This thesis explored teachers’ experiences in curriculum implementation in primary schools in the Vhembe district. Curriculum implementation prompts thinking and learning of new things in the teachers’ day-to-day workplace. Primary school teachers are pillars of strength in contributing to the children’s future success. The thesis presents a contribution to the knowledge of curriculum implementation at the school level through a case study and a qualitative research approach as it aimed to comprehend and describe teachers’ practices and experiences on the implementation of the curriculum, which is a social phenomenon that includes ideas, thoughts, and actions. The thesis takes an appropriate starting point in arguing that curriculum implementation prompts thinking and learning of new things in the teachers’ day-to-day workplace. The context of the argument is primary school teachers’ lived experiences in South Africa in the face of curriculum change. The researcher critically argues that South Africa is amongst many countries that experienced curriculum challenges and resorted to change and one of the changes was in the form of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) which signalled a shift in teaching approaches. In this new way of teaching, teachers seem lost and therefore apply traditional teaching methods. Teachers are expected to apply curriculum changes and develop new skills through qualification improvement, but it is questionable whether the challenges that the teachers themselves recognise as important are taken into cognisance. The researcher elaborated eight recommendations in relation to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. Some of the recommendations are summarily as that education curriculum advisors from the Limpopo Department of Education be appointed to visit all schools to aid and assess the implementation. It is also recommended that the Department of Basic Education must retrain all primary school teachers for a week during school vacation. These recommendations are of paramount importance and the Limpopo Department of Education should consider them as a priority. As the government can intervene by funding the implementation of the CAPS in the training and reskilling of teachers. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / Ph. D. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)

This study deals with the impact of educational policy on the National Senior Certificate: Pre-1994 and Post democracy South African case. The qualitative approach was used in this study, and the research findings were based on the analysis of documents. The transition from apartheid education to the present education system in South Africa has not been without challenges. In the past, South African education reflected the fragmented society in which it was based. Outcomes based education (OBE)/Curriculum 2005 (C2005), since its inception, was riddled with challenges. OBE/C2005 by its nature is complex. It is not user-friendly for developing countries such as South Africa. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of educational policies on the 2008 National Senior Certificate results. Historical-educational research is undertaken with the view of putting the education phenomenon into proper perspective. Venter (1985) is of the opinion that historical education investigation refers to the systematic placing of historical education variables in the spotlight. The general, continual pedagogical and fundamental problems are accentuated against the multiplicity of historical detail. This then makes historical-educational research an orderly (systematic and controlled) process of knowledge enrichment (Venter & Van Heerden 1989:106). The National Senior Certificate was established in terms of National Education Act 27 of 1996. Curriculum 2005 has been described in policy documents as a “paradigm shift” because it represents a radical departure from the previous curriculum in terms of the following: theoretical underpinnings, structure and organisation, teaching and learning process, and assessment (South Africa, Department of Education 1997:1). Pre-1994, the researcher discovered that the education of black people in rural areas in particular and South Africa in general was, in most instances, negatively impacted by policies of the previous government (1948-1953). The apartheid government used poor funding models to ensure that there were low teacher-pupil ratios and teacher qualifications were of unequal standard. Unequal pattern of spending continued well into the post-1994 democratic era. This poor funding model which impacted negatively on rural schools made infrastructural provision in rural areas difficult. Post -1994 democratic dispensation, the researcher discovered that the government have competitive legislative policies in place, but the challenges lay in the fact that those policies were impulsively implemented. Hence the many challenges. This is shown by the frequency of curriculum changes which took place in a very short space of time. Stakeholders played a major role in insuring that schools received quality service by challenging some of the decisions the government was taking. The government has had to take the recommendations into account. / Public Administration and Management / M.Admin. (Public Administration)

The primary aim of this study is to describe and explain the extent of which school managers and primary healthcare facility managers possess knowledge and awareness of their roles in the implementation of the Integrated School Health Policy in Region C in the Gauteng Provincial Department of Basic Education. The study used a qualitative research method by which semi-structured interviews were conducted using a descriptive and explanative design. A sample of ten respondents was elected using a purposive sampling strategy and conventional or content analysis was utilised in the interpretation and analysis of data. The main findings of the study revealed that managers know their role in the implementation of the policy. Although managers are aware of their important roles; they are unable to fulfil them due to a lack of skills. Therefore, the study recommends that the Department of Health and the Department of Basic Education should ensure that managers are skilled and more knowledgeable in implementing the policy objectives. / Public Administration and Operations Management / M. Admin. (Public Admiistration)

South African learners’ poor performance in general, and in the national matriculation examinations, has necessitated the introduction of various curriculum implementation improvement programmes in the country. The Jika iMfundo Programme (JiP) is a campaign of the Programme to Improve Learning Outcomes (PILO) that was piloted, on scale, in two districts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, in 2014, to improve the learning outcomes in the province by supporting educators and school managers to improve curriculum coverage and implementation. This study employs a constructivist worldview to explore the experiences of educators and school managers in the King Cetshwayo District of KZN with the implementation of the JiP. The study addresses the issues of the preparation of stakeholders for curriculum change, the challenges experienced in implementing the programme and the adequacy of resources and support that are required to implement the JiP. A qualitative approach, and a multi-case study design involving nine educators, three department heads and three principals, to investigate the key research questions within three primary schools in the King Cetshwayo District were adopted. The educators were all teachers of mathematics from grades 1-7 and were purposively selected as respondents. Data were elicited through semistructured, one-on-one interviews, document analysis and observations. Since the data represented the perspective of individuals, data analysis was descriptive and interpretive in nature and was reported under pre-set and emergent themes. The main finding from the study is that, although the majority of educators and managers have a positive attitude towards the programme and are utilising the knowledge and skills attained through the training, the resources and support provided to implement the programme, the following factors inhibit efficacious implementation: lack of consultation, inadequate training, lack of sufficient learner resources, inadequate support from schools and the district and the fast pace and organisation of the mathematics curriculum. School contextual factors also affect the implementation of revised curriculum. Other factors like inadequate or non-reflection by educators on their curriculum coverage and insufficient opportunities for conversation around curriculum coverage at schools were also identified by the researcher as areas needing attention. Consultation with educators on future educational changes, more frequent training sessions, the provision of adequate learner resources, reduction in class sizes, a review of the mathematics curriculum for the Foundation Phase are some of the recommendations made in the study. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The purpose of this study was to establish the perception of Grade One teachers regarding the school readiness of Reception Year learners in relation to the new national Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS). The study also provides recommendations on how to implement CAPS in Grade R so that teachers, learners and parents experience the easiest possible transition to Grade One. The research took the form of a case study, building on current trends related to the subject of Reception Year CAPS curriculum implementation, and using the Interpretive approach as its essential, functional paradigm, which focuses on experiences of the world based on the culture and previous experiences of each individual, with an emphasis on mutual understanding. By using this strategy to explore Grade One teacher perceptions regarding the school readiness of the Reception Year learners, this project was centred on an in-depth and detailed analysis of a person, group or situation as a sample of the whole, and involved a systematic collection of data and analysis. This led to a conclusions-based report on the findings, all the while focusing on five Grade One teachers and their Head of Department at a public primary school in Pretoria, Gauteng. Preliminary findings suggested that learners coming into Grade One could in fact be adequately prepared during Grade R for successful assimilation in the CAPS curriculum material, if all stakeholders overcome the challenges they face during this important phase of academic development. This study has shown that varying amounts and levels of training amongst the teachers is a hindrance to proper CAPS curriculum implementation and therefore, the Head of Department, the school and ultimately the Department of Education has to ensure parity in the area of teacher training in terms of CAPS curriculum implementation. The study has shown that, due to the different sites where learners did their Reception Year, the school and the Grade One teachers faced learners who came into their classrooms with differing levels of exposure to the formal schooling system. Some learners may have no CAPS curriculum exposure at all. This means that, if the Department of Education is to succeed in implementing the CAPS curriculum in Grade R, then it needs to assist schools more in the form of providing funds for primary schools to build and add space for the Grade R classrooms. Finally, the study showed that a language backlog remains one of the main challenges learners have to face. Historically, Early Childhood Development Centres were never required to use English as a medium of instruction. In fact, teaching in the preschool classroom, which includes Grade R, is still mostly done in one of many mother tongue languages, depending on the location of the centre. With the move to make Grade R part of formal schooling and moving the Reception Year class to a primary school, CAPS requires careful curriculum implementation from Grade R to Grade Three, although instruction in English is only required from Grade One. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Curriculum Studies)

The purpose of this study was to establish the perception of Grade One teachers regarding the school readiness of Reception Year learners in relation to the new national Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS). The study also provides recommendations on how to implement CAPS in Grade R so that teachers, learners and parents experience the easiest possible transition to Grade One. The research took the form of a case study, building on current trends related to the subject of Reception Year CAPS curriculum implementation, and using the Interpretive approach as its essential, functional paradigm, which focuses on experiences of the world based on the culture and previous experiences of each individual, with an emphasis on mutual understanding. By using this strategy to explore Grade One teacher perceptions regarding the school readiness of the Reception Year learners, this project was centred on an in-depth and detailed analysis of a person, group or situation as a sample of the whole, and involved a systematic collection of data and analysis. This led to a conclusions-based report on the findings, all the while focusing on five Grade One teachers and their Head of Department at a public primary school in Pretoria, Gauteng. Preliminary findings suggested that learners coming into Grade One could in fact be adequately prepared during Grade R for successful assimilation in the CAPS curriculum material, if all stakeholders overcome the challenges they face during this important phase of academic development. This study has shown that varying amounts and levels of training amongst the teachers is a hindrance to proper CAPS curriculum implementation and therefore, the Head of Department, the school and ultimately the Department of Education has to ensure parity in the area of teacher training in terms of CAPS curriculum implementation. The study has shown that, due to the different sites where learners did their Reception Year, the school and the Grade One teachers faced learners who came into their classrooms with differing levels of exposure to the formal schooling system. Some learners may have no CAPS curriculum exposure at all. This means that, if the Department of Education is to succeed in implementing the CAPS curriculum in Grade R, then it needs to assist schools more in the form of providing funds for primary schools to build and add space for the Grade R classrooms. Finally, the study showed that a language backlog remains one of the main challenges learners have to face. Historically, Early Childhood Development Centres were never required to use English as a medium of instruction. In fact, teaching in the preschool classroom, which includes Grade R, is still mostly done in one of many mother tongue languages, depending on the location of the centre. With the move to make Grade R part of formal schooling and moving the Reception Year class to a primary school, CAPS requires careful curriculum implementation from Grade R to Grade Three, although instruction in English is only required from Grade One. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Curriculum Studies)

Abstract in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / Environmental Education (EE) has been integrated into the school curriculum for many years. According to this study, integration has to be followed by implementation, therefore the process of implementation is successful when integration has been successfully carried out. This study aimed to understand how teachers meet the curriculum needs of learners in order to implement effective teaching and learning of EE and for learners to gain adequate knowledge of EE. The methodology employed by this study was a qualitative research method and a multiple case study design. The theories employed to guide this study were social learning theory and social constructivism theory. This study employed a purposive sampling technique and three secondary schools were sampled for observations, three