published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of principals and educators of primary school libraries in implementing Outcomes Based Education (OBE) and imparting and enhancing information skills in the Ndengezi Ward, Pinetown District, KwaZulu-Natal, with a view to proposing a set of recommendations based on the findings that would contribute to more effective use of the school library. The study population consisted of 15 principals and 385 educators. The survey instrument used to elicit data was a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to a sample population of 15 principals and 105 educators. The questionnaire sought to establish if principals and educators are aware of the role of the school library in the successful implementation of OBE. A total of 104 responded, 10 principals and 94 educators, indicating a response rate of 89.5%. The results were analyzed in terms of frequency responses and are graphically displayed in the form of tables. The study findings show that the educators used both school libraries and other libraries for their curricula needs. Other libraries were more heavily used than school libraries. In the Ndengezi Ward there are no functional and well-resourced school libraries and this has contributed to their underutilization. Principals experience problems in development and establishment of school libraries. There is a need for training educators in library and information skills and creating awareness amongst principals about the role of the school library in implementing OBE. Recommendations for action and further research, based on the conclusions of the study, are made. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study reports on a qualitative study that sought to explore the experiences of female Heads of Department in Primary Schools. The study was carried out in KwaNdengezi, Pinetown South. It made use of qualitative methodology to obtain data using semi-structured interviews and observations as its methods of data collection. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants of the study, and the study sample consisted of four female heads of department in four primary schools, with whom the interviews and observations were conducted. The main findings of the study revealed that female heads of department experience and internalize negative stereotypes and believe males do not listen to them and they also experience gender stereotypes and their impact when performing their management duties in schools. Other findings include the experiences related to dynamics of being mothers and teachers at the same time. Further the communication with teachers, teacher discipline and the role that gender stereotyped held by members of the society. There is the issue of unequal power relations between men and women within the schools, which is an underlying factor behind all the gender-based experiences of female heads of department in the schools. Despite the fact that female heads of department encounter gender-based experiences in their management roles and responsibilities, they are engaged in empowering style of management by means of involving all the colleagues in the decision making processes. The study concludes by recommending that female heads of departments require support from all the stakeholders of the school, and that the government should hold workshops and seminars to support them. At the school level, they should resist all attempts at being treated in a condescending manner, and become role models to other aspiring females to assume school management positions for effective management and delivery of quality education. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

Post 1994, the vision of the South African education policy terrain is to transform schools into more effective places of teaching and learning. To achieve this vision, policy suggests a shift in management practices from traditional autocratic headship to more participatory leadership practices, including the leadership of teachers. Theorizing from a distributed leadership perspective, the aim of this study was to explore the concept of teacher leadership and the challenges that are faced by post level one teachers as they operate as leaders in their schools in the South African context. The study sought to investigate how the concept of teacher leadership was understood, how post level one teachers lead in their schools and what challenges to teacher leadership are in schools. The study was conducted in one rural and one semi-urban primary school and it was qualitative in nature. A case study methodology was suitable for this study since it was aimed at gaining teachers understanding and perceptions of teacher leadership. Different methods of collecting data were used and these included interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. Data were analyzed thematically using Grant’s (2008) model of teacher leadership. The findings indicated that teacher leadership as a concept was still new to certain teachers, even though research on the topic in the South African context is increasing. Some teachers did not think of the roles they played in a school as teacher leadership. The findings further indicated that teacher leadership was experienced differently across the two schools with teacher leadership in the rural school being more restricted than the teacher leadership in the semi-urban school, where it was more emergent. In the rural school, leadership could, at best, be described as authorized distributed leadership while in the semi-urban school, leadership could be described as dispersed distributed leadership. In addition, the findings showed that the major barrier to teacher leadership in the rural school was resistance from the School Management Team while in the semi-urban school the major barrier to teacher leadership was a lack of time. A further barrier to teacher leadership in both schools was teachers themselves who were lazy and did not want to take on additional leadership tasks. The study also found that the major enhancing factor to teacher leadership, particularly in the semi-urban school, was a collaborative school culture where teachers trusted each other and worked together in professional learning communities. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Στην εργασία αυτή παρουσιάζεται το σύστημα εποπτείας και ελέγχου στην πρωτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση μέσα από τη μελέτη δύο κύριων φορέων υλοποίησής της, του θεσμού του Επιθεωρητή από το 1834 έως το 1982 και του θεσμού του Σχολικού Συμβούλου από το 1982 μέχρι το 2010. Έμφαση δίδεται στην εξέταση του λόγου της Διδασκαλικής Ομοσπονδίας Ελλάδας (Δ.Ο.Ε.) για τη λειτουργία του θεσμού του Σχολικού Συμβούλου πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης. Αξιοποιώντας την τεχνική της ανάλυσης τεκμηρίων, επιχειρήθηκε η ποιοτική μελέτη του αρχειακού υλικού της Δ.Ο.Ε. Μελετήθηκαν όλα τα τεύχη του Διδασκαλικού Βήματος (232 τεύχη), τα οποία εκδόθηκαν από το 1982 έως το 2010. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων αποκάλυψε ότι η Δ.Ο.Ε. κατά την υπό εξέταση περίοδο έχει συστηματικά καταθέσει προτάσεις για την εδραίωση και την αναβάθμιση του θεσμού του Σχολικού Συμβούλου, αποβλέποντας στη βελτίωση της παρεχόμενης εκπαίδευσης και στη στήριξη του καθημερινού έργου του εκπαιδευτικού. / This piece of work seeks to explore the inspection and advisory system of primary education in Greece through a historical perspective and an investigation of specific archives. At first, the inspectorate situation in primary education from 1834 up to 1982 as well as the school advisory system during the 1982-2010 period were studied. Secondly, a content analysis was attempted focusing on the examination of the official documents of the Federation of Primary School Teachers (D.O.E.), which were concerned with the topic under consideration. For this purpose, two hundred and thirty two issues published in the 1982-2010 period were studied. Data analysis revealed that, over the last three decades, the Federation has aimed at the upgrading of the school advisor’s status and has related this process with the betterment of school education and the support of teachers in their everyday work.

