UWCScholar :: Browsing by Author "Smith, Juliana"

Browsing by Author "Smith, Juliana"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

The educational support of teenage mothers at Western Cape school
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Maarman-Afrika, Bernadette; Smith, Juliana
Teenage pregnancy has increased in recent years, and it is viewed as a social problem that has led to various research studies. Most teenage mothers are more motivated to complete their schooling and pursue further education after giving birth. Due to the high number of teenage mothers returning to school, it became essential to understand the educational support they utilise to fulfil their schooling goals. The research attempted to explore the different support that is made available to them. The study aimed to explore the educational support of teenage mothers at a Western Cape school. The study used a qualitative methodological paradigm, and an interpretive approach was followed. The data was collected using a single case study as a qualitative research design. Ten teenage mothers, nine parents, four teachers, and principal were selected as the target population using the purposive sampling method. In-depth individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the data. A schedule of interview questions enabled the participants to reveal their views and experiences on the topic of study. A thematic qualitative data analysis was used to create meaning from the collected data.
Emotional and social education rethinking the curriculum for primary school student teachers
(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Silbert, Beth; Smith, Juliana
The aim of this thesis is to explore the notion of emotional and social education in the curriculum for primary school student teachers, focusing on the development of students 'emotional and social competence. I argue that this is not only a necessary and fundamental component of student teachers' learning, but that it needs to be considered as a matter of priority in the light of South Africa's history. Developing emotional and social competence in children is, under any circumstances and in any context, an integral part of their overall development as human beings. In my experience of primary education, however, the emotional and social dimensions of learning have seemingly been neglected. ln addition, the damage caused by apartheid in general and by violence in particular to the emotional and social lives of south Africa's people has been deep and profound. For these reasons, I argue that emotional and social education be given special attention, as a way of dealing with the effects of the past and in terms of building a new society in the future. ln order to develop emotional and social competence in children, teachers need, in themselves, to be emotionally and socially competent. They also need particular skills to develop these competencies in their pupils. From my observations of student teachers and of their learning experiences during their three years in teacher education at college, however, it appeared that this was not the case. The course offered to the students seemed neither to focus on the development of the child as a whole, nor on the overall development of the students, themselves. Rather, it seemed to emphasize the teaching of traditional subjects such as Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Language, by providing the students only with information about and skills in which to teach these subjects. This thesis attempts to document my perceptions of emotional and social education as a neglected area in the curriculum for students and the problems arising from this neglect in terms of their preparation as primary school teachers. while doing so, it also focuses on the way in which particular values and patterns of behavior are reinforced and perpetuated - not only by what is taught, but by the unconscious messages transmitted through one's daily interactions with students and by the kind of general environment that is created within the college as a whole. Particular attention is paid to those experiences operating in terms of the hidden curriculum. This is done in an attempt to show these experiences as powerful determinants for the way student teachers, in tum, will relate to their pupils and for the kind of environment they will create in their classroom. My own endeavors to address emotional and social education in the college as a whole and in my classroom situation in particular are also discussed issues around the implementation of emotional and social education in primary schools are looked at, and implications and recommendations for colleges of education are explored. The perceptions, reflections, and recommendations recorded in this thesis are to highlight the necessity for primary education colleges to rethink their curriculum - to consider carefully how best to implement emotional and social education for their students that will enable them, as teachers, to provide the kind of learning experiences necessary for developing emotional and social competence in their pupils in the future.
Enhancing a culture of teaching, learning and values in a grade 12 geography classroom: A case study in a secondary school in the Western Cape
(2008) Stuurman, Verna Virginia Felicia; Smith, Juliana
This research study, which is a case study, investigates strategies employed by educators to enhance the culture of teaching, learning and values in a Grade 12 Geography classroom in a secondary school in the Western Cape. In the contemporary school context educators are experiencing an increasingly challenging time to ensure learner achievement, participation and general interest in their school work. As Geography educator, I often grappled with the issues of low achievement and interest levels among learners. I realised that unless educators • employ effective strategies to develop resilient learners; • change their classroom practice to suit learner needs; • involve learners in decisions regarding their education; and • show a genuine interest in learners the demands and challenges would not be diminished. I conducted a local and global literature review on enhancing a culture of teaching and learning in the Geography classroom as well as a case study carried out by Grade 12 educators and learners at a secondary school in the Western Cape. The research study was an attempt to explore possible solutions to the challenges in the classroom. It focused on an initiative by the Grade 12 educators and learners in pursuit of more creative ways of dealing with Geography content. The research study was qualitative in nature and aimed to investigate strategies educators could employ to enhance a culture of teaching, learning and values in the Geography classroom. The research approach was interpretive and the design was a case study. Interviews, questionnaires and observations were used to collect the required data. The data collected shows that through this project, learners were sensitized on human rights and values issues. They discovered that learning could be an enjoyable experience. The skills, knowledge and values emerging from this project were invaluable, since it changed the way learners viewed the learning experience. The focus was particularly on the Further Education and Training Geography curricular experience. Over the past decade, challenges pertaining to learners’ attitudes to education have intensified. The factors impacting on learner achievement and attitudes are extensive, especially in impoverished and historically deprived communities. In modern society social evils like alcoholism, drug abuse, gangsterism and the associated violence and criminal behaviour are taking their toll. A direct consequence of societal moral decay manifests itself in behavioural problems e.g. aggressive behaviour, vandalism and general ill-discipline. The implementation of the new National Curriculum Statement has also impacted extensively on educators and learners alike. For many educators who were set in conventional methodologies, the process was complicated and difficult to adapt to. The new curriculum poses unique challenges with regard to planning, self discipline and work ethos. It has been associated with a total change in the approach towards teaching and learning. Many educators found it difficult to adapt to the new way of managing the curriculum. Evidence from the data confirmed that educators were willing to employ different strategies to address and improve learner performance. However, the appropriate conditions of teaching and learning are often non-existent. Barriers to teaching and learning need to be addressed efficiently to ensure a supportive and enabling learning environment. The data also showed that educators achieved more through this strategy than initially envisaged. This would pave the way for other initiatives and strategies to ensure improved classroom practice and subsequently enhance the culture of teaching, learning and values.
Exploring occupational therapy graduates’ conceptualisations of occupational justice in practice: Curriculum implications
(Health and Medical Publishing Group, 2016) Hess-April, Lucia; Smith, Juliana; De Jongh, Jo-Celene
BACKGROUND. The concept of occupational justice was derived from a social justice perspective in response to a renewed commitment by the occupational therapy profession to address the occupational needs of individuals, groups and communities who experience social injustice. Accordingly, it is acknowledged that education with regard to occupational justice has the deliberate intention of preparing graduates, who would be change agents as critical practitioners. Nonetheless, while occupational therapy education programmes may seek to instil broader professional values, theory covered in the curriculum may not always assure congruent practice. OBJECTIVE. To explore how occupational therapy graduates’ conceptualisations of occupational justice, as instilled by the occupational therapy curriculum of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, manifested in their practice while undergoing community service. METHODS. Seven occupational therapy graduates were selected to participate in the study through purposive sampling. A descriptive case study of their practice was generated through qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews, document review and participant observation were used as data collection methods, analysed through a process of inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS. The findings revealed that while the participants conceptualised occupational justice as broader social change through occupational enablement, they encountered several constraints related to structural and systemic power issues in their practice contexts. CONCLUSION. The study supports the utilisation of transformative learning and inter-professional education in developing critical competencies such as agency and political proficiency to assist graduates in dealing with the complexities of practice during community service.
The grade 11 life orientation curriculum: towards preparation for active citizenship in a democratic South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Arendse, Agnetha; Smith, Juliana; Small, Rosalie
The general aim of this study was to explore the extent to which the Grade 11 LO curriculum prepares learners for active citizenship in a democratic South Africa. The main research question that the study addresses is: To what extent does the Grade 11 LO curriculum prepare learners for active citizenship in a democratic South Africa? The main objective of the study is to explore the extent to which the Grade 11 LO curriculum prepares learners for active citizenship in a democracy in the South African context. Even though democratic structures and participation forms a small component of the broader topic of active citizenship in the Grade 11 LO curriculum, the study examines the public participation initiatives of Parliament, as a democratic structure with the intention to increase active citizenship in a democratic South Africa. The theoretical framework of this study considers Paulo Freire's educational theory in the context of critical theory and models of public participation in preparation for active citizenship. As such, the literature was used in order to come to an understanding of concepts relating to active citizenship in a democracy, the concepts, namely, "education for "public participation‟, "citizenship‟, "democracy‟, "inclusivity‟ and "human rights‟. The study adopted a mainly qualitative research approach to explore the extent to which the Grade 11 LO curriculum prepares learners for active citizenship in a democracy. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of learners' perceptions, a case study method was employed and data collection techniques included questionnaires and focus group interviews. The sample in this study comprised 461 Grade 12 learners, who completed the Grade 11 LO curriculum during 2012, and seven LO educators from five selected schools in Metro South Education District in the Western Cape. Even though the total number of participating educators was seven, four completed the questionnaires and four participated in the focus group interviews. The data collection process encompassed three phases. Phase one included a literature review and document study. Phase two included the administration of questionnaires and phase three included the facilitation of focus group interviews. Thematic and document analyses were applied in order to undertake a detailed examination of documents and interviews.
Investigating and developing positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship among Secondary school children in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Allie, Fatima; Smith, Juliana
It is a well known fact that the development of entrepreneurs will have a number of benefits for the economy of the country. In addition, entrepreneurship represents an important vehicle to address the challenges of job creation and equity in South Africa. Throughout the world, it has been shown that entrepreneurs are playinga crucial role in expanding the economies in innovative and creative ways. - It is the opinion of policy-makers that with the appropriate enabling environment, South African entrepreneurs can follow the examples of Malaysian and Taiwanese entrepreneurs and make their mark on this economy. It would be very naive to assume that entrepreneurship would solve most of the economic problems of South Africa. However, it could not be denied that it does have an important role to play. Given the historical background of South Africa and the consequences thereof namely. unemployment and low economic growth, it becomes clear that the country not only need more entrepreneurs, but a more positive attitude towards entrepreneurship among all communities. The question arises whether systems are in place to develop positive attitudes amongst all communities, particularly the youth. The Presidents Council's Report (1989) highlighted the inability of the current education system to promote entrepreneurship. It is in the light of the history of South Africa, as discussed above, that this study sets out to investigate the attitudes and methods for developing positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship among school children in the Western Cape. The study also aims to assess the factors that have impacted on their attitudes. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used to get detailed "information on the perceptions and attitudes towards entrepreneurship. An exploratory study of available literature and focus group discussions established some key variables that impacted on the attitudes of pupils. In addition, personal and telephonic interviews were conducted with teachers to get their views and opinions on the findings of the survey.
Investigating and developing positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship among secondary school children in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Allie, Fatima; Smith, Juliana
It is a well known fact that the development of entrepreneurs will have a number of benefits for the economy of the country. In addition, entrepreneurship represents an important vehicle to address the challenges of job creation and equity in South Africa. Throughout the world, it has been shown that entrepreneurs are playing a crucial role in expanding the economies in innovative and creative ways. - It is the opinion of policy-makers that with the appropriate enabling environment, South African entrepreneurs can follow the examples of Malaysian and Taiwanese entrepreneurs and make their mark on this economy. It would be very naive to assume that entrepreneurship would solve most of the economic problems of South Africa. However, it could not be denied that it does have an important role to play. Given the historical background of South Africa and the consequences thereof namely. Unemployment and low economic growth, it becomes clear that the country not only need more entrepreneurs, but a more positive attitude towards entrepreneurship among all communities. The question arises whether systems are in place to develop positive attitudes amongst all communities, particularly the youth. The Presidents Council's Report (1989) highlighted the inability of the current education system to promote entrepreneurship. It is in the light of the history of South Africa, as discussed above, that this study sets out to investigate the attitudes and methods for developing positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship among school children in the Western Cape. The study also aims to assess the factors that have impacted on their attitudes. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used to get detailed "information on the perceptions and attitudes towards entrepreneurship. An exploratory study of available literature and focus group discussions established some key variables that impacted on the attitudes of pupils. In addition, personal and telephonic interviews were conducted with teachers to get their views and opinions on the findings of the survey. The literature and group discussions provided the items for the research instrument used to gather the information. The sample of forty-five pupils from schools allover Western Cape indicated that there was great scope for developing positive attitudes among pupils from all race groups and both genders. The results also confirmed that, as postulated, the school context, inclusion of entrepreneurship in the school curriculum and the commitment of teachers and parents have the potential to effect positive changes in the perceptions and attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Analysis of the findings established that access to entrepreneurial programmes and projects could provide various benefits for the creation of an entrepreneurial culture. It further showed that entrepreneurial culture is not confined to particular cultural groups and that the awareness about entrepreneurship among pupils is growing. It thus revealed that awareness building among all population groups could have positive effects on developing positive attitudes. Another important outcome of the study is the greater awareness and the importance of entrepreneurship amongst pupils for the creation of jobs and 'the growing economy, As an outcome of the findings various recommendations are made regarding the integration of the subjects in the school curriculum. It concluded that the research was able to make a useful contribution to an understanding of the ways in which entrepreneurship and economic awareness could contribute to the growth of the economy and hence the equalisation of society.
An Investigation of the Use of Teaching Aids by Grade 8 Biology Teachers in Secondary Schools in Eritrea
(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Berhe, Asmerom Kahsay; Smith, Juliana
In Eritrea, the extent to which secondary school Biology teachers have used teaching aids in their teachers use classrooms has not been addressed. Hence, this study focuses on the extent to which teachers use teaching aids in teaching and learning, with special references to grade 8 Biology in secondary schools in Eritrea. Further, this study provides insights into the availability of teaching aids, constraints that prevent the use of teaching aids, and the importance of teaching aids on learners' understanding. Located in the constructivist paradigm, the research focuses on gaining an understanding of the research problems through questionnaires and interviews. In this study, the participants were teachers involved in the teaching of Biology. The desire of the researcher was to investigate the extent to which Biology teachers use teaching aids in teaching and learning situations from the point of view of teachers. The result of the study indicates that teaching aids such as textbooks, diagrams, and living things collected from the community were the main ones available in most schools. Audio-visual aids such as videos and other science-related activities were not available due to the lack of funds. Also, the result indicates that most Biology teachers use teaching aids along with the presentation of the lessons by means of the lecture method. Some of the constraints for not using teaching aids were large class sizes, lack of resources, and heavy teacher load. The last part of the study suggests recommendations for the improvement of the situation in teaching and learning in secondary schools in Eritrea. Some of these recommendations include • Training teachers on how to prepare teaching aids and integrate them into their lessons • Creating resource centers at school and at the regional level to facilitate easy access. to the necessary equipment; and • Minimize teachers' load in order for teachers to have enough time for preparation.
Kurrikulumhersiening in ‘n veranderde Suid-Afrika: ‘n studie van die arbeidsterapiekurrikulum aan die Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland
(University of Western Cape, 2009) De Jongh, Jo-Celene; van Rensburg, Viki Celeste Janse; Smith, Juliana
‘n Gevallestudie binne die kwalitatiewe metodologiese paradigma is gebruik om die hersiene Arbeidsterapiekurrikulum by die Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland te interpreteer. Die doel van die studie was om te bepaal hoe die hersiene kurrikulum aan die handelingsgerigte wetenskaplike raamwerk van die beroep, die gemeenskapsgebaseerde visie van die veranderde gesondheidsorgbenadering in Suid-Afrika na 1994, en aan die beginsels van studentgesentreerde opleiding voldoen. Eerstens, is konseptuele duidelikheid verkry omtrent die ontplooiende verwikkelinge in die Arbeidsterapieprofessie na ‘n teoretiese raamwerk van handelingsgerigte wetenskap en van transformasie van gesondheidsdienste in die land. Tweedens, deur die proses van konseptuele analise en deur die gebruik van dokumentêre analise, tematiese analise van studente se geskrewe evaluerings en ‘n fokusgroeponderhoud met Arbeidsterapiepersoneel, is die data ge-analiseer. Die konseptuele analise van die hersiene Arbeidsterapiekurrikulum het areas van kurrikulumstruktuur, onderrig en leer, studente-assessering, praktiese opleiding, personeel se professionele ontwikkeling en navorsing ingesluit. Vanuit die konseptuele analise is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Die hoofgevolgtrekking wat na aanleiding van my interpretasie en bevinding in die Arbeidsterapiekurrikulummodel voorgestel word, is dat die Arbeidsterapiekurrikulum deur drie teoreties-opvoedkundige vertrekpunte naamlik: handelingsgerigte wetenskap, primêre gesondheidsorgbenadering en studentgesentreerde onderrigbenadering ondersteun word.
Occupational therapy graduates’ conceptualisations of occupational justice in community service practice in South Africa: a uwc case study
(2013) April, Lucia Hess; Smith, Juliana; De Jongh, Jo-Celene
The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify ways in which the University of the Western Cape (UWC) occupational therapy (OT) curriculum could be developed to prepare its graduates to advance occupational justice in community service practice. The background to the study is the development of occupational therapy practice and education within a policy context of health reform that gave momentum to the shift in emphasis from a bio-medical to a more socio-political approach to health in South Africa. Underpinning this study was the assumption that OT education informs professional practice and that uncovering new graduates’ practice experiences can inform the development of the UWC OT curriculum. The aim of the studyn was to examine how UWC OT graduates conceptualised occupational justice and how it manifested in their daily practice of community service in three provinces in South Africa. The study is framed within the theories of occupational justice and critical curriculum theory, in particular, critical pedagogy. A literature review pertaining to the application of occupational justice in OT practice and education is presented. This includes the background values that inform the practice of occupational justice, the application of occupational justice as it relates to OT practice and the relationship between OT education and occupational justice. The research design that was adopted is that of a single, interpretive case study. Through purposive sampling seven occupational therapy graduates from UWC who graduated in 2009, and who practiced in under-resourced, rural community service settings in 2010, were selected to participate in the study. The methods of data collection that were utilised were participant observation, a reflective journal, semi-structured paired or dyadic interviews and document review. The findings revealed that occupational justice held considerable value for the participants. They conceptualised occupational justice as enhanced health and well-being, and broader social change as an outcome of the facilitation of occupational enablement. The nature of their community service practice settings, however, posed several challenges for the participants. From the perspective of the participants, the dominance of the medical model, lack of resources and system of bureaucracy appeared to be the biggest challenges they encountered. While the participants’ education was geared towards equipping them to provide appropriate services as indicated by local needs, the health system was not ready tob accommodate their practice. Consequently, the participants appeared to encounter hegemony in practice. In encountering hegemony, however, they displayed an attitude of defeatism, leaving them with feelings of guilt, despondency and powerlessness. They lacked the skills to respond to power dynamics and to interact with people in positions of power. The main conclusion drawn from the study findings is that for OT graduates to impact the contexts in which they practice in South Africa, OT education must ensure that students develop competence to deal with the complexities of community service practice. This implies that transformational learning as pedagogical practice is of the essence, as it frames student preparation not just as learning but as a process of critical reflexivity that equips them to respond to power dynamics and intervene in matters related to occupational justice as active agents of change. The role and practice of occupational justice are subjects of debate in the context of OT education as they are for the profession broadly. This study contributed to this conversation through its examination of UWC OT graduates’ actual practice and the transmission of occupational justice-promoting practice through UWC OT education. The study highlighted that it is imperative that OT curricula in South Africa provide opportunities for students to engage in critical reflection on ways in which indigenous knowledge and a local understanding of occupational justice, as it relates to collective agency and critical consciousness, can be made more explicit in everyday practices. To this end, recommendations for the development of the UWC OT curriculum are made in respect of curriculum structure, content and approach; interdisciplinary education and practice, support for community service graduates and occupational therapy continued professional development.
The role of Parliament in promoting active citizenship in relation to the Grade 11 Life Orientation in the South African curriculum
(AOSIS, 2019) Arendse, Agnetha; Smith, Juliana
The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa plays a pivotal role in promoting active citizenship to ensure the deepening of democracy. This article, as based on the study by Arendse, explored the extent to which Parliament as a key participatory institution promotes active citizenship in relation to the Grade 11 Life Orientation (LO) curriculum in South Africa. A qualitative, interpretive approach was employed. However, data were gathered through the crystallisation approach using different methods of gathering data such as document study, questionnaires and focus group interviews, which involved 461 Grade 12 LO learners who had completed the Grade 11 LO curriculum during 2012 and seven LO educators. The findings suggest that there is: (1) lack of exposure, knowledge and understanding about Parliament; (2) lack of public education programmes and initiatives about Parliament; and (3) limited information about Parliament in the LO curriculum.

Browsing by Author "Smith, Juliana"

Results Per Page

Sort Options