M.Cur. (Curriculum Studies) / The aim of this study is to determine whether training in stress management through primary mental health education has a positive effect on the learning of effective stress management techniques. This study was carried out on a group of police officers. In an experimental investigation the following method of stress management was used, namely a primary mental health education programme. An at-risk population in the society was identified namely the South African Police Force, and sixty four people from the target population of one hundred and twenty eight candicate-officers 'were selected for this study. A survey of the target population was done and these sampling units met the following criteria: they were all white warrant officers in training in the South.African Police Force from the same level of training, who had all obtained a national diploma in police administration. These members were representatives from throughout South-Africa making it a national study. Their ages ranged from twenty to fifty years of age....

D.Ed. / The new millennium is considered to be a period of empowered social change, having profound implications for schooling. The transformation of education in present-day South Africa emphasises the need for quality education for all. This is necessary in order to be able to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Thus even the most competent educational institutions are forced to improve and change in order to keep up with worldwide innovations. As the poor matric results of the last decade indicate, it seems that schools' performance is not up to standard. It became increasingly clear that certain factors precipitated the pathological situation in schools and that assistance and interventions are required. The main focus of this study is to establish what schools can do in order to improve and become more effective. It is well known that schools in South Africa are facing a crisis. South Africa's education system is therefore compelled to find solutions against the idiosyncratic backdrop of the country's unique socio-economic and socio-political problems. In order to develop a world-class education system suitable of meeting the challenges of the 21' century, school improvement seems necessary. The problem investigated by this study was: How can schools improve with the help, advice and expertise of external agents, namely school consultants. In order to improve schools there must be various agents or participants who must be actively involved and play a part in any reform process. These role players have been identified as: the school principal, teachers, parents and learners. However, it became clear that the subjective involvement of these protagonists is not sufficient to contribute towards a significant educational improvement endeavour. The aim of this study is to analyse and describe how schools can improve through the expert advice and contribution of external school consultants. This aim was realised by: undertaking a theoretical investigation in the form of a literature study; undertaking an empirical, qualitative investigation in order to establish in what way the assistance of an objective advisor in the form of a consultant, can contribute to improving the intricate problems currently facing schools. During this qualitative investigation it was established that: South Africa has problems endemic to this country which precipitate pathology at school level; The main role players in schools are not sufficiently equipped to initiate change; External consultants as change and improvement agents are a solution suggested by international literature; If consultation is done in a professional, ethically correct manner it can indeed lead to school improvement.

No description available.

Research Project in Education for: Masters in Education / This study analyzed the pedagogical practices of three Grade 10 Mathematical Literacy (ML) educators. The rationale behind the study was to add information and insight into the very new and under researched Further Education and Training secondary school subject of ML. Botha (2011) discussed how one of the main concerns with ML integration into the South African national curriculum was that the educators being asked to teach ML were moved into it from other subjects without any real education or training, and so when teaching, relied on previously learned pedagogical practices from other subjects. It is the contention of this study that this is a real issue in terms of the teaching of ML in classrooms and in terms of damaging its perceived academic status. In order to offer insight into how ML is its own distinct subject and not simply a lesser version of Mathematics, this study analyzed three lessons of each of the three educators through the lens of Pedagogical Link Making (PLM) (Scott, Mortimer, & Ametller, 2011). PLM was the conceptual framework that guided the observations and post observation interviews, and through analysis of the educators’ pedagogical practices as well as a thematic analysis of discussion points during the interviews, this study came to five major findings. The findings suggested that the ML educators were not properly educated in ML pedagogy and that the educators made the majority of pedagogical decisions in the classroom based on generating learner interest and motivation for work. It also found that the educators used many of the links outlined by PLM, but also admitted to holding a lower academic expectation of ML and ML learners. A call is made to increase research into the relatively new subject of ML along the lines of pedagogical practices in order to assist new ML educators to translate and transmit the goals and content of ML provided for by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS

A research project submitted to the Faculty of Science, School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science by combination of coursework and research, 2017 / This study investigates learners’ performance in solving arithmetic equivalences and arithmetic and algebraic equations and was influenced by the notion of the didactic cut (Filloy & Rojano, 1989). Data was collected from two township schools in Johannesburg using a written test. With a Vygotskian perspective on learning, learners’ performance was investigated in two ways: through a response pattern analysis of 106 test scripts as well as through an error analysis on 46 scripts. The response pattern analysis identified seven clusters of responses, each of which suggested a different performance pattern. Two clusters of responses suggest evidence of the didactic cut and that learners struggled with the concept of negativity. A purposive sample of 46 test scripts was analysed further to investigate the actual errors that learners made. Common errors within the two most relevant response pattern analyses were also investigated. Using a combination of typological and inductive methods to categorise learners’ errors, equality and negativity errors were most prominent. Findings revealed that there were very few learners who used arithmetic strategies to solve arithmetic equations and that instead, they used algebraic procedures. The most unexpected finding was that learners appear to memorise the structure of solutions and hence manipulate their procedures in order to obtain familiar structured solutions. Key words: Equality, equal sign, solving linear equations, negativity, learner error, response patterns / XL2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2013. / The integration of indigenous knowledge into the mainstream science curriculum has been advocated for by science educators around the world. The Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS) for Grades R-9 (Natural Sciences) clearly advocates for the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into the science curriculum. They stipulate that learners must learn science within the context of their historical, societal and cultural knowledge and values. It is important that learners should understand other systems of knowledge, such as indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). The underlying assumption is that teachers can help learners integrate science and indigenous knowledge but in order to do that, they too must have adequate knowledge and understanding regarding the two thought systems. The challenge is that some teachers are not well informed about the varying indigenous knowledge that typifies the multi-cultural situation in South African classrooms as they have been schooled in western science The study aimed at eliciting learners‟ and teachers‟ knowledge about traditional medicinal plants and their attitudes towards integration of that knowledge into the science curriculum. This was with a view to exploring any differences or similarities between the views of teachers and learners. A case study was carried out at a secondary school in Meadowlands, Soweto. A sample of 36 Grade 9 learners and 10 teachers of Natural sciences was selected using the convenience sampling technique. Structured pictorial questionnaire was used to collect data from both teachers and learners. Field notes were taken during a class debate on the effectiveness of traditional medicines versus western medicines. Unstructured follow up interviews (5 learners- group interview and 3 teachers-individual) were performed on selected participants to probe further their responses to the questionnaire. A ROSE1 type questionnaire was used as a follow up when learners were in grade 10 (2013). Analysis of the findings showed that a majority of learners and teachers that participated in this research have opposing attitudes regarding the need to integrate knowledge about traditional medicinal plants into the science curriculum. The 1ROSE-Relevance Of Science Education, a questionnaire distributed in many countries by Prof Svein Sjøberg, ILS, University of Oslo, Norway. learners in this study had generally more knowledge that the teachers about traditional medicinal plants. The majority of learners are willing to learn about indigenous knowledge (IK). Nine teachers out of ten in this study were generally less enthusiastic about teaching about traditional medicinal plants. In light of the findings it is recommended that teachers need to have in-house training in so far as the methodological aspects of integrating components IK into the science curriculum relate. This may go a long way in limiting conceptual conflicts amongst the learners.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Fine Arts, 2015 / This research explores the dialogical in arts pedagogy. This form of pedagogy is understood to allow for both the learner and educator to participate by exchanging experiences without the one being more superior to the other (Freire 1968, p. 169). In this thesis I use the Zulu term Inkulumo-Mpendulwano, which, rudimentarily, means dialogue. Broken down, Inkulumo means to talk or to have a conversation and Mpendulwano means to respond. However, I also use the term Ukufundisa, which means “to teach” but also “to instruct” and “to school” which is an authoritarian way of teaching. What is emphasised in this research is not only the potentiality of InkulumoMpendulwano interactions which can be adapted in the classroom as well as curated spaces, but by introducing different terminologies I attempt to reimagine the language and practices associated with arts education. This further engages with the possibility of changes in terminology and vocabularies, how the written and spoken is understood differently and how visual and spatial modes become central to changing the learner/teacher dynamic. This dissertation exemplifies two cases of the dialogical arts pedagogy. The first is a case study of Keleketla! Library and the second is a participatory action research approach where I work as an artist-educator for the practical component of this research entitled Artucation Programme. The outcome of this research is a written dissertation and a creative project that investigates InkulumoMpendulwano interactions in arts education. / XL2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Translation (Option Interpreting) Johannesburg, 2017 / The aim of this research project is to examine the feasibility of using technology such as email and YouTube in pre-assessing potential interpreting students. This research project investigates existing pre-assessment methods and proposes a method for online interpreter pre-assessment. Pre-assessment for candidate interpreters is essential, but no standard or universal pre-assessment test exists. Scholars agree on several aspects that should be tested for, yet institutions providing interpreter training conduct pre-assessment tests differently. Generally, pre-assessment testing involves a jury or panel interviewing the potential student and observing him/her perform interpreting-related tasks. Pre-assessment by jury assessment presents several logistical and financial challenges for the institution conducting pre-assessment as well as the potential student. In poor regions such as Africa, this could prevent potentially viable interpreting students from attending pre-assessment tests. This research project investigates current pre-assessment practices in order to determine the skills generally tested for in pre-assessment tests, as well as the methods used for assessing these skills. Based on this investigation, an online delivery method is developed and evaluated in order to determine the extent to which online pre-assessment could be used as an alternative to using a jury for pre-assessment testing. Wits Language School in Johannesburg, South Africa is used as a pilot study for online interpreter pre-assessment: Interpreting students who applied for study, were given the option of online pre-assessment. After the pre-assessment, students attended a course in interpreting and their performance in the pre-assessment test was compared with their performance in the examination for the course. These results along with interviews and questionnaires provide useful information regarding the feasibility of online interpreter pre-assessment. / MT 2018

Can old history text books (written in the Apartheid Era) be used to promote the new democratic ideals in Curriculum 2005? This investigation addresses this question through an analysis of selected chapters of two history text books presently used in Katlehong schools. The analysis deploys an instrument developed at the University of Belgrade by members of the Democracy Education Project, in conjunction with the project team from the University of the Witwatersrand. Through the instrument, the democratic content of the textbooks was analysed and assessed. The analysis focus on declarative, elaborated and implied democratic content. The conceptual framework for the investigation draws from recent philosophical and sociological work on democracy. Amy Gutmann’s principles of non-repression and nondiscrimination, for example, provide the main argument for the necessity of equal and critical education in South Africa. The analysis and discussion show both text as deeply floored regarding the availability and nature of the democratic concepts. However, if used by critical teachers both texts are suitable for promoting democracy in South Africa.

This paper reports the findings of a mixed methods research study which sought to explore the impact of teaching and learning cultures on the performance of fourth year Accountancy students. The collection of data was done through questionnaires as well as interviews with lecturers. Learning culture was explored by measuring and comparing the cultural dimensions of fourth year Accountancy students at two South African universities in order to understand the differences and similarities between the two institutions’ student bodies. There were statistically significant differences between the students of the two universities only along the cultural dimensions of long-term orientation and indulgence versus restraint. It was found that uncertainty avoidance, monumentalism and the age of students significantly impact their performance in Accountancy. Cultural dimensions of students which could hinder their performance in Accountancy are identified and some recommendations are made with regards to addressing areas of weakness in learning culture.