Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology in the Faculty of Commerce, 2008 / Higher Education institutions have undergone and are still undergoing transformation in South Africa and this research focused on the merger of a higher education institution as a background to conduct empirical evidence to investigate the relationship between motivation and perceived productivity at the organization under study. In determining the relationship between motivation and perceived productivity, three hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis indicated that there exists a relationship between motivation and perceived productivity. Hypothesis two was that motivation remains constant through a merger and the last hypothesis was listed as perceived productivity remains constant through a merger. The concept of motivation was very broad, so the study narrowed the focus so that the factors that were examined were collectively labelled motivation resulting from contentment in the workplace and from rewards for good performance. The third aspect of motivation that forms part of the study is that of motivators. The primary data employed included a self administered survey and the secondary data include a literature framework that underpins the discussion of the variables motivation and productivity. The results reflect that there is a positive relationship between motivation and perceived productivity at the specific organization under investigation indicating an increase or decrease in motivation is accompanied by a corresponding increase or decrease in perceived productivity.

This study explored the participants‟ perceptions of their service-learning experiences in the Department of Interior Design at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The point of departure of the study was a Community Higher Education Service Partnerships (CHESP) Pilot Project initiated by JET Education Services (JET). The study is placed in the context of Higher Education transformation, where "community engagement" is a national imperative. In higher education such engagement includes service-learning. The key focus of the study was on how the participants perceived their experiences in terms of their academic learning, personal growth and social responsibilities. Of interest, too, were the participants' ideas of how service-learning could be improved, if indeed retained, in the interior design programme. Data comprised of reflective reports which were completed by the participants shortly after the service experience and from semi-structured interviews conducted one year later. The qualitative research design involved my immersion in the setting, the collection and categorization of the data and a review of the findings in relation to the current literature. This research highlights the social purpose of Higher Education and the opportunity service-learning presents to nurture the three domains of learning, namely academic, personal and social. Recommendations for future service-learning within the programme are made. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Computer Applications Technology is one of the subjects that equip learners with the new technological skills that are needed in today’s life. In the past, many schools used computers only for administrative purposes. This is the case even today in some schools. Very few schools in the rural areas offer Computer Applications Technology. Those that do, face many challenges including a lack of electricity. Computer Applications Technology helps learners acquire computer skills that improve their performance when they enter tertiary institutions. It can also help them to find jobs in companies that need people who are able to operate computers. This is particularly true for learners from the rural areas, since most of their parents are unable to pay for them to further their education at tertiary institutions. On obtaining their Grade 12 certificate, most rural learners look for jobs. This study focuses on the experiences of teachers in teaching Computer Applications Technology in rural areas; the challenges and benefits in teaching Computer Applications Technology; the qualifications of Computer Applications Technology teachers; the use of Computer Technology in teaching; Computer Literacy teachers as motivators in learners’ lives; and teachers and Computer Literacy. The findings of this study reveal that; teachers in rural areas lack a functional Computer Literacy foundation on which to build new technology and skills. The use of computers and related technologies was not a routine part of most teachers’ own educational environment. The number of years of experience and teachers’ status in a school has a significant relationship to familiarity with Computer Technology. A lack of hardware and software; and a lack of knowledge and skills in using computers is a challenge. A lack of or insufficient training opportunities and crowded classrooms are one of the important problems that Basic Education schools face. Insufficient guidance and help in instructional use, insufficient technical assistance, and an insufficient number of computers are other important problems. Most Computer Applications Technology teachers were not trained to teach computers as a subject. This could be because; even in training institutions, computers were only used for administration purposes. Greenwood (1993) notes that; many teachers entered the profession with arts-based qualifications. The introduction of computers in schools is a process which needs time to become self-generating with younger teachers who are now entering schools having used computers in their own training. In South Africa, students have only recently started taking Computer Studies as a major subject in teaching. Previously computers were studied only in certain fields like Computer Science or Information Technology. In rural schools, it is rare to come across a computer laboratory in good condition in terms of space and the number of computers, let alone someone with knowledge of the internet. Rural schools do not have computer centres, internet access, experienced teachers and ample sporting and cultural activities to choose from. However, learners can benefit substantially from this new technology because they can be able to do their work as a group while they are not all in the same physical space. They can share their challenges as they study and prepare for class tests or examinations using the internet. The researcher recommends that the Department of Basic Education should employ teachers who are well trained in Computer Applications Technology. A technician should be employed to service computers at schools and help teachers who are experiencing problems. The Department should encourage primary schools to teach Computer Studies so that when learners study Computer Applications Technology at high school they have a basic grounding in computers. It is recommended that Schools ask companies for donations to enable them to buy computers. They should tighten up their security to make sure that computers are safe. Schools should organise technology specialists to train their teachers. They can use their computer laboratories to offer afternoon classes to the community and charge them for this service. This will help them to raise funds to buy more computers for the school. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Assessment is the single most powerful influence on student learning, and if it is not designed well, it can easily undermine the positive academic benefits of our teaching and learning. It is therefore important to regularly review and reflect on our teaching, learning, and assessment, especially, conventional individualistic conceptions of assessment practices taken for granted in institutions of higher learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether involving students in assessment practices in higher education would help them acquire some understanding of how assessment and grading work, thereby influencing their approaches to learning. Self and peer assessment are used in this study as instructional strategies to support student learning, and are integrated into essay-writing, one of the conventional methods of assessment used in an academic course. The objective was to evaluate the impact of self and peer assessment on students’ learning. The study’s rationale was to involve students in the assessment of their own work and work of others in order to improve substantive acquisition of subject knowledge and understanding, thereby improving their academic performance and achievement. Qualitative data were collected using mainly questionnaires and interviews to solicit students’ perceptions about the impact of self and peer assessment. Quantitative data were used to supplement and complement the questionnaire and interviews methods. Results showed that in the initial involvement in assessment practice students demonstrated inexperience, uncertainty, and deficiency in assessing. There was observable overmarking and undermarking in self and peer assessment, respectively. However, the research study indicated that there were some academic benefits if students are involved in assessment practice over time. There was an overall approval and appreciation of self and peer assessment by students. Furthermore, self and peer assessment promoted interactive, collaborative and cooperative learning among students as opposed to competitiveness. Given the small-scale nature of this research study, there was limited improvement in the development of assessment skills, but a marked improvement in writing an essay. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006. / The educational reforms implemented by the Department of Education during the last decade have resulted in a number of high profile public university mergers taking place in South Africa. The private higher education sector has simultaneously been significantly restructured by new educational legislation, to such an extent that a numerous private providers have been forced to cease operations due to the onerous requirements of the new laws. In this context, private higher education institutions are increasingly being compelled to consider alternative strategic options in order to continue to operate as viable entities. This study examined two private theological higher education institutions operating in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and considered whether a merger of the two organisations would be advantageous in light of the pressures being faced by the institutions. The objectives of the study were to assess first, whether a merger of the two institutions would be feasible and second, whether it would be desirable. The study reviewed the literature relating to various forms of organisational co-operation , focusing particularly on mergers. The benefits associated with mergers were highlighted as well as the major causes of the extraordinarily high merger failure rate experienced in practice. The tendency of leaders of merging entities to overlook cultural and people issues when planning and implementing a merger was noted. Attention was given to the managerial approaches necessary to reduce the risk of merger failure. Factors specific to mergers within the non-profit and educational sectors were considered, focusing on structural options for multi-campus educational institutions in particular. The methodology used to address the research objectives called for the conducting of structured interviews with a sample of employees and Board or Council members from both institutions, as well as an examination of various institutional records. Employees of both institutions completed a simple questionnaire designed to provide data for an analysis of the respective organisational cultures of the two institutions. The findings of the study suggested that a merger between the institutions would be feasible, but that employees of the two organisations are not generally of the view that a merger would be desirable in the short term. There was however more support in principle for a merger in the medium to long term and the study consequently recommends that a joint task team be established to prepare a roadmap for the ultimate merger of the two institutions. In the short term it is recommended that a joint venture or strategic alliance be entered into by the two organisations primarily in order to test the compatibility of the two organisational cultures. Further recommendations cover issues such as the ideal structure for the merged entity and the process necessary to successfully manage the integration of two separate organisational cultures.

As part of the transformation agenda of education and training policy, the main thrust of Recognition and Prior Learning (RPL) in the South African policy context was to contribute to addressing social justice issues such as equity, redress and access of the majority of adult learners, who were historically denied access to formal learning. The study focuses on the following critical questions: What are the official policy claims of the assessment and recognition of prior learning at the national and sectoral level? How do assessors mediate official policy in recognising and assessing prior learning of adult learners in an institutional context? What are the experiences and engagements of adult learners in having their prior learning assessed? This research responds to the conceptual gaps in the study of RPL policy and practice and the National Qualifications Framework. The study examines epistemological issues such as: what and whose knowledge is considered as valid; the relationship between knowledge and experience; the relationship between different types of knowledge and learning; and the relationship between knowledge and access to power. The study also addresses a contextual gap: very limited research exists on the RPL experiences of societies in transition with similar transformational agendas as South Africa. The present research study also examines the implementation process in a transitional context, exploring the gap that develops between intended policies and actual practice. This is a qualitative study using the case study approach to examine the complexities of the assessment and recognition of prior learning process in a Technical College Institution located in the Further Education and Training Band. The analysis of selected international case studies of RPL contributed to identifying and exploring conceptual gaps in RPL policy and practice. These conceptual issues provided the first set of preliminary lens for the production, description and analysis of data in the research study. The preliminary lens were then re-interpreted and elaborated in relation to Bernstein 's theory (1996) of symbolic control and cultural production. reproduction and change. The synthesised conceptual framework provided a theoretical vocabulary to redescribe and reinterpret data at deeper levels of abstraction. The key findings of the research were as follows: The undertheorisation of RPL in policy circles and the ways in which policy has tended to gloss over issues such as "equivalence", "integrated competence", knowledge-power dynamics and the differences between mainstream and outsider knowledge; The gap between policy rhetoric and sectoral practice. The sector advocated a technicist approach to RPL that was preoccupied with matching adult experiential learning against prescribed standards. The sector practice marginalized or even excluded adult learners who had acquired their knowledge and learning in non-formal and informal contexts; Nevertheless, assessors who were socially and culturally sensitive to the RPL process had an implicit understanding of the different types of knowledge and knowers. Their developmental approach to RPL provided an enabling environment for adult learners to demonstrate their learning and knowledge from experience. Adult learners without high levels of formal literacy were able to demonstrate their ability to reflect on their experiential learning to transfer their abstract and critical thought processes to solve new problems in the assessment context. The research highlights the commensurability between informal and formal knowledge and the ability of workers who have learnt their skills informally to demonstrate high levels of conceptual and transferable skills. The present research makes the following theoretical contributions: Firstly , Bernstein's theory was extended to examine policy formulation and the policy process. Within the framework of critical policy analysis, a new construct: "relations outside" was created as an analytical tool to examine the nuances of the macro-contexts (historical, political, social, economic) which shape the meaning and significance of policy. Secondly, the research study produces a new conceptual framework to analyse the complex and dynamic nature of RPL policy and practice in a transformational context. The present study advocates a critical and holistic approach to RPL that interrogates how power-relations within and across contextual, epistemological and pedagogical issues reproduce or challenge the existing patterns of inequalities in society. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

This dissertation adopts a realist meta-perspective on a body of the scholar's own research papers written between 2005 and 2011, all either published or in press and offered for reference in the Appendices. The six papers represent the point of departure for the thesis; they are the phenomenon for further investigation into 'what must be the case' for the research events to have emerged as they did. One aspect of this study, therefore, is an auto ethnographic account of conducting research in the field of Academic Development within varied settings and over a given time frame. But alongside this personal history it narrates cycles in the Academic Development movement in South Africa over 30 years. Margaret Archer's Social Realist principle of analytical dualism (1995) is used to disaggregate the emergent properties within these histories and to enable an analysis of the underlying mechanisms that generated them. It refers to three social domains. Firstly, it describes the material structures - the institutional environments, policies, roles or professional conditions - in which the projects were conceived. Secondly, it identifies the cultural registers that the profession was drawing on - such as theories, beliefs or discourses. Thirdly, it draws attention to the agency of individuals and communities in the field as they independently activated or mediated these various conditioning structures and registers. So the study is a systematic examination of the parts and the people in research stories, of the complex interrelationship of structural and agential elements, and of how together they have generated particular forms of knowing and kinds of knowledge in Academic Development. Drawing from this 'history-within-a-history', the study makes some claims for 'what must be the case' for substantial knowledge to flourish in a newly emergent, hotly contested and relatively unstable field. It argues that Academic Development has few shared epistemological foundations and boundaries, and its roles and functions are shifting and diverse. It describes the tensions in the field between those who have been inclined to understand it as primarily concerned with redress or equity in the postapartheid state, and yet others who have prioritised Academic Development as an efficiency project within higher education. But there is a third discourse emanating from those in the profession who have consistently argued that neither of these approaches can succeed without drawing on stronger theoretical foundations. This study endorses the view that Academic Developers need to identify more coherent ontological and epistemological frames for their research work. This has important implications for building the kind of substantial knowledge base that could be more influential in addressing the troubled terrain of South African higher education. The study refers extensively to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) and to Mervyn Peake's 1946 illustrations of these children's stories, finding in these texts powerful analogies and metaphors for principles in realist philosophy and theory, and for describing a researcher's journey towards a more assured identity in the curious field of Academic Development.

