The aim of this research was to determine the perceptions of school climate of 178 educators of six primary schools in the Southern Cape. Two instruments, namely The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) and Dimensions of Organizational Health Inventory of Elementary Schools (OHI-E) were used. The results indicated that primary school educators in the Southern Cape perceived their relations with their principals as more closed, while educator-educator relations were being perceived as more open of nature. The typical climate prototype for the relevant primary schools, was an engaged school climate. Regarding the overall organizational health of primary schools, average health profiles were found. A significant relationship was found between the perceptions of primary school educators with regard to organizational climate and organizational health. A significant difference between educators of different primary schools was found regarding their perceptions of all the different dimensions of both organizational climate and health. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study is about the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) which currently run schools in the country and it was done in a school in Soweto as a case study. The participants were the vice-chairperson, principal, deputy, secretary and treasurer because these are the core of the executive membership of the SGBs. The role of each is fully described in the policy documents of the Department of Basic Education. The focus of the study was to find out whether the SGBs do indeed create an educative atmosphere in schools as laid down in the government policies or have the discretion and leeway to deviate from such without incurring the wrought of the Department. The research was conducted through the qualitative approach because it involved a series of in-depth interviews. The study used a purposive sampling method to identify a few participants who are actually involved in the management of the selected school. Hence, the research findings are such that the interviewees claim that they knew very little of their new responsibilities, duties and functions when they took office but gradually they acquired the necessary information, knowledge and skills to discharge their exacting mandate. They point out that the South Africa School’s Act 84 of 1996 is the most informative policy document that guided and also assisted them in carrying out their responsibilities with confidence. In the final analysis, the study revealed that workshops on skills development are very much important because they are empowering. From the research findings various themes emerged which formed the basis upon which the following proposal was made, i.e. that: a methodological theoretical framework that has at its core the SGB with other important stakeholders in the periphery contributing towards creating an educative climate in the school be established. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management and Leadership)

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Being over age-for-grade has become a barrier to learning. More than 15% of learners in the South African school system are over age. This creates an enormous problem in terms of education spending per learner. In 1998 South Africa spent one-third of its education budget on over age learners who included repeaters and drop-outs. A clearer understanding of the educational needs of over age learners is needed. These learners are at risk of dropping out, being further retained or being promoted out of the school system. Thus far over age learners have been marginalised by the education system essentially due to the system's inability to deal with them. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to make a contribution to the understanding of the educational needs of over age learners. A qualitative approach provided a clear description of the factors that impact on the educational needs of over age learners. This study revealed the following: • Over age learners experience a sense of being educationally displaced. • The attitudes and beliefs of teachers directly influence their educational responses to the needs of over age learners. • Over age learners struggle with basic scholastic skills. • The provision of support comes primarily from classroom peers. It appears that teachers need a variety of educational skills to deal appropriately with the needs of over age learners. Furthermore, it appears that these learners need an educational space of their own within an inclusive education environment. It would further appear that over age learners need to be acknowledged as being a specific category of learners with learning barriers, otherwise their needs will continue to be marginalised by the educational system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit wil voorkom dat ouderdom 'n leerhindernis vir duisende leerders geword het. Meer as vyftien persent van leerders in die skoolsisteem is oorouderdom. Dit skep 'n probleem in terme van die opvoedingsonkoste per leerder. In 1998 is 'n derde van die Suid Afrikaanse begroting aan oorouderdom leerders gespandeer wat ook herhalers en skoolverlaters insluit. Daar is 'n behoefte aan groter begrip vir die behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. Daar is 'n risiko dat hierdie leerders skool kan verlaat, terug gehou kan word, of uit die skoolsisteem bevorder kan word. Tot dusver is oorouderdom leerders deur die onderwyssisteem gemarginaliseer hoofsaaklik as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan kennis om hulle effektiefte akkommodeer. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n bydrae te lewer tot 'n beter begrip van die opvoedkundige behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. 'n Kwalitatiewe benadering is verkies wat 'n duidelike beskrywing gee van die opvoedkundige behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. Die studie het die volgende tendense aan die lig gebring: • Oorouderdom leerders ervaar hulself as misplaas binne die onderwys stelsel. • Opvoeders se houdings en oortuigings het 'n duidelike invloed op hul eie opvoedkundige response ten opsigte van die behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. • Oorouderdom leerders worstel met basiese skolastiese vaardighede. • Oorouderdom leerders ontvang primêr opvoedkundige ondersteuning van medeleerders. Opvoeders benodig 'n verskeidenheid van opvoedkundige vaardighede om oorouderdom leerders se behoeftes toepaslik te hanteer. Dit blyk dat hierdie leerders 'n behoefte het aan hul eie opvoedkundige ruimte binne 'n inklusiewe omgewing. Daar kan geargumenteer word dat oorouderdom leerders 'n spesifieke kategorie leerders is met eiesoortige leerhindernisse. Indien bogenoemde nie erken word nie sal daar voort gegaan word met die miskenning van oorouderdom leerders se behoeftes deur die opvoedkundige gemeenskap.

