Implementation of the school nutrition programme in selected high schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province : implications on learners' nutrition education
- Authors: Mafugu, Tafirenyika
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School children -- Nutrition -- KwaZulu-Natal School children -- Food -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Child welfare -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9637 , vital:34812
- Description: The study sought to: examine training, monitoring and support provided to NSNP stakeholders; establish what informs the procurement and preparation of the food; determine its nutritional value; identify challenges encountered in the implementation of the school nutritrition programme; and evaluate the implications of the NSNP on learners’ nutritional education in Pinetown district in South Africa. Underpinned by the pragmatic research paradigm, the study followed a mixed methods research approach which utilised a convergent parallel research design. A random sample of 108 learners and purposive samples of 32 different stakeholders participated in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data were categorised into themes which were presented in tables and text. The two forms of data were merged at the interpretation phase through triangulation of results. The study found that some of the key stakeholders of NSNP were not adequately supported and trained, and that monitoring was only done regularly by the teacher coordinators. District field officers lacked adequate expertise to train stakeholders. Food was prepared following a menu which was not updated in some schools, and food handlers in two schools could not understand quantities on the menu. The suppliers used the menu for procurement of food. The observed mean intakes per child per day for energy, protein, total fat, cholesterol, dietary fibre, vitamin K and sodium were significantly lower than the expected mean nutrient intakes, while the intakes of all other nutrients were not significantly different statistically, from the expected nutrient intakes. The intakes of all nutrients were below the minimum of 30 percent of RDA which was recommended by the Department of Basic Education. Fruits were rarely supplied. Nutritional education was not adequately taught across the curriculum and most respondents were not aware of basic nutritional principles. Training stakeholders and early payment of the suppliers could significantly improve learners’ benefit from the programme. The study’s proposed framework of implementation of the school nutrition programme recommends ways to improve the implementation process, including the incorporation of nutrition education into the Life Orientation curriculum to enhance good food choices that curb prevalent nutrient disorders among South Africans.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Implementing values education as a vehicle to enhance moral regeneration among youths in secondary schools in Gokwe South District, Zimbabwe: towards a holistic framework
- Authors: Ndondo, Shepherd
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Values -- Study and teaching -- Zimbabwe Moral education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9423 , vital:34350
- Description: This study focused on the implementation of values education strategies in secondary schools in Gokwe South District in Zimbabwe. The study employed the interpretive paradigm and it used the qualitative approach and case study research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 34 participants who were rich informants and these included 1 District Schools Inspector, 3 School heads, 3 School counsellors, 3 Religious Studies teachers, 3 History teachers, 3 Arts and Culture teachers and 18 learners (6 from each school). Data were obtained through face to face interviews, focus groups and document analysis. The study revealed that most learners in these schools embodied ubuntu that shaped their behaviour. ln order to deal with elements of indiscipline, the schools adopted values education strategies which included Positive discipline, Guidance and Counselling, teaching of Religious Studies, Citizenship Education, teaching of Arts and Culture, and Parental Involvement which were implemented in the selected schools in different ways. Imparting values based knowledge to students is a commendable step, however, there were gaps that were noted in the implementation process. Some subjects like Citizenship Education existed on paper but not in practice in some schools, as students claimed ignorance of their existence. Although these subjects were supervised and supported by the District Schools Inspector (DSI) and the School heads, lack of funds and limited resources negatively affected their implementation. With regard to discipline procedures, it was noted that some teachers utilized corporal punishment, despite it being outlawed in the country, as stated in the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture Circular P.35 of 1999. It emerged that there was lack of qualified School counsellors, Arts and Culture teachers and inadequate Parental Involvement in values disciplines. It was also established that lack of financial resources constrained the implementation of values education strategies in that teachers could not go for staff development workshops. Notwithstanding the hindrances encountered, the study found that there were pockets of good practices in implementing values education. The study concluded that selected secondary schools used several strategies in values education which involved counselling misbehaving learners and involving parents when their children have behaviour problems. It was also revealed that members of the school community were playing different roles in the implementation process. The study recommended that there should be active participation of all members in positive disciplinary procedures so that values education strategies become effective.The study also recommended that teachers be trained in teaching values disciplines for effective implementation. Lastly, based on the findings of the study and literature, the researcher proposed an alternative model for implementing values education strategies that will hopefully contribute to the eradication of moral decadence among the youths.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Influence of trans-border trading activities on senior secondary school students' academic performance in economics in Ogun State, Nigeria
