Rural primary schools have got an immense role to play regarding the educational foundation for the subsequent phases of schooling. In ensuring that an extremely solid foundation is laid. the creation and maintenance of a positive culture of teaching and learning becomes extremely very important in this category of schools. It is the primary task of the primary school principal to ensure that quality teaching and learning is taking place in her/his school. I Iowever, in ensuring that a positive culture of teaching and learning becomes a reality in their schools, principals cannot work in isolation but, in collaboration with other potential stakeholders. A variety of factors like good management on the part of principals to good commitment and involvement on the part of other stakeholders like educators, learners, parents. community, business people and the government. lead to teaching and learning of a very high and acceptable standard. The purpose of this research project was to investigate how principals of rural primary schools create and maintain a culture of teaching and learning. The outcomes of this investigation could assist rural primary school principals in their attempts towards ensuring a positive culture of teaching and learning. The outcomes could also assist other stakeholders as to how best can they assist rural primary school principals in making schools centers for a positive culture of teaching and learning. The methodology of research for this investigation is quantitative. The questionnaire was used as a tool for empirical data collection. This research project has revealed several mechanisms that arc utilized by rural primary school principals in creating and maintain a culture ofteaching and learning. It also emerged from thi s study that in creating and maintaining COLT in schools, rural primary school principals encounter some problems that need the undivided attention of every education stakeholder. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Unique demands are made on management of combined schools in the Southern Cape because it must accommodate seven to eighteen year old learners, each with their specific needs. This includes the adolescent who has to adapt to several changes in his/her own body as well as in the environment. Elementary and middle schools in Japan and the USA have restructured to be more effective by accommodating the specific needs of the learners, as well as the demands which the society in the twenty-first century will make on learners. The success of these schools encouraged high schools to adopt a more personal nature in the relationship between adults and learners and to prepare learners for jobs which would be very different from those of a few years ago. There are quite a few aspects in favour of combined schools, for example, fewer learners, a long relationship with the school and a close relationship between school and community. These aspects should be used to their fullest to ensure that these schools remain the "good" schools they were in the past. Criteria for being effective schools are changing drastically and combined schools cannot just rely on their previous success for growth. A generation of learners with a unique nature and of whom unique demands will be made in the future are entering these schools. Schools will have to provide more than mere subject knowledge. Learners must receive education in character, ethics, self-discipline and stress management. Schools will have to be managed from a new paradigm to accomplish these aspects. Change can only happen when people change and that would create a new culture. When schools are managed from a principle-centered paradigm, people are empowered to experience private and public victories. It is then possible to align the managerial and organizational levels with the values embedded in the school mission. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word besondere eise aan die bestuur van gekombineerde skole in die Suid-Kaapse platteland gestel aangesien leerders van sewejarige tot agtienjarige ouderdom, elk met sy besondere behoeftes, geakkommodeer moet word. Dit sluit ook die adolessente in wat by verskeie veranderings in hulle eie lewens en die omgewing moet aanpas. In Japan en die VSA het veral die laerskole begin herstruktureer om skole meer effektief te maak deur die behoeftes van leerders aan te spreek, veralook ten opsigte van die eise wat die samelewing van die een-en-twintigste eeu aan leerders sal stel. Hulle sukses het ook hoërskole aangespoor om aanpassings te maak, veral ten opsigte van die skepping van In meer persoonlike aard van die verhoudings tussen leerders en volwassenes, en die voorbereiding van leerders vir In arbeidsmark wat drasties verskil van enkele jare gelede. Gekombineerde skole het baie faktore wat kan veroorsaak dat hulle effektiewe skole kan wees, byvoorbeeld min leerders, In lang verbintenis van die met die skool en In sterk band tussen skool en gemeenskap. Daar moet egter doelbewus beplan word om hierdie aspekte te benut sodat verseker kan word dat hulle ook in die toekoms die "goeie" skole kan bly wat hulle in die verlede was. Kriteria vir effektiewe skole is besig om drasties te verander en gekombineerde skole kan nie net op ou suksesse voortbou nie. In Geslag leerders met In unieke aard en aan wie unieke vereistes in die toekoms gestel gaan word, betree nou die skole. Skole moet meer as net vakkennis oordra. Karakteropvoeding, etiek, selfdissipline en streshantering is aspekte wat binne die skoolkurikulum aangespreek moet word. Om bogenoemde suksesvol te laat wees, moet daar vanuit In nuwe paradigma bestuur word. Verandering kan net plaasvind indien mense verander en daar sodoende 'n nuwe kultuur in skole gevestig word. Wanneer daar vanuit 'n beginselgesentreerde paradigma bestuur word, word mense bemagtig om eers privaat oorwinnings en dan publieke oorwinnings te behaal. Dis dan moontlik om die bestuurs- en organisatoriese vlakke in lyn met die waardes van die missie van die skool te bring.