This diploma thesis focuses on the curriculum topic of insects from two perspectives. The first view is intended (presumed) curriculum, the second implemented (achieved) curriculum. To determine the intended curriculum, a curriculum analysis of the insects contained in 6th grade primary biology textbooks and the corresponding level for grammar schools was used. Based on the analysis a didactic test is compiled, in order to determine the mastery of the subject matter by pupils the implemented curriculum. The results show a lower value of the intended (about 53%) than the implemented curriculum. In addition, the rate of the implemented curriculum, depending on the individual sub-circuits curriculum about insects, was found to be unbalanced.

One of the base intention of this research in didactic sphere is to describe and to analyse curriculum in all of its forms. In educational sphere focused on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) or on Informatics, this intention is very actual mainly due to recent integration to compulsory part of curriculum at elementary schools and also due to its dynamic development. This PhD thesis follows researches analysing curriculum of other educational spheres and also follows survey devoted to implementation of ICT to educational environment. Second type of research uses mainly quantitative method and relied on declarations of respondents. Compared to this, there was chosen qualitative case study getting data also from analysis of documents or from observing. At first, there are identified terms of curriculum, its phases and ICT literacy which presents one of the main goals of educational environment in the Czech curriculum. Then it is fol-lowed by analysis and summary of results of already realized surveys focused on teaching conditions of ICT and with ICT, together with informatics themes and their relations to individual actors. Last but not least, it is finished by results of students in ICT literacy and informatics thinking. Based on analysis of documents, the empirical part of theses describes models used to definition of educational sphere of ICT and projected curriculum of chosen basic school. Realized curriculum and its changes are deduced from analysis of notes in class-book. Videorecords of some lessons were used to verification of notes and also to analyse used educational methods. Based on its analysis, there were defined also educational goals of these teaching units and reached curriculum. Special practical exercise was used to verify the knowledge and skills of selected knowledge and skills. This thesis describes not only individual phases of ICT curriculum in chosen basic school but also identifies some differences between them. Finally, some of findings are used also as incentives to adjust the projected curriculum at the national level.

LEIPERTOVÁ, G. (2012): Interdisciplinary relation between cartography and mathematics in the teaching at high school. Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Charles University in Prague. The present diploma thesis analyses interdisciplinary relations between cartography and mathematics on three levels: on the level of intended curriculum, on the level of implemented curriculum and on the level of attained curriculum. On the level of the intended curriculum, project documents such as the Framework Educational Programme for High Schools and the School Educational Programmes of selected high schools are especially studied. The content analysis of selected textbooks of geography evaluates relations between cartography and mathematics on the basis of occurrence and (quality of) explication of required subject matters, amount of examples, illustrations and charts. Moreover, selected chapters of cartography, in which mathematical skills are applied, are elaborated in detail. On the level of the implemented curriculum, the real state of teaching of these interdisciplinary relations at selected high schools is evaluated through questionnaires for teachers of geography and of mathematics. On the level of the attained curriculum, the ability of pupils to combine knowledge of cartography and...

The purpose of this research was to trace the first year of progress made towards implementing the new curriculum for basic education in Mozambique and to gain clarity about the process with a view to formulating pertinent recommendations for its successful implementation. This study starts by presenting background information which highlights the need for the curriculum to be more relevant to the sociopolitical changes in Mozambique as the main aim of transforming the basic education curriculum. Secondly, it maps out the national environment in which the new curriculum is operating and the critical factors justifying the changes brought by curriculum transformation. Then it introduces the research questions that essentially explore four issues, namely (1) the nature of the new curriculum and the strategy used to implement it, (2) the perceptions of educators, subject specialists and principals regarding the new curriculum, (3) classroom practices as envisaged in the new education curriculum and (4) efforts towards successful implementation of the new curriculum. Before the research topic is addressed the precepts of curriculum theory and the principles of curriculum development are discussed as the context within which to conceptualize the implementation of the new curriculum in Mozambique. The study under review explores the seven basic conditions for effective change identified by Giacquinta (1998). The researcher has found with due reference to the subject literature that the relevance of these conditions is borne out by the findings of the research under review. This research therefore has the merit that it relates these conditions (referred as factors in the study) to each other, thus serving as an important guide for monitoring and implementing education change of which curriculum reform is a basic element. The study employed mainly quantitative analysis (descriptive statistical analysis and factor analysis) having as research instrument a survey questionnaire designed to gauge educators’ and learners’ opinions regarding implementation of the new Basic Education Curriculum in Mozambican schools. As the main findings of the study, it was clear from participating principals’ and teachers’ responses that school leadership is an essential factor in assuring the presence and maintenance of all the necessary conditions for successful implementation of the new curriculum. The capacity building is another indispensable factor derived from participating principals’ and teachers’ responses concerning successful implementation of the new curriculum, which is viewed as an important condition for creating and maintaining teachers’ confidence in their ability to fulfil new role expectations. In this regard, principals and teachers identified innovative classroom practices as an important condition for successful implementation of the new curriculum. So, principals’ responses showed that it was important to recognise the association between leadership, innovative classroom practices and capacity building, while participating teachers’ responses showed that there was an important link between capacity building and leadership, rewarding and innovative classroom practices. Thus, with the exception of rewarding the same factors were identified as critical by both principals and teachers. A distinct enabling condition for successful implementation of the new curriculum that emerged from participating students’ responses comprised (1) an association of students’ expectations, learning opportunities and outcomes, (2) students’ subject preferences, (3) and a friendly and supportive school environment. This research both contributes to understanding of the curriculum implementation process, and enables the formulation of pertinent recommendations towards successful curriculum implementation. It also enriches the current literature on this matter through critical analysis of a new curriculum implementation, offering empirical evidences of the relevance of school resocialization, which entails restructuring and reculturing. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The study intends to investigate the nature and cognitive demands of contextual word-problems posed in the FET mathematics examinations of IEB and NSC. The analysis of the mathematization of real-life situations to form contextual word-problems is based on the theory of authentic task situations. The theoretical basis for analyzing mathematics teaching and learning is the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theory. Data was obtained using the schedule of mathematization of real-life situations and the schedule of total marks of contextual word-problems and national performance. All contextual word-problems included in the 2008-2013 question papers of IEB and NSC mathematics examinations were analysed. The research revealed that 509 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in IEB examinations; whereas 473 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in NSC examinations. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematical Education)

The study intends to investigate the nature and cognitive demands of contextual word-problems posed in the FET mathematics examinations of IEB and NSC. The analysis of the mathematization of real-life situations to form contextual word-problems is based on the theory of authentic task situations. The theoretical basis for analyzing mathematics teaching and learning is the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theory. Data was obtained using the schedule of mathematization of real-life situations and the schedule of total marks of contextual word-problems and national performance. All contextual word-problems included in the 2008-2013 question papers of IEB and NSC mathematics examinations were analysed. The research revealed that 509 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in IEB examinations; whereas 473 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in NSC examinations. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematical Education)

Text in Afrikaans / Due to the radical reform in mathematics education worldwide, the mathematics curriculum underwent dramatic changes in order to meet the new objectives in mathematics. This has placed a huge responsibility on curriculum compilers and the authors of mathematics textbooks and mathematics teachers to enhance the cognitive development of learners. This study takes the view that: What happens in the class is what you get. Based on the above statement, the foundation of mathematics teaching, namely the mathematics curriculum, the mathematics textbook and the teacher’s instruction in the teaching venue were scrutinised. During a diagnostic examination of teachers’ interpretation, knowledge and application of the mathematics curriculum and the content of mathematics textbooks on the East Rand, the following problems regarding mathematics teaching emerged: The most important finding of TIMMS is that the differences in performance in mathematics between different countries can be linked to the way teachers interpret and present the content of mathematics. Research has revealed that the interaction of teachers with curriculum content follow a dynamic and constructive application instead of direct application based on the mathematics