Thesis (MEd. (Adult Education)) --University of Limpopo, 2014 / This mini-dissertation is about educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult prisoners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. It is a study of grade twelve (12) learners. The aim of the study is to get an insight into educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. This study has attempted to contribute towards solutions to educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The management of Kutama-Sinthumule and the Department of Correctional Services were made aware of the problems that young adult prisoners face while doing grade twelve (12) in that prison. In order to achieve the aims outlined above, I formulated the following main research question: What are the educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult Prisoners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre? I tried to answer the question outlined above by undertaking an explorative study which has elements of needs assessment and case study. I have decided to undertake an explorative study because very little is known about educational challenges facing prisoners prior to this research. Since the study has elements of needs assessment, the situation of grade twelve (12) young adult prisoners and values of an education system with desired outcomes was looked against. The needs are stated by grade twelve (12) learners; their educators; their facilitators; and the coordinator of the programme in relation to the system. I have decided to select grade twelve (12) learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre as my case. There are other educational programmes at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre, but I have decided to concentrate on a grade twelve programme. I have decided to undertake a case study because a case study promotes a better understanding of a practice or issue and facilitates informed decision making. Chapter two outlines the theoretical framework of the study. I began chapter two by defining important concepts. The concepts such as Prisoner; Prison; and Young Adult are defined thoroughly. I formulated assumptions about what could be educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. I read documents and conducted exploratory interviews with grade twelve learners, educators and other role players at Kutama-Sinthumule, hence I identified the following educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) learners at the Correctional Centre: lack of access to the internet; lack of resources; lack of motivation; communicating in the medium of instruction; shortage of better trained staff; overcrowded classrooms; insufficient study time; duration of the programme; shortage of staff; and insufficient time allocated to lessons. In chapter three, I describe the design of the study. The main focus of this chapter was to discuss the two routes of data collection. The first route had to do with reviewing relevant documents from the Department of Correctional Services and operational policies and procedures at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The second route has to do with the data that has been collected in the field using different data collection instruments. How data has been analyzed using a data matrix is also shown in this chapter. The chapter concludes by presenting ethical considerations. Chapter four begins by highlighting the setting of the study. It goes on to describe the town of Louis Trichardt where Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre is situated. It further gives a brief history of the town. The Climate, Geography, Demography, Population, Key Statistics, Name change, and Economy are outlined in this chapter. This chapter also presents the findings of the study. I have also outlined in detail the views of the interviewees in relation to the critical factors of this study. A description of subjects offered for this grade twelve programme is done in this chapter. The chapter concludes by discussing the findings of this study. Chapter five presents the final recommendations, conclusion, and reflections of this study. This chapter harmonizes information from all the previous chapters in discussing educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult prisoners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The chapter also suggests possible solutions to these educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The chapter concludes by making recommendations for furtherstudy, as education and its related challenges in the prisons seems to be under-researched, particularly for grade twelve (12) young adult learners.

