M.Ed. / Met die bekendstelling van die nuwe Ontwikkelingstakseringstelsel (OTS) het ‘n donker era (van inspeksie en ‘n soeke na foute) tot ‘n einde gekom. Die nuwe deursigtige proses se fokus is op ontwikkeling en die daarstel van ‘n persoonlike groeiplan vir alle opvoeders. ‘n Siening dat daar by elke onderwyser nog areas van ontwikkeling moontlik is lê moontlike tekortkominge bloot maar fokus hoofsaaklik op die positiewe. Verslae sal eerder erkenning gee as dit vermag is en so ‘n positiewe gesindheid help kweek. Met die ou sisteem wat bloot foute gesoek het , het die proses ‘n vrees laat ontstaan vir die proses van assessering. Die nuwe sisteem sal kredietwaardigheid moet toon voordat die oorgrote meerderheid dit sal vertrou. Die ontwikkelaars van die stelsel glo dat as personeel die proses deurgegaan het, hulle meer vertroue daarin sal ontwikkel. ‘n Gestruktureerde vraelys is uitgestuur na openbare skole met die fokus op “Leerlinge met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes”(LSOB). Hierdie navorsingsinstrument fokus op aspekte wat bydrae tot die suksesvolle implementering van die Ontwikkelingstakseringstelsel (OTS). Opvoeders se gesindheid word dan heens die OTS geanaliseer. Hierdie ontleding word dan deur ‘n verskeidenheid van toetse bestudeer en beskryf. Die vraelyste wat aan “LSOB” skole gestuur is, is gebruik om afleidings te maak hoe opvoeders oor die implementering van die nuwe sisteem voel. ‘n Verskeidenheid van bevindinge en aanbevelings word uit die literatuur en empiriese studie gemaak. Onderwerpe vir moontlike verdere studie en navorsing sluit die studie af.

This study was to discuss the issue of junior high school evaluation in Kaohsiung City. The evaluators¡¦ viewpoints on school evaluation purposes, processes, staffs, methods and schedules were explored and their suggestions on junior high school evaluation were provided. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study. There were 285 participants, including junior high school principals, teachers, and staff who were evaluated in academic years 94, 95 and 96 in Kaohsiung City. Percentage, t-test and one-way ANOVA were employed to analyze the collected data. The main findings were listed below. 1.Respondents showed positive attitudes towards junior high school evaluation in Kaohsiung City. Some items remained under improvement. 2.Due to different background variables, respondents held different opinions to issues in school evaluation. 3.The purpose of school evaluation to encourage morale of teaching staff needed improving. 4.The contents of school evaluation were complete, reflecting school affairs. 5.The processes, contents, and schedule of junior high school evaluation in Kaohsiung City were highly acknowledged. 6.Respondents highly agreed the results of school evaluation in Kaohsiung City. 7.Junior high school evaluation in Kaohsiung City increased the burden of administrative staff and teaching staff. 8.The circle of school evaluation should be four years. Based on the above findings, there were seven recommendations on junior high school evaluation. 1.It was recommended that the authority concerned could make good use of the evaluation results and to offer some subsidy to schools. 2.Indexes of school evaluation should be simplified to lessen the burden of teaching staff. 3.Evaluators in the school evaluation can observe the school earlier than the evaluation schedule to understand the processing of administrative work in school. 4.Excellent principals in other cities can be invited as evaluators in the school evaluation. 5.Students¡¦ parents, teachers and students can be interviewed at random in school evaluation. 6.Differences in schools should be concerned in the reports of school evaluation. 7.Teaching staff should make it a habit to organize and file the administrative and teaching materials.

Standardized global evaluation template used in undergraduate medical education across the four-year curriculum. / This is a universal evaluation tool that is used in UGME for students to evaluate different aspects of the curriculum. It is meant to standardize evaluation practices as well as limit survey fatigue for students.

The purpose of this study is to research the metaevaluation of school evaluation in Kaohsiung City¡¦s elementary schools. The theory based on a lot of documents built the metaevaluation standards of school evaluation in the elementary schools, and then to analyzed the implemented situation in Kaohsiung City¡¦s elementary schools. This was a questionnaire survey study. The population was evaluation committee members and school educators joining Kaohsiung City¡¦s 2004 and 2005 school evaluation. Twenty-seven evaluation committee members conducted questionnaires. According to school scales, the participants were purposive sampled and stratified random sampled. There were 717 educators in Kaohsiung City 45 elementary schools to conduct questionnaires. The data collected from questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 10.0 for Windows. They were also presented by descriptive statistics and examined by t-test and ANOVA. According to the data analysis, the results of the study showed: 1. The theory and connotation of school evaluation and metaevaluation (1) School evaluation is an important process in school and it aimed to ensure the educational quality. (2) School evaluation should regulate concrete and feasible goals and plan complete context. (3) Metaevaluation inspected the primary evaluation programs and checked the evaluation functions. (4) Metaevaluation is critical to determine the evaluation value and implemented by metaevaluation standard approved by professional evaluation members. 2. The degrees that the practice of school evaluation in Kaohsiung City¡¦s elementary schools coped with metaevaluation standard were as followed. (1) As a whole, the situation of implementing school evaluation in Kaohsiung City¡¦s elementary schools was fine, and ¡§utility¡¨ standards were the highest. (2) In ¡§utility¡¨ standards, the evaluator credibility was the highest, but the evaluation context was the lowest. (3) In ¡§feasibility¡¨ standards, the practical procedures were the highest, but the cost effectiveness was the lowest. (4) In ¡§propriety¡¨ standards, the human interactions was the highest, but the result treatment was the lowest. (5) In ¡§accuracy¡¨ standards, the described purposes and procedures was the highest, but the written records about programs and writing of evaluation reports were the lowest. 3. With related to effects in Kaohsiung City¡¦s elementary schools, the different beliefs between elementary school educators and committee members with different backgrounds were concluded as followed. (1) Different genders of elementary school educators had inconsistent beliefs on ¡§utility¡¨, ¡§feasibility¡¨, and ¡§propriety¡¨ levels. (2) Educators with different degrees had different beliefs in ¡§feasibility¡¨ level. Who with above master¡¦s degree were more than those graduated from a teachers college or a teachers university. (3) Educators in different positions had different beliefs. Compared with other participants, principals had significant differences in ¡§utility¡¨, ¡§feasibility¡¨, ¡§propriety¡¨, and ¡§accuracy¡¨ levels. (4) Educators with different working years had different beliefs. Compared with other participants, educators working over 21 years had significant differences in ¡§utility¡¨, ¡§feasibility¡¨, ¡§propriety¡¨, and ¡§accuracy¡¨ levels. (5) Educators in different school scales had no significant differences in school evaluation. (6) Educators in different evaluation school years had no significant differences in school evaluation. (7) Evaluation committee members with different genders had no significant differences in school evaluation. (8) Evaluation committee members with different identifications had no significant differences in school evaluation. Finally, according to the findings and conclusion, the researcher provided concrete suggestions to educational administrators, elementary schools, and future researches.

With the advent of democracy in 1994 and the repeated calls by the South African public for the renewal and reconstruction of the education system there has been a radical shift on school supervision from inspection to whole school evaluation. The new system of school supervision is carried out under the auspices and in terms of the National Policy on Whole School Evaluation. The application of the said policy however has not been without its own problems. Teacher unions have in some circles resisted its application in their schools. Trained departmental officials had to be chased away from some of the schools that were targeted for evaluation and this incident generated heated national debates in the public domain and within educational forum (Natal Mercury 28 May 2002). This study takes a cue from these widespread debates about the implementation of the Whole School Evaluation Policy within the school context. It explores in details the implementation strategies of the WSE policy, how the policy is conceived and perceived by those to whom it is applied. The study looks at the reception of this policy and the experiences gained by those educators who were evaluated with a view to suggest areas for development and reinforcement of good educational practices. These experiences were captured through the use of interviews, policy analysis and questionnaires. Responses were then analysed and interpreted with a view to make recommendations on how best the policy could be applied at school level. The study found that Deputy Principals are neglected in terms of training. This affects policy implementation at school level where their involvement in school management is substantial. The study also found that there is a serious lack of a shared basis of cooperation between schools and their district offices in respect of implementing WSE. The study further indicated a serious lack of co-ordinated effort on all levels of the system in the application of the WSE policy. The application of WSE has no visible support from major role players especially at district level. The absence of key structures and personnel such as district support teams and WSE coordinators as suggested by policy, impacts negatively on the implementation of the policy at the school level. Having considered all available options and the contextual factors within which the policy is applied in our schools this study advances a variety of recommendations that could be applied to improve implementation of the WSE Policy in schools in KwaZulu-Natal. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

Published Article / Studies show that although evaluation policies regarding educator development and whole-school improvement have been put in place and even though schools express willingness to participate in such evaluation actions, they remain deeply suspicious of, and even subvert the original goals of these policies. This study explores the involvement of educators in School Self Evaluation, an internal evaluation which is a pre-requisite in the process of Whole School Evaluation (WSE) and their views on School Self-Evaluation (SSE) in relation to their professional development. WSE is the official evaluation system in South Africa. Schools undergo both external and internal evaluation. Results thereof are used by schools together with the District Support System to draw up School Improvement Plans (SIP's). In this study, a mixed mode approach was used. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Data were gathered from 125 educators in sixteen randomly sampled evaluated schools. The research findings suggest that educators are neither sufficiently trained nor are they aware of the significance of their role in the process, as well as the impact of school self-evaluation on their professional learning. Educator's learning appears to be influenced by the learning environment nurtured by the school and the way the school implements SSE. The study also provides an insight to how stakeholders involved in the implementation of School Self-evaluation would foster the educator's professional development as well. Supportive school administration, adequate school leadership and collaborative educator culture would contribute a lot to constructive learning environment.

M.Ed. / Die literatuurondersoek het aangedui dat daar ‘n groot dispariteit is in die toewysing van befondsingshulpbronne en steun wat aan skole toegeken word wat daartoe gelei het dat daar verskillende tipes en kwaliteit van onderwys aan leerders in Suid-Afrika aangebied is. Die evalueringsprosesse van die verlede, nie slegs in Suid-Afrika nie maar ook in Australië, die Verenigde Koninkryk en die Verenigde State van Amerika het hiërargiese verhoudings beklemtoon en die evaluering van opvoeders was na bewering ‘n werktuig van hiërargiese en sosiale beheer. Die meerderheid van opvoeders in Suid-Afrika was agterdogtig oor die inspeksiestelsel van die verlede en hulle het weerstand gebied deur die mobilisering van vakunie-ondersteuning, met die resultaat dat hulle die inspekteurs en die lede van die skoolbestuur verbied het om hulle klaskamers te betree. Die verwerping van die apartheidsonderwysstelsel het daartoe gelei dat swart skole aan die stryd vir demokrasie meegedoen het. Die klimaks was die 1976 Soweto-onluste, wat uiteindelik daartoe gelei het dat die onderrig- en leerkultuur in baie van die swart skole ‘n mislukking was (Smith & Ngoma-Maema, 2001:10). Met die geboorte van demokrasie in Suid-Afrika, het die land radikale veranderinge in alle aspekte, insluitend die onderwys ondergaan. Dit het dus noodsaaklik geword dat die demokratiese regering en die departement van onderwys die kwaliteit van die onderwys moes verbeter, veral na die swak matrikulasieresultate van 1995 tot 2000. ‘n Veldtog is geloods om skole aan te moedig om ‘n onderrig- en leerkultuur (OLK) te skep. Dit is in hierdie konteks dat Geheelskool Evaluering (GSE) tot stand gekom het om die nege voorafgedefinieerde areas van die skool te evalueer. Hierdie navorsing handel oor een van die areas van Geheelskool Evaluering, en spesifiek ‘kwaliteit onderwys’. Die Geheelskool Evalueringsbeleid skryf die opvoederbevoegdhede vir kwaliteit onderwys voor. ‘n Vraelys is opgestel om vas te stel wat die persepsies van opvoeders is in verband met die belangrikheid van die vaardighede vir kwaliteit onderwys. Die vraelys het bestaan uit 75 items in verband met essensiële opvoedervaardighede. ‘n Gestratifiseerde gerieflikheidsteekproef wat uit 600 deelnemers bestaan het is in hierdie studie gebruik. Die vraelyste is na opvoeders in Mpumalanga en KwaZulu-Natal versprei. Die voltooide vraelyste is versamel en na die Statistiese Konsultasiediens van die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit gestuur sodat statistiese toetse gedoen kon word. Die statistiese toetse het een (1) tweede orde-faktor aangedui, naamlik ‘die belangrikheid van opvoedervaardigheid vir kwaliteit onderwys', met ‘n Alpha Cronbach betroubaarheidskoëffisiënt van 0,982 wat as baie betroubaar beskou word aangesien dit groter is as 0,7. Twee of meer onafhanklike groepe is vergelyk en dit is bevind dat al die onafhanklike groepe van mening was dat opvoedervaardigheid tot ‘n wisselende graad belangrik vir kwaliteit onderwys is. Die bevindinge dui aan dat die volgende onafhanklike groepe sterker as ander van mening was dat opvoedervaardigheid uiters belangrik vir kwaliteit onderwys is, naamlik: die Christene as Godsdiensgroep, die Afrikaanse moedertaalgroep, die uitstekende leerder-bywoningsgroep, die uitstekende opvoeder-bywoningsgroep en die uitstekende skoolbeeldgroep. Dit blyk dat uitstekende bywoning deur leerders en opvoeders en die positiewe beeld van die skool verband hou met ‘n gesonde skoolklimaat waar daar goeie dissipline is. Die bevindinge dui ook aan dat daar meriete is in die assessering van essensiële opvoedervaardighede en dit regverdig die titel Die volgende gevolgtrekkings is na aanleiding van hierdie navorsing gemaak: • Geheelskool Evaluering (GSE) is ‘n sistematiese benadering tot totale skoolverbetering wat elke aspek van ‘n skool inkorporeer om die kwaliteit van opvoeding te verbeter. Daar is bevind dat die nege (9) areas • wat deur die GSE bepaal is inderdaad relevant is vir die evaluering van skole in Suid-Afrika; • die beste manier om opvoedervaardigheid te konseptualiseer is deur ‘n integrasie van die kenmerke van individue (kennis, vaardighede, neigings en waardes) met die eise van die take en aktiwiteite (Gonczi, 2002:4); • die beste manier om opvoedervaardigheid te assesseer is deur die holistiese geïntegreerde metode te gebruik waardeur vaardigheid van die opvoeder se prestasie afgelei kan word. Hierdie metode bestaan uit die kombinering van kennis, begrip, vaardighede, houdings/waardes, etiek en probleemoplossing; en • opvoeders wat aan hierdie navorsing deelgeneem het was van mening dat die vaardighede wat deur die GSE geïdentifiseer is, inderdaad belangrik is vir kwaliteit onderwys. Die algemene en spesifieke doelwitte van hierdie navorsingsprojek is bereik en onderwerpe vir verdere navorsing is voorgestel.

The purpose of this research is adopting IPP evaluation mode to construct the evaluation indicators of elementary schools and its weight system. By way of studying documents and analyzing the evaluation indicators of school affairs already done by 9 counties and cities, there are 3 evaluation fields, 14 evaluation items and 84 evaluation indicators generalized. The researcher chooses the Delphi expert members through recommendations and from finding the scholars who have acquired specialties related to school evaluation . The 28 members include administrative staffs from education bureaus of county and city governments, specialists from teachers training institutes, parent organization, teacher organization, school executives, and schoolteachers. The Delphi members¡¦ main task is to make a judgment about the fitness of evaluation indicators and its weight system. After 3 times of Delphi questionnaires, the fitness of evaluation indicators are acquired. In the mean time, there¡¦s one relative weight questionnaire at the third time, and AHP is adapted to construct its weight system. The research results indicate: I. The main connotations and the evaluation indicators of elementary school evaluation . II. The ¡§Delphi Questionnaires" construct the fitness of evaluation indicators contents of elementary school affairs. III. The ¡§relative weight questionnaires¡¨ construct the weight system of evaluation indicators contents of elementary school affairs. Part 1. Large evaluation fields This includes three evaluation levels, and the titles and weights are as follows: ¡§B Process indicator ¡¨ Weight 37.65% ¡§A Input indicator¡¨ Weight 32.13% ¡§C Product indicator ¡¨ Weight 30.22% Part 2. 14 evaluation Items (1) ¡§A Input indicator¡¨ includes 4 evaluation indicators , and the titles and weights are as follows: ¡§A-2 Teachers¡¦ Ability Quality" Weight 13.20% ¡§A-1 Plans and Goals¡¨ Weight 8.74% ¡§A-3 Teaching Resource Facilities¡¨ Weight 6.15% ¡§A-4 School Environment Plan¡¨ Weight 4.04% (2) ¡§B Process indicator¡¨ includes 6 evaluation indicators, and the tit 1000 les and weights are as follows: ¡§B-1 Principal Leadership¡¨ Weight 10.29% ¡§B-4 Teaching Execution¡¨ Weight 6.37% ¡§B-3 School Atmosphere¡¨ Weight 6.04% ¡§B-2 School Executive Administration" Weight 5.37% ¡§B-6 Students¡¦ Affairs and Counseling¡¨ Weight 4.08% ¡§B-4 Curriculum Design and Execution¡¨ Weight 4.78% (3) ¡§C Product indicator¡¨ includes 4 evaluation indicators, and the titles and weights are as follows: "C-1 Students¡¦ Learning Performance¡¨ Weight 15.77% ¡§C-2 Teachers¡¦ Professional Growth¡¨ Weight 7.63% "C-3 Relationship of School and Community¡¨ Weight 3.26% Part 3. 84 evaluation indicators Concerning the weights of 84 evaluation indicators are not devised in this research. The goal is to leave the right to those government education organizations to decide whether to add or subtract the evaluation indicators according to their own backgrounds and flexible application of reality. IV. The evaluation indicators of assessing elementary school affairs are construct upon ¡§Investment-Process-Production¡¨ mode, and they bear connotations of equivalent importance. V. The evaluation indicators of assessing elementary school affairs construct by this research VI. constructing the evaluation indicators of assessing elementary school affairs, the three are equally important, IPP ¡§Investment-Process-Production¡¨. VII. Based on the constructing weight order, the prior indicators may be chosen to implement evaluation if necessary. VIII. Students are the main part of education. Emphasize students' learning performance. IX. Based on the most important indicator order, the prior indexes may be chosen to implement evaluation if necessary. X. Suggestions to follow-up research

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

This study documented the changes in understanding a class of eighth grade high school-level biology students experienced through a biology unit introducing genetics. Learning profiles for 55 students were created using concept maps and interviews as qualitative and quantitative instruments. The study provides additional support to the theory of learning progressions called for by experts in the field. The students' learning profiles were assessed to determine the alignment with a researcher-developed learning profile. The researcher-developed learning profile incorporated the learning progressions published in the Next Generation Science Standards, as well as current research in learning progressions for 5-10th grade students studying genetics. Students were found to obtain understanding of the content in a manner that was nonlinear, even circuitous. This opposes the prevailing interpretation of learning progressions, that knowledge is ascertained in escalating levels of complexity. Learning progressions have implications in teaching sequence, assessment, education research, and policy. Tracking student understanding of other populations of students would augment the body of research and enhance generalizability.