The recent global growth and popularity of open and distance learning (ODL) has been attributed to its advantages, such as flexibility for students who wish to study while working. Moreover, ODL is an effective tool in extending participation to students from less privileged social groups who are unreachable due to geographic location or cannot access higher education due to diverse factors, such as financial constraints or domestic arrangements. In the light of this, this study investigated learner support in the Department of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the University of South Africa (Unisa), the largest, dedicated ODL institution in South Africa. A review of literature identified the Community of Inquiry model proposed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2001) as useful in this context and I used it as a conceptual framework for the empirical inquiry that I undertook. A mixed method approach comprising two consecutive phases was employed to investigate the research questions. A self-designed questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from a random sample of 400 students registered for the ABET Diploma module (Phase One) followed by face to face interviews with selected lecturers and students (Phase Two). The scope of the study was limited to ABET lecturers, ABET diploma students and to selected Unisa learner support systems, such as myUnisa which includes a web-based discussion forum. The findings of the inquiry were presented and discussed under three main headings: the findings of Phase One, the findings of Phase Two and a summary in which the findings of the two phases were integrated where appropriate. The themes that emerged from the questionnaire and the interviews demonstrate clearly that learner support in the ABET Department is crucial in ensuring learner success. Interlinking themes are as follows: the context of the students, levels of computer literacy, accessibility of Unisa learner support systems, student motivation and time management. Many ABET students live in remote areas of the country and have little or no access to internet facilities. However, the majority of students agreed that they would like to interact more with other students through myUnisa in future. Lecturers and students agreed that myUnisa was a vital tool in teaching the students online; yet both students and lecturers still regarded contact discussion classes as the most important form of learner support. The findings suggested that the distance between the university and the student still has to be reduced more to ensure that student support reaches all students equitably. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Quality assurance has been a vexed and troubled journey for private providers in South Africa in a complex and burdensome educational environment. It is well recognised that private providers are significant role-players in the provision of education and training in South Africa and the stated intention is to create a more enabling regulatory framework The focus of this thesis is on the private providers at the post-school level. The quality assurance regime was examined and contextualised to analyse what is required, and to determine how the private provider is impacted by the regulatory requirements for the establishment and operation of a private tuition provider in South Africa. The experience of private providers, CEOs of professional bodies, ETQA managers and ETD practitioners was investigated using a mixed methods research approach. The conclusion is a call for a far more streamlined system with a centralised oversight body, greater stakeholder consultation, less political interference and a deeper appreciation for the contribution that private providers make to the education of learners in South Africa. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The primary aim of this study was to explore the relevance that serving and former SAPS members who hold an academic doctorate degree attach to such a degree in the SAPS occupational environment. From a qualitative standpoint, data was collected through phenomenological in-depth individual interviews with serving and former SAPS members who hold an academic doctorate degree. In addition, a comprehensive review of the relevant national and international literature was conducted to obtain a better understanding of this phenomenon. A thematic data analysis process was followed to analyse the collected data. Various objectives were fulfilled in the completion of this study:  The relevance of an academic doctorate degree, as experienced by serving and former SAPS members, in their occupational environment was explored, identified and described.  The value that SAPS doctorate graduates add to the SAPS was explored, identified and described.  Recommendations were made regarding the optimal, efficient and effective utilisation of doctorate SAPS graduates in the occupational environment of the SAPS. The findings of this study indicate that holding a doctorate degree in the SAPS generally adds value to the various aspects of policing. However, it was found that not all doctorate graduates in the SAPS are appropriately placed and placement is not necessarily influenced by graduates’ academic qualifications. Based on the findings of this study, a framework for the appropriate placement of doctorate graduates in the SAPS was developed. This framework could serve as a management tool to sensitise SAPS management to the relevance of an academic doctorate degree. In addition, this framework could act as a management tool guiding the SAPS management regarding the correct placement of academic doctorate graduates in the organisation. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of the relevance of a doctorate degree in the SAPS, thereby contributing to new knowledge related to this phenomenon. / Police Practice / Ph. D. (Police Science)

The number of students with learning disabilities entering the higher education system in South Africa is increasing dramatically. At the same time, the misconceptions about disabilities can have distressing consequences for disabled students. A thorough understanding of current staff attitudes and knowledge of learning disabilities will assist when setting up interventions aimed at improving perceptions. This qualitative, phenomenological case study uses the bio-psycho-social model of disability to explore staff perceptions at the University of the Witwatersrand. Interviews with staff members showed that a wide range of opinions and attitudes exist. Although perceptions varied between participants, the main findings indicated that they presented a poor understanding of what disability, and in particular, learning disability means. The conclusion was drawn that Wits University should be proactive in empowering their staff by providing them with opportunities to learn about disabilities. This investment in staff development should ultimately lead to a richer campus life where all students feel welcome. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Function Shift is the transference of functions, which involves responsibilities, assets and human resources (including their employment packages), from one department to the next. The Function Shift to which I refer in this study entails the shifting of functions from the former Adult Education and Training provincial directorates to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). This process started in 2009 in terms of proclamation 48 of 2009. The purpose of my active research is to investigate in depth the experienced positive and negative consequences of Function Shift with the intention of exploring problematic features and challenges of Community Education and possibilities for addressing them. By ‘experienced’ consequences, I mean consequences that are not just imagined but were expressed by participants. I employed an 'active' qualitative research approach whereby I, as a researcher, am actively involved in the research process in trying to ensure that the research is bearing results for me as well as for the participants. I based the selection of Community Education and Training Colleges on the characteristics of the regions in which the colleges belonged. I clustered regions that portrayed similar characteristics and came out with 3 clusters. I selected one region and its respective college from each of the 3 clusters. From each of the selected regions and their corresponding colleges, I sampled a Regional manager, Curriculum Implementer or regional official, Principal, 1 Centre manager, 1 lecturer and 1 student. I collected data through first and second interview sessions, focus group discussion in 1 college and through evaluative discussion with 2 head office officials. To carry out data analysis, I used the principles of Atlas TI that encourages the coding, categorisation and thematising data collected from participants simultaneously with data from the reviewed literature. It emerged that all participants agreed that a multilevel change management system is suitable for Function Shift as opposed to the traditional rational/linear model and that Function Shift is a potential solution to Adult Education and Training challenges. The prevailing challenge was insufficient consultation, which resulted in some transitional challenges that could have been identified and mitigated against. My concluding recommendation is that the oral or print input made by members on the ground including the assessment of the real and practical situation in Community Learning Centres must drive the development of policies that are still cascaded by the DHET. Consultation must be characterised by dialogue, not announcements of deadlines. / Ku susumetiwa ka mintirho swi vula ku susiwa ka vutihlamuleri endzawuleni yinwana byi yisiwa endzawuleni yin’wani. Vutihlamuleri lebyi byi katsa tinhundu, timali, vatirhi ni miholo ya vona ni hikwaswo leswi fambelanaka ni xiyenge xexo. Ndzavisiso lowu wu vulavula hi ku susiwa ka vutihlamuleri bya dyondzo ni vudzaberi/vuthwaseli bya vatswatsi (Adult Education and Training) e mindzawuleni ya dyondzo ya le hansi ya swifunda (Provincial Department of Basic Education) ku yisiwa e ndzawuleni ya le henhla ya dyondzo ni vudzaberi (Department of Higher Education and Training). Nghingiriko lowu wa ku cinciwa ka vutihlamuleri wu sungurile hi lembe ra 2009. Makungu ya ndzavisiso lowu wa mahika I ku lavisisa hi vuxokoxoko vumbhoni bya switandzaku (mbuyelo lowunene ni lowu wu nga tsakisiki) leswi vangiwanga hi ku cinciwa ka vutihlamuleri, hi xikongomelo xo paluxa swirhalanganyi swa dyondzo ya vaaki (Community Education) ni ku ololoxa swirhalanganyi leswi. Loko ni ku vumbhoni bya switandzaku, ndzi vula switandzaku leswi swi nga kumbeteriwiki, kambe leswi vahlamuri (participants/respondents) va nyikaka vumbhoni bya leswi va nga swi vona ni ku switwa. Ndzi endlile vulavisisi bya mahika (active research), laha mina tani hi mulavisisi ndzi tlangeke xiyenge xa ku endla leswaku vulavisisi lebyi byi va ni mbuyelo lowu nga ta pfuna mina xikan’we na muhlamuri. Ndzi hlawurile tilholichi ta dyondzo ni vudzaberi ta vaaki ku ya hi tindhawu /tirhijini laha tikholichi leti ti kumekaka kona. Ndzi longoloxile tirhijini hinkwato, ndzi ti katsakanya hi timpawu ta tona, ivi ndzi huma na mintlawa minarhu. Ndzi hlawule kholeji yin’we eka ntlawa wun’wani ni wun’wani ni tirhijini ta tona. Eka rhijini yin'wana na yin'wana ndzi hlawurile no tihlanganisa na vanhu lava landzelaka: mufambisi wa rhijini, mukamberi/museketeri wa dyondzo a rhijinini, nhloko ya kholeji, mufambisi wa sentara, mudzaberi na xichudeni. Eka Kholeji yo sungula ni ya vumbirhi, ndzi hlengeletile mahungu hi ku burisana ni vahlamuri hi wun’we ha wun’we. Eka Kholeji ya vunharhu, ndzi hlengelete mahungu hi mbhurisano wa hlengeletano ya murhangeri wa senthara, vadzaberi va nharhu ni machudeni mambirhi. Ku kuma voxokoxoko ni nhlavutelo wa mahungu lawa ndzi wa hlengeleteke, ndzi tirhisile maendlelo ya "Atlas Tl" yaku hlohlotela ku kuma vuxokoxoko hi ku tirhisa tekinoloji, ku longoloxa ku ya hi swiyimo ni ku endla vulavisisi eka tibuku tin'wana. Vahlamuri va pfumelelanile leswaku mafambiselo ya ku cinca loku khumbhaka swiyenge swo hambana-hambana (Multilevel change management) hi nkarhi wun’we hi wona lama fanelaka ku susumetiwa ka vutihlamuleri. Nakambe vahlamuri va pfumelelanile leswaku ku susmetiwa ka vutihlamuleri swi nga tisa xintshuxo eka ku tikeriwa loku a ku ri kona e ka dyondzo ni vudzaberi bya vatswatsi. Ndzi heta hi ku vula leswaku swibumabumelo leswi tsariweke ni ku vuriwa hi milomo ya vaaki, ni ku xopaxopela xiyimo lexi xi nga etisenthareni ta dyondzo ya vaaki, hi swona leswi fanelaka ku va makombandlela ya ku tumbuluxiwa ni ku hangalasiwa ka milawu (policies) leyi ya ha endliwaka hi ndzawulo ya le henhla ya dyondzo ni vudzaberi. Njhenhjekisano wa miehleketo exikarhi ka varhangeri ni vaaki hi yona ndlela ya kahle yaku tihlanganisa (consultation) na vanhu. / Phetišetšo ya mošomo ke go fetišetša mešomo, yeo e amago maikarabelo, dithoto le methopo ya batho (go akaretšwa ditshwanelo tša bona tša mošomo), go tloga go kgoro ye nngwe go ya go ye nngwe. Phetišetšo ya mošomo yeo ke bolelago ka yona ka mo dinyakišišong e ama go fetišetša mešomo ya Thuto ya Batho ba Bagolo le Tlhahlo go tloga go diofisi tša bolaodibogolo bja diprofense tša Thuto ya Batho ba Bagolo le Tlhahlo tša pele go ya go go Thuto ya Godimo le Tlhahlo (DHET). Tshepetšo ye e thomile ka 2009 go ya ka pego ya 48 ya 2009. Nepo ya dinyakišišo tša ka tša go rarolla bothata ke go nyakišiša go tsenelela dipoelo tše dibotse le tše dimpe tša maitemogelo tša Phetišetšo ya Mošomo ka nepo ya go nyakišiša dibopego tša mathata le ditlhohlo tša Thuto ya Setšhaba le dikgonagalo tša go šogana le tšona. Ka ‘dipoelo tša maitemogelo’ ke bolela ka dipoelo tšeo di sa akanywego fela eupša di tšweletšwa ke bakgathatema. Ke šomišitše mokgwa wa dinyakišišo wa boleng wa “go rarolla bothata’ moo nna, bjalo ka monyakišiši, ke amana ka dinyakišišong ka mafolofolo go kgonthiša gore dinyakišišo di na le dipoelo tše dibotse go nna le go bakgathatema. Ke theile kgetho ya ka ya Thuto ya Setšhaba le Dikholetšhe tša Tlhahlo go dibopego tša dilete tšeo dikholetšhe tše di lego gona. Ke hlopile dilete tšeo di bontšhago dibopego tša go swana gomme ka tšweletša dihlopha tše tharo. Go tšwa go dilete tše dingwe le tše dingwe tšeo di kgethilwego le dikholetšhe tšeo di amanago le tšona, ke dirile sešupo ka molaodi wa Selete, Mophethagatši wa Lenaneothuto goba mohlankedi wa selete, Hlogo ya Sekolo, molaodi wa Senthara yo motee, mofahloši yo motee le moithuti yo motee. Ke kgobokeditše data ka dikopano tša mathomo le tša bobedi tša dipoledišano, dipoledišano tša sehlopha sa nepišo kholetšheng ye tee ka dipoledišano tša tekolo le bahlankedi ba babedi ba kantorokgolo. Go dira tshekatsheko ya data, ke šomišitše methopo ya Atlas TI ye e hlohleletšago go swaya, go hlopha le go kgetha data ye e kgobokeditšwego go tšwa go bakgathatema ka nako ye tee le data go tšwa go dingwalwa tšeo di sekasekilwego. Go tšweletše gore bakgathatema ka moka ba dumetše gore mokgwa wa taolo ya phetogo ya magato a mantši o loketše Phetišetšo ya Mošomo kgahlanong le mmotlolo wa tlwaelo/thwii wa mathomong le gore Phetišetšo ya Mošomo ke tharollo ye e kgonagalago ya ditlhohlo tša Thuto ya Batho ba Bagolo le Tlhahlo. Tlhohlo ye e tšwelelago e be e le therišano yeo e sa lekanago, yeo e feleditšego ka ditlhohlo tša phetišetšo tšeo di bego di utollotšwe gomme tša fedišwa. Tigelo ya ka ya go phetha ke dikgopolo tša molomo le tšeo di gatišitšwego tšeo di filwego ke maloko a mo fase go akaretšwa kelo ya maemo a nnete le a tiro mo Disenthareng tša Go ithuta tša Setšhaba di swanetše go eta pele tšweletšopele ya dipholisi tšeo di sa fetišwago ke DHET. Ditherišano di swanetše go bopša ke poledišano, e sego ditsebišo tša matšatši a mafelelo. / ABET and Youth Development / D. Ed. (Socio Education)

Study-abroad in the United States traces its roots back to early colonial times. The concept of spending a semester or year abroad during the undergraduate degree programme is not a new one; however increasing emphasis has been placed upon the need for acquiring a global education to cope with the demands of an ever increasing internationalised world. The traditional locations for American undergraduates who chose to study-abroad have always been and continue to be Western Europe. Yet, with a culture similar to that of the United States, the question of what intercultural learning takes place is an apt one. Emphasis on non-traditional locations is increasing, yet few studies have been undertaken which examine the experience of American undergraduates who do choose non-traditional destinations for their study-abroad experience. This research examines, through a qualitative study, using in-depth, semi-structured descriptive interviews, the experience of six American undergraduates who chose to spend a semester in South Africa from January to June 2004. A focus group of professionals within the American university study-abroad setting was also interviewed in May of 2003 to determine factors of interest to professionals within the field. The major findings included: The traditional barriers to study-abroad were not applicable to the students studied, however, barriers dealing with lack of information or inaccurate information regarding South Africa and non-promotion of South Africa as a first world country were found to be relevant as deterrents to students choosing South Africa as a destination for study-abroad. The most relevant factors that influenced students to study-abroad in South Africa were found to be: prior academic coursework in African studies at the home institution, the perception that it was a destination that offered opportunities for personal enjoyment and learning prospects in a unique cultural setting in addition to the fact that the host institution's language of instruction was English. Based on these findings, relevant recommendations for further research in this field were suggested. / Educational Studies / DED (COMP EDUCATION)

This research is an investigation into the factors that influence the decisions of grade 12 learners from Grahamstown East disadvantaged communities to pursue higher education. Research on learner aspirations has largely focused on access to higher education and little or no attention has been has been paid to the enabling or limiting factors and what can be done to increase the numbers of learners from disadvantaged communities who enrol at higher education institutions. This study aims to fill that gap. The research was a qualitative case study located in the interpretive paradigm. The data was gathered using questionnaires and focus group interviews for grade 12 learners. Individual interviews were conducted with the parents of the grade 12 research participants, educators and the school management team. Observation and documentary evidence from school documents were also used for data collection. The data were analysed using systematic patterning, were interpreted, and given meaning linking it to the literature surveyed. The main findings indicate that a number of enabling factors that influence grade 12 learners to pursue higher education co-exist with limiting factors. Recommendations arising from the main findings are presented and the limitations of the research are identified. Areas for possible further research in strengthening learner support so as to increase the numbers of learners who qualify for higher education and to enable the learners from disadvantaged communities to realise their aspirations, are suggested.

This is an interpretive case study that explores the workplace epistemologies and institutional structures of two nested cases within the broader context of the Environmental Education, Training and Development Practices - Level 5 qualification (EETDP qualification) that is registered on the South African National Qualifications Framework. The study provides insights to inform EETDP curriculum development that is enabling of reflexive environmental education and training processes. The study develops an understanding of workplace epistemologies related to environment and education, the structural factors that enable and constrain agency of environmental educators and the role of reflexivity in practice and in education in two nested cases: the agricultural and local government sectors. It draws on findings from workshops, semistructured interviews and document analysis of education materials in these two nested cases. The study notes that there are diverse and seemingly ambiguous understandings of both environment/sustainability and education processes in the two nested cases. This ambiguity seems to relate to environmental education practitioners drawing on different forms of knowledge, including differentiated or theoretical knowledge, and 'common-sense' ways of knowing, in their education practice. The understandings related to theoretical knowledge are, in both nested cases, dominated by scientific or technical understandings where environment is understood in the terms of the natural sciences and education is seen in instrumentalist terms as the transfer of mainly technical environmental knowledge to learners in order to effect behaviour change. The study opens up deeper understandings of the epistemological, socio-cultural and structural features of context, in the two nested cases, that have a bearing on environmental educators. It provides insights into workplace structures that can be both enabling and constraining of agency and notes that the causal power of structures to enable or constrain does not lie only in the structures but also in relation to the intentionality of the environmental education practitioners/agents. The study then examines reflexivity as one of the means through which environmental educators in the nested cases are able to consider appropriate actions or responses to structural constraints or enablements. Based on the insights offered by the research findings, the study makes recommendations for the EETDP curriculum development. It frames these recommendations within an understanding of curriculum as a contextualised social process that involves structural aspects of curriculum such as materials, as well as socio-cultural processes such as learning on the course and in the workplace.

Text in English / With the growing trends in favour of online learning in higher education, further research is needed on the social experiences of students enrolled in online courses. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways in which social presence manifested itself amongst first-year undergraduate students who had studied in a fully asynchronous web-based course at Unisa in 2014. The Community of Inquiry framework, which posits that meaningful online learning experience results from interaction of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence, guided this inquiry. Purposive sampling was utilised to select 18 participants who met the selection criteria. Through semi-structured, telephonic interviews, couched with the social constructivism stance, the participants‟ perceptions of social presence were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that first-year online undergraduate students manifested social presence through affective responses, interactive responses, group cohesion, interaction, instructor presence and internet access. Overall, social presence manifested itself through participation and interaction within the discussion forums. The findings specified further that a blended online learning approach can be crucial in meeting the learning needs of some students. Furthermore, the findings alluded to a lack of interaction and feedback from the online instructors. In addition, the findings revealed a limitation in terms of internet access, particularly for students in rural areas, which is of concern in an ODL milieu heading online. Implications of the study findings, study limitations and avenues for future research are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This study focused on constructing a psychological retention profile by investigating the relationship between an individual’s psychological career-related attributes (psychological contract and psychosocial career preoccupations), biographical variables (generational cohorts, gender, race, marital status, job level and employment status) and retention factors (compensation, job characteristics, training and development, supervisor support, career opportunities, work/life balance and commitment) in order to inform retention management practices for diverse groups of employees in the context of higher educational environment in South Africa. A quantitative survey was conducted on a purposively selected sample of academic and support staff (N = 579) at the University of South Africa. The canonical correlation analysis indicated employer obligations and state of the psychological contract as the strongest psychological career-related variables in predicting the retention factor variables of compensation, training and development opportunities, supervisor support, career opportunities and organisational commitment. The canonical correlation data were used to inform the structural equation modelling, which indicated a good fit between employer obligations and compensation and training and development opportunities and between the state of the psychological contract and supervisor support and career opportunities. Hierarchical moderated regression showed that psychosocial career preoccupations significantly moderated the relationship between the psychological contract and training and development opportunities as retention factor. Moderated mediation modelling found that the effect of positive perceptions of employer obligations on high levels of retention factors satisfaction through the state of the psychological contract increased when the scores on psychosocial career preoccupations were high. The results also indicated that the effect of positive perceptions of employer obligations on high levels of retention factors satisfaction through positive state of psychological contract increased when the age group of participants was lower (i.e. younger generations). Tests for significant mean differences revealed significant differences in terms of the biographical variables. On a theoretical level, the study expanded the understanding of the individual and behavioural elements of the hypothesised psychological retention profile. On an empirical level, this study delivered an empirically tested psychological retention profile in terms of the behavioural elements. On a practical level, individual and organisational interventions in terms of the psychological retention profile were recommended. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)