This study was motivated by the latest revision of the mathematics syllabuses of the Cape Education Department. The most important changes to content in the Senior Secondary Mathematics Syllabus (July 1984) are the introduction of calculus and linear programming, the substitution of a section on analytical geometry for vector algebra and the recall of the remainder and factor theorems. The way in which these changes were introduced left the task of integrating them into the teaching process in the hands of individual teachers. This is a task of extreme importance. If one's classroom practice is to simply plough one's way through the syllabus, one loses many opportunities to make the study of mathematics meaningful and worthwhile. Accepting the view of the spiral nature of the curriculum where one returns to concepts and procedures at increasing levels of sophistication, one needs to identify the position of topics in this spiral and to trace their conceptual foundations. Analytical geometry is in particular need of this treatment. Similarly there are many opportunities for preparing for the introduction of calculus. If the teaching of calculus is left until the last moments of the Standard 10 year without proper groundwork, the pupil will be left with little time to develop an understanding of the concepts involved. It is the advent of calculators which presents the greatest challenge to mathematics education. We ignore this challenge to the detriment of our teaching. Taken seriously calculators have the potential to exert a radical influence on the content of curricula and examinations. They bring into question the time we spend on teaching arithmetic algorithms and the priority given to algebraic manipulation. Numercial methods gain new prominence. Calculators can even breathe new life into the existing curriculum. Their computing power can be harnessed not only to carry out specific calculations but also to introduce new topics and for concept reinforcement. The purpose of this study has been to bring about a proper integration of the new sections into the existing syllabus and to give some instances of how the calculator can become an integral part of the teaching/learning process

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Knowledge in any field is not static. The world is faced with a knowledge explosion. New information, new ideas and new perspectives are continuously being uncovered, with the result that old information is. forever being challenged and proved wrong (Nicholls & Nicholls, 1978; Zais, 19761130). There is a need therefore to monitor the situation and to assess whether what is going on in the school is congruent with developments in the disciplines. In the context of this dissertation, English is a second language and it is also the medium of learning. Research has to assess whether the curriculum for English second language reflects the requirements of situation analysis, which includes developments in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, and to assess the extent to which the syllabus as a curriculum document reflects the inherent characteristics of a curriculum. The syllabus that is being evaluated in this dissertation is a document designed in Bophuthatswana and has been in use since 1985. No formal evaluation of the particular syllabus has been carried out...

This was a comparative study in which Texas teachers of industrial plastics and the employers of Texas plastic industries were surveyed in order to evaluate the need for various knowledge and skills of the plastics industry. The respondents believed that basic knowledge of plastics was much needed, and knowledge of the thermoplastic family is of more importance than of the thermoset family. It was also concluded that knowledge of demonstration skills is of only average or lesser importance than knowledge of other areas.

A common form of training or education evaluation involves the examination of course participant reactions towards various aspects of the course for summative evaluation purposes. Participant reactions have been examined within the framework of a comparison between online and face to face courses often with a slight positive weight towards online courses (Sitzmann et al., 2006). Past research on this topic has denoted a need for studies examining the relationship between objective course characteristics and participant reactions. This paper seeks to examine the relationship between participant reactions of a sample of geographically disbursed teachers enrolled in a large, national professional development company and objective course characteristics as communicated by course syllabi within a framework of comparison between online and face to face courses. The delivery format, knowledge base, specificity of course objectives, and student interaction levels were all related to some degree to various participant reactions, although the effect sizes were notably small. In many cases, an interaction between the delivery format and objective course characteristic in question influenced the participant reaction. Objective course characteristics as communicated by the syllabi appeared to be major predictors of participant reactions within the face to face courses that were examined, but not for the online courses. Course development stakeholders are recommended to pay attention to the course syllabus design process and craft quality syllabi that communicate relevant information while concurrently anticipating potential participant reactions. Organizations may be able to align the outline for instruction or “contract” as presented by the syllabus with recommendations as offered by participant evaluations so as to instill consistent expectations within the participants and maximize positive reactions towards the courses within which they are enrolled

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Thesis (M.A.)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores how the theoretical framework pertaining to reading as advanced by Davies (1995) can be employed to develop reading skills in Xhosa and to assist learners to see reading as a process. Teaching reading to language learners has many problems. The critical thinking relevant to reading and analysis of the text in teaching reading are examined. The study explores the current genre approach in the analysis of Xhosa Bona Magazine with its articles. The research of certain scholars like Davies, Wallace, Swales, and Cope and Kalantzis will be explored, in particular, the hierarchy of five levels of text, as advanced by Davies. Reading is an integral part of the school curriculum, and to use reading texts depends on the purpose for which the educator wants to use it, i.e. to develop reading comprehension skills, to present new vocabulary and structures, or as a basis for language practice. This study examines reading in Outcomes-base Education (O.B.E.) as a current issue in South African education, to determine how the specified outcomes relate to the framework for the development of reading skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe die teoretiese raamwerk vir die analise van tekste vir leesbegrip soos voorgestel deur Davies (1995) aangewend kan word in die ontwikkeling van leesvaardigheid in Xhosa en in die hulp aan leerders om lees as 'n proses te verstaan. Die onderrig van leesvaardigheid word gekenmerk deur talle probleme. Hierdie studie ondersoek die kritiese denke wat relevant is vir leesbegrip en die analise van tekste in Xhosa ter sprake in die onderrig van leesvaardigheid. Die studie aanvaar die huidige perspektiewe van die genre-benadering vir die analise van die Xhosa BONA tydskrifartikels. Die werk van bepaalde navorsers soos Davies, Cope en Kalantzis, Swales en Wallace salondersoek word en, in die besonder, Davies se raamwerk van hierargiese vlakke vir die beskrywing en analise van tekste. Lees is 'n integrale deel van die skoolkurrikulum, en die gebruik van tekste vir die doeleindes van leesonderrig hou verband met die meer spesifieke doelstelling waarvoor die onderwyser die tekste wil gebruik, bv. om leesbegripvaardighede te ontwikkel, om nuwe woordeskat en strukture te ontwikkel, of as basis vir taalgebruikoefening. Hierdie studie salook leesonderrig in uitkomsgebaseerde onderrig onder die loep neem, as 'n huidige vraagstuk in taalonderrig, ten einde te bepaal hoe die spesifieke uitkomste verband hou met die raamwerk vir die ontwikkeling van leesvaardighede.

Includes bibliographies and index.