Teacher education in South Africa has had to be overhauled in line with the reform of the South African school curriculum since 1996. Both initial and continuous teacher qualification programmes are constantly being reviewed to improve impact on prospective and currently practising teachers. In addition, efforts are being made to scale up non-qualification continuous professional development programmes for better implementation of the curriculum. Despite these endeavours, there is evidence that continuous professional development programmes in particular, are not responding adequately to the needs of the teachers and the education system in general. This is partly due to the failure by the system to differentiate between the needs of different groups of teachers who received their initial teacher education in racially segregated teacher education institutions. This research study aims to determine what teachers of Life Sciences perceive as their development needs, and how these needs are addressed through various forms of in-service teacher education, both formal and informal. Life Sciences is the name of the subject called Biology in the pre-reform curriculum. It is offered only in the final three years of schooling, Grades 10 – 12. The Life Sciences curriculum has experienced at least three revisions in a period of six years since the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement in 2006. Data was gathered in two phases, using mixed methods approaches. During the first phase, data was collected using a teacher questionnaire. The questionnaire dealt with teachers’ content and pedagogical development needs; their participation in both qualification and nonqualification CPD programmes; their motivation (or lack of) to engage in CPD programmes; and the perceived benefits of CPD programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Subject Advisors dealing with similar themes. During the second phase of the study, intervention programmes in the form of teacher training workshops were conducted and data was gathered through documenting the workshop activities and by conducting evaluations. Findings revealed that whilst a large proportion of Life Sciences teachers were furthering their studies through formal qualifications, they were not necessarily choosing Biological Sciences specialisations. A considerable proportion of teachers in the study were teaching out of their field of specialisation. These limitations likely account for teachers’ low selfconfidence, articulated as a strong need for development in almost every area of the content and pedagogy. Teachers that choose Biological Sciences specialisations in formal in-service qualifications seem to be benefiting significantly. Life Sciences teachers also benefit immensely from ‘hands on’ training in practical work skills rather than using passive, demonstration methods of training. Cluster-based CPD programmes present an ideal opportunity for teachers to learn and share knowledge and expertise in content and pedagogy, yet this platform is constrained mainly to development of assessment activities. Filling vacant posts and increasing the number of Subject Advisors is critical to ensuring that teachers received adequate support from districts. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2014.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to investigate primary school teachers’ experiences of implementing assessment policy in the Social Studies learning area. After adopting the new learner-centred schooling to replace the old teacher-centred education system in Namibian schools in 1990, the Ministry of Education made it mandatory to implement assessment policy in the schools. During the implementation of assessment policy teachers were forced to change their assessment practices from traditional testing and evaluation to continuous assessment. The study employed an interpretive research design to construct data during the exploration of the teachers’ experiences in teaching. Document analysis, lesson observations and in-depth interviews were used to collect the data. One of the main findings of the study is that teachers do not use assessment to inform their own practices, but rather only to record marks. Despite a world trend towards assessment for teaching, assessment, in this case, was only used as an instrument of teaching. It was also found that assessment policies did not take local contextual circumstances of schools and communities into consideration. As a result, of the de-contextualization of these policies, teachers are negatively positioned in the system because they have to adhere to departmental demands and policy prescriptions on the one hand while, on the other, working in contexts that are not conducive to effective teaching. Schools in such contexts therefore, need to be provided with the necessary infrastructure, guidance and support to facilitate the effective implementation of assessment policies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om laerskoolonderwysers se ervarings van die implementering van assesseringsbeleid in die Sosiale Studies leerarea te ondersoek. Na die goedkeuring van die nuwe leerder-gesentreerde onderrig om die ou onderwyser-gesentreerde onderwysstelsel in Namibiese skole in 1990 te vervang, het die Ministerie van Onderwys dit verpligtend gemaak om ʼn nuwe assesseringsbeleid in die skole te implementeer. Onderwysers was dus genoodsaak om hul assesseringspraktyke aan te pas vanaf tradisionele toetsing en evaluering na deurlopende assessering. Die studie het ’n interpretatiewe navorsingsontwerp gebruik om data tydens die verkenning van die onderwysers se ervarings te konstrueer. Dokument-analise, les observasies en in diepteonderhoude is gebruik om data te versamel. Die vernaamste bevindings van die studie is dat opvoeders nie assessering gebruik om hul eie praktyke te informeer nie, maar eerder net op punte op te teken. Ten spyte van ʼn teenoorgestelde wêreld-tendens, was assessering, in hierdie geval, nie aangewend vir onderrig nie, maar slegs van onderrig. Daar is ook bevind dat assesseringsbeleide nie plaaslike teenwerkende kontekstuele omstandighede van skole en gemeenskappe in ag neem nie. As gevolg van die dekontekstualisasie van hierdie beleide, word onderwysers negatief geposisioneer in die stelsel omdat hulle moet uiting gee aan departementele voorskrifte binne kontekste wat nie bevorderlik is vir effektiewe onderrig nie. Daarom moet skole in sodanige kontekste voorsien word van die nodige infrastruktuur asook leiding en ondersteuning ten einde die implementering van assesseringsbeleide meer effektief te maak.

What has come to be labelled as 'the environment crisis' has roots in the structures and orientations of modern societies. True to our modernist ways we call on, or offer, education and research, experts and science, to address our socio-ecological concerns. This study set out to identify research priorities in environmental education from within the institutional setting of a university and within the context of environmental and political change in southern Africa and epistemological shifts in educational research traditions. The emergent research design allowed for a progressive clarification of theoretical vantage point: from an instrumental listing of priorities, through the participatory development of a critical and consensual framework for research, to a reflexive description of a landscape of shifting priorities. I collected data over a 3-year period, in inter alia 38 semi-structured interviews, workshops with some 150 participants, focus group discussions, documents and conferences. Participants' professional contexts included environmental education, natural resource management, social and biophysical sciences, development, formal and non-formal education, funding agencies, academic and non-academic settings. My engagement with the emerging discourses revealed patterns and inconsistencies in participants' views on research, environmental education, change and research priorities. I identified three orientations - Research for Management to Restore Order to Nature and Society, Research to Resolve Practitioners' and Communities' Problems, and Research for Radical Reconstruction - in the emerging landscape. These orientations were accompanied by change models and themes (discourses of difference and 'othering', instrumental views of education and research and accumulative knowledge, a conceptual theory-practice gap) which limited their potential for transformation towards sustainable living. They presented solutions cut from the same modernist cloth as the environment crisis. An emerging Reflexive perspective in and on environmental education research showed potential as a transitionary orientation outside modernist assumptions. I outline research priorities from this perspective. Reflexivity reveals the myths of expert-driven, instrumental and institutionalised research separated from environmental education and based upon rationalistic interpretations of science. It opens up possibilities for transformative knowledge emerging from 're-search' based versions of education as a process of, rather than a means to, social change.

The use of blended learning to support teaching and learning is growing globally. Few studies, however, have investigated the relation between students’ learning styles and their perceptions of blended learning. This study used a case-study approach to investigate third year Environmental Science students’ learning styles and perceptions of the online component of blended learning at Rhodes University. Vermunt’s inventory of learning’s styles instrument was used to assess the students’ learning styles. Students’ perceptions of online learning were assessed using an 84-item online experience questionnaire. Multivariate cluster analyses based on students’ learning styles, perceptions of online learning and final coursework marks were done. The correlation between learning styles and perceptions of blended learning was assessed. Students had been using computers for about 10 years. About 91% of students owned computers and 50% had access to Internet at home or in their residences. Internet and email were the most commonly used tools for student learning averaging about at least six times per week. Three of Vermunt’s four learning styles were identified. These were the meaning-directed, application-directed and reproduction-directed styles. The undirected learning style was absent. A major finding of this study was the dissonance in learning styles of students. For example, students with the meaning-directed style also scored high on reproduction-directed style. Students combined deep approaches with memorisation when learning. I developed an instrument consisting of seven scales that described students’ perceptions of online learning. The scales were epistemological judgements, multiple sources of information, learning goals, relevance, Internet experience, appropriate tool and student interaction. There was high within scale variability in students’ perceptions of online learning. The perception that the Internet provided multiple sources of information was positively associated with advanced models of epistemology that support the construction of knowledge. There was dissonance between the perception of the Internet as enhancing epistemological judgements and some components of learning style. A perception of epistemological judgements was positively correlated with both deep and surface cognitive processing strategies.

After the introduction of Learner Centred Education in Namibia, a number of studies were conducted on how teachers either perceived learner centred education or implemented it. However, very few studies investigated the teachers' understanding of both subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge; primarily, how they understand and develop key concepts. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Grade 5 teachers' understand and develop key concepts in Social Studies in selected schools in Namibia. The study focused on three teachers in three primary schools in the Caprivi educational region of Namibia. These teachers were purposefully selected as graduates of the teacher education programme instituted at the time of the Namibian education reform process. As a teacher educator, my main motive of conducting this study was to gain a better understanding of some of the issues that have been raised about these graduates' lack of content knowledge. The study adopts a qualitative approach and seeks to investigate (a) how the three teachers in this study understand key concepts and (b) the strategies they use to develop such concepts. Three data collection instruments were employed: interviews, document analysis and class observations. The findings indicate that despite the training that all three teachers in this study received, their understanding of the concepts they taught is problematic. Furthermore, some of the strategies that the teachers used did not bring about learning with understanding. The results of the study revealed how these teachers' problems with concepts and the development of conceptual understanding are related to specific issues and can be attributed to a number of factors. Because of this, the study has provided valuable insights into aspects of teacher education that need to be addressed both in terms of in-service and pre-service programmes to support teachers in teaching for understanding, a key idea underpinning the reform process.

The purpose of the study was to collect and collate information pertaining to common misconceptions of components of the concept of chemical equilibrium amongst a sample of Transkeian matriculants. 'Equilibrium' is a fundamental concept in physics and chemistry and 'chemical equilibrium' is an important chemistry topic in both the higher grade and standard grade South African matriculation physical science syllabuses. In recent years, South African teachers have identified chemical equilibrium as the most difficult section of the matric physical science syllabus for both teachers and pupils. It has been shown that teachers themselves lack understanding of the basic concepts underlying chemical equilibrium. Constructivist learning theories arise out of research in cognitive psychology. These theories conceive of cognitive development as the assimilation and accommodation of new ideas into extant, dynamic cognitive structures. An inference from the theories is that a study of the preconceptions and/or misconceptions held by pupils before they are exposed to instruction would enable teachers to avoid generating or reinforcing misconceptions. Hence teachers could also take deliberate steps to eradicate those already existing. The sample consisted of 112 Transkeian matriculants from four government senior secondary schools in the Southern Transkei. All were taking physical science. The test consisted of a 40 item multiple choice battery. Each question had three distracters and the options were randomized to avoid patterns and hence guessing. Questions dealing with closely associated concepts were grouped in the paper but no indication of this was given in the paper. The questions are analyzed singly. A brief introduction and outline of the theory on which the group of questions was based is given in each case. The analysis makes use of the frequency of choice of all options, discrimination indices, although they were generally low and item difficulties. The intent in each analysis is to identify the possible misconception(s) underlying wrong answers. Finally conclusions based on the discussion are drawn and recommendations for teaching and further research made.

Thesis (MEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / This study aims to narrate the lived experiences of Grade 12 Physical Sciences learners. According to UMALUSI reports on National Senior Certificate (NSC) of 2011 and 2013, there seems to be a steady decrease in the number of learners writing Physical Sciences from 2008 to 2013. One of the aims of this study is to investigate why there is a steady decline in the number of learners choosing the subject and what their classroom experiences are. A related aim is to describe how these learners’ perceptions of their Physical Sciences educators affect their mental experiences in the subject. The study used phenomenology both as a research methodology as well as the underpinning theoretical framework. Twelve Grade 12 learners from 3 different schools in the Metro North Education District in Cape Town were chosen to participate in this research. The data were collected using two rounds of in-depth semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and explicated using Giorgi’s phenomenological method. The findings show that although Physical Sciences educators are trying to support their learners, they are failing to meet the expectations of the learners. These findings provide new insights into understanding the world of the learner better and that the recommendations could have transformative implications for curriculum planners, curriculum advisors and pedagogical strategies in how the subject is presented to learners.

