Thesis (M.A. (Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study sought to explore the perceptions of practitioners such as school principals, Heads of Departments and teachers towards the Grade9 curriculum changes in Economic and Management Sciences (EMS).This stems from the need for South African schools to have teachers with positive perceptions of teaching Economic Management Sciences since this is one subject that prepares learners for one of the scarce skills in the country entrepreneurship.The problem identified in this study is the perpetual poor performance of Grade 9 Economic Management Sciences learners.The review of the literature points out that since Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) in Grade 9 comprises the Accounting section, Business Studies section and Economics part, it is the former that contributes to the experienced learner's poor performance.This is a qualitative case study carried out at the Malelane circuit in Mpumalanga.This case study method allowed the researcher to use multiple data collection methods to enhance the qualityof the findings.The qualitative data generation methods applied in this study included the interviews, documents review and observations. Out of 12 secondary schools in the Malelane circuit, Mpumalanga, 3 secondary schools were conveniently sampled. In each secondary school, 3 research participants became part of this study. Teachers were specifically sampled for this study based on teaching Economic and Management Sciences in Grade 9. Key findings of the study revealed that a lack of sufficient teaching and learning resources in EMS delays the successful teaching of the subject. Furthermore, overcrowded EMS classes in secondary schools, make it difficult for the subject to be taught with enthusiasm by teachers. Finally, the difficult accounting section, which is part of the EMS, triggers negative perceptions against EMS by the EMS teachers. Lastly, inadequate support given to EMS teachers from secondary schools was worsening the negative perceptions against the subject. Based on the expressed findings, the researcher recommends that the Mpumalanga Education Department allocates more time for Economic and Management Sciences subjects in secondary schools to enable learners to build a better foundation of the subject. Inaddition, adequate teaching and learning resources for EMS are necessary

Studiens syfte är att undersöka elevtexter som bedömts olika av undervisande lärare ochexterna bedömare i relation till delar av bedömningsanvisningarna för nationella provet isvenska årskurs 9 år 2003. Materialet i studien består av åtta elevtexter,bedömningsanvisningarna de undervisande lärarna och de externa bedömarna hafttillgång till samt de betyg som respektive bedömare har gett. Eleverna skrev uppgiften”Mina skolår”, vilket faller inom genren krönika. Metoden för denna studie är engranskning av elevtexterna utifrån tolkningsbara element i bedömningsanvisningarnasamt att diskutera de potentiella anledningarna till de olika bedömningarna gjorda avundervisande lärare, externa bedömare och en tredje analys genomförd i denna studie.Analysen är gjord ur ett top-down-perspektiv då analysen utgår ifrån givna parametrarbestämda av bedömningskriterierna. Det viktigaste resultatet i studien är att elevernalyckas visa konkretion och exempel i sina texter, medan de lyckas mindre väl med attanpassa sig till språkliga regler och konventioner. Utifrån detta resultat dras slutsatsen attspråkliga fel ofta är något som stör läsningen av texterna, vilket kan ha påverkat densammanlagda bedömningen.

Main topic of the thesis was to evaluate fatigue properties of the titanium alloy Ti-A13-V2,5, labelled by ASTM as Grade 9. Most attention was focused on fatigue behaviour of the alloy in the range of high cycle fatigue. Fatigue testing was realised to detect the fatigue properties and consequently to generate the Wöhler curve and the Haigh diagram. In addition to this, tension and bending tests were performed. Metallographic and fractographic analyses of fatigue fracture form part of the overview about material properties, which was accomplished by use of REM. Experimental part of the thesis was backed by the literature research. The first half of it contains a short summary of basic information about the titanium and its alloys, so as some chapters about the history and properties of titanium, the way of its production, classification of titanium alloys and its thermic treatment. The fatigue is thoroughly scrutinised in the second half of the background research. Here can also be found the information about the fatigue process, its stages, the fatigue life and the most significant attributes of the fatigue fracture. The last chapters of the thesis are dedicated to the alloy Ti-A13-V2,5 - being examined in the experimental part - so as to its fatigue properties. The main benefit of this thesis is the completion of the missing information concerning the fatigue behaviour of the alloy, which is – according to the literature research - generally not available.

Matematik har ett unikt ämnesspråk som elever behöver behärska både skriftligt som muntligt. Brister i den muntliga matematiska kommunikationsförmågan bidrar till att elever med matematiksvårigheter inte får godkänt betyg i matematik för årskurs 9. Dessa elever behöver hjälp och stöd från sin omgivning för att inte riskera att bli underkända. Denna studie har genomförts med syftet att skildra och analysera matematiklärares syn på stödjande faktorer för elever med matematiksvårigheter med fokus på den muntliga matematiska kommunikationsförmågan. Som metod har en innehållsanalytisk forskningsansats med induktiv tematiseringsmetodik använts och studien baseras på fem semistrukturerade intervjuer. Matematiklärares synsätt har bedömts vara möjliga att skildras och analyseras genom följande sex teman: 1. Balansen mellan muntlig och skriftlig kommunikation 2. Den muntliga kommunikationsförmågans beståndsdelar 3. Aktiviteter baserade på elevernas behov 4. Stödjande lärandemiljö för eleven 5. Elevens deltagande i matematiska diskussioner 6. Samarbete med föräldrar De intervjuade lärarna är eniga om att elever med matematiksvårigheter behöver anpassningar av innehåll och kunskapsmål för den muntliga matematiska förmågan. Det råder dock ingen enighet i lärares syn på adekvata mål och innehåll, utan detta anses vara ett resultat av en mängd faktorer såsom elevernas förkunskaper, lärares tolkning av läroplanen, den skriftliga tyngdpunkten i matematik, få bedömningsmoment för den muntliga förmågan, stress och tidsbrist samt den mindre bra tillgången på specialpedagoger. Elever med matematik‐svårigheter behöver även få stöd i det sammanhang som de befinner sig i. Detta anser lärare kan hanteras genom att antingen blanda sammanhanget med olikheter i kunskap hos elever eller se till att elever med matematiksvårigheter får samarbeta med elever de känner sig trygga med. Lärare försöker även stödja eleverna med styrning, kontroll och ordning, vilket kan förklaras av att dessa elever upplevs gå igenom tonåren. Läraren gör en subjektiv bedömning av elevernas behov av styrning och detta slår då igenom på elevernas möjligheter att få vara med och påverka i olika grad. Lärare har vidare olika förväntningar på elevernas prestationer i ett deltagande, där vissa lärare anser att eleverna ska prestera varmed vissa nöjer sig med ett deltagande. Lärare har således olika fokus för dessa elever – antingen kunskapsmål eller värdemål. Det sista temat berör lärares syn på samarbetet med föräldrarna. Vissa lärare upplevs tro att denna kontakt bidrar positivt varmed andra inte har tolkats riktigt ha samma övertygelse. / Mathematics has a unique subject language that students need to master in writing as well as verbally. Shortcomings in the oral mathematical communication capacity contribute to the fact that students with mathematical difficulties do not receive an approved grade in mathematics for grade 9. These students need help and support from their environment in order not to risk being disapproved. This study has been conducted with the purpose of portraying and analyzing mathematics teachers' views on supportive factors for students with mathematical difficulties focusing on oral mathematical communication skills. As a method, a content analytical research approach with inductive thematic methodology has been used and the study is based on five semi structured interviews. Mathematics teachers' views have been judged to be possible to be depicted and analyzed by the following six themes: 1. The balance between oral and written communication 2. The oral mathematical communications skills components 3. Activities based on the students' needs 4. Supporting learning environment for the student 5. The student's participation in mathematical discussions 6. Cooperation with the parents Teachers agree that students with mathematical difficulties need adaptations of content and knowledge objectives for oral mathematical ability. However, there is no unanimity in the teacher's view of adequate goals and content, but this is considered being the result of a variety of factors such as the student's knowledge, teacher's interpretation of the curriculum, the written focus in mathematics, the lack of adequate situations to assess oral capacity, stress and time shortages and the less good availability of special educators. Students with mathematical difficulties also need support in the context they are in. This believes teachers can be managed by either blending the context of differences in student knowledge or ensuring that students with mathematical difficulties interact with friends who they feel safe interacting with. Teachers also try to support the students with control, control and order, which can be explained by the fact that these students experience through their teens. The teacher makes a subjective assessment of the students' need for governance, and this then paves the way for the students to participate and influence in different ways. Teachers also have different expectations of student performance in a participation, where some teachers believe that the students are performing, with which some people are content with a participation. Teachers thus have different focus on these students ‐ either knowledge or value goals. The last theme concerns teachers' views on cooperation with the parents. Some teachers are interpreted believing that this contact contributes positively whereas others have not been interpreted having the same beliefs.

The researcher investigated the management and implementation of the Common Tasks for Assessment Instrument as a tool for assessing Grade 9 learners in public schools. The objectives were to investigate: * what the CTA Instrument entails for teaching and learning * its positive and negative aspects * training and development of the school management teams (SMTs) and Grade 9 educators in preparation for the implementation * the management of its implementation * learner performance Four schools, comprising two urban and two township schools from the former Transvaal Education Department and the House of Delegates, respectively, were involved in this qualitative study. Grade 9 educators, SMT members and district officials were interviewed in this exploratory case study. The study indicates that: * The CTA Instrument entails a large amount of work for little marks. * Educators identified a few positive and a large number of negative aspects of the Instrument. * Training and development for SMTs and Grade 9 educators were inadequate. * Management styles and models, and leadership styles and models varied. The quality of management practices differed from one school to another. * On the whole, although implementation was satisfactory it was fraught with numerous problems largely relating to management's lack of effective support, their inadequate training and poor assessment competence, insufficient guidance for instruction, limited resources, learner apathy, staff instability, and absenteeism, amongst other problems. * Although some of the learners performed very well, this should not distract attention from the majority who performed badly. Factors such as poor socio- economic backgrounds, learners' negative attitudes, their insufficient participation and poor commitment to their studies, amongst others, affected their involvement and the overall results. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

A case study using a phenomenological approach was carried out to determine how effective and enduring learning is for two diverse groups of grade 9 natural science learners when delivered through a collaborative co-teaching approach involving a high school science teacher and a special needs teacher. Even though the findings of this research indicate that the co-taught sessions did not significantly affect the learners’ test results, the majority of the learners reported very positive perceptions of co-teaching. From the findings the main benefits for the learners included an improvement in their understanding of learning styles and associated study skills, increased contact time with the teachers, and the benefit of another teacher’s expertise in the classroom. The researcher found the co-teaching approach yielded a clearer focus on the individual learning styles, new strategies for differentiation, and a positive teaching experience. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

The study population for the research comprised Grade 9 learners attending three co-educational, independent schools in KwaZulu-Natal in order to determine factors influencing the selection of business studies for FET phase. Methodology involved qualitative and quantitative approaches with closed and open-ended questionnaires plus one-on-one interviews. Descriptive statistics were produced and opened ended questions and interviews were examined for trends and influences. Findings reflected wide divergence in factual information, attitudes, and opinions on significant issues such as expected level of difficulty, influence of educators, parents and peers on selection, amount of work required and value of subject for future studies or careers. Conclusions were that there was a lack of completed research indicating a need for future research, greater preparation was required pre-FET level to assist decision making about selection of the subject which should involve parents, educators and input from the business world. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The study explores the role of eye contact in promoting effective learning in natural science in the secondary school using eye-tracking technology. A theoretical framework constituting the theories of Vygotsky, Piaget and Bandura inform the study. In the empirical inquiry in this study a purposefully selected group of eleven Grade 9-learners of mixed ability were eye-tracked by means of the Tobii 60 X-2 eye-tracker during individual viewings of a video-recording of a natural science lesson taught by the educator using a PowerPoint presentation. The Tobii 60 X-2 eyetracker establishes how a learner pays attention to information presented through educator narration, visuals and texts during teaching and learning. The findings indicate that, as the learners’ areas of interest, their highest total fixation duration was firstly on the PowerPoint presentation, and secondly on the educator. Under-performing natural science learners showed shorter and less dense fixation in both areas of interest. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

The researcher investigated the management and implementation of the Common Tasks for Assessment Instrument as a tool for assessing Grade 9 learners in public schools. The objectives were to investigate: * what the CTA Instrument entails for teaching and learning * its positive and negative aspects * training and development of the school management teams (SMTs) and Grade 9 educators in preparation for the implementation * the management of its implementation * learner performance Four schools, comprising two urban and two township schools from the former Transvaal Education Department and the House of Delegates, respectively, were involved in this qualitative study. Grade 9 educators, SMT members and district officials were interviewed in this exploratory case study. The study indicates that: * The CTA Instrument entails a large amount of work for little marks. * Educators identified a few positive and a large number of negative aspects of the Instrument. * Training and development for SMTs and Grade 9 educators were inadequate. * Management styles and models, and leadership styles and models varied. The quality of management practices differed from one school to another. * On the whole, although implementation was satisfactory it was fraught with numerous problems largely relating to management's lack of effective support, their inadequate training and poor assessment competence, insufficient guidance for instruction, limited resources, learner apathy, staff instability, and absenteeism, amongst other problems. * Although some of the learners performed very well, this should not distract attention from the majority who performed badly. Factors such as poor socio- economic backgrounds, learners' negative attitudes, their insufficient participation and poor commitment to their studies, amongst others, affected their involvement and the overall results. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

A case study using a phenomenological approach was carried out to determine how effective and enduring learning is for two diverse groups of grade 9 natural science learners when delivered through a collaborative co-teaching approach involving a high school science teacher and a special needs teacher. Even though the findings of this research indicate that the co-taught sessions did not significantly affect the learners’ test results, the majority of the learners reported very positive perceptions of co-teaching. From the findings the main benefits for the learners included an improvement in their understanding of learning styles and associated study skills, increased contact time with the teachers, and the benefit of another teacher’s expertise in the classroom. The researcher found the co-teaching approach yielded a clearer focus on the individual learning styles, new strategies for differentiation, and a positive teaching experience. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)