- Title
- Implementation of grade progression policy and its implications for progressed grade 12 learners’ identities
- Creator
- Mdingi, Khayalethu Chris
- Subject
- Grade repetition
- Subject
- Education -- Standards
- Date
- 2023-06
- Type
- Doctoral theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28524
- Identifier
- vital:74380
- Description
- The aim of progressing learners is to allow them to move with their age cohort, thereby boosting their motivation levels. It is believed that this would encourage these learners to study hard and produce good academic results. The Grade Progression Policy also assumes that the dropout rate caused by learners’ academic underperformance would be reduced. Despite the existence of the Grade Progression Policy, it seems that there is still high failure and dropout rates among progressed Grade 12 learners in the Eastern Cape Province. This qualitative case study was premised on the interpretivist paradigm and explored the implementation of the Grade Progression Policy and its implications on progressed Grade 12 learners’ identities. Twelve teachers (four principals, four Departmental Heads, four Post Level One teachers), and four learners were purposively selected in four secondary schools in the Amathole East Education District. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. The data was analysed by means of thematic approach. The data showed that the implementation of Grade Progression Policy brought about learner-teacher adversarial relations. Findings also showed that teachers had a negative attitude to the Grade Progression Policy and were unwilling to adapt to change. They had low morale and blamed the Department of Education for not giving them support. With regards to the implications of grade progression on Grade 12 learners’ identities, it emerged from the data that these learners were negatively affected by the implementation of this policy as their self-esteem was reportedly low. They felt stigmatized and regarded themselves as learners who could not achieve academically. Although most of the selected learners reported that it enhanced their motivation levels, it also transpired from the data that progressed Grade 12 learners were not achieving academically and were inadequately given support by the teachers. The study concluded therefore that the policy did not sufficiently address the intention of the DoE in terms of improving learners’ academic performance and enhancement of learners’ psychosocial identities.
- Description
- Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2023
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (275 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | Mdingi.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |