Doctoral Degrees (Education, Development, Leadership and Management)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7168

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 105

A critical study of some aspects of teacher training in the Commonwealth.
(1960) Beresford, Harold Beaumont.; McMillan, Brian George.
Abstract not available.
Teacher education in South Africa : a critical study of selected aspects of its historical, curricular and administrative development.
(1971) Niven, John McGregor.; MacMillan, Ronald George.
This study, in a sense, mirrors the attitudes of the society in which it is based towards a fundamental pedagogical task, that of the preparation of its teachers, Almost throughout the Western world, the concept of elementary education for all was accepted as a responsibility of the society with little thought being given to the preparation of teachers to make the concept a reality. From this emerged, with the dichotomy of full education for a privileged elite, and basic education for the mass of society, the widespread idea that elementary school teachers stood in need of professional training while secondary schoolmasters required only a thorough grounding in academic studies in the university. It has only been with the full realisation about the middle decades of this century of the need for education at secondary school level for all members of society, that the necessity for a welleducated teaching force has become an accepted reality. With this has come the acceptance of teacher education as an essential pre-requisite of a national system of education rather than merely a poor and somewhat depressed Cinderella of the school system. Part One of this survey therefore seeks to examine the origins and early development of systems for the preparation of teachers in the days before the unification of the states of South Africa. Part Two carries on the historical investigation and the growing moves towards the professionalisation of teacher education up to the middle of the present century. Central to the development of this theme is the major problem of constitutional provision for the control of education in the Union of South Africa. The resultant lack of a national policy for education in general and teacher education in particular sets the stage for the second two parts of the survey. Part Three endeavours on a highly selective basis to examine some of the problems which confront the teacher educator and the educational planner at the present time, concentrating in particular upon aspects of demography and the supply of teachers, as well as the nature of the courses offered. The final section of the study examines the reform period of South African education at elementary and secondary school levels represented by the legislation of the decade of the 'sixties. In particular the proposals of the National Education Policy Act of 1967, and its amendment of 1969, regarding the structure of teacher education in this country are examined. Finally, proposals are made with regard to the implementation of this policy in the present decade. Inevitably as this investigation has proceeded, as the power of the researcher's lens has been increased, so the breadth of the study has been replaced by depth. The depth has not been consistent, reflecting the personal predelictions of the investigator. An attempt has been made to examine aspects of the preparation of teachers for the White group only. Previous experience of an investigation into a much more restricted field than is represented by South Africa revealed the practical impossibility feaiofa wider study than this. Can such a study have any function in the educational literature of the society? This is a question which is of concern to every researcher in the field of the social sciences. For the first time since the creation of Union in 1910, and the framing of the famous but ambiguous phrase in Section 85 of the South Africa Act, this country has been able to contemplate the formulation of a national education policy. The relationships between institutions and authorities charged with the preparation of teachers has in the past largely been based on divisive and separatist tendencies. If a national education policy is to be securely based, it must have at its core a teacher force which is committed to its implementation. It is in the hope that teacher education may be based upon policies which draw institutions and authorities together upon a professional basis of common interest rather than upon the coercive effect of ministerial edict that this study may have some slight value. It is in this spirit that it has been undertaken.
Success, failure and drop-out at university : a comparative, longitudinal study with special reference to the University of Durban-Westville.
(1983) Gounden, Perumal Kistna.; Maharaj, S. R.
No abstract available.
A critical study of aspects of the political, constitutional, administrative and professional development of Indian teacher education in South Africa with particular reference to the period 1965 to 1984.
(1985) Naguran, Chinnapen Amatchi.; Niven, John McGregor.
This study deals with the administrative and curricular development of Indian teacher education in South Africa for the period 1860 - 1984. It is set against the background of developments in the education system for Indians in this country. Historical and political events which have a direct bearing on Indian education are touched upon merely cursorily to give the reader the necessary background for a fuller appreciation of the Indian community's struggle for education in the country of their adoption. The study is divided into three parts. Part one comprising the first two chapters, provides a brief historical perspective of Indian education from 1860 to 1965. Chapter One deals with a brief review of the coming of the Indians to Natal and the origins and early development of education for the Indians. Chapter Two carries on the historical review with the emphasis on the early development of Indian teacher education. Part Two comprising four chapters deals with aspects of Indian education after it was transferred from provincial control to central State control in 1966. The Indian Education Act of 1965 (No. 61 of 1965) is taken as a point of departure. Chapter Three begins with a very brief discussion of the principles underlying the nationalisation of education in South Africa. The de Lange Report and the Government's reaction to its recommendations are considered against the new political dispensation. Chapter Four deals with such aspects as control and administration, involvement of Indians in the control of their education, school accommodation, growth in pupil enrolment and the school curricula are examined to assess growth and progress. Chapter Five is concerned with the control and administration of Indian teacher education after nationalisation of Indian education. Within the framework of this chapter recent developments such as the recommendations of the Gericke Commission leading to the National Education Policy Amendment Act (No. 75 of 1969) and the van Wyke de Vries Commission's recommendations for a closer co-operation with universities in respect of teacher education, are examined with a view to tracing their influence on Indian teacher education. Chapter Six attempts to examine demographic aspects which influence the demand for and supply of teachers in Indian education. Part Three comprising four chapters, examines contemporary issues and perspectives in Indian teacher education. Chapters Seven and Eight examine critically the teachers' courses at the Colleges of Education and the University of Durban-Westville respectively. Chapter Nine examines on a comparative basis structural changes and new developments in methodological skills in teacher education. Finally, in Chapter Ten proposals and recommendations are formulated with a view to achieving a properly structured institutional arrangement such as the college council and college senate to facilitate Indian teacher education.
A comparative study of the use of microteaching and an analysis of factors which affect its use in one year postgraduate teacher training courses.
(1985) Kendall, George.; Beard, Paul.
This thesis is concerned with a study of the use of microteaching in the one year postgraduate teacher training course. It consists of two national surveys using two types of questionnaire, an Organisation and an Attitude Questionnaire. Education tutors and Subject Method tutors in United Kingdom universities, polytechnics and colleges offering one year postgraduate courses were requested to complete questionnaires about their use of microteaching and about their attitudes towards it. Visits were arranged to meet the staff involved and to see the type of facilities available. A similar survey was conducted in Departments of Education in South African universities. A comparative study of the use of microteaching in one year postgraduate teacher training courses was carried out on the data that was accumulated from the two surveys. Some interesting points of comparison can be made both on the types of microteaching organisation that have evolved in the two very different education systems and on the different attitudes of staff towards the use of microteaching. Based on the United Kingdom data, an in-depth study of the factors affecting the use of microteaching, was carried out. This study was related to the changes in teacher training in the United Kingdom during the seventies, following the publication of the James report, leading to a more professional approach to teacher training and the evolution of school-based training courses. Significant differences in the responses to the Organisation and Attitude Questionnaires from the different types of institution were examined using Chi-square. The Attitude data was examined for various groups of teacher training staff, who differed in their approaches to the organisation of microteaching because of, for instance, the different facilities available, the length of time available, the size of the student group or the logistics of the microteaching programme, by the use of Chi-square and significant differences in the responses of the different groups were reported. The results from the surveys were analysed and related to the research findings as published in the literature to see how the practitioners of teacher education differ in their views and approaches to microteaching from those responsible for the research into microteaching. Factor analysis of the responses to the Attitude Questionnaire from the different types of training institution, i.e. United Kingdom universities, polytechnics and colleges and South African universities, was carried out to examine the significant underlying factors which influenced the responses. The findings of the study identify economic, organisational and philosophical factors which affect the way microteaching is used. These factors and the recent developments in postgraduate teacher training courses in the United Kingdom are examined for their possible implications for postgraduate teacher training in South Africa.
An investigation into the management of in-service education and training (INSET) in the Natal-KwaZulu region.
(1995) Pather, Govindasami.; Nel, Berndine F.; Prosser, Julia Judith.; Bagwandeen, Dowlat Ramdas.
In any education system “no other single factor determines to such an extent the quality of education in a country as the quality of the corps of teachers, lecturers and instructors” (HSRC 198 : 180). This factor is of greater significance in the context of the new South Africa that politiicans and educationists are planning. In planning for a uniary system of education and provincial education departments, the study investigates the organizational aspects of management of In-Service Education and Training (INSET) mainly for teachers in the Natal-KwaZulu region. The primary objectives of the study are: 1. To investigate on a macro-level the management of INSET in each of the former five education departments in Natal-KwaZulu region; 2. To establish whether: (a) there is common ground in respect of INSET amongst the various former education departments in Natal-KwaZulu; and, (b) the different control mechanisms acts as a hampering factor in sharing of resources relating to INSET. 3. To make recommendations to the Natal-KwaZulu education authority so that primarily INSET for teachers may be improved. As a background to the study, key terms were discussed and INSET models and methods reviewed. Brief reference was made to change strategies relating to INSET. This was followed by a discussion of national and regional strategies for INSET, agencies and locations for courses. To obtain a better perspective of INSET a scan of INSET provision study involving England and Wales, Scotland and several Sub-Saharan countries was undertaken. A situational analysis of INSET in each of the former five education departments in Natal-KwaZulu was followed by an empirical study. Conclusions and recommendations were then suggested. The major findings were as follows: 1. There was no structured, documented national or regional policy for INSET. 2. The funding formula for education discriminated against the Black, Indian and Coloured teachers. Funding for INSET was inadequate. 3. There was no co-ordination amongst the former five education departments as far as INSET was concerned. 4. Structures and staffing for INSET at Head Office were limited. Resulting in and ad hoc provision of courses in most Departments. Valuable human resources at schools in the private sector INSET projects and at tertiary institutions were not used effectively. This was a management flaw. 5. The expertise of the inspectorate with respect to INSET was the only common ground that existed amongst the former five education departments. However, such expertise was not shared. 6. In view of the foregoing the management of INSET in most departments in Natal-KwaZulu was not very effective.
Non-formal education : assessment of need and development of a provision model.
(1996) Mkhize, Mandla Gilton.; Gounden, Perumal Kistna.
The present debates over strategies to construct a non-racial democratic education system for South Africa concur that non-formal education is an indispensable complement of formal education. Formal education alone is not enough to develop the human resources of marginalized Third World people, whose capacity to participate and perform has been wasted over the centuries. Massive deficits in literacy, numeracy, vocational and technical skills among adults, school-leavers and school drop-outs, are clear problems to be tackled by non-formal education. In South Africa, non-formal education, as a component of education and training, is of recent origin. Research in the field is very limited. It is necessary to undertake scientific studies regarding key issues like adults' educational needs, programmes, available facilities and funds, and staffing needs required to maximize non-formal education's contributions to human resources development. This research aims to identify crucial issues in the provision of creative and viable non-formal education; to locate existing non-formal education resources and forms of network; to identify immediate and long-term non-formal education needs; and to develop a provision model for non-formal education. The study is set against the background of the development of non-formal education in selected European countries, some developing countries, and selected African countries. Non-formal education models are identified and described in Chapters Two and Three. This research focuses on the provision of non-formal education in the Pietermaritzburg region, in particular non-formal education providers, programmes or courses, trainers/teachers, trainees/learners, students' needs and the training of adult educators. Each of the above-mentioned areas is reviewed with the aim of making comparisons with the industrialized European countries in order to detect common and divergent trends which could have implications for the alleviation of the present situation in South Africa. It is also intended to develop a provision model for non-formal education in South Africa. The study samples comprised 400 learners/trainees, 200 teachers/trainers, and 100 managers, officials and principals of non-formal education institutions in the greater Pietermaritzburg region. The instruments used for data collection were two questionnaires and an interview schedule. Participant observation was also used. The study established the following major needs in non-formal education in the greater Pietermaritzburg region: strong links with a national system of adult education; efficient training system of adult educators; strong state commitment to the provision of non-formal education; proper networking amongst non-formal education providers; adequate INSET courses for non-formal education providers and teachers/trainers; a satisfactory system of funding non-formal education and more non-formal education centres in rural areas. The findings and conclusions led to the development of a provision model for non-formal education. The model has five major sequential components: (1) Establishing non-formal education needs through research, networking, and adult education organizers, etc.; (2) Constructing appropriate curricula/ syllabuses/courses and evaluating them during and after implementation; (3) Selection of non-formal education students based on relevant criteria; (4) Provision of appropriate training through suitably qualified trainers/educators and aided by a variety of support services; and (5) Placement of trained personnel in employment and monitoring their progress in the work situation.
Power and identity in theory-practice relationships : an exploration of teachers' work through qualitative research.
(1997) Wickham, Sharman.; Nel, Berndine F.
This thesis provides two interwoven sets of detailed descriptions with narrative lines. The first relates to five case studies involving secondary school teachers in schools in and around Durban during 1993 and 1994. This account focuses on the relationships between the teachers' thinking about knowledge and learning and their classroom practice. The second account describes the processes and difficulties involved in qualitative research incorporating case study and participant observation methodologies - from gaining access to schools and developing a task to access teachers' thinking about knowledge to acquiring skills for observation, writing lesson descriptions, conducting interviews and completing different levels of analysis. In essence, this account traces the development of the researcher during the course of this project and also highlights both the strengths and the weaknesses of qualitative research as a mode of social inquiry. Analysis of theory/practice relationships in each of these descriptions is centred around issues of power and identity, the data collected during the course of the fieldwork being used to develop grounded theory. The work of George H. Mead, Michel Foucault and Thomas Popkewitz provide the basis for the concept of power identity. The relational and shifting nature of power and its role in identity and theory/practice relationships - both in the work of the five teachers work and in qualitative research - is explored. In the former, seven interrelated components of power are identified and the ways in which these strengthen and limit teachers' power identities are described. In the latter, the connections between epistemology and research methodology and the similarities between qualitative research and local criticism are highlighted together with the critical roles played by contradiction, language and reflexivity. Finally, the insights gained about theory/practice relationships and power identity are extended to provide possibilities for conceptualising rationality and teacher education. The thesis is structured so as to capture both the contradictory elements and the shifts and developments that occurred during the study - those in the work of the participating teachers during the period of collaboration and those related to my personal epistemology and my practice as a qualitative researcher.
The role played by environmental education in the secondary school geography syllabus in a future South Africa.
(1997) Cowie, Trevor Leslie.; Nel, Berndine F.; Harber, Clive R.
The primary aim of this study is to attempt to examine the role to be played by Environmental Education (E.E.) in the secondary school Geography syllabus in a future South Africa. At the present time and since the commencement of this study new interim syllabi have been formulated for Standard 2-7. Interim syllabi for Standards 8 - 10 have not been formulated and a decision has been made by the National Department of Education to continue using the existing syllabi until the year 2001 when the existing matriculation examination will fall away. It is the intention of the educational authorities to have all interim syllabi operational in the country's schools by 1996 at the latest with the first unified provincial education department examinations for Standard 10 to be written at the end of 1996. The process of formulating completely new curricula and syllabi for all subjects and standards has already begun. This process will be a lengthy one and could take up to 5 years or more to complete. This study should be seen as a contribution to the deliberations which must inevitably occur before completely new curricula and syllabi are formulated. The qualitative nature of most of the study as well as the empirical study described in Chapter Eight allow for ideas and suggestions on the incorporation of E.E. in the new syllabus as well as pointers to be made on what should constitute the new syllabus. The ideas and suggestions forwarded have been based on a fairly extensive review of current literature in the field as well as on the author's eighteen years of teaching and lecturing experience and membership of various educational committees involved in syllabus formulation. Besides a review of current literature in the fields of Geographical Education, E.E., Development Education, Sustainability, Education for Sustainable living and Syllabus Formulation, chapters in this study will deal.with the current position of E.E. in South Africa as well as in the education system, the position of E.E. in the current secondary school Geography syllabi in South Africa, the position of E.E. in the current secondary school Geography Syllabi in a selected number of other countries, including a fairly detailed examination of the position in selected African countries. A background scenario is then provided to the formulation of a new secondary school Geography syllabus in South Africa before a series of recommendations are forwarded on what should constitute a new syllabus. Empirical studies on the incorporation of E.E. into the Geography syllabus are examined to provide support for the contention of this study that much scope remains for the inclusion of more E.E. into a new syllabus. Such inclusion would of necessity include elements of the concepts of development education and sustainability. Every attempt needs to be made to transform existing syllabi into something more relevant and meaningful to the pupils of today. Of necessity a process of 'Africanising' of the syllabus would be required as part of the process of syllabus renewal so as to cater more appropriately for the needs of the majority of pupils who will be studying the subject. In addition every attempt must be made to achieve a phase three status for the new Syllabus as advocated by Graves (1981). This study is presented as a contribution to education and more specifically to Geography teaching in South Africa. Every effort is made to provide a case for the study of Geography in the new curriculum which will emerge and to have E.E. as a central focus in the study of the subject. The Government's proposal to introduce an outcomes/competencies based curriculum and to shift emphasis away from the subject-based curriculum presently in existence will obviously have ramifications for Geography as a subject as we know it at present. It is the contention of this study, however, that a place will have to be found, in some form, for the study of what we now label Geography in the present syllabus. The intention of this study was never to actually formulate a new syllabus as such as this of necessity needs a lengthy process of dialogue and consultation between all interested stake-holders and role players. It is hoped, however, that some of the ideas contained in this study will be considered in the deliberations which take place. Finally, the dramatic political changes which have occurred in South Africa in recent years have inevitably produced changes in the educational sphere. These changes may have appeared to be a bit slow at first but have definitely recently picked up in intensity. This study has been conducted during this period of change, beginning with the start of the study in January 1992 through to the start of the original writing up of the study in January - April 1995. The changing scenarios have definitely not made it easy for the author but every attempt has been made to represent the position as accurately as possible as it was as at the end of April, 1995.
Alternate systems of education (distance and virtual) : South African trends.
(2001) Govender, Devanandan.; Kistan, G.
It has been well documented (Education and Training White Paper I,II and III) that one of the key challenges facing South African post apartheid education is the need to transform the educational sector that was systematically destroyed by many years of apartheid education. Whilst dealing with the process of transformation, South African education is also expected to deal with many other pressures that beset, at present, educational landscapes world wide. These pressures relate directly to the increased demand for access to higher education with a corresponding reduction in government funding for tertiary education. The massification of higher education has placed great pressure on traditional face to face higher education institutions to provide access to larger numbers of students. Student profiles have also changed considerably in post apartheid South Africa. In the past apartheid policies restricted access to the majority of students consequently there are many adult students who are now beginning to enroll at tertiary institutions to upgrade their expertise and qualifications. South African tertiary institutions see it as their imperative to find innovative ways to make their places of learning more flexible and accommodate students wanting life long learning. Based on the above challenges facing the South African educational landscape, this study investigated the popularity of distance and virtual education as a viable alternate system of learning amongst higher education students in South Africa. The study found that distance education is a very popular choice amongst students who are above 35 years of age. Another finding, was that distance education is popular amongst students pursuing a qualification (diplomas, honours, masters and doctoral degrees) in a variety of professions such as, Computers, Nursing Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, Police Services, Teacher Education, Human Resource Management and Financial Management. While revealing that distance education is a popular choice amongst tertiary students, the study also found that distance education institutions (UNISA and SACOL) provide a very low level of learner support to students. The majority of the students indicate that they are very unhappy about the quality and type of study materials that they receive. They also point out that the format of the study materials is always in the form of correspondence based print materials. These materials are too theoretical, confusing and difficult to understand. In terms of staff support, students felt that staff were not sympathetic to their problems and were always unavailable for consultation. The study also found that the type of feedback students received from staff was not in depth and constructive. In this regard, however, both SACOL and UNISA staff indicate that they do not have adequate time to provide learner support as they have very large classes to contend with, in some instances over 400 students per class. The study reveals that students are unhappy with the fact that their institutions persist with print materials as their primary mode of education delivery. Students overwhelmingly show a preference for multi mediated technologies in their course delivery. On line (Internet) based teaching and learning is high on their priority. It was surprising to find that the majority of students were computer literate. Students indicate that they were self taught in computers as they gained access to it at their place of work. This highlights the point that the work place, is now demanding a new type of worker, namely the knowledge worker. It is for this reason that higher education institutions ought to begin to invest in technology enhanced teaching and learning. In the literature review (chapter two), the study provides a number of advantages of harnessing online education. Perhaps, the most significant advantage of employing computer technology in distance education is that of cost reduction with a commensurate increase in productivity. The literature review also highlights various other potential benefits (personalised education, time and place independence, increased access, etc) to be gained from using online distance education learning systems such as the Internet and Web based applications, etc. In conclusion, the study provides a number of recommendations on how distance education provision could be enhanced in South Africa. Specific recommendations are offered to distance education institutions on strategies that could be employed to increase the quality of learner support and the advantages of employing technology enhanced delivery modes. Recommendations are also offered to the Department of Education (DoE) in terms of revising its policy as outlined in the National Plan on Higher Education (NPHE) with specific reference to distance education provision in South Africa.
An exploration of women's transformation through distance learning in Kenya.
(2004) Kithome, Lucy Kasyoka.; Aitchison, John Jacques William.
This research, An Exploration of Women's Transformation through Distance Learning in Kenya, applied Mezirow's theory of transformative learning to investigate how distance learning impacted on women's views about themselves and their position in society. This was done by examining whether distance learning enables women to acquire new self-perceptions about themselves and leads them to challenge the status quo and take action in order to improve their status in society. Three distance learning programmes were studied: the B.Ed. programme at the Faculty of External Studies at the University of Nairobi, Theological Education by Extension, and the Co-operative College of Kenya. This research was motivated through my own biography, with the purpose of identifying and encouraging distance learning practices that promote women's transformation. The research also hoped to draw attention to the study of women's issues in distance learning, as an area that has not attracted much attention in Kenya and to generate information which can be used to inform the use of distance learning methods in a way that favours women. Biographical methods of research were used. This involved listening to women's learning stories, noting their reasons for coming back to study, the barriers that they encountered as they studied and the coping strategies that they used to overcome the barriers. In addition, other methods were used to supplement the biographical data collected from the women. These included focus group discussions, observation and documentary evidence. The approach to data analysis was based on the use of hermeneutics methods of data interpretation. The themes and concepts that emerged from this process were compared with themes and concepts generated through other methods of data collection. The main findings were that distance learning, though based on alternative forms of provision, does lead to transformation, however, women from the three programmes experienced diverse levels of transformation. The B.Ed.programme with its face-to-face component and women with higher education had greater impact on women's transformation than other programmes. Although the TEE programme had face-to-face interaction, their curriculum, which reinforced the negative gender stereotypes in society and does not lead to recognised certificates, could not allow them to achieve this experience. The Coop programme, without the face-to-face arrangement had the lowest transformative effects on women. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that more distance learning programmes be designed, with increased use of face-to-face components in order to help women achieve transformation. The findings and the discussions thereof also show that prior level of education had far reaching effects on the levels of transformation that women achieved. This led to the recommendation that women's education should be encouraged and the society should be sensitised about the value of educating women. Distance learning also enabled women to achieve economic empowerment, in terms of promotions, new jobs and increased salaries; however this was only noted in the B.Ed. and Coop programmes. The TEE programme, being a church programme had no economic benefits for its women learners. The women in the TEE programme were not happy with the present arrangement and were, therefore, calling for a review of the programme. The findings also showed that women's transformation is not being fully achieved because of non- supportive facilities and the use of learning materials, which reinforce the negative gender stereotypes in society. Therefore, to make distance learning more accessible to women learners and more transformational, the research recommended changes geared towards the creation of women-friendly facilities and learning materials.
Literacy in the lives of domestic workers : investigating the impact of the adult English literacy curriculum on the lives of female adult learners.
(2004) Perumal, Krishnaveni.; Sookrajh, Reshma.
This study draws on empirical evidence to examine theory on the critical question: "What is the impact of the English literacy curriculum on the lives of female adult learners?" I used the critical postmodernist and feminist lenses to examine the lived experiences of four Black African domestic workers and their journey through adult literacy. I used life history and autobiographical writings as the main methodological tools to uncover the biographical experiences of the learners. The postmodernist lens provided a framework to understand the changing identities and the complexities in the lived experiences of the learners. The critical and feminist theories provided the framework to understand the power relations and female oppression in a gendered society. Researching adult literacy in transforming, unstable and uncertain environments is methodologically complex and challenging. In these circumstances it is often serendipity that provides tools for discovery. Thus letter writing and 'in loco' visits into informal settlements provided me with thick description of the adult learners' life worlds, which would have otherwise been closed. In drawing up a literacy curriculum for adult learners the ‘in loco' visits became a vital source of information. A major impact of the adult literacy programme in this study is that it provided learners with a language of criticism, hope and one with which to analyse their social and material conditions. The narrative writing and class discussions gave learners the opportunity to reflect, to be critically conscious of their poverty, to act and dream of their emancipation. The autobiographies were voices for the voiceless learners, offering them a space to explore their feelings through story telling. The story telling opened up possibilities, which was not mere reflection but a complex process of making a difference in the world through diffraction. Autobiographical writing as a narrative form provided the discursive space for learners to become reflective, conscientized and intellectually emancipated. However, they were not always able to assert their empowerment, because of the dominant mediating factors such as economic power relations and socio-cultural contexts. Feminist and critical pedagogical approaches to mediating the curriculum can be emancipatory, in environments of poverty, oppression and powerlessness. Although learners attained critical consciousness and intellectual liberation, only two of the four were able to break the shackles of poverty. The English language created a triple bind for the adult female learners. The dominance of the English language in the global economy, has created demands on adult learners to acquire competency skills in English in order to function optimally in society. The hegemony of the English language led to discrimination, and created class stratification as well as social inclusion and exclusion for learners. They either felt alienated or accepted. This study showed that the dominant indigenous language within their own informal community also causes social inclusion and exclusion. The first dominant pull is that of the English language, the second is the dominant indigenous language from their own communities and finally they are caught with the need for their own language causing a threefold pull or push on the learners' identities, which I call a triple bind. The quest to acquire the dominant language also created schisms in the learners' identities. This research has shown that the chasm between policy intentions and implementation has not been bridged. The promises of equity, redress and social justice as enunciated in Adult Basic Education and Training (from here on referred to as ABET) policy documents are far from being realized. This study revealed that the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal placed too much emphasis merely on summative tests and certification and not on the needs of the adult learner. If adult education continues in the same direction there will be no good incentive to work towards a programme that has a direct impact on the lives of marginalized females in particular. The study suggests that ABET curriculum must be situationally relevant to make an impact on learners. The adult literacy curriculum should offer programmes for critical consciousness as well as vocational training for income generation.
Recognition of prior learning and assessment of adult learners : considerations for theory, policy and practice.
(2004) Naidu, Sundrasagren.; Samuel, Michael Anthony.
As part of the transformation agenda of education and training policy, the main thrust of Recognition and Prior Learning (RPL) in the South African policy context was to contribute to addressing social justice issues such as equity, redress and access of the majority of adult learners, who were historically denied access to formal learning. The study focuses on the following critical questions: What are the official policy claims of the assessment and recognition of prior learning at the national and sectoral level? How do assessors mediate official policy in recognising and assessing prior learning of adult learners in an institutional context? What are the experiences and engagements of adult learners in having their prior learning assessed? This research responds to the conceptual gaps in the study of RPL policy and practice and the National Qualifications Framework. The study examines epistemological issues such as: what and whose knowledge is considered as valid; the relationship between knowledge and experience; the relationship between different types of knowledge and learning; and the relationship between knowledge and access to power. The study also addresses a contextual gap: very limited research exists on the RPL experiences of societies in transition with similar transformational agendas as South Africa. The present research study also examines the implementation process in a transitional context, exploring the gap that develops between intended policies and actual practice. This is a qualitative study using the case study approach to examine the complexities of the assessment and recognition of prior learning process in a Technical College Institution located in the Further Education and Training Band. The analysis of selected international case studies of RPL contributed to identifying and exploring conceptual gaps in RPL policy and practice. These conceptual issues provided the first set of preliminary lens for the production, description and analysis of data in the research study. The preliminary lens were then re-interpreted and elaborated in relation to Bernstein 's theory (1996) of symbolic control and cultural production. reproduction and change. The synthesised conceptual framework provided a theoretical vocabulary to redescribe and reinterpret data at deeper levels of abstraction. The key findings of the research were as follows: The undertheorisation of RPL in policy circles and the ways in which policy has tended to gloss over issues such as "equivalence", "integrated competence", knowledge-power dynamics and the differences between mainstream and outsider knowledge; The gap between policy rhetoric and sectoral practice. The sector advocated a technicist approach to RPL that was preoccupied with matching adult experiential learning against prescribed standards. The sector practice marginalized or even excluded adult learners who had acquired their knowledge and learning in non-formal and informal contexts; Nevertheless, assessors who were socially and culturally sensitive to the RPL process had an implicit understanding of the different types of knowledge and knowers. Their developmental approach to RPL provided an enabling environment for adult learners to demonstrate their learning and knowledge from experience. Adult learners without high levels of formal literacy were able to demonstrate their ability to reflect on their experiential learning to transfer their abstract and critical thought processes to solve new problems in the assessment context. The research highlights the commensurability between informal and formal knowledge and the ability of workers who have learnt their skills informally to demonstrate high levels of conceptual and transferable skills. The present research makes the following theoretical contributions: Firstly , Bernstein's theory was extended to examine policy formulation and the policy process. Within the framework of critical policy analysis, a new construct: "relations outside" was created as an analytical tool to examine the nuances of the macro-contexts (historical, political, social, economic) which shape the meaning and significance of policy. Secondly, the research study produces a new conceptual framework to analyse the complex and dynamic nature of RPL policy and practice in a transformational context. The present study advocates a critical and holistic approach to RPL that interrogates how power-relations within and across contextual, epistemological and pedagogical issues reproduce or challenge the existing patterns of inequalities in society.
A critical appraisal of policy on educator post provisioning in public schools with particular reference to secondary schools in Kwazulu-Natal.
(2005) Naicker, Inbanathan.; Ngwenya, Thengani Harold.
Historically, educator post provisioning in South African public schools has been a
Teacher learning in a community of practice : case study of teachers of economic and management sciences.
(2005) Suriamurthee, Moonsamy Maistry.; Harley, Keneth Lee.
Conceptualising teacher learning in terms of participation in a teacher learning community is a relatively new phenomenon in South Africa. This study explores the usefulness of applying a social practice theory of learning to a community of novice Economic and Management Sciences teacher learners involved in the Teaching Economics and Management Sciences (TEMS) teacher development project. It examines the influence of contextual constraints, teachers' biographies and professional career trajectories on teachers' ability to participate in a learning community. By drawing on Wenger's theory of learning in a community of practice and Wenger et al's stages of community development framework, it also illuminates and theorises the potential that a community of practice framework has for teacher development. Wenger's framework offered important insights that informed and shaped the development of the TEMS programme. It also provided a useful tool for analysing teacher learning as constituting four components, namely, meaning, practice, identity and community. The complex relationship that exists between these different components of learning is examined. The study offers a critique of the feasibility and appropriateness of using Wenger's framework for analysing a teacher learning community. Methodologically, the tenets of symbolic interactionist ethnography were employed in the collection of data for this study. An exposition of the complexity and challenge of adopting the dual role of researcher as observer and participant is presented. An analysis is also provided of the methodological challenge of gaining access and acceptance in a South African education research context. The study examines how the essential tension in teacher professional development, namely, that of curriculum development and deepening subject matter knowledge is managed in a teacher learning community of novice Economic and Management Sciences teachers. It reveals the potential that a learning community framework has for teacher learning through different levels of participation, and points to the importance of the input of an outside expert, particularly during the early stages of development of a community of teacher learners who lack subject content knowledge. It argues that teacher learning communities present a fruitful and viable alternative to the current 'deficit' models of teacher development that typify the present South African teacher development scenario, as teacher learning communities suggest a conceptual reorientation of the discourse on teacher development.
Towards inclusive education : exploring policy, context and change through an ethnographic study in a rural context in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2005) Perumal, Jaganathan.; Muthukrishna, Anbanithi.
This study is an ethnographic enquiry into the experiences of a school and its community as they interface with the implementation of the policy of educational inclusion in a pilot project in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Through the lens of critical theory and postmodernism, I critique special education and argue for the discourse of inclusive education to be placed on the broader agenda of social inclusion and exclusion and for its focus to extend beyond a narrow emphasis on special needs education. The study focuses on the micro-level, the teachers, learners, and parents who act within conflicting discursive spaces. Under scrutiny is context as a discursive field, which includes social, political and cultural factors and practices. The study examines systemic issues related to inclusion and exclusion within situated contexts. On the macro-level it examines discursive forces, including national and global forces that influence the implementation processes. Ethnography as a methodological tool opened up spaces to interrogate change and reform at the level of the interpersonal in the context of wider social and political power relations. In uncertain and unstable circumstances, an ethnographic approach, with multiple and prolonged data collection strategies, provided me with a fuller picture of the multiple realities within the school. The concept of a conditional matrix is a useful construct in understanding the multiple interlocking and intersecting influences that impact on the process of policy implementation. In this study, the micropolitical and micro-cultural conditions in the school, the politics of participation of departmental officials in policy implementation , teacher identities, macro-economic policy of the state, globalisation and neoliberalism and competing policies, impacted on and at times constrained the policy implementation process. Many gains were made in moving towards an inclusive school in this pilot project, but fiscal austerity in a sea of poverty threatened the goals of equity and redress. In understanding the implementation of a generic policy in all schools in a country, the contextual conditions within this conditional matrix need to be understood. Empirical evidence from this investigation suggests that developing learning schools and communities helps to bring about educational change and build inclusive schools. Collaboration in the form of team teaching, peer coaching, mentor relationships, professional dialogue, action research, and collaborative partnerships with and between members of the community provided a crucial plank in teacher development and school improvement. Using collaborative learning for teacher development transcends personal, individual reflection, or dependence on outside experts, leading to a situation where teachers learn from one other, to share and develop their expertise. This investigation provides evidence that the accessing and building of human and social capital within the school and the community is one way to implement inclusive education and reduce exclusion in the school and community. Collaborative partnerships with universities, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations, Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs), and intersectorial networking with government departments, and people from the community, played a major role in the implementation of the policy of inclusive education. The data suggests that teachers' experiences in professional development can influence their identities for policy change. Changing mental models or deeply established conceptions is essential in developing learning organizations. Critical to this shift of the 'mental model' or identity, is how the policy is mediated to the incumbents. This study proposes a tripolar approach to policy implementation, that is, a combination of three dimensions of teacher development: the 'top-down' , 'bottomup' and 'horizontal' dimensions. While some teachers used constructivist learner centred pedagogy effectively, others grappled with the principles of constructivism. Constructivist approaches to teaching, a learner centred pedagogy, active learning, cooperative learning, curriculum differentiation and multilevel teaching created a pedagogy of possibility for an inclusive curriculum for all learners. Whilst on the other hand the hegemony of traditional practices such as a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, closed up possibilities for some learners to access the curriculum. Different forms of assessments or a flexible assessment system generates opportunities or possibilities for a more equitable and non-discriminatory assessment procedure. The formative assessment together with alternative forms/techniques of assessment opens up spaces for a more inclusive and equitable system of assessment. A transformational, democratic style of leadership with shared decision-making, accountability, commitment and risk-taking, are important factors in creating a climate for change in schools. More importantly, the leadership of the principal as an avant-garde for inclusion influenced the change process. Indigenous practices such as the informal open-air meetings and the 'imbiso' or the 'legotla' type of meetings created spaces for effective organizational strategies in the school. Evidence from the study suggests that the "Institutional Support Team" (IST) as a proposed new structure in schools, opens up possibilities for internal support for the institution rather than a reliance on specialized outside help. Collective problem solving by the IST addressed systemic, social, pedagogical and cultural barriers to learning and development. Paradoxically, the quest for quality or excellence in education sometimes stymies the goals of equity and redress. The notion that excellence and equity are incompatible or bipolar human values is based on fallacious or binary logic. One of the ways to depolarize the equity/excellence dichotomy is to value both and not privilege anyone at the expense of the other. 1. imbiso/legotla: Zulu/Soto word for meeting called by the King, traditional leader, chief or the leadership of the land.
The relationship between academic performance, school culture and school leadership in historically disadvantaged African township secondary schools : implications for leadership.
(2005) Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.; Harley, Keneth Lee.; Thurlow, Michael.
The present government places tremendous faith in academic performance as a crucial tool for transforming the country's society. However, academic performance in the majority of historically disadvantaged schools is poor. What this means is that these schools are hardly in a position to contribute to this hoped for transformation. This is despite the numerous policies generated by the government in an effort to improve the performance. Underpinning this study was a view that this is because the policies do not address issues that are foundational for academic performance. One such issue, as indicated by widespread findings, is school culture, and associated leadership. In response to this view, an examination was in this study conducted on the relationship between academic performance, school culture and school leadership in two historically disadvantaged African township secondary schools (HDATSS). The purpose was to develop better understanding of school cultures that have the potential of enabling good academic performance in HDATSS, and, in the process, develop better understanding of leadership associated with the formation of such school cultures. The examination was conducted by means of ethnography. The advantage of ethnography for this study was that the methodology results in micro/thick descriptions more likely to inform practice than is the case with thin descriptions provided by other methodologies. Findings were that school cultures that are most likely to enable good academic performance in HDATSS are those that are predominantly communal in nature, but also incorporate societal features. Of particular advantage about communality for the schools' academic performance are common, consensual understandings in relation to the schools' academic goals and behavioural norms. Of advantage about the societal incorporation, on the other hand, is societal capacity to compensate for communality's failure to negotiate common understandings in organizations that are as complex, ever-changing and multifaceted as are HDATSS. It was further found that for such school cultures to be enabling for HDATSS they need to creatively supplement historical deprivations and reflect the cultural backgrounds of the schools' populations. A style of leadership that was found to be associated with the formation of such school cultures is that which emerges organically and is therefore diffused, serving and diversified.
Constructions of childhood for and by children in two early childhood centres in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2006) Ebrahim, Hasina Banu.; Muthukrishna, Anbanithi.
This thesis examines the constructions of childhood by seven early childhood teachers and twenty young children (ten boys and ten girls) in two private early childhood centres catering for children below Grade R in urban KwaZulu-Natal. An ethnographic approach is used to present childhood as a complex socially constructed process. On the methodological front, this study argues for the practice of responsive researching to engage with moment by moment realities that are sensitive to the particularities of young children and their circumstances when they are positioned as participants in research. In the analysis of teachers’ constructions of childhood for young children, the findings of this study suggest that the lack of public funding in early childhood education, for children below Grade R, sets the conditions for early childhood centres to operate as commercial enterprises trading commodities in a free market. Given this context, teachers position themselves in the dominant market discourse. The study suggests that the focus on the purchasing power of parents determines the type of childhood young children experience at the centres. Teachers access normalising images of young children as property and essentialised adults-in-the-making to support the processing of children as human capital for a fee. As such, the social project of early childhood, as space for democratic practices for public good, is weakened. The focus on the doings of childhood by young children (boys and girls) contrasts the normalising images presented by teachers. The findings of this study suggest that the complex struggles within the temporal zones of growing up and relations in race and gender, present young children as powerful social actors who actively construct their childhoods. The study illuminates how young children use the limiting discourses freely available to them to constitute themselves in familiar ways, and also how they find spaces to loosen the power of these discourses. In concentrating on the lived realities of childhood, this study enters some unfamiliar spaces that provide a base to ask more questions about early childhood centres, teachers, and young children in early childhood education.
To lead or not to lead : principals' constructions of leadership in a climate of school transformation.
(2006) Bhagowat, L.; Ramrathan, Prevanand.
This dissertation assumed the style of the narrative to document how principals lead school transformation within the realm of a fledgling democracy after decades of apartheid rule. It zooms in to the school site to portray how principals construct themselves to orchestrate change that is consistent with the national policies of redress and equity. Located in the quantitative paradigm, the study depicts a general sense of school transformation. Thereafter, it is relocated in the qualitative paradigm to document the topical life histories of three principals from diverse backgrounds to illustrate how their experiences - lived and living - give definition to their constructions of leadership. Working within the interpretative paradigm, with the theory of transformational leadership underpinning the theoretical orientation of the study, has led to the understanding that the role of the principal is a conflicted one. The principal is conflicted by the incremental demands and the evolutionary nature of the role, the principal's interpretation of transformation and his/her expectation to manage and lead transformation. As a result, principals construct themselves mainly as managers of change, but perceive themselves to be leaders of change. While leadership gurus are adamant about attributing distinguishing features to the process of managing as opposed to the process of leading, they also recognize that organizations need both managers and leaders. It is undisputable that schools are organizations that also need managers and leaders. Therefore, it is incumbent on principals to manage and lead schools in transformation. In analyzing the data collated from principals and teachers in the study, it is evident that the processes of management and leadership are interdependent. Principals are expected to act as managers or leaders, depending on the situation, and at other times they are expected to draw on both skills of managing and leading. In the final analysis, it has been detected that while principals are leading transformation at different tempos because of their varied lived experiences, the important thing is that they are beginning to break the bonds with apartheid education. A colossal task indeed, when one considers that the findings of the investigation illustrate that principals are charged with the following conflict situations. The past oppressive system with the present democratic system, decentralization of education while maintaining core elements of centralization, stakeholders that support transformation as opposed to those who resist the process and the roles of management versus roles of leadership. While implementing change the principal is responsible for ensuring the stability of the institution. All the time dealing with the fact that she/he hails from a background that is vastly different from the one she/he currently works and lives in.
Policy and practice related constraints to increased female participation in education management in South Africa.
(2006) Moorosi, Pontso.; Kaabwe, Eleanor Stella Musanga.; Wedekind, Volker Ralf.
This thesis examines South African policies addressing gender inequality in education management, and interrogates whether or not these policies made a difference to the career route of women principals of secondary schools. The under-representation of women in education management has been a long observed problem in many countries including South Africa. A number of initiatives have been put in place to address this issue but little improvement is seen in the South African situation in education management. The purpose was to understand why women are still under represented in school management and to learn from their experiences. The study used data from three sources. Firstly, policy documents and practices were analysed in terms of their symbolic, regulative and procedural functions. Secondly, the personal accounts of 28 women principals in KwaZulu-Natal who had been appointed after 1994 were collected through the use of extended interviews, and thirdly, interviews were conducted with key officials and members of School Governing Bodies that had participated in the selection of principals. The data generated were analysed at two levels in order to understand the factors constraining the participation of women in education management. At the micro level, I use the 'management route model' as an analytical framework that identifies the three phases women principals go through in their career route, namely anticipation, acquisition and performance (van Eck and Volman, 1996). The model reveals that factors influencing women's career paths into management are very complex and based firstly on the individual agency where women grapple with more internal issues such as professional qualifications and experience, aspirations, lack of ambition and family responsibilities. Secondly, these factors are at the organisational level where women suffer discrimination at the recruitment and selection processes, and lack of institutional support through mentoring and sponsorship. Thirdly, it is the social level, which involves the cultural discourses in which women operate. These discourses include sex role stereotypes that inform the social expectations about the role of men and women in society. On the macro level, I use feminist theory to interpret and understand the women's experiences and findings in general. The findings reveal that policy interventions put in place since 1994 to close the gender gap were mostly informed by liberal feminism that focused on affirming women in order to gain access into the school management without tackling the social practices that are defined by sex role socialisation and which therefore continue to work subtly and insidiously towards the discrimination of women. I conclude that although the liberal feminist interventions that have been put in place have been useful to some extent, the problems impeding women's full participation in education management cannot only be tackled at a policy level because this attempt leaves the most problematic social practices intact. However, I argue for policy and legal intervention as a starting point to combat the gender crisis in a society that has inherited so much inequality. While I acknowledge that women of all races in South Africa have all been negatively impacted upon by the historical and traditional values and expectations on the role of women and men in society, I argue that the situation has been worse for women of the Black African race, who suffered dual oppression in terms of gender and race. The study proposes the need to look beyond provision of legal and democratic reforms and more into social practices that prevent legal reforms from reaching the desired goals. Social structures and cultural practices that hamper the greater representation of women should be dealt with in order to allow women freedom to participate in discourses where their choice is not informed by gender subordination.

Browse

Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Education, Development, Leadership and Management) by Issue Date