Masters Degrees (Education Policy Studies)
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Now showing 1 - 5 of 166
- ItemExploring the subjective formation of students of the Kramat community in the Western Cape(2023-03) Benjamin, Mahmoodah; Fataar, Aslam; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the subjective formation of high school students from the Kramat community near Macassar, Cape Town. The Kramat is a small area on the outskirts of Macassar in the Helderberg. The Kramat (which was historically known as the Zandvliet farm) is especially known amongst the Muslim community of South Africa for the shrine erected in Shaykh Yusuf’s honour. The students in this study attended schools away from home as there are no schools in an area called the Kramat, the community in which they live. This means that when children are of school-going age, they are enrolled at schools outside of the community, in most cases, schools in the nearby Macassar and Firgrove suburbs or in the nearest town, Somerset West, to receive their primary and high schooling. Their social and educational experiences thus differ depending on the school they attend. The purpose of this study is to understand both the ways in which their upbringing and socialisation in the small Muslim community of Kramat impacted on their schooling experiences as well as the way in which their educational and social experiences in schools outside of the community impacted on their emerging social identities or subjectivities within their traditional faith-based community. This study is therefore underpinned by Lefebvre’s theory of space to understand how the students interacted in and with the space of the home and the school to form their subjectivities. This study is situated in the qualitative interpretive paradigm. Through the semi-structured interview method, the study thus shows the subjective formation of high school students from the Kramat through their interactions with their high schools. The data further shows the experiences of the students in the community and in their high schools and how they used the values that they had been taught growing up in the community to navigate the schooling space to form their subjectivities.
- ItemICT integration in four schools situated in poor socio-economic contexts in the Western Cape(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Khan, Yusiree; Feldman, J. A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the integration of information communication and technology (ICT) in four schools situated in poor socio-economic contexts. The rationale for this study is based on the premise that, though educational ICTs may be available at schools in poor socio-economic communities, there is little guarantee or data that shows that these ICTs are being utilised effectively. Globally, technological growth has been touted as the vehicle of educational change; in South Africa, this growth is evident in some schools, noting that the advances in ICTs have a direct impact on teaching and learning. The study sample included four schools situated in poor communities within the Western Cape. A total of 16 teachers were interviewed, and 41 teachers completed the online survey. An in-depth understanding and monitoring of reviewed literature and qualitative studies on ICT usage and integration contributed to the development of this thesis and the research instruments. The study uses the Technology Readiness Index (TRI), the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK), and the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) as its conceptual lenses throughout the thesis as a structured guide in both implementing and analysing the research. Being guided by the conceptual lenses, the analysed data revealed that while most participants are optimistic about ICT integration in their classrooms, integration was only possible with adequate resources and continuous training. The data analysis provided an opportunity for this study to make an original contribution to education by providing an assessment tool; the school digital climate (SDC), which has been developed to highlight individual school contributors to successful ICT integration and specific constraints and inhibitors to adequate ICT integration. The SDC, as an assessment tool, can indicate what factors require improvement for the attainment of a successful digital climate.
- ItemAn exploration of automatic learner promotion at three schools in Namibia: Implications for quality education.(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) Mbudhi, Liina Frieda; Davids, Nuraan, 1970-; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study aimed to explore the implications of the automatic learner promotion (ALP) policy on the quality of education at three primary schools in the Erongo region of Namibia. The study employed a qualitative, phenomenological case study design. The objectives of the study were as follows: to gain insights into teachers’ understanding and implementation of the ALP policy; to ascertain the effects of ALP on learners and teachers, and hence, learning and teaching; and to determine the implications of the ALP policy on the quality education at the three schools. The data for this study was constructed from a purposively selected sample of six teachers, six heads of department and three school principals drawn from three state primary schools. In addition to conducting semi-structured interviews with a total of fifteen participants, the ‘National Promotion Policy Guide for Junior and Senior Primary School Phase’ (National Institute for Educational Development (NIED)) (2015) was analysed. The study found that only one of the three primary schools implemented the policy as required and stipulated in the ‘National Promotion Policy Guide for Junior and Senior Primary School Phase’ (NIED, 2015). Although the teachers and principals shared a common conceptual understanding of the policy, they had different understandings of how to implement it or whether to implement it at all. They also differed in terms of who was responsible for implementing the policy and the additional support required by learners who had been automatically promoted. Nevertheless, there seemed to be agreement that the negatives of ALP outweighed the positives. This perception was informed by several key factors, which included a lack of support from the Ministry of Education; unpreparedness and unwillingness by teachers to provide the extra support required by learners who had been automatically promoted; and the tensions between learners who had met the minimum grade requirements and those who had not but were promoted regardless. The study found that most participants viewed the ALP practice as compromising the education quality. Instead of assisting learners who struggled academically, such learners continued to struggle in the next grade. Their lack of competencies in their previous grade meant they were continually compromised and disadvantaged in acquiring new competencies. The difficulties experienced by these learners were compounded by a lack of interest, support, and motivation from teachers. The study recommends extra support to the teachers to eliminate the challenges they face. Policymakers are encouraged to consult teachers when developing the policies and conduct workshops sharing the meaning and significance of the policy. Policymakers are also encouraged to implement mechanisms that encourage all schools to implement national policies. The study encourages more parental involvement in the implementation of the ALP policy.
- ItemA hermeneutic inquiry of school improvement in an independent and public school(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Adze, Emmanuel Tebe; Van Wyk, Berte; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: School improvement is one of the fields in education policy studies that enjoy a significant degree of academic debates. Given that most schools are still in the process of development, a school improvement plan is regarded as one of the key tools that each school must have. The two schools that participated in this study witness tremendous progress in every area of school life. Drawing from my own personal experience in the education arena, and having seen these schools flourish in person, I was prompted to find out why these schools that were termed as dysfunctional schools had miraculously become great. My key purpose then was to ensure that such findings will open a completely new discourse about school improvement. I therefore decided to use hermeneutics as the philosophical lens through which I would study, interpret, analyse, and understand the key factors that catapulted the schools under study to such heights. Two schools in the Western Cape that had been branded dysfunctional schools by the Department of Basic Education were selected for this study because of their dramatic growth. Findings have shown that these schools made noticeable changes in the governance, fiscal management, parental involvement and the quality of education. It emerged from the research that progressive schools are not necessarily those that select the best learners, but those schools that support even weaker learners to achieve academic excellence and moral rectitude. The support is done without any regard for race, colour, or creed. The literature revealed that most learners in township schools also come from poverty-stricken homes. To most educators, investing in such learners translates into changing the community. This work bears great significance because it has brought to the fore some of the hidden truths which the Department of Education could not uncover during its investigation at one of the schools. These findings can be used to inform or encourage the school improvement plans of other schools in similar situations.
- ItemThe role of principals in cultivating a positive school culture.(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-11-11) Ambrose, Edmund Daries; Joorst, J. P.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Policy Education Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study investigated the role of four principals in creating a positive school culture in their respective schools. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach, with data from document analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews. The study is situated in a primary school context of the Department of Education of the Western Cape. The participants were purposely selected based on a set of criteria to ensure actively participating principals who could contribute to providing a rich description of the research question. The study was premised on the assumption that principals played a crucial role in the creation of a positive culture at schools. The participants’ creation of a positive school culture was investigated through four policy expectations on school principals namely, time management, resource management, financial management, and curriculum management. This study used Schein's notion of three levels of culture, namely observable artifacts, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions to address the study's main research question, which is: What is the role of principals in cultivating a positive school culture? The study was approached from an interpretive phenomenological perspective. This approach is distinguished by its emphasis on the research of participants' lived experiences. As a result, it was selected as most appropriate to understanding the nuanced educational roles of the participants in establishing a positive school culture. The data was finally processed using Schein’s model of institutional culture as a lens, which brought an interesting dynamic to the study in framing the analysis and findings. The most important findings of this study are that the participant principals were resilient despite the restrictive cultural influences around them and made time available to engage with colleagues on non-academic issues. They also managed resources effectively and created skills development opportunities This grounded their ability to use their roles to recognise and utilise the opportunities for creating a positive school environment inside the school. Although the study was limited to four principals, the insights generated can inform and motivate the next generation of principals who will serve in our schools and communities.