Despite educational legislation and school reforms to promote improved performance and quality education, underperformance among secondary school learners is still the norm in the rural schools of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This dissertation investigates the problem of learner underachievement by means of a literature study and an empirical inquiry. The former provides an overview of the provisions for and problems of rural schooling in both an international and local context and it is followed by a discussion of learner assessment and learner achievement in the South African education system, with specific reference to KZN's schooling system and the problem of learner underachievement. The empirical inquiry investigates the experience of learner achievement in four rural schools in KZN and makes use of qualitative data gathered during individual and focus group interviews conducted with a small sample of underachieving learners and their parents, educators and school managers. Based on these findings, recommendations for improvement are made. / Comparative Education / M.A. (Comparative Education)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of negative influences facing children with physical disabilities living in rural areas. Children with physical disabilities living in rural areas of South Africa have to deal with many negative influences in addition to their disability. The main theme is that all children in rural areas face negative influences, but these are far worse for the children with physical disabilities. Societal and educational exclusion and poverty continue to place these children at a disadvantage despite South Africa’s policies that promote inclusion and equality. These rights are central to a meaningful democracy yet; research indicates that children with physical disabilities remain in a hopeless situation in the rural areas. To escape their plight inclusive education is pivotal. It is argued that the government’s capacity to deal with all the negative influences is limited and this therefore necessitates community involvement. Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological approach was used both to investigate the impact of the negative influences facing children with physical disabilities as well as providing a framework that tackles the barriers that prevent this marginalised group of children having an equal opportunity to education. A qualitative and ethnographic study was undertaken to investigate these issues. This entailed the researcher living in four rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, and collecting data through community participation, observations, questionnaires and interviews as well as photographs and drawings collected from the children. Data was analysed and poverty and exclusion clearly impacted not only on the children with physical disabilities, but their parents/caregivers. It became clear to the researcher that unless this group of children received early intervention to prepare them for education they would not be able to be included in formal education from Grade 1 but would need to begin their schooling in a specialised and exclusive environment. A framework for intervention based on Bronfenbrenner’s model was formulated that involved community involvement on the micro and mesosystemic levels. This framework is unique in that it will provide intensive early intervention for children with physical disabilities with the explicit aim of preparing them for inclusion and at the same time giving their parents/caregivers an opportunity to escape their plight of poverty.Every child in South Africa according to our Constitution and other policies is guaranteed equality. This equality needs to be provided to children with physical disabilities before they attend formal schooling and end up floundering never having had the opportunity to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty that they face. Contemporary models for understanding these negative impacts and exclusion suggest that an important outcome of rehabilitation services is to optimise children with physical disabilities participation in the home, school and community life. Bronfenbrenner’s Model is based on the premise that disability involves an interaction between features of the child and features of the environment that can be adapted to promote educational inclusion and thus reduce the cycle of poverty. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

There is compelling evidence that parental involvement positively influences children’s academic achievement. Its benefits occur across all socio-economic classes. In spite of its significance, parental involvement has received scant attention in Zimbabwe. This qualitative study sought to establish how parents in a materially poor rural district of Zimbabwe were involved in their children’s education. Barriers to their involvement were investigated with the view to overcoming or mitigating them for the benefit of the affected primary school pupils. The attribution theory was used not only to substantially explain the status of parental involvement in Zaka District, but also to generate strategies to promote parents’ participation in their children’s school education. Observation, semi-structured interviews (for school heads), focus group interviews (for parents) and the open-ended questionnaire (for teachers) were used in this qualitative study covering ten primary schools. Respondents were selected through the use of chain reference sampling and sampling by case. A total of one hundred and forty (140) participants were selected. It emerged from the research that parents, teachers and school heads/principals had very limited understanding of parental involvement. They generally thought that it was confined to activities done at school such as payment of school fees and levies, providing labour for the construction or renovation of school buildings and providing teaching/learning resources. Most teachers, school heads/principals and parents believed that parents were too poor and too lowly educated to meaningfully be involved in their children’s education. However, there were a few parents who believed that their socio-economic status did not prevent them from participating in their children’s education. They actually indicated useful ways in which they could be involved. The research also revealed that parents, school teachers and school heads/principals made wrong attributions about themselves and each other in connection with limited parental involvement in their schools. Both school staff and parents, after identifying barriers to involvement, were willing to learn about how they could overcome or mitigate the barriers. They believed that the challenges they were facing regarding parental involvement were capable of resolution. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This study is based on a need for community involvement in farm schools to enhance effective teaching and efficient learning. The rationale behind it was to determine the current state of community involvement in farm schools in the Pietermaritzburg area, with a view to determining the extent to which the current community i nvolvement, namely, the active participation of parents, teachers, the farmer, the church, the state and the private sector could be extended on a large scale. The study revealed that the community involvement dimension of schooling is central to the teaching profession. If neglected, no effective teaching and efficient learning can materialise. The role of the farm school principal in the realisation of this goal is indispensable. The empirical survey and literature revealed that farm school principals can address the serious shortcoming concerning the participation of community members in the affairs of farm schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The purpose of the study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of parental involvement in children’s education in the rural Mawa and Molototsi circuits in the Mopani district, Limpopo Province. Three-hundred-and-thirty (330) teachers participated in this research survey. The results indicated that the common perception amongst teachers was that parental involvement had positive benefits for both learner performance and social behaviour. The study also revealed that schools used involvement initiatives and strategies to a lesser extent than expected. Primary schools reported higher rates of parental involvement than secondary schools, which suggested that parents of primary school children were likelier to involve themselves in school governance than those of secondary school children. The extent to which the school used media to promote parental involvement was found to be small and moderate. The respondents also perceived certain social and economic barriers as moderate to large impediments to parental involvement. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) stipulates that the State must fund all the public schools from the public revenue on an equitable basis. Each school should elect a School Governing Body (SGB) whose primary function is to manage school finances. The principal of the school, who is also a member of the SGB, is the accounting officer. The SGB has to elect the finance committee which should run the school’s finances and, in turn elects the procurement committee - a sub-committee of the finance committee. In terms of the South African Schools Act, (Act 84 of 1998, as amended) there are two categories of public schools which may be created in South Africa. One category is based on Section 20 of the South Africa Schools Act with stipulated functions applicable to all public schools, while the other category is based on Section 21 of the Act which includes added stipulated functions above those applicable to all public schools. The study investigated the factors affecting the performance of procurement committees in schools. Among others, the study found that more formal training on financial management was necessary in schools in order to empower the procurement committees. Inadequate support with regard to the availability of supporting documentation and logistics was also raised as a matter of concern.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study explored how location and gender influence the performance of students in Physics in Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of four schools randomly selected from the co-educational schools in the public schools. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observation, focus group interviews of the students and documents obtained from the school principals on students’ academic performance in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 2011-2015. The validity and the reliability of all these instruments were established. The data obtained through interviews were interpreted qualitatively. The documents obtained from the selected schools were also analyzed. The results of the study revealed that the urban students perform better in Physics than the rural students. The study also revealed that the gender of the students affects their performance in Physics with male students performing better than female students. Frantic efforts should be made to ensure conducive learning environment and equivalent learning opportunities to both male and female students. / Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe plek en geslag die prestasie van studente in Fisika in die Akure Suid-plaaslike regering, Ondo-staat, Nigerië, beïnvloed. Die steekproef het bestaan uit vier skole wat lukraak gekies is uit die mede-opvoedkundige skole in die openbare skole. Data is ingesamel deur onderhoude, klaskamerwaarnemings, fokusgroeponderhoude van die studente en dokumente wat van die skoolhoofde verkry is oor studente se akademiese prestasie in die Wes-Afrikaanse Senior Sekondêre Sertifikaat-eksamen (WASSCE) vanaf 2011-2015. Die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van al hierdie instrumente is vasgestel. Die data wat deur onderhoude verkry is, is kwalitatief geïnterpreteer. Die dokumente wat van die geselekteerde skole verkry is, is ook ontleed. Die resultate van die studie het getoon dat die stedelike studente beter in Fisika verrig as die landelike studente. Die studie het ook onthul dat die geslag van die studente hul prestasie in Fisika beïnvloed, met manlike studente wat beter presteer as vroulike studente. Vreemde pogings moet aangewend word om bevorderlike leeromgewing en gelykwaardige leergeleenthede vir beide manlike en vroulike studente te verseker. / Lolu cwaningo luhlolisise ukuthi indawo kanye nobulili bathonya kanjani ukusebenza kwabafundi e-Physics e-Akure South Local Government, e-Ondo State, eNigeria. Isampula lalinabashumayeli izikole ezine ngezikhathi ezikhethiwe kusukela izikole co-ezemfundo ezikoleni zikahulumeni. Idatha abangu eziqoqiwe ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo, ekilasini observation, izingxoxo somnqopho sokufundisa isiqhema lwabafundi futhi imibhalo etholakala othishanhloko esikoleni ekusebenzeni abafundi 'academic eNtshonalanga Afrika Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) kusuka 2011 kuya ku-2015. De geldigheid en de betrouwbaarheid van alle deze instrumenten efen-widegesteldeld. Imibuzo yezintambo ze-data verkregen yesikhala esiphezulu se-geïnterpreteerd. De dokumenter fra de udvalgte skoler blev også analysisret. Imiphumela cwaningo lwembula ukuthi abafundi ezisemadolobheni basebente kancono Physics ngaphandle abafundi basezindaweni zasemakhaya. Lolu cwaningo lwembula nokuthi ubulili abafundi Ithinta hun ukusebenza Physics ne abafundi besilisa kokwenza Ukuze ungcono abafundi besilisa nabesifazane. Imizamo eqondile kufanele kwenziwe ukuze kuqinisekiswe imvelo yokufunda kanye namathuba okufunda okulinganayo kokubili abafundi besilisa nabesifazane / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialization in Natural Sciences)

The goal of this research study was to understand the use of learner-centred approaches in teaching Accounting to enhance performance of learners at high schools (Grades 10-12). The teaching of Accounting in high schools is facing challenges. The Department of Education, through many curriculum implementations and revisions, have introduced a new approach to teaching as outlined in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). This policy, as with previous ones, emphasises a change in teaching pedagogy emphasising learner-centred approaches in contrast to the traditional teacher-centred approaches which favour rote learning. The Department aims at developing knowledge but links that with acquiring and developing the skills of thinking critically and creatively, working as an individual or a member of a team, organising and managing oneself responsibly and effectively, collecting, analysing, organising and critically evaluating information, communicating effectively, using science and technology effective (DBE, 2011:5) in order to be able to adapt to the requirements of the commercial industries. It was found out that learner-centred approaches can enhance the performance of learners in Accounting in high schools. The researcher used a qualitative approach together with an interpretive perspective to examine the themes. Four high schools, four Accounting teachers and four Heads of Departments were selected from the Ximhungwe circuit in Bohlabela District in Bushbuckridge. Data was collected through observations and interviews. Data were analysed and findings presented. The findings reveal how the Economic and Management Sciences curriculum has a negative effect on Accounting in the higher grades of 10-12, by not developing a solid foundation for the subject. It also revealed that school, parent and learner-based challenges also contribute to a poor perception of Accounting and high failure rates. The research study revealed that learner-centred approaches can improve teaching and learning of Accounting. Recommendations were made in that respect. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)

This study, Exploring the Use of Computer Simulations as a Technological Pedagogical Reasoning Tool in the Teaching and Learning of Electromagnetism in a Whole-Class Rural Setting, documents a journey of a digital immigrant, physical sciences teacher in a secondary school in a rural area who sought to integrate computer simulations as reasoning tool to enhance instruction and learning. The study employed an action research methodology and used Smart’s model of technological pedagogical reasoning and action (MTPRA) as a theoretical framework to guide the processes of teaching. The study utilised multiple methods of data collection: the documentation of my planning for teaching the topics of magnetic field and electromagnetic induction, reflective journals, feedback from critical friends, video-recordings of my lessons and focus group discussions with learners. Findings from the study revealed teaching with technology is a paradigm shift, change of mindset and culture that requires teachers to consider how the affordances of technology can be harnessed to create opportunities for learners to engage in meaningful learning. These opportunities for learning are created through the matrix of interaction between the teacher, learners, content and computer simulations as informed by the teachers’ technological pedagogical reasoning (TPR) sub-process (i.e., comprehension, transformation, instruction, and evaluation). Each TPR cycle was a professional learning experience which meant that the teacher collected data that could be used to frame and reframe his practice. The process of learning was interactive and facilitated by reflecting on how the elements (content, learners, computer simulations, the teacher) interacted with the actions of comprehension, transformation, instruction, and evaluation. The study found evidence to suggest that computer simulations had an influence on what was learnt, how it was learnt and the effect of these on the learners. Thus, computer simulations can be used as a curriculum resource/material to create potential learning experiences that have cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions. The learning experiences were among others, influenced by the following factors: context, prior learning experiences and the perceptions of the learners. The cognitive dimension resulted in the learners attaining knowledge of the relation between electricity and magnetism and the application of electromagnetism. The affective dimension created in learners a sense of enjoyment, wonder(surprise) and practical relevance of the lessons while the conative dimension created interest in the subject and learning in general. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Too often, literature on participation in community development is void of the rationale for the participation of teachers; the roles they may play; factors for and against their participation; and strategies for inviting and sustaining their participation. This study examines what could be done to ensure the participation of rural based teachers in community development activities, by exploring these issues. A qualitative design and purposeful sampling are used. The sample consists of information-rich informants from the following five categories: officials of the Rural District Council, non-governmental organisation workers, rural based school teachers, Village Development Committee Chairpersons, and ordinary community members. Interviewing is used as the major instrument of data collection. The study reveals that rural based teachers should participate in community development activities, since they have a wide knowledge base and transferable skills, and they are part of and trusted by the community. It reveals that rural based teachers' participation is deterred by political factors, lack of supportive policies, attitudes, conservativeness, lack of specialized training, and labour issues. Twenty two roles are identified for rural based teachers in community development activities. Strategies for inviting them to participate are: the use of policy, change of attitudes, use of media campaigns, training, and inclusion of community development in tertiary education in general, and teacher education in particular. Strategies for sustaining their participation emerge as: the use of incentives, free time or days off and holding responsible offices. Sixteen recommendations are finally presented. / DEVELOPMENT STUDIES / MA (DEVELOPMENT STUD)