published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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The exploratory study presented in this thesis is a case study, interpretive in nature and located in the qualitative paradigm. The conceptual focus is on differentiation, recognizing that learners vary from one another and so will need educators to consider a wide range of factors to enable learners to learn. The objectives of the study are: • To identify what Whole School Evaluation (WSE) supervisors understand by the term differentiation (conceptual) • To identify how WSE supervisors expect differentiation to be achieved by educators (conceptual). [n order to contextualise this research, a further objective was considered necessary: • To identify the roles of WSE supervisors (contextual) This was set in the context of mathematics, science and technology education. The study was carried out with a group of ten WSE supervisors who were involved in evaluating Mathematics, Science and or Technology education in the GET (General Education and Training) Band. Analysis of questionnaires and documents led to the identification of supervisory roles, while analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed a range of dimensions related to differentiation understandings and expectations. These dimensions have been developed into a typology which is then drawn upon in the development of a new conceptual model of differentiation, particularly relevant to the South African context. Findings presented in the study represent an attempt to understand and make recommendations related to policy, practice, research, curriculum and learning support material (LSM) development, training and evaluation. Textual layering in the form of reflective footnotes and issue boxes. plus specific reflective sections in the main text e.g. limitations and assumptions, help the text to achieve this goal. While the study was focused on the context of mathematics, science and technology education, it became apparent that the findings could be applied across all the learning areas.

The integration of Information and Communication Technology in the indigenous language classroom lags behind compared to other subjects. In many ways, indigenous language teachers find it difficult and to some extent, impossible to integrate ICT into their classroom activities. The focus of this study is to explore the ways in which ICT could be used as a learning tool in an Oshikwanyama First Language classroom. I investigated the use of Wikipedia translation as an additional teaching and learning tool. I concentrated on the impact that ICT tools have on learning, and the motivation it has on learners to learn Oshikwanyama. This qualitative case study was conducted in an urban school in northern Namibia. The adoption of ICT at the school is good as there is a full-fledged computer lab with unlimited wireless internet access. This was a requirement for the project to enable the participants to work online. I purposefully chose higher-level learners (Secondary phase) for this study. I conducted a survey with them on their access to and use of ICT devices in their daily lives, and thereafter conducted a basic computer workshop and a Wikipedia translation project with them. My research findings show that although the use of ICT is part of the learners’ lives, most of the communication through ICT devices is done in English not Oshikwanyama. Wikipedia translation offers a stimulating learning platform for learners to learn Oshikwanyama and English at the same time and this improved their performance in both languages. Furthermore, the Wikipedia translation, which was done collaboratively, gave learners the confidence to work with other learners to create knowledge. Lastly, Wikipedia translation motivates learners to learn Oshikwanyama and use it in their daily ICT interaction.

Poverty alleviation by means of rural development has become a priority among developing countries. In turn, rural development may be significantly enhanced and supported by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the use of which is highlighted by the emerging importance of information and knowledge as key strategic resources for social and economic development. An analysis of rural case studies where ICTs have been introduced, suggests that there are a number of barriers and constraints that are faced when taking advantage of these technologies. These include access to infrastructure, limited formal education, insufficient training and capacity building, financial and political constraints, and social and cultural challenges. These challenges threaten the success and sustainability of rural ICT projects. Sustainability is key to the effectiveness of a rural ICT project; therefore it is important to understand the concept and categories associated with ICT project sustainability in rural areas. The categories of sustainability which include social and cultural, institutional, economic, political, and technological, reveal critical success factors that need to be considered in the implementation and management of rural ICT projects. The project management discipline acknowledges the importance of understanding the project’s environment, particularly environmental factors associated with rural communities. The complexity of the environment therefore implies the need for a project to be undertaken in phases comprising the project life cycle. Project management practice for rural ICT project sustainability can therefore be examined, adapting the traditional project life cycle to a rural ICT project. A Rural ICT Project Life Cycle (RICT-PLC) that is sensitive to the critical success factors of sustainability is therefore proposed. In order to further investigate the phases of the life cycle of a rural ICT project, two case study investigations are explored: the Dwesa ICT community project, and the Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project (RUMEP) (MathsNet). A multiple case study analysis confirms the practices associated with the RICT-PLC model, and identifies additional characteristics, phases and practices associated with rural ICT projects. Finally, an enhanced RICT-PLC model is developed, that sets sustainability guidelines for ICT project management in rural areas and identifies the people, environments, technologies, systems, and requirements for ICTs to support rural development activities.

South Africa has, since 1994 undergone significant political, social and economic changes and all these changes have had an effect in most of the governmental departments. One department adversely affected in particular, is the Department of Education (DoE). The implementation of a large number of educational policies being developed at national and provincial levels to bring about radical changes, leave much to desire. That has led the researcher to be investigating Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practices in Grade 9 Technology classrooms of selected schools in the Fort Beaufort District of Education. The DoE had explored ways to better educate learners and to improve the entire school performance, hence the introduction of the new methods of assessment, to quote but one, assessment policy No. 19640 of 1998. The new assessment policy in the GET Band is a means of assessing learners in order to enhance individual growth and development; to monitor the progress of learners; and to facilitate their learning. This policy states that assessment and feedback are integral to the teaching and learning process and policy planners and practitioners must be adequately prepared to implement these policies. Assessment is the most powerful lever educators use to influence the way learners respond to teaching and behave as learners. It is crucial that appropriate and effective methods of assessment are employed to ensure effective learning. Therefore, the study examined, within the interpretive paradigm and taking a constructivist approach, experiences and concerns raised by participants concerning the implementation of formative assessment in the case. In order to investigate teachers’ perceptions and the implementation of formative assessment practices, in relation to emerging educational policies, one Grade 9 learning area – Technology - in five schools were purposefully sampled. Data from the participants were mainly collected employing qualitative methods, being in-depth interviews, observations and document studies. The main findings of the study were that participants’ (School Management Team members, teachers and learners) perceptions were not quite clear pertaining to what formative assessment is all about. They did not know how to implement it in their classes and as a result had a negative impact on them. This led to recommending that these practitioners must adequately and rigorously be re-trained in implementing the policy. The DoE ought to outsource such trainings to tertiary institution for certification purposes. In future, the DoE should, before implementing any policy, make sure facilitators know the policy, are adequately and thoroughly trained and skilled before embarking on any further training of policy practitioners.

This research is an investigation of the potential means to make the Information Systems (IS) course more accessible to Walter Sisulu University (WSU) students. As some IS students at this institution are unable to attend classes on a regular basis, this study aims to establish if and how the WSU Accounting Department (which offers the IS course) could use e-Iearning to support the teaching, learning and assessment of IS. This qualitative study was approached from an interpretive perspective. The study has undergone one cycle of an action research approach. The methods used in the study include surveys, an expert review and focus group interviews. The data was elicited from participants using questionnaires and an interview schedule. A staff questionnaire was used to elicit information from IS staff from four contact universities in South Africa to determine their experience of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for e-learning in an IS course. A student questionnaire was used to determine the WSU IS students' reasons for absenteeism, their learning needs, and their current computer access and skills. Data from both of these surveys informed the development of the WSU IS pilot website. An expert review questionnaire ascertained the subject expert's opinions about the newly developed WSU IS pilot website. The website was found to be of good quality with respect to the four aspects that Harvey and Green (J 993 cited in Lomas 2002) use to define quality. Some modifications were made to the WSU IS pilot website as a result of the expert's comments. After the website was used by the IS students, two focus group interviews were conducted to determine the students' perceptions of the value of the website. The data was analyzed, interpreted and linked to the literature surveyed. The main findings indicate that the WSU IS pilot website could be part of a more globalised higher education offering than the paper-based IS course offered before. However, the staff and the student surveys revealed that ICT has opened the gap in equity at the higher education institutions, highlighting that access to a university does not mean equal access to lectures and computers. The WSU IS pilot website endeavoured to capitalise on students' physical access to computers by supporting epistemological access to the curriculum, by encouraging them to exercise control over their learning. This study has ideally enabled the Accounting Department to deliver its services to students and this in turn will hopefully help WSU retain its part-time students and improve the student pass rates.