Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / Educationists and political leaders are concerned about the high dropout rates experienced in South African high schools. For the purposes of this research, “dropout” is defined as “one who has not graduated from high school”. Research indicates that the high school dropout rates, both in South Africa and globally, culminate in challenges for the school, the community and society. The multigrade primary school environment sees learners doing well academically, but when these learners move on to high school, the dropout rates increase for these learners. The purpose of this study is two-fold: to determine the reasons for dropout of learners who have ably and successfully completed their primary education within the multigrade system; and to propose a strategy to assist rural multigrade primary schools in reducing the foreseen dropout rates in high schools. A sequential explanatory mixed-method approach was designed in order to determine what strategy could assist rural multigrade schools in Circuit 2 of the West Coast Education District to prevent the dropout rate experienced in high schools. During the preliminary research a scrupulous literature study was done, to determine global trends and to determine which current intervention programmes exist. The quantitative phase of this study was conducted first and consisted of a content analysis of school documents to determine which learners did not complete high school. The qualitative phase followed and the data was collected through face-to-face interviews with principals of rural multigrade primary schools, and learners who had dropped out. This was done in order to determine the perceptions of the principals, and the former learners who had dropped out of the schooling system. This research elucidates the challenges – the inexorable odds – that these multigrade learners have had to overcome in order to complete Grade 12. In closing, it proposes pragmatic strategies which may decrease the high dropout rates that learners, from a multigrade primary setting, experience in future.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Any organisation, be it political, religious, commercial or educational has to strive towards the accomplishment of certain aims and objectives. Certain organisations realise their aims and objectives while others tend to be unsuccessful. In response to the fact that some schools are not able to achieve goals, Lane & Walberg (J 987:37) completed a research study comparing more effective schools to less effective ones. The community expects the school to achieve the aims it has been established for. Schools often fail to achieve their primary goals. Successful goal achievement depends to a large extent on the strategies and leadership styles of the managers in schools. This managerial position belongs to the headmaster. The interpersonal relationships between the headmaster and his staff is largely dependent on the management style used. This in tum influences the effective management which could in tum have a negative impact on the quality of teaching in a school. It would appear that the educational system of the Republic of South Africa is about to undergo drastic changes. The Various components of the education system are interwoven and hence changing one aspect must necessarily have an impact on all the other components. Amidst all these changes headmasters must still attempt to manage their schools and the various educational programmes in an effective .way. These changes are also likely to add to the already complicated management and leadership role which the headmaster has (Naidoo, 1991:1).

D.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / The problem of high dropout rate or early school leaving is causing widespread concern amongst educators. This study is undertaken as part of a group project on school dropout or premature school leaving, which is undertaken by the Rand Afrikaans University of South Africa (RAU) and the Ben Gurion University of Israel. The purpose of this project is to identify the at-risk pupil, research the causes of school dropout, and identify the consequences of early school leaving in order to determine preventative measures. The following 4 factors have been studied in the profile of the school dropoutsocio- econornic factors social support political factors; and issues relating to the school itself In South Africa the high dropout rate in Black schools especially is a cause for concern. Under the new educational system, desegregation of schools is the ideal. This will, however, probably not be achieved overnight, and the problem of school dropout in Black schools will remain a problem for some time to come. Even if desegregation has been fully achieved, it can be argued that certain causes of dropout will always remain the same because not all causes are school-related. The cultural and home situation of potential dropouts will not necessarily improve on account oftheir being in desegregated schools. The focus of this study, therefore, will remain relevant.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / A safe and secure environment is necessary for effective teaching and learning to take place. Such an environment is possible when learners are disciplined and there is mutual respect among stakeholders. However, research indicates that learner discipline is an emerging problem which renders many schools as ineffective centres of learning. To circumvent this problem, governing bodies are empowered by the Schools Act to design and implement the learner code of conduct after consultation with parents, learners and educators. This study revealed that governing bodies have challenges relating to the proper design and effective implementation of the learner code of conduct. Consequently, educators who must implement the code of conduct struggle to maintain discipline and tend to use punitive disciplinary methods. A basic or generic qualitative research design was used to understand the process of the design and implementation of the learner code of conduct. Focus group interviews were conducted with governing bodies to solicit their perspectives and experiences of the design and implementation of the code of conduct. Field notes were taken and documents such as discipline records of the participating schools were analysed. Data was analysed according to Tesch's method of open coding in order to identify themes and categories. One of the findings of the study is that there is a need for the adoption of preventative rather than punitive disciplinary strategies. In line with this finding, governing bodies are encouraged to enact their discipline policies according to the South African Constitution's value of human dignity, which bars schools from enacting rules and policies that are degrading and humiliating to learners. It is recommended that further studies should be undertaken about the impact of the implementation of the learner code of conduct on the maintenance of discipline.

