M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Magister Educationis - MEd / The purpose of this study is to determine the nature of support services offered to Extended Curriculum Programme students in a South African university. The primary goals of support services in higher education are to support students holistically and reduce barriers to learning in the teaching and learning environment. One of the faculties in a South African university established a support unit to assist with the low throughput level. The academic support unit is housed in the Academic Development Department (ADD) in a faculty. The unit attempts to address the needs of underachieving students in the Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP). The thesis first identifies the challenges the ECP students are experiencing. Then, support services in the university and in the support unit are described. Thereafter, the challenges experienced by the centre of support services in the university and the support unit are illuminated. Qualitative data was gathered through individual interviews with senior management. Then, a focus group discussion with tutors who volunteer in a support unit was facilitated and lastly the staff members employed in the support unit were also interviewed individually. The thesis was able to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to learning the ECP students are experiencing. It became evident that the support services available in the university and the support unit are not sufficient to address the needs of the students. The challenges the support service centre of the university and the support unit are experiencing are twofold. The first is a lack of organisational resources that hinders service delivery, the second is a lack of skills and expertise in attain structures that limits the provision of support services.

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En esta tesis, se utilizan t ecnicas matem atico-epidemiol ogicas para modelar el rendimiento acad emico en Espa~na (prestando especial atenci on en el fracaso escolar) para comprender mejor los mecanismos detr as de esta importante cuesti on, as como para predecir c omo evolucionar an los resultados acad emicos en el Bachillerato espa~nol en los pr oximos a~nos. El nivel educativo de Bachillerato en Espa~na est a formado por los dos ultimos cursos antes de acceder a la universidad o al mercado de trabajo y corresponde a los estudiantes de 16 18 a~nos. Este nivel educativo es muy importante para la formaci on de los estudiantes ya que representa un periodo en el que deber an tomar importantes decisiones sobre el futuro acad emico y profesional. En primer lugar, en el Cap tulo 2, se presenta un modelo determinista donde se analiza el rendimiento acad emico asumiendo que la actitud negativa de los alumnos de Bachillerato puede ser debida a su comportamiento aut onomo y la in uencia de compa~neros con malos resultados acad emicos. Luego, en el Cap tulo 3, se mejora el modelo basado en la idea de que no s olo los malos h abitos acad emicos se transmiten socialmente sino tambi en los buenos h abitos de estudio. Adem as, descomponemos los par ametros de transmisi on de h abitos acad emicos con el n de analizar con m as detalle qu e grupos de estudiantes son m as susceptibles a ser in uenciados por compa~neros con buenos o malos h abitos acad emicos. El abandono escolar tambi en han sido incluido en este modelo. El enfoque adoptado permite proporcionar predicciones deterministas y con intervalos de con anza de la evoluci on del rendimiento escolar (incluyendo las tasas de abandono) en Bachillerato en Espa~na en los pr oximos a~nos. Este enfoque, adem as, nos permite modelar el rendimiento acad emico en otros niveles educativos del sistema acad emico espa~nol o de fuera de Espa~na tal y como se muestra en el Cap tulo 4, donde el modelo se aplica satisfactoriamente al sistema acad emico actual de la regi on alemana de Renania del Norte-Westfalia. Para concluir esta tesis, proporcionamos una estimaci on de los costes relacionados con el rendimiento acad emico espa~nol basado en nuestras predicciones. Esta estimaci on representa la inversi on en Bachillerato por parte del Gobierno espa~nol y las familias en los pr oximos a~nos, con especial atenci on en los grupos de estudiantes que no promocionan y abandonan en los diferentes cursos acad emicos. / In this dissertation, we use epidemiologic-mathematical techniques to model the academic performance in Spain (paying special attention on the academic underachievement) to understand better the mechanisms behind this important issue as well as to predict how academic results will evolve in the Spanish Bachillerato over the next few years. The Spanish Bachillerato educational level is made up of the last courses before accessing to the university or to the work market and corresponds to students of 16¿18 years old. This educational level is a milestone in the career training of students because it represents a period to make important decisions about academic and professional future. In a rst step, in the Chapter 2 we will present a deterministic model where academic performance is analyzed assuming the negative attitude of Bachillerato students may be due to their autonomous behavior and the in uence of classmates with bad academic results. Then, in the Chapter 3, the model is improved based on the idea that not only the bad academic habits are socially transmitted but also the good study habits. Besides, we decompose the transmission academic habits