Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-127).

What has come to be labelled as 'the environment crisis' has roots in the structures and orientations of modern societies. True to our modernist ways we call on, or offer, education and research, experts and science, to address our socio-ecological concerns. This study set out to identify research priorities in environmental education from within the institutional setting of a university and within the context of environmental and political change in southern Africa and epistemological shifts in educational research traditions. The emergent research design allowed for a progressive clarification of theoretical vantage point: from an instrumental listing of priorities, through the participatory development of a critical and consensual framework for research, to a reflexive description of a landscape of shifting priorities. I collected data over a 3-year period, in inter alia 38 semi-structured interviews, workshops with some 150 participants, focus group discussions, documents and conferences. Participants' professional contexts included environmental education, natural resource management, social and biophysical sciences, development, formal and non-formal education, funding agencies, academic and non-academic settings. My engagement with the emerging discourses revealed patterns and inconsistencies in participants' views on research, environmental education, change and research priorities. I identified three orientations - Research for Management to Restore Order to Nature and Society, Research to Resolve Practitioners' and Communities' Problems, and Research for Radical Reconstruction - in the emerging landscape. These orientations were accompanied by change models and themes (discourses of difference and 'othering', instrumental views of education and research and accumulative knowledge, a conceptual theory-practice gap) which limited their potential for transformation towards sustainable living. They presented solutions cut from the same modernist cloth as the environment crisis. An emerging Reflexive perspective in and on environmental education research showed potential as a transitionary orientation outside modernist assumptions. I outline research priorities from this perspective. Reflexivity reveals the myths of expert-driven, instrumental and institutionalised research separated from environmental education and based upon rationalistic interpretations of science. It opens up possibilities for transformative knowledge emerging from 're-search' based versions of education as a process of, rather than a means to, social change.

This study set out to investigate the learning and change that emerged in and through participatory mapping in the context of biocultural diversity and resilience in rural Ethiopia. It did this through examining the learning and agency emerging from three participatory mapping practices (Participatory 3 Dimensional Modelling, sketch mapping and eco-cultural calendars) using two case study sites, located in the Bale Mountains and the Foata Mountains in Ethiopia, and honing in on in-depth reflective processes in two community contexts located within the broader case study sites, namely Horo Soba, Dinsho wereda in Bale; and Telecho, in Wolmera wereda, in the Foata Mountain complex. This study tried to answer three research questions related to participatory mapping: its role in mobilizing knowledge related to biocultural landscape, its role in learning and change, and its value in building resilience. The study used qualitative case study research methodology underpinned by critical realist philosophy, and used photographic ‘cues’ to structure the reporting on the cases. It used four categories of analysis: biocultural diversity, educational processes, learning and agency, in the first instance to report on the interactions associated with the participatory mapping practices as they emerged in the two case study sites. This was followed by in-depth analysis and interpretation of participatory mapping and biocultural diversity, as well as participatory mapping and learning, with an emphasis on acquisition, meaning making and identity formation processes. The in-depth analysis drew on social and learning theory, and theory of biocultural diversity and social-ecological resilience. The study also included analysis of broader change processes that were related to and emerged from the social interactions in the mapping activities, and the resultant morphogenesis (change), showing that morphogenesis, while broadly temporal, is not linear, and involves ‘little iterative morphogenic cycles’. These insights were then used to interpret how participatory mapping may contribute to resilience building in a context where social-ecological resilience is increasingly required, such as the two case study sites, where socialecological degradation is highly visible and is occurring rapidly. The study’s contribution to new knowledge lies in relation to the role of participatory mapping in facilitating learning, agency and change which, to date, appears to be under-theorised and under-developed in the participatory mapping and environmental education literature. As such, the study findings provide in-depth insight into how participatory mapping methodologies may ‘work in the world’, in contexts such as those presented in the two cases under study. It has tried to demonstrate how participatory mapping has managed to mobilize knowledge related to biocultural diversity, facilitated the acquisition of knowledge and helped members of the community to engage in meaning making activities relevant to their biocultural landscape and renegotiate their identity within the wider community context. It has also shown that dissonance is an important dynamic in the learning process; and that morphogenesis (or change) occurs over time, but also in smaller cycles that interact at different levels; and that participatory mapping cannot, by itself mobilise significant structural change, at least in the short term. It has also shown, however, that learning and the desire for change can emerge from participatory mapping processes, and that this can be utilized to adapt to the changing socio-ecological environments, potentially contributing to longer term resilience of social-ecological systems.

Behavioral data are frequently plagued with highly intercorrelated variables. Collinearity is an indication of insufficient information in the model or in the data. It, therefore, contributes to the unreliability of the estimated coefficients. One result of collinearity is that regression weights derived in one sample may lead to poor prediction in another model. One technique which was developed to deal with highly intercorrelated independent variables is ridge regression. It was first proposed by Hoerl and Kennard in 1970 as a method which would allow the data analyst to both stabilize his estimates and improve upon his squared error loss. The problem of this study was the application of ridge regression in the analysis of data resulting from educational research.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master’s in Education (MEd) in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / Most learners whose home language is not English encounter mounting challenges when learning English as an additional language in schools. Navigating the learning discourses of such learners’ impact on instructional time. Efficient utilization of instructional time is crucial, as it is the time teachers spend teaching knowledge, concepts, and skills pertaining to school subjects. However, studies have shown that the amount of instructional time is diminished by interruptive activities, herein referred to as non-academic incidences. Non-academic incidences tend to obstruct the efficient enactment of lessons. The thesis investigated the extent to which non-academic incidences impact on instructional time during the teaching of English First Additional Language (EFAL), as well as explored how teachers addressed challenges emanating from non-academic incidences. The study utilized qualitative research approaches comprising of classroom observations and a focus group interview. The participants consisted of in-service teachers teaching in under-resourced schools and also enrolled in the Advanced Certificate in Education course at a university in Cape Town. The research identified some of the critical non-academic incidences pertaining specifically to EFAL, including inappropriate use of pedagogic strategies, poor use of code switching and unsuitable teaching exemplars. Other factors consist of the negative attitudes of both teachers and learners towards other learners who are less proficient in English language and possess poor linguistic ability. In addition, non-subject specific non-academic incidences identified included unpreparedness of teachers, teachers’ digression from core lesson, discipline problems in the classroom, lack of school management capability to protect instructional time, lack of EFAL teaching and learning resources, overcrowding, and impact of socio-economic status of learners. This research argues that to reduce non-academic incidences and maximize instructional time requires collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to develop formalized policy guidelines. Educators need training and support to create the uninterrupted atmosphere suitable for learning. Furthermore, educators need to be encouraged to willingly implement tailor-made initiatives to address specific challenges and learners must be motivated to develop a positive attitude towards EFAL. Educators should be provided with teaching aids and specialised learning resources. Even though increasing instructional time is advocated, the cost implication and utilization must be considered. The study could guide educational stakeholders to formulate appropriate policies to enhance efficient utilization of instructional time and also provide insights into the debilitating effects of non-academic incidences on teaching/learning environments.

M.A. (Psychology) / Teenage pregnancies should be understood in terms of a changing of sexual behaviour, slowly evolving over many centuries. In contrast to our modern world, New England puritans in the seventeenth century demanded that the entire community conform to the exemplary moral codes drawn up by the first settlers. Civil magistrates or ministers were responsible for quickly and publicly chastised sexual offenders. One of the sources estimate that in the late 1670's well over one half of the guilty couples involved in premarital pregnancies found themselves convicted and punished. In England the loosening of the popular convention about sexual behaviour was followed by the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 as secularism replaced Puritanism. Observers noted steady but noticeable erosion of church and civil opposition to premarital sexual activity. In Essex County, the number of civil prosecutions dropped and the penalty ranged from corporal punishment to paying a fine. In Middlesex county, Massachusetts, signs of moral irresponsibility in fornication cases increased, starting in the 1660's (Vinovskis, 1988). When prominent church leaders such as Jonathan Edwards in the eighteenth century tried to punish the lax moral standards of their parishioners, they found they could no longer count on the support of their congregations and the rest of the community. Simultaneously with the unwillingness of the civil or church authorities to punish cases of pregnancies, parents gradually lost their ability to persuade their children to marry according to their parent's wishes. In the absence of concerted communal or familial efforts to curb the problem of teenage pregnancy, a general loosening of sexual behaviour occurred among early Americans. Sexual intimacy returned as a normal part of courtship behaviour and practices such as bundling became more common. The promise to marry rather than the marriage itself often led to sexual intercourse amongst couples. As long as the community was not burdened with the financial burden of illegitimate children, citizens tolerated premarital pregnancies. The result was not a breakdown of social mores in the early Republic but a shift in the definition of appropriate behaviour between individuals in love. Shorter (in Vinovskis, 1988) concludes that central in the history of courtship over the past two centuries had been the enormous increase in sexual activity before marriage. Before 1800 it was unlikely that the typical young woman, would have coitus with her partner and certainly not before an engagement had been sealed, and probably not as a fiancee either. After 1800 however the percentage of young women who slept with their boyfriends or fiancees rose steadily. Today it is a common phenomenon.

M.Ed. / This study forms part of a larger ongoing research project on teacher competence and its assessment. The project aims at researching teacher opinion with regard to teacher competence identified by the initial research done by Van der Merwe & Grobler(1995). The areas being researched are teacher competence and competent feedback during and after appraisal. The research project involves research on teacher competence and its appraisal consisting of group research on each of the following factors: The learning environment. Professional commitment. Order and discipline. Educational foundation. Teacher reflection. Cooperative ability. Efficiency. Management style. Competent feedback on the appraisal process consisting of group research on each of the following factors: Transparent feedback. Tactful feedback. Invitational feedback. Cultural sensitivity feedback. Credible feedback. Invitational feedback has been conceptualized to consist of the following four aspects, namely: Respect. Self-Concept. Intentionality.

M.A. (Psychology) / The aim of this study is the development of a career program to promote career maturity in standard eight pupils. In order to achieve the aim of the study a development research model was conceptualised. The model is based on Thomas (1984) four-phase model and consists of the following phases: analysis, design, implementation and evaluation phases. In each of these phases a number of methodologies were conducted to meet the requirements of each phase. In the design phase a deviation was made from Thomas (1984) methodology and the methodologies used by Nel and Nel (1992) was implemented to fit the needs of the study. In the first phase the analysis phase a problem was identified and analyzed by using qualitative and quantitative analysis. In the design phase a practice model was conceptualised which serves as an explication model within which the contents' of the career maturity program could be justified. Out of this explication model and theoretical framework the contents of the programme was determined. In the implementation phase of the research model the program was applied and monitoring evaluation was done by the researcher. The implementing of the programme resulted in a number of modifications of the programme because of certain problems that were picked up by the researcher. The evaluation of the programme fell mainly on monitoring evaluation that was done by the researcher in the implementing of the program. The main finding of the research was that the program does promote career maturity in standard eight pupils but it is necessary to do further research on the impact evaluation of the programme.

No description available.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement of Masters of Accounting degree in Management Accounting, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / This study seeks to provide a guide for a more advanced costing method that is going to provide some cost allocation techniques from a wider range of TVET college specific activities, and that will provide a valuable insight for management of a college. Such a method was achieved through the development of a standard activity dictionary and the functional decomposition of the campus into small divisions as the methods of identifying major activities that are performed at TVET colleges. Thereafter, a conceptual framework for adoption of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) was developed. The main expected contribution to knowledge is represented in the development of conceptual framework for adoption of the ABC system in KwaZulu-Natal TVET colleges and the originality in the current study lies in bridging the gap in the knowledge and understanding of ABC system in education sector. In addition to providing a way to allocate resources more efficiently, ABC can help colleges to determine the best way to meet their goal by monitoring the use of resources in particular activities. The theory that forms the basis of this study is contingency theory. This theory explains how ABC system is contingent upon contingency factors including organisational and behavioural and technical variables. This contingency theory suggests that the adoption of ABC systems within public TVET colleges is depend upon, or at least associated with size of the firm, cost structure, product diversity, training, resistance to change, internal champion support and innovation, top management support, internal resources availability and technical variables. The new model of ABC adoption has been developed in order to examine reasons why the ABC adoption remains low. This study also seeks to establish factors that constitute barriers to ABC. The hand-delivery questionnaire was appropriate for data collection in this study. The census survey undertaken comprised six public TVET colleges at KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Thirty (30) questionnaires were submitted, and thirty (30) questionnaires were returned, generating a 100% responses rate. The quantitative data were processed using a SPSS version 24.0, leading to appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including frequencies, means, standard deviations and chi-squares. Nine factors were identified from the literature, seven were found to be statistically significant associated with ABC adoption. The qualitative research method was also used. The research strategy was embedded with multiple cases studies to validate the results derived from the census survey. This was selected to validate the results derived from census survey. The data were gathered via 10 face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees from top and middle levels of the five TVET colleges. The semi-structured interviews and survey helped the researcher to discovered new ways of identifying activities such as using business process and examining the colleges’ organogram. This study found that public TVET in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are using the Student Based Costing (SBS) and these colleges do not obtain accurate programme costs because they fail to allocate overhead costs to their respective campuses under costing currently in use in these TVET colleges. This study also found that the public TVET colleges in KZN use a uniform cost (number of students) to assign overhead costs to respective programmes. The findings of this study indicated that ABC has not been adopted at the public TVET colleges in KZN, as 60% of respondents indicated that there is no consideration of ABC to date and 100% of participants also confirmed that their colleges has not been adopted ABC to date. This result confirms that public TVET colleges at KZN are still using Traditional costing system (TCS). This study also showed that eight out of nine factors assist in the adoption of ABC system, and there is positive correlation between these seven factors and ABC adoption. The research findings of this study have exposed some loose ends that could not be answered conclusively by the data, it therefore recommended that a further empirical research should be conducted using case study and survey at all 50 public TVET colleges in South Africa to detect the difficulties and barriers that prevent the adoption of ABC at TVET colleges. / M