The purposes of the study were to identify the dimensions of the quality of doctoral programs, to develop a qualitative index based on these dimensions, and to examine the validity of the index. A total of ten objective variables and 200 doctoral programs in the disciplines of physics, electrical engineering, biochemistry, and sociology were examined in this study. Alpha common factor analysis rotated using varimax was the statistical technique employed to identify the dimensions of quality. Factor analysis identified two dimensions of the quality of doctoral programs in physics, electrical engineering, biochemistry, and sociology. The first dimension was the size-related input dimension dominated primarily by variables such as the number of graduate students, the number of faculty, the amount of departmental research spending, and the size of the library. The second dimension was the outcomes dimension dominated by variables such as the student success rate of gaining academic/research positions in Ph.D.-granting universities, faculty research productivity, faculty grantsmanship, and the student success rate of gaining professional employment outside academia. When one or both dimensions were used as bases for ranking programs, the method that used both dimensions (the composite QI) was better in producing plausible rankings of programs. The main advantage of using both dimensions was that the second dimension acted as a suppressant (or control) to the first factor causing the index to produce a more plausible estimate of quality.

A Research Dissertation Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The Department of Psychology School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand May, 2017 / Utilizing the theories of change and social development, this study analyzes the extent to which participation in cross-national learning assessments has influenced educational policy and curriculum reforms in three African countries: Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. The study also interrogates structural reforms and exchange of technical capacities and evaluates the culture of learning assessment in these countries. To collect data, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants drawn from the Ministries of Basic Education, national examinations councils, civil society organizations and curriculum development institutions in the three countries. In total, 17 key informant interviews were conducted (five in Kenya and six a piece in Tanzania and South Africa). The interviews were complemented by summative content review of policy/strategic papers. This study shows that overall, at least 18 policy/official strategic documents were formulated in these three countries (seven in Kenya and six in Tanzania and five South Africa) as a consequence of participating in the cross-national learning assessments. Five curriculum reforms attributable to the participation in the cross-national learning assessments are also recorded. However, the findings of the current study suggest that these curriculum reviews have not critically considered learning outcomes and are limited in relation to content, design, delivery mechanisms and assessment of literacy and numeracy programmes. As far as teacher capacity is concerned, the study has established that teachers in these countries lack skills in measurement mainly due to the limited training or lack of coverage on psychometrics in the teacher training curricula. Capacity to implement own national learning assessments is varied across the three countries. South Africa and to some extent Kenya have demonstrated improved capacities to implement independent large-scale learning assessments. Much progress has however been made by South Africa in resourcing and implementing independent large-scale learning assessments, an indication of commitment to sustain the culture of monitoring of learning outcomes. There is also much variation in policy and programme formulation and resource investment in literacy programmes across the three countries; at least three programmes/initiatives in South Africa and one each in Kenya and Tanzania have been launched to respond to learning challenges especially in lower grades, with at least $USD 645.2 million invested between 2010-2015. However, the programmes in Kenya and Tanzania are technically and financially donor driven. In terms of structures, South Africa and Kenya have put in place official structures that could support the sustainability of the system of monitoring learning outcomes. For sustainability, a recommendation is made that learning assessments be decentralized and collaboratively managed with stakeholders at the provincial and county/local council levels. The study concludes by discussing the social development implications of these findings. / MT 2018

by Simon W.F. Tse. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 115-119.

