The 2015 TIMSS Grade 9 study was administered in August 2015 by a team of researchers at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). This was the fifth time that South Africa has participated in TIMSS since 1995. In addition to the learner assessment data, the study also collected contextual information from learners, teachers and school principals, making it possible to explore the factors that are related to Grade 9 mathematics and science achievement. This report was written to provide some perspective about how the results of international assessments can be used to provide meaningful national insights. Sections of the report bring together the main findings based on descriptive, inferential and psychometric analysis of the data. The report concludes with recommendations of how the results relate to policy and practice for improving educational quality.

The 2015 TIMSS Grade 5 study was administered for the first time in South Africa in August 2015. The study was led by a team of researchers at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Providing the first, nationally representative, internationally comparative compendium of data on Grade 5 learners in South Africa, the report is a new indicator of the health of our educational system. The analyses describe in detail the current picture of achievement for learners in the country, highlighting key individual, family, school and provincial differences. The results also include key developments concerning preschool attendance, early learning environments, as well as the importance of educational expectations and academic beliefs, and the damaging effects of bullying. The findings highlight the importance of early achievement and the need to understand the multiple layers of influence on educational pathways, with the conclusions and recommendations highlighting an unequal, yet treatable system. The Grade 5 study sits alongside the Grade 9 study which has been carried out in South Africa since 1995, recently completing its fifth round.

The world is not an equal place. There are high- and low-income countries and high- and low-income households. For each group, there are differential educational opportunities, leading to differential educational outcomes and differential labor market opportunities. This pattern often reproduces the privileges and inequalities of groups in a society. This book explores this differentiation in education from a social justice lens. Comparing the United States and South Africa, this book analyzes each country's developmental thinking on education, from human capital and human rights approaches, in both primary and higher education. The enclosed contributions draw from different disciplines including legal studies, sociology, psychology, computer science and public policy.

This book addresses many of the key themes that are seen as challenges to achieve sustainability and to mitigate climate change impacts in the near future, in the tourism sector. In particular it focuses on the economic drivers for growth in tourism as they relate to sustainable development, low-carbon travel and climate change impacts. A major feature is the integration of climate change and sustainability challenges, rather than treating them separately or with sustainability as an add-on. The first group of chapters addresses conceptual issues concerning the relationships between sustainability, climate change and tourism. The second section considers regional, national and international responses and initiatives, including those of agencies such as UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, and the UK's South West Tourism. The third part provides a range of investigative research, including topics such as air travel and coral reef tourism, and case studies from locations such as southern Africa, Scandinavia and the Pacific islands. Other research dimensions discussed in the book are drawn from Brazil, Hawaii, England, Australia and New Zealand. Overall, the book focuses on some of the most crucial challenges facing tourism in developed and developing countries.

The concept of the green economy has now entered mainstream policy debates and been endorsed by a range of United Nations and other organizations. The Rio+20 UN conference specifically draw attention to the green economy approach in the context of sustainable development to move away from business-as-usual practices, act to end poverty, address environmental destruction and build a bridge to the sustainable future. It is increasingly recognized that the tourism sector can make a major contribution to the green economy through more sustainable practices, climate change mitigation and ecotourism. The role of tourism sector will continue to be crucial in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda too. However, there are ambiguities about how tourism and allied industries can maximize their contribution to human well-being and ensure environmentally sustainability, embracing issues of political economy, geography and ethics.

In this context, this book provides consensus about what the green economy entails, what role tourism can play in a green economy, early responses from many countries, on-going and emerging research initiatives that will enable tourism s transition to a green economy. The chapters address three key themes: understanding the Green Economy concept and the role of tourism; responses and initiatives in greening tourism; and emerging techniques and research implications. A wide range of case studies from around the world and in different contexts is included, to demonstrate the extent of the challenge and range of opportunities for the tourism industry."

It argues that the main purpose of educational research is to improve student learning, and that international comparative studies are no exception.

The concept of the green economy has now entered mainstream policy debates and been endorsed by a range of United Nations and other organizations. The Rio+20 UN conference specifically drew attention to the green economy approach in the context of sustainable development to move away from business-as-usual practices, act to end poverty, address environmental destruction and build a bridge to the sustainable future. It is increasingly recognized that the tourism sector can make a major contribution to the green economy through more sustainable practices, climate change mitigation and ecotourism. The role of tourism sector will continue to be crucial in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda too. However, there are ambiguities about how tourism and allied industries can maximize their contribution to human well-being and ensure environmentally sustainability, embracing issues of political economy, geography and business ethics. In this context, this book provides consensus about what the green economy entails, what role tourism can play in a green economy, early responses from many countries, on-going and emerging research initiatives that will enable tourism's transition to a green economy. The chapters address three key themes: understanding the Green Economy concept and the role of tourism; responses and initiatives in greening tourism; and emerging techniques and research implications. A wide range of case studies from around the world and in different contexts is included to demonstrate the extent of the challenge and range of opportunities for the tourism industry.

The world is not an equal place. There are high- and low-income countries and high- and low-income households. For each group, there are differential educational opportunities, leading to differential educational outcomes and differential labor market opportunities. This pattern often reproduces the privileges and inequalities of groups in a society. This book explores this differentiation in education from a social justice lens. Comparing the United States and South Africa, this book analyzes each country's developmental thinking on education, from human capital and human rights approaches, in both primary and higher education. The enclosed contributions draw from different disciplines including legal studies, sociology, psychology, computer science and public policy.

This book addresses many of the key themes that are seen as challenges to achieve sustainability and to mitigate climate change impacts in the near future, in the tourism sector. In particular it focuses on the economic drivers for growth in tourism as they relate to sustainable development, low-carbon travel and climate change impacts. A major feature is the integration of climate change and sustainability challenges, rather than treating them separately or with sustainability as an add-on. The first group of chapters addresses conceptual issues concerning the relationships between sustainability, climate change and tourism. The second section considers regional, national and international responses and initiatives, including those of agencies such as UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, and the UK's South West Tourism. The third part provides a range of investigative research, including topics such as air travel and coral reef tourism, and case studies from locations such as southern Africa, Scandinavia and the Pacific islands. Other research dimensions discussed in the book are drawn from Brazil, Hawaii, England, Australia and New Zealand. Overall, the book focuses on some of the most crucial challenges facing tourism in developed and developing countries.

South Africa has participated in a number of local and international achievement studies in the field of education over the last 20 years and responses to the results have been somewhat mixed. Critics argue that participation in international assessments is a pointless exercise because of the slow pace of improvement in South African education. Supporters point out that international assessment results can be useful at many different levels of policy and planning, especially when studies are repeated across time. The purpose of this book is to provide a measured assessment of what has been achieved in South African education over the last 20 years based on the evidence provided by Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMMS), to redefine what 'good' progress means in light of South Africa's developmental pathway and to recommend what evidence based interventions can be considered as the next realistic steps in South Africa's educational development.