M.Ed. / Effective evaluation of teachers has as prime objective recognition of skills and professional development. This evaluation should take place as early as possible, as it is an important method of motivating and positively directing a teacher in his career. The principal and evaluating team should be the prime assessors of a teacher's input. Teacher motivation normally leads to acknowledgement as a professional teacher. There are numerous problems in educational evaluation, specifically seen in the light that this evaluation plays in improving education. Furthermore it must be stressed that the relationship between evaluator and teacher is of major importance. The teacher has to be led into realizing why he is performing his duty and must be motivated into using his full potential. A task which rests squarely on the shoulders of the principal. Productivity is determined by attitude and the role of the principal in nurturing a positive environment is vital. The demands of both present and future places a unique responsibility on a teacher. This calls for objective evaluation of the teacher where personnel development and job satisfaction can be progressive, without neglect of professional integrity. Communication and input from teachers, both as a group and individually, normally lead to commendable co-operation. Acknowledgement of the teacher's opinion leads to greater performance, in which case the pupil will certainly gain a great deal.

M.Ed. / The aim of conducting my research is to establish the impact of INSET on the implementation of OBE in the Foundation Phase. I believe that OBE was implemented before the Foundation Phase teachers were thoroughly serviced through INSET programmes conducted by the Curriculum Advisory Section. In my research exercise I conducted interviews with the Foundation Phase teachers and I am also going to request them to completed by classroom observations. The main reason of my research is the fact that the Foundation Phase is the base on which future learning activities are to be built on. If the foundation or base is not well laid out, a lot is going to be affected in the educational process. I discussed my research problem and claim in detail. This is followed by an explanation about how I collected and analysed data. Finally I gave my findings and concluded by some recommendations. I would like to use my findings to guide me on the future arrangement and conduction of INSET programmes with the Senior Phase teachers in order to make it to be more effective.

D.Phil. / With the demise of apartheid and the ushering in of a new political dispensation, many changes have taken place in South Africa. The field of education, which was one of the most volatile areas of concern for the apartheid regime and has been described by some academics at the University of Natal as being a miasmic morass marked by systemic crisis, has been quick to purge itself of some of its apartheid legacies. For instance, to offset the harmful effects of the 'Bantu Education Act', a new school curriculum - Curriculum 2005- has been introduced. It is hoped by the education authorities that Curriculum 2005, which has its roots in Outcomes-based Education (OBE) and an accompanying pedago91 based on a constructivist methodology, will help considerably in preparing students adequately for the challenges of adulthood. This is something that has hitherto been denied them by the obnoxious 'Bantu Education Act'. This study is undertaken on the premise that without being able to crawl, a child cannot walk, let alone run. Against this background, teachers should first of all undergo an intensive re-training programme to bring their knowledge and competency levels to acceptable standards. It is only after this, that they can be eased into the otherwise complex, contradictory and sometimes unintelligible concepts being branded as OBE. Without this, there would be a case of 'tissue rejection' or the proverbial 'the body is willing but the spirit is weak' as teachers would not be able to cope with the demands of Curriculum 2005. The focus of this study is particularly on the (English) language teacher, whose task has been made all the more difficult by the constitutional stipulation that eleven of the languages spoken in the Republic of South Africa should be considered as official languages - an unnecessary drain on the fragile economy. Besides, as there is no clear-cut directive from the national Department of Education, English language teachers are faced with a situation in which they do not know which variety of English to teach. The problem is further compounded by the obvious lack of training for the teachers in second language teaching techniques and their own communication competence. Teachers in rural areas are the worse hit, as they are not exposed to any of the advances in modern technology, which could easily compensate for their inadequacies. The study postulates that until serious attempts are made to remedy and solve such problems, the introduction of Curriculum 2005 and/or any other curriculum innovations will be an exercise in futility. The investigation conducted to examine this claim has delivered findings that support this claim. It has also shown that the sample of teachers drawn from a rural population have little linguistic awareness, limited competence in English and practise a pedagogy that borders on a fraudulent use of so-called 'OBE techniques', without sufficient knowledge and/or understanding.

M.Ed. (Education Management) / Lecturers at Technical Colleges mostly come from the industrial sector and consequently they seldom have experience in teaching or the necessary qualifications to teach. The lecturer who has no formal teacher's training is confronted with the realities of the teaching profession and has now become part of this profession. Lecturers very seldom receive training prior to actually practising the profession. Methods have to be found to provide in-service training for lecturers at technical colleges with the view of preparing them for their task as lecturers. with this study an attempt has been made to establish a workable program to assist the deputy principal in the in-service training of lecturers at a technical college. The rapid technological development of the past few decades has caused a breath-taking expansion of knowledge and therefore the lecturer must become a lifelong student. The constant change and renewal of teaching methods, skills and techniques can only be addressed by effective in-service training. In-service training is therefore indispensable. The task of in-service training at the technical college is assigned to the deputy principal. He must first determine the type of staff required, then he has to recruit and select staff and finally see to it that new staff members are orientated. This is, however, merely the beginning of in-service training. The deputy principal must now design a well-planned programme of in-service training. He can in this case make use of a mentor and a Subject-head. The mentor must be an experienced and successful lecturer, seeing that he has to convey his knowledge and teaching experience to the beginner lecturer. The subject-head can also play an important and valuable role in the initial in-service training programme by conveying knowledge and expertise concerning teaching practice to the beginner-lecturer.

M.Ed. / In-service training and staff development of the personnel in the primary school are of great importance. The principal of a school has an acthe and important role to play in this regard. This study will subsequently focus on the different categories or various types of teachers found in the primary school, because each and every member of the personnel is equally involved in in-service training and the development of the staff programme. A brief look is taken at the influence the curr'iculum,the pupils and the community have on the teacher regarding his or her in-service training. Evaluation of the teachers remains one of the principal's main tasks. The different types of school climates will also be studied, since the nature of the climate of a school to a great extent detel'lllines the effectiveness of the education offered there. If a healthy climate is created, greater productivity will ensue, which in its tum will result in better-equipped and well-adjusted teachers, frolll whose teachings the pupils will benefit greatly. Attention is also paid to the matter of class visits, one of the most general and obvious forms of in-service training. Class visits provide the principal with the opportunity to keep his finger on the pulse of the whole organisation. the five facets comprising the class visit will also be discussed at length, as each of these facets is of great importance to the realisatfon of in-servfce training. For this purpose, formal as well as informal class visits will be dealt with. The important part played by communicatfon is explained and stressed, especially in respect of the primary school. A facet of communication, namely the delegation of tasks, will also be looked into, because of its relevance for the teacher's in-service training. While executfng some of the tasks which the principal cannot possibly find time for, every teacher is being trained and prepared for promotfon. The professfonal growth of teachers has also become a focal point where trainfng for managerial positions is concerned. The deputy headmasters are dependent on guidance by the headmaster. Principals have the responsibility of discreetly and meaningfully stimulating the deputy as well as the other teachers on the staff. The principal who is sincerely concerned with the professional development of his staff contributes successfully towards an in-service guidance programme by including class visits. various types of staff meetings and delegation in his programme • Attention will be given to ways and means by which the principal can apply each of these skill s in order to purposefully stimulate the professional development of his staff. To enable the principal to give meaningful help and guidance in these matters. he should ensure that an open climate prevails at his school. The principal should also have a clear understanding of what can reasonably be expected of a new. as well as an experienced teacher. and he must also clearly formulate his own responsibilities in the training of both. In-service training of the working teacher should naturally be a continuous process. The principal is responsible for the professional growth of his staff and the quality of teaching at his school. He plays an an-important role in the professional development of the teachers on his staff. Continued research pertaining to the training of principals is therefore absolutely essential.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / Following the ascendance to power of a democratically elected government in South Africa, many things had to be restructured to fit the realities of the time. Education was one of the areas where many changes occurred. The previous education system was replaced with a new system dubbed Curriculum 2005. The new system was outcomes based. Environment is one of the themes included in the new education curriculum which was not in the previous education system. Environment is a cross-curricular theme in the new education system which means it is taught in all the learning areas. Each educator or teacher is expected to integrate the theme in their areas of specialisation. This has compelled the government departments, institutions of higher learning and NGOs to retrain teachers to cope with this challenge. The implementation of Curriculum 2005 is in its third year now. Despite the training efforts that has been put in, teachers still find it difficult to cope with. This study explores the causes of the problems experienced in the formal education system in an attempt to implement EE. Chapter one.(1) outlines the problem and claims that teachers' problems in implementing EE in schools in South Africa emanates from their training. It also outlines the social problems associated with the current problems in formal education if they are not checked. The chapter concludes that it in important for the study to be undertaken so as to isolate the problems that stifle the progress in implementing this theme. Chapter two (2) reviews existing literature in teacher education, theories of learning and environmental education. The links between community education are also reviewed. The chapter attempts to establish whether the existing theory is considered in the practice of EE. An array of problems are revealed as contributing to the current problems affecting the implementation of EE in schools in South Africa and worldwide. The chapter concludes that there is a gap between theory and practice. In chapter three (3) an attempt is made to collect data from the field using four methods namely: oral interview, group focus interview, document analysis and observation. The chapter elaborates how this was done and how the relevant data was collected in order to support or refute the claim made in chapter one. In chapter four (4), data is categorised, coded and analysed. The data is then discussed. It is discovered that field data strongly supports literature reviewed in chapter two (2). The chapter concludes that there are problems that hinder the effective implementation of EE in formal education in South Africa and makes a number of recommendations to be implemented urgently for the situation to be arrested.

M.Ed. (Education) / Lecturers at technical colleges mostly come from industry and consequently they seldom have experience of teaching or the necessary qualifications to teach. As the educational profession has no formal and compulsory induction into the profession, beginner lecturers are put directly into class and are expected to teach. Although these lecturers have the required subject knowledge, they definitely lack the necessary didactical skills or methodology of education. Due to "swim-or-sink" attitude, beginner lecturers experience unique problems that place them under tremendous pressure and stress. The aim of this study was focused on the grounding of guidelines that could be used in designing an induction programme for beginner lecturers at a technical college. The methods used in grounding these guidelines for induction at a technical college were: * a relevant study of literature that was conducted into three induction programmes used in various sectors of the industry, to enquire more knowledge with regard to the design and function of these programmes; a literature and empirical study of the experienced needs and problems of beginner lectures when entering the teaching profession. A qualitative research approach was used to conduct a study in which the needs and problems of beginner lecturers in a specific technical college were identified by means of structured interviews. The lecturers that participated in this inquiry were asked to describe their experiences related to their needs and problems when they entered the teaching profession. From the analysed data the following needs and problems were identified:...

M.Ed. / This study explores how digital video conferencing (DVC) supports the teaching and learning of Deaf learners providing access to an appropriate curriculum. Whilst there are policies addressing the educational needs of the Deaf in South Africa, there are still gaps between policy and practice, as a result there are not enough visible results that ensure equal access and equal opportunities. The lack of visual educational technologies that support the delivery of instruction in schools for the Deaf in South Africa create barriers to effective teaching and learning. The main aim of this study is, how does digital video conferencing support the teaching and learning of Deaf. Also, the experiences of Deaf learners who are exposed to digital video conferencing technologies will be described. The findings will be used to make recommendations for improving the teaching and learning strategies in Deaf education. This study also examines how Digital Video Conferencing and related educational technologies support the teaching and learning of Deaf learners. According to DEAFSA, 2002, 14.43% of learners within special educational needs are Deaf. In my 14 years experience in Deaf education, and 11 years as principal of the school for Deaf learners, I have found that barriers exist in Deaf learners who are part of the system. The constructivist theory which focuses on the individual in the learning process, will be used in this study. This study proves that Digital video conferencing intervention can minimize the barriers that exist in Deaf education and afford learners the opportunity to participate in and make use of their natural language, that is South African Sign Language. The qualitative research design is therefore most appropriate for this study, since the focus is to obtain data that could facilitate an understanding of the experience of Deaf learners, whose teaching and learning sites are supported using digital video conferencing technologies. The video recorded responses from Deaf participants increased the validity of the data. The participants in this study are twelve grade 10 (N1) Deaf learners from Tshwane north. The participants being Deaf learners in this research project receive instruction as activities from their educator using DVC. The findings revealed that DVC liberates learners with special needs and their teachers, especially, opening up opportunities for the Deaf in particular. DVC technology must be seen as an educational tool to support the delivery of the exciting National Curriculum Statements (NCS) curriculum, and more importantly, supports the communicative modes of the Deaf, and in doing, so improves the status of Deaf education in South Africa Finally this new role requires the educator of the Deaf to assume responsibility for creating within Deaf learners a desire to learn (Storbeck, 1998). In doing so, using DVC technologies would foster an ethos of achievement among Deaf learners. DVC technology provides exactly what the Deaf have been waiting for, that is educational technologies that would support the acquisition of their natural language, South African Sign Language. The use of DVC technology in the teaching and learning of Deaf learners in South Africa is a new concept, therefore it is necessary for the teacher of the Deaf to use instructional methods that motivate learners and encourage active learning. / Prof. J. Pillay

M. Ed. (Science Education) / South African Life Sciences teachers have been subjected to three policy changes during the past six years. The first new curriculum was implemented in 2006, and when it was found that this curriculum lacked sufficient botany content, a new version of the curriculum was implemented in 2009. Following this, a new curriculum was being implemented in 2012 in all subjects, leaving Life Sciences teachers fatigued as a result of all the professional development workshops they had to attend each year. One principle of the new curriculum was that teachers had to use a constructivist approach to teaching, but research had found that this was not the case in South African classrooms. Furthermore, research also showed that some South African teachers lacked the necessary content and pedagogical knowledge to teach science to grade 12 learners. The aim of this study was to see whether teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge could be improved by the use of communities of practice over a period of time. The content that was focused on was DNA, protein synthesis, meiosis and genetics, as these topics were flagged as problematic topics in the National Senior Certificate examinations in 2008. A generic qualitative design was used as this research was situated in an interpretive framework. The genre of the research was phenomenology with design based elements. Before the intervention started, teachers had to complete a questionnaire and this questionnaire had to be completed again after the intervention. Interviews and feedback tools were used to obtain teachers’ views on these communities of practice. The interviews also had a section that pertained to teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. Structured classroom observations were used to see whether teachers were implementing a constructivist approach when teaching the content. It also served as a method to ascertain whether the activities done during the community of practice sessions were implemented into classroom practice. It was found that communities of practice are an effective way of developing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, but that it should be continuous and would be more v effective over a longer period of time. Teachers also enjoyed these meetings, shared resources and motivated each other. Another finding of this research was that teachers did not implement a constructivist approach to their teaching as required by the new curriculum, even though they indicated that they preferred this approach to teaching. A recommendation of this research is that teachers’ professional development should take place in an informal community of practice where teachers could share ideas and resources. A keystone species is required for these communities of practice to stay sustainable. These communities of practice should be implemented on a continuous basis in order to have a positive effect on teachers’ practice.