Educators are currently faced with numerous challenges, among them the prospect of working with OBE as well as dealing with growing class sizes and diminishing resources. Educators can no longer survive by using the text book, but are having to rely on a far greater range of resources both within themselves and in the world outside. In dealing with the injustices of the past, and in an attempt to move forward, it was recognised that a study exploring the impact of educators on the learners that they teach, was warranted - with particular emphasis on the facilitation of learning (as recommended within the new OBE system) . This particular study set out to discover whether there was a KwaZulu-Natal profile of the 'effective educator' as commonly agreed upon by learners and educators from different learning environments. In a partial replication of a study by Burns (1987), 237 participants (comprising educators and learners from a former 'DEC' and a former 'Model C' school) completed the 30-item Effective Educator Questionnaire which was then analysed in order to explore the patterns which might emerge. Responses were grouped into 11 areas of educator effectiveness and responses were compared between (i) former 'DEC' and former 'Model C' participants and (ii) educators and learners for each of the 30 questions which were grouped into the 11 areas as used by Burns in his original study. The study revealed similar findings to Burns' original study, and also found that there is a broad concept of the effective educator in the KwaZulu-Natal context - with the effective educator possessing both skills and qualities which facilitate learning. As a result of the findings, future research was recommended in the field in order to assist in educator selection programmes as well as action-research conducted by educators themselves in order to facilitate educational development within the country. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Data supplied by the Natal Education Department indicated that women are unequally represented in the promotional hierarchies in schools. While 78 percent of the incumbents in post level one positions are women, only 16,3 percent of post level six positions are held by women. From a review of selected literature a list of possible barriers to the advancement of women was drawn up. These barriers fell into two broad categories - internal barriers, relating to psychological factors; and external barriers, which related to institutional, societal and organizational structures. A questionnaire was designed to educe some conclusions regarding the aspirations of selected women teachers and their perceptions regarding possible barriers to the advancement of women educators. \ The most commonly cited obstacle was found to be a concern to prevent role overload, which could result from attempting to fulfil simultaneously the demands of family and career. The second most frequently mentioned barrier related to the structure of the educational organization. Many respondents perceived women teachers as avoiding vertical career movement as it decreased their contact with the pupils. Many respondents appeared to have internalized the socletal norms concerning the position and role of women as they could forsee no obstacles to their reaching their promotional potential, apart from a personal choice to limit their horizons. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1989.

There have been numerous studies internationally and in South Africa that have explored the identities of teachers in ordinary schools. However, research on the identities of special education teachers is very limited. Through narrative inquiry, this study explored the personal and professional identities of special education teachers at a school in KwaZulu-Natal. The key research question was: How do these special education teachers negotiate their personal and professional identities? Six teachers on the staff of a special school for learners with mild to moderate intellectual disability were participants in the study. The narrative interview was used as the means of data generation. The findings revealed that there is a strong intersection between the personal and professional identities of the six special education teachers. Further, their cultural backgrounds and emotionality play a pivotal role in the lives of these special education teachers, and shape how they negotiate their identities and the subject positions they take in the special school context. The study suggests that the self-identity of a teacher needs to be seen in terms of the personal and professional, as there is a personal dimension to much of a teacher’s work. The teachers’ personal beliefs and values nurtured within their cultural backgrounds influence their teaching experiences, teaching philosophy, teaching practice and teacher identity. There is little doubt that the identities of the six teachers are embedded in their personal biographies. The study shows that that professional identity is multifaceted and multi-layered. Further, the teacher narratives in this study revealed that emotions are a critical facet of professional identity formation. Narrative inquiry proved to be a valuable method through which the teachers made sense of themselves and their practices. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

In education women outnumber men as teachers, but the top positions are almost entirely dominated by men. Shakeshaft (1987:20), using data collected for education systems in the United States of America noted that in 1984-5, only 3,0 percent of the district superintendents were women, although 50,1 percent of all secondary school teachers and 83,5 percent of all elementary school teachers were women. According to Blampied (1989), the data obtained from the 1987 statistical returns from government schools under the Natal Education Department indicated that the number of women in education administration was disproportionately lower than the number of men in congruent positions. It was decided that the situation deserved to be tested in schools administered by the KwaZulu Department of Education and Culture. According to the survey of secondary schools administered by the KwaZulu Department of Education and Culture, in respect of the 230 Junior Secondary schools in the sample, 86,5 percent of the school principals were male and the incidence of male principals was even greater in high schools (Thurlow 1993:32). The study of selected literature led to the finding of possible barriers to the career advancement of women educators. The barriers were classified into two broad categories - internal barriers, relating to psychological factors; and external barriers, which related to institutional, societal and organizational structures. A questionnaire was designed to attempt to ascertain if any congruency could be identified between the barriers perceived by other researchers and those which according to the respondents existed in schools administered by the KwaZulu Department of Education and Culture. The most commonly cited obstacle to the upward mobility of women was discrimination against them. There were suggestions that women were generally valued less than men. Women were treated as inferior in law, politics, religion and education as well as in society generally. Other barriers to promotion which were frequently alluded to related to the perception that some women were not interested in vertical career mobility but preferred to remain in the classroom rather than seek a position which would distance them from teaching. The evidence also suggested that although the larger proportion of the respondents were keen to receive a promotion, they thought they would not be promoted because they considered the allocation of promotions to be unfair. It was however noted that women educators who have made some progress on the promotional ladder perceived fewer obstacles to their advancement than unpromoted respondents. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 1994.

Mathematical Literacy (ML) was introduced as a new subject in 2006, as an alternative to Mathematics for learners in Grade 10 to 12 in South African schools. The challenge of the shortage of Mathematics teachers (and hence Mathematical Literacy teachers), was exarcebated. Hence the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education (KZNDoE) jointly with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) initiated a programme designed to re-skill teachers to teach this new subject. This study explores the professional development of such teachers as a result of their participation in the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACEML) course at UKZN. Their professional development is explored in terms of their content knowledge, a content specific pedagogy and their professional identity and beliefs. The study was informed by a naturalistic, interpretivist orientation. Two versions of semi-structured questionnaires were completed by a total of twenty-three teachers. The first version, called Questionnaire A, was completed by fifteen teachers while the second version, Questionnaire B, by eight teachers respectively. Later, semi-structured interviews with four of the teachers were conducted. Their previous academic records were also used as data sources. The key findings of the study revealed that all teachers interviewed perceived improvement in their content knowledge as a result of their participation in the programme. Examples of improvements in their content-specific pedagogies were their increased repertoire of teaching strategies, their increased confidence, their focus on learners‟ prior understanding and their ability to link their teaching to real life applications. Findings also indicate that many teachers developed strong identities as Mathematical literacy teachers. A shift in identity was also evident with some teachers switching over from previous specialisations to teaching only Mathematical Literacy. Many teachers also felt that the generic modules helped them gain a broader understanding of their role. Claims that Mathematics teachers who have not studied the ACEML cannot teach ML as successfully as those who have, were made by most teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This qualitative interpretative study used a case study approach to explore the depth of insight foundation phase educators in a public primary school in KwaZulu-Natal had about learners’ educational resilience, especially those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The study design was underpinned by a theoretical framework that integrated concepts of Ecological and Resiliency Theory and was aimed at answering two research questions; • Do foundation phase educators recognize and understand educational resilience? • Do foundation phase educators enhance educational resilience in learners they consider to be ‘at-risk’ of academic failure? A purposive sample of three Grade 3 educators completed qualitative open-ended questionnaires before participating in a focus group discussion on educational resilience. Reliability and validity was ensured through triangulation of data collection methods; member checking of data verified its accuracy. Classroom observations yielded information about educator instructional style; demographic details and language literacy results of six educator-identified resilient and non-resilient learners provided corroborative data. Findings were analyzed and collated into common themes which revealed that foundation phase educators’ insight about resilience was superficial. Educators were able to identify non-resilient learners but failed to be responsive in their teaching methods. Lack of parental support was considered by educators to be a significant factor in the difference in resilience between learners who experienced the same socioeconomic disadvantage. Educators acknowledged their lack of formal training in the concept of educational resilience. The study concluded that the need for foundation phase educators to deepen their insight level about educational resilience does exist and recommends that pre-and in-service resilience education is included in the professional development of foundation phase educators in South Africa. Limitations of the study were noted. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal,Durban, 2010.

This study explores the experiences of the master teacher in mentoring teachers. Education officials have acknowledged that capacity and skill gaps are impeding progress in education, especially at schools. Within the school context many teachers are either under-qualified or poorly qualified for their job description and this to a large extent has contributed to the schools being dysfunctional. Therefore a well-structured mentorship programme is integral in upgrading education. Within the new occupation specific dispensation (OSD) for educators in the public sector, the category of master teacher has been created to fulfill their roles as mentors in schools. The purpose of the study therefore attempts to critically examine and explore the experiences of the master teacher in a mentoring role. The rationale for choosing the study ("Master teacher experiences of mentoring teachers") is that I am presently a master teacher at Stanger South Secondary, a school 75 kilometres north of Durban, in the KwaDukuza area of KwaZulu-Natal. However the mentoring role by the master teacher, which has been in existence at schools for over two years, is in some cases non-existent or done in a very fragmented way. The phenomenon of the master teacher as a mentor is relatively new in the context of South African education. Hence very little or no research has be done in this domain. Moreover, most of the literature on mentoring focuses on the plethora of definitions of mentoring, the role of the mentor and the experiences of beginning teachers in the induction programmes at schools and very little research on experiences of mentors, especially within the context of education in South Africa. A qualitative methodology was used using the phenomenological approach. The study employed a purposive sampling technique, choosing 3 respondents from 3 different public schools in the Ilembe district of KwaDukuza area (viz. Cranbrook Secondary, Greyridge Secondary and Doesberg Secondary), who are each subjected to a semi-structured interview. The analysis of the data revealed that three master teacher mentors embraced the discourses of collaboration, collegiality and critical dialogue in their mentoring relationship with their mentees, which forms an important part of the radical humanistic approach to mentoring, which is a shift from the rigid functionalist approach to mentoring that emphasizes conformity and maintaining the status quo. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The aim of the study was to report and evaluate a programme of teacher development in which the teachers themselves would be actively involved. A case study approach was adopted to monitor the programme of teacher development for history teachers within the context of six high schools in the rural area of Nongoma between July 1992 and December 1993. The teachers worked collectively in identifying, analysing and classifying the needs that were relevant to their particular circumstances. Teachers were observed in real classroom situations and commented on their experiences after working collectively. After being observed in real classroom situations teachers attempted to use teaching methods other than those they had been using before. Teaching methods attempted included group work, the skills-based approach and teaching for empathy. Recommendations were made for further teacher development. These included: putting time aside for professional development for such activities to be successful; assisting teachers during pre-service training to produce cheap teaching aids; and encouraging teachers to identify their needs in the field of professional development. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

This study seeks to investigate the extent to which novice Foundation Phase (FP) teachers who are former Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students, perceive the programme as adequate for preparing them to become Foundation Phase teachers. Traditionally, the PGCE programme focuses on Senior and Further Education and Training (FET) teachers and it is clear what disciplinary knowledge these students bring from their undergraduate degrees. The disciplinary content knowledge that FP students bring to the PGCE is less clear. Students with at least one major (third year level) subject and two subjects at first year level, from the subject areas like Languages, Psychology and Sociology, are accepted into the PGCE FP programme. The PGCE focuses primarily on developing teaching skills. This study also seeks to determine in what ways the undergraduate degree was of help in preparing them to become Foundation Phase teachers. Individual interviews were conducted with six participants, who were practicing teachers, from a group of thirty six students who completed the PGCE in 2008/2009. The study is underpinned by Grossman's theory about teacher knowledge and teaching. Five of the participants who were teaching in rural schools perceived the programme to be adequate. They said that they acquired knowledge of psychological, sociological and linguistic foundations of reading and writing; process and instruction; and that they gained knowledge on how to plan for and use a wide range of curriculum materials. However one teacher, who was teaching at an urban school, indicated that the programme was not very useful in preparing her for Foundation Phase teaching. Rather, she perceived the knowledge she gained at the school where she taught after completing the PGCE as being relevant. She cited that she received support mainly from her mentor teacher who was her Head of Department. These findings seem to suggest that novice teachers learn more in well-resourced schools where there is good support and mentoring, whereas in poorly resourced schools that lack instructional mentoring, teachers tend to rely more on what they learn in formal programmes like the PGCE. / Theses (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Internationally research on masculinity in schools has become an area of increasing interest. Little such research has been carried out in South Africa. This thesis investigates teachers' perceptions of masculinity in a broad range of schools in KwaZulu-Natal. It was investigated whether perceptions of masculinity might vary by type of school. In addition, within the historical context of schooling in South Africa, it was investigated whether differences in constructs of masculinity across sites might reflect a complex interplay of race, class and gender. A qualitative methodology was adopted for this investigation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen teachers at ten different schools. These interviews were auditotaped and transcribed. Analysis of these transcripts revealed that interviewees speak with multiple voices, reflecting conflict and contradiction in their constructs of masculinity. Results do, however, reveal core commonalities in concepts of masculinity across sites as well as a number of important contrasts. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.