Addressing the barriers to learning in the Helenvale area of Port Elizabeth : a school management perspective
- Authors: Van Heerden, Edward Thomas
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Students -- South Africa -- Port Alizabeth -- Social conditions , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Learning disabilities -- South Africa , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9544 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/676 , Students -- South Africa -- Port Alizabeth -- Social conditions , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Learning disabilities -- South Africa , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Educational underachievement is a big problem in all schools, but it is especially prevalent in poverty stricken areas. The main objective of this research was to investigate the possible reasons for, consequences of and strategies to address the problem of educational underachievement in poverty stricken areas. The research conducted was based on the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach was used to gather data. A case study approach was used as a research design. The data collection methods were questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study found that the home conditions, individual factors, family and psychological factors are the main reasons for academic underachievement. The main consequences of academic underachievement were found to be unemployment, behavioural problems, a negative self-perception, high failure rates, high drop-out rates and teenage pregnancies. The main strategies to address the problem which the study revealed are: teachers familiarising themselves with the home conditions of the child, addressing the problem of overcrowding, and poverty, involving the parents in the education of their children, enhancing the self-esteem of learners, improving teaching, implementing cooperative learning and providing study facilities for these learners at the school after hours.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Van Heerden, Edward Thomas
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Students -- South Africa -- Port Alizabeth -- Social conditions , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Learning disabilities -- South Africa , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9544 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/676 , Students -- South Africa -- Port Alizabeth -- Social conditions , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Learning disabilities -- South Africa , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Educational underachievement is a big problem in all schools, but it is especially prevalent in poverty stricken areas. The main objective of this research was to investigate the possible reasons for, consequences of and strategies to address the problem of educational underachievement in poverty stricken areas. The research conducted was based on the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach was used to gather data. A case study approach was used as a research design. The data collection methods were questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study found that the home conditions, individual factors, family and psychological factors are the main reasons for academic underachievement. The main consequences of academic underachievement were found to be unemployment, behavioural problems, a negative self-perception, high failure rates, high drop-out rates and teenage pregnancies. The main strategies to address the problem which the study revealed are: teachers familiarising themselves with the home conditions of the child, addressing the problem of overcrowding, and poverty, involving the parents in the education of their children, enhancing the self-esteem of learners, improving teaching, implementing cooperative learning and providing study facilities for these learners at the school after hours.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
The role of the school management in addressing the problem of drug abuse in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Jacobs, Lee-Ann
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: High school students -- Substance use -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9545 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/675 , High school students -- Substance use -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Drug abuse by teenagers is a problem encountered by educators in South African schools. This study focuses on the reasons for, and the consequences of teenage drug abuse in one school in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. The main aim of this study was to formulate strategies which school managers can use to alleviate the problem of drug abuse among learners. A naturalistic approach was followed to conduct qualitative research. The research design used is a case study. Data-collection techniques consisted of semi-structured and unstructured interviews, observations and questionnaires. Respondents consisted of 150 learners, 5 parents, 10 educators from the school, 2 social workers and 1 auxiliary social worker, 2 priests involved in Youth Ministry, 1 adult involved in running a drug rehabilitation centre, and 1 ex-addict who is involved in arranging drug awareness campaigns and rehabilitation programs. This study found family aspects and family dynamics, personal aspects and the self-concept of the teenager, and societal or environmental aspects to be the main reasons for teenage drug abuse. Drugs have an adverse effect on the community within which the abuse is occurring. It also has a negative effect on the health, psychological state, behaviour and the family of the teenager. Strategies to alleviate the problem emphasise the role which the school can play in terms of drug education for educators, learners and parents; the role of the Government in allocating additional funds for drug education; the role which the church can play in terms of drug education and providing opportunities for positive interactions with peers; and the role which the media can play in influencing the decisions of teenagers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Jacobs, Lee-Ann
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: High school students -- Substance use -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9545 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/675 , High school students -- Substance use -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Drug abuse by teenagers is a problem encountered by educators in South African schools. This study focuses on the reasons for, and the consequences of teenage drug abuse in one school in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. The main aim of this study was to formulate strategies which school managers can use to alleviate the problem of drug abuse among learners. A naturalistic approach was followed to conduct qualitative research. The research design used is a case study. Data-collection techniques consisted of semi-structured and unstructured interviews, observations and questionnaires. Respondents consisted of 150 learners, 5 parents, 10 educators from the school, 2 social workers and 1 auxiliary social worker, 2 priests involved in Youth Ministry, 1 adult involved in running a drug rehabilitation centre, and 1 ex-addict who is involved in arranging drug awareness campaigns and rehabilitation programs. This study found family aspects and family dynamics, personal aspects and the self-concept of the teenager, and societal or environmental aspects to be the main reasons for teenage drug abuse. Drugs have an adverse effect on the community within which the abuse is occurring. It also has a negative effect on the health, psychological state, behaviour and the family of the teenager. Strategies to alleviate the problem emphasise the role which the school can play in terms of drug education for educators, learners and parents; the role of the Government in allocating additional funds for drug education; the role which the church can play in terms of drug education and providing opportunities for positive interactions with peers; and the role which the media can play in influencing the decisions of teenagers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Uitdagings tot skooldissipline, die rol van waardes en karakteropvoeding by sekere hoërskole in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Swartz, Jan
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , High school students -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Discipline
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9590 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021081
- Description: This study is aimed at determining the challenges relevant to discipline in schools, the causes for these challenges, the role of values in connection with discipline and the intervention methods and strategies that could solve these challenges. Communities, societies, governmental and non-governmental organizations all over the world are value-driven. The challenges in relation to discipline that currently exist in schools, could be seen as coming from societies. There are general attacks on “common sense” and “common values”. It seems that low academic achievements can be linked to moral degeneration and the only solution is moral education. In the light thereof, discipline has to do with order and behavior that is acceptable. We have therefore tried to establish what the challenges in relation to high schools are, and whether the values that have been taught and modeled contribute towards the quality of being disciplined and how the challenges to discipline are being addressed. Character education is highly rated because it helps with prevention of discipline problems and contributes towards a positive environment that promotes a positive attitude. Many teachers in South-Africa experience challenges to discipline in the classroom environment brought about by many factors. Despite the challenges there is little support from the relevant governmental departments. After the abolishment of corporal punishment which used to work as the most effective method, no alternatives were provided. Educators have to lean on their own reactive methods to manage attitude problems in class. It also seems that educators are not trained by the Department of Education to implement the newer discipline strategies. Teachers apply discipline based on their own personal teaching philosophies that seems right and acceptable to them. The study tries to establish which intervention strategies could best address the challenges in schools. The study follows a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) approach which uses an embedded design. The embedded design consists of a primary method that leads the research project. In this instance the primary method is qualitative while the secondary data are quantitative which plays a supporting role. The secondary methods which are quantitative are not prioritized but it is embedded. The datacollecting instruments which have been used for this study are questionnaires, focus group and personal interviews, The primary goal of this study is to determine what the main challenges are in South Africa that result in discipline are being challenged, being threatened and pressurised. To achieve the main goal it is necessary that the researcher determines through literature study how the term “discipline” has been historically understood, interpreted and managed, as there was a shift in emphasis on how the term “discipline” was understood 30 years ago compared to today. The researcher has done a complete literature study to determine what current, relevant literature sees as current challenges in relation to discipline and what has been done to solve it. The researcher gathers information through data-collecting to determine which challenges currently exist at schools. Research has been done on current solutions and intervention methods to determine if there are intervention methods that can deal with these challenges more effectively. The study also tried to research new intervention methods. The empirical study and also the literature study acknowledge that challenges according to discipline exists, that there are a link between discipline and values, that the teaching of values positively influences school communities and that intervention methods and techniques that exists are not effective
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Swartz, Jan
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , High school students -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Discipline
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9590 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021081
- Description: This study is aimed at determining the challenges relevant to discipline in schools, the causes for these challenges, the role of values in connection with discipline and the intervention methods and strategies that could solve these challenges. Communities, societies, governmental and non-governmental organizations all over the world are value-driven. The challenges in relation to discipline that currently exist in schools, could be seen as coming from societies. There are general attacks on “common sense” and “common values”. It seems that low academic achievements can be linked to moral degeneration and the only solution is moral education. In the light thereof, discipline has to do with order and behavior that is acceptable. We have therefore tried to establish what the challenges in relation to high schools are, and whether the values that have been taught and modeled contribute towards the quality of being disciplined and how the challenges to discipline are being addressed. Character education is highly rated because it helps with prevention of discipline problems and contributes towards a positive environment that promotes a positive attitude. Many teachers in South-Africa experience challenges to discipline in the classroom environment brought about by many factors. Despite the challenges there is little support from the relevant governmental departments. After the abolishment of corporal punishment which used to work as the most effective method, no alternatives were provided. Educators have to lean on their own reactive methods to manage attitude problems in class. It also seems that educators are not trained by the Department of Education to implement the newer discipline strategies. Teachers apply discipline based on their own personal teaching philosophies that seems right and acceptable to them. The study tries to establish which intervention strategies could best address the challenges in schools. The study follows a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) approach which uses an embedded design. The embedded design consists of a primary method that leads the research project. In this instance the primary method is qualitative while the secondary data are quantitative which plays a supporting role. The secondary methods which are quantitative are not prioritized but it is embedded. The datacollecting instruments which have been used for this study are questionnaires, focus group and personal interviews, The primary goal of this study is to determine what the main challenges are in South Africa that result in discipline are being challenged, being threatened and pressurised. To achieve the main goal it is necessary that the researcher determines through literature study how the term “discipline” has been historically understood, interpreted and managed, as there was a shift in emphasis on how the term “discipline” was understood 30 years ago compared to today. The researcher has done a complete literature study to determine what current, relevant literature sees as current challenges in relation to discipline and what has been done to solve it. The researcher gathers information through data-collecting to determine which challenges currently exist at schools. Research has been done on current solutions and intervention methods to determine if there are intervention methods that can deal with these challenges more effectively. The study also tried to research new intervention methods. The empirical study and also the literature study acknowledge that challenges according to discipline exists, that there are a link between discipline and values, that the teaching of values positively influences school communities and that intervention methods and techniques that exists are not effective
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
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