Thesis (M. Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2002 / Refer to document

Text in English / The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions and attitudes of student nurses towards anatomy and physiology. The study was conducted in the nursing education setting at three campuses of one college of nursing in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive research design was utilised, with a survey and a self-administered questionnaire as data collection method and instrument respectively. Probability sampling was utilised to select a sample of 2nd year student nurses registered for the 4-year diploma at the selected college of nursing. Data was analysed by means of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. The results revealed both positive and negative perceptions and attitudes towards anatomy and physiology. Positive attitudes and perceptions were that the subject is enjoyable, easy, interesting and relevant to nursing practice. Negative attitudes were shown towards the classroom as not being conducive to learning and towards teaching methods that were not interactive. Recommendations were made to include interactive, evidence-based teaching learning methods in anatomy and physiology. / Health Studies / M. A. (Nursing Science)

Thesis (MEd. (Community and Continuing Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The research was carried out in Capricorn College for FET. The main aim of this study was to identify the educational needs of Capricorn College for FET. This study attempted to answer the following research question:  What are the educational needs of Capricorn College for FET? This study was designed within a qualitative research paradigm using multiple-case studies. A document analysis, semi-structured interviews, observations were used to identify the educational needs of Capricorn College for FET. Semi-structured interviews allowed me to ask questions to participants while allowing the flexibility to probe further details. Semi-structured interviews helped me to have a broader view and clear understanding of educational needs that might exist in all campuses of Capricorn College for FET. Through observation educational needs of learners, educators and campus managers were noted. Findings of this study show that there are educational needs at the Capricorn College for FET such as; the lack of funding, lack of staffing, poor learner recruitment, poor infrastructural resources and poor quality of teaching and learning. Recommendations were made for educators in the three campuses to be trained so that they can acquire knowledge about teaching methodologies. More funding should be provided to the college to enhance the smooth running of the college. The college should be equipped with resources that are required for teaching and learning. More learners should be able to study and equipped with relevant skills for job market. Capricorn College for FET should use recruitment strategies that may benefit almost learners in the country. The Department of Higher Education and Training should make sure that Capricorn College for FET be provided with necessary and enough infrastructural resources. Teaching and learning materials should be supplied to this institution and on time. In that way it will enhance the effective teaching and learning at the college.

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / Customer satisfaction is a topic of global interest in higher education and it also forms the backdrop of the research presented in this thesis. This study focuses on the employees (academics and non-academics) in the Faculty of Education at a South African university of technology (UoT) who play a key role in providing the services that their customers receive. The study is underpinned by the understanding that in order for the customer’s experience of service provision to be positive, a healthy relationship between the customer and the service provider is critical. The organization, in this case a higher education institution, has to have a sense of quality culture in order for the service provider to maintain a good relationship with a customer. Quality culture assessment can help to better understand complex organizational culture and its impact on service delivery. Quality culture assessment also helps to direct the implementation of organizational changes for better service delivery structures. The type of quality culture dominant in an organization may positively or negatively affect service quality, employee performance and motivation. As a result, the service delivery experience of the customer may be influenced. Quality culture affects the way in which employees interact with each other and with their customers. This study therefore, presents an inquiry into quality culture within a higher education context with the aim to evaluate quality culture within the Faculty of Education at a UoT using quality management principles (QMPs) as a framework. This study employed QMPs because of their increased effectiveness in enhancing customer satisfaction and improving customer loyalty. The quality management principles are: customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvements, evidence-based decisions and relationship management (ISO 9001, 2015:Online). This study used a quantitative research approach and was designed as a survey case study. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire that was disseminated to all the academic and non-academic staff in the Faculty of Education at the UoT. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used as a tool for data analysis. Findings in this study reveal that a safe working environment, communication between employees, communication between management and employees, in addition to good working relationships, may affect service quality in the Faculty of Education at the UoT. This implies that having a healthy working environment in an organization is beneficial for employees in order to perform their duties better and to provide quality services to their customers. In an organization with good quality culture, there is close cooperation between employees which leads to good service quality. If the institution under study is concerned with providing value to customers, it needs to consider improving customer value by formally applying QMPs throughout the organization. QMPs are central to the practice of quality management and service delivery. The findings of this study suggest that quality culture affects service quality in the Faculty of Education at the UoT as some of the quality management principles are lacking. This study recommends that the Faculty of Education have a closer look at improving communication between employees, communication between management and employees, in addition to encouraging good working relationships as well as an enabling environment that allows employees to work efficiently. It is also recommended that quality culture be on the Faculty of Education’s agenda in order to enhance the service delivery experience of customers. The Faculty of Education should support a quality culture environment by providing appropriate structures such as service delivery structures within their organizations. These structures may be needed in order to facilitate, maintain and show commitment of staff members towards a quality culture environment and service delivery. Furthermore, these structures may contribute to quality culture by introducing new shared values and behavioural norms that might facilitate the long-term success and well-being of the organization. It is also recommended that the institution under study formally apply quality management principles throughout the organization for the purpose of improving customer value, customer experience and meeting customer needs.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Business Information Systems.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2010. / The lack of ubiquitous social presence of instructors, tutors and knowledgeable experts was seen as a research problem, where the above are not always available for consultation should a learner face a learning challenge. With the existence of Web 2.0, there are opportunities to cushion those challenges faced by learners, by incorporating a personal learning environment. The activity and social presence theories were used as lenses, to understand learner interactions (whose outcome is personalized learning) provided by varied Web 2.0 tools. The research argument was, therefore, that Web 2.0 could help learners achieve personalized learning support, in varied learning contexts. The evidence shows that different applications available in a Web 2.0 environment creates a personalized learning environment for learners to interact, share knowledge and collaborate, with those who are not in the same location.

