Die implementering van Uitkoms Gebaseerde Onderig in skole in Suid-Afrika het gepaard gegaan met probleme op alle vlakke in die onderwysdepartement. UGO, ’n nasionale inisiatief, hang ten nouste saam met die agenda van die kultuur van onderrig en leer. Hierdie nasionale strategieë was veronderstel om alle belangegroepe te lei tot konkrete oplossings in die krisis wat die regering ondervind het om aan die menigte aangeleenthede wat hulle in 1994 geteister het, aandag te skenk. UGO is beskou as ’n wyse waarop onderwys aan die sentrale probleem om meer relevant te word, aandag kon skenk: leerders wat in ’n betekenisvolle konteks in omgewings wat hulle leer ondersteun, werk; opvoeders wat vindingryk is om die omgewing te gebruik om leer te optimaliseer; en skole wat in ’n posisie is om hulle groei- en ontwikkelingsplan uit een te sit om sodoende die algemene vlak van onderrig in die land te verbeter. Daar is kommer oor die oënskynlik oneffektiewe implementering van UGO op klaskamervlak. ’n Menigte opleidingsaktiwiteite het plaasgevind, maar probleme bestaan steeds. Wat die ergste is, is dat dit voorkom of dit “dieselfde probleme” is wat herhalend voorkom. Die vraag is waarom. Die doel met hierdie navorsing was om te identifiseer waarom die implementering van UGO by primêre skole nie so suksesvol was as wat dit moes wees nie, in die lig van die opleiding en distriksteun wat vir die opvoeders beskikbaar is. Die navorsing fokus spesifiek op die persepsies van opvoeders met betrekking tot: • Die opleiding van opvoeders om UGO in die klaskamer te implementeer; • Steun deur die distrik na die opleiding; en • Die ontwerp van leersteunmateriaal. Gegrond op die bevindings van die navorsing word moontlike strategieë voorgestel om aan elkeeen van die bogenoemde aandag te skenk: • Hoe behoort opleidingsinisiatiewe vir opvoeders te verbeter ten einde groter sukses op die vlak van die klaskamer te akkumuleer? • Wat behoort die aard van die steun van die distrik aan opvoeders te wees om die behoeftes van die opvoeder te bevredig? • Wat is vir opvoeders nodig om in staat te wees om beter leersteunmateriaal te ontwerp en in die klaskamer te gebruik? / Mrs. I.D. Hariparsad

The study is designed to capture teacher knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards the teaching and learning of children with dyslexia/ learning difficulties within the Greek context. It provides insights into understanding about teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion, which can shape professional identity. The umbrella research question is: how can teachers’ experiences of, and beliefs and attitudes about, children with learning difficulties/dyslexia influence teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion, in the context of Greek mainstream primary school? The meaning of dyslexia is viewed from the point of view of mainstream and special primary school teachers’, which is in turn informed by the Greek government’s revised definitions. In practice in Greece ‘dyslexia’ is used as an umbrella term for learning difficulties. Despite the seeming contradiction, it is not uncommon for children with mild learning difficulties to be categorised as having dyslexia. The focus of this thesis is then on the teachers’ beliefs about teaching children with some kind of learning difficulty, who they would consider as dyslexic. Recent education policies encourage a search for pedagogical methods and teaching techniques, to respond to the diversity of the needs within mainstream classrooms. However, although the Greek government has introduced inclusion, many teachers believe that they do not have the skills or resources to manage the situation. Multiple case study methodology is used and the unit of analysis is the individual teacher. This allows engagement with teachers’ beliefs about inclusion of children with dyslexia within the Greek context. Analysis was within the set of data connected with the individual teacher in order to show the existence of their beliefs and later themes were identified across the cases. The sample consists of 20 Greek primary teachers: 17 mainstream teachers and 3 special school teachers. It is purposive, not representing the wider population, for it is deliberately selected to capture a diversity of beliefs informed by known factors, according to international literature (age, teaching experience, severity of case etc). This provides evidence for the existence of identified beliefs rather than the inference of the prevalence of certain beliefs amongst the population. A number of research instruments have been used: interviews with concept maps, observations, narratives and review of documentation. Progressive focusing on the research question during initial analysis led to the identification of two of these cases for more in-depth study, including sustained classroom observation. These are referred to as the “in-depth cases”.Thematic analysis reveals themes of beliefs and attitudes, encoding problems that participants are trying to resolve or to make sense of, and how certain beliefs about the inclusion of children with learning difficulties are mediated by deeply rooted cultural models of disability, compassion and learning. The diversity is illustrated amongst participants with a small number of examples. The study situates the individual accounts in the wider socio-cultural and political context. Prevalent teacher attitudes combine high performance- as historically established in Greece-transmission teaching and disability as limiting, a lack in some way. On the other hand, alternative inclusive practices come mainly from teachers who had received specific related professional development, which included opportunity for critical reflection on their teaching practices. These cases demonstrate the diversity of certain beliefs that influence attitudes, and give a pointer to how one might tackle change.

Includes bibliography. / The study takes the work of three teachers to examine whether the popular belief of "small is better" is substantiated in the practice of these teachers. The study observes and analyses the classroom instruction of each of these teachers in a small class as well as in a large class. The observation is done with the use of an observation schedule, and the analysis of data is done within a Vygotskian framework. The study shows that the pedagogy and the teaching style of the three teachers does not change when they teach differently sized classes. In other words, their classroom practice is the same for both the small and large classes. The study further shows that the pedagogy of the teacher determines the effectiveness or quality of instruction, and that class size does not impact, either positively (in the case of the small class) or negatively (in the case of a large class) on the effectiveness or quality of instruction.

This study was motivated by my desire to understand participants’ perceptions about the effectiveness of learner support services and their contribution to distance learners’ progress and programme completion in the DPE programme in Botswana. The investigation was carried out to find out why despite the provision of learner support services, there were low completion rates and high incomplete rates in the final year (2002/2003 cohort) of the DPE programme. The study also intended to understand the strengths and weaknesses of learner support services and make recommendations for improvement. A qualitative case study research design was applied. Group and individual interviews were conducted with participants. Data were analysed using Atlas ti computer software which simplified the management of the large corpus of data generated during the fieldwork. The study found that there was need for sustained learner-tutor and learner-learner interaction and regular communication with the supporting institution during the learning process. This would require planning and aligning learner support services to identified learner needs, access to learning resources including the existence and application of effective monitoring and supervision mechanisms for academic, counselling and administrative support in order to ensure commitment and accountability of learner support providers. In order to reduce isolation which is created by the physical separation between learners and service providers, the study recommended a structure for the provision of decentralized learner support services that are as close as possible to where distance learners live and work for ease of access. The study further found that there is need for policy guidelines and management structures to facilitate the provision of effective learner support services for the benefit of distance learners. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Les promesses d’égalité pour tous dans l’éducation au moment de la Révolution ne se réalisent pas dans les années qui suivent. La France n’a pas les moyens de mettre en œuvre une éducation à la hauteur de ses ambitions. Avec Napoléon puis le retour de la monarchie, les congrégations retrouvent la place privilégiée qu’elles occupaient sous l’Ancien Régime afin de suppléer ces manques. Les deux freins principaux à cette égalité que sont le niveau social et la différence de genre, ainsi que les solutions pour lever ces freins, sont étudiés dans cette thèse en s’appuyant sur l’exemple concret de la cité maritime de Fécamp (Seine-Maritime, France) de 1806 à 1906 où trois congrégations, les sœurs de la Providence de Rouen, les frères des écoles chrétiennes et les sœurs de Saint Vincent de Paul, se partagent l’éducation (au travers des écoles et des orphelinats) avec les maîtres ou personnels laïques. / The promise of equality for all in education at the time of the Revolution will not be achieved in the following years. France does not have the means to set up education for its ambitions. With Napoleon and the return of the monarchy, the congregations find the privileged position they held under the old regime to supplement these deficiencies. The two main obstacles to equality that are socially and gender difference, and solutions to address these brakes, are studied in this thesis based on the concrete example of the maritime city of Fécamp (Seine maritime, France) from 1806 to 1906 where three congregations, the sisters of Providence of Rouen, the Christian brothers and the sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul, shared education (through schools and orphanages) with teachers and laic personnel.

School Choice has been introduced into several national education programs during the past three decades in Azerbaijan. Parents are invited to select from various schools to locate the one that “suits them the best”. However, there is a need to understand the factors that go into parents' decision-making when choosing primary schools for their children, especially in various native languages and educational fields. The purpose of the study is to explore Azerbaijani-speaking and Russian-speaking parents’ school choices at the primary education level in Azerbaijani and Russian sectors. Furthermore, the study investigates the factors influencing parents’ selections when selecting a primary school for their children, such as socioeconomic status, educational values, and cultural preferences. The study also aims to compare the school choice patterns of Azerbaijani-speaking and Russian-speaking parents, particularly emphasizing how their varied native languages may influence their decision-making processes. Additionally, this study presents a framework of the national policies regarding parental school choice in Azerbaijan. The study's theoretical frameworks were framed by Human Capital Approach (HCA), Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) and Capability Approach (CA). By utilizing these frameworks, parents can better understand the various factors that impact their decisions when choosing a school for their children and how these decisions can ultimately affect their children’s educational achievements. The HCA believes education is a valuable investment in human capital, and parents choose schools based on their perception of the returns on this investment. On the other hand, the HRBA sees education as a fundamental human right, and parents’ selection of schools should be based on fairness and non-discrimination principles. The CA emphasizes the importance of education in enhancing individual capabilities and freedoms. This research used qualitative research methodology will contribute to select the right school for children at the primary education level in Azerbaijan. The comparative perspective was based on the Azerbaijani-speaking and Russian-speaking parents. The semi-structured interviews with 12 participants were conducted to gather data, focusing on the factors influencing their decision-making processes and thematic analysis was applied to the data analysis. The author encountered codes and themes in the interview data through qualitative research methods and thematic analysis. This approach provided detailed insights into the complex and diverse nature of parents’ school choice decisions. Overall, the research on parents in Azerbaijan found that they, irrespective of their native language, possess a keen interest in and knowledge of factors that impact their decision in selecting primary schools for their children. This highlights the significance of considering aspects such as language options, school location, and reputation while devising policies to offer quality education to all children. Further exploration is necessary to comprehend the decision-making approach of parents and develop effective tactics to support them in making informed and appropriate school selections. Finally, the implications to the policy and practices for school choice are discussed.

This dissertation investigates the effect of education on the chances and age of marriage during the transition from adolescence into young adulthood among Kenyan women age 15-22. Women who receive more education are more likely to delay marriage. The literature suggests that occupation and age at sexual debut are also significantly associated with age of marriage. This study considers how these and other factors may possibly affect the life course of women in Kenya over a period of time and increases our understanding of marriage predictors. Data comes from the 2003 and 2008 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys. Binary logistic and OLS regression models are used to analyze and compare the data. The results imply that while education has a statistically significant and strong positive effect on a woman's marital status as well as age of marriage, the effect of education on age of marriage has not changed since the introduction of Kenya's free primary education program.

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Drama activities in the classroom are highly encouraged in the teaching world. However, they are rarely implemented, from our experience, despite being a crucial aspect of students’ education as mentioned in the National Swedish curriculum. Therefore, we felt a need to direct our research on this topic. Based on eight different studies, this paper explores the possible effects and underlying learning theories of different drama activities in EFL/ESL education on primary students’ English literacy skills and motivation. The studies were found collaboratively using electronic search engines to gather primary sources, including academic papers and studies. They were divided equally between us and summarized individually. The different activities were categorized into “Performance-based” and “Text-based”. Results indicated positive impacts on different literacy skills, such as reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and also motivation. Activities such as Reader’s Theater, scriptwriting, improvisation, role playing, and hot-seating were proven to be beneficial regarding students’ motivation and literacy development. Although this was not emphasized in our research, in order to successfully implement drama activities in the classroom teachers ought to be knowledgeable in the subject. This paper acknowledges other potential challenges, such as stress for certain students and concerns about noise and chaos. Vast majority of students enjoyed the drama activities, however, those who did not enjoy drama still showed improvement. Different learning theories such as socio-cultural learning, the zone of proximal development and the theory of multiple intelligences were highlighted as being connected to learning through drama activities.