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Drawing on two research questions, this study presents an understanding of the nature of heritage in selected contemporary Grade 10 South African history textbooks, and elucidates factors responsible for the depiction of heritage in a particular way. The context that informed this study was that of South Africa as a post-conflict society. Using the interpretivist paradigm and approached from a qualitative perspective, this case study produced data on three purposively selected contemporary (post-1994) South African history textbooks with regards to their representation of heritage. Lexicalisation, a form of the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used as method to analyse the pre generated data from the selected textbooks following Fairclough’s (2003) three dimensions of describing, interpreting, and explaining the text. The study adopted a holistic approach to heritage as a conceptual framework whilst following social constructionism as the lens through which heritage was explored in the selected textbooks. My findings from this study concluded that although educational policy in the form of the NCS-History clearly stipulates the expectations to be achieved from the teaching and learning of heritage at Grade 10 level, there are inconsistencies and contradictions at the level of implementation of the heritage outcome in the history textbooks. Key among the finding are the absence of representation of natural heritage, lack of clear conceptualisation of heritage, many diverse pedagogic approaches towards heritage depiction, a gender and race representation of heritage that suggests an inclination towards patriarchy and a desire to retain apartheid and colonial dogma respectively,and finally a confirmation of the tension in the heritage/history relationship. The study discovered that factors such as the commercial and political nature of textbooks, the lack of understanding of the debates around the heritage/history partnership, and the difficulties involved in post-conflict reconstruction are responsible for this type of heritage depiction in the textbooks. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

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As the connections between textbooks and schools, student self-esteem, and educational success are further articulated, and the ramifications of deficient textbook material are more clearly understood, textbooks become increasingly a source of concern and contention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the representation of African Americans in grade 8 American history textbooks approved by the California State Board of Education in 2005. This study develops a critical approach to identifying embedded power relationships in the text employing five evaluative criteria. These five criteria are ethnocentrism, over-simplification, voice, absence, and inclusiveness. The findings of this study are that, while particular sections of each textbook may be inclusive of African American perspectives and are satisfactory in their representation according to the criteria used in this study, the overarching narrative of American history remains ethnocentric. This study raises pressing concerns regarding the role of teachers and textbooks in delivering an equitable and inclusive curriculum.

The selection of textbooks used at tertiary institutions in South Africa, in the discipline of Accounting, is an area where there is a lack of published studies. Factors citied by academics for selecting prescribed textbooks are the cost of the textbooks, comprehensive coverage of relevant topics and applicability to the South African context. Other criteria, such as readability, are often not taken into consideration. Students feel that the prescribed textbooks are prescribed for the wrong reasons and find them difficult to read and learn from. The research reviews the Managerial Accounting and Finance (MAF) textbooks used at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and other universities. Observations about the textbooks, from staff and students are considered from interviews. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Department of Education)) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

The aim of this study was to identify how historical literacy manifested itself in Grade 10 history textbooks. The use of two distinct time periods was used in my study to chart the changes in history education, in South Africa. Pre-1994 detailed the nature of history education and history textbooks during the times of the Boer and British Republics to apartheid era history education. Post-1994, on the other hand, depicted the change, or lack thereof, of history education and history textbooks from the 1994 democratic elections to its current state. Despite the changes in history education between the two eras, the use of history textbooks was, in the context of this study, the vehicle to deliver the curriculum. In the light of the progression of history education and its link to history textbooks, the purpose of this study was threefold, which was purported through the use of three research questions, namely to firstly ascertain what kind of historical literacy was envisaged by the NCS – history. Secondly, to examine the views of history textbook authors concerning their opinion of school history (historical literacy). Thereafter, it was imperative to analyse Grade 10 textbooks in order to ascertain how historical literacy manifested itself therein so as to satiate the question of the thesis. My data sources were the National Curriculum Statement for history (2003), Grade 10 history textbook authors and three Grade 10 history textbooks. The methodology was qualitative and informed by an interpretivist approach. Open coding and Fairclough’s (2005) analytic instrument for discourse analysis was applied to data. Thereafter, a deeper conceptual understanding of historical literacy was engendered through the use of the Toolkit for Historical Literacy. Historical literacy is a complex process wherein a number of criteria facilitated the concept. Attainment of these factors of historical literacy would ensure mastery of the discipline. Historical literacy comprised of historical content knowledge which was a balance between knowing information as well understanding the past. Multiple sources, together with historical skills and historical concepts were vital for historical literacy to construct and evaluate knowledge. In addition, historical literacy furthered a case for developing a moral and ethical framework wherein the past could be judged. Historical consciousness, born of historical literacy, allowed for learners to make a connection with the past. Furthermore, historical literacy encompasses a number of modern concepts for the case of historical literacy, namely ICTunderstandings and representational expression. Therefore, historical literacy should be multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional. The findings of this study were numerous. Historical skills, historical concepts, understanding and knowing the past, moral judgements in history and a source-based methodology was the encompassing form of historical literacy from the Grade 10 history textbook authors. At the core of historical literacy in Grade 10 history textbooks, are the role of the historian and the political influence of the NCS - history. The NCS - history endorsed all history textbooks in South Africa. The Grade 10 history textbooks revealed a potentially alarming factor for the case of historical literacy. The historical literacy advocated by the Grade 10 history textbooks is a far cry from the international version of historical literacy. No modern features of historical literacy were represented (ICT-understandings, representational expression, applied science, contention and contestability and historical consciousness). Moreover, more traditional features of historical concepts of change, cause and effect as well a means of morally judging the past through empathy are missing or not appropriately dealt with. Historical literacy in Grade 10 history textbooks is functional in terms of sourcing, contextualising and corroborating information so as to understand an event rather than know it. Historical skills are needed to complete this process. Ultimately, the type of historical literacy found in Grade 10 history textbooks is reminiscent of the Schools History Project. Historical literacy in South African Grade 10 history textbooks is not evolving or dynamic and it does not meet the requirements of the international version of historical literacy. However, it does partially satisfy the NCS - history requirements for historical literacy. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Syfte och frågeställningar Syftet med studien är att studera hälso- och kroppsideal som framställs i fem läromedel riktade till högstadiet och gymnasiet för ämnet idrott och hälsa samt studera om idealen skiljer sig mellan könen. Vilka kroppsideal finns i läromedlen? Vilka hälsosamma kroppsideal och ohälsosamma kroppar framställs i läromedlen? Skiljer sig idealen beroende på kön? Metod Fem läroböcker riktade till högstadiet och gymnasiet i idrott och hälsa har använts för att analysera förekomsten av kropps- och hälsoideal. Text- och bildanalys har använts för att studera materialet och genom en variant av innehållsanalys har materialet studerats och analyserats där text och bild som kunnat kopplas till kroppsideal och hälsoideal delats in i sex kategorier. Kategorierna var hälsosam kvinnlig kropp, ohälsosam kvinnlig kropp, hälsosam manlig kropp, ohälsosam manlig kropp, hälsosam kropp obestämt kön och ohälsosam kropp obestämt kön. Efter en sammanställning av samtliga bilder och textavsnitt har en sammanvägning gjorts som visar mönster i läroböckerna kring hälso- och kroppsideal för respektive kön men också gemensamma drag mellan könen. Resultat Studien visar att kvinnliga ideala hälsosamma kroppar gestaltas på bilderna som smala, vältränade och unga. Den ohälsosamma kvinnliga kroppen gestaltas som sjuk, skadad, mycket smal och inaktiv. Den manliga hälsosamma ideala kroppen är vältränad, mer muskulös än kvinnokroppen samt ung. En ohälsosam kropp för den manliga ohälsosamma kroppen gestaltas som en kropp som är överviktig och inaktiv. De gemensamma dragen för både mäns och kvinnors kroppar är att en hälsosam ideal kropp är vältränad och aktiv kropp och en ohälsosam kropp är en inaktiv kropp som använder tobak och missbrukar droger. Slutsats Genom att utesluta bilder av olika kroppar som exempelvis kroppar med annan hudfärg än vit, transpersoner, kroppar som är bredare över lår/höft och funktionshindrade kroppar visas en ensidig bild av den ideala hälsosamma och ohälsosamma kroppen i de analyserade läromedlen, där hälso- och kroppsidealen skiljer sig mellan könen. / Aim The purpose of the study is to examine health and body ideals presented in five teaching materials in physical education addressed to junior high and high school and study if the ideals differ between the sexes. Which body ideals are found in textbooks? Which healthy body ideals and unhealthy bodies are presented in textbooks? Do the ideals differ depending on gender? Method Five textbooks in physical education addressed to junior high and high school has been used to analyze the presence of body and health ideals. Text and picture analysis has been used to study the material and through a variant of content analysis, the material has been studied and analyzed. The texts and images that have been associated with body and health ideals have been divided into six categories. The categories were a healthy feminine body, unhealthy feminine body, healthy masculine body, unhealthy masculine body, healthy body of  indeterminate sex and unhealthy body indeterminate sex. After a compilation of all the pictures and sections of texts a contexture have been done that shows mutual patterns in the textbooks of the health and body ideals between the sexes and also patterns for each gender. Results The study shows that women's ideal healthy body is portrayed in the pictures as skinny, fit and young. The unhealthy female body is portrayed as sick, injured, very thin and inactive. The ideal male healthy body is toned, more muscular than the female body and young. The unhealthy body for the man is presented as a body that is overweight and inactive. The common features for both the men's and women's bodies are that a healthy ideal body is physically fit and active body and an unhealthy body is inactive and a body who uses tobacco and drugs. Conclusions By excluding images of various bodies such as bodies with different skin colour than white, transgendered people, bodies that are wider over thigh/ hip and disabled bodies is a one-sided picture of the ideal healthy and unhealthy body presented in the analysed textbooks, where health and body ideals differ between the sexes.

The number of learners of Japanese as a second or other language has increased rapidly worldwide over the past several decades. The objectives of their study have largely changed from pursuing purely academic research interests to acquiring the communicative skills needed for business or leisure purposes. There are five language competency skills needed to master foreign languages: reading, writing, listening, speaking and intercultural competence. Students, particularly those studying outside Japan, depend more on textbooks for learning how to speak than their peers in Japan; and speaking is studied formally through analysis of model discourses in selected textbooks. In particular, if the learner’s first language is very different from Japanese, which in fact almost all other languages are, the complexity of the spoken language, including gender difference and respect forms, presents most learners with certain challenges that require adequate explanation to be comprehended. Likewise, the larger the cultural gap between learner and target language, the greater are the challenges for acquiring intercultural competence, which is closely interrelated with the production of ‘natural speech’. It is, therefore, crucial for learners from other cultures who have little opportunity to speak in Japanese to learn from a textbook of good quality which provides appropriate explanation of the social and cultural context of the model dialogues they employ as exemplars. The present study aims to analyse and evaluate the appropriateness of model dialogues contained in intermediate level textbooks for learners of Japanese as a second or other language. The findings suggest that none of the selected textbooks included satisfactory explanation about the model discourses, so there seems to be much room for improvement in this regard. It is anticipated that the results of this study will contribute to the design concept of foreign language textbooks in future.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Studies