Despite educational legislation and school reforms to promote improved performance and quality education, underperformance among secondary school learners is still the norm in the rural schools of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This dissertation investigates the problem of learner underachievement by means of a literature study and an empirical inquiry. The former provides an overview of the provisions for and problems of rural schooling in both an international and local context and it is followed by a discussion of learner assessment and learner achievement in the South African education system, with specific reference to KZN's schooling system and the problem of learner underachievement. The empirical inquiry investigates the experience of learner achievement in four rural schools in KZN and makes use of qualitative data gathered during individual and focus group interviews conducted with a small sample of underachieving learners and their parents, educators and school managers. Based on these findings, recommendations for improvement are made. / Comparative Education / M.A. (Comparative Education)

A literature and an empirical study were undertaken to investigate home factors affecting the academic performance of a group of learners in three primary schools in the Brits district. From the literature it became evident that the early years of an individual's life are critical for development, especially cognitive development. Parents, as a child's primary educators have an important role to play in their child's cognitive development. By establishing a challenging and stimulating environment in which the child is exposed to a variety of experiences, the parents can enhance their child's cognitive development and by implication his/her later academic performance. Various other factors such as parental involvement, expectations, parenting style and home background were found to affect a child's academic performance. In the empirical study a group of academic achievers and underachievers were compared with regards to early cognitive stimulation received, degree of parental involvement and the quality of their homes. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om die ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke oorsake van leermislukking met spesifieke verwysing na skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied te bepaal en om aanbevelings te doen hoe om leermislukking teen te werk. Leermislukking en druiping is onrusbarend hoog in skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied. Nadat die Ministerie van Onderwys die semi-outomatiese promoveringstelsel ingestel het, het druiping afgeneem maar leermislukking het toegeneem omdat leerders gepromoveer word sander dat hulle sukses in die vorige graad behaal het. Volgens die literatuurstudie lê die oorsake van leermislukking by die ouerhuis, die skool, die omgewing en in die leerder self. Die empiriese ondersoek toon ooreenkomste met die literatuurstudie wat betref die oorsake van leermislukking. Om die oorsake teen te werk • moet onderwysers beter opgelei word • moet die ouers meer bewus gemaak word van hulle rot in die leersukses van hulle kinders. • is meer skoolgeboue en onderwysers nodig om kleiner klasse te bewerkstellig. / The purpose of this research is to establish the extrinsic and intrinsic causes of learning failure with specific reference to schools in the Windhoek municipal area and to make recommendations to counteract learning failure. Learning failure and grade failing are disconcertingly high in schools in the Windhoek municipal area. After the Ministry of Education implemented the semi-automatic promotion system, grade failing decreased, but learning failure increased because learners are promoted without achieving success in a prior grade. According to the literature study, the causes of learning failure are to be found in the home, the school, the environment, and the learner. Similarities regarding the causes of learning failure were found in the empirical investigation and the literature study. To counteract these causes • teachers should be better trained • parents should become more aware of their role in the learning success of their children • more school buildings and teachers are needed to limit class sizes. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Spesiale Behoeftes Onderwys)

This study was undertaken to determine whether a disrupted family life and school climate has an impact on the self-concept of the adolescent. This problem was tackled and investigated from different angles : factors within the home, factors outside the home, intrapsychic factors, interpersonal factors and school factors. An analysis of the above factors and their impact on the self-concept of the adolescent was done by means of measuring instruments in the form of a questionnaire. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more positive the family and school climate, the more positive the academic, social and emotional self-concept of the adolescent. The educational implications of the findings of the literature and the empirical study are discussed to assist teachers and parents to identify and eliminate factors that cause adolescents from disrupted families to underachieve and have negative self-concepts. / M.Ed. (Socio Education)

