ETD Collection

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    Differentials in Senior Certificate examination performance of schools in terms of pre-1994 education departments
    (2012-09-27) Mahlangu, Mfelasakhe John
    The research analysed the performance differentials among schools with different pre-1994 history of administration and provisioning thus examining the changes in terms of equality of educational outcomes. The purpose of this research was to contribute to the further understanding of the effectiveness of post-1994 educational policy reforms in addressing educational inequalities of the past. The study found that not only were there statistically significant performance differentials between schools based on the pre-1994 education departments, these performance differentials remained significant throughout the period under study. The findings suggest that, overall, the performance differentials between schools that obtained in the pre-1994 era were continuing unabated. The study also found that there were significant performance differentials between schools within the former education departments and these were more significant in low performing former education departments. This suggested that schools within each of former education departments were not homogenous and more nuanced policy interventions were needed to ensure quality outcomes. The study recommends makes three main recommendations. These are - shift in methodological approach when dealing with education policy where a school as an institution at macro level will be a point of departure as opposed to macro-level approach where broad educational reforms are imposed on schools; education policies should be such that they mitigate the impact of socio-economic background on learner achievement and; that future research need to focus on more nuanced aspects on school effectiveness rather than lumping schools into large groups which may hide unique quality challenges that schools as institutions are facing.
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    On the road to Durban:using empowerment evaluation to grow teachers' arts and culture curriculum knowledge
    (2008-05-13T06:57:22Z) Glass, Donald L.
    South Africa has engaged in an outcomes-based curriculum innovation that includes Arts and Culture as a new learning area. Few empirical studies have examined what the curriculum innovation looks like in practice in this high inequity and low capacity school system. This study examines what teachers' curriculum looked like, what influenced their design decisions, and what the growth of their curriculum knowledge looked like. A small sample of new grade 7 Arts and Culture teachers from a disadvantaged township setting participated in an adaptation of empowerment evaluation to gather curriculum data over a 1.5 year period. The findings of this evaluation-research study showed teachers using a more dialogic process to design curriculum with varied influences from policy, learning support materials, and handson arts practice, rather than a linear design process starting with learning outcomes. Gaps in curriculum knowledge about outcomes and assessment were also identified. As part of the empowerment curriculum evaluation (ECE), learning outcomes seemed to play a more powerful role as heuristics in growing their meaning(s) in practice, and generating valid assessment critiera. Evidence was found to argue that the ECE was associated with curriculum knowledge growth and increased self-determination for the teachers who had some initial experience in the learning area before participating in the study. iv
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    Managing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in hospitalized patients at Sizwe Tropical Diseases Hospital: A five year review of treatment outcomes
    (2006-10-25T08:08:55Z) Njaramba, Peter
    Management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is more expensive, lengthy and is associated with less favourable outcomes and more adverse reactions than management of susceptible tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to review the management and treatment outcomes of registered MDR-TB patients hospitalized at Sizwe hospital during a five-year period. A cross-sectional study with both descriptive and analytic features was done on 237 MDR-TB patients hospitalized from the beginning of June 1998 to the end of May 2003. Data were analysed using SPSS version 12 Software. Main outcome measures were interim treatment outcomes at the end of hospitalization period. These outcomes comprised culture conversion rates, time to culture conversion, transfer out, interruption, and death rates. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for poor treatment outcomes. These poor outcomes were defined as treatment interruption, failure and mortality rates. The burden of institutional care for MDR-TB patients in this setting was found to involve high numbers of MDR-TB patients for whom the allocated hospital beds were insufficient. Patients with primary MDR-TB, who had no history of nonadherence to treatment, were paradoxically more likely to be hospitalized shortly after diagnosis. Acquired MDR-TB patients were mostly managed as outpatients immediately after diagnosis only to be hospitalized later due to persistent nonadherence or disease severity. Overall, acquired MDR-TB patients were hospitalized in larger numbers than those with primary disease. This reflects the higher prevalence of acquired MDR-TB compared to primary MDR-TB. Page v Abstract Culture turnaround time was on average 19 days. The overall culture conversion rate of the hospitalized patients was low at 41.9 percent. This low culture conversion rate resulted in protracted hospitalization periods and high interim mortality rates. The mean duration of hospitalization, 3.52 months, correlated favourably with the time interval to the first culture conversion of 2.96 months. Hospitalization did not guarantee the expected adherence to treatment. Surgical interventions were done belatedly with resultant high mortality outcomes. The main reasons given by patients for refusing hospital treatment were visiting traditional healers, solving socioeconomic problems and attending to family matters. A large percentage of hospitalized patients were co-infected with HIV. HIV care and support was incomplete as antiretroviral drugs were not available at the hospital. Among the main findings of the study was the powerful influence HIV status had on poor hospitalization outcomes. Recommendations arising from the study include the need to provide ARVs at the Sizwe hospital. Admission and discharge guidelines aimed at ensuring adequate beds are reserved for deserving patients should be formulated. Continuing education for service providers must be encouraged and rewarded. Infection control procedures at both community and health institution level ought to be vigorously promoted. Patients known to be hopelessly non-adherent should at least be partially hospitalized in the interest of public health.