpose of this curriculum study. Chapter six firstly answers the three critical questions posed in Chapter one. An alternative model for curriculum design and development is presented. This theoretical model is intended to reduce the weaknesses of the present curriculum design if applied to any similar initiative in the future. This will allow educators greater freedom to do what they do best - to teach from a curriculum policy that they clearly understand and are trained to deliver. In this way South African schools and all learners will be rewarded by being well prepared for a variety of challenging careers in the global world that we live in. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2002.

This study was an exploration of the educators' perceptions of the management approach to change in a particular primary school and this was related to the educator attitudes towards change. Information was gathered by means of a literature and empirical study. A qualitative method was used by conducting a case study in a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal, to investigate the management of change, with reference to the implementation of the new IQMS (Integrated Quality Management System For School Based - Educators) and how this change management was perceived by educators to be impacting on their attitudes towards change. The various management theories provided a sound understanding of the different management approaches to change. Four factors that had an impact on the research were considered namely: change; educator attitudes; managing change and change implementation. The data for the case study was obtained by means of questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were administered to thirty educators and interviews were conducted with nine members at the school. Descriptive statistics were carried out to analyse the information received from the questionnaires and interviews. The findings of the study were that, there are forces (and needs) for change in the organisation, for example IQMS was externally mandated to be implemented in all schools. The literature review illustrated that there are personal factors that affect educator attitudes to implementation, however this dissertation focussed on the management of change and how the management approach affected educator attitudes towards change. In conclusion, a summary of the findings from the literature study and the findings of the case study were presented. It was found that generally change management impacted positively on educator attitudes towards change at this school. Statistical analysis showed positive relationships between management and the staff. However certain areas as suggested in the literature needs to be improved by the management of the organisation. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

This study primarily looked at teachers¡¦ experiences of the IQMS evaluation and its impact on their professional development. IQMS has been actively introduced at the school system for the past five years. The purpose of this study is two fold. Firstly, this study wants to explore the outcomes of IQMS within the school context with a specific focus on outcomes relates to teachers. Secondly, this study wants to document the experience of schools¡¦ trip through the IQMS process from the perspectives of teachers and the school managers. A survey methodology was used to produce the data together with the analysis thereof. Some of the key findings from this study reveal that: Teachers with lower teaching qualifications and teaching experiences perceived IQMS to be beneficial to them, while teachers with higher qualifications and longer teaching experiences were suspicious of the IQMS process. Younger teachers tend to have more positive feelings towards IQMS while older teachers tend to have negative feelings towards IQMS. On the other hand middle aged teachers tend to have mixed feelings towards IQMS. The IQMS evaluation report had a positive impact on teachers in general, in terms of them identifying a need to develop themselves. Some of the key recommendations in relation to this study are: The Department of Education should ensure that sufficient workshops and trainings are properly planned and provision is made for in service training of teachers. Quality education can only be possible if the Department of Education ensures that all schools are well resourced. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study explores assessor approaches and values in Design programmes at / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.