School of Education Studies
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Browsing School of Education Studies by Subject "Academic performance"
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Item Open Access Developing a framework of parental involvement to enhance academic performance of learners in schools(University of the Free State, 2018) Mbatha, Zwelinjane Meshack; Moreeng, B. B.; Ntsala, S. A.This study was initiated with the primary aim to provide teachers and parents with a framework of parental involvement to enhance academic performance of learners in schools. This study was prompted by the lack of potential initiation of parents in taking part in their children’s education to enhance their academic performance. In the endeavour to suggest the guidelines for developing a framework of parental involvement, to enhance academic performance of learners in schools, driven by Yosso Community Cultural Wealth Theory, this was done in order to respond to both the literature study and the empirical study findings, which suggested that approach. The study was approached from an interpretive paradigm, and this paradigm influenced the research practices in this study. The research design has to do with making critical choices on the part of the research. The sample which was chosen through purposive sampling, included three primary schools in Motheo District. One teacher and one parent were selected for detailed study at each of the three schools. The empirical study included the collection of data using interviews. Data was analysed using qualitative data analysis; this was done to ensure thorough description with qualitative study findings. Interviews were used to report the findings of the study. The major findings of the study is that there is a need to develop a framework that can be used in enhancing academic performance of learners in schools. This is based on the findings of both parents in and teachers when they want to involve parents in academic matters in schools. There seems to be a limited understanding of both teachers and parents in their involvement, as revealed by massive challenges they encounter. Findings on the current practices by schools suggested that there is very little exposure for parents in their involvement in order to enhance academic performance of learners. This is being envisaged on the findings that schools continue to use traditional methods of including parents in schools, which augur well with the development framework of parental involvement in schools, in order to enhance academic performance of learners in schools.Item Open Access Faktore wat aanleiding gee tot die hoë druipsyfer onder graad 10-leerders aan die gekombineerde skool te Luckhoff(University of the Free State, 2005-11) Janse van Vuuren, A. C.; Kotze, C. J.English: Article 1: When up to 50 % of the grade 10 learners in the country fail, it's catastrophic. The percentage has been repeated during the past few years, it did not happen only once. Most of the learners that failed in grade 10 come from a poor environment. Such an enyironment seldom effects only one aspect of the learner's life. The aim of this research is to determine which factors have a negative influence on the learners academic performance. The researcher tried to determine whether there is a relevance between the poor environment of the learners and the OBE-system. According to the findings of the researcher's literature studies factors within the poor environment of the learners do influence their academic performance and it attribute to them not reaching the outcomes set by the OBE-system. The learners within the poor environment live in unstable conditions, they also have few chances in life. These learners live in a disturbed environment that effects them negatively. This environment where there are few chances for the learners, leads to deprivation and negligence. Within this poor environment cultural different education occurs and it also accumulate to the ,difficulties for the learners in their academic performance. The learners' self concept are directly influenced by their situation and environment. The learners have a low self concept and they show a lack of communication skills. On account of their external locus of control they do not accept responsibility for their poor academic performances. Besides their physical shortcomings, these learners also show shortcomings in their education. Learners within the poor environment also have to deal with the reality of HIV / AIDS and unwanted pregnancies among the teenagers. All these factors mentioned above play an important role when it comes to OBE. Although the OBE-system was not implemented properly, the other factors also contribute to the poor academic performarn;:e of the learners. Multi-cultural classes in the school cause problems for, the learners who have to attend these classes. The shortage of facilities increase the learners' poor situation, because it cause problems for them in the school. The lack of discipline and the overworked teachers are also contributing factors that cause the learners to perform poorly within the OBE-system. The learners are directly influenced by these factors. These learners are the victims of their circumstances and it emerges in their academic performance. As the school is also situated within this poor environment, these circumstances and factors that influence the learners academic performance are also transferred to the school situation. The learners cannot afford to buy the basic necessities fof school. They cannot afford research material to meet the demands set by the OBE-system. Therefore these learners enter the gr. 10 with huge shortcomings. These learners urgently need help to overcome the stumbling block that prevent them from achieving academic success. Article 2: The culture of poverty in our country is a social problem effecting a high percentage of people. This phenomenon is clearly visible in the community of Luckhoff with its lack of jobs and all the social and welfare problems. By means of an empirical investigation the relation between the poor environment of the learners and the OBE-system, as possible factors leading up to the high percentage of failures among grade 10-learners is being investigated. The South African Police keeps documents of all the crimes committed by the youth. The local Health Clinic keeps files on all the cases of illness, pregnancies, rape and assaults reported and treated where the youth was concerned. A self structured questionnaire was completed by the parents, educators and learners who have failed grade 10. A report on the academic performance of grade 10-learners in the Free State was provided by the Department of Education. The findings and conclusions made from the data confirms that the learners who live within p poor environment are negatively effected by the OBE-system, on account of their circumstances. Their circumstances prevent them form reaching the outcomes set by the OBE. The academic performance of these learners is a cause for great concern. Educators indicated that the performance of these learners ranges from below average to weak. Most of the parents of these learners had little of no scholastic training. Their domestic lives are unstable, incomplete and emotional security is absent. The learners have a low self concept and they lack the motivation to succeed in their academic performance. In order to make a positive turnabout in their academic performance teachers and parents will have to take hands to motivate and aid these learners to succeed. Furthermore, it is important that steps should be taken to address this serious problem.Item Open Access The influence of educational leaders' practices on school culture affecting academic performance: a Lesotho perspective(University of the Free State, 2013-11) Mokoqo, Motlalepula Azeal; Brynard, S. T.English: Poor academic performance in high schools continues to be a concern to Lesotho. It is this apprehension, which has prompted this study. On the research front, the disquiet has been with scarcity of investigations on what school principals, through their leadership practices, could do to influence a school culture that supports high academic performance of learners. As a result, the main aim of the study was to investigate and identify the leadership practices of school principals that are intended to create and nurture a culture conducive to high academic performance in high schools in Lesotho. The study also compared the leadership practices at schools that perform academically well with those typical of schools that display poor academic performance. There are conflicting views on the influence of school principals‟ leadership practices on school culture, which supports high academic performance of learners. Some researchers maintain that the influence is little, but significant. However, principals are held accountable for the advancement of schools and academic performance of learners. It is therefore, in order that principals, through their leadership skills, should effectively utilise human and material resources for the wellbeing of the schools they lead. Leadership and school culture are considered as intertwined processes, which exhibit reciprocal effects. The challenge has been to investigate what principals could do to create and maintain an environment that enables teachers and learners to work effectively. The study adopted a positivist approach, which employed a quantitative research designed to identify and describe the leadership practices of school principals and the cultures prevailing at schools. A questionnaire was developed and used to collect data from 120 respondents comprising teachers and principals chosen from 20 high schools in the Maseru district of Lesotho. The data collected were analysed and interpreted statistically for the results to be displayed in tables. Given the scope of the research and the limiting factors therein, the results of the study cannot be generalised to other settings of a similar nature. However, the study has made recommendations that may help to alleviate the problem of poor academic performance in schools. The study has also contributed to the existing knowledge by providing further areas of research in the field of educational leadership and management.