Browsing by Author "Ntombela, Thabisile Nothando."

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Factors affecting motivation of adolescent learners in central Durban.
(2006) Barath, Seema.; Ntombela, Thabisile Nothando.
The aim of the study was to gain an understanding of factors that affect motivation of adolescent learners in the classroom. The pilot and main research study was conducted with 42 adolescent learners in Grades 8 to 12 at Sunflower Secondary School1 in Durban. The theoretical frameworks that underpinned this study were the ecosystemic perspective, the systems theory and the humanistic theory. These frameworks guided my focus on the interactions that learners, peers, and educators and the whole system of education have with each other as well as on the role they play in motivating each other. The study used a qualitative research methodology. This approach allowed the researcher to interview the participants of Sunflower Secondary to ascertain rich data as to what factors motivate adolescent learners in the classroom. A semi structured interview schedule was used. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed and analysed. Central themes emerged, revealing that educators and peers motivated adolescent learners to learn in the classroom. A list of guidelines was also developed to assist educators in motivating adolescent learners to learn in the classroom.
Foundation phase teachers' experiences of learner bullying and disruptive behaviour: a case study.
(2014) Singh, Nalini.; Ntombela, Thabisile Nothando.
School bullying is an ever - increasing pandemic which is not only affecting schools in Kwa Zulu - Natal, but is also a national problem. Teachers encounter an increasing amount of bullying and disruptive behaviour in their schools. This study focused on the impact of bullying and disruptive behaviour on teacher morale and on teachers’ academic deliverance. The research was conducted in a primary school, focusing on the behaviour of the learners between the ages of 6 to 9, in the Foundation phase at the school. The teachers from the Foundation Phase at the school were interviewed with regards to their experiences with learner bullying and disruptive behavior. Their responses were recorded on a Dictaphone and were then transcribed. Using a qualitative methodology, the study found that bullying and disruptive behavior was prevalent at the school. The teachers expressed their concerns with regard to such behavior and its impact on their morale and the extent to which it affects teaching and learning in the classroom. The participants were able to identify a few characteristics or behaviour traits displayed by the bully or disruptive learner. The use of Kolb’s’ Experiential theory, which advocates that self-reflection of ones’ experiences allows one to explore ones’ experiences. This process allowed participants to reflect on experiences and then learn from them. The findings show that teachers felt that time was wasted on discipline issues and that they require more support from parents and the school. As a result of learner bullying and disruptive behavior, teachers were despondent as this impacted on their mental health. The study recommends that the Department of Education provides support structures for teachers and learners as bullying is a result of emotional and physical imbalances which could take place at the home or school front. For teachers, support may be in the form of compulsory developmental workshops on how to handle with discipline issues. This could also be a part of the pre- service training as the newer teachers who are entering this field are experiencing great difficulty with this phenomenon.
Investigating factors which influence parental school choice in post-apartheid South Africa : a case study of Umlazi Township.
(2013) Ntombela, Thabisile Nothando.; Sutherland, Catherine Grace.; Hunter, Mark.
While race played a dominant role in determining how South Africans accessed quality education during apartheid this study reveals that in post-apartheid South Africa, particularly in racially homogenous communities, class has come to play a greater role in securing quality education. The following case study provides a compelling vignette of how residents from the formal and informal settlements in Umlazi interact with schools in the local educational market. The study uses qualitative interviews with residents of Umlazi S-section who have chosen to have their children educated in Umlazi schools to extract narratives which expose how they have experienced the process of choosing schools in Umlazi. Choice theories are invoked in order to understand how parents perceive the value of education and how their own choices demonstrate their understanding of the educational market. In examining the factors governing school choice and its effects, the study employs a number of theories which add value to understanding this area of educational sociology including Pierre Bourdieu’s ‘theory of practice’, which provides insight into how class positions influence individuals’ perceptions of their own rightful place in society. Household narratives reveal that parental school choice is dominated by concerns with affordability, safety and preservation of culture. The study also reveals that schools themselves play an influential role in determining who is selected and excluded from schools in the community. The study reveals that societies perceive education as critical to the development of their children and most importantly, that their efforts and educational choices are geared towards providing opportunities that ensure their children have better opportunities in life. However, it is also revealed that school choice is a weak tool for redistributing educational equity in an educational system where access is largely determined by financial positioning. In the community under investigation the manner in which parents exercise choice has resulted in poorer children being pushed out of the local school market. Such movements, in pursuit of educational opportunities, have far-reaching consequences for funding models in the South African education system.