curriculum. Teachers often change the prescriptions and order of content in the mathematics curriculum to suit their teaching style, knowledge and previous experience. Consequently, align application of mathematical concepts and skills does not take place and this creates a gap in learners’ cognitive development. It also leaves a gap in the application of the Type 5 cognitive development tasks in mathematics which enable a verifying deductive application of concepts. The action research created a structure which could meet this need. Authors of mathematics textbooks present their own vision, interpretation and style in mathematics textbooks, which influences the order of mathematics content and concepts. The result is that mathematics content and concepts are at times not aligned with representations in the mathematics curriculum and objectives are therefore not reached. The different interpretations of mathematics textbooks by teachers differ greatly and these differences place great pressure on teachers to decide how the mathematics textbook will be used in the teaching venue. In this study a mathematics textbook profile and a task analysis were formulated in the cause of action research which will enable teachers to make a professional analysis which they can use. Because a variety of mathematics textbooks are selected for use in schools, teachers assume that these approved mathematics textbooks focus on the curriculum. They therefore slavishly follow the mathematics textbooks without consulting the mathematics curriculum. Shortcomings in mathematics textbooks and teachers’ own interpretation of mathematics content leave a big gap in their own alignment of mathematics teaching. To satisfy this need, an assessment profile and an methodology for alignment are provided to enable teachers to monitor the curriculum alignment presentation of concepts and skills. / As gevolg van die radikale hervorming in wiskunde-onderrig wêreldwyd het die wiskundekurrikulum dramatiese veranderings ondergaan ten einde die nuwe doelstellings in wiskunde te bereik. Dit het enorme verantwoordelikheid geplaas op kurrikulumsamestellers en outeurs van wiskundehandboeke en wiskunde-onderwysers om die kognitiewe ontwikkeling van leerders te bevorder. In hierdie studie is van die volgende standpunt uitgegaan: What happens in the class is what you get. Derhalwe is die fondasie van wiskunde-onderrig, naamlik die wiskundekurrikulum, wiskundehandboek en die onderwyser se instruksies in die klaskamer ondersoek. In `n diagnostiese ontleding van onderwysers se interpretasie, kennis en toepassing van die wiskundekurrikulum en die wiskundehandboekinhoude aan die Oos-Rand het die volgende probleme in verband met wiskunde-onderrig na vore gekom: Die belangrikste bevinding van TIMMS is dat die verskille in wiskundeprestasie tussen lande verband hou met die wyse waarop onderwysers die wiskudekurrikuluminhoude interpreteer en aanbied. Navorsing toon dat die interaksie van onderwysers met kurrikulummateriaal op ʼn dinamiese en konstruktiewe toepassing geskied in plaas van direkte toepassing vanuit die wiskundekurrikulum. Onderwysers verander dikwels die wiskundekurrikulum se voorskrifte en volgorde van inhoude om by hulle onderrigstyl, kennis en vorige ervarings te pas. Die gevolg is dat geen inlyntoepassing van wiskundebegrippe en vaardighede plaasvind nie en dit laat ʼn leemte in leerders se kognitiewe ontwikkeling. Verder laat dit ʼn leemte in die toepassing van die 5-tipe kognitiewe ontwikkelingstake in wiskunde wat ʼn verifiërend deduktiewe toepassing van begrippe bewerkstellig. In die aksienavorsing is ʼn struktuur geskep wat in hierdie behoefte voorsien. Outeurs van wiskundehandboeke het ʼn eie visie, interpretasie en styl wat hulle in wiskundehandboeke aanbied. Dit het ʼn invloed op die volgorde van wiskunde-inhoude en begrippe en gevolglik is wiskunde-inhoude en -begrippe soms nie inlyn geplaas met voorstellings van die wiskundekurrikulum nie, en word doelstellings nie bereik nie. Onderwysers se verskillende interpretasies van wiskundehandboekinhoude verskil radikaal van mekaar en plaas gevolglik groot druk op onderwysers om ʼn keuse te maak wat betref die gebruik van ʼn wiskundehandboek vir gebruik in die klaskamer. In die studie is ʼn wiskundehandboekprofiel en ʼn taakontleding tydens aksienavorsing geformuleer wat onderwysers in staat sal stel om ʼn professionele ontleding te maak vir gebruik. As gevolg van die verskeidenheid wiskundehandboeke wat gekeur word vir gebruik in skole neem onderwysers aan dat hierdie gekeurde wiskundehandboeke op die kurrikulum gerig is. Gevolglik word wiskundehandboeke slaafs nagevolg sonder om die wiskundekurrikulum te raadpleeg. Tekortkominge in wiskundehandboeke en die eie interpretasie van wiskundeinhoude deur onderwysers laat ʼn groot leemte in hul eie inlynwiskunde-onderrig. Om te voorsien in hierdie behoefte is ʼn assesseringsprofiel en ʼn inlynmetodiek saamgestel om onderwysers in staat te stel om die inlynaanbieding van begrippe en vaardighede te monitor. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didaktiek)

