Focusing on the ‘Sustainable schools’ strategy, a programme launched in 2006 by the former United Kingdom government, this thesis examines the relationship between sustainable development and schools. It analyses how the abstract and contested concept of sustainable development (Scott & Gough 2003), is translated into education practices in state-funded primary schools in England and Portugal. The collection of data in two different countries is explained by the fact that it was in England that the ‘Sustainable schools’ policy was developed. Portugal was selected due to a requirement from my Portuguese sponsor, providing a valuable opportunity to explore the role of the context in the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) in primary schools. Taking a sociological approach, this study explores the practices of education for sustainable development and the factors that shape those practices. It looks at the way schools make choices, what they prioritise, and what the key elements influencing the development of ESD are. ‘What does one want ESD for?’; this is the underlying question behind the research, and so practices are contrasted with motivations, interests, agendas and expected outcomes. There is no single definition of ESD, given the complexity involved, and so to accept the importance of the concept of sustainability for education is to accept something that constitutes a problem (Corcoran & Wals 2004). Sustainability itself is a normative ethical principle, not a scientific concept as such, and since it has both necessary and desirable characteristics, there is no single model of a sustainable society (Robinson 2001). By providing robust data on how schools interpret, organise, decide, and implement ESD, my research contributes to the discussion of the role of schools in the transition to a ‘fairer and greener’ world. Literature claims, policy ideas and school practices are compared and contrasted with the aim of ‘demystify’ ESD and question the intentions, the expectations and the projected ESD outcomes The key research question of this study aims to identify the limitations of ESD in the shift to a ‘greener and fairer’ world. In order to do that, this thesis researched three other sub-questions: a) how is sustainability translated into practice in state-funded primary schools? b) how important is the promotion of ESD in primary schools’ agendas? and c) how was the ‘Sustainable schools’ project designed to prepare pupils for current and future environmental and social challenges. On the search for answers, several dilemmas were identified: of teaching about sustainable development versus practising it; of promoting critical thinking versus promoting specific knowledge, values and behaviours; of accepting the sustainable development concept or challenging it; of reducing the school’s environmental impact or developing the curriculum. These must all be faced by those dealing with ESD. Using a mixed methods approach, I explored these particular issues by researching five state-funded primary schools in England, some of which considered exemplary of the best practice of ESD. The case-studies research was followed by an online questionnaire sent to selected schools in England and Portugal. The questionnaire was used mainly to develop further the understanding of the results gathered with the case studies, providing a more robust image of ESD practices and its context. My research concludes that schools value ESD and tend to deal with its complexity by dividing the main ideas within the concept of sustainable development, into specific themes and activities, such as recycling, turning off lights or growing vegetables. The development of the school’s grounds, the investment in eco-features, and the activity-based projects are the most common practices found in the different schools. In this sense, there is a significant degree of standardisation in the projects developed, combined with a diverseness of specificities explained by the context, or the way the diverse factors, such as the location, the size, and the resources of the school, are used and combined. The limitations of ESD in the shift to a ‘greener and fairer’ world are plentiful, related to schools’ internal and external constraints, revealing the need to adjust expectations and resources to the projects developed by schools.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The study aimed to pilot-test the effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Intervention Programme (OBPP) at two selected primary schools in the Western Cape; and to compare the differences in reported incidents of bullying between the control schools (CSs) and intervention schools (ISs), after the OBPP intervention. On the basis of these aims, the stated objectives were to measure bullying behaviour for pre-test and post-test comparisons with the CSs after the implementation of the OBPP at the ISs; and to investigate the effectiveness of the OBPP by comparing the ISs and CSs for programme targets. Three main hypotheses were formulated and tested, including: (1) There is no statistically significant difference in the mean rank of learners’ exposure to various types of bullying, characteristics (grade level and gender) of the perpetrator, locations of where the bullying occurred, disclosure of the bullying incident, participants’ and peers’ feelings of support, reactions and attitudes when experiencing or witnessing a bullying incident, parents’ and teachers’ reactions and efforts to support and protect victims and participants’ reports of satisfactory schooling environments at the ISs and CSs before and after intervention; (2) There is no statistically significant difference in mean rank of learners’ exposure to various types of bullying, characteristics (grade level and gender) of the perpetrator, locations of where the bullying occurred , disclosure of the bullying incident, participants’ and peers’ feelings of support, reactions and attitudes when experiencing or witnessing a bullying incident, parents’ and teachers’ reactions and efforts to support and protect victims and participants’ reports of satisfactory schooling environments between females’ and males’ reports before and after intervention; (3)There is no statistically significant difference in mean rank of learners’ exposure to various types of bullying, characteristics (grade level and gender) of the perpetrator, locations of where the bullying occurred , disclosure of the bullying incident, participants’ and peers’ feelings of support, reactions and attitudes when experiencing or witnessing a bullying incident, parents’ and teachers’ reactions and efforts to support and protect victims and participants’ reports of satisfactory schooling environments between females’ and males’ at the ISs and CSs before and after intervention. In order to provide the relevant theoretical orientations to the study, the Olweus Approach, served as a framework for investigating the prevalence and extent of bullying in the selected schools, while Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological theoretical framework was used to inform the study. In order to reach these objectives, a quantitative method using a questionnaire to collect data and a quasi-experimental design with intervention (ISs) and control (CSs) groups was used. The following are the main findings in terms of tested hypotheses: Firstly, there is a positive statistically significant difference concerning the CSs variables that include peer support toward bullying (school 2 and 4) where females represented higher mean ranks than males at school 2 and males were represented by higher mean ranks compared to females for school 4. Furthermore, for the variables peer attitudes toward bullying (school 4) and reported satisfactory schooling environments (school 4), more females than males attested for both. This suggests a favourable effect without the intervention. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference concerning the ISs variables that include characteristics (grade level and gender) of the perpetrator (school 1), disclosure of the bullying incident (school 1), peer reaction and attitudes toward bullying (school 1), parents’ and teachers’ reactions and efforts to support and protect victims against bullying (school 1 & 3), class teacher efforts to support and protect victims of bullying (school 1) as well as reported satisfactory schooling environments ( school 1). Secondly, it is noteworthy that for all the variables that presented statistically significant differences between females and males at baseline and follow up for the ISs – on average more females compared to males attested to this. Finally, statistically significant differences in terms of overall positive improvements i.e. N=200 that reported been bullied at baseline, was highlighted at only one of the ISs (school 1). Variables in this regard, included exposure to various types of bullying, characteristics (grade and level) of the perpetrator, disclosure of the bullying and reports of having a satisfactory schooling environment and noteworthy is that more males than females attested to be exposed to various types of bullying. These findings confirmed that the implementation of the OBPP has shown to be an effective programme at instilling an anti-bullying culture in terms of the named variables. The study therefore recommends, among others, that schools address existing bullying behaviour and prevent further bullying by building and enhancing existing connections between itself and the community which it serves; that the staff as a whole sets the standards of advocating an anti-bullying culture; and that teacher training colleges and universities offer the guidelines of the OBPP as a part of the students’ curriculum requirements. / National Development Agency (NDA) and the University of the Western Cape

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Social justice is embedded in the South African constitution and various policy documents as an important concept and vision for a democratic South Africa. Yet, twenty two years after democracy, South African society reflects the entrenched racial and class divisions of the past. The educational context mirrors the persistence of historical, political and social patterns of advantage and disadvantage. The position taken in this study is that social justice and social injustice are inextricably linked. This study is based on the premise that, in order to understand social justice, social injustice needs to be understood and articulated. This study was situated in a rural education district where past unequal spatial, educational and social stratifications persist. The study was conducted in four rural schools to explore twelve primary school teachers' onto-epistemological assumptions of the world and their interpretations and meanings of social justice and injustice. Three related lenses, social justice, spatial justice and epistemic injustice were used to theoretically frame the study. Teachers' life histories were explored using a grounded theory approach as methodology. A three phased reflective process was used to explore and deepen understandings of social justice. The findings suggest that the perpetuation of past injustices and inequalities are based on deeply held different racialised understandings of social justice and injustice, resulting in racially situated narratives of social justice and injustice. The present narratives of who should be taught by whom, where and what should be taught also contribute to the perpetuation of racially situated narratives and injustices. Through dialogue teachers were able to deepen their understandings of their own experience and gain insight into the experiences of the 'othe'. A further position taken in this study is that in social justice research the researcher is not neutral. This study explored the role of the social justice researcher and drew learnings of the socially just researcher as a reflexive and 'just listener'. The study makes recommendations for further socio-spatial-epistemic justice research and for its inclusion in pre-and in-service teacher courses as extensions of the development of a critical discourse on social justice in South African education.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / In Wallacedene, the researcher became aware that minimum parental participation in school activities had reached alarming standards. This is related to learner performance which is of concern to educators, principals and education department officials. Parents are expected to perform certain roles in the governance of schools for the improvement of the quality of education in public schools. Parents are not honouring their obligatory responsibility of participation as required in terms of the public schools governing legislation. The research focused on parental involvement in primary schools in Wallacedene examining both the nature and extent of parental involvement in school governance. This study followed the qualitative approach to determine if parents are involved in school activities and governance. Questionnaires, interviews and document analysis were utilized for data gathering. Participants were members of the School Governing Bodies (SGB) of the three primary schools in the Wallacedene area. From the data gathered, the findings of the study indicated that parents in the townships of the Wallacedene area are not involved in school activities and governance. Issues of skills deficiency, low literacy levels, language barriers and socio-economic conditions seem to limit parental involvement in school governance. This study proposes possible recommendations to assist the school-based personnel and parents in developing and maintaining stronger and greater participation in school governance.

