This study was conducted to identify the self-perceptions of superintendents regarding their instructional leadership practices. The focus of the research was to explore the linkages that exist between these perceptions and factors such as superintendent characteristics and district demographics. In their role as district instructional leaders, superintendents are increasingly held accountable for instruction and the expectation for increased test scores. The data used to explore the research questions were acquired through a survey, the Superintendent's Instructional Leadership Survey (SILS). This instrument was developed by Gwen Boyter and had previously been used to survey superintendent behavior as perceived and self-reported by the superintendents themselves. The questionnaire contained 42 task statements that were intertwined into five task areas relevant to Instruction and Human Resource Development. This study used a Multiple Logistical Regression to explore the relationship between the superintendents' self-perceptions on their instructional leadership role and variables that may significantly influence the superintendents' perceptions. Variables included: school district rating for student performance on the state assessment; percentage of economically disadvantaged and at-risk student groups; and superintendent characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and years of experience. The SILS was sent as an online survey through Qualtrics.com. Superintendents rated their instructional leadership behaviors on a Likert scale that ranged from "Constant Emphasis" to "No Emphasis." Forty-nine respondents completed a survey, which was 16% of those surveyed. Practical significance was found in the relationship between the superintendents' self-perceptions and two of the variables: (a) the superintendents' age and (b) the district rating. Statistical significance was found on two variables: (a) the percentage of economically disadvantaged students and (b) the percentage of at-risk students. Research findings suggest that it is imperative that superintendents devote specific time to focus on instruction, curriculum, and assessment practices. They must involve stakeholders to collaboratively focus on the instruction goals in order to meet the learning needs of all students. As a result of this study, instructional leadership should be given much consideration in the selection of superintendents. Superintendent preparation programs can use data from the study to better prepare individuals to serve in the capacity of district instructional leaders.

This study focuses on the factors which explain Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (Adec) English curriculum choice in grade ten and eleven public high schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It investigates the challenges its implementation poses for teachers personally and professionally. The study is exploratory and interpretive and is based on the perceptions of 12 male teachers; 6 Arab teachers of English and 6 “native” English speaking teachers at 3 boys’ public high schools in the Abu Dhabi emirate. Data were gathered through lengthy semi-structured interviews with teachers, analysis of Adec curriculum and assessment documentation as well as open, non-participant classroom observations. The findings show the current curriculum, modelled on that used in NSW mainstream schools in Australia up until the end of 2014 is an inappropriate choice for students learning English as a foreign/second language in a school environment where all other subjects are taught in Arabic. This in turn provides a range of challenges for teachers who are unable to implement the course content as it was intended or the learner / learning-centred pedagogical approaches promoted by the curriculum and assessment documentation. The study recommends a realistic assessment of students’ language needs be undertaken as a top priority and, based on these findings, English classes streamed according to students’ language proficiency; with curriculum and assessment designed to reflect the various stages of learning. Ability grouping would enable specialist teachers to target areas of strength and weakness, thus countering the boredom and frustration currently experienced by many students. The study also recommends future stakeholder consultation, an in-depth orientation for newly hired teachers and professional development for incumbent teachers in scaffolded language instruction.

A new curriculum, the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was during 2012-2014 introduced in South African schools. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of how the implementation process of the curriculum was perceived by teachers. The study examined what the teachers’ general opinions about CAPS were, what experiences they had from the training in relation to the implementation, what strategies they used to further their understanding about CAPS and which factors affected their ability to implement the curriculum. Eleven teachers were interviewed in order to answer the research questions. Findings from the interviews showed that a majority of the teachers believed that the training that was supposed to prepare them for the implementation of CAPS had several faults.

According to South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements, learners’ first language should be the language of learning and teaching in Grade R. However, there is a mismatch between policy and practice since English is the language of Grade R learning and teaching in rural schools in Mpumalanga. The ECD manager should provide evidence-based guidance on the best facilitation approach to follow in a particular context. The study is underpinned by: ‐ Cummins’ distinction between Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency and Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (Cummins, 2000) ‐ Cummins’ interdependence hypothesis (Cummins, 2000) ‐ Distinction between Implicit versus Explicit learning (Dekeyser, 2003) ‐ The Mediated Learning Experience Theory within the poverty context of South Africa where the role of the teacher is seen as the mediator (Feuerstein, 1980) The literature overview focuses on the development of the Grade R curriculum, and two prominent facilitation approaches used in Grade R, the play-based and formal instruction. Research on the effectiveness of each method and language debates both internationally (Wong-Fillmore (1991), Bialystok (2006), Cummins (2000) and nationally (MacDonald (1990), Heugh (2000), Alexander (2005), Balfour (2007) and Jordaan (2011) are provided. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of facilitation on Grade R performance scores in E-L2 learning in rural schools in Mpumalanga. Teachers’ first language, teachers’ qualifications, learners’ first language, learners’ gender, teachers’ age and teachers’ experience on Grade R learners’ performance scores were also tested for interaction effects. Research was conducted in ten randomly selected schools, equally divided between the play-based and formal instruction approaches, and five different languages used in the province. There were 175 Grade R learners and ten teachers in the study sample. The English Language Proficiency standards assessment tool (ELP) was used to collect data and is reported to have no cultural bias. A quantitative methodology was followed, using a two-group comparison design. Participants were matched according to learners’ age, similar exposure period to E-L2 learning, similar rural upbringing, culture, poverty level and mainstream learners. A one-way and two-way ANOVA was used to analyse the data. It was found that the formal approach contributes to better E-L2 learner scores when compared to the play-based approach. The differences in participants’ performance scores were mostly observed in the listening scores and not so much in the speaking scores. IsiNdebele speaking teachers and younger qualified teachers, who were better trained, achieved better learner E-L2 scores than other teachers. Although learners in formal instruction classrooms achieved better results, they still did not achieve competency in basic interpersonal communicative skills in English after three months in Grade R. There was no interaction effect between the gender of the learners and the facilitation approach that was used. A hybrid model, i.e. combination of the play-based and the formal instructional approach is proposed to be implemented in rural Grade R classrooms in Mpumalanga. Further recommendations are to train teachers in educational linguistics, teach listening skills to learners and inform parents about the benefits of first language proficiency before a second language is acquired. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

DEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies / See the attached abstract below

Education is a fundamental precondition for progress and growth in South Africa (Spaull, 2011, p. 1). Literacy opens the doors to better livelihoods, improved health and expanded opportunity (UNESCO, 2011). Illiteracy is a serious constraint to improving education standards in South Africa. Prominent research studies stress the low levels of reading ability across the country. At the onset of Grade One, pre-reading skills are taught. Pre-reading skills are foundational skills and essential for later reading success. Teachers in English Second Language environments face the daunting challenge of teaching learners to read in a foreign language. This qualitative research study, which was conducted at a low-fee private school in Pretoria Central Business district, aimed to explore the methods that educators were using to teach second language English Learners (ESL) pre-reading skills. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and document analysis revealed that educators had a limited theoretical knowledge of pre-reading skills due to a lack of tertiary education and curriculum training. Numerous methods of teaching pre-reading skills were identified during pre-reading lesson observations. The synthetic phonics approach, multisensory teaching, using dramatization and subtractive bilingualism were methods of instruction used to develop phonemic awareness and English oral language competency. The study highlighted the numerous challenges faced by ESL teaching working in a low-socioeconomic environment and the ways in which the teachers overcame these challenges. Based on this study’s results, recommendations are provided to enhance the teaching of pre-reading skills to ESL learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

No description available.

MAAS / Centre for African Studies / This study explored the adaptability of indigenous African marriage songs to piano. Music education has always been biased towards Western music content to the exclusion of local musical traditions. A vast amount of musical repertoire within indigenous African societies exists. Formal music education, however, seems oblivious of this resource despite some educators decrying the dearth of materials. There is a need for music curriculum which is located within an African context and which includes indigenous African musical practices. Such need is also expressed in the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document. This study explored the feasibility of building a repertoire of indigenous songs for classroom purposes. A number of songs, were collected, transcribed, analysed then placed in various levels of difficulty. These were then matched with the requisite proficiency levels congruent to other graded piano regimes commonly used in the school system. The assumption is that the adaptation and arrangement of indigenous marriage songs will help to bring indigenous African musical practices into modern music education space. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the philosophical understanding and the knowledge attendant to music practices yielding these songs and the context in which they are performed will form the basis for further advancement.

Using the “four-selves” Mission Strategy of self-governance, self-support, self-propagation and self-theologizing as an analytical tool, this study assesses the theological training of church leaders (clergy and laity) in the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) with regard to context, relevance and viability. Though the ACK has been in Kenya since 1844, and has been involved in vigorous evangelization, it has not grown to be fully self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating and self-theologizing. This is evidenced mainly by its flawed theological training system which is neither relevant nor viable. The study is in ten Chapters. The first Chapter contains the introductory material, while the second Chapter gives the general overview of the ACK focusing on its growth and training needs. The ACK is a rapidly growing Church experiencing a growth of about 6.7 per cent per annum, yet she is not necessarily happy as she is not able to produce sufficient and well-trained personnel to match this growth. The third Chapter traces the history of pastoral training in the ACK, while Chapter four assesses the curriculum used to prepare church leaders in the ACK. This curriculum is uncontextualised hence irrelevant to the current Kenyan society. Chapter five evaluates the six ACK Provincial Theological Colleges. These colleges are inadequate and economically under-utilized hence not viable. The sixth Chapter underscores the importance of training Lay Church Leaders in the ACK through Theological Education by Extension (TEE), an effective training model which has failed because the ACK leadership has failed to prioritize it. The seventh Chapter discusses the main challenges encountered by the ACK in her leadership training and shows that these challenges are vital measures for improving theological training in the ACK. Chapter Eight examines the relationship between Christian Mission and Theological Training and it comes out clearly that Mission and Theology are inseparable entities. In the ninth Chapter, the author basing his arguments on the various findings in this study suggests some possible ways through which the ACK can improve her training systems. Chapter Ten concludes that if the ACK has to succeed in her mission she has to prioritize the training of her leaders. / Church Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

South African educators have experienced problems understanding and implementing various previous curriculum policies such as Curriculum 2005 and the Revised National Curriculum Statement. These problems have made it necessary for the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to introduce the national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) in 2012. CAPS was intended to improve teaching and learning, but as with the implementation of any new curriculum it implies the following: The need for educator training; Need for new resources; Change in policy; An increased workload. This qualitative study which was conducted at a primary school in the Imfolozi Circuit aimed to determine how CAPS is implemented and its implications on teaching and learning. Data collected from focus group interviews and document analysis revealed that while educators welcomed the introduction of CAPS for its clarity, structure, clear guidelines and time frames however they experienced challenges related to the quality and the amount of training, inadequate resources, increased workload and the impact of rapid pace of the curriculum on teaching and learning. Based on these results recommendations are made for the improvement of the implementation of CAPS. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)