There are several factors in our environment such as cultural artefacts, murals, our tradition, buildings and language that can be used to teach mathematics in context or used as examples to the learners but which we are unaware of or which we do not consider as appropriate. People interact with the world and attempt to comprehend, interpret, and explain it using numbers, logic and spatial configuration which are culturally shaped. These are the ways in which we produce mathematical knowledge. This has helped to stimulate other mathematicians on the African continent to Africanise mathematics teaching. Mathematics is viewed as a human activity as all people of the world practice some form of mathematics. In teaching mathematics meaningfully and relevantly, the teacher, the learner, their experiences, and their cultural backgrounds become extremely important factors to create conducive learning environments. This study was set out to explore the mathematical concepts of the traditional buildings of the Limpopo Province, South Africa and the teaching of high school mathematics. The rationale for the study was to explore the extent to which mathematical shapes or concepts of the traditional buildings of the Limpopo Province could be used to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics in context. The research questions that guided the exploration were: 1. Which ma1thematical concepts embedded in the traditional buildings of the Limpopo Province can be used to teach high school mathematics? 2. What challenges do high school mathematics educators face in contextualising their teaching? 3. Which suggestions can be made to assist mathema1tics educators to contextualise their teaching? The population for the study was made up of the builders of the circular houses from the Vhembe (Tshivenda), Mopani (Xitsonga) and Sekhukhune (Sepedi) people of the Limpopo Province and Grade 12 mathematics teachers of the Limpopo Province. The total population was 255, (68 circular houses builders and 187 Gradle 12 mathematics teachers.) The three districts were chosen because they are classified as iargely rural as compared to other districts in the Limpopo Province. They also have many indigenous buildings which were used to collect data for this study. The data were gathered through observations, interviews with the builders and questionnaire 1for the educators. For analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, narrative, and inductive analysis were used to analyse the da1ta. Although the builders who participated in this study could not explain using the mathematical language how they constructed the buildings, various mathematical concepts and symbols such as triangles, squares, parallelog1rams, kites, circles, rhombi, rectangles, trapeziums, translations, reflections, rotations, similarities, congruency, tessellations were discovered. These mathematical concepts can be used by both Educators and learners to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics. Further evidence emerged that teaching mathematics with meaning and relating it to the real world makes mathematics more relevant and meaningful. It was suggested that teacher training courses and programmes should include also courses on culture, society, the relationship between mathematics and culture, and the history of evolution of mathematical concepts. Contextualised learning activities shoulcd be designed to encourage learning mathematics concepts for understanding. In-service courses at Colleges of Education and Universities should include the application of ethnomathematics and indigenous knowledge systems in their teacher training programmes. / Thesis (PhD (Mathematics) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2012

This study investigated the implementation of economic and management science curriculum in the Senior Phase in the Moretele' district RSA. Thee main purpose of the study was to identify the challenges experienced by teachers in the process of implementing EMS as a new learning area in the general education training band (GET). The study further investigated the impact of human material resources upon the implementation process. Literature review was done on conceptual literature relating to issues on implementation of Economic and Management sciences as a new subject in the GET Band. It spelled out the human and material resources that are used in schools. Challenges the EMS teachers faced. when implementing the subject and the strategies to overcome them. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used as methods of investigation. Research instruments used included the questionnaire which was self-administered to the selected teachers for completion and interviews were conducted wit.h the head of departments (HoDs) of the selected schools. For the quantitative approach the sample was selected from eighty eighty (87) EMS teachers in the Senior Phase(Grade 7-9) from all five (5) clusters in Moretele Area Office (AO) and only fifty(50) teachers formed the sample. In the qualitative approach only four (4) head of Departments (HoDs) were purposively selected and interviewed in depth from selected Middle schools. The major findings show that most of the teachers neither adequately qualified, nor do schools have relevant resources to assist learning and teaching. There is little support in the form of in service training or workshops for teachers teaching EMS. The department of education does not support teachers in terms of resources in general. The recommendations resulting from this finding therefore are that the EMS teachers need to be retrained especially in terms of learning outcome number 3 which is mostly based on accounting. Adequate teaching and learning materials including textbooks should be provided to schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.(EMS) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2012

