scholarly journals A Peer Related Factors Affecting the Provision of Psychosocial Support to Vulnerable Learners: A Case of Selected Secondary Schools in Amathole District in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-68
Author(s):  
Nyarai CHINYAMA ◽  
Octavia SIBANDA ◽  
Shingirayi CHAMISA ◽  
Happy Mathew TIRIVANGASI
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Street Crime ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Learner Support ◽  
Teachers And Parents

School-based peer groups have been identified as a popular and effective method   of providing health education and psychosocial support in schools. Children in developing countries as well as some of the poorest children in developing countries like South Africa face daily risks related to poverty, street crime and violence, poor health, lack or low-quality housing, inadequate and ineffective schools. These children and their families live in crisis which render them vulnerable. Thus, this study noted that there is an increase in social and emotional challenges and several risk factors for vulnerable learners globally and South Africa is not an exception. The incidence of child vulnerability and psychosocial support services have not been studied thoroughly in South Africa yet it is recognized widely that there is an increase in child stress and depression. Much of the psychosocial support services are provided by children themselves in terms of peer education groups. However, much of the research that is currently available on children relies on the reports of teachers and parents. This study learnt from literature that adults consistently underreport the effectiveness of these peer led groups in schools. Following this, the study took a qualitative approach using multiple case studies of 4 secondary schools with children as part of the participants.  Pre-coded research instruments were administered to 4 teacher coordinators, 4 peer leaders, 1 district official and 1 learner support agent supervisor. Documents were also analyzed in the form of minutes of the meetings held, learner support agents report and registers. The study found that shortage of resources such as, counselling rooms, transport, attitudes of teachers and parents towards peer led programs, lack of training and cooperation of parents still hampered the progress of peer led programs. The study therefore concluded that there were still a lot of challenges faced by vulnerable children in schools because they were not accessed by their peers due to lack of resources, training, shortage of time and negative attitudes from adults towards children’s lives attitudes from adults towards children’s lives. The study recommends that peer led groups be part of the large school curriculum with a specific budget to sustain the needs of the peer led groups. The study indicated that there were no networking opportunities amongst peer-led groups due to lack of time, yet this is very important to all successful organizations of a peer group nature. The participants also revealed that peers are better placed if they had counselling rooms, time tabled services, positive attitudes from parents and long-term  training on peer counselling.

scholarly journals A SCORM compliant e-learning content prototype for the training of OBE mathematics educators in the context of developing countries

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Xolisa Piyose
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Mathematical Literacy ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Literacy Educators ◽  
And Training

The main purpose of this study was to examine how e-learning can help resolve some of the most acute problems that are specific to the nature of the outcomes-based education (OBE) system in developing countries. This was accomplished by investigating the relevant literature on OBE and by designing an e-learning content prototype for the South African version of OBE, with the focus on the training of Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy educators. OBE is an education system centred on the theory of mastery of learning introduced by Bloom in the 1950s. It has been implemented worldwide in primary and secondary schools and also in tertiary institutions. Some studies have shown that OBE is problematic, and that both educators and learners are opposed to this system of education. Existing research also reports that the quality of education in OBE is very poor as compared to that of the traditional education system. This study was an attempt to identify the most acute problems experienced by educators and learners in the OBE context and to design a prototype for e-learning content that can be used in courses in an attempt to solve these problems. The research population of the perceptions survey consisted of Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy educators and learners from the 6 000 primary and secondary schools of the KwaZulu- Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. Eighteen schools formed part of the research sample, with an average of two schools per region (the KZN province is divided into nine regions). Both private and public schools were included in the study. Data for the study were collected from March 2007 to August 2007 in the form of a perceptions survey of 104 educators and 288 learners, yielding an average of six educators and sixteen learners for each randomly selected school. Results from the perceptions survey show that educators and learners do not understand OBE terminology. In addition, educators claim that they are not sufficiently trained for OBE. Research iii participants also report that schools’ basic infrastructure is unsatisfactory, and that their classrooms are overcrowded. Mathematics is perceived as the most difficult subject by both educators and learners. The survey also reveals that most public schools do not have computers and that neither educators nor learners have access to computers in their public libraries. A SCORM- (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) compliant e-learning course was developed in this study to address the most acute problems identified by the survey, based on the Software Engineering Unified Model. The designed e-course contains OBE terminology such as learning outcomes, OBE principles, assessment standards, assessment methods, national curriculum statement and learning fields. The e-learning course content also contains the Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy curriculum for grades 11 and 12. It was constructed using 16 documents extracted from the National Department of Education’s website: 7 documents under Further Education and Training, 4 under Teacher Guide, and 5 under General Education and Training. The evaluation of the e-learning content prototype was conducted through a survey among 36 educators from different primary and secondary schools of the Mnquma Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. They were trained in the SCORM-compliant e-learning course content at the Walter Sisulu University’s Butterworth campus. The training took place from 10 to 13 November 2009. After the training, educators filled out a questionnaire on their perceptions of the effectiveness of the proposed e-learning content prototype with regard to the practice of OBE. Results from the SCORM e-course evaluation survey showed that the proposed SCORM software artefacts allow educators to have a better understanding of OBE terminology. The proposed software artefact is user-friendly and educators recommended its use not only for Mathematics but for all subjects.

Teachers Characteristics, Related factors and Environmental Education Curriculum Implementation in Secondary Schools in Cross River State, Nigeria

GIS Business ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-158
Author(s):  
Eneji Chris-Valentine Ogar ◽  
Petters Janet Sunday ◽  
Onnoghen Usang Nkanu ◽  
Asuquo Edung Etim
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Curriculum Implementation ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Cross River ◽  
Cross River State

This study assessed the influence of teacher’s characteristics and other related factors in the implementation of Environmental Education curriculum in secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. Two research designs were used, survey inferential and Expost facto research design. The study is located in the department of Environmental Education, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Two research questions converted into two hypotheses were formulated for the study.  A sample of three hundred (300) respondents were selected using the multistage random sampling technique comprising of twenty five (25) lecturers and two hundred and seventy five (275) postgraduate and final year undergraduate students in the department of Environmental Education, University of Calabar. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, the instrument administration was done by the researchers and same were collected 100%. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis and regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level and 298 and 290 degrees of freedom respectively. The result shows that teacher’s characteristics do significantly influence Environmental Education curriculum implementation in secondary schools. The regression analysis also shows that 6 factors listed impedes the implementation of Environmental Education curriculum, while four were not significant factors influencing Environmental Education curriculum in secondary schools. It was however recommended that teachers with competence in pedagogic knowledge of Environmental Education with classroom management skill should be employed to drive the process, while arrangement should be put in place to make Environmental Education a subject for students to offer and write in final senior secondary school examination among other.

The relationship between alcohol and drug use and sexual behaviour amongst prison inmates in developing countries: The case of South Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibuiso Sifunda ◽  
Priscilla S. Reddy ◽  
Ronald B. Braithwaite ◽  
Torrence Stephens ◽  
Sibusisiwe Bhengu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Prison Inmates ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
The Relationship

Determinants of Public Service Career Choice in Developing Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Yongjin Chang
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Bureaucratic Power ◽  
High Power Distance

This study examines factors influencing public service career choice in developing countries through case studies and a survey. Based on the results of these case studies and survey, I conclude that job security, public service motivation, social recognition and status, and the opportunity for career development are important determinants in why individuals in developing countries choose a public service career. Bureaucratic power and family-related factors also play a role and reflect the high power distance and collectivist culture of developing countries.

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