This dissertation examines the knowledge and knower practices in the Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) coursework programmes at South African public universities. This study was prompted by my growing awareness of problems and tensions in the field of ELM generally, and at the level of programme design of the M Ed degree in particular. Many of these had been identified by a national audit of coursework M Eds in ELM (CHE, 2010), and this study sought to find a way of theorising these with a view to improving both course design and teaching. To this end I employed Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) which enables critical engagement with knowledge and knowers in programmes, how they are positioned, and how this positioning may be problematic. Hence my first research question sought to discover and critique what counted as knowledge in these programmes and why, while the second asked how knowers were positioned, and why this had come to be the case. LCT has its roots in the work of Bernstein and Maton, whose preoccupation with curriculum was/is driven by a sense of social justice: if we can understand how and why the curriculum is organised and presented in a particular way, it becomes possible to re-imagine teaching and learning, making it accessible to a broader, more inclusive body of learners. The study also drew on critical realism as an underlabourer. This philosophy provided a nuanced understanding of ontology, encouraging and enabling me, as researcher, to unearth causal mechanisms driving the status quo. Only seven South African universities currently offer the coursework option of a Master’s degree in ELM, compared to thirteen when the audit was conducted in 2010. Six of the universities agreed to take part in the study. Data was gathered through content analysis of the six course outlines and interviews with individual co-ordinators or academics centrally involved in the programmes. Through the development of a translation device I was able to establishing that a knower code was dominant in the programmes. Using this point as my departure, I interrogated the knowledge practices and found that different types of knowledge were being privileged across the programmes, with some having a practical/professional leaning and others a more academic/theoretical orientation. The resultant tension does, I argue, restrict knowledge building and helps to account for the fact that the field is generally considered to be under-theorised. The fact all of these programme are registered with the same national qualifications authority, ostensibly following the same national guidelines for Master’s degrees is worrying. The study attempts to find underlying, historically significant reasons for this unevenness. An analysis of the programmes revealed a leaning towards supportive pedagogical approaches. While all programmes promote a cultivated gaze their purposes are not always the same. While a hegemonic practices potential for opening counts as knowledge, cultivated gaze can enable transformation, it can also encourage that can impede real change and empowerment. The study has the up much needed debate on what is meant by a Master’s in ELM, what and what kinds of knower are envisaged.

Fraud and corruption cost South Africa billions of rand yearly. Institutions of higher learning are no less vulnerable to fraud and corruption than other organisations, but are also subject to risks that are unique to academia. The Public Finance Management Act. No.1 of 1999 requires Public entities including the councils (university or college controlling body) of public institutions of higher learning to adopt enterprise risk management, which includes a fraud and corruption risk management policy and procedures. The function of the fraud and corruption policy is to provide an objective strategy to prevent, detect and investigate any possible irregularity in order to prevent further loss in line with Corporate Governance requirements. The anti-fraud and corruption strategy measures include setting the appropriate tone by management of the institution, being proactive (fraud risk assessments), and being reactive (reporting process, investigation and taking appropriate action). The actions include disciplinary action and criminal or civil proceedings in order to recover assets lost. The procedures address the implementation of the policy. This research focused on identifying the relevant issues that could be included in the formulation of fraud and corruption risk management policies and procedures for institutions of higher learning. The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology consisting of a document analysis and interviews. It was found that, out of eleven institutions of higher learning investigated only one institution meets the criteria set out in the framework developed in the research as an assessment tool. The other institutions involved in the research did not have fraud and corruption risk management policies or procedures and therefore did not comply with the Public Finance Management Act.

In South Africa there is an increasing concern regarding retention among Black students (who constitute the majority of the population) in general and in particular regarding the costs of student failure to both the students and for the institution. This thesis endeavours to obtain an understanding of the socio-educational experiences which led to Black Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Students in 2009 dropping out of Accounting III at the University of Fort Hare. In a field in which much of the literature is quantitatively orientated, a phenomenological investigation offered a unique way of understanding the experiences of the students as it allowed their voices to be heard. Insights contained in the data were synthesised and integrated into a consistent description of the essential nature of the experience, the primary endeavour of the phenomenologist being to transform naïve experience into more explicitly detailed conceptual knowledge. The use of in-depth interviews with three students, all of whom had dropped out of Accounting III at UFH, allowed the researcher interaction on a personal level with people not viewed as experimental objects but as human subjects. The findings revealed that the students‘ social and educational background, together with the language of teaching and learning not being their mother tongue, caused students great difficulty. Interaction between lecturers and students and the subject content proved very challenging due to the language barrier. The introduction of General Accounting III in the same class as Accounting III in 2009 compounded the students‘ confusion and this ultimately led to students feeling demotivated. These findings contributed significantly to an understanding of why these three students dropped out of Accounting III in 2009, and at the same time provided an answer to the research question relating to how Black students who dropped out of the Accounting III programme in 2009, experienced the course.