In South Africa, legislation dictates that employees must be developed resulting in the need to identify candidate's development capability. As such, it is essential to be able to measure the learning potential of candidates. In practice, cognitive ability has been linked to the complex process of job performance. This study aimed to determine whether learning potential can be used as a predictor of job performance. The Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT) was utilised to measure learning potential and job performance was measured through a promotion ratio (taking job knowledge and tenure into account). The moderator variables were investigated. A sample of 135 technical employees was drawn. The data was statistical manipulated reporting various significant relationships confirming the internal reliability of the LPCAT and indicating a strong significant relationship between learning potential and job performance. Variables such as learning potential, job grade and tenure are significant when predicting job performance. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MA (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Performance in Lesotho at senior level (COSC) has been poor. One of the subjects which is performed poorly is Biology 5090. This prompted the researcher to examine factors responsible for the poor performance in Biology 5090. The study also aimed at finding ways in which teachers envisage to improve Biology 5090 performance. Data was collected from three schools through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The study also adopted the General System Theory (GST) as the theoretical framework. Data was analyzed in line with qualitative content analysis, and from the perspective of the GST. The data analysis scheme was developed and presented (appendix P). The results of the study showed that Biology 5090 performance was affected by factors such as human resources, and the transformation process. The study also suggested ways in which Biology 5090 performance could be improved in Lesotho. These include: in-serving training, team work and others. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

In the nineteen years of South Africa’s democracy, its education system, as a vehicle for political, economic and social reform, has been characterised by transformation and change. Educators, as policy implementers, have been integral to that process. For the educators at the school selected for this study, changes have included, among others, frequent curriculum revision; a different approach to assessment; changes in school management as well as making a transition from a mainstream to a full service school, focused on the inclusion of learners who experience mild to moderate barriers to learning. Against this background the purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of educators in this particular school, and the subsequent impact that aspects of curriculum change and educational reform may have had on them; then secondly to put practices in place that would enable them to positively embrace new ideas, create knowledge and share ideas as educators. The study was conducted with 21 educators at a full service school. The research findings show them to be overloaded with administrative tasks as pressure is put on them to present evidence of their competence and functionality; many of them were tired, confused or angry. They felt rushed and obligated to implement a curriculum that they perceive to compromise effective teaching and learning; and ultimately, the learners. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

In developing countries like Ethiopia, education is considered to be a means of development and a stepping stone toward the eradication of poverty. Effective education requires effective teaching, learning and assessment strategies, which, in turn, necessitate the use of effective pedagogical and psychological approaches to meet the demands of a new generation of learners. Effective education becomes possible when learners are properly assessed and empowered via various appropriate assessment techniques. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate how instructors’ assessment practices at a university in Ethiopia influence/enhance student empowerment. In order to achieve this aim, I used a convergent parallel/triangulation mixed-method research design, which allowed me to collect both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. Instructors and students from the six colleges of Debre Markos University were the participants of the study. I employed questionnaires and interviews as a data-collection instrument. From a total of 5944 students and 450 instructors, 600 students and 210 instructors were selected, via probability sampling techniques, to complete questionnaires. Six department heads and six instructors were chosen, via non-probability sampling techniques, for the interviews. Before collecting the main data, a pilot study was conducted. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Moreover, the qualitative data were analysed according to themes and word descriptions. The results of the study indicate significant variations between the perceptions of students and those of instructors, across different colleges, with regard to the practice of assessment. In addition, instructors’ teaching experience, training backgrounds, and levels of education were found to influence their assessment practice to some extent. The qualitative data indicate that students face various problems in the assessment process. Most instructors are very much dependent upon written assessment methods. Moreover, instructors face challenges (such as large class sizes, time shortages, high workloads, poor student-achievement levels, insufficient resources, lack of awareness of different assessment methods, lack of commitment, and negative belief) in the attempts to employ different assessment methods. Finally, the study revealed that empowering students in their study areas is simply untenable if instructors continue to utilise their current assessment practices. Therefore, this study contributes to a large body of literature that acknowledges the contribution of effective assessment in empowerment of students in a more effective and educationally responsive manner. At the end, the study presents important information to decision makers who create policies related to assessment in higher learning institutions. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics and Curriculum Studies)

Voltage stability is the ability of the power system to maintain steady acceptable voltages at all the buses in a system under normal operating conditions and after being subjected to a disturbance. The increased consumption of electricity without the augmentation of the necessary transmission infrastructure has resulted in the overloading of the transmission lines. As a result, the transmission lines operate near the steady state stability limit. The transmission of large amounts of power through the lines results in the large voltage drops in the lines. Sudden disturbances like line or generator outage and fault in the transmission lines may occur because of natural or man made causes. Under the above mentioned conditions, the transmission system may not be able to supply the load demand. This results in drops in the system bus voltages which may be sudden or progressive. If the necessary remedial measures are not taken, then this may lead to blackout or collapse of the whole system. As a result of a number of voltage stability incidents reported from various countries, there is a widespread interest in understanding, characterizing and preventing this phenomena. This thesis is essentially concerned with analyzing the existing methods and the development of new methods for the assessment of voltage stability of power systems. We examine four existing methods for assessing voltage stability with regard to the computational effort involved in their calculation, the useful information we get by using them, their relative effectiveness in assessing the voltage stability and their consistency in predicting the voltage stability of the system. We also study the impact of the system conditions on several of these indices. Further, we propose a set of new indices which provide information similar to the conventional indices but are slightly different. The generalized circle diagram approach proposed earlier to study the variation of the system variables with respect to the independent node parameters is shown to be adoptable for finding the voltage stability limit of a system. It has been shown that the well known continuation power flow method used for voltage stability analysis is identical to the generalized circle diagram approach. A computationally simple approach, based on the Thevenin equivalent of the power system is used to determine the loadability limit of a system. In the continuation power flow method, it is inherently assumed that only one generator responds to the real power load increase of the system. However, an alternate view is presented where all the generators respond to the real power increase in the system and an algorithm is proposed to realize this condition. Using this algorithm, the generation pattern of the system is modified so as to increase the loadability limit of the system considerably. The origin of the voltage instability in power systems can be traced to the load characteristics. Induction motors constitute a significant proportion of the total industrial and residential loads. Two algorithms that are useful to study the voltage stability of systems having induction machines have been presented and validated. These methods are based on the induction machine static equations. The first method is useful in assessing the impact of network disturbances on voltage stability and the second facilitates the computation of the loadability limit. A criterion has been proposed to find the stability limit, stable and unstable operating regions for a system considering various types of induction motor loads on the basis of which, a practical algorithm is proposed and validated to determine the stability of the induction motors driving different types of loads in a large power system. In addition, a method is developed to determine the stability aspects when the constant torque loads and the constant input power loads driven by induction motors operate in a power system, which contains other types of loads like the constant P - Q type of loads. Switching capacitors at the induction motor terminals is one of the ways by which voltage instability occurring due to the induction motor loads can be prevented. A new technique is proposed wherein knowing the capacitance and the slip at the instant of switching, the rotor dynamics following the switching and the existence of a steady state operating point following the switching can be predicted. This approach can be used to choose appropriate capacitances to be switched at the induction motor terminals to prevent its stalling following a sudden load disturbance.

