Factors influencing the choice of religion studies as a subject in the further education and training band: a case study of two schools within the Uitenhage District of the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Chetty, P K
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Religion -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Curriculum evaluation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16205 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016087 , Religion -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Curriculum evaluation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: In 2006, a new subject, Religion Studies (RS), was introduced in Grade 10 as an optional subject. It represents a major paradigm shift in education of religion at the public school level. Minimal research has been conducted on the factors influencing the choice of RS in Grade 10 by the learners, subject advisors, principal and educators. This subject might constitute an “easy option” to boost the learner’s performance. Former or “recycled Biblical Studies” educators may be available or even volunteer to teach this subject or they may have to be absorbed within the system. Ethics, morals, cross cultural respect and non-discrimination are critical for the development of the South African democracy. While RS is optional, it could play a critical role towards achieving these outcomes. This study restricted its focus to the Uitenhage District of the Province of the Eastern Cape. After careful consideration, the interpretive approach seemed to offer the best access to the kind of knowledge the researcher desired. A theoretical framework, that narrowly links rational choice with cultural reproduction theory, can prove to be inadequate. This study would be deficient if it was restricted to the family or home factors. Peer influence, self-efficacy or ability, utility value, motivation and teacher or school factors have to be included. The case study approach was used for this research.Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain qualitative responses from learners, from principals and educators whose schools are offering Religion Studies, and from subject advisors with oversight of this subject. This study discovered, inter alia, that learners did not have a real choice but were led to believe that RS was compulsory. The school has an influential role on a learner’s subject choice. Parental participation fluctuated from active to passive guidance. Learners saw RS as an easy subject and an aggregate booster. The school community both informs and influences the subject choice of learners. The peer influence of friends and fellow learners also featured in subject choice. RS teaches about religion and culture, respect, catalyses moral development, is enjoyable and easy to study but requires extensive reading. The limited diversity in RS classes did not allow for this respect to be tested. RS can catalyse the development of moral values. Despite this subject being an aggregate booster, learners enjoyed RS and therefore do well. After balancing the “costs and benefits,” according to rational choice theory, learners choose subjects with a utility value for their future career. RS opens the possibilities directly and indirectly. The majority of learners said that RS will assist them in their career path, not only narrowly in religious and pedagogical vocations but also more widely. RS could assist in careers with constituencies of religious diversity, in the medical field, human resources and journalism. RS fosters citizenship, non-discrimination and the rounded development of the learner and these objectives have attracted educators to teach RS. Learners enjoy RS, have self-efficacy, their performance ranges from good to well. Educators have a positive view of RS and contend that RS fosters respect, analytical, critical, constructive and lateral thinking. Principals were introduced to RS when it replaced Biblical Studies and much confusion between the two has ensued. RS is inclusive and also catalyses the development of morals. Principals emphasised the ongoing need for retraining of teachers through refresher courses, workshops and seminars and an involved role of the Department. Retraining would prevent the RS educator from being an “ad hoc teacher.” The Department has failed to act proactively in the introduction of RS as a new subject. Challenges lie in the integration of learning, essay writing skills and developing good model assessment tasks. Understanding RS terminology, confusion of RS with Biblical Studies, a shortage of resources, the vast content and the subject related methodology of RS are other concerns. All the stakeholder groups confirm this misperception. Researchers also concur with this finding. Biblical Studies educators have no advantage in RS but rather also necessitate retraining. RS, as a new subject with low intake, was not afforded all the requisite support. The number of schools offering RS is static. Provincial officials also reflect confusion of RS and Biblical Studies. The lack of staffing of the subject specialist at the National or Provincial level office is perturbing. Based on this study of the factors influencing the choice of Religious Studies in the FET Band, the following recommendations were made: Steps should be taken to ensure that learners be given a real choice Sharing of detailed information about the unique nature and outcomes of RS including its critical engagement Informed stakeholder groupings e.g. parents, educators, principal, SGB, community, Provincial and National Department of Education should not abuse their influential role of support by overt or covert compulsion Clarity between spiritual formation and catalysing moral development Educators should continue to foster enjoyment of RS Steps to be taken to facilitate integration of learning, developing essay writing skills and encourage good assessment tasks Increase diversity in class so that respect can be tested More information be given about direct and indirect career pathing Need for continual re-training through refresher courses, workshops and seminars Steps to be taken to address inadequate resources of RS Despite the “flattering” results for RS, efforts need to be taken by all the stakeholder groupings to ensure that learner’s competencies become a means in which RS markets itself Concerted on-going effort be made to clarify the confusion between RS and Biblical Studies That the Department assumes a more engaged role in RS Steps be taken by all the stakeholder groupings to encourage religious diversity in the RS class The National Department of Education has to staff both the National and Provincial Offices with well-equipped and highly motivated leaders.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Implementation of student retention programmes by two South African universities: towards a comprehensive student retention model
- Authors: Muhuro, Patricia
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: College dropouts -- South Africa -- Prevention , College attendance -- South Africa , Dropouts -- South Africa -- Prevention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
- Identifier: vital:16204 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016085 , College dropouts -- South Africa -- Prevention , College attendance -- South Africa , Dropouts -- South Africa -- Prevention
- Description: Using Tinto‟s (1993) interactionalist theory of student retention and Beatty Guenter‟s (1994) students retention strategy as guiding lenses, this study investigated the implementation of five student retention programmes in two universities in South Africa. Specifically the study sought to interrogate a) the mechanisms used to select students and peer facilitators who participate in each of the programmes, b) the delivery strategies that are in place and c) the programme monitoring and/or evaluation mechanisms in place to ensure that programme goals are achieved. The study adopted a concurrent mixed design embedded in the post positivist paradigm. The study revealed minimal student participation in all programmes, including those that were compulsory, owing to inconsistent enforcement of policies, stigmatisation, and poor perceptions about these programmes. In addition, the study found challenges in selection, support and monitoring of peer facilitators in almost all the programmes. This was linked to limited qualified staff, high dependence on borrowed delivery models and poor co-ordination among stakeholders. The study through a proposed Comprehensive Model for Student Retention, suggested collaborated and intensive and ongoing training of all facilitators in functional literacies, basic counselling and handling diversity, as well as co-ordinated selection and monitoring of the five programmes.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Implementation of the business studies national curriculum statement: a case study of four high schools in the Fort Beaufort education district
- Authors: Tyilo, Nomakula
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Curriculum planning Curriculum planning Curriculum planning Education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Educational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5829 , vital:29400
- Description: This study investigated the implementation of the Business Studies National Curriculum Statement in Schools in Fort Beaufort District. The interpretive paradigm was utilized in this study because it focuses on individual perceptions and experiences. In addition a qualitative approach was used for the collection of data so as to gain in-depth information on the implementation of the Business Studies National Curriculum. Semi- structured interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis were used as a form of collecting data. The participants were purposively selected for the sample of this study and comprised of 4 Principals, 3 Subject Advisors, 1 Provincial Subject Planner, 6 Teachers and 36 learners and interviews lasted for about 1 ½ hours. Data analysis was done in line with the research questions, aims and objectives of the study. Through the participants’ answers from schools under study, a transcript was formulated, coded and categorized in view of the implementation of Business Studies National Curriculum Statement in schools. Therefore, it was discovered from the data of the research study that the participants encounter a number of challenges with regard to teaching and implementing Business Studies in their schools. Namely: (1) lack of qualified personnel to teach Business Studies (2) lack of adequate teaching materials (3) lack of Subject Advisors executing their roles in helping teachers to teach Business Studies effectively (4) lack of training programmes and workshops on how to teach Business Studies in the classroom. Thus, there were variances in schools under study especially with relations to funding, availability of teaching material, support offered by School Heads and the Department of Education. As a result, emphasis was that the Department of Education had to come up with ways of continuously training the teachers and offering support in terms of teaching materials. Most of the participants from the school under study did not bother to plan their lessons when they were going to teach this subject. In sum, this study attempted to highlight the challenges that the participants encounter as they try to implement the Business Studies in their schools taking into the considering the educational history of their country. Hence some of the participants expressed why there is a need to create, cultivate and have a conducive and supportive working environment. The study recommends that the Department of Education provide teachers with special training on how to select relevant learning and teaching support material. Moreover, there is a greater need for Business Studies teachers to strike a balance between theory and practice in the deliverance of their lessons in Business Studies. Additionally, the District Officials must organise on-going training in Business Studies as this would help to rectify the problems that are currently being encountered in implementing Business Studies in schools.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Stakeholders' participation in curriculum development in four secondary schools in Fort Beaufort education district, Eastern cape province: towards a participatory curriculum model
- Authors: Obi, Uloma Nkpurunma
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Curriculum planning Educational planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5840 , vital:29401
- Description: The new democratic government came to power in 1994 and one of its major missions was to change the system of education inherited from the apartheid regime by laying a foundation for a single national core syllabus to replace the erstwhile multi-tier system, which discriminated among racial groups. Under the apartheid regime, the curriculum was flawed by ‘racially, offensive and outdated content’ and the government embarked on a bold programme to cleanse it of these elements. The democratic government went about this through curriculum reforms. In 1997, it introduced Curriculum 2005 fondly called “C2005”, with the Outcome-based Education (OBE) principles. Despite the initial overwhelming support for C2005, it soon ran into trouble. In 2000, the Minister appointed a committee that reviewed the curriculum and in 2002, the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) was born. These curriculum reforms have been met with a lot of criticism and the government felt it was not serving its purpose. Some key stakeholders still felt that their non-involvement, non-participation and the lack of proper consultation in the curriculum process were partly responsible for teachers and subject advisers misinterpreting the curriculum and implementing it from their own perspectives. Subsequently, another review was done and the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) was launched in 2002. But the complaints did not cease, probably due to continuing poor performance at the Matric Examination which continues to feature low pass rates for many provinces, especially the Eastern Cape. Against this backdrop, the government streamlined the NCS curriculum yield, and an amended Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) emerged. The key issue raised by critics is the lack of sufficient involvement of stakeholders in the curriculum review processes. At the same time, government continues to insist that it has been consulting adequately with all relevant stakeholders. There are iii obviously different interpretations of stakeholder involvement and participation and there is urgent need to reconcile whatever differences of opinion and definition exist, in order to gain common understanding, which is the first step in reaching a solution. For instance, how are the stakeholders involved? More importantly, what is meant by “involvement”? Even if there is no disagreement about the meaning of “involvement”, is the stage in the process at which the stakeholders are involved an important element in whether or not the process is an inclusive and participatory one?.
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- Date Issued: 2014
The implementation of inclusion policy for learners with special education needs in primary schools in Fort beafort district :Towards a rights based approach to education
- Authors: Adewumi, Toyin Mary
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Inclusive education Education and state -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Children with disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Special education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5873 , vital:29413
- Description: The implementation of inclusion policy for learners with special education needs as stipulated in the Education White Paper 2001has been an issue of concern for South African schools. This study sheds light on the implementation of inclusion policy for learners with special education needs in the selected primary schools in the Fort Beaufort District in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The aim of the study is to examine the implementation of inclusion policy for learners with special education needs. The study was placed within the post-positivism paradigm and used a mixed method research approach that integrated concurrent procedures in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while qualitative data were collected through interviews, and document analysis. A total number of 30 teachers completed the questionnaires. The researcher conducted interviews with ten principals and eight teachers. She also held interviews with four education district officials and one provincial official. Data were analysed by statistical and non-statistical procedures. The study revealed that the inclusion policy is being implemented in the selected schools. However, there are challenges that are being encountered. Firstly, some teachers have not received adequate training with regards to inclusive education policy. Staff development workshops put in place to address this challenge are minimal, and there is not enough joint effort being established by the different stakeholders with regards to support and monitoring the implementation process. Despite the challenges that accompany implementation of inclusion of learners with special education needs, as well as the difficult working conditions, this study reveals that there are pockets of good practice of inclusion policy in some of the selected schools in the Fort Beaufort District. For instance, it was found that teachers implement inclusion of learners with special education needs, even though the majority of them do not have qualifications in special education. It was also revealed that teachers used learner-centred teaching methods to accommodate all learners, which include group and individual teaching, group demonstration, discussions, question-and-answer sessions, and practical activities.
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- Date Issued: 2014