Traditionally South African Schools are characterised by the hierarchical nature of their management structures. The principal is the head of the school and is accountable to the Department of Education. Post 1994 school management teams are in place in schools and membership includes the principal, deputy principal and HOD‟s who hold the formal management positions. Teachers who are not formally appointed to leadership positions are categorized as level-one teachers. Hence, this dissertation works from the premise that these teachers play an important role as leaders, albeit in an informal capacity. These teachers play an important role as leaders, albeit in an informal capacity. Teacher leadership enactment is prevalent in South African Schools, but to varying degrees. Every teacher is a potential teacher leader and therefore every school has an immense wealth of expertise in terms of teacher leadership. However, within the context of their environments, human resources are utilized to varying degrees in the different schools. The research questions which guided this study included: “How is teacher leadership enacted in an urban primary school?” and “What factors promote or hinder this enactment?” The study was designed as a case study which was conducted within the interpretive paradigm and was mainly qualitative in nature. Data were gathered by means of survey questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, a focus group interview, journal entries and observation schedules. The case study was of an urban primary school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data were predominantly qualitative and were analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings of the study were that teacher leadership enactment occurred across all four zones, mostly in zone one (in the classroom) and zone two (working with other teachers and learners outside the classroom in curricular and extra-curricular activities). Teacher leadership enactment was very restricted in zone three (outside the classroom in whole school development). Enhancing factors included that there was shared decision-making, a collaborative learning environment and delegation of duties from an informal position. 4 The main barriers were a lack of dialogic space, an overemphasis on control by the SMT and lack of time to enact teacher leadership. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The appointment and selection of the Head of Department (HOD) is the most important task that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture (KZNEDC) and the School Governing Body (SGB) must undertake. It is the task of the KZNEDC to encourage the best people to apply for the HOD post from whom the SGB can select the best candidate for the job. Yet, from time to time, the newspapers report on the selection of HODs that has been disputed. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the selection and appointment of educators to the position of Head of Department in three primary schools in the KwaNdengezi Circuit of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture. The main focus was to explore the views of the principals and educators in these primary schools. The study probes the opinions of the primary school principals and educators regarding the selection procedures used in primary schools. It also seeks their opinions why the process was disputed in some instances. The study starts by analysing the selection procedures for the appointment of educators to the post, Head of Department, in the primary schools in the KwaNdengezi Circuit in KwaZulu- Natal. In finding out the views of the principals and of the educators, a survey was conducted in three primary schools in the KwaNdengezi Circuit. A questionnaire was administered. The study has found that there are selection procedures provided by the National Department of Education. These selection procedures are not properly followed, thus disputes were declared in some instances. On the basis of this exploration, suggestions were rendered on how the selection and appointment process could be improved in the future. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 2003.

This study examines the attitudes and perceptions of students who are beaten or physically punished at Amaqadi C.P. School. The response of the school to the South African Schools Act no 27 of 1996 ruling against the exercising of corporal punishment of students is assessed. Observations, interviews, questionnaires and the school record books were the research tools used in this thesis. Most students and teachers favour the continued use of corporal punishment. Even the provincial education minister has shown support for its retention. Various reasons are given by the teachers and students for their support of corporal punishment. Evidence suggests that students are beaten because of the lack of alternative ways of discipline and because corporal punishment is still routinely used in the home. There are many reasons for the retention of corporal punishment in this school but most of these rest on parents, teachers and students. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1999.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 1999.

In this research study I shall examine the recently introduced Developmental Appraisal System. I shall carry out an investigation into the implementation of the Developmental System of Appraisal in a primary school in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The intention of the research is to provide a case study, which will focus on the implementation of the Developmental Appraisal System. In order to achieve this, three main issues of the system will be addressed. These are the conceptualisation of the system; the implementation process and the impact of the process. Although, the results of my research is focussed on one school the results could be illuminative. The final chapter of this study will concentrate on the findings and recommendations for the enhancement of the Developmental Appraisal System. The paper concludes that despite the many positive aspects of the process it is recommended that the whole appraisal system should be revised, revised and re-conceptualised to make it accessible to most South African schools, paying particular attention to simplifying it. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 2002.

This study sought to explore the management of teaching and learning resources in the context of free primary education in Lesotho primary schools. In addressing this purpose the qualitative methods of data production were used. The participants were the principals and teachers from three schools. Qualitative data was collected through individual semi structured interviews, observations and document analysis. This was analyzed using qualitative thematic approach. The findings showed that the schools studied had functional resource management committees. However the schools experienced a high shortage of resources. These resources largely come from the government but they are delivered late in most cases. Therefore teachers find themselves having to improvise and to use resources in turns. The study concludes that schools cannot rely on government alone in terms of teaching and learning resources. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2010.

There have been some fundamental changes to the education system within post apartheid South Africa. Firstly, in the primary school there are some teachers who were trained as specialist teachers before 1994, and some teachers were trained to teach in the new approach called Outcomes Based Education. A new school curriculum within an outcomes based approach was introduced systematically over a decade. This new curriculum required new ways of teaching and organization. One of the significant changes to the schooling structure was the introduction of a phase-based structure, divided into foundation phase, intermediate phase, senior phase and further education phase. Within this new structure of schooling, curriculum policies guided the teaching and learning in each of these phases of schooling. In the primary school, teaching across the subject curriculum was introduced, where teachers were now expected to teach up to as many as 9 subjects to learners in a class. Of concern is that these teachers had specialized in three subjects during their initial training as teachers, and were now expected to teach subjects that they may not have specialized in. When teaching across the curriculum, the mismatch between training and teaching is increased and results in more curriculum and teaching demands being placed on teachers. This mismatch makes it very difficult for experienced teachers to cope with subjects that they are not familiar with. There are no specific qualifications that develop teachers to teach across the curriculum. Qualifications, at most, develop competence in teaching across three school subjects, but the practice of teaching across the curriculum often requires teachers to teach more than three school subjects to a grade. Teachers have specialized in subjects that are different from what they are currently teaching. My study is a focus on narratives of teachers’ experiences teaching across the curriculum in the primary school. I used a qualitative research methodology within the interpretivist paradigm. I used purposeful sampling, where the participants were handpicked. Data was generated through intensive interviews and document analysis. Audio tapes were used to record the participants’ voices, and later retrieved. Data was reconstructed by me, and retained for analysis. The recorded data was analyzed, using codes, themes and categories. v Member checks were used to ensure rigour and trustworthiness. It is evident from this study that teaching across the curriculum requires professional training, ongoing professional development and correct placement in schools to alleviate all the stress and anxiety teachers face in the primary school Teacher training institutions must look at the curriculum and see how best they can assist trainee primary school teachers to fit into a generalist curriculum. This mean that teachers who teach across the curriculum were burdened with more administrative and accountability regimes than other specialist teachers because of the larger number of school subjects that they were responsible for. This administrative overburden is coupled with the greater teaching demands and, therefore, makes it very difficult for these teachers to cope with the workload. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

This study sought to investigate the effects of continuous curriculum policy changes on the professional lives of foundation phase teachers in post-apartheid South Africa. Since the inception of Curriculum 2005 (C2005) in 1994, there have been several policy initiatives aimed at the Foundation Phase. These include: The Revised National Curriculum Statement (2002) , followed by the Foundations for Learning Campaign and the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in 2012. This study aims to understand the process and experience of change from a teachers‟ perspective, as teachers‟ participation in education policy formulation has been limited or non-existent. The study sought to answer three critical questions: Why have there been continuous curriculum policy changes in post-apartheid South Africa? What are the implications of continuous curriculum policy changes for foundation phase teachers? What are the effects of these changes on the professional lives of foundation phase teachers? The literature review sought to explore the motivation for continuous curriculum changes and the implications that these changes have for foundation phase teachers. The literature review indicates that policy changes derive largely from two contending imperatives, namely pedagogical enhancement and/or political symbolism. The qualitative data generated for the analysis is underpinned by the interpretive paradigm using data collected through structured interviews. Foundation phase teachers from three primary schools were selected to participate in the study. The questions have also been explored using relevant theoretical explanations that derive from empirical data. This study has been framed within four theoretical frameworks, namely: Foucault‟s (1991) theory of governmentality, Jansen‟s (2002) theory of political symbolism, Carnal‟s (1993) theory of change, and Hargreaves (1994) theory of professionalism and intensification. The analysis reveals that continuous policy changes lead to intensification of teacher workloads and poor uptake and implementation of new/revised policies. As the trajectory of curriculum policy change reveals, teachers who have hardly been able to internalise pre-existing policies are required to engage with new policies. The data reveals that frequent policy changes have resulted in uncertainty and confusion among teachers, and contrary to the policy rhetoric, do not improve the performance of learners, as is evident from South Africa‟s poor performance in international literacy and numeracy tests. Nor does it assist with teacher development. The haste usually associated with the policy process results in the use of the much maligned “cascade” model of teacher development. Policy bureaucrats, who have inadequate understandings of policy, superficially cascade these understandings to teachers through quick-fix workshops. The study contends that the state of policy-flux is counterproductive and can be attributed to the phenomenon of governmentality. This is an attempt by the ruling party (which governs policy development almost exclusively) to be seen to be making substantive changes, but these changes remain at the level of policy rhetoric and policy symbolism. The report concludes with the assertion that for policy to have substantive force, there needs to be more productive policy dialogue among practising teachers and policy makers. It is still possible to infuse a sense of legitimacy in the policy process, if teachers are positioned at the centre of the endeavour rather than at the margins. / Theses (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Magistriniame darbe nagrinėjama uždavinių su algebros elementais sistema ir sunkumai I – VI klasėse. Analizuojant pedagoginę ir psichologinę literatūrą išsiaiškinta, kad užduočių su algebros elementais sampratos formavimuisi svarbiausi vaikų vaizduotės ypatumai yra: ryšių tarp įvairų dalykų suvokimas, informacijos siejimas, kadangi samprotavimų eiga nėra aiški, t.y., praleidžiami tarpiniai samprotavimo etapai; informacijos atkūrimas ir operavimas vaizdiniais nes mokiniams sunku suvokti abstrakčius samprotavimus, todėl būtina pasitelkti vaizdines priemones, kurios aktyvina vaizduotės veiklą. Svarbiausi vaikų mąstymo ypatumai yra objektų pastovumo supratimas, pajėgumas taikyti logines operacijas. Svarbiausias vaikų kalbos ypatumas yra žodžių reikšmės ir jų ryšio su daiktais bei reiškiniais suvokimas. Svarbiausi vaikiškos grafinės raiškos ypatumai yra, tai jog įžvelgiamos ir vaizduojamos atskiros objektų ypatybės ir detalės. Remiantis Lietuvos Bendrosiomis programomis ir išsilavinimo standartais bei vadovėliais sukonstruotas algebrinio ugdymo I – VI klasėse hipotetinis modelis apima: reiškinių reikšmių radimą, situacijų aprašymą reiškiniais, tapačius reiškinių pertvarkymus, lygčių sprendimą, nelygybių sprendimą, algebrinių sąvokų sampratą. Šio modelio pagrindu sudaryti klausimynai I – VI klasėms ir išsiaiškinti mokinių patiriami sunkumai sprendžiant užduotis su algebros elementais. / Master thesis analyzes the system of tasks that includes algebra elements and its difficulties in I-IV classes. The analysis of educational and psychological literature shows that the most important features of children's imagination that helps in formation the concept of the tasks with algebra elements are: perception of relationship between different things, information linking, since the reasoning process is not clear, i.e. the intermediate steps of reasoning are missing; recovery of information and imagination, because it is difficult for pupils to understand the abstract reasoning, thus it is necessary to use visual tools to stimulate the wok of imagination. The main features of children's thinking are the understanding of object permanence and capacity to apply the logical operations. The most important feature of children's language is to understand the meaning of words and their connection with objects and occurrences. The main features of children's graphic expression are that individual properties of objects and details represented. According to the Lithuanian general programs, education standards and schoolbooks, the hypothetical model of algebra training in I–VI classes have been designed. This model includes: discovery the meanings of occurrences, description of situation by occurrences, identical transformations of occurrences, equation solving, inequalities solving, the understanding of algebra concept. The model based questionnaire for I–VI classes has been... [to full text]

A lack of skill in particular component skills has been hypothesised as a cause of learning delays in children and this has been found to be the case in previous studies of reading delays (Smith, 2007; Williams, 2002). The present study explored this hypothesis with regard to the development of mathematical skills. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the delays of children who are delayed in mathematical development are in part due to a lack of skill, particularly a lack of fluency, in particular component skills. Performance on several component skills was investigated: The ability to read and write numbers, to recognise quantities and equality, and to perform simple and more complex operations. Performance of each of these skills was compared in two groups of Year 4 and 5 (8-9 year old) children: a group of typically developing children and a group of children showing delayed development in mathematics. Children whose mathematical development was delayed were likely to be less fluent at performing each of the component skills tested than children whose development was typical. Additionally, children whose development was delayed were more likely to have low levels of fluency in several of the component skills. The results of the present study highlight the importance of building component mathematical skills to fluency.