Faculty of Education

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The vision of the Faculty of Education is to be "acknowledged and respected unequivocally as a leading and engaged research-driven education faculty". In line with this, we pride ourselves on playing a leading role in education, both locally and globally. Central to our vision is a commitment to engage with educational challenges, particularly in South Africa.

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An exploration of automatic learner promotion at three schools in Namibia: Implications for quality education.
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) Mbudhi, Liina Frieda; Davids, Nuraan, 1970-; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study aimed to explore the implications of the automatic learner promotion (ALP) policy on the quality of education at three primary schools in the Erongo region of Namibia. The study employed a qualitative, phenomenological case study design. The objectives of the study were as follows: to gain insights into teachers’ understanding and implementation of the ALP policy; to ascertain the effects of ALP on learners and teachers, and hence, learning and teaching; and to determine the implications of the ALP policy on the quality education at the three schools. The data for this study was constructed from a purposively selected sample of six teachers, six heads of department and three school principals drawn from three state primary schools. In addition to conducting semi-structured interviews with a total of fifteen participants, the ‘National Promotion Policy Guide for Junior and Senior Primary School Phase’ (National Institute for Educational Development (NIED)) (2015) was analysed. The study found that only one of the three primary schools implemented the policy as required and stipulated in the ‘National Promotion Policy Guide for Junior and Senior Primary School Phase’ (NIED, 2015). Although the teachers and principals shared a common conceptual understanding of the policy, they had different understandings of how to implement it or whether to implement it at all. They also differed in terms of who was responsible for implementing the policy and the additional support required by learners who had been automatically promoted. Nevertheless, there seemed to be agreement that the negatives of ALP outweighed the positives. This perception was informed by several key factors, which included a lack of support from the Ministry of Education; unpreparedness and unwillingness by teachers to provide the extra support required by learners who had been automatically promoted; and the tensions between learners who had met the minimum grade requirements and those who had not but were promoted regardless. The study found that most participants viewed the ALP practice as compromising the education quality. Instead of assisting learners who struggled academically, such learners continued to struggle in the next grade. Their lack of competencies in their previous grade meant they were continually compromised and disadvantaged in acquiring new competencies. The difficulties experienced by these learners were compounded by a lack of interest, support, and motivation from teachers. The study recommends extra support to the teachers to eliminate the challenges they face. Policymakers are encouraged to consult teachers when developing the policies and conduct workshops sharing the meaning and significance of the policy. Policymakers are also encouraged to implement mechanisms that encourage all schools to implement national policies. The study encourages more parental involvement in the implementation of the ALP policy.
Exploring the optimal role of residence heads in promoting student success: an institutional case study
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Groenewald, Johan; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda; Botha, Ludolph; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Attempts to improve student success in higher education are becoming more holistic and integrated in nature, while also acknowledging that informal out-of-class learning environments can significantly contribute to promoting student success. Such out-ofclass environments include student residences. In South African higher education too there is a growing awareness of the role that residences could play in promoting student success. This study focuses on exploring the optimal role of residence heads in promoting student success, with Stellenbosch University (SU) as the institutional case. The complexity of the South African higher education context within which SU finds itself and the transformation that the institution itself is undergoing make envisaging the optimal role of the residence head in the future SU challenging. The research question this study seeks to answer is: What is the optimal role of residence heads in promoting student success at a higher education institution? As this research problem is vague, broad, complex and systemic, it firstly necessitated an overview of international and national developments in student success and the role of residences in this regard, culminating in a student success level conceptual framework. This study adopted an interpretivist research paradigm. The research design was an explorative revelatory single case of the residence environment at SU. The research method for data gathering and data analysis was Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA). Purposive and convenient sampling from four population groups within the residence environment of SU identified participants for the focus group discussions and personal interviews. These focus group discussions and personal interviews enabled the construction of systems influence diagrams (SID). SIDs are mindmaps representing participants’ interpretation of the phenomenon being investigated. The most significant finding of the study is that the optimal role of the future residence head is a blended role of being a leader and playing an intentional educational role. The main purpose of this blended role is promoting student success. Furthermore, the residence head should not see student success simply as academic achievement, but should have a holistic understanding of promoting student success. The conceptualised student success level (SSL) framework can significantly contribute towards promoting such a holistic understanding of student success, and therefore, also influence the understanding of student success in higher education environments and institutions. This study makes contributions at the theoretical and practical level as far as the framework for student success is concerned. It also makes theoretical, policy and practical contributions as far as the role of the residence head is concerned. The conceptualised student success framework would allow higher education institutions the option of assessing their student success approach towards residences and the residence head role. The outcome of the research in terms of the blendedness of the residence head role is significant as this gives higher education institutions a better understanding of what the residence head role should or could be to promote student success. The findings of the study are also significant in that they suggest practical educational skills sets for residence heads to contribute to achieving student success at the different levels of the framework.
Formatiewe assesseringspraktyke gedurende Covid-19 afstandsonderrig: laerskool wiskunde-onderwysers se ervarings
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Deetlefs, Pauline; Conradie, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.
How do school leaders negotiate space in order to motivate teachers
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Burger, Johann Richards Vivian; Bak, Nelleke; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This is an exploratory study of how school leaders can negotiate the various spaces in their schools in order to promote teacher motivation and, by implication, learner achievement. This research focuses on how three principals in the Western Cape Province have produced or re-appropriated spaces to create new, productive learning environments which positively engage the users of these spaces. According to section 4 of the Employment of Educators Act 76 of 1998 (PAM), all school leaders are expected to create a learning space that is conducive to teaching and learning. In order to know what such a leadership responsibility may entail, this study tries to capture the dynamic interplay between physical (perceived) and mental (conceived) spaces as embodied in social (lived) spaces in a school. It uses Lefebvre‟s spatial triad as its theoretical lens. Linked to the study‟s aim to investigate what the interplay is between the various Lefebvrean spaces in schools, is an examination of how school leaders can manage to negotiate the production of these spaces. For lived school spaces to have embodied meaning that is conducive to teaching and learning, they must be co-produced and co-owned by the users of that space. To illuminate the way in which school leaders can achieve this, the study draws on a model of transformational leadership. The qualitative study uses a focus group, individual interviews and observations of three schools that have all achieved recognition as schools with excellent learner achievement: a public primary school, a public high school and an independent high school. The main research findings are that each of the three school leaders instinctively followed a transformational leadership style, and produced spaces that encouraged professional interaction amongst their teachers as well as strong collegial support for their spatial changes. The staffrooms have been modernised and equipped with lush furniture, flat screen TV‟s, appealing decorations and stimulating pictures, all with the purpose of lifting the spirits and energy levels of the staff. In addition, teachers‟ professional meeting rooms and confidential workspaces have been established. Classrooms have been changed into inviting and functional 21st century ICT learning spaces, with flexible use of furniture and stimulating visuals. Outdoor learning spaces and safe “emotional zones” have been constructed At all three schools the entrances and receptions areas have been made into welcoming spaces in which learners can gather for meetings, and the schools‟ symbols and achievements are showcased. Clear signposting makes the visitor feel engaged. Braai areas for teacher and parent functions ensure that the school keeps parents involved. The main findings about the embodied spaces in the school are that the three school leaders have changed the physical spaces at their schools into new mental spaces which influence the perception, mood and motivation of the users of that space.
The influence of readibility of examination questions on achievement in senior secondary school mathematics : a study on verbal problems with special reference to second language readers
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1995-03) Prins, Elizabeth Diana; Human, P. G.; Ulijn, J. M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the influence of readability of mathematics examination questions on achievement. The aim of any mathematics examination is to assess whether the aims of a specific mathematics programme have been realized. Readability factors that unnecessarily prevent a clear understanding of questions could jeopardize this aim. The important issue is, therefore, whether there are indeed readability factors in mathematics examination questions that cause comprehension problems for students and, if there are, do they hav~ any effect on test scores? The issue of readability is of even greater importance for second language readers. In the South Mrican context, the reading problems of second language readers are of particular importance as most students at school are second language learners. An important question would therefore be: What readability factors cause comprehension difficulties for second language students, especially those whose mother tongue is not kindred to English? Furthermore, what is the influence of cultural factors on readability? This study provides answers to these and other related questions for mathematics text at senior secondary school level. Protocol analysis was used to ascertain what readability problems are experienced by students when reading examination questions in mathematics. Three different language groups, comprising 17 -18-year-old students, were used in the study: English First Language students and two groups who had English as a second language. One second language group had Mrikaans as first language while the other group comprised Mrican students whose mother tongue is unrelated to English. A framework was developed to analyse the protocols and it comprised five categories: unfamiliar vocabulary structural problems obscure information visualization difficulties non-verbal factors Mter the protocol study, students were asked to adapt the examination questions to a more comprehensible form. Students' adaptations addressed lexical, syntactical, discourse and non-verbal factors. Most of the readability problems identified in the literature study were verified in the empirical study. However, the empirical study generated additional readability problems that are mainly restricted to mathematics text and relate to nonverbal factors like mathematical expressions. During the last phase of the empirical study a composite test was used to test the hypothesis that improved readability of the common language used in mathematics examination questions' will improve achievement. Nine socalled "word problems" from previous examination papers were set in three different versions: original, adapted and non-verbal. The hypothesis was confirmed in a number of important cases. A significant finding of the study was, therefore, that readability factors not only influence the comprehension of mathematics examination questions, but also have a marked influence on students' achievement levels. The results of the empirical study are reported quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Other results include the following: Not only second language students, but also first language students experienced a variety of readability problems. All three language groups demonstrated the same level of competency on the non-verbal versions. When comparing test scores of the verbal versions, differences in achievement levels between the different language groups were often caused by linguistic and cultural factors. Cultural thought patterns, typical of a mother tongue but absent in a second language, were often a source of comprehension difficulties for second language readers. This study has led to certain conclusions for teaching and examination practice. For example, factors influencing the readability of ordinary English should be considered with other factors when writing mathematics examination questions. Furthermore, the distinctly different reading needs of second language students suggest that examination papers be set, so that the language needs of second language learners are accommodated. Guidelines for writing more readable examination questions were developed and are presented as a readability checklist. Suggestions for further research include the investigation of the influence of readability on achievement in authentic examination conditions.
Learners experiences of the role of academic underachievement on the journey to identity development
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Mavundla, Slindile Sbakhile Penelope; Collair, Lynette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Education Policy Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Research has shown that humanity undergoes different stages of development, and identity development in adolescence is one of these stages. In order to attain identity, this requires adolescents to interact successfully with different environments. This study aimed to understand the journey of identity development among adolescents who are underachieving at school, which is an environment that they interact with frequently at this stage. Studies on adults with learning difficulties have found that the experiences of learners who have learning difficulties are a topic worthy of being explored, as adults reported how their childhood experiences had influenced their adult life. This study focused on learners who had not been assessed and diagnosed as having any learning disorders. However, these learners found academic studies a challenge, because they experienced grade retention or social promotion at school. The study used an interpretivist paradigm, as the aim was to understand and describe the learners’ experiences. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews, observations and a drawing activity. To obtain richer data, the interviews were conducted in IsiZulu, because it was the participants’ home language. Thematic analysis was applied to the translations. All these strategies helped to gain in-depth insights to the participants’ journey towards identity development. Findings showed that by not achieving academically, the participants had not successfully resolved the stage of “industry versus inferiority”. This sparked a sense of inadequacy and inferiority in the participants and it influenced how the participants handled the next stage of development, namely, “identity versus role confusion”. The participants internalised external expectations of who they ought to be and how they should carry themselves. As a result, the participants sought future careers that would align with these social expectations, instead of using their skills and talents as a guide to their choice of a career. The participants also identified more with the communities that they lived in, as opposed to their school community, because the internalised expectations were what their families and communities encouraged.
