Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology: Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Education is constantly challenged by rapid technological changes both in terms of curriculum renewal and in terms of students’ awareness of these new technologies. This is the reason why the aim of this study is to analyse factors affecting computing students’ awareness of the latest ICTs. This aim is further divided into four research sub-aims: the selection of the relevant theories for this research; the design of an appropriate conceptual model to support it; the empirical testing of the above mentioned model; and finally, recommendations arising from the research results. The first research sub-aim is accomplished through selection of the Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as the theoretical framework of this study after a review of different theories of technology adoption. The second research sub-aim is accomplished through the design of a conceptual model which is an adaptation of the relationship between the prior conditions construct and the knowledge/awareness construct of IDT. The prior conditions that were studied are students’ perceived exposure to career guidance and students’ perceived curriculum currency. These prior conditions were analysed as possible predictors of computing students’ technology awareness. The third sub-aim is accomplished by means of a survey of 116 computing students from the four universities of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, the results of which validated most of the relationships hypothesized by the above mentioned model. Having knowledge/awareness as the main variable of the current study can be seen as its main contribution in view of the fact that only two studies from the reviewed literature on IDT are examining the awareness/knowledge construct. The fourth sub-aim is accomplished by means of some recommendations, one of which is that gender and ethnicity be considered when curriculating computing courses both at the high school level and at the university level.

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Worldwide various studies have been undertaken to investigate the influence of discrimination due to sexual preference and the impact thereof on the homo- and bisexual student during his/her student years. As opposed to this, few studies have been done at tertiary institutions in South Africa. This study investigates homosexuality as a sub culture by illustrating the experiences and perceptions of a selected group of homo- and bisexual students with regards to social interaction within a heterosexual student environment.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Finding practice education placements for undergraduate social work students is becoming increasingly difficult in the Western Cape Metropolis, because many welfare agencies have either closed down or do not have the capacity to accommodate students for field placement. As a result of this situation, this research was undertaken with the aim to investigate the feasibility of the corporate sector as a field placement for undergraduate social work students. By using the corporate sector as a field placement an opportunity can be created whereby the university and the corporate sector could establish a workable partnership, with mutual benefits for each. The corporate sector can benefit by services offered by the students in the form of case-group and community work that can be rendered to the employees. The university will benefit because a new option for student placements will become available to them. The domain of social work in the corporate sector was explored by defining occupational social work; the nature of service rendering on micro, meso and macro levels and discussing occupational social work in the 21st century. Field placements of undergraduate students in the corporate sector were examined in order to establish what the theoretical background for field placements in a corporate setting ought to be. To this end, the nature and purpose; formats; settings and key role players in field placements were explored. Social work methods in social work per se and occupational social work in general were investigated. An investigation was also made into the management of the field placement programme for undergraduate social work students in the corporate sector. The following were facets were explored: the requirements of the department of social work at the University of the Western Cape for fourth year students as well as the requirements for field placements in the corporate sector, in order to establish the suitability of the corporate sector for field placements. Existing literature and empirical findings were used to collect data for this study. Exploratory and descriptive research designs were applied in this study. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and conclusions and recommendations were based on the findings of the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word al hoe moeiliker om praktykonderrigplasings vir voorgraadse maatskaplike werk studente in die Wes-Kaapse Metropool te vind, aangesien baie welsynsagentskappe of gesluit het of nie die vermoë het om studente in posisies vir praktykonderrigplasings te akkommodeer nie. As 'n gevolg van hierdie situasie is hierdie navorsing onderneem met die doel om vas te stel of menslike hulpbron personeel binne die korporatiewe sektor gewillig sal wees om voorgraadse studente vir praktykonderrig te akkommodeer. Deur die korporatiewe sektor vir praktykonderrigplasings te gebruik, kan 'n geleentheid geskep word waardeur die universiteit en die korporatiewe sektor 'n uitvoerbare vennootskap, met wedersydse voordele vir albei, tot stand kan bring. Die korporatiewe sektor kan voordeel trek uit die dienste wat deur die studente aangebied word, soos gevalle-, groep- en gemeenskapswerk wat aan die werknemers gebied kan word. Die universiteit se voordeel sal daarin lê dat nuwe opsies vir praktykonderrigplasings vir die studente beskikbaar word. Die sfeer van maatskaplike werk in die korporatiewe sektor is ondersoek deur beroepsmaatskaplike werk en die aard van dienslewering op mikro-, meso- en makrovlakke te definieer, en deur die aard van beroepsmaatskaplike werk in die 21ste eeu te bespreek. Praktykonderrigplasings van voorgraadse studente in die korporatiewe sektor is ondersoek om te bepaal wat die teoretiese agtergrond vir praktykonderrigplasings in die korporatiewe omgewing behoort te wees. Vir hierdie doel is die aard en doel, formate, omgewings en sleutel rolspelers in praktykonderrigplasings verken. Maatskaplike werkmetodes in maatskaplike werk per se en beroepsmaatskaplike werk in die algemeen is ondersoek. 'n Ondersoek is ook gedoen na die bestuur van die praktykonderrigplasingsprogram vir voorgraadse maatskaplike werkstudente in die korporatiewe sektor. Die volgende fasette is verken: die vereistes wat die Departement Maatskaplike Werk van die Universiteit van Wes- Kaapland aan vierdejaarstudente stel, sowel as die vereistes vir praktykonderrigplasings in die korporatiewe sektor, met die doel om die gewilligheid van die korporatiewe sektor vir praktykonderrigplasings te bepaal. Bestaande literatuur en empiriese bevindings is gebruik om data vir hierdie studie te versamel. Verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerpe is in hierdie studie benut. Deur middel van vraelyste en onderhoude is data versamel en afleidings en aanbevelings op grond van die bevindinge van die ondersoek is gemaak.

The average South African tertiary student spends more than the average South African individual each month, making them a valuable market to be understood by retailers. One technique retailers use to differentiate themselves from the increased competition is by relationship marketing through loyalty programmes. Research on the topic of loyalty programmes increased rapidly over the last decade. The problem, however, is that the majority of past research on the subject of loyalty programmes only focused on what happens after customers have already joined a loyalty programme. Little research exists regarding the factors that influence subject participation in loyalty programmes. Furthermore, to date no research study has investigated factors that might influence loyalty programme participation among South African students. The purpose of this study was to understand the tertiary student market by building on the research of De Wulf et al. (2013:69-83) as a vital study to explore factors that might influence them to participate in retail loyalty programmes. An exploratory study was conducted, in which data was collected from students studying at Pearson Institute of Higher Education/ CTI Pretoria by means of self-administered questionnaires. The study followed a quantitative research approach, in order to satisfy the research objectives. The results of the study indicate that the top four characteristics most likely to influence students to participate in a retail loyalty programme, include: a loyalty programme where you receive immediate discounts on certain items at purchase; a loyalty programme that allows you to use your loyalty card at more than one retailer; a loyalty programme with unlimited duration on the usage of benefits or rewards; a loyalty programme that rewards you by giving immediate benefits. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

M. Tech. Public Management / The aim of this research is to test different opinions of whether there are instances of unethical and corrupt activities in Academic higher educational institutions in South Africa and to also discover the types of unethical behaviour and corruption taking place if any, in order to come-up with remedial measures. The participants in this research are the academic and administrative personnel. Participants are aware of what is expected of them by management within their different academic higher educational institutions. They can be able to detect instances of unethical and corrupt acts by their colleagues and these will allow them to make a valuable contribution in this research.

Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide is estimated at 42 million. HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death in Sub-Saharan Africa. HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa and has serious consequences for individuals as well as for South Africa’s health resources and economy. In the light of the pandemic the understanding and planning for HIV/AIDS is of increasing importance, particular with reference to a subgroup of the South African population, its youth. The aim of this study is to analyse the knowledge, awareness and perception levels of undergraduate students at the University of Stellenbosch regarding HIV/AIDS. Close-ended questions on a 4-point Lickert scale was electronically submitted through the e-learning system, WebCT to 800 randomly selected students of whom 206 completed it. Results indicated that students had a high awareness and perception level about HIV/AIDS. However students obtained a low percentage on questions relating to their factual knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Recommendations for future research in the area of HIV/AIDS within the context of tertiary education are proposed.

The purpose of this research is to document the visual art production of Indian South Africans who graduated from the University of Durban-Westville (UDW) with a degree in Fine Art, and provide an explanation of how and why their art works are so poorly documented within a post-Apartheid art historical narrative. When South African Apartheid society was designed to promote Black intellectual underdevelopment, this Indian university provided a space for young Indian intellectuals from all fields to engage with the struggle politic of the country to envision a strategy for a liberated and democratic future. While the visual art in this country has provided powerful social commentary throughout the Apartheid years, the voice of the Indian artist has remained silent. Some students managed to complete their degrees and find a little recognition as artists; the majority, however, relegated their art-making to a pastime. Little is known about this body of graduates; hence this research attempts a systematic study about how Indian Fine Art graduates fell into silence upon the completion of their degrees. The rationale of this study is to determine in what ways the constructs of culture, politics and identity, as key environmental factors at UDW, impacted on the virtual absence of Indian artists from South Africa’s art history. To this end, the social history of education of Indian South Africans since their arrival in this country has been provided. The influential and historical location of the University College for Indians (UNICOL) and later UDW as a cultural and political construct is explored against the art production of its Fine Art Department. Thus, the geopolitical space of this university as a site of struggle is contextualised. Against this background, the varied life stories of the forty-three graduates presented in this study are contextualised within the framework of separate and segregated education. These stories illuminate the unfolding dynamics that shaped the directions they subsequently took. The significance of this study lies in its contribution of knowledge to the existing literature on Indian history in South Africa as well as on the art production of this community as students of the Fine Art Department at UDW and subsequently as a small body of practising, but not always exhibiting, artists. Through this study I suggest that some of these graduates became internal exiles, which positioned them on the margins of the art-producing community in this country. This position of marginality impacted on their representation within the South African art historical archive. The study makes a number of recommendations to bring these and other South African Indian artists into the picture again. / Thesis (Ph.D)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This dissertation is a report on a study to investigate the design and development of a digital information literacy program (DILP) for an academic library. The study is concerned with the exploration of the generic profile of the South African student at higher education institutions. The criteria for a digital information literacy program were also established. Based on the criteria and the profile of the students, the digital information literacy program was designed and developed. The research objectives were to * determine a generic profile of the South African student (as a member of Generation Y). * determine the criteria for an information literacy programme (ILP). * determine the criteria that a digital information literacy program should comply with (based on the criteria for a ILP). * design a digital information literacy program by documenting the elements and principles of design, navigation features, site architecture, etcetera. * develop a digital information literacy program by documenting the specific learning objectives and content and creating the Web based program. The study comprises a qualitative research approach and is concerned with the qualities and the characteristics of a phenomenon for better understanding and explanation. A critical analysis of reported research and literature forms the foundation of the study. The design and development of a digital information literacy program were based on the guidelines for Web based instruction in academic libraries. The results of the research enabled the researcher to design and develop the digital information literacy program, by integrating the following: * Characteristics of Generation Y * The criteria for a digital information literacy program * Factors important for designing in a Web environment, namely interactivity, site architecture, navigation features, principles of design, elements of design, incorporating media and learner levels * Authoring, technical aspects and the evaluating and testing of the prototype. The digital information literacy program is designed to provide academic libraries at higher education institutions with a product - a Web published CD - that they can use as is, or adapt according to their specific needs or circumstances, in order to support their students' digital information literacy skills. / Information Science / M.Tech.Information Technology

Student leadership in South African (SA) universities has undergone radical change since the transformation of Higher Education in post-apartheid South Africa and this has consequently resulted in shifts in priorities for student leaders. In addition, this leadership can be viewed as occurring in multiple forms in SA universities and in the literature about student leadership in SA. Furthermore; student leadership comprises different and more diverse demographics now in the post-apartheid era. Thus the concept of student leadership may be constituted differently for different student leaders in SA universities today. This research has been undertaken to explore the latter in a particular SA university with the specific aim of studying the social construction of student leadership in a SA university. A social constructionist lens was adopted as the underpinning worldview to adopt a pluralistic qualitative approach in this psychosocial research. Data were gathered using a social dream drawing technique, accessing information on three levels: conscious, subconscious and unconscious. The findings express the fusion of discourse analysis and a psychodynamic interpretation employed in the data analysis. The major findings suggest a two-way interaction between identity in student leadership and relational dynamics in student leadership: these set up a conversation about the anxiety of working with diversity dynamics. Therefore the social construction of student leadership in a SA university has been found to be a space for a conversation about the said anxiety. Metaphors employing Mandela and Moses as leadership symbols have been related to psychodynamic themes such as narcissistic injury and stillbirth and grief in terms of the conversation about the given anxiety amongst such leaders in a SA university. The research makes a methodological contribution by recommending pluralism as a favourable research approach in the study of student leadership. In addition, recommendations for practice such as the implementation of student leadership schools and the incorporation of the relevant psychology professionals to intervene from an adjustment perspective are proposed to inform consulting psychologists and other relevant practitioners in terms of fit for purpose interventions that are linked to student leadership in SA universities. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Ph. D.(Consulting Psychology)

The research focused on the relationship between hardiness and career adaptability of students studying at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in Gauteng. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenience sample of (N = 198) of African (92.9%), female (57.6%), single (96.0%), aged 21 years and younger (93.9%) students enrolled at Gauteng TVET colleges for N1 – N6 Engineering Studies (32.8%). A correlational analysis indicated differences between the variables of hardiness and career adaptability and the study reveals that overall hardiness was significantly related to overall career adaptability. A stepwise regression analysis indicated that gender and the hardiness attributes (commitment, control and challenge) predicted career adaptability. The test for significant mean differences indicated that age, gender and field of study differ significantly between the variables of hardiness and career adaptability. Limitations for the study are outlined. Furthermore, recommendations are suggested for use by human resource regarding career development practices for TVET college students. The study concludes with an evaluation of its contribution. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)