Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die Bruinvrou in die onderwys het 'n besondere rol om te vertolk veral in die !ewe van die volwassewordende kind asook in die hele skoolopset. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om hierdie rol te bepaal. Tersaaklike gegewens is verkry deur middel van Iiteratuurstudie, die outobiografiese teks, onderhoude asook vraelyste. Deur die inligting bekom, is vasgestel dat die omstandighede waaronder 'n groot gedcelte van die Bruinonderwyseresse werk, nie altyd gunstig is nie. Baie Bruinlccrclcrs woon in sosio-ekonomiese agtergeblewe gebiede waar misdaad en bendebcdrywighedc aan die orde van die dag is. Waardestelsels, leefstyl van die subkultuur, onvoldoende materiele versorging en gebrekkige opvoeding veroorsaak steuringe in die leerders se ingesteldheid teenoor die skool. Haar vrouwees laat die onderwyseres baie empatie toon in haar opvoedingskommunikasie met die leerder. Sy poog om toereikend na sy behoeftes om te sicn. As medcganger help sy die leerder om elke mylpaal wat hy bereik, te beskou as die begin van 'n ander. Deur haar meelewendheid word veral die milieugestremde Bruinkind se menswaardigheid erken. Baie bruinleerders het aangedui dat onderwyseresse rolmodelle vir hulle is. Sommige onderwyseresse word verplig om jarelank dieselfde graad te onderrig. Aangesien hulle so 'n betekenisvolle rol in die volwassewording van die kind speel, is dit nodig dat hulle ervaring opdoen van die verskillende grade in die skool. Die vrou is baie veelsydig en het moontlikhede wat tocreikcnd aangewend kan word in al die fasette van die skoolopset. Sy kan '11 baie belangrike bydrae lewer in die organisasie en administrasie van die skool as sy die geleentheid gebied word. Haar ingesteldheid op die menslike en die belangrikheid van gesonde verhoudinge asook haar hoe pligsbesef dui daarop dat die onderwyseres by magte is om 'n uitstekende onderwysleier te wees. Nieteenstaande die feit dat onderwyseresse volgens statistieke oorverteenwoordig is in die onderwys, is hulle onderverteenwoordig in bestuursposte. Alhoewel die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid Afrika 1996, gebaseer is op die beginsels van gelykheid en menswaardigheid, is seksisme en diskriminasie op grond van geslag nog steeds ernstige struikelblokke vir die onderwyseres op haar weg na beter vooruitsigte in die onderwys. Aanbevelings vir praktykverbetering asook verdere navorsing is gemaak. / The Coloured woman in education has a particular role to play, especially in the life of the child growing towards adulthood as well as in the school in general. The aim of this investigation is to determine that role. Relevant information had been obtained by means of literary sources, autobiographical texts, interviews and questionnaires. Having obtained this information, it was established that the circumstances in which a large proportion of Coloured female educators work, are not always favourable. Many coloured learners live in socio-economic disadvantaged areas where crime and gangsterism prevail. Value systems, lifestyles of the subculture, inadequate material care and a serious lack of education are causing disruptions of learners' inclination towards the school. Being a woman enables the female educator to show considerable empathy in her pedagogic communication with the learners. She endeavours to sufficiently provide in their needs. As pedagogic accompanist she assists the learner to see every milestone that he/she achieves as the basis for another. Her involvement brings about an acknowledgement of the human dignity of the milieu-deprived Coloured child. Many coloured learners have indicated that their female educators are their role models. Some female educators are compelled to teach the same grade for years. Their significant role merits experience of teaching the various grades at school. Women are very versatile and have potential which can be utilized adequately in all the facets of the school situation. They can make very important contributions towards the organisation and administration of the school as a whole, given the opportunity. Their focus on human nature and the importance of sound relationships as well as their high sense of duty are indicative of the ability female educators have to become excellent leaders in education. They are nevertheless under-represented in educational management positions. Although the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, is based on the principles of equality and human dignity, sexism is still a stumbling block in the path of female educators. Recommendations for an improvement m educational practice as well as further research were made. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Filosofie van die Opvoeding)

M.Ed. / In a country which has just acquired its democracy, education for all citizens is of primary concern. The illiteracy rate in South Africa is high, especially in the rural areas of the country. During this time when South Africa finds itself in a period of transition and of prioritizing items on its agenda, education in general and in particular education of those who had little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. While the government has targeted illiteracy as a major issue, other issues such as gender make the illiteracy situation even more complex, especially in the rural areas where the traditional tenets of the communities are still observed. The aim of this study is to explore the role gender plays in the involvement of adult learners in literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programmes in other similar rural areas of South Africa. In order to achieve this aim, an interpretive design is applied and qualitative methods of data—collection are utilized. A literature study which consists of the exploration of the field of Adult Basic Education and gender in global education, with special reference to South African rural areas in particular, forms the theoretical background of the empirical research. Empirical data was obtained through observations and interviews and processed and analyzed by unitizing, categorizing and patterning, resulting in the findings of the research. Lastly, findings of this investigation are discussed in the light of relevant theory. The following are the main research findings: Gender does play a role in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga. There are learning needs that are specific to females but no particular needs specific to males. However, some needs are not gender—related and are common to both females and males. The main implications of the findings are: Adult literacy classes should be conducted during the evening, in order to accommodate workers, mostly men. There is a need for teacher training of both female and male literacy teachers. Some of the gender—related reasons for non—involvement of adult learners, particularly those that pertain to the dominance of males, would be difficult to address as they are deeply rooted in culture. In order to address the needs of male and female adult learners, a holistic approach should be applied. A holistic approach entails: not only teaching literacy but addressing other needs of the learners; not only addressing the expressed needs of learners (male and female), but also addressing the needs that they are not aware that they have.

Through the use of contextual data, this research study aims to explicate a theory about the experiences of academic women, who are also mothers, employed at a South African University. The research is interpretive in nature as it explores the women's accounts of the conflicts they face in striving to satisfy the demands of both their scholarly work and family responsibilities within multiple intersecting factors related to their personal/familial circumstances, and the strategic processes they engage in to manage the balance between these competing roles. The study followed a constructivist grounded theory design in an attempt to test the hypothesis (emerging from a prior pilot study) that the most significant enabling factors at work in the lives of these women comprise various relational support processes. The findings indicate that balancing academic work and mothering is a delicate activity that is sensitive to a number of facilitating as well as hindering factors. The participants revealed that they experience work-family role-conflict as a result of competing desires to dedicate themselves fully to both of these roles. The relational factors most prominently cited as being critical to enabling a work-family balance include the presence of a supportive partner, a support structure in the home in the form of an employed domestic helper, and the support derived from a 'shared experience' with other working mothers. Non-relational factors emanating from the unique quality of life afforded to mothers by employment within the particular case institution also emerged as being significantly enabling of a work-family balance for this group of academic mothers.

M.Ed. / The problem in this research lies in the absence of women in management positions and women being poorly represented in decision-making in Soweto Schools. The purpose of this research is to argue for the increased number of women in educational management and to discuss the problems that women encounter in management positions in the Gauteng Department of Education. This is a qualitative research. The researcher interviewed, observed and recorded four school principals, five heads of Department and SADTU gender president. The findings are that the legacy of women discrimination still prevails from the apartheid era and male colleagues enjoy seniority. The researcher's recommendation is that no person may unfairly discriminate, directly or indirectly against an employee in any employment policy or practice on one or more grounds including gender, race, sex, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, political opinion, marital status and culture. There should be no harassment of employees.

MGS / Institute for Gender and Youth Studies

DEd / Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Management

The focus of this study was to explore and expand capabilities, sustainability and gender justice in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects (SMTs) in teacher education curriculum practices as a process of Education for Sustainable Development in two case studies in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The study begins by discussing gender and science education discourse, locating it within Education for Sustainable Development discourse. Through this nexus, the study was able to explore gender and sustainability responsiveness of the curriculum practices of teacher educators in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects; scrutinise underlying mechanisms that affect (promote or constrain) gender and sustainability responsive curriculum practices; and understand if and how teacher education curriculum practices consider the functionings and capabilities of females in relation to increased socio-ecological risk in a Southern African context. Influenced by a curriculum transformation commitment, an expansive learning phase was conducted to promote gender and sustainability responsive pedagogies in teacher education curriculum practices. As shown in the study, the expansive learning processes resulted in (re)conceptualising the curriculum practices (object), analysis of contradictions and developing new ways of doing work. Drawing from the sensitising concepts of dialectics, reflexivity and agency, the study worked with the three theoretical approaches of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), feminist theory and capabilities theory. The capability and feminist lenses were used in the exploration of gender and sustainability responsiveness in science teacher education curriculum practices. CHAT, through its associated methodology of Developmental Work Research, offered the opportunity for researcher and participants in this study to come together to question and analyse curriculum practices and model new ways of doing work. Case study research was used in two case studies of teacher education curriculum practices in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects, one in Zimbabwe and one in South Africa. Each case study is constituted with a networked activity system. The study used in-depth and focus group interviews and document analysis to explore gender and sustainability responsiveness in curriculum practices and to generate mirror data. Inductive and abductive modes of inference, and Critical Discourse Analysis were used to analyse data. This data was then used in Change Laboratory Workshops, where double stimulation and focus group discussions contributed to the expansive learning process. Findings from the exploration phase of the study revealed that most teacher educators in the two case studies had some basic levels of gender sensitivity, meaning that they had ability to perceive existing gender inequalities as it applies only to gender disaggregated data especially when it comes to enrolment and retention. However, there was no institutionalised pedagogic device in place in both case studies aimed at equipping future teachers with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to promote aspects of capabilities (well-being achievement, wellbeing freedom, agency achievement and agency freedom) for girls in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects. Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects teacher educators' curriculum practices were gender neutral, but in a gendered environment. This was a pedagogical tension that was visible in both case studies. On the other hand, socio-ecological issues, in cases where they were incorporated into the curriculum, were incorporated in a gender blind or gender neutral manner. Social ecological concerns such as climate change were treated as if they were not gendered both in their impact and in their mitigation and adaptation. It emerged that causal mechanisms shaping this situation were of a socio-political nature: there exist cultural differences between students and teacher educators; patriarchal ideology and hegemony; as well as other interfering binaries such as race and class. Other curriculum related constraints, though embedded in the socio-cultural-political nexus, include: rigid and content heavy curriculum, coupled with students who come into the system with inadequate content knowledge; and philosophy informing pedagogy namely scientism, with associated instrumentalist and functionalist tenets. All these led to contradictions between pedagogical practices with those expected by the Education for Sustainable Development framework. The study contributes in-depth insight into science teacher education curriculum development. By locating the study at the nexus of gender and Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects within the Education for Sustainable Development discourse, using the ontological lenses of feminist and capabilities, it was possible to interrogate aspects of quality and relevance of the science teacher education curriculum. The study also provides insight into participatory research and learning processes especially within the context of policy and curriculum development. It provides empirical evidence of mobilising reflexivity amongst both policy makers and policy implementers towards building human agency in policy translation for a curriculum transformation that is critical for responding to contemporary socio-ecological risks. / Microsoft� Word 2010 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

MGS / Institute for Gender and Youth Studies / Institutions of higher learning are still masculine-orientated; this creates a barrier for women in terms of career advancement. To this effect women are under-represented in top academic positions. The study employed qualitative research methods to explore factors that contribute to the under-representation of women in senior positions at the University of Venda. A combination of purposive and convenience sampling was used to select twenty five female academics (25). Data was collected through primary and secondary data, semi-structured interviews were used to elicit and illuminate women’s voices on issues that affect them and a thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The research findings demonstrate that the University’s environment continues to be masculine-oriented within most of employment categories as well as in academia where women struggle to thrive. Women face multiple challenges in ascending the academic ladder which results in the under-representation of women in management and academic levels. These challenges included: the stringent criteria for promotion which do not seem to accommodate women, especially mothers, lack of female role-models, mentors and networks. The second major barrier is the teaching work-load which poses difficulties for women, preparations for teaching took long hours leaving them with no time for family, research, publication, as well as to further their studies, which are necessary requirements for promotion. The third major barrier women are faced with is the challenge of balancing multiple roles - as students, workers and mothers. Balancing these multiple roles makes it difficult for women to meet the highly stringent promotion criteria in the University