A review of literature concerning teaching-learning media and the factors that influence the choice of teaching-learning media was conducted, in order to establish which teaching-learning media teachers are using to present a lesson, especially in OBE. The classification of teaching-learning media by different media specialists was looked into, before it was applied in a Biology lesson. The plant cell and animal cell sketches were used as examples to draw up transparencies, overlay-transparencies and to build models. An empirical investigation was undertaken to investigate which teaching-learning media teachers are using and why they are using certain teaching-learning media. It also investigated the role teaching-learning media plays in presenting a lesson and what can be done to help teachers to use more effective teaching-learning media in teaching Biology as part of Natural Science in the senior phase of OBE. According to the investigation teachers seem to stay with the traditional teaching-learning media, such as the chalkboard and textbook, for they are easily available, user-friendly and cost saving. However, there is a need that more courses should be offered, where teachers can be trained how to use certain teaching-learning media and how to create their own teaching-learning media. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This study is essentially a representation of my lived experience of my professional development as a teacher from the moment of my enrollment in a teacher education programme through my initial appointment as a professional teacher and my continued post graduate studies in education while being a teacher. However, I was faced with the challenge that I had no prior experience of the newly adopted Outcomes Based Education system which I will need to operate in when qualified. This drawback made me even more determined to make a success of my career. I therefore decided to engage in a qualitative participatory action research study to ensure that I will continually improve my OBE practices in a scholarly way. The study conveys the challenges I faced as a student teacher in a career path of initial teacher education aggravated by an unfamiliar education dispensation, my subsequent initiation into my career as a professional teacher, and my quest to remain a scholarly practitioner by enrolling for post graduate teacher education studies. I may have found a way in which effective continual professional development in a scholarly way may be available to every teacher besides that of formal post graduate studies. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

This investigation focused on educators’ understanding of Outcomes-based Education (OBE) and the impact it has had on their classroom assessment practices. As assessment practices may not be separated from instructional practices, educators’ opinions were probed on their classroom practices in general (i.e. instructional and assessment practices). Educators are the major role players towards successful implementation of OBE; as such their understanding of OBE is important. It has been about nine (9) years since OBE was phased in, in the South African Education system. Educators have undergone in-service training through workshops in order to implement OBE in their classroom practices. In the early stages of implementing OBE, many educators did not understand what was expected of them in an OBE classroom. Most of them continued to follow direct instruction as the only method in their instructional practices. They were resistant to changes. One of the reasons why they resisted changes is that they had little understanding of OBE. This investigation was meant to determine whether there has been development and improvement on educators’ understanding of OBE. The following qualitative research methods were followed in this investigation: semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis. A general overview of OBE was given in order to help me to develop criteria on which I could judge educators’ opinions regarding their understanding of OBE during interviews, observations and document analysis. The results in this investigation show that educators still have little understanding of OBE premises and principles. They do not accommodate OBE premises and principles in their classroom practices. Educators’ understanding of OBE must be improved so that they can implement OBE effectively in the classroom. / Dissertation (Magister Educationis (Assessment and Quality Assurance)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

Doctor Educationis / The aim of this research was to establish how successfully schools in the foundation phase (Grades 1 and 2), where training and implementation of OBE has been completed, were able to reach the goals of OBE. As part of the broader goal, this investigation attempted to clarify whether the inclusionary approach of OBE was working in primary schools in the foundation phase based on its central premise that all students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day and in the same way. More specifically, this investigation attempted to establish: (i) How successfully had the 66 specific outcomes been implemented in Grade 1 and Grade 2? (ii) What was the level of success of implementation in the different learning areas? (iii) What was the level of success in the implementation of mastery learning? (iv) How many learners had been moved from special education sites to regular education sites? (v) Did schools have the resources to deal with diversity? (vi) Had there been sufficient human resource development to ensure teachers had been trained to deal with diversity? And (vii) Did teachers feel they could teach all learners? In order to arrive at the above-mentioned aim, this study included a survey in a sample of primary schools in the Western Cape. A survey was conducted in 108 primary schools which constitutes 10% of the primary schools in the Western Cape Province. The 108 schools were chosen based on socio-economic and rural/urban considerations. Schools were identified on the following basis: 25% of the poorly resourced schools in urban areas, 25% of the well resourced schools in urban areas, 25% of the poorly resourced schools in the rural areas and 25% of the well resourced schools in the rural areas. Regarding the results of the study concerning the specific outcomes and learning areas, in grade one and grade two results relating to the specific outcomes and learning areas revealed that the majority of teachers rated the level of success at average and below. For example, the range of those teachers who indicated average and below in grade 1 was from 41.03% to 81.96% and in grade 2 from 43.56% to 79.50%. In most learning areas, the number of teachers who In Grades one and two, both language, literacy and communication and indicated average and below was substantial, for example, in grade 1; Natural Sciences, 81.96%, Technology, 78.43%, Economics and Management Sciences, 72.87%. Similar results have been found in Grade 2, for example; Natural Sciences, 79,50%, indicated average and below was substantial, for example, in grade 1 levels across geographical and socio-economic contexts. For example, the urban poor had the lowest results in Grade two and the urban rich experienced the lowest results in Grade one. This suggests that the implementation of OBE was generally poor. The poor results of the urban rich in relation to the other categories suggest that the implementation of OBE has failed in affluent urban schools yet it is normally expected that affluent schools would perform well in relation to the other categories. This is another indication that the implementation of OBE has generally been poor.

Published Article / With the dawn of the new curriculum in this country, namely, Curriculum 2005 (C2005) in 1997, and the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) in 2002, which are the two major curriculum policy developments in South Africa (Ramsuran & Malcolm, 2006:515), it invited an assortment of reactions from the entire education fraternity. The most obvious and extensive critique of the curriculum was that of the Report of the Ministerial Review Committee, which was established to review it in 2000. The approach adopted in this study is to encompass both processes of initial introduction and the revision stages in its reference to the curriculum. This article however, reveals that despite these implementation challenges, the overwhelming majority (88%) of the teachers have not only begun to embrace it, but are also applying the OBE principles in their lessons.

Since the implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) in South Africa, educators were confronted with new challenges regarding teaching, learning and assessment. A substantial number of educators seemed to experience these challenges as stressful, because they were not sufficiently prepared for the didactic paradigm shift and they were also unfamiliar with the OBE-terminology and methodology This situation resulted in a widespread degree of negativity and resistance amongst teachers towards the implementation of OBE in general, and specifically concerning issues related to outcomes based assessment (OBA). The primary aim of the research was to determine how educators perceive OBA and what problems they experience with the implementation thereof. In order to achieve the above-mentioned aim, 220 educators from the Bojanala West Region of the North-West Province participated in a survey. This survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire which contained structured and unstructured items. Based on the results emanating from this survey, the following conclusions were drawn: • The participants endorsed the theoretical foundations on which OBA is based and they were of opinion that OBA can provide the necessary focus for an improvement in teaching and learning, but they displayed negative perceptions concerning the practical implementation thereof. • The participants' negative perceptions regarding the implementation of OBA were caused by: • a lack of knowledge and skills due to inadequate training; • a lack of departmental support and guidance; • the administrative over-load brought on by OBA; • over-crowded classrooms and infrastructural deficiencies; and • a lack of parental support and involvement. In the light of the findings of the research, recommendations were made to enhance the practical implementation of OBA in schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

On the 30 July 1996, the Department of Education launched a national curriculum process. Included in this process was the establishment of an outcomes-based education (OBE) system. This research reflects how selected South African teachers responded to the implementation of an outcomes-based education curriculum, at the onset of 1998. The research also reflects the perspectives of individuals whose task it is to design the new curriculum. The research is housed in an interpretative paradigm and has a qualitative perspective to it, in that it is primarily concerned with understanding the individual teacher’s perspective and experience of outcomes-based education. The case study research method is used, with interviews and questionnaires as the data gathering methods. The research reveals teachers’ understanding of OBE, as well as their concerns and aspirations of an outcomes-based curriculum. A number of recommendations are made to aid teachers and curriculum developers during this time of curriculum change.

This thesis investigates current scientific literature on near-death experiences (NDE), focusing on two common types of models used to explain the NDE: biological models and spiritual models. Four biological models and two spiritual models are presented and evaluated. During the evaluation, particular emphasis is placed on how these models accommodate veridical evidence. I found that, of the biological models, only one could account for veridical evidence, whereas both of the spiritual models provided explanations of these strange occurrences. From this conclusion, the implications of NDE research on human survival are explored.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Afrikaans en Nederlands)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.