The philosophy of pharmaceutical care, which defines a patient-centred approach to practice, has been embraced and upheld by national and international pharmaceutical organisations for two decades. However, pharmacists have been slow to change their practice and implement a pharmaceutical care approach. It has been suggested that amongst other factors, short-comings in pharmaceutical education have contributed to this reluctance of the profession to transform practice. Efforts to address these short-comings in pharmaceutical education have focused on the curriculum and pedagogic practices, and not on the pharmacy educators themselves. Palmer (1998) asserts that “good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher”. In essence, "we teach who we are" and good teachers have one common trait: “a strong sense of personal identity that infuses their work”. This study identified, described and analysed the self-perceived professional identities of pharmacy educators within the South African context. This included ascertaining factors and contexts which contributed to participants’ self-perception of their professional identity. In an effort to understand the influence the educators have on practice and on changing practice and vice-versa, the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of participants regarding the philosophy and practice of pharmaceutical care, and pharmaceutical education were also explored. Situated within a constructivist-interpretive, qualitative paradigm and making use of methodological triangulation, this study was conducted in three phases, each employing a different qualitative method to collect data. The first phase made use of narrative analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of pharmacy educators’ perceived professional identities and to explore how their experiences, across various contexts, have formed their professional identities. In-depth individual narrative interviews were used to provide a forum in which the participants could reflect upon and tell their professional life-story. This phase of the study also made use of the exploration of metaphors to further investigate the participants’ professional identity and, more particularly, their images of themselves as “teacher” and role model for students. A maximum variation, purposeful sampling approach was used to recruit eight pharmacy academics - one from each school or faculty of pharmacy in South Africa, as participants in this phase of the study. The second and third phases explored more widely, the insights gained from the first phase and the formation of professional identity, attitudes, beliefs and practices of pharmacy educators in South Africa. Two focus groups were employed during the second phase and the study sample was broadened to include a further ten pharmacy educators. In the third phase, a purpose-designed, qualitative questionnaire was used to extend the study sample to all pharmacy educators in South Africa. A convenience sampling approach was used in both the second and third phases of the study. Thematic analysis and interpretation of the narrative interview and focus group transcripts and the questionnaire responses were conducted using qualitative data analysis software – Atlas.ti®. A multiplicity of self-perceived professional identities was described. However, all of these were multi-faceted and could be situated on a continuum between pharmacist identity on one end and academic identity on the other. In addition, six key determinants were recognised as underpinning the participants’ self-perception of their professional identity. These included three structural determinants: expected role; knowledge base; and practice, and three determinants relating to the emotional dimensions and agency of professional identity: professional status; passions; and satisfiers. The professional identity of the participants had been formed through membership of multiple pharmacy-related communities of practice and continued to be sustained through a nexus of multi-membership. There was extensive support by the participants for the concept of pharmaceutical care; however, it did not impact extensively on their role as pharmacy educators. Furthermore, many expressed concern around the use of the term ‘pharmaceutical care’: its definition; its lack of penetration into, and implementation within the practice environment; and even its relevance to the South African healthcare context. Many of the participants perceived the professional development of future pharmacists to be integral to their role as educators, and was often their source of greatest professional satisfaction. However, concern was also expressed at the dissonance that students were perceived to experience, sometimes, because of the incongruities that they are taught and what they experience in practice. This study has afforded pharmacy educators in South Africa an opportunity to understand better “who” they are as professionals, and to reflect on their role as educators and as role models for future pharmacist. Moreover, the findings contribute to a collective understanding of the professional identity of pharmacy educators and socialisation of pharmacy students into the profession. The insights and recommendations emerging from the study have the potential to make academic pharmacy a more attractive career choice which may have positive implications for the future attraction and retention of pharmacists to academic posts within universities.

Arts and humanities programming is becoming increasingly incorporated in the medical school, balancing the biomedical paradigm, and nurturing human and emotional qualities and understandings in medical students. Music is often listed among these arts and humanities disciplines; yet there exists an acknowledged gap in the literature pertaining to musical activities and programming in the medical school, despite the prevalence of choirs, a cappella groups, small instrumental ensembles, and musical theatre programs in medical schools. Literature on choirs, musical ensemble, and community music suggests that choral singing can cultivate many of the intra and interpersonal skills that medical humanities programming encourages, such as empathy, cooperation, self-awareness, and human connection. Within the medical humanities, music has been tied to metaphors of “medicine as a performing art” or “the art of listening,” but very little literature exists delving into the actual musical experience of medical students. Drawing from medical humanities, community music, and education theory, and shaped by the metaphor of musical and emotional ‘resonance,’ this phenomenological study explores the relationships between choral singing and medical scholarship. Through semi-structured interviews, the primary goal of this inquiry was to develop in-depth understandings of the experiences of medical students singing as members of a musical community of practice: an extra-curricular medical school choir at a Canadian university. Findings indicate that choir is an informal, non-medical venue where students can engage with their musical identity during medical school; that choral singing can offer a means of stress-relief and creative outlet, mitigating symptoms of student burnout; and that engagement in the choir builds meaningful relationships and a supportive, connected community. Moreover, this study describes the role of music and choral singing in medical humanities and medical education, as well as suggests how involvement in a medical school choir may influence a medical student’s professional identity formation.

This research aims to achieve a better understanding of interventions in the trajectories of practices. It is based on a case study of transport cycling in Santiago de Chile. The research uses a practice approach combined with concepts from Science and Technology Studies in order to explore the practice of transport cycling and examine interventions aimed at increasing the modal share of cycling in Santiago. The research is based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, participant observation, photography and document analysis. While transport cycling is a recognisable practice in Santiago, it is also the site of several conflicts. The stigmatisation of cycling in its recent history as mode of transport for the most marginalised part of the urban population is challenged by new images of cycling as environmentally-friendly, healthy mode of transport for young professionals. As cycling becomes more popular, conflicts over the location of cycling emerge with motorists as well as pedestrians. Finally, different performances and understandings of cycling have generated conflicts among the urban transport cyclists. By focusing on relations between practices, the research thereby brings to the forefront the contested nature of practices which has so far been underemphasised in practice research. The research then focuses on interventions in the trajectory of urban transport cycling in Santiago, how they are developed and how they take effect. The research identifies two categories of interventions: building practice and growing practice. Building practice is the government-led provision of material infrastructure for cycling, while growing practice is led by civil society and includes a variety of small-scale interventions in the everyday engagement in the practice. The research argues that building practice produces infrastructure which is developed within the dominant system of automobility and is shaped by and reflects the inherent conflicts of the practice. Growing practice interventions are shaped by the core of the community of practice. They do not only provide targeted support for individuals, but more importantly contribute to the creation of a community of practice. This research aims to contribute to practice research by proposing a relational perspective for the analysis of practices, which emphasises five relational dimensions of practice: the individual situated experience of the performance in which meaning is created, the socio-technical system in which the practice is embedded, the relations between co-existing practices which bring to the forefront the contested nature of practices, the material infrastructure which emerges from the socio-technical system and shapes the performance of the practice, and finally the community of practice which constitutes practice and may be able to grow practice.

There is a well-established ‘achievement gap’ in medical education, with ‘ethnic minority’ students achieving less well in examinations than their white counterparts. The processes underlying this difference are currently unknown. Most research to date has taken a student-deficit approach, suggesting that lower performing students lack the cognitive or cultural capacity of their higher achieving peers. These models have so far failed to explain the variation in achievement by ethnicity. In order to address this gap in the literature and further our understanding of ethnic minority students’ underachievement, this thesis takes a sociocultural approach to the problem. It addresses two research questions: firstly, how does ethnicity impact on medical school achievement? Secondly, how do social networks affect achievement? This research uses qualitative interviews (n=33 medical students), quantitative survey methods and social network analysis (n=160 medical students) to explore ethnicity and the achievement gap within medical education. Sociocultural theories of learning, specifically concepts from communities of practice and Pierre Bourdieu are employed in the design and analysis phases. This thesis demonstrates that medical students’ achievement is best conceptualised as part of a wider learning trajectory toward becoming a doctor. Relationships are important channels through which the resources and support can flow, these in turn facilitate learning and achievement. Lower achieving students are less well connected to their PBL peers and have fewer tutors or clinicians in their network. The medical world has a tightly prescribed, yet often hidden, set of legitimate dispositions; students must learn to embody these norms, values and behaviours in order to succeed. This process relies on experiences of participation, facilitated by relationships with peers and seniors. Socialisation is clearly mediated by culture. Ethnic minority students, due to their differing cultural practices and identities, have fewer experiences of participation, often experience the medical domain as outsiders and find it harder to interact with tutors and clinicians. This is reflected in their social networks as some minority students have fewer seniors in their network. These factors interact to cut ethnic minority students off from potential and actual resources that facilitate learning and achievement. If the situation is to be improved, medical schools must do more to acknowledge the extra difficulties many ‘ethnic minority’ students face in becoming an insider. Processes of identification and participation must be supported as these students negotiate the extra distance and tensions between their home world and those of medical education and medicine.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This study explores the relationship between knowledge creation and organisational and managerial control. I explore how organisational control impacts, influences, shapes, fashions and lay the foundation for the creation of the various types of knowledge within a research organisation. In particular, the aim of the study is to explore the influence that organisational control systems have on knowledge workers' capacity to generate new research knowledge. The literature on knowledge management reveals that there has been a lot of focus on knowledge creation. However, from my review of the literature there have not been sufficient research studies that explore organisational control mechanisms in facilitating or inhibiting the creation of knowledge. In addressing the research problem, this study intends to explore this gap. From an organisational control aspect, I draw on the Foucauldian toolbox using disciplinary power, pastoral power, and technologies of the self. Thereafter I develop a conceptual model in which I integrate knowledge creation and organisational control mechanisms. The research approach that I employed is a qualitative approach. In particular, I adopted a case study research design. Data was primarily collected using interviews and observation. Data analysis was conducted using a thematic approach. The research site was a national research company with their head office in Cape Town. All individuals within the organisation, including the managing director were comprehensively interviewed. From the data analysis, using the conceptual model I formulated, I made the claim that mechanisms of organisational and managerial control aided and facilitated certain modes of knowledge creation. Furthermore, the findings highlighted that employees acknowledged that organisational and managerial practices aided them in producing knowledge. The data analysis further confirmed the explanatory power of my conceptual model. The original model was structured on the premise that a particular organisational mechanism was dominate for each of the various stages in the knowledge creation process. The data provided evidence that all organisational control mechanism overlapped for each of the knowledge creation processes and therefore the model was re-worked. However, due to certain limitations, more research in this field is required to be able to explore further the nature of the relationship between knowledge creation and organisational control practices.

The integrated pedagogy in Alcoholics Anonymous as a community of practice In this paper I have studied the integrated pedagogy in Alcoholics Anonymous using Wenger’s theoretical model of communities of practice and from a point of view of situated learning. Focus has been on recovery from alcohol addiction as a process of social identity change where learning is seen as an appropriation of artefacts by an interaction between participation and reification which leads to a higher level of competence and a change in identity. A diversity of methods has been used such as text analysis of printed material from AA in combination with direct observations at AA-meetings and qualitative interviews with long-time, high intensity participants in the AA-community. The results indicate that Alcoholics Anonymous has a powerful pedagogic system in which a whole of norms, principles and stories are represented in all its parts. The interviewed participants report similar changes in identity and capacity to function in life, despite the differences between them in background as well as in which part of the specific activities in AA they focused on during their trajectory in AA. The study has limitations though all the participants are long-time sober members with a strong identification as members of AA and consequently not representative for the cohort of attenders at AA. The background search for literature makes it clear that the phenomenon of Alcoholics Anonymous is practically not studied from a pedagogical perspective which opens possibilities for future research.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / There has been a global transformation of higher education institutions (HEls) in response to a wave of dynamic education sector reforms; specifically, this is related to the adoption of educational technologies to enhance teaching-and-learning practices, education management, research and administration. This situation has placed a strain on HEls in South Africa and elsewhere, due to changing societal expectations, the inevitable integration of technology, and specifically eLearning into traditional interventions; and at the same time, the increasing pressure on practitioners to deliver quality education. Equally important, the question arises whether Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is indeed constructively impacting teaching-and-learning practices. Consequently, a need has arisen for ePedagogy training and support for academics and students within challenging, complex HE settings. Within this context, the research has endeavoured to position the eLearning discourse within a global perspective; as well as to explore the theoretical underpinnings which impact the application of learning, and specifically eLearning. In particular, the merging of learning theories; different teaching and learning approaches, and technology that enables the creation of effective eLearning models and provides a more structured approach to the implementation of eLearning, were studied. Building on this theoretical basis, the importance and content of models within the discourse have highlighted the recent emphasis on the delivery of quality education. The principal thrust of this research was, therefore, to highlight the main developmental phases towards the creation of an Integrated eLearning model to influence organisational cultural change in Higher Education Institutions. The research was built on an in-depth case study of a large HEL namely: the University of the Western Cape (UWC), over the period September 2005 to October 2011. This explorative, longitudinal study was undertaken because of the numerous "unsuccessful" or "incomplete" eLearning implementations in developing countries, as well as the many challenges faced by academics. As a result, the study explored the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of eLearning within the empirical setting of UWC, a complex higher education environment. This has been an accumulative exercise that started shortly before the establishment of the E-Learning Development and Support Unit (EDSU) and the 'el.earning Awareness Campaign' - reflecting on the deployment of a non-coercive approach to the implementation of el.earning and its impact on the organisational culture of the institution. The result was the development of an Online Course Creation model, which forms the core of phase 1 (September 2005 - December 2006) of the case study. Subsequently, phase 2 (January 2007 - August 2008) of the case study showcased gaps in the Online Course Creation model and emphasised that eLearning implementation in a complex higher education setting should go beyond thefocus on ePedagogy with regard to effective online course creation. Hence, this second phase of the case study involved the development of a revised eLearning model, the Inclusive ePedagogy model. Consequently, phase 3 (September 2008 - October 2011) of the case study highlighted the main developmental stages implemented in the creation of a final Integrated el.earning model, and discussed how these integrated factors contribute to the implementation of eLearning, and ultimately, influence the organisational cultural change within UWC. Interaction with various stakeholders during the phases of the study included interviews and questionnaires. As a result thereof, the research reflected on the exponential growth of eLearning; improved attitudes and mindsets; strategic commitment for the infusion of technology and ePedagogy; and the institutional teaching and learning strategy. On the other hand, these results are in stark contrast to the lack of management in the development of the home-grown Open Source platform, coupled with intermittent access to internet connectivity. This shortcoming has often hindered online teaching and learning initiatives and support processes. Furthermore, the research has indicated how educational technology has positively impacted on prevailing communities of practice, and has even led to sound practices, such as sharing online courses/modules within the institution and with the global community. The escalating numbers of students seeking eLearning training and support have been supported by blended eLearning approaches. These approaches reflect the importance of integrated curriculum design. Moreover, the presented Integrated eLearning model, shows that 'eLearning success' can never be claimed, but is rather a process undergirded by a dedicated support team committed to continuous eLearning marketing, together with the review of processes within dynamic, complex higher education settings. Equally important, eLearning implementation within a HEI inherently impacts the organisational cultural changes. This is not just a once-off event, as it entails the difficult task of changing mindsets toward the use of new pedagogies, in order to supplement traditional instruction. At the same time, considering people-development processes; as well as organisational issues, which include peoples' perceptions at different times of the eLearning continuum, is presented as various factors, which contribute to the successful implementation of eLearning. The most important factors contributing to successful eLearning implementation, as established through the research, and also incorporated into the proposed Integrated eLearning Model are: the provision of holistic online activities; integrated institutional ICT infrastructure and systems; the support of educators and students; the necessary positive attitude by lecturers to take a hands-on role in the application of blended eLearning practices - aligned to research - and the contribution to the knowledge era; the importance of communities of practice within and outside the institution; the need for motivated formal leadership and educators to take ownership of the development of aligned, integrated curriculum strategies supportive of emergent educational technologies; continuous commitment to eLearning support, and quality-assurance processes; sustainable eLearning change management and marketing strategies; as well as crucial integrated professional leadership, management and support of the elements of the Integrated eLearning model.

In this thesis I discuss workplace learning during international assignments in a variety of work sectors. In addition to normal adjustments to a new workplace, foreign language acquisition and cultural adaptation are necessary. By collecting and analyzing narratives of a group of Swedish professionals with international work assignments, I have found some regularities and variations of workplace learning as well as some significant effects that these assignments had on their identity. Recommendations are given to providers of preparatory courses for international work assignments as well as sending organizations and employers. The main finding is that workplace learning for international workers follows a trajectory starting already long before departure and continues throughout different phases of the assignment. It also has effects on work life after the return to one’s home culture. The learning resulting from the work assignment affected all areas of life (not only work life) and contributed towards an intercultural identity. This kind of assignment often included networking with several organizations and groups of people of varying nationalities. Instead of working towards becoming full members of one work community, the participants in this study often found themselves in the peripheries of multiple ones. This peripheral albeit influential situation provided many opportunities for learning, both for the individual and the groups they work with. In this way, these international workers have the potential to be agents of change and development in all work communities they relate to.

Die zunehmende Digitalisierung der akademischen Bildungslandschaft findet auch in der Musikerziehung ihre Anwendungen. Musiziert wird traditionell in Wissensgemeinschaften (communities of practice, CoPs), wo das Zusammenspiel von Reifizierung des Wissens und Nutzung der so entstehenden kulturellen Artefakte die Hauptaspekte des Lernens darstellen (Wenger, 1999). Vor diesem Hintergrund wird angenommen, dass kulturelle Artefakte im Mittelpunkt der Praxis einer virtuellen Musikschule stehen. Allerdings liegen in der Forschungsliteratur noch zu wenig Erkenntnisse über den Umgang mit Artefakten und den darauf bezogenen Medieneinfluss vor, deshalb behandelt die vorliegende Studie folgende Fragestellungen: (1) Wie gehen Musiker mit kulturellen Artefakten (hier: gedrucktes Notenmaterial) in der sozialen Praxis der Wissensgemeinschaft um? (2) Welchen Einfluss hat die mediierende Kommunikationstechnologie darauf? Eine empirische, qualitative Untersuchung umfasst mehrere Fallstudien, in denen Musiker die Interpretation eines gregorianischen Chorals untereinander abstimmen. Dabei werden die Expertise und der Bekanntschaftsgrad der Beteiligten sowie das Kommunikationsmedium variiert. Die Ergebnisse weisen auf einen erhöhten Aufwand hin, der für die Aushandlung des gemeinsamen Wissenshintergrunds im Umgang mit dem kulturellen Artefakt notwendig ist. Dieser kann allerdings von der Expertise und Medienkompetenz der Beteiligten kompensiert werden. Dies deutet auf die Machbarkeit einer virtuellen Musikschule hin, in der das Lernen durch gemeinsame Praxis in Wissensgemeinschaften stattfindet.

Die zunehmende Nutzung der digitalen Medien im Rahmen des universitären Bildungsmanagements ist mit neuen Arbeitsweisen verknüpft. Dafür brauchen Hochschulmitarbeiter, Doktoranden und Studierende vielfältige Kompetenzen, die technisches Wissen und Können einschließen und im formellen Rahmen nicht vollständig abgedeckt werden können. Als Alternative zur Unterstützung durch spezialisierte Einrichtungen (wie z.B. IT-Helpdesks) bietet sich die gemeinsame Wissenskonstruktion und -kommunikation in der akademischen Wissensgemeinschaft an. Dabei stellt sich allerdings die Frage, inwieweit und unter welchen Bedingungen die mediengestützten, kulturellen Artefakte wie FAQ-Sammlungen, die diese Lernprozesse unterstützen können, von den Akteuren akzeptiert werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt zunächst einen theoretischen Hintergrund der Wissenskommunikation in Wissensgemeinschaften vor. Dieser umfasst zum einen den Community of Practice-Ansatz (Lave & Wenger, 1991) und zum anderen die Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis, 2003). Daraus wird ein Forschungsmodell abgeleitet, das die Zusammenhänge zwischen der Akzeptanz von mediengestützten kulturellen Artefakten, der Partizipation in der Wissensgemeinschaft und der Bereitschaft zur Wissenskommunikation erklärt. Anschließend wird das Modell durch eine empirische Studie überprüft. Auf theoretischer Ebene trägt die Studie zur Annäherung der Medienakzeptanztheorien an die Perspektive des situierten Lernens bei. Als medienpädagogische Konsequenz bietet das Modell Ansatzpunkte zur Förderung der Wissenskommunikation in akademischen Wissensgemeinschaften.