The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between mathematics teachers’ subject matter knowledge and their teaching effectiveness. A convenient sample of 19 grade 11 mathematics teachers and 418 students were initially selected for the study and took part in some stages of the study. Of this lot, only 11 teachers and 246 students participated in all the stages of the study. Explanatory Mixed methods research design which entails the use of a co-relational study and a descriptive survey design were employed in the study. Data was collected from the teachers using a self report questionnaire, Teacher Subject Matter Knowledge of Trigonometric Functions Scale (TSMKTFS) and peer evaluation questionnaire, and from students using teacher evaluation questionnaire and Student Trigonometric Functions Performance Scale (STFPS). All the instruments had their validity and reliability accordingly determined. Quantitative data gathered was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data gathered from teachers’ and students’ tests were analysed using task performance analysis. It was found that a positive, statistically significant relationship existed between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and the composite measure of their teaching effectiveness. The relationships between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and students’ achievement and also between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and students’ rating of the teachers’ teaching effectiveness were found to be positive and statistically significant. However, the relationships between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and teachers’ self rating as well as teachers’ subject matter knowledge and peers’ rating of teachers’ teaching effectiveness were not found to be statistically significant though they were positive. Further data analysis showed that there was a difference between the subject matter knowledge of effective and ineffective teachers and also between the students taught by effective teachers and the students taught by the ineffective teachers. / Institute of Science and Technology Education / PhD (Mathematics Education)

Thesis (MPhil (Curriculum Studies))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Background to the study: The Critical Care nursing programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences (Stellenbosch University) is a one-year programme. The practical component consists of practical procedures and case presentations. Students have limited time available in the clinical areas to reach competency in the practical skills. Students tend to use the majority of the clinical teaching time available to reach competency in these practical procedures, rather than discussing the patient and learning the skills to integrate and understand the patient’s condition and treatment, which they can acquire by doing case presentations. The end result of this misuse of clinical contact time is that some of the students, by the end of their programme, still have difficulty to integrate a patient’s diagnosis and treatment regime, although they have managed to complete the expected practical procedures. Summary of the work: A case study design was used. I wanted to investigate whether one could make use of simulation and the Clinical Skills Centre (CSC) to complete the majority of the practical procedures so that more time would be available in the clinical areas for the students to do case presentations. The study focuses on describing how the tutors and students involved experienced the use of simulation, as well as how it impacted on the available teaching time in the clinical areas. Conclusions and recommendations: Some of the most important issues that were highlighted in the study and needs to be mentioned are the following: · The students highly valued supervision by a Critical Care tutor when practising their skills in the CSC. · Students indicated that they valued the opportunity to practise some of the more risky procedures in simulation, because it presents no risk to patients. · Case presentations seem important to be added to the CSC’s practical sessions in order to attempt making the practical simulated scenarios even more realistic. · The teaching at the bedside in the clinical areas used to be done somewhat ad hoc. With the teaching in the CSC now being much more structured, this necessitates the teaching at the bedside to be revisited and to be structured to a certain extent. Summary of the results: The information obtained from the Critical Care tutors and the students indicated that these two groups were largely in agreement that simulation seems to be valuable and can effectively be used in a Critical Care nursing programme.

After the 1994 elections education reform has been characterized by the introduction of laws and policies, including IQMS, that seek to reconcile post‐apartheid traditions to practices that would address deficiencies borne by the era in the education field. The IQMS is a clear reaction to the autocratic mode of evaluation that operated during the apartheid era and is a major shift from the old paradigm of external evaluators. It was designed to review performance and identify strengths and weaknesses, encouraging personal and professional development, drawing on peer and collegial feedback rather than official Department of Education surveillance. However, recent studies have shown that the IQMS has failed and is failing to achieve what it was intended to achieve. This study examines the reasons for this failure in a secondary school in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This research is an interpretive case study that uses observation, document analysis and interviews utilising theories of learning organizations, management and leadership. The study reveals that the policy is not applied in the way it was intended and is failing in this regard. The policy process has been bureaucratised and suffers from superficial compliance. The developmental thrust of the policy seems to have been lost. It was also discovered that the involvement of teacher unions has both positively and negatively affected the implementation process and that the support schools receive from the department is not enough to keep the policy alive in schools. This research is likely to benefit school principals, policy makers and implementers, and IQMS coordinators, as it provides clarity on the issues restraining IQMS implementation in schools. The study also demonstrates the need for school principals to consider adopting transformational leadership as a strategy to lead teachers against political influence and expose them to professional development opportunities.

The aim of this study was to investigate the criteria for effective continuous professional development of educators and to determine ways of improvement of the programmes as implemented in secondary schools in the Thohoyandou district of Limpopo Province. The study was conducted through a literature review and qualitative investigation. The literature review explored the nature of effective professional development of educators and the criteria for design, planning and implementation of such programmes. The qualitative study investigated the management of professional development programmes for secondary schools educators in the Thohoyandou district using interviews with district coordinators or Educator Multi Purpose Centers (EMPC) facilitators, secondary school principals and educators. The findings revealed the strengths and weaknesses of professional development programmes. Based on the literature review and qualitative investigation, recommendations were made with regard to the provision of effective professional development programmes for educators, particularly secondary school educators. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Education Managament)

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between mathematics teachers’ subject matter knowledge and their teaching effectiveness. A convenient sample of 19 grade 11 mathematics teachers and 418 students were initially selected for the study and took part in some stages of the study. Of this lot, only 11 teachers and 246 students participated in all the stages of the study. Explanatory Mixed methods research design which entails the use of a co-relational study and a descriptive survey design were employed in the study. Data was collected from the teachers using a self report questionnaire, Teacher Subject Matter Knowledge of Trigonometric Functions Scale (TSMKTFS) and peer evaluation questionnaire, and from students using teacher evaluation questionnaire and Student Trigonometric Functions Performance Scale (STFPS). All the instruments had their validity and reliability accordingly determined. Quantitative data gathered was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data gathered from teachers’ and students’ tests were analysed using task performance analysis. It was found that a positive, statistically significant relationship existed between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and the composite measure of their teaching effectiveness. The relationships between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and students’ achievement and also between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and students’ rating of the teachers’ teaching effectiveness were found to be positive and statistically significant. However, the relationships between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and teachers’ self rating as well as teachers’ subject matter knowledge and peers’ rating of teachers’ teaching effectiveness were not found to be statistically significant though they were positive. Further data analysis showed that there was a difference between the subject matter knowledge of effective and ineffective teachers and also between the students taught by effective teachers and the students taught by the ineffective teachers. / Institute of Science and Technology Education / PhD (Mathematics Education)

The majority of learners in South Africa are not native speakers of English, yet English is the dominant language of learning and teaching (LoLT). South African teachers, therefore, have the challenge of ensuring that their learners' literacy skills in English are adequately developed so as to facilitate learning in other curricular areas. This study investigated the way in which two Grade 5 teachers employed at different primary schools in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa taught writing to their English first additional language (EFAL) learners. English is the LoLT at both schools. A qualitative interpretive approach was used to identify factors that shape the ways these teachers handle the teaching of writing. The theoretical framework was informed by Borg's model of teacher cognition (2003) Shulman's conception of teacher knowledge (1987). Data collection methods consisted of interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. In-depth interviews, comprising two semi-structured interviews, two post-lesson informal conversational interviews and one stimulated recall interview were conducted with each teacher. Five of each teacher's writing lessons were observed and audio and video recorded. Samples of learners' written work were also collected. Analysis of the data reveals that the two teachers' beliefs, their experiences as learners themselves and subsequently as teachers, impacted on their pedagogy, as did other contextual factors (including the support they received from subject advisors, time management, and the number and range of learners in their classrooms). It was found that both teachers focused primarily on ensuring that their learners completed their written work so that it could be marked and graded in response to demands from their superiors, rather than on engaging deeply with the processes of writing (brainstorming, drafting, revising etc). Not only does this run counter to the writing pedagogy recommended in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), but it also denies learners the scaffolding needed to help them develop the self-regulation skills needed to become independent writers. These findings demonstrate the need for assisting teachers to shift away from focusing only on learners' performance (testing and grading) towards a stronger emphasis on the process of writing. This would require that teachers develop a deeper understanding of the process/genre approaches to teaching writing advocated by CAPS.

The rationale behind Science Expos is to develop and empower learners to be able to identify problems and find solutions (Eskom Expo Project Guide Book, 2013). It is believed that involvement in Science Expos arouses learners' interest to pursue science related careers. But despite these ideals, there is still poor participation in Science Expos by educators and learners. I conducted this case study in five schools in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The purpose of this study was to understand educators' and learners' perceptions and experiences of their participation in Science Expos. The case study was designed within an interpretive paradigm. The data were generated, triangulated and validated by a variety of methods, namely, document analysis, interviews (semi-structured and focus group) and observations. The main findings of the study were that learners who participate in Science Expos attend workshops organised by Scifest and SAEON office with the help of some of the educators and lecturers from Rhodes University. Learners' participation was influenced and assisted by the educators and peers with whom they were able to communicate and share their projects with. It emerged from the study that, as a result of participating in Science Expos, educators (teachers) and learners were exposed to a wide variety of scientific investigations and skills that are necessary for their classroom based-scientific investigations. It also emerged from this study that educators and learners face the challenge of a lack of motivation; insufficient support from schools and parents; time constraints to support learners in their participation and a lack of knowledge among some educators on their learners' projects. Some learners are even discouraged from participating in Science Expos by their peers on the grounds that they have no chance of winning. Teachers therefore require continuous mentorship and capacity building in order to encourage their learners to partake.

The out of field phenomenon, that is, educators who teach outside their field of expertise, adds complexity to the education environment. This growing phenomenon in South African schools impacts colleagues, learners, parents, governing bodies and school management. Teaching characteristics that ensure success in classrooms are threatened by the out of field phenomenon. It puts extra strain on school management's responsibility to provide quality management and jeopardises effective teaching and quality learning. This problem was investigated by a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with selected participants who shared their experiences of the phenomenon. Findings indicated that the existence of the out of field phenomenon should be recognised in order to provide substantial educator support and sufficient staff development programmes. It is recommended that new evidence-informed knowledge about the out of field phenomenon can contribute to improve effective decision making and policy developing in this regard. / Education management / M.Ed.

The aim of this research was to make recommendations on how to facilitate a healthy sense of Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE) in teachers of a primary school in South Africa. A literature study was conducted to determine a theoretical framework for the study. Thereafter a mixed method design was used to conduct an empirical investigation. This was done by means of focus group interviews, questionnaires and an observational narrative. The most important finding was that the teachers who participated in the research were professional and enlightened about the value of technology. They agreed that although daunted by the idea of technology it is essential for them to become proficient in the use of computers. The researcher came to the conclusion that the main obstacle that stands between the participants and technological proficiency was a weak sense of CSE. Recommendations were made on how one could use extrinsic motivation to introduce new technology in such a way as to enhance self-efficacy and as result computer self-efficacy. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

The aim of this study was to assess the primary teacher upgrading programme at Ramaano Mbulaheni Training Centre (RMTC). The literature review in this work includes a selection of related studies and articles in developing countries such as South Afric~, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe and in developed countries like Japan, Britain and United States of America. These together formed I the theoretical base of the research. A survey was carried out in the Malamulele, · Mutale, Sekgosese, Soutpansberg, Thohoyandou and Vuwani areas in the Northern Province Region 3, to find out whether the RMTC teacher upgradi"g · programme is serving the purpose of up·grading underqualified primary teachers. An attempt was made to give the necessity of teacher upgrading in South Africa and an assessment was made of the Ramaano Mbulaheni Training Centre upgrading programme. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)