Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1981.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a distance education programme and materials called 'Into Science', designed by the Open University in the United Kingdom. The perceptions of selected KwaZulu-Natal college students taking the course were used for this evaluation. The trialling took place in three KwaZulu-Natal colleges of education from February to June 1997. 120 students were involved, mostly year 3 primary teacher diploma students. Students' and lecturers' views were obtained through the use of oPen-ended questionnaires, 5 point Likert type questionnaires, focus group interviews, individual interviews with lecturers/tutors and participant observation during the tutorial sessions. The results show that 'Into Science' materials can be used for South African students, but with some recommended modifications. The language used in 'Into Science' was not a problem for most of the students who took part in the trialling; students' reactions to the materials and course were very positive; their confidence in handling the subject matter increased markedly; most students did not read everything contained in the study materials in the time specified; students did not say that their learning styles changed as a result ofusing these materials; students placed a low value on the practicals; the earth sciences is not recognised as one of the fields in science; lecturers had low expectations of their students; and finally, students and tutors or course providers will need extensive support in a variety of ways in order for the course to run successfully and to achieve desired outcomes in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

This study analyses students' use of formative feedback through a case study of a foundation-type academic literacy module at the University of Zululand. The research paradigm incorporates both a critical and a constructivist perspective, and a qualitative approach. The data collected were transcripts of interviews conducted with students towards the end of the third term, 2004, for the module. During the interviews the students described how they used respondent feedback on short, draft pieces of writing. They referred to their portfolio of writing which was with them. Students write short pieces, or end notes, after each lecture in order to show their understanding of academic concepts based on the content of Political Philosophy; they must rewrite after carefully noting respondents' comments on their work; and they, with tutor supervision, write group end notes for responders. The meta-level understanding underpinning the modules is an academic literacies approach. The transcripts were analysed using discourse analysis. Findings are that the students interviewed tend to use the feedback as if they are corrections, rather than what the feedback ideally aims at, which is by a writing dialogue, to help students to develop students' awareness of the discipline's conventions for academic writing, together and through construction of coherent meaning in their writing. The students' interpretive framing of their use of the respondent ii feedback are perhaps aligned with dominant institutional practices which tend to understand apparent student problems in learning in the university in terms of problems with student language, where language merely carries meaning, rather than being integral to the construction of meaning. The variable quality of the respondent feedback for the students interviewed also suggests some responders might also understand student writing in terms of problems in language as separate from construction of meaning. The implications of this study are to encourage an institutional understanding of the importance of using formative feedback to assist student access to the university and to success. Further, it challenges the dominant institutional and wider understanding of student difficulty as primarily stemming from lack of language proficiency. Finally, it recognizes the complexities of student selfreflexive understanding of the role of using formative feedback in their writing. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Most universities are incorporating elements of Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN) into their traditional classrooms. However, it is not known how well learners who are used to traditional face-to-face learning environments and who do not necessarily prefer ALN adapt when placed in such environments. This study was initiated to investigate the use of ALN with university students from traditional face-to-face classrooms. Second year Computer Science Education students from the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Education participated in a constructivist on-line learning environment (mixed mode of delivery). The aim of creating this constructivist learning environment using a mixed mode of delivery was to firstly create an environment for students where they can construct knowledge for themselves as well as to provide access to scholarly resources; provide access to data during student's time; promote self directed learning; enable active engagement with course content; facilitate communication with students; and to provide to some extent a way of accommodating different learning styles. A qualitative study was done on the attitudes of students to a constructivist online learning mode as compared to a total face-to-face (traditional) mode of instruction. Part of a second year module, Data Communication, was offered as an on-line module to students. The process began with converting the existing course to a mixed mode delivery form. Conversion required a re-think of the learning activities and objectives within the context of an electronic asynchronous learning environment, as well as the options and resources available, the limitations, a redesign taking note of how to meet the instructional objectives and how to assess learning. The on-line module was developed using WebCT (WebCT Inc.). The module ran for three weeks and thereafter Q-methodology and qualitative data analysis techniques (questionnaires) were used to analyse response of students to the course. The hypotheses tested where: Mastery of course material in the virtual classroom (VC) will be equal or superior to that in the traditional classroom (TC) and VC students will report higher subjective satisfaction with VC than the TC under a number of dimensions, including improved overall quality, better use of time and assessing the experience as being better in some way as when compared to TC. In addition students were able to compare this type of course delivery to total face-to-face course delivery that they took in the first semester. The results showed a positive trend towards the acceptance of a constructivist on-line environment for learning. All students involved in the mixed mode said that it was the mode of delivery that enabled them to benefit from this course, they had more contact with the lecturer and they were motivated to work. Most students felt that the efficiency and quality of education had improved. These results prove that the hypotheses were not refuted and therefore give grounds to my vision of offering existing courses in a constructivist way. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

This study evaluates beginner readers on three aspects of metalinguistic awareness as measured by Metalinguistic Awareness Interview Schedule (Dreher & Zenge, 1990), the understanding of reading as a meaning-gathering process; the ability to isolate language segments (sentences, words and letters); knowledge of terms used in reading instruction, as well as some basic concepts about print, as measured by the adapted Concepts About Print test (Clay, 1979). Individual interviews were conducted with a socioculturally diverse group of first grade pupils attending two schools on the Upper South Coast of KwaZulu Natal. Whilst considering the performance of the group as a whole, attention was also given to the three different language culture subgroups, and to second language learners who represented 40% of the sample. Consistent with earlier research carried out in other countries the results of this study confirmed that many of these beginner readers had only demonstrated a partial acquisition of metalinguistic abilities and a limited understanding of concepts about print as assessed by the two measurements. These confusions were described and their implications for teaching practice discussed. At the end of the subjects' grade one year a follow-up procedure was conducted to examine academic achievement in various aspects of English, and in Mathematics. In addition, readiness for grade two was also considered. These results indicated that much of the earlier confusion as demonstrated on the two measurement instruments had been resolved through instruction and mediation in the classroom. The implications of the findings, the limitations of the study and some suggestions for further research are discussed. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

A common feature of colleges of education in Transkei in the early nineties was the crisis during the admissions period. This study investigated the extent to which factors such as nepotism, political interference, ethnicity and others affected admissions to colleges of education in Transkei in 1995. Random samples of student-teachers, lecturers, rectors and community members of selected colleges of education were drawn from target populations of all Course I student-teachers, all lecturers of 14 colleges, all rectors of colleges of education, and communities of all 14 colleges of education in Transkei. Thus, samples of 313 student teachers, 100 lecturers, 35 members of community and all seven rectors of colleges were studied. Both quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used to collect data. In this study questionnaires were used to collect information from student teachers and lecturers, interviews were conducted with rectors and community members to obtain the necessary data. Data analysis, using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) computer package revealed the following: 1. It was found that contradictions and ambiguities existed in the admission guidelines and procedures. It was also discovered that there were discrepancies between guidelines and practices in admission to colleges of education. These could be avoided if all stakeholders were involved in policy formulation thereby ensuring that no one member could be accused for admission problems. 2. The applicants and communities perceived that the right to demand access to colleges of education also contributed to the problem of admissions. 3. It was found that the automatic bursary allocation to student teachers greatly contributed to the admission crisis. 4. Factors such as nepotism, ethnicity and bribery also contributed to the crisis. 5. Other findings related to the perception that teaching was an easier option than other careers, and this also contributed to the crisis. 6. A surprising finding was that respondents did not perceive political influence to have significantly affected the admission procedures in colleges of education in Transkei. From the findings, a conclusion was drawn that the problems of admissions and registration in colleges of education were aggravated by the contradictory policies of the Affiliated Colleges Board (ACB) and the Department malpractices by college authorities, and by community pressure. Thus, the major stakeholders in the colleges, namely, rectors, lecturers and prospective student-teachers were to blame for the crisis. Based on the above conclusion, recommendations were given as follows : 1. Community members, student-teachers, lecturers and rectors should be involved in policy formulation concerning admissions. 2. The autonomy for colleges of education can be the aim so as to avoid dual control on crucial matters of college governance, such as student admission and registration. 3. Admission requirements should be upgraded to ensure that only adequately qualified candidates apply for admission. 4. Central admission be utilised in order to minimize corruption in the students' admission and registration processes. 5. In view of the finding that availability of funding through the bursary scheme influenced potential trainees to seek admission to colleges of education, the bursary system, as was in force in 1995, be phased out in favour of a loan scheme. The rationale for this being that only candidates who have an interest in a teaching career would apply for admission. 6. A recommendation for further research is that a similar study should be conducted in other parts of South Africa in order to determine how other colleges conducted their admissions and avoided the problems identified in this study. / Thesis (M.Ed) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

