20 research outputs found
Scholarship of education and human rights in diversity
No full textThe objective of this book is to highlight the need and value of imbuing the dynamic intersections between education, human rights and diversity with perspectives from the Global South. The chapters approach key intellectual conundrums of the day from a Global South perspective to reflect a credible scholarly footprint in Africa and in the SADC region. This is deemed timely considering that the field is deeply embedded in western, Eurocentric and overall Global North dominance. This book will provide a Southern perspective on education and human rights in diversity by unpacking each of the following key areas in the intersection between education, human rights and diversity from a Southern perspective: comparative international perspectives, citizenship education, human rights literacies, human rights education pedagogy, learner discipline in schools, aggression and bullying in schools, addressing human trafficking by means of human rights education, social justice, and the decolonisation of human rights and human rights education
Scholarship of education and human rights in diversity
No full textThe objective of this book is to highlight the need and value of imbuing the dynamic intersections between education, human rights and diversity with perspectives from the Global South. The chapters approach key intellectual conundrums of the day from a Global South perspective to reflect a credible scholarly footprint in Africa and in the SADC region. This is deemed timely considering that the field is deeply embedded in western, Eurocentric and overall Global North dominance. This book will provide a Southern perspective on education and human rights in diversity by unpacking each of the following key areas in the intersection between education, human rights and diversity from a Southern perspective: comparative international perspectives, citizenship education, human rights literacies, human rights education pedagogy, learner discipline in schools, aggression and bullying in schools, addressing human trafficking by means of human rights education, social justice, and the decolonisation of human rights and human rights education
A workshop for educators with regards to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
No full textM.Ed. (Education and Learning Support)This study focused on the design, implementation and reflection of the development of a workshop for educators with regards to understanding and effectively managing learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their classrooms. This study was done in an action research framework in four specific stages, (a) the educators role, (b) educators knowledge about teaching, (c) teaching practices, and (d) reflective practices. Data was collected from a video recording of the workshop on ADHD, an informal focus group assessment questionnaire, and collection of participant's artifacts of the activities during the workshop. Educators who were engaged in the stages of action research during the workshop were provided with theory, strategies, and a checklists on ADHD. This structure assisted educators through the process of becoming knowledgeable, effective, and reflective managers of learners with ADHD
Managing and facilitating racial integration in public secondary schools
No full textPh.D.Abstract: Since 1994 desegregation in schools has resulted in school management and governance structures adopting diverse ways of responding to the racially diverse learner population. However, researchers are doubtful as to whether such attempts at proving an equitable and quality education for learners with racially diverse backgrounds, interests and abilities are successful. It is in this context that this research was carried out, with the purpose of investigating the effectiveness of school management and governance structures in managing and facilitating racial integration in public secondary schools. A sequential explanatory mixed method approach involving three phases was used. Phase 1 was quantitative in nature and gathered data from racially diverse Grade 10 learners, educators, members of the school management team (SMT) and school governing body (SGB) in racially mixed schools in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. Purposeful sampling was used to select four schools from Johannesburg Districts (South and Central) within the categories of former departments of education, namely House of Assembly (HoA), House of Delegates (HoD), House of Representatives (HoR), and Department of Education and Training (DET). Although a large number of questionnaires were handed out to the different participants only 336 learner questionnaires were completed and some educator questionnaires were not returned or were incomplete, leaving 88 completed, including those from members of the SMT and SGB. The data was analysed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics and factor analysis. Phase 2 was qualitative in nature and focused on obtaining an in-depth view of the issues that had arisen from the quantitative phase by conducting individual interviews with eight learners from racially diverse backgrounds and four focus groups with10 participants in each group, comprising members of the SMT and SGB as well as educators combined. Quantitative results indicated that SMT and SGB were effectively managing racial integration in the previously White, Indian and Coloured schools, whereas in Black schools there was no need for racial integration because there was only one race group. The qualitative results showed that racial integration was not evident in these schools but rather there was heightened racial conflict and racial incidences prevalent in former White, Indian and Coloured schools. The qualitative findings were: that policies were not in line with the country’s Constitution, which advocates racial equality and social justice, and this has a negative impact on effective racial integration at school level; a curriculum that does not accommodate the diverse needs of learners from racially diverse backgrounds, especially in respect of the language of teaching and learning; the dynamics of conflicting interrelationships both amongst learners themselves as well as their educators manifested through name-calling, labelling and stereotypical behaviour on a daily basis; and the need for capacity building of educators to equip them with the necessary knowledge, values, attitudes and skills to manage racial..
The implementation of inclusive education with regard to curriculum transformation in the primary schools
No full textMEd (Special Needs Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusBackground: The purpose of implementing inclusive education policies is to provide equitable participation of historically marginalised communities in education. However, policy implementation is not always efficient and this has led to confusion, uncertainty and stress to educators, who are expected to practise the prescripts of those policies. Currently, in South Africa, legislative practices continue to improve to accommodate diverse learners in order to meet first world countries in the implementation of Inclusive Education Policy with the introduction of Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).
Aim of the study: This study focuses on the implementation of inclusive education with regard to curriculum transformation in the primary schools of the Ditsobotla Area Office in the North West province of South Africa.
