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The role of the learner in the school governing body : perceptions and experiences of principals, educators, parents and learners.Magadla, Mangi. January 2007 (has links)
After democracy was achieved in South Africa, the South African Schools Act no 84
of 1996 required all public secondary schools to have two learners elected to
the school governing body. The question of learner involvement and participation is
still a thorny issue in some schools. The study investigated the experiences and
perceptions of educators, parents and learners, regarding learner participation in
school governance .The study was conducted in four schools in Mpumalanga ward of
Hammarsdale circuit. A total of sixteen participants, four from each school
comprising of four of each of principals, educators, parents and learners were
interviewed. The study adopted the qualitative research design. Qualitative research
design was most suitable to this study because it looked at views of different
stakeholders entailed talking to people with the purpose of getting in depth
information. Semi structured interviews were conducted with all participants. The
main finding was that learner participation in school governance is still a problematic
issue .The findings reveled that there are huge stumbling blocks that make learners
fail to participate effectively in school governance. Democracy has not been achieved
as expected, as it is evidenced by silent voices of learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.
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The changing role of a remedial teacher to support teacher : a case-study of a primary school in Pinetown.Naidu, Shakuntala. January 2007 (has links)
Inclusion is not only about philosophy but more importantly about the practical changes
that must be brought about in order to help all learners in our school system to excel and
unfold their potential. Inclusive education can be seen as an approach that aims to
transform our education system in order to respond to the diversity of learners. It aims to
enable both teachers and learners to feel comfortable with diversity and to see it as a
challenge and enrichment in the learning environment. Good teaching is good for all
learners, irrespective of their differences and improved teacher training and on-going
professional teacher support may be one of the most important strategies to create quality
education for all.
This research seeks to understand how a remedial teacher negotiated her role to that of a
support teacher and to explore her experiences in providing support to a greater number of
learners and teachers. This study was conducted at a primary school in Pinetown. A
qualitative approach was used in conducting this research. Data for this study was gathered
from the support teacher in an unstructured interview as well as participant observation
during the support programme and from some learners in a focus group interview. Willing
learners, currently in the grade four support programme were used in the focus group
interview. The recorded interviews were then transcribed and analysed. The findings of
this research indicate that negotiating her role from a remedial teacher to a support teacher
afforded her the opportunity to utilize her expertise, specialist knowledge and experience
effectively and cost-efficiently in an ordinary primary school to extend the support to a
greater number of learners with computer-aided assistance and to provide support to
teachers to manage all learners in a mainstream classroom. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2007.
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An analysis of the values and principles guiding the further education and training curriculum policy.Ngelale, Roselyn Lebari. January 2007 (has links)
The education reform of the South African democratically elected government
ushered in the further education and training (FET) curriculum policy guided by strategic
principles and values. This study identified and analysed the principles and values
guiding the FET curriculum policy in relation to the factors leading to their selection and
the effect of such choices on the FET curriculum design.
A tri-dimensional method of Critical Discourse Analysis as developed by Fairclough
(1995) was employed and supplemented with a method of curriculum analysis as
developed by Jansen and Reddy (1994) for the analysis of the principles and values.
Investigation into the National Curriculum Statement for FET (General) (2003) revealed
that the principles and values fall into two categories: Economic based and social-related
principles, both aiming to achieve social transformation.
This dissertation positions education and training curriculum design within an
emancipatory praxis approach as developed by Grundy (1987), and argued that since the
gain in learning principles and values is that which leads to the development and
refinement of the individual, the social-related principles and values should be taught
holistically as a subject. I contend that the ‘discrete’ integration and application of socialrelated
principles and values in subject statements will not provide an effective way of
assessing the competences of such learning. This is because ‘discrete’ means subtle and
subtle is elusive – ungraspable. I therefore argue that if the leaders of tomorrow who are
the learners of today are expected to project and defend the principles values that the
South African society is built on, it is imperative that these learners learn them holistically. Finally, an individual is assessed by what he /she thinks says, and does and the hands
are one of the vehicles that carries out the command of the head, if the hands fail to
respond to the ‘will’ of the head, that ‘will’ becomes of no effect. In the light of this
argument, I contend that practical work without cognitive knowledge is no knowledge
just as cognitive knowledge without practical application is absolutely no knowledge. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.
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Educators' experiences of information communications technology (ICT) policy implementation in Lesotho secondary schools : a case study of the two schools.Marumo, Florence Kolitsoe. January 2007 (has links)
This research focuses on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy
implementation at the secondary schools in Lesotho. This is a country where global
disparities between technologically well-managed skills and uses of ICT in the education
sectors are starkly evident. The researcher explores the educators’ experiences on the use
of ICT at their schools to determine how ICT is situated and contextualised in response to
the government mission of Vision 2020 that all schools will be computer literate in 2015.
A Case study using the mixed mode approach was held at the two schools with the ‘tools’
merged in the Activity Theory to frame the study to construct real social change for the
schools. To get to the insight of the schools, Semi-Structured Interviews were held
between the Principals, the Deputy Principals (DPs), the Heads of Department (HODs)
and the Subject Specialists from the core subjects i.e. English, Sesotho, Maths and
Science. The classroom observations were held with ICT Subject Specialists to observe
the application of ICT in the teaching and learning of the computer skills for
implementation of ICT. Furthermore, documentary sources of the schools were analyzed
to assess authenticity, reliability and theorization of the ICT policy implementation.
The findings of the study reported that many educators were positive that they would
implement ICT policy in the schools but lack skills in ICT literacy. In reference to the
ICT policy document as the ‘tool’ for transformation, its parts were too fragmented; ICT
services did not fit neatly into the classrooms, implementation had been a top down
process, and it needed restructuring. The study concludes that the government laid the
foundation for reform. Therefore, training for educators on ICT should be accomplished
and the ICT activities should be maintained. Mainly, being the revision of the current ICT
policy, the procurement of funds to source the ICT infrastructure and to set a transition on
ICT exploitation from Primary Schools to Secondary Schools in Lesotho. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.
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Exploring teacher approaches to teaching a selected unit of study in the natural science curriculum.Jerrier, Maanwathie. January 2009 (has links)
Research indicates that conceptual knowledge and abstract thinking was deficient in South African learners (TIMMS, 1999, 2003; Gower 2008). The general poor performance of learners in Reading, Mathematics and Science has spurred the Department of Education to conduct a campaign to boost learner performances in these learning areas. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.
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The reading experiences of grade four children.Ganasi, Romy. January 2010 (has links)
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010. / This study explores the reading experiences of grade four children from an affective perspective.
The poor state of reading in the present South African climate incites individuals to be concerned
about young children who may not acquire reasonable levels of reading proficiency for daily
living or tertiary education. The decline of reading in the home, the lack of emphasis on reading
in some schools, the decrease in children‟s motivation to read and South Africa‟s poor literacy
performance in international studies are all reasons for concern.
Literature suggests that reading comprises both a cognitive and an affective component.
Reading, in other words is not merely a mental skill, it is also influenced by emotions. Research
shows that whether the cognitive aspects of reading are achieved will be determined by a child‟s
affective disposition. In South African reading studies, a greater emphasis is placed on the
cognitive aspects of reading. Not enough voice has been given to the children to find out about
their personal feelings about reading. There are, however, international affective studies, but
they cannot be applied fully to the South Africa context. This study, therefore, attempts to fill
these gaps by focusing on the affective aspects of children‟s reading by interviewing the children
themselves.
A qualitative research design was used to explore children‟s feelings about reading. The semistructured
interview was used as the main instrument. In addition three techniques, viz. thoughtbubble
drawings, storytelling and selection of reading material (four activities, each followed by
an informal interview) were employed.
Even though each child expressed his/her emotions in a variety of ways, the analysis is presented
according to the dominant emotions as exemplified by each child. Some of the emergent
findings were that children preferred to read loudly as compared to reading silently, children
generally displayed a positive attitude toward reading and children showed an interest in reading
material that was based on popular culture.
The study concludes with recommendations for teachers and recommendations for further study.
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Investigation of the use of a learning management systems in postgraduate educational technology modules : a case study.Mafata, Mafata Paul. January 2009 (has links)
Studies (Alavi, 2000, Conole, 2004, Birch & Burnett, 2009,) reveal that technology has
been capable of enhancing teaching and learning in various contexts. It is within such a
context that this study investigated the utility of Learning Management System (LMS) in
postgraduate teaching and learning at the Faculty of Education in the South African
university. My focus was the experiences of both academic staff and postgraduate
students in relation to the learning opportunities and challenges accompanying LMS as
used as a teaching and learning platform.
This study employed a mixed methods approach (a combination of quantitative and
qualitative approaches), which was implemented in two phases, following a sequential
order (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). In phase one, a quantitative approach was employed.
This approach engaged students in completing a questionnaire that comprised of close
and open-ended questions. Furthermore, simple random sampling was applied to select
the respondents for data production in this phase.
In the second phase a qualitative approach, concerned itself with the production of in depth
data). The sub-sample of the population from the questionnaire was used in the
focus group and individual interviews with educational technology students. All those
participants whose responses spoke better to the critical questions were selected. Three
academics were selected for individual interviews. Convenience purposive sampling
(Henning, 2004) was applied for the selection of the participants in this level. Non-participatory
observation was applied for triangulation purposes.
In terms of analysis, thematic analysis was used (Aronson 1994), with charts and
statistics representing quantitative data and texts representing qualitative data. By means
of guided analysis, research findings were interpreted (Hammonds, 1976). In order to
discuss all these findings, the principle of construct-connect theory (Gagnon & Collay, 2000: Siemens: 2004) was used.
The results revealed that both selected academics and postgraduate students knew the capabilities and challenges of the LMS. The implications of these capabilities and
challenges for teaching and learning were discussed. The research concluded with a set of
recommendations to ensure, the effective use of Learning Management System to support
teaching and learning in the postgraduate sector. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.
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Does the cascade model work for teachers? : an exploration of teachers' experiences on training and development through the cascade model.Shezi, Victor Sibusiso. January 2008 (has links)
This study sought to understand what training and development the teachers experienced through
the cascade model. In asking the question, “Does the cascade model work for teachers?” I
produced data through the exploration of the experiences of teachers, whose training for the
implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System at schools was through the
cascade model. The critical questions posed in the study were, firstly, what are the building
blocks that constitute the cascade model? Secondly, how did the School Training Teams
experience their training and development on the cascade model, based on the core guiding
principles? Thirdly, what are the experiences of teachers at school level, on their training and
development by School Training Teams for the implementation of IQMS?
Using Zeichner’s paradigms of teacher development (1993) as the theoretical lens through which
to understand how training and development was experienced through the cascade model, I read
and interpreted the workings of the model in terms of the four paradigmatic positionings –
Traditional-craft, behaviorist, personalistic and inquiry oriented perspectives.
Using a descriptive qualitative approach, I accessed three high schools in the Port Shepstone
District to participate in this study. The data sources used to produce the data included the IQMS
Provincial Training Manual (used by the provincial facilitators for the training of School Training
Teams); individual semi-structured interviews of the Provincial IQMS facilitators; interviews of
the School Training Team members who were responsible for cascading IQMS to teachers at
school level, and survey questionnaires to teachers of the schools that participated in this study.
The findings of the study show that the process of teacher development through the cascade
model has not only resulted in the teachers engaging in ‘strategic simulation’ about change and
‘intensification’ of the work they do, but has to a greater extent, also led to teacher de-professionalization.
Although ‘disruption’ was unearthed in the middle tiers of the cascade, by
and large, the intent of change at both levels, bureaucratic and school, was tactical and
strategically simulated.
I conclude that the continued employment of the cascade as the model for teacher development
and training perpetuates a technicist approach of what it means to be a teacher and reduces
teachers work to a de-intellectualising practice. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
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An investigation into the implementation of the staff selection policy for school-based management posts by school governing bodies in three schools in the Umlazi district.Gcabashe, Busisiwe Patricia. January 2006 (has links)
This study is an investigation into the implementation of the staff selection policy in three schools in Umlazi district, south of Durban. The concerns expressed by educators and / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu Natal, 2006.
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The implementation of teacher support teams at schools : issues and experiences.Duncan, Garth Norval. January 2005 (has links)
Teacher Support Teams have recently been established at all schools within the
Republic of South Africa. Their success, however, has been mixed and some have
ceased to function at all. It has therefore been the purpose of this research project to
evaluate the current status of implementation at a sample of schools within one circuit
of the Ilembe district within the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education.
This study therefore reports on the degree of success experienced by schools in the
operation of Teacher Support Teams as they have grappled with the harsh realities of
the communities that they serve. Many problems and obstacles serve to impede their
progress and it is the intention of this study to learn from these experiences. In so
doing, one is in a position to provide added and valued support to such schools.
Lastly, the research aims to assess whether there are significant differences between
the experiences and the nature of interventions between primary and secondary schools.
A survey methodology was conducted that utilised a standardised questionnaire and
thereafter, a semi-structured interview. Both quantitative and qualitative data provided
an insight into the issues confronting Teacher Support Teams, and thereby allowed for
recommendations to follow that could assist in future advocacy programmes. A
critique of current theoretical frameworks is provided, followed by a more pragmatic
approach that is suggested as an alternative to better suit the context of South African schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.
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