M.Ed. / Many countries all over the world are currently looking for better ways of educating their people and organising their education so that they can compete internationally. The rapid technological developments of the twentieth century have placed education systems under extreme pressure as they try to adapt and incorporate these changes in an effort to produce more creative, effective and adaptable people (Ramphele, 2000:3). The question that remains to be answered is how nations of the world can improve the effectiveness of their various schooling systems. Instructional technology can improve teaching by upgrading the quality of classroom instruction and raising the productivity of the individual teacher. A variety of educational materials and media can be introduced into the conventional classroom environment, including demonstration objects such as flip charts, pictures, photographs, booklets, as well as electronic systems such as films, video players and tapes, slides, transparencies, and audio cassettes, all with the intentions of improving teaching and learning (Val, Rust, & Dalin,1990:281-282). From the background and problem statement, it is imperative to indicate that the study aims: To investigate the extent to which rural further education and training institutions in the Hlanganani area of the Northern Province are equipped with resources and educational media. To investigate the use of educational media and other resources in the schools. The perceptions of educators in the use of media are also going to be interrogated. From the study, the relationships between experience, subject and media use are also going to be interrogated.

D.Ed. / Guidance is essential in a child's development because most traits of human life, with the exclusion of genetic characteristics, are learned (City Press, 1998:7). The learning process raises the question of where and from whom these characteristics are acquired. This, according to Ferron (1990:45), implies that maximum performance of man is a result of good and sound guidance. This may be an oversimplification, but even if it is only partly true, guidance cannot be neglected without detrimental effects for the children involved. Furthermore, the question of school guidance becomes increasingly important as shifts in family structures and values - such as are common today - affect the quality of interaction between parents and children. According to Godbold (1994:6) an increasing number of children face deteriorating family bonds, lack of shelter, out-ofwedlock births, abortion, and drug and alcohol related crimes. Ferron (1991:72) adds bullying, truancy, delinquency, lack of motivation, peer pressure and parental relationship problems to this list. Many children experience grave educational neglect - virtually none of their needs are cared for. There even are rural children who are left alone by parents who have gone to the cities to work, and who have no one to take care of them. They often have no one to turn to for sustenance and advice. As a result guidance teachers must be more than ever involved in helping children with various personal problems (Moraba, 1996:3), which were traditionally handled by parents. When schools fail to address the immediate family and social needs of learners, learning becomes difficult and relatively unimportant (Godbold, 1994:7). According to Chuenyane (1990:10), through the school guidance activities, learners should be assisted to know who they are, to accept themselves, to master selfimprovement and self-direction, and to develop good life skills. With regard to socialisation, they should learn to relate to others by interacting with them and becoming sensitive to their feelings and being appreciative of their views and beliefs. Our youth is seen as our most precious resource and the future leaders; therefore, they must be mature and increase their peaceful co-existence (Chuenyane, 1990:10). Guidance in the secondary school is chiefly concerned with meeting the physical, social, emotional and educational needs of learners (Rooth, 1995:54). Vocational guidance is included in the needs list and is an important facet. The purpose of school guidance is to help each child make a satisfactory adjustment to life, both in school and out. Although Kallaway (1988:1) does not focus explicitly on school guidance, his remark that " ... the crucial relation between schooling and society is often and systematically denied" is of extreme importance. As this subject is ideally suited to emphasise this relation, it is a service that should be provided to all learners, and not only those who have behaviour problems, learning difficulties and emotional disturbances. Normal, well-adjusted learners also need to be guided in their thinking, their attitudes and their personality development. They must be prepared for all challenges in the future job market and life in general. The gifted, talented ones are often also in need of special help in gaining social approval and in finding suitable outlets for their interests (Sowetan, 1996:12). If the school is seen as an agent for change, it must implement career counselling (vocational guidance) to help the child in self-understanding, self-acceptance, interests, aspirations, experiences, as well as in physical, intellectual, psychological and spiritual development (Chuenyane, 1990:46). These are considered important because it helps learners to appreciate and utilize their aptitudes, interests and values (Sedibe, 1991:4). This will help them to gain insight into their limitations with regard to their coping strategies, which concern problems they are confronted with on a daily basis. Furthermore it must be kept in mind that certain elements in the school situation that influence learners can be identified; these include the impact teachers' and peer groups' behaviour has on children. One aspect that comes to mind, for example, is that of substance abuse, especially alcohol. Chuenyane (1991:46) reports that almost 70% - 80% of all learners in his research were drinking and abusing drugs. As drugs and alcohol have a negative effect on the education and health of the learner, and it is indicated by Raikane (1996:28) that drugs and alcohol have a strong relationship to crime, frustration and aggression, such learners need proper guidance and counselling. Adolescents, especially, need guidance and counselling as they are in a difficult developmental phase, and often have negative attitudes towards school (Wiseman, 1991:71).

This study looks at the various actions by the principal of a farm school in running an academically successful school. The study exposes the difficulties faced by farm schools and looks at how the principal confronts these difficulties and turn some of these into success stories. In trying to understand the role of the principal this study uses school effectiveness literature as a source and reference in an attempt to understand the actions adopted by the principal to make this farm school successful. The study uses the interpretive orientation as the methodology for investigating the principal’s role. This is in line with my attempt at explaining the perceptions, views and experiences of the people who are working closely with the principal. I have done this by employing semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The information gathered from the respondents helped in the development of the role of the principal which in this case, is the expressed views of the respondents. The investigation is conducted as a case study and the handling of the information provided by the respondents is in line with case study methods. The study has revealed that actions of the leader have an influence on the organizational success. The way in which the leader of Rocklands farm School conducts herself and the vision she shares with the people within the organization go a long way towards the improvement of organizational structures and their functioning. In this case the principal has been noted as particularly transformational, charismatic, instructional and transactional in her approaches to school administration and that her dedication to the cause of learners from disadvantaged background is reflected in her sacrificial actions. The study has also found that the principal is considered to be fairly autocratic in her leadership, which is a departure from current leadership thinking. The study has also shown that socio-economic disadvantages do not necessarily inhibit the school from performing beyond expectation. With good guidance from the leader and trust among staff members the farm school has been able to overcome some socio-economic pressures to emerge successful in the academic field. The fact that the principal of this school is a woman has not changed the overall findings that leadership qualities for successful schooling are universal and do not necessarily depend on the gender of the leader. This study suggests that leaders have a potential to turn poor situations in schools around and that leaders should as a matter of course ensure that they understand the organizational dynamics within their schools. They should be in the forefront as agents of change being mindful that those within the school understand and share the vision the leader has. The study also suggests that the human element in the educational processes in schools is of critical importance than the conditions in which schools find themselves.

Rural education in South Africa, particularly within the black communities, has suffered neglect under Apartheid education policies. This has resulted in an array of problems which continue to beset the country's education system. The community, through its various institutions, has a major role to play in the whole education renewal process. The business sector is one such a community institution, which is directly affected by the quality of school education. Countries such as Britain and the U.S. provide excellent examples of close co-operation between business and schools in an effort to prepare pupils in accordance with the needs of the workplace. The qualitative study conducted in schools, within the Dzumeri community, showed that there is a dire need for business involvement with schools in order to address important areas of mutual concern. It is finally recommended that the government must formulate enabling policies, which will promote business education partnership activities and ensure proper coordination at all administrative levels / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Comparative Education)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa, an increased effort is being made to integrate the use of technology into the public education system, as technology has proved to be beneficial to both teachers and learners. Technologies introduced in schools are not always adopted equally by all educators. There are differences in both the rate at which the technology is adopted, as well as differences in the extent to which each teacher is willing to integrate the technology into the classroom. iSchoolAfrica has extensive experience in the successful roll out and implementation of technology at schools. The objective of the research was to study iSchoolAfrica’s implementation approach, with a focus on educator engagement, to enable the generation of a set of guidelines that can be used by service providers who implement similar projects in the future. A secondary objective was to understand the reasons for resistance towards technology. Primary data was obtained via interviews with iSchoolAfrica employees. In order to include the views of a set of end-users and possibly the primary stakeholders in such projects, this study offers input from teachers at a school where iSchoolAfrica implemented a technology program. The attributes of a school have a significant impact on the success or failure of a technology project. Implementers must have a deep understanding of the management of the school and the challenges that the school faces before they undertake any technology projects. Resistance from teachers towards a technology change initiative arises for a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic reasons. The main reason why teachers tend to be unwilling to adopt new technology is their lack of self-confidence in terms of their competency in using the technology. Teachers are also overwhelmed by their existing workload and may resist a technology change that they feel adds to their workload. There is also a high probability of resistance from teachers who integrate technology into lessons under duress, after exposure to inadequate training programs. Appropriate training is the primary measure used to counter potential resistance. This training should not only focus on device usage, but rather on pedagogical practices so that teachers understand how to integrate the technology into existing lessons. The role of a facilitator is also important. Although facilitators lead the training effort, they also assume a supportive role and guide the teachers through their adjustment to technology. Although resistance towards change is expected, an implementer can take proactive measures to minimise this resistance and thereby increase the probability of success of the project.

M.Ed. / With the introduction of Curriculum 2005, which was followed by the National Curriculum Statement and later on by the Revised National Curriculum Statement, a whole new world was opened for all the learners in the RSA. Life Orientation became a compulsory subject up to Grade 12. One of the focus areas of Life Orientation is careers and career guidance. Unfortunately very few educators are properly trained to handle this very important educational domain. Learners in the rural areas have a bigger drawback than their peers in the urban areas, seeing that they very often don’t have access to electricity and therefore the electronic media and facilities, such as computers and internet to improve their career knowledge and their knowledge of the world of work. The challenge to open the world of work and tertiary education to these learners is a very real one. This study focused on the evaluation of the implementation of a career guidance programme in a rural area of Mpumalanga. A qual-quan mixed method methodology was used to gather raw data from various sources. The quantitative raw data was gathered through a pre- and post-test of Grade 10 learners from four rural schools with the Career Development Questionnaire. The statistical analysis of these data had limitations, such as the small number of control school participants as well as the problem of English language proficiency. The qualitative data was derived from feedback from Life Orientation educators after they had been trained, semi-structured interviews with open ended questions with Life Orientation educators and Grade 10 learners, observation and field notes and a reflective journal from the researcher. The findings from the results reflected firstly on the outcomes of the career programme in terms of achievement of career maturity as measured according to the sub-scales identified by Langley. The conclusion was that the experimental group did increase their scores from the pre- to the post-test. The increase was however very small and all the participants still ended on the scale where they still needed to improve their knowledge and skills on all the sub-scales. A number of themes referring to LO educators, the school community environment and English language proficiency provided information about the implementation of the programme. Although the results of the outcomes in terms of career maturity were not substantial, the qualitative data provided findings about the positive impact of the training of LO educators for career guidance teaching, their experience of empowerment, the creation of a positive attitude and the positive impact of the CPAWs to learners and educators. Barriers that were identified through the emerging themes were the lack of English language proficiency and a school community environment that was not conducive to career exploration and career decision-making and planning. In reflection, the general consensus among the Life Orientation educators was that the continuation of the program should get the highest priority. They believe that if it can continue, it will have a positive impact on the Grade 12 results and through this a positive impact on the lives of many learners, especially in the rural areas. Recommendations were made about the improvement of aspects of career maturity through exposure to career information and the improvement of conditions at schools to facilitate the implementation of career guidance and effective LO teaching.