Research methods: The research study employed a qualitative approach, where data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews with eight purposively selected schools and 20 participants, ideally teaching in different schools. One principal per school (4); One School-Based Support Team member per school (4); Three educators per school (12), giving a total of 20 participants. These teachers will be chosen because they are deemed to be the group that is critically involved in inclusive education at a school and would therefore be knowledgeable to answer the research questions posed.
Findings: This study found that Inclusive education practices in mainstream primary schools have not been adequately established, and thus the practical implementation stage appears to have not taken its course.
Recommendations: The recommendations put forth by the study suggested that since there is a need for effective implementation of inclusive education in schools, it is important that the role of institutional development and support officers should also be looked at. This would facilitate the implementation of inclusive education policies as there will be systems in placeMaster
A father’s right to paternity leave in the South African workplace.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This minor dissertation examines the legal position of the working father and paternity
leave in South Africa. The Labour Law Amendment Act No. 10 of 2018 came into effect
on 1 January 2020. Section 25A of the BCEA provides for ‘parental leave’ which will allow
a male or female parent ten days leave upon the birth or adoption of a child. The dissertation
will discuss whether the proposed changes were required in South Africa and will look at
the law before the amendments were effected. Further the dissertation looks at whether the
10 days provided for working fathers is sufficient. This dissertation will provide a
comparison of certain developed and developing countries in order to show whether South
Africa has now caught up
Comparing the status of ICT in the school education systems of South Africa and New Zealand during Covid-19
No full textMSc (Comparative and International Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusDigital tools and school-building design in the 21st century differ from the traditional blackboard teaching method. The situation is further complicated by the estimation that new professions that do not even exist currently will emerge for approximately 65% of learners who are now starting their school careers. These learners will be part of the fourth industrial revolution. Equipping them for fourth industrial teaching makes numerous policymakers focus on modern learning, innovative learning and modern teaching so that learners are effectively equipped with skills to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution. “Information and communication technology” or ICT is the blanket term for all the technologies and services involved in the provision of telecommunication, data management, computing and the internet. The United Nations member states have adopted Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals, of which the implementation of ICT infrastructure forms a big part.
The World Economic Forum indicates that the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the inequalities in the labour market and businesses had to change their way of operating, which triggered the use of fourth industrial revolution technologies. According to the United Nations, two billion students across the world had their learning disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools had to close and apply other forms of teaching and learning by utilising information and communication technologies. This comparative study focused on school education in New Zealand and South Africa. The differences and similarities between these countries will be insightful to compare the status of ICT in education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Good practices and strategies to implement for improving education technology were identified in the study.Master
Teachers’ perceptions of the psycho-social effects of COVID-19 on learners’ well-being in South African schools
No full textThe lockdown the South African government implemented in 2020 to contain the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures. During this time, and also when learners were allowed to attend school again, the focus was on the physical health and safety of the learners. However, in the process, schools might have neglected the psycho-social and mental well-being of learners, which is a state in which learners are able to manage stress and function optimally. This paper reports on a study that investigated teachers’ views on how learners’ psycho-social and mental well-being was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to gather data from 17 teachers from five schools in two districts of the North-West Province in South Africa. The school mental health theoretical framework was used for the study because of its focus on the psycho-social mental health of learners and the role of institutions in supporting mental health. The findings indicate that learners experienced a higher level of emotional distress during the lockdown. This was caused by an increase in fear, stress, anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, anger and aggression during the pandemic. Although learners from all the schools were negatively affected by COVID-19, learners from low-income schools that had limited access to resources were affected more due to the limited professional psycho-social support they received. This highlights the need for Education Departments to build the capacity of all South African schools to address the emotional and psycho-social well-being of their learners. It is vital that schools commit themselves to enabling learners to develop a high level of resilience and antifragility at all times, not just during major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic
Layered Language in Ayi Kwei Armah’s the Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born
No full textLanguage is used by writers in multiple ways to effectively convey the writer’s vision. This paper explores the Ghanian novelist Ayi Kwei Armah’s novel The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Bornand its layered use of language. How effectively can the realist mode portray a sense of deep despair? What are the layered levels at which language and narration must function to achieve the wrenching impact the author seeks to impart? What visual imagery or symbolic language can a writer use to convey the unconveyable? How can such elements be woven seamlessly into a realistic narrative? This paper examines some of these questions, and attempts to unravel the multiple ways in which descriptive language, revolting metaphors and nauseating scatological imagery are employed in the text
The management and governance of racial integration in public secondary schools in Gauteng
No full textThe main purpose of this paper was to establish the effectiveness of school management and governance structures in managing racial integration in public secondary schools. A qualitative study was conducted utilising Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Lewin’s Change Management Theory. A sample of grade 10 learners and educators, which included members of the School Management Team (SMT), School Governing Body (SGB), which represented the four previous education departments, was purposefully selected. Semi-structured, individual interviews and focus group discussions, including a questionnaire with open-ended questions, were used to gather data. The findings, obtained through content analysis, indicate that SMTs and SGBs experience difficulty in managing and governing racial integration in public schools due to the following: policy and practice issues, poor interrelationships, need for capacity building of educators, and on-going racial conflict. Based on the findings, recommendations are made on how SMTs and SGBs could effectively manage racial integration in public secondary schools. Keywords: governance, management, racial integration; Critical Race Theory, Lewin’s Change Management Theor
