This study is aimed at providing the reader with a detailed description of the readiness of teachers to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for learning in a selected school in the GautengOnline (GoL) Project, through qualitative research design that used various data collecting methods: Questionnaire, observations and interview. A large number of teachers showed some interest in using ICT learning but had difficulties on how to get started due to the lack of suitable ICT skills. It has been observed that computers in this school are mainly used by a few teachers for administration purposes. Four teacher participants were interviewed individually to find how ready were they to integrate ICT for learning after the GoL training has been completed. The interviews revealed that there was no ICT integration that was taking place in this school due to training that left them with insufficient ICT integration skills and knowledge. The research results provided evidence that there was poor utilisation of ICT integration in this school, though teachers were interested in using computers. The research indicated that many teachers are reluctant to attempt to integrate computers into teaching and learning without ICT teaching assistance. Teaching assistance may only need to be for a limited period until teachers gain confidence and competence, although the need for technical assistance is likely to be permanent. In the literature review, ideas are given on how ICT can be integrated for learning and the aims of ICT integration are also provided for teachers to obtain knowledge of what is required of them in ICT integration. In the final chapter, recommendations for further research are highlighted to make ICT integration possible in this selected school. Lack of skills and knowledge of how to use ICT for learning has led the teachers in this school to take no notice of how learners can benefit in learning with computers.Clearly, there is still a long way to go before some schools and some teachers are able to use computers as effectively and efficiently for teaching and learning. The Gauteng Department of Education and the GautengOnline project will need to ensure that usage of ICT in individual schools and classes does not fall below acceptable ICT standards. / Prof. D. van der Westhuizen

The research was mainly confined to secondary schools in the Limpopo Province where a lack of self-empowerment amongst the educators is the order of the day. The research question of the study was generated as follows: Does the lack of self-empowerment amongst the teachers in the Limpopo Province (Region 3) have a negative impact on the development of a common self-empowerment for the teachers? The main objectives of the research were to give teachers some guidelines for efficient as well as successful self-empowerment practices for better functioning and service in secondary schools in the Limpopo Province. The hypothesis generated was formulated as follows: The development of self-empowerment by teachers which maintain good relationships with their community will result in the strong possibility that they will have fewer development problems. The research was conducted by means of a phenomenological approach. The following concepts were defined: self-empowerment, curriculum development, development for whole school curriculum development, involvement and participation. Historical perceptions of teachers and their participation and involvement were highlighted and the history of self-empowerment in the Limpopo Province was discussed. The composition of the teachers fell into two categories, namely, untrained and under- trained (as far as self-empowerment is concerned) teachers. The importance of the teachers’ involvement in self-empowerment was discussed under the following sub- headings: curriculum vision, decision making, design and development, policy-making, appointment of curriculum teaching staff and building and renovating curriculum. The principal may be involved in the self-empowerment activities through the self-empowerment committee. Principals and teachers must receive their knowledge in self-empowerment development during their training at seminars and conferences in order to play their roles in the community-self-empowerment relationships. As a result, principals will be enabled to fulfill their tasks as cooperative facilitators and as relationship establishers in the community-self-empowerment relations. For example, principals must see to it that teachers must be considered as collaborators in the self-empowerment process, since they have a strong role to play in their learners’ learning and behaviour. In the second place, principals should be friendly towards the teachers because complete frankness makes for good relationships. This, in due course, can bear fruit so that all go well that ends well to the benefit of the whole school. / Dr. M.C. van Loggerenberg

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Media Studies) / Since the use of media could contribute greatly to the solving of many problems in the teaching situation in South Africa, knowledge of all aspects of media use in education has become essential. Schools have a responsibility to provide serving teachers with training in this respect. An attempt is made to - define· in-service t r a i n i nq r discuss critically two in-service training models currently in practice, i.e. course-based in-service training and school centred in-service trainingj and - create a strategy and make recommendations to be implemented by the media committee when planning in-service training for teachers in the meaningful use of media. A school centred in-service training model has the greater potential for the training of teachers in media use. With this as a point of departure, a strategy is created and recommendations are made for planning a programme for in-service training of teachers in media use. The media committee will need to adapt the general approach outlined in this study to the circumstances and/or requirements of a particular school. In-service training for teachers in the use of media should be a team effort, and the school management should be made thoroughly aware of the importance of such in-service training. Without a clear policy, it is unlikely that this strategy will be applied in any meaningful way. For it to be successful, the media committee (under leadership of the headmaster), the media teacher and the teachers should all be involved in the various phases of planning and implementation of such o. in-service training. Media teachers in particular should be fully trained in the field of Educational Media Science, the nature and extent of adult education and principles of planning, organisation, gu i dance and con tro I .. Empirical research may be necessary later to support this study; such research, however, lies presently beyond the scope of this dissertation. There is also a clear need for research into the implementation of a scientifically accountable core curriculum for the in-service training of teachers in media use. This need extends to the training of all teachers in media use in a multi-cultural milieu.

M.Ed. / Effective evaluation of teachers has as prime objective recognition of skills and professional development. This evaluation should take place as early as possible, as it is an important method of motivating and positively directing a teacher in his career. The principal and evaluating team should be the prime assessors of a teacher's input. Teacher motivation normally leads to acknowledgement as a professional teacher. There are numerous problems in educational evaluation, specifically seen in the light that this evaluation plays in improving education. Furthermore it must be stressed that the relationship between evaluator and teacher is of major importance. The teacher has to be led into realizing why he is performing his duty and must be motivated into using his full potential. A task which rests squarely on the shoulders of the principal. Productivity is determined by attitude and the role of the principal in nurturing a positive environment is vital. The demands of both present and future places a unique responsibility on a teacher. This calls for objective evaluation of the teacher where personnel development and job satisfaction can be progressive, without neglect of professional integrity. Communication and input from teachers, both as a group and individually, normally lead to commendable co-operation. Acknowledgement of the teacher's opinion leads to greater performance, in which case the pupil will certainly gain a great deal.

M.Ed. / The aim of conducting my research is to establish the impact of INSET on the implementation of OBE in the Foundation Phase. I believe that OBE was implemented before the Foundation Phase teachers were thoroughly serviced through INSET programmes conducted by the Curriculum Advisory Section. In my research exercise I conducted interviews with the Foundation Phase teachers and I am also going to request them to completed by classroom observations. The main reason of my research is the fact that the Foundation Phase is the base on which future learning activities are to be built on. If the foundation or base is not well laid out, a lot is going to be affected in the educational process. I discussed my research problem and claim in detail. This is followed by an explanation about how I collected and analysed data. Finally I gave my findings and concluded by some recommendations. I would like to use my findings to guide me on the future arrangement and conduction of INSET programmes with the Senior Phase teachers in order to make it to be more effective.

D.Phil. / With the demise of apartheid and the ushering in of a new political dispensation, many changes have taken place in South Africa. The field of education, which was one of the most volatile areas of concern for the apartheid regime and has been described by some academics at the University of Natal as being a miasmic morass marked by systemic crisis, has been quick to purge itself of some of its apartheid legacies. For instance, to offset the harmful effects of the 'Bantu Education Act', a new school curriculum - Curriculum 2005- has been introduced. It is hoped by the education authorities that Curriculum 2005, which has its roots in Outcomes-based Education (OBE) and an accompanying pedago91 based on a constructivist methodology, will help considerably in preparing students adequately for the challenges of adulthood. This is something that has hitherto been denied them by the obnoxious 'Bantu Education Act'. This study is undertaken on the premise that without being able to crawl, a child cannot walk, let alone run. Against this background, teachers should first of all undergo an intensive re-training programme to bring their knowledge and competency levels to acceptable standards. It is only after this, that they can be eased into the otherwise complex, contradictory and sometimes unintelligible concepts being branded as OBE. Without this, there would be a case of 'tissue rejection' or the proverbial 'the body is willing but the spirit is weak' as teachers would not be able to cope with the demands of Curriculum 2005. The focus of this study is particularly on the (English) language teacher, whose task has been made all the more difficult by the constitutional stipulation that eleven of the languages spoken in the Republic of South Africa should be considered as official languages - an unnecessary drain on the fragile economy. Besides, as there is no clear-cut directive from the national Department of Education, English language teachers are faced with a situation in which they do not know which variety of English to teach. The problem is further compounded by the obvious lack of training for the teachers in second language teaching techniques and their own communication competence. Teachers in rural areas are the worse hit, as they are not exposed to any of the advances in modern technology, which could easily compensate for their inadequacies. The study postulates that until serious attempts are made to remedy and solve such problems, the introduction of Curriculum 2005 and/or any other curriculum innovations will be an exercise in futility. The investigation conducted to examine this claim has delivered findings that support this claim. It has also shown that the sample of teachers drawn from a rural population have little linguistic awareness, limited competence in English and practise a pedagogy that borders on a fraudulent use of so-called 'OBE techniques', without sufficient knowledge and/or understanding.

M.Ed. (Education Management) / Lecturers at Technical Colleges mostly come from the industrial sector and consequently they seldom have experience in teaching or the necessary qualifications to teach. The lecturer who has no formal teacher's training is confronted with the realities of the teaching profession and has now become part of this profession. Lecturers very seldom receive training prior to actually practising the profession. Methods have to be found to provide in-service training for lecturers at technical colleges with the view of preparing them for their task as lecturers. with this study an attempt has been made to establish a workable program to assist the deputy principal in the in-service training of lecturers at a technical college. The rapid technological development of the past few decades has caused a breath-taking expansion of knowledge and therefore the lecturer must become a lifelong student. The constant change and renewal of teaching methods, skills and techniques can only be addressed by effective in-service training. In-service training is therefore indispensable. The task of in-service training at the technical college is assigned to the deputy principal. He must first determine the type of staff required, then he has to recruit and select staff and finally see to it that new staff members are orientated. This is, however, merely the beginning of in-service training. The deputy principal must now design a well-planned programme of in-service training. He can in this case make use of a mentor and a Subject-head. The mentor must be an experienced and successful lecturer, seeing that he has to convey his knowledge and teaching experience to the beginner lecturer. 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 beginner-lecturer.

M.Ed. / In-service training and staff development of the personnel in the primary school are of great importance. The principal of a school has an acthe and important role to play in this regard. This study will subsequently focus on the different categories or various types of teachers found in the primary school, because each and every member of the personnel is equally involved in in-service training and the development of the staff programme. A brief look is taken at the influence the curr'iculum,the pupils and the community have on the teacher regarding his or her in-service training. Evaluation of the teachers remains one of the principal's main tasks. The different types of school climates will also be studied, since the nature of the climate of a school to a great extent detel'lllines the effectiveness of the education offered there. If a healthy climate is created, greater productivity will ensue, which in its tum will result in better-equipped and well-adjusted teachers, frolll whose teachings the pupils will benefit greatly. Attention is also paid to the matter of class visits, one of the most general and obvious forms of in-service training. Class visits provide the principal with the opportunity to keep his finger on the pulse of the whole organisation. the five facets comprising the class visit will also be discussed at length, as each of these facets is of great importance to the realisatfon of in-servfce training. For this purpose, formal as well as informal class visits will be dealt with. The important part played by communicatfon is explained and stressed, especially in respect of the primary school. A facet of communication, namely the delegation of tasks, will also be looked into, because of its relevance for the teacher's in-service training. While executfng some of the tasks which the principal cannot possibly find time for, every teacher is being trained and prepared for promotfon. The professfonal growth of teachers has also become a focal point where trainfng for managerial positions is concerned. The deputy headmasters are dependent on guidance by the headmaster. Principals have the responsibility of discreetly and meaningfully stimulating the deputy as well as the other teachers on the staff. The principal who is sincerely concerned with the professional development of his staff contributes successfully towards an in-service guidance programme by including class visits. various types of staff meetings and delegation in his programme • Attention will be given to ways and means by which the principal can apply each of these skill s in order to purposefully stimulate the professional development of his staff. To enable the principal to give meaningful help and guidance in these matters. he should ensure that an open climate prevails at his school. The principal should also have a clear understanding of what can reasonably be expected of a new. as well as an experienced teacher. and he must also clearly formulate his own responsibilities in the training of both. In-service training of the working teacher should naturally be a continuous process. The principal is responsible for the professional growth of his staff and the quality of teaching at his school. He plays an an-important role in the professional development of the teachers on his staff. Continued research pertaining to the training of principals is therefore absolutely essential.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract