Browse
Recent Submissions
- ItemEducators’ perceptions of how learners’ rights to safety affect disciplinary procedures in secondary schools in the uMbumbulu circuit, Kwazulu-Natal(University of Zululand, 2022) Mahaye, Emmanuel NgogiThe aim of this study was to investigate educator’s perceptions of how learners’ rights to safety affect disciplinary procedures in secondary schools in the Umbumbulu Circuit of KwaZulu-Natal. The study adopted a qualitative approach, where semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 10 purposively selected educators. The thematic analysis technique was employed to analyse the data. The main findings of the study indicated that educators had their own perceptions of how learners’ rights to safety affect the way they attend to disciplinary issues when a learner has transgressed. The educators’ perceptions of learners’ rights to safety affect disciplinary procedures for many reasons, including poor understanding of relevant education laws and policies. The results also showed that teachers think that the legislation guiding teaching and learning, as well as disciplinary procedures, are marred with contradictions, which make discipline management not only difficult, but also exposes both the learners and the educators to unsafe environments. The study also indicated that the teachers are sensitive to learners’ rights to safety, resulting in restricted attention to learners who are guilty of an offence in the school. In light of these findings, it was recommended that there should be a mandatory continuous in service workshops for the educators, on how learner discipline can be maintained.
- ItemExploring the factors that contribute to high failure rate among final year students in public higher education institutions in the kingdom of eSwatini.(University of Zululand, 2022) Simelane, Zanele FaithIn Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in the Kingdom of Eswatini there are students who fail their final year of study. The focus of this study is on students who failed their final year of study in HEI in Eswatini. The rationale is that a number of studies focus on failure and retention of first year students, yet students fail even in successive years, including their final year. The aim of this research is to develop a strategy to mitigate failure of students in their final year of study in Higher Education Institutions in Eswatini. There is lack of information in the country on students who fail their final year in HEI, yet failure in final year is a reality. There is limited research based literature on failure of final year students. Failure in final year send students back to their communities with a stigma attached to them. Communities are concerned about students who fail in their final year of study. They are a population that is hard to identify because they do not want to be seen and judged as failures. The study, therefore aim to address the gap by exploring the factors contributing to failure and developing a substantive theory to mitigate failure in final year of study in Eswatini. The study employed qualitative research methodology using Constructivist Ground Theory. It used snowballing and theoretical sampling. The participant were students who failed their final year of study. Data was collected through in-depth semi structured interviews conducted face to face and through telephone calls. Consent forms were sent through emails for student who were interviewed through telephone call due to COVID 19 restriction. Data analysis was directed by CGT, which involves memoing, data generation and analysis concurrently. The findings revealed that institutions contributed a lot to the failure of final year students. The Substantive theory developed to mitigate failure is a holistic strategy that will make an innovative and worthwhile contribution by offering a new insight into how to mitigate failure in final year in HEI in Eswatini. The substantive theory will address challenges from both the institution and the students. The theory consists of three components, namely the pre-entry courses, professional development and students support services. v Recommendations of the study were preparatory courses for students and refresher courses for the staff in HEI. The study explored failure in the final year of study through the lens of students. It advocates that the voice of the students deserves to be heard in order to mitigate failure in the final year of study.
- ItemEnhancing the role of teachers to improve inclusive education in full-service schools, Amajuba District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa(University of Zululand, 2023) Mbatha, Ncamisile EmelinaThe study intended to enhance the role of teachers to improve inclusive education in the full-service school. The inclusive education framework was developed to bring about a fair, just, equal and non-discriminatory education system that accommodates all learners, regardless of their race, class and health status. A number of objectives were devised to direct the study, the main objective was challenges in understanding inclusive education. The other themes were the teacher development programme, attitude towards inclusive education, resources in full-service schools and best practices to improve inclusive education. The Organisational Readiness Theory was identified as a theoretical framework that could support the improvement of the stated objectives of the study. This theory specifically explores how teachers in full-service schools under the Amajuba District respond to the challenges brought by having LSEN and those learners without learning difficulties in the same service school. This is done by investigating the teacher’s role to improve inclusive education in primary full-service schools, what motivated enthusiasm and the importance of being ready to implement positive change. A qualitative research design and the transformative paradigm was most preferred for suitable participants who emerged during the research process. Participatory action research was endorsed as it spoke about the participation, emancipation and working with real challenges to bring about change in the full-service school. As per the values of participatory action research, the researcher worked with the participants collaboratively to find the roles for teachers to improve inclusive education. Data generated through the use of participatory action research was analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis. The empirical analysis, interpretation of data, discussion and determining the findings resulting from interventions were made with Critical Discourse Analysis. The population was formed by one teacher each from the primary full-service school, senior full-service school, secondary, special school and district official and school governing body member. Purposive sampling was selected as a form of non-probability sampling to rely on the judgement when choosing participants in the study. A literature overview to provide an understanding of the role of teachers to improve inclusive education in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Kenya and Australia was vi provided. The findings were compared, indicating that teachers were ready to improve inclusive education in primary full-service schools in the Amajuba District. In conclusion, the study argues that there is still a lot to be done to support the role of teachers in improving inclusive education practice and has also contributed towards furthering the awareness of an inclusive education policy on the part of teachers and learners. Endorsements made here could also support and improve the performance of teachers regarding their response to their role brought by diversity in their full-service school.
- ItemStrategies for teaching leaners transiting from foundation phase to intermediate phase in rural arears of the Vhembe East District of the Limpopo Province(University of Zululand, 2022) Muthivhi, Mashudu JuliaTeaching transition learners from Foundation Phase to Intermediate Phase is still a national academic catastrophe in the Department of Basic Education. Teachers teaching in the Intermediate Phase in rural schools find it difficult to meet the curriculum demands when teaching them. This study aimed to investigate strategies teachers use to teach learners who are transiting from the Foundation Phase to Intermediate Phase in rural areas. The study was conducted through a mixed methods approach. Simple random and purposive sampling procedures were followed to select teachers who took part in the study. Results showed that teachers are using different forms of teaching strategies to teach learners who are transiting from Foundation Phase to Intermediate Phase in Vhembe East District. Strategies used include code-switching to elaborate a point to make learners understand aspects of subjects taught in English. Group work is found as an effective teaching strategy that impacts the learning outcomes of transiting learners. There are however challenges that teachers and learners face when these teaching strategies are applied. The study recommends that teachers should use strategies that link Grade 3 content with that of Grade 4 to assist learners to know the current content. A model was developed to assist teachers with possible teaching strategies when assisting learners to perform well.
- ItemThe effect of household poverty trap on learners’ performance in secondary schools in Nongoma in the Zululand district.(University of Zululand, 2019) Omoniyi, Iwaloye Bunmi; Gamede, B.T.; Uleanya, C.Poverty has and will continue to precipitate enormous suffering for countless of learners living in ab-ject poverty in the rural area of Nongoma. The study examine how poverty trap limit the academic performance of learners in the rural secondary schools of Nongoma. Also, it identifies various poli-cies and programme designed to alleviate the negative effect of poverty on the learning outcome. The study is underpin by Urie Bronfenbrenner,s ecological theory . The Quantitative and qualitative approach was used with questionnaires and focus group interview. In the study 5 schools was used with 100 learners for questionnaires and 5 educators for focus group interview .The Tesch,s open coding method of data analysis was used to identify Themes and categories whiles SPSS was used to analysis and determines frequency and percentages of data collected through questionnaires Findings from this study revealed that the majority of the learners in the rural area of Nongoma can-not afford even afford even the basic human needs which are necessary on the learners health, their emotional, physical, moral, social and academic achievements. This study also established that learner’s academics performance affected by financial constraint, poor health due to lack of good food, delinquent behavior, child abuse and prostitution ,the long distance to and from school , stigmatization and stereotyping , school drop –out and absenteeism . This study recommend rural development policies , policies for even distribution of income to close the achievement gap between the rich and poor , feeding scheme in all schools most especially in the rural schools , and adequate provision of learning aids such as library , laboratory and computer in the rural schools . The study also recommend that the problem be addressed by the micro system of the school and of the families, the neighborhood mesosystem and exosystem, as well as by by the macro system. Col-laborative work is also needed among all the stakeholders to chase away the elephant in the house and look in-depth to the root causes of poverty.