The aim of this research was to determine the perceptions of school climate of 178 educators of six primary schools in the Southern Cape. Two instruments, namely The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) and Dimensions of Organizational Health Inventory of Elementary Schools (OHI-E) were used. The results indicated that primary school educators in the Southern Cape perceived their relations with their principals as more closed, while educator-educator relations were being perceived as more open of nature. The typical climate prototype for the relevant primary schools, was an engaged school climate. Regarding the overall organizational health of primary schools, average health profiles were found. A significant relationship was found between the perceptions of primary school educators with regard to organizational climate and organizational health. A significant difference between educators of different primary schools was found regarding their perceptions of all the different dimensions of both organizational climate and health. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

M.Ed. / Research teams from the Department of Educational Sciences of the Rand Afrikaans University (RSA) and the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Social Ecology of the Ben Gurion University (Israel) have joined hands in a research project. Knowledge, experience and expertise were pooled in an endeavour to expose the causes leading to the dropout phenomenon amongst adolescents worldwide, and more specifically within their own countries. The development of prevention programmes to address the problem will be introduced in follow-up studies with a goal of reducing the number of school dropouts. The aim of this study is to compare disadvantaged standard seven at-risk and not at-risk pupils in order to determine whether or not school climate could be considered an influencing factor in early school leaving. The method of the research is twofold. A literature study constitutes the first part in which terminology, concepts, definitions, causes and consequences of dropout are discussed. The emphasis is placed on school climate in general and the relation between school climate and academic achievement in particular. This was followed by an empirical investigation to determine whether there are significant differences between at-risk and not at-risk standard seven pupils with regard to their perception of school climate. These pupils were identified by their teachers and their replies measured in a questionnaire. The empirical investigation involved standard seven pupils affiliated to five high schools in the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging area. In total, 734 pupils answered the questionnaire. The information was processed at the Statistical Consultation Service of the Rand Afrikaans University.

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This study is about the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) which currently run schools in the country and it was done in a school in Soweto as a case study. The participants were the vice-chairperson, principal, deputy, secretary and treasurer because these are the core of the executive membership of the SGBs. The role of each is fully described in the policy documents of the Department of Basic Education. The focus of the study was to find out whether the SGBs do indeed create an educative atmosphere in schools as laid down in the government policies or have the discretion and leeway to deviate from such without incurring the wrought of the Department. The research was conducted through the qualitative approach because it involved a series of in-depth interviews. The study used a purposive sampling method to identify a few participants who are actually involved in the management of the selected school. Hence, the research findings are such that the interviewees claim that they knew very little of their new responsibilities, duties and functions when they took office but gradually they acquired the necessary information, knowledge and skills to discharge their exacting mandate. They point out that the South Africa School’s Act 84 of 1996 is the most informative policy document that guided and also assisted them in carrying out their responsibilities with confidence. In the final analysis, the study revealed that workshops on skills development are very much important because they are empowering. From the research findings various themes emerged which formed the basis upon which the following proposal was made, i.e. that: a methodological theoretical framework that has at its core the SGB with other important stakeholders in the periphery contributing towards creating an educative climate in the school be established. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management and Leadership)

The research was undertaken to determine the way in which the Black adolescent forms a pupil identity. Special attention was focussed on the various relationships formed by th~ Black adolescent within and outside the school environment. Literature indicates that pupil-identity is one of a variety of identities formed. Once a positive pupil-identity is established, the adolescent is in a position to actualise himself adequately. The empirical research was undertaken by administering a questionnaire to 555 Black secondary school pupils. The questionnaire comprised four categories namely, the adolescent's relationship with the self, parents, peer-group and the school. It was found that each of the four categories showed a significant positive correlation with pupil-identity formation. As this research project could not cover all aspects of the Black adolescent, recommendations for future research have been made. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

M.Ed. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract