The relationship between health (malnutrition) and educational achievements (Maths and English) in the rural children of South Africa     

M. J. Themane  K. D. Monyeki  M. E. Nthangeni  H. C. G. Kemper  J. W. R. Twisk 《International Journal of Educational Development》2003,23(6):637-643

The purpose of this paper is to report the cross-sectional relationship between educational achievements and the ‘health status’ of the rural South African children in the Ellisras Longitudinal Study (ELS).The study followed a cohort design where 1033 children (569 boys and 464 girls) aged 7–14 were randomly sampled from 11 primary schools and one secondary school. Anthropometric measurements for height for age (HAZ), weight for age (WAZ), body mass index (BMI) and sum of skinfolds (SOS) were carried out to establish their ‘health status’. Educational achievement tests for Mathematics and English were administered to check their educational status.The results of the multilevel analysis showed that HAZ, WAZ and BMI were positively related to both English and Mathematics performance. HAZ was only positively related to mathematical performance and SOS was not related to educational achievement at all. Furthermore, age and gender only marginally influenced the observed relationships.The study recommends that other factors such as socio-economic status and learning environment should be looked into to find out whether these factors influence the observed relationships.  相似文献   

Teachers as change agents in making teaching inclusive in some selected rural schools of Limpopo Province,South Africa: implications for teacher education     

Mahlapahlapana Themane  Hlabathi Rebecca Thobejane 《International Journal of Inclusive Education》2013,17(4):369-383

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on teachers as change agents to implement inclusive education in some rural secondary schools in South Africa. The study followed a qualitative case study research methodology. Eight teachers were recruited to form part of the study through a purposive sampling strategy. Data were collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. The study found that: (a) teachers were resilient in the face of lack of resources to implement inclusive education, (b) teachers did their best despite lack of capacity to implement inclusive education, (c) teachers showed the willingness to effect change, and (d) when they collaborated with others, they achieved more. These findings have at least four implications for teacher education: One that institutions should train teachers to survive with meagre resources. Two, professional development initiatives should be planned to capacitate teachers on inclusive education. Three, teacher education institutions should develop programmes that include models of teacher agency such as the one displayed by these teachers. Four, teacher education should develop programmes that teach teachers how to collaborate with parents and other stakeholders to make inclusive education possible.  相似文献   

Transforming Schools in Low-Resourced Communities into Enabling Environments by Adjusting the Curriculum     

Mahlapahlapana J. Themane 《Africa Education Review》2019,16(6):82-93

Abstract

Low-resourced communities across the world face chronic and cumulative adversity that often lacks clear solutions. This adversity manifests itself in various institutions including schools. Professional resources to address this adversity, for example, bullying, poor academic performance, teenage pregnancy, inclusivity, in low-resourced communities, and elsewhere, are insufficient or undermine community partnerships by being highly individualised and disenabling. In this article, the author argues that so far interventions to close the achievement gap in dysfunctional schools have not been at the curriculum level. To address this gap, he proposes the use of the relationship-resourced resilience (RRR) model developed by Liesel Ebersöhn as generative theory. The theory posits that disadvantaged communities can make a difference if the curriculum is sufficiently flexible to accommodate community partnerships. In this article, he argues for a flexible curriculum that accommodates members of the community and teachers as co-creators of knowledge rather than mere transmitters and customers of knowledge.  相似文献