Few South African students pass Grade 12 Physical Science with symbols required by university science, engineering and health science faculties. A large number of students who sit for Grade 12 Physical Science and Mathematics exams pass with symbols that are well below those required by the mainstream science courses at South African universities. Most South African universities have introduced Science Foundation Programmes with the aim of upgrading those students who failed to obtain university entrance symbols in the relevant subjects. Amongst the courses offered in Science Foundation Programmes is Foundation Physics. This study investigates the influence of Foundation Physics in order to find out if the programmes in different institutions are successful in empowering the students who failed to get the required entrance mark in Grade 12 Physical Science. Four South African Historically Black universities participated in this study. The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation test (FMCE) (Thornton & Sokoloff, 1998) and mechanics marks were used to assess students' understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Data was analyzed from socio-cultural perspective. A total of 194 students participated in the study. Two groups of students were compared, i.e. those who did Foundation Physics (Foundation group) and those who did not do Foundation Physics (non-Foundation group). The students were tested after they had completed a mechanics module, which forms a great foundation of Physics I (Introductory Physics). Two focus group interviews were held with selected Foundation and non-Foundation students per institution. Students voiced their experiences in Physics I and Foundation Physics. Students were chosen to represent focus groups according to their performance in the FMCE test. Mechanics class performances were also used to evaluate students' performance. In order to establish how Foundation Physics is taught, Foundation Physics Lecturer interviews were conducted at all four institutions. Analysis of data showed that both Foundation and non-Foundation students performed equally in Physics I mechanics module. Foundation group performed better than the non-Foundation group in the FMCE, which is a conceptual test. Foundation Physics lecturers indicated that there were some differences in the way mechanics was taught in Physics I and Foundation Physics. These differences affected students' performance. The lecturers also indicated that there was minimal interaction between Physics I lecturers and Foundation Physics lecturers pertaining to the teaching of the two courses. What influence does Foundation Physics have on the performance of students in Physics I? This study found that students who did Foundation Physics performed better than those who did not do Foundation Physics in conceptual questions and both the groups perform equally in questions that require memorizing and calculations. This implies that Foundation Physics courses are empowering the students to perform well in Physics I. However, as it is evidenced by this research, the differences in assessment in Physics I and Foundation Physics courses in some institutions hampers Foundation Physics students' learning, because the questions asked require them to memorize without understanding, something they are not used to. The researcher recommends that Foundation Physics staff and Physics I staff should start communicating, not only about how Foundation Physics should be run as was the case in the past, but also on how best Physics I should be run. This might help in making sure that the two courses are assessed similarly at one institution. / Mathematics, Science and Technology Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

The use of literature both in and outside the classroom is of the utmost importance and must be taken note of by language teachers. The National Curriculum Statement provides the guidelines for teachers to select texts themselves. This leads to teachers only selecting the well-known texts which results in learners only getting to know very few literary works. Older texts are the ideal option for text-selection for the teaching of literature in the classroom. They are still very relevant for classroom use and are considered to be necessary and an integral part of the study of literature. But the teaching of older literature is often neglected especially in the Afrikaans classroom. The Afrikaans literary tradition is still very young in comparison to other languages and consequently does not provide the same type of older texts that for instance English can provide in the form of Shakespeare for teaching purposes. An alternative would be to make use of Middle Dutch and nineteenth century Afrikaans texts. Although these texts aren’t always accessible for learners in the twenty-first century, this problem can be solved by writing a study guide for the purpose of studying older texts. This study guide is obviously meant for learners who can cope with the difficulty of the texts and is therefore meant for home language speakers in the grade 12 classroom. A study guide such as this must be written with a heterogeneous group in mind and should reflect the guidelines as contained in the National Curriculum Statement, especially with regard to the learning activities included in the study guide. To make the study guide user friendly it is better to present the older texts parallel with a translation. This will prevent readers from constantly having to search for footnotes at the bottom of the page. A parallel translation will also make the texts much more accessible. The purpose of the study guide is not to force learners to read Middle Dutch, but rather to expose them to older literature connected to Afrikaans. The teacher can use his own discretion to decide which of the older texts he/she wants to discuss or explore. Concerning the nineteenth century Afrikaans texts it is unnecessary to translate them. It is, however, important to provide sufficient background information in the case of both the Middle Dutch and the nineteenth century Afrikaans texts. By providing cultural history as background information the reader will be enabled to make better sense of the characters and the texts themselves. Readers should then be able to better understand the context in which the texts were produced. / Dissertation (MA (Afrikaans))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Afrikaans / MA / unrestricted