Many studies have revealed that training contributes significantly in the growth of enterprises. Training adds to the skills of SMMEs' owners, change their behaviour on how they perceive and conduct business activities and in turn enhance their ability to perform better. This dissertation investigates impact of entrepreneurship skills training and education as one of the factors that will help in both the survival and sustainability of SMMEs serviced by Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) in South Africa (SA). It highlights problems of the current entrepreneurship skills training and education by delineating the weakness and pitfalls. The relevant literature has been visited and served as a primary data that add value to the dissertation. Collation of the relevant data is followed by a discussion of the impact of entrepreneurship skills training and education as one of the factors that will help in both the survival and sustainability of SMMEs. The relative lack of research on impact of entrepreneurship skills training and education is the primary impetus of this study. The sample was drawn from SMMEs who attended entrepreneurship skills training offered by Gauteng Enterprise Propeller. The majority of the respondents were cooperatives in Johannesburg, South Africa. The study findings indicate that the entrepreneurship skills training have the following five major deficiencies: there is deficiency in entrepreneurship skills training and education; lack of involvement in the training program; lack of quality in training; training not being relevant to organizational needs; and lack of training programs. It is suggested that GEP management should explore opportunities to ensure that the training addresses business needs; involve trainees in training evaluation to improve quality; improve the effectiveness of training and its impact; and ensure that respondents are trained on formulation of training programs and policy to address organisational needs. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, MAfikeng Campus, 2011

South Africa teachers who are teaching Mathematics were faced with challenges of implementing a new curriculum (National Curriculum Statement). They are expected to be innovative and have the ability to make connections between Mathematics and language and also in other learning areas. The research explored learners' abilities to communicate what they know in Mathematics in written language. It was important that teachers gain Insight into what learners' know in Mathematics and how learners were able to communicate what they know. Knowledge and communication of knowledge (Mathematical expression) were important aspects in National Curriculum Statement - Mathematics in South Africa within the context of Outcomes- Based Education principles. This study aimed at investigating the following critical research questions: • What Mathematics do grade seven learners know in relation to concept of numbers? • To what extent were these learners' able to communicate what they know about numbers? • What were the implications for teaching given what learners' know about numbers? How teachers were able to communicate their knowledge of numbers? The design of the research study was focused on a class of grade 7 learners' abilities to write Mathematically and to communicate the Mathematics knowledge that they had done in their written form. Van Hiele's categories were used as a framework of informal task documented following learners participation that concerned numeric thinking, visualization and writing which report learners' descriptions of images that they were thinking as seen from their written - up responses. The qualitative analysis portrays how learners at early levels of learning were able to think and represent Mathematical ideas that they know in a way that others could access them. Findings of this research were important in two ways: (a) it demonstrate how learners think about basic Mathematical ideas of number and how they represent their thought about number concepts, (b) it also demonstrate that learners written work were documented to form useful resource for teachers and other learners in the teaching and learning of Mathematical and numeracy skills / Thesis (M.Ed.(Mathematics Education) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2010

This study investigates the relationships between theory-based vocabulary research (Anderson and Freebody, 1981; Mezynski, 1983), teacher perceptions of the effectiveness and usability of twelve vocabulary strategies on a researcher-developed survey, and observations in content area classrooms during vocabulary instruction. Among the findings, the following are major: (1) Each hypothesis offers differing instructional implications for vocabulary instruction; (2) the responses on the survey indicate that strategies implied by the Knowledge Hypothesis are the most effective and strategies implied by the Instrumental Hypothesis are the most usable; (3) observations of five teachers indicate that observed behaviors, reported practices, and personal reports are inconsistent; and (4) triangulation of the three data sources reveals some consistency and some contradictions. Implications for future research, teacher education and practice are discussed.

published_or_final_version / Comparative Literature / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

Meaningful learning is where the learner actively integrates new knowledge to his or her existing knowledge base. It involves the use of cognitive strategies and self-regulation. What motivates a learner to do so is found to be related to variables like the motivational beliefs, personal goal orientation and affect as well as the perception towards the teacher and his or her classroom context. The study surveyed a group of S6 biology students to examine the correlations between some of the different variables noted above. Students learning of cell division and inheritance is investigated to find out how pedagogy involving hybrid dynamic visualization (integration of dynamic animations to a static diagram) may promote meaningful learning. Two teachers, a subject teacher and a tutor, taught the same topics to the same group. The perception towards these two teachers and their classroom contexts were compared to see how much their perceptions were correlated to the student’s motivational beliefs, personal goal orientation, self-regulated learning behaviour and affect. The findings of the study support previous research that students relate their motivational beliefs and goal orientations to the cognitive strategy used. Besides, female students relate their personal goal orientations, self-regulated learning behavior and emotions to teachers of either gender more than male counterparts. The tutor and her classroom context have been perceived as more mastery goal oriented which aligns with the motivational beliefs and personal goal orientation of the students, whereas the subject teacher is perceived as one with a mixture of both mastery and performance goals and this has no statistical correlation with students’ motivational beliefs, achievement goal orientation or self-regulated learning strategies. The pedagogy seemed to more successfully help students master the concepts of cell division and inheritance and apply them to solve genetics problems compared with traditional teaching. Individual interviews, however, shows that the relevant skills of reasoning are yet to be improved. To conclude, a classroom with a mastery goal orientation through carefully designed pedagogy may promote meaningful learning. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education