3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The application of adult education principles to school-based curriculum changes: a case study of a school-based curriculum change for Hebrew literature at a Jewish day school (Grades 8-9) in Johannesburg(2014-04-10) Herman, ChayaThis case study explores, through critical reflection, the process of a school-based curriculum change (SBCC) and examines to what extent the application of adult education principles facilitates this process. The change is related to three issues: the process of curriculum development; the shift towards professional development based on adult education principles; and the changing role of the consultant in relation to curriculum development. Tire consultant came to realize that in order to promote school based curriculum development it was necessary to work with the head of the department and the teachers in a participative mode, rather than taking a stand as a curriculum development expert. The research findings suggest that in order to apply adult education principles to teachers’ professional development, the consultant needs to move from consultancy based on an expert role towards consultancy based on a process role. The research proposes that professional development based on adult education principles and teamwork could be a promising introduction to a secondorder change promoting a school culture of teamwork and critical reflection. The researcher came to question the appropriateness of a case study based on participant observation as a research methodology in the workplace. She suggests that an action research could be more advantageous to promote a second-order change and could be more in line with adult education principles.Item Outcomes-based education: how have selected teachers respondend to curriculum 2005?(2014-03-24) Williams, MeganOn the 30 July 1996, the Department of Education launched a national curriculum process. Included in this process was the establishment of an outcomes-based education (OBE) system. This research reflects how selected South African teachers responded to the implementation of an outcomes-based education curriculum, at the onset of 1998. The research also reflects the perspectives of individuals whose task it is to design the new curriculum. The research is housed in an interpretative paradigm and has a qualitative perspective to it, in that it is primarily concerned with understanding the individual teacher’s perspective and experience of outcomes-based education. The case study research method is used, with interviews and questionnaires as the data gathering methods. The research reveals teachers’ understanding of OBE, as well as their concerns and aspirations of an outcomes-based curriculum. A number of recommendations are made to aid teachers and curriculum developers during this time of curriculum change.Item Reducing dependency and promoting community participation in development?: Four case studies of participatory rural appraisal and community action plans in Botswana(2008-03-06T13:55:42Z) Dipholo, KennethABSTRACT Since independence in 1966, centralized development planning has ensured the availability of basic facilities and services in rural areas of Botswana but has also contributed to over-reliance on the government for the majority of rural people. The consequence of this centralized and accelerated approach to rural development has been the exclusion of rural communities from planning and implementation of facilities meant to benefit them. The international debate on sustainable rural development led the Botswana government to re-think its rural development policy with a view to establishing more effective strategies for rural development. The Community Based Strategy for Rural Development, introduced in 1997 emphasizes the important role of communities in their own development, by promoting Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). This study sought to discover insights into the implementation of PRA in Botswana by questioning extension workers and community members in four villages about the application and impact of PRA on their communities. The research uses the frameworks of qualitative research and critical adult education theory to enquire into the basis for participatory rural development in Botswana and the implementation of Community Action Plans (CAPs). Case studies of the four villages were conducted to illuminate problematic areas of programme design and implementation. Interviews with thirty-two people and observations were the main methods of collecting data. Documents, reports and records on PRA training and application in the four villages and from outside were consulted. The research results show that the application of PRA in the participating villages has had negligible impact in reversing the state-dominated approach to development. PRA facilitators seem disinterested in its application and sustenance. However, the findings also suggest that PRA application in Botswana is not hopeless, but needs a different kind of investment, for example, introducing measures of accountability, addressing paternalistic attitudes among development workers, and exploiting key principles of adult education.