本研究旨在探究以可解碼英文故事書(decodable storybook)為主的英語教學，對低年級英語低成就學童的影響，特別是在此補救教學方案下，學童早期英語閱讀能力及學習態度之改變及表現，並探討造成其改變的可能原因。本研究分兩階段進行，第一階段先進行小規模的預試研究作為正式研究之準備，目的在測試選用的英語可解碼故事書做為教材是否適切、教學活動是否可行，並根據初探結果規劃正式研究。第二階段的正式研究，根據第一階段的結果改良部分測驗、增加閱讀讀本、以及增加教師訪談等質性資料，以期進一步探討此補救教學方案對於學童早期閱讀能力及學習態度的影響。 在正式研究中，研究對象為台北市某國小英語攜手班(補救教學班)之五名二年級學習低成就學童（學業表現為後15%至20%）。研究者選擇Scholastic Company所出版的某系列分級可解碼英語故事書之第一套部分冊數作為讀本，搭配由整體到細部的架構理念設計課程，發展出適合本校學童的補救教學方案，將字母拼讀技巧訓練融入自然有趣的閱讀情境中。 本研究為行動研究，透過以質性為主的資料蒐集法，包含課室錄影錄音觀察、訪談、多方文件彙集及前後測評量，來進行研究結果之分析詮釋。學童每週均接受一次教學(每次三節課，共120分鐘)，共持續十六週。經過一學期補救教學後，對照學童前後測評量及各種質性資料分析，發現學童在字母認讀、單字辨識、單字拼讀及學習態度上均有正向改變。本研究也發現，使用可解碼故事書的內容來設計閱讀及自然發音教學活動，的確有助於低成就學童早期閱讀能力及內在動機之提升。本研究之結果及教學建議可供未來國小補救教學之參考。 / The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of decodable storybook instruction on the early reading performances and learning attitudes of Taiwanese EFL lower-grade underachievers in an elementary school in Taipei. An attempt is also made to explore the possible reasons for any improvement among the underachievers’ with respect to this remedial program. The present study was conducted in two stages. A small-scale pilot study was implemented as a preparation for the formal study in advance. The purpose of the pilot study was to investigate if the reading text of the selected storybook series is appropriate for underachievers, the feasibility of the decodable storybook instruction and the effects of the instruction on learners’ early reading ability and learning attitudes. Afterwards, the formal study was revised in modifying some test words as well as the scoring procedure on the early reading assessments, adding more reading materials and qualitative data sources such as teacher interviews. In the formal study, the participants are one remedial English class of five second graders (whose academic performances were at the bottom 15% to 20% of the grade). The curriculum was based on the contents of a commercial series of decodable story books—Clifford Phonics Fun Reading Program—pack one. The researcher adopted the framework of whole-to-parts phonics instruction to integrate reading activities and phonics training in an interesting and meaningful reading context. A variety of reading activities integrating four skills were designed and based on the content and topic of the storybooks to rouse learners’ interest. Decodable CVC words embedded in the story series were then explicitly taught to learners to apply letter-sound knowledge in their reading process. This study triangulates action research with qualitative data using classroom observations (video or taping), interviews, assessment records, and document analysis. Data analysis interprets the study results. After the sixteen weeks of remedial instruction, a comparison between the results of pre-tests and post-tests showed some changes in learners’ early reading ability, including letter-sound recognition, word recognition and visual blending, as well as a positive change in learning attitudes. The other findings were as follows. (1) Multiple teaching activities generated from the decodable story book can be beneficial to learners’ early reading ability and learning motivation. (2) The decodable story book is an effective language learning medium for learners to apply their decoding skills as well as to provide them with an interesting reading context to lower their anxiety in learning English. Based on the findings, a number of suggestions and pedagogical implications are provided for EFL elementary school teachers and further studies in the remedial instruction field alike.

This study was undertaken to determine whether a disrupted family life and school climate has an impact on the self-concept of the adolescent. This problem was tackled and investigated from different angles : factors within the home, factors outside the home, intrapsychic factors, interpersonal factors and school factors. An analysis of the above factors and their impact on the self-concept of the adolescent was done by means of measuring instruments in the form of a questionnaire. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more positive the family and school climate, the more positive the academic, social and emotional self-concept of the adolescent. The educational implications of the findings of the literature and the empirical study are discussed to assist teachers and parents to identify and eliminate factors that cause adolescents from disrupted families to underachieve and have negative self-concepts. / M.Ed. (Socio Education)

The study focused on the challenges of teaching at-risk learners at secondary schools. A qualitative investigation based on interviewing and observation was conducted with sixteen teachers teaching at-risk learners. Findings revealed that pre-service teacher training does not prepare teachers adequately to teach learners at risk constructively. Findings also revealed that at-risk learners have no control over themselves due to lack of parental support as parents show no commitment and support for their children’s education. Interventions to counter challenges with teaching at-risk learners relate to applicable preservice teacher training to engage with at-risk learners constructively and continuous in-service teacher training as professional development to empower teachers to engage with at-risk learners appropriately. At-risk learners must value second-chance education opportunities with schools ensuring that a supportive school culture prevails. The study contributes to the discourse on effective teaching practices to support at-risk learners for acceptable academic attainment. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)