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Xu, Shuqin, and 徐淑芹. "School leadership and citizenship education in junior secondary schools of Shanghai, China." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B50899910.
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With specific reference to junior secondary schools in Shanghai, China, this qualitative empirical study examines the dynamics and complexities of leadership in school and, in particular, citizenship education exercised by principals and school party secretaries (SPSs), who are de facto equally-ranked school leaders. Specifically, it examines, from a macro- and micro-political theoretical perspective, the interactions between these two types of school leaders, and how they respond to the demands of various school stakeholders, including macro-political actors (e.g., the state) and micro-political actors (e.g., other school leaders, teachers, students and parents), at the school level. Data were gathered from document analysis, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 44 school leaders from 24 schools and two educational officials in Shanghai, conducted in 2011.
This study has four major findings. First, in addition to the leadership responsibilities inherent to their particular portfolios, the interviewed principals and SPSs were also politically and administratively responsible for leading the school and citizenship education, and struggled to balance these (at times conflicting) responsibilities. Second, there were four major school leadership/citizenship education scenarios in which principals and SPSs were torn between faithfully executing state policy demands, adapting those demands to suit the specific needs and conditions of their school, pursuing their professional autonomy, and addressing the interests of different micro-political actors. Third, principals and SPSs enjoyed a complicated working relationship at the micro-political (school) level in which they collaborated to fulfill their responsibilities and respond to school macro- and micro-political actors, while simultaneously competing for power over school leadership and citizenship education. Fourth, principals’ and SPSs’ leadership in school and citizenship education was shaped by inter-related factors, including diverse influences in a multi-leveled world, the integration of politics and education, the demands of macro- and micro-political actors, and personal factors.
To interpret these findings, this study proposes a theoretical framework for understanding leadership in school and citizenship education in China as a political exercise in which school leaders actively use their influence and resources to lead and administer school and citizenship education, resist other school leaders’ (at times contradictory) administrative and political responsibilities, and interact with and mediate between the interests of various actors at the macro- and micro-political levels in response to political, economic and social needs. This theoretical framework is useful for understanding the complexity of school and citizenship education leadership, the micro-political relationship between Chinese principals and SPSs, and their dynamic and complex interactions with macro- and micro-political actors as they fulfill their intertwined political and administrative responsibilities in school leadership and citizenship education.published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy
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Emadinwe, Florence. "The feasibility of sex education in Nigerian junior secondary schools." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.316035.
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Jiang, Yimin, and 蔣逸民. "Family environment and academic achievement in Nanjing secondary schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31244294.
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Suwarno, Rumtini. "Aligning Instructional Practices with Content Standards in Junior Secondary Schools in Indonesia." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2011. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2719.
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This study examined the degree of alignment between instructional practices and national curriculum standards, which may vary as a function of teacher characteristics. Using self-reports from teachers about their experiences teaching the national curriculum standards, the study explored three aspects of the alignments: (1) topic coverage, (2) level of difficulty for teachers to teach, and (3) level of difficulty for students to learn. While topic coverage is determined by the percentage of the national curriculum standards topics taught during the year of 2008-2009, the level of teacher difficulty to teach and the level of student difficulty to learn are assessed using a scale from 1 (very easy) to 4 (very difficult). I used mixed multilevel regression analyses to examine the relationships between alignments and teacher characteristics. The study involved 501 junior secondary school teachers from three western provinces in Indonesia (Lampung, Jakarta, and East Java) who teach the following nationally-assessed subjects: Indonesian, English, science, and mathematics. The findings showed that the majority of teachers taught 100% of the topics that were outlined in the national curriculum standards. Teachers generally found the topics easy to teach; however, students had some difficulty understanding the topics. In terms of the relationships of alignments with teacher characteristics, the findings suggested that these relationships varied. Theoretically, this research provides two contributions. First, lacking research in the area of curriculum standards and classroom instruction as mediator of student competencies, the findings of this study make an important contribution to the current research of the standards-based education system. Second, predicting alignments as a function of teacher characteristics in this study contributes to the theoretical discussion of teacher characteristics. As practical implications, the low level of the students' understanding required by the national standards is a problem that requires great concern from the government at all levels. Regarding topics, there is an urgent need to identify the specific topics that teachers think are difficult for the students to understand.
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Callery, Catherine Florence, and res cand@acu edu au. "An Investigation of Reading Intervention Programs in a Junior Secondary School Setting." Australian Catholic University. Trescowthick School of Education Victoria, 2005. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp75.29082006.
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This study investigates key factors contributing to literacy development of underachieving readers in a junior secondary school. Two intervention programs designed to enhance the reading skills of eight underachieving readers in a junior secondary school were used. These eight individuals, of normal intelligence, had in common a history of reading difficulties. In the first of these programs eight students participated in a one-on-one reading intervention program using an adaptation of the program Making A Difference (Ministry of Education and Training, Victoria, 1992). In the second program four students from the above-mentioned cohort participated in a one-to-four intervention program involving the use of a Meta Language Awareness Program involving, among other things, Reciprocal Teaching (Palinscar and Brown 1985) procedures. The underlying premise to this study is that underachieving readers are characteristically non-strategic and that through two explicit methods of instruction used they can improve their reading. A key to helping the participants break the cycle of failure in reading is to help them make the connection between effort in the use of particular reading strategies and success in the reading process. This study reveals that struggling adolescent readers have many reasons for their difficulties with reading and require different approaches to the process of reading. However, with teacher persistence in appropriate conditions, and tailoring reading experiences to meet student needs, such individuals can become successful, engaged readers who enjoy reading. A detailed analysis of one case, ‘Sarah,’ is presented since “it can provide insight into the class of events from which the case has been drawn” (Burns, 1995, p. 320). Evidence measured in tests and anecdotal records illustrate general findings about Sarah and the other seven participants. Themes related to the participants’ ultimate success in reading are elaborated in this thesis, not because they are thought to be unique but because they will most likely be recognisable to other teachers of struggling adolescent readers.
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Huang, Ruen-Ting. "A program for teaching environmental issues in Taiwanese junior high schools." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2668.
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This project is designed for junior high school teachers who wish to initiate environmental issues-based education in Taiwan. It addresses the current education at junior high schools and important environmental issues in Taiwan, presenting instructional strategies for teaching controversial environmental issues. The appendix of the project is an original design for a systematic environmental issues curriculum, including student-centered and teacher-centered activities that could be integrated into curricula on related subjects. Lessons include the environmental awareness, ethics, skills for analyzing issues, research skills, debate practice, negotiation practice, and projects.
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Kwababa, Masibulele Lennox. "Teacher's attitudes towards inclusive education in junior secondary schools at Butterworth education district." Thesis, Walter Sisulu University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006963.
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The purpose of the study was to assess the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education and also the factors that influence such attitudes in Junior Secondary Schools in the Butterworth Education District (BED) in the Eastern Cape Province. The study was mainly focused on circuit 7 in which most urban and rural schools existed. Quantitative research methods were used. Survey design was used to conduct the study. The population of teachers of circuit number 7 was three hundred and forty eight (348). Then thirty percent (30%) of that population was calculated to form the sample. The sample was constituted by 104 teachers. Stratified sample was used to select the sample. This means that there were 52 male teachers and also 52 female teachers in the sample. Questionnaires which were designed by the researcher were used to gather data from public Junior Secondary School teachers. The questionnaires had Likert scale of 4 points to allow participants to express their extent of agreement or disagreement with the statements. The questionnaires consisted of 3 sections, biographical information of the participants, 30 statements about inclusive education and the last section consisted of one open-ended question. The questionnaires were pilot tested using the sample which was constituted by 12 teachers, 6 were males and 6 were females. Distribution and collection of questionnaires to and from teachers took five weeks. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 17 for Microsoft word. The nominal and ordinal scales were used to code the data. The analyzed data were presented in the form of numbers in tables. The researcher interpreted the data. The findings of the study showed that the majority of teachers were positive about inclusive education although they cited lack of training, resources and facilities for inclusive education.
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Cheung, Chiu-man Jordan. "The Implementation of Global Citizenship Education at Junior Secondary Sector in Hong Kong Secondary Schools – The Teachers’ Perceptions." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/8971.
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Civic education has regained momentum over the past one to two decades when more and more governments in various jurisdictions are awakened by a greater need for allegiance, responsible behaviours, and participation from their citizens. With the escalating impacts of globalization, the conventional notion of civic education founded on nation-states has been subject to rigorous challenges. Critics keep questioning whether contemporary citizens need to play a more active role in the global milieu. People in Hong Kong who live in an international cosmopolitan are for sure no exception. The global development trend in civic education is thereby unstoppable. It is a pity that global citizenship education has drawn the attention of local school educators and researchers not until the end of the last millennium. Hitherto, not so many relevant research reports have been published locally. Of the limited amount of research studies, none is related to the understanding and explanation of teachers’ global perception of civic education within a particular context. The study in this thesis is an attempt to bridge this gap. This thesis concludes the significance of global citizenship education in civic education of Hong Kong. It also examines the influential factors for the formation of the perception of teachers of global citizenship education, who teach the independent civic education curriculum at the junior secondary sector in Hong Kong. The factors are extracted from the socio-political, personal, educational, curricular and school contexts. Data are collected through a mixed method approach comprising a questionnaire survey and a follow-up interview. The data analysis is based on a conceptual model developed from the Cultural Historical Activity Theory. In brief, the key findings are that most of the abovementioned contextual factors, except collectivism and the Confucian value of education in the socio-cultural domain, are found influential in shaping the studied civic educators’ global perception of civic education. Positive correlations are also found between most of the contextual factors, except collectivism and the Confucian value of education, and the teachers’ global view towards civic education. The study results have implications for policy and practice of preparing competent school civic educators under the new global era of civic education. In practice, pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes in Hong Kong should be better designed to suit the contextual needs and global development as identified in the study. On the policy side, education policy makers are expected to work hand in hand with all the stakeholders such as teachers, school leaders and teacher educators to ensure a sufficient and adequate provision of teacher education opportunities for civic education teachers in Hong Kong.
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鄭自良 and Chi-leung Cheng. "Junior secondary school science education in the Shenzhen special economic zone." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31956312.
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Ng, Wing-pei, and 吳穎比. "A comparative survey of the social skills of junior secondary studentsin schools for social development and regular schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31963183.
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Lau, Kai-chi Anthony. "Socio-political forces and intended, resourced and implemented curricula : Chinese music in Hong Kong and Taipei junior secondary schools /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36850408.
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Anderson, Ishmael Kwesi. "The relevance of science education: as seen by pupils in Ghanaian junior secondary schools." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_9863_1182745156.
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This thesis was based on a larger international comparative study called the ROSE (Relevance of Science Education) project. The study investigated the affective factors pupils perceive might be of relevance for the learning of science and technology using the ROSE survey questionnaire, and was aimed at providing data that might form part of an empirical basis for local adaptation of the science curriculum.
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Makwinja-Morara, Veronica Margaret. "FEMALE DROPOUTS IN BOTSWANA JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS: HOW MUCH OF A CRISIS IS IT?" Ohio : Ohio University, 2007. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1178284272.
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Humphreys, Sara. "Schooling identity : gender relations and classroom discourse in selected junior secondary schools in Botswana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.418712.
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Hayford, Samuel Kweku. "Continuous assessment and lower attaining pupils in primary and junior secondary schools in Ghana." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2008. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/128/.
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This thesis explored the uses of continuous assessment and the experiences of lower attaining pupils in primary and junior secondary schools at Agona and Affutu Districts in Ghana. The study adopted a range of data collection methods including: self-completed questionnaires, semi-structured and focus groups interviews. A systematic sample of 107 primary and junior secondary teachers answered questionnaires and 12 teachers from the cohort were interviewed. Additionally, four focus groups of Primary 6 lower attaining pupils were interviewed. The main findings of the study were: • The majority of the teachers in the study felt strongly that continuous assessment enabled teachers to support lower attaining pupils to improve. • The teachers reported in the interviews that they used the same approach to assess all pupils including lower attainers in classrooms; this caused the pupils to perform poorly and eventually repeat classes. • The teachers identified policy, larger classes and lack of training as barriers to supporting lower attainers to improve. • Lower attaining pupils in the study reportedly became anxious, frustrated, and helpless before and during class tests, and upset when they failed. • They identified difficult tasks, lack of self-regulated learning and supportive environments as barriers to participating in class tests. The findings have implications for policy, practice, research, teacher training and professional development.
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Ng, Wing-pei. "A comparative survey of the social skills of junior secondary students in schools for social development and regular schools." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25237172.
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Ngcobo, Minenhle Sthandile Faith. "Contexts preferred for use in mathematics by Swaziland high performing public schools' junior secondary learners." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/2579.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDAt primary school learners are excited about mathematics. This may be an indication that learning related to familiar contexts, connected to the learners’ interests, values and goals is necessary for motivation. At secondary school level learners begin to question the applicability of certain topics in the school syllabus and sometimes do not see the necessity of mathematics in their future careers. This is an indication that they are apprehensive regarding the relevance of mathematics in various contexts. However, relevance has a point of reference, what is relevant to a teacher is not necessarily relevant to the learner and what is relevant to a text book writer might not be relevant to the text book reader. As mathematics educators endeavour to encourage learners to appreciate the relevance of mathematics to everyday life, it is important to be aware of their interests. It is crucial to be informed on the subject areas they desire to know about in order to plan classroom activities that will occupy them in purposeful activity.Usually contexts for learning are chosen by adults without conferring with learners at any point. The present study investigated learners' preferences for contexts to use in learning school mathematics. Furthermore the study sought to establish motivations learners have for preferring particular contexts. The problem the study addressed was that of absence of learners' contribution in contexts used to learn mathematics. The aim was to find out the contexts learners preferred and the reasons they gave for their preferences. It is important to be aware of learners' preferences when choosing contexts to use in teaching. Preferences improve motivation and learning. Furthermore, consulting them sends a message that they matter and have an important role to play in their education.
South Africa
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Maqoqa, Thabisa. "Factors affecting the effectiveness of parental involvement in children's education: the case of the junior secondary schools in Ngqeleni District of Eastern Cape." Thesis, Walter Sisulu University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006506.
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This study is about factors affecting the effectiveness of parental involvement in their children’s education. This chapter focuses on the background to the study, statement of the problem, research questions, delimitation and limitations of the study and definitions of terms used in the context of the study. The education system during the apartheid era did not encourage effective involvement of stakeholders in schools. The achievement of democracy in South Africa has consigned to history the past system of Education which was based on racial inequality and segregation whereas this country requires a new national system for schools which will redress past injustices in educational provision, provide an education of progressively high quality for all learners (South African Schools Act (SASA) 84 of 1996). One of the factors which influence the success of a school system is the involvement of its stakeholders (SASA 84 of 1996). The school stakeholders are parents, educators, the learners, the community and the department of education officials. This means that these stakeholders should work together. According to SASA, a parent is the person legally entitled to the custody of a learner or a person who undertakes to fulfill the obligations of a person towards the learner’s education at school. Parental involvement is described as the willingness and active participation of parents in a wide range of school and home-based activities related to their children’s education. Literally, parental involvement is a dynamic process whereby teachers and parents work together for the ultimate benefit of the child. The SASA emphasizes that the role of parents in the education of their children is a vital support source of learning.
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Thom, Nguyen Xuan, and n/a. "In search of possible solutions to the increase of ELT effectiveness and efficiency for junior secondary schools in rural Vietnam." University of Canberra. Education, 1992. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061109.132457.
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Vietnam is a country with more than 80 percent of the population
living in the countryside. Rural education is, therefore, of vital
importance to Vietnamese education; and ELT effectiveness and
efficiency in junior secondary schools in rural Vietnam is a
problem of worthwhile attention.
This study, being a pilot one, limits itself to seeking solutions to the
increase of ELT effectiveness and efficiency in terms of syllabus
design, textbook revision and teacher development. The study
contains 5 chapters and a conclusion.
Chapter 1 deals with the general background of the study, schooling
and educational philosophies in Vietnam. In this chapter, special
attention is given to the role of foreign language teaching and
learning in Vietnamese schools. In addition, educational
philosophies in Vietnam are discussed as the philosophical and
legal basis for any implementation of FLT and ELT innovations in
junior secondary schools in rural Vietnam.
Chapter 2 deals with input studies and some models of language
teaching and learning that appeared in the last two decades. In this
chapter, special emphasis is laid on studies which explain how
input is transformed into intake and on the models of teaching and
learning that may be applied to the teaching and learning of
English in the context of rural Vietnam.
Chapter 3 deals with language teaching methods as the neverending
search for teaching effectiveness and efficiency. In this
chapter, based on the understanding of such concepts as
effectiveness and efficiency, language teaching methods are
presented as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. Thus, the
selection and use of a method depends completely on the goal set
for the process of language teaching and learning. When the goal
changes, the method will change accordingly.
Chapter 4 deals with the actual FLT and ELT situation in rural
junior secondary schools in Vietnam. This chapter includes the
results of surveys on teacher quality and a critical look at the
implementation of the communicative approach in language
teaching in the current textbooks in use in junior secondary
schools The background of rural students is discussed to clarify the
context of the learners in question.
In chapter 5, based on the theoretical findings in chapters 2 and 3
and on the actual ELT situation mentioned in chapter 4, possible
solutions to the increase of ELT effectiveness and efficiency are
proposed. These solutions are concerned with syllabus design,
textbook revision and teacher development.
The study closes with a conclusion which relates solutions to ELT
effectiveness and efficiency to the general solutions to teaching
effectiveness and efficiency mentioned at a number of workshops
held in Vietnam recently.
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Wong, Poon Yuen-fong Christina, and 王潘畹芳. "The physical education curriculum in the junior secondary schools in Hong Kong and Guangzhou: a comparativestudy." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31960534.
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Moorad, Fazlur Rehman. "An evaluation of Community Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana with reference to decentralization and community participation." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1990. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10006562/.
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Ampadu, Ernest. "Investigation into the teaching and learning of mathematics in junior secondary schools: the case of Ghana." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2012. https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/id/eprint/313166/1/Ampadu%20Thesis.pdf.
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The 2007 revised mathematics curriculum in Ghana introduced many changes to the way mathematics
should be taught and learned. However, before this research started in 2010, very little was known
about how this subject is taught and learned. This study aims to investigate mathematics teachers’
teaching practices and students’ learning experiences in junior high schools (12-14 years) using a
mixed methods design. The study’s conceptual framework is informed by two different, but interrelated
theories: behaviourism and constructivism.
Participants in the study were 24 mathematics teachers and 358 students from 12 schools. Semistructured
questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data about participants’ perceptions, and
classroom observations and interviews were used to collect qualitative data about actual classroom
practices. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, STATSDIRECT and ORIGIN software and
the qualitative data assessed using a thematic analysis approach.
The key findings include: teachers and students espoused the belief that their teaching and learning
practices are consistent with the principles and guidelines of the new mathematics curriculum.
Teachers perceived teaching practices were complex as they contain both behaviourist and
constructivist beliefs; however, their actual teaching practices were didactic. It also emerged that both
teachers and students try to avoid making mistakes, despite the importance of correcting students’
misconceptions when promoting effective teaching and learning. The fact that peer influence is a key
factor that shapes students’ learning was an important theme that emerged from the interview and the
classroom observations. Students were only willing to participate in class discussions if they knew the
correct answer, as they would be ridiculed by their peers for giving a wrong answer.
The movement towards a more constructivist approach to teaching and learning, which is the prime
objective of the new mathematics curriculum, occurred at a slower pace. Thus, a conceptual model for
the teaching and learning of mathematics which advocates collaboration and partnership between
teachers and students in the classroom is offered.
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Ampadu, Ernest. "Investigation into the teaching and learning of mathematics in junior secondary schools : the case of Ghana." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2012. http://arro.anglia.ac.uk/313166/.
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The 2007 revised mathematics curriculum in Ghana introduced many changes to the way mathematics should be taught and learned. However, before this research started in 2010, very little was known about how this subject is taught and learned. This study aims to investigate mathematics teachers’ teaching practices and students’ learning experiences in junior high schools (12-14 years) using a mixed methods design. The study’s conceptual framework is informed by two different, but interrelated theories: behaviourism and constructivism. Participants in the study were 24 mathematics teachers and 358 students from 12 schools. Semistructured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data about participants’ perceptions, and classroom observations and interviews were used to collect qualitative data about actual classroom practices. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, STATSDIRECT and ORIGIN software and the qualitative data assessed using a thematic analysis approach. The key findings include: teachers and students espoused the belief that their teaching and learning practices are consistent with the principles and guidelines of the new mathematics curriculum. Teachers perceived teaching practices were complex as they contain both behaviourist and constructivist beliefs; however, their actual teaching practices were didactic. It also emerged that both teachers and students try to avoid making mistakes, despite the importance of correcting students’ misconceptions when promoting effective teaching and learning. The fact that peer influence is a key factor that shapes students’ learning was an important theme that emerged from the interview and the classroom observations. Students were only willing to participate in class discussions if they knew the correct answer, as they would be ridiculed by their peers for giving a wrong answer. The movement towards a more constructivist approach to teaching and learning, which is the prime objective of the new mathematics curriculum, occurred at a slower pace. Thus, a conceptual model for the teaching and learning of mathematics which advocates collaboration and partnership between teachers and students in the classroom is offered.
