Student Number : 9110316P - M Ed research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / This study seeks to establish if teaching Grade 7 Algebra accords with Outcomes Based Education [OBE] in a sample of three state primary schools in a province, South Africa. Following the methods of illuminative evaluation the researcher looked for ‘matches’ and ‘mismatches’ between what was planned in an OBE text with what ‘actually happens’ in classroom teaching to gauge if the shift to outcomes has taken place in teaching Mathematics in these schools, and make recommendations to improve. Data was collected using document analysis to establish how percentages was planned to be taught by teachers and using naturalistic observations with follow-up probing interviews to establish how this teaching actually took place in classrooms. The data was checked by questionnaire data seeking the views of educators doing this teaching. The data showed 5 Patterns in this teaching, one only according with planned OBE teaching, 2 other Patters where teaching was more-or-less as intended, and 2 further Patterns where teaching failed to accord with the OBE text. Just over half the teachers or 58% of the sample seemed to have shifted to OBE, and less than half or 42% of educators seem not to have done so. Primary amongst the findings is that educators failed to teach Mathematics conceptually first as planned, preferring in a variety of ways to omit conceptual explanations by way of introduction to lessons in favour of ‘guiding examples’, ‘group work’ and ‘report back’, ‘teacher and learner assessment’ and ‘concluding exercises’, the six categories which emerged for teaching in these lessons. The study recommends primarily that educators re-claim teaching Mathematics conceptually first, and prior to completing examples and giving exercises to learners. It concludes that fewer educators than expected seem to have shifted towards OBE teaching in these Mathematics classrooms, 6 years into the national innovation, C 2005.

This study investigates how educators at General Education and Training (GET) level (senior phase) go about teaching problem solving skills, reasoning and communication as indicated in the OBE Mathematics curriculum (GET). In comparison to previous curricula, the new Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) Mathematics curriculum at the GET level, places more emphasis on problem solving, reasoning and communicating mathematical ideas. If properly implemented as intended by the curriculum reformers, then many of the problems that are encountered at tertiary level might no longer exist. Thus it is interesting to investigate how educators at GET level go about teaching such skills as problem solving, reasoning and communication as indicated in the OBE Mathematics curriculum at GET level. This study describes case studies of Grades 8 and 9 Mathematics teachers in eleven secondary schools in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa. The case studies explore whether and how the mathematics teachers go about trying to achieve the outcomes mentioned in the OBE (GET) Mathematics curriculum. The educators’ pedagogical methods are investigated, and, generally, how well the learning outcomes are achieved. A third research strand focuses on whether there exists a relationship between the teachers’ contribution (input), which is the foundation laid by the teacher for the later realisation of outcomes and outcomes as attempted or demonstrated by learners (output). The data were collected through video-tape recordings by trained educators, that is, Mpumalanga Secondary Science Initiative (MSSI) project staff to ensure authenticity and credibility of results. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Mathematics and Applied Mathematics / unrestricted

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Foundations of Education at the University of Zululand, 2003. / Outcomes-based education, like all other systems, need love, interest, background knowledge to learners as well as educators and proper resources for backing up the learning process. Educators' success in OBE depends on conditions of the country and circumstances like geographical locations that lead to imbalance of changes accompanied by problems such as overcrowded classrooms and inadequate of educational resources in rural and urban area.

D.Tech. / South Africa, as a developing country, is in search of an approach to education that could overhaul the problems associated with the historical education system. Outcomes-based education was introduced in South Africa on the assumption that it would lead to an increase in the quality of education by improving the standard of teaching and learning performance and by providing a curriculum that is more relevant to learners‘ needs. A focus of this research project is to empower physiology lecturers with the relevant teaching, learning and assessment skills needed to implement outcomes-based education within a constructivist framework. This research study describes the development of learning interventions for physiology that exploits the congruencies between constructivist perspectives on learning and the individual attributes of students as defined by learning styles and instructional design principles. This development research project was conducted in four phases: an extensive literature review in which teaching, learning and assessment models and theories were integrated into Curry‘s 'Onion model‘; the design of questionnaires, based on the literature reviewed, to compile a profile of the students registered for physiology at the University of Johannesburg; a pilot study; implementation of the questionnaires; and analysis of the data. Concurrent with this the different teaching, learning and assessment interventions, as identified in the literature, were implemented and evaluated continuously. A questionnaire was designed and implemented to determine student‘s views on these different interventions. Observations were also captured in a teaching diary and during semi-structured interviews with students. The literature review revealed that although there is a vast amount of information available on teaching, learning and assessment most of the models, theories and strategies described do not address the presence of more than one style at a time. This study makes a contribution to the field of instructional design for physiology with the development and application of the proposed model for 'Whole brain learning‘, as well as the proposed model for designing learning interventions entitled 'The 3‘D‘s of designing learning interventions‘.

