This study explored the phenomenon of motivation that is experienced by primary school teachers. The research was located within the specific context of a qualitative interpretivist study. A phenomenological research design was used to highlight how teachers understand their lived experiences of the phenomena. Motivation is something that lies within the human condition and that can only be observed through the behaviour of others. The aim was to understand what motivate primary school teachers. A variety of studies about motivation was consulted and the theories of Hertzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) and Glasser’s Choice Theory (1999) were covered to provide a theoretical lens for the research. Phenomenology focuses on the understanding of a phenomena that is specific to being human and can only be describe and analyse according to the meaning that people give to it. In this qualitative research methodology, I have mainly used the convenience sampling technique to select the participants. Individual interviews were conducted with seven selected participants. Three of the remaining ten participants were selected by means of snowball sampling. The criteria used to choose the participants included Afrikaans and English speaking primary school teachers from three primary schools. The selected participants were teachers aged between 25 and 55 years who were exposed daily to motivation and had to make life choices. Data on how these teachers viewed their situation were collected using phenomenological interviews. The aim of interviewing the teachers personally was to explore their own views of the realities of their lived experiences and how they perceived the world around them. The empirical investigation showed that primary school teachers are currently experience a reasonable level of motivation. Several significant factors that contribute towards the motivation of teachers were identified, namely a positive attitude, faith, passion, job satisfaction and recognition. There were several factors that contribute to the demotivation of teachers, namely the lack of recognition by management or poor managers, inadequate remuneration, poor inter-personal relationships amongst staff members, insufficient resources and a lack of recognition. A variety of studies about motivation was studied and the theories of Hertzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) and Glasser’s Choice Theory (1999) inter alia will be covered. From the findings of this study, it is clear that different circumstances, needs and wants of individuals have an impact on the motivational levels of teachers and that every individual makes daily choices on how he or she needs to react upon these. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verskynsel van motivering wat deur laerskool onderwysers in hulle daaglikse leefwêreld geopenbaar word, te analiseer en te ontleed. Die navorsing is geleë binne die spesifieke konteks van ‘n kwalitatiewe interpretivistiewe studie. ‘n Fenomenologiese navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om te verstaan hoe onderwysers sin van hulle leefwêreld maak en dit interpreteer. Motivering is iets wat binne in die mens lê en wat net waargeneem kan word in die gedrag van die mens. Fenomenologie fokus op die begrip en verstaan van ‘n fenomeen wat eie aan menswees is en daarom net beskryf en verklaar kan word vanuit die betekenisse wat mense daaraan gee. Hermeneutiek word as die ontologiese vertrekpunt gebruik wat gaan oor die wese van die mens. ‘n Fenomenologiese benadering waar ervarings, emosies en gewaarwordinge waarneem word, is as die teoretiese lens vir hierdie studie gebruik om motivering deur die oë van onderwysers te verken. In hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing maak ek hoofsaaklik van gerieflikheidssteekproef trekking gebruik om die deelnemers te werf. Individuele onderhoude is met sewe geselekteerde deelnemers gevoer. Drie van die 10 deelnemers is deur middel van ‘n sneeubal steekproef trekking gewerf deurdat ek bestaande deelnemers gebruik het om my na nog drie potensiële deelnemers te verwys. Die deelnemers het bestaan uit Engels- en Afrikaanssprekende laerskool onderwysers met ouderdomme wat wissel tussen 25 en 55 jaar. Data is ingesamel deur middel van individuele gesprekke wat met elke deelnemer gevoer is. Die empiriese ondersoek het getoon dat laerskool onderwysers tans ‘n redelike mate van gemotiveerdheid ervaar en dat daar verskeie faktore is wat bydra tot die motivering van onderwysers, naamlik positiewe ingesteldheid, geloof, passie, werkstevredenheid en erkenning. Daar is egter oor faktore wat bydra tot die demotivering van onderwysers naamlik, gebrek aan leierskap, gebrek aan beloning, swak interpersoonlike verhoudinge onder personeel, onvoldoende hulpmiddele en gebrek aan erkenning. Verskeie studies oor motivering is bestudeer en die teorieë van Herzberg (1959), Vroom (1964, 1995) en Glasser se Keuseteorie (1999) sal onder andere hier bespreek word as teoretiese lens van die studie. Uit die teorieë wat bestudeer is, en die data wat ingesamel is, het daar pertinente temas na vore gekom wat moontlik ‘n invloed op die motivering van onderwysers kan uitoefen. Die belangrikste temas dui op die noodsaaklikheid van goeie bestuur, beloning en erkenning deur die leerlinge, religieuse oriëntering, erkenning deur die bestuur van onderwysers, ‘n netjiese en skoon skoolomgewing, voldoende leermiddele, positiewe ingesteldheid en die wil om ‘n verskil in ander se lewens te maak. Uit die bevindinge van hierdie studie blyk dit duidelik dat verskillende omstandighede, begeertes en behoeftes van individue inwerk op die motiveringsvlak van onderwysers en dat elke individu daagliks die keuse maak en besluit hoe hy of sy daarteenoor wil reageer. Die bevindinge bewys ook dat onderwysers graag ‘n verskil in die lewens van hulle leerlinge wil maak. Hierdie studie dui ook moontlikhede aan vir toekomstige navorsing op die gebied van motivering. Op grond van die empiriese studie, word ‘n aantal aanbevelings in Hoofstuk 5 gedoen vir ‘n aantal rolspelers in die daaglikse dramaklas van onderwysers. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Arts (Community work) in the Department of Social Work in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2018. / Recent studies indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of school going HIV/AIDS orphans in South Africa. The study purpose was to explore the experiences of primary school educators supporting learners who are HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in the uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal. KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of orphans. The study targeted primary school educators in UMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study; due to using such an approach, the sample was selected through a non-probability sample technique with purposive sampling. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data from members of School Management Teams and focus groups were facilitated to gather data from class educators. Content analysis was used to analyse data. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis process: difficulties faced by educators; opportunities available for educators supporting OVC’s; and challenges educators face when supporting HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. Findings of the study were that educators face challenges such as dealing with socially unacceptable behaviour of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. They indicated that it led to stress and depression. Opportunities for supporting orphans were limited since schools do not have policies and resources to provide support to HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. Both educators and SMT revealed that they have limited knowledge of policies and skills to create school-based supportive environments. Challenges such as: a lack of resources, unresponsive guardians of orphans, poor attendance and performance of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children were discovered. Recommendations were based on the training and development needed by educators. Educators unanimously agreed that outsourcing professionals, such as school social workers and psychologists, could help them cope with these predicaments they face. Secondly, involving community-based structures was another recommendation to ensure that everyone in the community plays a role in supporting educators. / UniZulu Foundation

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Research Methodology) in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2017 / Given the need to employ effective reading strategies in the primary school, this article sets out to address the question of primary school educators’ experiences with the National Reading Strategy (NRS). The study focuses on six (6) primary schools in the Mbabane Circuit at Ingwavuma in UMkhanyakude District of South Africa. Forty (40) primary school educators from the selected schools within the circuit took part in a quantitative survey. Pearson’s chisquare was employed to explore the relative effects of teachers’ biographical data and their experiences with the NRS. The findings suggest that teachers’ gender, job title, teaching phase, experience in years and qualifications had an influence on their experiences with the NRS. On the other hand, teachers’ age was shown to have no relationship with their experiences with the NRS. The study confirms the appropriateness of understanding how teachers’ biographical data relate to and impact on reading intervention strategies.