Master's thesis "the climate of the school class" is divided into two parts - theoretical and empirical. Theoretical part deals with subject matter definition of school climate and subsequent analysis and characteristics of related areas. This is mainly an analysis of social class and school climate, mapping factors that contribute to the climate change. Conduction of the mechanisms involved in the formation of school climate closer to analysing in particular iterms of the actors, teachers and pupils. Furthermore, in this part of the work I explore the definition and description of approaches for investigating social climate with a brief analysis of the specific diagnostic methods. Part of the work is also a framework defining the results of current research activities of domestic and foreign research in the above mentioned area. Empirical part focuses on diagnosis of classrooms'climate at selected high schools in the region. Research is focused on mapping the climate changes with an emphasis on quantitative study through selected diagnostical methods. The aim of this part is to find out how the climate of the class differs at secondary technical schools and secondary vocational schools. Conclusion of the theoretical part is dedicated to the importance of the class climate, together with the...

The researcher wants to create a learning environment where learners are much more involved in their own learning. The progressive teaching design implies that the contribution of the learner to the development of knowledge is recognised. The educator also acknowledges the learner as a social being reliant on interaction with others to generate meaning. The problem statement for this study is based on the researcher’s opinion that In South African schools rote learning and memorisation are still the main methods of learning. The reason for this is because the majority of educators have been schooled in the traditional educational paradigm where the teaching process essentially revolves around the educator. In such a system learners who can recall facts best and obtain the best grades are regarded as having learnt well. The researcher contests the assertion that the learners learnt authentically. The progressive teaching approach is proffered by the educator as an alternative for the attainment of authentic learning in a grade 10 Economics classroom. In an authentic learning environment learners are prepared to face challenges in the real world through the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Learners collaborate and cooperate as members of a group to unravel problems. The researcher makes use of a qualitative research design for this study. The grade 10 Economics class of the researcher is used a case study to ascertain whether a progressive teaching approach can enhance authentic learning. Twelve learners out 26 that indicated that they would participate eventually took part in the study. The research instruments used were the video recorded lessons, teacher observation sheets and learner focused-group interviews. One of the findings from the study was that authentic learning skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking can be developed through the educator using the progressive teaching approach. This is in line with the principles of the CAPS for Economics. Another finding is that although more learner involvement is required for the progressive approach, the role of the educator remains crucial as a knowledge expert and a facilitator in the classroom. A further finding was that learners embraced the co-operative learning strategy which is one of the fundamentals of authentic learning. They enjoyed teaching to and learning from one another in group work. Finally, learners appreciated the use of cartoons and team-games by the progressive educator as additional strategies to further authenticate and enhance the learning experience. In summary the researcher wants to contend that from the literature study, the findings of the empirical research and the recommendation of this study that by working within the parameters of the CAPS for Economics, authentic learning can be achieved via a progressive teaching design. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This qualitative, single high school case-study conveniently sampled eight natural sciences teachers and, after conducting lesson observations and document analysis, interviewed all participants to obtain their perceptions about the effectiveness of inquirybased teaching in motivating learners to specialise in sciences. The major finding was that most participants were sceptical about inquiry-based teaching. Participants from a behaviourist epistemology did not believe that learner motivation resulted from inquirybased teaching while those from an eclectic epistemology preferred a complementary use of both approaches. The few participants oriented towards inquiry acknowledged the link between learner motivation and inquiry-based teaching but faced the challenge of limited time to prepare all the apparatus and procedures required for inquiry-based teaching. This researcher recommends employing laboratory assistants to assist teachers with setting up apparatus for inquiry-based lessons, trimming some content to reduce overload in the Annual Teaching Plans (ATP), and in-service training on inquirybased teaching to develop learner interest in sciences. / Hierdie kwalitatiewe gevallestudie het agt natuurwetenskap onderwysers betrek en na leswaarnemings en dokumentanalise, is onderhoude met die deelnemers gevoer om hul sienings te bekom oor die bydrae van die ondersoek-gebaseerde konstruktivistiese benadering as ’n strategie om leerders te motiveer om in wetenskap-verwante vakke te spesialiseer. Die belangrikste bevindings was dat die deelnemers logiese positivistiese en eklektiese benaderings verkies; dat hulle skepties is oor ondersoek-gebaseerde onderrig en dat hulle nie leerder motivering aan onderwysbenaderings koppel nie. Daar was egter enkele deelnemers wat wel ondersoekend onderrig het en wat leerder belangstelling in wetenskap aan ondersoek-gebaseerde onderrig gekoppel het. Op grond van die data wat verkry is, beveel hierdie navorser aan dat laboratoriumassistente aangestel moet word om onderwysers by te staan met die opstel van apparaat vir ondersoek-gebaseerde lesse; dat spesifieke modelle van ondersoek in die “CAPS”- dokument ingesluit word; dat inhoud afgeskaal moet word om oorlading in die jaarlikse onderrigplanne (ATP) te verminder, en dat voor- en indiensopleiding aan onderwysers oor ondersoek-gebaseerde onderrig verskaf word as ‘n manier om die belangstelling van die leerders in die wetenskappe te prikkel. / Lesisifundo socwaningo esenziwe esikoleni esisodwa samabanga aphakeme lwakhetha othisha beSayensi Yemvelo (NS) abayisishiyagalombili ukuze kwazakale ukuthi bayibona kanjani indlela yokufundisa iSayensi ngophenyo (inquiry-based teaching) ehlose ukukhuphula intshisekelo yabafundi kwiSayensi. Ngemuva kokubona othisha beSayensi befundisa, lomcwaningi wahlaziya incwadi eziphathelene nokufundiswa kohlelo lwe CAPS, waphinde wenza izingxoxo nabothisha. Okumqoka okutholakale kuloluphenyo kube ukuthi iningi lababambe iqhaza, abakhuthalela ukufundisa ngendlela egxile kuthisha (logical positivism) bangabaza ukuthi abafundi bafunde bephenya njalo abakubonanga ukuxhumana kwenzindlela zokufundisa nokunyuka kwentshiseko yabafundi ezifundweni ze Sayensi. Ababambiqhaza abahlanganisa indlela yokufundisa egxile kuthisha ne ndlela yokufundisa ngophenyo (eclectic) bakholelwa ukuthi indlela yokufundisa egxile kuthisa nendlela yokuthi abafundi bafunde bephenya, kuyomela zisetshenziswe zombili. Kwatholakala ingcosana yabothisha eyenelisa ukufundisa isayensi ngendlela yophenyo eyayisezingeni eliphansi njalo yaqinisekisa ukuthi bukhona ubudlelwano phakathi kwendlela zokufundisa nokunyusa intshiseko yabafundi kwi Sayensi. Ngokolwazi olutholakele, lolucwaningo luncome ukusebenzisa abasizi basemagunjini okusebenzela ososayensi ukusiza ukuhlela amalungiselelo okwenza uphenyo lwezifundo, nokuhlinzekwa kwezindlela eziqondile zokuphenya izincwadi zikaCAPS, kanye nokunciphisa okunye okuqukethwe, kwehliswe umthwalo kuhlelo lokufundisa lonyaka (i-ATP), ukuqeqeshwa kothisha kwi ndlela yokufundisa iSayensi ngokuphenya ukuze kuthuthukiswe intshiseko yabafundi. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)