Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M. Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The implementation of progression and similar policies remains a challenge in many education systems globally. This also applies to the implementation of the progression policy in South Africa, Limpopo Province, Dimamo Circuit, which was intended to reduce the dropout rates of learners who struggle to pass their grades during the stipulated duration. Teachers and schools seem to be ill-prepared to implement this policy, which was introduced in 2013. The effective implementation of this policy could alleviate the challenge of dealing with learners who are retained in the same grade more than twice, most of whom end up dropping out of school. This study aimed to discover the experiences of teachers and learners with regard to the implementation of the progression policy in Limpopo Province, Dimamo Circuit. A case study research design was used and the study used multiple methods of collecting data such as interviews, observation and document analysis. The study found that teachers and learners in the schools that formed part of the study experience extreme challenges such as learner participation support, training, and coping with regard to the implementation of the progression policy. The recommendations of the study will contribute greatly to the system of education in Limpopo Province, Dimamo Circuit as the findings could assist in improving the implementation of the policy.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Recent changes in the South African education department have led to many learners’ deviant behaviour in the classroom. The abolishing of corporal punishment has accelerated lack of discipline among learners in the Ehlanzeni education region. This challenge has resulted in different perceptions among the teachers. Hence, this study aims at investigating teachers’ perceptions of learner discipline in the intermediate phase schools of the Ehlanzeni Region of Mpumalanga province. In this study, the researcher uses the mixed approach, a method which includes both quantitative and qualitative research. Data is collected through survey and semi structured interviews with principals, deputy principals, heads of departments (HOD’s) and teachers. Stratified and purposive sampling methods were used to facilitate the above process. The findings show that factors such as abolishing of corporal punishment, lack of parental involvement, lack of extramural activities and lack of clarity on policy have negatively influenced discipline in the intermediate schools. Hence, there is a need for alternative strategies to enhance the implementation of new disciplinary measures in the intermediate schools. These anomalies call for senior management or policy makers in the Department of Education (DoE) to develop relevant alternative strategies and to train teachers on policy implementation before the new disciplinary measures can be employed. This will assist teachers to prevent ill-discipline in Mpumalanga.

Thesis (Ph. D. Education (Science Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The development of learners’ entrepreneurial skills in Agricultural Sciences remains as one of the crucial aspects in the midst of the high unemployment rate in South Africa. Development of these skills depends on the capacity of teachers’ instructional decisions. These skills play a significant role in the agricultural sector as this sector experiences changes in the production and marketing of agricultural products. These significant changes demand relevant skills, such as negotiation skills, critical thinking skills and creativity skills, in order to support these changes and also for school leavers to remain relevant in the 21st century. Therefore, it is against this background that the study sought to investigate teachers’ instructional decisions on the development of learners’ entrepreneurial skills in an Agricultural Sciences classroom. The social reconstructionism theory was used as a framework to guide how teaching and learning should be structured in order to develop agricultural entrepreneurial skills. The study was submersed in the exploratory mixed method approach. Purposive and systematic sampling were used to select 4 teachers and 100 Grade 12 Agricultural Sciences learners from 4 local secondary schools in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo, from whom the data were collected through the use of observational inventory and questionnaires. Interpretative analysis and a multinomial logistic regression model were used to analyse the collected data. The study found that Agricultural Sciences lessons were dominated by traditional methods for both teaching and assessment because teaching is geared towards passing control tests and examinations rather than towards the development of skills. Furthermore, a lack of professional knowledge was also visible, where lessons were not properly planned and the teachers’ inability to relate the lesson to reality was evident. It was also observed from the results of the multinomial logistic regression that other factors that influence the development of agricultural entrepreneurial skills include, among others, the type of questions asked, the learning environment and the number of practical lessons. The study further found that 68% of learners prefers to learn through interact methods other than the traditional methods. The results further indicated that learners have positive attitudes towards learning agricultural entrepreneurship and they also use iii some this knowledge in their daily activities. Therefore, as a result of this study, the researcher recommends that the Department of Basic Education, in conjunction with institutions of higher learning, provide regular workshops or training opportunities for Agricultural Sciences teachers so that they become relevant practitioners of developing learners’ agricultural entrepreneurial skills. The workshops should focus mainly on planning a lesson for a vocational subject like Agricultural Sciences, and emphasis should be placed on the type of resources relevant to the teaching of Agricultural Sciences.

Learners with Asperger's Syndrome are educated in inclusive education settings. As a result of the recent trend of `inclusion' all teachers may be required to educate all learners in their regular classrooms. This research attempted to explore the nature of Asperger's Syndrome as well as inclusive education in order to develop practical guidelines for teachers of learners with Asperger's Syndrome in regular schools. The interview responses of eight parents of learners with Asperger's Syndrome as well as the observation of these learners are reported. The results of the interviews and observations, were corroborated with the literature study in order to outline guidelines which would ensure that teachers will cater for the needs of these learners and support their inclusion in the inclusive settings successfully. Results of this study indicated that knowledge of Asperger's Syndrome and guidelines for accommodating the impairments of these learners is the first step towards successful inclusion. / Educational Studies / Thesis (M. Ed.)

Learners with Asperger's Syndrome are educated in inclusive education settings. As a result of the recent trend of `inclusion' all teachers may be required to educate all learners in their regular classrooms. This research attempted to explore the nature of Asperger's Syndrome as well as inclusive education in order to develop practical guidelines for teachers of learners with Asperger's Syndrome in regular schools. The interview responses of eight parents of learners with Asperger's Syndrome as well as the observation of these learners are reported. The results of the interviews and observations, were corroborated with the literature study in order to outline guidelines which would ensure that teachers will cater for the needs of these learners and support their inclusion in the inclusive settings successfully. Results of this study indicated that knowledge of Asperger's Syndrome and guidelines for accommodating the impairments of these learners is the first step towards successful inclusion. / Educational Studies / Thesis (M. Ed.)

According to recent research, approximately 40-50% of teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years, creating a constant need for teachers. There is evidence that creating a supportive working environment through effective professional learning, drawing on adult learning theory, may reduce teacher turnover and increase student performance. This study explored teachers' perceptions about the professional development offerings available to them, how these perceptions influence their decisions to remain at the school, and what types of professional learning experiences teachers want to experience. Fourteen high school teachers participated in individual interviews and 2 focus groups, which were analyzed inductively for themes. Participants revealed that voice, choice, effective professional development, time, collaboration, school climate, and the district's professional development program were instrumental in creating a supportive environment. These results suggest that creating professional learning programs that incorporate the attributes of effective professional learning and encourage teacher participation are important at all points of the process. A professional learning plan project was designed in response to the study findings and recommendations. This study may lead to social change by providing the target school district and its building level administrators with a plan for professional learning based on teacher input, effective practices, and adult learning theory to use as a viable method to retain effective educators that, in turn, may result in improved student performance.

Orthodox Jewish adolescents develop and mature within a very structured environment. The aim of this study was to explore adolescent psychosocial identity development within Orthodox Jewish education. The secondary focus was the nature of the religious identity acquired through religious education, specifically Jewish Orthodox education. The literature study explored adolescent identity and development (within Erikson's framework), religious orientation and Orthodox Jewish education. The qualitative research was conducted empirically, in the form of a case study of seven adolescents from a single-sex Orthodox school based in Johannesburg. The themes that emerged from the empirical study are as follows: the community; Orthodox Judaism; education; parents, family and peers; adolescent and religious identity. The study indicated that the participants' identity development is dominated by their religious psychosocial world that paradoxically provides the structure that supports and complicates their identity development. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)