This thesis reports on a study involving student teachers of literature in a teacher education programme who used literary texts as catalysts for implementing change. The researcher asserted that if student teachers are empowered with sound disciplinary knowledge, effective pedagogical tools and an understanding of how to bring about academic and social change, they can make a difference to the lives of their learners, irrespective of context or resources. Critical pedagogy served as the theoretical framework for the study which was characterised by a system of interventions within six participatory action research cycles. The researcher found that participants responded positively to co-operative, experiential learning strategies in lecture-rooms that were perceived to be safe. When participants recognised that their views were respected, their interactions with others were characterised by respect as well. They realised that having agency and voice did not mean denying others the same. They felt empowered to make decisions and access resources, and they embraced challenges perceived to be valuable. By the end of the study, participants recognised that teachers can serve as primary resources in schools if they empowered themselves with deep content knowledge, pedagogical skills and a transformative agenda, and if they actively engage learners, scaffold learning, build on prior knowledge and skills, affirm histories, and enable a classroom where learners’ contributions are valued. Participants established that to serve as agents of change in the classroom, teachers need to critically reflect on their practices and confront their prejudices. In addition, they need to ascertain the underpinning philosophy of their practices. Only then can they determine the roles and functions that comprise their identities as teachers. Ultimately, the researcher draws on the knowledge from participatory action research, critical pedagogy and literary texts to enable change agency in a lecture-room at a School of Education. The thesis adds to the discourses on teacher education, participatory action research, critical pedagogy and change agency and contributes to knowledge by showing that using participatory action research and critical pedagogy in a lecture-room is feasible and useful in enabling the transformation and empowerment of students. / Ph.D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

The issue of “teacher loss” has been reported widely as one of the biggest challenges facing schools around the globe. The international concern is that education departments have more teachers leaving than entering their systems. Evidence shows that this situation is also synonymous in South Africa and remains one of the ongoing phenomena, also noted in the provinces, including the Eastern Cape. As previous research focused on the reasons for “teacher loss”, as well as the strategies for the retention of teachers, the purpose of this study was to investigate how the selected schools adapt in times of “teacher loss”. The implications for leadership and management in this regard were also explored. In exploring this issue, a qualitative research approach was adopted in the form of a case study, which involved two (2) rural schools, one (1) primary and one (1) secondary school. This qualitative approach entailed semi-structured interviews involving eight (8) participants and document analysis as data collection methods for the study. The findings reveal that there is little support that schools receive from the Department of Education in order to cope with “teacher loss”. Teachers‟ limited knowledge in terms of strategies to cope with “teacher loss” results in de-motivated and stressed teachers. Several implications for leadership and management were also drawn out, including equipping school management teams with skills that can enable them to assist teachers to cope with “teacher loss”. / Goven Mbeki Reaserch and Development Centre

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

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the lived experiences of primary school teachers within a culture of performativity. The French philosopher, Jean-Francois Lyotard (1984) more than anyone else gave credence to the notion of ‘performativity’ in education which he used to represent political and bureaucratic mechanisms of control. Embedded in regulatory mechanisms there are performance indicators such as ‘monitoring systems’ with associated ‘production of information’, that according to Ball (2003) engenders the ‘terrors of performativity’. To conform to the regulatory mechanisms the performativity culture in schools, pressure is increasingly placed on teachers to demonstrate their accountability to education authorities for the responsibilities delegated to them. The literature review does not only seeks to give meaning to key terms and concepts relevant to the study, but also aims to define the operational. Relevant terms included: accountability, professionalism, performance and performativity. In the discussion it is shown that there is a close underlying relationship between performativity and performance, between performativity and accountability, and between performativity and professionalism. In order to answer the main research question and to align logically to the purpose of the study, the researcher conducted a qualitative research study within the interpretative research paradigm. The study was guided by the phenomenological research approach – and more specifically by the hermeneutical-phenomenological research method of Max van Manen (1990). Two data collection methods were employed: protocol narratives (descriptions of lived experiences) and in-depth semi-structured phenomenological interviews. In this study a thematic analytical approach was followed whereby the researcher identified emerging themes from the collected data. Different steps were taken to increase the internal validity of the study and to give attention to the ethical aspects that emerged during the investigation. In this study it is evident that performativity, with its emphasis on effectiveness, efficiency and quality, is currently the most powerful and pervasive discourse in education. The description of the results shows that teachers tend to be swallowed up by the demands of performativity – so much so that teachers are overwhelmed by the ‘terrors of performativity’. Teachers’ ‘escape’ from the ‘imprisonment’ of performativity is not only associated with distorted side Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za viii effects, but there are also physiological and emotional processes that teachers are confronted with in their attempts conform to the regulatory systems. The study found that the undesirable side effects of performativity serve and a push factor for the early exit of teachers from the profession. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op die geleefde ervarings van primêre skoolonderwysers binne ‘n kultuur van performatiwiteit. Die Franse filosoof, Jean-Francois Lyotard (1984) wat meer as enigeen die betekenis van performatiwiteit in die onderwys blootgelê het, gebruik die nosie van ‘performatiwiteit’ om politieke en burokratiese meganismes van beheer voor te stel. Ingebed in die regulerende meganismes is daar prestasie-aanduiders soos onder andere ‘moniteringsisteme’ met gepaardgaande ‘produksie van inligting’, wat volgens Stephen Ball (2003) aanleiding gee tot die ‘terreurs van performatiwiteit’. Ten einde te konformeer tot die regulerende meganismes is daar binne die performatiewe klimaat in die skool toenemende druk op onderwysers om te demonstreer dat hulle toerekenbaar is aan die onderwysowerhede vir die verantwoordelikhede wat aan hulle opgedra is. In die lieratuuroorsig is nie net ‘n oorsig gegee van die betekenisse van kernterme en – konsepte wat relevant tot hierdie studie is nie, maar ook is gepoog om dit operatief te definieer. Relevante begrippe is onder andere toerekenbaarheid, professionalisme, prestasie en performatiwiteit. In die bespreking is aangetoon dat daar ‘n noue onderlinge verband tussen performatiwiteit en prestasie, tussen performatiwiteit en toerekenbaarheid, en tussen performatiwiteit en professionalisme bestaan. Om die sentrale navorsingsvraag te beantwoord en logies met die doel van die studie in te skakel, het die navorser ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie uit die interpretiwistiese navorsingsparadigma onderneem. Die fenomenologiese navorsingsbenadering – en meer spesifiek, die hermeneuties-fenomenologiese navorsingsmetode van Max van Manen (1990) het hierdie studie gerig. Daar is gebruik gemaak van twee data-insamelingsmetodes, te wete protokol skryfwerk (geleefde ervarings-beskrywings) en semi-gestruktureerde in-diepte fenomenologiese onderhoude. In hierdie studie is ‘n tematiese analitiese benadering gevolg deurdat die navorser die ontluikende temas in die ingesamelde data geïdentifiseer het. Verskillende stappe is gedoen om veral die interne geldigheid van die studie te verhoog en aandag te gee aan etiese aspekte wat tydens die ondersoek na vore gekom het. Uit hierdie studie blyk dit dat performatiwiteit, met sy klem op effektiwiteit, doeltreffendheid en kwaliteit, huidiglik die mees magtigste en deurdringende diskoers in die onderwys is. Uit die Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za vi beskrywing van die resultate is dit duidelik dat onderwysers neig om deur die eise van performatiwiteit verswelg te raak – soveel so dat onderwyser oorweldig word deur die ‘terreurs van performatiwiteit’. Onderwysers se ‘ontsnapping’ uit die ‘gevangenskap’ van performatiwiteit gaan nie net gepaard met bepaalde verwronge opvoedkundige newe-effekte nie, maar ook is daar die fisiologiese en emosionele prosesse wat onderwysers moet verduur in hul pogings om tot die regulerende stelsels te konformeer. In die studie is bevind dat die ongewenste newe-effekte van performatiwiteit dien as stootfaktore wat onderwysers beweeg om die onderwys vroeg te laat verlaat.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 1946. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: no abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

