There has been an increase in the number of first-generation adult learners in higher education institutions. However, literature has revealed limited information on the experiences of first-generation adult learners and their perception of the barriers they face in higher education. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of 6 first-generation adult learners attending a higher education institution and their perception of the barriers they faced. The theoretical foundations were andragogy theory and social-cognitive career theory. Data were collected using purposeful interviews and data were analyzed using iinterpretative pphenomenological aanalysis. Five detailed patterns were identified: (a) students experienced specific barriers associated with anxiety and fear; (b) students were able to adapt to change and overcome their barriers; (c) students viewed education as a way out of their present situation and welcomed it as a positive influence; (d) students viewed the barriers as normal life challenges; and (e) the availability of supportive services made a difference in the adult learning environment. Findings from this research will contribute to the knowledge and experiences of first-generation adult learners in higher education institutions and the unique barriers they face. In addition to the development of effective programs designed for first-generation adult learners, administrators, staff, and faculty in higher education institutions can use the data generated from this study to improve overall retention/graduation rates for underserved populations in higher education by identifying any obstacles to success and implementing intervention policies.

Despite the billions of dollars spent in the last forty years, America's efforts toward closing the achievement gaps among diverse learners and their receptive counterparts have not been realized. Limitations noted in previous research discussed the need to examine the unique contributions of diverse learner variables as a way of determining their specific academic needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and inter-group growth trajectories of two diverse student groups (English Language Learners and Students with Specific Learning Disabilities) on reading achievement. The study employed a longitudinal, quasi-experimental research design utilizing archival data from 26,947 students' files to answer two research questions. The first research question examined growth relationships between 3rd grade English Language Learner student categories on reading achievement while holding gender and socio-economic variables constant. The second research question explored the extent to which the initial levels and slopes of 3rd grade students with specific learning disabilities differed across racial and ethnic groups. Growth curve analyses were employed to answer both research questions. Findings revealed significant intercept and slope relationships for the two groups on reading fluency measures. Significant differences were found between the reference group (i.e., Non-ELL females who were ineligible for free and or reduced lunch) and two of the ELL subgroups. The slope relationships were only significant for ELL students (ELL-LY) who were in the currently enrolled (i.e., receiving some type of ELL instructional support or service) category. Gender and socio-economic variables were significant suggesting a negative influence on initial reading levels. Reading fluency (DORF) achievement findings relative to students with disabilities and their race and ethnic subgroups revealed White students' initial DORF scores were significantly different from Hispanic and Black students' scores. Race and ethnic slope variables were insignificant and homogeneous in nature. A discussion about these findings and their implications for closing the achievement gap for diverse students is provided in the document.

Evidence of the effects of indiscipline on the academic performance of grade 12 learners has been mixed. This study examined how indiscipline in the forms of disruptive, aggressive behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse affected levels of academic performance in a case study of public Senior Secondary Schools of the Libode Education District, Eastern Cape Province in the Republic of South Africa. A total of 25 teachers from two selected schools in the Libode District (10 men and 15 women) were randomly assigned to participate in both the quantitative and qualitative interview surveys conducted by the researcher. The study relied substantially on teacher ratings. The data were collected using interviews which were synthesized, analysed, presented and discussed within a specified time frame. The results adequately reflected on the three research questions of the study which were: To what extent do learners‘ aggressive and violent behaviour impede academic performance? Does imbibing alcohol and drugs influence learners‘ academic performance? To what extent does learners‘ disruptive behaviour affect their academic performance? It has been clearly indicated that disruptive, aggressive behaviour and alcohol and drug abuse have a negative impact on academic performance. The factors (disruptive, aggressive behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse) used in the analysis were identified as the main challenges to the educational development and academic achievement among learners; they pose a serious threat and have negative effects on students, teachers, the school environment and society. They originate from the same sources, however; these are mainly family background, society, cultural values, beliefs, technology, peer pressure and classroom management strategies employed by educators. Findings were discussed in the context of the main and sub research questions and recommendations were made.

The purpose of this study was to attain an understanding of knowledge, attitudes and use of contraception amongst learners attending a high school in Mdantsane. A quantitative, descriptive survey was conducted. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire which was self-administered by 150 female learners. These learners were doing grade 10-12 and were aged between 18-20 years. The findings indicated that 86.67% of the learners understood contraception as prevention of pregnancy, only 8.67% understood contraception as prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. The 66.3% of learners had positive attitude towards contraceptives. The 77.27% of the learners were using injectable contraceptives. The main reason for stopping use of contraception was side effects. Majority of learners had basic knowledge of contraceptives, but knew few types and did not know their mechanism of action. Most learners had positive attitude and were using contraceptives. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Cette thèse relève de la didactique de l’anglais. Il s’agit d’une étude exploratoire des représentations et attitudes de 170 lycéens, relative à l’introduction et l’utilisation du baladeur MP3 en cours d’anglais. Notre démarche d’investigation a reposé sur une approche systémique de la situation d’apprentissage. Afin de mettre au jour l’attitude des apprenants, nous avons utilisé des questionnaires. Nos résultats ont mis en évidence l’absence d’unanimité dans l’acceptation du baladeur MP3 en cours d’anglais. Une utilisation régulière du baladeur MP3 dans la vie quotidienne ne prédispose pas à son appropriation dans un contexte scolaire. Le baladeur MP3 n’est pas un objet réel – c’est un artefact qui se reconstruit selon les usages. Notre étude a également montré que les représentations de l’objet technologique chez les apprenants dépendaient de leurs représentations des autres éléments de la situation d’apprentissage. / This PhD thesis concerns the learning/teaching of the English language. It consists in an exploratory study of 170 high school students’ beliefs and attitudes as regards the introduction and use of an MP3 player in English classes. Our investigation was based on a systemic approach of the learning context. In order to expose the learners’ attitude, we used questionnaires. Our results highlighted the absence of consensus in the acceptation of the MP3 player in English classes. A frequent use of the MP3 player in the daily life does not involve its appropriation in a school context. The MP3 player is not a real object – it is an artefact that is reconstructed according to the uses. Our study also showed that the learners’ beliefs of the technological object depended on their beliefs of the other elements belonging to the learning context.

A number of studies in the literature claim that storytelling is a powerful tool in the development of receptive (i.e., Reading and Listening) and productive (i.e., Speaking and Writing) language skills, including pronunciation (e.g., Atta-Alla, 2011; Mottalabi & Pourgharib, 2013; Zare-Behatash, Saed and Sajjadi, 2016). Furthermore, there are studies that suggest that storytelling is even more effective than traditional teaching methods (e.g., Hsu, 2010; Li & Seehouse, 2010; Zare-Behatash, Saed and Sajjadi, 2016). The problem, however, is that those studies generally lack specific information about how storytelling improves pronunciation and what aspects are enhanced, for instance. This study aims to fill such a gap in the literature by investigating the effect(s) of storytelling on the development of the pronunciation of Brazilian beginner learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) who are 15 years of age and older, through a focus on specific segmental (i.e., /I/; /i/ and /ð/; /θ/) and suprasegmental (i.e., word stress) features that are considered difficult for Brazilian learners of English to pronounce intelligibly (i.e., Baptista, 2001; Cruz, 2003; Reis, 2006). Additionally, it aims to investigate how storytelling activities compare in effectiveness to textbook activities in the development of pronunciation, since textbook activities are widely used pedagogical tools in English classes in Brazil and generally considered to be effective in the development of language skills (e.g., Consolo, 1990; Xavier & Urio, 2006). Last, the study examines Brazilian learners’ perceptions about the usefulness and relevance of the storytelling/textbook activities they were exposed to in improving their pronunciation. Data were collected at a private school in Brazil three times a week, in 12, 25-minute sessions. A total of 86 learners participated in the study and were randomly divided into three different groups (i.e., experimental, n=28; comparison, n=29; and control, n=29). The experimental group performed storytelling activities and the comparison group performed textbook activities. The control group received no treatment. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to examine the data gathered from pre-tests, post-tests and questionnaires. The findings of the statistical analyses showed significant differences in the participants’ performance in the perception and production pre-tests/post-tests, suggesting that storytelling and textbook activities played an effective role in the pronunciation improvement of the participants. In addition, findings showed that storytelling and textbook activities had a similar effect on pronunciation. The findings of the quantitative and qualitative questionnaires showed that, in general, participants in the experimental (i.e., storytelling) and comparison (i.e., textbook) groups similarly enjoyed performing their respective activities, although they were not much sure about their usefulness and relevance for the improvement of their English pronunciation. This study offers various contributions in the investigation of the effect of storytelling on pronunciation improvement. In addition to addressing the lack of specific information in previous studies on the relationship between storytelling and pronunciation development, it also contributes to the field by showing teachers that L2 pronunciation development may be impacted by a number of factors at individual, psychological, sociocultural and sociocognitive levels, to mention a few. Moreover, it suggests that the implicit approach examined in the study did not seem to play an effective role in the development of learners’ pronunciation. Instead, an inductive approach that involves exposing learners to target sounds through the use of enhanced input, for instance, could potentially increase the effectiveness of pronunciation improvement through storytelling. / Graduate

Magister Educationis - MEd / One of the key ideas in the research on mathematics education is that the mathematical knowledge that learners acquire is strongly tied to the particular situation in which it is learnt. This study investigated the contexts that learners in grades eight, nine and ten prefer to deal with in the learning of mathematics based on their personal, social, societal, cultural and contextual concerns or affinities. The study is situated in the large-scale project called the Relevance of School Mathematics Education II (ROSMEII), which is concerned with the application and the use of mathematical knowledge and processes in real life situations. It is based on a survey of learners from ten (10) secondary schools in the Oshana and Khomas regions of Namibia. The ten schools that were sampled represent the spectrum of schools in Namibia in both urban and semi-urban areas. The Rasch model of data analysis is employed to provide some insight into the contextual situations learners would like to deal with in their mathematical learning. The data obtained for this study was analysed using the WINSTEPS Version 3.65.0 suite of computer programs. The current study arises from a concern about the absence of the voices of learners in the contextual situations in mathematics selected by adults such as mathematics teachers, inspectorates and curriculum and materials developers. The assumption is that the inclusion of learners’ insights into mathematics curricular might enhance mathematical learning. The study reveals that school children have an intrinsic desire to learn about mathematical issues embedded in real-life contexts. Several items which Namibian learners have shown interest in are issues they experience in life out of school which are not directly dealt with in school, such as managing personal and financial affairs, health matters, technology, construction, engineering and government financial matters. However, learners indicated to have a low preference in contexts like lotteries and gambling, national and international politics, cultural products, all kinds of pop music and dancing. This thesis contends that the inclusion of contexts in the mathematics curriculum which are of interest to learners will go a long way in facilitating good performance of learners in mathematics. / South Africa

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which principals and school nutrition programme coordinators (nutrition coordinators) manage the responsibility of ensuring that the nutrition programme is implemented at their schools without interfering with the process of teaching and learning. The study includes a literature review and an empirical investigation. The specific knowledge gained from this research may add to the body of knowledge in the field of Education Management and should inform educators, principals, policy makers and individuals concerned with the management of school nutrition programmes on strategies that could be applied in managing the primary school nutrition programme. The data was collected by administering semi-structured interviews and observations. Five public primary school principals and five coordinators from Tembisa on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg (Gauteng, South Africa) were interviewed. The results showed that the majority of principals and coordinators admitted that the programme enhanced learners’ performance at school, but felt that there were specific challenges in managing the programme. Some of the principals and coordinators experienced the programme as an additional burden to the educators who were already overloaded with curriculum lessons. Most of the schools indicated that feeding time sometimes overlapped with the learners’ class time, due to the large number of learners being served by one food handler. This study recommends that the SGB should reconsider the installation of food preparation facilities at schools. Other mechanisms should be sought to relieve the already overburdened educators from running the programme. Measuring scales should be available at all schools to ensure that the weight of delivered food items agree with the kilograms stated on the delivery invoice. The Department of Education should involve experts when planning the menu to warrant better nutritional value and effective delivery of the school nutrition programme. Regular seminars and workshops should be arranged for food suppliers, programme committee members and food handlers to ensure effective management and implementation of the programme. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The United States is home to hundreds of thousands of refugees and immigrants who desire to learn English. In contrast to academically-focused English language learners (ELLs), or international students, refugee and immigrant ELLs are often dealing with the stresses of poverty and/or a precarious immigration status, giving them a diverse and complex set of needs that are often not adequately met by ESL programs. Building off a foundation of Activity Theory, Sociocultural Theory, and Language Ecology, which emphasizes an approach to language learning and teaching that does not separate language from the authentic contexts from which it arises (Van Lier, 2002; Leather & Van Dam, 2003; Pennycook, 2010; Swain & Watanabe, 2012; among others), I seek to uncover and address these needs in-context through an ethnography of six Spanish-speaking immigrant ELLs in the western United States. I detail the results of an in-depth analysis of 116 hours of participant observation with these women, paying special attention to their daily routines and how, where, and why they employ English or Spanish. I show how the women's daily routines and participation in Latinx communities curtail much of their need for daily English, how they employ various strategies to get by when they do need English, and how their expressed motivations to learn English are often thwarted by their current life circumstances. I end by summarizing key observations about the ELLs in the study and making general recommendations to ESL programs for how to apply these observations.

A minor dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master in Education Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand / As a prescribed Grade 12 IEB (Independent Exams Board) English Home Language (HL) text, Absolution written by Patrick Flanery (2012) has proven to be a very difficult text to teach. It is for this reason that I have chosen to conduct research into the various ways that Grade 12 teachers have approached the teaching of this novel. In my experience as a Grade 12 English teacher my engagement with a vast variety of IEB prescribed English texts has been wholly accessible to learners and teachers, offering complete engagement and understanding of the various concepts explored within each text. As IEB (Independent Exams Board) prescribed English texts remain prescribed for the duration of two years, each year provides an opportunity to further develop my experience in conveying the nuances relating to theme, character and style. In my experience, such a process has always been achievable, satisfying and highly rewarding; however the option to select Absolution as the Grade 12 English Home Language set text for 2015 and 2016 presented challenges due to the complexities of both style and content inherent in this text. The unusually dense nature of this text has made it extremely difficult for Grade 12 learners to engage with the novel in a profound way. It is for this reason that I would like to conduct research into the methods and underlying models for teaching literature that IEB English teachers have used when approaching the teaching of this specific text in their Grade 12 English classrooms. Drawing on the models for teaching literature as first proposed by Ronald Carter and Michael Long (1991) as well as Gillian Lazar (1993), various teacher approaches will be investigated. Using a qualitative method of research, questionnaires were completed by two teachers from an independent school for girls and three teachers from an independent school for boys. Focused group interviews were conducted with one teacher from each of the schools as a way of clarifying certain responses to the questionnaire that was initially completed. Careful analysis of the data provided through both the questionnaire and the focused group interview, led to the conclusion that understanding literary theory as well as the context in which the novel is set is fundamental in allowing for an intensive study of the novel as well as a clear understanding of the nuances contained within the novel. / Andrew Chakane 2021