<p>A qualitative research design in the form of a case study was employed. A quantitative method was also utilized in the form of a short questionnaire for demographic purposes in order to provide a general description of the sample. A purposive sample of 10 parenting learners, and two teachers was selected. The study was conducted in a Senior Secondary School that is located in Khayelitsha, a historically disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. Semi structured interviews of approximately ninety minutes each were conducted and audio taped. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the audio taped data from the transcribed interviews. The key findings from this research illustrate that there is a misunderstanding and miscommunication between teachers and learners about learner pregnancy. Pregnant learners hide pregnancy from the teachers to avoid comments and from being expelled from the school and consequently do not get any support from the school. On the other hand, the findings indicate that if the teachers were aware of their pregnancy and trained to deal with learner pregnancy, these learners would be supported by the school. Some of the recommendations were to develop the capacity of the teachers so that the school is able to provide an adolescent-professional-friendly service. A safe non-judgmental environment is required so that the learner is able to disclose her pregnancy status as early as possible to ensure that they receive the necessary support.</p>

<p>A qualitative research design in the form of a case study was employed. A quantitative method was also utilized in the form of a short questionnaire for demographic purposes in order to provide a general description of the sample. A purposive sample of 10 parenting learners, and two teachers was selected. The study was conducted in a Senior Secondary School that is located in Khayelitsha, a historically disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. Semi structured interviews of approximately ninety minutes each were conducted and audio taped. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the audio taped data from the transcribed interviews. The key findings from this research illustrate that there is a misunderstanding and miscommunication between teachers and learners about learner pregnancy. Pregnant learners hide pregnancy from the teachers to avoid comments and from being expelled from the school and consequently do not get any support from the school. On the other hand, the findings indicate that if the teachers were aware of their pregnancy and trained to deal with learner pregnancy, these learners would be supported by the school. Some of the recommendations were to develop the capacity of the teachers so that the school is able to provide an adolescent-professional-friendly service. A safe non-judgmental environment is required so that the learner is able to disclose her pregnancy status as early as possible to ensure that they receive the necessary support.</p>

This thesis is presented for the degree of Master of Education at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. / Research has revealed that the academic performances of learners in South Africa are below the required level. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) launched the literacy and numeracy strategy 2006 – 2016, in response to the low literacy and numeracy levels. In addition, the WCED introduced the Grade one baseline assessment in 2006, as part of the literacy and numeracy strategy. The purpose of this study was to observe the implementation of the Grade one literacy baseline assessment programme of the WCED. This study aimed to determine what literacy barriers, if any, the learners were experiencing and to recommend literacy support strategies, in order to inform teaching practices. The learning theories of the two key Constructivist theorists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky have therefore been explored. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of the participants for this study. The Grade one class, with English as the language of learning and teaching (LOLT), was selected due to the diverse nature of the learners, in terms of their different home languages. Thirty-seven Grade one learners participated in the study. I used a mixed methods research design in order to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Multi-method data collection strategies were employed to collect data for this study. The multi-method approach involved: document collection, observation of learners as well as an interview with the Grade one class teacher who conducted the research. The document collection included the learners’ admission forms as well as the written baseline assessment scripts of the learners. The admission forms provided biographical information of the learners in terms of gender, home languages, Grade R attendance and their ages. The collection of data assisted in identifying the literacy barriers that the Grade one learners were experiencing. An interpretivist data analysis style was employed for the qualitative data analyses and the quantitative data analysis was statistical. The results of the quantitative and qualitative data were interpreted together. The triangulation of the data enhanced the reliability of the research findings. The findings suggest that some of the learners experienced literacy barriers in terms of: receptive- and expressive language, perceptual skills and fine motor development. The educator’s perceptions in terms of the administration and usefulness of the baseline assessment have also been included. The data was summarised and the information was used to describe the literacy barriers in terms of the biographical variables and to recommend learning support strategies for literacy development.

Magister Artium (Human Ecology) - MA(HE) / A qualitative research design in the form of a case study was employed. A quantitative method was also utilized in the form of a short questionnaire for demographic purposes in order to provide a general description of the sample. A purposive sample of 10 parenting learners, and two teachers was selected. The study was conducted in a Senior Secondary School that is located in Khayelitsha, a historically disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. Semi structured interviews of approximately ninety minutes each were conducted and audio taped. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the audio taped data from the transcribed interviews. The key findings from this research illustrate that there is a misunderstanding and miscommunication between teachers and learners about learner pregnancy. Pregnant learners hide pregnancy from the teachers to avoid comments and from being expelled from the school and consequently do not get any support from the school. On the other hand, the findings indicate that if the teachers were aware of their pregnancy and trained to deal with learner pregnancy, these learners would be supported by the school. Some of the recommendations were to develop the capacity of the teachers so that the school is able to provide an adolescent-professional-friendly service. A safe non-judgmental environment is required so that the learner is able to disclose her pregnancy status as early as possible to ensure that they receive the necessary support. / South Africa

Magister Educationis - MEd / Parental involvement in their children’s schooling has been found to be an important factor with regard to children’s experience of schooling including their academic performance. This quantitative study focused on parental involvement at a school of skills in the Cape metropole, Western Cape. Epstein’s (2009) six typologies of parental involvement in their children’s schooling provided the theoretical framework of the study and guided the formulation of the research instrument and the data analysis of the study. A survey research design was used and 74 parent/caregiver participants were conveniently sampled after all ethical protocols were followed. The findings indicated that participants: (i) indicated a very positive attitude towards being involved in the education of their children at the school of skills and were inspired to be involved in the education of their children, (ii) were highly involved in the following typologies of parental involvement: learning at home, parenting and collaboration with community, (iii) communication between school and the parents as a form of parental involvement was found to be at a moderate level, (iv) participants were found to be minimally involved in decision-making as a form of parental involvement, (v) volunteering as a form of parental involvement was represented by low to moderate levels of involvement, (vi) participants’ marital status, forms of kinship relations with the learners at the school of skills (e.g. biological mother, foster parent) and levels of formal education were not found to have a significant statistical relationship with their levels of parental involvement in their children’s schooling. (vii) The challenges that participants faced with regard to their involvement in their children’s schooling included the following: a) a fair number of about 30% participants frequently found language as a barrier for them to assist their children with homework, b) about 46% of the participants indicated that they were seldom or never recruited by educators to volunteer at the School of Skills, c) about half of the participants indicated that their challenge was that they were not trained on how to offer their talents for volunteering at the school, d) participants also found it difficult to share information with the school about their child’s cultural background, talents, and needs.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / The study aims to investigate whether delays occur within the pipeline of pension pay-outs, where these delays occur and what the policy implementations and management gaps are within the pension administration system. The study intends to produce findings that assist in reducing the aforementioned delays and increasing efficiency. The specific objectives of the study are threefold. Firstly, the study intends to outline the Government Pension Administration Agency’s (GPAA) current policy and pipeline of procedures with specific reference to pension pay-out times. Secondly, it will identify pension pay-out delays and trends with reference to categories and periods of delay. Finally, it will identify the major areas of complaints, pipeline problems and constraints. The methodology used is both a qualitative document analysis (QDA) and a descriptive analysis of the data. It is appropriate, suitable, cost-effective and common for desktop research. The corroboration of findings and confluence of evidence give credibility and thus triangulation of information is of immense value. The limitation of methodology, findings and results is specific to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) which is the largest employer in the Western Cape Province. This study found that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and the GPAA adopted New Public Management (NPM) values and strategies. Furthermore, pension pay-outs exceeding 60 days have been reduced when compared to the period prior to modernisation in 2010. Despite this, delays in payment remain very high. Internal sources include the GEPF Benefits Admin Committee; email and / or telephonic portals (GEPF Call Centre – reactive). External sources include the Public Protector and the Presidential hotline. Finally, total interest paid on late payments in 2010 was R1,054 billion and increased to R1,901 billion by 2017. The implication of these findings is expected to be further reductions in waiting times, as modernisation of the organisation continues. However, this cannot be a foregone conclusion because it will depend on the management of implementation.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The absence of coordinated Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in the South African public administration from 1994 to 2005 highlighted the gap in standardised national evaluation system where the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF) acknowledged that there was an unexploited possibility to utilise evaluations to enhance the public sectors usefulness, competence, influence, and sustainability. Within the Western Cape Government (WCG), systems for M&E to strengthen performance reporting exist, but the implementation of these existing systems is piecemeal with fragmented approaches to monitoring and evaluation across the various departments. This study investigated staff readiness for Monitoring & Evaluation at the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). To achieve this goal, it employed a quantitative research method with a cross-sectional sample. / 2024

Magister Artium - MA / There is global interest in teacher education as a strategy for national development. More specifically, emphasis is placed on teachers as the driving force behind educational provision which is central to achieving high standards of learner achievement. This study focused on teacher in-service development and its role for effective teaching and learning towards the holistic development of learners. Extensive social inequalities, along the lines of race, still exist in South Africa almost twenty years into the new dispensation. This is evident by the vast majority of impoverished schools in previously disadvantaged areas. Learners at these schools experience a range of barriers to learning which impede teaching and learning. Consequently, teachers at these schools are confronted with a tensionfilled task: having to be sensitive to the needs of these learners, whilst at the same having to ensure their success. This is reflected in Department of Education (DoE) policies which emphasises principles of social transformation for redress and equity, coupled with the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills for the benefit of individuals in South Africa, as well as global trends. As a quantitative data collection method in this mixed method study, 55 teachers (of which 26 responded) from two schools, were asked to complete a questionnaire on the effectiveness of teacher in-service development programmes towards the holistic development of learners. Qualitative data collection methods entailed interviewing a principal of one of the schools; a social worker from the area; as well as a district officer from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). In addition, relevant DoE policies were reviewed. Findings reflect that teachers at impoverished schools are confronted with a range of challenges presented by learners in the classrooms. The findings also indicate that even though DoE policies reflect a commitment to teacher development, the in-service programmes offered to teachers mostly do not reflect the needs of teachers for the holistic development of learners. In instances where inservice programmes do assist with the holistic development of learners, findings indicate that the implementation thereof is challenging due to the high teacher: learner ratio and limited resources. Thus, recommendations include the periodic monitoring and review of long-term DoE teacher development initiatives whilst short term measures incorporate giving attention to impediments like lack of parental support and behavioural challenge. Long term measures, which are strongly recommended, encompass systemic change that facilitates the working together of a number of governmental departments. In so doing, educational reform takes on a society wide form, as it is evident that on its own it cannot abate poverty and the related effects. Thus, the DoE’s vision of education for social transformation towards redress and equity, as well as economic growth for individuals and South Africa is more plausible. These recommendations create a vital space for future research.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis examined the difficulties experienced by Grade 6 isiXhosa-speaking learners in learning Natural Science through English as the medium of instruction at a primary school in the Western Cape. In 1994, South Africa became a democratic country where people were given the right to choose the language of learning and communication (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996). The assumption made in relation to the right to language was that this would provide equal opportunities and equal access to education for all learners. All learners would then be able to attain academic success. The study was pursued against the backdrop of the serious academic underachievement of African learners at schools around the country (often culminating in high matric failure rates), particularly in mathematics, science and technology (Probyn, 2005; Cleghorn, 2005; Taylor & Vinjevold, 1999). Following a mixed-method approach (involving both qualitative and quantitative research methods), within the constructivist paradigm, the study examined the various factors which act as barriers to learning and contribute to difficulties in learning Natural Science by Grade 6 isiXhosa-speaking learners in one school in the Western Cape. It also examined the coping strategies used in dealing with the barriers by both the learners and educators in order to address the learning difficulties. The study was conducted over a period of four months, spread over two years (2008 and 2009), in the Metropole Central Education District (MCED) of the Western Cape. The following participants were involved in the study: 205 Grade 6 learners (103 learners in 2008 and 102learners in 2009), 4 Natural Science educators (including 2 HODs), 1 principal, and 4 parents. The focus of the study was, however, on 26 isiXhosa-speaking learners (13 learners from each year in 2008 and 2009). The data were collected using the following research methods: questionnaires, classroom observation, document analysis, and interviews. The data were analysed through content analysis and (analysis of) language usage (including sentence construction), and were interpreted with respect to the study's research questions. The findings of the research revealed that language (including both the English language of learning and teaching or LOLT, and the language of science) was a major barrier to the learning of Natural Science by Grade 6 isiXhosa-speaking learners. The language barrier was exacerbated by factors within the teaching and learning context, the school environment, as well as by social factors in the learners' own home backgrounds. On the basis of the findings of the research and the related literature, the study makes recommendations regarding what could be done to address the difficulties, as well as proposals for future research. The key recommendations include: • Introducing a more flexible bilingual education policy to enable additive bilingualism to be practised by both learners and educators; • Compiling a list or glossary of words, concepts and terms that matter in Natural Science and ensuring that the learners fully understand their meaning and use them appropriately; • Educators constantly reflecting on their own teaching styles and practices in relation to their effectiveness and impact on their learners; • Educators constantly considering 'different and creative ways' of assessing learners for whom the English LOLT is not a home language; and • District Offices providing systemic support for schools and creating an enabling learning environment.

Magister Educationis - MEd / Parental involvement in their children’s schooling has been found to be an important factor with regard to children’s experience of schooling including their academic performance. This quantitative study focused on parental involvement at a school of skills in the Cape metropole, Western Cape. Epstein’s (2009) six typologies of parental involvement in their children’s schooling provided the theoretical framework of the study and guided the formulation of the research instrument and the data analysis of the study. A survey research design was used and 74 parent/caregiver participants were conveniently sampled after all ethical protocols were followed. The findings indicated that participants: (i) indicated a very positive attitude towards being involved in the education of their children at the school of skills and were inspired to be involved in the education of their children, (ii) were highly involved in the following typologies of parental involvement: learning at home, parenting and collaboration with community, (iii) communication between school and the parents as a form of parental involvement was found to be at a moderate level, (iv) participants were found to be minimally involved in decision-making as a form of parental involvement, (v) volunteering as a form of parental involvement was represented by low to moderate levels of involvement, (vi) participants’ marital status, forms of kinship relations with the learners at the school of skills (e.g. biological mother, foster parent) and levels of formal education were not found to have a significant statistical relationship with their levels of parental involvement in their children’s schooling. (vii) The challenges that participants faced with regard to their involvement in their children’s schooling included the following: a) a fair number of about 30% participants frequently found language as a barrier for them to assist their children with homework, b) about 46% of the participants indicated that they were seldom or never recruited by educators to volunteer at the School of Skills, c) about half of the participants indicated that their challenge was that they were not trained on how to offer their talents for volunteering at the school, d) participants also found it difficult to share information with the school about their child’s cultural background, talents, and needs.