Outcomes focused education is an educational reform movement that has influenced many countries, including Australia, in recent years. In this study the case of one primary school in Western Australia is examined. The study explores how this single school has implemented an outcomes approach within the context of large-scale jurisdictional change. The research design utilises the qualitative approaches of ethnography and phenomenology to develop a layered case study with the basic unit of analysis being the school site. A number of richly informative case studies, from within this single site, have been developed drawing on data from a broad range of stakeholders including teachers, students, parents and the school’s principal. Departmental and school based documents have also been utilised to inform and guide the development of each case study. Emergent themes with respect to the implementation of educational change have been identified and the implications of these are discussed. At the time of the study the school site was only in its fifth year of operation, and a variety of key factors were identified as having a significant impact on the level of success achieved in implementation. The change management model as used by the school is identified and described, and several critical areas of weakness are revealed. As a result, the study raises critical questions about the effectiveness of the model used by the school and therefore questions the potential for this model to be used successfully in other schools implementing similar pedagogical change.

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

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

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

When Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) reached the Further Education and Training (FET) band in 2006, teachers were confronted for the first time with a new curriculum that challenged them to implement a learner-centred approach to teaching, learning and assessment. Since assessment is seen as the heart of effective teaching and learning, this research was aimed at establishing how effective teachers of English First Additional Language (EFAL) in the FET band were in implementing Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA). A thorough literary survey on OBE and OBA was conducted. This survey included a study of the principles and philosophical underpinnings of OBE and the clarification of the key concepts of OBE and OBA. Various documents on the teaching, learning and assessment of English Second Language from the Departments of Education in New Zealand, Canada and Australia were studied to gain an international perspective. This was followed by an analysis of South African policy documents on the teaching, learning and assessment of EFAL. Empirical research was conducted by means of a survey in which both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used. The data analysis revealed that teachers of EFAL in the FET band experience problems with the practical implementation of the curriculum and the assessment thereof. Problems were mainly experienced with setting achievable outcomes, designing lessons, teaching material and learning activities, teaching and assessing in a learner-centred way, employing the most appropriate types and methods of assessment and using feedback to enhance learning. A model for assessment has been designed to fill the gap left between the theory of OBE and OBA as expressed in the NCS for EFAL and the successful, practical implementation thereof. It is anticipated that this model will contribute to the improvement of teaching, learning and assessment of EFAL in the FET band in public schools. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Since its inception, the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) curriculum in South Africa has caused much confusion and frustration among teachers, especially with regard to the implementation of Outcomes- Based Assessment (OBA). From the onset of the implementation of OBE in South Africa, teachers were confronted with unfamiliar challenges with regard to teaching, learning and assessment. Most teachers experienced these challenges as very stressful, because they were inadequately prepared for the didactical paradigm shift. This resulted in a general degree of negativity and resistance towards OBE amongst teachers. In particular, there seemed to be much confusion and frustration about the workload and administrative burden that OBA imposed on teachers. In the light of the afore-mentioned, the researcher wished to determine how the teachers from the North- West Province experience the OBA of Physical Sciences in the Further Education and Training (FET) Band. In order to achieve the aim and objectives of the research, a literature study as well as an empirical investigation was undertaken. The literature study focused on OBA, OBE, and the National Policy Document on the teaching, learning and assessment of Physical Sciences in the FET Band. For the purposes of the empirical investigation, quantitative and qualitative data were collected by means of a questionnaire that was distributed among a sample of teachers who taught Physical Sciences in the FET Band schools in the North-West Province. The data were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed and on the basis of the findings the following conclusions were drawn: • Although most participants indicated that they received training in OBA and were in possession of the relevant National Curriculum Statement (NCS) documents, some of their responses indicated a lack of practical implementation skills. It also transpired that some of the participants experienced a lack of resources and inadequate support from subject advisors in implementing OBA. • Participants experienced the following obstacles with regard to the assessment of Physical Sciences in the FET Band: - inadequate training to conduct practical work; - a complicated and confusing NCS document that does not contain clear guidelines; - an overloaded curriculum; and - limited resources, time constraints, overcrowded classrooms and an overloaded curriculum make practical work and experimentation very difficult. On the basis of the findings emanating from the research, a model for the implementation of OBA of Physical Sciences in the FET Band was proposed to close the gap between the theory and assessment practice. / Thesis (PhD (Natural Science Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.