Although much research has been conducted on Heads of Department (HODs) and their roles in the foundation phase, there has not been a strong focus on how these HODs manage their multiple roles. A qualitative case study was employed whereby data was collected from four primary schools in Tshwane North and Tshwane West District in the Gauteng province. Five purposively sampled HODs participated in this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The study determined the HODs’ understanding of their multiple roles in the foundation phase. It further explored the management strategies these HODs employ to manage their multiple roles, the prospects and challenges they encountered as well as the support they received were also explored. The study discovered that a “collaborative effort”, where educators, the school principal, volunteers and lead teachers, as well as the officials from the department of education, play a huge role in making the multiple roles of the HODs doable. Secondly, in handling these multiple roles, HODs in this study had to engage in “needs analysis” every year in preparation for the following year. It also transpired that “effective communication” amongst role players (i.e. HODs, departmental officials, school principals, educators and support staff) through meetings where the roles had to be shared in order not to duplicate and /or to avoid disruption, became an important tool in performing their multiple roles. Finally, “commitment and dedication” demonstrated by HODs in this study are principles that help them to succeed in performing their multiple roles. I, therefore, recommend that assistant educators be deployed in the foundation phase classes and the workload of HODs in the foundation phase be reduced through the allocation of administrative duties to the assistant educators. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

The purpose of the study was to investigate teachers? perceptions and experiences of the management of learner absenteeism in rural primary schools in the Kavango region of Namibia. This study was conducted in the Kavango region of Namibia where absenteeism has been identified as a problem in achieving quality education. A further purpose of the study was to gain some insight into the management challenges faced by teachers and the strategies they use to reduce learner absenteeism in their classes. The main research question was: How do teachers in rural primary school in the Kavango region of Namibia manage learner absenteeism? This exploratory study was conducted within an interpretive, qualitative paradigm. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to generate data and the findings of the study showed that learner absenteeism is a problem in the rural primary schools in the Kavango region of Namibia. Factors that contribute to learners absenteeism were identified and categorized as family (domestic work); individual (lack of motivation, especially over-aged learners); environmental (changing seasons, such as cold, rain and harvesting); and socio-economic (hunger). The study also found that there is little parental participation in dealing with learner absenteeism because of the lack of teacher-parent relationships; a lack of value for education; and a lack of learner support. Furthermore, the study showed that some the classroom management challenges faced by the teachers in terms of learner absenteeism include the need to repeat lessons for absent learners; a lack of learner motivation; and other individual learner problems. Some of the strategies teachers use to reduce learner absenteeism emerged from findings of the study, including providing a school feeding scheme; presenting certificates and awards to learners for regular attendance; and establishing positive relationship strategies. It was also found that teachers apply an ethic of care in terms of modelling, dialogue, practice and confirmation in order to reduce learner absenteeism in the classroom. The ethic of care was evident in initiatives, like teachers making home visits to assess the domestic situations of learners and giving motivational talks to learners, encouraging them to care for other learners by using prefects to the encourage learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Teacher absenteeism is a huge concern both internationally and nationally. If it is not well-managed the resulting consequences can be disastrous for schools and most important, the students. While there have been many studies regarding the reasons teachers get absent and the impact this has on student achievement, there is very little information available on the actual management practises of teacher absenteeism, especially in independent, primary schools. Therefore my study will focus on how teacher absenteeism is managed in independent, primary schools in Midrand, Gauteng Province. The purpose of this study is to investigate and procure a basis for understanding how teacher absenteeism is managed in independent, primary schools in South Africa, and in doing so, deliver a perspective into the effective and gainful management thereof. My study made use of a qualitative, case study approach. Numerous data collection techniques like interviews, document analysis and observations were utilised to produce the following results: School managers play a pivotal role in managing teacher absenteeism. The climate and culture they create within the school environment is fundamental to the manner in which teacher absenteeism is managed. If school managers adopt a strong stance against offending teachers and the immediate penalties are opposed, as well as, rewarding the teachers who work in a committed manner and a key component of this is for teachers to attend school regularly and on time, then that specific school will experience low levels of teacher absenteeism. Independent schools in particular exert enormous pressure on their teachers to perform at their best due to parents paying a high amount in school fees and due to the fact that independent schools have direct control over their teachers’ salaries, the teachers feel compelled to fall in line with the schools’ expectations. As a result of my study, these strategies now become available to the schools that experience high rates of teacher absenteeism. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Teachers are often the source of referrals to Occupational Therapy in mainstream schools. The researcher wanted to determine what the Grade one teachers’ perceptions are regarding Occupational Therapy and children with learning difficulties. A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted to gather in-depth information about the teachers’ lived experiences and thus gather information about their perception of Occupational Therapy and children with learning difficulties. This study was conducted in Tshwane South District, Gauteng. A total of seven focus groups where held at the three types of mainstream primary schools namely: No-Fee-, Former Model-C- and Private schools. The focus groups were recorded with written permission and data was transcribed and analysed. The themes highlighted the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of the teachers towards Occupational Therapy and the children with learning difficulties. It furthermore indicated the teachers’ perception of the role that parents play in helping their children with learning difficulties. Teachers’ perceptions proved to be important when referring a child with learning difficulties to Occupational Therapy. / Dissertation (MOccTher)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Occupational Therapy / MOccTher / Unrestricted

Magister Educationis - MEd / The primary South African policy document on Inclusive Education, Education White Paper 6 (EWP 6) (DoE, 2001), states that all children can learn, and they should be supported and assured of equal and equitable education. EWP 6 further states that all educational systems should be transformed to accommodate all learners in mainstream schools and proposes the establishment of support teams at school level. The main function of the School-based Support Teams (SBSTs) in all schools is to assist teachers to effectively provide support to all learners experiencing learning barriers.

A mini dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters Of Education in Research Methodology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University Of Zululand, 2016 / This study was designed to explore educators’ views on the challenges facing the teaching of Life skills in Umkhanyakude primary schools. The study was motivated, among other things, by the paucity of literature regarding educators’ views on the challenges facing Life skills in rural area primary schools. Life skills are a mandatory subject for all learners at Junior and Intermediate phases. It deals with the holistic development of the learner throughout childhood and equips them with knowledge, skills and values that will assist them to achieve their full physical, intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills (DoE 2012). To guide the study three research hypotheses were formulated and statistically tested at a/the 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using descriptive survey design. The sample for the study comprises of 202 educators in Umkhanyakude Districts primary schools. This/the sample was obtained using the random sampling. Data was obtained from the sample using a questionnaire. The questionnaire is a 24 item, which was designed in a Likert like 5 scale. The validity of the questionnaire was obtained through a sample pilot test of 60 educators and the reliability coefficient of 0.753 was obtained using the Crobach’s Alpha. The data obtained from the sample was analysed using the Chi Square with SPSS. The study’s findings revealed agreement amongst educators that there are challenges facing the Life skills teaching. In addition, the study revealed that an overwhelming majority of educators (99%) confidently agree that Life skills can be used as an intervention to counteract the challenges faced in the Life skills class. Additionally, the study revealed that biographical information like gender and post level have no significant influence on the educators’ ability to indicate different challenges experienced in Life skills class, while, on the other hand, age, phase, experience and qualifications was found to have a significant impact on the educators’ ability to indicate different challenges experienced in Life skills class. Likewise, the study revealed that there is no evidence that educators’ view on the challenges facing Life skills teaching depend on the post level and gender. The respondents’ opinions were independent of gender, meaning that males and female homogenously agree that there are challenges when teaching Life skills. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that all educators teaching Life skills must be professionally qualified as the study revealed qualification influence the teachers’ ability. More important is that educators with more years of teaching experience may be the ones teaching the subject as per the study results. It is also recommended that efforts should be made by stakeholders, especially the Department of Education, to motivate educators teaching Life skills considering the importance of Life skills education in equipping learners with essential skills to cope with the various challenges learners are facing. Efforts should be made to ensure the continuity of Life skills education as an intervention in schools. Finally, it is recommended that there should be networking and collaboration between educators; especially for those qualified and those unqualified to teach Life skills education, as the findings indicated as such.