A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of MA in Communication Science University of Zululand, 2002 / In this thesis I present my recommendations regarding the role of organisational com¬munication and record keeping in Outcomes-Based Education within the intermediate phase classroom. I reveal that the fundamental switch from the traditional educator-centred teaching to learner-centred teaching in Out-comes Based Education requires that both educators and learners be in command of a range of communication strategies in order to construct meaning in the real-world social contexts. It will also be illustrated that intra-personal, interpersonal and small group involvements are all essential for successful teaching and learning to take place. The importance of verbal as well as nonverbal communication skills are also given due attention. Outcomes-Based Education is based not on knowledge, but on how we think learning takes place. The focus is on the mind of the learner as an knaginer, an inventor, a creator of ideas. What is clearly evident with this approach is the manner in which learners constandv ne¬gotiate, renegotiate and construct their own meaning. The focus is on the individual and not on the group. With this in mind, we need to note that everyone learns differently and we need to assess accordingly. As educators we also need to recognise what learners have learnt and we need to find ways of acknowledging that learning has indeed taken place. Out-comes Based Education requires a cooperative method of teaching which allows for democracy in the classroom. Learners are allowed to contribute freely about their daily ex¬periences. Further to this I examine the forms of communication that learners and educators must be in command of to succeed in OBE. I further recommend tools that can be imple¬mented to successfully manage assessments in OBE classrooms. A flexible database of spread¬sheets will be presented which could be adapted to suit individual schools.

This thesis investigates both the information needs of the identified communities of Damonsville and Onverwacht and the contents of the selected Afrikaans literacy ABET programmes in order to determine whether the contents addresses the identified information needs. Educators need to develop material that is relevant and appropriate, for example, content that addresses the information needs of the targeted learners. The results of this content analysis were aligned with the information needs assessments carried out in the communities of Onverwacht and Damonsville. These two communities were chosen because of their close proximity to Pretoria and the high level of illiteracy prevailing in these two mainly Afrikaans-speaking communities. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used in the study. Two communities of Damonsville and Onverwacht were chosen as data collection sites so as to reveal their information needs through the use of questionnaires. The data collected was analysed by using descriptive and statistical tabulation for quantitative and content analysis methods and then compared. The main research question of the study is, “What are the information needs of the Afrikaans pre-literate adult learners of both Damonsville and Onverwacht communities and how can the content of adult literacy training material be tailored to match the information requirements of the identified communities?”. From the data derived from empirical study conducted, a list of activities which serve as information needs of both communities was compiled and could then be used when designing instructional tutorials so as that the content could match the specified needs of the identified communities. From the content analysis of the three literacy programmes, findings have indicated that there exist no correlation between the information needs of the identified communities and the contents of the literacy programmes. The researcher argues this shortcoming as a major implication to instructional design. Based on the findings of a comparison between the content of the Afrikaans literacy programmes and the information needs of the people in Onverwacht and Damonsville, a learning programme in the form of two lesson plans were compiled in which the identified information needs of the learners determined the content. Recommendations for the improvement of the content of literacy programmes that could be used in future were also made. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Afrikaans / unrestricted

Submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Departmrnt of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of Zululand, 2006. / The present study examines educators' implementation of assessment in Outcomes-Based Education. The aim was to ascertain the extent to which educators use assessment methods, assessment tools, assessment techniques, forms (specific purposes) of assessment and reporting tools. Another aim was to determine whether educators' biographical factors (gender, teaching experience, qualification and teaching phase) have any influence on educators' usage of assessment methods, assessment tools, assessment techniques, forms (specific purposes) of assessment and reporting tools. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of three hundred and three educators. The findings reveal that educators differ in the extent to which they use assessment methods. A very high percentage (66.3%) of educators report a moderate level of using assessment methods, 29.7% report a low usage level and 4% report a high usage level. The findings also indicate that educators' biographical factors have no influence on educators' usage of assessment methods. The findings show that educators differ in the extent to which they use assessment tools. A relatively high percentage (59.1%) of educators report a moderate level of using assessment tools, 6.2% report a low usage level and 34.7% report a high usage level. The findings further reveal that qualification and teaching phase have an influence on educators' usage of assessment tools. The findings reveal that educators differ in the extent to which they use assessment techniques. A high percentage (62.7%) of educators report a moderate level of using assessment techniques, 13.5% report a low usage level and 23.8% report a high usage level. The findings also indicate that teaching phase has an influence on educators' usage of assessment techniques. The findings show that educators differ in the extent to which they use forms (specific purposes) of assessment. A relatively high percentage (50.2%) of educators report a moderate level of using forms of assessment, 6.6% report a low usage level and 43.2% report a high usage level. The findings further indicate that educators' biographical factors have no influence on educators' usage of forms of assessment. The findings reveal that educators differ in the extent to which they use reporting tools. A high percentage (61.4%) of educators report a low level of using reporting tools, 34.6% report a moderate usage level and 4% report a high usage level. The findings also indicate that educators' biographical factors have no influence on educators' usage of reporting tools. On the basis of the findings of this study, a model for implementation process of assessment in OBE was proposed and recommended.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Communication Science, at the University of Zululand, 2002. / In this thesis I present my recommendations regarding the role of communication during effective learning in the foundation phase classrooms. I focus on three issues that are important to effective learning, namely (1) the cognitive basis of learning, (2) the cognitive basis of communication and (3) the facultative role of communication during effective learning. In the empirical phase of my research I report the results of an attitude survey conducted among educators in the foundation phase of the greater Durban region regarding their understanding of the range of communication strategies that are required of them in order to successfully implement Outcomes-Based Education (OBE). I present an analysis of OBE and Curriculum 2005, and how it continually faced refinement to become suitable for the South African educational system. An array of communication forms is discussed and I show how they can influence the teaching and learning environment to benefit both educators and learners. I show that both educators and learners can develop and equip themselves with the appropriate communication skills to facilitate effective learning. I also present various constructsvist points of view that educators can identify with for effective learning when implementing OBE in foundation phase classrooms. / The University of Zululand

