Research has extensively documented the benefits of inquiry-based science teaching, but less attention has been paid to how novice teachers' personal teaching goals influence their implementation of this approach. This study aimed to explore novice physical sciences teachers' goals to understand how they relate to IBI implementation. This research…

Learners who experience learning challenges are at risk of not accessing equitable education opportunities in South African schools. This is despite teacher education and system reform initiatives towards more inclusive education. To discover what constrains inclusive teaching, we conducted a qualitative study at four schools in a South African…

Inquiry-Based Teaching Practice (IBTP) is an essential component of science education, and promoting its implementation is at the heart of various reform efforts. Even though science teachers regard IBTP as an essential pedagogical method, they rarely use it for various reasons. This study utilizes Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework to examine…

Around the world, there have been curricula reforms involving the incorporation of the inquiry-based teaching and learning strategy in secondary school science education in general and in practical work in particular. Research in inquiry-based practical work (IBPW) has focused, for example, on aspects of the strategy itself, on teacher…

This report presents the results of RTI International Education's study on teachers' guides across 13 countries and 19 projects. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we examine how teachers' guides across the projects differ and find substantial variation in the design and structure of the documents. We develop a scripting index so that the…

An e-Learning project has been rolled out in Gauteng schools in an attempt to improve the quality of education and move towards paperless classrooms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by Tshwane South Secondary Schools associated with the implementation of the e-Learning project with a view to suggest possible…

The study reported in this article responds to the need for empirical studies that provide evidence of positive change in education at the micro-level of the classroom -- an important component of the complex education environment in South Africa. This article describes teachers' and principals' reports of micro-level changes that occurred during…

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has just published its fifth policy brief, entitled "Making Large-Scale Literacy Campaigns and Programmes Work." The brief provides policymakers with a set of recommendations based on an analysis of adult literacy campaigns and programmes that took place around the world between 2000 and…

Problem-based learning can be implemented in South African geography teacher education to foster geography students' self-directed learning skills. The purpose of this longitudinal case study was to determine B.Ed. geography students' (n = 45) perceptions of their self-directedness in learning in integrated problem-based learning experiences over…

This paper describes a flipped classroom approach followed to teach systems analysis, design and implementation at university level. The techniques employed are described. These techniques were underpinned by a theory of coherent practice: a pedagogy that provides a framework for the design of highly structured interventions to guide students in…

Since the 1994 election, South Africa has moved from a politics of separatism to social justice and inclusivity. The White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) on inclusive education policy emphasizes inclusion of all learners in the basic education system, regardless of disability, race, learning style, HIV status etc. This has brought change…

This article provides a case study of the development of the Open Learning Systems Education Trust's "English in Action" program in South Africa from 1993 to the end of 2004. It describes the program's development from a model focused on enhancing learner involvement and learner gains to a model of distance education and open learning…

Some Grade 4 educators have expressed feelings of ineptitude regarding the support of ESL (English Second Language) learners with limited English proficiency as they do not know how to support these learners effectively. Their litany emphasises ESL educators' need for supportive and preventive intervention. A story-based Language Enrichment…

This paper examines the impact of a distance education program offered by the University of Pretoria, South Africa, on the professional practice of teachers. A pilot study was conducted using a combination of surveys and focus group interviews. Findings reveal that the program was beneficial to graduates' personal development, professional…

This paper reports on the re-design of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, which is offered by the University of Pretoria through distance education (DE) to teachers in rural South Africa. In 2007, a team re-designed the programme with the goal of promoting access, quality, and student support. The team included an independent…