M.A. / From both a practical and a theoretical viewpoint, it seemed necessary to formulate a parent education programme that highlighted in terms of content both the needs and developmental tasks of the adolescent. In order to confirm the content on the process level of this programme, it was important for the adolescent to be involved in the presentation of the programme. The purpose of the research was therefore to formulate and evaluate a parent education programme with the adolescent as partner. The assumption was made that the programme would be more effective, should the adolescent be involved in the presentation thereof, than should the mother be the sole participant. The programme that was formulated for this research is an integration of several approaches to parent education. Relevant information with regard to the developmental stages of both parent and adolescent was included in the programme. Specific importance was however placed on the parent-adolescent relationship and on communication skills •. A single subject research design was used to evaluate the programme. Two middle aged mothers and their two adolescent daughters were used as subjects. In the case of the experimental sample, both mother and daughter attended the programme. The control sample, however, was only represented by the mother's participation in the parent education programme. Target behaviours were defined in operational terms for the research in order to make possible the objective observation thereof. Each person's target behaviours were seperately observed, but the comparison of the two mothers' behaviours, as well as that of the daughters, was made possible by graphic representations.

M.Ed. / The problem of different languages, as well as academic, social and educational performance, among learners of different cultures within a multicultural school career, is a cause for concern. The number of cases of failure, underachievement, low self-image and poor socialisation is unacceptably high among these learners of diverse cultures. The unfamiliar educational milieu leads to feelings of frustration and confusion. Although it is true that the explanation for this frustration and confusion is complex, certain aspects of the problem are readily identifiable, viz. the unpreparedness of the new learner to learn in a strange language rather than his mother-tongue; his inability to adapt quickly enough to the new milieu; and the low academic and educational standards to which he has previously been accustomed. The expectations to which such a learned is subjected are, inter alia, that they should be able to speak and read fluently; that they should be able to interact socially in an acceptable way; and that they should aim to perform well in spite of new academic expectations and challenges. Many learners of various cultures do not have the abovementioned abilities and qualities, hence the necessity to intervene when it comes to studies in a foreign, i.e. non-mother-tongue, language. This study is thus of instructive value. The literature review confirms the existence of the above named problem, which is discussed from the learner's point of view, together with areas for concern and suggestions for strategies for possible success in overcoming the problem. The most challenging task of all is that of the teacher in the classroom. This is where an atmosphere can and must be created in which the less privileged learner can be exposed to a productive learning environment so that he can achieve his full potential. The teaching profession in South Africa is on the threshold of enormous change; and its role in the creation of a new nation is pivotal.

M.Ed. (Environmental Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / Computer Studies as a school subject consists of a theory and a practical component. The practical component refers to programming. In programming the student has to design a algorithm. Problems can be solved with step by step approaches which lead to the final instruction that will solve the problem. This sequence of instructions that lead to problem solving is called an algorithm. There is more than one algorithm that will solve the same problem. There is no fixed recipe but only guidelines that assist the student to design an algorithm. During the designing of an algorithm the student gets the opportunity to be creative. The practical component of computer studies provides the ideal situation in which the student can solve a problem in his own way. Because of the nature of computer studies which is problem solving the opportunity arises where one can expose his creative talent. The situation unfortunately today exists where some teachers lack experience and training. To determine whether a specific algorithm solves a problem the inexperienced teacher should use a computer. Teachers that prefer to mark algorithms with a memorandum hamper the creativity of students. Although most teachers do have the necessary academic background they were not properly trained in the subject didactics of computer studies.

A research dissertation presented to the Faculty of Humanities (School of Education) In Partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Masters of Education by Research University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Date of Submission: 29 April 2016 / This study is part of a larger research project titled Conditions of teaching and learning that facilitate and/or constrain learning English in rural high schools. The focus of the research project explores the conditions of teaching and learning English, and the contextual factors that facilitate and/or constrains learners’ motivation and participation in learning, in five rural high schools in Bushbuckridge area. The current study focused on how grade 10 and 11 First Additional English rural teachers’ conceptualise learning and teaching in Acornhoek schools, part of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province. Given the focus of the study the literature review detailed issues with development of rural education, teachers’ conceptions of learning, teachers’ conceptions of teaching, English as a First Additional language (EFAL) in South Africa and the spectrum of current pedagogical practices. The literature review highlighted significant gaps that are important for the this study such as a lack of research in Africa and South Africa focusing on teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching, particularly in rural schools. Furthermore the corpus of research conducted on conceptions focused on tertiary students’ conceptions of learning, there is limited research in schools, with teachers and learners, especially teachers’ pedagogical practices in relation to the conceptions. In addition the development of rural education and research in South Africa continue to be underdevelopment, with most research perceiving rurality as a deficit paradigm. Thus in order to address the literature gaps mentioned above the study engaged with six grade 10 and 11 rural teachers from Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province. The sampling strategy was purposive, as only grades 10 and 11 EFAL teachers were the selected to participate in the study. In order to address the research questions and sub research questions, a qualitative research approach was used as it focuses on understanding socially and historically constructed meanings about experienced phenomena. Through the use of phenomenological methodology teachers’ meanings and beliefs about learning and teaching were interrogated and problematized. In order to interrogate and problematize teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching two data collection methods were used namely: semistructured individual face-to-face interviews and non-participatory observations. The semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to address the following research questions: 1. What are grade 10 and 11 English First Additional Language teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching? 2. What shapes teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching? The following research question was addressed by use the non-participatory observations: 3. How do teachers’ conceptions influence teaching approaches, if at all, during English poetry and short story lessons? In order to answer the above questions critical discourse analysis was used, to engage with participants’ responses from their individual face-to-face interviews. Critical discourse analysis assisted with ensuring in depth engagement with participants’ narrations, without taking any words for granted because meaning might be hidden in the selection of words. Thus critical discourse analysis enabled the critical identification of particular words used by the participants in order to gain insight to the underlying influences that shape rural teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching in poetry and short stories lessons. As a result this involved an intense data analysis process, which incorporated the non-participatory classroom observations as well as the conceptual frameworks discussed from Bernstein, Alexander, and Scott and Mortimer. Some of the major findings suggest that teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching are complex and complicated particularly if contextual issues are considered, as possible influential factors that shape teachers’ conceptions. The findings indicated that rural teachers’ conceptions of learning should be understood from early school learning to current teaching profession. The dominant conceptions of learning from early school and current teaching profession suggest memorisation, mimicking, and acquisition of information and little conceptions shows learning for transformation and change as a person. Various factors were identified to influences the conceptions such as policy, lack of resources and overcrowded classrooms. In addition, findings on teachers’ conceptions of teaching explicated the dynamics teachers face between ideas they hold about teaching and how they teach. The study indicated that some teachers mentioned ‘banking’ model of teaching that suggested teacher centred conception of teaching, which linked with some of the conceptions of learning. Most conceptions were about spoon-feeding, telling/giving learners information, and coordinating learning which link with conceptions of learning that promote surface learning. Other conceptions promoted transformation, unlocking minds, and life-learning, to show that teaching is not only about giving information but also ensure that the information changes the way learners make sense of the social issues in relation to the world. It was noted that teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching seemed to have influenced how teachers teach poetry and short stories lessons, because irrespective of conceptualising teaching and learning in transformational and enlightenment but teachers used a unidirectional teaching approach. This teaching approach that all teachers used suggest ‘normality’ with using this way of teaching poetry and short stories, especially if the nature of poetry and short stories are taken into consideration. Without critiquing teachers’ pedagogical approaches, of concern is that all observed teachers, irrespective of different schools, used similar teaching approach which was shaped by curriculum policy expectations, teachers’ perceptions of learners, and the nature of the socio-cultural and economical context. Owing to some of the complexities mentioned above, further research on teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching, particularly in rural schools is needed, because embedded in teachers’ conceptions lies their lived experiences and ideas about learning and teaching in rural school. Therefore if effective interventions are to be considered partnering with teachers and/or learners in rural schools to understand their conceptions, need to be seriously taken into account. The purpose is not to research with teachers rather than for teachers to enhance existing knowledge in partnership, rather imposing knowledge. / MT2017

A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in Educational Psychology by Coursework and Research Report. Johannesburg, March 2017 / This research study investigated the relationship between first (L1) and second language (L2) learners’ academic performance and their scores on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT) and the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM). The inherently different nature of using a verbal assessment and a non-verbal assessment are important to consider in relation to overall academic performance, especially in light of the different language demands of a verbal versus a non-verbal assessment. South Africa has a diverse language landscape, which does pose practical problems for choosing a standard language of learning and teaching, which could create some language issues. The concept of intelligence is unpacked and discussed in relation to both academic performance and reading, which requires careful navigation due to its links to both these concepts. Psychological testing and assessment in South Africa has an encumbered history, which makes research in this area valuable, especially in relation to the unique language diversity in South Africa combined with the lack of South African assessments . Language, reading and intelligence are important to consider in light of the role they to play in relation to overall academic achievement. The results revealed that L1 learners performed better compared to L2 learners on both the SDRT and the RSPM. L1 learners also performed better academically compared to their peers. These results indicated some serious implications showing that L2 learners have not been able to bridge language and learning gaps, after at least five years of being taught in English. The results also revealed that the SDRT was a better predictor of academic performance for both L1 and L2 learners. This highlighted the importance of reading within the South African school system. The under researched area of the exact impact that reading has on overall academic performance showed that South Africa’s curriculum is reading heavy, which does emphasise the importance of reading to achieve academic success. / MT 2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Management specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Johannesburg, 2016 / An entrepreneurial mindset has been found to be a key antecedent in the opportunity recognition process and has even been attributed to the massive turnaround of the economic fortune of some developed countries, such as Sweden. Evidence has suggested that entrepreneurially minded individuals recognise and execute opportunity, even in uncertain situations because their advanced cognitive abilities permitted them to derive meaning in complex situations. Foreign students represent a large contingent of international sojourners, faced with a multitude of uncertainties during their stay in the host country. These students are also at the centre of a knowledge transfer system embedded in focal points capable of producing novel ideas. The researcher argued that no better people are best positioned to exploit cross cultural intelligence and the cultural adjustment experience for the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. The study also explored the influence of intangibles or contextual factors in moderating the relationship cultural adjustment and intelligence respectively with entrepreneurial mindset. For the purposes of this report, a quantitative study was undertaken with the aim of quantifying the influence of these constructs on entrepreneurial mindset. Positive correlations have been established between cultural intelligence (cognitive), cross cultural adjustment (social support) to entrepreneurial mindset. The following intangibles (Need for Focal Points Producing Novel Ideas, Need for Informal Fora for Entrepreneurs, and Need for Executive Leadership) have also been found to moderate the relationship between cultural intelligence and entrepreneurial mindset. No intangibles moderated the relationship between cultural adjustment and entrepreneurial mindset. Implications for practice and direction for future research are provided. / MT 2017

A thesis submitted to the Wits School of Education Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2017. / This thesis investigates the potential of an externally initiated and facilitated professional learning community (PLC) to influence and possibly change teachers’ beliefs and practices with regard to the teaching of writing in South African senior phase English home language classrooms. The main research question is: What factors enable and / or constrain the development of a PLC which has as its focus the teaching of writing. Questions related to the main question are (1) What is enabling or constraining about the contexts in which teachers work in public schools? (2) What, if any, impact do teachers’ life histories and current identities have on their take up of professional development opportunities in a PLC which focused on the teaching of writing? (3) In the context of South African public education, to what extent is a PLC a suitable vehicle for developing teachers’ understanding of and enactment of writing pedagogies? I chose to undertake an action research project and participated in the process of establishing PLCs as both a researcher and a facilitator. The main sources of the data analysed are transcribed audio-recordings of meetings with teachers, transcribed interviews with each teacher participant, lesson observations (for only some of the teachers) and journal notes. The unexpected challenges encountered in finding teachers willing to participate in a sustained professional development initiative are described and critically reflected on and findings in relation to each of the research questions are presented and discussed. A key finding is that societal culture and context fundamentally shaped the inception, development and sustainability of PLCs (Hairon and Dimmock, 2012) at the center of the study. It is argued that many South African teachers’ participation in a PLC is likely to be constrained by their personal and professional life histories and by the passive and compliant identity created for teachers by the lasting effects of the apartheid educational philosophy of fundamental pedagogics and by the currently increasingly prescriptive approach to teaching and assessment adopted by the provincial and national departments of education. Such an identity is likely to impact on teachers’ confidence and sense of agency to devise and drive their own professional growth agenda. The study found that the ethos of the schools in which teachers teach is also likely to be influential in enabling or constraining whether, and if so, how, teachers choose to participate in a PLC. An implication of this finding is that there is a need to acknowledge the impact of contexts on teachers’ attitudes and values, and to structure PLC activities to challenge existing assumptions and create a dissonance that will enable current knowledge to be reconstructed (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). The teachers who participated in the study used similar, traditional approaches to the teaching of writing which involved the presentation of ‘set prescriptions’, with an emphasis on grammatical correctness and the final product rather than on writing as a process of thinking, drafting, reflecting and redrafting. In instances where teachers adopted strongly deficit discourses about learners, they tended to resort to low level drill and skill instruction (Ball and Ellis, 2008). I argue that providing opportunities for teachers to engage thoughtfully and critically on their understanding and enactment of writing pedagogy in their contexts and classrooms over an extended period of time in a PLC could contribute to the disruption of deficit discourses and to the reconstruction of writing pedagogies. Key words: professional learning communities; societal culture; context; teacher life histories; teacher identities; dissonance; deficit discourse; teacher agency; writing pedagogies / LG2018

The aim of this research project was to examine how group discussions influence student performance in a DoE prescribed Life Sciences activity. The research methodology draws on collaborative group work and learner oriented assessment frameworks. The case study was conducted in a suburban high school in south Gauteng. Students were explicitly taught collaborative group work skills. As group work discussions are dependent on subject content knowledge, students were required to complete the assessment activity individually first. Students were placed in groups of four or five that were academically heterogeneous, in an attempt to encourage robust discussions. Following group work discussions students completed a final write up of the assessment activity. Findings from the research showed a statistically significant improvement in the mean pre group work assessment score to the post group work assessment score. All students were found to interact in a co-regulated way in that all were active participants. Each group had at least one member who was a hitch hiker. This student was unprepared and was the most disengaged and passive throughout the group work. The hitch hiker tended to have the lowest post group work activity score for their group. The student whose post group work activity score was the highest was the one who was the most prepared and except for a student whose home language was not the LOLT all others were the most active in their groups. Student discussions were dependent on subject content knowledge. Where subject content knowledge was sound, discussions resulted in cognitive conflict allowing for the social construction of knowledge. Poor content knowledge resulted in discussions which left students confused and seeking help from the teacher. Whilst most students perceived the group work to improve their understanding of the work, the heterogeneity of the groups was raised as a concern by a hitch hiker and students who obtained the highest post group work assessment scores. The hitchhiker in one of the groups perceived that she was not taken seriously, whilst the high academic achievers felt that they were providing information to students who were not well prepared. Most students valued the group work activity and recommended its use for future Grade 11 Life Sciences students.

Thesis (M.ED.) --University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2008 / Argument directed to bilingual instruction in South Africa is not new. The issue of eleven official languages in education remains contested. The apartheid language in education policy infused with imbalance proficiency demands for educators and learners’in the country. The policy was replaced in 1997 with a new policy based on non –discriminatory language use and the internationally accepted principle of home language education in the contest of bilingual or multilingual framework. The policy was designed to accommodate home language (HL)maintenance, proficiency and first additional language (FAL), English for the majority of learners and optimal cognitive development. The policy has not been accompanied by any significant government or language department to ensure the implementation plan. It has however been met with several arguments of bilingual resource and well –trained educators. The argument paved a way into publications which have been used to deflect government’s responsibility regarding bilingual instruction .The difference in language policy however disregard the fact that South Africa is multilingual and that home language is the most appropriate language of learning everywhere in the world. The implementation and understanding of bilingual and linguistic interdependence of both English and African languages have a role to pay in the development and sustainability of democratic country. The underlying implication is that since English and Afrikaans as the media of instruction that disadvantaged the majority of South African citizens over the years, it is time African languages be implementated alongside English or Afrikaans in education system. South Africa’s new language in Education policy (LiEP) has been regarded as one of the best progressive in the world. The dissertation describes research that investigates the gap between the policy expections and what is prevailing at some private and public primary school in Limpopo Province.