A generally untested assumption within the stereotype threat literature is that it is only those individuals who are highly identified with a domain who will be susceptible to stereotype threat. Further, many of the studies on stereotype threat have been confined to artificial laboratory settings and have been conducted on American samples. The current study aimed to develop a measure of domain-identification in order to test this central assumption of stereotype threat theory on a sample of students in a humanities access programme in a South African university. Results indicate that the experience of stereotype threat varies with respect to the combination of 1) the degree of domain-identification, and 2) the degree to which students are aware of negative domain-relevant stereotypes. That is, students who were highly domain-identified and were highly or moderately aware of negative stereotypes performed worse than highly domain-identified individuals who had low levels of awareness of others negative stereotypes about their in-group. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

The context for this study is the period leading up to and the four years since the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. It is a critical exploration of black students' responses to university discourses as they begin their degrees, and an analysis of the extent to which Critical Language Awareness can be used to facilitate a greater understanding of institutional conventions and practices. It includes a brief consideration of students' school experiences and then explores their perceptions of the university as a whole as well as of individual texts. The way in which language encodes asymmetrical power relations and is used to construct students' subjectivities within the institution is of central concern. The research methodology adopted here is critical action research. The study consists of two research cycles, a short pilot study and a longer eight week language teaching programme. This second cycle was carried out in 1991 at the University of Natal during a time marked by unprecedented political fluidity and the establishment of new institutional and social structures. The impact of these changes has been felt at every level as racial separation, uniformity and ethnic homogeneity, which were once dominant social norms, have been replaced by the movement towards an integrated social order defined by its diversity, difference, and multiplicity. Because the research process is inseparable from its socio-political context, a theoretical perspective which attempts to theorise multiplicity and contradiction has been adopted here. Insights from postmodern thought are therefore central to this work and have facilitated the interrogation and, at times, the rewriting of many aspects of critical social theory, critical pedagogy and critical action research. The immediate context for this study is Learning, Language and Logic, a first-year course whose primary aim is the acquisition of academic literacy. Over a period of four years, the two action research cycles were developed and integrated into the curriculum. The first was a short intervention during which students analysed three university texts and the second, central cycle was an eight week programme which introduced them to the central principles of Critical Language Awareness. It was designed to provide students entering the university with the opportunity to explore unfamiliar aspects of the university environment and to analyse a range of texts drawn from its discourses. The primary method of analysis of the data was Critical Discourse Analysis but a content analysis of some of the data was also undertaken. The results of this research provide a strong indication that the integration of the principles of Critical Language Awareness into a first year course in academic literacy adds a crucial dimension to students' understanding of the university environment. It provides them with linguistic insights from which they can further develop the ability to analyse their educational context, to respond critically to academic texts and to understand the roles that they can play within the university. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

Managerial and Financial Management (MAF) has traditionally been perceived by students as a difficult subject. Students do not fully grasp the underlying disciplinary concepts and struggle to transfer knowledge from one context to another. There is a dearth of research, particularly in South Africa, into how students learn in accounting programmes. This study sought to explore MAF students’ experiences of learning in a Writing Intensive Tutorial (WIT) programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The WIT programme is based on the principle of using informal exploratory writing, writing-to-learn, to support students’ learning of MAF. Informal writing is low stakes, ungraded, and encourages critical thinking and the learning of concepts, rather than focusing on grammatical correctness. The study was informed by the tenets of social constructivism and was conducted within a qualitative interpretative framework. Principles of case study research were applied in the data generation process. Purposive sampling was applied that reflected the MAF population in regard to race and gender demographics and academic ability. The participants were 15 MAF students who voluntarily participated in an 18-week WIT programme. Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004) was used for the research design and as a data analysis tool. Following IQA protocol, focus groups were used to generate affinities (themes) of students’ experiences of learning in the WIT programme. From the affinities generated a system diagram was constructed. In-depth semi-structured individual interviews were conducted at the end of the programme to further probe participants’ learning experiences. The primary affinity driving the system was the programme structure. which drove the other affinities – understanding of concepts, challenging the participants, the written tasks undertaken (secondary drivers), making learning fun, improved study techniques and test preparation, criticism of the programme (secondary outcomes), increased personal confidence and the interactive nature of the programme (primary outcomes). The thesis concludes with a proposal of an inductively theorised model. The model derives from the major findings in the study regarding students’ experiences of learning in the WIT programme. The model offers insights for higher education programme designs that utilise writing-to-learn pedagogies and can provide opportunities for students’ to develop deep, conceptual learning in higher education. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The assessment procedures utilized in the Department of Biomedical Technology at Mangosuthu Technikon were critically reviewed. This revealed a rather narrow approach with an emphasis on traditional assessment methods such as tests and examinations that provide limited feedback that does not necessarily determine whether learning has taken place. This study was prompted by the realization that the existing traditional methods of assessment promote or encourage a surface approach to learning which makes it difficult for the students to transfer the theoretical knowledge that they have attained into the practical performance that is required in the workplace. The study was conducted over a period of four years using an action research approach, which revolved mainly around the use of the existing assessment methods and an evaluation of the participants’ perceptions regarding the introduction of portfolio assessment in the Department of Biomedical Technology at Mangosuthu Technikon. During the study a group of students in the Department of Chemical Pathology was exposed to an in-course portfolio assessment as well as an experiential training portfolio assessment. A number of variables in the in-course portfolio assessment was tested. These variables were related to the concerns raised in the workplace. The introduction of the in-course portfolio showed some improvement in the way students performed their basic duties in 2005. The 2006 group of students was not exposed to the in-course portfolio assessment therefore this provided a better comparison of students by the employers. The study also involved the lecturers in the department who had different opinions regarding portfolio assessment. It was found that some of them supported the idea whereas others felt that the time allocated for lecturers’ duties did not permit them to introduce such a time-consuming assessment format. Employers involved in the study clearly indicated which areas or skills students needed to develop before they could come to the workplace for experiential training. However, the researcher concluded that some of those skills could be accumulated with further years of work experience. The study revealed that a significant portion of the students realized that, by integrating assessment in the learning process, they are able to be more critical of their own work, thereby putting more effort into understanding what they learn through the use of formative assessment. This in turn should pave the way for students to understand that learning is no longer teacher-centred, but learner-centred. This approach means that they are expected to work in more reflective and independent ways in the future. The study highlighted a number of issues that need to be addressed in assessment strategies. The lecturers were accustomed to assessment system that was time-efficient and yielded the scores required by the system. However, the way this assessment system related to learning was not so clear to either lecturers or students. Particularly, students felt that a mark did not necessarily reflect what they knew about the subject matter. They argued that if the same subject content had been assessed in other ways, a different performance outcome might have been achieved. This means that the actual awarding of marks is an intimidating process for some students and that ways should be found to render assessment less intimidating or threatening. A critical finding of the study is that assessment requires not only a high level of critical reflection, but also active engagement and discipline-specific knowledge by the lecturers to make the necessary changes for an assessment method where students’ learning is the centre of focus. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

In the years before 2004 teacher training was presented through two routes, one, the degree route through the university or two, a diploma route through a teachers training college. Where universities acted as autonomous institutions having control of their administrative and academic activities the colleges of education were administered and controlled by the government through the Department of Education. This included the setting and assessment of the curriculum. The role of the lecturers in the teacher training colleges was simply to present the prescribed syllabus to the students. Drastic changes were implemented by the government in 2004. In its restructuring programme the government made two major changes to teacher training. Firstly, they closed all the colleges of education and moved the departments into a university or a technikon. The technikons eventually became Universities of Technology. Secondly, they changed the four year teacher‟s diploma to a four year degree in education. The impact of this restructuring meant that lecturers were now in an autonomous environment in which they were expected to develop a syllabus for the Bachelor of Education degree course on their own. This research investigates the process that the lecturers applied in designing a suitable syllabus for the Bachelor of Education (Engineering Graphics and Design) degree and how it relates to the process that the theory advocates should be used. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.