The purpose of this study was to investigate the roll played by Further Education and Training Colleges in delivering education in South-Africa, with specific reference to technical education. As technology developed, the need for well trained artisans also increased. Technical Colleges have helped in addressing that need by increasing the theoretical knowledge of apprentices and artisans. With the political changes in South-Africa, came changes in education. Technical Colleges changed to Further Education and Training Colleges, and with that the purpose of these institutions. No longer will supplementary theoretical training be done at Technical Colleges, instead complete trade training will be done at Further Education and Training Colleges. This study has shown some problems with this new approach that need to be addressed before Further Education and Training Colleges can take their place in the provision of quality education in South -Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roll played by Further Education and Training Colleges in delivering education in South-Africa, with specific reference to technical education. As technology developed, the need for well trained artisans also increased. Technical Colleges have helped in addressing that need by increasing the theoretical knowledge of apprentices and artisans. With the political changes in South-Africa, came changes in education. Technical Colleges changed to Further Education and Training Colleges, and with that the purpose of these institutions. No longer will supplementary theoretical training be done at Technical Colleges, instead complete trade training will be done at Further Education and Training Colleges. This study has shown some problems with this new approach that need to be addressed before Further Education and Training Colleges can take their place in the provision of quality education in South -Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University Of Zululand, 2016 / The inclusion of the subject, Life Orientation, in the school curriculum for a democratic education dispensation was the realisation of the recommendation of the National Education Crisis Committee or NECC (1992) in its research for a curriculum model for a post-apartheid society (CUMSA) and Educational Renewal Strategy (ERS). The NECC (1992: 79) emphasised that lifestyle education was essential for a post-apartheid curriculum in order to incorporate knowledge of and guidance on religion, economic education and physical education, to be directed at norms, values, personal convictions and attitude to life (including an emphasis on openness to and acceptance of the convictions and attitudes of others). However, studies have highlighted that Life Orientation is generally considered an appendage, an additional subject that is perceived as being of lesser importance in the school curriculum (Chisholm, 2000; Jansen, 1997; Christie, 1999). Such claims are based on the following facts: Life Orientation has the least number of periods in the school timetable; there is no formal assessment of the Life Orientation knowledge, skills, values and attitudes; learners’ performance in Life Orientation counts for less on their school-leaving certificates, than their performance in other subjects; and there is no accountability on the part of teachers with regard to learners’ performance in the subject. Therefore, results obtained in the subject do not add value in the certification process of the learner in the Further Education and Training (FET) Band. While reforms and changes have been introduced in the South African schooling curriculum for a democratic political and social dispensation, educational researchers (Chisholm, 2000; Jansen, 1997; Christie, 1999) have highlighted the challenges facing the successful implementation of the new curriculum. This study considers the mediation of the subject curriculum to be the main challenge in the successful implementation of the national curriculum statement, which provides teachers with guidelines on why, what and how classroom practice ought to be. Through the lens of the tuition of a specific subject, this study considers the competence of teachers in mediating Life Orientation in the FET Phase. This study attempted to answer the following research questions: • What paradigm informs the mediation strategies of teachers of Life Orientation? • How do teachers’ mediation strategies align content, intended outcomes and assessment for daily learning activities? • Why do teachers perceive their mediation strategies as being congruent with the attainment of the Life Orientation curriculum statement and learning outcomes? This study targeted teachers involved in the teaching of Life Orientation in the FET Phase: that is, Grades 10, 11 and 12 teachers in schools in the vicinity of the Pinetown District. A mixed method design was used to investigate teachers’ perceptions and competencies in teaching Life Orientation in the Further Education and Training band. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments were used to collect data from the participants. The researcher used open-ended questionnaires for data collection with regard to the perspectives on a mediating role for the effective teaching of Life Orientation in the FET band. The research was conducted with Grades 10, 11 and 12 Life Orientation (L.O.) teachers. There are 167 secondary schools under Pinetown District and the questionnaires were administered in 30 of the 167 secondary schools. A total of 60 teachers, that is, 2 teachers per school, teaching Grades 10, 11 and 12 were used as respondents to the questionnaires in order to answer the research question. The purpose of the survey questionnaire was to collect information regarding L.O.’s academic value, L.O. teachers’ preparedness and L.O. mediation strategies. Interviews were also used to collect qualitative data from the participants who were teachers who teach Life Orientation in the FET phase. According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010), in-depth interviews use open-response questions to obtain data on participants’ meanings regarding how individuals conceive of their world and how they explain or make sense of the important events in their lives. According to the collected data, the participants felt very strong about the importance and the academic value of the subject LO in the FET curriculum. They emphasised that the subject was invaluable in the effective teaching of the learners at this stage in order to prepare them for future careers and as future citizens. They felt a need for the subject to be recognised and to be treated with some degree of the value it deserves within the curriculum. It was mentioned by the participants that the teachers who teach the subject have to be well-prepared and trained, and also that they need to have a specialised knowledge and understanding for the effective teaching and learning of the subject to happen. Over and above they have to be passionate about the subject, and be willing to sacrifice their time and talents to develop themselves and to teach better. A variety of mediation strategies that are learner-centred were identified as the best strategies to teach the subject, in order to improve and develop learner knowledge and understanding around the subject. Strategies that keep learners fully involved in their learning and development were seen as the best strategies. Participants felt that learners learn better when they find information on their own and when they interact with others to develop knowledge and understanding. This study recommends that Life Orientation must be treated in the same manner as other subjects in the curriculum and that this needs to be shown in the allocation of time to teach the subject. It is very disturbing to learn that this subject is sacrificed a lot to benefit other priority subjects in the FET curriculum. It should always be remembered that this subject was introduced for the purpose of a holistic development of the learners. With the identified academic value of the subject, L.O., it is without doubt that the subject is indispensable within the FET curriculum.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of Zululand, 2018 / This study aimed at determining the role that Life Orientation teachers (LO) play in preparing Further Education and Training (FET) phase learners for Post schooling education (PSE) in Bhekuzulu circuit, Zululand District. The objectives of the study were to (a) establish the role that LO teachers play in preparing FET phase learners for post schooling education in Bhekuzulu circuit, (b) find out whether there are support programmes available to enable LO teachers support their learners for their post schooling education, (c) establish the type of challenges that LO teachers face which hinder them from supporting and preparing FET learners for post schooling education. A mixed-methods research approach was used in a case study constituted of 70 participants. To this end, the questionnaire and focus group interviews (FGIs) were used to collect data. A qualitative thematic content analysis was used to analyse data, by grouping similar themes. Furthermore, a quantitative data analysis was used to quantify the phenomenon by analysing patterns and trends of the respondents. The findings reveal that teachers do support FET learners in preparation for PSE with the little skills and knowledge they possess. However, the major challenge that prevailed in this study is that LO teachers are not trained to provide CG; most of these teachers do not have specialisation in teaching LO and/or CG. Other challenges that prevailed were the insufficient time allocated to teach LO, lack of CG resources, negative attitudes towards LO as subjects by teachers as well as school management teams. Moreover, the study found a lack of CG programmes in schools and poor implementation of these programmes, poor subjects groupings offered in schools, poor learners’ efficacy in career choices and lack of community support. The study recommends that the Provincial Department of Basic Education should train all LO teachers using accredited service providers to enable teachers to provide CG to learners in a meaningful way. Secondly, more time should be allocated to LO especially in the teaching of careers and career choices. Lastly, schools should be provided with common basic CG programmes to be implemented by all schools and be monitored intensively by the CG officials. / National Research Foundation Of South Africa (Grant Number:CP160513164973 and 105246)

Published Aticle / This article reports on the experiences of Mathematics educators during the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in Grades 10 - 12. The study is contained in five different, but educationally related constructs addressing training, problem areas which challenge or appeal to Mathematics educators, lesson planning, assessment strategies and the effective integration of OBE in the teaching of Mathematics. A mixed methods design was used, with data being collected and collated using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data employed descriptive data analysis, while the qualitative data was analysed by identifying differences and similarities. The study revealed that educators differed in terms of the problems they encountered with implementing the NCS in Mathematics. They agreed, however, that the implementation was successful and that it contributed to better teaching.

The quality of education in especially the Further Education and Training phase (FET) is recognised as one of the most significant challenges facing the South African government. Low teacher morale, lack of parental involvement, learners' ignorance in taking responsibility for their own learning and other educational problems are all identified as contributing factors. This study was undertaken to investigate how critical thinking skills can contribute to promoting quality teaching and learning in secondary schools with specific reference to the FET phase. The study also sought to make recommendations that will assist teachers to integrate critical thinking skills into the teaching and learning experiences in the FET phase. The nature of quality teaching and learning, the nature of critical thinking skills and the correlation between the concepts to improve the quality of education were researched by means of a literature study. A quantitative research design followed, using questionnaires as research instrument. From the research conducted it was found that learners in the FET phase do not take responsibility for their learning and therefore many of these learners still do not perceive learning as important. However, effective learning could take place if learners are confident, independent, active participants and explore a variety of learning strategies. Teachers, on the other hand, should adopt particular forms of behaviour to foster certain types of learning. The ability to teach critical thinking skills to learners poses a great challenge as many teachers are not trained to do so. This has a great influence on the exposure of an integrated constructivist method of teaching and learning and therefore inflicts on the delivery of quality teaching and learning in the FET phase of secondary schools in South Africa. / MEd, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Student Number : 0206171T - MEd research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / The aim of the study is to explore the relevance to the workplace of the Further Education and Training college curriculum in electrical subjects. The study uses a combination of interviews, questionnaires and document analysis to collect data. The study was carried out in Johannesburg and Germiston, and involved six learners, four training managers, three educators, a curriculum developer and an education specialist. Educators noted that there had been no changes in the curriculum for a considerable period, and felt that there was a need for change. They mentioned in particular the absence of practicals as a cause for concern. The curriculum developer agreed that there had been no substantial curriculum change. He cited report 190/191 and the FET Act of 1998 as contributing to the stagnation in the curriculum. Employers continue to recruit learners from the FET colleges, but do not feel that they have been fully equipped for the workplace. The colleges provided only the basics, and training continued at the workplace. Colleges play a vital role in qualifying learners for a trade. One of the entry requirements for trade test is that candidates have N2, which is only obtainable at FET colleges. Learners were divided on the question of whether or not the FET college empowered them to cope in the world of work, with some, but not all, expressing satisfaction. This response was understandable as the electrical field is very broad, and companies operate on various levels within the field. In the electrical field, FET colleges have adopted a technocratic approach to the curriculum, characterized by inflexibility and stagnancy. New curricular approaches beckon with the government’s recapitalization plan for the FET colleges.

Student Number : 0107553H - MSc research report - School of Science Education - Faculty of Science / One of the most important challenges of the secondary school science teacher is to help learners to obtain, analyze and evaluate evidence using experimental and investigative methods. The understanding and application of concepts of evidence play a central role in setting up valid experiment and is usually ignored in the secondary school science curriculum. Recognizing the significance and value of an understanding of evidence in developing learners’ ability to carry out appropriate experimental work in science, the question arises of learners’ understanding of ‘concepts of evidence’ in experimental design. In this study the researcher endeavored to answer some of the questions concerning learners’ understanding of evidence: What understanding do learners entering the Further Education and Training (FET) band have of the concepts of validity in experimental design? What is the effect of an intervention on their understanding of concepts of validity? How well do learners show their ability to apply concepts of evidence to an assessment task? The study investigated the ability of a sample of grade 10 Physical Science learners, in one Gauteng Province secondary school to use and understand the concepts of evidence before and after an intervention, and their ability apply these ideas about evidence in an assessment sheet task. First, a survey of learners’ understanding of the concepts of validity was conducted using a written diagnostic test, consisting of three probes that had been previously used to diagnose learners’ understanding of validity in experimental design. Second, an evaluation of changes in such understanding due to a specific teaching intervention was completed using the same diagnostic test. Finally, the 2004 Grade 9 Common Tasks for Assessment (CTA) investigation task was administered to the same subjects in order to investigate whether or not their understanding of concepts of evidence would be apparent in this CTA investigation task. Several key findings emerged from the data. The major findings of this study were that the sample investigated began the study with a level of understanding equal to a group of Foundation University students tested in a previous study and that their understanding did not change much during the intervention. In fact, analysis of the results from the probes in the diagnostic test revealed that learners had little problem choosing the independent variable and controlling variables. However, the findings from the probes indicated that the intervention did not seem to have had a major effect since the difference in the number of responses between the pre-test and post- test was relatively small. Moreover, the results also revealed that it was possible to analyze learners’ responses using the existing model of learners’ understanding of validity, and that the majority of learners fell into Level C in the model which refers to the application of previous understanding in a new situation. The results from the CTA investigation task revealed that learners’ understanding of concepts of evidence could be demonstrated in new science context. In fact, the results revealed that learners showed ability to apply their understanding of concepts of evidence in experimental design to the assessment task. Moreover, the CTA results indicated that the understanding of identifying variables, constructing graphs; describing the relationship between variables in a graph; formulating the investigative questions were the most applied concepts of evidence by learners. Finally, the results of this study highlight the need for providing secondary science learners with opportunities to practice and develop concepts of evidence. In the light of these findings it is recommended that children need to be explicitly taught about the purpose of science investigations and introduced to important ideas about evidence if their ability to perform investigation tasks is to be improved.

Thesis (M.ED.) --University of Limpopo, 2008 / Language prejudice is of two types: positive and negative. Negative prejudice is image effacing. It is characterized by negative evaluation of one’s own language or speech patterns and a preference for someone else’s. An example of this kind of self- -denigration is the case of David Christiaan, the Nama Chief in Namibia, who, in response to the Dutch missionaries’ attempt to open schools that would conduct their teaching using Nama as a medium of instruction, is reported to have shouted, “Only Dutch, Dutch only! I despise myself and I want to hide in the bush when I am talking my Hottentot language” (Vedder, 1981: 275 as quoted in Ohly, 1992:65. In Ambrose, et al (eds.) undated: 15).

The quality of education in especially the Further Education and Training phase (FET) is recognised as one of the most significant challenges facing the South African government. Low teacher morale, lack of parental involvement, learners' ignorance in taking responsibility for their own learning and other educational problems are all identified as contributing factors. This study was undertaken to investigate how critical thinking skills can contribute to promoting quality teaching and learning in secondary schools with specific reference to the FET phase. The study also sought to make recommendations that will assist teachers to integrate critical thinking skills into the teaching and learning experiences in the FET phase. The nature of quality teaching and learning, the nature of critical thinking skills and the correlation between the concepts to improve the quality of education were researched by means of a literature study. A quantitative research design followed, using questionnaires as research instrument. From the research conducted it was found that learners in the FET phase do not take responsibility for their learning and therefore many of these learners still do not perceive learning as important. However, effective learning could take place if learners are confident, independent, active participants and explore a variety of learning strategies. Teachers, on the other hand, should adopt particular forms of behaviour to foster certain types of learning. The ability to teach critical thinking skills to learners poses a great challenge as many teachers are not trained to do so. This has a great influence on the exposure of an integrated constructivist method of teaching and learning and therefore inflicts on the delivery of quality teaching and learning in the FET phase of secondary schools in South Africa. / MEd, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011