into good and bad academic habits, in order to analyze with more detail which group of students are more susceptible to be in uenced by good or bad academic students. The consideration of quantifying the abandon rates is also a new issue dealt with in it. The adopted approach allow to provide both punctual and con dence intervals predictions to the evolution of academic performance (including the abandon rates) in Bachillerato in Spain over the next few years. The adopted approach allows us to model academic performance in academic levels other than Bachillerato and/or beyond the Spanish academic system. This issue is assessed in Chapter 4, where the model is satisfactorily applied to the current academic system of the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia. To conclude this dissertation, we provide an estimation of the cost related to the Spanish academic underachievement based on our predictions. This estimation represents the investment in the Spanish Bachillerato from the Spanish Government and families over the next few years, paying special attention on the groups of students who do not promote and abandon during their corresponding academic year. / Sánchez Sánchez, A. (2013). Modelling the evolution dynamics of the academic performance in high school in Spain. Probabilistic predictions of future trends and their economical consequences [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/32280

Underachievement in Mathematics hangs over South African Mathematics learners like a dark cloud. TIMSS studies over the past decade have confirmed that South African learners‟ results (Grades 8 and 9 in 2011) remained at a low ebb, denying them the opportunity to compete and excel globally in the field of Mathematics. It is against this backdrop that the researcher investigated the meaningful understanding of the important yet challenging algebraic concept of Proportion. The theoretical as well as the empirical underpinnings of the fundamental idea of Proportion are highlighted. The meaningful learning of Algebra was explored and physical, effective and cognitive factors affecting meaningful learning of Algebra, views on Mathematics and learning theories were examined. The research narrowed down to the meaningful understanding of Proportion, misconceptions, and facilitation in developing Proportional reasoning. This study was embedded in an interpretive paradigm and the research design was qualitative in nature. The qualitative data was collected via task sheets and interviews. The sample informing the central phenomenon in the study consisted of a heterogeneous group of learners and comprised a kaleidoscope of nationalities, both genders, a variety of home languages, differing socio-economic statuses and varying cognitive abilities. The findings cannot be generalised. Triangulation of the literature review, the analysis of task sheets and interviews revealed that overall the participants have a meaningful understanding of the Proportion concept. However, a variety of misconceptions were observed in certain cases. Finally, recommendations are made to address the meaningful learning of Proportion and its associated misconceptions. It is hoped that teachers read and act on the recommendations as it is the powerful mind and purposeful teaching of the teacher that can make a difference in uplifting the standard of Mathematics in South African classrooms! / MEd (Mathematics Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Underachievement in Mathematics hangs over South African Mathematics learners like a dark cloud. TIMSS studies over the past decade have confirmed that South African learners‟ results (Grades 8 and 9 in 2011) remained at a low ebb, denying them the opportunity to compete and excel globally in the field of Mathematics. It is against this backdrop that the researcher investigated the meaningful understanding of the important yet challenging algebraic concept of Proportion. The theoretical as well as the empirical underpinnings of the fundamental idea of Proportion are highlighted. The meaningful learning of Algebra was explored and physical, effective and cognitive factors affecting meaningful learning of Algebra, views on Mathematics and learning theories were examined. The research narrowed down to the meaningful understanding of Proportion, misconceptions, and facilitation in developing Proportional reasoning. This study was embedded in an interpretive paradigm and the research design was qualitative in nature. The qualitative data was collected via task sheets and interviews. The sample informing the central phenomenon in the study consisted of a heterogeneous group of learners and comprised a kaleidoscope of nationalities, both genders, a variety of home languages, differing socio-economic statuses and varying cognitive abilities. The findings cannot be generalised. Triangulation of the literature review, the analysis of task sheets and interviews revealed that overall the participants have a meaningful understanding of the Proportion concept. However, a variety of misconceptions were observed in certain cases. Finally, recommendations are made to address the meaningful learning of Proportion and its associated misconceptions. It is hoped that teachers read and act on the recommendations as it is the powerful mind and purposeful teaching of the teacher that can make a difference in uplifting the standard of Mathematics in South African classrooms! / MEd (Mathematics Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The interdependent relationship which exists between personality characteristics of adolescents and their achievements in oral examinations have been investigated. The following related aspects were studied in the literature: * * * The role of oral evaluation in English. Personality characteristics which are meaningful to achievement in oral work. Ways to measure personality with special reference to the High School Personality Questionnaire. An empirical study inter alia revealed the following: {i) Low oral achievers are emotionally less stable than high achievers. (ii) Verbal intelligence, emotional instability, anxiety experience and introvertedness play an influential role in achievement in oral work. (iii) Girls tend to achieve better in oral work in the secondary school than boys. The educational implications of the investigation relate to the adequate becoming-adult of the adolescent. The role of the educand's personality in oral examinations and the need of teachers to possess more information about this matter during evaluation, have been revealed in this study. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The interdependent relationship which exists between personality characteristics of adolescents and their achievements in oral examinations have been investigated. The following related aspects were studied in the literature: * * * The role of oral evaluation in English. Personality characteristics which are meaningful to achievement in oral work. Ways to measure personality with special reference to the High School Personality Questionnaire. An empirical study inter alia revealed the following: {i) Low oral achievers are emotionally less stable than high achievers. (ii) Verbal intelligence, emotional instability, anxiety experience and introvertedness play an influential role in achievement in oral work. (iii) Girls tend to achieve better in oral work in the secondary school than boys. The educational implications of the investigation relate to the adequate becoming-adult of the adolescent. The role of the educand's personality in oral examinations and the need of teachers to possess more information about this matter during evaluation, have been revealed in this study. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

MEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies / Learning Geometry has been identified as an area of Mathematics that poses various problems for many secondary school learners’. Many learners’ fail to develop an adequate understanding of geometrical concepts and to demonstrate good reasoning and problem solving skills. Poor performance of learners’ in Euclidian Geometry has been a concern to Mathematics teachers, parents and government. The purpose of this study was to enhance learners’ performance in Euclidian Geometry as a branch of Mathematics in the FET band of secondary schools. The research question was: What factors facilitate the enhancement of learners’ performance in Euclidian Geometry in the FET band of secondary schools? The study adopted the mixed methods design. The population were all the FET band learners who chose Mathematics as a field of study at secondary schools in Nzhelele East Circuit. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who contributed to qualitative data. For quantitative data, clusters and random sampling methods were used to select learners who participated in the study. The sample consisted of 6 school principals, 6 heads of departments and 6 teachers. These groups of people participated in the interviews. Nine schools were sampled from the population and questionnaires were administered to 405 learners of which 45 were randomly selected from each school and 15 learners were randomly selected from each grade level. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and the SPSS Version 22 was employed to analyze quantitative data. The data collected revealed the causes of poor performance in Geometry at Grades 10-12. The results of this study described how learners in Grades 10-12 could improve their performance in Geometry.

The number of children living in a conflict zone in 2021 reached a staggering 449 million, which represents more than one out of every six children (Save the Children, 2022). When children are exposed to armed conflict the experiences can impair cognitive and social and emotional function. These functions can in return challenge and impair the child's learning processes. Through a comparative multiple-case study, using the lens of the Ecological Systems Theory, two humanitarian interventions; BLP in Gaza by NRC and HCT in Lebanon by IRC, the research aims at shining light on the opportunities and challenges with PSS educational interventions targeting children's trauma recovery and academic achievement. The research questions seek to create an understanding about how the interventions are designed and implemented and which strategies are the most impactful and less impactful, and lastly, what recommendations can be derived from the findings to guide similar NGOs in their design and implementation process. The main results showed that both BTP and HCT interventions effectively reduced traumatic stress and improved academic achievement among the beneficiaries. BLP demonstrated strengths in its multi-leveled design, parent involvement, and comprehensive materials for teachers. HCT demonstrated strengths in creating a supportive environment and structured teacher training but had low parent involvement. The findings emphasize the importance of a multi-leveled approach to enrich the child's social ecosystem.