Assessment Criteria
Criteria 1: The impact and significance of the engagement activity
The project in its current form has run since January 2010 as a three year intervention strategy for two cohorts of 22 and
27 schools respectively and most of what was planned was underpinned by findings and experiences of a projects
funded by Absa and the Hermann Ohlthaver Trust in 2008 and 2009. Much of the impact of these activities were realised
in 2010 and 2011.
During these two years the impact and significance of the project is signified by:
* The close working relationship developed with the Department of Education (see names in Contacts section)
* Working with a core group of 49 schools and 600 teachers, plus engaging with schools which were not originally on the
designated list (click here for a list that indicate some of the aspects, names and schools) at their request.
* Strategic planning sessions and follow-up support for all schools in the Sundays River Valley area of the
Uitenhage school district at the request of the DoE (click here for an example of a SWOT analysis for a school
AND here for a proposed collective action plan). A SWOT analysis was conducted on each school in the Sundays River
Valley in collaboration with the staff and action plans were created similar to the examples indicated by the
links above.
* The retention and pass rates of teachers on the various programmes offered (click here)
* The nature and effect of the action research projects which were produced by the schools and the innovative
responses to meet the challenges that they raised (click here)
* The measures of improved management, teaching and learning in the schools (click here)
* Establishing ‘line of site’ internet connection to eight schools (five of the schools were equipped with 20 computers
each via an earlier linked project, and three schools which already had computer facilities
* The success of the ‘Promoting Physical Activity in Schools’ intervention (click here).
* The research studies that underpinned and/or emanated from the project, viz. five PhD studies and four masters
studies (Click here to view MEds and PhDs)
* The six articles in accredited journals and eight papers published in conference proceedings (click here to view
accredited papers AND click here for conference proceedings papers). The earlier papers listed emanated
from previous projects and underpinned the current project (all emanated from similar engagement activities)
* The five SLPs and four non formal programmes developed and their accompanying materials for
example Mathematical Reasoning SLP AND Scientific Literacy SLP
The activities of the project contribute to the NMMU vision of being a values-driven university optimising the potential
of our education communities by contributing to their transformation and development in terms of their needs. The
action research approach enabled self-determination of needs by the participants while the science, mathematics and
literacy aspects of the project are responses to national imperatives. Together with the SLP and non-formal programme
development activities, as well as the research studies undertaken, support the NMMU’s mission to be both an engaged
university that serves the needs of its diverse communities and which provides academic and support staff access to
research and community engagement projects. The project contributes to understandings of better school management
and administration, as well as in teaching and learning. The supported research components of the project have led to
increased research quality and productivity, developing the research capacity of staff and students, and a broader
conceptualization of research, and scholarship.
The focus of the project on schools in poor and disadvantaged communities and by researching language and learning
and disciplinary literacies in the sciences, particularly when learning takes place in a second-language, and by
considering the role, value, implementation and articulation of indigenous knowledge in teaching and learning within
the demarcations of science and technology, supports the NMMU’s vision of being “a dynamic African university,
recognised for its leadership in generating cutting-edge knowledge for a sustainable future”, as well as its mission “to
provide a vibrant, stimulating and richly diverse environment that enables staff and students to reach their full
potential”.
The project specifically aims at contributing to more functional schools in a province where a large percentage of
schools are known for their dysfunctional nature. The project activities are directly related to providing a better
schooling experience for not only the children and teachers who, at all school levels, were influenced by the
intervention, but also for those yet to be touched by future application of what has been learned from the exercise.