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Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL) / This study was prompted by my observations and feedback from trainers and learners on an array of barriers to participation in learning which are experienced by learners participating in accredited adult learning programmes offered by a NGO in Cape Town. The aim of this research was to investigate these barriers using a Psychosocial Interaction Model by Merriam and Darkenwald (1982) and the Transition Theory by Schlossberg (1981). Participants in a Health and Welfare Seta (HWSETA) accredited training programme, which is a qualification in Ancillary Health Care level 1, who are community caregivers, were used as research participants. This research provided empirical evidence on barriers to participation in adult learning experienced by these learners and recommendations have been made based on the findings. A new theoretical insight that was generated as a result of this study is that of the interplay between internal and external barriers to participation in adult learning and other variables within the continuum of the Psychosocial Interaction Model as well as certain variables within the Transition Theory. This came as a result of broadening the investigation into barriers to participation in learning, using all variables across the whole spectrum of the Psychosocial Interaction Model, instead of only using the barriers factor.

Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL) / Adult learners’ perception of factors that are internal to their perceived control of their lives can be challenging to overcome when making a decision to participate in learning. There are complex relationships between psychological, and social barriers to participation in adult learning. Psychosocial barriers can deter adults’ participation in learning programmes. Understanding the nature of such barriers can enable policymakers, educators and adult learners create strategies to reduce such barriers in order to increase adults’ participation in adult learning. This study investigated the research question: What are adult learners’ perceptions of psycho-social factors that undermine participation in adult education and learning? The psycho-social interaction model adopted as a conceptual framework allowed the study to contextualise and analyse the effects of socio-economic status on the adult learner’s decision and readiness to participate. The model provided the broad segments of the adult learners’ pre-adulthood and adulthood learning years and through a thematic analysis attempted to analyse psychosocial factors that emerged as barriers to participatory behaviour in learning. An interview guide was used during a semi-structured interview. The study investigated a group of adult learners attending a non-formal learning programme in Central Johannesburg, South Africa. The selection of participants included 6 males and 4 females between 21 years to 49 years of age. The study findings showed that the adult learners’ perceptions of family support as well as the learning environment support are key enabling factors, which assist the adult learner to develop learning capabilities. Negative experiences with prior schooling was also described as a psychosocial barrier to participation. Age was a socio-economic variable that influenced the type of stimuli participants identified as a psycho-social factor which influenced their decision to take up further learning. Adult learners felt confident to successfully complete their current and future studies however perceived their learning press as a motivating factor that impacted their decision to participate. Findings also suggested that experiences of adult learners are unique to their specific context and educational planning can integrate ways to address enhancement of learning experiences for a diverse learner audience in non-formal learning programmes. The study concluded that while adult learners acquire social competencies through accessing nonformal programmes, further learning support is necessary to overcome the social and psychological complexities needed to develop basic academic learning capabilities.

The aims to set up Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is to increase enterprises' running efficiency and obtain the capability to respond to the whole supply chain so as to possess business competence and increase profits. There is no doubt that ERP plays an important role in enterprises. Besides, the assistance of consultant service would be beneficial for the successful introduction of ERP into enterprises. Moreover, the consultant teams assigned by consultant companies not only have to obtain professional competence of product techniques but have to offer service quality which is the vital element affecting customers' satisfaction and the success of cases. The present study is based on the theory of IMP interaction model and it attempts to conduct empirical research on the perceptive service qualtity of the consultants who introuduce ERP into enterprise cases. The main purpose of this research aims to find out the effects of consultant service quality on customers' satiscation and their behavioral intention to utilize this system. Additionly, the findings could also be suggestive resources to enterprisers, consultants, and future researchers. The results of this study show that the service quality of the consultants making intoduction of ERP into enterprises has obvious influences on customers' satisfaction and their behavioral intention to adopt ERP. In general, the key issues influencing customers' satiscation and their choices are classified into following three dimensions: (1) the outcomes brought about by the collaboration between consultants and project committees; (2) the professional and service competence presented by consultants; (3) the equality between consultant service and the implementation fee. In addition, this present study also presents different satisfaction degrees examined by reserach variables and population statistic variables. It is hoped that these difference analyses would be beneficial for managers to imrprove ERP consultant service quality.

The work presented in this thesis was performed with the aim of developing improved prediction methods for aerodynamic and aeroelastic analysis to be used in aircraft design. The first part of the thesis concerns the development of a viscous-inviscid interaction model for steady aerodynamic predictions. Since an inviscid, potential flow, model already is available, the main focus is on the development of a viscous model consisting of a three-dimensional integral boundary layer model. The performance of the viscous-inviscid interaction model is evaluated and it is found that the accuracy of the predictions as well as the computational cost appear to be acceptable for the intended application. The presented work also includes an experimental study aimed at analyzing steady and unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a laminar flow wing model. An enhanced understanding of these characteristics is presumed to be useful for the development of improved aerodynamic prediction models. A combination of nearly linear as well as clearly nonlinear aerodynamic variations are observed in the steady as well as in the unsteady experimental results and it is discussed how these may relate to boundary layer properties as well as to aeroelastic stability characteristics. Aeroelastic considerations are receiving additional attention in the thesis, as a method for prediction of how flutter characteristics are affected by modeling uncertainties is part of the presented material. The analysis method provides an efficient alternative for obtaining increased information about, as well as enhanced understanding of, aeroelastic stability characteristics. / <p>QC 20170816</p>

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Inviscid fluid inside thin pipe system is first analytically solved for eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes using Modal Interaction Model method with fluid-structure interaction condition at boundary. Shear-diaphragm boundary condition is used for comparing and validating Analytic results with Simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics. Effect of viscosity is also compared using Newtonian fluid model. Experiment is performed using simple pipe geometry and fluid to measure transfer accelerance which is post-processed to extract cirumferential modes up to order 4; this is used to compare and validate Experiemental results with Simulation. Good correlation is obtained between Analytic, Experiment and Simulation results with n=0 breathing modes requiring modification of governing equations to incorporate compressibility effects due to changing pipe cross-section area. / En analytisk lösning för egenfrekvenser och egenmoder för en icke-viskös fluid inuti ett tunt rörsystem är först framtagen med användning av en modbaserad modell för interaktion mellan fluid och struktur som randvillkor. Idealiserad randvillkor används för att jämföra och validera analytiska resultat med simulationer i COMSOL Multiphysics. Effekten av viskositet jämförs också med hjälp av en Newtonsk fluidmodell. Experiment genomförs med simpel rörgeometri samt fluid för att mäta acceleransen som är analyserad för till att få ut mo-der i omkretsled upp till fjärde ordningen; detta i sin tur används för att jämföra och validera de experimentella resultaten med simulering-ar. Det erhålls bra korrelation mellan de analytiska-, simulerade- samt experimentella resultaten. Undantaget för n=0 grundmoder då krävs modifikation av differentialekvationerna till att inkorporera kompressibilitetseffekter

The aim of this study is to gain insight into the leadership processes and dynamics operative in the early Pauline churches. The study is based on Paul’s Early Letters (i.e. 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Romans) and uses a combination of socio-historical and exegetical approaches. The idea that leadership in the early Pauline churches was determined by wealth, social status, and patronage is prominent in the literature, and is examined in detail. Recent research on the economic stratification of first-century Graeco-Roman society challenges the idea that leadership in the early Pauline churches was exercised by wealthy patrons. It can be observed in the Early Letters that Paul’s leadership role was the most prominent one, and that other leaders, both local and itinerant, were regarded as his coworkers. The study therefore examines Paul’s thinking about his own leadership role, especially his ministry aims and methods. Two aims stand out: (a) that believers appear blameless at the return of Christ; and (b) that the body of Christ be built up. Paul saw himself as an apostle and as God’s coworker; he was convinced that the gospel, as God’s power for salvation, received through faith, was the means by which these aims would be accomplished. Therefore his ministry was first and foremost a ministry of the gospel which aimed to establish people in faith. Passages relating to Paul’s coworkers show that they were ministers of the gospel in their own right, and that they shared in all aspects of Paul’s ministry except those pertaining specifically to his apostleship. Paul often refers to his ministry as a grace that he has received from God. The ministry of others is similarly understood in terms of grace (Rom 12:3-6). This observation leads to a study of divine equipping in the ministry of Paul and his coworkers. I conclude that, for Paul, the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering leaders and making their work effective was fundamental to authentic ministry/leadership. Finally, theoretical perspectives from leadership studies and social psychology are used to bring conceptual unity to the exegetical results. A definition of leadership is formulated and the wellknown power/interaction model of French and Raven is adapted and used to analyse leadership in the early Pauline churches. The aim is to understand both theological and socio-historical aspects of leadership and how they interacted in the early Pauline communities. I conclude that leadership in these communities entailed a social process in which the most important forms of influence were spiritual and empowering. A local leadership role had begun to develop, but was not yet formalized into an official structure. Overall, I conclude that the gospel of Jesus Christ, as God’s power for the salvation of all who believe, was the central dynamic of leadership in the early Pauline churches. / PhD (New Testament), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014