Thesis (M. Ed. (Education)) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / The goal of the education system is to increase cognitive capacity, competencies and skills such as acquiring new knowledge, recalling facts and figures and applying this information to reasoning, understanding and solving problems. To achieve all these competencies teachers and lecturers traditionally use Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. The competencies and skills as described by Bloom are measured by standardised intelligence tests. Society takes it for granted that the higher a person’s IQ (Intelligence quotient), the better he/she will perform at school level. But what happens after school? While cognitive intelligence may be able to predict quite accurately how one will perform at school, it predicts very little else in the way of social performance and interaction after school. As such, IQ is a rather weak predictor of performance in interpersonal relations, at work and in coping with a wide variety of challenges that surface in the course of one's life on a daily basis (Wagner, 1997). Some writers makes a strong case that people owe their success in their professional careers to much more than mere IQ. Wagner reviews data and offers convincing cases to show that an IQ above 110, fails as an accurate predictor of success in a career. In other words, you need to be smart enough to handle the cognitive complexity of the information you need for a given role or job, be it engineering, law, medicine, or business. But after reaching this threshold of “smart enough,” your intellect makes little difference. Wagner concludes that IQ alone predicts just 6 to 10 percent of career success. It has been argued for over a century, as early as Charles Darwin that something is missing from the human performance formula that is needed to explain why some people do very well in life while others do not, irrespective of how cognitively intelligent they may be. One of the first attempts by psychologists to identify additional predictors of performance in other aspects of life was made by Edward Thorndike (1920) when he described "social intelligence" as the ability to perceive one's own and others' internal states, motives and behaviours, and to act towards them appropriately on the basis of that information. Mayer, Salovey and Caruso (2000:273) state that emotional intelligence includes “the ability to perceive, appraise and express emotion accurately and adaptively; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; the ability to access and generate feelings where they facilitate cognitive activities and adaptive action; and the ability to regulate emotions in oneself and others”. All of these skills are necessary for the teacher to function successfully in the classroom. The question is: does the modern teacher have the necessary EI skills? This dissertation explores and describes the level of Emotional Intelligence of the first year student teachers at the Central University of Technology, Free State. Seventy-nine (79) students were tested during 2012 and 2013 to establish whether they have the necessary levels of Emotional Intelligence to ensure that they will be able to become good classroom leaders upon entering the teacher’s profession. Traits of Emotional Intelligence were assessed by means of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). The study investigates the Emotional Intelligence attributes and skills that a teacher will need to become a good classroom leader. The study examines the four main areas tested in the TEIQue, namely the well-being, the emotionality, the sociability and the self-control of the student teacher. Findings suggest that the student teachers still need to develop their emotional intelligence as their results fall in the lower level of the acceptable range.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the process of the 2005 Excellence in Tuition Awards at the University of South Africa. To achieve this aim an investigation was undertaken into (a) the strengths and weaknesses of the 2005 Awards process and (b) possible ways to improve it for the future. The literature study sought to place the rewarding of quality teaching in the broader framework of international excellence in tuition awards, current criteria (both locally and globally) used in evaluating teaching in higher education, and principles of business process management. The qualitative investigation attempted to provide a contextual understanding of Unisa's experience of awarding excellence in tuition, through an exploration of the experiences of those who were directly involved in the 2005 Excellence in Tuition Awards process at Unisa. The findings serve as basis for guidelines for future Awards processes. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Open and Distance Learning)

The study examines the effectiveness of the implementation of Developmental Appraisal (DA) within the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in selected secondary schools in Matlosana, North West Province. The methods used to gather information includes the literature review and the empirical investigation, based on the qualitative research approach, which involved six focus group interviews from the six sampled secondary schools in Matlosana Area Project Office, in the North West Province. The review of related literature revealed that there are roles and responsibilities officials are tasked with; processes; challenges; and effective strategies when implementing DA. The empirical investigation revealed that there are challenges that hamper the effective implementation of DA in schools. The challenges include: inadequate support from the Area Project Office; lack of resources for educator development; inadequate time frames for implementation; disruption of normal teaching and learning; lack of honesty on the part of the appraisee and appraiser; and conflict. At the end, the study recommends some strategies that can be used to overcome some of these challenges. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

Dissertation / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

Cheung Yin Ling. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-125). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (English version) --- p.i / ABSTRACT (Chinese version) --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background of the Present Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the Study --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of the Research --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.4 / Chapter 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Changing Ideas on the Interpretation of Native and Non-native Speakers of English --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- The Native Speaker Construct --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- The Non-native English Speaker Construct --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- The Researcher's Present Position --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Standard English and Varieties --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Current Issues on Native and Non-native Speakersin English Language Teaching --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- ESL Students' Reaction to Accent Differences --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Who are More Successful? The Native Teachers or The Non-native Teachers? --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- Chapter Summary --- p.22 / Chapter 3 --- DESIGN OF THE STUDY --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2 --- Survey Research --- p.25 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Value of Survey Research --- p.25 / Chapter 3.4 --- Data Gathering --- p.26 / Chapter 3.5 --- Rationale for the Instruments Used in This Research --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Questionnaire --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Interview --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Classroom Observation --- p.28 / Chapter 3.6 --- Pilot Study --- p.29 / Chapter 3.7 --- Instruments --- p.29 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- The Questionnaire --- p.29 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- The Interview --- p.31 / Chapter 3.7.3 --- Classroom Observation and Post-classroom-Observation Interview --- p.33 / Chapter 3.8 --- Subjects --- p.35 / Chapter 3.8.1 --- The Institutions Chosen for the Study --- p.35 / Chapter 3.8.2 --- The Sampling of Subjects --- p.36 / Chapter 3.9 --- Chapter Summary --- p.38 / Chapter 4 --- FINDINGS --- p.39 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.39 / Chapter 4.2 --- Student Perspective --- p.39 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Questionnaire Survey --- p.39 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Interviews --- p.50 / Chapter 4.3 --- Teacher Perspective --- p.62 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Questionnaire Survey --- p.62 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Interviews --- p.66 / Chapter 4.4 --- Classroom Observations --- p.74 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Observations of Lectures --- p.74 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Post-classroom-Observation Interviews with Students --- p.76 / Chapter 4.5 --- Chapter Summary --- p.77 / Chapter 5 --- DISCUSSION --- p.80 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.80 / Chapter 5.2 --- Students' Perceptions of the NESTS and the Non-NESTs in terms of Pedagogy and Knowledge of Applied Linguistics --- p.82 / Chapter 5.3 --- Strengths and Weaknesses of the NESTS and the Non-NESTs --- p.89 / Chapter 5.4 --- Motivational Strategies in the Teaching of English --- p.96 / Chapter 5.5 --- Discrimination against the Non-NESTs in Hong Kong and Suggestions to Reduce Such Discrimination --- p.100 / Chapter 5.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.106 / Chapter 6 --- CONCLUSION --- p.107 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.107 / Chapter 6.2 --- "Summary of the Research Questions, Methodology, and Findings" --- p.107 / Chapter 6.3 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Research Design --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Sample --- p.111 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Generalizability of Findings --- p.111 / Chapter 6.4 --- Pedagogical Implications --- p.112 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Students Should be Made Aware of Hong Kong Accented English --- p.112 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- The Importance of Intelligibility of English --- p.113 / Chapter 6.5 --- Suggestions for Future Research --- p.114 / Chapter 6.