Natural Science (NS) teachers in grade 8 classes were sampled for interviews and 24 learners were sampled for focus groups in grade 8 NS classes. The findings of this study reveal that there is a lack of knowledge regarding caring for the environment, of which there is a contradiction between EE guidelines and policies provided by the Department of Education (DoE) and the teaching practices of teachers. Although education is perceived to be an essential tool in the conservation of nature through the development of information, aptitudes, qualities and critical thinking by the general population, it does not seem to have a large impact. In this study the aim was to understand how learners and teachers perceive the environment. This study implicates that there is an important role for other stakeholder’s involvement. Thus far, it was recommended by this study for EE curriculum to be revisited and emphasises the importance of thorough teacher training in regards to the integration. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers and learners in three selected secondary schools in the UGU education district perceive the integration of EE in classrooms. / I- Environmental Education (EE) ihlanganiswe nekharikhulamu yesikole eminyakeni edlule. Ngokwalolu cwaningo, ukuhlanganiswa kumele kulandelwe ngokusetshenziswa, ngakho- ke, inqubo yokusebenzisa iyaphumelela lapho kuhlanganiswa kwenziwa ngempumelelo. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuqonda ukuthi othisha bahlangabezana kanjani nezidingo zekharikhulamu zabafundi ukuze babe nokufundisa nokufunda okusebenzayo kwe-EE nokuthi umfundi athole ulwazi olwanele lwe-EE. Indlela esetshenziswe yilolu cwaningo yayiyindlela yokucwaninga eyejwayelekile, ukwakhiwa kwamacala amaningi okufundwa Kanye nemibono esetshenziselwe ukuqondisa lolu cwaningo kwakuyithiyori yokufunda ukuqondisa lolu cwaningo kwakuyithiyori yokufunda ngokuhlalisana komqondo kanye nomqondo wokuqina kwezenhlalo. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise inqubo yokuhlampula enenhloso kwathi izikole ezintathu zenziwa amasampula ukuze kubhekwe zona, othisha abathathu be- Natural Science (NS) emabangeni e- 8 bavunyelwa ukuxoxisana nomcwaningi kwathi abafundi abangama- 24 batholakaliselwa ukugxila emakilasini e-NS ebangeni le- 8. Ukutholwa kwalolu cwaningo kuveze ukuthi kunokuntuleka kolwazi mayelana nokunakekela imvelo okukhona kuyo ukungqubuzana phakathi kwemihlahlandlela ye-EE nezinqubomgomo ezinikezwe nguMnyango Wezemfundo (DoE) nemikhuba yokufundisa yabothisha. Yize imfundo ibonwa njengethuluzi elibalulekile kulondolozo lwendalo ngokuthuthukiswa kolwazi, amandla, izimfanelo nokucabanga okubucayi kweningi labantu kodwa akubonakali kunje, ngale ndlela sakwazi ukuqonda ukuthi abafundi nothisha bayayibona imvelo. Lolu cwaningo lugcizelela ukuthi kunendima ebalulekile yokuzibandakanya kwabanye ababambiqhaza. Kuze kube manje, kuyahlongozwa yilolu cwaningo ukuthi ikharikhulamu ye-EE iphinde iphindwe futhi ukugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuqeqeshwa okuphelele kothisha madondana nokuhlanganiswa. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekukuthola ukuthi othisha kanye nabafundi ezikoleni ezintathu ezikhethiwe esikhungweni sezemfundo sase Ugu babona kanjani ukuhlanganiswa kwe-EE emakilasini. / Omgewingsopvoeding (EE) is jare gelede by die skoolkurrikulum geintergeer. Volgens hierdie studie moet integrasie gevolg word deur implementering, daarom is de implementeringsproses suksesvol wanneer intagrasie suksesvol uitgevoer is. Hierdie studie het ten doel om te verstaan hoe onderwysers voldoen aan die kurrikulumbehoeftes van leeders voldoen om effektiewe onderrig en leer van EE te implementeer en om leeder voldoende kennis van EE te verwerf. Die metodologie wat by hierdie studie gebruik is, was ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode, meervoudige gevallestudie- ontwerp en die teoriee wat gebruik is om hierdie studie te lei, was sosiale leerteorie en sosiale konstruktivisme teorie. Hierdie studie het ‘n doelgerigte steekproefnemingstegniek gebruik en drie sekondere skole is gemonster vir waarnemings, drie onderwysers in Natural Science (NS) in grad 8-klasse is geneem vir onderhoude en 24 leerders is gemonster vir fokusgroepe in grad 8-klasse. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het aan die lig gebring dat daar ‘n gebrek aan kennis is met betrekking tot die versoging van die omgewing, en daar is ‘n teenstrydigheid tussen die EE- riglyne en –beleide wat deur die Departement van Onderwys (DvO) en die onderwyspraktyke van onderwysers aangebeid word. Alhoewel onderwys beskou word as ‘n noodsaaklike instrument in die bewaring van die natuur deur die ontwikkeling van inligting, aanleg, kwaliteite en kritiese denke deur die algemene bevolking, maar dit lyk nie meer so nie, kon ons op hierdie manier vestaan hoe leerders en onderwysers sien die omgewing waar. Hierdie studie impliseer dat die betrokeenheid van ander belanghebbendes ‘n belangrike rol speel. Tot dusver is deur hierdie studie aanbeveel dat die EE-kurrikulum herbesoek moet word en dit beklemtoon die belangrikheid van deeglike onderwyseropleiding met betrekking tot die integrasie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te ondersoek hoe onderwysers en leerders in drie geselekteerde hoerskole in the UGU-onderwysdrik die integrasie van EE in die klaskamers waarneem. / Adult Basic Education (ABET) / M. Ed. (Environmental Education)