Thesis (MPhil (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Over the past 10 to 15 years significant changes have taken place in higher education. Higher education institutions have been influenced by globalisation, an information explosion, shifts in teaching approaches to facilitate learning and new approaches to governance. Some of these factors have had implications on the decision-making processes which were traditionally used in higher education. Amongst these demands for change, the one which has apparently presented the most challenges is the demand for accountability to the stakeholders of higher education institutions. These stakeholders include the government, students, different communities and the constituents of the labour market. In order to meet the demands for accountability, an instrument referred to as quality assurance was introduced at all higher education institutions. Many institutions resorted to adopting a managerial approach to manage quality assurance and to facilitate efficiency. In using this approach, more regulation and demands for compliance were sought. The managerial approach appeared to be more bureaucratic than the traditional collegial ethos of universities. Lecturers experienced that their autonomy was being undermined and their academic freedom restricted. Therefore they often resorted to resistance. In this study the literature overview revealed that there is a strong debate as to which approach to quality management is most suited to higher education. A case study was conducted at Helderberg College, which is a private higher education institution in the Western Cape Province. The aim of this study was to explore how lecturers reacted to the concept of quality assurance, but more specifically, which approach to quality management they preferred. The main objective was to establish what lecturers would regard as a suitable quality assurance framework that would contribute to accountability and trust. Findings from the study suggest that there is no single model for quality assurance which would suit every institution, and Helderberg College in particular. The preference indicated by staff was for a collegial approach, which may include elements of managerialism to address the demands for efficiency, whilst protecting the autonomy of the lecturers. Other elements that were identified as likely to promote trust and accountability within a quality assurance framework, were shared vision, consultation, collaboration and involvement in decision-making processes.

Thesis (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The HIV/AIDS pandemic presents many challenges to education in South Africa. The National Department of Education declared itself a central player in addressing the many challenges presented by HIV/AIDS. An important challenge relates to an increase in learners that experience barriers to learning and development in schools and classrooms. Education White Paper 6 of 2001 (Department of Education, 2001) emphasised that the implementation of inclusive education in schools should take the incidence and impact of HIV/AIDS into consideration and that learners with HIV/AIDS should be included into schools and given the necessary support to ensure quality learning. To successfully include and support learners with HIV/AIDS, principals and teachers should hold positive perceptions on the inclusion of these learners in schools and classrooms. Before strategies and techniques on how to support learners with HIV/AIDS can therefore be developed effectively, principals' and teachers' perceptions on the inclusion of these learners should be explored. This qualitative study was designed to explore the perceptions of principals and teachers on the inclusion of learners with HIV/AIDS in mainstream schools and classrooms. The research was done within an interpretative paradigm. A qualitative research methodology was employed with purposive sampling of participants, semi-structured individual interviews and constant comparative analysis. Research findings indicate that learners with HIV/AIDS as a chronic illness were accommodated in mainstream schools and classrooms in the community under investigation. The findings also suggest that positive attitudes would result in meaningful relationships between teachers, learners and parents. The findings furthermore indicate that certain teachers, especially those working in schools in the senior and further education phases in the specific community, should develop more positive perceptions of learners with HIV/AIDS in order to render appropriate support and care. Knowledge and training were found to be lacking. The transdisciplinary approach to support with its emphasis on collaboration across boundaries was seen as the most appropriate approach in addressing the diverse needs of all learners with HIV/AIDS. v / AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die MIV/vigs-pandemie skep baie uitdagings vir die onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Die Nasionale Departement van Onderwys het verklaar dat dit sentrale rolspeler is in die aanspreek van die vele uitdagings wat MIV/vigs bied. Een belangrike uitdaging in skole en klaskamers hou verband met toename in leerders wat hindernisse tot leer en ontwikkeling ervaar. Die Onderwyswitskrif 6 van 2001 (Departement van Onderwys, 2001) het beklemtoon dat in die implementering van inklusiewe onderwys in skole, die voorkoms en impak van MIV/vigs in aanmerking moet neem en dat leerders met MIV/vigs in skole ingesluit moet word. Dit beveel voorts aan dat hulle die nodige ondersteuning moet kry om gehalte-onderwys te verseker. Ten einde leerders met MIV/vigs suksesvol in te sluit en hulle te ondersteun moet skoolhoofde en onderwysers positiewe persepsies huldig oor die insluiting van hierdie leerders. Voordat strategieë en tegnieke om leerders met MIV/vigs in skole en klaskamers te ondersteun effektief ontwikkel kan word, moet skoolhoofde en onderwysers se persepsies omtrent die insluiting van hierdie leerders eers ondersoek word. Hierdie kwalitatiewe ondersoek is ontwerp om die persepsies van skoolhoofde en onderwysers oor die insluiting van leerders wat met MIV/vigs geïnfekteer is in hoofstroomskole en -klaskamers te ondersoek. Die navorsing is binne interpretatiewe paradigma gedoen. Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik met doelgerigte steekproefneming van deelnemers, semi-gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude en konstant-vergelykende analise. Navorsingsbevindings het aangetoon dat die gemeenskap wat ondersoek is leerders met MIV/vigs as chroniese siekte in hoofstroomskole en-klaskamers akkommodeer. Dit het ook uit die bevindings geblyk dat positiewe houding betekenisvolle verhoudings tussen onderwysers, leerders en ouers tot gevolg sou hê. Die bevindings het verder aangetoon dat sekere onderwysers, veral diegene wat in skole in die senior en voortgesette onderwysfases in die besondere gemeenskap werk, meer positiewe persepsies moet ontwikkel van leerders met MIV/vigs ten einde toepaslike ondersteuning en sorg te verskaf. Daar is bevind dat kennis en opleiding ontbreek. Die transdissiplinêre benadering tot ondersteuning, met sy klem op samewerking oor grense heen, is gesien as die toepaslikste benadering in die aanspreek van die diverse behoeftes van alle leerders met MIV/vigs.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis briefly explores the quality phenomenon in higher education and more specifically in the university context. In addition, the experiences of stakeholders who participated in the first institutional quality audit at a merged university are explored and analysed. It is also argued that the world-wide quality phenomenon at universities, although sometimes politically driven and at times undertaken with hidden agendas, may eventually add value to a university‟ cycle of never-ending quality improvement and enhancement. University stakeholders who are either directly or indirectly involved in realising the university‟s vision and mission can provide invaluable feedback about their experience of a quality audit. Feedback by all stakeholders about a quality audit will assist the university to plan and prepare for the next cycle of quality audits. The research findings of this study indicated that a variety of differences exist in the perceptions of stakeholders that participated in the preparation and execution of the institutional quality audit. In some cases the differences may hold some limited risk for the university therefore some recommendations are also made in support of future audits. These and other recommendations emenating from the research findings will hopefully also contribute towards improved engagement between the stakeholders and members of the audit panel. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek kortliks die verskynsel van gehalte in hoër onderwys, en meer spesifiek in die universiteitskonteks. Voorts word die ervarings van belanghebbendes wat deelgeneem het aan die eerste institusionele kwaliteitsoudit aan ʼn saamgesmelte universiteit, ondersoek en ontleed. Daar word ook aangevoer dat die wêreldwye verskynsel van kwaliteit aan universiteite uiteindelik waarde kan toevoeg tot ʼn universiteit se siklus van ewigdurende kwaliteitsversekering en –verbetering, selfs al is hierdie verskynsel soms polities gedrewe en al gaan dit by tye gepaard met verskuilde agendas. Belanghebbendes van die universiteit wat direk of indirek betrokke is by die realisering van die universiteit se visie en missie kan uiters waardevolle terugvoer bied oor hulle ervaring van ʼn kwaliteitsoudit. Terugvoer deur alle belanghebbendes oor ʼn kwaliteitsoudit sal die universiteit help om vir die volgende siklus kwaliteitsoudits te beplan en voor te berei. Die navorsingsbevindings van hierdie studie dui daarop dat ʼn verskeidenheid verskille wel bestaan in die persepsies van belanghebbendes wat deelgeneem het aan die voorbereiding en uitvoering van die institusionele kwaliteitsoudit. In sommige gevalle hou die verskille wel ʼn beperkte risiko vir die universiteit in en daarom word aanbevelings gemaak ter ondersteuning van toekomstige kwaliteitsoudits. Hierdie, sowel as ander aanbevelings sal hopelik ook bydra tot verbeterde interaksie tussen die belanghebbendes en lede van die ouditpaneel.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) put many interventions in place to provide quality education to all schools, but barriers still remained in low-income communities. Most barriers developed due to inadequate resources such as: poor teacher training, lack of community involvement, lack of transportation, poor service delivery and sustainability within the community. Numerous communities suffered discrimination in the form of unjust distribution of social benefits and resources. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), however, expects all learners to follow the same curriculum and achieve the same type of quality education. This is impossible when schools have inadequate resources. The aim of the research was therefore to explore how teachers understood the concept of quality education through their lived experiences at a low-income school. This exploration took into account what teachers viewed as contributing to or hindering a quality education, both at personal and interpersonal levels in the school. It also considered how the school system, the WCED and the social environment contributed to positive or negative outcomes regarding quality. This was important as teachers were seen as the key agents towards change in quality education. Social constructionism and a social justice approach provided the foundation of this research and enabled the voices of previously disadvantaged communities to be heard. In keeping with the theoretical frameworks of the study, a qualitative, interpretivist research approach was used. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and focus group discussions as well as individual interviews were used to generate data. Digital audio recordings were made of the group and individual sessions, which were then transcribed. The data collected in this study were analysed through thematic analysis. The research findings indicated that teachers experienced numerous barriers with regards to contextual factors and unjust distribution of resources. Furthermore, teachers reflected that with good pedagogy they were able to maintain quality education, by teaching a curriculum that was relevant to the context of the learner, even when resources were limited. This process was very time-consuming and not cost-effective. However, even though teachers were able to recognise the barriers present in their school they insisted that there were many positive aspects to working in a low-income school. These findings led to recommendations that were centred largely on meeting some of the support needs of teachers in low-income communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement (WKOD) het baie intervensies in plek gestel om gehalte-onderrig te verskaf aan alle skole, maar baie hindernisse was steeds teenwoordig in lae-inkomste gemeenskappe. Baie van die hindernisse het ontstaan as gevolg van onvoldoende hulpbronne soos: swak onderwysopleiding, gebrekkige gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid, onvoldoende vervoer, swak dienslewering en volhoubaarheid in die gemeenskap. Daar was teen talle gemeenskappe gediskrimineer in terme van ongelyke verspreiding van sosiale voordele en hulpbronne. Die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV) verwag egter dat alle leerders dieselfde kurrikulum volg en dieselfde tipe gehalte-onderrig behaal. Dit is onmoontlik om te bereik indien skole onvoldoende hulpbronne het. Die doel van die navorsing was dus om onderwysers se konsep van gehalte-onderrig te verstaan deur hulle beleefde ervaring in ʼn lae-inkomste skool te ondersoek. Die ondersoek het in ag geneem wat onderwysers beskou het as ʼn bydrae of ʼn hindernis tot gehalte-onderrig, op sowel persoonlike as interpersoonlike vlak in die skool. Daar is ook gelet op watter positiewe of negatiewe invloede die skoolsisteem, die WKOD en die sosiale omgewing op gehalte-onderrig het. Dit word as belangrik geag omdat onderwysers gesien word as die belangrikste agente vir verandering in gehalte-onderwys. Sosiale konstruksionisme en ʼn sosiale geregtigheidsbenadering is die grondslag van hierdie navorsing en stel die stemme van voorheen benadeelde gemeenskappe in staat om gehoor te word. In ooreenstemming met die teoretiese raamwerke van die studie is ʼn kwalitatiewe, interpretivistiese navorsingsbenadering gebruik. Die deelnemers is deur middel van doelgerigte steekproeftrekking geselekteer en fokusgroepbesprekings en individuele onderhoude is gebruik om data te genereer. Digitale klankopnames is gemaak van die groep- en individuele sessies, wat toe getranskribeer is. Die data wat in hierdie studie ingesamel is, is ontleed deur middel van tematiese analise. Die navorsing het aangedui dat onderwysers talle struikelblokke ondervind het met betrekking tot kontekstuele faktore en onregverdige verspreiding van hulpbronne. Verder het onderwysers weerspieël dat hulle met goeie pedagogie in staat was om gehalte-onderwys te beoefen deur die kurrikulum binne die konteks van die leerder te onderrig, selfs wanneer hulpbronne beperk was. Hierdie proses het egter baie tyd in beslag geneem en was nie koste-effektief nie. Selfs al was onderwysers in staat om die struikelblokke in hul skool te herken, het hulle steeds die positiewe aspekte van werk in ʼn lae-inkomste skool uitgelig. Hierdie bevindinge het gelei tot aanbevelings wat grootliks handel oor ondersteuning van die onderwysers in lae-inkomste gemeenskappe deur vervulling van hulle behoeftes.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education