The study was undertaken to analyse educator's views on their effectiveness in using group work as a co-operative learning strategy. Specifically the study aims to: To determine through literature the nature of group work as a co-operative learning strategy. To find out views of educators in their effectiveness of using group work as a teaching strategy. The investigation involved 208 educators from middle and secondary schools in Themba District. Close and open ended questionnaires were used for data collection. Results obtained showed that approximately 168 (80.76%) of the educators indicated their preparedness to use group work as a co-operative learning strategy. Results revealed that almost all the educators were willing to use group work as a co-operative learning strategy. However the study could not conclude that group work as a co-operative learning strategy has been applied effectively. The major problem faced by educators are skills requirements for using the strategy effectively. Other problem areas are:· it is time consuming, Jack of participation by learners, lack of learning resources. The following recommendations have been put forward: Pre-service training and in-service training should be made available to educators for the improvement of teaching and learning strategies in group work. Educators should be enlightened on how to use group work as an effective strategy. The educators should therefore be trained on the following: • Theory and philosophy of cooperative learning • Demonstration of co-operative methods • On-going coaching and collegial support at the classroom level • Training educators in maintaining product teaching approaches in order to curb useless time consuming activities. / (M.Ed.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

This research study explored the process in the development of theTeacher Support Team in assisting teachers of learners with special educational needs in the mainstream classroom. This research was conducted in the context of the restructuring of the South African Education system. The Policy Document White Paper 6 (2001) states that all learners irrespective of the barriers to learning and development have a right to be educated in the ordinary school, together with their peers.

A research report submitted to tbe Faculty of Education, UnIversity 'of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Education by coursework and research report Johannesburg, November 1994 / This study investigates the relationships between small-group work and ownership of mathematical kownledge in order to explicate relationships, an account of the interactions of a group of three std 7 pupils working together for a week on mathematical tasks in their mathematics classroom is presented. The nation of ownership in used to encompass both the elements of democracy and the development of knowledge which are expected to be produced by small-group work. The notion of ownership is elaborated through the research process. The study finds both beneficial and problematic aspects in the interractions of the group. Ownership is seen to be established, but in different ways for each pupil, because of inequalities within the group. A serious mathematical mistake is made and : [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version]

This research study explored the process in the development of theTeacher Support Team in assisting teachers of learners with special educational needs in the mainstream classroom. This research was conducted in the context of the restructuring of the South African Education system. The Policy Document White Paper 6 (2001) states that all learners irrespective of the barriers to learning and development have a right to be educated in the ordinary school, together with their peers.

One of the key features of curriculum change in South Africa in the last twenty years has been a move away from teacher centred instructional techniques to those that promote active participation of learners in their learning. Although the post democratic National Curriculum Statement has put emphasis on the importance of cooperative learning as a learner centred instructional technique, there is hardly any research on how teachers in schools understand and use it. This study sought to fill this gap by using a case study of seven mathematics classes in six schools. Data was collected through interviews, observations and document analysis.

The objective of this research study was to obtain a better understanding of the factors that affect lecturer and student participation in distributed collaborative learning assignments (DCLAs). A substantial number of courses worldwide have included DCLAs in their curricula in an attempt to teach students virtual communication and teaming skills, and to allow distributed students to learn course content collaboratively in a virtual environment. The execution and management of these assignments have proven to be more challenging that expected. Several attempts reported on in the literature had to be abandoned when cost exceeded the rewards for both lecturers and students. In a fouryear cyclical action research project carried out at the PETech (Port Elizabeth Technikon, currently part of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa), ICT students at several of the PETech campuses were required to complete a DCLA in virtual teams. This project also had to be terminated when it was realised that virtual team learning was minimal and the time investment unacceptably high. For the research study reported on in this thesis the data collected during the four “preresearch” cycles and the experiences reported in the literature were analysed. The lessons learnt were applied to a new additional DCLA cycle which formed part of an ICT course, although this execution still showed room for improvement. A second additional cycle was then executed which had a high participation rate and was overwhelmingly labelled by the participating students as a valuable and enjoyable learning experience. Analysis of the factors affecting participation in DCLAs shows that they are numerous and tightly interlinked, and that each factor is able to take on a wide range of values. This complicates descriptive reporting as each of the DCLAs was unique with unique outcomes and would have to be reported as such in order to iii ABSTRACT iv gain an understanding of the factors. Hence, a level of abstraction was needed, which was accomplished by applying the traditional Glaserian grounded theory method to the data collected during the four “preresearch” and the two additional cycles, and from the literature on the topic. The outcome is a perceived costs and rewards (PCR) theory for participation in DCLAs. As participation is crucial for the learning experience of each student as well as his/her team members in an action learning environment, deciding on participation by continually calculating the costs versus rewards became the focal point of the theory. To the best of the author’s knowledge this research study makes a theoretical contribution to the existing body of ICT educational knowledge in the form of a perceived costs and rewards theory for DCLA participation and a practical contribution in that it provides a theory that can be used to explain, understand, interpret and predict participation in DCLAs. This research study provides guidance for future research in both of these areas.

The aim of this research project was to examine how group discussions influence student performance in a DoE prescribed Life Sciences activity. The research methodology draws on collaborative group work and learner oriented assessment frameworks. The case study was conducted in a suburban high school in south Gauteng. Students were explicitly taught collaborative group work skills. As group work discussions are dependent on subject content knowledge, students were required to complete the assessment activity individually first. Students were placed in groups of four or five that were academically heterogeneous, in an attempt to encourage robust discussions. Following group work discussions students completed a final write up of the assessment activity. Findings from the research showed a statistically significant improvement in the mean pre group work assessment score to the post group work assessment score. All students were found to interact in a co-regulated way in that all were active participants. Each group had at least one member who was a hitch hiker. This student was unprepared and was the most disengaged and passive throughout the group work. The hitch hiker tended to have the lowest post group work activity score for their group. The student whose post group work activity score was the highest was the one who was the most prepared and except for a student whose home language was not the LOLT all others were the most active in their groups. Student discussions were dependent on subject content knowledge. Where subject content knowledge was sound, discussions resulted in cognitive conflict allowing for the social construction of knowledge. Poor content knowledge resulted in discussions which left students confused and seeking help from the teacher. Whilst most students perceived the group work to improve their understanding of the work, the heterogeneity of the groups was raised as a concern by a hitch hiker and students who obtained the highest post group work assessment scores. The hitchhiker in one of the groups perceived that she was not taken seriously, whilst the high academic achievers felt that they were providing information to students who were not well prepared. Most students valued the group work activity and recommended its use for future Grade 11 Life Sciences students.

Tesis voorgelê volgens die vereistes van die M.Ed. vir die Fakulteit van Onderwys en Sosiale Wetenskappe te Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie, 2012 / Onderwys moet gesien word as ‘n sosialiseringsproses en leer in groepe as ‘n primêre leerbeginsel. Leerders moet deur interaksie hul sosiale, akademiese en geletterdheids-vaardighede verbeter. Die navorsing het gepoog om antwoorde te verkry op die volgende vrae: In watter mate word groepwerk tans in die Intermediêre Fase-multigraadklas toegepas? Wat is die faktore wat groepwerk as ‘n onderrigstrategie vir geletterdheid in die Intermediêre Fase-multigraadklas ondersteun of verhinder? Wat is die effektiwiteit van ’n intervensieprogram om opvoeders te ondersteun in groepwerk as onderrigstrategie? Hierdie navorsing wil bydra tot die implementering van geskikte groeponderrigstrategieë om goeie beplanning en organisasie in die multigraadklas te verseker. Dit wil opvoeders bemagtig om deur groepwerk multigraadklasse in die Intermediêre Fase effektief te onderrig, om sodoende verbetering in leerders se leer te bewerkstellig. Daar moet ook ‘n bewusmaking by die beleidmakers geskep word wat betref die uitdagings wat multigraad-onderwys inhou vir opvoeders. Die navorser het met dié navorsing bepaal hoe groepwerk as ‘n onderrigstrategie in multigraadklasse in die Intermediêre Fase geïmplementeer kan word. Daar is egter in multigraadklasse waargeneem dat leerders nie oor die nodige vaardighede beskik om in groepe te werk en verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie leer en die van ander te aanvaar nie. Die opvoeders in die multigraadklasse is ook onkundig wat betref gepaste klaskamer-organisasie, beplanning, groeperingstegnieke en groepaktiwiteite vir die implementering van groepwerk. Die ontwerpgebaseerde navorsingsmetode is in die navorsing gebruik. Dié navorsings-metode bestaan uit drie fases, naamlik: voorlopige navorsingsfase, prototipe-fase en die assesseringsfase. <p></p> ABSTRACT Education should be seen as a socializing process and learning in groups as a primary principle of learning. Through interaction learners must improve their social, academic and literacy skills. The research endeavoured to find answers to the following questions: To what extent is group work currently applied in the Intermediate Phase multi-grade class? What are the factors enhancing or hindering group work as an educational strategy for literacy in the Intermediate Phase multi-grade class? How effective is an intervention programme in supporting educators in group work as an educational strategy? This research aims at contributing to implementing suitable group work strategies to ensure good planning and organization in the multi-grade class. It wants to empower educators in the Intermediate Phase to teach multi-grade classes effectively through group work, and in so doing bring about improvement in the way learners learn. Policy makers should also be made aware of the challenges facing educators of multi-grade education. With this research the researcher determined how group work as an educational strategy can be implemented in multi-grade classes in the Intermediary Phase. It was, however, found that in multi-grade classes learners do not have the necessary skills to work in groups and take responsibility for their own learning and that of others. The educators in multi-grade classes are also ignorant concerning suitable classroom organization, planning, grouping techniques and group activities in implementing group work. The design based research method was used in this research. The research method consists of three phases, namely: preliminary research phase, prototyping phase and assessment phase.

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.

<p>In South Africa, some of the problems experienced in moving towards an inclusive education system are a lack of resources, a lack of commitment and a poor understanding of how to aid successful inclusion. The implementation of inclusion is a process that has been initiated by Education White Paper 6 (Dept. of Education, 2001) and is still in the process of developing the necessary education support. This study aimed to investigate the collaboration between the District Based Support Team, the School Based Support Team and the School Governing Body which represents the parents. The main objective was to investigate how the above bodies support and assist learners who experience barriers to learning, development and participation through a collaborative and consultative problem approach.</p>