Papers by Gawie Schlebusch
Open Education Studies, 2024
The integration of digital technology into the practices of teacher education is expected to beco... more The integration of digital technology into the practices of teacher education is expected to become the norm in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. This study sought to determine how lecturers integrate technology into teacher education in two Southern African universities (one in South Africa and one in the Kingdom of Eswatini). In this study, a multiple case study design was utilised, employing a qualitative research approach within an interpretive research paradigm. The study occurred at the two universities as mentioned earlier, conveniently chosen as they were the workplaces of the researchers. Data collection involved an open-ended questionnaire completed by lecturers, and a focus group discussion consisted of purposively selected lecturers from both institutions. Thematic analysis was applied to examine the data gathered from study participants. The findings indicated that initially, lecturers from both universities had limited digital literacy as they were in the process of transitioning from traditional face-to-face teaching methods and required guidance on integrating technology into their instructional practices. The study concludes that the availability of digital tools, software, and the Internet will not automatically equip student teachers with the required competencies to include technology into their instructional methods.
Indonesian Journal of Educational Development, May 31, 2024
Compliance to the law and policies that govern public schools in South Africa is fundamental in e... more Compliance to the law and policies that govern public schools in South Africa is fundamental in ensuring effective and efficient use of school funds. Compliance can mitigate the role confusion between the respective duties of the school principal as the manager of the school and the School Governing Body (SGB). This aim of the study was to identify the gap on compliance from the principals' point of view. The qualitative design with phenomenological approach was used, and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with purposefully sampled principals. The literature and findings reveal that many SGB chairpersons are still profoundly reliant on principals regarding financial decisions and management at schools. This indicates the perpetuation of role confusion where school principals regard themselves as accountable for school funds. Even though financial management challenges in public schools have been researched before, the study found that such challenges still occur and hamper effective financial management by both the principals and SGBs.
Implementing Positive Discipline in Eswatini Primary schools, 2024
This research explored the experiences of primary school principals in Eswatini (formerly Swazila... more This research explored the experiences of primary school principals in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) regarding the implementation of positive discipline in their schools. The primary focus of the study was to understand how principals experienced the process of implementing positive discipline. Data were collected from interviews with a convenience sample of five principals from five primary schools. Our findings revealed varied experiences among principals when it came to implementing positive discipline in their schools. Based on the narratives provided by the principals, three significant conclusions were drawn, with implications for the theoretical understanding of the implementation of positive discipline in schools: (1) a clear comprehension of positive discipline as a disciplinary measure; (2) the necessity for extensive stakeholder sensitisation regarding positive discipline; and (3) the importance of adopting a whole school approach to positive discipline implementation. We concluded that principals face challenges in fully embracing and effectively implementing positive discipline in their schools. Therefore, continuous and appropriate in-service training and support are essential to assist principals in fully adopting positive discipline as a disciplinary approach in their schools.
Acta Educationis Generalis
Introduction: Learner indiscipline has emerged as a global cause for concern for educators and pa... more Introduction: Learner indiscipline has emerged as a global cause for concern for educators and parents in the 21st century. This study sought to develop a framework for the successful implementation of positive discipline. The study sought to provide answers revolving around the contributing factors towards learner indiscipline, the effects of indiscipline on teaching and learning, educators’ perceptions on positive discipline, factors leading to the ineffective implementation of positive discipline and the constituents of an effective framework for implementing positive discipline. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative approach. Districts were identified utilising convenience sampling, while participants were sampled purposively. Data collection comprised semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Six schools from two districts in the Mpumalanga Province were selected as the study sample. The sample comprised twenty-four participants, including principals, class teachers,...
International e-journal of educational studies, Nov 11, 2022
The aim of this paper is to explore how the brain processes information, and which factors affect... more The aim of this paper is to explore how the brain processes information, and which factors affect the information processing ability of learners in the classroom. From the hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analysis, it is evident that the independent variables age, home language, language of learning and teaching (LOLT), and average class size affect the information processing ability of learners in the classroom. The process by which the brain acquires, use, and think about knowledge is known as cognition. Cognition are those intellectual or perceptual processes occurring within us that the typical individual would describe as thinking, rational processing, or the mind. Through learning, an individual's cognition develops long-term changes in mental representations or associations because of environmental learning and experiences. A quantitative design was followed to gather data from Grade 11 learners by means of a questionnaire. The results revealed that information processing ability of learners as a dependent variable was significantly influenced by the following independent variables: age, home language, language of learning and teaching, and average class size. Recommendations to teachers on how to facilitate efficient information processing are made, which could result in meaningful learning and understanding by the learners. It is hoped by the researchers that, employing these tactics, will render valid results that are consistent with the need to enhance learners' depth and breadth of processing information, and thereby become sophisticated and complex producers of knowledge.
Journal of Social Sciences, May 1, 2016
The objectives of the study are to provide a perspective of the underlying imperatives of human r... more The objectives of the study are to provide a perspective of the underlying imperatives of human resource development; to explore the substantial indicators of an implementable Human Resource Development (HRD) plan for office-based educators and to determine the roles that individuals and groups play in formulating Individual and Group Development Plans. The study is qualitative in nature and semi-structured interviews were conducted with one section of office-based educators, namely Deputy Chief Education Specialists (DCES) in three education districts in the Free State province of South Africa. The key findings were that these office-based educators have the desire to play a significant role in their job performance and that they need empowerment, resources and leadership to guide them in their daily duties. The evidence of the narrative incidents with officebased educators suggest that the development of an integrated HRD plan will provide a useful research tool for those wishing to study the design and use of HRD plans in the future, as it provides a holistic overview to be taken in the process and makes the development of an integrated plan a feasible task. HRD requires a new way of thinking and interacting amongst district sections, and should be regarded as a step forward to improved development of office-based educators. This improved development will subsequently have a positive influence of service delivery to school-based educators with the aim of improved learner performance in the schools.
International journal of educational sciences, Jun 1, 2016
International journal of social sciences & educational studies, 2022
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of socioeconomic aspects on learners' aca... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of socioeconomic aspects on learners' academic performance at a secondary school in Lejweleputswa District, South Africa. A qualitative research design was employed. A sample of twenty-three participants, comprising of the school principal, School Management Team member, School Governing Body chairperson, ten educators and ten learners were interviewed to make meaningful sense of their perceptions on socioeconomic aspects affecting learners' academic performance. Data was collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with the principal, SMT member and SGB chairperson, and open-ended questionnaires with teachers and learners. Data was analyzed using the thematic approach. It was discovered from the data that the socioeconomic conditions in the learners' home background, the school environment, parental support and teacher expectations impacted on learners' academic performance. Learner's family background also plays a major role in developing a strong relationship between all the parties involved in learner's academic life but however, some parents were still not fully supportive of their children's education. The results of the study indicated that learners' academic performance improved in circumstances where there is teamwork between educators, SMT, learners, parents and other stakeholders.
Africa Education Review, 2020
This article reports on a study that investigated how collaborative leadership can influence sust... more This article reports on a study that investigated how collaborative leadership can influence sustained learner academic performance in secondary schools. The key problem resounds about secondary schools that are unable either to sustain or improve learner academic performance when intervention strategies rolled out from the district offices are concluded. The literature pursued in the study covered collaborative leadership from both schools and district education offices and their impact on learner academic performance. Participants were circuit managers, subject advisors, principals and teachers. They completed openended questionnaires that sought to explain the relationship between collaborative leadership and sustained learner academic performance. Major findings indicated that participants (at the various levels of leadership) attribute low learner academic performance to all other involved parties except themselves. Thus, collaborative leadership within the school and between schools and district education offices is not enabling sustained learner academic performance.
Information Processing Ability and its Implications for Teaching and Learning
International e-journal of educational studies, Oct 29, 2022
The Role of School Management Teams in the Education of Learners from Disadvantaged Socioeconomic Background in South Africa
Proceedings of ADVED 2022- 8th International Conference on Advances in Education
Educators’ Perceptions on Positive Learner Discipline at Selected Public Secondary Schools in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2022
The re-birth of South Africa in 1994 has brought the implementation of effective educational poli... more The re-birth of South Africa in 1994 has brought the implementation of effective educational policies. Simultaneously, the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) approach has been introduced to advance the teaching and learning of the Learning areas in schools in South Africa. This article focuses on the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Grade eight. The focus is furthermore on schools from the Black township areas, called “previously disadvantaged schools”. The introduction of OBE in South Africa heralds an era of meaningful teaching. The use of OBE strives to root out the last vestiges of Apartheid education. With an OBE approach, teaching and learning activities have the aim of empowering learners to succeed in the real life after leaving school. One of the main aims of using a language, for example English, is to develop communicative competence. Communicative competence is the ability to linguistically apply the language correctly in authentic situations. English though...
The Qualitative Report
This study focuses on the impact of race, and its intersection with gender, in influencing and/or... more This study focuses on the impact of race, and its intersection with gender, in influencing and/or preventing the development of disordered body image. Specifically, Black samples are examined to see the role that racial identity plays in the process of developing such attitudes. Using qualitative data analysis methods rooted in grounded theory, the study finds that race is intrinsically linked to the notion of self-esteem, non-internalization, and maternal support, and that in turn these factors serve to prevent the African American sample from the development of body image dissatisfaction.
The re-birth of South Africa in 1994 has brought the implementation of effective educational poli... more The re-birth of South Africa in 1994 has brought the implementation of effective educational policies. Simultaneously, the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) approach has been introduced to advance the teaching and learning of the Learning areas in schools in South Africa. This article focuses on the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Grade eight. The focus is furthermore on schools from the Black township areas, called "previously disadvantaged schools". The introduction of OBE in South Africa heralds an era of meaningful teaching. The use of OBE strives to root out the last vestiges of Apartheid education. With an OBE approach, teaching and learning activities have the aim of empowering learners to succeed in the real life after leaving school. One of the main aims of using a language, for example English, is to develop communicative competence. Communicative competence is the ability to linguistically apply the language correctly in authentic situations. Engl...
In South Africa an increasing number of learners are taught through the medium of English. Limite... more In South Africa an increasing number of learners are taught through the medium of English. Limited English proficiency (LEP) learners who enter classes where English is the language of learning, encounter serious problems in coping with their academic work. These learners have usually acquired informal, colloquial language or Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS), but lack Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). The primary aim of this article is to explore the language dilemma which Grade ten LEP learners' experience. From these findings, recommendations are made concerning ways in which educators can support English language acquisition in the context of the learning areas for which they are responsible. In this study the focus is on LEP learners in the Economics classroom. Although Economics has its own "language" or terminology, concepts are explained in English by the educator, as it is the language of learning. The researcher is a lecturer in th...
Human Resource Development for Office-based Educators
Journal of Social Sciences
Strategic Planning as a Management Tool for School Principals in Rural Schools in the Motheo District
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
Cognition and the Language of Learning in South Africa: A Grade 10 Economics Perspective
The Qualitative Report, 2002
Linking English First Additional Language teaching and learning with outcomes-based education: what is really happening?
Journal for Language Teaching, 2006
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Papers by Gawie Schlebusch