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Browsing School of Education by Subject "Academic achievement."
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Item African secondary school pupils' and their teachers' perceptions of their performance in selected schools.(1999) Arsiradam, Prema.; Naicker, Subramunian Anand.The concept of racially-desegregated state schooling in South Africa was officially implemented in 1991. This change to racially-mixed schooling was not without problems. There are, to date, few known studies on this theme in South Africa although there are many overseas studies. The focus of the present study is on the implications of racially-desegregated schooling for the disadvantaged African population. The study examines African secondary school pupils' and their teachers' perceptions of their performance in the context of racially-desegregated schools. It also aims to study these perceptions in the context of striving for 'equality of opportunity' in the light of current educational refonns in South Africa. This study is located in the sociology of education framework, using a symbolic interactionist approach of analysis. Six schools in the suburb of Phoenix in Durban, originally designed for the Indian population, were used. A sample of 150 pupils belonging to both the middle and working class groups in the senior and junior phases of schooling was calculated. A sample of 68 teachers who teach pupils in the sample was also chosen. Questionnaires were administered to and interviews were conducted with both teachers and pupils. Objective data was also collected in the form of pupils' examination results over a period of a year. The Chi-square test of significance was used to establish if there were differences in performances of pupils within the social groups and within the phases of schooling.Item A case study of gender differences in 8th grade students’ performance in TIMSS 2011 science test in United Arab Emirates, Dubai schools.(2016) Jagesar, Nivesh.; Singh-Pillay, Asheena.; Mabaso, Bongeka Petunia.The UAE suffers from a serious shortage of professional scientists, mathematics and science teachers, engineers and technologists due to low levels of engagement and reduced enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, also referred to as the STEM disciplines. Within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 1900s, women were not required by society, tradition or religion to contribute financially to the family. The responsibility of financially supporting a family was relegated to men, while females were given the primary role of care givers over that of career women (Sidani, 2005). However, since the 1990s, a concerted effort has been made by the Ministry of Education (MoE) of Dubai to increase females’ access to education and to enhance their participation in scientific fields. In the light of the aforementioned factors, this study sought, firstly, to explore if there was a gender difference in 8th Grade UAE learners’ performance in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) science test in 2011 in Dubai schools. The research questions that guided this study were: 1. What gender difference is evident in 8th grade learners’ performance in the TIMSS 2011 science tests with regard to: 1.1. The science content dimension (biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences)? 1.2. The science cognitive dimension (knowing, applying, reasoning)? 2. What contextual factors in the TIMSS 2011 science test could possibly account for the observed gender difference, if any? This study made use of secondary data from the TIMSS test questionnaires to answer the research questions. Bourdieu’s (1977) Theory of Cultural Capital and Social Reproduction was used as a framework as it had a direct link to the research focus of this study. Bourdieu (1977) asserts that the major role of educational systems is the reproduction of power relationships and privilege between social classes or groups, where social inequality is reproduced and legitimated. Bourdieu’s concepts of capital and habitus were used during the comparative analysis of the data. The findings of this study indicate that the 8th grade female science students outperformed boys in both the content and cognitive domains of the 2011 TIMSS test. Furthermore, the findings raised questions about the quality of the science investigations being conducted in schools, as well as the type of professional development available to teachers as the vast majority of teachers teaching science in the UAE are foreign qualified teachers.Item A case study of the relationship between students' home backgrounds and their mathematics performance.(2006) Salakoff, Barak Tom.; Vithal, Renuka.This is an investigation explaining the relationship between the home environment and mathematics performance of 12 grade eight students from a high school in Durban, South Africa. One of the data collection methods was a 25-question test, based on the TIMSS test, namely a TIMSS equivalent mathematics test. The test was analysed and its relation to the South African syllabus, the students' familiarity with the type of questions and the multiple-choice mode of answer used in the TIMSS study, was investigated. The test scores were also used to identify high performing and low performing students to be interviewed about their mathematical, personal and home backgrounds. A student questionnaire was administered to these selected students as a basis for the interviews. An in depth one on one interview and records of the students' achievements in grade 7 and grade 8 in languages and mathematics, as well as school family records were used for the analysis. The life stories of the six high performing and six low performing students were then constructed and analysed with respect to: their achievements in mathematics and language; their home backgrounds; how their mathematics performance is affected by their home environments; and the effect of parental involvement in their lives. Finally research findings from the interviews on the home lives and experiences of the 12 grade 8 students from a high school in Durban are presented. Implications are put forward and recommendations made.Item Exploring the relationship between policy and practice : a study of continuous assessment.(1997) Ramsuran, Anitha.; Jansen, Jonathan David.Research reveals that policy intentions seldom define classroom practice. This research study uses continuous assessment as the 'case' to explore the policy-practice relationship. The research approach adopted involved a critical review of policy documents on continuous assessment; interviews with Department officials; a survey questionnaire on continuous assessment distributed to teachers in ten secondary schools; and a detailed exploration of continuous assessment practice in three institutional settings. The findings show that continuous assessment is rarely implemented as policy intended; teachers at the classroom level have transformed the aims of policy-makers to the extent that implementation proceeds at some distance from the original policy intentions; and teachers are experiencing numerous problems in attempting to implement continuous assessment.Item The impact of psychosocial deprivation on the scholastic performance of grade seven learners.(2011) Naicker, Kalamathy.; Muribwathoho, Henry Nkhanedzeni.This research topic presents a discussion on psychosocial deprivation and how it impacts on learners academic performance. It is a case study guided by the following questions: To what extent does psychosocial deprivation influence scholastic performance of grade seven learners? How can the school counteract the effects of psychosocial deprivation? What forms of assistance do parents and teachers need in order to work together to benefit the learners? This is a quantitative study underpinned by the ecosystemic perspective as well as the social constructivist theory. The sample size consisted of seventy learners taken from a primary school which was later reduced to twenty eight learners. The findings of the study were lack of motivation, absenteeism, learning disabilities, difficulties learning English as a second language, stressful family life, poverty and the like were some of the factors that affect learners and eventually results in their poor academic performance. The learners’ environment or neighbourhood is seen as one of the many social contexts that shape children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. However the neighborhood context does not simply “imprint” itself on children, but can be mediated or moderated by other social contexts, in particular the family. Learners who struggle with schoolwork without receiving effective intervention often drop out of school and, as a consequence, have increasingly dire employment prospects. Many learners are invisible strugglers, falling through the cracks and being written off as not needing the extra effort and intervention that educators can provide. Schools, educators and education policy makers must strive to level the playing field by counteracting or minimizing the impact of socio-economic factors on learner’s academic performance by doing the following: Supplying educational materials timeously. Preparing syllabi suited to the age, level and language of learners. Provide ongoing learner support with the help of guidance counselors and social workers. Provide nutritious programmes to supplement those with inadequate diets. Parents and teachers should work together to promote teaching and learning.Item Integrating cultural inclusivity in a grade 4 classroom : a teacher's self-study.(2016) Mkhize, Ntokozo Sibusisiwe.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.The purpose of my self-study research was to explore integrating cultural inclusivity, particularly children’s culture. As an aspiring inclusive practitioner I wanted to explore and reflect on what I could learn about cultural inclusivity and children’s culture from my own personal history and how I could integrate cultural inclusivity and children’s culture in my teaching. I was drawn to the practice of inclusivity as a focal point for my research. White Paper 6 policy stimulated me to explore how I could include my learners and take into account all my learners’ needs, interests and cultural backgrounds. I looked forward to implementing diversity in my classroom and to learn from my learners. A socio-cultural theoretical perspective channeling my thoughts to the fundamental nature of children, how they bring in conceptual resources into the classroom and introduce their cultural and daily encounters into the classroom before learning or attending school. I took inclusive participation inspired by the Children’s culture perspective which was to bring in games, toys and interests into their learning. I was the main participant in the research study. My 37 learners were participants in my study. I also worked with two critical friends who were also doing their Master’s Degree in Teacher Development and my supervisor. My two research questions were: 1. What can I learn about cultural inclusivity and children’s culture from my personal history? 2. What can I learn about cultural inclusivity and children’s culture from my grade 4 learners? To respond to these two questions, I generated data through practicing: artefact retrieval; collage making, poetry, journal writing, audio-recording and taking photographs. From this, I discovered that, as teachers we need to emancipate and not cage our learners’ thoughts and ideas. I appreciated the feedback I received from my learners, their participation, activities and games. I also explored that in children’s culture there are daily adventures and challenges that stimulate heroic moments for them. Additionally, I learned that children can create their own learning resources through toys, games and live passionately through laughter, questions, smiles, curiosity and uncertainties. Teaching and learning is not predictable. My most imperative lesson from self-study research was I discovered that as a teacher I make mistakes and so I need to constantly question and reflect on my teaching methodologies and lessons. We are constantly learning from our own practices through inquisition, reviving ourselves and accommodating differences.Item An investigation into the problems encountered by pupils in the former Transkei in understanding the models used in geography textbooks in senior secondary schools.(1996) Ntikinca, Nondumiso.; Peel, Harold Alexander.I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the following people for their assistance mid cooperation in making this research possible. First and foremost I must mention the name of my supeivisor Mr. H.A. Peel of 1 he University of Natal. I am grateful to him for his thorough and able supervision of this research. I shall always treasure the encouragement he gave, his patience, the int.erest he shown in my work and the recommendations he made for the improvement of this work. I thank the Principal and teachers involved in this research for their kind co-operation. I am also thankful to Mr. E. Sarpong of the University of Transkei for suggesting and helping me with the interpretation of the statistical techniques and to Dr. Erapu of the same University for proof-reading the drafts for me. To members of my family and especiaJly my young son who had to endure long hours without me I say thanks for the patience. I hereby declare that the opinions expressed or conclusions arrived at are those of the writer and are not to be regarded as a reflection of the views of the above-mentioned people.Item Language proficiency and academic success : an investigation into the relationship between language proficiency and academic success at university with particular reference to first-year students of English.(1988) Court, Susan Anne.; Nel, Berndine F.; Behr, Abraham Leslie.The relationship between language proficiency and academic success in university studies is of major concern in educational institutions throughout the Western world. The particular focus of this study is the situation in the Republic of South Africa. This problem is of critical importance at this stage in the history of South Africa when universities have publicly stated their commitment to admit any students with merit or potential to succeed at university. In order for students to succeed at university they need to be communicatively competent in the language which is the medium of instruction. It has been assumed that this ability can be assessed by means of a formal test and it is this issue on which this dissertation focuses in order to establish how reliable such tests are as predictors of academic performance. The empirical research covers a six-year period from 1982 to 1987 and investigates two tests. One is a particular language test which was designed specifically for the selection of students for courses of academic study of English at university. The other is the senior certificate examination which provides the statutory admission requirement for university entrance in South Africa. An extensive review of relevant studies both within South Africa and overseas has been undertaken. In addition an unstructured questionnaire was sent to English departments throughout South Africa in order to establish the current practice with regard to the selection of students for first-year courses. The conclusion seems to be that in the context of a homogeneous population language proficiency as measured on a formal test is predictive of academic success in first-year courses in English. In heterogeneous student populations, like that of South Africa where the majority of prospective students may be described as being "disadvantaged", however, this is not the case. Academic success cannot be predicted with any degree of confidence on the basis of language proficiency. Extreme caution is necessary in the implementation of any language test for the selection of students for academic study at university in the present changing nature of university student populations in South Africa.Item Lecturers' and students' perceptions of contributory factors towards the high failure rate in an information administration course at a merged University of Technology.(2010) Padiachee, Ragani.; Buthelezi, Thabisile M.Since Colonial times Education in South Africa was segregated leaving African educational systems disadvantaged with inferior services. The segregation became official when apartheid became an official policy following the general election of 1948 which resulted in the National Government taking over. This report, in particular, is a study at one of the 22 merged Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) that was comprised of previously advantaged and disadvantaged tertiary institutions. The University of Technologies (UoTs) have a history of such segregated education dating back to its origins in 1882, when Technical Colleges were established. While the development of the early technical colleges continued to change its focus and status, inferior services continued until very recently in 2002 when mergers of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) occurred. The democratic government of 1994 developed to many policies in an attempt to repair the damages emanating from the apartheid system. Of the many policies, one was the redressing of educational inequalities that were created by the apartheid system. During the early 1990s and to date there has been poor Higher Education (HE) performance. One of the goals of the 1997 White paper was to improve the throughput rates at HE in terms of pass rates and thus throughput rates. The study focuses on the high failure rate in the Information Administration (IA) course at one of the merged HEIs called Southern University of Technology1 (SUT). What has been conducted is an investigation of perceptions of contributory factors towards the high failure rate in the Information Administration course at SUT. The mentioned UoT has also implemented transformational policies as required by the Department of Education (DoE) but the desires of the Education White paper 3 of 1997 regarding the improvement of throughput rates has not changed. The main findings of the research present the following; lack of preparedness of enrolled students and lecturers in the IA subject , the non-compliance to the institutions assessment policy and procedures, lack of quality assurance and management measures and insufficient accessibility and utilisation of the resources.Item Mathematical attitudes and achievement strategies of successful mathematics learners.(2011) Naidoo, Indarani.; Hobden, Sally Diane.Too often, discussions about Mathematics express feelings of anguish and despair; and, indeed Mathematics results in general in South Africa can be described as dismal. The Department of Education (DoE) reported that in the 2010 National Senior Certificate examinations, 52.6% of learners obtained less than 30% in Mathematics and 69.1% of learners obtained less than 40% (DoE, 2010). This implies that a very small percentage of grade 12 learners would be eligible to further their studies in the fields of Mathematics and science at tertiary level, resulting in a depletion of science and Mathematics-oriented professionals. This study explored the mathematical attitudes and achievement strategies of successful Mathematics learners to overcome the factors that might impede achievement. This study has the potential to improve practice because the findings of the study and recommendations are made implicit in the discussion. In particular this study sought to investigate the following issues: (a) What are secondary school learners' attitudes towards Mathematics? (b) In what ways are these attitudes linked to factors to which the learners attribute their achievement in Mathematics? (c) What strategies do successful Mathematics learners use to overcome the factors that they identify as impeding their performance in Mathematics? This research involved a case study approach. The study solicited both quantitative and qualitative data from the participants. The participants comprised 95 Grade 10, 11 and 12 Mathematics learners. The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS) questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The data was analysed using Attribution Theory and Achievement Theory. Two learners, who obtained more than 60% in the 2011 half-year Mathematics examination, from grades 10, 11 and 12 respectively, constituted the focus group. The focus group interview enhanced the study by clarifying the responses to the questionnaire and providing answers to the second and third research questions. The findings of the research include the following: teachers play an important role in shaping learners’ attitudes toward Mathematics; learners are anxious when asked to solve mathematical problems; parents are very encouraging of their children learning Mathematics; the importance of Mathematics for future careers exerted a significant effect on mathematical achievement; and finally the various strategies that learners employ that positively impact on their achievement in mathematics include mastery experience, motivation, private tuition and peer group teaching-learning. The final section of this dissertation discusses the implications of this study for practising Mathematics teachers and suggestions for further research in the area of affect.Item A study of achievement in mathematics with special reference to the relationship between attitudes and attainment.(1981) Moodley, Moonsamy.; Behr, Abraham Leslie.This study was designed to explore the patterns and trends in attitudes towards mathematics and attainment in mathematics among Indian pre-matriculants. It also aimed at investigating the relationships between attitudes and attainment and the effects of differences in sex, grade, levels and certain background variables on mathematics attainment and attitudes. A set of 24 multiple-choice mathematics test items, compiled to test cognitive outcomes in mathematics at three taxonomic levels, served as a measure of attainment in mathematics. An attitude scale of 48 Likert-type items comprising six dimensions was developed to measure pupil's attitudes towards mathematics (affective outcomes). In addition, questionnaires were used to collect data on selected background variables and teachers' ratings of the pupils. The test, attitude scale and questionnaires were administered to 680 pupils selected randomly from 17 secondary schools in Durban. The 53 teachers responsible for the 151 mathematics class units (Std 9 and Std 10) at these schools also participated in the research project. The data was subjected to statistical analyses (item analyses, correlational analyses, z-scores and ANOVAS) by computerization. The reliability and validity of both the mathematics test and the attitude scale were demonstrated. The potential value of these instruments as measures of cognitive and affective outcomes in mathematics has been presented and argued. The significances of the relationships in respect of the background variables (including sex, grade and levels) and mathematics attitudes and attainment have been carefully documented (see summary - section 6.4). The relationship between attitudes towards mathematics and attainment in mathematics was found to be positive and significant, with no difference between males and females. It was also demonstrated that attainment in mathematics might be predicted from attitude and ability (IQ) scores, and a regression equation was derived for this purpose. Finally, consideration was given to implications of the major findings and problems for future research.Item Success, failure and drop-out at university : a comparative, longitudinal study with special reference to the University of Durban-Westville.(1983) Gounden, Perumal Kistna.; Maharaj, S. R.No abstract available.Item Trends in participation, performance and career choice, among girls who are successful in mathematics.(2002) Essack, Regina Miriam.; Vithal, Renuka.Abstract available in the PDF.Item Using an orientation programme to prepare first year medical students for a problem based curriculum : a South African case study.(2004) Appalasamy, Dorothy Monica.; Searle, Ruth Lesley.The Nelson R Mandela Medical School is currently implementing Curriculum 2001, which is based on integrated, student centred, problem and groupbased learning. In 2002 a three-week orientation Module was introduced to prepare students for Problem Based Learning (PBL). The aim of this programme was to assist first year students through the transition period from high school to university life and prepare them for a new way of learning. In the university context the word orientation has come to mean assisting students to become accustomed to the new environment of university education and to make the first few weeks as friendly and informative as possible so that this transition is made effectively. It is also a socialisation process whereby students get to know what the expectations of the departments and the university are as well as being an introduction to the values and standards of the group the student is entering. For the students the change from school where they are accustomed to a particular approach to learning is a huge step to a tertiary institution where the approach to learning is different. The purpose of this study was: 1) To ascertain what students understood about the new curriculum before they embarked on it and did orientation help them to understand it better? (2) In what ways did the students perceive the orientation programme as a help to prepare first year medical students and especially for PBL? (3) What particular aspects of the orientation programme do students perceive help them in a new situation and did this prepare them for a new way of learning? (4) In what ways do staff perceive the contribution of orientation to the new PBL curriculum? Both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered from questionnaires, interviews and focus group sessions with first and second year students and staff. The first year students agreed that the orientation Programme did assist them to prepare for a new way of learning. Preparing students for a new way of learning and assistance with making the many transitions into university life is very important and necessary if students are to be successful.