This dissertation, which was motivated by high failure rate in senior secondary history, is primarily an attempt at identifying some of the possible causes for poor performance in high school history in Transkei schools. One possible cause of the weak performance was identified as outmoded teaching methods which were encouraged by lack of adequate facilities and resources for history teaching and learning. The investigation took the form of a survey of both human and material resources in 30 of the then 210 senior secondary schools in Transkei. The survey questionnaire, which was directed to history teachers, covered aspects on personal information about the teachers, material resources and facilities for teaching history, and teaching methods related to history teaching. A total of 55 teachers responded to the questionnaire. The survey included all the three senior secondary school class levels, that is standard 8, 9 and 10. By looking at the nature of history as a discipline and the way in which students learn, it was discovered that at school level history could be learnt best through the 'experiential' approach. This is mainly because in dealing with time-past as it has to, history usually comes up with 'strange' concepts which cannot be easily grasped by present-day senior secondary teenagers. This is because understanding of historical concepts tends to develop slower than would generally be expected, unless it is re-enforced. In Transkei schools this problem of concepts understanding is made worse by the foreign language medium (English) in which the subject is taught. It is felt that these constraints could be partly aleviated with the use of audio-visual aids and self-activity teaching methods. However, this study revealed a gross inadequacy not only in facilities for teaching history but also of both human and material resources. This automatically discourages the 'new history' approach and teachers (most of whom are underqualified) tend to cling to the old-style lecture-textbook method to the detriment of their students. This study suggests that to improve this situation it is essential to upgrade both pre-service and in-service teachers' academic and professional standards. In addition history facilities and audio-visual materials should be generously supplied to afford ample opportunities for pupil activity. This then would be line with modern history teaching theories and, hopefully, would improve performance in history in this region.

After ten years of experience as team building consultant, a literature study, an overseas study tour and the attendance of several national and international seminars on the topic, pointed out that adventure as educational tool is founded in Human Movement Science. This emerging phenomenon draws on knowledge from several disciplines. This interdisciplinary character causes confusion and uncertainty amongst practitioners. Team building is relevant especially when people have to manage the consequences of a changing environment. Contemporary science calls for a different approach to practice which coincides with the demands of a changing business environment. Adventure experiences can be optimised to the level of an educational tool. The educational value of adventure is not a recent phenomenon but can be traced back as far as ancient Greek philosophers like Plato (427 B.c.) and Aristotle (384 B.c.). This was rediscovered by a German philosopher and educator Kurt Hahn (1886-1974) who founded Outward Bound. In 1970 Outward Bound principles were integrated within a high school Physical Education curriculum. The success of Project Adventure made adventure experiences accessible to other disciplines including organisational development through team building. Whenever adventure experiences are optimised to a learning experience it is referred to as adventure related experiential learning. This process consists of a macro and micro phase. This study argues that adventure related experiential learning has it's roots in Physical Education and therefore holds the potential to act as interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary bridge in Human Movement Science. The aim of this study is to revitalise the image of a discipline that became fragmented. / Na tien jaar praktykverwante ervaring as spanboukonsultant, 'n oorsese studiereis, literatuurstudie en die bywoning van internasionale en nasionale kongresse oor die onderhawige onderwerp, wys daarop dat avontuurgerigte spanbou binne die menslike bewegingskundige vakterrein gefundeer is. Hierdie ontluikende belangstellingsveld toon 'n sterk interdissiplinere karakter en dit veroorsaak verwarring en onsekerheid by operateurs. Veranderingsbestuur is 'n gemeenskaplike doelwit van spanbouprogramme. Die eise van 'n ontluikende wetenskapsfilosofie stem ooreen met die eise van 'n veranderende besigheidsmilieu. Avontuurbelewing kan as opvoedkundige hulpmiddel aangewend word. Die gebruik van avontuurbelewing vir opvoedkundige doeleindes kan teruggevoer word tot anti eke Griekse filosofiese sienswyses (Plato 427 v.C. en Aristoteles 384 v.C. ). Die opvoedkundige waarde van avontuurbelewing is deur 'n Duitse filosoof en opvoedkundige Kurt Hahn ( 1886-197 4) herontdek. Hahn se opvoedkundige idees is praktykgerig gelmplementeer onder die vaandel van Outward Bound. Die Outward Bound-beginsels is in 1970 met 'n liggaamlike opvoedingkurrikulum by 'n hoerskool in 1970 gelntegreer. Dit het as Project Adventure bekend gestaan. Die sukses van hierdie program het vinnig uitgebrei na ander dissiplines, onder andere korporatiewe spanbou. Wanneer avontuurbelewing tot leerervaring geoptimaliseer word, word daarna verwys as avontuurgerigte ervaringsleer. Hierdie gebeure-georienteerde proses bestaan uit 'n makro- en mikrofase. In hierdie studie word geargumenteer dat die oorsprong van avontuurgerigte ervaringsleer tot Liggaamlike Opvoeding teruggevoer kan word. Daarom kan avontuurgerigte ervaringsleer interdissipliner en intradissipliner brue slaan vanuit die Menslike Bewegingskunde. Die doel van hierdie studie is om opnuut impetus te gee aan 'n vakterrein wat gefragmenteer is. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 1997. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / MA / Unrestricted

International travel has significant implications on the study of architecture. This study analyzed ways in which undergraduate and graduate students benefited from the experience of international travel and study abroad. Taken from the perspective of 15 individuals who were currently or had been architecture students at the University of Miami and Florida International University or who were alumni of the University of Florida and Syracuse University, the research explored how international travel and study abroad enhanced their awareness and understanding of architecture, and how it complemented their architecture curricula. This study also addressed a more personal aspect of international travel in order to learn how the experience and exposure to foreign cultures had positively influenced the personal and professional development of the participants. Participants’ individual and two-person semi-structured interviews about study abroad experiences were electronically recorded and transcribed for analysis. A second interview was conducted with five of the participants to obtain feedback concerning the accuracy of the transcripts and the interpretation of the data. Sketch journals and design projects were also analyzed from five participants and used as data for the purposes of better understanding what these individuals learned and experienced as part of their study abroad. Findings indicated that study abroad experiences helped to broaden student understanding about architecture and urban development. These experiences also opened the possibilities of creative and professional expression. For many, this was the most important aspect of their education as architects because it heightened their interest in architecture. These individuals talked about how they had the opportunity to experience contemporary and ancient buildings that they had learned about in their history and design classes on their home campuses. In terms of personal and professional development, many of the participants remarked that they became more independent and self-reliant because of their study abroad experiences. They also displayed a sense of global awareness and were interested in the cultures of their host nations. The study abroad experiences also had a lasting influence on their professional development.

The research problem in this study was to identify how successful the methods are that organisations use within the Manufacturing Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authorities (MERSETA) chambers to develop, implement and maintain learnerships. To achieve this aim a literature examination to determine the aspects of workplace learning were explored, including the various perspectives of learning, together with an investigation into workplace learning. Further, apprenticeships, traineeships, learnerships were discussed; including the concepts vocational education and training standards, and competence explored. Finally a process model for effective learnership implementation was presented based on international approaches together with the South African models and current practices. - v - The process learnership model served as a basis for drawing up a survey questionnaire to establish the extent to which organisations agreed or disagreed with the learnership model developed. The survey was limited to the “automobile” and “new tyre” chambers of the MERSETA. The results obtained from the empirical study indicted a high degree of agreement with the process model for effective learnership implementation. The results obtained from the quantitative data, and qualitative data were used to adapt the learnership process model, and produce a six-phase integrated learnership model. From the survey it become evident that organisations needed to be sensitised and educated as to learnerships before considering more seriously learnership implementation. Further, it emerged that learnerships cannot only be effective within a process approach, and that it should also take place within a positive “organisational learning culture”. Organisations and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) can now use the six-phase integrated learnership model with confidence, as there was a high degree of agreement with the learnership model that was developed as part of this research study. The six-phase integrated learnership model has been comprehensively developed and surveyed by organisations that are currently implementing learnerships on a large scale. Organisations and SETAs can now give effect to the Skills Development Act No. 97 of 1998, and contribute to the National skills Development Strategy of 2001, which aims to improve the workplace skills of all South Africans.

This thesis documents an action research project that was carried out within the Department of Computing Sciences at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), South Africa, from January 2010 to December 2011. The overall aim of the research was to foster an environment in which academics could explore ways to teach using an integrative approach to education. Previous research within the department had raised the concern that students were graduating without the type of high-level cognitive skills that were required in the workplace. While the students’ technical skills were perceived as being excellent, employers indicated that students would benefit from opportunities to develop or improve skills such as communication, teamwork, innovative thinking and time management. These skills include high-level cognitive skills, and are often referred to as “soft skills”. The academics participating in the research project came to believe that it was essential to develop teaching methods that would provide opportunities for students to develop these soft skills, in conjunction with the content and technical knowledge currently addressed in their courses. The research project followed the living theory approach to action research. A living theory action research project allows the researcher to investigate her own teaching, and develop a theory of practice. The theory of practice can be applied to the issues under investigation, to improve the situation or solve problems. At the same time, the theory of practice can contribute to the body of knowledge within the academic domain of the research. Action research is an iterative, cyclical process. There were four research cycles, each one semester in length, during the two years of the project. The project will continue, with a fifth research cycle, starting in January 2012. By the end of the fourth research cycle—Semester Two, 2011—there were eleven academics actively participating in the research group. The project had extended its influence to include academics from the Department of Mathematics at NMMU. The academics ranged from senior, long-serving professors to junior lecturing staff. The results of the research, or the researcher-practitioner’s living theory, explain the process by which an effective and enthusiastic community of practice, dedicated to improving the academics’ teaching and learning practice, was developed. The living theory is applicable to academics within a scientific discipline, desiring to explore and improve their education practice. My living theory explains the characteristics of the TLC (The Learning Community) space, and the action strategies for creating such a space. The explanation of the process of this project includes an analysis of the development process of the research group, typical characteristics of the environment or “space” of the group, and action strategies that other academics could use to create a similar community of practice.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), a mechanism grounded in the educational transformational policies of the African National Congress to redress the historical legacy of Apartheid, is a relatively new (and often contested) concept in South Africa. This research endeavors to investigate the effect of a module, which forms part of a B.Ed (upgrade) programme and is based on the processes and principles of RPL, on students’ (in-service teachers’) self-efficacy and their skills in terms of the development and execution of work schedules and lesson plans (the RPL-focus of the module). The methodology includes the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data through the administering of pre- and post- self-efficacy questionnaires, assessment of the portfolios of evidence produced by the students, and the feedback obtained from the focus-group interviews. The data indicate a statistically significant improvement in the participating students’ self-efficacy and draw attention to the negative issue of context in previously disadvantaged South African schools. The significance of this research lies not only in the interrogation of an innovative approach to dealing with RPL issues in an academic programme, and its possible influence on teacher self-efficacy, but also in its contribution to the academic debate about the RPL process which is currently taking place both locally and internationally.

Learning/volunteer abroad (LVA) programs offer important opportunities for students to develop cross-cultural skills and global competence. Universities recognize the value of international experiential learning programs in terms of skills development and career preparation as one component in their internationalization policies and priorities. Scholarly studies on international education and LVA programs have examined university internationalization priorities in promoting international experiential learning. Other scholarly contributions to the field of LVA have documented the nature of students’ experiences, learning outcomes, critical analysis of impacts, and motivations, among other important research areas. Within the LVA scholarship, there are frequent references to the importance of pre-departure training and preparation of students. Many of the references to the value of pre-departure training move beyond practical information (such as staying safe and staying healthy while abroad) to more critical discussions of cross-cultural learning opportunities, ethical considerations, and impacts. Despite these references to the importance of pre-departure training, there are few studies documenting the nature and content of pre-departure training for students participating in international experiences through an academic institution. As a result, there is no clear sense of the range of pre-departure training programs, what information students are receiving as part of their pre-departure training or the impact of training on the outcomes of the students’ learning. This thesis aimed to fill this gap by examining the preparation and training provided to students prior to their international experiences. Through the utilization of a case study approach based on the University of Ottawa’s LVA programs’ pre-departure training, this research specifically analysed the content that is currently employed during pre-departure training and how it ranged across LVA programs. The findings demonstrate that, while all LVA programs provided pre-departure training and covered similar content themes, there was also a range in the content provided across the LVA programs’ pre-departure training. Specifically, the greatest diversity in content was found in the depth of discussion provided to students regarding cross-cultural understanding, ethics, experiential learning, and reflection. Analysis of the identified differences across LVA programs suggest there are likely implications for students’ learning generated from their experience abroad. When students are not prepared to critically understand the complexities associated with living, studying, and/or working cross-culturally and how to reflect upon and generate knowledge from their experiences overseas, learn/volunteer programs may have limited or even negative impacts on cross-cultural understanding and global competence.

Master's thesis concerns itself with a design of a brand new business simulation game. The first part defines business simulation games as a specific form of educational activity and describes their individual components. The second part is fully dedicated to design. It specified goals and requirements for the proposed software application and economic model of the game and describes ways to implement them. The design focuses on technical aspects of the game, on defining specific algorithms for the model to use and on implications of relationships among variables in the proposed model.

How should we understand the lived experiences of students in an English language program at a community college? This study seeks to explore and discuss the experiences of international students as they discover and constitute cultural identities in places between languages and cultures. It suggests a link between the vibrancy of these lived experiences and an English language education program which understands the value of the lived curriculum. The text includes the narratives of three international students and the interpreting of those conversations by the researcher. Also participating in the study are the voices of teachers and the voices of writers of theory, with the researcher working in the middle, experiencing at the same time a discovering and constituting of his own cultural identity. Building on the work of postcolonial scholars of cultural theory and anthropology, the study suggests a different kind of inter-national classroom and community, one which has implications for teachers as inter-national educators. In doing so, the thesis attempts to respond to "calls for attention to international dimensions of curriculum study" (Pinar 1995) and suggests an approach to creating a different kind of theoretical and conceptual frame for language education. It is hoped that the research will open doors to new questions and avenues of study and will help in furthering our understanding of curriculum. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract