Masters Degrees (Social Science Education)

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Analysing the dominant discourses on the Holocaust in Grade 9 South African history textbooks.
(2012) Koekemoer, Michelle.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
Abstract available in PDF version.
An analysis of the representation of citizenship education in contemporary grade six South African social sciences textbooks.
(2017) Atanga, Belmondo Achiri.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
This thesis comprises a case study of four grade six South African Social Sciences textbooks, published in the post-apartheid era. The study focuses on how they represent citizenship education. It examines citizenship education as a highly important concept, used in many nations with different aims. An important resource in education, textbooks have been used as a channel through which learners are educated regarding citizenship. This dissertation answered a main research question on how citizenship education has been represented in the selected textbooks. Based on an interpretivist paradigm and approached from a qualitative perspective, I generated data from four contemporary Social Sciences textbooks, compliant with the Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS), that are utilised at the grade six level. Semiotic analysis was used as a method of Discourse Analysis (DA) to analyse the data. The findings revealed that citizenship education is taken very seriously in the textbooks, which cover virtually all aspects of the political, social and economic rights and responsibilities of citizens as a means of creating an identity for South African citizens.
An analysis of the visual images of women in grade 12 South African history textbooks.
(2014) Nene, Ntombikayise Promise.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
This dissertation has contributed to the debate of the depiction of women in visual images in selected Grade 12 history textbooks. This dissertation was triggered by what I read in the South African Constitution and the History curriculum statement about promoting gender equity in schools as well as the fair treatment of women and in all spheres of life. I was, in the light of this, curious in finding out how women as historical characters are portrayed in visual images in history textbooks. Since I am an educator, living in contemporary South Africa I took an initiative in analysing the depiction of visual images of women in selected South African history textbooks for grade 12.The analysis part was completed by employing textual analysis as it assisted in analysing both the content and the visual components of the textbooks. The research questions of this study manifested and produced rich data that has revealed how history textbooks through the visual portrayal of women reinforced gender stereotypes and inequalities. The findings showed that severe gender inequality existed in the visual images in the selected history textbooks which is in contradiction to both the Constitution of South Africa and the curriculum. My study has revealed that women are silenced in history textbooks by the manner they are portrayed in, the roles they are showed in and by the number of images that I have counted in the chapters. This dissertation has concluded that the portrayal of women in visual images in history textbooks is still a barrier in promoting gender equity in South African schools. By adopting feminism theory I have understood how and why images of women in history textbooks are used the way they are and that this is greatly related to patriarchy.
Being queer in South African township secondary schools: experiences of queerphobic violence and creating opportunities for change.
(2022) Mkhize, Nkonzo Emmanual.; Moletsane, Relebohile.
Despite the fact that the rights of South African queer persons are enshrined in the Constitution, queer youth continue to experience marginalization and queerphobic violence in communities and schools. The aim of this study was to investigate how, despite the protective constitutional context, queer African youth experience, respond to and resist queerphobic violence in and around their township secondary schools. The main research question addressed by the study was How do queer African youth experience, respond to and resist negative experiences in township secondary schools? The study is located within the constructivist paradigm to understand the world in which the participants live and learn, and the critical paradigm to critically examine and challenge the unequal social norms that informs their marginalization and violence they experience. Linked to these paradigms, the study adopted a qualitative methodology, and in particular, participatory visual methodology (PVM) as an approach to addressing the research question. Working with 10 queer African youth, the study generated data through participatory visual methods, drawing and cellphilms-making, during a series of workshops. In addition, using the visual artefacts (drawings) they generated, I held one-on-one interviews with each participant. The emerging data was analysed using thematic analysis and John Fiske’s three layers of analysis of visual texts. These layers include the primary texts (drawings and cellphilms), the secondary text (what the participant had to say about what they have made), and the audience text which involves what the audience (including other participants in the workshops and others outside the workshop) says about the primary text. To address the main research question, the study posed three critical questions. In response to the first critical question, What does it mean to be a queer African youth in a township secondary school?, the findings suggest that the schools are configured around unequal gender and heteropatriarchal norms. In these spaces, for these participants, queerphobic violence, including name-calling, bullying, physical and sexual assaults, was part of every aspect of schooling, with little support from teachers, who were often perpetrators. In response to the second critical research question, How do they respond and resist their negative experiences from peers and teachers?, the findings suggest that despite the heterosexist school contexts, the participants drew on their agency to develop friendships, love, and a sense of belonging. The participants’ resistance and agency involved avoiding certain spaces (such as toilets), but also knowingly going into queerphobic areas to disrupt and subvert the unequal gender norms that informed interactions in and around the school. In response to the third research question, What changes do queer African youth want to see in their township secondary school?, the study found that, informed by their experiences of queerphobic violence, the changes the participants wanted to see in the schools included changing school policy, improving teacher preparation for teachers to address queerphobic violence and queer issues, and changing the curriculum to include queer content and affirm queer youth in schools. These findings have implications for interventions aimed at addressing the safety of queer learners in these schools and communities. Based on these findings, interventions might include changes to school policy (particularly the Code of Conduct), working with communities and parents to identify and develop strategies aimed at making schools safe, improving school and classroom practice, and teacher education and professional development to ensure that curricula for training include the needs and issues of queer learners.
Cataloguing practices from creation to use: A study of Cape Town Metropolitan Public Libraries in Western Cape Province, South Africa
(2019) Monyela, Madireng Jane.; Mutula, Stephen M.
Cataloguing is the process of creating metadata representing information sources such as books, sound recordings, digital video disks (DVDs), journals and other materials found in a library or group of libraries. This process requires the use of standardised cataloguing tools to achieve the bibliographic description, authority control, subject analysis and assignment of classification notation to generate a library catalogue. The well-generated library catalogue serves as an index of a collection of information sources found in libraries that enables the library users to discover which information sources are available and where they are in the library. Such a catalogue should provide information such as the creators’ names, titles, subject terms, standard number, publication area, physical description and notes that describe those information sources to facilitate easy information retrieval. This study sought to investigate cataloguing practices from creation to use in Cape Town Metropolitan public libraries in South Africa with the aim of deepening the understanding of the importance of cataloguing standards in creating bibliographic data for the libraries. The study also sought to address the following research questions: “What skills do the cataloguers of Cape Town Metropolitan libraries possess?”, “To what extent do cataloguers in Cape Town Metropolitan public libraries adhere to international standards when creating records in the online catalogue?”, “How are the cataloguing records created on the system by cataloguers in the Cape Town Metropolitan used within and across the public libraries?”, “How are the new Resource Description and Access (RDA) standards applied in public libraries in the Cape Town Metropolitan to ensure they accommodate entities and attributes as described by the international cataloguing standards?”, “What records quality control measures are used in computerised cataloguing by public libraries in the Cape Town Metropolitan?”, “How effective is the computerised cataloguing system of Cape Town Metropolitan public libraries?”, “What are the challenges experienced by public libraries in the Cape Town Metropolitan in computerised cataloguing?” The study was underpinned by a combination of the IFLA’s Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD) and Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data (FRSAD). The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm associated with the mixed methods (MMR) approach where the ii qualitative aspects were dominant. The study adopted a case study design and data were collected using focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews, questionnaires, and document review methods. The population of the study comprised cataloguers, senior librarians, librarians and library assistants of 10 libraries in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan. Reliability and validity of the instruments were ascertained through a pilot study. The data collected were presented and analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative data were analysed thematically, presented in narrative description, while the quantitative data were coded and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and presented in tables, graphs and charts, where applicable. The findings of the study revealed that although the cataloguers were experienced in their work, some catalogue records did not fully adhere to the cataloguing rules. Furthermore, there were no continuous development programmes in place to update the cataloguers’ knowledge and cope with dynamic changes in the cataloguing fields. In addition, the findings revealed that some catalogue records did not have adequate information descriptions to facilitate effective retrieval of information. The study also found that a peer review mechanism was used to facilitate quality control; the system used for cataloguing did not have all MARC tags and cataloguers experienced some challenges with the use of the cataloguing standards and assigning subject headings for non-roman sources. From the findings of the study, it was concluded that cataloguers did not adhere to international cataloguing standards when creating the catalogue records. A number of recommendations were therefore proffered among them that Cape Town Metropolitan Libraries (CCTML) should consider to improve their catalogue quality control measures. Moreover, cataloguers need adequate skills to enable them to implement and sustain the computerised system for cataloguing and retrieval. The CCTML need policies that provide the guidelines in the application of cataloguing rules and standards. The cataloguing department should consider planning for a re-cataloguing project to modify the records that did not have enough descriptions on the system Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) to improve retrieval.
A comparative investigation into the representation of Russia in apartheid and post-apartheid history textbooks.
(2016) Halsall, Tarryn Chanel.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
South Africa’s relationship with Russia has been determined by the significant shifts in the political ideologies within South Africa. It is this changing relationship that will be examined in order to identify the representation of Russia within Apartheid and post-Apartheid era history textbooks and how the changing relationship affected the representation of Russia in each textbook of each era. This study, analysed three Apartheid era and three post-Apartheid era textbooks. My study seeks to understand the representation of Russia within era different textbooks which is underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm and is further supported by the method of qualitative content analysis. Various findings emerged from the comparative analysis of the sampled Apartheid era and post-Apartheid era textbooks. The three Apartheid era textbooks displayed a contrasting image which mirrored the different stages of Apartheid. Book A1 (1974) and Book A2 (1987) both represent Russia in a similar fashion as they perpetuate the same anti-Tsarist, anti-Communist and pro-West narrative throughout. Book A1 (1974) was written when South Africa was entrenched in Apartheid as well as anti-Communist motions (as was the rest of the world) and Book A2 (1987) was written during the death throes of Apartheid and petty Apartheid. Both books perpetuate the similar discourse perhaps as a way to perpetuate the ideals maintained by the Apartheid regime. In contrast, Book A3 (1989), which was written at the end of the Apartheid era as well as at the fall of the Berlin Wall which marked the end of European Communism, offers a less critical representation of Communist Russia perhaps, in order to accommodate the changing world and ideological perspectives. All three post-Apartheid era textbooks are written in an era where the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) share a strong bond and thus the perception of Communism has altered. All three post-Apartheid textbooks continue the perpetuation of the anti-Tsarist discourse but there was no anti-Communist discourse evident as well as a less significant pro-West discourse. Despite these differences, all six textbooks portrayed the identical main characters within the Russian chapter highlighting, to a certain extent, the continued Big Men discourse and the unchanging nature portrayed of Russian history within history textbooks.
Conceptualising historical literacy in Zimbabwe : a textbook analysis.
(2009) Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
While debates rage over the relevance and worth of school history, history has been one of the five compulsory subjects up to Ordinary Level in Zimbabwe. However, far away from the corridors of power, it is essential that research be conducted on what school history is for and what represents that which the learner of school history acquires through at least eleven years of school history studies in Zimbabwe. Using the concept of historical literacy as its framework, this study is an analysis of three Ordinary Level history textbooks in Zimbabwe to explore how historical literacy manifests itself in Zimbabwean school history textbooks. In a context of increased government concern over what and how school history should be taught, the study explains how the textbooks that were produced more than ten years ago can still be turned into resources for the propagation of patriotic history, which emerged in the last decade. While conceptualisations of historical literacy continue, I argue for multiple historical literacies, that is, historical literacy which actually takes different forms in different times, spaces and contexts. Thus, what is represented as historical literacy in Zimbabwean history textbooks is not necessarily what historical literacy is elsewhere. This research is a qualitative textual analysis which was conducted in an interpretivist paradigm. I employed historical discourse analysis, question analysis and visual analysis as the analysis methods. The analysis was conducted through an instrument created from the benchmarks of the conceptual framework. The study concluded that despite attempt to push for an activitybased curriculum, historical knowledge, especially the nationalist narrative, is still the dominant benchmark of historical literacy in Zimbabwean textbooks. As a result, the current textbooks can be used, not only for a state sanitised version of historical literacy, but also a version of political literacy.
Cyberbullying: teenage girls’ online experiences of, and challenges to sexual harassment.
(2021) Lakhan, Omeshree.; Bhana, Deevia
The emergence of the internet has allowed for new modes of self-expression, whilst also providing new platforms for abusive social dynamics. There is a dearth of support in the response of schools, parents, and advisors to the experience of sexual harassment of young girls online. Cyber security practices, specifically the monitoring and support of online behaviour in academic policy can address the problem of sexual harassment and cyberbullying. Due to the rapidly changing nature of online landscapes, research connecting sexual harassment and cyber spaces remains minimal. Given the everchanging development of online spaces and dynamics, both governments and academic researchers have lagged in providing either sufficient study or governmental policy in the interest of protecting young people from online abuse. This study examines teenage girls’ online experiences of cyberbullying and sexual harassment and aims to understand how girls confront and challenge these issues. The dissertation adopts a multi-theoretical approach focusing on gender relational theory, femininities, theory of performativity, and feminist new materialism. Data was collected and collated through qualitative research methods in the purposive sampling of South African girls aged 13-18 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. This research was executed in Victoria High School through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, vignettes, and photo elicitations. While the results highlighted the pervasive experience of sexual harassment online, unexpectedly, the participants revealed their complicity in this harassment by actively engaging in harmful online practices. In response, this dissertation recommends that key stakeholders listen to the voices of young girls and work in synergy to offer support from abusive online behaviours. As attitudes about sex remain taboo in homes and schools, it is the role of these advisors to make comfortable spaces for discourse about sexual harassment. Furthermore, policy makers need to sanction greater penalties to prevent the recurrence of cybercrimes and protect young girls in these spaces.
Does food in History matter? exploring 4th year History education students’ views on the space for food in the South African History curriculum.
(2022) Mhlanga, Nomkhosi Mightgirl.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
The purpose of this study is to understand the historical significance of food as a topic in school history, according to History Education students. The history curriculum is a contested space for content that is relevant to learners, and this has manifested itself recently in South Africa, with students calling for the revision of the curriculum as part of the quest for decolonisation of education. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on which content deserves to be included in the history curriculum. Acknowledging the role that food has played in the unfolding of history, this study was guided by historical significance as a conceptual framework for understanding History Education students’ views on the space for food as a topic in the South African history curriculum. The study is qualitative in nature and is situated in the interpretivist paradigm. Open-ended interviews were held with a sample of eight 4th year History Education students. The findings from the data revealed that the participants advocate for the overt inclusion of food history in the South African History curriculum, either as part of the metanarrative or as a separate topic. They justify the historical significance of food for its influence on economy, politics, migration, social cohesion, identity, and as a nutrient. The conclusion is that the History Education students use their understanding of historical significance to argue that food is central to the narrative of humanity and should therefore overtly feature as a first-order concept in the school history curriculum.
Examining learners’ perceptions of formative assessment in tourism as a subject.
(2020) Ngiba, Siza.; Dube-Xaba, Zanele Heavy-Girl Winnie.
This study focuses on the learners’ perspectives of formative assessment in Tourism as a subject in South African secondary school. This study, therefore, includes the voices of the learners in the Tourism classroom which has been missing and unheard. This study examines learner’s perception and uses of formative assessment to enhance learning within their Tourism class by using the constructivist theory as it lens to guide the study. The study followed the qualitative approach and adopted the interpretive paradigm in conducting a case study research in one secondary school in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The semi structured interviews and focus group discussion were used to generate data from eight Grade 11 learners. The findings in this study revealed that learners perceive formative assessment in Tourism through its nature and purpose of formative assessment. The findings further revealed that learners use formative assessment for various reasons such as summative benefits; to monitor their ability and progress; use feedback from formative assessment; and that the learners use of formative assessment as a means to learn in different ways. The study concludes that the learners in Tourism are benefiting from formative assessment and that it has a great potential to enhance their learning.
Experiences of the teaching and learning of history in a context of rurality: a case study of a South African rural high school.
(2020) Mqadi, Ntombiyoxolo.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
The teaching and learning of History continues to gain momentum in post-apartheid South Africa and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has even proposed a decision to make History compulsory in South African schools. Within such a context, it is of paramount importance to take into consideration the reality that teaching and learning is not uniform. In fact, most teaching and learning policies are not created with the schools in rural areas in mind. Hence this dissertation presents an exploration of how teaching and learning of History is experienced by teachers and learners in a rural context. It foregrounds the voices of the participants of the teaching and learning process in the rural areas to counter the dominance of the perspectives of the people in urban areas and those in managerial positions at school and government levels. This study is a phenomenological case study in which focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews were used as data generation methods. The participants were three History teachers and seventeen History learners who were conveniently selected from one of the schools in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal. The findings suggest that rurality influences the teaching of learning in both positive and negative ways. The negative factors are predominant, and they demonstrate that either the policies must change to suit History teaching and learning in rural areas as well, or the History teachers and learners must improve their additivity in order to teach according to the expectations of History education. Despite the predominance of negative experiences, the ingenuity of both History teachers and learners in the context of rurality however creates some positivity in History teaching and learning. The study concludes that not all hope is lost for school History in the rural areas and, in fact, a lot can be learnt from rural History teachers and learners.
An exploration of adolescents' problems and ways of coping in a South African context.
(2005) Gillespie, Cecilia Veronica.; Hough, Angela Mary.
Many areas of development converge as adolescents confront their major task of establishing an adult identity. However this is a complex task complicated by the difficulties experienced in the South African context. Concerns about health and well-being, coupled with research findings that emphasized adolescents' reluctance to seek help, prompted a review of adolescents needs. The present study explored the problems experienced and the coping styles used by a sample of adolescents living in the South African context. Participants' self-esteem was examined in relation to styles of coping that were employed. Data was gathered from questionnaires distributed to adolescents from three schools in the locality of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, including one rural school and two urban schools. The final sample consisted of 362 subjects. The data were analysed using frequencies, factor analyses, Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analyses. The results of the study showed that adolescents experienced problems which included difficulties related to school achievement and maintaining standards; money problems; interpersonal problems regarding relationships with parents and family, friends and partners; intrapersonal problems, dealing with personal problems, depression and not wanting to live; and future related concerns, involving qualifications, careers, and employment. Three coping style described strategies employed by adolescents to manage their concerns: Internal coping, Active coping, and Withdrawal or an Avoidant style of coping. Of the three styles participants used an internal style of coping most frequently overall. However, all styles of coping were used interchangeably in order to solve problems of different types. Coping styles were found to be specific to particular problem domains. Analysis of self-esteem was carried out for participants from one urban school only, as the scale did not meet the criteria for reliability for the remaining two schools. Associations between self esteem and coping styles showed that a negative relationship existed between an avoidant coping strategy and self-esteem, and a positive relationship existed between self-esteem and an active coping style. Findings also showed the greater the degree of avoidance in problem solving the lower the expected level of self-esteem. This study presents findings that show evidence of adolescents' difficulties and stresses, and an emergent need for assistance at a time of change and transformation in South Africa. Where better to address these needs than in the educational environment within the framework of Guidance and Counselling. The results of this study may inform and render assistance in constructing an appropriate Life Orientation and Guidance curriculum for all schools, that will address current needs of adolescents as they confront the chief task of adolescence, that is the formation of an adult identity, a South African identity.
An exploration of first-year, non-major accounting students' learning experiences at a private higher education institution in South Africa.
(2012) Naidoo, Tamara.; Suriamurthee, Moonsamy Maistry.
This research project focuses on Accounting education at tertiary level. There is limited understanding of students' experiences of learning Accounting in higher education institutions. Furthermore, Accounting is generally perceived as a difficult discipline, especially for novice first-year, non-major Accounting students. In this research study the purpose and focus were to explore first-year, non-major Accounting students' experiences when learning Accounting. The study attempts to answer two key research questions pertaining to first-year, non-major Accounting students' experiences when learning Accounting, and to show how their experiences influence their learning of Accounting. The study was conducted at a private higher education institution in South Africa where first-year Accounting is a compulsory element of an undergraduate commerce degree. The research participants sampled for this study were six first-year, non-major Accounting students, some of whom were novice Accounting students while others had studied Accounting in high school up to Grade 12. A qualitative research methodology was adopted to generate data using an interpretive case study approach. Research methods included semi-structured interviews and participant reflective journals. Data were analysed using open coding, and the findings categorised according to themes. Some of the key findings of this study revealed that students' experiences were influenced by teacher/lecturer qualities, students' perceptions and preconceptions of Accounting as a discipline, and the abstract nature of the Accounting discipline and its discourse. Other factors influencing students' learning experiences included their agency, resilience and determination, the effect of Accounting assessments, and ability streaming. This study concludes with a discussion of recommendations based on the findings. These point to the need for staff development workshops for Accounting lecturers, with an emphasis on students' emotions and perceptions when learning Accounting, so that lecturers are more aware of the extent of students' anxieties, insecurities and negative perceptions. Other recommendations include more post-plenary workshops for first-year Accounting students and development of different programmes for novice, non-major and Accounting major students, since these cohorts of students have differing career Accounting competence expectations.
An exploration of selected South African history teachers’ content knowledge of African history.
(2021) Zulu, Emmanuel Bongumusa.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
The dissertation presents an exploration of selected South African history teachers’ content knowledge of African history. Available literature says that teachers should have some benchmarks in order for them to be considered historically literate so that their learners benefit from them. The literature also reveals that, although it is impossible to measure how much content knowledge a history teacher should have, there is a certain level of content knowledge that is expected of them. The conceptual framework for this study that I use is called historical literacy as content knowledge. It consists of different four aspects: knowledge of historical dates, knowledge of historical figures, knowledge of historical places, and knowledge of historical events. This study was conducted in Mtubatuba, in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Ten (10) history teachers were conveniently sampled, and data was generated through a focus-group discussion and individual interviews (which included evaluative questions). The selected history teachers were asked questions which revealed their content knowledge of African history, and their views on their respective content knowledge. The findings are thematically presented in response to the two key research questions. The data revealed that the participants were able to display differing levels of content knowledge such as average level, below average level, above average level, and a level of excellence. While some were able to respond to the evaluative questions, some could barely respond, demonstrating below average content knowledge. The participants demonstrated higher levels of content knowledge of South African history, but performed poorly when responding to questions about other African countries. The participants who struggled to answer the evaluative questions believed that some questions were not fair to them, as they had not taught on the topics recently, and had even forgotten content. The participants who did well said that they were satisfied with their performance since the questions they were asked required their basic knowledge as answers. These participants said that they were asked questions that required them to give answers based on the information they had already known even before they started school. The participants were proud of answering questions correctly; there was also a feeling that questions that were asked empowered them in terms of content knowledge. The participants acknowledged that it was important to own a certain level of content knowledge so that a history teacher could be regarded as historically literate.
An exploration of the experiences of gays and lesbians living in the Inanada area.
(2014) Mthembu, Nombuso Thembi.; D'amant, Antoinette.
The study emerges against a global and local backdrop of longstanding oppression and stigmatization of gays and lesbians, due to their sexual orientation. Regardless of transformative policies in South Africa which declare equal acceptance, treatment and inclusion of gay and lesbian citizens, prejudice and unfair discrimination still exists. The study investigates the experiences of gays and lesbians living in the Inanda area of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa with the view to developing a greater understanding of their experiences and realities of ‘otherness’ and oppression. The conceptual model which frames the study is based on the generic model of social identity development and general model of oppression put forward by Hardiman and Jackson (1997), offering a useful lens through which to better identify oppression in the experiences and realities of gays and lesbians. The focus on understanding human experiences locates the study firmly within a qualitative research design. This focus also led to the selection of personal narratives as the strategy of inquiry, thereby allowing the researcher to enter worlds of experiences different from her own. Face- to- face, semi-structured interviews with eight participants (four gays and four lesbians, between the ages of twenty one and twenty five) comprised the method of data generation. The participants were selected as a result of a snowballing sample method. All live near each other in the Inanda area and are in regular social contact with each other. While research using a small sample of eight participants from the Inanda area cannot claim to be a comprehensive study into the experiences of gays and lesbians in all South African communities, these narratives reflect to a large degree, experiences of ‘otherness’ and oppression common to all gay and lesbian people.
An exploration of the ideology in economic and management sciences textbooks : a critical discourse analysis.
(2012) David, Roshnee.; Suriamurthee, Moonsamy Maistry.
Pupils acquire skills, knowledge, values and attitudes through the important institution of education. An essential tool used in the transmission of these socially approved attitudes and values is the textbook. Because teacher content knowledge is an ongoing challenge in South Africa, school textbooks are being viewed as an important source of content knowledge. Textbooks used in the apartheid era in South Africa were subjects of numerous studies which found that textbooks were capable of transmitting the dominant ideology of the then apartheid government. Given the important role that textbooks are expected to play in postapartheid South African classroom, it becomes crucial to examine the ideologies being reflected and transmitted through this medium of instruction in the post-apartheid era. This study therefore set out to explore the ideologies that are manifest in Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) textbooks. This study adopted a qualitative research approach and engaged the tenets of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as its methodological framework. The use of CDA revealed how the content of the selected EMS textbooks represent particular ideologically orientations. The dominant discourses that emerged from the analysis were the stereotypical positioning of gender roles (a subjugation of women; contingency of women‟s success on male support); entrepreneurship leads to wealth creation; the advocacy of a free-market system; reinforcement of the hegemonic positioning of business; deficient service provisioning as a normality; business and production‟s precedence over the environment and finally that globalisation is natural and unproblematic. These discourses disclose that the textbooks under study have profound strains of neoliberal ideology. The content of the textbooks legitimates the values of the free market system and neoliberalism as it reinforces and reifies the normality of personal wealth accumulation and individual endeavour. EMS textbooks were thus found to have potential as hegemonic tools capable of influencing pupils toward assimilating and accepting the ideology of neo-liberalism as being natural, ethical, moral and acceptable.
Exploring experiences and practices of teachers in the implementation of inclusive education : a case of one full-service school in the uMgungundlovu District.
(2016) Hoosen, Zaheera Bibi.; Mthiyane, Ncamisile Parscaline.
After the first democratic elections in 1994 the South African Government was faced with many challenges within the Education System. The Government committed itself to the principles of an Inclusive Education approach in order to provide equal education for all learners. The focus of IE is to provide education for all learners. Despite the international shift to IE, fundamental tensions and contradictions exist in most countries between stated policy and actual practice. Implementing IE policy involves not only redefining teaching practices, but requiring teachers to develop an alternative sense of themselves, not only professionally but as individuals. Full-service schools were then developed by the South African Government to provide quality education to all learners via flexibility to meet the full range of learning needs. Full-service schools are institutions that strive to transform themselves – proactively addressing barriers to learning and increasing learner participation and teachers in the learning process. The study is aimed at adding value to the domain of IE, especially to the understandings of the IE policy, implementation and intervention strategies thereof especially in the Intermediate and Senior Phases. Data was gathered by the use of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The case study was conducted in one Full-service school in the uMgungundlovu district. The importance of having chosen the Full-service school was to gain understanding of how IE is implemented and if there are any differences in the teaching methodologies or implementation of the curriculum. Findings highlighted that even though there were successes in the implementation of Inclusive Education in this school, there were still a number of challenges that the school and teachers still experience. Recommendations included the availability of resources by providing and accommodating learners with special education needs with the relevant resources, involvement of all stake holders in education in the relevant sectors and adequate training of primary school teachers in Inclusive Education.
Exploring pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching accounting in a rural context during teaching practice from one higher education Institution in Kwazulu-Natal.
(2020) Mdluli, Khulelaphi Silindile.; Ngwenya, Jabulisile Cynthia.
Rural schools tend to be a stressful environment for the pre-service teachers when they conduct their initial teaching practice. Although research has shown that studies conducted in rural communities should not be approached from a deficiency viewpoint as there are also many positive developments happening in some rural communities but the residues of inequalities that were inherited from the past education system persist and remain a challenge. As a result, pre-service teachers within rural schools may lack a direction in terms of how to go about teaching practice due to many challenges that they may encounter. Hence the study seeks to explore pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching Accounting during teaching practice in a rural context in one university located in KwaZulu-Natal. The main purpose of this study was to explore pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching Accounting during teaching practice in a rural context. In this study, the main objectives outlined are: (a) explore pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching Accounting during teaching practice in a rural context and (b) To identify the significance of teaching practice to pre-service teachers towards the teaching profession. This study employed an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative approach to have in-depth information about pre-service teachers’ experiences. Furthermore, the researcher purposively sampled thirteen pre-service teachers from one university located in KwaZulu-Natal who are currently studying third and fourth year towards Bachelor of Education degree having an experience of teaching Accounting during teaching practice in rural schools. One-on-one interviews and focus group interviews were conducted with the pre-service teachers telephonically due to lockdown restrictions. All interviews were audio-taped. Later, the researcher analysed the data by listening to the audiotaped interviews and developed them into themes. The findings revealed that teaching practice plays significant roles by enhancing pedagogical skills, bridging the gap between theory and practice and exposure to different teaching strategies. However, the effectiveness of teaching practice is challenged by a lot of obstacles. Large class size, absenteeism amongst learners, lack of motivation amongst learners, scarcity of teaching resources, lack of support from the school and mentor, insufficient monitoring of progress by university tutors, language as a barrier in teaching and learning in Accounting, poor infrastructure and facilities, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access in rural schools were some of the challenges discussed by pre-service teachers during interviewing sessions. All these challenges impacted negatively on teaching practice and Accounting lesson delivery to learners.
Exploring teachers’ experiences of teaching Accounting in rural schools: a case of novice teachers in Zululand district.
(2021) Ncama, Solumuzi Pressure.; Ngwenya, Jabulisile Cynthia.
The public education sector in South Africa has experienced drastic changes. This includes curriculum changes and a shortage of both physical and human resources in most parts of our country. The implementation of the curriculum has been affected by various issues in both the urban and rural teaching context. Therefore, this study focuses on newly appointed Accounting teachers’ experiences of teaching the Accounting curriculum in the rural context. The main purpose of this study was to explore Accounting novice teachers’ experiences of teaching the Accounting curriculum in three rural secondary schools in the Zululand district. This study employed the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach to obtain in-depth information about novice teachers’ experiences. Purposive sampling was adopted in five Accounting novice teachers in Nongoma circuit currently teaching the Accounting Further Education and Training (FET) phase, who had less than five years of teaching experience. Semi-structured and focus group interviews were conducted with the teachers in their schools and all sessions were audio-taped. Thematical analysis was used to analyse the generated data, and themes were developed. The findings revealed that Accounting novice teachers experienced various challenges linked to the implementation of the Accounting curriculum and the development of Accounting pre-service teachers. On one hand, the teachers reported problems such as inadequate teaching and learning resources, a lack of parental support, stereotypical views of Accounting, contextual limitations on assessment and teaching, learners’ lack of adequate foundational knowledge, and language barriers in the Accounting classroom. These problems were linked to challenges deterring implementation of the curriculum as planned. Inadequate preparation of Accounting pre-service teachers, a lack of proper induction, lack of support and mentoring, and professional isolation were issues revealed by novice teachers. This study therefore made some recommendations based on the findings. Novice teachers as innovative commerce teachers must work together with their schools to approach local businesses and relevant stakeholders for any possible support in respect of inadequate teaching and learning resources. Due to a shortage of human resources, the financial literacy in grades 8 and 9 in the Economics and Management 7 Sciences (EMS) subject must be taught by Accounting specialists to ensure that the Accounting part is well implemented. The Department of Education (DoE) must develop continuous programmes directed to novice teachers’ development in the profession to increase the retention rate of teachers in a rural context. Also, principals in rural schools must be well trained and monitored whether they implement teacher developmental programmes in their schools.
Exploring the teachers’ proficiency in teaching Financial Accounting in Grade 11: a case of the accounting teachers in Ugu District.
(2020) Hlophe, Nombuso Queen.; Ngwenya, Jabulisile Cynthia.
Accounting as a subject is affected by changes in the discipline of Accounting and the international reporting standards in order to prepare learners for studies in Higher education institutions. These changes are evident in the Accounting curriculum in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in 2006 and then in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in 2012. The implication of this is that the focus of the recent curriculum reforms demand Accounting teachers in their teaching practice to assist learners in developing analytical skills that are supported by well-reasoned, logical arguments that are not only limited to figures and formulas. As such, the teaching of Accounting requires more open-ended scenarios and open assessment dialogue or two-way communication between the learner and a teacher to engage learners in debates while challenging them to think creatively. Conceptual and problem-solving teaching approaches that provide learners with the appropriate skills to succeed at tertiary level are required. However, teachers’ content knowledge and their approach in imparting the content knowledge play a vital role in the quality of their instruction, particularly in times of curriculum reforms. To facilitate the learning of school Accounting, teachers need a particular kind of proficiency. Therefore, the learners’ development of financial understanding usually depends heavily on how well developed the teacher’s proficiency is in Accounting. Consequently, the proposed study seeks to explore the proficiency of Accounting teachers in teaching Financial Accounting in Grade 11. This study employed a qualitative case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of teachers’ proficiency in teaching Financial Accounting aspects in Grade 11 in Ugu District. The study was located within the interpretive paradigm. Four Grade 11 Accounting teachers from Ugu District in KwaZulu-Natal were purposely and conveniently sampled for this study. Semi-structured interviews and lesson observations were conducted with the teachers in their schools and interviews were audio-taped. Findings revealed that Accounting teachers demonstrated their knowledge of the Accounting curriculum through the use of numerous teaching approaches to teach and consolidate learning of Financial Accounting. In order to enhance the development of the different skills needed in learning Accounting, learners were allowed opportunities to work collaboratively and interact with their peers. Lack of understanding of basic Accounting concepts, lack of resources like textbooks and calculators, language barrier in learning of Accounting subject and lack of support from parents or guardians were some of the challenges indicated by teachers during interviews. However, Accounting teachers were able to use their understanding of the subject to devise strategies to assist learners despite the challenges. This study concluded by making the following recommendations: Accounting teachers to develop vocabulary for Accounting terms that are frequently used in the teaching and learning process. Teachers to encourage learners to read more often and visit the school library during break times, morning and afternoon studies. Teachers to work closely with parents with the purpose of discussing learners’ progress.

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