M.Ed. / This report provides the results of a social scientific research on the assessment of the management of school environments and its implications for the Whole School Evaluation (WSE). Through a qualitative research design that used photos and field notes, the researcher personally collected data from 21 Qwaqwa schools. Maximum variation- and theoretical purposive sampling techniques were used for data collection. With maximum validity and reliability, the research results showed that Qwaqwa schoolyards are big and that the school land is not effectively utilised. Although there is currently no policy that perfectly assesses the management of school environments (except the WSE), the results showed that Qwaqwa schools freely use their own individual creative strategies for the management of their environments. The results revealed that schools consist of two kinds of environments, namely, natural and other manmade physical environments. The research results provided evidence that the schools can manage their natural environments through grass, trees, gardens and school parks. The results also revealed that manmade aspects of school environments can be best managed through rockeries, sport fields, paving, parking areas, general maintenance of buildings and symbols such as the school flag, the national flag of South Africa and plaques. The results further revealed that there are various forms of waste and refuse in schools and that littering was still a problem. However, the findings revealed that certain schools used rubbish bins to address the problem. The researcher thus recommends that these creative strategies be recognised and added to WSE criteria for effective school environment management. / Prof. K.C. Moloi

M.A. (Political Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This work has taken the region of Qwaqwa as a case study. Through this study, the researcher attempted to join in the debate around language varieties that occur as a result of contact between different language groups. To achieve this objective, the factors that have an impact on Sesotho spoken in the Qwaqwa area and, in particular, in schools, have been assessed. The researcher provides a broad and general picture of the language situation and patterns of language use in the Qwaqwa area. A brief overview of the geographical description, historical background and economic development of Qwaqwa is given. Some of the linguistic phenomena that play a role in language variation in this area fall under the spotlight. Language contact, i.e. language and dialect, regional and social dialect, the use of language and the impact of language contact between languages is discussed. Patterns and the extent of language contact and the resultant effects of interference, codeswitching and borrowing as well as the processes and points at which these processes occur are identified. The major similarities and relationships between spoken and written Sesotho, as used by learners in Qwaqwa schools, is highlighted with the discussion focussing on the linguistic description of the similarities and relationships between the two forms. / African Languages / (M.A.(Afican Languages))

This work has taken the region of Qwaqwa as a case study. Through this study, the researcher attempted to join in the debate around language varieties that occur as a result of contact between different language groups. To achieve this objective, the factors that have an impact on Sesotho spoken in the Qwaqwa area and, in particular, in schools, have been assessed. The researcher provides a broad and general picture of the language situation and patterns of language use in the Qwaqwa area. A brief overview of the geographical description, historical background and economic development of Qwaqwa is given. Some of the linguistic phenomena that play a role in language variation in this area fall under the spotlight. Language contact, i.e. language and dialect, regional and social dialect, the use of language and the impact of language contact between languages is discussed. Patterns and the extent of language contact and the resultant effects of interference, codeswitching and borrowing as well as the processes and points at which these processes occur are identified. The major similarities and relationships between spoken and written Sesotho, as used by learners in Qwaqwa schools, is highlighted with the discussion focussing on the linguistic description of the similarities and relationships between the two forms. / African Languages / (M.A.(Afican Languages))