M.Ed. (Media Studies) / Despite the availability I variety and virtually limitless properties of the different types of educational materials and equipment, it would appear that there are still many teachers who are opposed to the use of educational media. For the purposes of this study it was necessary to investigate the reasons why teachers do not use educational materials and equipment during their lessons. A literature study was done to investigate the factors which could contribute to resistance I the areas where resistance could appear and resistance of teachers to the use of media in their classrooms. An empirical study was conducted into the possible reasons for resistance to media usage at East Rand high schools. Research yielded the following results: The majority of teachers are willing to discuss media related matters with colleagues and superiors. Teachers are willing to experiment with a variety of media. The majority are willing to change their methods and use the ideas of others in their own classrooms.

No description available.

The problem with which this study is concerned was to analyze the reactions of faculty members and academic administrators toward the practices related to the improvement of instruction as they pertain to the role of department or division chairpersons. The hypotheses designed to serve the purposes of this study were related to supervision of instruction, methods and materials used for instruction, evaluation of the teaching performance of faculty members, participation of faculty members in administrative decisions, faculty members' professional development, and evaluation of the outcomes of instruction.

English is an important language since the world is becoming more interconnected and it is central to motivate Swedish pupils to study language. The Swedish Agency for Education states that motivation and learning increase when pupils access a living language and that teacher therefore should use authentic material. Yet, teachers of the English subject still rely a lot on textbooks. The aim of this study is to highlight the use of literature in the EFL classroom for grades 4-6, and to investigate teachers’ attitudes to the use of literature and also examine how they use literature and what they want to achieve by that use. To answer those questions an empirical study was conducted through interviews and a questionnaire. The main findings of this study are that teachers have a positive attitude towards using literature with their pupils and wants to use it more than they currently do. The main reason teachers use literature is to increase the pupils’ vocabulary and help them learn grammatical patterns as well as increasing their motivation. The most commonly used method is reading aloud. However, there are some hindrances for using literature such as the poor availability of English literature in schools. / <p>Engelska</p>

M.Ed. / Many township schools are not effective in providing quality education. Managing educator misconduct in township schools is a research project which investigates the nature of educator misconduct in township schools and its impact on school management. It also investigates how educator misconduct is managed in these schools and provides guidelines to alleviate the problem of educator misconduct in township schools. Therefore, the research question was: "What are the nature and consequences of educator misconduct in township schools and how should educator misconduct be managed?" The aims were to identify, describe and discuss the nature and consequences of educator misconduct~ to understand the role of stakeholders in the management of educator misconduct~ and to discuss guidelines for managing educator misconduct. A qualitative research strategy was used in this research project. A literature study was conducted before and during this research project in order to provide a theoretical background to this research project. Data were collected through individual in-depth and focus group interviews with the principals and educators of three township secondary schools. Interview data were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim and analysed using the constant comparative method. Four themes emerged from data analysis. The first theme is common types of educator misconduct. This includes absenteeism and tardiness, where educators absent themselves from school without giving valid reasons and also go late to classes~ insubordination or a lack of respect for the principal's authority and using corporal punishment regardless of the fact that it has been legally banned. The second theme is the awareness of regulations regulating educator misconduct. In this theme it was revealed that educators and principals are aware of the Education Department policies on educator misconduct and the SACE code of ethics for educators, but disregard them nonetheless. The third theme viz. the effect of educator misconduct on schools, revealed that learners are adversely affected by educator misconduct since educators do not spend most of the time teaching them in classes. This theme also revealed that other educators are negatively affected by the prevalence of educator misconduct in their schools and that the whole school image is also tainted. The fourth theme discussed how educator misconduct is managed in township schools. This includes the procedures used by principals in dealing with cases of educator misconduct; the role played by the Department of Education in helping the principals deal with educator misconduct; the role of the school governing bodies and the role of the parents. Based on the literature and interview data, the research concludes by making a number of recommendations as to how principals can reduce the problem of educator misconduct in schools.

M.Ed. / The research report in this study deals with the views of teachers on Planning, Organisation and Implementation of EE in the senior phase. The aim of the study was to investigate teachers' views on how EE could be integrated within existing learning Programe in the senior phase of Primary Schools.It also seeks to identify necessary support Programs, which may be, needed by senior phase teachers in introducing EE within the Curriculum. A random Sample of five (05) Primary Schools from the total of eleven (11) primaries within the Itsoseng Circuit in the Lichtenburg district participated in the study. Interview was used as a sole tool for data gathering from the participants viz: teachers and principals (Educators and site managers). The findings of the study indicate that the majority of teachers responsible for senior phase have knowledge on EE, but have insufficient in-depth knowledge on EE related issues. The sites managers and subject advisors have a mammoth task to perform, so that EE can be integrated within existing learning areas of the core curriculum, like other school subjects. The general impression captured is that Environmental Studies and EE are just one as the same. Based on the findings of the research, it is the recommended that site managers together with subject advisors should take the leading role in ensuring that EE related activities are well planned, organised and implemented in primary schools. The main implications of the findings are: There is a need for support programs for senior phase teachers in the circuit. There is a need for active involvement of all stakeholders for the successful implementation of EE in schools.

Many theories on the nature of science and the nature of learning have been proposed. In particular, two theoretical orientations have been identified as having a decisive impact on activities in the school science classroom, namely "Inductivism" and "Constructivism". Inductivism views observations as objective, facts as constants and knowledge as being obtained from a fixed external reality. The constructivist view sees all knowledge as "reality" reconstructed in the mind of the learner. Each view predisposes certain orientations towards the science curriculum and within it particularly to assessment. It is postulated that teachers' views on science will influence how they teach and assess it. An "inductivist" teacher is more likely to reward certain approved responses from learners whereas a "constructivist" teacher is more likely to attend to learners' unique observations as evidence of their thinking. In this study a questionnaire was developed in an attempt classify science teachers according to their views on the nature of science and learning, and during this process encourage them to reflect on these views. It is hoped that the instrument could measure any changes in teacher's views as a result of the teachers becoming more reflective practitioners over time. Research indicates that the majority of teachers have a predominantly inductivist view of science. The study confirmed the results of other researchers by showing that a majority of non-tertiary science educators could be classified as being strongly inductivist. However, the overall proportion of these teachers was not as high as expected. Of possible concern was the indication that the strongly constructivist group showed very strong inductivist tendencies when assessing written tests which involved pupils' responses to laboratory observations.

There is a consensus among scholars that very few English teachers use children's literature in their language teaching. In other words, children´s literature is not used to the same extent as in the Swedish subject. The overall purpose of this study to examine is to study teachers' attitude towards, and to the use of children's literature in their teaching and if their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation influences particularly their teaching possibilities and limitations of children's literature. Three teachers within the English education, grades 4-6, participated in semi-structured interviews. The collected empirical material from the interviews was analyzed by a phenomenographic analytical model. The results show that the limited use of children's literature is not due to the teacher’s motivation. Instead, the actual teaching conditions in the school environment limit the use children's literature in the English subject. In addition, the study implies that there is a need for competence development of children's literature and relevant teaching methods.

The incidence of autism has increased tremendously over the past 20 years; however, the tools used for diagnosis and educational identification have largely remained the same. Diagnostic and educational decisions are based on observations and interactions to identify hallmark skill deficits associated with autism. Research demonstrates behaviors are affected by the environment, and real-time data collection is more accurate than reflective methods. The problem is current autism diagnostic and educational identification tools lack essential features. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), considered the gold standard, relies on contrived settings, and lacks an observational comparison to same aged peers. Autism behavior rating scales, rely on reflective data collection, and are not context specific. The purpose of this study was to gain feedback from stakeholders (clinicians, educators, parents) about the perceived efficacy and feasibility of a context-specific autism behavior rating tool with real time data collection methods for diagnosis and educational planning. Results showed stakeholders confirmed the perceived efficacy of the context-specific tool for improved accuracy for diagnosis, more specific information for educational planning, and increased understanding for parents to support their child's learning needs. Even though the tool was useful, stakeholder feedback also indicated the tool lacked feasibility for teacher use and may be better suited for administration by school psychologists or other trained professionals. The increased specificity and accuracy provided by a context-specific autism behavior rating tool has the potential to affect the future of autism evaluations and educational planning; thereby influencing the future life function of individuals with autism.

This study focuses on the nature of the school advisor's roles within a collaborative educational setting, specifically, a partnership involving a school district, university and teachers association referred to as the Richmond Teacher Education Project. The study investigates how school advisors view their roles and responsibilities within a cohort group. School advisors describe their experiences according to role, motivations, preparation and training, improvements to the program and professional/ethical considerations. Findings from the study indicate that the role development of school advisors is dependent on the amount of time spent as a member of the Richmond Practicum Project and on the relationship-building process between the student teachers and other members of the cohort grouping. All subjects mention some difficulty in their role as the primary evaluator and believed that the faculty advisor should share this role. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate