ETD Collection

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Enhancing creative arts teaching and learning through a blended learning approach: teachers’ perspectives
    (2024) Hlatshwayo, Bongiwe
    ICT in education has changed the way people teach and learn. This transformation has provided education systems with new ways to make education available in various learning platforms. Blended learning is defined as an educational approach that combines face-to-face and online learning with the use of technology. This educational approach gives learners the opportunity to learn via online media as well as through traditional face-to-face. During the covid-19 pandemic, the incorporation of blended learning in many South African schools became imperative in order to allow learners and teachers to recover lost teaching and learning time due to hard lockdown imposed by the government. Teachers were pressured to quickly acquire technological devices and sharpen their ICT skills in order to implement blended learning in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to investigate ways in which blended learning can be adopted in South African schools to enhance Creative Arts teaching and learning. This qualitative study was conducted in three schools in Gauteng province, and it explored the experiences of Creative Arts teachers who have attempted to use blended learning in their practice. Interviews were used to collect data and data analysis was conducted thematically. According to the findings of this study, blended learning provides learners with modern technological experience which is essential in this digital age. However, the rapid adoption of blended learning in South African schools did not coincide with the process of preparing teachers to successfully implement this educational approach. A number of South African schools struggled to successfully implement blended learning due to a lack of ICT professional development, technical resources, and technical support. According to the study, there is a need to establish an effective ICT professional development program in South Africa, that will provide teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively incorporate blended learning into their practice.
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    Establishing a community of inquiry : a case study of an instructional leadership intervention by a principal.
    (2014-01-06) Tinniswood, Bridget
    The principal and teachers of a small independent South African school noticed a significant gap in the implementation of an effective Intermediate Phase (IP) reading curriculum. The principal decided to establish a Community of Inquiry (CoI) at the school to focus on this problem, and to research the process. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the affordances and constraints of the establishment of a CoI for the professional development of teachers as an instructional leadership intervention by the principal. The sub-questions that emerged from the main research question were: what would be the affordances and constraints of the principal establishing, facilitating and researching the CoI; what would be to the benefit of the teachers (and their learners) of establishing such a community for professional development and reading instruction in the IP; and, what processes are entailed in establishing an in-school CoI? To what degree, if any, would the CoI be a generating space to answer the research questions and aims? The literature review for the study explored the means of professional development available to educators and principals, especially Professional Learning Communities and their more focused interventions – Communities of Inquiry, and that professional development needs to target four levels – the teacher, their teaching, the community and collegiality at the school, and the principal as a developmental leader, in order for there to be an improvement in students’ learning. The concerning South African context with regard to reading in the IP was outlined, as well as that in the school. The South African curriculum IP learning outcomes and assessment standards for reading were critically explored against the backdrop of international curricula. The process of learning to read was traced. Hindrances to effective reading were also explored. The qualitative research design was an applied case study. Grounded Theory methods were used to reduce the data from the transcripts of CoI sessions. The findings of the research were that there are many affordances to establishing an in-school CoI, and that these benefits far outweigh the constraints. The CoI provided a germinating locus in which participants could begin to address the problems related to reading and reading instruction in the IP. It enabled the principal to develop as an instructional leader, and the teachers to develop as professionals and reading instructors. In hindsight, this project was a vital one, but considerably ambitious, difficult to implement, and perhaps even constrained in the sense of the principal establishing, facilitating and researching this process herself. However, without the principal driving, facilitating and researching the CoI, the question emerges whether such an intervention would have been established. Sometimes external insistences from authority can provide valuable impetus for change at schools, as long as these are sensitively handled and one has the support and trust of participants. The actual acceleration in learning that the participants experienced was extensive, and, sometimes it is only the principal that can play this role – especially in newly established communities. Much more research and support for principals in becoming instructional leaders and in establishing CoIs at their schools is required in the South African context.
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    Professional development of educators : an illuminative evaluation of INSET for life orientation.
    (2012-02-29) Shah, Zahira
    In-service education and training (INSET) has become a key vehicle for the professional development of educators in the school context. However, its role and impact has yet to be fully comprehended. This study resulted from the realization that educators often attend short training courses without being tracked or monitored afterwards. Using an illuminative approach to evaluation, this study aimed to establish the impact of INSET on educators’ ability to effectively implement the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum, after attending national INSET in 2005. It was also important to gauge if educators had gained the knowledge and skills to deal with emergent issues not addressed during the training. The field of adult education offered a particular lens through which I aimed to look at both LO and INSET. The sample selected for this study consisted of three teachers teaching at co-educational government schools in Johannesburg, who attended the 2005 Gauteng provincial training in LO for grade 10. Data collection methods included questionnaires, naturalistic observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings of this study suggest that the success of this INSET programme depends heavily on the individuals who attend them and their personal experiences and beliefs. The study concluded that for educators to implement LO effectively they would not only have to develop professionally but they should also be committed to lifelong learning.
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    Leading and managing high schools in Swaziland : challenges, strategies and practices.
    (2012-02-15) Dlamini, Badelisile Alexia
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    An exploration of instruments to mobilise bureaucratic and professional accountability in poor-performing public secondary schools in the Gauteng Province : a case study of 3 schools.
    (2012-01-09) Vawda, Shamima
    This study looked at the way poor-performing public secondary schools in Gauteng Province understand school accountability; their current internal accountability instruments; the way professional development is conducted; and their engagement with the Integrated Quality Management System, the external school accountability system. The intention of the study was to identify possible instruments to mobilise bureaucratic and professional accountability in poor-performing secondary schools. The study was a case study of three poor-performing secondary schools and relied on teachers and principals at these schools to learn their understanding and reactions to the notion of accountability. The study revealed that such schools use bureaucratic instruments (such as attendance registers) to realise accountability and to create structure and routine in their schools. However, where leadership is weak, even these bureaucratic tools such as attendance registers are ineffective. These schools do not take action against non-conformance by teachers and principals. In the schools investigated, accountability was seen as ‘doing your work as you were trained to do during your pre-service training and reporting on learner performance’. The study revealed that, to move towards greater professional accountability in the school sector, a long-term approach is needed that is underscored by ongoing professional development complemented with pressure or performance management. Equally important is the need to build collective power through improving knowledge and skills and motivation for improvement amongst both teachers and school managers.
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    Do skills development and training promote professional and organisational development in the broadcasting information technology (BIT) unit of a broadcasting company?
    (2010-03-02T09:16:44Z) Hoosen, Nazira
    The information technology (IT) industry in South Africa has undergone major technological changes, and continues to do so. These changes are dynamic and demand significant interventions on the part of the workforce. If an organisation is to change, then systemic and sustainable changes are essential. Hence, a prerequisite is that employees within this industry need constantly to improve their knowledge and skills. The study was conducted within the broadcasting information technology (BIT) unit of a broadcasting company in South Africa. The aim of the research was to determine if skills development and training promotes professional and organisational development. A case study methodology within the qualitative paradigm was employed. Data was collected through a questionnaire, interviews, observations and document analysis. The research explored crucial issues in training and development in relation to professional and organisational development. The research findings indicated that perceptions of the success of skills development programmes far outweighed perceptions of failure. The research concluded that skills development and training programmes promote professional development. Organisational development, however, was promoted only to the extent that employees remained in the employ of the organisation. In addition, this research suggests that there is scope for future research in this field.