This research is a case study investigating how students respond to formative assessment feedback. The study centres around gathering and analysing data on the way in which students perceive and interact with assignment feedback when it is provided to them in a process orientated, drafting-responding approach rather than a product approach. This study also aims to reveal whether the feedback provided by a lecturer is used by students to make changes to the overall quality of their revised assignment. Within this context, I also explore students' opinions and expectations of feedback. The participants in this study are students from the Hospitality Management Sciences Department based at the Durban University of Technology. The participants are from a diverse group in terms of demographics such as age, gender, racial breakdown and language. This research was informed by the interpretive research orientation with overlaps from the social constructivist and critical paradigms. Data collection involved two aspects. The first aspect consisted of document review, that is, copies of all student participants' assignment drafts and their revised copies along with the associated lecturer comments. The second aspect included transcripts of semi-structured interviews conducted with students between May and June, 2007. During the interviews, copies of the students' draft and revised assignments were used either as a point of reference or as tools to stimulate, tease out and probe each student's thoughts, perceptions, understanding and experiences of the feedback provided within the drafting-responding process. I used the data repertoire from my field texts to produce my research text and used Nvivo as a data management tool to identify, group and code recurring themes or to highlight any unique differences within the data transcripts. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts. Findings are that feedback is predominantly perceived by student participants as error correction rather than as a springboard to advance their learning via guidance from a more informed other. Moreover, high stakes assessments dominate the way students are assessed, from school through to tertiary level. This results in a student body that is mark and 'cue' orientated rather than learning focussed. These characteristics in turn, propel students' learning towards the competitive rather than focussing on learning from each other or learning as a community. Another theme that emerged is that students' lack of past experience in using feedback as a process-orientated approach meant that they were ill-equipped to deal optimally with the qualitative feedback provided in this research context. Several issues regarding conflicting literacy practices also emerged. For example, differing academic practices were observed between school and tertiary levels. Students also exhibited an inability to adopt the norms and values desired by the tertiary discipline due to a lack of shared understanding between lecturers and students, as well as difficulties resulting from differing mediums of feedback, including differing perceptions of feedback between lecturers and students. Despite these and other findings, students felt that they did benefit overall from having a drafting-responding process for their assignments. They especially welcomed the qualitative nature of comments provided, the combination of verbal and written comments, the combination of in text and cover comments, the ability to get timely clarity from the lecturer and the scope to dialogue and develop a 'relationship' with the lecturer. This study supports the need for assessments to be positioned for the purpose of learning rather than merely focussing on the assessment of learning. Essentially, when assessments shift from dominant high-stakes to low-stakes, it can encourage students to adopt a deep and active approach to learning (Elbow, 1997). A roll-over effect is that lecturing staff can realign their teaching to respond more fully to students' needs. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

This dissertation investigated the quality of service delivery at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Pietermaritzburg campuses. According to du Toit (2004:182) student satisfaction is important in the Higher Education sector due to its role in effective enrolment management. It is essential for student perceptions of service quality to be evaluated and managed by the university. Iacobucci, et al (1995:277) emphasized that service quality and customer satisfaction are important concepts to academic researchers studying consumer evaluations as a means of creating competitive advantages and customer loyalty. According to the South African Department of Education (2004:3), the creation of a new merged institution must ultimately be accompanied by standardised service levels. Hence this study attempted to investigate the service levels of the merged institution in Pietermaritzburg. The research set out to measure service expectations of higher education as well as measure service perceptions at the DUT. The research also set out to establish the SERVQUAL gap, which causes unsuccessful service delivery (Gap 5) and examine the dimensions which contribute to Gap 5. A SERVQUAL analysis was undertaken on the two Pietermaritzburg campus, viz. Riverside and Indumiso campus. The study found that on average customers had high expectations in tangibles, reliability and assurance dimensions and their highest perceptions were found in the assurance dimension. The study also found that management of DUT need to apply a varying degree of attention to the dimensions between the two campuses. The key recommendation to management of DUT was to introduce a Total Quality Management (TQM) system and a service marketing management plan. In addition to implementing this, management also needs to develop a service-minded workforce. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The accounting higher education sector is becoming increasing competitive, with institutions jostling for position in the eyes of prospective students. Without adequate attention to the quality of education provided, little headway will be possible, and the institution will have to settle for second, or even third, place in the student's mind. Institutions cannot rely on past successes to attract top students, and a new approach is needed. This research presents a possible answer to the quality problem faced at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus) in the School of Accounting. It involves the use of SERVQUAL to measure students' satisfaction levels with the quality of service and education received. The approach involves gathering students' perceptions, analyzing them, and making suggestions about the correct path to follow in a bid to enhance the institution's standing in the accounting community. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Management Sciences in Administration and Information Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / This dissertation evaluates the quality of administrative practices in three selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in KwaZulu-Natal, situated in the Durban area. TVET Colleges, formerly known as Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in South Africa, have undergone numerous changes since 1994. The South African government has recognized the sharp increase in unemployment, particularly among the youth of the country. There is a dearth of trained employees possessing a certain skills set required in the South African vocational industry and the government has identified TVET colleges as the panacea to address this skills shortage. Student satisfaction is important in higher education as it influences effective learning. This study adopted a mixed methods approach involving a set of questionnaires administered to students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrative clerks and administrative managers. A stratified sampling technique was used when collecting data from staff and a convenience sample was applied when collecting data from students. A SERVQUAL theoretical framework was employed in this study; this model explains the students’ perceptions and expectations in evaluation of administrative practices which have been used to measure service quality in an administrative service context. The result of the research indicated great importance for all TVET colleges to implement an appropriate set of processes for the administrative practices and to continuously review and refine the application system (COLTECH) being used to capture academic information for students, and the lack of support to the administrative clerks in dealing with all students’ enquiries expeditiously. Following an in-depth analysis of the results, this study recommends more consultation with students regarding administrative practices; flexibility in accessing academic information on time; a high level of communication in any enquiries; and proper monitoring of the application system (COLTECH). Administrative clerks should be authorised to rectify errors as soon as possible; continuous training; workshops and the COLTECH application system should be continuously upgraded. / M

M.Ed. / The department of Industrial Design at the University of Johannesburg implements year-end written examinations for all of its theoretical subjects as a final summative assessment. This assessment process has remained largely unchanged since the inception of the course and remains an important period within the academic calendar. This method of assessment is the mainstay of the assessment process employed at the department with regard to the theoretical subjects offered. However, students’ experiences of this phenomenon are unknown. Reasons for this are varied but, primarily, a lack of open communication between lecturers and students as a result of the nature of the discipline has compromised deeper understanding of the student experience. Previous research regarding assessment within the broad art and design field has focussed intently on the subjective studio critique as a method of assessment of practical work. The results of previous research have, therefore, side lined investigation of written end-of-year examinations. It is with this in mind that the focus of this study is to investigate students’ experiences of written examination within the context of industrial design education. This study investigates written year-end examinations as a phenomenon and identifies possible linkages to Transformative Learning (TL) theory. That is to say, students’ experiences of examination are investigated as contextual experiences that may or may not bring about transformation in meaning structures that initiate critical reflection. According to TL theory, students who are able to reflect critically on experiences will be able to adopt and even accept different viewpoints. Such a changed viewpoint is critical to establish in order to understand if and how students learn through transformation as a result of their experiences of the phenomenon of written examination.

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.

College student satisfaction is a concept that has become more prevalent in higher education research journals. Little attention has been given to the psychometric properties of previous instrumentation, and few studies have investigated the structure of current satisfaction instrumentation. This dissertation: (a) investigated the tenability of the theoretical dimensional structure of the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory™ (SSI), (b) investigated an alternative factor structure using explanatory factor analyses (EFA), and (c) used multiple-group CFA procedures to determine whether an alternative SSI factor structure would be invariant for three demographic variables: gender (men/women), race/ethnicity (Caucasian/Other), and undergraduate classification level (lower level/upper level). For this study, there was little evidence for the multidimensional structure of the SSI. A single factor, termed General Satisfaction with College, was the lone unidimensional construct that emerged from the iterative CFA and EFA procedures. A revised 20-item model was developed, and a series of multigroup CFAs were used to detect measurement invariance for three variables: student gender, race/ethnicity, and class level. No measurement invariance was noted for the revised 20-item model. Results for the invariance tests indicated equivalence across the comparison groups for (a) the number of factors, (b) the pattern of indicator-factor loadings, (c) the factor loadings, and (d) the item error variances. Because little attention has been given to the psychometric properties of the satisfaction instrumentation, it is recommended that further research continue on the SSI and any additional instrumentation developed to measure student satisfaction. It is possible that invariance issues may explain a portion of the inconsistent findings noted in the review of literature. Although measurement analyses are a time-consuming process, they are essential for understanding the psychometrics characterized by a set of scores obtained from a survey, or any other form of assessment instrument.