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in English and Afrikaans / Due to the radical reform in mathematics education worldwide, the mathematics curriculum underwent dramatic changes in order to meet the new objectives in mathematics. This has placed a huge responsibility on curriculum compilers and the authors of mathematics textbooks and mathematics teachers to enhance the cognitive development of learners. This study takes the view that: What happens in the class is what you get. Based on the above statement, the foundation of mathematics teaching, namely the mathematics curriculum, the mathematics textbook and the teacher’s instruction in the teaching venue were scrutinised. During a diagnostic examination of teachers’ interpretation, knowledge and application of the mathematics curriculum and the content of mathematics textbooks on the East Rand, the following problems regarding mathematics teaching emerged: The most important finding of TIMMS is that the differences in performance in mathematics between different countries can be linked to the way teachers interpret and present the content of mathematics. Research has revealed that the interaction of teachers with curriculum content follow a dynamic and constructive application instead of direct application based on the mathematics curriculum. Teachers often change the prescriptions and order of content in the mathematics curriculum to suit their teaching style, knowledge and previous experience. Consequently, align application of mathematical concepts and skills does not take place and this creates a gap in learners’ cognitive development. It also leaves a gap in the application of the Type 5 cognitive development tasks in mathematics which enable a verifying deductive application of concepts. The action research created a structure which could meet this need. Authors of mathematics textbooks present their own vision, interpretation and style in mathematics textbooks, which influences the order of mathematics content and concepts. The result is that mathematics content and concepts are at times not aligned with representations in the mathematics curriculum and objectives are therefore not reached. The different interpretations of mathematics textbooks by teachers differ greatly and these differences place great pressure on teachers to decide how the mathematics textbook will be used in the teaching venue. In this study a mathematics textbook profile and a task analysis were formulated in the cause of action research which will enable teachers to make a professional analysis which they can use. Because a variety of mathematics textbooks are selected for use in schools, teachers assume that these approved mathematics textbooks focus on the curriculum. They therefore slavishly follow the mathematics textbooks without consulting the mathematics curriculum. Shortcomings in mathematics textbooks and teachers’ own interpretation of mathematics content leave a big gap in their own alignment of mathematics teaching. To satisfy this need, an assessment profile and an methodology for alignment are provided to enable teachers to monitor the curriculum alignment presentation of concepts and skills. / As gevolg van die radikale hervorming in wiskunde-onderrig wêreldwyd het die wiskundekurrikulum dramatiese veranderings ondergaan ten einde die nuwe doelstellings in wiskunde te bereik. Dit het enorme verantwoordelikheid geplaas op kurrikulumsamestellers en outeurs van wiskundehandboeke en wiskunde-onderwysers om die kognitiewe ontwikkeling van leerders te bevorder. In hierdie studie is van die volgende standpunt uitgegaan: What happens in the class is what you get. Derhalwe is die fondasie van wiskunde-onderrig, naamlik die wiskundekurrikulum, wiskundehandboek en die onderwyser se instruksies in die klaskamer ondersoek. In `n diagnostiese ontleding van onderwysers se interpretasie, kennis en toepassing van die wiskundekurrikulum en die wiskundehandboekinhoude aan die Oos-Rand het die volgende probleme in verband met wiskunde-onderrig na vore gekom: Die belangrikste bevinding van TIMMS is dat die verskille in wiskundeprestasie tussen lande verband hou met die wyse waarop onderwysers die wiskudekurrikuluminhoude interpreteer en aanbied. Navorsing toon dat die interaksie van onderwysers met kurrikulummateriaal op ʼn dinamiese en konstruktiewe toepassing geskied in plaas van direkte toepassing vanuit die wiskundekurrikulum. Onderwysers verander dikwels die wiskundekurrikulum se voorskrifte en volgorde van inhoude om by hulle onderrigstyl, kennis en vorige ervarings te pas. Die gevolg is dat geen inlyntoepassing van wiskundebegrippe en vaardighede plaasvind nie en dit laat ʼn leemte in leerders se kognitiewe ontwikkeling. Verder laat dit ʼn leemte in die toepassing van die 5-tipe kognitiewe ontwikkelingstake in wiskunde wat ʼn verifiërend deduktiewe toepassing van begrippe bewerkstellig. In die aksienavorsing is ʼn struktuur geskep wat in hierdie behoefte voorsien. Outeurs van wiskundehandboeke het ʼn eie visie, interpretasie en styl wat hulle in wiskundehandboeke aanbied. Dit het ʼn invloed op die volgorde van wiskunde-inhoude en begrippe en gevolglik is wiskunde-inhoude en -begrippe soms nie inlyn geplaas met voorstellings van die wiskundekurrikulum nie, en word doelstellings nie bereik nie. Onderwysers se verskillende interpretasies van wiskundehandboekinhoude verskil radikaal van mekaar en plaas gevolglik groot druk op onderwysers om ʼn keuse te maak wat betref die gebruik van ʼn wiskundehandboek vir gebruik in die klaskamer. In die studie is ʼn wiskundehandboekprofiel en ʼn taakontleding tydens aksienavorsing geformuleer wat onderwysers in staat sal stel om ʼn professionele ontleding te maak vir gebruik. As gevolg van die verskeidenheid wiskundehandboeke wat gekeur word vir gebruik in skole neem onderwysers aan dat hierdie gekeurde wiskundehandboeke op die kurrikulum gerig is. Gevolglik word wiskundehandboeke slaafs nagevolg sonder om die wiskundekurrikulum te raadpleeg. Tekortkominge in wiskundehandboeke en die eie interpretasie van wiskundeinhoude deur onderwysers laat ʼn groot leemte in hul eie inlynwiskunde-onderrig. Om te voorsien in hierdie behoefte is ʼn assesseringsprofiel en ʼn inlynmetodiek saamgestel om onderwysers in staat te stel om die inlynaanbieding van begrippe en vaardighede te monitor. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didaktiek)