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-08-22T12:15:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Zilda Gláucia Elias Franco.pdf: 5481301 bytes, checksum: 0d040d8807b6a230694da7ce383ca842 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T12:15:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Zilda Gláucia Elias Franco.pdf: 5481301 bytes, checksum: 0d040d8807b6a230694da7ce383ca842 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-03 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / This thesis, entitled A look at schools located in the Municipality of Humaitá (Southern Amazonas): in search of curricular justice, sought to build collective understandings about curricular practice in dialogue with teachers and managers of schools located in the field and with the managers of the network of the Municipality of Humaitá - Souther Amazonas, in the light of the concept of curricular justice. The study, linked to the Research Line Public Policies and Educational Reforms of the Postgraduate Program in Education: Curriculum of PUC/SP, was elaborated in the context of the research of the Group of Education and Research in Curricular Justice (GEPEJUC) of CNPq-PUC / SP and adopted as theoretical framework the proposal of Field Education from the concepts of Caldart (1997, 2008, 2009), Caldart et al. (2012), Souza (2012, 2016a, 2016b), Freire (1977, 1983, 2001, 2002), Arroyo (1982, 1999a, 2006, 2011, 2012), and curricular justice through the contributions of curriculum scholars (APPLE, 1989, 2017; TORRES SANTOMÉ, 2013; GIMENO SACRISTÁN, 2000; ARROYO, 1999b, 2007, 2011, 2012; PONCE, 2006, 2016, 2018; CONNELL, 1995; ESTÊVÃO, 2002, 2004), which grounded the dialogue with the material collected in the field research. We chose the methodology of participatory investigation in its articulation with education from Thiollent (2011), Chizzotti (2013), Diniz-Pereira and Zeichner (2011), Brandão and Streck (2006) and Brandão (1999). The methodological proposal materialized with the collaboration of the team of the Municipal Education Secretariat of Humaitá-AM, with 186 educators of the Field Education distributed among 58 schools, parents and students. We analyzed documents, semi-structured interviews, action-reflection scheduled moments with educators, and visits to the communities were carried out. We sought to make sensitive listening of the voices of the subjects that constituted the field of research in order to understand the reality. The study identified that the model of education practiced in schools is rural, it offers a curriculum that aims to ‘transport’ the urban context to the field schools, starting with the school calendar to the pedagogical model, which does not know, in its action and proposition, the characteristics and the needs of the communities, as well as of their subjects. In the context of this research, it was possible to understand that the construction of curricular justice is procedural, it is a daily confrontation of contradictions and presupposes the rise of awareness in the educational process. In the case of Humaitá (AM), it can be based on the affirmation of the conception and practice of Field Education, understanding that curricular justice is moving towards overcoming inequalities and respect for diversity. The knowledge produced from the practice of this participatory research aims to contribute to the education of the people from Humaita, in order to value their way of life, their knowledge and their cultural value in the construction of their identity / Esta tese, intitulada Um olhar sobre as escolas localizadas no campo do Município de Humaitá (Sul do Amazonas): em busca da justiça curricular, buscou construir compreensões coletivas sobre a prática curricular no diálogo com professores e gestores das escolas localizadas no campo e com os gestores da rede do Município de Humaitá - Sul do Amazonas, à luz do conceito de justiça curricular. O estudo, vinculado à Linha de Pesquisa Políticas Públicas e Reformas Educacionais do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação: Currículo da PUC/SP, foi elaborado no contexto das pesquisas do Grupo de Educação e Pesquisa em Justiça Curricular (GEPEJUC) do CNPq-PUC/SP e adotou como referencial teórico a proposta de Educação do Campo a partir dos conceitos de Caldart (1997, 2008, 2009), Caldart et al. (2012), Souza (2012, 2016a, 2016b), Freire (1977, 1983, 2001, 2002), Arroyo (1982, 1999a, 2006, 2011, 2012), e da justiça curricular por meio das contribuições dos estudiosos do currículo (APPLE, 1989, 2017; TORRES SANTOMÉ, 2013; GIMENO SACRISTÁN, 2000; ARROYO, 1999b, 2007, 2011, 2012; PONCE, 2006, 2016, 2018; CONNELL, 1995; ESTÊVÃO, 2002, 2004), que fundamentaram o diálogo com o material recolhido na pesquisa de campo. Optou-se pela metodologia da investigação participativa em sua articulação com a educação a partir de Thiollent (2011), Chizzotti (2013), Diniz-Pereira e Zeichner (2011), Brandão e Streck (2006) e Brandão (1999). A proposta metodológica concretizou-se com a parceria da equipe da Secretaria de Educação Municipal de Humaitá - AM, com 186 educadores da Educação do Campo distribuídos entre as 58 escolas, pais e educandos. Foram feitas análises de documentos, entrevistas semiestruturadas, momentos programados com os educadores de reflexão-ação, realização de visitas às comunidades. Buscou-se realizar escutas sensíveis das vozes dos