Ph.D. thesis. Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 1996

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In die verlede het matrikulante van Tswanaskole in die Noord-Kaap oor die algemeen nie goeie uitslae verkry nte. Politieke onstabiliteit wat tot klasboikotte aanleiding gegee het, was as een van die hoofredes aangevoer. Die hoofoorsaak van hierdie navorsing is om die rol van kultuur wat tot swak prestasie lei, te bepaal. Met behulp van literatuurstudie is bepaal dat daar 'n noue verband tussen onderwys/opvoeding, volwassenheid en kultuur bestaan. Geen mens kan volwassenheid bereik sonder opvoeding nie en verskillende kulture het verskillende kriteria vir volwassenheid. Die skole in Suid-Mrika is oop vir alle rassegroepe en die gevolg is dat 'n verskeidenheid van kultuurgroepe in een klaskamer onderrig ontvang. Om kontlik en misverstande in die klaskamersituasie te voorkom, kan van multikulturele onderwys gebruik gemaak word. Met die empiriese ondersoek is deur middel van vraelyste en onderhoude probeer vasstel watter kultuuraspekte 'n rol speel in die swak akademiese prestasies onder Tswana-matrikulante. Die medium van onderrig is 'n probleem in 'n multikulturele land waar dit soms, tot nadeel van die kind, onprakties is om moedertaalonderrig toe te pas. Wat Engels as medium van onderrig betref, is dit problematies vir baie Tswanas in die Noord-Kaap wat voorskools min met Engels in kontak kom. Wat die kultuur-historiese aspekte betref, is die Tswanas trots op hulself en wil graag kontak maak met ander kultuurgroepe en meer van hulle leer. Sosiaal-ekonomies woon baie Tswanas as uitgebreide gesinne in klein huise. Onderwysers sal professioneel moet optree in die uitvoering van hulle pligte. Leerlinge sal verantwoordelikheid moet erken vir hulle dade en saam sal beide onderwysers en leerlinge moet bou aan die skep van 'n leerkultuur by die skool. / Matriculants from Tswana schools in the Northern Cape generally have been achieving poor results. Political instability leading to class boycots has been regarded as one of the main reasons. The main reason for this research is to determine the role played by culture in the achievement of poor results. A literature survey has indicated that there is a close interrelationship between education/ upbringing, adulthood and culture. A human being cannot reach adulthood without education and different cultures have different criteria for maturity. Schools in South Africa are open to all race groups which results in a variety of cultural groups receiving education in the same classroom. To avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in the classroom, multicultural education may be used. With the empirical investigation by means of questionnaires and interviews an attempt is made to determine which cultural aspects play a role in the poor academic results achieved by Tswana matriculants. The medium of instruction is a problem in a multi-cultural country where it is sometimes impractical to apply mother tongue education. As far as English as medium of instruction is concerned, it is problematic for many Tswanas in the Northern Cape as they are seldom exposed to it during their pre-school years. As far as the cultural-historical aspects are concerned, the Tswana is a proud people who gladly make contact with and want to learn from other cultures. Socio-economically many Tswanas live as e..'Ctended families in small dwellings. Educators will have to act professionaly in the execution of their duties. Pupils will have to accept responsibility for their actions and build, with the teachers, a cultUre of learning at every school. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In die verlede het matrikulante van Tswanaskole in die Noord-Kaap oor die algemeen nie goeie uitslae verkry nte. Politieke onstabiliteit wat tot klasboikotte aanleiding gegee het, was as een van die hoofredes aangevoer. Die hoofoorsaak van hierdie navorsing is om die rol van kultuur wat tot swak prestasie lei, te bepaal. Met behulp van literatuurstudie is bepaal dat daar 'n noue verband tussen onderwys/opvoeding, volwassenheid en kultuur bestaan. Geen mens kan volwassenheid bereik sonder opvoeding nie en verskillende kulture het verskillende kriteria vir volwassenheid. Die skole in Suid-Mrika is oop vir alle rassegroepe en die gevolg is dat 'n verskeidenheid van kultuurgroepe in een klaskamer onderrig ontvang. Om kontlik en misverstande in die klaskamersituasie te voorkom, kan van multikulturele onderwys gebruik gemaak word. Met die empiriese ondersoek is deur middel van vraelyste en onderhoude probeer vasstel watter kultuuraspekte 'n rol speel in die swak akademiese prestasies onder Tswana-matrikulante. Die medium van onderrig is 'n probleem in 'n multikulturele land waar dit soms, tot nadeel van die kind, onprakties is om moedertaalonderrig toe te pas. Wat Engels as medium van onderrig betref, is dit problematies vir baie Tswanas in die Noord-Kaap wat voorskools min met Engels in kontak kom. Wat die kultuur-historiese aspekte betref, is die Tswanas trots op hulself en wil graag kontak maak met ander kultuurgroepe en meer van hulle leer. Sosiaal-ekonomies woon baie Tswanas as uitgebreide gesinne in klein huise. Onderwysers sal professioneel moet optree in die uitvoering van hulle pligte. Leerlinge sal verantwoordelikheid moet erken vir hulle dade en saam sal beide onderwysers en leerlinge moet bou aan die skep van 'n leerkultuur by die skool. / Matriculants from Tswana schools in the Northern Cape generally have been achieving poor results. Political instability leading to class boycots has been regarded as one of the main reasons. The main reason for this research is to determine the role played by culture in the achievement of poor results. A literature survey has indicated that there is a close interrelationship between education/ upbringing, adulthood and culture. A human being cannot reach adulthood without education and different cultures have different criteria for maturity. Schools in South Africa are open to all race groups which results in a variety of cultural groups receiving education in the same classroom. To avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in the classroom, multicultural education may be used. With the empirical investigation by means of questionnaires and interviews an attempt is made to determine which cultural aspects play a role in the poor academic results achieved by Tswana matriculants. The medium of instruction is a problem in a multi-cultural country where it is sometimes impractical to apply mother tongue education. As far as English as medium of instruction is concerned, it is problematic for many Tswanas in the Northern Cape as they are seldom exposed to it during their pre-school years. As far as the cultural-historical aspects are concerned, the Tswana is a proud people who gladly make contact with and want to learn from other cultures. Socio-economically many Tswanas live as e..'Ctended families in small dwellings. Educators will have to act professionaly in the execution of their duties. Pupils will have to accept responsibility for their actions and build, with the teachers, a cultUre of learning at every school. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)