Masters Degrees (School of Education Foundations)
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Item Open Access Exploring place-attentive education and decoloniality in the english home language curriculum and assessment policy statement(University of the Free State, 2023) Tsoeu, Matladi Rosina; Barnett, E.In my study I undertook to explore place-attentive education and decoloniality in the 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 (2011), with the overarching aim of the study being to explore how place-based education and Ingold’s (2017) concept of attention can be read together to create the concept of place-attentive education. This was achieved by garnering a better understanding of concepts such as place and attention and place-based education. Moreover, a thorough understanding of Ingold’s principles of attention, namely the principle of habit, volition and correspondence as well as coloniality and decoloniality and the intersection of place-attentive education and decoloniality also proved seminal to my study. In that understanding how Ingold’s concept of attention intersects with decoloniality through the concepts of grounded normativity and grounded relationality enabled my analysis to be informed by these critical concepts. I sought to address the aim of the study through conducting an analysis of policy and education related documents, namely, the 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 (1996); the 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 1 𝘰𝘯 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 (𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 10-12) (2011). I found that the policy and documents achieve alignment, the White Paper 1 (1996) and the 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 (𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 10-12) (2011) essentially echo the Constitution (1996) which is befitting since it is the supreme law of the land. Place-based education is premised as central throughout the documents as the importance of environmental education is emphasised, a factor which I contend is essential for the promotion of place-attentive education in order to promote decoloniality.Item Open Access Exploring teachers’ perceptions of their readiness to support learners with barriers to learning in the full-service classroom(University of the Free State, 2024) Claassen, Sandra Petronella; Beyers, C.Following the Salamanca Conference held in Spain in June 1994, which placed a priority on individuals with disabilities, South Africa affirmed its dedication to inclusive education by releasing Education White Paper 6. One of the core strategies outlined in Education White Paper 6 for implementing inclusive education in South African schools is the establishment of full-service schools. Full-service schools provide support to learners with a wide range of learning needs. As a result of a range of factors that could lead to barriers to learning and development, the teacher needs to employ adaptive teaching techniques, tailored curricula and streamlined assessment methods. Ensuring that teachers possess the necessary skills and resources for this task is of utmost importance. Nevertheless, teachers find themselves grappling with challenges within the full-service school environment, which in turn shapes their perceptions of their readiness to assist learners facing learning barriers. Moreover, the available support structures for teachers, particularly in rural regions, often prove to be either lacking or ineffectual. Drawing from the ecological systems theory proposed by Bronfenbrenner, this study adopted an interpretivist paradigm to conduct qualitative semi-structured interviews with teachers at full-service schools within the Motheo rural district in South Africa. Thematic analysis was employed to determine teachers’ perceptions, challenges and sense of preparedness in supporting learners within the full-service school context. The three main themes that surfaced were directly aligned with the three secondary research questions: 1) barriers experienced by teachers, 2) resources accessible to teachers in the rural full-service school, and 3) assistance required by teachers in the full-service school. Sub-themes emerged from the collected data. Recommendations are made to the Department of Education, school management teams and school governing bodies to address the findings in relation to the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the study. The study bears value because it highlights the challenges teachers experience, which support structures are available to them and which support structures are still necessary for teachers in FSSs in rural areas. This information may assist the DoE to understand the challenges teachers experience and to render the appropriate support needed.Item Open Access The influence of dissociative identity disorder on academic performance of FET phase learners in KZN rural schools(University of the Free State, 2024) Mokoena, Nelly Cynthia; Mukuna, K.R.; Mweli, P.This study aims to investigate how Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) affects learners’ academic achievements, engagements, and overall school experience. The objectives were to identify the prevalence of DID among FET learners in rural KwaZulu-Natal schools, examine the impact of DID on their academic performance, and explore interventions that could support affected learners. The study gained qualitative insight from interviews and focus groups involving learners, teachers, and psychologists. This comprehensive method facilitated a nuanced understanding of DID's effects on learning and academic outcomes. Results indicated a significant correlation between learners with DID and lower academic performance when compared to their peers without DID. Qualitative findings revealed that dissociative episodes, memory lapse, and the psychological stress associated with Dissociative Identity DID adversely affected learners’ participation in class, homework completion, and exam performance. Furthermore, the study found a general lack of awareness and resources in rural schools to effectively support learners with DID, compounding the challenges they face. The study concludes with several key findings: the need for targeted training for educators in identifying and supporting learners with DID, the importance of integrating psychological support within the school system, and the potential benefits of personalized learning plans for affected learners. The focus should not merely be on academic performance but on creating a holistic experience where every learner, regardless of their challenges, feels included and valued. The study calls for further research and strategies to identify and address dissociative symptoms in learners.Item Open Access The influence of LGBTQ celebrities on school youth’s perceptions of gender and sexual diversity(University of the Free State, 2023) Botha, Tercia; Nichols, H. J.𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 In recent times, South Africans have started to acknowledge and support counter-normative celebrities; celebrated Gay Pride Parades in cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town; watched same-sex relationships on popular soap operas such as “Generations”; listened to music from counter-normative performers within the music industry and elected gay and lesbian members in the South African parliament. Role models such as celebrities, parents, teachers, and peers influence the attitudes and behaviours of teenagers and school youth. This can determine what kind of person they become, including their appearance, attitudes, gender and sexual diversity, and goals in life. A key aspect of identity development is the media, specifically social media, and television; hence, there is increasing concern that the youth learn more about gender and sexual diversity outside schools than in the formal curriculum. It is not surprising that the school youth are bound to look at LGBTQ celebrities in the media, in order to form their perceptions based on gender and sexual diversity. This research study explores the influence of LGBTQ celebrities on school youth’s perceptions of gender and sexual diversity. Using a case study methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven Grade 10 high-school learners studying at a co-ed high school in the Free State province of South Africa. Findings reveal that exposure to LGBTQ celebrities does influence their perceptions of gender and sexual diversity; the high-school learners expressed a need to be taught about gender and sexual diversity for their peers and teachers to have a better understanding; they revealed that they educate themselves on social media and learn more about gender and sexual diversity outside the schoolyard rather than in the formal curriculum; religion, culture and their parents also played a role in their perceptions of gender and sexual diversity. While the data is clear evidence of the influence of LGBTQ celebrities on their perceptions of gender and sexual diversity, it also revealed that the school youth realised the importance of being taught about gender and sexual diversity in the school system and they expressed a need to be taught for a better understanding. I conclude by calling on UMALUSI; the Department of Education; the Independent Examinations Board, and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute officials and inspectors of schools to pay regular visits to schools to ensure that the codes of conduct and policies are implemented thoroughly according to the South African Schools Act of 1996, the South African Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. ___________________________________________________________________Item Open Access Teachers’ experiences on teaching learners with visual impairment in Lesotho inclusive classrooms(University of the Free State, 2024) Maseli, Maliteboho; Kgothule, RantsieThe study explores teachers' experiences of teaching learners with visual impairment in Lesotho-inclusive classrooms. Despite all the efforts done by the Ministry of Education and Training in Lesotho to include learners with visual impairment, teachers seemed to experience challenges in teaching these learners. Although teachers are seen as the primary implementers of inclusive education, it is presumed that teachers' self-efficacy is critical in accepting inclusive education. Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (1977) was used as the framework to understand the objectives of the study. The qualitative research approach was used to determine teachers' experience who educate learners with visual impairment. A phenomenological research design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants with the intention that the people who will be interviewed will have experience teaching learners with visual impairment. Four teachers who teach learners with visual impairment were interviewed from two high schools in Maseru Lesotho, two from each school. Content analysis was used to analyse data. The findings revealed a lack of braille textbooks and other assistive devices like voice recorders and Perkins Braillers that assist learners with visual impairment in learning effectively in the classroom. The study also showed that visual-impaired learners require extra time to understand the content. The study recommends that learners with visual impairment be provided with assistive devices because their learning becomes difficult without them, and the environment should accommodate learners with visual impairment.