The researcher became interested in the topic regarding job satisfaction amongst male teachers when he attended his university reunion, more than 40% of the male teachers who graduated with a degree in education left the education system within 5 years. After making contact with some of the graduates, the researcher found that all of them left the education system because they were not satisfied within their work environment; hence, the researcher became interested in the topic. The most rewarding aspect of being a teacher is the joy of being in the classroom with learners and seeing them progress. However, what if there is no progression, but only statistics indicating failure to educate learners, an education system in crisis and educators without proper qualifications? A shortage of teachers, increasing learner enrolment and work overload are enough to create a highly stressful profession. The learning environment of a school depends on teachers, because they are in the frontline and directly involved with the transfer of knowledge. Teachers have a direct impact on a school’s success. Therefore, it is important that principals identify ways to support their staff in order to promote job satisfaction and motivation. The aim of this study is to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst male teachers in schools in the Ehlanzeni school district, Mpumalanga. The sequential explanatory mixed-method approach is used during this study; the quantitative phase investigated factors affecting job satisfaction amongst male teachers by means of distributing 200 Likert-scale questionnaires amongst male teachers in the Ehlanzeni school district. Structured interviews is being scheduled with twelve school principals (three rural primary school principals, three former Model-C primary school principals, three rural secondary school principals and three former Model-c secondary school principals) in the Ehlanzeni school district in order to determine the cause and effect of factors affecting the job satisfaction amongst male teachers. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

本研究旨在探討大台北地區（台北縣與台北市）高中英語科教師在選擇教材時，可能會考量到的因素，其研究重點在於了解不同學校類型（公、私立，與城、鄉學校）以及資深與年輕老師在選擇教材時，是否有其不同的考量因素。 本研究主採問卷調查，佐以訪談方式進行。除就大台北地區二十七所公、私立高中英語科教師做抽樣調查外，並針對十位教師及六位教科書編撰者進行深入訪談，希望藉此進一步了解教師們與教科書編撰者所考量的因素為何，並探討兩者所考量的因素是否有其相關性。本研究最後歸納出結論如下： 1. 學生的英語程度與學習需求以及英語文的正確與自然度是老師與教材編撰者共同考量的因素。 2. 選擇教材時，公立高中的英文老師重視經銷人員的服務態度與售後服務以及教材的配套完整。而私立高中的英文老師重視大學聯考的導向以及學校教育政策。 3. 選擇教材時，任教於城市的高中英文老師重視經銷人員的服務態度與售後服務、溝通式教學法的理念以及教科書所涵蓋的文化層面。而任教於鄉鎮的高中英文老師重視老師本身多重職務角色之扮演（教學、導師或其他行政職務）、教學信念跟語文能力以及教材的價格是否合宜。 4. 選擇教材時，資深與年輕老師所考量的因素並沒有很大的差異。 整體來說，在選擇教材時，內在因素例如英語文的正確性、教材的編輯原理與組織架構仍是老師們最主要的考量。然而外在因素例如學生的英語程度、大學聯考的導向、學校教育政策、以及經銷人員的服務態度，亦是老師在選擇教材時所會考量到因素。因此本研究建議出版社在編撰教科書時也應考量到外在因素，使其教科書更趨於完善，更能符合老師與學生的需求。然而在此同時，老師們也應加強自己的專業知識，使其在選擇教材時能做出最正確的判斷。 / The present study was aimed at investigating what factors English teachers of senior high schools in greater Taipei area took into consideration when selecting textbooks, with particular focus on the comparison of differences between public and private schools, urban and rural schools, and senior and young teachers. Meanwhile, textbook compilers’ considerations were also explored to see if their concerns were in accordance with those of teachers. The questionnaire survey was the main research method of the present study. Moreover, the interview method was also conducted to probe further information. In total, 10 English teachers and 6 textbook compilers were interviewed in the present research. Based on the findings of the present study, four crucial points were concluded as suggested. 1. Most students’ English proficiency and learning needs as well as accurate and proper English were the primary concerns of the general English teachers and textbook compliers. 2. When selecting textbooks, public school teachers emphasized salespersons’ service and the textbook’s intact package, whereas private school teachers considered Joint College Entrance Examination, and school’s leadership more. 3. Likewise, urban school teachers took salespersons’ service, Communicative Approach and cultural component into more account than rural school teachers who were more concerned about teachers’ various roles such as teachers, mentors or administrative personnel, their own English proficiency, and textbooks’ price. 4. However, no significant differences were found between senior teachers and young teachers. Generally speaking, internal factors such as appropriateness, naturalness of English, and rationale, organization of the textbook were the primary concerns for senior high English teachers in textbook selection. However, English teachers of senior high schools were also concerned about external factors such as English proficiency and learning needs, Joint College Entrance Examination, school’s leadership, and salespersons’ service. Therefore, it is suggested that publishing companies should take external factors into more consideration to ensure that textbook being compiled can be more comprehensive in all aspects and be related to needs of both teachers and students. Meanwhile, teachers should take a firm stance based on their updated professional knowledge in making any sound judgments related to textbook selection and evaluation.

The study explores Mathematics educators’ use of students’ out-of-school experiences in the teaching of Transformation Geometry. This thesis focuses on an analysis of the extent to which students’ out-of-school experiences are reflected in the actual teaching, textbook tasks and national examination items set and other resources used. Teachers’ teaching practices are expected to support students’ learning of concepts in mathematics. Freudenthal (1991) argues that students develop their mathematical understanding by working from contexts that make sense to them, contexts that are grounded in realistic settings. ZIMSEC Examiners Reports (2010; 2011) reveal a low student performance in the topic of Transformation Geometry in Zimbabwe, yet, the topic has a close relationship with the environment in which students live (Purpura, Baroody & Lonigan, 2013). Thus, the main purpose of the study is to explore Mathematics teachers’ use of students’ out-of-school experiences in the teaching of Transformation Geometry at secondary school level. The investigation encompassed; (a) teacher perceptions about transformation geometry concepts that have a close link with students’ out-of-school experiences, (b) how teachers are teaching transformation geometry in Zimbabwe’s rural secondary schools, (c) the extent to which students’ out-of-school experiences are incorporated in Transformation Geometry tasks, and (d) the extent to which transformation geometry, as reflected in the official textbooks and suggested teaching models, is linked to students’ out-of-school experiences. Consistent with the interpretive qualitative research paradigm the transcendental phenomenology was used as the research design. Semi-structured interviews, Lesson observations, document analysis and a test were used as data gathering instruments. Data analysis, mainly for qualitative data, involved coding and categorising emerging themes from the different data sources. The key epistemological assumption was derived from the notion that knowing reality is through understanding the experiences of others found in a phenomenon of interest (Yuksel & Yildirim, 2015). In this study, the phenomenon of interest was the teaching of Transformation Geometry in rural secondary schools. In the same light, it meant observing teachers teaching the topic of Transformation Geometry, listening to their perceptions about the topic during interviews, and considering how they plan for their teaching as well as how students are assessed in transformation geometry. The research site included 3 selected rural secondary schools; one Mission boarding high school, a Council run secondary school and a Government rural day secondary school. Purposive sampling technique was used carefully to come up with 3 different types of schools in a typical rural Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling technique was also used to choose the teacher participants, whereas learners who sat for the test were randomly selected from the ordinary level classes. The main criterion for including teacher participants was if they were currently teaching an Ordinary Level Mathematics class and had gained more experience in teaching Transformation Geometry. In total, six teachers and forty-five students were selected to participate in the study. Results from the study reveal that some teachers have limited knowledge on transformation geometry concepts embedded in students’ out-of-school experience. Using Freudenthal’s (1968) RME Model to judge their effectiveness in teaching, the implication is teaching and learning would fail to utilise contexts familiar with the students and hence can hardly promote mastery of transformation geometry concepts. Data results also reveal some disconnect between teaching practices as espoused in curriculum documents and actual teaching practice. Although policy stipulates that concepts must be developed starting from concrete situations and moving to the abstract concepts, teachers seem to prefer starting with the formal Mathematics, giving students definitions and procedures for carrying out the different geometric transformations. On the other hand, tasks in Transformation Geometry both at school level and the national examinations focus on testing learner’s ability to define and use procedures for performing specific transformations at the expense of testing for real understanding of concepts. In view of these findings the study recommends the revision of the school Mathematics curriculum emphasising pre-service programmes for teacher professional knowledge to be built on features of contemporary learning theory, such as RME theory. Such as a revision can include the need to plan instruction so that students build models and representations rather than apply already developed ones. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

This study investigated teachers' attitudes towards a career in rural schools. The aims of this study were broken into two, namely, the primary and secondary aims. The primary aim was to find out whether rural secondary school teachers hold a positive or a negative attitude towards a career in rural schools. The secondary aim was also broken into two. The first secondary aim was to find out whether rural secondary school teachers' personal characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, rank, qualification and teaching experience in rural school(s), as well as the school in which the teacher teaches, have a significant influence on their attitudes towards a career in rural schools. The second secondary aim was to determine the nature of attitudes with regard to A-B-C components of attitudes. To this end, a questionnaire was compiled and used as an attitude rating scale. The questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of one hundred and thirty four rural secondary school teachers from six schools, under Mehlwesizwe circuit in KwaZulu-Natal. Statistical analyses were conducted to fulfil the aims of the study and to test the research hypotheses stated. This study revealed that rural secondary school teachers hold a negative attitude towards a career in rural schools. It also revealed that, irrespective of teachers' personal characteristics, their attitude towards a career in rural school is the same, that is, it is negative. Therefore it was concluded that teachers' personal variables have no significant influence on their attitudes. This study also revealed that, statistically, there were significant differences in the affective and cognitive components of attitude but differences in the behavioural component were not significant. This indicated that the affective and cognitive components are more closely related to each other than they are with the behavioural component. On the basis of teachers' responses to attitude statements, the researcher offered two lines of direction as recommendation, namely, "Rethink resource allocation" and "Direction of restructuring". The former will assist in improving the conditions under which rural teachers work and the circumstances surrounding their workplace. The latter will assist in collaborating the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) structures at national, regional and local level with the Department of Education and Culture, as well as with the private sector, for improving the conditions under which rural teachers work. In that case teachers' attitudes towards a career in rural schools might be changed from negative to positive. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The researcher became interested in the topic regarding job satisfaction amongst male teachers when he attended his university reunion, more than 40% of the male teachers who graduated with a degree in education left the education system within 5 years. After making contact with some of the graduates, the researcher found that all of them left the education system because they were not satisfied within their work environment; hence, the researcher became interested in the topic. The most rewarding aspect of being a teacher is the joy of being in the classroom with learners and seeing them progress. However, what if there is no progression, but only statistics indicating failure to educate learners, an education system in crisis and educators without proper qualifications? A shortage of teachers, increasing learner enrolment and work overload are enough to create a highly stressful profession. The learning environment of a school depends on teachers, because they are in the frontline and directly involved with the transfer of knowledge. Teachers have a direct impact on a school’s success. Therefore, it is important that principals identify ways to support their staff in order to promote job satisfaction and motivation. The aim of this study is to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst male teachers in schools in the Ehlanzeni school district, Mpumalanga. The sequential explanatory mixed-method approach is used during this study; the quantitative phase investigated factors affecting job satisfaction amongst male teachers by means of distributing 200 Likert-scale questionnaires amongst male teachers in the Ehlanzeni school district. Structured interviews is being scheduled with twelve school principals (three rural primary school principals, three former Model-C primary school principals, three rural secondary school principals and three former Model-c secondary school principals) in the Ehlanzeni school district in order to determine the cause and effect of factors affecting the job satisfaction amongst male teachers. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Ongoing public concern has been expressed concerning the improvement of academic performance of learners in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools, South Africa. Statistics gathered since 2008 demonstrate that the overall performance of secondary schools in the Grade 12 examinations in this region has been consistently poor. This study focused on the stakeholder perceptions of effect of indiscipline on academic performance of learners in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools. Lack of learner discipline in this region prompted this investigation. The general aim of the study was to understand manifestations of indiscipline in relation to learner performance in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools. The study used qualitative research methods and the sample comprised four secondary schools selected by purposive sampling. Individual structured interviews and focus group interviews were used to gather data. In each school, one school management team (SMT) and three educators participated in individual interviews, while four learners participated in focus group interviews. The findings indicated that schools which yielded poor academic performance were faced with learners’ disciplinary problems, which manifested in poor class attendance, late coming, persistent class disruptions, learners’ retaliation when disciplined by educators, alcohol and drug abuse, mocking and ignoring educators and plagiarism. Educators in school C and D lacked a disciplinary mechanism to enforce discipline in their classes since corporal punishment was abolished, hence the poor academic performance of learners. The implementation of the Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS), a departmental strategy aimed at developing educators in order to equip them with all the necessary skills to ensure the success of their schools which is measured against the academic achievement of the learners, had predominantly failed in schools to reach its goal. Educators mainly relied on parental support to deal with serious learner offences but this strategy was largely inadequate. The conceptual framework, ‘putting a plan into practice’, was used to explain the importance of learner discipline for the betterment of academic performance by expounding the five pillars that can be used to attain quality schools. These pillars, if put into practice, create an organizational climate which provides both educators and learners with an opportunity to function as partners in defining and creating success in schools. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.