http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4677 2013-05-25T13:31:01Z 2013-05-25T13:31:01Z Munyoki, Mwinzi Joseph http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5843 2012-11-09T12:06:28Z 2012-02-01T00:00:00Z

Integrating philosophy of education and the goals of education practice at Kenyan high schools Munyoki, Mwinzi Joseph The purpose of this research was to explore the subject of integrating philosophy of education and the goals of education in education practice at the high schools in Kenya. It is stated that the impact of education practice is hinged in the statement of philosophy of education and the goals of education which has been neglected by researchers and scholars in Kenya. An intensive literature review which was undertaken revealed that philosophy of education and the goals of education are flouted in education practice. The sources of literature review were books, journals, policy documents, dissertations, theses, newspapers, and websites. In this qualitative research, phenomenology was selected as suitable theoretical framework to situate education practice as a human activity which is shaped by philosophy of education and the goals of education. A qualitative design was used, and purposive sampling was identified to select the schools and the respondents. The respondents in this research included the school principals, teachers, education officers, board of governors, and the parents-teachers’ representatives. The main qualitative research methods involved literature review and interviews. In this study, ideograms were utilized in the process of analysing the responses acquired from the respondents. According to the respondents, the statement of philosophy of education is foreign in the high schools, but the goals of education are printed in the syllabi, and this explains why the study focused on the goals as the familiar items. The views obtained from the respondents emphasized on what is envisioned to occur at the high schools, and this explains that the students are estranged from philosophy of education. It was concluded that high school pedagogy is exposed to conflicts in relation to integrating philosophy of education and the goals of education. In this case, the study recommended the following insights to improve the process of integrating philosophy of education, the goals of education, and education practice in Kenya: The necessity of revising the content and material resources of high school syllabi to comprise the attributes of philosophy of education in pedagogical activities.  Another suggestion emphasized on restructuring evaluation strategies to integrate the attributes of social cohesion, human progress and economic development.  The final recommendation is that the teaching and learning activities are necessary to intensify knowledge transfer which articulates the attributes of philosophy of education and the goals of education.

2012-02-01T00:00:00Z Bakasa, Leah http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5759 2012-09-26T10:36:05Z 2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

The effect of class size on academic achievement at a selected institution of higher learning Bakasa, Leah The research design for this study was largely quasi-mixed methods as it focused on survey and phenomenology. The major reason for this study was to explore whether the number of students in any given class has any bearing on their performance and resultant achievement in the mediation of Applied Communicative Skills lectures. The research was largely qualitative, with only the section on student questionnaires being quantitative. The use of research-based practices was also explored. The descriptive findings which are a triangulation of the data gathered from the various instruments of data collection used in the current study pointed towards a conclusion that class size and school factors such as teacher effectiveness can influence student achievement. The present study reflects the need to consider professional development in the area of research-based instructional practices.

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z Mahlo, Francina Dikeledi http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5692 2013-01-29T09:40:10Z 2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

Experiences of learning support teachers in the foundation phase with reference to the implementation of inclusive education in Gauteng Mahlo, Francina Dikeledi The policy of Inclusive Education (IE) in White Paper 6 (2001) acknowledges that all children can learn with support. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) in supporting Foundation Phase teachers in implementing Inclusive Education (IE) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A lack of support for teachers and learners in IE has dominated current discussions on education. According to the Department of Education (DoE, 2000:28), the establishment of an IE system in schools would require appropriate district as well as institution level support services, and more than just accepting learners with different learning needs in mainstream classrooms. Many teachers have not had the benefit of being trained to teach learners who experience barriers to learning, hence most find it difficult. Although specialist teachers in the form of Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) have been employed in the Foundation Phase to fill that gap and assist classroom teachers, the learners are not receiving the assistance hoped for. Based on an assumption that the failings may largely be systemic, this study therefore uses Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and a qualitative research design to examine the implementation of IE in selected schools, with seven LSTs being interviewed and observed, while documents pertaining to the support rendered were analysed. Seven principals and seven classroom teachers were also interviewed. The analysis employed Creswell’s method and the findings highlighted factors affecting the implementation of IE. The factors include inadequate district support, socio-cultural issues, classroom and management factors, lack of resources and inadequate collaboration between the stakeholders. The study makes recommendations and suggests further areas of research.

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z Ngema, Millicent http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5536 2012-11-29T08:34:25Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Outcomes-based assessment of reading isiZulu as a home language in Grade 3 Ngema, Millicent This study investigates Outcomes-based assessment of reading isiZulu at the end of the foundation phase. Teachers are required to employ a variety of assessment methods to establish learners' strengths and weaknesses. This will ensure that teaching is organised in a way that will suit learners’ needs. It is through assessment that a teacher is able to establish whether learning is taking place or not and this helps to provide support, where necessary. Six primary schools were chosen as settings within which qualitative research was conducted. Observations and informal interviews were the main method of collecting data. Six Grade 3 teachers were observed teaching and assessing reading of isiZulu in their classrooms. The findings were divided into five themes that emerged from the data analysis, namely the language policy document, teaching of reading, assessment of reading, lack of facilities and essential support. The findings indicated that some teachers still struggled with teaching and assessment of reading in the outcomes-based approach.

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z