This Research Report critiques the English Home Language Literature setwork selection for the period 2009-2011 in terms of the National Curriculum Statement for English Home Language for Grades 10- 12 to establish whether there is consonance between policy and practice in this section of the syllabus and to determine whether the new national syllabus offers a traditional or a transformational approach to the subject. In order to do this, the National Curriculum Statement is analysed in terms of the principles and outcomes which it intends to be actualised in the study of English and selects those that seem applicable to literature studies. Questions are formulated encapsulating these principles and used as the tools to critique the new national literature syllabus both as regards its individual constituent parts and as regards the syllabus as a whole. A brief comparison between the current prescribed literature selection and setworks set from 1942 to the present day establishes whether the new syllabus has departed from old syllabus designs, whether it acknowledges the new target group of pupils in multiracial English Home Language classrooms by offering a revised, wider and more inclusive selection of novels, dramas, poems and other genres such as short stories, or whether it remains traditionally Anglocentric in conception. The conclusions reached are that although the setworks conform to the letter of the requirements set down in the NCS, the underlying spirit of transformation is not realised. The inclusion of some poets from Africa and South Africa is merely content addition to a Eurocentric core curriculum, a form of tokenism which does not reorientate the syllabus significantly or move it away from its traditional trajectory. The report suggests that literature of merit from both Africa and South Africa be included in every part of the syllabus so that it reflects in some degree the contributions that the continent makes to English literature, in this way including in its scope the interests and identities of the wide range of learners studying English Home Language in the South African context.

Thesis (M.A. (African languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / A critical analysis of the Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9 (2002) and the Tshitatamennde tsho Sedzuluswaho tsha Kharikhulamu Gireidi R-9 (2002) has revealed that the role of equivalence in translation cannot be taken for granted. In the study, various types of translation equivalence, such as connotative, textual, dynamic and formal, are examined. The examination reveals that formal equivalence is the type of equivalence in which the source text has a corresponding word in the target language, whereas the dynamic equivalence occasionally translates texts out of context because it does not take into account the context of the text. The study also deals with translation methods such as word–for-word, idiomatic, semantic, and communicative. The role of equivalence in their use is examined. The study also reveals that some methods are not suitable because they distort the meaning, depending on the context of the text. The communicative method has been found to be the most suitable method in translation because it is the kind of method that fulfills the purpose of translation, which is communicative equivalence.This study also highlights the issue of technical translation in aspects such as assessment, learning areas, learning outcomes, and assessment standards. The analysis reveals that the translation of a technical term by another technical term has flaws, some of them are, namely, ambiguity and the distortion of information. The study also reveals that a technical term should be translated by a descriptive term.

Life Orientation is a new learning area in the National Curriculum Statement. The Learning area promises to improve the quality of education for all the South Africans. This study was founded upon the Structural Curriculum Theory to investigate how secondary school teachers understand, response to and implement Life Orientation. Life Orientation is a core subject area according to the Department of Education. A total number of thirty six Life Orientation teachers form five secondary schools in different circuits in Gert Sibande Region in Mpumalamga Province participated in the study. Data was collected through the focus group, individual interviews and qualitatively analysed. The results revealed that teachers are frustrated, lack knowledge, understanding, has negative response and are ignorant in implementing the subject area in schools. Teachers lack sufficient support, not suffiently qualified, disregard the importance of the subject area, low status of the subject area, limited time allocation for the learning area. In the light of the results, recommendations are made with regard to the study on training monitoring and support of teachers. The Department of Education should increase school-based support visits and monitoring by district officials. These visits should be more intense and should include practical demonstrations of curriculum implementation. District officials must monitor progress by following-up previous visits. Heads of Department should exercise control and provide guidance with regard to curriculum implementation. Learning area teachers and the Heads of Department should be empowered by the Department of Education through scheduled workshops. Specific emphasis should be given to the interpretation and practical implementation of the learning area policy components. Heads of Department should deliberately create opportunities for Life Orientation staff to collaborate to exchange creative ideas and information that will improve teachers’ understanding and interpretation of the curriculum. Schools should acknowledge the status and importance of the learning area. Life Orientation should not be disregarded and deliberately allocated to ineffective teachers or to fill up gaps in the timetable of teachers. Teaching Life Orientation should not be imposed on teachers. Higher Education Institutions should have programmes that will prepare teachers as specialists in Life Orientation as a learning area. The Department of Education and Higher Education Institutions should actively recruit students to become specialists in Life Orientation as a learning area for better implementation of Life Orientation in South African schools. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Early Childhood Education / unrestricted

This study focuses on the extent to which the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Professional Development (PD) orientation programme for Intermediate Phase educators achieved its intended outcomes. The study was conducted with 17 Intermediate Phase educators who attended the NCS PD orientation programme, which was presented by the Department of Education officials. This orientation programme was aimed at ensuring that Intermediate Phase educators are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to implement the NCS effectively. The participants in this study are all Intermediate Phase educators in Mpumalanga Province, Nkangala Region. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative methods in gathering data. Questionnaires, interviews and documentary analysis were used as data streams. The study revealed that the NCS PD orientation programme achieved its intended outcomes but the majority of teachers are still struggling to implement the NCS in line with the requirements of the NCS policy. The research also revealed that the support these educators obtain from the district subject advisors result in these educators developing a dependency syndrome and therefore compromising their professional roles as designers of learning programmes and constructors of knowledge (constructivist approach to teaching and learning). Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

This is a four year longitudinal study into learner experiences of transition from the General Education and Training band to the Further Education and Training band in science. The study focused on Natural Science in the GET band and Physical Science in the FET band and used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The learners who participated in the study were a unique cohort. They were in grade 1 when Curriculum 2005 was introduced in 1997. They were also the last group of learners in 2005 that completed their compulsory schooling (grade 9) under the outcomes based C2005 in which content was not prescribed. The curriculum was revised and content was re-introduced in 2006 when they started grade 10 (FET) with teachers who were mostly not trained in Outcomes Based Education. In 2008 they were the first matriculants from the new curriculum. Their progress and experiences from the GET band to the FET band should have therefore generated a lot of interest from both the political and educational perspectives. This study is exploring their particular situation. There is a gap between curriculum 2005 and the National Curriculum Statement. Learners in this study who were doing grade 9 Natural Science in 2005 under c2005 were greatly disadvantaged by the curriculum that did not prepare them adequately for grade 10 Physical Science. Initially, there was an increase shown in interest in science from grade 9 to grade 10 but this interest declined as learners progressed to grade 12. During their progress from the GET phase to the FET phase their transition was characterized by a decline in interest in Physical Science caused by lack of practical work, loss of the closer student-teacher relationships and disappointment when their expectations of teaching strategies were not met. They themselves described the transition as difficult. However, the achievement in the examination of those who were post positivist-oriented was better than the achievement of those who were empiricist-aligned. When faced with problems of conceptual understanding, they resorted to guess work and rote application of concepts and algorithms. Although these findings were derived from a study of learners in only one school from a poor township in South Africa, they are consistent with other reports in the literature. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

In-service education and training (INSET) has become a key vehicle for the professional development of educators in the school context. However, its role and impact has yet to be fully comprehended. This study resulted from the realization that educators often attend short training courses without being tracked or monitored afterwards. Using an illuminative approach to evaluation, this study aimed to establish the impact of INSET on educators’ ability to effectively implement the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum, after attending national INSET in 2005. It was also important to gauge if educators had gained the knowledge and skills to deal with emergent issues not addressed during the training. The field of adult education offered a particular lens through which I aimed to look at both LO and INSET. The sample selected for this study consisted of three teachers teaching at co-educational government schools in Johannesburg, who attended the 2005 Gauteng provincial training in LO for grade 10. Data collection methods included questionnaires, naturalistic observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings of this study suggest that the success of this INSET programme depends heavily on the individuals who attend them and their personal experiences and beliefs. The study concluded that for educators to implement LO effectively they would not only have to develop professionally but they should also be committed to lifelong learning.

The integration of knowledge and skills across subjects and terrains of practice is crucial for achieving applied competence as defined in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (Department of Education 2003:3).). Physical science underperformance has plagued out Further Education Training (FET) schools sector for some time and therefore this study which is directed at the possible causes of poor performance and to device strategies that could assist physical science teachers to teach more effectively addresses a crucial gap in the performance of the country’s education provision. Emanating from the above, this study focused on the impact of National Curriculum Statement principle in the teaching of physical science in Grades 10 to 12 around Sekhukhune district. The study looked at integration as a principle endorsed in the National Curriculum Statement and how this is implemented by teachers in the teaching of physical science in grades 10-12.A literature study on the impact of National Curriculum Statement principle in the teaching of physical science was undertaken. A qualitative approach was used to obtain data from Grades 10-12 teacher in FET around Sekhukhune district. Data were collected in the form of participant observation, semi-structured and focus group interviews. The results indicate that teaches had no clear idea of integrating the relevant concepts in the subjects they were teaching (physical science). It was also found that teachers did not receive adequate in-service training specifically targeting the principle of integration. The study recommends the professional development of physical science teachers. The study indicated that the continuum model of integration is suitable for the implementation of concepts integration. It is believed that if the continuum model of integration could be used and followed by teacher as a guiding principle in the integration process, the challenges experienced by teachers in this regard will be minimized. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

The integration of knowledge and skills across subjects and terrains of practice is crucial for achieving applied competence as defined in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (Department of Education 2003:3).). Physical science underperformance has plagued out Further Education Training (FET) schools sector for some time and therefore this study which is directed at the possible causes of poor performance and to device strategies that could assist physical science teachers to teach more effectively addresses a crucial gap in the performance of the country’s education provision. Emanating from the above, this study focused on the impact of National Curriculum Statement principle in the teaching of physical science in Grades 10 to 12 around Sekhukhune district. The study looked at integration as a principle endorsed in the National Curriculum Statement and how this is implemented by teachers in the teaching of physical science in grades 10-12.A literature study on the impact of National Curriculum Statement principle in the teaching of physical science was undertaken. A qualitative approach was used to obtain data from Grades 10-12 teacher in FET around Sekhukhune district. Data were collected in the form of participant observation, semi-structured and focus group interviews. The results indicate that teaches had no clear idea of integrating the relevant concepts in the subjects they were teaching (physical science). It was also found that teachers did not receive adequate in-service training specifically targeting the principle of integration. The study recommends the professional development of physical science teachers. The study indicated that the continuum model of integration is suitable for the implementation of concepts integration. It is believed that if the continuum model of integration could be used and followed by teacher as a guiding principle in the integration process, the challenges experienced by teachers in this regard will be minimized. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

The transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa, which began in 1994 led to a change in a plethora of policies and/or legislation. In recent years there has been much debate on how the standard of education provisioning in schools could be raised in the light of the introduction of the much debated Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) and thereafter the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). These reform initiatives have brought about confusion and a sense of unsettledness amongst educators, including principals as well as their School Management Teams. Furthermore, the abovementioned and other policies required educators to acquaint themselves with either the materials that are used or the content of the curriculum and the planning and presentation of lessons. This entails in some occasions that educators who are more experienced have to assist the less experienced ones since they understand the RNCS and more recently the NCS better than the others. According to me this emphasises the importance of educator development towards raising the standards in schools. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a process that fits the role of an educator as a lifelong learner. The aforementioned is captured in the Norms and Standards for Educators (2000). The need for more attention to be accorded to the professional development of practising educators is emphasised in the Report of the Ministerial Committee on Teacher Education (2005). This report led to the development of the National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development which has as its aim to attempt to address the need for suitably qualified educators in South Africa. The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development will be used in this study along with the Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS) as tools to achieve the continuous development of educators in South African schools. The Personnel Administration Measures (PAM) of 1999 are also used since they stipulate the roles and responsibilities of the educator, including those of the principal, deputy principal(s) as well as the heads of department. In particular it stipulates that the principal (Department of Education, 1999:10) is responsible for the development of staff training programmes, school-based, school-focused and externally directed, and to assist educators, particularly new and inexperienced educators, in developing and achieving educational objectives in accordance with the needs of the school. This research project deals with the challenges experienced by educators regarding their own Continued Professional Development (CPD). It thus aims at coming up with an empirical account of the challenges experienced by the said educators. The study will focus on, among others, the educators’ experiences in the implementation of the IQMS as a developmental tool for educators in schools. It looks at the roles that different staff members in senior positions in terms of the CPD of the educators. These include the developmental opportunities available in the sampled schools. Carefully selected and drafted interview questions assisted me in soliciting answers from the sampled educators. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The research focuses on the role of the principal in the implementation of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) in Tshwane North District 3. The district is characterised by urban areas, townships and informal settlements. Educators in schools in these areas are well qualified; however, schools in the informal settlement lack resources and facilities. Thus, the curriculum implementation problems experienced by principals and educators in the informal settlements differ from those of principals and educators in urban schools. The amendment of the Curriculum 2005 through the RNCS introduced innovations in schools and changed the principal's role in its implementation. A literature review provided a conceptual framework and covered requirements for successful curriculum implementation, the principal's role therein and relevant training for principals. An empirical investigation using a qualitative approach was conducted and data gathered by interviews with principals, officials from the Department of Education and educators. Finally, a synopsis of the findings and recommendations for further research are provided. / EDUCATIONAL STUDIES / MED (EDUC MANAGEMENT)