Magister Commercii - MCom / There is an increase in the number of people with disabilities entering, and in the workplace. Industrialised countries are encountering a workforce that is ageing, which makes the prevalence of disability, due to chronic illness amongst employees, more evident. However, even with legislation and policies that support people in the workplace, such as the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 and the Code of Good Practice on Disability in the Workplace, many people still choose not to disclose their disabilities. Therefore, the main purpose of the study is to identify the perceived factors that could possibly prevent the disclosure of disability in the workplace. The study was conducted at one of the universities in the Western Cape. The study was qualitative in nature and made use of semi-structured interviews. Ten participants took part in the study and comprised of two academic staff members from each of the faculties on the main campus. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data where various themes and subthemes emerged.

Due to the specialist nature of their use of a visual language, Deaf and hard of hearing students have unique experiences at institutions of higher education. This research explored the experiences of Deaf teachers as students at Wits University. I employed a qualitative research design in the study. In -depth interviews and documentary information were used to collect data from twelve current and past Deaf and hard of hearing students. Current theory, practice and legislation designed to guide the creation of an inclusive education society were examined in order to explore the implications they have for Deaf students in terms of inclusion and access to education. The findings showed high level of academic competitiveness among the Deaf and hard of hearing students but low social participation. Their academic success was driven by factors such as commitment to Deaf education, the availability of interpreting services, having Deaf peers and their pre-university experiences.

Denna rapport undersöker vilka förutsättningar som krävs för att frivilliga överenskommelser på klimatområdet inom universitet- och högskolesektorn ska fungera, där efterlevnaden av Klimatramverket undersöks som en fallstudie. Främst utrönas vilka förutsättningar som historiskt har varit viktiga för effektiva frivilliga överenskommelser i tidigare forskning, där en jämförelse med Klimatramverket görs för att undersöka vilka av dessa ramverket uppfyller. Vidare undersöks efterlevnaden av Klimatramverket mer djupgående för att dra slutsatser om de uppfyllda förutsättningarna har bidragit till en effektiv efterlevnad av Klimatramverket.  För att besvara rapportens frågeställning har en litteraturstudie, litteraturstudiejämförelse, enkätundersökning, intervjuer samt en webbplatsundersökning tillämpats som metoder. Litteraturstudien avsåg att undersöka vilka förutsättningar som tidigare visats leda till effektiva frivilliga överenskommelser, samt att utröna uppkomsten och karaktären av Klimatramverket. I litteraturstudiejämförelsen drogs paralleller mellan förutsättningarna och Klimatramverket för att utröna vilka av förutsättningarna ramverket uppfyller. En enkätundersökning skickades ut till de svenska högskolor och universitet som är anslutna till Klimatramverket, i syfte att undersöka efterlevnaden samt hur nära lärosätena är att uppfylla ramverkets uppsatta mål. För en djupare inblick i olika lärosätens arbete med Klimatramverket utfördes intervjuer med representanter från tre olika lärosäten. Vidare granskades ett urval av lärosätenas webbplatser i syfte att undersöka om lärosätena kommunicerar sitt klimatarbete, vilket är ett åtagande i enlighet med Klimatramverket. Resultaten från undersökningen tyder på att de av litteraturstudien funna förutsättningar för att frivilliga överenskommelser ska fungera effektivt i stor utsträckning kan tillämpas på högskole- och universitetssektorn. Från litteraturstudiejämförelsen konstateras att Klimatramverket främst uppfyller de kontextuella förutsättningarna för effektiva överenskommelser, medan de innehållsmässiga förutsättningarna åläggs de enskilda lärosätena, vilket har gjorts av flexibilitetsskäl men äventyrar även i sig effektiviteten. Resultatet bekräftas i fallstudien, där det framkommer att ett fåtal av lärosätena bedömer att de kommer uppnå ramverkets uppsatta mål, vilket indikerar att Klimatramverket hittills inte bidragit till att uppfylla nationella och internationella klimatåtaganden i större omfattning. / This thesis examines the conditions which lead to effective environmental voluntary agreements within higher education institutions (HEIs), where the Climate Framework is examined as a case study. Primarily, conditions which historically have led to successful voluntary agreements will be examined, where a comparison with the Climate Framework is made to identify which of these conditions it fulfills. Furthermore, the compliance of the Climate Framework is examined more profoundly in order to draw conclusions about whether the fulfilled conditions have led to a successful compliance of the Climate Framework.  In order to answer the questions posted in this thesis, methods such as literature review, literature review comparison, survey, interviews and a website analysis have been applied. The aim for the literature review was to examine which conditions have led to effective voluntary agreements in the past, as well as to ascertain the emergence and the nature of the Climate Framework. In the literature review comparison, parallels were drawn between the conditions and the Climate Framework to determine which of the conditions the Framework fulfills. The survey was sent to all of the Swedish HEIs affiliated with the Climate Framework, in order to investigate the compliance and how close the institutions are to fulfill the Frameworks’ set goals. In order to get a deeper insight regarding different institutions’ work with the Climate Framework, interviews were made with representatives from three different HEIs. Furthermore, a selection of HEIs’ websites was examined in order to investigate whether they are communicating their climate work, which is a commitment in accordance with the Climate Framework.   The findings from the study suggests that conditions for successful voluntary agreements identified in the literature review can largely be applied to HEIs. The literature review comparison indicates that the Climate Framework primarily fulfills the contextual conditions for effective agreements, while the content-related conditions are imposed on individual HEIs. This was made hence to flexibility reasons, but it is also jeopardizing the effectiveness of the agreement. The results are confirmed in the case study, which also reveals that only a few of the HEIs estimate that they will achieve the Frameworks’ set goals, which indicates that the Climate Framework has not so far significantly contributed to fulfilling national and international climate commitments.

No description available.

Sustainability must be integrated into our everyday world. To achieve that, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established. Some scholars agree that the SDGs are not enough. So, a new strategy is needed to conquer the challenges. More specifically, a new generation of leaders is needed to transform our world. This study, therefore, introduces the theory of leadership for sustainability. Educating leaders for sustainability lies in the hands of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In that context, this study compares two programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability at HEIs to discover how they prepare the leaders of tomorrow to implement more sustainability actions that contribute to achieving the SDGs. Adopting qualitative research, empirical data was collected from semi-structured interviews with alumni and the management teams of two programmes in Sweden and Germany. In line with the literature, findings show that programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability need to include learnings such as awareness, diverse views and perspectives, experiential learning, systemic thinking, critical assessment, reflection, and collaborative work to ensure knowledge and skill transfer. In addition, the findings emphasize the embedding of the programme, a coherent programme structure, well-matched content, great teachers, and small groups of diverse students to achieve learning outcomes and prepare future leaders sufficiently. The data demonstrate that despite perceiving content and learnings individually, students are equally prepared. The study outlines that programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability are a beginning and convenient possibility to educate future leaders for sustainability. Still, more action is needed to integrate sustainability further into our world.

The well-being of first-year students in higher education institutions needs particular attention as their level form the foundation for future graduates, and subsequent employees. It is an important focus area for research and intervention. First-year higher education institutions’ student drop-out rate in South Africa is said to be alarmingly high and therefore a cause for concern. An overload of tasks and related time pressure associated with studies is often a reality for first-year students. The problem is compounded when such students are academically and socially unprepared to participate in higher education. The attraction to higher education institutions is that graduates enjoy a higher status in our society as they are seen to play a particularly important role in managing the knowledge-driven economy. The significance of this status relates to the extent of the application of knowledge to the economy, a status which provides competitiveness among nations. Students need to be physically healthy, psychologically well, engaged and satisfied with their lives for their well-being, and subsequently achieve their academic goals. If appropriate and timely, support and resources provided by higher education institutions can play a positive role in the first-year student transition into higher education and thereby minimise the possibilities of student burnout and ill health, whilst increasing the experience of engagement and satisfaction with life. The study aimed to assess the relationship between demands, resources, burnout, engagement, health and satisfaction with life for first-year students at higher education institutions in South Africa and to test a model of well-being for these students. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding the burnout, engagement, ill health, and life satisfaction experienced by students. A convenience sample (N = 936) of first-year students at three campuses of two higher education institutions participated in the study. The measuring instruments used were the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, a biographical questionnaire (including questions about available resources), Study Demands-Resources Questionnaire, Health Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results of study 1 showed that the students obtained somewhat higher mean scores on engagement compared to burnout. Significant effects on burnout and engagement were made by influences that included whom the student lived with, the distance between home and university campus during studies, frequency of visits to home, employment status of parents, frequency of library use, and gender. No relationship was established for place of residence with burnout and engagement. Study 2 showed that a measure of study demands and resources for students was sufficiently reliable and valid to be used for assessment. Results showed a statistically significant relationship between each observed variable and its respective construct. A positive relationship between study resources and satisfaction with life, as well as a negative relationship between study demands and satisfaction with life were found, which provides additional evidence for the construct validity of a measure of study demands and resources. Age was significantly related to study resources and satisfaction with life. The results of study 3 showed that study demands and a lack of study resources (including the intrinsic nature of study tasks, relationships with lecturers and social support of peers) were positively associated with burnout. The availability of study resources was positively associated with psychological well-being and engagement. Burnout predicted psychological unwell-being symptoms, while engagement predicted satisfaction with life. Burnout partially mediated the relationship between a lack of study resources and psychological unwell-being, while engagement partially mediated the relationship between the availability of study resources and satisfaction with life. / PhD (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

The well-being of first-year students in higher education institutions needs particular attention as their level form the foundation for future graduates, and subsequent employees. It is an important focus area for research and intervention. First-year higher education institutions’ student drop-out rate in South Africa is said to be alarmingly high and therefore a cause for concern. An overload of tasks and related time pressure associated with studies is often a reality for first-year students. The problem is compounded when such students are academically and socially unprepared to participate in higher education. The attraction to higher education institutions is that graduates enjoy a higher status in our society as they are seen to play a particularly important role in managing the knowledge-driven economy. The significance of this status relates to the extent of the application of knowledge to the economy, a status which provides competitiveness among nations. Students need to be physically healthy, psychologically well, engaged and satisfied with their lives for their well-being, and subsequently achieve their academic goals. If appropriate and timely, support and resources provided by higher education institutions can play a positive role in the first-year student transition into higher education and thereby minimise the possibilities of student burnout and ill health, whilst increasing the experience of engagement and satisfaction with life. The study aimed to assess the relationship between demands, resources, burnout, engagement, health and satisfaction with life for first-year students at higher education institutions in South Africa and to test a model of well-being for these students. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding the burnout, engagement, ill health, and life satisfaction experienced by students. A convenience sample (N = 936) of first-year students at three campuses of two higher education institutions participated in the study. The measuring instruments used were the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, a biographical questionnaire (including questions about available resources), Study Demands-Resources Questionnaire, Health Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results of study 1 showed that the students obtained somewhat higher mean scores on engagement compared to burnout. Significant effects on burnout and engagement were made by influences that included whom the student lived with, the distance between home and university campus during studies, frequency of visits to home, employment status of parents, frequency of library use, and gender. No relationship was established for place of residence with burnout and engagement. Study 2 showed that a measure of study demands and resources for students was sufficiently reliable and valid to be used for assessment. Results showed a statistically significant relationship between each observed variable and its respective construct. A positive relationship between study resources and satisfaction with life, as well as a negative relationship between study demands and satisfaction with life were found, which provides additional evidence for the construct validity of a measure of study demands and resources. Age was significantly related to study resources and satisfaction with life. The results of study 3 showed that study demands and a lack of study resources (including the intrinsic nature of study tasks, relationships with lecturers and social support of peers) were positively associated with burnout. The availability of study resources was positively associated with psychological well-being and engagement. Burnout predicted psychological unwell-being symptoms, while engagement predicted satisfaction with life. Burnout partially mediated the relationship between a lack of study resources and psychological unwell-being, while engagement partially mediated the relationship between the availability of study resources and satisfaction with life. / PhD (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

Research has shown that academic under-performance in higher education can be attributed inter alia to psychosocial difficulties arising from students’ under-preparedness for the rigours of university life, the struggle to accommodate diverse cultural worldviews and poor proficiency in the language of learning and teaching (Chang 1999). As internationalisation of higher education institutions has became more common worldwide, the need for support systems to deal with problems of a multicultural student body has become essential if students are to have equitable opportunities for success. In this regard, Monash South Africa (MSA), an international multicultural higher education institution, introduced a tutor-mentor programme to improve academic outcomes among mathematics students in the Foundation Programme (FP). The impact of this programme was investigated by means of an empirical investigation and framed by a bricolage of learning theories which served as a conceptual framework for the study under the metaphors of acquisition and participation. The literature study showed that tutoring and mentoring programmes tend to be successful pedagogical supports. The empirical inquiry took the form of a mixed-method case study which explored the impact of participation in the tutor-mentor programme on mathematical performance among FP mathematics students at MSA. The participants in the study, which was carried out in two phases, were mathematics students, tutor-mentors and lecturers in the FP. Phase 1 quantitatively explored the extent of effectiveness of the tutor-mentor intervention, using a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. Two formal tests were used to gather data, which were analysed by an analysis of covariance and the Johnson-Neyman technique. Quantitative findings supported the initial assumption of the study: that participation in the tutor-mentor programme as an intervention strategy improved the mathematics scores of FP students at MSA. Phase 2, a qualitative study, used purposive sampling. Data was gathered through focus group and individual interviews, observation, spontaneous conversations and photographs. Interpretation of the quantitative and qualitative data was presented according to the phases and thereafter integrated. Qualitative findings provided information about the dynamics of the tutor-mentor programme in providing academic and psychosocial support to students. Finally, a situation-producing theory was developed from the integrated findings, and recommendations made for improvement of practice. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The thesis reports on the evaluation of a digital information literacy program (DILP) to determine the program’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills. The program was originally designed and developed for the South African student, as member of Generation Y, but was adapted to suit the demographics and characteristics of Generation Z. New learning technologies were incorporated to enhance students’ learning experience. One of the characteristics of information literacy programs that illustrate best practice is the evaluation of the program itself to judge it’s effectiveness and validate the program as a learning tool. A review of the literature confirmed the paucity of the evaluation of such programs using assessment of student learning through outcomes assessment instruments, based on information literacy competency standards, designed with proven validity and reliability. The literature review found no evidence of the evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs through meaningful assessment of student learning using outcomes assessment in South Africa. For these reasons, the evaluation of the DILP was undertaken. To evaluate the effectiveness of the DILP, a non-randomised quasi-experimental research design, focusing on a single-group pre-test/post-test design which incorporated a combined quantitative and qualitative research approach was used. The primary research instrument was a pre- and post-test. A group of students, belonging to Generation Y and Z, completed a pre-test, worked through the DILP and completed a post-test. Telephonic and e-mail interviews were used to collect further data. The statistical analysis is presented by using descriptive statistics (stacked bar charts for the quantitative data and pie charts for the qualitative data). Inferential statistics were used to reach conclusions beyond the immediate data presented in the charts. The final step was to judge the overall effectiveness of the DILP. The difference between the means was statistically significant, indicating that the DILP was effective in enhancing the digital information literacy skills of students. Based on this research, additional research could be the evaluation of a DILP designed specifically for “digital natives”; the development of online outcomes assessment instruments for web-based tutorials with proven validity and reliability and research in the area of integrating emerging learning technologies with such programs, evaluating their effectiveness. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

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