The thesis "Methods to Assess IS/ICT Outsourcing Models" focuses mainly on an assessment and selection process of suitable IS/ICT outsourcing models. First, IS/ICT outsourcing concept is explained and its advantages as well as disadvantages are described. Second, IS/ICT outsourcing models (primarily classified by outsourcing subject) and their characteristics are described. Third, existing methods to assess and subsequently select suitable IS/ICT outsourcing models are analysed. Main goal of the thesis is to confront the existing methods with a process used in real-life IS/ICT outsourcing project and then to give recommendations for methods improvement. To achieve that goal the existing methods are compared with a process used in the real-life outsourcing project. Based on positively perceived parts of the existing methods as well as on flaws identified, an own method to assess and select IS/ICT outsourcing models is designed. The following methods are used when writing the thesis: logical/historical method, description, analysis and synthesis. Main contribution of the thesis to the topic is a design of the own method aiming at improvements to the existing methods so that it is as usable as possible in practice. This is achieved through a design of tools supporting crucial steps of the designed method. The fact that the author is member of a project team working on the real-life IS/ICT outsourcing project facilitates a contribution achievement too.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges affecting teachers’ classroom assessment practices and to explore how these challenges influence effective teaching and learning. The study was qualitative in nature and employed an instrumental case study approach. Semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analyses were used in the investigation. The study utilized the conceptual framework based on the model suggested by Hargreaves, Earl and Schmidt (2002). The model comprised four perspectives – technological, cultural, political and postmodern, with the intention of accounting for teachers’ assessment practices. Teachers from four different schools in North West Province were interviewed and observed. The data collected through the observations and interviews allowed me to map out the different challenges encountered by teachers in their classroom assessment practices. I also analysed documents that teachers used in conducting assessment. Document analysis was used to triangulate the information collected through observations and interviews. Textual data was analysed using content analysis. The teachers’ narratives varied according to their teaching experience and background within the diverse contexts of their particular school environments. Major challenges that emanated from this study were policy interpretation, overcrowding, support, parental involvement, moderation mechanisms (internal and external), assessment planning, implementation and communication as well as lack of resources. In order to address these challenges, teachers relied on cluster meetings, their colleagues and mostly their personal experiences. The study also revealed that teachers’ understanding and practices of classroom assessment are influenced by their social and educational context. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Master’s thesis deals with issues of personal management in multinational companies, evaluation of company’s strategy success rate, management and international manager’s performance assessment. Furthermore, investments into manager’s development are evaluated and cultural standards of Czech rep. and France are compared. Based on research, suggestions, which might be useful for future development of company and its managers, are listed in the final part of the thesis.

The aim of my thesis Use of value engineering elements for the realization of buildings in the municipality is to compare the evaluation methods of procurement in municipality and evaluation methods using elements of value engineering. A tender for reconstruction Šubertovo square was realized in the city Dobruška. In the thesis is shown way of evaluation of competing offers of the city Dobruška itself in sublimit simplified procedure and evaluation of competing offers by selecting more evaluation criteria and selecting the best offer with the highest degree of effectiveness.

<p>  </p> <p>Although airports of all sizes have incorporated sustainability practices into planning, there is a gap in literature concerning the impacts of sustainability initiatives on airport operations and stakeholders. This multiple case study sought to explore the impact assessment methods used by six small hub airports (cases) that received the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport sustainability Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants to prepare airport sustainability planning documents.</p> <p>The objective of the study was twofold. The first objective was to gain in-depth understanding of sustainability metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and sustainability impact assessment methods and tools used by small hub airports. The second objective was to develop a preliminary framework for assessing the impacts of sustainability initiatives in airports. Three types of data were collected airport sustainability planning documents, archival records, and interviews with 14 airport executives and two airport planning consultants. Sustainability planning processes, sustainability assessment methods and tools, and sustainability metrics and KPIs were identified from data for each case and compared to one of the most comprehensive industry-specific airport sustainability rating systems, the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) <em>Report 119: Protype Airport Sustainability Rating System: Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options</em>. Interview responses from airport executives and consultants were used to corroborate information in the sustainability planning documents.</p> <p>The findings of this study showed more commonalities than differences in the approaches to sustainability impact assessment by the six small hub airports in this study. Commonalities were evident in the criteria for selecting sustainability initiatives, indicating that cost and return on investment were the major factors. In addition, small hub airports in this study reported similar challenges on tracking sustainability metrics and KPIs, indicating that more work is needed in this area. The differences noted were driven by airport operating conditions such as geographical location and local community goals. </p>