An abstract is not provided. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Abstract Not Provided. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Figure 21 (Map) is located at the end of the thesis. / Abstract Not Provided. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

<Abstract Not Provided> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

N/A / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Steele, Bonis, and Scapa townships, in the District of Cochrane, Ontario, are underlain by a steeply inclined Precambrian metavolcanic-metasediment assemblage that is intruded by sills, dikes, stocks, and batholiths. The metamorphosed Bonis volcanics and Steele Lake volcanics are chiefly intermediate to basic lavas. The Scapa and Steele metasediments are composed mainly of metamorphosed greywacke, calc-silicate rocks, and iron-formation. Metamorphosed ultrabasic and basic intrusions occur in the Bonis volcanics and Scapa metasediments. The metasediments and Steele Lake volcanics show a regional metamorphic zoning relative to the Case batholith on the north margin of the area. Chlorite, biotite, garnet, and staurolite zones are distinguished over an area up to eight miles wide south of the batholith. The regional metamorphic zoning is attributed to intrusion of the Case batholith. The Bonis volcanics have been metamorphosed at their contact with the Sargeant batholith that underlies the southeast part of the area. The Bonis volcanics have acted as a "resistor" in protecting the metasediments from metamorphism by the Sargeant batholith. A narrow contact aureole occurs in the Scapa metasediments adjacent to the Scapa stock. Potash metasomatism and high water pressures have prevented the formation of alumina-rich minerals within the aureole. Diabase dikes of two ages cut all other rocks in the area. The easterly trending rocks of the metavolcanic-metasediment assemblage are locally deflected around the western end of the concordant Sargeant batholith. A spodumene-bearing pegmatite dike found in the Case batholith is of economic interest. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

Published Article / The purpose of this article is to report the findings of the study that investigated the causes of conflict in the township secondary schools – as viewed by the deputy principals. A questionnaire was developed and six deputy principals from six secondary schools of the Lejweleputswa district completed it. Data analysis was mainly qualitative, with numbers and tables used to enhance the qualitative understanding. It was found that the shortage of resources, poor communication and taking care of learners of absent teachers were the major causes of conflict in the schools surveyed. The conclusion was that conflict existed in the township secondary schools, and that the shortage of resources and teacher absenteeism played a major role in teacher conflict. It was recommended that the use of available resources be properly monitored, and that stress and conflict management sessions be introduced for teachers.

Published Article / Learner discipline is an important aspect of schooling. Historically, teachers applied a number of measures to maintain discipline, including corporal punishment. In 1996 the use of corporal punishment in South African schools was banned. However, some parents and teachers believed that the banning of corporal punishment was directly responsible for poor discipline among learners in the township schools. The purpose of this article was to investigate this perception, as well as to investigate what teachers were doing to address disciplinary problems among learners. A questionnaire was developed, and distributed among 20 teachers from primary schools in the Matjhabeng Municipality (16 teachers responded). The data collected was quantitatively analysed. It was found that although cases of learner mischief were still experienced in the primary schools, the level of discipline has not increased disproportionately after the banning of corporal punishment; the majority of learners behaved fairly well. However, some teachers were found to use harsh measures of disciplining learners, including corporal punishment. The involvement of parents in learner discipline was not preferred by many teachers. To help teachers to effectively handle discipline, the Ministry of Education has to find ways of training teachers in democracy, stress management and conflict management.

Published Article / In South Africa a high premium should be placed on the value of effective education and training to achieve an array of economic and social objectives. The development of a strong and functional education system is closely linked with the quality of teaching and learning taking place at schools. In this regard, the nagging shortage of skilled educators underscores the importance of effective training of student teachers to address the shortages and ultimately contribute to the establishment of a competitive and sustainable education system. The present article examines the effectiveness of mentoring and teaching practice experiences of student teachers at a South African university who completed their practical training at township schools. These schools are typically under-resourced, overcrowded and situated in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Not only are many of these schools' teachers under-qualified, but the schools also experience acute shortages of teachers in scarce subjects. An empirical study was conducted that targeted all final-year education students who had completed their teaching practice at 34 township schools. The empirical findings provide food for thought as to the success of mentoring in these schools. While 16 aspects of mentoring rendered a positive result ranging from 'positive' to 'strongly positive', seven aspects of mentoring were regarded as 'mildly adequate' and five skills were evaluated as between 'below adequate' to 'inadequate'. Even though the findings of this study cannot be generalised to mentoring at all township schools, some noteworthy trends were identified.

Most South African township science teachers’ subject matter knowledge is not sufficient when compared to their counterparts in well developed countries. This disadvantages many Physical Science learners because teachers find it difficult to use their subject matter knowledge flexibly so that learners can understand basic concepts within the learning area. Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is a term used to label the knowledge that is used by teachers to make learning concepts easier. This study sought to investigate teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of the mole in two high school township schools of teachers in Gauteng. This was done by interviewing two high school teachers in Katlehong, a township south of Gauteng near Johannesburg, and observing their classroom practice and thus analyzing the role played by their content knowledge in developing their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The teachers were also exposed to a three hour workshop in conceptual approaches to teaching the mole. The study drew on the literature on PCK which helped to (1) analyse the responses obtained from the teachers, and (2) develop Professional and Pedagogical Representations (PaPe-Rs) and Content Representation (CoRe) of the two teachers who participated in the study. The CoRe is about representing the educators’ understanding of PCK, namely, the different aspects that educators consider when preparing and presenting a particular content in their field of teaching, whilst PaPeRs are like a window into a teaching and learning situation wherein it is the content iii that shapes the pedagogy. This was achieved by employing a case study approach. Findings in this study indicate that both teachers preferred to use prescribed and study manuals that are examination orientated which promote algorithmic approach; both teachers’ subject knowledge of the mole was insufficient and described the mole as a number; that they preferred methods that promote memorization of definition and to use algorithmic rather than conceptual approach when teaching the mole. Some traces of elements of PCK could be identified although not well developed. One of teachers attempted to teach for conceptual understanding, a strategy that was suggested in a workshop, but was unable to link it to algorithmic approach, an approach that she was comfortable to use. The findings of this study imply that algorithmic approaches to the teaching of chemistry abound in South African schools. There is a need to move from algorithmic to conceptual approach. However, moves to conceptual approaches will involve far more than short presentation of packages using conceptual approaches. Teachers need to come to understand the importance of conceptual approaches to a meaningful understanding of chemistry and this can be achieved by long term exposure of teachers to such practices.