M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Background: Overweight and obesity are abnormal excessive fat accumulations in adipose tissue to the extent that it may have adverse effects on the health and well-being of the individual. Overweight and obesity are important modifiable risk factors for many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type2 diabetes. Food consumed away from home, fast food and sugary food leads to adolescents overweight and obesity. Overweight and obese adolescents tend to buy junk foods because they are cheap. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated to overweight and obesity among adolescents at the Dendron High School, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods: A quantitative study was conducted among 340 adolescents learners at the Dendron High School. A close ended questionnaire was used to collect data from the 340 adolescents. A stratified random sampling method was used to select learners to participate in the study. This type of sampling was used because learners were in different classes and different grades. The researcher obtained a complete list of all Grade 8 to Grade 12 learners attending the Dendron High School. The researcher took a register in each grade, given every name a code, put their names in a pot and randomly selected the participants. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from the height and the weight of the participants. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23.0, which is a statistical software programme. Results: the study results revealed that the majority of adolescents, at 12 9(37.9%), were overweight, while 171 (50.3%) were obese. The results further revealed that adolescents over consumed sugary food, at 185 (54.4%), starchy food, at 283 (83.2%), fizzy drinks, at 219 (64.4%), and fast food, at 155 (90.0%). In Conclusion: There is a need for nutrition education campaigns targeted at adolescents and educators to reduce overweight and obesity. Nutrition education should be a continuous effort. Efficient and effective school policies must be implemented for provision of quality food.

Father-absence, whether it be in the context of short duration or total absence, tends to provide inadequacies in the child's interaction with his/her father, leading to accompanying debilitating effects on cognitive functioning (Sutton-Smith et al, 1986). In view of the South African context father-absence economically sanctioned through migrant labour amongst Africans, manifests itself during the formative years of children's lives. For this reason this study investigates the association between migrant father-absence and children's levels of high school academic achievement. The sample of matched father-absent and -present working class children was acquired from 39 schools under the Venda State department of Education. HSRC's standardised Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) biology, English second language, and mathematics were used as data gathering instruments. 276 father-absent and -present high school (Std 10) students data was analysed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to establish how academic achievement among students varies by family patterns and gender. Differences established between family patterns and gender on SAT raw scores of the Total Battery, mathematics, English second language and biology are reported separately. The results of the study seem to suggest that father-absence has some remarkable deleterious effects upon scholastic achievement, apparently depending upon the type of skill tested. Furthermore, another significant finding indicated among these working class African children is that father-presence tends to benefit males more than females, while father-absence detrimentally affects females more than their male counterparts.

This research project explores the role of the school governing body in the formulation and implementation of a code of conduct for learners. The study was conducted in Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, where two schools were purposefully selected as research sites. Democratic school governance is still new in South Africa, therefore confusion and misinterpretation are bound to manifest. This study therefore aims to examine whether school governing bodies participate in the formulation and implementation of the code of conduct for learners, as well as how and why they participate. This qualitative study, which is located within an interpretive paradigm, is underpinned by democratic theories. International and national scholarly literature was interrogated to glean further insight into the research topic. Ethical issues were observed prior to data generation. To ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, data were obtained using semi-structured interviews, observation and document review. The data collected during interviews were transcribed, evaluated and analysed in accordance with the phenomenological stages of an analytical framework, as set out in Marshall and Rossman’s (1999) six stages. The findings emanating from this study indicate that while members of school governing bodies do participate in the formulation and implementation of a code of conduct for learners, their participation is limited. Learner and parent stakeholders were found not to exercise the participative roles afforded to them under the South African Schools Act (1996).A variety of factors were found to infringe on the democratic participation of these stakeholders, including a lack of training for members to be able to perform their duties, a neglect of the code of conduct, unequal power relations, and limited time to attend meetings. The researcher’s findings, and the conclusions drawn in this study, have informed specific recommendations aimed at translating the status quo of our schools and ensuring a good understanding of democratic school governance, so that members of school governing bodies can be transformed from mere passive participants to active participants who contribute meaningfully towards the smooth running of their school. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Leadership and Management)

M.Ed. / This research aims at the description of a therapeutic approach relevant to the adolescent underachiever in whose case the cause of the problem is often overlooked because it is not self-evident. In this specific case there seemed to be no clear reason why the adolescent was not achieving academically according to his potential. An in-depth study was necessary, involving also the family of the respondent. From conversations with educational psychologists, the history of the adolescent and the literature, it seems as if the focus of the intervention in cases where there do not seem to be overt reasons for the underachievement, was on the adolescent only. Courses in motivation and study skills were offered, but were not effective. Because the adolescent is a member of a family, the research is aligned to a systems approach. I wanted to explore the the possibility that the cause of the problem could be found in the style of parenting and resulting family dynamics. A qualitative, investigative, descriptive and contextual design was used. One adolescent was deliberately chosen according to set criteria, and subjected to the utilisation of multiple data-gathering sources and methods. These included interviews, document analysis and observation. The parents of the underachiever as well as his register teacher, were also interviewed. A case study report was compiled according to the processed data. A cross-validation report was compiled, using notes which were taken when I was dealing with the cases that first aroused my interest. Hereafter literature control was applied to compare the results of this study with other available research, and to point out new insights into a family's educational style as a cause of underachievement, gained from the study. All data were submitted to an independent consultant for analysis. After the data were analysed, I concluded that the educational style of parents can be a cause of underachievement. From an integrative systemic perspective, an educational psychological therapeutic programme was described. It is hoped that, aided by this programme, the educational psychologist may make a contribution towards helping the underachieving adolescent and his/her family to overcome their problems so that he/she may realise his/her full potential.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Science) / The demands for the renewal of education in South Africa and the poor performance of black learners in the Standerd 10 final examination in Home Economics gave rise to the empirical study on the needs of black learners. These needs were used as a co-determinant for the design of a future subject curriculum. A literature study was conducted on curriculum designs and design models which resulted in a recommended design model. The qualitative research paradigm was used for the empirical study. Data were collected through interviews supplemented by document-analysis. The research focused on the needs of the learners concerning: The relevance of the subject, i.e to what extent the subject is related to the learners' everyday life experiences and interest. The subject content as it could be applied in the daily lives of learners as well as the future world of work. Teaching methods, which include methods that contribute towards maximum learning and which accomodate learners' differences. Evaluation as an integral part of the implementation of the curriculum. Identified learner needs were taken into consideration in compiling guidelines on the different elements of a future curriculum design for Home Economics where both the learners' needs and the requirements of the subject will be accomodated.

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / However much ideologically diffuse argument there may be about the purposes of education, few would deny that it plays an integral part in the political and economical processes of societies. For the realities of power and the organisation of socio-economic structure are perhaps nowhere more clearly revealed than in a country's educational institutions. Education can maintain the existing social order as well as promote varying kinds of change (Toffler, 1971). Social scientists accept that "education is perhaps the most directly effective socialising activity serving the interests of dominant establishments" (Schlemmer, 1986: 1). Its curricula is a means of inculcating the political values as well as the skills required in the system of control and production in society (Wellington, 1987: 6). Education takes place relatively unobtrusively in homogenous societies but in deeply divided societies, it can become the focus of intense and often violent conflict. "In South Africa education is failing badly in what modern education is supposed to do draw different groups or classes together (Schlemmer, 1986: Preface). Hanf (1980), in addition, argues that education can do little to solve conflict in divided societies. He stresses that the significance of education in some societies lies in its negative role as a focus of conflict. Access to and equality of education for different groups has indeed been at the source of very bitter conflict throughout the world...

M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract