Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Education)
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Item Success, failure and drop-out at university : a comparative, longitudinal study with special reference to the University of Durban-Westville(University of the Western Cape, 1983) Gounden, Perumal Kistna; Maharaj, S.R.It has become a world trend that the opportunity for university education should be made available to all. The twentieth century witnessed the partial demolition of the barrier that retained higher education as the privilege of the élite group. Attendance at a university is seen today as the gateway to the membership of a profession, and to all the benefits of improved economic and social status. Rapid economic and industrial development in South Africa and overseas in the second half of this century has caused a general shortage of scientific manpower. Malherbe (1977, 496) stresses that full opportunities for developing the talent of every individual are no longer an idealistic aim but an economic necessity. The Wiehahn Commission (1980, 12), appointed by the South African Government to inquire into labour legislation and labour systems in South Africa, reported that a serious shortage of skilled manpower for professional, managerial and technical positions still exists. The universities, now having a major responsibility in the preparation of such personnel, have assumed greater significance as far as the public and private sectors are concerned. Educated people are a part of the nation's best human resources, and because education is one of the chief assets of the individual, there is a compelling need for research to improve the academic performance of students at all levels, especially at university. Arising from the shortage of skilled manpower and the increasingly growing demand for tertiary -education, more students enter universities. The rapid increase in university enrolment has brought with it new interest and concern relating to those students who fail or drop out. The problems of failure and drop-out at university have been the subject of many investigations in Western countries, especially Great Britain (Miller, 1970; Butcher and Rudd, 1972) and the United States of America (Pervin et aZ, -1965; Astin, 1971). In South Africa, the Government appointed a Commission of Inquiry into White universities (Van Wyk de Vries, 1974). Included in its terms of reference were: transition from school to university, and the high failure rate among undergraduates. As Astin (1975, 1) points out, most studies take the view that decision-makers legitimately want to know more about how to increase the students' chances of graduating. This concern is based, inter aZia, on: loss of talent; waste of limited educational resources; vocational and personal setbacks resulting from the student's impeded career development; futile expenditure of money, time and effort. The incidence of failure and drop-out evokes painful responses not only from the student but also from others, including his parents and his university. To parents, the admission to university of their son or daughter often represents a fulfilled ambition and the fruition of years of struggle and hope. Therefore failure or drop-out by the student is also a shattering experience for most parents - many of whom feel that they have failed as parentsItem Implementing Educational Innovations: The case of the Secondary School Curriculum Diversification Programme in Lesotho(University of the Western Cape, 1991) Mgijima-Msindwana, Mirriam Miranda Nomso; Little, AngelaBetween 1974 and 1982 the MOE introduced in two phases the diversification programme [SSCDP] which sought to establish practical subjects in the secondary school curriculum. This study examines the sustainability of implementation efforts beyond project expiry. It was hypothesised that SSCDP is not working as originally intended. The broad research problem was framed thus: What implementation response arises from an open-ended innovation policy? Subsidiary questions are: 1. How far have the policy-makers communicated the meaning of SSCDP and what factors account for mismatches between policy intentions and innovation practice? 2. What is the response of Project schools and what factors explain variation in response? 3. What is their significance for the sustainability of SSCDP? The analysis draws key concepts from the innovation literature on models and strategies of planned change; relationships in the implementation hierarchy; determinants of and orientations to the implementation process. Centred around qualitative research methods, the investigation utilises data from project documents, semi-structured interviews and from observations during school visits. Findings show an overall low level of implementation that varies among project schools. This is attributed to: Poor interpretation of SSCDP goals; Deficiencies in the implementation management; Idiosyncratic school behaviours. The study concludes that the 'practitioner-policy-maker' discrepancy is significant, hence the gap between policy intents and innovation practice. The gap is not regarded so much as an ultimate failure of the programme but as a necessary condition that allows for mutual adaptation between the innovation and its setting. This is reflected in the varied patterns of implementation response, classified as the: faithful; negotiators; selective adaptors; expansionists; and reductionist. As a policy-oriented study aiming at providing an 'improvement value', the findings lead to a proposal of improvements in the strategies of managing change in three areas: shifting focus from an adoption to an implementation perspective. Recognising implementation as a process dependent on a mutual linkage relationship among participants. Recognising schools as important bearers of change. These three are crucial factors in the implementation-sustainability relationship.Item Facilitating educational change: academic development in a university setting(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Baijnath, Narend; Meerkotter, Dirk; van den Berg, Owenln this thesis my project is to examine the academic development programme (ADP) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) as a project of possibility mirrored against its basic premises and the practices which flowed from its implementation. The central proposition I develop is that the ADP at UWC was predisposed to have a limited impact on the development project at UWC for several reasons. The first of these is that the ADP's initial conceptualisation was driven primarily by the political considerations of equity and access. This political impetus behind it set it in tension with the avenues for improving higher education which are used at universities elsewhere in the world, which have been driven primarily by a concern to improve quality. The effect was to shift the critical gaze away from the quality of educational provision and the institutional conditions at UWC which affect quality. The main evidence I provide in developing the thesis is a narrative account of my own practice as an AD practitioner within the economic and management sciences faculty at UWC. I offer accounts in the areas of student development, curriculum reform and staff development as case studies which I make the objects of my extended analysis. I also argue that the access imperative failed to give adequate attention to the possible consequences of changing the access policy without anticipating the impact it would have, and how it would be influenced by, the material conditions prevailing at the University. I argue in the light of this that planned change in curriculum, staff development, and staff development, as well as the service sectors of the University are the sine qua non of changed access policy. From the analytical thrust of my thesis, I develop the proposition that for the AD enterprize at universities to become institutionalised and sustainable on the long term, it is best undergirded by a wider discourse of quality improvement, which makes legitimate demands on academic staff to pursue development objectives and programmes which are consonant with those of the ADP. ln this way the resistance which accompanies an ADP driven primarily by the access imperative is obviated. ! maintain that the higher education policy terrain nationally, and the policy environment institutionally have not been conducive to a coherent approach to the challenge of facilitating access. In particular, I explore how this lack of an enabling policy environment at an institutional and national level impacts on the AD programme within the University. The methodological position from which I develop my thesis is that a study of the nature I have undertaken must take account of historical and contextual factors with an overall cohering influence provided by the narrative. I begin with a historical perspective on change within universities in South Africa and locate the advent of AD within this broad canvas of educational change. My proposition in this regard is that it is in the genesis of the higher education system in South Africa over several decades that the roots of the current problems and challenges are to be found. I provide an account of how racially based schooling has impacted on the education of blacks and produced the AD challenge. Thereafter I episodically construct a narrative of the change process which I experienced focusing on the individual, departmental and institutional levels. !n doing so, I try to illuminate the inherent complexity of the change process by critically analysing the multiple factors which influenced its texture. ln addition to this, t gave attention to my positaonality in the change process, accounting for my assumptions about AD, addressing the vexing issue of representation, and developing a methodologically justifiable position for using the narrative as PhD genre. I propose ways of reconceptualising AD so that more focused attention is given to student, staff and curriculum development. I suggest how the role of agency in curriculum development may be enhanced. ln addition, I argue that curriculum development can only be systematised through the establishment of an appraisal system which provides incentives or pressures for improvement. ln the area of staff development, I advance an argument for a reflective practitioner model. This should be supported adequately by policy, incentives and rewards which elevate and emphasise the value of good teaching. ln short, I develop my thesis along a trajectory which enables me to answer the question: What can be learned about educational change in the university setting from this experience of facilitating AD?Item Education policy development in South Africa, 1994-1997(University of the Western Cape, 1999) Fataar, Mogamad Aslam; Meerkotter, DA; Herman, HD; Faculty of EducationBlack South Africans have been exposed to an unequal and divided education system. It has been expected that the basis for an equitable education system would be laid in the post apartheid period. In this thesis I have provided an analysis of education policy development in South Africa between May 1994 and mid-1997. My main aim has beento understand the policy vision that the post apartheid state has enacted as the basisfor educational reconstruction.The conceptual framework of this thesis is located in the academic fields of Education and Development and Policy Sociology. I have focused on the interaction between the broad delimitations set by the structural, economic and political dimensions in society on the one hand, and the political and policy dynamics that have given education policy its specific meaning on the other hand. The role of the government in enacting a specific policy vision has been at the centre of my analysis.The government has effected a conservative vision with the adoption of the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) macroeconomic strategy. GEAR has targeted the development of an export-based global economy along post fordist lines. Predicated upon an emphasis on fiscal discipline, the dominant policy orientation has supported equity but without an emphasis on redress. This approach has not provided the necessary basis for education reconstruction. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and Outcomes-based education (OBE) embody a definite '/ision in terms of which education policy would be aligned with economic development. This vision is based on the false assumption that education should playa fundamental role in producing the sophisticated labour demands of a globally competitive economy. The logic of both GEAR and the NQF is internally inconsistent and the relationship between these two policy frameworks is unsustainable.Item Initiating a school based teacher appraisal process: A study in educational innovation in South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 1999) Pym, June; Lazarus, S; Van, O; Faculty of EducationThe culture of teaching in most South African schools is one of isolation and independence. Once individuals have qualified as teachers, there is a strong sense of getting on with the job of teaching, rather than beginning a journey of critical reflection and change. This study aims to address and contribute towards shifting this ethos and establishing a joint reflective school culture.Item Education policy development in South Africa, 1994 -1997(University of the Western Cape, 1999) Fataar, Mogamad Aslam; Meerkotter, DABlack South Africans have been exposed to an unequal and divided education system. It has been expected that the basis for an equitable education system would be laid in the post apartheid period. In this thesis I have provided an analysis of education policy development in South Africa between May 1994 and mid-1997. My main aim has been to understand the policy vision that the post apartheid state has enacted as the basis for educational reconstruction. The conceptual framework of this thesis is located in the academic fields of Education and Development and Policy Sociology. I have focused on the interaction between the broad delimitations set by the structural, economic and political dimensions in society on the one hand, and the political and policy dynamics that have given education policy its specific meaning on the other hand. The role of the government in enacting a specific policy vision has been at the centre of my analysis. The government has effected a conservative vision with the adoption of the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) macroeconomic strategy. GEAR has targeted the development of an export-based global economy along post fordist lines. Predicated upon an emphasis on fiscal discipline, the dominant policy orientation has supported equity but without an emphasis on redress. This approach has not provided the necessary basis for education reconstruction. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF)and Outcomes-based education (OBE) embody a definite vision in terms of which education policy would be aligned with economic development. This vision is based on the false assumption that education should playa fundamental role in producing the sophisticated labour demands of a globally competitive economy. The logic of both GEAR and the NQF is internally inconsistent and the relationship between these two policy frameworks is unsustainable. By mid-1997 a definitive narrow and conservative education policy vision had been established which would impede the development of an equitable education system. Education policy 'narrowing' has not been achieved easily, nor has its outcome been inevitable. The specificity of the political context and policy processes has shaped the policy outcomes. A moderate constitutional dispensation has impeded the possibility of developing a radical policy vision. The semi-federal powers awarded to the provinces have led to inconqruence between national and provincial policy. Court challenges aimed at protecting historically acquired educational privileges, have been brought by conservative groups against national education legislation. The apartheid-era bureaucrats, whose jobs were protected by the negotiated constitution, have impeded the development of progressive policy. They brought the conservative policy reformism of the apartheid state into the new policy processes. The NQF has been developed on the basis of a policy consensus between labour and capital in support of skills training and upgrading of workers. Participation in policy processes has been determined 0[1 the basis of identified stakeholders This has given rise to a technicist policy approach that bas excluded many interest groups, academics and professional experts. Most teachers felt alienated by the curriculum policy process. Policy has been developed in a reconstituted civil society. The progressive education movement has been demobilised, and its place has been taken by a constellation of conservative forces who have used the moderate political climate to advance conservative policy interests. The government has had to make policy within a constrained political and policy environment. With regard to the main conceptual underpinning of this thesis, i.e. the relationship between equality and (economic) development, it is clear that the government has favoured the development dimension in pursuit of an education framework that would aid the generation of a globally competitive economy. Social equality has thus been sideline. I have advanced the view that where the government has reneged on the delivery of the social welfare and educational demands of an expectant polity, education policy has manifested as, means of compensatory legitimation at the symbolic level to 'signal', rather than give effect to real change. In my analysis of school access and school curriculum policy, I have suggested that policy has been limited to 'signalling' a commitment to a reconstructed and equitable education system. This has masked the conservative framework that has come to underpin education policy by mid-1997.Item An investigation into the implementation of outcomes based education in the Western Cape Province(University of the Western Cape, 2000) Naicker, Sigamoney Manicka; Nicholas, L; Lazarus, S; Faculty of EducationItem A history of the Ottery School of Industries in Cape Town: issues of race, welfare and social order in the period 1937 to 1968(University of the Western Cape, 2001) Badroodien, Azeem; Kallaway, Peter; NULL; Faculty of EducationThe primary task of this thesis is to explain the establishment of the 'correctional institution', the Ottery School of Industrues, in Cape Town in 1948 and the programmes of rehabilitation, correctional and vocational training and residential care that the institution developed in the period until 1968. This explanation is located in the wider context of debates about welfare and penal policy in South africa. The overall purpose is to show how modernist discourses in relation to social welfare, delinquency and education came to South Africa and was mediated through a racial lens unique to this country. In doing so the thesis uses a broad range of material and levels from the ethnographic to the documentary and historical. The work seeks to locate itself at the intersection of the fields of education, history, welfare, penalty and race in South Africa.Item The design, implementation and evaluation of student support and development services in further education and training colleges in South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2002) Ferreira, Stephanus Lourens; Lazarus, Sandy; Faculty of EducationThe Student Support and Development Services (SSDS) at Further Education and Training (FET) colleges represent a holistic and systemic approach to addressing barriers to learning and development. College SSDS are based on the acknowledgement that all FET students need support and development and that, when addressing needs of the college student, it is done in a holistic, integrated, intersectional and inclusive manner. The SSDS therefore strive to develop competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes in a systemic and holistic manner. The aim of the study was to design, implement and evaluate SSDS at the FET colleges in the Western Cape Education Department and to establish a Lecturer Support and Development Team (LSDT) at each FET college, which would include the following services. student counselling services academic development and learning support occupationald evelopmenat nd career guidance life skills education and health education, and college institutional development. Student counselling services at FET colleges aim to render comprehensive student services with a holistic developmental aspect of the student in relation to his/her social, emotional, physical and cognitive dimensions. The staff of the LSDT are the first line of contact for the troubled student. Academic development is aimed at the students who enter the FET sector with inadequate schooling, education and training. Orientation programmes include bridging the gap between schooling and FET education and training. Bridging programmes and remedial programmes are offered to students to compensate for their academic backlog and to accelerate their education and training up to a level suitable for FET.Item Looking beyond educational indicators: an analysis of differences in learner results of a standardised English language comprehension test administered in Katima Mulilo and Rundu educational regions of Namibia(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Makuwa, Demus Kaumba; Bak, Nelleke; Faculty of EducationThis thesis attempted to develop insight into why, contrary to expectation and predictions, learners in Rundu obtained better scores in a standardised English comprehension test than learners in Katima Mulilo, given that the conditions of teaching and learning were judged to be least favourable in Rundu.Item African Renaissance in health education: developing an integrative programme of Unani-Tibb training for health care professionals in Southern Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2004) Bhikha, Rashid Ahmed Hassen; Lazarus, Sandy; Meerkotter, Dirk; NULL; Faculty of EducationThe present healthcare system in South Africa suffers from a number of serious deficiencies. Whilst orthodox bio-medicine is well established in most first world countries, its total introduction and implementation into all communities within South Africa faces many obstacles. The cost of diagnostic techniques, investigative procedures and pharmaceutical products, the availability of competent medical staff in the non-urban areas, and the lack of acceptance of the philosophy and practice of orthodox bio-medicine in rural regions are but some of the factors which conspire against the general application of this orthodox medical paradigm. Another problem confronting healthcare and medical practice in South Africa, particularly at this stage of our historical development, is the absolute focus on orthodox bio-medicine, often to the detriment of other medical paradigms that also have advantages to offer. Can the integration of another medical paradigm, such as Unani-Tibb, enhance the practice of orthodox bio-medicine in this country?The aim of the thesis was to investigate the possibility of integrating Unani-Tibb with orthodox biomedicine (also termed conventional, Western or allopathic medicine) and assess its potential for improving delivery of an effective, affordable and appropriate healthcare system in South Africa.The research questions which the thesis seeks to answer is whether this integration is possible and whether the delivery of healthcare to the South African population can be enhanced. Changes in the provision of medical education are necessary, and occupy a pivotal role in allowing for this integration. Unani-Tibb is a traditional medical system practiced extensively on the Indian sub-continent and in other parts of the world. At present, however, it is minimally practiced in South Africa. Its primary principle is the energetic promotion of health maintenance behaviour and the prevention of disease, through effective application of dietotherapy, pharmacotherapy and other interventions, as well as the empowerment of the patient towards adopting behavioural changes and lifestyle adaptations. One positive aspect of Unani-Tibb is that it has many features in common with both orthodox biomedicine and African Traditional medicine. These commonalities should allow for greater acceptance by orthodox healthcare professionals, as well as the general population. The first part of the study involved the research and conceptualisation required for the production of a series of customized training modules which introduced the theory and practice of Unani-Tibb. A twelve month part-time training programme based on these modules was subsequently conducted with a number of healthcare professionals presently in active practice and with a background of orthodox medical or nursing healthcare. This outcomes-based training programme included a number of specifically designed training activities, such as case studies, practical exercises and assignments. Appropriate evaluations and assessments were pursued in order to measure performance outcomes and attitudes. Questionnaires for assessing the motivation and satisfaction of the participants were also completed. The second part of the study was in the form of a pilot participant research project, in which the participants applied the information from the integrative programme to a number of chronically ill patients who had previously been treated with standard orthodox bio-medical procedures. The parameters derived for clinical efficacy, cost-benefit and improvement in Quality of Life from Unani-Tibb treatment were then compared to equivalent results obtained by orthodox bio-medicine. In all parameters inspected, the integrative training programme compared favourably to orthodox bio-medical practice. Not only was there an improved clinical efficacy, but the cost-benefit was shown to be superior in most indices measured. The Quality of Life comparison, which assessed the patient and total health status, subjective behaviour and attitude, generally favoured the integrative training programme. The thesis serves to suggest that the integration of Unani-Tibb into orthodox bio-medical training in South Africa is a distinct possibility, and could ultimately allow for treatment which is clinically acceptable, cost-effective and which provides an improved Quality of Life for the population as a whole. I suggest that this pilot study be repeated more extensively, thereby allowing for a more confident and objective assessment.Item An investigation of the status and practice of life orientation in South African schools in two provinces(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Rooth, Edna; Lazarus, Sandy; Ganie, Laila; Faculty of EducationThe study aimed to investigate the status and practice of life orientation in South African schools. Life orientation is a quintessential new learning area, introduced as part of curriculum transformation in South Africa, and is intented to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes for successful living and learning. Preliminary observations suggested that life orientation has not been optimally implemented in schools, and the low status legacy of life orientation's constituents added further impetus to the rationale for the study.Item From policy to praxis: a study of the implementation of representative councils of learners in the Western Cape, from 1997-2003(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Carr, Ivan Alfred; Williams, Clarence; NULL; Faculty of EducationThis thesis traces the evolution of learner participation in school governance in South Africa, identifies international trends in school governance, particularly learner participation, and then analyses the progress made in South Africa in moving from policy to praxis in this regard. I have discussed the contextual forces that have influenced the production of the policy text on learner participation in the South African Schools Act. This is followed by an analysis of how the policy text has been interpreted and implemented at provincial level in the Western Cape, taking provincial legislation, regulations, circulars, and the capacity building programme that was implemented into consideration. I also look at how the whole process was experienced at institutional (school) level, and how the policy was interpreted and implemented. I also evaluate the phenomenon of learner participation in school governance in terms of promoting the principles of transformation, placing particular emphasis on the promotion of democratic practices in South Africa.In conclusion I contend that the present policy of learner participation in school governance does reflect the resolve of the National Government to promote the principle of participation by all stakeholders in matters affecting them. However, the study has shown that the implementation of the policy at provincial and institutional level has not been as effective as it might have been and has hampered the development of praxis in learner participation. This has hindered learners from making meaningful contributions towards the attainment of the goals as set out in the constitution. Furthermore, present rumblings of curtailing the powers of the school governing bodies because of limited progress in attaining the above goals seem to be a retrogressive step. I strongly contend that given the support, training and encouragement as set out in Article 19(2) of SASA, learner participation in school governance can make a positive contribution towards attaining the goals of transformation in our country, particularly of advancing democratic practices in our society.Item Investigating leadership styles in tertiary institutions in Lesotho: comparing and contrasting practices(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Moorosie-Molapo, Mabaphuthi Junior; Herman, Harold; Williams, Clarence; Faculty of EducationThe study investigated the leadership styles used in the Lesotho tertiary institutions. The research was undertaken at two institutions - Lerotholi Polytechnic and the National Teacher Training College. The population of the study is the lecturers and the leaders in the management position in the two institutions. The study discussed educational leadership and educational organizations and how they help towards the achievement of goals and objectives.Item Action researching the interaction between teaching, learning, language and assessment at The University of Namibia(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Otaala, Laura Ariko; Herman, Harold; Faculty of EducationThe purpose of this study was to investigate the views of students and lecturers at the University of Namibia about teaching and learning. The study specifically determined the views of students and lectures in relation to language, teaching, learning and assessment as well as what we might learn from analysis of these views to assist in improving teaching, learning and assessment.Item The development and implementation of school governance policy in South African Schools Act (SASA) and the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act (WCPSA)(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Maharaj, Ameerchund; Lazarus, S; Sayed, Y; Faculty of EducationThe study was concentrated on the period following the first democratic elections for a new government in South Africa, that is, post -1994 up to the year 2000. The change from a system based on fixed apartheid ideology to a more open and democratic one meant that the political scene became more characterized by fierce competition and volatility. The aim of the research was to understand the nature of the contestation as it manifests itself in both the development and implementation of school governance policy at national, provincial and local levels in a climate of political change and turbulence.Item Mental health promotion in Western Cape schools: an exploration of factors relating to risk, resilience and health promotion(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Johnson, Bridget Ann; Lazarus, Sandy; Faculty of EducationRecent South African research has confirmed that there is reason to be concerned about the mental health status and well-being of our youth. School-going youth are engaging in a wide array of risk behaviours that seriously threaten their well-being and hamper their chances of experiencing success in the future. The aim of this research was to explore factors relating to risk, resilience and health promoting schools in order to enhance the well-being of youth in South Africa.Item The Development and Implementation of School Governance Policy in South African Schools Act (SASA) and the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act (WCPSA)(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Maharaj, Ameerchund; Lazarus, Sandy; Sayed, YThis study was initiated while the researcher was still an educator at' a secondary school in Cape' Town, South Africa. This was the period of the mid-1990s soon after the first democratically elected government assumed power in -South Africa: During this period of transition, large-scale reforms were expected on', the, education- front. Educational management and specifically school management were an integral part of these reforms. In terms of school management the idea of parents taking. on a greater .role was receiving wide support. School governing bodies (SGBs) comprising various constituencies and with greater powers were supposed to be the instrument spearheading change III school management. . This study traverses three levels of policy development: national, provincial and local (that is, school). It seeks to understand how school governance policy is developed and implemented using the principle of contestation to guide the analysis. The following questions guided the research: What were the contestations which led to the development of school governance policy at national level. How was provincial school governance policy developed from national policy and what were the areas of contention between the two. What were the contestations resulting from implementation of school governance policy at the school level. At all three levels the discussion of the contestations was limited to the powers and functions of SGBs. By shedding more light on the above questions, it was hoped that the nature of policy contestation would become clearer. This in turn could enhance the study of policy analysis and development.Item An investigation into pre-service teachers mathematical behaviour in an application and modelling context(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Lebeta, T.V.; Julie, Cyril; Torkildsen, Ole Einar; Faculty of EducationThe aim of this study was to investigate the hypothetical view that the use of familiar social institutions in the formulation of mathematical problems by mathematics pre-service teachers will enable them to find solutions to problems by taking meaning, context and realities of a problem into consideration. The approach to investigate this hypothetical view was to describe the mathematical behaviour of pre-service teachers in an application and modelling context. This study, therefore, described the strategies used to arrive at solutions for problems from real life situations that are familiar to the participants.Item Die impak van onderwysers se identiteitsbasis op hul ontvang en implementering van kurrikulum 2005 in sekere verafgelee skole van die Wes-Kaap(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Visagie, Clarence Vernon; Fataar, Aslam; Faculty of EducationThis thesis was undertaken as an empirical study which focused on curriculum implementation in a remote geographical region in post-apartheid South Africa, known as the Overberg. The identity basis on which teachers receive and implement CUrriculum 2005 in the Overberg region, served as the cenrtal focus for undertaking this study. Accordingly, it was found that the personal, ontological, contextual, training, professional and pedagogical influences have had an impact on the composition of the identity basis of teachers in the Overberg region. The teachers received and implemented Curriculum 2005 in the light of the impact of their prior identities.