Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Moral education Oceania Case studies'

Recent public debates over the place of religious education in the curriculum have focused attention on the threshold status of the subject. While the subject makes claims to an academic standing equal to others in the humanities, for many years its status in the curriculum has relied on a multiplicity of claims as to the effectiveness of religious education in preparing young people for life in a multicultural society. Beginning with an appreciation of the factors which have influenced policymakers and key theorists, this thesis traces the conflicts and controversies in the definition of the subject. Approaches to religious truth claims and cultural practices in the curriculum are evaluated with reference to prominent public critiques of the subject. Although these approaches are neither exhaustive nor exclusive, they form the basis of anxieties about the place of religious education in the curriculum. These anxieties are located within a broader crisis of multiculturalism and anxieties about the role of values in an increasingly performative and examination-driven educational environment. Employing an ethnographic paradigm, a series of in-depth case studies were carried out in secondary schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and England in 2009, with particular emphasis on students between the ages of 14 and 16. In the course of these case studies, two strands of data analysis emerged, with findings clustered around 10 key themes. A linguistic approach at times takes priority within the analytical framework, while other data lends itself to multimodal analysis, providing rich contextualisation for the linguistic encounters. Focusing on four case studies, some key pedagogical approaches relating to the ways in which religious education deals with religious and cultural commitment and diversity are examined in detail. This analysis, drawing on theological and pedagogical theories, provides a richly contextualised series of findings relating to the spiritual, social and affective dimensions of religious education, in critical sites where identities and truth claims are highly valued and highly contested. The depth and authenticity called for in these contexts go beyond performative and examination-driven approaches, requiring a robust sense of teachers’ professional values and identity. Key strengths emerge in observed practice which are not reflected in pedagogical literature. The empirical findings have relevance to public debate about the aims, practices and models of effectiveness in British RE.

Thesis (MPhil (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch,2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores leadership and productive school culture, and focuses on school leadership at selected schools in the Nzhelele West Circuit in the Limpopo Province. Leadership plays a pivotal role in the functioning of any organisation, be it in business or in education, and the concept of leadership has become more prominent over the last decade, and there are various debates around its meaning and what it entails. In order to develop a better understanding of leadership, a literature review is conducted. This review highlights the differences between leadership and management, and explores different leadership styles. With regards to productive school culture, this study indicates that schools may look alike in terms of their physical structure, composition of staff members and purpose of their existence, but may differ drastically on how they operate. This kind of culture represents the common shared values, rituals, ceremonies, stories and an internal cultural network that values heroes, such as an extraordinary teacher. I conclude that school culture and school leadership are inseparable issues because cultural management remains the responsibility of the school leadership This study finds that leadership is of vital importance in all organisations, and that the meanings of the concept of leadership have changed over years. Further, administering schools in a democratic fashion still pose tremendous challenges to the school leadership as a whole. It seems as if the schools which are part of this investigation still struggle to adjust to a democratic dispensation. This research therefore concludes that school leaders need to ensure that they are both good managers and effective leaders. They must also ensure that the culture at their schools is conducive for teaching and learning. Keywords: leadership, management, schools, leadership styles, productive school culture.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie behels leierskap en produktiewe skool kultuur, en ondersoek skool leierskap by verskeie skole in die Nzhehele-Wes kring in die Limpopo Provinsie. Leierskap speel „n belangrike rol in die funksionering van enige organisasie, en die konsep het meer prominent geword oor die afgelope dekade. Daar is ook verskeie debate rondom die betekenis van die konsep. Met die doel om „n beter begrip van leierskap te verkry, is „n literatuur studie voltooi. Die literatuur studie dui op die verskille tussen leierskap en bestuur, en verskeie leierskap style word ondersoek. Met betrekking tot produktiewe skool kultuur toon die navorsing dat skole dieselfde mag lyk ten opsigte van hul fisiese struktuur, personeel samestelling, en die doel van hul bestaan, maar mag drasties verskil in hulle funkionering. Dié tipe kultuur verwys na gemeenskaplike waardes, rituele, seremonies, stories en „n interne netwerk wat helde, soos buitengewone leiers, vereer. My gevolgtrekking is dat skool kultuur en skool leierskap onskeibaar is omdat die kulturele bestuur nog steeds the verantwoordelikheid van die skool leierskap is. Die studie bevind dat leierskap van kardinale belang in alle organisasies is, en dat die betekenis van die konsep “leierskap” oor jare baie verander het. Verder bied demokratiese skool administrasie nog steeds baie uitdagings aan skool leiers. Dit wil voorkom asof skole in die ondersoek ook probleme ondervind om aan te pas by „n demokratiese bedeling. Hierdie ondersoek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat skool leiers moet poog om beide goeie bestuurders en effektiewe leiers te wees. Hulle moet ook verseker dat die kultuur by hul skole leer en onderrig ondersteun. Sleutelwoorde: leierskap, bestuur, skole, leierskap style, skool kultuur.

