College campuses are becoming more diverse now than ever before. Campuses, however, are not as prepared as they should be for the new students that are arriving. Changes need to be made to status quo processes and procedures, event planning, and classroom education in order to best serve current students. In order for changes to happen, professionals need to participate in diversity related professional development to examine their own biases and assumptions, to learn more about people different from themselves, and to become equipped with tools that will enable a more inclusive campus climate. A mixed methods study was utilized to participants of a single-campus-based diversity summit to capture participants' learning and perceived tools and knowledge with which to return to campus. Findings suggest that there needs to be a community in which participants can grow through relationships, both individually and as a collective; participants of the summit had personal growth of knowledge and understanding in diverse areas, and participants desired to create change in departments, organizations, and in the campus at large. / Graduation date: 2012

Despite calls for better training of college composition teachers utilizing computer-assisted writing instruction (CAWI), English departments have only recently begun to systematically address the faculty development needs of these teachers. Other fields such as adult education and staff development have begun applying theory and research to faculty development efforts, but CAWI proponents have yet to attain that depth of study and commitment.By investigating methods and characteristics of CAWI faculty development programs, this study found that academic-year workshops were the most common development activity, although teachers preferred personal, collaborative approaches like mentors, consultants, and discussion groups. These patterns were consistent across types of colleges and universities, indicating general context descriptors like institutional size and mission did not significantly influence or limit faculty development practices. This discrepancy between preferred and offered programs indicates faculty needs are not being met, and offers potential reasons for a lack of satisfaction with CAWI faculty development and administration.Faculty respondents identified adequate time and funding as the most important contributors to the success of CAWI faculty development, noting that faculty support-particularly the personalized attention teachers prefer-is time-intensive and requires extensive commitment from those providing the services. These time concerns reflect staffing patterns: CAWI administrative duties were added to the workload of current departmental administrators just over half of the time, and CAWI support duties were assigned to current administrators over onethird of the time. These support duties were assigned to non-tenure-line personnel over one-quarter of the time, a practice that raises questions about authority and credibility needed to administer faculty development programs.Despite a relative lack of concern among faculty, evaluation and reward systems play an important long-term role in CAWI support. Current structures do not adequately recognize and reward CAWI-related scholarship and service, including faculty development work. Applying Boyer and Glassick's expanded concepts of scholarship might prove useful in improving and professionalizing CAWI faculty development efforts, thereby helping secure scholarly identity for CAWI and its support activities. / Department of English

D.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Ed. / This thesis is a report of a research project conducted in a Technikon within the higher education sector of South Africa. Teachers in this sector are facing major challenges due to the transformation of higher education, as well as the introduction of an Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) paradigm. Teachers thus need to adapt their teaching practice to include the principles and practices of this educational paradigm and are continuously required to improve their teaching practice to face the aforementioned challenges. This study was aimed at investigating how teachers could be assisted to improve their teaching practice. It primarily aimed at seeking a way to assist lecturers of the Technikon to improve their teaching practice, while it was hoped that I would also improve my own practice. An action research project was conducted during which I was planned, designed and implemented a teaching skills programme. Literature on teaching and learning, with specific emphasis on theories and approaches that support learners' meaningful learning, was reviewed. Furthermore, literature on staff development policies, approaches, practices and the OBE paradigm provided the theoretical foundation for the various phases in the action research project. After conducting a needs analysis to determine the perceived teaching needs of lecturers, all lecturers at the Technikon were invited to attend the teaching skills programme as a staff development initiative. Data of what was experienced, observed and learnt during the process were noted in my research journal. After I had analysed and interpreted the data gained I reflected on the experiences and learning, as well as on the value of the programme. From the research notes I learnt more about the participants, the programme and the process, while I learnt more about myself as a teacher and as a researcher. These reflections informed the findings, namely that insufficient focus is placed on teaching and learning initiatives. Furthermore, it was found that staff development policies did not seem to provide sufficient support for such initiatives. Literature indicated that these findings were not unique to the Technikon, but also seemed to be experienced in other higher education institutions. Based on the above findings it was concluded that teachers could be assisted in improving their teaching practice by focusing on their learners' meaningful learning and by continuously updating their teaching knowledge and skills. It was therefore recommend that staff development policies be revised and that teachers and managers in higher education refocus on the core business of higher education institutions, namely, teaching and learning. Finally, it was recommended that managers, teachers and staff development units accept coresponsibility for improving teaching practice in higher education and work in synergy to achieve this common goal. The co-responsibilities of role-players in academic staff development have been presented diagrammatically within a framework. The importance of all role-players taking their responsibilities is illustrated. The resulting coresponsibility amongst role-players is argued to emphasise the importance of synergy amongst them towards achieving improved practice. I argued that all three role-players needed to collaborate and support one another if they were "to move in the same direction" towards improved teaching practice. The scholarly contribution of this study lies firstly within my living theory, which is a culmination of the learning journey as well as the results thereof. My living theory of teaching practice and that of academic development is culminated into the framework.

D. Tech. Human Resources Management / The main purpose of this study was to develop a framework that could be used to build the capacity of academic staff to enhance teaching and learning in Ghanaian polytechnics. In order to achieve this objective, a central argument in the study is that building the capacity of academics is not only critical to successful teaching and learning, it should also be the starting point for the on-going transformation in the polytechnic system in Ghana. The approaches to capacity building of employees in organisations were analysed critically and justified. To provide a strategic context to the study, four capacity building factors, namely institutional training and development, performance and professional development, academic competence, and a learning and developmental environment, were identified and clarified and their strategic contributions toward developing a capacity building strategy were outlined.

M.Ed. (Education Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Web-based instruction has fast become a common component of higher education. Although such instruction began as a supplemental form of interaction, it has now become a basic aspect of many college courses and degree programs. If teacher and student are not in the same place at the same time, it becomes necessary to introduce a communications medium that will not only deliver information but also provide a channel of interaction between them. This study focused on faculty training and development programs designed to impact Web-based instruction in higher education at the five largest state-funded universities in Texas within a college of education. The instrument used in this study was developed by the research to collect data relating to faculty perception of training and development opportunities available to them at their institutions, perceptions of administrative support, and technical support. The objective was to determine if there was a relationship between these items listed above and faculty members' levels of confidence and perceptions of effectiveness when teach Web-based courses. The population consisted on 151 faculty members at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, and Texas Tech University. This research study suggests that full-time tenure track faculty members at the five largest state-funded universities in Texas perceive that the amount of formal training they have received increases their ability to teach Web-based courses effectively and that the amount of formal training received also increases their perceived level of confidence when teaching Web-based courses. The researcher discovered similar results when faculty members were asked about their perceived level of institutional commitment and current initiatives for teaching Web-based courses.

Lecturers’ research output in higher education in Zimbabwe is low in general and at Mentors University (pseudonym) in particular. Although lecturers at Mentors University are expected to publish to avoid career stagnation, most lecturers are not tenured due to lack of publications in peer refereed journals with an aggregate impact factor of 0.5. The study aimed at formulating a model for developing lecturers’ research skills and its empirical testing to address the problem. A literature review examined theories of competency development and mentoring models. The informal group mentoring strategy was structured for application in a qualitative participatory action research design. A questionnaire captured factors influencing lecturer research output from a purposive sample of 260 lecturers at Mentors University. Another purposive sample of five lecturers participated in implementing the informal group mentoring intervention for model empirical testing. All participants had failed to publish, were available volunteers and committed to the intervention. The intervention comprised determining qualities of publishable papers through desk research; an evaluative reading of published and rejected papers; peer discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of papers; practice of research; the oral reporting of findings; peer evaluation of papers and the incorporation of peer critique into papers to improve quality prior to paper submission to journals. Survey findings indicated that research output was affected by a lack of both research and publishing skills and mentoring by research supervisors. Participants in the intervention entertained misconceptions of problem formulation, research design and application of probability sampling concepts. Computer skills for data analysis and oral presentation were poor. Further, the university had no policy for lecturer research skills development. As a result of the intervention, all five participants published a paper. The study concluded that lecturers can develop research skills for publication by forming informal mentoring groups; obtaining the services of a mentor; and applying the informal group mentoring model. It was recommended that the universities include development of research skills in their policies and train mentors for the application of the informal group mentoring research skill development model in new universities in Zimbabwe. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Magister Technologiae: Human Resources Management, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / The research project focussed on the effectiveness of an induction programme for newly appointed staff at Coastal KZN FET College in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The main aim of the study was to investigate the perceptions of educators with regard to the effectiveness of the induction programme for newly appointed lecturers. The key findings of the research were that newly appointed lecturers experienced various problems. The study also explored experiences faced by newly appointed lecturers at Coastal KZN FET College. The challenges arise from the lack of an effective induction programme. These problems resulted in poor productivity among newly appointed lecturers. The empirical component underpinned the review and analysis of the effectiveness of an induction programme for newly-appointed lecturers as they adjust to their entry into the teaching profession. The study also investigated the high turnover (lecturer attrition) among newly appointed lecturers as well as the possible solutions which can be implemented. The survey method was used to administer the questionnaire to all 45 target respondents using the personal method. The study adopted the quantitative research method with precoded close ended questions. The personal method was used to administer the questionnaire to all 45 target respondent and in this way a high response rate of 100% was obtained. An important finding in this regard was that the induction programme was not evaluated and improved frequently. The induction programme should ensure that new lecturers are treated with dignity and are allowed the opportunity to display their strengths and the knowledge they bring to their new College by implementing an effective induction programme. Arising out of the empirical analysis the researcher has recommended and developed a set of guidelines which could be used in developing an effective induction programme for the Coastal FET College in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The study concludes with directions for future research to expand on the body of knowledge in this field. / M

Increasing diversity among community college students and the rising demand for a culturally competent workforce necessitate community college faculty across all disciplines to adjust their pedagogical choices to effectively serve diverse students while preparing all students for the new global era. The purpose of this narrative study was to explore what culturally competent pedagogies effective community college instructors use and reasons behind their choices. The study was conducted at a large community college in the Pacific Northwest. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with ten instructors teaching in different disciplines. In addition, the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) was used to measure participants' intercultural competency. The findings revealed that the participants were cognizant of the growing diversity in their classes and made a number of pedagogical choices to accommodate their students' needs. The findings also revealed that the participants' teaching in the Humanities and the Adult Basic Skills departments had more latitude in engaging diversity and choosing materials to fit the needs of their students compared to science and vocational field instructors.