Thesis (M. A.) --University of Limpopo, 2019. / Bullying seems to be prevalent in most secondary schools, and teachers have a daily task of dealing with it. In South Africa, there are many issues which influence teachers’ management of bullying, such as community violence and parental attitudes. Teachers’ abilities to identify and respond to incidents of bullying, and their knowledge of bullying behaviour can have an impact on anti-bullying strategies. Secondary school management as well as parents have a responsibility towards efforts to eliminate bullying in schools. Failure to reduce bullying in secondary schools would result in high failure rates and poor concentration on school work among learners. This study aimed to describe teachers’ perspectives on learner bullying at Schools A and B. This study used Albert Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory which offers a theoretical framework that helped the researcher find meaning in respect of the roles of the bully, victim and offenders. The study followed a qualitative approach, using focus group sessions to collect data in order to explore teachers’ experiences of bullying. The qualitative data were analysed by means of thematic analysis to present the collected data. The responses were recorded in the form of writing. The data was thoroughly structured into themes. Information obtained from respondents was treated with great confidentiality. Purposive and availability sampling were used to identify potential respondents who were asked to volunteer to be part of the study. The research findings specified that teachers experience and observe a wide variety of bullying behaviour which takes place at different sites, both inside and outside the school grounds. Moreover, the teachers conveyed numerous factors which they experienced as pertaining to bullying and emphasised the perceived effects. In addition to this, the participants shared knowledge about their teaching practices and recommended a few approaches on how to deal with bullying more effectively in their schools.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The purpose of this study was to explore strategies used by schools to cope with indiscipline in rural secondary schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Indiscipline in secondary schools of Limpopo Province in Sekhukhune District has become an evil and dangerous influence that spreads and affects learners’ behaviour and their moral upbringing. The Department of Basic Education brought alternatives to indiscipline but these measures seem not to be working as learners continue to challenge teachers. Since corporal punishment was abolished in 1994, schools are expected to come up with strategies to deal with indiscipline. The high prevalence of indiscipline in schools in Limpopo Province has propelled the researcher to explore strategies used in South African rural schools in Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province to cope with indiscipline as it affects teaching and learning. The research question was: What are strategies used by schools in Moutse Cluster to cope with indiscipline? The sub questions were: What does the policy say about addressing indiscipline? What forms of indiscipline prevail in schools? What strategies do schools use to cope with indiscipline? The study will be beneficial to policy makers, curriculum implementers, curriculum developers and advisors, the Department of Education and schools. The study was conducted in Limpopo Province, in Moteti area and Elandsrooring at Groblersdal. It was limited to senior phase teachers, teachers in disciplinary committees and class teachers. The study used qualitative research since the title sets out to develop understanding of individuals and events in their natural setting. The study used semi-structured interviews as a method of data collection. It also used purposive sampling, hence the research question sought responses from teachers and learners who had more knowledge and experience in indiscipline. The study found that there exist strategies used by schools in order to cope with indiscipline although the phenomenon is out of control. There are internal strategies such v as detention and the use of period registers that are applied in order to cope with indiscipline. There are strategies beyond the school which can be applied such as the police and involving parents. This study also made additional findings with regard to forms of indiscipline experienced by schools under this study, the effects of indiscipline on teaching and learning and how education policies influence the behaviour of learners. Key concepts: Indiscipline, disruptive behaviour, learners, coping strategies, teachers, secondary schools.

This mixed methods study investigated the effects of a pilot peer-tutoring program for high school students between L1 Spanish-speaking tutors and Spanish second language (L2) tutees during Fall Semester 2018 (16 weeks). The purpose of this research was to explore the impact the peer-tutoring program had on the language acquisition, motivation to learn, intercultural sensitivity, and number of Spanish-speaking friendships of the L2 Spanish learners. The study consisted of a matched-group comparison and a qualitative exploration of reflective surveys completed by the participants in the pilot program. The experimental group (n=32) received a treatment of 20 minutes of peer tutoring each class period and the control group (n=41) received no treatment. Results of language acquisition data suggested that, though not statistically significant (p=0.119), the experimental group showed language acquisition gains that are noteworthy. The experimental group showed a 60% greater increase in the oral proficiency score over the control group in a pre-test/post-test analysis of an identical oral proficiency test. Results from the motivation data showed a marked decrease in motivation of the experimental group as compared to the control group. Results from the intercultural sensitivity assessment showed a statistically significantly higher end score on the behavioral scale and a higher end score on the attitude scale of the experimental group vs. the control group. Results from the quantitative data indicating pre and post number of Spanish-speaking friends showed no increase in number of Spanish speaking friends for the experimental group vs. the control group. However, qualitative data showed that 25% of the experimental group reported making a new Spanish-speaking friend after the treatment. Future research needs to consider how peer tutoring as compared to reciprocal peer tutoring among L2 learners with higher proficiency may impact these results.

Rhetoric is a vital subject of the Swedish school. It is only taught in the native language in the subject of Swedish but expects the students to be able to present orally in almost every other subject as well. Few Swedish teachers are educated in rhetoric, but all are expected to teach it. In vocational upper secondary schools, many do not students reach the highest letter grades (A and B) during national testing, where an oral presentation is a third of the test. This study aims to examine how Swedish teachers in vocational schools view their own teaching of rhetoric. More specifically the study examines what the teachers focus on, what their methods are for teaching and what factors they take into account when planning. To do this the study collects data through three interviews with teachers, their collected teaching material and a survey sent to 20 different vocational schools. A content analysis is used to analyze the transcribed interviews. The results show that the interviewed teachers tend to focus their teaching on what they believe is most important. This includes disposition, technical presentation aids, manuscripts and creating a safe environment for the students who fear public speaking. It also shows that teachers use varying types of scaffolding techniques to support their students’ needs. None of the interviewed teachers focus on rhetorical terminology and two of them create their own, but the students do not get the time they need to process the information and actually work with it in different ways. One teacher uses the terminology they see fit to use in practice with their students. This work later show that their students are able to apply what they have learned in rhetoric in written texts and through this elevate their writing skills. Finally, it shows that the teachers teach a very limited version of rhetoric.

Doctor Educationis / Behaviour problems have been on the rise in Kenyan schools for some time now. Various maladaptive behaviours found among school children include bullying, vandalism, stealing, alcohol and drug abuse, truancy, not completing homework assignments and other forms of problem behaviours. These problem behaviours impact negatively on the teaching and learning enterprises of schools as well as on the safety and security of the school environment. As consequence, schools have to develop student behaviour management practices aimed at addressing student problem behaviours. Corporal punishment was a major means by which schools dealt with students’ problem behaviours. However, because of the human rights abuses associated with corporal punishment, the Kenyan Ministry of Education had to abolish corporal punishment in 2001 and instructed schools to evolve more effective student behaviour management practices with strong emphasis on positive student behaviour development. Schools’ student behaviour management practices including policies on student behaviour expectations, school rules and regulations as well as counselling services are all to be coordinated by each School Disciplinary Panel. A School Disciplinary Panel is to be composed of small group of teachers as a way of emphasizing the latter’s roles in student behaviour development and not just student academic or educational development. The central concern of this study was to investigate the Kenyan schools’ behaviour management practices as being implemented by School Disciplinary Panels especially in the latter’s responses to students’ problem behaviours. The study investigated processes of decision making by Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels for the management of student behaviours and the contribution of this to student behaviour development. Mixed methods research design was adopted for the study. The adoption of both quantitative and qualitative approaches was to ensure the collection of comprehensive information for better understanding of the behaviour management practices of Kenyan schools. The population for the study comprised all Kenyan schools with behaviour management practices and School Disciplinary Panels. Rongo District, one of the largest education districts in Kenya was chosen for the study. Ten of the schools in this district were actually involved in the study. The selection of the schools took into consideration the three different types of schools in Kenya (Girls’ Only, Boys’ Only and Co-educational schools) as well as other variables of particular interest to the study. Seventy-eight (78) disciplinary panel members from the ten selected schools were the participants of the study. Data collection was by use of questionnaire method (the Modified Choice Dilemma Questionnaire, MCDQ) and interview protocol. The findings of the study revealed the existence of the phenomenon of group polarization in decision making processes of disciplinary hearings conducted by the School Disciplinary Panels. Study findings also revealed that the nature of information shared during disciplinary hearings, group members’ motivation for approval of others and their concern for their status in the group as well as the personality characteristics of the members of the disciplinary panels (including gender, age, teaching experiences and school affiliation) were the major influences responsible for the existence of group polarization in the disciplinary processes of the Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels. Since group polarization is about consensus decisions with characteristics of being collective decisions as well as greater support and acceptance for the decisions the conclusion of the study is that good quality decisions of Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels have great potentials for effective management of student behaviours and for positive behavioural development of students as an important objective of education and or the schools.

The purpose of this study is to investigate, through a quantitative and qualitative analysis, how the officals freedom of information is expressed in policy documents from Swedish universities, colleges and upper secondary schools. The purpose is broken down into two different - but interconneted parts. The first part investigates and analyzes the issue of transparency in ‘general’ versus ‘image’ and market thinking through “our public ethos”. The second part concerns the status of officials rights of freedom of information in relation to other reaction possibilities. A democracy perspective is here set against a market perspective. Furthermore, differences and similarities in dominating perspectives and the position of freedom of information between these documents current descriptions is to be elucidated.  The first question is answered on the basis of our public ethos theory combined with Fredriksson and Palla's model of six principles for government communication. The results show that the market perspective dominates both in the universities and college documents, as well as in the documents that apply to upper secondary schools. The second question is answered through Lundquist's model of different reaction possibilities. The results show that the reaction ‘whisper’ (freedom of information) has a greater emphasis in the documents that apply to upper secondary schools than those of universities and colleges.

The objective of this study are: -to list and describe activities and methods used in the junior high school libraries of Texas, -to present data regarding the administration, staff, and facilites of the libraries in junior high schools of Texas, -to determine to what extent the junir high school libraries of Texas are exceeding or falling short of meeting the standards for secondary school libraries as set forth by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and finally, -to propose certain improvements or change to be made to conform to the Standards of the Southern Association.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the social validity of the Peaceable Schools model, which includes positive behavior support and social skills training. Data were collected through subjective evaluation using an open-ended survey given to teachers at two secondary schools. Results show that teachers perceived evidence of social validity in the areas of social significance, comprehensiveness, relevance, treatment integrity, and social acceptability. While weaknesses were also expressed in the areas of social acceptability, feasibility, and practicality, teachers perceived overall improvement in students' social skills and saw more strengths than weaknesses. Outcomes suggest that the Peaceable Schools model has social validity evidence and through proactive means is effective in meeting its goals to decrease the need for reactive discipline.

Studien processinriktat och resultatinriktat motivationsklimat på svenska och spanska högstadieskolor undersöker skillnader och likheter inom processinriktat och resultatinriktat klimat. I denna studie undersöks det hur dessa två klimat ser ut på svenska och spanska skolor och detta ur svenska och spanska idrottslärares perspektiv. I studien används Nicholls (1989) teori om de två motivationsklimaten. Empirin är inhämtad via semistrukturerade intervjuer med idrottslärare på tre svenska och tre spanska högstadieskolor. Detta i kombination med Nicholls (1989) teori och andra modeller, ligger till grund för den senare gjorda analysen. Studien kommer till slutsatsen att spanska skolor är mer resultatinriktade medan svenska skolor är mer processinriktade. / The Study mastery and performance motivational climate, a comparison study between secondary schools in Sweden and Spain, examine the mastery orientation and performance orientation. The aim with the study is find out what motivational climate, mastery or performance that is used by physical educators. The theory, Nicholls (1989) theory about the two motivational climates; mastery orientation and performance orientation is used in this study. The empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers at three secondary schools in Sweden and three secondary schools in Spain. This combined with theory and models will be the underlying material to the later analysis. The study will come to the conclusion that Spanish schools are more performance orientated than the Swedish schools which tend to be more mastery orientated.

Music teachers were surveyed to investigate a relationship between program type (inclusive and selective) and music student enrollment in California public secondary schools. Inclusive music classes are open to all students. In contrast, selective music classes require students to demonstrate talent or previous experience. Graduation requirements, geographic location, teacher experience, community support, community expectations, and student ethnicity were examined to discover possible variables influencing music student enrollment. The results indicate a positive correlation between music student enrollment and the number of inclusive classes offered. Student enrollment significantly increased in music classes when music was integrated into the general curriculum. Other variables that significantly increased music student enrollment included parent and school board support. Some types of district support (number of music classes offered, music rooms, performance facilities, and accompanist) raised music student enrollment. No relationships were detected between music student enrollment and other variables such as: per pupil expenditure, graduation requirements, geographic location, and community expectations. As school size increased, the percentage of music student enrollment decreased. It was also found that music classes are not representative of the total student population.