There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

M.Ed. / After the introduction of the new approach of teaching and other new policies, all educators needed training on the new system of education. Even though training has been provided for educators, this training was not sufficient to equip educators with new knowledge and skills required by educators. The school management teams lack the skills and knowledge of the implementation of the revised national curriculum statement (RNCS) and as a result they do not create opportunities for staff development at school level. There is lack of staff development programmes in Delmas Secondary Schools. The key research question for this study is: “How can staff development programmes (SDPs) contribute towards improving the performance of educators in Delmas Secondary School?” The aims of the current study are therefore to develop an in-depth understanding of SDPs, provide participants with the reasons for conducting SDPs, equip participants with the procedures that need to be followed when designing and implementing SDPs and to provide guidelines in policy formulation of the SDPs. The objectives are to determine whether participants are knowledgeable about staff development and to what degree there is a need for SDPs in Delmas secondary schools. This study is based on qualitative research. All the data will be collected in the form of words, unlike quantitative research in which the data is largely statistical. Participants in this study were selected through random sampling since purposeful sampling lacks generalization and there is no assumption that all members of the population are equivalent data sources, but those selected are believed to be information-rich cases. Therefore the number of participants is very small in purposeful sampling. Random sampling was therefore viewed as an unbiased since all members of the population have the same chance of being included in participating in the study and this would allow generalization of the research findings. From the literature review it is evident that SDPs could equip educators with new knowledge and skills. However, findings from the empirical study indicate that SDPs are not conducted in Delmas secondary schools. These developmental programmes are needed since educators in Delmas secondary schools significantly need to expand their skills and knowledge in order to keep abreast with the new demands in the education system. Continued training should be provided for educators in Delmas Secondary Schools. / Mr. T.S. Hlongwane

M.Ed. (Tertiary Didactics) / This study was undertaken with the purpose of investigating the current situation of female teachers employed at Afrikaans secondary schools in the Transvaal. Special attention was given to the ratio of male to female teachers employed by the Transvaal Education Department as well as the number and type of promotional posts held by them. Relevant reasons for the low percentage of female teachers occupying promotional posts are discussed in context with their degree of career motivation ...

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No description available.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This study explored the experiences in identifying and meeting the developmental needs of novice teachers at one primary school in Durban. The researcher’s assumption was that mentoring and teacher development are a norm at schools. It is argued that in order to keep in touch with current educational trends and to maintain a sense of renewal and inspiration teacher development is an important issue within the changing context of education in South Africa. This is evident in the new policy developments such as the National Policy Framework for Teacher Education in South Africa and Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD). The process of mentoring may be regarded as a form of teacher development, hence mentoring and teacher development cannot be regarded as two separate processes, they occur in relation to each other. Furthermore, novice teachers enter the profession with certain expectations and often experience a gap between the reality of teaching practice and their ideals. In the context of this background and within a qualitative interpretive paradigm this study drew on the experiences of novice teachers and educational managers in one school. For the purpose of data collection, semistructured interviews were used which allowed participants to discuss their experiences and interpretations of mentoring and teacher developmental needs and to express how they regarded situations from their own point of view. Data collected from the document analysis was merged with the data collected from the interviews. The findings indicated that the developmental needs of novice teachers were multifaceted such as: mentoring and induction must take place initially; a yearning to be socially accepted by the serving staff; a need to be heard regarding their experiences and developmental needs; to be informed on how to construct learning area work schedules, lesson plans and assessment tasks to suit the requirements at this school, especially in the initial days of there employment and the management of diversity and strategies to implement inclusive education. The study concluded that although the management and leadership of the school played a meaningful and supportive role in the professional and personal competence of the novice teachers, led by the principal who was encouraging and supportive, there was still room for improvement in the practices of leadership and management in attempting to identify and meet the developmental needs of novice teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The purpose of the study was to develop a formative model for the evaluation of teacher in-service programs relative to instructional behavior of teachers in the classroom. A second purpose of the study was to test the proposed model in an in-service program established to treat in-classroom instructional behavior.The operational elements of the developed model were tested by utilizing the model in an evaluation study of a specific teacher in-service education program. Participants of the in-service program included sixty-eight classroom teachers serving in kindergarten through grade five from ten elementary schools of a single suburban public school district located in the State of Indiana.The component aspects of the proposed model are:Objective: To describe and evaluate the effects of a teacher in-service education program relative to the instructional behavior of teachers revealed by the perceptions and judgements of the individuals involved in the program.Method: By defining the objectives for the in-service training program in terms of behavior that characterize the objective and measuring as criteria, the behavior associated with the objectives and processing the information in the forms of descriptions, implications, and recommendations.Relation The analysis of results based on actual to behavior provide feedback to the stated to Decision- objectives to determine the value of the in-service program for purposes of Making: modification or revision of the program objectives.Collection To obtain the information, multiple data gathering devices should be used withof data: teacher participants of the in-service program. Interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations as a system of data gathering is recommended.Reporting Reporting statements should be of three types: descriptive, implications, and the data: recommendations for decision-making. Descriptive data would include summaries of the information collected and state implications which grow from the information. The summaries would be limited to the collected information and should be free of any conclusions.The recommendations would be made in view of the stated desired objectives. Judgements made in the recommendations should be cycled back to modify or revise the objectives identified for the in-service program.The findings from the testing of the proposed model are:1. Objectives for teacher in-service education programs relative to in-classroom instruction, can be developed to define behaviors as outcomes.2. Behaviors which characterize objectives can be identified for measuring.3. Identified measurable behaviors can serve as criteria for determining the success or failure of specific objectives of teacher in-service programs.4. Data collection instruments can be developed to measure behaviors which characterize objectives of teacher in-service education programs.5. The use of multiple data collection instruments, i.e., questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations, contribute information in breadth, depth, and applied behaviors respectively.6. Information obtained from data collection instruments can be processed into statements of descriptions, implications, and recommendations.7. Statements of recommendation can be developed to provide evaluative data which teacher in-service program officials may use in making judgements relative to achievement of objectives of teacher in-service education programs. Conclusions of the study include the following:1. A model for the evaluation of teacher in-service education programs relative to the instructional behavior of teachers has been needed to provide a bases for intermediate evaluation and improvement of teacher in-service programming.2. A model for evaluation of teacher in-service programs utilizing a systematic procedure for securing information which incorporates reported and observed behavior can provide direct implications for planning and conducting phases of the teacher in-service program during the intermediate stages of implementation.3. A formative model for evaluation of teacher in-service education programs relative to the instructional behavior of teachers can be utilized to advance improved teacher in-service programming by collecting and treating data reported and observed from teacher participants of a teacher in-service program.4. A formative model for the evaluation of teacher in-service education programs can be utilized to collect and report data relative to the objectives of teacher in-service education programs for purposes of revising or modifying objectives of planned teacher in-service programs.

D.Ed. / This research study focuses on the status of educators and aims at determining whether In-Service Education and Training (INSET) will assist in enhancing their professional status. From the researcher’s personal experiences, discussions with fellow educators and review of literature and media reports, it appears that there are a plethora of problems experienced by educators. Awareness of a crisis in education is of great concern, as is the low morale of educators. Credibility of educators needs to be restored. Some educators are unqualified, under-qualified, display poor attitude and mediocre behaviour. It is essential that these educators should be encouraged to improve their teaching skills and performance, build confidence, adopt a positive outlook towards education and perform as professionals. The research design and methodology followed generally, the qualitative, descriptive and exploratory principles. The survey method using structured questionnaires was employed to collect the primary data for the study. The data was collected on the Microsoft Windows 2000 Excel programme and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). During the last decade, a number of countries have addressed reform measures and refocused on educators’ professionalism. A historico-comparative study of various models of INSET was undertaken of the following countries: the United Kingdom, Denmark, Hungary, Hong Kong and Zambia. INSET initiatives undertaken abroad, to improve the quality of educators, is crucial to this study. INSET structures, provided by various stakeholders in South Africa are discussed. The Code of Professional Ethics, compiled by the “guardian of the profession”, the South African Council for Educators (SACE), was outlined. The study also highlights SACE’s role of monitoring educators who are guilty of transgressions and misbehaviour. The findings of this research, conducted in the Umlazi District of the eThekwini Region within the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), based on the questionnaires, are twofold. Firstly, officials are of the opinion that a reduction of staff, increase in iii workloads and a lack of incentives and promotional opportunities have led to educators’ poor performance. Secondly, educators believe that implementing quality INSET programmes would assist them to perform as improved professionals. Educators in the study acknowledge that teaching is stressful and are of the opinion that they are accountable for their behaviour and should be au fait with the Professional Code of Conduct and Ethics. Following on from the analysis of the questionnaires, three training programmes were identified and conducted at a public, secondary school. The programmes were entitled: Coping with Stress, Compiling an Educator’s Portfolio and Code of Conduct for Educators. The study concludes with recommendations and implications for future research.

D.Ed. / Professional skills development is an important aspect in the professional life of Information Technology (IT) teachers. The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in South African schools brought about the possibility of using web-based education (WBE) for the purpose of bettering continuous professional teacher development (CPTD) for IT teachers in Further Education and Training (FET). This study aims at developing an online learning ecology embedded by a programme that facilitates the continuous professional development focussing on IT teachers. The rationale for this study argues about the Internet and WWW as alternative means of communication with and training of IT teachers. Theory on adult education, web-based pedagogy, and the available web-technologies, assist in creating the theoretical framework for this study. Subsequently, theory on instructional design (ID) is applied in developing the online learning ecology, online programme, as well as developing a community of practise (CoP) for IT teachers. A qualitative study guided by a partial design experiment methodology constructed the research. Therefore, the design and development in this study have secondary reference to methods for ID. A needs analysis was done by conducting a document analysis on government policies, curriculum design as well as the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for FET. Consequently, the thesis was constructed by following the design, development and evaluation of a learning ecology. Hence, the online learning ecology was validated using constructed rubrics by research participants against the instructional design, online programme and community of practice efficacy, aimed at continuous professional development of IT teachers. Findings of this research have shown that an online learning ecology, populated by virtual tools, effectively hosts an online programme and likewise hosts a community of IT teachers. The validation further claims that the ecology was effectively designed and that interaction among IT teachers occurs on a high level against the principles of good _______________ Table of Contents iii teaching practice, classroom practices, methodology and ultimate professional development. Furthermore, the level on which knowledge transfer and skills development of IT teachers have been applied to pedagogy, became evident in applicable online teaching principles in a web-based environment for adult learning. Conclusions deduced from the study claim for face-to-face interaction to be utilised with an online programme. This assists cluster meetings to be conducted more effectively and retains influences such as time constrains and transport problems. Consequently, this leverages better facilitation during shorter time periods and delivers more concise cluster meetings. Moreover, suggestions have been made for online moderation possibilities, access to more, relevant study material, collaborating ideas, sharing experiences and having more social presence from a professional perspective. The virtual tools used in the learning ecology were found to be highly effective with ease. Further conclusions brought about a suggestion for generalising such a learning ecology that hosts CPTD to other learning areas. A final conclusion reveals that the online programme shows to be aligned with professional teacher development at various levels and complied with critical- and developmental cross-field outcomes to enhance generalisability and generic application within the South African educational context.