Submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instructional Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2013. / This study is aimed at understanding the efficacy of the implementation of the national curriculum innovations called “Foundations for Learning Campaign” in schools under uThungulu District, within the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Furthermore, it included assessing the level of preparedness of educators in their teaching of basic skills in the classroom and identifying the gaps in the dissemination and implementation of curriculum innovations. The view upheld within this study was that ‘the use of alternative strategies to implement national curriculum innovations in schools is of no use if the school practitioners are sidelined in the development, planning and organisation processes of the innovation.” The study targeted foundation and intermediate phase teachers from grades one to six teaching numeracy/literacy and languages/mathematics, from whom a sample of 120 teachers was purposefully selected as they were the initial focus of the Foundations for Learning Campaign. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the collection of data. The findings revealed that majority of the educators were not adequately equipped with skills and expertise to implement the Foundations for Learning Campaign effectively and efficiently in the classroom. Inadequate preparation was due to the following reasons: lack of sufficient time allocated for training, inappropriate and irrelevant training and inadequately trained facilitators. In addition, there is a lack of professional development programmes and school-based activities to enhance the teaching and learning of basic skills. Inadequate supervision, monitoring and support from both the staff management team and subject advisors/specialists predominantly prevailed during the implementation of the Foundations for Learning Campaign. Furthermore, the model used to cascade the national curriculum innovation to schools identified within the study was inadequate for the efficacious implementation of the Foundations for Learning Campaign. The study recommends that: teacher orientation, training and support processes should be refined; a high teacher-pupil ratio needs to be phased out and discouraged; a variety of quality Learner Teacher Support Material should be readily available and easily accessible to educators in the classroom to enhance the teaching and learning of languages and mathematics; on-going supervision, monitoring and support from the staff management team and subject advisors/specialists are necessary with regards to curriculum implementation; and finally professional development programmes and school based activities currently in place need to be evaluated and reviewed.

In response to local and international findings which reflected over a number of years that South African learners cannot read and write at their expected levels, the Department of Education (DoE) launched the Foundations for Learning Campaign (FFLC) in March 2008 as an intervention strategy. It is against this background that a research project was initiated to investigate the impact of the FFLC on teachers’ classroom instruction and the reading culture of foundation phase learners. Qualitative interviews and observations were used to collect data from the participants. While many of the participating teachers had found creative ways to make the new policy work in their own literacy classrooms, the study found that there was no sufficient training of teachers and other stakeholders prior to the launch of the FFLC. The lack of monitoring and support by the DoE was also seen as a hindrance to the success of the initiative. I concluded the study by recommending that the time is ripe for a more detailed and introspective reflection and review of the FFLC policy. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

In response to local and international findings which reflected over a number of years that South African learners cannot read and write at their expected levels, the Department of Education (DoE) launched the Foundations for Learning Campaign (FFLC) in March 2008 as an intervention strategy. It is against this background that a research project was initiated to investigate the impact of the FFLC on teachers’ classroom instruction and the reading culture of foundation phase learners. Qualitative interviews and observations were used to collect data from the participants. While many of the participating teachers had found creative ways to make the new policy work in their own literacy classrooms, the study found that there was no sufficient training of teachers and other stakeholders prior to the launch of the FFLC. The lack of monitoring and support by the DoE was also seen as a hindrance to the success of the initiative. I concluded the study by recommending that the time is ripe for a more detailed and introspective reflection and review of the FFLC policy. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ experiences of curriculum change in two under-resourced primary schools in the Durban area. By examining the experiences of educators using a qualitative approach the researcher was able to identify problems that prevent a smooth transition from one curriculum to another. The introduction of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements in January 2012 necessitated a plethora of adjustments for teachers at schools. Changes were made to the number of subjects to be taught, the notional time for each subject as well as a renewed emphasis on textbooks as a vital teaching resource in the classroom. This study was conducted in under-resourced primary schools in the Durban area. Data collection in both these schools shows that despite the lack of essential resources such as text books, teachers still manage to implement change and follow policy, whilst at the same time ensuring that their learners benefit from the curriculum. This study also highlights the challenges experienced by teachers in under-resourced schools that need to be confronted for effective curriculum implementation. The researcher makes recommendations to address these challenges as well as suggestions for future research. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ experiences of curriculum change in two under-resourced primary schools in the Durban area. By examining the experiences of educators using a qualitative approach the researcher was able to identify problems that prevent a smooth transition from one curriculum to another. The introduction of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements in January 2012 necessitated a plethora of adjustments for teachers at schools. Changes were made to the number of subjects to be taught, the notional time for each subject as well as a renewed emphasis on textbooks as a vital teaching resource in the classroom. This study was conducted in under-resourced primary schools in the Durban area. Data collection in both these schools shows that despite the lack of essential resources such as text books, teachers still manage to implement change and follow policy, whilst at the same time ensuring that their learners benefit from the curriculum. This study also highlights the challenges experienced by teachers in under-resourced schools that need to be confronted for effective curriculum implementation. The researcher makes recommendations to address these challenges as well as suggestions for future research. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)