Education Association of South Africa (EASA)
SAJE: Vol 19(2)
Executive summaries

Executive summaries of the South African Journal of Education focus on issues with direct or implied consequences for education policy and are presented to decision-makers and other stakeholders in education with the compliments of the editorial committee.

Contents
 

1. How do South African school teachers understand "educational technology"?

The power of educational technology in providing solutions to educational problems has been identified within most educational systems of the world. This study investigated how South African school teachers understand the concept "educational technology". An in-depth analysis of the data gathered reveals conclusively that the majority of South African teachers understand "educational technology" not as an agent of change, but merely as the simple application of teaching tools, machines, and gadgets in the classroom. This traditional and positivistic perception of educational technology is unacceptable if we are to prepare our youth and adults to successfully engage the "superhighway" of globalisation.

When it comes to the difficult matter of handling the moral problems that face them, most young people in South Africa are unprepared by their social upbringing and training. On the one hand, they are taught to conform to one or other set of traditional values and standards. On the other hand, they are taught that a person must choose his or moral beliefs for themselves. In this article it is indicated that the apparent paradox may be resolved by due attention to practical skills and abilities that are necessary to reach consistent and impartial moral judgements.

This study was undertaken in a bid to describe learners' perceptions of their status in terms of the governing bodies of public secondary schools in South Africa. The participants in the study indicated that they were generally dissatisfied with section 32 of the relevant Act, which excludes them from decision-making in financial matters. The findings could assist school managers in becoming more proactive in dealing with learner involvement in the financial management of schools.

Teachers are the managers of changes brought about by the new educational dispensation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which teachers are satisfied with certain aspects of the new educational dispensation. Furthermore, the article gives guidelines and recommendations for possible implementation by the national Department of Education and especially by teachers in order for them to effectively manage educational change.

This four-year longitudinal study investigated the ability of measures of mathematics aptitude and ability to predict future school mathematics performance. The Initial Evaluation test in Mathematics (IET) and the Arithmetic Reasoning test (ART) were applied to Grade 9 pupils. Results on these tests were correlated with pupils’ mathematics marks from Grades 9-12 over a four-year period. Results suggest that neither measure was a better predictor of mathematics achievement than were school marks. The best predictor of subsequent mathematics achievement in Grades 10-12 was found to be a pupil's final Grade 9 mathematics marks.

This article discusses students' experience on the restructuring of the Introductory Physical Chemistry module at the University of South Africa. The module serves students who have performed inadequately in Physical Science at the secondary level or have completed Physical Science several years ago. Students were questioned on their success or failure in the module through a telephonic three-way conferencing survey. Consequently the study guide was redesigned and the changes were evaluated by means of a questionnaire assignment. The general conclusion was reached that the strategy followed in redesigning the study programme met student's needs and expectations.

Engineering course materials development projects according to Instructional Systems Design (ISD) approaches at tertiary institutions in South Africa have not always escaped the ineffective use of ISD "tools" which has adversely affected the quality of the materials. One such example is the current engineering materials development project of a consortium of five South African technikons and four United States universities. The author's contention is that the consortium's engineering materials development course team has not effectively used fourth generation ISD "tools" which can engender quality, student-centred and interactive course materials.

Alternative perspectives on sustainability and biodiversity as unifying themes for the Life Sciences are explored in a new development entitled "Science and Sustainability". This participatory research and development process takes a critical stance towards some of the contemporary tendencies in environmental education, especially with regard to the concept of sustainability. The scientific basis of sustainability is investigated and used to clarify some of the key concepts of ecology in a Life Science curriculum.

This articles describes the term "africanisation" and the phrase "africanisation of universities". Possible implications of the africanisation of universities are indicated for universities in Africa in general and for South African universities in particular. In this regard the article focuses on the mission(s) of universities, the so-called double loyalty (universalism and particularism) of universities, and the composition of universities' staff and student groupings.

Historiographic analysis is used to explore the divergent interpretation of memorialists, church historiographers, historical educationists and historiographers of the educational past of the blacks in the Free State during the period 1854-1910. Attention is devoted to memorialists' and academics' disregard of the history of black education in the Free State, as well as their discussion of inter alia the provision and financing of black education and the aim and content of such education. It appears that no integrated general image of the educational past of blacks in the Free State exists.

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D Govender