Thesis (DEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / This study aimed at examining the Life Sciences teacher educator’s perceptions and perspectives of knowledge integration in the espoused curriculum prescribed by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training through the policy of Minimum Requirements for Teacher Qualifications (MRTEQ). The qualitative research design was adopted for data collection procedures. The selection of the sampling was purposive, in the sense that the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) who participated were classified into two categories. The first category consisted of three historical or traditional universities and the second category was formed by three higher education institutions that emerged after the merger of Teacher training Colleges, Technikons and universities. The study targeted lecturers, senior lecturers and professors in the field of Life Sciences Education who participated in the development of curriculum for Life Science teacher education and training. The interviews were conducted to elicit data on the experiences and perceptions that influenced the process of designing and developing the curriculum blue print which came out as a product to be adopted by the institution. The results of the empirical study were analysed by using qualitative procedures, which are; coding of data, classification of data into categories and the identification of themes and issues. The contesting views and perceptions were summarised in the results highlighted follows: The school Life Science curriculum requires teachers who are capable of integrating knowledge from various domains of scientific knowledge but the study demonstrates that the Life Science teacher educators who participated in the study had views and perceptions that are not congruent with those of the curriculum as it presently stands. This could imply that the Life Science teachers educated and trained for the school Life Science curriculum could experience problem with its implementation in classrooms. The twenty first century teacher could be expected to demonstrate competences such as; critical thinking, creative thinking, logic and independent thinkers. The study further concluded that there are academics in Science Education departments who still adhere doggedly to the traditional ways teaching their own disciplines. This study confirms the importance of breaking the artificial disciplinary boundaries to facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge construction. This study endorses the emerging trend of knowledge integration in Science Educations.Finally the study suggests that collaborative and collegial deliberations among Science teacher educators and experts in various knowledge domains could be a way of finding common ground on issues highlighted in the study.

In most South African schools Grade 12 Physical Sciences learners are generally not performing well. As Examiners’ Reports reveal, they are particularly weak on the topic of electrical circuits. Because of this, the Examiners recommended that conventional practical activities and revision should be implemented to improve learners’ performance whilst they are in Grade 11. These factors contributed to the rationale of this study in using the ‘straw electricity’ analogy in conjunction with a conventional practical activity to mediate learners’ sense making of Ohm’s law. The study falls within the interpretive paradigm, whose focus is on the understanding of human world-views. Within the interpretive paradigm a qualitative case study approach was employed. It is a case study because it aimed to investigate a group of learners in a given context. This qualitative case study used purposive sampling to select participants. Various data gathering techniques were employed, namely, documents, observations and stimulated recall interviews. The gathered data was analysed so as to determine the indicators of how learners made sense of Ohm’s law. The findings of this study are that learners were able to construct new knowledge within a social context where the ‘straw electricity’ analogy, using easily accessible resources, was incorporated in tandem with a conventional practical classroom task. Moreover, the ‘straw electricity’ analogy enabled a better understanding of science concepts as it tested and supported different learning skills.

M.Ed. (Mathematics and Science Education) / The goal of this study is to explore using the lens of achievement goal theory, learner motivation towards science learning. Mastery goal in science learning is found to increase conceptual understanding (Patrick & Yoon, 2004), while performance goal orientation is associated with public recognition that one has done better than others or performed in a superior manner (Meece, Blumenfeld & Hoyle, 1988). The study investigates the achievement goal orientation of poor-performing grade 12 Physical Sciences learners from a disadvantaged community, and thereafter examines how classroom factors relate to this orientation in the learning of science. Task, authority, recognition, grouping, evaluation and time are presented as classroom factors that can have an influence on learners’ achievement goal orientation. The study adopted a sequential explanatory mixed method research design. Firstly, 131 learners from three schools participated in completing an achievement goals theory questionnaire developed by Vedder-Weiss and Fortus (2010). I also conducted interviews with six learners per school and did classroom observations of science lessons. The results have revealed that learners from disadvantaged schools have a mixed goal orientation that is a hybrid of mastery and performance goal orientation. Despite this mixed goal orientation, the classroom observations point towards a teacher-directed, didactic approach that does promote a performance goal orientation. In view of the prevailing poor performance of learners in Physical Sciences recommendations are made for a change in the pedagogical practice of teachers towards an approach that is more learner-centred and activity-based.