The lived experienced of learners recognised for achieving despite difficult circumstances
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) De Mink, Samantha; Swart, Estelle; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The award for achieving despite difficult circumstances is a special award presented to a secondary school learner during a formal academic prize-giving ceremony. Although the citations may differ, the act of recognising learners who have had to overcome great adversity during an academic year is common practice across several schools in South Africa. Research was undertaken to understand the experience of the learners who have been recipients of this special award. This study considers inclusive education as an expression of social justice as it considers how interactions between the learner and a secondary school system influence their sense of belonging, and reviews what is considered acceptable inclusive practice, especially when acknowledging differences. The theoretical and methodological principles of case study and interpretative phenomenology within a qualitative methodology are utilised as a framework to guide this research. Data was gathered through narrative accounts and semi-structured interviews, which were analysed utilising tenets of interpretative phenomenological analysis and thematic analysis; thus, an analytic pluralistic approach was adopted to yield an in-depth and rich understanding of the learners’ experiences. Research findings indicated that for some of the participants, being recognised for achieving despite difficult circumstances held great value, while leaving others with feelings of shame and a sense that they had been highlighted as different from their peers. The findings also offered insight as to how secondary schools potentially alienate learners when there is too much emphasis placed on academic competitiveness, and where not enough opportunity exists for learners to experience recognition outside of formal award ceremonies.
Negotiating co-ownership of learning in higher education : an underexplored practice for adult learning
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Owusu-Agyeman, Yaw; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda
Adults who enrol in higher education institutions (HEIs) often have contributions that could serve in enhancing the planning and implementation of their programmes. Importantly, while terms such as active learner engagement and knowledge co-creation dominate adult learning discussions, there are unanswered questions pertaining to how adult learners negotiate co-ownership of their learning. The current empirical study explores the relevant factors that could enhance adult learners’ involvement in negotiating co-ownership of learning in a higher education setting. A mixed method of gathering and analysing data from adult learners (n = 200) was followed. While structural equation modelling (SEM) served as the quantitative data analysis method, codes, categories and themes developed from the focus group discussions and interviews were used to analyse the qualitative data. The study revealed that negotiating co-ownership of learning among adult learners in HEIs is influenced by the level of engagement and adult learners’ acquisition of relevant core knowledge and skills. The authors discuss the implications of the results by reflecting on the pluses of negotiating co-ownership of learning at the institutional and classroom levels while also showing how the lack of these provisions could hinder effective learning among adult learners.
Parental involvement in the academic success of first-generation black, female graduate students
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Goliath, Le-Anne Lezhaan; Daniels, Doria; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: First-generation students are portrayed as being at a deficit, in literature. This is due to the overemphasis on the lack of experiential knowledge and preparedness, that literature assumes first-generation students, enter higher education environments with. In South Africa, and globally, there is a lack of asset-based research on the experiences of first-generation students, as it relates to experiences of parental involvement. As such, the purpose of the study was to shed light on the stories of successful first-generation black female graduate students, more specifically the role that family support plays in the educational success of this subset of firstgeneration students. The goal of the study was to explore, uncover and document the subjective realities of first-generation black, female graduate students, with a special focus on, their experiences of parental involvement in their academic success. Such a goal was embarked on through narrative inquiry. Three first-generation black, female graduate students were purposefully selected as the participants for the study. These women were selected based on an inclusion criterion that assisted in selecting information-rich participants. As such, the inclusion criteria required participants to; identify as female; have parents without higher education experience; be unmarried and unemployed; be enrolled as a full-time graduate student and either live with their parents or have active contact with their parents. The constructivist paradigm informed my thinking about first-generation students and their experiences in higher education while the Community Cultural Wealth framework influenced my thinking regarding the skills, abilities, and knowledge that first-generation student families offer their children. The three firstgeneration black female graduate students were studied using qualitative, semi-structured interviews and a focus group session. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. After adhering to the six-step process, described by thematic analysis, three categories emerged: being a first-generation black female graduate student, parental involvement, and other sources of support that first-generation students perceive as essential to their academic success. According to the findings of the study, first-generation black female graduate students not only experience challenges, because of their first-generation status but also view their firstgeneration status as a benefit as it offers them a unique perspective. As first-generation black female graduate students, the women in the study experienced academic, financial, and transitional challenges, but also saw their family homes as a place of refuge, which they attribute to their first-generation status. Furthermore, these women attribute a great deal of their academic success to their lived experiences of parental involvement, as the involvement of their parents increased their aspirational and resistant capital that kept them motivated, despite their challenges. The findings show that these women do not regard their parent-daughter relationship to be mismatched because of their parent’s lack of experiential knowledge in higher education and view emotional support as most valuable to their academic success.
Residence heads as intentional role‑players in promoting student success
(African Minds, 2019) Groenewald, Johan; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda
Research evidence suggests that approaches to promote student success in higher education are becoming more holistic and integrated in nature. This implies that not only classrooms and laboratories, but also residences, as informal out-of-class learning environments, can potentially contribute significantly to promoting student success. The research question we sought to answer is: what is the preferred role and skill sets of residence heads that will enable them to promote student success? In order to answer this question, the study proposes a student success framework with five levels, and the role of the future residence head is explicated in terms of this framework. The findings of the study are significant as they suggest a practical skill set, underpinned by sound theory, for residence heads to contribute to student success.
School-parent collaboration to address children's barriers to learning in a full-service school
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Basson, Arno; Daniels, Doria; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology.
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Parent involvement in the education process is beneficial for learners, families and school staff alike, with increased levels of parent involvement correlating with academic success and improvements in learner psychosocial wellbeing. In all education systems, however, children experience learning breakdowns, leading to the learner experiencing a barrier(s) to learning. Including parents in the education and support process of these children is desirable. In recognition of these factors, one of the more significant changes to the education system in South Africa was the creation of a new school category: full-service schools. In these schools, the needs of all learners are considered and catered for, with school-parent collaboration and involvement of parents in support processes and decisions highlighted as keys to success. In this study, the phenomenon of school-parent collaboration in support of learners experiencing barriers to learning is explored. In particular, the strategies that are utilised by school staff to encourage collaboration are determined. To do so, this study made use of a qualitative case study research design that was situated within the interpretive paradigm. The concept of Communities of Practice served as the theoretical framework. The bioecological model of Bronfenbrenner served as an explanatory framework to examine South African education policy. Non-probability sampling was used to select six participants, including four school staff and two parents of learners experiencing barriers to learning. Semi-structured interviews, informal observations and artefacts served as data sources. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Data analysis uncovered four themes that are representative of the strategies used at the full-service school to encourage school-parent collaboration, namely, (i) Communication, (ii) Transparency, (iii) Representation and agency, and (iv) Training and development. The findings of this study indicate that these strategies enable school staff and parents to collaborate in finding contextually relevant solutions to the challenges concerning the support of children experiencing learning barriers. These strategies also assist in creating a shared sense of ownership in the school, increased perception of parental self-efficacy, and buy-in to the education and support process.
The use of practical activities to address grade 11 learners' conceptual difficulties in electricity and magnetism
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-12) Kotela, Beauty; Edwards, Nazeem; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study investigated the use of a practical activities-based approach to Physical Sciences teaching using TRAC equipment to address learner conceptual difficulties in Electricity and Magnetism (E&M). TRAC uses practical activities based on the school curriculum to complement the theory through the utilisation of data logging equipment linked to a computer. The participants in this study were a group of black Grade 11 learners (n=47) from a township school in the province of the Western Cape, South Africa. Their ages range from 16 to 21, with isiXhosa the home language of most of them. A mixed methods approach was utilized to gather the research data. Quantitative data was collected, using pre- and post-testing of learners to determine their conceptual difficulties in E&M, as well as to measure the effect of the practical activities-based approach in addressing learner conceptual difficulties in E&M. Null hypotheses were formulated for the six concepts and t-tests were used to find any statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-test. Qualitative data was obtained from the learner transcripts, as well as from the questionnaires and observation schedules. The results indicated significant improvements in learner understanding of the concepts in five out of the six tests as well as reducing commonly held misconceptions in E&M. It is recommended that careful scaffolding should be done during a practical activity in order for learners to make the connection between the domains of observables and ideas.

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