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Pedagogical experiences of educators implementing mathematical literacy in three FET colleges

  • Authors: Gerber, Mirinda
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Evaluation , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16167 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/516 , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Evaluation , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: The Department of Education was tasked by Government and the Department of Labour to develop learning programmes which would provide skills to learners. The National Certificate Vocational (NCV) programmes were developed, which provided an alternative to completing a National Senior Certificate (NSC). The NC(V) programmes consist of seven subjects of which Mathematical Literacy is offered as a fundamental subject. The NC(V) programmes were officially implemented in 2007 using the FET College sector as a vehicle. FET College educators had to be skilled and re-skilled to teach the various new subjects. One of the new subjects at the time was Mathematical Literacy. Selected educators were provided with a short course to prepare themselves for the implementation of Mathematical Literacy. This study is aimed at investigating the pedagogical experiences of educators who were, and are still part, of the implementation of Mathematical Literacy in the FET College sector. A phenomenological approach was followed in order to capture the lived experiences of the educators. Three educators were selected from different FET colleges within the Eastern Cape Province. A qualitative research was done, making use of interviews. The research found that educators have divergent pedagogical experiences. They make use of different strategies to implement teaching and learning within their classrooms. Though there are good experiences, the research has managed to point out that there are some frustrations too. Recommendations are made with regard to teaching and learning strategies, as well as the emerging trends that surfaced during the research.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

Perceptions of school managers regarding knowledge sharing practices in the FET (Grade 10-12) schools in the butterworth District

  • Authors: Mkabile, Bulelwa
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: School principals -- Education (FET) -- Schools
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18440 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007249
  • Description: Education reforms and the constant changes in the curriculum require school managers and educators to keep abreast of the changes and developments. In order to achieve quality education in this Information Age, there is a need to share knowledge, resources, and good practices and ensure twinning of schools. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions, beliefs and experiences of school managers regarding knowledge sharing in schools. Qualitative methods were used to collect and analyse the data. In accordance with the qualitative approach, a phenomenological design was adopted. Data was gathered through interviews from a sample of six school managers of Further Education and Training (Grade 10 -12) schools. The findings of the study revealed that school managers perceive their role as important for the success of knowledge sharing in schools. They attribute the good performance in their schools to the educators‟ willingness to share knowledge. However, trust, good relations and respect determined the willingness to share and with whom to share knowledge in schools. School managers believe that availability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructural resources could improve knowledge sharing practices in schools. Staff meetings, subject meetings, workshops and notice boards were identified as some of the strategies currently used for sharing knowledge. The support of the district officials and other education specialists has contributed in helping schools deal with education reforms. Communities of practice are recommended in order to improve and encourage the sharing of tacit and implicit knowledge in schools. Researchers believe that professional communities of practice enhance sharing and provide greater opportunities for knowledge creation. Policy developers, curriculum planners and district officials need to develop and adopt creative and innovative strategies to ensure effective distribution and sharing of knowledge and information among school managers and educators in schools.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

Socio- educational experiences of black accounting III students who dropped out of the University of Fort Hare in 2009

  • Authors: Morrison, Renee Fiona
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: College dropouts -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Universities and colleges -- South Africa --Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1906 , vital:27582
  • Description: In South Africa there is an increasing concern regarding retention among Black students (who constitute the majority of the population) in general and in particular regarding the costs of student failure to both the students and for the institution. This thesis endeavours to obtain an understanding of the socio-educational experiences which led to Black Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Students in 2009 dropping out of Accounting III at the University of Fort Hare. In a field in which much of the literature is quantitatively orientated, a phenomenological investigation offered a unique way of understanding the experiences of the students as it allowed their voices to be heard. Insights contained in the data were synthesised and integrated into a consistent description of the essential nature of the experience, the primary endeavour of the phenomenologist being to transform naïve experience into more explicitly detailed conceptual knowledge. The use of in-depth interviews with three students, all of whom had dropped out of Accounting III at UFH, allowed the researcher interaction on a personal level with people not viewed as experimental objects but as human subjects. The findings revealed that the students‘ social and educational background, together with the language of teaching and learning not being their mother tongue, caused students great difficulty. Interaction between lecturers and students and the subject content proved very challenging due to the language barrier. The introduction of General Accounting III in the same class as Accounting III in 2009 compounded the students‘ confusion and this ultimately led to students feeling demotivated. These findings contributed significantly to an understanding of why these three students dropped out of Accounting III in 2009, and at the same time provided an answer to the research question relating to how Black students who dropped out of the Accounting III programme in 2009, experienced the course.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

Socio-educational experiences of black accounting III students who dropped out of the University of Fort Hare in 2009

  • Authors: Morrison, Renee Fiona
  • Date: 2011
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16200 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013384
  • Description: In South Africa there is an increasing concern regarding retention among Black students (who constitute the majority of the population) in general and in particular regarding the costs of student failure to both the students and for the institution. This thesis endeavours to obtain an understanding of the socio-educational experiences which led to Black Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Students in 2009 dropping out of Accounting III at the University of Fort Hare. In a field in which much of the literature is quantitatively orientated, a phenomenological investigation offered a unique way of understanding the experiences of the students as it allowed their voices to be heard. Insights contained in the data were synthesised and integrated into a consistent description of the essential nature of the experience, the primary endeavour of the phenomenologist being to transform naïve experience into more explicitly detailed conceptual knowledge. The use of in-depth interviews with three students, all of whom had dropped out of Accounting III at UFH, allowed the researcher interaction on a personal level with people not viewed as experimental objects but as human subjects. The findings revealed that the students‘ social and educational background, together with the language of teaching and learning not being their mother tongue, caused students great difficulty. Interaction between lecturers and students and the subject content proved very challenging due to the language barrier. The introduction of General Accounting III in the same class as Accounting III in 2009 compounded the students‘ confusion and this ultimately led to students feeling demotivated. These findings contributed significantly to an understanding of why these three students dropped out of Accounting III in 2009, and at the same time provided an answer to the research question relating to how Black students who dropped out of the Accounting III programme in 2009, experienced the course.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

Teacher's attitudes towards inclusive education in junior secondary schools at Butterworth education district

  • Authors: Kwababa, Masibulele Lennox
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Inclusive education -- Education
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18426 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006963
  • Description: The purpose of the study was to assess the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education and also the factors that influence such attitudes in Junior Secondary Schools in the Butterworth Education District (BED) in the Eastern Cape Province. The study was mainly focused on circuit 7 in which most urban and rural schools existed. Quantitative research methods were used. Survey design was used to conduct the study. The population of teachers of circuit number 7 was three hundred and forty eight (348). Then thirty percent (30%) of that population was calculated to form the sample. The sample was constituted by 104 teachers. Stratified sample was used to select the sample. This means that there were 52 male teachers and also 52 female teachers in the sample. Questionnaires which were designed by the researcher were used to gather data from public Junior Secondary School teachers. The questionnaires had Likert scale of 4 points to allow participants to express their extent of agreement or disagreement with the statements. The questionnaires consisted of 3 sections, biographical information of the participants, 30 statements about inclusive education and the last section consisted of one open-ended question. The questionnaires were pilot tested using the sample which was constituted by 12 teachers, 6 were males and 6 were females. Distribution and collection of questionnaires to and from teachers took five weeks. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 17 for Microsoft word. The nominal and ordinal scales were used to code the data. The analyzed data were presented in the form of numbers in tables. The researcher interpreted the data. The findings of the study showed that the majority of teachers were positive about inclusive education although they cited lack of training, resources and facilities for inclusive education.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The explanations for the lack of parental involvement in school governance: A case study of a junior secondary school in Sisonke District, KwaZulu-Natal

  • Authors: Mqatu, Lumkile W
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Parenting -- School governance
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18454 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007760
  • Description: This research project investigates the reasons why parents are not fully involved in school governance of a selected school in the Sisonke District of KwaZulu-Natal. As a professional educator the researcher has noted that within the rural communities, especially those in KwaZulu-Natal, an area which he knows intimately, there is a general lack of involvement on the part of parents in the way in which schools, that are educating their children, are being run. The researcher has observed that the parents‟ overall contact with the school is very limited - often confined to the beginning of the school year. Thereafter the parents withdraw from all matters pertaining to the running of the school, in effect abdicating their contribution to their children‟s education by handing over all responsibility to the teachers. This, in turn, has created a demarcation that has divided the teachers and the parents, with the parents‟ input stopping at the school gate, in a manner of speaking. What should be a combined effort of both parents and teachers to achieve the best possible results for the learners, has become a rift. And, as with all splitting of resources, this has had a negative impact on the functionality of these educational institutions. In order to get insight into the possible reasons why this is as it is, the researcher collected data, primarily interviews with parents, teachers and learners. Observations of governing body meetings, parents meetings and school management meetings were also conducted. In addition to these, minutes of meetings of the school related to other relevant documents, for example, school finance committee meetings, were also examined. The approach used in this study is the qualitative study method. The researcher also tried to determine to what extent, if any, factors such as lack of knowledge, lack of experience in school governance, lack of time, insufficient training to capacitate parents for school governance, low levels of education, lack of communication, no invitations being extended from the principal, and also teachers' and parents‟ attitudes contribute to this serious lack of parental involvement in the governance of this school. Another consideration was whether educators and learners have any knowledge that parents have a right to come to school and assist with the activities in the classroom. In essence, all the research hinged on the core question: „What are the explanations for the lack of parental involvement in public schools?‟ From the data gathered, the researcher then suggests or recommends possible solutions to rectifying what is fundamentally a misunderstanding of responsibilities, in order to propose means to rectify the situation for the future benefit of the learners. It is also recognised that due to potential limitations of the study, further studies on the effects of parental involvement in schools‟ governance may need to be undertaken. To get a clearer representation of the extent and where this impacts on our society as a whole, the researcher suggests further studies to encompass other school models, as well as other schools with different racial and social/economic compositions be undertaken.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The impact of mergers on managers and educators in public FET Colleges at Buffalo City College, East London

  • Authors: Magadana, Zukile
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Managers and Educators -- Education
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18427 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006967
  • Description: The merger of higher institutions in South Africa after 1994 was an important change seen by the ANC-led government to break the shackles of the apartheid era. Notwithstanding the many positives that resulted from these mergers a lot of problems were experienced. This research study sets out to investigate the impact of mergers on managers and educators in the Buffalo City Public FET College (BCC) in East London in the Eastern Cape Province. The purpose of the study was to establish whether the working conditions of managers and educators at BCC had improved and whether managers and educators of the Public FET Colleges were able to interpret the FET Act, No. 16 of 2006 properly in order to improve the operational functions of the BCC. It tried to establish what measures were taken to assist managers and educators to improve the participatory decision-making within the structure of management of the college and whether the merger had any influence on the existing human relationship between staff members from different colleges. To this end an exhaustive literature review was conducted looking at an international perspective as well as a national perspective. The empirical design was a case study which made use of structured interviews to collect data from the three satellite campuses of BCC, using managers and educators. Emerging from the case study was that the merger policies within the FET sector have not properly addressed what might be the issues which would be expected to be achieved. The FET Act, Act No. 16 of 2006 affects the operational functions of the college in such a manner that some educators decided not to transfer their services to the College Council. There was a contradiction in terms of accountability, in the sense that when the employees had grievances the Provincial Department of Education referred the matter to the College Council and the College Council referred back to the Provincial Department of Education. It seemed that nobody would like to deal with the challenges of the college. Most of the participants expressed their dissatisfaction that principals and senior managers were remained employees of the Department of Education, while they, the educators, were classified as employees of the College Council. As far as the conditions of service were concerned, the participants mentioned that the qualified educators were not interested to join the FET College sector because of the salary structure; instead they opted to join the industrial sector where they received better salaries and conditions of service than at the college. Based on the findings emerging from the literature and case study it was recommended that the college must formulate credible policies for effective and efficient operations. A committee should be established to deal with fund-raising. The college must be given a chance to govern their affairs (autonomous status) as the FET Act, Act No. 16 of 2006 stipulates very clearly. Transparency in operational issues was seen as an important prerequisite. Transparency in Public FET Colleges means handling matters in such a manner that such as done openly either in the presence of all affected parties or allowing such parties to demand explanations or documentation or both.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The relationship between Union Representatives and school management teams in the Tsolo District: implications for school management

  • Authors: Maqhubela, V
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: School management -- Labour Unions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18416 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006573
  • Description: This dissertation is a report of the study that was conducted in rural schools of Tsolo district in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study was about the relationship between union representatives and school management teams. The study was conducted because the researcher is a site steward in the present school where the researcher working and is always dealing with conflicts that usually occur between the S.M.T and Union members and has to address these issues regularly. This problem made the researcher to be interested and want to know further from other schools of what is the situation. This was done through focus group interviews and the study was qualitative research paradigm. There were questions that were drafted and participants were asked to respond according to the questions. The participants were as follows 11 SMT members and 18 union representatives. The study findings highlighted the role that SMT could play in the smooth running of the school and in addressing tensions to enhance effective work. The study also illuminated the issue of being bias among the SMT in some unions and dictatorship by S.M.T members. The study findings highlight the role the S.M.T should play and the issue of consultation before any decision should be taken as an integral part. The study also showed that there was a need for schools to know the South African legislation so as to go along with correct rules and regulations when addressing different issues.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The use of Afrikaans-English-Xhosa code switching and code mixing as a teaching strategy in the teaching of Afrikaans additional language in the secondary schools of the Transkei Region of the Eastern Cape Province (RSA)

  • Authors: Songxaba, S L
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Code switching and code mixing -- Teaching -- Afrikaans-English-Xhosa , Education (Secondary) -- Afrikaans language
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18414 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006565
  • Description: This study seeks to report on the investigation into the need to use code switching as one of the language teaching strategies in the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as Additional Language in the FET band, in predominantly Xhosa-speaking environments in the Eastern Cape. The study was conducted in twelve secondary schools of the Transkei where Afrikaans is taught as an additional language. The sample of the study comprised the educators, the learners and the school managers of the twelve researched schools. The research was a case study of the selected schools. The participants were studied in their own environment and the data was collected by means of both the interviews and structured questionnaires. South Africa is a multilingual and multicultural country. This state of affairs calls for a serious re-evaluation of the existing teaching methodologies. Children acquire language skills in and outside the classroom in two different ways in multilingual societies. While children acquire proficiency in languages outside the classroom in a natural way, in the classroom they are constrained by rigid purist rules that compel them to learn languages in artificial ways. This manner of language acquisition in the predominantly Xhosa-speaking environments of the Eastern Cape, often goes hand in hand with code switching from source language to target language and vice versa. These children can be described as compound informal bilinguals (polyglots) as far as the indigenous languages are concerned since they acquire the indigenous languages from early childhood in natural settings. In the context of formal acquisition of European languages and Afrikaans in schools, they can be categorised as coordinate bilinguals. The linguistic disparities between classroom and natural acquisition practices were revealed in this investigation. In the classroom, code switching has two contradictory sides. On one hand code switching provides the teacher with ease of expression, confidence and satisfaction that the learners understand the lesson. Notwithstanding the dynamic attributes of code switching in the classroom, the learners are faced with the dilemma of having to avoid code switching as much as possible in the examinations since there is no room for code switching in the examinations. This investigation showed that despite the fact that non-mother tongue teaching is supposed to take place through the medium of the target language, both the teachers and the learners admitted that they code switch during Afrikaans classes and they perceive code switching as the best way to facilitate understanding. The findings of this study revealed that code switching was a natural and inevitable strategy in teaching an additional language. However, it also surfaced that some teachers resorted to using code switching because of their own lack of proficiency in the target language. Informed by the above findings, the study recommended that code switching be considered as one of the strategies to be used in the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as additional language. It was also recommended that learners be credited if they used code switching in the examinations since all respondents admitted that code switching was every-day practice in the classroom. This, however is to be done with extreme caution and with the sole purpose of assisting the learners achieve full mastery of the target language at the end of their learning career. Since this kind of exercise needs highly-skilled personnel, it was recommended that practising teachers be retrained and resource materials be expanded to all schools that offer Afrikaans as additional language. Although the arguments presented in this investigation do not reject the reality of the impeding effect code switching might have on the learning of an additional language, the study maintains that for purposes of mutual understanding, code switching is an enabling factor that impacts positively on the teaching-learning situation.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

A study of factors influencing curriculum management in Bizana schools in the Eastern Cape Privince

  • Authors: Jebe, Nomakhaya
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Curriculum management -- Schools , Eastern Cape -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18446 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007295
  • Description: The study sought to investigate factors influencing curriculum management in Bizana schools. A survey design which used mainly qualitative aspects of research was used in the study. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data. Participants (N=60) were made up of 10 learners,10 teachers, 10 School Management Team members ( SMTs), 10 parents and 20 district officials. The teachers, learners, parents and SMTs including principals were selected from 3 schools being a Primary School, a Junior Secondary School and a Senior Secondary School. Frequency tables were used to present quantitative data while verbal quotes were presented in support of themes that emerged from the qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that the following factors were regarded as the causes of poor curriculum management; lack of training and skills on the part of curriculum managers, un-availability of resources in schools, the level of parental involvement in curriculum and regular systemic changes. It was recommended that the Department of Education should ensure that all curriculum managers are being trained to provide them with enough skills. The Department of Education should also supply schools with adequate resources. Parents should also be trained on curriculum issues. Too many changes in the system within a short space of time should be avoided.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

A study of practices in the alternatives to corporal punishment strategy being implemented in selected primary schools in Buffalo city metro municipality: implications for school leadership

  • Authors: Khewu, Noncedo Princess Dorcas
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rewards and punishments in education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Classroom management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Discipline of children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Primary school teachers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Attitudes
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16170 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/533 , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rewards and punishments in education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Classroom management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Discipline of children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Primary school teachers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Attitudes
  • Description: The problem of indiscipline in schools has attracted the growing attention of researchers in South Africa and the world at large. Learner indiscipline has been variously reflected in behaviours which range from serious ones such as drug abuse, assault, theft, rape and murder, to minor ones such as truancy; all of which negatively affect teaching and learning. While there is agreement on the need to address the problem, there is a great deal of contestation around what strategies and practices are appropriate to instil discipline in schools. Within this debate many countries, including South Africa, have decided to move away from punitive approaches such as corporal punishment and replace them with what is called Alternatives to Corporal Punishment (ATCP). The main aim of this study was to interrogate the consistency that prevails between disciplinary practices and principles of alternatives to corporal punishment and the implications of this for school leadership. A mixed method design was used. The study was conducted in two phases: the first was a survey during which trends in disciplinary practices were established; the second was a multiple case study where in-depth interviews were conducted in five primary schools across different contexts which included farm, suburban, township, rural and informal settlement locations. This study has seven main findings. First, it was found that primary schools in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality experienced minor offenses which clustered around levels 1 and 2 of the ATCP classification. Second, although statistically there was a weak negative correlation (r = - 0.11) between location and behaviour which is not significant (p >. 05) or (p = .46), qualitative evidence suggests a relationship between context and disciplinary offences. Third, principals’ roles in instilling discipline were focused mainly on reactive administrative and management functions rather than on giving leadership designed to inspire alternative ways of behaving. Fourth, principals’ and teachers’ belief in the use of alternatives to corporal punishment revealed ambivalence and lack of understanding. Fifth, measures to instil discipline, even though they were said to be based on alternatives to corporal punishment, placed heavy emphasis on inflicting pain and relied on extrinsic control. Sixth, two disciplinary measures designed to inflict pain were found to be weakly associated, but significantly (p < 0.05) with violent behaviour, lending credence to view that in using certain practices to instil discipline there are socialisation consequences. Finally, the use of some measures recommended by alternatives to corporal punishment yielded some unintended socialisation consequences. The study concludes that there was lack of consistency between disciplinary practices in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality primary schools and the principles of Alternatives to Corporal Punishment. The findings suggest that it is difficult to achieve the consistency without a school leadership which understands that the alternatives call for a paradigm shift in measures to instil discipline. For improving discipline in schools, it is recommended that school principals and stakeholders must focus on measures that are meant to cultivate a new school culture guided by values of self-discipline in order to minimise the need for extrinsic punitive control. For further research, a follow up study based on a probability sample, which should include secondary schools, could be undertaken in order that results can be generalised.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

Academic experiences of faculty of education postgraduate students who have dropped out of a higher education institution in Eastern Cape Province

  • Authors: Mdyogolo, Winkie
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Dropouts -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Graduate students -- Supervision of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Graduate work -- Case studies
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16172 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/512 , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Dropouts -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Graduate students -- Supervision of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Graduate work -- Case studies
  • Description: The purpose of this study was to explore academic learning experiences of students who have dropped out of postgraduate studies in a Higher Education Institution in Eastern Cape. The study employed phenomenological approach using unstructured in-depth interviews to collect data from participants who have dropped out of Masters Programme in HEI in Eastern Cape. Four participants participated in this study. A lot of themes emerged from what the participants reported and similar experiences were noted as well as different experiences. Central to what this study ascertained is the relationship between the supervisor and supervisee. From the findings of the study it can be ascertained that for any postgraduate student to succeed in his/her studies he / she needs a positive relationship with the supervisor who will play a role of guide, mentor, supporter and a friend. However, the academic preparedness of the students in terms of academic reading and writing, computer literacy and determination to be an independent researcher is also key. Whilst this study provides insight to what the students have experienced academically its findings cannot be generalised because the experiences are those of individuals. , Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An assessment of the implementation of learner discipline policies in four high density secondary schools in the Graaff Reinet district, Eastern Cape.

  • Authors: Bilatyi, Nkosana Carlon
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16218 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1018604 , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: This study assessed the implementation of learner discipline policies in the Graaff Reinet District in four township Secondary schools. The study arose as a result of the decline of learner discipline in secondary schools. This study is located in the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach in the collection of data. It employed triangulation to collect data and obtained valuable information on the implementation of learner discipline policies. Four township secondary schools in the Graaff Reinet District were purposively selected for the sample in this study. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups of learners and parents Data has revealed that schools were using different strategies to implement learner discipline such as Code of Conduct, Disciplinary hearing, Safety and Security Committee, Educators, Corporal Punishment, Alternative methods to Corporal Punishment and the role parents. Data revealed that there has been no success in implementing learner discipline strategies. There were a number of limitations in implementing policies to maintain learner disciplines which were identified in the study. There were inconsistencies like educators not supervising learners in detention classes, some of the educators were sabotaging the system by not putting into practice the measures and strategies which were put in place to maintain discipline and so forth. The School Management Teams did not capacitate the Representative Council of Learners so as to assist in the monitoring of discipline. The Department of Education is not supportive in the maintenance of discipline in the schools under study in Graaff Reinet District. To address disciplinary problems, the study has the following key recommendations Policies should be crafted by all stakeholders for ownership and there should be collaboration in implementation of those policies.. The Code of Conduct should be issued to all learners at the school at the beginning of the year in the language of preference, with school rules. Learners should know the consequences of transgressing the Code of Conduct. SMTs should adopt different management styles so as to take action against educators who are failing the system of maintaining discipline. Educators should realise that it is their duty to maintain discipline in schools; therefore they should stop complaining about disciplinary problems. Educators should engage the Department of Education to conduct workshops in building capacity of educators to maintain learner discipline. Schools should establish partnerships with other sister Departments such as SAPS, Social Development, Correctional Services, Health to, maintain learner discipline.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An assessment on the national school nutrition programme at Siyanda Senior primary School in Butterworth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Majikijela, Peter Thembelani
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: School nutrition programme -- Education , South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18471 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1011287
  • Description: Nutrition is one of the basic sciences that underlie a proper understanding of health and human sciences. The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which is of focus in this regard, is government’s project that responds to problems such as poor nutrition and hunger amongst learners. Originally this programme was designed to provide direct services to primary school learners, to reduce hunger and alleviate the effect of malnutrition on their learning capacity through improvements in the nutritious status of school children. The research on the assessment of the role of NSNP took place at Siyanda SPS in Butterworth. Siyanda SPS was selected because of its geographical location, as it was observed to be one of poverty stricken informal settlement. Key informants for data collection included interviews, direct-observation, content analysis and focus group discussions and photographs. The study provides best practice for implementation of the programme in Yako informal settlement, and encourages local economic development within community members. The study may also add consciousness on matters related to government intervention in human capital development projects, as well as benefiting communities, through initiatives such as employing local women as food preparers and using local food suppliers. The NSNP endow the community with nutritional education, empowering rural dwellers with awareness, and capability to grow their own food. Community members are also well-informed about the benefits of a healthy diet. The NSNP creates chances for learners from underprivileged communities to concentrate better in class, so that they get better results, which possibly will lead to better lifestyles in future.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An investigation into the implementation of the life orientation curriculum in selected Fort Beaufort district high schools

  • Authors: Adewumi, Toyin Mary
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Life skills -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Curriculum-based assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , High school teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Aids and devices , Teachers -- Job stress -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16174 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/541 , Life skills -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Curriculum-based assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , High school teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Aids and devices , Teachers -- Job stress -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: The challenges of implementing the curriculum for the Life Orientation learning areas in the National Curriculum Statement have been a matter of concern for South African schools. This study sheds light on the implementation of the LO curriculum in selected high schools in the Fort Beaufort District, in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used face-to-face interviews, focus group interviews, classroom observation and document analysis to collect the data. The purpose of the study was to investigate the implementation of the Life Orientation curriculum in high schools in the Fort Beaufort District. Six high schools from the six clusters in the Fort Beaufort District were purposively selected to form the focus of the study. The participants were six principals, six LO teachers and thirty-six learners. The study revealed that lack of adequate teaching and learning materials in schools affected the implementation of the curriculum. Inadequacy of teaching and learning materials affected both the teachers and learners as they sought to make up for the shortages of teaching and learning materials by sourcing for local materials like news paper and magazine. In some of the schools, teachers made photocopies of textbooks for learners which could be time consuming and added to the teachers‘ workload. The study found that some of the teachers were frustrated because of the lack of adequate teaching and learning materials in LO. The results also revealed that the majority of the teachers had the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE LO) qualification and/or an undergraduate qualification in Psychology, which are basic requirement for teaching LO, while the others had general teaching qualifications in other subjects. It was found that many learners were positive about LO, but it could not be proven that learners meant all their positive responses as it seemed that learners‘ responses were too good to be true. However, the results showed that learners had at least been taught and were aware of the consequences of the social problems like teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS that affect them. Some of the challenges that teachers encountered in the implementation of the Life Orientation curriculum were also highlighted in this study. These include; lack of adequate training which some of the teachers complained did not allow them to handle some topics like career choice and religious education as they should. Some of the teachers also stated that their culture and belief did not permit them to share some LO topics with their learners. There was also the challenge of learners turning against things taught in LO class. The study found that the support and monitoring put in place for LO teachers are in the form of documents such as subject guides, textbooks and sometimes funds to take learners out on outdoor activities, extra teachers to lessen the teachers‘ burdens, advice, workshops and training. There is course moderation where teachers‘ and learners‘ files are marked. In some of the schools where monitoring is carried out, it starts with the Heads of Departments (HODs) and ends with the principal. Many of the schools do not monitor the teaching of LO because of the trust the principals have in the teachers and challenge of school size. Class visits is prohibited by South African Democratic Teachers‘ Union. The subject is not being handled properly despite its importance in helping learners to be adequately guided towards positive self-concept formation, the realisation of their potential, and enabling them to protect themselves from various forms of social violence and abuse, and this in turn would make the society safer.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An investigation into the nature of relationships among SGB components: A case study of a rural school in Libode Mega District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

  • Authors: Mnakaniso, Mlamli Hendrick
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: School government board -- Rural schools , South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18468 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1009471
  • Description: The government established school Governing Bodies through the South African Schools ACTS NO 84 OF 1996. The aim of this Act was to inter alia ensure greater parental involvement in school management. The good relationship between the school and the community at large is important for the growth and development of a child. It was for that reason that the national department of education introduced a three legged body called SGB, which is composed of Parents, Teachers and Learners to govern the schools. In this study the researcher investigated the nature of relationship among the SGB components in rural schools. A case study was conducted at rural senior secondary school in the Libode Mega District‟. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among SGB components that are parents, teachers and learners in research school. This study would help in creating an understanding of the importance of good relationship among SGB components. The one broad research question was: What is the nature of relationships among the SGB components (parents, learners, and teachers) of the research school towards attainment of school goals? This was a case study using interviews, documents such as SGB minutes, notices of SGB meetings as an instrument for research. The sample represented all parents, learners and teachers who were SGB members in the research school. For purposes of validation the questionnaire was piloted to different schools with a similar situation to the research school. The data gathered were analysed qualitatively and findings and recommendations formed the most vital component of the dissertation. Findings were as follows: The SGB of the research school knew about their roles and responsibilities. SGB meetings were Organized and run properly. There were good Relationships among SGB components. Management of school finances was good and transparent. There were standing meetings for reporting to constituency.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An investigation of strategies used by school principals in promoting professional development among teaching staff in the Keiskammahoek area

  • Authors: Kebeni, Mputumi
  • Date: 2012
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16217 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1018603
  • Description: The fusion of the different Departments of Education after 1994 resulted in many changes in the education system of South Africa, which created confusion and uncertainty among educators. Among the changes was the introduction of the National Curriculum Statement and Outcomes-Based Education that was intended to transform teaching and learning in schools. To prepare educators for the myriad of changes, short courses were conducted via the cascade model, but these proved largely ineffective and educators have been crying out for proper Professional Development programmes to better prepare them for their crucial roles in the new South Africa. Amongst the many challenges in rural areas, multi-grade and multi-phase teaching is prevalent. Most educators were not adequately prepared for these during teacher training. The poor quality of training and lack of professional development have resulted in feelings of frustration and inadequacy among educators. To ameliorate the situation, the Department of Education instituted the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS), aimed at improving the quality of learning and teaching by empowering, motivating and training educators. However, professional development has remained elusive as the IQMS is not properly used since it has been characterised by political interference, and seems almost exclusively focused on salary progression. At the end of the day, it is often the overworked and over-burdened school principal who is attempting to provide professional development for staff, with little or no help from outside sources. Very little research that has been undertaken into what it is that rural school principals actually do to develop staff. The researcher has attempted to understand how principals undertake the professional development of educators, given that many are in remote and resource-poor areas, which makes development very difficult. Added to this is the heavy workload and burden of classroom teaching which many of the principals face, especially those in remote areas, where smaller schools are the norm. The researcher explored different strategies which school principals can use for the professional development of their staff before going to the field to see what it is that principals are actually doing. School principals are strategically situated to play a significant role in improving the quality of teaching and learning, as the success and failure of their schools rest on their shoulders. Every study is located within a paradigm. The paradigm used in this study is the interpretivist one, as it allowed the researcher to investigate the meanings and the interpretation of the social actors in a particular situation. Hermeneutic theory within a qualitative research approach was used, as its main concern is an understanding of the way in which individuals construct, modify and interpret the world in which they find themselves. The research design used was semi-structured interviews, chosen to elicit information from the participants about professional development in their schools. Interview questions were prepared that emanated from the main research question. Through fieldwork, the researcher developed an understanding of the challenges that face the principals, and of the strategies they use to promote professional growth and development. It was discovered that principals in smaller rural schools in Keiskammahoek make extensive use of delegation as a developmental tool, but that while there are other attempts to develop staff, there seems to be very little comprehensive planning or execution of professional development. Recommendations made are that school principals should use workshops regularly, encourage educators to plan together and monitor such planning, delegate duties, encourage group and team work among the teachers, implement the IQMS and encourage mentoring and coaching for development purposes. School principals should jointly form forums and clusters that are aimed at professional growth and development. Principals should also take initiative in professional development, even if they are faced with difficult situations and conditions. The Department of Education should invest in education by ensuring that all educators, no matter where they teach, should enjoy continuous professional development to improve the quality of learning and teaching in schools.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An investigation of teacher participation in decision -making, curriculum and management issues: a case study of four secondary schools in the Fort Beaufort District, Eastern Cape Province

  • Authors: Latsha, Xolisa Noluvo
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher participation in administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher participation in curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape High school teachers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Decision making
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1851 , vital:27567
  • Description: The birth of democracy in 1994 in South Africa moved away from the authoritarian leadership style of the Apartheid era to a democratic style where accountability , democracy, transformational and distributed leadership style was encouraged at school. Leadership was not deemed to be the duty of the principal alone but leadership is shared among all the stakeholders at school. The above assertion prompted the researcher to engage in this study whose purpose was to investigate the extent of teacher participation in decision making in curriculum and management issues at schools. The study sought to assess:(i)To identify the categories of teachers who participated in decision making at school level (ii) To find out the areas in which teachers are involved in decision making at school (iii) To identify the strategies used by principals/ school management in involving the teachers in decision making (iv) To find out the views of principals and teachers regarding their involvement regarding their participation in decision making in curriculum and management issues. To achieve these objectives the researcher opted for the qualitative approach which is embedded in the interpretivist paradigm. The qualitative approach typically studies people by interacting and observing the participants in their natural setting and focusing on their meanings and interpretations. This methodology was relevant because it produced the desired results and gathered information directly from the respondents through interviews, observation, and document analysis. This methodology assisted the researcher to find out the extent of teacher participation in decision making. The data revealed that all teachers are expected to be involved in decision making but that depends on the nature of the issue. The study revealed that all teachers were involved in decisions concerning disciplinary, curriculum, sport as major school activities but some teachers were not involved in financial matters. The data also found out that male teachers feel that there is imbalance of contribution in staff meetings since female teachers are more than male teachers. Furthermore , the study showed that school principals used various strategies to involve teachers in decision making such as consultation on individual basis, group or at committee level. The study also revealed that the principals and teachers felt that when they work together as the school community all organizational goals and objectives will be achieved and owned by all teachers. Teachers also viewed non involvement as what resulted in the negative impact of the activities including high teacher absenteeism and demotivation.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