This qualitative study, focussing on the way in which values and valuing processes might strengthen social learning in water stewardship practices in South Africa, is located within the broader global narrative that describes the scale of human impact on our Earth systems and that is setting humanity on a trajectory that threatens to place us beyond the safe operating spaces called planetary boundaries. For humanity to live within planetary boundaries – one of which is global freshwater use –will take a new way of relating to the environment called Earth stewardship, which calls for a new ethic of responsibility towards Earth systems. It is at the local level of stewardship within a global approach to water resources management called integrated water resources management that this qualitative study is contextually bound. Two case studies, located in the catchment management forums (CMFs) of the Upper Vaal catchment of Gauteng, South Africa, are used in an exploration of the way in which values and valuing processes might strengthen social learning in water stewardship practices in South Africa. The meta-theory of critical realism is used to help explore this relationship between values, practice and social learning. The study uses document analysis, interviews and observation of selected water stewardship practices to identify held and assigned values, and valuing processes and their influence on social learning, and the framing and de-framing processes that occur in social learning oriented towards water stewardship practices. The study differentiates between held and assigned values and identifies a strong altruistic-held values tendency that characterises forum participants who practice water stewardship in the two case study sites. Most water stewardship practice, identified in the case study sites, manifests as compliance activities in the public – or forum – space, while private-sphere environmentalism is mostly left to the confines of the individual’s private household. Lastly, the CMFs seem to have the potential to provide a space for social learning that is not yet maximised. Drawing from these key findings, the study’s major recommendation is that forums that facilitate learning, either using the current CMF structure or creating new opportunities, need to be provided as a conduit for social learning and reflexivity to make the existing boundaries between private and public forms of water stewardship more porous. This social learning may expand social practice and thus strengthen social change processes that expand water stewardship practices.

The purpose of this project is to develop a curriculum, which will examine the ethical methods or practices used by nurses in resolving ethical dilemmas in clinical practice utilizing the Moral Decision-Making Model for staff nurses at St.Bernardine Medical Center, Five Tower North.

李小玲撰.
據稿本複印.
Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學.
Ju gao ben fu yin.
Li Xiaoling zhuan.
Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue.
表一至卅六的目錄　　　　　 --- p.V
圖一至三的目錄　　　　　　 --- p.X
附錄一至四的目錄　　　　　 --- p.XI
鳴謝 --- p.XII
Chapter 第一章 --- 引言
Chapter 一、一 --- 青少年心態 --- p.1
Chapter 一、二 --- 教育署的行動 --- p.4
Chapter 一、三 --- 各界對「學校德育指引」的回應 --- p.5
Chapter 一、四 --- 傳播中心的錄影帶製作 --- p.7
Chapter 第二章 --- 擴散的理論與研究
Chapter 二、一 --- 擴散的定義　　　　　 --- p.9
Chapter 二、二 --- 擴散研究面對的批評　 --- p.11
Chapter 二、三 --- 擴散理論的再思　　　 --- p.20
Chapter 二、四 --- 從過往研究看新事物的界定 --- p.24
Chapter 二、五 --- 從過往研究看新事物的分類 --- p.28
Chapter 二、六 --- 新事物的（認知）屬性 --- p.32
Chapter 第三章 --- 研究目的及方法
Chapter 三、一 --- 宗教德育錄影帶節目這新事物 --- p.35
Chapter 三、二 --- 進行這項研究的原因　　 --- p.39
Chapter 三、三 --- 研究方法　 --- p.44
Chapter 三、三、一 --- 實地觀察 --- p.45
Chapter 三、三、二 --- 調查 --- p.55
Chapter 第四章 --- 研究假設及結果
Chapter 四、一 --- 一般性資料 --- p.60
Chapter 四、二 --- 租用者決定租用錄影帶節目所經過的階段 --- p.62
Chapter 四、三 --- 租用者租用錄影帶節目的原因 --- p.69
Chapter 四、四 --- 不租用者不租用錄影帶節目的原因 --- p.73
Chapter 四、五 --- 影響教師會否租用錄影帶節目的因素 --- p.76
Chapter 四、六 --- 本研究所受到的限制　　 --- p.96
Chapter 第五章 --- 結論 --- p.102
註釋 --- p.109
表一至卅六 --- p.132
圖一至三 --- p.150
附錄一至四 --- p.153
參考書目 --- p.179

Bibliography: leaves 148-154
This research is a case study conducted at Mkoba Teachers’ College from 2017 to 2019 which aimed at establishing the applicability of the phenomenological method to the teaching and learning of Religious and Moral Education (RME) in Tertiary Primary Teacher Education institutions in Zimbabwe. The majority of the student teachers were Christians and had a negative attitude towards African Indigenous Religions (A.I.Rs). They also showed little knowledge of concepts in African Religions yet the old and new syllabus in RME and Family, Religion and Moral Education (FAREME) respectively required them to use the multi-faith approach and to view all religions they may encounter in the classroom with equal importance. This research sought to determine the extent to which the phenomenological method can change the student teachers’ negative attitude to/ and increase their knowledge of A.I.Rs, thus preparing them for the task of religious education in future. In the theoretical framework, the researcher discussed the concept of Religious Education (R.E) and reviewed related literature on approaches to R.E, the history of R.E in pre-colonial and post-colonial periods in Zimbabwe and recent researches in R.E in order to gain insights on historical developments and current trends in the field of R.E. The researcher selected ten (10) participants who belonged to various Christian denominations using the purposive sampling strategy. Qualitative methods of generating data used were unstructured interviews, field work, both participant and non participant observation, and focus group discussion. After field work, participants applied the phenomenological method to the bira ceremony and discussed religious artifacts encountered during field work. On the whole, the phenomenological method increased the participants’ knowledge of A.I.Rs and significantly changed their attitude towards it. Despite the participants’ strong Christian background, they were able to separate the demands of their commitment to personal faith and the requirements of the phenomenological method. The study makes some recommendations,some of which are the use of the phenomenological method together with the multi-faith and comparative religion approaches in the College R.M.E curriculum.
Religious Studies and Arabic
M.A. (Religious Studies)

Orientação: Maria Eduarda Margarido Pires; co-orientação: Maria das Graças Andrade Ataíde de Almeida
Este estudo tem como questão de partida saber quais as concepções dos professores e gestores acerca do papel da escola no desenvolvimento moral das crianças na Educação Infantil? As categorias teóricas eleitas foram ética, educação infantil e cultura da escola. A investigação teve o aporte teórico metodológico da abordagem qualitativa âmbito do estudo de Caso (Yin,2001). Os instrumentos de recolha de dados foram a entrevista semiestruturada e a observação. A observação foi um instrumento fundamental para que fosse possível entender as relações de sociabilidade no cotidiano da sala de aula, para além de identificarmos como os professores lidam com os valores morais no da a dia na prática pedagógica. As categorias eleitas, cultura da escola, ética e educação infantil deram o aporte teórico à pesquisa empírica. A investigação teve como sujeitos 1 gestora, 2 educadoras de apoio de 6 professoras, que representaram o universo dos sujeitos da escola. O locus foi uma escola situada em Arcoverde, sertão de Pernambuco, Brasil, que dista cerca de 300 km da capital, Recife. Os instrumentos para análise dos dados foi a Análise de Discurso (AD). Os resultados mostram que a escola vê a família como a que deve ter responsabilidades sobre a construção destes valores. A escola não consegue ainda apreender seu papel histórico na formação do cidadão e na desconstrução de habitus (Bourdieu,2008) trazidos pelas crianças da experiência familiar, para a construção de novos habitus que ajudam na construção do aluno cidadão.
This study has as a starting point to know the conceptions of the teachers and managers about the school’s role in the moral development of children in Early Childhood Education. The theoretical categories chosen were: ethics, Early Childhood Education, and school culture. The research used thetheoretical and methodological scope ofa qualitative approach for its case studies (Yin, 2001). The instruments of data collection were semi-structured interview and observation. Observation was a fundamental instrument for understanding the relationship of sociability in a classroom everyday, in addition to identifying how teachers deal with moral values in daily life in their pedagogical practices. The elected categories - school culture, ethics, and Early Childhood Education - provided theoretical support to the empirical research. The investigation It had as subjects 1 manager and 2 support educators of 6 teachers, thus representing the school universe. The locus was a school located in Arcoverde, in the middle ofPernambuco outback, about 300 km far from the capital city of that state, Recife. The instrument for data analysis wasthe Discourse Analysis (DA). The results demonstrate that those schools consider the family as having responsibilities ragarding the construction of the student moral values. The schools still are not ableto encompasstheir own historical roles in the formation of citizens and in the desconstruction of habitus (Bourdieu,2008)present in children due to their familiar experience in order to build new habitus that could help the formation of a citizen student.

This qualitative, phenomenological case study investigated the influence of character education, taught in addition to the Life Skills curriculum, on challenging behaviour in a primary school in Gauteng. Through a filtering process the researcher identified the Youth Citizens’ Action Programme (YCAP) as a suitable additional programme, one which currently includes democratic citizenship and service learning approaches. These are attuned to the study’s theoretical framework, which vests in social and experiential learning, modelling and observation. Although the YCAP at this particular Gauteng school is each year implemented by a team of Grade 7 learners, the implementation of the YCAP involved all the learners across grades. Hence, the empirical study focused on the contribution of the Grade 7 learners to addressing bullying, which learners themselves identified as the most prevalent form of challenging behaviour. The findings showed that the YCAP decreased bullying as challenging behaviour in this particular school.
Inclusive Education
M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This study examines the extent to which the teaching of Shona novels can be used to promote unhu (humanness) in Zimbabwean secondary schools where there has been a call for the teaching of cultural values. The school syllabi for Shona make this position abundantly clear. For that reason, anchoring the discussion on the role of literature in Africa as expounded by African scholars such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o (1981), p’Bitek (1986) and Achebe (1989) among others, the study observes that literature plays an important role in moulding character through advancing unhu. For instance, as Achebe (1989) argues that the novelist is a teacher, the study therefore locates literature as a life-affirming and life-extending affair. The discussion of the role of literature as a potential conduit for expressing unhu takes place within the theoretical confines of Afrocentricity, an African-centred theory that places the interests of Africa at the centre of any analysis involving African people. The selected novels namely Pfumo Reropa (1961), Kunyarara Hakusi Kutaura? (1983) and Ndafa Here? (2007) are therefore interrogated from an Afrocentric point of view. The three novels are representative of different historical epochs in Zimbabwe’s cultural trajectory. In addition, they have featured quite prominently on the school syllabi for Shona. Through a combination of interviews and critical analysis of the novels, the study crucially observes that the proper teaching of literature can effectively transform the thinking of learners thereby locating them in their own cultural platforms. However, for this to happen, teachers must be properly trained in order that they develop an appreciation of the value of literature in imparting unhu among learners. As a result, the study thus proposes sufficient conscientisation of teachers and learners on the concept and practice of unhu be systematically carried out. At the same, there is need for greater planning in constructing a more informing syllabus, as well as the deliberate inclusion of texts that canonise unhu.
African Languages
D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The aim of the study was to investigate participants’ views on strategies for combating corruption in Zimbabwean public secondary schools with a view to promoting learner academic achievement. The study was undertaken at four (4) selected public secondary schools in Harare Metropolitan Province in Zimbabwe. The study adopted the case study as the principal research design and it was informed by the interpretive paradigm; thus, qualitative research approaches were used. Non-probability and probability sampling techniques were adopted in site and participants’ selection. A representative sample of fifty-four (54) participants was used from a target population of three-hundred and eighteen (318) participants. The study was informed by multiple theories. The study found that most of the participants perceived corruption as a major problem affecting the education of learners in most public secondary schools in Zimbabwe. It was found out that the adoption of a vibrant and robust anti-corruption strategy is the solution/panacea to solve this problem of rampant corrupt practices in educational institutions. The introduction of anti-corruption education in public secondary schools was singled out to be the ‘pivotal’ strategy that policy makers should adopt to disseminate educative anti-corruption information to learners. It was further established that the ‘Zero Tolerance to Corruption’ policy employed by the Government of Zimbabwe should be strongly supported by a multi-agency response to effectively combat corruption within the education system to propel sustainable learner academic achievement. The study findings further revealed that the public secondary schools lack the necessary anticipated formal anti-corruption education curriculum. The study concludes that anti-corruption education and the adoption of multi-strategies play a central role in combating corruption. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the anti-corruption strategies and support mechanisms currently being employed in Zimbabwe to successfully provide an environment that supports sustainable learner academic achievement. In line with the above, the study recommends the introduction of a formal anti-corruption curriculum in Zimbabwean public secondary schools to combat corruption. In addition, the study recommends further research in this seemingly grey area to contribute to the knowledge body regarding instituting good corporate governance in public secondary schools in Zimbabwe.
Die doel van die studie was om deelnemers se menings oor strategieë te ondersoek vir die bestryding van korrupsie in Zimbabwiese openbare sekondêre skole met die oog om leerders se akademiese prestasie se bevorder. Die studie is by vier (4) uitgesoekte openbare sekondêre skole in die Harare Metropolitaanse Provinsie in Zimbabwe onderneem. Die studie het die gevallestudie as die hoofnavorsingsontwerp geneem en dit is gevorm deur die vertolkende paradigma; kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is dus gebruik. Niewaarskynlikheid- en waarskynlikheidsteekproefnemingtegnieke is gebruik vir ligging en keuse van deelnemers. 'n Verteenwoordigende steekproef van vier-en-vyftig (54) deelnemers is gebruik uit 'n teikenpopulasie van drie-honderd-en-agtien (318) deelnemers. Die studie is gevorm deur verskeie teorieë. Die studie het bevind dat meeste van die deelnemers korrupsie as 'n groot probleem sien wat die onderrig van leerders in die meeste openbare sekondêre skole in Zimbabwe beïnvloed. Daar is bevind dat die gebruik van 'n dinamiese en robuuste teenkorrupsiestrategie die oplossing/kuur is om hierdie probleem van toenemende korrupsiepraktyke in opvoedkundige instellings op te los. Die inleiding tot teenkorrupsie-onderrig in openbare sekondêre skole is uitgesonder as die vernaamste strategie wat beleidmakers moet aanvaar om opvoedkundige teenkorrupsie-inligting onder leerders te versprei. Daar is verder bevind dat die Zimbabwiese regering se 'Zero Tolerance to Corruption'-beleid sterk ondersteun moet word deur reaksie van verskeie agente om korrupsie in die onderwysstelsel doeltreffend te beveg om leerders se volhoubare akademiese prestasie aan te dryf. Die studie se bevindings het verder getoon dat openbare sekondêre skole nie die noodsaaklike verwagte formele teenkorrupsie onderwyskurrikulum het nie. Die studie het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat teenkorrupsie-onderrig en die gebruik van verskeie strategieë 'n sentrale rol speel om korrupsie te beveg. Teenkorrupsiestrategieë en ondersteuningsmeganismes wat tans in Zimbabwe gebruik word, moet dus versterk word om 'n omgewing te skep wat volhoubare akademiese prestasie vir leerders ondersteun. Ooreenkomstig hiermee, beveel die studie die bekendstelling van 'n formele teenkorrupsiekurrikulum in Zimbabwiese openbare sekondêre skole aan om korrupsie te beveg. Die studie beveel verdere navorsing in hierdie oënskynlike grys area aan om tot die kennis van goeie korporatiewe beheer in openbare sekondêre skole in Zimbabwe by te dra.
Inhloso yocwaningo ukuphenyisisa ngemibono yababambi-qhaza ngamasu okulwa nenkohlakalo kwezezimali ezikoleni zikahulumeni zamasekondari eZimbabwe ngombono wokuqhubela phambili ukuphumelela kwabafundi kwezemfundo. Ucwaningo lwenziwe ezikoleni zamasekondari zikahulumeni ezingu 4 ezikhethwe endaweni yedolobhakazi leprovinsi, leHarare iHarare Metropolititan Province eZimbabwe. Ucwaningo lusebenzise i-case study njengedizayini enkulu yocwaningo, kanti futhi lwasekelwa ngulwazi ngenqubo ye-interpretive paradigm; ngakho-ke kusetshenziswe inkambiso ye-qualitative research kucwaningo. Kusetshenziswe amathekniki amasampuli e-non probability kanye ne-probability ezindaweni lapho okukhethwe khona ababambi-qhaza. Kusetshenziswe amasampuli angamashumi amahlanu nane (54) ababambi-qhaza, kwisibalo sethagethi yabantu abangamakhulu amathathu neshumi nesishagalombili (318). Ucwaningo lusekelwe ngamathiyori amaningana. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi ababambi-qhaza babone inkohlakalo kwezezimali njengenkinga enkulu enomthelela kwimfundo yabafundi ezikoleni zikahulumeni zamasekondari eZimbabwe. Kutholakale ukuthi ukwamukelwa kwesu eliphambili nelinomdlandla lokulwa nenkohlakalo, yisixazululo/ikhambi lokuxazulula le nkinga yenkohlakalo kwezezimali kwizikhungo zemfundo. Ukusungulwa kwenqubo yokulwa nenkohlakalo kwizikole zesekondari zemfundo kahulumeni yisu eliphambili abenzi bomgomo okumele balemukele ukusabalalisa kubafundi ulwazi lokufundisa nokulwa nenkohlakalo. Kuphinde futhi kwatholakala nokuthi umgomo wokungabekezeli neze inkohlakalo ngesaga esithi 'Zero Tolerance to Corruption' nguHulumeni weZimbabwe kumele usekelwe zikhungo ezehlukene ukuze kube nempumelelo ekulweni nenkohlakalo kwinqubo yemfundo, ukuze abafundi bakwazi ukuphumelela ezifundweni zabo. Ucwaningo luveze nokuthi, izikole zesekondari azinayo ikharikhyulamu ehleliwe yokulwa nenkohlakalo kwimfundo. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokuthi imfundo yokulwa nenkohlakalo kanye nokwamukelwa kwamasu amaningana kudlala indima ebalulekile ekulweni nenkohlakalo. Ngakho-ke, kunesidingo sokuqinisa amasu okulwa nenkohlakalo kanye nezindlela zokusekela ezisetshenziswa okwamanje eZimbabwe ukusekela ukuthi kube nesimo esisekela impumelelo yabafundi kwezemfundo. Ngokuhambisana nokungenhla, ucwaningo luncoma ukuthi kusungulwe ikharikhyulamu ehleliwe yokulwa nenkohlakalo ezikoleni zamasekondari zikahulumeni eZimbabwe, ukulwa nenkohlakalo. Kanti futhi nangaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luncoma ukuthi kwenziwe olunye ucwaningo kulo mkhakha ongacacile kahle ukungezela ulwazi maqondana nenqubo yokuphatha kahle ezikoleni zikahulumeni zamasekondari eZimbabwe.
Educational Foundations
D. Phil. (Sociology of Education)

A critical evaluation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) was undertaken to uncover strategies for infusing values across the curricula – values that may facilitate the development of spiritual intelligence (SQ) in adolescents. A literature study was conducted to determine whether SQ may be harnessed to cultivate values within an educational context. In addition, moral and spiritual development in adolescence was explored and a case made for values-education. An empirical investigation was undertaken using both a qualitative research design and semi-structured interviews. A purposive sample was used comprising 14 education specialists, principals and Life Orientation teachers from six secondary schools in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces. The most important finding was the fact that values-education in the NCS was problematic. The conclusion was thus drawn that teachers should be trained to incorporate values within curriculum activities − values that could engender SQ and, thus, address the moral dilemmas in our schools.
Psychology of Education
M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The main research question of the study was: How can spiritual intelligence (SQ) be developed in secondary school students? This was motivated out of concern for the moral degeneration that secondary school students experience in South Africa. The literature review focused on the nature of SQ and how it can foster adaptive functioning and transformation in adolescents and the complexity of Religion Education (RE) in South African secondary schools. A case was made for developing educational strategies that can develop SQ in adolescents and create educational environments that not only encourages students to engage in dialogue that involves a broader conversation about religion and spirituality, but also supports transformational learning. The empirical investigation to evaluate the approach and educational strategies that were used, implemented a qualitative case study design. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory and the social constructivist theory were used as conceptual frameworks. Purposive and convenient sampling was employed to select ten Grade 11 students in a secondary school in Gauteng that reflected the demographics of the country’s population. Qualitative data collection included reflective activities and informal conversation interviews. Field notes were kept and all observations were documented in a self-reflective journal. This was followed by a focus group session and semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that the educational strategies had the capacity to develop core traits and mental abilities of SQ, provide peak experiences and enhance virtuous behaviour in adolescents. It was concluded that education should include content around the nature of SQ in conjunction with reflective and experiential activities. SQ provided a platform for epistemic relativity. It was thus concluded that SQ can be deliberately developed in South African secondary school contexts. The recommendations focussed on the role of institutions of higher learning in sensitising stakeholders regarding the relevance of SQ in South African educational contexts; training of in-service teachers; the importance of Life Orientation (LO) as conveyer of SQ and the role of the LO teacher in cascading SQ down to school students. Finally, a SQ training workshop was proposed. The study concluded with recommendations for further research. The limitations of the study were also presented.
Psychology of Education
D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)