M.Ed. / After conducting a workshop for class assistants at my school for learners with intellectual impairments, I identified that class assistants need to develop such life skills as self-awareness, communication and problem-solving. Life skills enable one to translate knowledge, attitudes and values into action as actual abilities, but life skills are not in themselves forms of behaviour, they are abilities to behave in certain ways, given the motivation and the scope to do so within the prevailing social and cultural constraints (Van der Merwe, 1996). Currently, no program exists within the Gauteng Education system for life skills training of Class Assistants. I argue that life skills enable one to translate knowledge, attitudes and values into action as actual abilities. “However, life skills are not in themselves forms of behaviour rather they are abilities to behave in certain ways, given the motivation and the scope to do so within the prevailing social and cultural constraints” (Van der Merwe, 1996:289). During life skills training, the facilitator is able to gain a sense of self-worth by evaluating the strengths, skills and capabilities of the individual participants. Through this experience, class assistants will be able to accept and appreciate that they are individuals with different strengths and weaknesses, and that they have something to offer. As part of human resource development, education support personnel and class assistants should be provided with the appropriate training and support to participate fully in the school system (Department of Education, 1997:130). The development of people is essential to health promotion and whole-school development (Donald et al, 2002). / Mrs. H. Krige

This study identified the attitudes of paraeducators toward students with disabilities and the implications for staff development. The purpose of this study was to survey attitudes of paraeducators toward students with disabilities. The attitude and demographic information obtained through the survey were analyzed for its implications for staff development with paraeducators.

Little research has been reported which has assessed the motor skills of children in elementary classroom situations where teacher aides have been involved in the teaching of physical education activities. The purpose of this study was to assess selected motor skills of second and fifth grade students and to determine whether the motor skills of students in classes with college aides differed significantly from the motor skills of students in classes without college aides. The children were tested on the motor skills of throwing, catching, kicking, and striking. The study was conducted over a fourteen week period of time in elementary schools located in Mercer County, West Virginia. Four hundred forty nine children participated in the study. All of the children were pre tested using an adapted form of the Ohio State University Scale of Intra-Gross Motor Assessment (1975) on the four motor skills during the first two weeks of the study. A ten week instructional period then followed for the experimental groups on each grade level, utilizing aides from an elementary physical education methods class at Concord College, located in Athens, West Virginia. The assigned college aide assisted the classroom teachers in conducting physical education activities with the experimental classes four days each week for the ten week period. The control group experienced. their regular instructional period for the interim ten week period, having the classroom teacher being solely responsible for conducting the physical education activities four days each week. Both groups received their regularly scheduled instruction from a physical education specialist one class period each week. At the completion of the ten week instructional period, all of the subjects were post tested utilizing the same instrument which was used in the pretest. A two way factorial MANOVA was applied in order to determine statistically significant differences in motor skill with respect to experimental versus control group, second and fifth grades and the interaction between them. The results indicated that there was a nonsignificant interaction between grades and experimental versus control group. Therefore, the two groups were relatively constant across the two grades. The results indicated that the classes of students with college aides scored significantly higher on the motor skills of catching, kicking, and striking, while there was no significant difference on the skill of throwing from pretest to posttest. The older children (fifth graders) scored significantly higher on the two skills of catching and kicking than did the younger children (second graders). There was no significant difference from pretest to posttest with respect to the grades on the motor skills of throwing and striking. / Ed. D.

Six hundred sixty-six students were queried at the University of North Texas. The appropriate use of nonverbal behaviors of international and U.S. American TAs was surveyed. An eleven item questionnaire (Teacher Nonverbal Measure) was utilized. These questions were tested by an ANOVA. Data indicated that international TAs are less likely to use appropriate nonverbal behaviors than U.S. American TAs. Thus, it is possible to assume that international TAs are more likely to be perceived as using inappropriate nonverbal behaviors than U.S. American TAs. Also, communication competence was investigated. The Communication Skill Rating Scale was utilized and tested by ANOVA. Results indicate that international TAs are viewed as significantly less competent than U.S. American TAs.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Since 1973 teaching authorities have been compelled to employ artisans due to the shortage of technically trained teachers. This precaution has not been satisfactory because the artisan who has no formal teachers training has now become part of the educational profession. Methods have to be found to provide in-service training for this category of teacher with the view of preparing him for his task as teacher. The headmaster, as manageri all eader, can in thi s case, make use of a tutor-teacher and subject-head. The tutor-teacher must be an experienced and successful teacher , seeing that he has to convey his knowledge and teaching experience to the artisan-teacher. The subject-head can also play an important and valuable role in the initial in-service training programme by conveying knowledge and expertise concerning teaching practice, to the artisan-teacher. In the designing of an initial in-service training programme, attention should be given to the practical side of the subject, so that the knowledge acquired can be implemented immediately. Later in the training programme more time can be allocated to the theoretical aspect. The aim of this programme should be to encourage the artisan-teacher to acquire formal teaching qualifications. The school's in-service training programme is only an endeavor to provide the artisan-teacher with sufficient knowledge to teach his subject. The school cannot, in the final instance, replace tertiary institutions in the training of teachers.