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.114 / Chapter 7 --- BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.115 / Appendices / Chapter Appendix A. --- Sample of Student's Questionnaire --- p.126 / Chapter Appendix B. --- Sample of Teacher's Questionnaire --- p.130 / Chapter Appendix C. --- Student Questionnaire Data --- p.132 / Chapter Appendix D. --- Teacher Questionnaire Data --- p.145 / Chapter Appendix E. --- Consent Letter --- p.150 / Chapter Appendix F. --- Questions for Student's Interview --- p.151 / Chapter Appendix G. --- Questions for Teacher's Interview --- p.152 / Chapter Appendix H. --- Full Transcripts (Student's Interview) --- p.153 / Chapter Appendix I. --- Full Transcripts (Teacher's Interview) --- p.190 / Chapter Appendix J. --- Categorization of Data (Student's Interview) --- p.228 / Chapter Appendix K. --- Categorization of Data (Teacher's Interview) --- p.248 / Chapter Appendix L. --- Classroom Observation Form --- p.294 / Chapter Appendix M. --- Questions for Post-classroom-Observation Interview --- p.296 / Chapter Appendix N. --- Summary of Data Gathered from Post-classroom-observation Interview --- p.297 / Chapter Appendix O. --- ELT 1106 Lecture Notes (Week 1 - Week 5) --- p.303

Underachievement among secondary students in Tanzania is tragic: the failure rate on the national exams after the fourth year is between 65 to 100 percent (Mushi, 2011). The literature affirms that student learning is primarily improved by enhancing quality classroom instruction while the second most impactful strategy is consistent school leadership to ensure that effective practices are utilized in the classroom (Blase & Blase, 2004; Chenoweth & Everhart, 2002; Fink & Markholt, 2011; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004; Leithwood, Harris, & Strauss, 2010; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). Despite the research, the researcher's pilot study revealed that there is currently little or no oversight of classroom instruction in most Tanzanian secondary schools. This paradox yielded two research questions: 1. Can Tanzanian schools leaders improve the quality of classroom instruction in order to enhance student learning and performance by employing systematic, fair, and culturally relevant teacher evaluation techniques? 2. Are the teacher evaluation tools developed for American school systems suitable to serve the Tanzanian school system or must they be adapted into the Tanzanian cultural context? Using a Problem-Based Learning [PBL] method, the researcher field-tested and refined The Curriculum for Training Secondary School Leaders, and a workshop in which it was taught. The workshop and its curriculum provided instruction in Evaluation and Supervision of Classroom Instruction (ESCI) to Tanzanian Head Masters and Mistresses (HMs), or as commonly referred to as principals in America, in an effort to develop their pedagogical leadership skills. During the workshop, HMs refined the American-designed evaluation tools to make them culturally relevant to a Tanzanian context. After attending the six-day intensive ESCI workshop, participants indicated in surveys that they felt capable of providing support and coaching to their teachers and capable of assisting teachers in their efforts to improve their pedagogical skills. The researcher provided additional workshops for teachers and HMs at their school sites to support educators in the implementation of ESCI. Qualitative research demonstrated teachers also had favorable post-workshop reactions to ESCI. Though the implementation of the product and training will be further assessed in 2014, the initial qualitative results from post-workshop surveys strongly confirmed that HMs developed confidence, skill, and competence in employing ESCI, thus increasing the likelihood that HMs would employ ESCI in their own schools in the year to come.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study focused on the peer observation of teaching [POT] on the pedagogical content knowledge [PCK] of mathematics novice teachers in the teaching of grade 11 statistics. A case study research method was conducted on this qualitative study. Two mathematics novice teachers were purposively selected from a population of five novice teachers from a circuit in Mpumalanga Province. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. Pre-lesson and post-lesson semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain information about each teacher’s views. The POT process began with pre-observation meeting with the two novice teachers to discuss the modalities of the POT process and ended with the post-observation feedback meeting in which general evaluation and reflection of the process took place. Results show that the two mathematics novice teachers’ classroom management skills improved. Furthermore, findings reveal that the two novice teachers improved in the use of instructional strategies as they moved from using teacher-centred strategies like the lecture method to using learner-centred instructional strategies such as oral probing and group work, among others, in which they interacted more with learners. The novice teachers also improved in identifying learners’ misconceptions and learning difficulties. At the end of the study, the two novice teachers openly expressed that the POT process gave them the opportunity to improve in studying and teaching statistical content in depth. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)