The construction industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is faced with challenges of incessant delays, cost overruns and poor quality. The premise of the research reported here is that effective adoption and implementation of Building Information modelling (BIM) can contribute to the achievement of the necessary improvement. Against this backdrop, the aim of the research was to produce a strategic framework to underpin such adoption and implementation. It entailed investigation of the awareness of BIM, the extent of its use in KSA and the barriers to its more effective adoption and implementation. A mixed research approach was adopted, using a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews for collecting data. The questionnaire survey was used to obtain information on the awareness, barriers, drivers and status of BIM usage in the KSA construction industry, while the semi-structured interviews were designed to elicit the opinions of professionals and elucidate their own experiences in relation to the variables in this study. The data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and thematic content analysis. The study found that the awareness of BIM in the Saudi construction industry is low and faced with inherent barriers that impede its successful application. These barriers were found to be a lack of knowledge of BIM, initial and running costs of implementation, a lack of training of personnel, and a fear of changing from the traditional methods of construction. The study identified strategies that could be used to address these challenges. These include enlightenment on the benefits of BIM application; creating awareness of BIM through workshops, seminars and conferences; training of workers; and the introduction of government intervention to enforce the application of BIM. In addition, this study identified the relevant factors that would enable the application of BIM in the Saudi construction industry to be meeting client's expectations and the requirement to use BIM technology, and using BIM because of the benefits it offers such as cost savings, efficiency, quality and increase in productivity. Regardless of these BIM drivers, however, the most important aim is to bring the stakeholders to commit themselves and invest in the necessary technology, tools and resources in order to improve construction processes. A strategic framework was developed to serve as a roadmap for BIM implementation. The framework also encompassed the key parties in the process and the specific roles to be played by them. The study concludes that the implementation of BIM could improve project performance in Saudi Arabia in terms of time, cost and quality.

This research involved a mixed methods exploration of barriers encountered by adult learners in university, process-based learning courses, and strategies used to address these barriers. Multiple perspectives included the learners, their families, professors and administrators. Data enabled expansion of Cross' Chain-of-Response model and provided knowledge for university administrators to improve practice.

Magister Educationis - Med / Parental involvement in low-income school communities in the Western Cape, South Africa, has received little attention irrespective of its significance to learner outcomes. This study explores parental involvement with regard to teachers' perceptions of parental involvement, as well as barriers and solutions to meaningful parental involvement in a low-income school community in the Western Cape. This study, in the form of a qualitative study, sought to establish how teachers perceived parental involvement, and what restricts parents with poor socio-economic backgrounds from becoming involving in their children's education. Additionally, the study sought to establish or develop ways in which parental involvement could be improved. This study adopted a qualitative method design using qualitative procedures such as semistructured interviews, focus group interviews, observation and an open-ended questionnaire. It emerged from the findings that teachers had limited understanding of parental involvement. They perceived parental involvement to be parent's school-based activities such as fund-raising and the provision of school materials for the learners. Most of the teachers were never exposed to training on how to involve parents. Teachers believed that lack of material resources and poor parental education contributed to the issue of a lack of parental involvement in the school. Furthermore, participant parents indicated that they are willing to become involved in their children's education; however, their involvement was restricted by various barrier factors such as poverty and a lack of enabling environment. Both (teachers and parents) participants also suggested programmes or useful ways in which parental involvement could be promoted, such as the provision of basic infrastructures, grant support, educational training or facilities and a supportive environment for the parents. The findings revealed that creating an enabling environment to nurture these parents' capabilities will improve parental involvement. The capability-approach framework was used not only to explain the restraining factors to parental involvement but also to propose or suggest ways or intervention measures to improve parental involvement in their children's education, especially the parents from the community of this research. The approach was use to analyse parental involvement with the view to develop parental involvement or parents' capabilities in the school community.