This study examined the impact of child teacher relationship training (CTRT) on teachers' and aides' use of relationship- building skills in the classroom and the correlation between teachers' and aides' demonstration of relationship- building skills and the effect on student behavior. CTRT was modeled after Landreth and Bratton's (2006) 10-session filial therapy model titled child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) which is based on the principles and procedures of child -centered play therapy. The CPRT manual was adapted slightly for use with teachers and aides for this project. In this quasi-experimental design, 12 teacher aide dyads (n = 24) were assigned to the experimental (n = 12) or active control groups (n = 12). Children who scored in the Borderline/Clinical range on at least one scale of the Child Behavior Checklist-Caregiver/Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) at pretest qualified for the study (N = 32). During the first phase of treatment, teachers and aides participated in the equivalent of 10 training/supervision sessions consistent with the principles and procedures of CPRT. During CTRT Phase II, teachers and aides participated in 10 weeks of coaching/modeling to facilitate the use of CTRT skills in the classroom environment and continued to participate in weekly 1-hour group training/supervision sessions. Eight hypotheses were analyzed. Different analyses were conducted based on the hypotheses. Analyses of covariance and repeated measures analysis of variance were conducted. Correlation coefficients were also calculated. Additionally, effect sizes were calculated to determine practical significance. Two hypotheses were retained at the .05 level of significance. Children in the experimental group (n = 19) demonstrated a significant decrease (p = .04) in Externalizing Problems between Measurements 1 and 3 when compared to the children in the active control group (n = 13). A statistically significant relationship was found between teachers' and aides' higher use of relationship-building skills and students' decrease in externalizing behaviors (p < .05). No statistically significant results were found on the remaining hypotheses.

Since there is a need for auxiliary personnel, then, there appears to be a need for a training program for teachers, paid aides, and for volunteers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to formulate a pre-service, in-service, and on-the-job training program for these personnel at Wesconnett Elementary School.

The researcher investigated the management of multi-grade teaching for optimal learning in Gauteng West primary schools. Ten participants, including school principals, heads of departments and educators participated in individual and focus group interviews and in observation of multi-grade classroom contexts. Findings revealed that educators involved in multi-grade teaching feel overwhelmed by challenging work conditions pertaining to large learner numbers and a lack of adequate didactical resources. This is exacerbated by a lack of professional development by means of tailor-made training for multi-grade teaching and the presumption that educators teaching such classes must merely change the monograde teaching format of the curriculum themselves for applicable implementation in a multi-grade teaching context. This leaves educators socially, emotionally and professionally isolated. Recommendations include the involvement of seasoned educators with expert knowledge and experience of multi-grade teaching to present training sessions constituting advice and support to inexperienced educators involved in said teaching. / Die navorser het die bestuur van meergraadonderrig by laerskole in Wes-Gauteng vir optimale leer ondersoek. Afgesien van individuele en fokusgroeponderhoude met skoolhoofde, departementshoofde en opvoeders, is waarneming in meergraadklaskamers gedoen. Volgens die bevindings bemoeilik groot klasse en ʼn gebrek aan didaktiese hulpmiddels meergraadopvoeders se taak. Meergraadopvoeders voel hulle geensins opgewasse teen hierdie werksomstandighede nie. ʼn Gebrek aan opleiding in meergraadonderrig en die veronderstelling dat opvoeders die eengraadformaat van die kurrikulum in ʼn meergraadformaat kan omskakel, vererger sake. Opvoeders is van mening dat hulle maatskaplik, emosioneel en professioneel in die steek gelaat word. Daar word aanbeveel dat gesoute opvoeders met kennis van en ervaring in meergraadonderrig onervare opvoeders oplei en adviseer. / Monyakisisi o dirile dinyakisiso ka ga go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego go fihlelela bokgoni le tsebo tikologong ya go thekga dinyakwa tsa baithuti dikolong tsa phoraemari go la Gauteng Bodikela. Batseakarolo ba lesome, go akaretswa dihlogo tsa dikolo, dihlogo tsa dikgoro le barutisi ba tseere karolo ditherisanong ka botee le dihlopha tseo di nepisitswego gape le temogo dikemong tsa diphaposi tsa dikereiti tse di fapanego. Dikhwetso di utollotse gore barutisi bao ba rutago dikereiti tse fapanego ba imelwa ke maemo a modiro wo o nyakago gore ba ntshe bokgoni bja bona ka moka ka lebaka la dipalo tse ntsi tsa baithuti le tlhokego ya dithusi tsa thuto tse di lekanego. Se se thatafiswa ke tlhokego ya tlhabollo ya profesene ye ka go fa tlhahlo yeo e lebanego ya go ruta dikreiti tse fapanego le kgopolo ya go re barutisi bao ba rutago ba swanela go no fetola popego ya lenaneothuto la kereiti e tee ka bobona go re ba le dirise kemong ya go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego. Se se dira gore barutisi ba ikhwetse ba se na kgokagano le setshaba leagong, ba hloka bao ba ka llelago go bona le go se be le bao ba nago le kgahlego go profesene ya bona. Ditshisinyo di akaretsa go ba gona ga barutisi bao e lego kgale ba ruta ba nago le maitemogelo le botsebi go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego go hlagisa dipaka tsa tlhahlo tseo di fago maele le thuso go barutisi bao ba se nago maitemogelo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)