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Akinyeye, Caroline Modupe. "Exploring the Teaching and Learning of English (L2) Writing : A Case of Three Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria." University of the Western Cape, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/5089.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDNigeria is one of the most multilingual nations in Africa which consists of over 450 languages (Adegbija, 2004; Danladi, 2013). It has a population of more than 150 million people, with three major languages, namely Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, and a number of minority languages. Despite its linguistic and cultural diversity, English is the main medium of instruction from primary to tertiary education. The negative effects of learning through the medium of English second language (L2) are evidenced in the learners’ poor achievement in the external examination results of the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC). There is an assumption that learners’ poor performance in English (L2) is due to little attention given to English writing in schools, and the use of less appropriate or effective teaching approaches (Babalola, 2011). There is a special concern about the poor writing proficiency levels of learners, particularly in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) phase which is an exit to Senior Secondary School level where learners are expected to show strong academic literacy skills. Writing is a process which is central to learners’ learning across the curriculum and it enables learners not only to access knowledge from different sources, but also to display the acquired knowledge in different domains. Learners’ poor writing skills are a great concern given that English (L2) is the main medium of instruction at all levels of education in Nigeria. In light of the above, this study set out to explore the pedagogical strategies and problems encountered by both teachers and learners in English (L2) academic writing in Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) classrooms in the Ekiti State, Nigeria. Guided by Second Language Acquisition theory, the study explored the factors that influence second language learning, in relation to the sociocultural and contextual factors that influence learners’ writing abilities. Through the lens of the Genre Pedagogical Theory and the Social Constructivist theory, it investigated teachers’ pedagogical strategies in English (L2) writing, and analysed learners’ written texts in order to understand the extent to which they reflected the features of specific genres that support learners’ writing skills. Four JSS3 teachers in three schools were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study employed a qualitative research paradigm, underpinned by the interpretive theory. Through the use of an ethnographic design, the day-to-day happenings such as thoughts and engagements of both teachers and students in the English (L2) lessons were observed and recorded by means of an audio-recorder in order to build a comprehensive record of the participants’ practice in the classroom. In addition, both semi-structured and unstructured interviews were conducted with the individual teachers. The students’ written texts and other relevant documents were collected and analysed for the purpose of data triangulation. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, voluntary participation, respect and anonymity of participants were observed throughout the study. In this study, the findings show that the teaching of English (L2) writing is still a challenge to many teachers due to a variety of factors which include linguistic, pedagogical and structural factors. As a result, learners’ academic writing suffers, especially writing to learn at secondary school level. Specifically, the findings of this study indicate that the teachers made use of traditional teaching approaches in the teaching of English (L2) writing as against the approaches recommended in the curriculum. The study also reveals that most of the JSS(3) students’ level of proficiency in English writing is below the expected levels stipulated in the curriculum document, although some of them displayed good basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS), Other contributing factors to the learners’ low academic writing proficiency in English (L2) include teachers’ limited understanding and application of the Genre-Based Approach in teaching writing, inadequate language teaching and learning resources, learners’ limited exposure to English (L2) and limited writing opportunities. The study concludes that while the use of the Genre-Based Approach is not the only strategy to enhance learners’ writing skills, the teaching of writing remains crucial as it is central to language use in different knowledge domains. Students’ writing proficiency is critical for cognitive and socio-economic development as it has implications for students’ access to knowledge and academic literacy which spills over to tertiary education. In a country like Nigeria where the main language of instruction is English, there is a need to prioritise teacher development and to revisit the curriculum to determine how it meets the academic needs of learners in this century.
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Kusi, Hinneh. "Managing junior secondary schools in Sunyani Municipality (Ghana) : the challenges for headteachers and their professional development needs." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/4099.
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The study investigated the challenges for Junior Secondary School headteachers (both male and female) in the Sunyani municipality of Ghana and their professional development needs. Ghana is a developing country in West Africa facing the challenge of improving educational provision at different levels. This was a qualitative study underpinned by interpretive philosophical thought. It employed a case study approach and collected data in two phases using semi-structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview. In the first phase, a questionnaire was distributed to all headteachers and Circuit Supervisors (school inspectors) in the municipality, while the second phase involved semi-structured interviews with a purposive maximum variation sample of headteachers and Circuit Supervisors who had already responded to the questionnaire. The study highlighted that the headteachers faced multiple challenges. These included teachers’ lack of commitment and uncooperative attitude; non-involvement of the headteachers in making decisions that affected their professional practice; the complexity and multiplicity of their roles and responsibilities; and insignificant responsibility allowances. The study identified the factors responsible for these problems. The study also identified ways of preparing aspiring headteachers for meeting the demands in the educational context. Specifically, it identified the skills and competences they required and the training opportunities for the provision of those competences as well as strategies for meaningful selection/ appointment of headteachers and their induction. The findings suggested that the in-service training /continuing professional development programmes organised in Sunyani municipality for practising headteachers were inappropriate for enhancing their professional growth and development. The study proposed ways/strategies for improving some aspects of the programmes for meaningful professional development of the headteachers. This research also unveiled additional in-service training/continuing professional development opportunities for the headteachers in that context, including regional-based courses and a cluster-based collaborative headship scheme.
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Wong, Poon Yuen-fong Christina. "The physical education curriculum in the junior secondary schools in Hong Kong and Guangzhou : a comparative study /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B20057799.
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Sheu, Ping-Huang. "Extensive reading as a breakthrough in a traditional EFL curriculum : experimental research in junior high schools in Taiwan." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2003. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/2500/.
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The main focus of this research was to examine the effects of extensive reading on junior high school students' language proficiency and learning attitude development, compared with those who received the current reading IR (grammar/translation-based) instruction. The potential of graded readers and books for native English speaking children in English learning was also investigated. The research aimed at finding evidence to support the adoption of extensive reading in the school syllabus in Taiwan, and to raise the awareness of educational authorities about the desirability of adopting ER in the school curriculum. The results of the study consistently showed that extensive reading is more effective on improving all the variables mentioned than the current IR instruction. While the positive outcomes stand in line with the results of previous studies, this study also gave insight into the use of the materials, the amount of reading time and accompanying activities. The findings indicated significantly the strength of the graded readers (GR) approach on students' language learning in all circumstances. The effects of reading books for native EngRsh speaking children (BNESC) proved positive only when the amount of time per week given to ER was doubled. Moreover, the results appeared to be contrary to the widely held belief that reading interesting books is alone sufficient to improve student attitudes. In fact, with this level and type of learners, without accompanying activities ER appeared to take away their enthusiasm. Once collaborative activities were introduced, ER showed great potential for improving language, proficiency, reading ability and attitudes toward reading. The findings demonstrate the potential of ER for improving students' language proficiency and learning attitudes. Thus, they provide support for integrating ER into the English curriculum for improving current learning and teaching approaches. Moreover, the findings indicate the desirability of investing in ER as paving the way for students' long-term development. Implications of this study can be deduced in several aspects: the adoption of ER, the need of book provision, the need of reading strategy training, the use of authentic reading materials, the amount of reading time and the use of accompanying activities.
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Osei, George M. "An examination of policy and practice in Ghanaian education, with special reference to the junior secondary school reform." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2001. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:80d87e46-cedb-42a0-9b7d-2826d9d9e7c5.
