The exploratory study examines how different stakeholders, namely the authority, teachers and students, understand values education in Liberal Studies as a core subject in Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination. Qualitative research method is mainly employed to collect data from the stakeholders. A number of issues are discussed, like the subjectivity and types of values, ways of studying values, the importance of values education in the subject, the effectiveness of learning activities and assessment. It has been found that the linear mode of authority-teacher communication and teacher-student communication have an impact on the practical implementation of values education in the subject. Time constraints, the dominant influence of the media and the misconception that values are unimportant in the public examination are perceived as major difficulties of implementing values education. The negative orientation of using multiple perspectives, the low profile of values in examinations, stakeholders’ depreciation of values and indoctrination agenda greatly undermine the credibility of the public examination. Moreover, the design of the marking scheme cultivates negative meta-values. To boost the public acceptance of the subject, suggestions have been made on how stakeholders should communicate better with one another and how assessments should be adapted so as to allay the public’s fear of unfairness. The authority should convey to stakeholders in specific terms that values education is an integral component in the curriculum. A comprehensive list of various kinds of values should be published for stakeholders to conduct holistic values review. The marking scheme should be designed after a markers’ meeting in such a way that it consists of clear guidelines and yet nonrestrictive content. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study set out to investigate the role of values in educational leadership. The renewed interest in values in both educational and corporate environments in South Africa places new pressures on members in leadership positions especially in school life. Schools are described as the ‘nurseries’ of values. The understanding of the abstract nature of values, as well as instrumentalising and implementing values in vision statements and organisational life, poses challenges to present and future school leaders. This study, based in the interpretive paradigm, is an in-depth investigation into the role of values at a former model C primary school in the Eastern Cape. Through the use of observations, document analysis, focus groups and interviews as data collection tools, this research highlights the importance of values in school leadership and how this impacts the life of the school leader. This case-study research combines theoretical and contextual frameworks to question the nature of values in leadership and uses the real-life experiences of these school leaders to resonate with current understandings of values in leadership and organisational culture. The importance of understanding these complexities in the lives and experiences of these school leaders cannot be underestimated. My findings highlight the tensions between leading successful schools (task/person efficiency) and remaining congruent with the need for leadership for social justice in post-apartheid educational institutions. The uniqueness of the school environment (‘families’ and ‘communities’) is also featured and resonates with previous literature. Through the lens of emerging leadership trends, we discover these school leaders’ understandings of values in their daily lives: they do what they are and this is reflected in this school’s unique organisational culture, which could be said to ‘transcend’ present leaders’ influence. Finally I propose that further research is necessary in order to broaden our understanding of the unique role of values in educational leadership in South Africa.

One of the organizational change technologies developed in response to the inherent weaknesses of the scientific and classical management theories is organization development (0D). The theories grew out of research experiments in change and training in intergroup relations conducted by Kurt Lewin in 1946 in the United States of America. They have been further developed by other researchers and applied to organizations since then, and to educational organizations since the 1960s. This study was carried out in the light of what some of the 0D esearchers and consultants observed, namely, that 0D interventions tend to be less successful in organizations outside the USA, especially in developing countries. They attributed the lack of success of the interventions to the nature of 0D theories, the skills, attitudes and behaviour of OD consultants, the nature of organizations and, especially, culture. Some of the OD consultants said the culture of the people in developing countries is unreceptive to the values which underpin OD theories. I carried out this study to investigate the work-related values of managers in an educational organization in Malawi, and assess the implications of their values for OD interventions. I used a qualitative case study method and the interview technique to gather data for the study. I also used observation and document analysis techniques to supplement the interview technique. The results of the study indicate that most of the work-related values of the managers closely match the values of OD theories. The findings contradict what some of the OD researchers and consultants said about the culture of the people in developing countries. Hence, OD consultants need to investigate the work-related values of the gatekeepers of cli nt organizations and design and implement OD interventions that fit the interests of the gatekeepers.

The question of morality related to adolescents now seems to be a thorny issue which gets into those in authority in South Africa. So far, nobody denies that the moral fibre in live of people is deteriorating at all age levels. The adolescents are probably most vulnerable. Various research projects, obviously have been conducted in relation to morality, however, serious problems are still experienced with regard to the perception of morality by adolescents. Consequently, the aim of this research is to explore and describe how adolescents perceive morality, and to draw guidelines which will be used by educators to assist adolescents in their moral development. This research can therefore contribute in helping the adolescents acquire the knowledge of factors that affect their perception of morality. This will help them not to be a menace to society. An explorative, descriptive, contextual and qualitative design was followed to conduct this research. A purposive sample was used and the young people had to satisfy specific criteria pertaining to being adolescents. Focus group interviews were conducted. Adolescents between fourteen and eighteen years of age participated. After the interviews had been recorded on audiotape and were transcribed, Tech’s method of data analysis was followed to analyze the data and ensure that trustworthiness is maintained. The results brought the following themes to light: • Expression of adolescents’ perception of morality • Morality versus immorality • Crime • Parents identified as neglecting and abusive • Adolescents expressed concern that their parents’ perception of certain aspects of life is not acceptable. It is evident that the conduct of adolescents is determined their perceptions of morality. As a result it is hoped that if due acknowledgement is made that educators and parents need to give proper guidance to adolescents about moral principles, harmonious interaction will prevail in both the home and the school. / Prof. C.P.H Myburgh

D.Ed. / The heart of democracy, as reflected in the Constitution of South-Africa, announced in 1996, is the acknowledgement of human dignity. As result of the Constitution, the National Schools Act was also announced in 1996. The focus of this act is also to promote human rights by eliminating any form of discrimination. The rejection of discrimination and acknowledgement of human dignity implies that all humans are respectable. Respect is one of the cornerstones of ethical norms and therefor all human beings should, as from early childhood, be encouraged to obey this norm. The National Schools Act makes it very clear that education is considered to be the most important factor in reaching this goal (Potgieter, et.al ., 1997:6&7). In a guiding document for the incorporation of alternative discipline (Department of Education, 2001:9) the statement is made that positive discipline is the focus of the Schools Act's code of conduct. This "positives discipline" implies that teacher will commit themselves to the facilitation of the values and attitudes of peace, tolerance, respect, dignity and human rights. General discipline-problems and the increasing rate of crimes committed by youth is probably caused by increasing moral decline. The most important area of deficiency in universal communities is the value which people attach to the norm of respect (Lickona, 1991:43). There are several possible causes for the lacking value systems of young people, but the most important are possibly the secular attitude and dualism of roll models and educators (Curtin, 2000:7). Because narrative writers usually focus on problems resulting from community aspects, their creative products offer a unique source in the facilitation of ethical values (Kearny, 2002:6). Readers can identify with characters of the narrative text. During this "identifying"-process readers are led unconsciously into a situation of rethinking the underlying values which the narrative characters attach to norms — which come to light through the choices of action made by the characters. This rethinking of the actions of the narrative characters results in sensitising the values which the readers themselves attach to the related norm. The aim of this research was to design, implement and evaluate a psychoeducational learning program in the learning area Language, Literacy and Communication for learners in secondary schools (adolescents). The aim of the program was to determine to what extend the value, which named learners do attach to the ethical norm, respect, will be influenced when focussing on the use of narratives. The possible results that the influencing of their values would have on their mental health, was also investigated. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used for this study. A situation-analyses was done through literature study after which a program was designed and implemented. The aim of this program was the facilitating of respect as ethical value by using stories. After the implementation of the program the participants wrote naïve sketches and focus group interviews was done six months later involving selected participants from the original group. The selected data was coded — with help of a independent coder — and analysed according to the open coding method of Tesch. Analysis of the data proved that the program that was designed, implemented and evaluated in this study was effective in facilitating ethical values to adolescents. The initial research aim was met as such. A meaningful contribution of this thesis is the description of a conceptual framework for the facilitating of ethical values to adolescents.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education