sujeitos que constituíram o campo da pesquisa em busca de compreensão da realidade. O estudo identificou que o modelo de educação praticado nas escolas é rural, oferece um currículo que visa “transportar” o contexto urbano para as escolas do campo, a começar pelo calendário escolar até o modelo pedagógico, que desconhece, em sua ação e proposição, as características e as necessidades das comunidades, assim como a de seus sujeitos. Na tessitura desta pesquisa, pôde-se compreender que a construção da justiça curricular é processual, é enfrentamento cotidiano das contradições e pressupõe a ascensão da conscientização no processo educativo. No caso de Humaitá (AM), poderá dar-se a partir da afirmação da concepção e da prática da Educação do Campo, entendendo que a justiça curricular caminha na direção da superação das desigualdades e do respeito às diversidades. O conhecimento produzido a partir da prática desta pesquisa participativa pretende contribuir com a educação do povo humaitaense, de forma a valorizar seu modo de vida, seus saberes e seu valor cultural na construção da sua identidade

This study investigates factors that influence environmental teaching in rural schools in the Ngqeleni District, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Focusgroup interviews at selected schools for Grade 4 to 6 teachers were held between 7th and 22nd November 2005. The study shows that the environmental curriculum, teacher qualifications and training, resources, attitudes of teachers and learners, governance and the context, influence the implementation of environmental teaching. The study reflects that teacher qualifications and training are the most limiting factors and need to be addressed immediately because environmental curriculum is not effectively delivered. Recommendations provided entail that teachers need to be included during the curriculum planning process together with curriculum experts from the Department of Education. The Department of Education also needs to effectively plan teacher training and extend the training period for teachers. Intersectoral collaboration within government in terms of how teachers are trained might also be helpful for better environmental teaching. A buddy system in which schools form environmental support groups might be helpful to keep on building local experience and capacity at the local level. Teachers are supposed to be part of the pUblishing process of resource materials to ensure relevance of resource materials to their contexts. A traveling resource centre with DVD's, for example, for shOWing different contexts beyond local level might also be helpful. Further training of teaching staff and the use of study trips for the best classes of pupils might also motivate learners and teachers. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

CAPES / Nesta pesquisa objetivou-se identificar as representações sociais sobre Química e Meio Ambiente de estudantes do ensino médio de uma escola do campo situada no Estado do Paraná, assim como, investigar relações entre essas representações com a Educação Ambiental. Para tanto, fundamentou-se no suporte teórico e metodológico da Teoria das Representações Sociais e na análise de conteúdo referente às questões dissertativas. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário de evocação livre, constituído de questões de identificação (idade, sexo e ano/série em que estuda), duas questões de evocação livre e oito questões dissertativas. Os termos indutores foram Química e Meio Ambiente. Concluí-se que, de maneira geral, para o grupo de estudantes pesquisados a Química e o Meio Ambiente estão distantes, sugerindo a necessidade de intervir a Educação Ambiental em um viés globalizante. Constatou-se ainda que a Química, para eles, é representada socialmente associada ao universo escolar, especialmente em uma perspectiva de ciência experimental. Já o Meio Ambiente é visto como algo a ser cuidado e preservado, afinal precisamos dele para viver. Com isso, pode-se afirmar uma visão antropocêntrica, que coloca a natureza como serventia do nosso uso enquanto humanidade. Desse modo, estimam-se implicações para o ensino de Química voltado ao Meio Ambiente, com a prática da EA em um viés crítico e reflexivo perante os problemas socioambientais. / This research aimed to identify the social representations about Chemistry and Environment of high school students of a country school located in the State of Paraná, as well as to investigate relationships between these representations and Environmental Education. In order to do so, it was based on the theoretical and methodological support of Theory of Social Representations and on the analysis of content referring to the dissertation questions. Data were collected through a free recall questionnaire, consisting of identification questions (age, sex and year / series in which he / she studies), two free recall questions and eight essay questions. The inductive terms were Chemistry and Environment. It is concluded that in general, for the group of students studied, Chemistry and the Environment are distant, suggesting the need to intervene Environmental Education in a globalizing bias. It was also observed that Chemistry, for them, is represented socially associated with the school universe, especially in a perspective of experimental science. The Environment is seen as something to be cared for and preserved, after all we need it to live. With this, an anthropocentric view can be affirmed, which places nature as a use of our use as humanity. In this way, we are considering implications for the teaching of Environmental Chemistry, with the practice of EE in a critical and reflexive bias towards socio-environmental problems.

This study looks at the various actions by the principal of a farm school in running an academically successful school. The study exposes the difficulties faced by farm schools and looks at how the principal confronts these difficulties and turn some of these into success stories. In trying to understand the role of the principal this study uses school effectiveness literature as a source and reference in an attempt to understand the actions adopted by the principal to make this farm school successful. The study uses the interpretive orientation as the methodology for investigating the principal’s role. This is in line with my attempt at explaining the perceptions, views and experiences of the people who are working closely with the principal. I have done this by employing semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The information gathered from the respondents helped in the development of the role of the principal which in this case, is the expressed views of the respondents. The investigation is conducted as a case study and the handling of the information provided by the respondents is in line with case study methods. The study has revealed that actions of the leader have an influence on the organizational success. The way in which the leader of Rocklands farm School conducts herself and the vision she shares with the people within the organization go a long way towards the improvement of organizational structures and their functioning. In this case the principal has been noted as particularly transformational, charismatic, instructional and transactional in her approaches to school administration and that her dedication to the cause of learners from disadvantaged background is reflected in her sacrificial actions. The study has also found that the principal is considered to be fairly autocratic in her leadership, which is a departure from current leadership thinking. The study has also shown that socio-economic disadvantages do not necessarily inhibit the school from performing beyond expectation. With good guidance from the leader and trust among staff members the farm school has been able to overcome some socio-economic pressures to emerge successful in the academic field. The fact that the principal of this school is a woman has not changed the overall findings that leadership qualities for successful schooling are universal and do not necessarily depend on the gender of the leader. This study suggests that leaders have a potential to turn poor situations in schools around and that leaders should as a matter of course ensure that they understand the organizational dynamics within their schools. They should be in the forefront as agents of change being mindful that those within the school understand and share the vision the leader has. The study also suggests that the human element in the educational processes in schools is of critical importance than the conditions in which schools find themselves.

Multi-standard classrooms are a distinctive feature of many South African farm schools. This study adopts an ethnographic approach in order to explore how classroom life in one particular Eastern Cape multistandard farm school classroom is shaped by a set of circumstances which influence the nature of teaching and learning in that classroom. The research focuses on the extent to which the difficulties associated with teaching a multi-standard class dictate the teacher's approach to lesson planning and style of teaching and how the resultant pattern of interaction influences language learning within a second language context. Data from a variety of sources, obtained primarily through classroom observations, interviews and questionnaires, is presented. Findings tend to indicate that the demands made on the teachers and pupils in terms of large, multi-standard classes, second language medium of instruction and lack of teaching aids, encourages the use of rote learning techniques which are not conducive to language learning. The pattern of interaction that predominates is a teacher-led series of questions and prompts followed by a chorus response from the pupils. This pattern tends to undermine the communicative aspects of language learning by reducing natural interaction and results in pupil passivity as language learners.

