RESEARCH PROJECTS: 1 RESEARCH PROJECT ONE: A literature review: Constructivism: An alternate approach to teaching and learning. Abstract The constructivist perspectives on learning have helped enhance science educators' understanding of how students make sense of their lived experiences. Constructivism purports to be a transformation of the traditional curriculum. As such this article starts with a brief overview of behaviorism: the scientific approach to education. The main tenets underlying constructivism, how constructivism guides educators to change their classroom practice, and the implications to science teaching have been reviewed. 2 RESEARCH PROJECT TWO (Empirical study): Being Constructive: College students' learning of work and heat as aspects of the energy concept based a constructivist approach. Abstract This study is an extension of a literature review on constructivism as an alternate teaching and learning approach discussed in research project one. It is an empirical study concerning the use of a learning module based on a constructivist approach to develop pre-service student teachers' understanding of work and heat as aspects of the energy concept. The data consisted mainly of transcripts of students' interviews, written responses to questionnaires designed in the form of a worksheet, and comments from non-participant observers and students. The results seem to suggest that a carefully designed learning module based on a constructivist teaching and learning approach may be a valuable tool in developing pre-service student teachers' understanding of work and heat. 3 RESEARCH PROJECT THREE (Empirical study): A College in transition: A case study of the readiness of a college in the Eastern Cape province to implement Outcomes-Based Education in an Education Development centre. Abstract Curriculum 2005 premised on Outcomes-Based Education is the new curriculum framework for South Africa. It signifies a paradigm shift in education from the traditional 'telling-listening' relationship between the teacher and the learner to one that emphasises leamer-centred approach to the teaching process. Teachers, though recognized as crucial to the educational transformation process in the country have also being identified as ill-equipped to meet the challenges posed by Outcomes-Based Education. This study starts with a brief overview of the South African curriculum and the main tenets underlying Outcomes-Based Education. The institutional conditions and whether the lecturers at a college in the Eastern Cape province perceive the need for a change in their classroom practice were also investigated. Bearing in mind the need for further research to validate the findings of this study, positive indicators that emerged from the study suggest the readiness of the college to implement Outcomes-Based Education at the proposed Education Development Centre.

The restructuring of South African education, after the country’s first non-racial democratic elections in 1994, coincided, with the development of inclusive education in international education. The implementation of inclusive education, internationally, was guided by the Salamanca Statement of 1994 and the international “Education for All” movement. Education White Paper 6 (2001), serves as the blueprint for implementing inclusive education in South Africa. This investigation argues that the successful implementation of the inclusive education system is dependent on the development of an effective, quality education support structure. Such an educational support structure is one that should reflect a holistic, integrated and community based approach to support. Based on this presupposition, the primary research aim of this investigation was the establishment of a framework for a holistic, integrated, community based education support structure to do justice to learners with mainly external barriers to learning (LSEN) and educators finding themselves in an inclusive classroom in Nelson Mandela Metropole and surrounding areas. In order to understand how such a framework can be established, the following guiding secondary research questions were posed: • What was the international perspective on the implementation of inclusive education? • What was the nature of educational provisioning for learners with barriers to learning (LSEN) before 1994, and the implementation of inclusive education policies thereafter? • What were the practical implications of implementing Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) for the support roles of education support providers in South African schools? • What is the support challenges facing learners and educators within inclusive classrooms in Nelson Mandela Metropole and surrounding areas? • What support structures are currently available at the different levels of the education system? This investigation was completed from a phenomenological perspective. A constructivist approach to data collection and data analysis was followed, as the investigator did not attempt to prove or disprove theory, but rather to understand the phenomena under investigation from the viewpoint of participants. iv The sample, selected by means of non-probability purposive and theoretical sampling techniques, included 120 educators from 85 different schools in Nelson Mandela Metropole and surrounding areas. In addition, 4 education officials, 4 members of community organisations and 2 teacher union representatives were selected to the sample. Through the process of data analysis, accomplished through the principles inherent to grounded theory, two themes and sub-themes were identified. The investigator presented a discussion on the two themes and sub-themes. This discussion was followed by a proposal for the establishment of a framework for a holistic, integrated, community based educational support structure. The investigation was completed by recommendations related to the primary and secondary research questions. The investigation concluded that the implementation of inclusive education is severely hampered by strong exclusionary factors that are principally related to socio-economic backlogs that have not been successfully addressed by the current government.

M.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / The main aim of the study is to develop an appropriate curriculum framework for Communication Studies at teacher training institutions. 4 This aim will require: 1.3.1 Identifying the basic principles involved in developing a curriculum framework; 1.3.2 Identifying the basic guidelines underlying a course in Communication Studies; and finally 1.3.3 Identifying the needs of student teachers in Communication Studies from the perspective of teacher educators

Introduction: A common problem during medical training in surgical areas like plastic surgery, is the absence of proper methods to obtain the necessary surgical skills to address the different pathologies related to this field. The medical training is performed in educational hospitals in Lima, however the methods are limited to the observation or assistance and don't let to the doctor obtain adequate competences to repair surgically this pathology once they finish their training. Material and Methods:This is a descriptive study for the development of the used methodology and a co relational study to evaluate the results obtained with the methodology. This is a quasi experimental study. It is used to third year plastic surgery training surgeons from San Marcos University of Lima and has been done in children with complete unilateral cleft lip attended in Regional Hospitals from Ministry of Health between 2010 and 2011. Results:We haven't seen significant differences between the non-cleft side and cleft side in these parameters: lip height, lip width and vermilion height. We have seen significant differences between the non-cleft side and cleft side in relation with the nasal base width. Conclusions: This developed methodology to teach and learn the upper double rotational advancement technique used in this study is efficient to obtain good results in the surgical management of unilateral cleft lip with our technique by third year training residents in plastic surgery. / Revisión por pares

Submitted in fullfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Management) in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2006. / Technology is a key subject with in C2005-RNCS and is targeted as a learning area which will contribute towards preparing learners for their roles in society and in the world of work. School principals are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that Technology as a learning area is successfully implemented at schools in line with national and provincial guidelines. This research examined management of the curriculum with specific reference to Technology as a learning area. The management role of principals is central to implementation of this learning area, including provision of resources for teaching and learning and assignment of technology education to qualified educators. A literature review was undertaken to establish the relevant technical knowledge and professional skills that the principal would be required to possess in order to bring about meaningful changes and to implement Technology education. The study revealed that there are challengers regarding management of Technology curriculum and resources to implement the learning. The study also revealed that in spite of barriers to successful implementation school principals have devised measures to implement and manage the curriculum, including communicating with the interest groups.

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2006. / This thesis explores the responses of higher education to the national imperative to implement Recognition of Prior Learning. It makes use of a mixed methods mode of research to explore this phenomenon at three sites of higher education delivery in KwaZulu-Natal. The research investigates how these three institutions have responded to the imperative at an institutional level, in terms of policy development, organisational structures and philosophical approach. It also looks at academic staff perceptions of RPL policy and implementation and its successfulness in terms of the integration of RPL into the curriculum, the capacity of the curriculum to facilitate the assessment of RPL and the extent to which it has been implemented within the higher education system. It identifies the articulation of national policy on RPL as one of the factors that impacts on successful implementation. In so doing, barriers to the successful implementation of RPL are also identified and explored. These barriers include epistemological, material and systemic barriers. However, it also seeks to elicit the benefits that higher education sees in implementing RPL, both in terms of fulfilling the goals of higher education and in terms of the benefits for the national economic imperatives and the skills development initiative. Ultimately, the research attempts to establish the extent to which RPL has been institutionalised within the institutions in terms of a set of indicators as identified by the researcher. / University of Zululand

Health care administration programs have transitioned to using the competency approach to better prepare graduates for workplace success. The responsibility of preparing graduates lies with the program faculty, yet little is known about faculty perceptions of the competency approach. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the perceptions of graduate-level health care administration faculty about the competency approach, the approach's effect on graduate preparedness, and employer expectations. Adult learning theory and the theory of self-efficacy were used as the theoretical foundations for the study. Faculty demographics related to personal information, workplace/teaching experience, and program information served as the independent variables, while survey item perception ratings were the dependent variables. Nonprobability sampling of graduate-level health care administration faculty (n = 151) was used and data were collected using an online survey developed by the author. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t tests, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regressions were used to examine and describe faculty perceptions. Findings indicated that faculty generally support the use of the competency approach and that it effectively prepares graduates. Teaching in a CAHME-accredited program predicted perceptions about the approach adequately addressing employer expectations (β = .343, p < .05). Issues including need for standardization and use for accreditation versus educational purposes were identified. Social change implications include contributing to professional development efforts for faculty and improving the quality of health care administration graduates and the future leadership of the industry.

Thesis (M.A.(Language Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2009 / The assessment of the current school reform effort emphasizes the neeed to improve the education of all learners. Assessing the academic achievement of every learner is an essential part of this reform, but one that presents a challenge for most schools, school districts and provinces. Traditional assessment practices have tended to exclude learners who are denied access to important educational opportunities that are based on assessment results. This problem is often more pronounced among learners who have to do Grade 9. This study focuses on assessment and discusses the advantages and challenges experienced by learners and educators. The aim of this study, therefore, is to assess educators’ success in the implementation of OBE assessment principles of English First Additional Language (EFAL) in Grade 9. This study was prompted by educator assessments, which have kept interesting the researcher because of traditional assessments which are at odds with OBE. Most importantly, assessment is no longer practised and determined in traditional ways. The educator must assess, in detail, the knowledge, skills and dispositions that learners must develop in order to achieve learning outcomes. The researcher recommends assessment to include English langauge learners, increase school accountability for all learners, have a shared vision of learner goals and standards, have an authentic picture of learning, and reflect assessment.

Ethical and competent professional counselors are needed to provide quality counseling services to the public. Counselor educators and supervisors have the responsibility of training competent counselors. Furthermore, counselors and counselors-in-training have the responsibility of continually assessing their own development and implementing measures to increase their competency. Assessment instruments have sought to measure counseling competencies through evaluating counseling skills. However, a paucity of research exists that examines counseling competencies in a comprehensive manner using a psychometrically sound approach. Therefore, a need exists for a psychometrically sound assessment instrument that measures the construct of counseling competencies in a holistic manner. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Counseling Competencies Scale© (CCS; UCF Counselor Education Faculty, 2009), an instrument designed to measure counseling competencies, within the areas of counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. The sample included 81 counseling practicum students and 21 counseling practicum supervisors from two graduate counselor education programs at public institutions accredited by the Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) within the United States (one program in the southeast and another in the northwest). The practicum supervisors evaluated the counseling competencies of the counseling practicum students per the CCS at the semester midpoint and conclusion. Additionally, the counseling practicum students evaluated their own counseling competencies per the CCS at the semester midpoint and conclusion. Furthermore, the counseling practicum students and supervisors both iv completed a demographic questionnaire developed by the researcher. The data analysis procedures employed to test the research hypotheses were: (a) factor analysis, (b) Pearson product-moment correlation (two-tailed), and (c) Cronbach‟s alpha. The exploratory factor analyses yielded five midterm CCS factors ([a] Factor 1: Assessment and Application, [b] Factor 2: Professional Behaviors and Dispositions, [c] Factor 3: Beginning Counseling Skills, [d] Factor 4: Advanced Counseling Skills, [e] Factor 5: Directive Counseling Skills) and four final CCS factors ([a] Factor 1: Professional Dispositions and Behaviors, [b] Factor 2: Counseling Skills, [c] Factor 3: Assessment and Application, [d] Factor 4: Growth). Additionally, the CCS exhibited strong internal consistency reliability for both the individual factors and the overall models. The interrater reliability among raters yielded a low correlation (Skills [r = .436], Dispositions [r = .515], Behaviors [r = .467], and Total [r = .570]). Furthermore, an assessment of criterion-related validity yielded a high correlation (r = .407) between the final total score on the CCS and the students‟ final grade in the counseling practicum course. The results of the statistical analyses support the development of the CCS, a promising assessment instrument for evaluating counseling competencies within counselors-in-training. Through the further development of the CCS, counselor educators and supervisors will have a sound method for assessing their students‟ levels of counseling competencies and learning outcomes. Additionally, the CCS may support counselor educators and supervisions in their ethical and legal responsibilities as teachers, evaluators, and gatekeepers for the counseling profession. Furthermore, the CCS offers counselors-in-training a tool to assist them in understanding and developing their level of comprehensive counseling competencies.