Predictors of successful transition from self-contained special education to regular class settings

The adjustment of 129 newly mainstreamed learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and mildly developmentally disabled pupils was rated by regular classroom teachers at the end of the children's first year in regular class. While the teachers were, in general, very satisfied with the pupils' progress in both academic and behavioral areas, satisfaction declined after grade six. IQ data did not predict satisfactory adjustment. WRAT arithmetic score was associated with ratings of satisfactory classroom behavior. Pupils who had spent one to two years in special classes were rated as having more acceptable classroom behavior than those who were enrolled for shorter or longer periods of time.     

Goldie Comes to South Africa

现在,北京的天气非常冷了。晚上睡觉,Goldie不得不盖上厚厚的棉被。"天气真冷,明天上学可要多穿点衣服了。"Goldie想着想着就睡着了。她的想法被身下的魔毯知道了,于是……     

The Trip to South Africa

南非是一个位于非洲大陆最南端的国家,素有“彩虹之国”的美誉。2010年的世界杯足球赛将在这里举行哦。你对这个国家的了解有多少呢？我给大家设计了4条旅游路线。赶快选择你最喜欢的路线,并带上你要完成的任务,开始你的南非之旅吧！     

Reasoning and working memory as predictors of school grades

The present paper contributes to individual difference research in the field of working memory (WM) and reasoning and their contribution to the prediction of real-life criteria. Therefore, a broad WM test battery, a well-established measure of reasoning, and school grades were applied. It is argued that abilities as assessed with the WM component coordination are relevant for good performances at school, especially for science courses. The verbal task of the WM component storage in the context of processing was assumed to be relevant for the prediction of performance in language courses. As expected, reasoning turned out to be the best predictor of school grades. However, it was also confirmed that variance shared by coordination and reasoning can explain school performance, especially as concerns science courses. The verbal storage in the context of processing task significantly accounted for variance in language courses above and beyond reasoning. Thus, the present study provided further insights into the differential validity of different WM components.     

Five years gone: A case study of education policy implementation in the transition to democracy in South Africa

This paper marks the fifth anniversary of the unbanning of various liberation movements in South Africa. A new form of power-sharing is embodied in the Government of National Unity. The paper examines the history, vision, planning and implementation of the SYSTEM programme: Students and Youth into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This provides a case study of the policy process in the transition to democracy. A picture emerges of a process connected both to individuals and movements, with the need both for political legitimacy and planned evaluation. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd     

Motivational and cognitive predictors of goal setting and task performance

The purpose of the study was to explore the influence of various motivational and cognitive factors on goal setting and task performance. A slightly unconventional approach was taken by using a neuropsychological experiment as a starting point and subsequently building on its results and implications from a motivational perspective. The results suggested that different sets of motivational and cognitive factors predict different outcomes. Goal level seemed to be a function of both task-related abilities and motivational beliefs. In contrast, no robust effects on performance level were found. However, subjects who tended to hold beliefs that action outcomes are determined by chance were also likely to display atypical goal setting (i.e., a tendency to raise goals after failure and lower goals after success).     

Teacher-perceived temperament and educational competence as predictors of school grades

Associations between teacher-perceived temperament, educational competence (EC), and school grades in mother language (ML) and mathematics (Math) were assessed in 3212 students (1619 girls) in Secondary School (aged 13–19) taken from a nationally representative Finnish sample. Temperament was assessed with scales from the TABC-R and DOTS-R batteries. EC consists of cognitive ability, motivation, and maturity. Activity, persistence, distractibility, inhibition, and negative emotionality were significantly associated with both ML and Math grades. EC turned out to mediate the relationship between temperament and school performance and moderated the relationship of activity to Math. The findings show a high association between teacher-rated temperament and school performance and indicate a strong “halo effect” between temperament, EC, and school grades.     

Employability credentials: A key to successful youth transition to work

Conclusion Employers place considerable emphasis on credentials. The assumption that a high school diploma can be used to screen for competencies is problematic. First, it leaves much of the translation of what a high school diploma means, in terms of skills, knowledge, and attitudes, with the employer. Second, it fails to differentiate among youth because the diploma does little more than signify that high school has been completed. Finally it places young people without diplomas (dropouts) at a great disadvantage.Although a high school diploma may demonstrate a certain level of maturity, motivation, perseverance, and some specific academic skills, it does not provide an adequate picture of the employability or marketable skills, knowledge, and competencies that an individual possesses. In order for youth to make successful transitions to work they need more than their high school diplomas. They need an employability credential that identifies and documents the array of their developmental experiences and translates these into component competencies—a credential that employers will respect and youth will value. A credential that is more than a document. One that represents a process that helps youth understand themselves and their marketability and provides them with a sense of self-worth and future direction.Ivan Charner is the Director of Research and Development at the National Institute for Work and Learning, Washington, D.C.     

Traversing the Chasm from School to University in South Africa: A student perspective

Tertiary Education and Management - Under-preparedness of students entering university has become increasingly challenging as South African universities struggle to ensure student success where...     

Education in Post-apartheid South Africa: Some lessons from Zimbabwe

The racial inequalities of the Rhodesian education system are outlined. The paper then assesses the conservativereforms of the transitional governmentof 'Zimbabwe-Rhodesia' (1978-80), and the more radical approach pursued since independence. A case study is made of nine secondary schools in Harare. The policies pursued are compared with the interim measures of the South African government since 1990, and lessons derived from the Zimbabwean experience are applied to the situation which will be inherited by the first post-apartheid government in South Africa. A new education strategy must seek to avoid the replacement of racial divisions with class divisions. It will need to re-think what the State can provide, and formulate strategies for funding what the State cannot provide, in order to minimise inequalities of opportunity.     

Transitioning Experiences of First Year Gender Non-conforming Students from School to University in South Africa

Interchange - Change is an inevitable part of life, more so for gender non-conforming students who have to confront prejudice and hostile environments as they transition from school to university....     

Standards-based accountability in South Africa

The implementation of standards-based accountability (SBA) interventions aimed at improving school performance often focuses on the testing component, at the expense of capacity building. This was the case in South Africa when a SBA programme was instituted by government in 2000, which was accompanied by substantial rises in senior certificate pass rates between 2000 and 2003. Our analysis indicates that the bulk of these effects was achieved by manipulating the results by means of 4 measures: eliminating high-risk candidates, encouraging candidates to register at the easier standard grade, lowering the standard of examination questions, and raising raw scores during the moderation process. However, research results from other school improvement programmes in the country indicate that significant improvement in school performance is possible when capacity-building elements are combined with accountability measures.     

Jewish Education in South Africa

The Jewish Counseling and Service Agency is a family agency whose origins date back to 1861 in Newark. The current agency represents a consolidation of several agencies which at one time provided separate services.     

Special Education in South Africa

THE APARTHEID POLICY in South Africa has legally separated its 35 million inhabitants into four official racial groups. Political power and privilege have been vested entirely in the white group (i.e., 14% of the population), while the blacks are sociopolitically disadvantaged. The systems of education and special education strikingly reflect, and are a product of the divided, inequitable society. The majority of black South African students are academically retarded due to the inadequacy and inequity of the educational and sociopolitical system. Moreover, facilities for black handicapped children both within and outside the mainstream are extremely limited. For whites, there are far better facilities for disabled children, but their education system tends to be conceptually antiquated and narrow‐minded. The past decade has seen some improvements in the provision of special education facilities and in the approach to education generally. Significant political changes are now occurring in 1990, which are heralding the downfall of the apartheid system and are likely to produce a major overhaul of the education and special education systems for all children. However, the enormity of numbers involved remains a major problem and calls for innovative solutions.     

Moral Education in South Africa

Abstract

Moral education in South Africa has always been a matter of priority to parents and educationalists alike. Although it is not taught as a separate subject in the schooling process, much attention is paid to it throughout the school curriculum. Particularly in religious education and in social studies time is devoted to matters of moral conduct. The basis for moral education has almost right through been a Christian approach to life. This is the case in schools for black and for white pupils. A great number of devoted teachers go to great lengths to prepare young people for life in such a way that they may become steadfast citizens of the country. The role of parents, youth organizations, churches and ‐‐ in the case of black youths ‐‐ tribal customs, should, however, not be underestimated in the moral training of young people.     

Part-time students in transition: supporting a successful start to higher education

The transition into higher education is a critical time for all students. A positive early experience provides a strong foundation for future academic success whilst a negative experience can be destabilising for a new learner. To date, research has primarily focused on full-time undergraduates in order to explain the reasons for high attrition rates at the end of the first year. Less is known about the experiences of part-time undergraduates despite the fact that they make up over one quarter of the total student population (HESA, 2015). This article reports on a study to investigate the initial experiences of a group of part-time undergraduates who have chosen to undertake a degree at a small study centre run by one university. Using a mixed methods research approach, the research captured the lived reality of the experience and identified the contributing and negating factors that can influence a successful transition. Perceptions of the level and type of support provided for students during transition were gained from both staff and students. The findings confirm a heterogeneous group. Despite being highly motivated, the early transition period was generally characterised by a sense of trepidation and self-doubt as students took their first steps in higher education. The research highlights the complexity of the initial decision-making process for part-time students and the barriers they face. It concludes that a flexible but unified approach, involving tutors and the wider support services, is needed, as unique students require unique responses to their transition needs.