The role of the first language in the educational life-world of urban Black township students
- Authors: Daweti, Audrey Millicent
- Date: 2012-08-23
- Subjects: Native language and education - South Africa , English language - Study and teaching (Secondary) - South Africa - Foreign speakers , Blacks - School education - South Africa - Curricula , Urban schools - South Africa - Curricula - Evaluation
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:3131 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6550
- Description: M.Ed. , The way of life of urban black township students was the subject of this study over a period of seven months. Particular emphasis fell on the role 'played by the students' first language in their educational life-world, that is in the totality of their meaningful relationships with people, ideas, systems, attitudes, self, and everything else in which their social, cultural and educational background has influence. The selection of the two case studies was criterion-based. These standard nine female students went to primary schools which were registered with the former Department of Education and Training. Presently, one attends a previously Transvaal Education Department high school in Berea and her curriculum does not offer her first language, Xhosa. The other goes to a school in the centre of Johannesburg city. This was a DET school and the student takes her L1, Zulu, together with English and Afrikaans. The theoretical underpinning of the study is drawn from a number of first and second language acquisition theories such as those of Piaget, Vygotsky, Chomsky, Krashen and Cummins. Furthermore a background to the political and socio-cultural aspects of urban township education and settlement patterns was given. To obtain data for the research, both qualitative methods (interviews and observation) and quantitative methods (standardised tests) were used. A link was made between the methods and data was processed per method. Frequential and holistic coding of data fascilitated and validated data analysis and interpretation. One of the patterns that emerged from the data was that the participants lack cognitive and academic proficiency in the medium of instruction (English). This was found to be largely due to inadequate L1 development at primary school and the lack of support of English in the township community. The other finding was that the students and their parents associate the L1 with their culture and the black community while English is seen as a prestigious and functional language for communication and education. These findings therefore suggest that urban township students want to attain high levels of English proficiency in addition to, rather than in lieu of L 1 . The implications of the study relate to the need for suitable additional bilingualism programmes at primary school level. African languages need to be further developed so that there is sufficient quality L1 literature for the development of cognitive and academic proficiency. Family and socio-economic circumstances were found to be additional factors that limit the breadth of the students' educational life-world. It was finally stated that sound home-school links would bring parents into the decision-making process regarding language and curricular issues, as well as provide a forum from which values common to home and school are inculcated in the children.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Daweti, Audrey Millicent
- Date: 2012-08-23
- Subjects: Native language and education - South Africa , English language - Study and teaching (Secondary) - South Africa - Foreign speakers , Blacks - School education - South Africa - Curricula , Urban schools - South Africa - Curricula - Evaluation
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:3131 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6550
- Description: M.Ed. , The way of life of urban black township students was the subject of this study over a period of seven months. Particular emphasis fell on the role 'played by the students' first language in their educational life-world, that is in the totality of their meaningful relationships with people, ideas, systems, attitudes, self, and everything else in which their social, cultural and educational background has influence. The selection of the two case studies was criterion-based. These standard nine female students went to primary schools which were registered with the former Department of Education and Training. Presently, one attends a previously Transvaal Education Department high school in Berea and her curriculum does not offer her first language, Xhosa. The other goes to a school in the centre of Johannesburg city. This was a DET school and the student takes her L1, Zulu, together with English and Afrikaans. The theoretical underpinning of the study is drawn from a number of first and second language acquisition theories such as those of Piaget, Vygotsky, Chomsky, Krashen and Cummins. Furthermore a background to the political and socio-cultural aspects of urban township education and settlement patterns was given. To obtain data for the research, both qualitative methods (interviews and observation) and quantitative methods (standardised tests) were used. A link was made between the methods and data was processed per method. Frequential and holistic coding of data fascilitated and validated data analysis and interpretation. One of the patterns that emerged from the data was that the participants lack cognitive and academic proficiency in the medium of instruction (English). This was found to be largely due to inadequate L1 development at primary school and the lack of support of English in the township community. The other finding was that the students and their parents associate the L1 with their culture and the black community while English is seen as a prestigious and functional language for communication and education. These findings therefore suggest that urban township students want to attain high levels of English proficiency in addition to, rather than in lieu of L 1 . The implications of the study relate to the need for suitable additional bilingualism programmes at primary school level. African languages need to be further developed so that there is sufficient quality L1 literature for the development of cognitive and academic proficiency. Family and socio-economic circumstances were found to be additional factors that limit the breadth of the students' educational life-world. It was finally stated that sound home-school links would bring parents into the decision-making process regarding language and curricular issues, as well as provide a forum from which values common to home and school are inculcated in the children.
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The learning experiences of first time e-learners
- Authors: Fortuin, Bernel
- Date: 2012-03-05
- Subjects: Internet in higher education , Higher education computer-assisted instruction , College teaching computer network resources , College students , Learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:2142 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4509
- Description: M.Ed. , Information and communication technologies are effecting widespread changes in all spheres of life including the educational context of South African higher education. While a great deal of emphasis is placed on the issue of bandwidth, and rightly so, the broader context in which the mediation of learning with computers takes place is still to a large degree neglected. It is within this context that the learning experiences of first time e-learners who had participated in the online semester course Education 2A at the R.A.U. University were examined. These students initially appeared to experience great difficulty adapting to the mode of participation in e-learning activity, suggesting that there was a mismatch between the values and priorities of learning as mediated by the web medium and the epistemology of learners situated in cultural practice. The initial problem of struggling to adapt to e-learning, was contextualised as a reciprocal process of interactivity in which the e-learner establishes a relationship with the cultural practice as the result of epistemological, methodological and ontological change. Sociocultural and activity theory provided the main theoretical foundation of this inquiry. In this theory there is a distinction between operations, actions and the overall activity that governs these and that situate the actions. The inquiry was therefore motivated by the need to understand and give substance to the learning experiences of first time e-learners within a systemic view of human computer interaction, as opposed to a cognitive approach to systems design (Kapetelinin in Nardi, 1996:46). Consequently, the inquiry examined the dynamic, reciprocal relationship of interactivity as mediated by the web medium, and epistemological, methodological and ontological transformation of the elearner, as she interacts in this ecosocial system. Motivated by the nature of the research problem and the socioconstructivist theoretical framework which framed my thinking around this problem, the inquiry was designed as a component of a larger action inquiry (Henning, Fortuin, Grobler & Brown, in progress), based on the principle of "communicative rationality" as proposed by Habermas (Ewert, 199 I :34) and conducted as qualitative and interpretive research. It was aimed not so much at monitoring and evaluating the course, but more at capturing and assessing the nature of student learning, specifically the processes of student communication and reflection in their lived experience in the course.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Fortuin, Bernel
- Date: 2012-03-05
- Subjects: Internet in higher education , Higher education computer-assisted instruction , College teaching computer network resources , College students , Learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:2142 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4509
- Description: M.Ed. , Information and communication technologies are effecting widespread changes in all spheres of life including the educational context of South African higher education. While a great deal of emphasis is placed on the issue of bandwidth, and rightly so, the broader context in which the mediation of learning with computers takes place is still to a large degree neglected. It is within this context that the learning experiences of first time e-learners who had participated in the online semester course Education 2A at the R.A.U. University were examined. These students initially appeared to experience great difficulty adapting to the mode of participation in e-learning activity, suggesting that there was a mismatch between the values and priorities of learning as mediated by the web medium and the epistemology of learners situated in cultural practice. The initial problem of struggling to adapt to e-learning, was contextualised as a reciprocal process of interactivity in which the e-learner establishes a relationship with the cultural practice as the result of epistemological, methodological and ontological change. Sociocultural and activity theory provided the main theoretical foundation of this inquiry. In this theory there is a distinction between operations, actions and the overall activity that governs these and that situate the actions. The inquiry was therefore motivated by the need to understand and give substance to the learning experiences of first time e-learners within a systemic view of human computer interaction, as opposed to a cognitive approach to systems design (Kapetelinin in Nardi, 1996:46). Consequently, the inquiry examined the dynamic, reciprocal relationship of interactivity as mediated by the web medium, and epistemological, methodological and ontological transformation of the elearner, as she interacts in this ecosocial system. Motivated by the nature of the research problem and the socioconstructivist theoretical framework which framed my thinking around this problem, the inquiry was designed as a component of a larger action inquiry (Henning, Fortuin, Grobler & Brown, in progress), based on the principle of "communicative rationality" as proposed by Habermas (Ewert, 199 I :34) and conducted as qualitative and interpretive research. It was aimed not so much at monitoring and evaluating the course, but more at capturing and assessing the nature of student learning, specifically the processes of student communication and reflection in their lived experience in the course.
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Monitoring and evaluation of a women's empowerment project at Ga-Matamanyane
- Authors: Moabelo, Macks Molatelo
- Date: 2012-09-05
- Subjects: Wowen in development -- South Africa -- Northern Province , Women -- South Africa -- Northern Province -- Social conditions , Women -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Northern Province
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:3537 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6923
- Description: M.Ed. , Monitoring and evaluation are some of the important aspects towards the attainment of sustainability in projects. Besides this women are empowered through their active participation in such processes. This study seeks to indicate that whenever project beneficiaries are fully involved in all aspects of the project management cycle a greater likelihood exist for the success of the project. It also shows how collective action can help in the development of communities. The findings of this essay can serve as a watershed for the promotion of dialogue within the project community. There are certain implications of these findings, which are indicative of the importance of community networking, community meetings and community involvement. This study is an endeavour to dispel the notion that evaluation as perceived by traditional evaluators is a field of "experts". In other words, for a person to take part in meaningful evaluation venture, he or she needs certain recognised academic regalia. With capacity building mechanisms in place even a person who may not necessarily be highly literate can monitor and evaluate projects. These women, some of them cannot read and write, but they can monitor and evaluate their projects. This also brings another important aspect into play, concerning their engagement in community meetings and their project meetings, which really empower them. Participatory approaches that are employed at the project site thus contribute in making project beneficiaries aware of the "pockets of excellence" they possess. Besides that, the inclusivity and transparent operations involved in these processes makes women to practise collective decision-making. The levels of literacy amongst project beneficiaries do not serve as an obstacle in embracing participatory monitoring and evaluation. All of them can tell exactly about the " modus operandi" of their project. Despite their inability to distinguish between concepts their possession of a wealth of experience in checking, controlling and judging makes it possible for them to participate enthusiastically.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Moabelo, Macks Molatelo
- Date: 2012-09-05
- Subjects: Wowen in development -- South Africa -- Northern Province , Women -- South Africa -- Northern Province -- Social conditions , Women -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Northern Province
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:3537 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6923
- Description: M.Ed. , Monitoring and evaluation are some of the important aspects towards the attainment of sustainability in projects. Besides this women are empowered through their active participation in such processes. This study seeks to indicate that whenever project beneficiaries are fully involved in all aspects of the project management cycle a greater likelihood exist for the success of the project. It also shows how collective action can help in the development of communities. The findings of this essay can serve as a watershed for the promotion of dialogue within the project community. There are certain implications of these findings, which are indicative of the importance of community networking, community meetings and community involvement. This study is an endeavour to dispel the notion that evaluation as perceived by traditional evaluators is a field of "experts". In other words, for a person to take part in meaningful evaluation venture, he or she needs certain recognised academic regalia. With capacity building mechanisms in place even a person who may not necessarily be highly literate can monitor and evaluate projects. These women, some of them cannot read and write, but they can monitor and evaluate their projects. This also brings another important aspect into play, concerning their engagement in community meetings and their project meetings, which really empower them. Participatory approaches that are employed at the project site thus contribute in making project beneficiaries aware of the "pockets of excellence" they possess. Besides that, the inclusivity and transparent operations involved in these processes makes women to practise collective decision-making. The levels of literacy amongst project beneficiaries do not serve as an obstacle in embracing participatory monitoring and evaluation. All of them can tell exactly about the " modus operandi" of their project. Despite their inability to distinguish between concepts their possession of a wealth of experience in checking, controlling and judging makes it possible for them to participate enthusiastically.
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Community education and youth development programmes around the Mandela Informal Settlement area
- Authors: Tshabalala, Gloria Tshepiso
- Date: 2012-09-11
- Subjects: Community education - Research - South Africa - Mandela Informal Settlement , Black youth - Education - South Africa - Mandela Informal Settlement , Activity programs in education - South Africa - Mandela Informal Settlement
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10069 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7456
- Description: M.Ed. , This report deals with the existence of youth development programmes in the Mandela informal settlement area. Youth development programmes, which encourage a culture of learning through creativity, are important to these areas. They provide the community and youth members with hope for the future, by empowering them with realistic expectations and marketable skills. They are programmes, which serve the community by using a medium of drama to develop and enrich the lives of ordinary people. New insight was gained into the existence of youth development programmes in the Mandela informal settlement from this investigation. Programmes activities and existing projects were highlighted during the research. An insight was also gained into total participation of community members. An important contribution of this study is that it highlighted important issues and problems that exist within Mandela informal settlement youth development programmes, by working with data that was collected from project participants.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Tshabalala, Gloria Tshepiso
- Date: 2012-09-11
- Subjects: Community education - Research - South Africa - Mandela Informal Settlement , Black youth - Education - South Africa - Mandela Informal Settlement , Activity programs in education - South Africa - Mandela Informal Settlement
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10069 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7456
- Description: M.Ed. , This report deals with the existence of youth development programmes in the Mandela informal settlement area. Youth development programmes, which encourage a culture of learning through creativity, are important to these areas. They provide the community and youth members with hope for the future, by empowering them with realistic expectations and marketable skills. They are programmes, which serve the community by using a medium of drama to develop and enrich the lives of ordinary people. New insight was gained into the existence of youth development programmes in the Mandela informal settlement from this investigation. Programmes activities and existing projects were highlighted during the research. An insight was also gained into total participation of community members. An important contribution of this study is that it highlighted important issues and problems that exist within Mandela informal settlement youth development programmes, by working with data that was collected from project participants.
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Ouers in binnestadse-skole se behoefte aan gemeenskapsonderwys vir deelname aan skoolbestuur
- Authors: Kupfer, Charmaine
- Date: 2012-08-13
- Subjects: Urban schools - South Africa - Parent participation , Community education - South Africa , School management and organization - South Africa - Parent participation
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5471
- Description: M.Ed. , Surprisingly little debate about the role and responsibilities of parents has surfaced in the current wave of concern over the plight of public education. Has there been a decline in parent involvement in the schools and if so, is that decline part of the schools' problem? Should parents step in when schools are faltering? Should schools that seek to improve themselves reach out to parents to help? What can parents contribute to the education of their children, at home and in schools? However illuminating the answers might be, these questions are hardly being addressed. Even with adequate support from policy makers, should we expect educators to turn ailing schools around all by themselves, with no direct assistance from parents or other members of the community? The changing circumstances in South Africa up to date can be seen as the inspiration for the investigation of how school governance is affected by this. Dramatic reform is taking place in South Africa regarding changing political and constitutional views on education, with a rapidly increasing trend towards multicultural education. Multicultural education is a trend that has manifested itself world-wide. The primary goal is to accommodate pupils of diverse and different cultures in one education system. This study dealt with parents views on participative management in school that need to survive in the above context. The important role of school governance is to bridge the gap between what happens at home and what is happening in schools. It aims at fostering and promoting this relationship in a mutual way, in other words the school should benefit the parent community and the parent community should benefit from the school as well. The study was conducted by means of interviewing parents about the need for more information regarding participative management. The findings suggest that there is such a need in the parent community, and that they need education and training to learn skills needed for participatory management.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kupfer, Charmaine
- Date: 2012-08-13
- Subjects: Urban schools - South Africa - Parent participation , Community education - South Africa , School management and organization - South Africa - Parent participation
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5471
- Description: M.Ed. , Surprisingly little debate about the role and responsibilities of parents has surfaced in the current wave of concern over the plight of public education. Has there been a decline in parent involvement in the schools and if so, is that decline part of the schools' problem? Should parents step in when schools are faltering? Should schools that seek to improve themselves reach out to parents to help? What can parents contribute to the education of their children, at home and in schools? However illuminating the answers might be, these questions are hardly being addressed. Even with adequate support from policy makers, should we expect educators to turn ailing schools around all by themselves, with no direct assistance from parents or other members of the community? The changing circumstances in South Africa up to date can be seen as the inspiration for the investigation of how school governance is affected by this. Dramatic reform is taking place in South Africa regarding changing political and constitutional views on education, with a rapidly increasing trend towards multicultural education. Multicultural education is a trend that has manifested itself world-wide. The primary goal is to accommodate pupils of diverse and different cultures in one education system. This study dealt with parents views on participative management in school that need to survive in the above context. The important role of school governance is to bridge the gap between what happens at home and what is happening in schools. It aims at fostering and promoting this relationship in a mutual way, in other words the school should benefit the parent community and the parent community should benefit from the school as well. The study was conducted by means of interviewing parents about the need for more information regarding participative management. The findings suggest that there is such a need in the parent community, and that they need education and training to learn skills needed for participatory management.
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Tutor's lack of training in community education programmes for adults
- Authors: Tlhagale, Mmapapadi Martha
- Date: 2012-08-14
- Subjects: Adult education teachers - Training of - South Africa , Community education - South Africa , Adult education - Study and teaching - South Africa
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9277 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5721
- Description: M.Ed. , This study dealt with tutor's lack of training in community education programmes for adults. In most cases tutors who teach adults are full time teachers of children at day school. These teachers are working on a part time basis at the adult centres to teach the adult leamers. These very teachers tend to use the same teaching methods to teach both children and adult learners. An important contribution of the study is that it was found that the teachers were unaware that the teaching methods that they have been using to teach the adult learners were not suitable for adult learners. They need to be trained specifically in adult pedagogy.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Tlhagale, Mmapapadi Martha
- Date: 2012-08-14
- Subjects: Adult education teachers - Training of - South Africa , Community education - South Africa , Adult education - Study and teaching - South Africa
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9277 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5721
- Description: M.Ed. , This study dealt with tutor's lack of training in community education programmes for adults. In most cases tutors who teach adults are full time teachers of children at day school. These teachers are working on a part time basis at the adult centres to teach the adult leamers. These very teachers tend to use the same teaching methods to teach both children and adult learners. An important contribution of the study is that it was found that the teachers were unaware that the teaching methods that they have been using to teach the adult learners were not suitable for adult learners. They need to be trained specifically in adult pedagogy.
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A conversion of a teacher college into a community college : implications of policy documents for Lere-la-Tshepe College
- Authors: Moji, Thabo Edward
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Teachers colleges - South Africa , Community colleges - South Africa - Planning , Educational change - South Africa , Education - Aims and objectives
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10186 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7562
- Description: M.Ed. , This study dealt with a conversion of a teacher college into a community college, specifically referring to implications of policy documents for Lere-la-Tshepe college. The community college is a new concept in the South African education system and it is regarded as one of the means that will be used to address the current plight of the majority of young adults in this country. As we know, most do not have formal qualifications and/or any skills training for employment or creation of self-employment. To address the concept of community college, in particular and Further Education and training in general, the Department of Education established a National Committee on Further Education (NCFE). It is also important to mention that efforts were already underway in provinces to pilot community colleges. In the Free State province Lere-la- Tshepe has been identified as a major pilot project. It is therefore important to research and report about the conversion implications that will serve as a framework and guideline for Ler-la-Tshepe in particular and other colleges in general. The educators at Lere-la-Tshepe who responded to the questionnaire were positive about the change and viewed it as a step in the right direction. However, they mentioned some serious implications that await the conversion. Among others, they indicated the need to retrain educators in the content and methodology of new courses; the college governance and management structures and the curriculum needs to be revisited and the community needs to be involved and informed about the changes in the college. It was also evident that most educators who responded to the questionnaire were not conversant with the content of the recent policy documents in their area of operation. The study made a contribution by highlighting some policy documents' implications about the conversion, which will serve as a guideline for Lere-la-Tshepe college and other colleges that need to convert.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Moji, Thabo Edward
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Teachers colleges - South Africa , Community colleges - South Africa - Planning , Educational change - South Africa , Education - Aims and objectives
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10186 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7562
- Description: M.Ed. , This study dealt with a conversion of a teacher college into a community college, specifically referring to implications of policy documents for Lere-la-Tshepe college. The community college is a new concept in the South African education system and it is regarded as one of the means that will be used to address the current plight of the majority of young adults in this country. As we know, most do not have formal qualifications and/or any skills training for employment or creation of self-employment. To address the concept of community college, in particular and Further Education and training in general, the Department of Education established a National Committee on Further Education (NCFE). It is also important to mention that efforts were already underway in provinces to pilot community colleges. In the Free State province Lere-la- Tshepe has been identified as a major pilot project. It is therefore important to research and report about the conversion implications that will serve as a framework and guideline for Ler-la-Tshepe in particular and other colleges in general. The educators at Lere-la-Tshepe who responded to the questionnaire were positive about the change and viewed it as a step in the right direction. However, they mentioned some serious implications that await the conversion. Among others, they indicated the need to retrain educators in the content and methodology of new courses; the college governance and management structures and the curriculum needs to be revisited and the community needs to be involved and informed about the changes in the college. It was also evident that most educators who responded to the questionnaire were not conversant with the content of the recent policy documents in their area of operation. The study made a contribution by highlighting some policy documents' implications about the conversion, which will serve as a guideline for Lere-la-Tshepe college and other colleges that need to convert.
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Gatang high school students' perceptions of AIDS
- Authors: Morare, Mosima Welhemina
- Date: 2012-08-15
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Research -- South Africa , High school students -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Health education -- South Africa
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9424 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5858
- Description: M.Ed. , The research essay was an attempt to address the misconceptions about HIV/AIDS that Gatang High School students have. This was explored through in-depth interviews. Students' attitudes, knowledge and experiences were explored pertaining to HIV/AIDS. The essay tried to recommend ways and means to redress the issue at stake. Amongst other recommendations it was stated that the state should come up with preventative measures instead of providing foster care and orphanages in later life. The communities should also be educated with regard to the seriousness of this epidemic. Schools should also think strongly of introducing educational programmes that are geared towards empowering communities towards HIV/AIDS education. All communities and societies should strive towards a better, healthier, AIDS free lifestyle.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Morare, Mosima Welhemina
- Date: 2012-08-15
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Research -- South Africa , High school students -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Health education -- South Africa
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9424 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5858
- Description: M.Ed. , The research essay was an attempt to address the misconceptions about HIV/AIDS that Gatang High School students have. This was explored through in-depth interviews. Students' attitudes, knowledge and experiences were explored pertaining to HIV/AIDS. The essay tried to recommend ways and means to redress the issue at stake. Amongst other recommendations it was stated that the state should come up with preventative measures instead of providing foster care and orphanages in later life. The communities should also be educated with regard to the seriousness of this epidemic. Schools should also think strongly of introducing educational programmes that are geared towards empowering communities towards HIV/AIDS education. All communities and societies should strive towards a better, healthier, AIDS free lifestyle.
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Teachers' language and critical literacy awareness in the history classroom
- Authors: Naidoo, Nerinjeni
- Date: 2012-09-10
- Subjects: Historiography - Methodology , History teachers , Language awareness
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9873 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7273
- Description: M.Ed. , This study is located in the context of educational transformation. With the demise of apartheid and the enactment of the new Constitution, South Africa is rapidly becoming a democratic society. Schools are currently in a state of flux with radical curriculum reconstruction being the norm. A recent curriculum initiative has been the continuous assessment portfolio for Grade 12 students. History students are required to write research essays as part of the portfolio. The purpose of this inquiry was to capture the learning experiences of a group of teachers in an action research project in which the intervention was a workshop for teacher development. This workshop was designed in response to History teachers' difficulty in mediating research essay writing. This inquiry has been designed to simultaneously teach essay-writing skills and to collect data that would capture teacher participants' competence therein. This investigation was conducted using an action research (AR) format because it was aimed at gaining an understanding of, and changing the social reality using this research design in which change is both facilitated and researched. This study was conducted from the position of the interpretive and the critical paradigms of social science inquiry. In the interpretive paradigm, research describes reality as multifaceted and socially constructed. In the critical paradigm, research evokes and addresses issues of oppression and solidified social structures. Such research is aimed to emancipate participants who were teachers in this instance. In this study the aim was to provide a workshop in which teachers could become aware of language in the research essay, with a view to promoting their own literacy and pedagogy. Data were collected using three main methods in order to understand the social reality from different perspectives and to triangulate data. These methods were artefacts from the workshop, observation and interviews of teacher participants. Data were consolidated, reduced and clustered to trace emerging themes. The emergent propositions constructed from the data revealed that History teachers engaged in pedagogy without much language awareness. History teachers also focused on content rather than on language skills as foundation for the essay. The group work format was an activity medium that supported the emergence of argumentative discourse. These findings were confirmed by triangulatory evidence from the interviews. Findings therefore indicate that the teachers had little language awareness and writing composition competence in History essay writing, and yet they were expected to mediate this aspect of the continuous assessment portfolio. Findings also reveal that teachers' lack of argumentative discourse knowledge can be explained in terms of world-view, language and culture of education. The workshop was successful in raising language awareness and provided the context for the emergence of argumentative discourse. I argue that teachers need to be "workshopped" on aspects of innovations that require epistemological and methodological shifts, and that teacher development initiatives accompany educational paradigm shifts. Based on the success of the intervention, I propose that History teachers in all grades be "workshopped" in language awareness and argumentative writing skills.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Naidoo, Nerinjeni
- Date: 2012-09-10
- Subjects: Historiography - Methodology , History teachers , Language awareness
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9873 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7273
- Description: M.Ed. , This study is located in the context of educational transformation. With the demise of apartheid and the enactment of the new Constitution, South Africa is rapidly becoming a democratic society. Schools are currently in a state of flux with radical curriculum reconstruction being the norm. A recent curriculum initiative has been the continuous assessment portfolio for Grade 12 students. History students are required to write research essays as part of the portfolio. The purpose of this inquiry was to capture the learning experiences of a group of teachers in an action research project in which the intervention was a workshop for teacher development. This workshop was designed in response to History teachers' difficulty in mediating research essay writing. This inquiry has been designed to simultaneously teach essay-writing skills and to collect data that would capture teacher participants' competence therein. This investigation was conducted using an action research (AR) format because it was aimed at gaining an understanding of, and changing the social reality using this research design in which change is both facilitated and researched. This study was conducted from the position of the interpretive and the critical paradigms of social science inquiry. In the interpretive paradigm, research describes reality as multifaceted and socially constructed. In the critical paradigm, research evokes and addresses issues of oppression and solidified social structures. Such research is aimed to emancipate participants who were teachers in this instance. In this study the aim was to provide a workshop in which teachers could become aware of language in the research essay, with a view to promoting their own literacy and pedagogy. Data were collected using three main methods in order to understand the social reality from different perspectives and to triangulate data. These methods were artefacts from the workshop, observation and interviews of teacher participants. Data were consolidated, reduced and clustered to trace emerging themes. The emergent propositions constructed from the data revealed that History teachers engaged in pedagogy without much language awareness. History teachers also focused on content rather than on language skills as foundation for the essay. The group work format was an activity medium that supported the emergence of argumentative discourse. These findings were confirmed by triangulatory evidence from the interviews. Findings therefore indicate that the teachers had little language awareness and writing composition competence in History essay writing, and yet they were expected to mediate this aspect of the continuous assessment portfolio. Findings also reveal that teachers' lack of argumentative discourse knowledge can be explained in terms of world-view, language and culture of education. The workshop was successful in raising language awareness and provided the context for the emergence of argumentative discourse. I argue that teachers need to be "workshopped" on aspects of innovations that require epistemological and methodological shifts, and that teacher development initiatives accompany educational paradigm shifts. Based on the success of the intervention, I propose that History teachers in all grades be "workshopped" in language awareness and argumentative writing skills.
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A performance-based community project about the effective use of electricity
- Authors: Duma, Thembekile
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Eskom (Firm) , Community education - Research - South Africa - Soweto , Electric power consumption - South Africa - Soweto
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10264 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7634
- Description: M.Ed. , Eskom has a programme called `Electro-Wise'* which is described as addressing the problem of the use of electricity in the community. Such a programme, it is claimed, educates people to use electricity in a cost effective manner and as such empowers people to monitor their electricity use and take necessary precautions on the safe and effective way of using electricity. The study seeks to challenge this view on the community education grounds that it tends to take for granted the process of educating the community (in an empowering manner) for empowerment. Furthermore, it undermines the method suitable for approaching adult learners * who have to be taught in an informal setting. A brief introduction of what community education entails and what `Electro-Wise' would be if it were based on the theories of community education, are presented. The findings of an inquiry conducted to probe the community's views on what Eskom does to reach out to them in terms of electricity usage were examined in the context of community education. Some implications of these findings point out that partnership, trust, continuous dialogue and closeness between the community and Eskom are significant. Implications highlight, among other things, the importance of a grounded theory on which the future programme should be based.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Duma, Thembekile
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Eskom (Firm) , Community education - Research - South Africa - Soweto , Electric power consumption - South Africa - Soweto
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10264 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7634
- Description: M.Ed. , Eskom has a programme called `Electro-Wise'* which is described as addressing the problem of the use of electricity in the community. Such a programme, it is claimed, educates people to use electricity in a cost effective manner and as such empowers people to monitor their electricity use and take necessary precautions on the safe and effective way of using electricity. The study seeks to challenge this view on the community education grounds that it tends to take for granted the process of educating the community (in an empowering manner) for empowerment. Furthermore, it undermines the method suitable for approaching adult learners * who have to be taught in an informal setting. A brief introduction of what community education entails and what `Electro-Wise' would be if it were based on the theories of community education, are presented. The findings of an inquiry conducted to probe the community's views on what Eskom does to reach out to them in terms of electricity usage were examined in the context of community education. Some implications of these findings point out that partnership, trust, continuous dialogue and closeness between the community and Eskom are significant. Implications highlight, among other things, the importance of a grounded theory on which the future programme should be based.
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The transformation from teacher education to community education institution : a case study in Bushbuckridge
- Authors: Mdluli, Millard Dan
- Date: 2012-08-16
- Subjects: Teachers colleges -- South Africa , Community colleges -- South Africa -- Planning , Educational change -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Philosophy
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9436 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5869
- Description: M.Ed. , The purpose of this research is to investigate the changes that can be brought about by transforming one of the existing teacher education colleges in Bushbuckridge into a community college, based on the assumption that a community college will prepare and develop new skills within the community and involve the process of transition to work in preparing the learner for life and the world of work. The envisaged skills will improve the status of human resources and will be aimed at the empowering of the Bushbuckridge rural area. The topic of study is explored through the combination of survey interviews and direct observation. The final data patterning shows that the participants think that transforming one of the existing two teacher training colleges into a community college could assist the community with skills for self-empowering.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mdluli, Millard Dan
- Date: 2012-08-16
- Subjects: Teachers colleges -- South Africa , Community colleges -- South Africa -- Planning , Educational change -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Philosophy
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9436 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5869
- Description: M.Ed. , The purpose of this research is to investigate the changes that can be brought about by transforming one of the existing teacher education colleges in Bushbuckridge into a community college, based on the assumption that a community college will prepare and develop new skills within the community and involve the process of transition to work in preparing the learner for life and the world of work. The envisaged skills will improve the status of human resources and will be aimed at the empowering of the Bushbuckridge rural area. The topic of study is explored through the combination of survey interviews and direct observation. The final data patterning shows that the participants think that transforming one of the existing two teacher training colleges into a community college could assist the community with skills for self-empowering.
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An action research inquiry into a bereavement project in Giyani
- Authors: Shivambu, Elizabeth
- Date: 2012-09-07
- Subjects: Action research - South Africa - Giyani , Human services - Research - Methodology , Action research in education , Bereavement
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/391008 , uj:9780 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7186
- Description: M.Ed. , The research was done in Sections A, DI, D2 and E, Giyani Township, in the Northern Province. The main participants were mothers who had lost their adult children in fatal traffic accidents. Other members of the community were also interviewed to find out about their attitudes towards traffic fatalities of young people in Giyani. The research methods used were interviews, questionnaires and observations. These three methods were found to be appropriate in the elicitation of the data. The main purpose of the research was to find out what the views of bereaved parents were with regard to an awareness campaign in road safety. After the analysis of data, it was found that people in Giyani do really need a solution to the said problem, but they would most probably prefer a support group whereby people would be offered assistance after traumatic experiences - not necessarily only when confronted with fatal traffic experiences, but all types of trauma. The opinion of a support group was that people believed traffic fatalities are unpredictable and unavoidable.
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- Authors: Shivambu, Elizabeth
- Date: 2012-09-07
- Subjects: Action research - South Africa - Giyani , Human services - Research - Methodology , Action research in education , Bereavement
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/391008 , uj:9780 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7186
- Description: M.Ed. , The research was done in Sections A, DI, D2 and E, Giyani Township, in the Northern Province. The main participants were mothers who had lost their adult children in fatal traffic accidents. Other members of the community were also interviewed to find out about their attitudes towards traffic fatalities of young people in Giyani. The research methods used were interviews, questionnaires and observations. These three methods were found to be appropriate in the elicitation of the data. The main purpose of the research was to find out what the views of bereaved parents were with regard to an awareness campaign in road safety. After the analysis of data, it was found that people in Giyani do really need a solution to the said problem, but they would most probably prefer a support group whereby people would be offered assistance after traumatic experiences - not necessarily only when confronted with fatal traffic experiences, but all types of trauma. The opinion of a support group was that people believed traffic fatalities are unpredictable and unavoidable.
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Die leesvaardigheid van standerd sewe-leerlinge in 'n tegniese skool
- Authors: Rathe, Marina
- Date: 2012-09-07
- Subjects: Reading (Secondary) - South Africa. , Language arts (Secondary) - South Africa. , Technical institutes - South Africa. , Reading. , Reading disability.
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9744 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7153
- Description: M.Ed.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Rathe, Marina
- Date: 2012-09-07
- Subjects: Reading (Secondary) - South Africa. , Language arts (Secondary) - South Africa. , Technical institutes - South Africa. , Reading. , Reading disability.
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9744 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7153
- Description: M.Ed.
- Full Text:
Problems of language and pedagogy in the teaching of English at a rural independent school
- Pillay, Mogenthiran Shunmugam
- Authors: Pillay, Mogenthiran Shunmugam
- Date: 2012-09-11
- Subjects: English language - Study and teaching - South Africa - African language speakers , Blacks - Education (Secondary) - South Africa - Evaluation , Minorities - Education , Rural schools - South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/389424 , uj:9955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7351
- Description: M.Ed. , This study focuses on the problems of language and pedagogy in the teaching of English to second language learners. The aim of the study firstly, was to investigate the problems confronting teachers of English when teaching a heterogeneous classroom population which has both first language and second language learners and secondly, to investigate the problems facing Black pupils who were a minority group in the heterogeneous classroom. An extensive literature review was undertaken to examine core areas of the multicultural education and second language teaching and learning which were pertinent to the problem of this study to ascertain if the problems were peculiar to South African schools. The theory framework constructed from the review concluded with the theoretical premise that the problems confronting teachers and pupils were not peculiar to South African schools. The investigation included data collection from two sources or constituents, namely the teachers of heterogeneous classrooms in a rural independent school and their Black pupils. These data were consolidated, reduced and clustered, culminating in empirical findings which were confirmed using different methods and sources.The main emergent patterns indicated that the second language learners had not mastered reading skills, were not capable of expressing themselves in formal writing and encountered difficulty in translating from their vernacular to English. This confirmed that teachers of English in these heterogeneous classes were enountering enormous difficulty in harnessing the full potential of the second language learners.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Pillay, Mogenthiran Shunmugam
- Date: 2012-09-11
- Subjects: English language - Study and teaching - South Africa - African language speakers , Blacks - Education (Secondary) - South Africa - Evaluation , Minorities - Education , Rural schools - South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/389424 , uj:9955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7351
- Description: M.Ed. , This study focuses on the problems of language and pedagogy in the teaching of English to second language learners. The aim of the study firstly, was to investigate the problems confronting teachers of English when teaching a heterogeneous classroom population which has both first language and second language learners and secondly, to investigate the problems facing Black pupils who were a minority group in the heterogeneous classroom. An extensive literature review was undertaken to examine core areas of the multicultural education and second language teaching and learning which were pertinent to the problem of this study to ascertain if the problems were peculiar to South African schools. The theory framework constructed from the review concluded with the theoretical premise that the problems confronting teachers and pupils were not peculiar to South African schools. The investigation included data collection from two sources or constituents, namely the teachers of heterogeneous classrooms in a rural independent school and their Black pupils. These data were consolidated, reduced and clustered, culminating in empirical findings which were confirmed using different methods and sources.The main emergent patterns indicated that the second language learners had not mastered reading skills, were not capable of expressing themselves in formal writing and encountered difficulty in translating from their vernacular to English. This confirmed that teachers of English in these heterogeneous classes were enountering enormous difficulty in harnessing the full potential of the second language learners.
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A re-training programme for language teaching in the outcomes-based paradigm
- Authors: Klu, Ernest Kwesi
- Date: 2012-09-06
- Subjects: Language teachers - In-service training - South Africa. , Curriculum change - South Africa. , Education and state - South Africa. , Language and languages - Study and teaching (Continuing education)
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9711 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7123
- Description: M.Ed. , With the implementation of a new curriculum - Curriculum 2005 - in the South African school system, teachers have to be re-trained. This is not just to acquaint them with the new curriculum but also to develop them so that they can justify their calling as professional teachers. Thus at the end of such a re-training programme, teachers should be able to adapt their teaching methods to the dictates of the new curriculum. The language teacher in particular is faced with a mammoth task considering the fact that South Africa now has 11 official languages. The language teacher needs to undergo an intensive re-training in second-language teaching techniques. Added to this is the multilingual nature of the classroom in which the teachers ply their trade. This study looks at Curriculum 2005 and its origins. Attention is then focussed on teacher training especially in-service teacher education (INSET) and how teachers gain (new) knowledge and thus develop professionally. The overall aim of the study is therefore to see how ready teachers are to adjust to Curriculum 2005 and also to examine INSET in detail so as to come out with suitable suggestions on how the re-training programme should be carried out. The study ends with recommendations on steps to be taken to effectively train teachers without causing any disruption in the school system or lowering the standard of education.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Klu, Ernest Kwesi
- Date: 2012-09-06
- Subjects: Language teachers - In-service training - South Africa. , Curriculum change - South Africa. , Education and state - South Africa. , Language and languages - Study and teaching (Continuing education)
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9711 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7123
- Description: M.Ed. , With the implementation of a new curriculum - Curriculum 2005 - in the South African school system, teachers have to be re-trained. This is not just to acquaint them with the new curriculum but also to develop them so that they can justify their calling as professional teachers. Thus at the end of such a re-training programme, teachers should be able to adapt their teaching methods to the dictates of the new curriculum. The language teacher in particular is faced with a mammoth task considering the fact that South Africa now has 11 official languages. The language teacher needs to undergo an intensive re-training in second-language teaching techniques. Added to this is the multilingual nature of the classroom in which the teachers ply their trade. This study looks at Curriculum 2005 and its origins. Attention is then focussed on teacher training especially in-service teacher education (INSET) and how teachers gain (new) knowledge and thus develop professionally. The overall aim of the study is therefore to see how ready teachers are to adjust to Curriculum 2005 and also to examine INSET in detail so as to come out with suitable suggestions on how the re-training programme should be carried out. The study ends with recommendations on steps to be taken to effectively train teachers without causing any disruption in the school system or lowering the standard of education.
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Die aard van Technikon Noord-Transvaal-studente se sone van naaste ontwikkeling in Afrikaans vreemdetaal.
- Authors: Du Toit, Marena
- Date: 2012-08-08
- Subjects: Technikon Northern Transvaal-Curricula. , Universities and colleges-South Africa-Curricula. , Afrikaans language-Usage. , College students-Language. , Afrikaans language-Study and teaching (Higher) - Foreign speakers.
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8939 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5412
- Description: M.Phil. , With this study the better understanding of the skills in, the background with relation to and the attitude towards communicative Afrikaans of .a specific group of Public Administration students of the Technikon Northern-Transvaal is investigated. The focus is principally on the socio-cultural factors that influence the mastering of Afrikaans. The reseach design, including the problem identification, is vested in the theoretical Vygotskyan concept of zone of proximal development. Founded on the theories of both MM Bakhtin and LS Vygotsky, the researcher establishes an own interpretation of the zone of proximal development, when she proposes an integration thereof with the H-model as thought heuristics (Henning 1996). According to this integrated model, the study of students' zone of proximal development in Afrikaans as foreign language encompasses the study of: their language skills; their knowledge of the language; personal and socio-cultural influences; and their metalinguistic skills. This exposition serves as framework for data gathering, data analysis and chapter division. The format of the study is that of case studies which implies that an in-depth investigation is done of various types of data - obtained from a quantitatively small, but sociologically representative group of Public Adminsitration students, The various types of data which are referred to, are: data from talks delivered; written texts; data from listening and reading protocols; and data from interviews. With the interpretation of the data an attempt is not only made to come to an own understanding ("verstehen" - Weber (1958)) of the community of learners' experience and usage of Afrikaans, but also to cultivate a sensitivity for this with the wider teaching and research community.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Du Toit, Marena
- Date: 2012-08-08
- Subjects: Technikon Northern Transvaal-Curricula. , Universities and colleges-South Africa-Curricula. , Afrikaans language-Usage. , College students-Language. , Afrikaans language-Study and teaching (Higher) - Foreign speakers.
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8939 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5412
- Description: M.Phil. , With this study the better understanding of the skills in, the background with relation to and the attitude towards communicative Afrikaans of .a specific group of Public Administration students of the Technikon Northern-Transvaal is investigated. The focus is principally on the socio-cultural factors that influence the mastering of Afrikaans. The reseach design, including the problem identification, is vested in the theoretical Vygotskyan concept of zone of proximal development. Founded on the theories of both MM Bakhtin and LS Vygotsky, the researcher establishes an own interpretation of the zone of proximal development, when she proposes an integration thereof with the H-model as thought heuristics (Henning 1996). According to this integrated model, the study of students' zone of proximal development in Afrikaans as foreign language encompasses the study of: their language skills; their knowledge of the language; personal and socio-cultural influences; and their metalinguistic skills. This exposition serves as framework for data gathering, data analysis and chapter division. The format of the study is that of case studies which implies that an in-depth investigation is done of various types of data - obtained from a quantitatively small, but sociologically representative group of Public Adminsitration students, The various types of data which are referred to, are: data from talks delivered; written texts; data from listening and reading protocols; and data from interviews. With the interpretation of the data an attempt is not only made to come to an own understanding ("verstehen" - Weber (1958)) of the community of learners' experience and usage of Afrikaans, but also to cultivate a sensitivity for this with the wider teaching and research community.
- Full Text:
An exploration of community engagement with governance in rural Northern Province schools
- Authors: Shilote, Ntsakisi Constance
- Date: 2012-09-07
- Subjects: Community and school - South Africa - Northern Province , Education and state , School management and organization
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9752 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7160
- Description: M.Ed. , This inquiry into capacity building of SGB's in a rural community was undertaken to find out what the views and perceptions of stakeholders were, and also what the possibilities of education and training were for members of these bodies. The problems of school governance, most of which have to do with the lack of literacy and the limited knowledge of civic affairs and the South African Schools Act (SASA), cannot be resolved with SGB's that function on low capacity. As a researcher practitioner I am an experienced school principal and a novice researcher. I inquired into this issue and found that there are, indeed, many serious problems with regard to the capacity of board members, not only in terms of literacy, understanding of financial management and the meaning and application of the SASA, but also with perceptions about their role and function and the procedures that are needed in a functioning body such as this. I concluded with a number of suggestions that included viewing the capacitating of members as a community education effort. This would mean educating and training more the existing members, but a wider group of stakeholders. In this way the future of the school's SGB would be assured, as they would have a wider pool of capacitated members to draw from and an electorate that is educated as well.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shilote, Ntsakisi Constance
- Date: 2012-09-07
- Subjects: Community and school - South Africa - Northern Province , Education and state , School management and organization
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9752 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7160
- Description: M.Ed. , This inquiry into capacity building of SGB's in a rural community was undertaken to find out what the views and perceptions of stakeholders were, and also what the possibilities of education and training were for members of these bodies. The problems of school governance, most of which have to do with the lack of literacy and the limited knowledge of civic affairs and the South African Schools Act (SASA), cannot be resolved with SGB's that function on low capacity. As a researcher practitioner I am an experienced school principal and a novice researcher. I inquired into this issue and found that there are, indeed, many serious problems with regard to the capacity of board members, not only in terms of literacy, understanding of financial management and the meaning and application of the SASA, but also with perceptions about their role and function and the procedures that are needed in a functioning body such as this. I concluded with a number of suggestions that included viewing the capacitating of members as a community education effort. This would mean educating and training more the existing members, but a wider group of stakeholders. In this way the future of the school's SGB would be assured, as they would have a wider pool of capacitated members to draw from and an electorate that is educated as well.
- Full Text:
Views on ABET 'drop-out' in the area of Thulamahashe
- Authors: Mdluli, John Maholomuni
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Adult education -- Research -- South Africa -- Thulamahashe , Adult education dropouts -- Research -- South Africa -- Thulamahashe
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10158 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7537
- Description: M.Ed. , The research report in this essay is concerned with the drop-out syndrome in ABET classrooms in the rural area of Thulamahashe. The essay contains four sections. In section 1, the contextual framework is described. In section 2, a literature review is used to trace the views on ABET dropout. This section also provides the contribution of ABET to community building. In sections 3 and 4 there is a report on how the study explored, by means of in-depth interviews and observations, the views on ABET dropouts in the lives of these adults. The study also recorded how they perceived their situation as 'drop-outs', and what they feel can be done in ABET centres. Evidence from the study suggests that they are victims of formal education drop-out, and are trapped in the past education system where rural education was given very little attention and support by the government of that time.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mdluli, John Maholomuni
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Adult education -- Research -- South Africa -- Thulamahashe , Adult education dropouts -- Research -- South Africa -- Thulamahashe
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10158 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7537
- Description: M.Ed. , The research report in this essay is concerned with the drop-out syndrome in ABET classrooms in the rural area of Thulamahashe. The essay contains four sections. In section 1, the contextual framework is described. In section 2, a literature review is used to trace the views on ABET dropout. This section also provides the contribution of ABET to community building. In sections 3 and 4 there is a report on how the study explored, by means of in-depth interviews and observations, the views on ABET dropouts in the lives of these adults. The study also recorded how they perceived their situation as 'drop-outs', and what they feel can be done in ABET centres. Evidence from the study suggests that they are victims of formal education drop-out, and are trapped in the past education system where rural education was given very little attention and support by the government of that time.
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"At risk" youths' perception of schooling : a case study in Kathorus
- Authors: Malaka, Mankaki Maria
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Education, Secondary - South Africa - Gauteng. , High school students - Gauteng - Attitudes. , High school dropouts - South Africa. , Underachievers - South Africa - Psychological aspects. , Education, Urban - South Africa.
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10251 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7622
- Description: M.Ed. , This study investigated 'at risk' youths' perceptions towards schooling. It focussed on grade eight in three secondary schools namely, Katlehong, Landulwazi and Ilinge in the Kathorus area, which is situated on the East Rand in the Gauteng province. The motivation for conducting research is the 'drop out' rate of students at the junior secondary phase. Inherent in the research problem is the claim: Probably the 'at risk' youths' perceptions towards schooling may impede their learning. Through condensing, organising, categorising, conceptualising and coding data, which represented voices of the participants, common properties of data surfaced. For example, the culture of teachers' absconding was expressed in all the schools during observation and interviews. Students were also reported to 'bunk' periods, emulating teachers and spending time smoking in the toilets or sunbathing outside the classrooms. Most students were reported not to be doing homework tasks and not compiling notes after lesson periods. Teachers were said to be ridiculing such students by insulting them, cursing them or teasing them about their natural deformities instead of providing reprimand, guidance, advice or motivation. Such behaviour manifested the concept of lack of sense of duty, lack of discipline and demotivation amongst others. This state of affairs is a fertile ground for ineffective teaching and learning, which manifests affective neglect and non-acceptance in the light of the 'at risk' perspective. The status quo evokes a feeling of alienation in youths, which results in `anomie' and their dropping out of school. Empowerment of individuals and the community means involving them in the decisionmaking activities and in the formulation of policies. To build acceptance, trust and a sense of belonging in students, they should be involved, for example, in the formulation of school rules and policy, planning sporting activities, itinerary and thus instilling ownership of such activities. It is only by empowering youths through participative involvement that one can become what one can become potentially. In this way the 'at risk' will not feel dissociated and rejected.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Malaka, Mankaki Maria
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Education, Secondary - South Africa - Gauteng. , High school students - Gauteng - Attitudes. , High school dropouts - South Africa. , Underachievers - South Africa - Psychological aspects. , Education, Urban - South Africa.
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10251 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7622
- Description: M.Ed. , This study investigated 'at risk' youths' perceptions towards schooling. It focussed on grade eight in three secondary schools namely, Katlehong, Landulwazi and Ilinge in the Kathorus area, which is situated on the East Rand in the Gauteng province. The motivation for conducting research is the 'drop out' rate of students at the junior secondary phase. Inherent in the research problem is the claim: Probably the 'at risk' youths' perceptions towards schooling may impede their learning. Through condensing, organising, categorising, conceptualising and coding data, which represented voices of the participants, common properties of data surfaced. For example, the culture of teachers' absconding was expressed in all the schools during observation and interviews. Students were also reported to 'bunk' periods, emulating teachers and spending time smoking in the toilets or sunbathing outside the classrooms. Most students were reported not to be doing homework tasks and not compiling notes after lesson periods. Teachers were said to be ridiculing such students by insulting them, cursing them or teasing them about their natural deformities instead of providing reprimand, guidance, advice or motivation. Such behaviour manifested the concept of lack of sense of duty, lack of discipline and demotivation amongst others. This state of affairs is a fertile ground for ineffective teaching and learning, which manifests affective neglect and non-acceptance in the light of the 'at risk' perspective. The status quo evokes a feeling of alienation in youths, which results in `anomie' and their dropping out of school. Empowerment of individuals and the community means involving them in the decisionmaking activities and in the formulation of policies. To build acceptance, trust and a sense of belonging in students, they should be involved, for example, in the formulation of school rules and policy, planning sporting activities, itinerary and thus instilling ownership of such activities. It is only by empowering youths through participative involvement that one can become what one can become potentially. In this way the 'at risk' will not feel dissociated and rejected.
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A community awareness-raising intervention in the community policing forum in Giyani
- Authors: Shirilele, Hlamalani Mavis
- Date: 2012-09-10
- Subjects: Community policing - South Africa - Giyani , Community and school - South Africa - Giyani
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9813 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7216
- Description: M.Ed. , The police department renders many services to the community members. Among all those services, there is a programme called "The Community Policing Forum" (CPF), which deals mostly with crime prevention. In such a programme, community members are actively involved in crime prevention, but this does not mean that the community members must take law into their own hands. And it also does not mean that the police must not carry out their duties. Unlike in the past, when the police worked alone in crime prevention, the Community Policing forum encourages partnership between both the police and the community members. Research has been done on this topic, but I did this research because I wanted to explore the issue of what makes crime escalate despite the police's patrol. Throughout my investigations, I found out that both the police and the community members contribute to the high rate of crime. The central themes in my research were formulated around these issues, in which I wanted to explore issues only in a tentative and descriptive way: To find out if people know about the preventative measures to be taken in order to reduce crime. To find out if politics have a negative effect on crime prevention. To find out if people's negligence and ignorance can contribute to the high rate of crime. To find out if the community members together with the police can alleviate crime. I conducted my research by interviewing, observing, attending CPF meetings and using questionnaires. Through the data collected in this way I found out the people's views on crime. I found out that all of them are against crime and they are all in favour of crime prevention, but that they needed more information and also skills to prevent crime in this community.
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- Authors: Shirilele, Hlamalani Mavis
- Date: 2012-09-10
- Subjects: Community policing - South Africa - Giyani , Community and school - South Africa - Giyani
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9813 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7216
- Description: M.Ed. , The police department renders many services to the community members. Among all those services, there is a programme called "The Community Policing Forum" (CPF), which deals mostly with crime prevention. In such a programme, community members are actively involved in crime prevention, but this does not mean that the community members must take law into their own hands. And it also does not mean that the police must not carry out their duties. Unlike in the past, when the police worked alone in crime prevention, the Community Policing forum encourages partnership between both the police and the community members. Research has been done on this topic, but I did this research because I wanted to explore the issue of what makes crime escalate despite the police's patrol. Throughout my investigations, I found out that both the police and the community members contribute to the high rate of crime. The central themes in my research were formulated around these issues, in which I wanted to explore issues only in a tentative and descriptive way: To find out if people know about the preventative measures to be taken in order to reduce crime. To find out if politics have a negative effect on crime prevention. To find out if people's negligence and ignorance can contribute to the high rate of crime. To find out if the community members together with the police can alleviate crime. I conducted my research by interviewing, observing, attending CPF meetings and using questionnaires. Through the data collected in this way I found out the people's views on crime. I found out that all of them are against crime and they are all in favour of crime prevention, but that they needed more information and also skills to prevent crime in this community.
- Full Text: