Investigating teaching and learning within three Eastern Cape reception year classrooms
- Authors: Mnene, Mthetheleli
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Competency-based education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Elementary -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Curriculum evaluation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Elementary -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Elementary -- Parent participation -- South Africa Education, Elementary -- Aims and objectives -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Elementary -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1589 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003471
- Description: The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which young children in three Grade R classes in the Eastern Cape Province were exposed to developmentally appropriate opportunities to achieve the Critical Outcomes as outlined in the South African National Curriculum Statement. The research took the form of a case study. Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect data. Respondents included children, their parents, Grade R practitioners and the school leadership. The findings tentatively showed that this set of parents perceived their role in providing for their children’s developmental needs as separate to that of the GR practitioners. They seemed to see their roles as helping their children to develop social and emotional competence only, and that the GR practitioners provided, in addition to this, literacy and numeracy teaching to their children. In contrast, the three GR practitioners believed that parents were responsible also for promoting literacy, numeracy and life skills. There seemed therefore to be a lack of clarity of specific teacher and parent views of their roles. The researcher found, however, that the children seemed to be given few developmentally appropriate opportunities for planned and structured activities which enabled them to explore the Critical Outcomes, for example, working together, solving problems, using technology. The teaching methodology used by the GR practitioners during the observation periods, seemed to a large extent, to be based in 'talk and chalk' in the plenary grouping. It did not seem to enable the implementation of the curriculum and especially of the Critical Outcomes in a developmentally appropriate way. In addition, the environment in which children learned was not observed to be developmentally appropriate for relevant education to take place. Too many children were crowded into the available space, while learning equipment and materials were lacking. Any competences that young children in these three GR programmes achieved were therefore possibly learned incidentally, rather than deliberately through planned activities. In addition, GR classes in this study were not observed to be supported within the schools to deliver competent curriculum activities to the children. The study makes suggestions to meet some of these challenges. These include improving the understanding of curriculum guidelines of all role players in the three schools, enabling the management teams and especially parents to take a stronger support and monitoring role, and providing and using materials and equipment to promote the use of the Critical Out comes as methods for teaching and for learning.
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An investigation into the influence of an inset programme on teacher cognitions
- Authors: Bell, David Ian
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa Teachers -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1608 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003490
- Description: This study was based upon a concern about the quality of education in South Africa and a concern about the quality of NGO and other INSET interventions. Many organisations purport to address the issues of education, most of them doing so from the very comfortable position of the moral high ground (the position adopted where the political - correctness of the intervention outweighs the quality and impact) rather than from the position of having the capacity to deliver a quality service (a position from which they can effect genuine educational transformation toward quality education for all). With the rapid social, political and educational changes taking place at present, it is necessary for most organisations to assess their positions in respect of their ability to effect quality changes within the broad educational terrain. This study is an attempt to investigate the influence of one particular programme, that of the Centre for Cognitive Development, as it effects changes in teacher cognitions. It is argued that teachers are the catalysts for and agents of educational and social change and that these changes require the thinking and beliefs of individual teachers which inform their practices and behaviours, both personally and as professionals, to be addressed. These beliefs need to be critically reflected upon by the teachers themselves and through this process of reflection, teachers need to be empowered to take responsibility for the quality of teaching and learning. This concern was addressed by selecting a sample of teachers from within one such INSET intervention and through the use of a questionnaire, investigating whether teachers cognitions had changed, as a result of the INSET programme. It was hypothesised that changes in teacher cognitions would occur as a result of the INSET programme and that these cognitive or gestalt shifts could be categorised as Attributional shifts, Efficacy shifts, shifts in teachers perceived Locus of Control (Control Beliefs) and changes in general Pedagogic Beliefs. The statistical analysis of the data indicated varying degrees and trends of significant change. However, the complexity of the social context of teaching and the impact of this on teacher beliefs and cognitions, especially those of teachers who have been most affected (disempowered) by social and personal oppression, cannot be under-estimated and even minor shifts reflected in this investigation should be seen as positive changes none-the-less.
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Determining the relationship between the body image of adolescent girls and their academic achievement, social involvement and sport participation : a pilot study
- Authors: Mostert, Petronella Louisa
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: Body image in adolescence Personality and academic achievement Social interaction in adolescence Self-perception in adolescence Teenage girls -- Psychology Academic achievement
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1492 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003373
- Description: Ever since the earliest times much emphasis has been placed on the physical appearance of women. Particularly in western cultures idealized images of perfection are constantly promoted and the message that comes across in various media outlets is that a woman ought to have a 'perfect' appearance in order to be competent and desirable. This puts a great deal of stress on women and particularly on adolescent girls who are going through a phase of increased sensitivity about their appearance. The literature suggests that people, and women in particular, are fundamentally affected by the way they view their bodies. The body image furthermore has a strong relationship with the self concept, which affects other areas of a person's life such as her academic achievement and her social 'life. Against this background an attempt was made in this study to determine the relationship between the body image of adolescent girls and their academic achievement, their sport participation and their social involvement. The subjects were 180 girls drawn from two rural secondary schools. The survey involved the completion of two questionnaires, namely an adapted form of the Physical Self Subscale of the Tenessee Self Concept Scale (used to determine a score for body image) and a questionnaire on social involvement and sport participation, which was drawn up by the researcher. Biographic data as well as academic scores were gathered from school records. Data was analysed statistically by means of the BMDP Software Version 1990: programme (Sun Unix). Pearson's chi square tests of independence, as well as a one-way analysis of variance with co-variate were carried out. The results reveal that the body image and academic achievement of this group of girls are not significantly correlated. There are, however, significant correlations between the body image and social involvement of these girls, between their body image and sport participation, as well as between their social involvement and sport participation. iv These findings have important implications for"'e"ducation and consideration is given to addressing these issues in schools.
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An investigation into the present state of school guidance in Ciskeian secondary schools in the Keiskammahoek area
- Authors: Lombo, Mzimkhulu Solomon
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Educational counseling -- Keiskammahoek
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1613 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003495
- Description: Although school guidance and counselling services were established in Ciskeian Secondary Schools in the early 1980's, little appears to be taking place. One is continually hearing the plea for an improvement in the system, but once again little is happening. Before such improvement can take place, however, it needs to be known what exactly is and isn't taking place. Furthermore, the problems preventing the services from operating successfully need to be clarified. This research aims at describing the state of guidance in a group of five secondary schools in the Keiskammahoek area of the Ciskei, and elucidating the problems experienced by practitioners in the field. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 98 pupils and 18 guidance teachers, and the five principals of these schools were interviewed. The findings, which are discussed in detail, confirm the suspicions of the researcher that little guidance indeed is taking place. Many reasons for this state of affairs are given. Finally, suggestions are made as to how this unsatisfactory situation may be improved.
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Personal growth through classroom English : (What pupils say they get out of English teaching)
- Authors: Thiel, Louise
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Educational counseling English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1696 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003579
- Description: Guidance and counselling aims to promote the personal growth of the adolescent. However, in the current South African context, it is possible that formalised Guidance instruction and the post of the school counsellor may disappear in many schools as a result of economic rationalisation. If this occurs, the fostering of personal growth will rest with all teachers and it will be vital to utilise all available opportunities. The study of English is one of the areas traditionally seen to promote personal growth, as several aims of English teaching relate to such growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate from the pupil's perspective whether these aims are being fulfilled within 'Model C' CEO schools in order to gauge the potential of English teaching to fulfil the personal growth role of Guidance teaching. Pupils were asked what influence English teaching had on their attitudes and ideas towards life, on themselves and on their development as people. From the data, common themes were established and documented. These themes showed that important aspects of personal growth are indeed fostered by the English teaching of literature, poetry, written work, oral work and visual literacy. This study therefore confirms that English teaching does foster personal growth and that the potential does exist for English teaching to subsume some of the roles of Guidance.
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School guidance and counselling in Natal : present realities and future possibilities
- Authors: Naicker, Dhanasagaran
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Educational counseling -- South Africa Counseling -- Vocational guidance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1758 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003643
- Description: School guidance and counselling is a programme that is complementary to the education process and is seen as a support service for the pupil. However, owing to the apartheid policies of the South African government, all pupils did not have equal access to guidance services. In a post-apartheid South Africa it is anticipated that a unitary education system would emerge to provide equal access to education for all South African pupils and this implies that previous imbalances that existed would have to be addressed. In this study the present state of guidance and counselling services in Natal was investigated and policy options to redress past inequities and to make school guidance and counselling services a reality for all South African pupils, within the context of limited resources were explored.
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The construction, implementation and evaluation of a transactional analysis stress management course for adolescents
- Authors: Ritchie, Harriet Anne
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Transactional analysis Stress in adolescence Adolescent psychology Stress management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1461 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003342
- Description: Stress is a problem in today's world and adolescents are not exempt from suffering its ill effects. Currently no stress management courses are offered as part of the formal guidance programme in high schools or in the community. This pilot study is an attempt to construct a stress management course based on the concepts of Transactional Analysis. The course was implemented with a multi-racial, standard eight group of nine boys and girls. The course was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative measures proved to be inappropriate to this study and did not render any useful information. The study found that the scholars expressed that they had changed in their handling of their daily stressors as a result of the course. Personal growth had also taken place. The findings of this research are discussed in terms of the important implications they have for school guidance programmes.
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The state of guidance in Mdantsane High Schools
- Authors: Nonyukela, Nontathu Elizabeth
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Educational counseling -- South Africa -- Ciskei Black people -- Education -- South Africa -- Ciskei Counseling -- Vocational guidance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1771 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003656
- Description: Guidance was introduced into Black Schools in 1981. Its aim was to help students so that they could understand themselves and the world they live in. At present it appears that very little Guidance is taking place in the Mdantsane High Schools. This was supported by these research findings. In the research five High Schools were investigated to discover the state of Guidance in these High Schools. The writer made use of an interview schedule which was presented to the principals of the five High Schools. Questionnaires were given to twenty seven Guidance teachers from the same High Schools and to two hundred and fifty student respondents. In each High School fifty student respondents were chosen, that is, ten from each standard. The research findings suggested that Guidance is not receiving its rightful place in these five High Schools since it is not effectively taught. The findings were generalised to other High Schools. Reasons for the ineffective teaching of Guidance were given by both the principal and teacher respondents. Recommendations are made as to how this state of Guidance can be remedied and improved.
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An exploratory field study into schoolgirl pregnancies, with emphasis on the role the school can play in their prevention
- Authors: Kooverjee, Ishwar
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Teenage pregnancy -- South Africa Sex instruction -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1537 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003419
- Description: This piece of research explores the problem of schoolgirl pregnancies and suggests a role which the school might play in their prevention. Concern over the growing number of unplanned pregnancies under the age of eighteen years at the author's school, culminated in the .present study. Experts on the subject often perceive the problem to be self-defeating to the young girls, medically contra-indicated and socially disruptive. The purpose of this investigation was to determine attitudes towards the description of the problem, to identify causative factors predisposing to pregnancy, and to obtain views on how the school can reconcile efforts to address the problem. The relevant research data was obtained through a comprehensive 64 item attitudinal and knowledge-base questionnaire which was administered to a sample of 187 subjects. The sample comprised seven different occupational groups namely, senior schoolgirls, parents of senior schoolgirls, ex-schoolgirl primigravidae, parents of ex-schoolgirl primigravidae, school teachers, members of the clergy and various health care professionals. The appendices contain full statistical tables as well as full responses to the open-ended essay based on the research questionnaire so that the reader is free to check the reasonableness of the conclusions drawn. In the final chapter the author provides a brief summary of findings, offers justification why the teaching of sex education should be a priority in public schools, and makes recommendations, in the main, for the inclusion of school-based sex education as a component of Guidance in terms of rationale and implementation. In addition, suggestions are made with regard to school policy formulation and networking with parents and other community resources. Finally, a choice of four current model programmes for sex education are proposed in an effort to improve and build upon existing programmes in the present South African curriculum. It is the author's belief that this investigation may contribute to course design and perhaps provide hypotheses for more specific studies in the future.
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The relationship of general retention ability to new South African group test non-verbal/verbal IQ discrepancies and their academic correlates
- Authors: Watson, Peter James
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Intellect Intelligence tests -- South Africa Academic achievement -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1725 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003608
- Description: Both experimental research (Robbertse,1952)and clinical observation (Kruger, 1972; van der Merwe,1978) have indicated that pupils with a Verbal IQ score 10 or more points lower than their non-Verbal IQ (termed a 'Type 1' discrepancy in the present research) on the New South African Group Test (NSAGT) show poorer academic achievement than their peers of similar ability. The present research investigates the relationship of general retention ability, as defined by Hakstian and Cattell (1978), to Type 1 discrepancies as well as to their academic correlates. One hundred and thirty-nine standard seven English-speaking boys were tested on the NSAGT and the Junior Aptitude Test (JAT) (of which tests 8 and 9 give an indication of general retention ability) and divided into a group with Type 1 discrepancies and two control groups. All three groups were matched on full-scale IQ. Comparison of these three groups, using the analysis of variance technique, showed that there was no significant difference between them in level of general retention ability or in academic performance (measured by average percentage in the final standard seven examination). While no significant difference was found between the three groups regarding the relationship of general retention ability to academic performance, in the Type 1 discrepancy group the relationship of rote memory (JAT test 8) to academic performance differed markedly from that of associative memory (JAT test 9) to academic performance. In the Type 1 discrepancy group rote memory was highly associated with academic performance, possibly indicating a compensatory strategy for the lower Verbal ability in this group, enabling it to achieve academically on par with the control groups, contrary to what would be expected on the basis of Robbertse's (1962) findings. In terms of Jensen's (1982) Level 1/Level 11 theory of intelligence, it appears from the present research that rote memory ability (JAT test 8) varies between being a Level 11 ability (in the Type 1 discrepancy group) to acting as a Level 1 ability in the two control groups. The present research questions Verwey and Wolmarans's (1980) description of both JAT tests 8 and 9 as simple measures of retention Test 9, in particular, appears to function consistently as a Level 11 ability.
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An investigation into the need for counselling service at the Cape College of Education
- Authors: Blom, Lana-Lorraine
- Date: 1989
- Subjects: Counseling in higher education Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Cape College of Education Counseling
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1610 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003492
- Description: Many students find that their greatest academic step is that from high school to college or university, and that it involves a transition affecting almost all aspects of their lives. In order to offer assistance to students experiencing transitional and other personal problems, Student Counselling Services have been established and are operature at most tertiary institutions in Southern Africa. Currently no such service exists on the campus of the Cape College of Education, Fort Beaufort. This exploratory study attempts to determine whether there is a need for such a service and further, to establish factors which might encourage or discourage students from using such a service. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 178 students at the College in order to gain insight into their ideas and feelings and what they perceive their needs to be. Through an explication of the student protocols, several major themes emerged and are discussed in detail. The research findings suggest a need for the establishment of a counselling service, and shed some light on factors which need be considered should such a service be offered. The methodological approach is discussed as well as recommendations for improvements.
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An investigation into the social/personality guidance needs of a group of secondary school pupils
- Authors: McGregor, Dale
- Date: 1989
- Subjects: Interpersonal relations in adolescence , Personality in adolescence , Educational counseling , Adolescent psychology , Youth -- Counseling of
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1353 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001419
- Description: School guidance aims to meet the social/personality, educational and vocational needs of pupils, and the curriculum, organised and drawn up by the relevant State education departments, attempts to address these needs. This investigation set out to discover the guidance needs of pupils specifically in the social/personality area, and further, to state these needs in such a way as to allow the logical development of guidance programmes. Group and individual interviews were conducted using a sample of 72 high school pupils, selected from standards six to eight. The results show clearly the areas in which the pupils perceive their needs to lie. It is also apparent that further research in this area is strongly indicated.
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A preliminary investigation into the effectiveness of the N.E.D. careers education programme in promoting career maturity in high school pupils
- Authors: Delport, Juan Phillippe
- Date: 1987
- Subjects: Career education -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Vocational guidance -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1911 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007080
- Description: A developmental paradigm was adopted as a theoretical base from which the effectiveness of the Natal Education Department Career Education lesson-guide in promoting career maturity amongst high school pupils was investigated. It was argued that careers education embodies a distinctive approach to careers work. This approach is described. South African Careers Guidance practices are evaluated in terms of fit, and are compared to American and British ones. To investigate the outcomes of the NED lesson guide, 160 predominantly white, male and female pupils in Standards 6 - 10 were randanly divided into control and experimental grotps and underwent a six session classroom based careers education programme. In addition to the NED material,alternative materials (CRIC - Std. 7 and CRAC - Std. 9) were used on a second experimental group in two standards. The Career Maturity Inventory Attitude Scale was used to measure the outcomes. Analysis of variance and t-tests for the difference between means were used to analyse the data. The results were significant only in Standard 8. For all the other standards with all the materials, they were insignificant. Reasons for and implications of these findings are discussed.
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