Case study of the educational experiences of four teenage mothers in two high schools in the Buffalo City Metropole

  • Authors: Adams, Hermie E
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Teenage girls -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , High schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16168 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/468 , Teenage girls -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , High schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions
  • Description: Teenage pregnancy is a worldwide phenomenon. World Health Organisation (2009) reports that teenage mothers between the ages of 15-19 years account for 11% of births recorded worldwide. In South Africa it has been estimated that teenagers aged 17-19 account for 93% of all teenage pregnancies. A large proportion of these adolescents return to school after giving birth. Research has shown that there is a great deal of controversy about not only pre-marital sex, but also concerning whether teenage mothers should be allowed back in school at all. The aim of this study was to gain some insights into the lived experiences of teenage mothers in schools with particular reference to how they cope with school work and the responsibilities of motherhood. A case study of four teenage mothers who returned to school after giving birth was carried out. In-depth phenomenological interviewing designed to elicit the voices of the selected adolescents was done. There were five main findings. First, all four teenagers were minors, under the age of 18 when they gave birth. Two of them were even under the statutory age of consent. Second, upon return to school, teenage mothers experienced stigmatisation from peers and teachers and this forced them to continually negotiate their dual identities as mothers and learners. Third, teenage mothers experienced psychological emotions of stress; low self-esteem; shame and depression. Fourth, they also had sociological experiences in the form of material, financial and social support from family and friends. In some cases they experienced rejection from peers and abandonment by boyfriends who had made them pregnant. Some educators discriminated against and ridiculed teenage mothers. Fifth, teenage mothers reorganised their lives after childbirth and established routines that enabled them to cope with the demands of school work and the responsibilities of motherhood. iii The study concludes that, although viewed with scepticism by sections of the community and some educators, and given that some pregnancies are a result of abuse and unequal power relations between men and women in society, the policy of allowing teenage mothers back to school after giving birth gives them another chance to re-focus their lives. It is recommended that the voices of teenage mothers who return to school after childbirth should be taken into account to inform any planning for future policies on teenage pregnancy by schools and the state. It is further recommended that all educators should also be trained to be able to assist the teenage mothers instead of alienating them. There should also be counselling services available for the teenage mothers to enable them to deal with psychological and sociological problems they might encounter. For further research, students from different backgrounds should be the target of similar research. Another area of research should focus on academic performance of teenage mothers who return to school after giving birth. Lastly, there should be research that seeks to link what is taught in the Life Orientation curriculum and voices of teenage mothers.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

Causes and effects of teachers' job satisfaction or dissatisfaction and their impact on leaner performance: a case study of two schools in the Ngqeleni Area of the Libode Mega-District, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

  • Authors: Dukwana, Mzamo Jeffrey
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Teachers -- Job satisfaction -- Teaching and learning , South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18433 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007159
  • Description: The study investigated the relationship between teachers' job satisfaction-or dissatisfaction-and learner performance in two schools (one Junior Secondary School and one Senior Secondary School) in the Libode Mega-district, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study is qualitative in nature; the interview was used as the method of collecting data. Six School Management Team (SMT) members and ten teachers were purposively selected from the two schools in the Libode Mega-district. The researcher administered the interview and interviewed the selected SMT members and teachers. The researcher used the video/sound/audio recorder as the research instrument to collect data. To analyze data, the researcher transcribed the recorded interview responses, presented the responses without editing them, interpreted the responses and themes. The findings were derived from the themes. The main findings of the study revealed that there was low morale and job dissatisfaction among teachers. The study`s finding of “low morale and job dissatisfaction among teachers” could be regarded as the reference of the general situation ('picture') of the relationship between teachers` job dissatisfaction and learner performance in the schools of the Libode Mega Education District. The findings have also revealed that there is a proportional relationship between teachers` job satisfaction and learner performance, i.e. the more satisfied teachers are with their jobs the more likely they perform better on their tasks, this results in good leaner performance, while low the levels of job satisfaction among teachers result in poor learner performance. The study recommends that the website- based, electronic information systems should be developed by the National Department of Education in order to grant teachers, or any school stakeholder, absolute anonymity to log or report complaints, dissatisfaction, suggestions, disapproval, appraisals and opinions on matters that concern the education system in South Africa. The study recommends that pupil-teacher ratio policy, and policies on working conditions in schools should be constantly reviewed. The introduction of change- management workshops for teachers to adapt to innovations in the education curriculum is also recommended.
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  • Date Issued: 2012
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