M.Ed. / GENERAL AIM To investigate the components of teacher competence and how these aspects can be managed to enhance teacher effectiveness. GROUP AIM To investigate the components of effectiveness and how this can enhance teacher competence. SPECIFIC AIM Determine the contribution of curriculum interpretation towards improving effectiveness in the teaching and learning situation; To obtain teacher opinion as to the extent that curriculum interpretation enhances effectiveness; and Devise a possible strategy whereby curriculum interpretation support effectiveness and enhance teacher competence.

This study explored the way biological knowledge is transformed when it moves from its disciplinary form to a high school biology curriculum, and how this occurred in successive versions of the life sciences curriculum implemented in post-apartheid South Africa. Bernstein’s (1996, 1999) conceptualisation of biology as an hierarchical knowledge structure, the recontextualisation of knowledge, and the implications for social justice formed the theoretical framework to the study, as did Aikenhead’s (2006) distinction between traditional and humanistic approaches to science education, and Schmidt, Wang and McKnight’s (2005) concept of curriculum coherence. Firstly, I attempted to elicit core concepts and conceptual organisation in biology from the writings of the distinguished biologist Ernst Mayr, two foundational biology textbooks, and interviews with two professors of biology. Seven concepts emerged: the cell, inheritance, evolution, interaction, regulation, energy flow and diversity, which I arranged in a hierarchy according to Mayr’s “three big questions”, “what?”, “how?” and “why?”. The theory of evolution was highlighted as the key integrating principle of the discipline. Secondly, I considered biology in the school curriculum by means of a literature review and synthesis of the changing goals of a school science education. Five broad categories of objectives were derived: knowledge, skills, applications, attitudes and values , and science as a human enterprise. Aikenhead’s (2006) terminology captured the shifts in emphases of these objectives over time.Thirdly, I analysed the stated objectives and content specifications of the three most recent versions of the South African life sciences curricula – the Interim Core Syllabus (ICS), the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and the new NCS. The NCS represented a dramatic swing away from the traditional approach of the ICS, while the new NCS reverts to a more traditional approach, though with more humanistic content than in the ICS. Both the ICS and t he NCS were found to be deficient in one of the three key conceptual areas of biology. The conceptual progression of the material is strongest in the new NCS, and weakest in the original NCS. The conclusion was drawn that, of the different curricula, the new NCS has the greatest potential to induct South African learners into the hierarchical structure of biology, and represents a positive contribution to the goal of transforming education in South Africa.

Recent Policy documents, such as the ANC Draft Framework on Education and Training of 1994, the White Paper on Education and Training of 1995 and the Curriculum Framework for General and Further Education and Training of 1996 have proposed broad participation by major stakeholders, in particular teachers, in the process of curriculum planning and decision-making. This represents a major shift from past practices which limited teacher decision-making to the classroom. These proposals are made against the background that South African education is undergoing a period of transition from a system which was driven by apartheid policies to a more progressive and democratic system. This study sought to investigate the responses of teachers in Clermont, a semi-urban black settlement in Durban, to the policy proposals which state that their participation in curriculum planning and development should be extended. It also aimed to explore their thinking concerning the implications such proposals may have for them. A non-proportional random stratified sample of teachers in promotion and non-promotion posts was drawn to survey teacher responses to these proposals. A mailed "self administered" questionnaire was used as the research instrument for this study. The major findings which emerged from the survey are: Teachers in Clermont believe that they have a major role to play and that role should not be limited to the classroom. They regard decisions made about curriculum as directly affecting them. Despite their support for extended participation in curriculum planning and development they feel they are not adequately prepared for that role. They regard themselves as having inadequate knowledge of the theory and practice of curriculum. In particular, they think they lack skills in designing and planning curricula because they were not adequately prepared during their teacher training, as well as the fact that they were not given such opportunities in the past. Teachers expressed the view that participation in curriculum development could facilitate their professional development. Teachers also acknowledge the importance of the contribution of other stakeholders such as parents and pupils in making curriculum decisions. In the light of the major findings the study recommends the following: A holistic approach to teacher development should be adopted which provides teachers with basic skills and concepts in curriculum and curriculum development through seminars and workshops. In the context of the implementation of a new curriculum which is outcomes-based, workshops and seminars could facilitate the process of introducing the new curriculum and also enabling teachers to be critical of their practice. In order to create a favourable climate for teacher development, teacher development must be integrated with whole school development through, for example, in-service training which is school-focused. To facilitate whole school development the creation of forums, such as teacher forums where teachers could discuss current debates, and learning forums involving teachers, pupils and parents where problems facing schools would be explored are recommended. In the longer term pre-service teacher education should be restructured to include training in curriculum development in order to adequately prepare student teachers in curriculum planning and development. To bridge the gap between schools and colleges of education, universities and the communities, partnerships between schools, universities, colleges of education, and non-governmental organisations, as well as partnerships between schools, communities and the Department of Education at provincial level should be created. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 1997

The decade of the nineties has ushered in a period of socio-political transformation in South Africa. Demands for the democratisation of education imply that teachers will be expected to assume a more significant professional role, particularly with regard to curriculum decision-making. As a result of authoritarian curriculum policies and practices of the past, teachers have not had the same opportunities to participate in curriculum decision-making as their colleagues in many other countries (HSRC: 1981). This means that teachers in this country have, in the main, been forced to operate as 'restricted' professionals and will need to move towards a greater 'extended' professionality (Hoyle: 1980). However, the extent to which teachers are able to become more "extended" professionals will depend on the identification and removal of constraints on their further professional development in this regard. The primary aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate constraints on the further professional development of teachers as curriculum decision-makers within Indian secondary schools in the Greater Durban area. A stratified random sample, proportionally representing the three sub-populations of teachers (viz. Classroom Practitioners, Heads of Departments and Principals / Senior Deputy Principals / Deputy Principals), was drawn and a mailed questionnaire was used to survey attitudes and opinions pertinent to this study. The main findings that emerged from the survey were: 1. Whilst teachers themselves are desirous of becoming involved in curriculum decision-making at all levels, in most instances they are deprived of opportunities to participate in decision-making even at the micro-level of the school. 2. Whilst some principals tend to profess a very liberal and progressive view with regard to teacher participation in curriculum decision-making, in reality they adopt a very prescriptive and authoritarian style of management. 3. Pre-service and in-service education programmes for teachers do not adequately focus on teacher participation in curriculum decision-making. 4. Within-school constraints are exacerbated by a lack of clarity about the education department's stance on the matter of teacher participation in curriculum decision-making. The recommendations emanating from these findings were made principally with the House of Delegates' Department of Education and Culture in mind, but are likely to be applicable to all other existing departments of education in the country. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1991.

Post 1994, the vision of the South African education policy terrain is to transform schools into more effective places of teaching and learning. To achieve this vision, policy suggests a shift in management practices from traditional autocratic headship to more participatory leadership practices, including the leadership of teachers. Theorizing from a distributed leadership perspective, the aim of this study was to explore the concept of teacher leadership and the challenges that are faced by post level one teachers as they operate as leaders in their schools in the South African context. The study sought to investigate how the concept of teacher leadership was understood, how post level one teachers lead in their schools and what challenges to teacher leadership are in schools. The study was conducted in one rural and one semi-urban primary school and it was qualitative in nature. A case study methodology was suitable for this study since it was aimed at gaining teachers understanding and perceptions of teacher leadership. Different methods of collecting data were used and these included interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. Data were analyzed thematically using Grant’s (2008) model of teacher leadership. The findings indicated that teacher leadership as a concept was still new to certain teachers, even though research on the topic in the South African context is increasing. Some teachers did not think of the roles they played in a school as teacher leadership. The findings further indicated that teacher leadership was experienced differently across the two schools with teacher leadership in the rural school being more restricted than the teacher leadership in the semi-urban school, where it was more emergent. In the rural school, leadership could, at best, be described as authorized distributed leadership while in the semi-urban school, leadership could be described as dispersed distributed leadership. In addition, the findings showed that the major barrier to teacher leadership in the rural school was resistance from the School Management Team while in the semi-urban school the major barrier to teacher leadership was a lack of time. A further barrier to teacher leadership in both schools was teachers themselves who were lazy and did not want to take on additional leadership tasks. The study also found that the major enhancing factor to teacher leadership, particularly in the semi-urban school, was a collaborative school culture where teachers trusted each other and worked together in professional learning communities. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

ABSTRACT THE ACTUAL AND DESIRED LEVELS OF SHARED DECISION MAKING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN &Ccedil / ANKAYA DISTRICT OF ANKARA G&uuml / nal, Zafer M.S., Department of Educational Sciences Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hasan SimSek September 2005, 96 pages The purpose of the study is to investigate the actual and desired levels of shared decision making in public schools in &Ccedil / ankaya district of Ankara, Turkey. The sample of this study consisted of 372 teachers from 10 public basic schools and secondary schools in &Ccedil / ankaya district of Ankara. Shared Education Decisions Survey- Revised by Prof. Dr. Donna Ferrara was used to collect data. The results of the study showed that the teachers working in public schools of &Ccedil / ankaya district sometimes participate in the decision making process. The level of participation increases about the parental involvement, pupil personnel and student achievement issues. However, it is understood that teachers rarely participate in the decisions relating to budget, school/community relations, staff development and policy issues. On the other hand, when the results of the study are considered, it is apparent that teachers in public schools in &Ccedil / ankaya district always desire to participate in the decision making processes in their schools. The parental involvement, student achievement, pupil personnel and curriculum/ instruction areas, which are directly related to teaching, are the areas teachers most desire to participate in. Keywords: Shared decision making, participation, participative decision making, public education institutions, teacher participation.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1977. / Bibliography: leaves [187]-194. / Microfiche. / x, 194 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2005. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Oct. 16, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-243).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 278-291). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 278-291). Also available on the Internet.