Thesis (M. Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The comparatively high failure rate in South African rural and township secondary schools is a matter of great concern. This study set out to establish what factors are contributing to the low matric pass rate in our secondary schools, in order to identify possible solutions. The study provides an overview, informed by a review of local and international research literature, of the educational and social factors that hinder school performance. The two secondary schools in Motupa Circuit selected for this study had underperformed for the previous five years, below the benchmark of a sixty percent pass rate. The study population consisted of school management teams, teachers, school governing bodies and grade 12 repeating learners. The study followed a qualitative approach, with a case study research design in which the inquiry process was based on interviews and observation. The theory of educational productivity was used to discuss the social and emotional influences of classroom management, parental support, and interaction between teachers and learners. Analysis of the data collected led to findings that served as the basis for the recommendation that all stakeholders, from departmental officials downwards to communities and parents, join hands and work together to address and correct all the ills. The findings revealed minimal support from departmental officials and school management teams. Poor management and instructional leadership are seen as some of the ills that affect academic results. The lack of involvement of parents in supporting the schools serves to demotivate teachers in their daily work. The study also revealed that non-completion of the syllabus and the poor monitoring of written work were a bane to our rural schools. Lastly, social life outside the classrooms contributed to derailing our learners? progress. The study recommends that the DBE develop and support SMT?s by enhancing their skills of management and leadership, so as to empower teachers at all levels. Career guidance in grade 9 was a necessary step towards guiding learners on their choice of subjects.

This study focuses on challenges and prospects of the teaching of the Doppler Effect to grade 12 learners. The challenges of teaching the Doppler Effect were established and these findings influenced the development of activities. These activities were tested, refined and re-tested in an iterative cycle and finally provided prospects on teaching the Doppler Effect. Educational Design Research (EDR) was used to bridge theory and practice in education. This study was done in the Vhembe district in the Limpopo province. In the first cycle, questionnaires and interviews with 32 teachers and a subject advisor were used to establish the baseline with regards to the challenges of teaching the Doppler Effect. After the analysis of the data which forms the first cycle of EDR, the content and methodological problems faced by teachers when teaching the Doppler Effect were revealed. In the second cycle of the EDR, learning activities were developed that was informed by the analysis and tried out in 2 schools by learners and their teachers. Completed activity sheets were marked and the results were used to determine if there were a correlation between the activity sheets and the written test. Problems were documented and changes to the activities were again made and tried out in 10 schools by 216 learners with the help of 10 teachers. The data collected from the learners` work sheets were analysed. Pearson`s product moment correlation has shown that there is a statistically significant relationship (r = 0.65; p < 0.01) that exists between these design-research activities and solving of problems on the Doppler Effect. An instructional manual was developed comprising of the final activities. This was distributed amongst the district officials and teachers to assist them in the teaching of the Doppler Effect in the Vhembe district. / Physics / M.Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

Thesis (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study investigated the poor performance of learners in mathematics in a rural secondary schools in Bohlabela District in Mpumalanga province. Mathematics is one of the most critical subjects globally and in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa, specifically. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible causes of poor performance of learners in mathematics in schools. In this study, non-probability sampling was used whereby a purposive sampling strategy was adopted. The participants in this study were secondary school teachers and learners. Twenty mathematics (20) learners participated in this research. These learners were sampled from a pool of 54 Grade 12 learners in one school. Learners were then grouped according to their level of understanding to the subject. The focus was on Grade 12 because it is the exit point of FET. In this study, a case study approach was adopted whereby interviews, documents and observation were used to collect data. The choice of the research design was guided by the following research question: What are the causes of poor performance of Grade 12 learners in mathematics in rural secondary schools? The sub–questions were: What strategies do teachers use to address poor performance of learners in mathematics in Grade 12 in rural secondary schools? What is the role of the department of education in addressing poor performance of learners in mathematics in rural secondary schools? The data analysis involved the generating of themes related to the data collected. In this way, different parts of the narratives were grouped under identified categories. The study found that lack of resources, poor teaching methods, anxiety and attitude towards mathematics contribute to learners’ poor performance in mathematics in Grade 12 in rural secondary schools. The research concludes that teachers should engage learners in more writing activities in order for them to learn effectively and to perform better in mathematics. The study also recommends that teachers should use a variety of teaching methods to teach mathematics and the schools should be well-resourced and teachers should address learners’ anxiety in mathematics to develop the love for mathematics and also enhance positive attitude towards mathematics

Thesis (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The aim of this research is to explore initiatives taken by teachers to improve the learning of Physical Geography in Grade12 among the schools in Mamabolo Circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. This research was mainly qualitative in approach. A sample of 9 of Geography educators was purposively sampled in this study. The study discovered that educators need support from the Department of Education (DoE) critically when it comes to the improvement of teaching of Geography for quality results. The researcher established that the schools are not taking Geography as a subject seriously therefore, the educators teaching Geography are not considered as specialised. Therefore, this study recommends to the DoE, schools and educators to consider Geography as a subject of significance.

This study investigated whether girls achieve better results in Physical Science in single sex environments or in co-educational classes. Thirteen independent South African schools where children were of similar socio-economic background were considered. Grade 12 Matriculation Physical Science examination results for 1999 to 2003 were analysed using Bonferroni (Dunn) t-Tests and Scheffe's Tests. Questionnaires were completed by a small number of students in order to compare their attitudes towards Physical Science and examined qualitatively. There were significant differences found by the administration of the Bonferroni (Dunn) t-Tests and Scheffe's Tests in 2000, 2001 and 2002 to indicate that girls in single sex schools achieved better results in Science than the co-educational schools. However, in 1999 and 2003 there was no significant difference in the results achieved, and so there may be other factors that are more important predictors of achievement than whether the schools are mixed or single sex. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Natural Science Teaching)

This study investigated whether girls achieve better results in Physical Science in single sex environments or in co-educational classes. Thirteen independent South African schools where children were of similar socio-economic background were considered. Grade 12 Matriculation Physical Science examination results for 1999 to 2003 were analysed using Bonferroni (Dunn) t-Tests and Scheffe's Tests. Questionnaires were completed by a small number of students in order to compare their attitudes towards Physical Science and examined qualitatively. There were significant differences found by the administration of the Bonferroni (Dunn) t-Tests and Scheffe's Tests in 2000, 2001 and 2002 to indicate that girls in single sex schools achieved better results in Science than the co-educational schools. However, in 1999 and 2003 there was no significant difference in the results achieved, and so there may be other factors that are more important predictors of achievement than whether the schools are mixed or single sex. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Natural Science Teaching)

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition experienced by human beings and the most common cause of disability in developed nations. Psychosocial factors, involving aspects of social and psychological behaviour, have previously been documented as potential risk factors in the development of adult LBP. However, more research is required to fully understand the role of psychosocial risk factors on the prevalence of LBP amongst adolescents. Objective: To determine the prevalence of LBP and to identify selected psychosocial risk factors associated with LBP amongst Grade 12 learners in the Greater Durban area. Methods: A population-based study was conducted amongst a stratified random sample of 20 public secondary schools in all three educational districts in the Greater Durban area. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire administered to the sample population consisting of Grade 12 learners. Using an exploratory research design, the individuals reported on demographics as well as prevalence, severity, frequency and chronicity of LBP. In addition, data was obtained regarding various psychosocial risk factors including depression, exam stress and anxiety, socio-economic status, family history of LBP, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse amongst the respondents. Results: The prevalence of LBP was 57.42% with a median frequency of 8 times a month. About a third (33.9%) of the respondents experienced difficulty bending whilst 35% reported that their LBP spread down to the legs below their knees. The daily activity most affected by LBP was having a good night‟s sleep (50.6%), followed closely by playing sports (47.4%) and concentrating in class (46.6%). The majority of the respondents that suffered from LBP had taken pain relief medication (47.1%) whilst only 21% of the respondents had missed school because of LBP. With regards to the psychosocial risk factors under investigation, three of the risk factors did not show any association to LBP. They included socio-economic status, smoking and recreational drug use. In contrast, five psychosocial risk factors showed an 6 association to LBP. They included alcohol abuse, family history, exam stress, anxiety and depression. Finally, after adjusting for all other risk factors for adolescent LBP, depression and high exam stress showed the strongest correlation with the occurrence of LBP amongst Grade 12 learners in the Greater Durban area. Conclusion: LBP amongst adolescents is a common problem that increases with age, representing a risk for LBP in adulthood. The researcher is of the opinion, that this illustrates the need for further investigations with more profound studies on the risk factors so that more light can be shed on how to manage this ever-growing problem.