The main focus of this research study was to assess changes that occurred in the self concept of female adolescents undergoing an interpersonal skills training course that was incorporated into a peer counselling pre-selection training programme. Secondary aims were formulated, on the basis that the course would form an integral part of the existing peer counselling programme, to increase the effectiveness of the existing programme and improve perceptions of counselling and guidance in the school environment. A careful investigation was made of various measures of the self concept, and their usage within the South African context. It was decided to use the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS). Use was also made of a questionnaire, consisting of both closed-ended and open-ended questions to substantiate and augment findings established by the TSCS. The actual programme, which formed the basis of this research, took place during the second school term, after school hours. The setting of the research in the school environment, as part of an existing school programme was seen as being advantageous. Problems attached to sustaining such a programme in a natural setting were carefully assessed and considered. A comparison group was established at a similar school in a neighbouring city, to try to establish levels of validity. Because an important aspect of this programme was the active involvement of learners in the school environment, learners who were already peer counsellors were involved in the running of the course. The actual programme was based on the concepts established by Rogers and developed by researchers such as Purkey and Novak. Consideration was given to theoretical aspects applicable to adolescents in the study of the self concept. The results of the TSCS and the questionnaire were analysed and changes to the self concept of the experimental and comparison groups were considered. Positive gains in the self concept of the experimental group were noted. However, caution was expressed in the interpretation of this information due to the difficulties inherent in defining the self concept and in controlling other variables which may have be influential. An important aspect of this study is the democratic nature inherent to the peer counselling model. This aspect resulted in specific consideration being given to the role of the educator in organising a peer counselling programme. The researcher considered this of significance in the light of education in an emergent democracy, such as that of South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

This study had two specific aims: Firstly, to determine whether or not, within a given group of subjects in a school in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the mediation offered during an application of Feuerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD) in a group-administration format would result in modified cognition, demonstrated by improved performance in post-mediation testing; and secondly, to determine whether in the same group of subjects, the group-administration format of the LPAD would detect differences in the degree of cognitive modifiability of individuals. Feuerstein's LPAD follows a pretest - mediation - post-test procedure in which, by comparing pretest performance with post-test performance, the effects of the mediation, and hence the degree of cognitive modifiability of the individuals concerned, are determined. The present study operationalised Feuerstein's concept of Mediated Learning Experience (Feuerstein, 1979; 1980) and Vygotsky's concepts of mediation and internalisation (Vygotsky, 1978; Wertsch, 1985) by making use of Tharp and Gallimore's means of assistance within the zone of proximal development (Tharp and Gallimore, 1988). The pretest phase of the three selected instruments (Numerical Progressions, Organizer and Complex Figure Drawing Test), was administered to a group of twenty one black, female, high-school pupils. On the basis of their performance, the subjects were divided into matched experimental and control groups. In a second session, two weeks later, the experimental group received mediation in the cognitive operations and functions required by the instruments. Immediately following this, the post-test phase was administered to both groups. The scores of the subjects in each group were analysed: the scores of the experimental group as a whole were compared-to the scores of the control group, and the pretest scores of each subject were compared to her post-test scores in each instrument. In Numerical Progressions and Organizer, a significant increase in the post-mediation scores of the experimental group was observed, while the scores of the control group remained approximately at pre-mediation levels. The results of the Complex Figure Drawing Test did not follow the same pattern, however, due to difficulties inherent in both the instrument itself and the process of mediation. An analysis of the post-test scores of individual subjects in the experimental group revealed that some improved significantly, some a little, and some even performed less well on the post-test than on the pretest. It was postulated that this variability in post-test scores was an indication of the various degrees of modifiability of the subjects concerned, demonstrating the ability of these instruments, even in a group administration format, to begin to identify levels in the cognitive modifiability of individuals. The items in Numerical Progressions and Organizer were also categorised according to their levels of difficulty. An examination of the performance of subjects at the various levels gave further evidence of both the efficacy of the mediation and the degrees of cognitive modifiability of individuals. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

The purpose of this research study was to establish the perceptions of economics teaching of two teachers of economics who were functioning in two contrasting contexts. The intention was to examine their practice and to ascertain the extent to which the relationship between their beliefs and their practice was constrained or facilitated by the context in which they taught. The study made use of interviews and classroom observations to address these issues. The research confirmed that there was a disjunction between the teachers' theories of economics teaching and their actual practice and that their practice was mediated by the context in which they functioned. Both teachers shared very similar epistemologies. They concurred on assessment techniques and teaching methodology in economics. They also agreed that the goal of economics teaching was to engender a love of the subject. However, the vastly different contexts in which they taught spawned unique coping strategies to deal with their peculiar teaching environments. The 'macro' c~nstraints which they faced emanated from external institutions that imposed overt and hidden rules and expectations upon them. Internal constraints were derived from the peculiar context of each school. The study revealed that the teacher operating in the more repressive context displayed a greater degree of dissonance between beliefs and practice as compared to the teacher in the more favourable context. The teacher in the favourable context was better able to implement her beliefs about economics teaching. However, she was faced with new challenges created by the information explosion as a result of the school's access to the Internet. Though the nature of the discipline urges a problem-solving approach to economics teaching and even though both teachers concurred with this view, the constraints of the context were compelling factors that hindered teachers' educational ideals. Of note , was the fact that the more repressive the context, the greater were the constraints facing the teacher, and the more complex were the strategies employed by the teacher in order to cope. The more complex the coping strategy, the greater was the disjunction between teachers' theories about economics teaching and their practice. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

This study investigated, in a small-scale, the extent to which the skill of mind-mapping improves conceptual learning in history in Standard eight. The study was carried out using two Standard eight classes. Each class had approximately 30 pupils. One group (8C) formed the experimental group while another (8D) formed the control group. The lesson planning and structure for the experimental group was carried out using Vygotsky's mediational teaching methodology. The design and construction of the pre-and post tests corresponded with each other with regard to the type of questions asked. Questions were designed to test the learner's ability to interpret and use mind maps as learning aids and the ability to recall with understanding. During the period between testing the groups received different types of intervention. The control group, 8D, received "normal" instruction (le. that which they usually received in their History lessons). This instruction consisted of eighteen lessons and the French revolution was the principal topic from which other topics were taken. This instruction was both teacher -centred and textbook-centred. The learners' participation was limited to answering of questions. Intervention in the experimental group ,8C, involved teaching in the normal way and also modelling how to interpret and use mind maps on simple non history at the beginning. Learners were given the opportunity to practice how to interpret and use mind maps as learning aids under controlled guidance until they were able to operate in an autonomous way. The same procedure was used to teach simple and complex history content. The tests results were analysed quantitatively and statistically. The results obtained supported the hypothesis that conceptual learning in History can be greatly improved through the use of the skill of mind mapping. The study ends by suggesting some recommendations for further research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.