Theses and Dissertations

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/227

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Subject "Academic achievement"

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    Enhancing parental involvement in children’s academic work: Implications for teaching and learning
    (University of Fort Hare, 2018) Fihla, Gcobisa Victoria; Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival
    Partnership between schools and parents seems to substandard, leading to both parties questioning each other on why children underperform. Most parents view the school as an instrument for the achievement of children and parents with limited or no education may have little or no interest in supporting children’s academic work. The aim of this study was to investigate how parental involvement in children’s academic work can be enhanced. It focused on three rural secondary schools in the Amathole West Education District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study particularly investigated how school schools involved parents in children’s academic work and how they, together with principals, teachers and learners view their involvement in children’s academic work. Guided by Epstein’s theory of parental involvement, this qualitative study was premised on the interpretative paradigm. Face to face interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from three high schools in the Amathole West Education District. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who comprised a target population of 24 participants. It emerged from the data that although schools were trying to involve parents in children’s academic work, their activities were uncoordinated, occurred at school level rather than classroom level and focused less on learners’ academic work. Parent’ involvement in their children’s academic work was not touching the real curriculum issues; rather it touched on the outside. The data also showed that parents’ academic statuses influenced their participation as those who had little education seemed to be reluctant to participate on academic issues. The study concludes that there was lack of coordinated strategies by schools to involve parents in children’s academic work. The study, therefore, recommends that Coordinated Grade-based Parent-Teacher Forums be established. This will assist in opening a planform for teachers and parents to engage on teaching and learning discussions and curriculum debates.
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    External quality assurance in higher education as a tool towards continuous improvement : a case study of two faculties in South Africa
    (University of Fort Hare, 2013) Van der Walt, Maria Magdalena; Mtose, X
    This study explored external quality assurance in South African Higher Education as a tool towards continuous improvement. The Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) undertook external reviews of Teacher Education qualifications in faculties of education in South African universities. The process involved HEQC as an external body, through a consultative process with stakeholders, generated criteria and minimum standards to be used in the evaluation process. These criteria and minimum standards were used by faculties of education to carry out self-evaluation of their programmes. This process aimed at fulfilling accountability imperatives of accreditation as well as the developmental aspect entailed in the self-evaluation process and use of criteria and minimum standards. The aim of the study was to understand how the HEQC intervention promoted internal quality assurance practices towards continuous improvement.