Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Education)

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Facilitating educational change: academic development in a university setting
(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Baijnath, Narend; Meerkotter, Dirk; van den Berg, Owen
ln 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?
Education policy development in South Africa, 1994 -1997
(University of the Western Cape, 1999) Fataar, Mogamad Aslam; Meerkotter, DA
Black 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.
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, Y
This 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.
Educational aspirations and gender equality: Pathways to the empowerment of girls in disadvantaged communities in North and South Sudan
(University of the Western Cape, 2013) Taha, Nagla Babelkheir Ibrahim
Sudan is one of the countries with a large number of people who move around the country for safety and better living conditions due to conflicts and the long-lasting war. These people are referred to as Internally Displaced People (IDPs), and most of them live in rural areas. The war in Sudan has led to socio-economic deterioration and has negatively affected social services such as health and education, particularly in the IDP camps. As a result, children's access to education and the quality of education remains a great concern. Educational challenges include poor infrastructure, lack of facilities and teaching-learning materials, overcrowding, and shortage of trained teachers. Illiteracy rates are higher among women, and drop-out rates are higher among girls. It is believed that traditional socio-cultural practices are barriers to girls' access to education in this country. In light of the above, this study investigates factors that contribute to girls' construction of educational aspirations in the IDP camps of North and South Sudan. The girls' educational aspirations are explored concerning gender empowerment discourses to gain an understanding of how gender empowerment is perceived and implemented by young females as they move between the school and home environments. It analyzes the impact of socio-cultural factors on girls' educational aspirations, perceptions, and self-esteem to understand the significance of education within a gender empowerment framework in the lives of young girls 10 disadvantaged communities of Sudan. Through the lens of the Capabilities Approach and various Feminist views, the study explores how gender discourses in education are understood, and the extent to which they contribute to building girls' opportunities and capacities in the local context. The study provides an analysis of the girls' opinions of themself and the influence of socio-cultural factors on their inspirational plans and expectations.
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, Angela
Between 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.
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 parents
Public funding of higher education and student access: A comparative study of two public universities in Africa
(University of Western Cape, 2020) Kwasi-Agyeman, Fredua; Langa, Patrício; Woldegiorgis, Emnet Tadesse
This study examines changes in public funding and student access, factors influencing the changes in public funding, and strategic responses towards influencing variations in student access under fluctuations in public funding at two African public universities, the University of the Western Cape in South Africa and the University of Ghana in Ghana. Underpinned by resource dependence theory, the study uses a qualitative methodology via in-depth interviewing of twenty-two respondents and documentary analysis to gather data to explore the study’s objective. The public funding of higher education and student access in South Africa and Ghana have been changing over time, where various issues of concern have been raised about the changes. This study explores the relationship between changes in public funding and student access at both universities. The study finds that the levels of change in public funding have a significant effect on the variations in student access at the University of the Western Cape. In other words, changes in public funding are a major factor in changing student access. The analysis shows that, statistically, approximately 94 percent of the variation in student enrolment between 2007 and 2016 is accounted for by public funding. However, the study finds an insignificant relationship between changes in public funding and student access at the University of Ghana. The findings reveal that the state of the economy; competing needs of the various sectors; low prioritization of higher education; sectoral planning and budgeting; a shift of focus from education; funding mechanism; and overspending in election years are factors that influence changes in public funding at both institutions. Strategic responses such as government subsidy; low-tuition fee structure; payment arrangement; recruitment strategy; containment strategy; special grants; financial support system; policy for the admission of athlete students; and policy for less-endowed schools have been employed by the two universities to influence variations in student access in the face of fluctuations in public funding. The study concludes by generating practical and conventional propositions on public funding of higher education and student access. A recommendation for further research into changes in public funding and student access is also suggested. A similar study could thus be undertaken to investigate the relationship between changes in tuition fees and student access.
Teachers' understanding of social justice in rural education schools in the Overberg education district in the Western Cape : a grounded theory approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Sonn, Brenda Carol; Smith, Juliana M.
Social justice is embedded in the South African constitution and various policy documents as an important concept and vision for a democratic South Africa. Yet, twenty two years after democracy, South African society reflects the entrenched racial and class divisions of the past. The educational context mirrors the persistence of historical, political and social patterns of advantage and disadvantage. The position taken in this study is that social justice and social injustice are inextricably linked. This study is based on the premise that, in order to understand social justice, social injustice needs to be understood and articulated. This study was situated in a rural education district where past unequal spatial, educational and social stratifications persist. The study was conducted in four rural schools to explore twelve primary school teachers' onto-epistemological assumptions of the world and their interpretations and meanings of social justice and injustice. Three related lenses, social justice, spatial justice and epistemic injustice were used to theoretically frame the study. Teachers' life histories were explored using a grounded theory approach as methodology. A three phased reflective process was used to explore and deepen understandings of social justice. The findings suggest that the perpetuation of past injustices and inequalities are based on deeply held different racialised understandings of social justice and injustice, resulting in racially situated narratives of social justice and injustice. The present narratives of who should be taught by whom, where and what should be taught also contribute to the perpetuation of racially situated narratives and injustices. Through dialogue teachers were able to deepen their understandings of their own experience and gain insight into the experiences of the 'othe'. A further position taken in this study is that in social justice research the researcher is not neutral. This study explored the role of the social justice researcher and drew learnings of the socially just researcher as a reflexive and 'just listener'. The study makes recommendations for further socio-spatial-epistemic justice research and for its inclusion in pre-and in-service teacher courses as extensions of the development of a critical discourse on social justice in South African education.
Re-imagining 'nontraditional' student constructs in higher education : a case study of one South African University
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) February, Colette Ann; Walters, Shirley; Bozalek, Vivienne; Person, Dawn
Worldwide, a greater and more diverse student population participates in higher education now more than ever before as the literature suggests an increase in 'nontraditional' students commonly regarded as adult students, part-time students, working college students, widening participation students, new wave students, millenial students and undocumented students, as examples. Policy imperatives, such as widening participation and flexible provision, have influenced new kinds of student identities beyond the familiar and fixed student categories, of 'traditional' and 'nontraditional', conventionally in use. Problems of 'nontraditional' student identity are compounded when the language and nomenclature in higher education perpetuate only certain kinds of 'nontraditional' student constructs, denoting mainly an increased numerical presence for certain student groups while underarticulating blended student identities and corresponding educational needs for what is arguably a new and growing segment of 'nontraditional' students in higher education today. While 'nontraditional' students are widely reported in the literature as having both an increasing and prevailing presence in higher education internationally, scholarly interest in students constructed in this way appear to be relatively recent and disproportionate when compared with the literature pertaining to higher education students regarded as 'traditional'. But who are these 'nontraditional' students in higher education currently, and are their identities by definition distinct from each other? What is currently denoted by this 'nontraditionalising' nomenclature when the literature progressively regards 'nontraditional' students as the 'new majority', the 'new traditionals' and the 'new normals' in higher education presently? And how different are they from students who may still be conventionally categorised as 'traditional'? This study’s central research question led to the beginnings and continuities of 'nontraditional' students at one South African university, and probed the reasons for what comes into view as varied and uneven institutional portrayals of students historically constructed as adult learners, lifelong learners, recognition of prior learning (RPL), after-hours and part-time students. Recommendations from this study, therefore, encourage awareness and possibly a review of the use of all student nomenclature at the University towards better understanding the 'traditional-nontraditional' range of student. For higher education ecologies worldwide, this study suggests that generalisations about 'traditional' and 'nontraditional' higher education students provide a window only on two main 'types' of student participating in higher education. However, new and transitioning student constructs must also be reflected in the language of higher education presently. When this is not done, the educational identities of all students in higher education are only partially understood and their educational experiences may be compromised. Re-imagining nontraditional student constructs is recommended alongside discourses that make possible teaching and learning arrangements for all higher education students, who find themselves shaping their studenthood along an increasingly blended 'traditional'-'nontraditional' continuum in higher education presently. Finally this study puts forward that perpetuation of jaded nomenclature and misnomers for 'nontraditional' students in higher education may be an indication that the more fundamental and necessary re-imagining of the higher education curriculum for current times is not yet underway.
A comparative study of the development of vocational education in South Africa and China between 1948 and 1993
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Arong, Arong; Thaver, Beverley
This study has compared and investigated the historical evolution and development of public vocational education in South Africa and China, between 1948 and 1994. The purpose of the study has been to understand and trace the relation between the internal and external socio-economic and educational factors and determine how these impacted on the development of vocational education in both countries. The main focus was on the public senior secondary-level vocational educational systems in South Africa and China, referred to as technical colleges and skilled workers schools, respectively. In setting up the study, it discovered that in the period preceding 1948 in South Africa and 1949 in China, that while there were multi-track systems in both countries, the roles and functions were different. Following this, the thesis took as the starting point two key periods, namely, 1948/9 and 1978. While 1948/1949 marked the establishment of centralised political adminstrations and nation-state processes; the year 1978 marked the start of economic liberalisation. In both instances, the thesis addressed the question how these two powers made meaning in terms of the nature of vocational education. In this respect, it investigated the ways in which the practices that unfolded were connected to the broader political economic forces in both countries. It drew mainly on primary, secondary and tertiary documentary sources to build a broad historical descriptive narrative of vocational education during this period.
Understanding the social and institutional factors related to the retention and progression of selected female academics in four higher education institutions in Zimbabwe
(University of the Western Cape, 2011) Tarusikirwa, Moffat; Thaver, Beverley
This study set out to investigate the social and institutional factors which impact on the retention and progression of female academics in four universities in Zimbabwe. Drawing on a qualitative research methodology the aim of the study was to understand the social and institutional factors related to the retention and progression of female academics in four institutions in Zimbabwe. In seeking to unpack the factors that shape the low representation of female academics in occupational spheres, the study finds unequal gender-based patterns in Zimbabwean society as a key condition that finds its way into the four institutions. In this regard, the patterns and shape of gender relations, based on the principles of kinship, become the platform for unequal relations among male and female academic staff. This manifests itself in different ways, including the (negative) role played by the extended kin family in the progression of married women academics to higher level management posts, resistance to women's authority by both men and women, the culture of male domination within institutions which works to the disadvantage of female academics and stereotypical behaviour by men within the institutions.
National higher education reform in Tanzania : understanding institutional and state leaders' responses to access and quality initiatives at selected public universities
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Maduekwe, Catherine Chinenye; Thaver, Beverley
Like many universities across the globe, African universities were not exceptional in so far as they were under the control of their nation states. While studies have explored the relationship between the State and the universities, this thesis argues that notwithstanding the debate around the issues of universities’ continuous demand for autonomy as against the pressure for accountability, universities in Africa can also challenge the state in hidden ways especially around issues of higher education policy. In substantiating this argument, this researcher has employed Foucault's (1979) concept of governmentality as the 'conduct of conduct' - and its subcomponent of power which points to the multiplicity or fluidity of power as originating from diverse sources. Within the exercise of power, institutions have to make the choice of freedom and resistance to state expectations. In this study, the public universities in Tanzania are expected to be responsive to a national priority poverty reduction policy (the MKUKUTA) that reflects the access and quality initiatives for the reform of higher education institutions. However, there is evidence in literature that wide consultation is one major aspect of the policy formulation, especially the poverty reduction policy paper. This researcher argues that in spite of the evidence in literature in respect of wide consultation, the case of public universities in Tanzania was quite different at systemic level. Aside from the issue of co-ordination at systemic level, this study also argues that the state is interested in regulating public universities to ensure their responsiveness to the MKUKUTA objectives. Drawing on a Foucauldian discourse, this researcher understand the state's choice of using funding for universities as a form of surveillance or panopticon to regulate institutional activities to fit the policy objectives. Even though the state uses funding as a form of surveillance, this researcher argues that the public universities, in their exercise of power, within the fluidity or multiplicity of power can choose to freely regulate their institutional activities that are aligned to the MKUKUTA objectives to their own advantage to raise an additional internal funding stream. This study is based on a qualitative research approach and indirectly also draws on the methodological framework of social constructionism. Being a qualitative study, it utilized structured interviews to engage respondents from three public universities, state agencies, international aid partners and the policy secretariat to understand the extent of responsiveness of the public universities to the mandate of the MKUKUTA for higher education.
Teacher educators' perceptions about possibilities and challenges of the merger between Namibian Higher Education institutions for improving teacher education
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Vatuva gwaa-Uugwanga, Paulina Ndahambelela; Ngcobo, Thandi M
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the teacher educators about the merger between the University of Namibia and Namibia’s former Colleges of Education with regards to the merger's capacity to improve quality teacher education. The focus of the study differed from the various merger studies in that theirs has mainly been on technical issues of mergers to interpret merger capacity to improve change. Of importance about this focus is that the views of teacher educators were deemed important because of their 'agency' in the merger and its capacity to improve teacher education quality. The grounded theory of Strauss and Corbin of 1998 framed the study. The key question of the study was: "what are the perceptions of teacher educators about the merger of the former colleges of education with the University of Namibia's and the capacity to improve teacher education quality in the country?" A case study methodology was employed in which semi-structured questions were used to collect data. In addition, the study also employed observations and document analysis as sources of data.The key finding of the study was that all the participants' perceptions were that the merger has the capacity to improve the quality of teacher education in Namibia. The core of this finding serves as evidence of the complexities of mergers, particularly in terms of how participants perceive the merger's capability of improving quality. Firstly, the perceptions related to the contexts in which the participant teacher educators found themselves. Furthermore, the perceptions appeared to be associated with various contextual needs experienced by participants in the various institutions. The study analysis further suggested that the needs related to issues associated with input, process and output. These findings laid the ground for an emergent theory for understanding of teacher educators’ perceptions about the mergers. A conclusion drawn from the above findings were that the Maslow Hierarchy of Need Theory (with its biological/physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love, esteem needs, and self-actualization) provide better understanding of perceptions about mergers.
An investigation of the pedagogic and contextual factors that contribute to learner achievement levels in South Africa : a study of selected public schools in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Du Plooy, Lucinda Lucille; Carrim, Nazir
Poor performance by South African students especially in literacy and numeracy are at a level of national crisis. Theory, as well as international and national systemic tests, show that the reasons for this is both multiple and extremely complex. In this study I investigated the problems relating to learner achievement levels in South African education. The main question arising from this problem, which I addressed, is: What are the possible factors that contribute to learner achievement levels in South Africa? My conceptual focus is on pedagogic practices and the socialization of identity, and how these relate to learner achievement levels, working from the premise that children from different social classes experience schooling differently. My focus is on the classroom, phase and school contexts, whilst locating these in the wider national, continental and global contexts. The disciplinary approach used in this study is in the domain of sociology of education, drawing specifically on the work of leading sociologists Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein. Bourdieu’s notions of ‘habitus’, ‘field’ and ‘cultural capital’ helped in understanding structure and agency, and the interiority and exteriority of social relations, whereas Bernstein’s ‘code theory’ and his work on curriculum, pedagogic practices and pedagogic discourse was used to describe how formal knowledge is realized and transmitted, and its effects on different social groupings. Methodologically, this study is located within a qualitative interpretivist research paradigm. Research was conducted in three purposively selected public primary schools in the Western Cape using a qualitative multiple case study research design. The bounded cases were Grades 1, 4 and 7 learners in relation to their teachers and principals. The rationale for selecting these particular cases stems from the fact that research in these particular areas of schooling is lacking. The significance of the study lies in the fact that previous research on learner achievement used teacher behaviour as a predictor for achievement, whereas this study focused primarily on learner behaviour and the learners’ views on their own achievement. The study employed in-depth data collection procedures including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and various document related sources. The contextual analysis reveals that there is clearly a need to understand the nature of the learner, what they bringing into school and how they make sense of schooling. Furthermore, it shows that the ways in which learners exercise their agency is reinforcing underachievement. It further reveals that teachers are under pressure to get learners to adhere to the middle-class ethos of schooling and as a result are pushed into the regulative discourse compromising the instructional discourse within pedagogy. Pedagogically, the analysis reveals that teachers are under pressure in terms of curriculum coverage having to work within restricted time-frames, and having to meet the requirements of the ANAs that they do not see the possibility to relax framing in terms of pacing. As a result they are leaving their learners behind. Furthermore, the unnecessary strong framing at the level of pacing, not making the evaluation criteria explicit, and the heavy reliance on systemic testing, as in the case of the ANAs, is creating homogenised and standardised learner identities, which translate into differential learner experiences and ultimately differential learner achievement levels.
Exploring the Teaching and Learning of English (L2) Writing : A Case of Three Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Akinyeye, Caroline Modupe; Nomlomo, Vuyokazi
Nigeria is one of the most multilingual nations in Africa which consists of over 450 languages (Adegbija, 2004; Danladi, 2013). It has a population of more than 150 million people, with three major languages, namely Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, and a number of minority languages. Despite its linguistic and cultural diversity, English is the main medium of instruction from primary to tertiary education. The negative effects of learning through the medium of English second language (L2) are evidenced in the learners’ poor achievement in the external examination results of the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC). There is an assumption that learners’ poor performance in English (L2) is due to little attention given to English writing in schools, and the use of less appropriate or effective teaching approaches (Babalola, 2011). There is a special concern about the poor writing proficiency levels of learners, particularly in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) phase which is an exit to Senior Secondary School level where learners are expected to show strong academic literacy skills. Writing is a process which is central to learners’ learning across the curriculum and it enables learners not only to access knowledge from different sources, but also to display the acquired knowledge in different domains. Learners’ poor writing skills are a great concern given that English (L2) is the main medium of instruction at all levels of education in Nigeria. In light of the above, this study set out to explore the pedagogical strategies and problems encountered by both teachers and learners in English (L2) academic writing in Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) classrooms in the Ekiti State, Nigeria. Guided by Second Language Acquisition theory, the study explored the factors that influence second language learning, in relation to the sociocultural and contextual factors that influence learners’ writing abilities. Through the lens of the Genre Pedagogical Theory and the Social Constructivist theory, it investigated teachers’ pedagogical strategies in English (L2) writing, and analysed learners’ written texts in order to understand the extent to which they reflected the features of specific genres that support learners’ writing skills. Four JSS3 teachers in three schools were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study employed a qualitative research paradigm, underpinned by the interpretive theory. Through the use of an ethnographic design, the day-to-day happenings such as thoughts and engagements of both teachers and students in the English (L2) lessons were observed and recorded by means of an audio-recorder in order to build a comprehensive record of the participants’ practice in the classroom. In addition, both semi-structured and unstructured interviews were conducted with the individual teachers. The students’ written texts and other relevant documents were collected and analysed for the purpose of data triangulation. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, voluntary participation, respect and anonymity of participants were observed throughout the study. In this study, the findings show that the teaching of English (L2) writing is still a challenge to many teachers due to a variety of factors which include linguistic, pedagogical and structural factors. As a result, learners’ academic writing suffers, especially writing to learn at secondary school level. Specifically, the findings of this study indicate that the teachers made use of traditional teaching approaches in the teaching of English (L2) writing as against the approaches recommended in the curriculum. The study also reveals that most of the JSS(3) students’ level of proficiency in English writing is below the expected levels stipulated in the curriculum document, although some of them displayed good basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS), Other contributing factors to the learners’ low academic writing proficiency in English (L2) include teachers’ limited understanding and application of the Genre-Based Approach in teaching writing, inadequate language teaching and learning resources, learners’ limited exposure to English (L2) and limited writing opportunities. The study concludes that while the use of the Genre-Based Approach is not the only strategy to enhance learners’ writing skills, the teaching of writing remains crucial as it is central to language use in different knowledge domains. Students’ writing proficiency is critical for cognitive and socio-economic development as it has implications for students’ access to knowledge and academic literacy which spills over to tertiary education. In a country like Nigeria where the main language of instruction is English, there is a need to prioritise teacher development and to revisit the curriculum to determine how it meets the academic needs of learners in this century.
A capability analysis of performance in quintile-1 schools in Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Nwati, Munje Paul; Maarman, Ruaan
Learner underperformance, especially in poor school communities has been an issue of contestation since 1994, and remains a major challenge in South Africa. Learner performance in this category of schools continues to plummet amidst government efforts to reallocate resources, and adjust policies to meet the needs of these schools, as well as efforts made by researchers to identify the causes of underperformance. The variances in performance exhibited by schools within this category, often within the same community, and with shared features indicate the need for further exploration of the phenomenon. This study examined three Quintile-1 (Q-1) schools within a particular informal settlement in Cape Town using the Capability Approach (CA) pioneered by the economist and philosopher, Amartya Sen as a conceptual framework to understand the nature of learner performance. An investigation was undertaken in the three Q-1 schools using a qualitative research paradigm. The investigation was underpinned by the constructs of the CA which include; Freedoms, Unfreedoms, Capabilities, Conversion, and Functionings. These components were used in the investigation to understand the nature of learner performance in the schools, and how each of these constructs influenced the gap between available resources and learner performance. This approach was guided by the assumption that these schools accumulate a similar amount of resources, face similar challenges and have learners from similar backgrounds. The investigation revealed that capability limitations and unfreedoms interplay to limit learner abilities to learn and perform. As such, a framework is proposed for understanding learner performance in a Q-1 school community via the capability sets of Amartya Sen. The findings of the study reveal that learner capabilities, as well as their abilities to perform, were limited by existing unfreedoms present in the school community where role players are challenged to convert resources into valued functionings. Notable was the fact that learner backgrounds and circumstances contributed to unfreedoms experienced in the classrooms. The findings also reveal that efforts made through the reallocation of resources are under pressure, because of the plethora of factors at play in the community, the school and the Department of Basic Education. The study emphasizes the usefulness of the CA in educational spaces, considering its importance in the understanding of significant variables that are often neglected in performance discourses, with a focus on the explication of capability sets.
An investigation into the scope, role, and function of student development and support within the context of higher education in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2012) Schreiber, Birgit; Lazarus, Sandy
This study is an investigation into the scope, role, and function of student development and support (SDS) within higher education in South Africa. The underpinnings and frameworks of SDS were explored during the research, as well as its integration into the institution and into organisational structures, the relationship between SDS and the policies of the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the influences from the national and international context of SDS. Policies emerging from the Department of Higher Education and Training heralded dramatic changes after the first democratically elected government in South Africa. The changes were amplified by the shifts in the international context of global explosion of knowledge production and neo-liberal influences on higher education in general and SDS in particular. The higher education system in South Africa has changed from an elite system to broad “massification”, which addresses issues of equity, access, participation and relevant skills development at medium and high level (DoE, 1997, p. 4). Changes have not only been in terms of governance and institutional mergers but also in terms of notions and discourses in education, teaching and learning, student development, and student support. The higher education system has become open, responsive, and relevant, and knowledge is understood to be relative and context-bound, co-created within the relationship to a heterogeneous group of students who have a range of capabilities and challenge traditional notions of inclusivity and diversity. The findings are extensive and liberal use of quotations from the participants substantiates the emerging themes. The key themes that emerged are clustered under the headings of: scope, role and function; theoretical framework; professionalisation; paradigms and alignments; SDS integration into the organisational structure; SDS in relation to the Department of Higher Education and Training; and SDS within the national and international context of globalisation. The discussion synthesises the findings and reveals that SDS is facing many challenges which require attention. Some challenges concern the lack of clarity around scope, role, and function, as well as issues around the lack of theoretical grounding and the paucity in local theory development. Challenges also surfaced regarding the integration of SDS into the academic life of the institution. Similar concerns appeared around the exclusion of SDS from governance issues. Tensions emerged from discussions on the need for a guiding framework for SDS, while preserving autonomy and acknowledging the heterogeneous character of institutions. The findings also suggest that non-elective operational standards and some kind of monitoring and evaluation systems for SDS are required. Despite these challenges, it appears that SDS is perceived as a key contributor to the shared goal of student success and that an expressed commitment to and alignment with national and institutional goals exists. This utilisation-oriented study, it is hoped, will make significant contributions to the understanding of the scope, role and function of student development and support within higher education. It may help illuminate the challenges and provide suggestions to enable more articulated contributions to the shared goals of higher education in South Africa. Recommendations include the development of an epistemic community which can generate contextual and constructivist paradigms for SDS in South Africa. This research study reveals the pressing need for a normative framework for SDS and identifies areas which need to be given serious consideration when developing such a framework.
Stories as teaching tools in grade R classes
(University of the Western Cape, 2013) Ross, Suzanne Lucille Anne; Smith, Juliana M.
The rationale to embark upon this research is based on the notion that stories are effective tools to support the teacher in implementing the curriculum as an entity instead of fragmented sections. Learning Outcome 1 outlined in the Revised National Curriculum Statement (DoE, 2002a:14) Languages Policy Document of the Grade R section states that the learner should be able to … [understand] short, simple stories …” by “ … [joining] in choruses at appropriate points … [draw] a picture of the story … [connect] the story to his own life …”. The goals of the proposed curriculum necessitated an investigation to firstly, establish whether stories are in fact used and if so how the stories are used. Secondly, I explored whether stories are integrated with other subjects in the curriculum. In the research the teachers were also assisted to expose Grade R children to stories whereby they could deal with traumas such as HIV and AIDS. The research was conducted before the implementation of CAPS (DBE, 2011b) but in the recommendations a model based on CAPS is proposed. The research was conducted with Grade R children therefore it was important to adhere to ethical considerations, such as anonymity and a protocol to follow the school programme. Of importance was to observe when you work with children you should acknowledge the sensitivity around their privacy and emotional needs especially with regards to fears and traumas. Based on the assumption by Levine and Foster as cited in Jackson (2000: 276) that “... story telling ... art, and music could be healing tools”, there seemed to be a need to research whether these were used as learning materials to empower teachers in Grade R classes. The literature underpins the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework was based on story theory and the integrated approach. In order to assess the approaches of teachers I applied an epistemological paradigm emanating from a qualitative framework which was embedded in a constructivist/interpretivist approach. The research design was a case study. I used interviews and questionnaires as research instruments. Triangulation was applied to validate my findings. In analysing the types of stories, it served to establish which kinds of stories appealed to the target group and what effect these stories had on the children. The integration of stories and other areas in the curriculum possibly gave more scope for optimal utilisation of the imagination of children. It was imperative to determine how teachers could be assisted to implement an approach whereby the imagination of a child is stimulated and optimally utilised in order to develop linguistic and social skills, as well as help learners to cope with trauma. The research was conducted in Grade R classes in the Western Cape, representing various strata of society namely a previously disadvantaged state school, a former model C school, a privately funded institution and a non-governmental institution. Ultimately the research was driven with the intention that once the approach had been negotiated and implemented the children and teachers would benefit. The types of stories and activities in the programmes presented were of great significance. It also called for creative and innovative teachers, who were not only acquainted with the circumstances of all the children they taught, but similarly equally sensitive to the circumstances of the children. The findings were informed by the data gathered at the schools, based on the main research questions and the subsidiary questions. Most teachers recognised the importance and value of stories as well as the significance of integration. However, the integration was mostly reserved for language lessons. The main recommendations are with regards to the teaching approaches to integrate lessons, selections of stories to integrate lessons, an environment conducive to integration of lessons and the role of the education department.
An investigation of L2 expressive writing in a tertiary institution in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Pfeiffer, Verbra Frances; Sivasubramaniam, Sivakumar
This study investigates the use of expressive writing in the L2 classroom as the mainstay approach to help students improve their writing skills. This study focuses on literacy pedagogy as it is manifested in the understanding and experiences by tertiary L2 students engaging in the practice of expressive writing on a longitudinal basis. This qualitative case study design, guided by interpretive epistemology, was used to collect students’ views, perceptions, and suggestions on their experiences in writing. This study has been prompted by the fact that tertiary L2 students have a huge problem expressing themselves on paper. This study consists of two groups of students, one being the noticeable group and the other being the distinguished group. The aim of this study was to identify the kinds of strategies that could assist L2 students with English Language writing tasks. Academic writing requires a conscious effort and much practice in composing, developing, and analysing ideas. At a tertiary institution in the Western Cape, L2 students have the daunting task of not only dealing with new subjects at the university, but they also have to deal with writing in English which is a challenging endeavour for most them. This presents them with social and cognitive challenges related to second language acquisition. Since L2 students do not often consider the social contexts in which L2 academic writing takes place, models of L1 writing instruction and research on composing processes are often found wanting changes in their L2 writing pedagogy. In light of this, my study investigated the language proficiency and competence as the cornerstone of the ability to write in the L2 in a fundamental way. I not only used an open-ended procedure in my classroom that promoted interaction in the classroom but also paved the way for contact between literature of daily living/evolutionary nature and experience. Strategy development and language skill development should be taken into account when working with L2 students. I used a descriptive design when dealing with the qualitative methodology and a verbal and written protocol analysis method to analyse my data. I conducted interviews with the 14 participating L2 students. My research questions were designed to investigate what instructional approaches motivated and engaged my participants to persist in successive writing performance. The findings suggest that the students benefited from the use of various activities to promote creative writing, tentative understanding, provisional interpretation and enjoyment of texts related to daily living. I believe that the exam score supports these indications. Based on the low fail rate, I believe that literature of an evolutionary nature has motivated, challenged and encouraged students to gain confidence in their writing. When I ponder on the holistic view of my findings, this study endorses the use of expressive writing in the educational practice of expressive writing. Expressive writing as an educational practice can lay the ground work for students to become better writers, thinkers and citizens.
Student politics and the funding of higher education in South Africa: the case of the University of the Western Cape, 1995-2005
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Cele, Mlungisi B. G.; Barnes, Teresa; Luescher-Mamashela, Thierry
This dissertation examines various ways in which the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town, South Africa, confronted the paradoxical post-apartheid higher education policy of expansion of access to historically disadvantaged students and limited funds and how students addressed the resulting problem of ‘unmet financial need’. My case study is set within the broader context of the momentous political and social change in South Africa’s first decade of democracy and the transformation of higher education in that country between 1995 and 2005. I reconsider the general topics of student activism, student participation in university governance and student funding based on relevant and accessible scholarly literature. Eventually, Wright, Taylor and Moghaddam’s framework (1990) inspires a conceptual-analytical framework to be applied in the case study analysis, consisting of a typology of four ideal types of student action, namely, normative collective student action (Type 1), non-normative collective student action (Type 2), normative individual student action (Type 3) and non-normative individual student action (Type 4). I adopt a qualitative case study approach and use a variety of data collection methods (such as interviews, official documentation and observation) to construct a case study database. Interviewees include members of the university management, university staff and students (both leaders and ordinary students). I interview diverse students in terms of their origin, race, gender, fields of study and levels of qualification, and political orientation. The interviewees include former student leaders in order to gain a historical perspective on the pre-1994 era. Staff interviews target mainly those members who were directly involved with student financial issues or who were responsible for making student funding decisions. I collected different types of documents, including Student Representative Council (SRC) annual reports, minutes, discussion documents, university annual reports, and university financial statements. I also have opportunity to observe various student activities on campus, including student meetings and workshops, where student funding concerns are discussed.

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