A thesis submitted in fulfilment for the degree of Masters of Education (M.Ed) School of Education, Faculty of Humanities University of Witwatersrand JOHANNESBURG February 2015 / This is a qualitative research project that draws on Gee’s (2005) and Wenger’s (1999) conceptions on identity, to understand how teaching practice in rural Acornhoek schools of Bushbuckridge municipality (Mpumalanga province) impacted on the identity of student teachers. The study involved ten student teachers in their second and third year of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) studies at Wits School of Education ((WSoE). The research adopted a case study approach. Data in this study was collected using semi structured interviews with student teachers before and during the teaching practice period and the researchers’ field notes. The most outstanding findings were that, student teachers negotiating their identity in the categories of IDL1, IDL2 and IDL3. IDL1 is when the identity of student teachers shifted as they carried out their teaching practice. IDL2 is when teaching in rural schools could not shift the identity of student teachers and IDL3 is when teaching practice resulted into student teachers compromising their identities. On the basis of these findings, recommendations were made. Student teachers should have a deeper and informed understanding of what to expect in rural schools in order to prepare them for the identity negotiations in rural schools contexts. In the findings it was established that if teacher training institutions prepare student teachers with view of teaching in rural schools, it would minimize identity challenges by student teachers in the rural schools teaching practice because they will have prior knowledge about teaching in rural schools.

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2004 / Early career academics in South Africa enter a higher education system with a historical legacy of division along lines of past discrimination and apartheid. The higher education system has been undergoing profound transformation in the last decade through the promulgation of the SAQA Act (No 58 of 1995) and the Higher Education Act No 101 of 1997. Although numbers of black students at historically advantaged, predominantly white higher education institutions have increased dramatically in the past decade to over 50% in some cases, the change in the academic staff at these institutions has not been nearly as rapid. Less than 30% of the academic staff is black, even at institutions which consider themselves to be progressive. The argument in this research is that the professional socialisation and development of early career academics in all South Africa universities is generally neglected or receives scanty attention and that the professional development in teaching which they receive at entry-level, is minimal. Although mentoring as a professional development strategy has been shown in many studies to have a positive impact in careers at entrylevel, South African universities are not doing enough to support and develop early career academics and consequently the transformation of higher education is being retarded by institutional lack of support. The case of the University of the Witwatersrand illustrates the situation common in many higher education institutions. The purpose of the study is to investigate mentoring as a transformation strategy for the professional development and socialisation in the career development and management of the early careers of entry-level academics to higher education in South Africa where transformation of higher education is a critical issue on the national agenda. In this study there are 28 early career academics in formal mentoring relationships as a result of specially designed mentoring programmes or academic internships which have been established since 1999. They were interviewed in-depth for their interpretations of their experiences in formal mentoring programmes where almost all the mentors are white and the majority of mentees belong to different cultural groups. The findings in the study show how necessary it is for early career academics to be paired with mentors who are aware of the functions and roles of mentors in higher education and who are seriously committed to fulfilling those roles themselves or in conjunction with others in their networks. One new career development function and one new psychosocial function of mentors were added to a model of existing functions derived from the literature. Transformation is an important new function of mentors and their function as role models is emphasised by the context of this mentoring research. Mentoring may be lauded as the panacea for transformation in higher education but unless mentors are adequately trained, supported and monitored, and are committed to transformation, the strategy is not likely to meet with success. Mentoring in cross-cultural contexts in higher education in South Africa is also likely to be only partially successful because too little is being done to address the effects of institutional and covert racism which lingers on. A wide spectrum of recommendations is made for making mentoring work in higher education institutions. These range from broadly based macro interventions at national and institutional levels, to quite detailed micro interventions at the individual level. Without a systematic and committed thrust throughout the sector to accelerate transformation, the whole sector is likely to languish and busy itself with meeting legislative demands for equity compliance and quality assurance drives without addressing the fundamental issues of developing those young academics who are instrumental in transforming the system. / WS2017

No description available.

The present study focuses on the investigation of the influence of teaching facilities and teacher training on the attitudes of educators towards the implementation of inclusive education. As a result of South Africa's particular history of inequalities and discrimination, and the context recent rapid social changes, most schools do not even have basic resources and are experiencing a serious breakdown in the culture of learning. These factors are viewed as part of the major challenges to educators and the policy of inclusion. If these factors are not addressed, they act as major barriers to learning and development, thereby resulting in the exclusion of many learners. The right of all learners to basic education is underwritten by the policy of inclusive education. Attainment of an educational right, therefore, focuses on the need to ensure that all learners, including learners with special educational needs (LSEN), are able to access equitable educational opportunities that will allow them to achieve to their potential. Inclusive education constitutes a challenge to the education system as a whole and in particular to educators in mainstream classrooms. The educators in South African schools are currently being expected to make major changes in the way they understand teaching and learning in the process of adapting to an entirely new curriculum. Teachers are expected to have the knowledge and skills to accommodate a range of diversity among learners. In international literature, it has been found that positive attitudes in educators towards inclusive education, play an important role in the successful implementation of an inclusive educational policy. From the literature, it becomes clear that, should educator's attitudes towards inclusion be negative, their teaching abilities in the inclusive classroom will be negatively affected. In order to achieve the goal of this study, a survey questionnaire which was completed by fifty educators (White and African) was conducted. The researcher was able to determine the influence of teaching facilities and teacher training on the attitudes of primary school educators towards implementation of inclusive education. From analysis of the data, it became apparent that these primary school educator's attitude was largely positive but they felt incompetent because of their lack of knowledge and skills, and because of the lack of teaching facilities and resources. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

This study is concerned with the particular role of the teacher as a leader of pupils in a class, a legislated requirement for teachers in South Africa since 1996. Literature and research have focussed attention regarding leadership in education on the principal, school governing body and school management team, and more recently distributed leadership in schools. This study, in contrast, seeks to concentrate on the leadership of teachers as they teach classes of pupils. A review of the current leadership literature applicable, in my view, to the practice of leadership in schools, provided the opportunity for the development of a theoretical framing for the study around the categories of leaders knowing, doing, being and relating. Teachers from eight Section 21 (state-aided, previously advantaged and currently well-resourced) schools in the greater Ethekweni region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were selected for the study. They were observed in their teaching and interviewed to interrogate their understanding and performance as leaders, and to establish how and why leadership occurred or did not occur. Sampling for the four teachers who were observed in their teaching was purposive to establish levels of understanding, and enactment of leadership amongst advantaged teachers teaching in well resourced schools. These teachers were recommended for selection for this study by their principals, as teachers who had previously – in the opinion of the principals, evidenced leadership in their teaching. Forty three other teachers were interviewed in focus groups and film stimulus focus groups to view, consider and comment on teacher leadership behaviours in selected feature films – providing a vehicle for identifying how leadership occurs in teachers’ classes and what it is that teachers understand about leadership. Insights into the reason for teachers exercising leadership in a class were gained from consideration of the character and the competence of teachers, the circumstances under which leadership occurs and the nature of ‘called’ leaders with a sense of identity. The occurrences that caused the teachers to lead without any apparent training for leadership are examined in the light of the fact that these were selected teachers from well resourced schools who had all enjoyed growing and educational advantage. Their learning about leadership had been a largely unconscious occurrence in their lives. They did not know that they knew about leadership in teaching. The study firstly provides explanation of the phenomenon of leadership occurrence and understanding by teachers, who deny training in leadership and are not even aware of policy dictating that role for teachers insight and secondly, a new understanding of the relevant nature of the leadership practised by the teachers observed, and finally presents argument on the symbiotic nature of teaching and leading. This develops the thesis of the study; when teachers teach, they lead – to teach is to lead. It is recognised that the majority of teachers in South Africa will not have enjoyed the advantaged developmental experiences of the fortunate teachers in this study. Using the insights gained from this study, development of leadership in all teachers becomes a possibility. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.