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The decision to undertake this research was a pragmatic response to the debates which followed the introduction of a new innovative secondary education system in Ghana. This paper will investigate the said innovation during its formation since 1974, inception from 1987 and, in respect of field research, aspects of its operation from 1998 to 2000. The innovation was designed as a complex package offering an integrated approach to change educational values, orientation and learning outcomes. The changes subsumed in each aspect of the innovation have far-reaching implications for the entire education system. One element, the vocationalised curriculum, caused immediate concern at the time of implementation because of pre-existing evidence of similar attempts made previously in Ghana and other countries which yielded unsatisfactory results. This concern was increased by the complexity of subsequent changes in the examination system and in the new structure of Junior Secondary Schooling (JSS). Furthermore, there were mixed opinions regarding a new emphasis on the individual learner as the focus of school activities augmented by the introduction of guidance and counselling. The primary aim of the research was to monitor the implementation processes in as many aspects as possible. This was done in order to see what benefits might be gained, and what lessons in order to continue the innovation. In order to conduct this assessment it was necessary to examine critically the characteristics of each element of the reform and their implications, using a variety of research methods to generate relevant data. This approach yielded a substantial amount of original evidence on the dynamics of educational change. While this evaluation specifically helps to deepen understanding of the said innovation, it also makes a contribution to the literature on educational innovation in developing countries. The particular theoretical framework used to direct analysis of the processes is derived from the IAC evaluation model developed by Havelock and Huberman (1977) and is used in their study of educational innovations in the developing countries. The theory proposes that a large and complex problem requires a sophisticated level of competency to handle it. An innovative situation requires an efficient system in order to muster the relevant level of IAC factors as were required. This paper explores and extends the IAC model by incorporating the new research regarding the Ghanaian educational innovation. In this new dimension, the Ghanaian model has tended to display far more interactive and cohesive characteristics than in the original Havelock and Huberman study, thus making the measure for success relatively more complex. There is overwhelming evidence to show that by the end of its second cycle in December 1999, none of the JSS innovation components had been in any way implemented. In all respects, the level of systemic competency was far below what was demanded by the innovation. When placed in the framework of the IAC theoretical model, analysis of the conclusive empirical findings provides key recommendations for future innovative educational projects. Crucial coordinating factors must be considered and necessarily established to ensure that strategies are put in place which strengthen the infrastructure. This coordinating initiative should encompass internal and external logistics coordination for resource persons and materials, while simultaneously linking the organizational management of the project with key administrative, political, and social interest groups.
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Johnston, Noel. "Reflections on an Initiative to Improve Junior Secondary School Pupils’ Understanding of Number." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-80260.
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In 2005 the opportunity to apply the New Zealand ‘Numeracy’ approach to teaching Mathematics was extended into the secondary school sector. The goal was to alter teachers’ pedagogy so that ‘sense
making’ rather than ‘instruction’ was the core objective of their lessons. Ultimately it is hoped that along with a familiarity and comprehension of Number will come a relatively seamless acquisition of the fundamentals of Algebra. This paper will present details of this approach for teaching Number, the status of Number in the secondary school curriculum, the focus and ramifications of teaching for understanding, as opposed to assimilating and learning to apply algorithms, and will also consider evidence of the effectiveness of the initiative.
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Mandi, Sisiwe. "Factors contributing to high dropout rate in two selected Junior Secondary Schools in the Mqanduli Area of the Eastern Cape, South Africa." Thesis, Walter Sisulu University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007269.
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This research sought to investigate into factors contributing to high dropout rate amongst grade 9 learners in Mqanduli district. Though access to basic education in South Africa has increased substantially over the last few years, dropout rate in the schools continues to rise up in many rural schools especially Mqanduli district schools. The consequence of dropout as a matter of fact has a profound effect on the individual, family, community and economy. It is common knowledge that high dropout rate reduces the pool of qualified people from diverse backgrounds. In our rural schools most specially Mqanduli district, the concern of the researcher was to find out in Mqanduli schools the factors that contribute to high drop-out rate amongst Grade 9 learners and how they can be minimized if not eradicated. The study approach was qualitative, using the case study technique. The case study technique was used for the in-depth investigation of the factors contributing to high learner dropout. In this study, the target population was two school management team (SMT) per school and one head of department (HoD) and a principal in each of the selected schools in the Mqanduli district junior schools. Samples of the two schools were conveniently selected from the population of schools in the Mqanduli district research data gathering. The main research instrument was face to face semi-structured interview schedule. The face to face semi-structured individual interview was used with the participants due to its flexibility, this was done with the help of a voice recorder and field notes. The data analysis procedure for this study took two forms: first, transcribing the interviews, reviewing and identifying and coding the recurring themes within the data for each of the participants. The second part was to identify common themes and areas of variations among the participants. For ethical consideration, permission was sought from the Walter Sisulu University ethical clearance committee, the district office and principals of the selected schools and all participants. Finding1 Learner dropout rate: The research findings show that learners‟ dropout rate was due to poor socio-economic background, poor school nfrastructure, personal reasons, and teacher/learner relationship. The average percentage of learner dropout within five years is 13% in both schools. With in five year period, thus from 2006 to 2010 in school A total of 254 learners were admitted. At the end of year period, 222 learners were promoted to the next grade, The total number of dropouts in school A was 32. In school B 279 learners were admitted. At the end of the year period, 243 learners were promoted to the next grade. In school B the total number of dropouts was 36.
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Kellum, LaNell Bagwell. "A study of Mississippi community and junior college dual enrollment collaboration practices with secondary schools and parents of home-schooled students." Diss., Mississippi State : Mississippi State University, 2009. http://library.msstate.edu/etd/show.asp?etd=etd-06022009-194909.
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Wei, Bing, and 魏冰. "A case study of curriculum change in China: the junior secondary school chemistry curriculum, 1978 to 2001." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31244877.
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Sehuhula-Mooketsi, Bojelo. "An analysis of school library use in Government Aided Community Junior Secondary Schools in Gaborone city and the Southern district in Botswana." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10803.
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Bibliography: leaves 106-110.School libraries can have a significant impact on students' academic performance and the quality of learning. This thesis explores the factors surrounding school library use or non-use of school libraries in Government Aided Community Junior Secondary Schools (GACJSS) in Botswana. Background information pertaining to the quality of teaching and learning in GACJSS in Botswana is provided, highlighting policy statements towards the improvement of the quality of learning.
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Oyewale, Bimpe Aderinre. "Factors affecting the implementation of the Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education curriculum in Junior Secondary Schools in Abuja, Nigeria." University of the Western Cape, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/5379.
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Master of Public Health - MPHThe Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) curriculum was introduced into Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in Nigeria to provide young people with life skills and knowledge essential for protecting themselves from HIV/AIDS. However, coverage of schools with the FLHE curriculum implementation is low. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that affect the implementation of the FLHE curriculum in JSS in Abuja, Nigeria. This study was a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey. The study populations were teachers from public JSS implementing the FLHE curriculum in Abuja, among whom 300 teachers selected using systematic random sampling constituted the sample size. A close-ended anonymous questionnaire was administered to the research respondents as a self-administered questionnaire in English Language in their schools. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered of which 251 completed questionnaires were returned and analysed. Data analysis was undertaken using SPSS version 17 and included frequency distribution, mean score and standard deviation (univariate analysis), and cross tabulations of dependent variable (teaching of FLHE curriculum) and independent variables (awareness of HIV/AIDS policy and government directive; level of knowledge of the FLHE curriculum; level of comfort to teach FLHE curriculum; religious belief and affiliation; and cultural values of respondents). Chi-square tests and p-values were calculated to determine relationship between variables. Throughout this study, the autonomy of the respondents and dignity were respected; and their participation was voluntary. There was full disclosure of the purpose of the study. The respondents were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of the information collected; and their written consent were secured prior to participation in the study. The majority (72%) of teachers in this study were aware of the National HIV/AIDS Policy and the government directive to mainstream topics in the FLHE curriculum into existing subjects (78%). Just above one-third (36%) of the teachers had ever seen a copy of the HIV/AIDS policy and knew all the content of the policy. The study revealed that only 5% of the teachers in schools implementing the FLHE curriculum had sufficient level of knowledge of the FLHE curriculum. Majority of the teachers (71%) knew the content of only one (HIV infection) out of the five themes in the curriculum, and 4 out of 5 of the teachers were comfortable in teaching the curriculum to students. The lack of sufficient level of knowledge of the FLHE curriculum and the content of the HIV/AIDS policy and government directive among majority of the teachers were major factors that affected the implementation of the curriculum. Awareness of the government directive (P= 0.000) as opposed to the HIV/AIDS policy (P= 0.772) among the teachers was found to be an important factor to harmonize implementation modalities of the curriculum. The study also noted that personal perception (P = 0.000), cultural values (P = 0.000) and religious belief (P = 0.000) of the teachers as opposed to their religious affiliation (P= 0.218) were important factors in the teaching of FLHE curriculum to students. This study has established that several factors among teachers that included awareness of the government directive to mainstream topics in the FLHE curriculum into subjects, knowledge of the content of the FLHE curriculum and personal perception to the teaching of the curriculum, as well as religious belief and cultural values affected the implementation of FLHE curriculum in JSS in Abuja, Nigeria.
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Spencer, Sonia Melisa Ayodele. "Indigenous technology as a basis for science and technology education in junior secondary schools : a Sierra Leonean case study." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.239430.
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Tafa, Elmon M. "Teacher socialisation in Botswana junior secondary schools : a critical qualitative analysis of the teaching methods of seven new teachers." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.552803.
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This thesis is a critical qualitative analysis of the teaching methods of seven new teachers in 5 Botswana junior secondary schools during their first term of teaching. The focus is on socialisation during early childhood, their own schools, colleges of education and their new teaching schools. Data were collected from new teachers and stakeholders mainly through school and lesson observations, unstructured and semi-structured interviews, document analysis and supplementary questionnaires. The overarching conclusion is that authoritarianism in junior secondary schools is rooted in the teachers' positivist view of knowledge as 'facts' to be 'delivered' to the passive students. The behaviourist teacher training model reproduces the new teachers' authoritarianism rooted in their own school experiences. There was authoritarian school socialisation of the new teachers through the formal and hidden Curricula. Lack of induction. programmes exposed new teachers to school enculturation in the form of staff-room gossip, military-style morning assemblies, strict enforcement of punctuality and school uniforms which amount to the imposition of the 'cultural capital' of dominant groups in society. Systemic constraints like large class sizes, mixed ability groups, teaching through a foreign language, unwieldy syllabuses, examinations driven curricula and lack of subject base rooms were contributory factors. Furthermore, the prescriptive national curriculum reduces teachers to 'technicians' rather than curriculum builders. The 'technical rationality model' pervades preservice training. School climates, rules and regulations and student-teacher relationships are undemocratic as structures for students' voice do not exist and caning is routinised. New teachers had a fixation with 'class control' enforced by caning. While the state sanctions and attempts to restrict the application of corporal punishment there was no evidence of enforcement of the rules despite their frequent infraction by teachers. However, the only urban school in the sample minimised the use of caning and it had the best academic results. The only new teacher opposed to caning achieved the best class control with only a modicum of effort. On this basis claims by teachers that caning works and is part of 'African culture' are questionable. The historical roots of authoritarianism and its brutal face of corporal punishment are traced to the advent of rationalist colonial education in Botswana and the evolution of a positivist post-independence system of education. Behaviourism in colleges of education and junior secondary schools cannot be divorced from the activities of USAID - the aid agency which developed the curricula of the two sets of institutions during their inception from 1980 to 1990. By the end of the term much of the college-induced behaviourism of the new teachers had disappeared while the positivist outlook was retained. Whole class teaching, usually with no teaching aids, became the norm, student participation was curtailed and caning was commonly used and defended.
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Chu, Yu-Chien. "Learning difficulties in genetics and the development of related attitudes in Taiwanese junior high schools." Thesis, Connect to e-thesis, 2008. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/168/.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008.Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Studies, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.
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Lubambo, Mzikayise Wiseman. "Perspectives on the effects of Teenage pregnancy on Learning and teaching in Junior Secondary Schools of the Butterworth Education District." Thesis, Walter Sisulu University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11260/867.
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The study is about the effects of teenage pregnancy on learning and teaching in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools of Butterworth District. The researcher’s objective of the study was to determine how pregnancy affects the learner’s performance on learning and teaching in schools. Qualitative paradigm informed the study. The participants were drawn from teenagers; teachers and parents areall from rural schools, around Butterworth Education District through the use of non-probability, purposive and convenient samples. The sample included learners from ages 13-19 who were pregnant and those who were once pregnant while in schools, teachers who taught pregnant learners in their schools and parents who were having pregnant children at schools. A total of fifteen (15) participants were involved in the interview. The data collected was analyzed and interpreted during data collection and thereafter. The findings of the study showed that absenteeism, drop-out, poor academic performance, poverty and unemployment which are the results of pregnancy are some of the contributory factors that affect learning and teaching in schools. Recommendations were made based on the findings of the study. The study concludes by recommending awareness campaign on learner pregnancy.
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Mulimbi, Bethany. "Botho – “I Am Because We are.” Constructing National Identity in the Midst of Ethnic Diversity in Botswana’s Junior Secondary Schools." Thesis, Harvard University, 2017. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33052851.
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Multiethnic states globally face the dilemma of how to negotiate ethnic diversity while promoting a unified national identity. In Botswana, a remarkable example of peace and stability in Sub-Saharan Africa, two highly visible discourses around national identity – one constructing national identity around the majority ethnic group’s culture and language, and the other of a tolerant, multicultural nation – currently compete across public spheres.
Formal schools are key institutions through which to observe the nature and effects of these competing discourses. State leaders use mass education as a vehicle to transmit an authorized version of national identity, through centralized education policies and curriculum. Yet schools are also sites in which ordinary teachers and students actively participate in constructing the nation.
This dissertation reports on comparative case studies of four junior secondary schools that vary in the ethnic composition of their student bodies and surrounding communities. The work analyzes one overarching question: How does national identity, as currently constructed and experienced in Botswana’s public junior secondary schools, account for the reality of ethnic diversity in the nation-state and its schools? The three papers that together comprise this dissertation approach the inquiry through different lenses. The first paper analyzes social studies curriculum, as written in the syllabus and textbooks and as taught by teachers, to consider how national identity is officially constructed. The second examines how Botswana’s schools respond to the multiculturalism of their student bodies, within the context of assimilationist and nationally centralized education policies and curriculum. The final paper considers how junior secondary schools shape the social identity development of adolescents as they negotiate how and why to enact ethnic versus national identities.
Overall, I find continuing dominance of majority Tswana language and culture in the content of public schools’ policies and curriculum in Botswana, which are then implemented with fidelity by teachers and administrators, regardless of the cultural composition and perceived needs of their student bodies. In each paper, I offer recommendations for how practitioners and policy makers might move forward in transforming multicultural discourse into multicultural school practices promoting the equality of all of Botswana’s students.
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Cason, Michael Glenn. "Activating Prior Knowledge With Cues and Questions As a Key Instructional Strategy to Increase Student Achievement in Low Socioeconomic Middle Schools." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/933.
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The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act created new accountability for educational institutions where schools must demonstrate adequate yearly progress (AYP) by regularly increasing student achievement. Many school districts across the nation failed AYP, searched for effective teaching strategies, and used new instructional models to help, yet they continued to fail. Thousands of educational institutions turned to the learning-focused schools (LFS) model of instruction, but increases in student achievement were sporadic. The rationale for this project stemmed from inconsistent student achievement results at a local middle school while using LFS from the inception of NCLB. This project study reviewed the teaching strategy of activating students' prior knowledge at a low-socioeconomic status (SES) middle school. Theoretical foundations guiding this study included learning theory, constructivist learning, the effects of low-SES environments, instructional strategies, and the role of prior knowledge in learning. Using archival data, this ex post facto study found a statistically significant difference using an ANCOVA, F(1, 863) = 35.398, p < .000, for the research question investigating the effect on student achievement when teachers specifically activate students' prior knowledge before using the LFS model of instruction. The project is an instructional lesson plan design that activates students' prior knowledge; recommendations include implementing the project countywide. Positive social change implications include providing policy makers data on the effectiveness of activating students' prior knowledge, the long-term effectiveness of LFS, and recommendations for increasing student achievement consistently.
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Gaotlhobogwe, Michael. "Attitudes to, and perceptions of, design and technology students towards the subject : a case of five junior secondary schools in Botswana." Thesis, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10369/908.
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The nature of design and technology in the school curriculum is shifting with the times, from a distinct subject associated with notions of craft and vocational preparation to an emerging technological literacy subject that supports education for democracy. This paradigm shift has resulted in diverse views about the place of design and technology in the curriculum internationally and in the context of the present study, Botswana. Here, where the subject declined in uptake over a period of 10 years by up to 6% per year, despite positive encouragement by the government, understanding student attitudes towards the subject is central to providing evidence-based options to policy makers. This study illustrates how quantitative approaches used in the social sciences and based on multivariate analysis (categorical Principal Components Analysis, Clustering Analysis and General Linear Modelling), can complement qualitative analysis to inform educational policy. The combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis can provide effective, evidence-based information and support policy development. The study was conducted with design and technology students in their final year of junior secondary school (15 – 18 years old). An attitude survey of 233 students, focus group interviews involving 47 students, and semi- structured interviews involving 22 teachers and other staff were conducted in five junior secondary schools across Botswana. Qualitative interviews indicated consistently that age, gender and school performance all affected attitudes of students towards design and technology and gave an in-depth understanding of the issue. Multivariate analysis provided information in ranking how different attitudes contributed to the overall perception of the subject (PCA-Factor analysis), in assessing the relative and interacting effects of external determinants like age or gender; and in classifying students into attitude groups. The findings show that design and technology enrolment could be improved by targeting children, girls in particular, who deemed the subject to be too difficult or unimportant, and by reinforcing perceptions of design and technology as an enjoyable life-skill.
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Rantshabeng, Collen K. L. "Factors contributing to effective literacy practice in the Setswana curriculum : a qualitative study of six community junior secondary schools in Botswana." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.409828.
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Kontle, Bitha. "An investigation of the assessment of the continuous assessment portfolio component of art, craft and designs in Botswana junior secondary schools." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27349.
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In this study, I undertook to investigate how the requirements of formative and summative assessment influence the practices of teachers of art, craft and design in Botswana junior secondary schools (BJSS) in relation to the continuous assessment portfolio (CAP). I used qualitative research methods for data collection, mainly using in-depth interviews with individual teachers of art, craft and design. I also used grounded theory approach to interpret and analyse the collected data. The sample was chosen from different junior secondary schools near Gaborone, in Botswana. Interviewees had common qualification entry requirements while their experiences and backgrounds were different. The theoretical and conceptual frames underpinning the study are mainly Bourdieu's theory of practice and Lave and Wenger's theory of communities of practice. I focused my study on using these theoretical and conceptual frames to help describe the basis for the participants' choice in their judgements during their development of students' CAP. The outcome of this study makes claim that the teachers of art, craft and design who participated in the study clearly understood the requirements of the CAP. However, they chose to ignore these requirements due to the pressures originating from the tensions between formative assessment at school level and summative assessment at the level of the national examinations. These choices result in teachers undertaking activities which emphasize doing well in the national examinations rather than developing the students' skills for future use. This practice results from teachers' efforts to gain recognition for themselves and their schools as a result of outstanding national examination results. Good performance by their students in national examinations enhances their reputation as teachers and makes them eligible to be entrusted with national responsibilities such as being appointed moderators and examiners.
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Teague, Barbara A. (Barbara Ann). "An Assessment of Arkansas Middle school/Junior High School Art Programs Using National Art Education Association Standards." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1986. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc331828/.
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The purpose of the study was to make an assessment of Arkansas middle school/junior high art programs using National Art Education Association standards. Data were collected from questionnaires, curriculum guides, and school visitations. Participating in the study were 127 schools enrolling 53,502 students of which 14,755 (28%) were taking art classes. For comparisons, the state was divided into five regions.
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Mbangeni, Monwabisi Gidwell. "Perceptions of Junior Secondary School Educators on the Effects of Overcrowding in Classrooms on Learner Performance in Maluti District, Eastern Cape Province." Thesis, Walter Sisulu University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11260/923.
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The study investigated overcrowding classrooms and its impact on learners and teachers’ performance, efficiency and effectiveness. This action was prompted by the researcher’s observation of learners’ poor performance and teachers’ loss of instructional time in overcrowded classrooms. Literature was reviewed to place the study in gap lapse prospective which this study was to fill. Quantitative research method was used to be able to collect the most applicable data that would be able to produce valid and reliable information for the compilation of the research report. Revelations from the collected data were that overcrowded classrooms have adverse effects on both the teacher and learner performance and activities in schools where overcrowding is evident. Based on the revelations the research made some recommendations to contribute towards finding solution to the problem investigated in this study. The conclusion that could be drawn was that there is need for the Department of Education (DoE) to conduct elaborate study in schools where overcrowding exists and make a concerted effort to provide adequate classrooms to be able to help learners and teachers benefit from the provision of education being delivered.
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Shifotoka, Simsolia Namene. "An investigation into teacher perspectives and experiences in integrating HIV and AIDS information across the curriculum at some selected Junior Secondary Schools in the Oshana Region, Namibia." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004336.
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HIV and AIDS are still among the world's most significant public health challenges. Education is widely regarded as an effective response to the pandemic - a “social vaccine” that can increase young people’s awareness of the dangers of HIV infection and thus decrease their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. Integrating HIV and AIDS awareness across the school curriculum is therefore one of the strategies being implemented to educate learners about the pandemic. There are challenges; however, related to the central goal of integrating HIV and AIDS education and also to the form – in particular, the pedagogical practices - that this might best take. This qualitative case study research investigated teachers’ perspectives, experiences, and levels of preparedness with regard to integrating HIV and AIDS information in the main carrier subjects, mathematics and geography, in some junior secondary schools in Namibia. The study situates debates on curriculum integration and draws on Fogarty’s (1999) models of curriculum integration as a conceptual and analytic tool to examine the nature, form and content of integration. It includes a questionnaire on curriculum integration completed by 53 teachers as well as a component consisting of observations and interviews with four teachers from two schools. The results reveal patterns that also emerge in earlier studies on curriculum integration. This approach is already widely recognized as challenging and problematic in the context of general education. However, this and other studies show that when HIV and AIDS are brought into the arena, additional factors come into play and further complicate the process, because of the sensitivity of this topic. In addition, the task of integrating HIV and AIDS education has been added to an already overcrowded curriculum. Teachers have not been provided with adequate (or any) training with concrete examples that might facilitate their efforts to integrate HIV and AIDS information into subjects like the ones under scrutiny in this study. The picture that emerges from examining the evidence on HIV and AIDS integration against Fogarty’s (1991) 10 models of curriculum integration is one in which teaching practices are ad hoc, opportunistic and haphazard right across the sample. The choice of integration models for implementation of the HIV and AIDS component in these subjects has been largely left to the opportunity, ability and personal inclinations of individual teachers. The results point to a range of responses, with many teachers not teaching HIV and AIDS at all or some hesitantly experimenting with different approaches; all to limited effect in realizing the intended national goals of this curriculum project. The overall pattern also reveals a degree of frustration among the teachers in the sample, who acknowledged and were concerned at the enormity of the HIV and AIDS challenge facing the country. They recognised the motive behind the policy to have the education system play an important role in response to the HIV challenge, but felt frustrated with the social, personal and practical difficulties of actually implementing the policy within the context of poor (or no) training, knowledge, and support.
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Kolagano, Lapologang. "The teachers', parents', and students' perceptions of the meaning of parent involvement in education in two community junior secondary schools in Botswana." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3645.
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Ngibe, Nondwe Cynthia Phelokazi. "Teachers' perceptions on the effects of frequent change in curriculum on effective teaching in junior secondary schools at Libode Education District, Eastern Cape." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5587.
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Worldwide educational change has been a topic of discussion. South Africa is among the countries having issues with the implementation of a new curriculum and its impact on effective teaching and learning in junior secondary schools. The country (South Africa) experienced frequent changes in education curriculum. The new curriculum was seen as the means to address poor state of education. It is common knowledge that teachers were and are presently still confused and stressed being unsure on how to apply some techniques to meet the requirements of the new curriculum. That led to underperformance of learners in their work at school. Hence, this study was conducted to explore the perceptions of teachers in South Africa regarding the effects that frequent changes in curriculum has on the effective teaching and learning in junior secondary schools. The change in curriculum is frequent in the sense that, from 1997 to 2016, the curriculum in South Africa was revised four times: Curriculum 2005 (C2005) in 1997, Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) in 2002, National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in 2007 as well as Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in 2012. The study does not leave behind some literatures on concept of education, teaching and learning in junior secondary schools, curriculum in South Africa, an overview of curriculum policy in South Africa, curriculum changes to mention a few. Qualitative research methodology was used by the researcher so as interview participants (teachers) in their workplace. The case study was chosen as the design, whereby two junior secondary schools from the population of schools in Libode district were purposely sampled. Data was collected from teachers in these schools, that is, six teachers from each school. Four teachers from each phase were targeted, that is, (four from foundation phase, four from intermediate phase and four from senior phase). Semi-structured interviews were used as the instrument to collect information from the participants. From the study, the researcher found confusion and frustration due to the frequent changes in curriculum; negative influence on effective teaching and learning, by the fact that teachers ultimately do not know what to do to meet the requirements of the curriculum; and not much continuity or links between phases in as far as content and subjects are concerned. The study recommended the appointment of professional facilitators, revisiting of the language policy in GET band (with focus in LOLT in foundation phase), encouraging continuity across phases, actively involvement of teachers in formulating or drafting of any policy that will affect curriculum since they are the implementers of curriculum. The study established that frequent change in curriculum had negative effects on teaching and in junior secondary schools. This is the perception of the majority of participants. As far as literature regarding teachers is concerned, changing curriculum without changing teachers’ understanding and attitude has negative impact on learning especially in South Africa, with special focus on rural schools such as those of Libode district in the Eastern Cape Province.
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Ng, Yuen-yee Cordia, and 伍婉儀. "What makes a 'good language teacher'?: teachers' and students' perceptions of 'good language teachers' inHong Kong Secondary Schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B29758816.
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Kavila, Kornelius Embumbulu. "Exploring rural parents’ attitudes and experiences towards teaching and learning of the topics of human reproduction in junior secondary schools: a Namibian case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/13543.
Full textAbstract:
The Namibian school curriculum mandates that the subject of Life Science should be taught in all schools from grade 8-10. Among the main themes in this subject is Human Biology which covers topics of human reproduction. According to the Junior Secondary Certificate JSC Life Science Examiners’ reports (2010-2015), and my personal experience, learners perform poorly in the topics of human reproduction. Many of the parents in Namibian communities are not comfortable talking to their children about their sexuality, and some believe that communication about sexuality could influence adolescents to become more sexually active (Silas, 2015). Yet, there is agreement among educationists that parents’ involvement in their children’s education has an impact on the mediation of concepts, skills and attitudes. It is against this backdrop that this study explored rural parents’ attitudes and experiences towards teaching and learning of the topics of human reproduction being taught to their children in junior secondary schools (Grade 8-10). This study was informed by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory with the focus on how adults and peers influence individual learning and how cultural beliefs impact on instruction and learning in science classrooms. The sociocultural theory was supplemented by the Feminist Standpoint Theory (FST) with the focus on how different knowledge systems and standpoints produced from a specific social community (that is, rural parents) in terms of who to say what and when, to whom regarding sex-related information. The study was located within the interpretive paradigm. Within an interpretive paradigm, a case study approach was employed. This case study used a mixed method approach, that is, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to help understand the subjective nature of human’s attitudes and experiences. Data were collected using an administered questionnaire with twenty-two rural parents, workshop observation and semi-structured interviews with four of the twenty-two participated parents. Additionally, data from documents such as textbooks and curriculum documents were used to strengthen the context of this study. The study provided valuable information regarding issues around discussions about sex education. It revealed that the majority of rural parents regard sexual health education a taboo. However, the majority are of the supportive attitude towards sexual health education. The study provided some insights on the factors that influence rural parents’ attitude and experiences towards sexual health education. It was also found that parent-child communication is an essential skill, which needs to be developed either through parents’ workshops or other means to support and empower parents to understand the importance of teaching and learning about sexual health issues. It is also recommended to empower and support parents on how to talk to their children about sexual health issues.