Rural primary schools have got an immense role to play regarding the educational foundation for the subsequent phases of schooling. In ensuring that an extremely solid foundation is laid. the creation and maintenance of a positive culture of teaching and learning becomes extremely very important in this category of schools. It is the primary task of the primary school principal to ensure that quality teaching and learning is taking place in her/his school. I Iowever, in ensuring that a positive culture of teaching and learning becomes a reality in their schools, principals cannot work in isolation but, in collaboration with other potential stakeholders. A variety of factors like good management on the part of principals to good commitment and involvement on the part of other stakeholders like educators, learners, parents. community, business people and the government. lead to teaching and learning of a very high and acceptable standard. The purpose of this research project was to investigate how principals of rural primary schools create and maintain a culture of teaching and learning. The outcomes of this investigation could assist rural primary school principals in their attempts towards ensuring a positive culture of teaching and learning. The outcomes could also assist other stakeholders as to how best can they assist rural primary school principals in making schools centers for a positive culture of teaching and learning. The methodology of research for this investigation is quantitative. The questionnaire was used as a tool for empirical data collection. This research project has revealed several mechanisms that arc utilized by rural primary school principals in creating and maintain a culture ofteaching and learning. It also emerged from thi s study that in creating and maintaining COLT in schools, rural primary school principals encounter some problems that need the undivided attention of every education stakeholder. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Although South African teachers have ample opportunities for professional development (PD), weak results of learners show that these opportunities have had a limited effect on the development of the Mathematics teachers’ instructional skills. The improvement of the teaching of Mathematics is regarded as a solution to learners’ poor performance, because teachers play a key role in the improvement of pupils’ learning. In the light of this, a Mathematics PD programme implemented in a province of South Africa was evaluated and served as a case study. The aim of this evaluation was to probe the quality of the programme since it had been suggested that improving the quality of teaching can be achieved by offering effective PD programmes. Thus, the evaluation was done in an attempt to establish the academic value of the intervention. The investigated programme – which was implemented in a rural and under-resourced setting – focused on FET Mathematics teachers and used mentoring and workshops as its key intervention implementers. Five teachers were involved in this programme. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, lesson observations, mentoring and workshop reports, the results of learners, and pre- and post-test results of the participants. The evaluation of the PD programme revealed the following: that the workshops addressed the participants’ content knowledge gap to a limited degree; that mentoring was able to assist with the individual classroom-related needs of the participants, and that the community of practice formed in the workshops helped the participants to develop by means of working together on lesson preparation, micro-teaching, and content knowledge exercises. Other findings revealed that the duration of the workshops were adequate, however their intensity was insufficient to effectively address the participants’ needs, and that the workshops were carefully planned, given that the same topics were repeated. The mentor teachers and other facilitators encountered challenges relating to the long intervals between the mentoring sessions, the limited post-lesson-observation discussion time, the significant distances between the involved schools and the heavy teaching load of the participants. Nevertheless, recommendations on improving the effectiveness of future PD programmes included careful selection of the dosage of interventions, site-based mentoring, to incentivise participants of PD programmes, alleviating the teaching load of overburdened participants and the creation of conducive environments in rural areas for the formation of communities of practice. / Mathematics Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (Mathematics Education))

The general aim of this thesis is to illuminate the process of learning as it occurs in formal and informal contexts. The study focuses on South African scholars attending school in rural areas where the contrast between learning in formal and informal learning contexts is more pronounced than that in urban areas. The research draws on rural scholars' local knowledge of formal and informal learning contexts in order to gain a rich insight into how cognition is situated in different learning contexts. This is accomplished through investigating the structure of the respective learning tasks, the mediators involved, the task objectives and the means for achieving these objectives in the different learning contexts. The thesis draws on a socio-cultural approach to the study of cognitive development to probe the activity of learning in a formal and informal learning context. Through the use of a context sensitive methodological methods especially Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools and techniques, it was possible to illuminate tacit local knowledge structures and to get participants to actively explicate their understandings related to learning in different contexts The research results illustrate the assertion that the activity of learning is fundamentally situated in the learning context from which it arises. Learning is framed by the community of practice which structures affordances for situated learning, through mediation, within zones of proximal development. Learning in a formal context such as the school is often abstract, rule-based, standardised and theory related. Learners also find it difficult to reflect on the learning tasks and the mediational means used in a formal learning context. In contrast, the learning which takes place in an informal setting is often practical, individualised, flexible and environment based. This learning is structured around everyday activities and is dynamically defined and supported. In a situation where a learner is exposed to dislocated learning contexts, the essential goal of educational initiatives is to bridge the gap between the two. This can be achieved through mediators creating effective zones of proximal development which facilitate the individuals adaptation between learning contexts. Exposing rural scholars' local knowledge of learning in formal and informal contexts allows for a fuller understanding of the cognitive development structured within formal and informal communities of practice. It is this understanding that is necessary to address the situation where learning contexts, drawing on different knowledge bases find ways of thinking, prove challenging and/or conflicting to the scholar.