The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which the teaching of literary art to / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This study examines how English Education knowledge structures impact on pedagogy to serve students who are becoming English educators. The study investigates the English Education discipline within the School of Education, University of KwaZulu–Natal. The study responds to the critical question: how do English Education knowledge structures impact on pedagogy to serve students who are becoming English educators? This question seeks to uncover underlying structures, mechanisms and events at play in the English Education discipline, and how these inform knowledge structures to impact on pedagogy the way they do. The study is located on an interpretive research paradigm, and is framed within the Critical Realism (Bhaskar, 1978) and Social Realism (Archer, 1995) theories. These theories are used to critically engage with data by uncovering the underlying structures and mechanisms at play in the English Education discipline. The study further draws on Bernstein (1999) and Bourdieu (1986) as substantive theories used to develop a profound understanding of Knowledge Structures and Cultural Capital, respectively. Using qualitative methods of data collection, the study uncovers the role of a 2-Track System in the teaching of English Education students. Data collected in the study is analysed and critiqued to demonstrate how and why the structuring of English Education knowledge breaks away from unintended curricular impositions by the former University of Natal English Department’s curriculum. The study argues that the 2-Track System adopted in the English Education discipline is appropriate to serve students to be competent educators of English. Of paramount importance, data collected in the study also show how the structuring of English Education knowledge in the 2-Track System empowers and ‘give voice to’ the majority (Bernstein, 1999). / Thesis (M. Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Too often, discussions about Mathematics express feelings of anguish and despair; and, indeed Mathematics results in general in South Africa can be described as dismal. The Department of Education (DoE) reported that in the 2010 National Senior Certificate examinations, 52.6% of learners obtained less than 30% in Mathematics and 69.1% of learners obtained less than 40% (DoE, 2010). This implies that a very small percentage of grade 12 learners would be eligible to further their studies in the fields of Mathematics and science at tertiary level, resulting in a depletion of science and Mathematics-oriented professionals. This study explored the mathematical attitudes and achievement strategies of successful Mathematics learners to overcome the factors that might impede achievement. This study has the potential to improve practice because the findings of the study and recommendations are made implicit in the discussion. In particular this study sought to investigate the following issues: (a) What are secondary school learners' attitudes towards Mathematics? (b) In what ways are these attitudes linked to factors to which the learners attribute their achievement in Mathematics? (c) What strategies do successful Mathematics learners use to overcome the factors that they identify as impeding their performance in Mathematics? This research involved a case study approach. The study solicited both quantitative and qualitative data from the participants. The participants comprised 95 Grade 10, 11 and 12 Mathematics learners. The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS) questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The data was analysed using Attribution Theory and Achievement Theory. Two learners, who obtained more than 60% in the 2011 half-year Mathematics examination, from grades 10, 11 and 12 respectively, constituted the focus group. The focus group interview enhanced the study by clarifying the responses to the questionnaire and providing answers to the second and third research questions. The findings of the research include the following: teachers play an important role in shaping learners’ attitudes toward Mathematics; learners are anxious when asked to solve mathematical problems; parents are very encouraging of their children learning Mathematics; the importance of Mathematics for future careers exerted a significant effect on mathematical achievement; and finally the various strategies that learners employ that positively impact on their achievement in mathematics include mastery experience, motivation, private tuition and peer group teaching-learning. The final section of this dissertation discusses the implications of this study for practising Mathematics teachers and suggestions for further research in the area of affect. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

The pass rate of first-year university mathematics students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg Campus) has been low for many years. One cause may be weak algebra skills. At the time of this study, revision of high school algebra was not part of the major first year mathematics course. This study set out to investigate if it would be worthwhile to spend tutorial time on basic algebra when there is already an overcrowded calculus syllabus, or if students refresh their algebra skills sufficiently as they study first year mathematics. Since it was expected that remediation of algebra skills would be found to be worthwhile, two other questions were also investigated: Which remediation strategy is best? Which errors are the hardest to remediate? Five tutorial groups for Math 130 were randomly assigned one of four remediation strategies, or no remediation. Three variations of using cognitive conflict to change students’ misconceptions were used, as well as the strategy of practice. Pre- and post-tests in the form of multiple choice questionnaires with spaces for free responses were analysed. Comparisons between the remediated and non-remediated groups were made based on pre- and post-test results and Math 130 results. The most persistent errors were determined using an 8-category error classification developed for this purpose. The best improvement from pre- to post-test was 12.1% for the group remediated with cognitive conflict over 5 weeks with explanations from the tutor. Drill and practice gave the next-best improvement of 8.1%, followed by self-guided cognitive conflict over 5 weeks (7.8% improvement). A once-off intervention using cognitive conflict gave a 5.9% improvement. The group with no remediation improved by 2.3%. The results showed that the use of tutorintensive interventions more than doubled the improvement between pre-and post-tests but even after remediation, the highest group average was 80%, an unsatisfactory level for basic skills. The three most persistent errors were those involving technical or careless errors, errors from over-generalising and errors from applying a distorted algorithm, definition or theorem. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

There is a great deal of literature and a number of research studies that have been carried out on reflective practice, models and frameworks of reflection and teaching strategies that successfully promote reflective thinking. This study addresses the need to adopt teaching - learning approaches in nursing education that develop a link between theory and practice in a meaningful way. Reflective thinking is one such approach which is gaining popularity. Reflection is claimed as a goal in many teacher education programmes but the application of reflective teaching strategies has been problematic. This study was aimed at exploring how nurse educators of the Nursing Colleges in KwaZulu-Natal promoted reflective thinking in their teaching. Three of the four Nursing Colleges chosen for data collection were from the greater Durban Metropolitan area because of the accessibility of the participants. There were seventy-two participants in the study. A quantitative design was used, followed by statistical analysis of the data. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire which included structured and semi-structured questions. What emerged in this study is the need for Nurse Educators to take cogniscance of determining appropriate teaching strategies that would develop reflective thinking skills amongst learners. However, the findings indicate that most Nurse Educators do utilize teaching strategies that promote reflective thinking, but a large percentage still use the lecture method as the primary teaching strategy. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

No description available.

This study has examined the perceptions, knowledge and attitudes of pre-service teachers prior to and after a Project WET workshop within their science education and science methods courses at Ball State University. The attitudes and opinions of the pre-service teacher study group were compared to a pre-service teacher control group before and after the workshop. There is evidence to support that those who are exposed to Project WET will have increased knowledge and changed attitudes about water resources. This study found that teaching styles of instructors as well as the activities they choose can affect what is learned in a workshop by the participants. It was also found that pre-service teachers who participate in an environmental education workshop, such as Project WET, are more likely than those who do not participate in such a workshop to report that they felt more confident in their ability to teach science and that they plan to use the materials they received in the future. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

This study has presented a comprehensive overview of the context and significance of changes in attitudes and levels of engagement in Ball State University’s BIO 100 class which is taught using the blended learning method. The evidence suggests that this method exhibits no significant overall change in attitudes or levels of engagement over the course of the semester. Several individual question couplets exhibited positive change. The combination of no significant overall change and positive couplet changes suggests that this method is a viable alternative to more traditional methods. In addition students overwhelmingly agree that this method of education should be used in other classes. Future research is needed to confirm the effects of this method. It is also paramount that as this method becomes implemented on larger scale training and coaching be available for students and faculty members. These services are necessary in order to achieve maximum method effectiveness.

This study describes the conversations that emerged during structured and unstructured peer response sessions in a basic writing classroom. The evidence suggests that the students were more likely to discuss both global and local issues in their writing when their teacher provided them with a structured set of questions to answer during response sessions. Additionally, the degree to which the students internalized these structured patterns of response and transferred them to the unstructured writing workshop sessions varied significantly among groups of students. While some students used the guided response questions to build beneficial writing-reading relationships with their peers and learn new methods for responding to writing, others kept the structured and unstructured response sessions almost entirely separate. These results raise questions regarding how students' sense of ownership over their own writing and motivation to participate in a community of writers affect the degree to which they internalize the patterns of response that are encouraged by their teacher during structured peer response sessions. / Department of English

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Chemistry