The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher receptivity of a new curriculum, in particular, the new integrated curriculum of South Africa. As the New Revised national curriculum Statement is starting to be operational this year, Curriculum 2005 was used as a model of an integrated curriculum in this study. The study focused on the following sub-problems: the meaning of an integrated curriculum; teacher receptivity of an integrated curriculum; and the extent to which teachers are receptive of the new integrated foundation phase curriculum. The review of relevant literature provided a conceptual framework for the study. Six dimensions of a curriculum that were regarded as critical in classroom practice for practicing teachers were identified and used to describe an integrated curriculum. These were: platform, learning outcomes, content, instructional materials, teaching and learning strategies and assessment. The conceptual framework for teacher receptivity was also identified by means of review of relevant literature. Teacher receptivity was conceptualised as comprising of attitudes and behavioral intentions. The empirical part of the study was undertaken to determine the attitudes of teachers towards an integrated foundation phase curriculum and the extent to which foundation phase teachers were receptive of the new curriculum. The sample for the empirical part of the study included 63 foundation phase teachers randomly selected from 21 schools in Herschel District. The schools were randomly selected from 3 zones which had been randomly selected from 7 zones that make up Hershel Educational District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Empirical data on teachers’ attitudes towards an integrated curriculum indicated that the majority of teachers were viewed the curriculum in an extremely positive light/somewhat positive light. There were responses which indicated that some teachers regarded the curriculum as complicated, restrictive, and idealistic. This situation is highlighted in their responses to the semantic differential on the attitude objects of the curriculum. Data on teacher receptivity indicated positive responses but vi there were some area of concern such as, for example, support from the district manager, school and the community. Data indicated that teachers were not so positive abut learning outcomes and assessment as a basis of teaching an integrated curriculum. Based on the empirical part of the study, conclusions and recommendations were made.

Magister Artium - MA / There is a high rate of parental referrals by teachers to doctors for children who display symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The symptoms are inattentiveness, impulse control, concentration problems and learning disabilities. Studies suggest that often a learning disability is mistaken for ADHD. ADHD is usually diagnosed from the age of seven, when children start their schooling. In some cases it is identified much earlier in the form of over-activity in children during the pre-school years. Teachers are responsible for creating an environment that is conducive to academic, social and emotional success for children with ADHD. Research suggests that mainstream primary school teachers may lack knowledge regarding ADHD and evidenced-based classroom interventions. This study therefore intended to determine primary school teachers’ knowledge of the symptoms and management of children diagnosed with ADHD in their classrooms. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design was used to conduct the study. A selfadministered questionnaire, the Knowledge of Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale (KADDS), which measures the misperceptions and understanding of the disorder, was used to collect data from a sample of 200 teachers at 28 public schools in Kimberley. The data was analyzed by making use of frequencies and mean scores. The data obtained was useful in describing the knowledge base of teachers and in identifying the strategies that teachers mostly agreed to in managing children who have been diagnosed with ADHD in the classroom. The data was analysed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results show that the majority of teachers are knowledgeable about the symptoms and diagnosis of ADHD but less so about the general associated features and treatment. Although the majority of teachers received training on ADHD, their knowledge about evidenced-based classroom interventions for ADHD can be improved.

La presente investigación tiene como propósito describir las actitudes hacia la inclusión educativa de personas con discapacidad en los docentes de primaria de colegios privados de Educación Básica Regular (EBR) de Lima Metropolitana. Debido a la escasez de instrumentos creados y adaptados en Lima Metropolitana, se construyó la Escala de Actitudes de los Profesores hacia la Inclusión educativa (EAPI). Como segundo objetivo de investigación, se estimaron las propiedades psicométricas de la escala a partir de su aplicación en una muestra de 280 profesoras de primaria de 17 colegios privados de EBR. Los resultados permitieron interpretar que las profesoras de primaria de colegios privados de EBR de Lima Metropolitana presentan actitudes ambivalentes hacia la inclusión educativa, siendo las profesoras con experiencia previa quienes presentan actitudes más positivas. Por último, se concluyó que las interpretaciones y decisiones que se tomen a partir de las puntuaciones obtenidas de la aplicación de la EAPI presentan evidencias de validez y confiabilidad en profesoras de primaria de colegios privados de EBR de Lima Metropolitana. / The present investigation has as purpose to describe attitudes toward inclusive education for people with disabilities in the primary teachers of private schools from Regular Basic Education (RBE) of Lima Metropolitana. Due to the shortage of instruments created and adapted in Lima Metropolitana, was built the Scale of Attitudes of Teachers toward Inclusive education (SATI). As a second purpose of research, we estimated the psychometric properties of the scale from its application in a sample of 280 primary school teachers of 17 private schools of RBE. The results allowed to interpret that the primary school teachers of private schools of RBE of Lima Metropolitana presented ambivalent attitudes toward inclusive education, being the teachers with prior experience who have a more positive attitude. Finally, it was concluded that the interpretations and decisions to be taken on the basis of the scores obtained from the application of the SATI presented validity and reliability evidence for primary school teachers of private schools of RBE in Lima Metropolitana. / Tesis