International literature suggests that curriculum changes that have occurred in higher education globally over the last two decades, more specifically the shift from subject-based curriculum to integrated curriculum have been perceived by many academics as having affected their work with regard to course designing, teaching and assessment. Studies of academics’ response to such changes have argued that the way academics perceived these changes and the meanings they made of them influenced the implementation of these curriculum changes. This case study investigates lecturers’ perceptions of how one curriculum reform, the introduction of the Credit Accumulation and Modular Scheme (CAMS) in higher education in Rwanda, has affected lecturers’ work. One of the aims of the study was to analyse how lecturers understand CAMS and the changes it has introduced in their work. A second aim was to analyse how these perceptions and changes are negotiated in their teaching practices. Sixteen lecturers from Kigali Institute of Education were interviewed. Analyses of lecturers’ accounts of their teaching experiences revealed that lecturers espoused the intended changes that CAMS introduced in their work. However, although they claimed that the changes have affected their teaching and teaching arrangements- course designing, teaching and assessment- in actual practices many of them have not always managed to shift their thinking. CAMS requires lecturers to function in teams. However, although they have been trying to do so many of them have not managed to work out how to make more substantive changes to the way they think about the knowledge to be taught, their actual teaching and assessment practices. They have tried to keep boundaries of their disciplines while CAMS requires them to integrate their teaching.

Outcomes Based Education (OBE), has been, since its inception, fraught with problems. OBE in its very nature is complex. To fully embrace this method and ensure its success, schools must be able to make the necessary paradigm shift. This can only be achieved when schools receive relevant and empowering training, support and development. In other words, organisational development must be the key words. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of organisational development interventions on the implementation of OBE. The case study method was employed where it was realised that schools that received organisational development interventions, together with Outcomes Based Education, were able to implement this method with greater understanding, skill, and confidence. The investigation recommends an organisational development design that could be used instead of the cascade model, and provides suggestions on what can be done to ensure a more successful implementation process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed (Education Management)

Outcomes Based Education (OBE), has been, since its inception, fraught with problems. OBE in its very nature is complex. To fully embrace this method and ensure its success, schools must be able to make the necessary paradigm shift. This can only be achieved when schools receive relevant and empowering training, support and development. In other words, organisational development must be the key words. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of organisational development interventions on the implementation of OBE. The case study method was employed where it was realised that schools that received organisational development interventions, together with Outcomes Based Education, were able to implement this method with greater understanding, skill, and confidence. The investigation recommends an organisational development design that could be used instead of the cascade model, and provides suggestions on what can be done to ensure a more successful implementation process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed (Education Management)

This paper will report on the findings of the research that was conducted in a private school in Johannesburg about mathematics teachers’ identities described in policy and how these are demonstrated in practice. The central questions that guided the study were: ‘How are identities of mathematics teachers described in the new mathematics curriculum policy?’ and ‘How are these identities demonstrated in practice?’ I anticipated comparing teacher’s personal pedagogic and official pedagogic identities in classroom practice for Further Education and Training (FET) band from learners’ perspective since learners are at the center of the Outcome-Based-Education (OBE). This study was informed by theoretical concepts of ‘identity’ from Gee (2001), Boaler and Greeno (2000), and Jansen (2001). Naidoo and Parker’s (2005), Jita and Vandeyar (2006) and Parker (2006) analyzed tension between personal pedagogic and official pedagogic subject identities of South African teachers provided me a contextualized framework for this study. My analysis confirms that although the two teachers’ identities still have tension, reconstruction of the ‘new face’ of the teachers is on progress that has relation with ‘the kind of teacher’ is referred by the NCS.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Comparative analysis of the CPD systems internationally and nationally revealed that CPD is mandatory for some whilst for other countries it is compulsory, but not mandatory for licensing purposes. Licensing occurs on a yearly basis, but CPD recognition is accredited over a time period with expiry deadlines and minimum requirements. A portfolio was a common method of recording and proof of evidence for CPD, and a continuous theme was that CPD is needed to ensure competency. The Nursing Act 33 of 2005 makes provision for CPD for nurses but to date the South African Nursing Council has not yet decided on a model of CPD for implementation for SA nurses. / South Africa

<p>This study explores the assessment practices of adult educators in Mamelodi Adult Learning Centers using a qualitative methodology. The study recognizes that assessment is an important activity within the education and training enterprise since it can be used to improve the quality of teaching as well as improve and support the learning process. The study sets out to investigate how Mamelodi adult educators conceptualize assessment / the skills levels of these educators / the nature of support and training these educators received to enhance their assessment practices / the different assessment methods employed by the adult educators to assess learners / and the educational validity and efficacy of these practices.</p>