- Authors: Titus, Adesegun Benedict
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Smuggling -- Education (Secondary) Borderlands -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9659 , vital:34814
- Description: The study investigated the influence of transborder trading activities on senior secondary school students’ academic performance in economics in Ogun state, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design involving 320 students that comprised males and females were selected through stratified random sampling technique. Two self-developed instruments were used: student questionnaire on transborder trading activities (SQTTA) with a Cronbach alpha index of 0.7845; and the economics achievement test (EAT) with a co-efficient index of r= 0.814. The results of the data collected were collated, coded, analyzed and interpreted through the use of descriptive research statistics of frequency, mean, percentages, and standard deviation while Step-wise regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses raised in the study, and the inferential statistics t-test was used to test the significant differences between the independent and dependent variables. The results revealed that there is a positive significant influence of smuggling on students’ academic performance in economics concepts (t=4.123; df =307, p<0.05) and a negative significant influence of school location on students’ academic performance in economics concepts (t=0.952; df=307, p>0.05). The study revealed that the most prevalent transborder trading activities like smuggling of used tyres, small firearms and fairly used clothes had negative influence on students’ academic performance. Based on these findings, discussions were focused on the involvement of students in trans-border trading activities and the location of schools, amongst others, which has no significant influence on students’ academic performance. However, it was recommended that schools should not be located near border areas in future.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Parents' experiences with involvement in the education development of children under six years in the Bubi District of Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mhlanga, Sibonginkosi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Education -- Parent participation -- Zimbabwe Education, Elementary -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9467 , vital:34354
- Description: This study on parental involvement in Early Childhood Development in the Bubi district of Zimbabwe investigates parents’ experiences with involvement in the education development of children under six years. Early Childhood Development in Zimbabwe is a community based programme, hence the interest on parents in their involvement in the education and development. To investigate this phenomenon a thorough background of the Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was employed. The theory is based on the principles of interconnectedness within settings and the linkages between settings that affect individual development. The study focused on the immediate, being the microsystems. The interpretive paradigm and the qualitative approach were employed to explore the parents’ experiences with involvement in the education development of children under six years. Purposive sampling was used to select a small sample of two Heads of schools, four Early Childhood Development teachers and sixteen parents; these were from two schools in the Bubi district of Matabeleland, North Province of Zimbabwe. Obtained results reveal that all the stakeholders involved in the study seem to have limited knowledge of parental involvement. It also emerged that the involvement in the district is biased towards the physical needs of the school only. The results also revealed that there are so many factors that contribute to the non-involvement of parents in their children’s education and development such as poverty, lack of knowledge, culture and attitude, just to mention a few. In view of the findings the study recommends that the Government should provide statutory instruments that clearly state the role of the parents, especially because of the fact that, currently, the programme in the country is community based. The colleges should also empower student teachers during their training on parental involvement.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Promoting healthy and safe school environments : the role of school governance - a study in the East London and Butterworth educational districts of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Napier, Astrid
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School children -- Health and hygiene -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape School hygiene -- South Africa Environmental risk assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9489 , vital:34356
- Description: This thesis investigated how school governance promoted healthy and safe school environments and focussed on elements that make the school environment unhealthy and unsafe. These elements were spatial density, sanitation, ventilation, visibility, the acoustic element of the school environment, the aesthetic element and the psychosocial school environment. These are very important elements, and the neglect thereof could lead to ill health. The study excluded elements such as violence and substance use, as well as HIV/ AIDS. The research was conducted at six schools in the Butterworth and East London Educational Districts, as well as the district office in each of these two educational districts of the Eastern Cape. The design was a case study, and a qualitative methodology was used. The sample consisted of members from the school governing bodies, that is, the principal, one other member of the school governing body and a member of the school management team, as well as one official from each educational district, totalling twenty participants. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was used. The instrument was semi-structured interviews and document analyses. The researcher also made use of photographic evidence. Findings indicated that although support services were in place, promoting a healthy and safe school environment was a challenge at all of the schools. Various contributing factors such as the lack of support from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for schools and district officials, non – implementation of policies, lack of infrastructure, lack of human and other resources, lack of security personnel and vandalism, prohibited the promotion of healthy and safe school environments. It is recommended that the DBE pays urgent attention to these elements that make the school environment unhealthy and unsafe; that the DBE fills the gap that exists between the national, provincial and district offices that hamper the flow of infrastructure and the supply of human and other resources. There is also a need for workshops on policy writing and implementation thereof. A workshop focussing on these elements that make the school environment unhealthy and unsafe would also be beneficial.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Provision of psychosocial support to vulnerable learners by peer led groups in secondary schools in Amathole West Education District, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Chinyama, Nyarayi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Psychosocial support -- Education, Secondary -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Secondary -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9341 , vital:34333
- Description: This study sought provision of psychosocial support to vulnerable learners by school based peer-led groups in secondary schools. Using the Ecological Systems Theory and the Psychosocial Support Interactive Process Model, the study specifically sought how vulnerable learners were identified, how participants understood vulnerability and psychosocial support, how peer led groups were selected and the strategies used to provide psychosocial support by peer led groups. The study also sought the support and monitoring strategies used by different stakeholders including the department of education inorder to assit the peer led groups in their endevour to provide psychosocial support to vulnerable learners. The study employed qualitative research methods using interviews, focus groups and document analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select a District Education Officer, four principals, four group members and all of whom took part in interviews, then twenty four peer group members who participated in focus group discussions. The study found out that various methods were used to identify vulnerable learners, but these were inadequate due to limited professional support to the peer-led groups. The strategies employed to assist vulnerable learners included the buddy system, scripture unions, boys and girls education movements and home visits. However there were also challenges of shortage of human and material resources such as counselling rooms, transport. Also none cooperation of parents still hampers psychosocial support by peer led groups. Therefore, the study concludes that there are still a lot of vulnerable learners who are not reached by peer-led groups because of the above mentioned challenges. In this light the study proposed a framework for providing psychosocial support. The study therefore, recommends that the psychosocial programme be part of the large school curriculum which has a specific budget to sustain all the identification, support and monitoring needs of the vulnerable learners and to ensure the psychosocial support strategies are successful.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Strategies used by teachers to promote reading in grade 4 : a case of english first additional language learners
- Authors: Fesi, Liziwe
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching English language -- Rhetoric Reading -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9264 , vital:34316
- Description: The study examines strategies used by teachers to promote reading: A Case of English First Additional Language Learners. The study was located within the constructivism paradigm of reading and used a qualitative research approach that incorporated a case study research design in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data. The data instruments used were interviews and observations. Data were analyzed using non-statistical procedures. The findings of the study revealed that reading problems are still eminent in Grade Four. It was found that the resources in schools inhibits the progress to promote reading. The educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to reading materials, and schools are in a bad state due to obsolete facilities. Inadequate infrastructure is also another challenge since most of the participants reported that classes are overcrowded; thus, limiting the space to interact with learners. It was found that primary schools have no libraries; as a result, it was difficult for the teachers to instill the culture of reading. Some participants revealed that technology can be useful to encourage reading, however, their schools have no computer centers and most teachers do not know how to use computers. It emerged from the findings that parents fail to involve themselves in their children’s education. In addition, it was found that poor socio-economic backgrounds affect many homes, and this has a negative impact on schools. Most South African parents are found to be unable to support their children at all. There are also challenges interconnected with the English First Additional Language learners, the eccentricities of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, as it emerged from the findings of this study that most teachers do not understand the reading strategies, skills of teaching reading and learners lack vocabulary, hence their resistance to reading. A comprehensive model of strategies to improve reading in primary schools was developed by the researcher based on the findings of the study and an extensive literature review.
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- Date Issued: 2018
The effect of guided enquiry-based learning approach on electrical engineering students' recall ability, conceptual understanding, problem solving skills and critical thinking ability in power electronics course at a selected university in South Africa
- Authors: Kumar, Vinod
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Power electronics Power electronics -- Problems, exercises -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8474 , vital:32836
- Description: Power Electronics (PE) forms the major part of the syllabus for the Industrial Electronics (INDE) course of the National Diploma (ND) programme in Electrical Engineering. This study investigated the effect of Guided Enquiry-Based Learning (GEBL), an Active Learning (AL) approach on Electrical Engineering students’ recall ability, conceptual understanding of PE, problem solving skills and critical thinking ability. The study was carried out at one of the campuses of a selected university in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province in an attempt to check if GEBL would improve student performances in the above focused areas. The expected population for this research in 2017 was 21, similar to the numbers enrolled in 2016. However, in 2017 the enrollment dropped to 14 and this posed a limitation. Since cancelling the study due to the drop in enrollment would have caused the loss of a research report on PE students, it was decided to continue with it. This was especially so, since no other report on PE within South Africa could be located. The instruments were developed using inputs from subject experts to ensure content validity. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to test the reliability of the instrument. A pilot study was conducted during the previous year with the 2016 PE students and deficiencies in the instruments were rectified. Out of the 14 students in 2017, seven volunteered to be taught using the GEBL approach. All ethical considerations applicable to the study were adhered to. All students from the GEBL group signed the informed consent forms prior to the study. The study adopted a pragmatist paradigm and a mixed method approach. A quasi experimental non-equivalent group post-test only research design was used where both the experimental group and the control group were selected (without random assignment). The post-test only design was selected because of the time constraints with the semester courses. A student-centred GEBL approach was used as an intervention for the experimental group and a teacher-centred traditional approach was used for the control group. Students from both the GEBL and Traditionally Taught Groups (TTGs) were subjected to the same assessments. Quantitative data were collected from two formative assessments and one summative assessment and the qualitative data were collected by interviewing all students from the GEBL group. The collected data were statistically and thematically analysed to determine the extent to which the intervention affected the students’ recall ability, conceptual understanding of PE, problem solving skills and their critical thinking ability. The main conclusions were that when compared to the traditional approach, GEBL was significantly more effective in enhancing recall as well as understanding of PE concepts. However, significant differences were not evident in problem solving and critical thinking. The recommendations are that: students must be encouraged to be more active in the learning process; the shift of strategy from traditional to AL methods such as GEBL must be introduced gradually; and the benefits of GEBL and exposure to it must be popularised in order to develop positive attitudes to GEBL not only among students, but also teaching staff.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Towards a framework to enhance entry-level national diploma students' learning of computer programming - effects of guided inquiry learning
- Authors: Lukose, Jose
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer programming -- Study and teaching Computer science -- Study and teaching (Higher)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9522 , vital:34362
- Description: Research reports using global data show that the failure rates in introductory programming courses average about 32 percent. This study assessed the effect of elements of Guided Inquiry Learning (GIL) on enhancing academic performance of first year students in Introduction to Computer Programming course. As learners from schools join the university and enrol for different courses, they find the sudden transformation quite challenging. This makes it more challenging for first year university students, especially in difficult courses such as Introduction to Programming. As times change with advances in technology, the traditional ways of presenting information during teaching–learning interface may not address students’ needs. Lecturers and university stakeholders make efforts to address these challenges by proposing innovative teaching ways. One of the common approaches that have been used profitably in other science and engineering programmes is GIL. It is a form of inductive collaborative learning approach where students are presented with a challenge which challenges them to accomplish the desired learning outcomes in the process of responding to the posed challenge. The strategies in GIL include, among others, learning teams who participate in intra- and inter-learner interactions besides lecturer-learner interactions, linking theory and practical information cementing skills and problem solving strategies, scaffolding information, blended learning by integrating both traditional and technology-assisted learning, inquiry activities such as initiating investigations, gathering data, and critiquing evidence to come up with evidence-based solutions. The objective was to apply GIL to this module and observe if there were gains in students’ academic performance. This study was located in the pragmatic paradigm using action research design and a mixed method approach. The sample consisted offirst year students enrolled for Introduction to programming which was a year-long course (two semesters) at a South African university. The population consisted of the only 49 students who were registered for the module under focus. A group of 20 students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would have been ideal to have experimental and control groups with same number of students, that was not possible in this study, because only 20 out of the 49 who were willing to be included in the experimental group. The present researcher employed willing to be included in the experimental group. The present researcher employed three of these GIL strategies in teaching the module Introduction to Programming to the experimental group while another colleague continued with traditional teaching in the control group. Care was taken to limit the insider outsider conflict. Both groups were assessed by the same assessment tools at the same times. Results from these assessments together with focus group interviews provided the core data for this study. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out on the data, statistical analysis (mainly, chi-Square and t-test) for the former and thematic analysis for the latter. Results indicated gains in the experimental group such as enhanced motivation, interaction, intra-group social cohesion, creativity and provided students the confidence to share knowledge and skills with their peers and keep everyone focused on the course contents. These gains are reflected in higher year marks and pass rates than those in the control group as the analysed data indicate. A study that will pilot the GIL framework in several universities with different teaching modes and large classes are recommended.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Exploring emotional intelligence perceptions of school leaders in relation to social justice: a case study
- Authors: Bese, Samuel
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Educational leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36529 , vital:33963
- Description: The aim of this study was to explore school leaders’ perceptions of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence (EI) in relation to social justice aspects, such as equity, access and inclusive participation in the Libode Educational District of Eastern Cape Province. This district, like many other rural districts in South Africa, has to face critical leadership issues, which have an influence on how school leaders could enact social justice practices in schools (DoE, 2012). This qualitative study employed twelve in-depth interview research participants, which included 6 purposively selected principals and 6 deputy principals. Data collection and content analysis also included the following: 6 focus group interviews with head of departments (HODs) and school governing bodies (SGBs); document analysis of the minutes of school meetings; and Department of Education (DoE) memorandums. The key findings that emerged through the descriptive, exploratory, social interpretive perspectives used in this study revealed the relevance of: • school leaders’ perceptions of intrapersonal EI in enhancing social justice practices with regard to equity, access, and inclusive participation; and • school leaders’ perceptions of interpersonal EI in enhancing social justice practices with regard to equity, access, and inclusive participation. The research participants’ perceptions of EI promoted deeper understanding of how school leaders could engage in social justice in relation to school leadership, teamwork, building bonds, developing others, becoming change agents, and managing conflicts in their schools. The study also captured that EI leaders can greatly manage their emotions to enhance their abilities to identify and control their destructive impulses as well as understanding and handling others’ emotions. It would be commendable for school leaders to have a deeper understanding of how their emotions could enhance social justice in their schools.
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- Date Issued: 2019
Reimagining sexuality education: Xhosa secondary school teachers from township schools talk about Xhosa culture and sexuality education
- Authors: Msutwana, Nomawonga Veronica
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Education,Secondary --South africa Xhosa Culture Xhosa(african people)--Social life and customs
- Language: English
- Type: PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/38794 , vital:34966
- Description: The study sought to explore how a deeper understanding of the influence of Xhosa cultural perspectives on learning about sexuality could inform how Xhosa Life Orientation (L0), Life Sciences (LFSC) and Natural Sciences (NS) secondary school teachers could teach sexuality education to Xhosa adolescents. Teachers who teach sexuality education do not seem to succeed in equipping their adolescent learners with the necessary knowledge, values and skills for navigating safely through the development and expression of their sexuality. This is deemed important in South Africa where the HIV and AIDS epidemic is not yet fully under control and where gender-based violence remains a problem. The study took on a qualitative, participatory visual methodology within the interpretive and critical paradigms. It drew on Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a lens to frame the study and through which data was interpreted and analysed. Thus, the research study involved nine female Xhosa LO, LFSC and NS township secondary school teachers who were purposively selected. Data were generated through four methods, namely document analysis, drawing, photo voice and curriculum posters. The generated data were analysed using thematic analysis and yielded rich findings for the five sub-questions, thereby answering the main research question.
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- Date Issued: 2019
An examination of practices and experiences of teacher educators in the supervision of a national early childhood home based programme
- Authors: Annatolia, Misi
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Early childhood education -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49362 , vital:41695
- Description: Zimbabwean teacher educators are, by the nature of their job description, required to supervise student teachers doing teaching practicum for the 0-3 home based programme. However, analysis of supervision reports of the home based programme indicates some inconsistencies in comments made by different supervisors, whereby the descriptors and supervision overall scores do not tally. It seems the supervision of the home based teacher education programme is not being implemented as expected. Hence, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine practices and experiences of teacher educators in the supervision of a National Early Childhood Development Home Based Teacher Education Programme (NECDHBTEP). The objective of the study was to address the key question: ‘What are the practices and experiences of teacher educators in the supervision of a NECDHBTEP. In addressing the question, the researcher used supervision as a conceptual framework. The theoretical framework which informed the study was Contextual Supervision (CS) which has its philosophical foundations in constructivism, beneficence and justice. Purposive sampling was employed in the study where two primary teachers’ colleges were selected. From each college, ten teacher educators were selected for semi-structured interviews, two focus group discussions and document analysis on teacher educators’ supervision reports. Triangulation of the data was done so as to enhance its trustworthiness. Three major themes emerged from the study, namely, the influence of home context, experience of supervisors on NECDHBTEP and supervision approaches. The study discovered that the home context, to some extent, influences supervision of the NECDHBTEP. The study also established that teacher educators face multiple challenges when supervising student teachers on the ECD home based programme. The researcher made some recommendations from the findings. One of the recommendations was for colleges to develop a specific supervision instrument for the home based ECD supervision (0-3 years category). Furthermore, there is need for Zimbabwean primary teachers’ colleges to engage in rigorous in-service training for lecturers who are not knowledgeable about the NECDHBTEP.
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- Date Issued: 2020
Designing a parental involvement programme to enhance parental engagement in the educational support programme at a disadvantaged primary school in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole, South Africa through participatory action research
- Authors: WIlliams, Pearl Juanita Cherrol
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Education -- Parent participation -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47303 , vital:39841
- Description: Over the past decades parental involvement in education has increased rapidly within disadvantaged schools in South Africa. This transformation is evident in the legislation of the country which celebrates a spirit of Ubuntu in a democratised society, and, education at large. The ideal of effective school-home partnership across racial boundaries are, for example, emphasised and strengthened via parental involvement at all public schools. Parents, according to the Department of Education (DoE, 1996b:11; 2000c:29; 2001b:29; 2008:23; 2009:17; 2014b:27; n.d.:6), are considered key role-players in school governance and encouraged to support equal educational opportunities for all learners. It implies that the praxis of parental involvement – especially at disadvantaged schools – is a huge benefit to learners with existing backlogs in education. In relation to this view, Stofile and Green (2007:63) emphasise the significance of parental involvement in school life as it can assist greatly in addressing the divere needs of disadvantaged learners. The dynamics associated with parental involvement are investigated in this study through two cycles of participatory action research. Initially ten parents from one of the disadvantaged primary schools within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole were purposively selected to participate in an in-depth qualitative research study pertaining to the design of a suitable parental involvement programme for disadvantaged learners. All the relevant information was gathered during action learning sets, individual interviews, and observations to triangulate the data and fill in possible gaps. This data was coded and categorised throughout the cyclical process via inductive participatory data analysis, as described by Patton (2015:216 & 551). Three main themes with sub-themes emerged from the study, namely (1) deficits of the academic programme: remedial education, teacher-assistants, homeworksupport, technical abilities; (2) the neglect of social wellness programmes: need for parental guidance, necessary professional assistance, upgrading of safety measures, availability of clothing bank, sustainability of a nutritional programme; and (3) voids in communication and relationships: the home environment, community, school environment. These themes and sub-themes successfully answered all the research questions. An increasing number of learners at disadvataged primary schools are neglected and/or leave school at a very young age. This scenario is often linked to poor communication and/or a lack of adequate educational support programmes to enhance better learning outcomes. The design of a PIP aimed to address the diverse needs of learners at a specific disadvantaged primary school with the full cooperation of their parents. Nested within the Ecological Model of Bronfenbrenner, the participating parents were engaged in comprehensive discussions about educational support programmes that the school could embark on with them. Numerous programmes were identified as fundamental to transforming the quality of education for many disadvantaged learners. This research therefore encouraged greater parental involvement at disadvantaged primary schools in order to sustain better learning outcomes.
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- Date Issued: 2020
Girls here and boys there : participatory visual methodology as pedagogy to facilitate gender sensitive practices with pre-service foundation phase teachers
- Authors: Notshulwana, Robin Anne
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Gender identity -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49385 , vital:41700
- Description: This study explores how participatory visual methodology (PVM) might facilitate a deeper understanding of gender sensitive practices (GSP) in Foundation Phase (FP) pre-service teachers. Foundation Phase classrooms are not impervious to unequal gender practices and despite policies that promote gender equitable practices in schools and in society in general, most South African schools still engage in gendered practices that perpetuate inequality and gender based violence (GBV). While the topic of gender currently features in a South African university FP curriculum with the intention of promoting social justice, the pedagogy used to enable pre-service FP teachers to understand how gender works in schools seems to do nothing more than describe the problem and give cursory suggestions for creating gender equitable practices. Teachers are often unaware of how their own gendered identity influences their facilitation of the curriculum in a gendered way. This is important in South Africa, where gender inequality remains a problem and GBV is rife. This study adopted a qualitative approach and is located within the critical paradigm applying the principles of PVM. It drew on feminist poststructuralism and feminist pedagogy as theoretical lenses to frame the study and to make meaning of the data. Participants in the study were five female pre-service FP teachers who were purposively selected. Data were generated through the visual methods of family photo album, drawing and participatory video, which were first analysed using participatory analysis, and then using thematic analysis. The main purpose of the research was to explore how PVM can facilitate a deeper awareness of GSP in pre-service FP teachers. The secondary aim was to explore their understandings of gender and GSP and how these understandings might facilitate or inhibit GSP among pre-service FP teachers. The pre-service FP teachers’ understandings of gender were elicited using the self as an entry point to explore their own gendered identities which demonstrated their somewhat narrow understanding of how gender is reified in society through mechanisms such as dress and particular performances. They further understood that their own gendered selves can shift and change with time and context. Their understanding of gender further informed their understanding of GSP. The pre-service FP teachers understood GSP as going beyond interchanging roles of girls and boys and that it meant constantly engaging with their own understandings of gender; to review their constructions of FP learners, to see pedagogical moments to teach gender sensitivity, and to recognise that GSP extends beyond the classroom. Finally, the pre-service FP teachers articulated the circumstances that might enable or inhibit their GSP in their classrooms. They recognised how the powerful constructions of gender in a society influence their work, and how, in turn their work might influence society. This translated into them understanding how the ethos of the school might mirror and sustain the hegemonic discourse of society and at the same time how they might begin to question and disrupt the discourse sustained in school. The teacher education programme, with a vested interest in gender equality, is an important mechanism to begin disrupting hegemonic discourses perpetuated in schools. The findings suggest that through its potential for reflexivity and criticality, PVM enabled the pre-service FP teachers to see how their constructions of gender influence their own practices in schools. The findings have implications for FP teacher education programmes in the South African context. Faculties of education could revisit their curriculum to ensure that gender is infused throughout the curriculum, but more importantly, could consider ‘starting with the self’ (Kirk, 2009) as an impetus to learn about how gender is reified in society and in schools. In doing so, faculties of education could also consider tools of analysis such as a feminist poststructural theory to enable the pre-service FP teachers to deepen their understandings but also support the potential to articulate and make meaning of their experiences. Teacher educators could revisit their curriculum content to determine whether the content might perpetuate a narrow view of learning and learners especially with regards to gender and considering pedagogical choices that develop pre-service teachers’ ability to cultivate classroom environments that promote gender equality. Starting with the self is an entry point for pre-service FP teachers to examine their own understanding of gender and see how this might enable GSP in their professional work. PVM, aligned with a feminist pedagogy and feminist poststructuralism, facilitated such a process.
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- Date Issued: 2020
Writing and signing to develop written genres : a study of Nigerian hearing-loss students' writing
- Authors: Milaham, Rahila Samuel , Lundgren, Berit
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Hearing impaired children -- Nigeria -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47314 , vital:39842
- Description: The competence in writing of students with hearing loss has continued to generate concern among educational administrators, school authorities, teachers and parents (Oyetunde, 2009). Acquisition of written and signed language is vital for effective functioning of students with hearing loss in school. Writing and signing helps students to interact socially, culturally and intellectually with one another and within their social environment. Therefore, this study explores the writing of specific genres by students with hearing loss using signing and the Language Experience Approach, LEA, among Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) in a Nigerian school for the deaf. The study is a qualitative research study which was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and was theoretically framed by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, semiotic theory (Pierce, 1991) and socio-semiotic theory (Thibault, 2004: Kress, 1988 & Van Leeuwen, 2005). The ideological literacy perspective (Street 1984) and literacy as a social practice have provided a lens to analyse and explore the findings Class observations, students’ signed and written text samples as well as communication with teachers were used as the methods for data collection. The intervention study, which went on for 9 weeks, involved teaching and learning of three genres, namely retelling, narrative and descriptive writing. Twenty six students and two teachers were involved in the study. For the purpose of the analysis, six out of the 26 students’ written, and signed texts were purposively selected and analysed. The students’ signed and written texts were analysed according to the structure and special features of the genres. In the retelling genre, two concepts, breadth and depth vocabulary knowledge as special features, were used for the analysis of the texts. While in the narrative, students’ signed texts and written texts were analysed to know how the students use characters, settings and events in their texts. In the descriptive genre, students’ sign and written texts were analysed to see whether they gave concise descriptions, specifically using adjectives, of the object they identified in their signed text. The findings indicate that the students could retell the contextualized event with signs, using a vocabulary mostly from a breadth perspective. They also used the structure of retelling in a chronological order. In signing the narrative genre, the students were engaged in giving examples of the genre from which they derived the components of the story form such as character and events. Some could include aspects of character vi and events in their text, while others missed one structure or the other. In general, their narrative signed texts were better developed and showed a basic understanding of the storyline. In the descriptive genre, the students could describe some objects in their classroom and school environment. These descriptions were limited to adjectives like colours, as only colours were used in the teacher’s example. In general, their descriptive signed texts were short and seemed to follow a list structure. The students’ signing in descriptive genre showed an initial awareness of the genre. In this study, the teachers scaffolded and modelled the different genres with examples, stories and prompt pictures to a varying extent. The narrative writing had more scaffolding and modelling compared with the other genres. It also generated longer texts and an awareness of the structure. The teachers also supported the students with deeper exploration of examples in the narrative genre than in the retelling and descriptive genre. Data shows teacher’s interactions with the students while signing narratives indicates an understanding on how to develop a text in story form using narrative structures. LEA turned out to be a fruitful start in the retelling genre but was not as central in the teaching practice and meaningful in students’ writing.
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- Date Issued: 2020