Li Yan. / Thesis submitted in: September 1998. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / Chapter / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Different Approach to Estimate the Rate of Return to Education --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Age-Cohort Analysis --- p.8 / Chapter 2.3 --- Gender Earning Gaps and Decomposition of Wage Differentials --- p.9 / Chapter III --- DATA DESCRIPTION --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1 --- Data and Methodology --- p.13 / Chapter 3.2 --- Education Attainment of Males and Females of Different Cohort --- p.15 / Chapter 3.3 --- Monthly Earnings of Individual with Different Educational Level --- p.17 / Chapter IV --- REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOR THE RETURNS TO EDUCATION AND THE GENDER EARNING GAPS IN HONG KONG --- p.18 / Chapter 4.1 --- Determinants of Monthly Earnings and the Returns to Education --- p.18 / Chapter 4.2 --- Returns to Education with respect to Marrage and Age Cohorts --- p.22 / Chapter 4.3 --- The Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition --- p.23 / Chapter V --- MULTINOMIAL LOGIT ANALYSIS FOR THE RETURNS TO EDUCATION AND THE GENDER EARNING GAPS IN HONG KONG --- p.28 / Chapter 5.1 --- The Occupational Distribution --- p.28 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Gender Earning Gap across Occupations --- p.31 / Chapter 5.3 --- Multinomial Logit Model and the Effect of Educational Attainment --- p.32 / Chapter 5.4 --- Prediction of a Nondiscriminatory Occupational Structure for Female --- p.35 / Chapter 5.5 --- Occupational Segregation and the Brown et al. Decomposition Method --- p.36 / Chapter VI --- POLICY IMPLICATIONS --- p.43 / Chapter VII --- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS --- p.45 / REFERENCES --- p.47 / TABLES --- p.49

Thesis (MEd (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die beleid van Norme en Standaarde vereis dat sekere kompetensies bereik word. Met ander woorde, die opvoeder as leermediator word bemagtig deur die Norme en Standaarde om sekere kompetensies te bereik. Onder Norme en Standaarde kyk hierdie studie na die verskillende ratio‟s wat op onderwys betrekking het. Hierdie ratio‟s vorm „n sameloop wat Inklusiewe Onderrig tot so „n mate strem, dat die gewenste kompetensies nie bereik kan word nie. Hoewel Inklusiewe Onderrig nie die enigste faktor is wat Norme en Standaarde bepaal nie, is dit wel „n belangrike een, en hierdie studie fokus dus daarop. Saam met Norme en Standaarde is daar ook sosio-ekonomiese faktore wat Inklusiewe Onderrig strem, en dit word ondersoek. In die lig van die probleme ten opsigte van die leerder:opvoeder-ratio, die leerder:m²-ratio, die woonpersele:skoolperseel-ratio, norme- en standaarde-toekenning, ongelykhede (ekonomiese, ouderdoms- en emosionele en fisiese ontwikkeling), enkelouerskap en fetale alkoholsindroom (FAS), word daar in die verhandeling gekyk na die haalbaarheid van die realisering van die drie kompetensies naamlik die praktiese, fondasionele en refleksiewe kompetensies. Die studie bevind dat die bereiking van kompetensies haalbaar is, mits daar aan die ratio‟s en die sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede gewerk word. Na aanleiding van my navorsing kan die meeste opvoeders verslag doen van hul werksaamhede, maar dit is egter nie die positiewe, progressiewe verslag wat van ‟n leermediator verwag word nie. Norme en standaarde is na my mening nog haalbaar omdat daar bewys is dat leerders, ondanks die negatiewe effek van die ratio‟s, asook die ontoereikende voorsiening (geld, menslike hulpbronne en voorrade) en die ekonomiese en ouderdomsverskille en FAS, tog die potensiaal toon om te leer. Die probleem is egter dat te veel leerders onderpresteer, uit die onderwys- en opvoedingstelsel verdwyn en nie deel raak van die ekonomiese hoofstroom nie. Deur dus aandag te gee aan die stremminge wat ek nagevors het, kan verseker word dat Inklusiewe Onderwys tot sy reg kom, kompetensies bereik word en die opvoeder ‟n suksesvolle leermediasie fasiliteer. SLEUTELWOORDE: Opvoeder, leermediator, Norme en Standaarde, Inklusiewe Onderwys, konseptuele / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Norms and Standards for Educators policy states that certain competencies must be achieved. To this end the policy empowers the educator as learning mediator. With reference to the Norms and Standards, this study explores the different ratios applicable to education. These ratios form a combination which hamper Inclusive Education to the extent that the competencies cannot be achieved. Although Inclusive Education is not the only aspect which affects Norms and Standards, it is a very important one, and this study thus explores Inclusive Education. Together with Norms and Standards, there are also socio-economic factors that hamper Inclusive Education, which this study also explores. In the light of the problems with the learner:educator ratio, the learner:m² ratio, the residential erven:school erf ratio, the allocation of norms and standards, unequal economic circumstances, unequal development phases (emotional, physical and age), single parenthood and fetal alcohol syndrome, this thesis explores the feasibility of the realisation of the three competencies namely the practical, foundational and reflexive competencies. This study finds that, providing that attention is paid to the ratios and socio-economic factors, the achievement of competencies are feasible. My research shows that, while most of the educators can report on their activities, it is not the positive and progressive report which one expects from a learning mediator. Norms and Standards, in my view, is feasible since there is evidence to suggest that learners, despite the negative effect of the ratios and inadequate resources (finances, human resources and supplies), economic and age differences, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), still displays the potential to learn. The problem, however, is that too many learners underperform, and then leave the school and education system. They then fail to become part of the main economic system. I conclude that, by giving attention to the hindrances I researched, it can be ensured that Inclusive Education reaches its full potential, that competencies are achieved, and that educators facilitate a successful learning mediation process. vi KEY WORDS: Educator, learning mediator, Norms and Standards, Inclusive Education, conceptual analysis, ratios, urbanisation, norms- and standards allocation, migratory labour, single parentwood, migratory labour, urbanisation, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Text in English / In its proposal of a communication strategy that will be of use as an enabling tool for increasing graduate employment potential, this study contributes uniquely to the discipline of communication. It envisages that communication takes into consideration the involvement of the key stakeholders, namely: government, labour market, education system, and media. Amid unemployment challenges that affect the majority of the population, media is regarded as a powerful tool to reach the majority of the population. With specific regard to graduate unemployment, media-driven interaction with unemployed graduates is not as efficient as it should be. Factors contributing to graduate unemployment are identified as career choices, skills shortage, job opportunities, career development, work experience, skills development, entrepreneurial skills, internships, and access to the labour market. It is also important to note that media is regarded as tool for disseminating information about such factors. In order to address this problem, the study establishes an integrated communication strategy that will be of use as an enabling tool for increasing the potential of graduate employment. The role of such communication could be applicable in various ways, such as organisational communication, business communication, public communication, personal communication, interpersonal communication, etc. This study locates itself in the domain of public communication because information about unemployment issues is a matter of public concern. This study adopts mixed research methodologies, with a survey research design—in order to gather data from the graduate students at a University of Technology. The study found that while social and print media are highly preferred and used due to their accessibility, there is a need to stress their use with regard to employment search. The main concepts that contributed to the establishment of the strategy included strategic communication, unemployment and media. It must be here noted that, for purposes of this study, strategic communication was informed by a confluence of the constitutive model of communication, systems theory, and situational theory of publics. The phenomenon of unemployment is informed by unemployment approaches, on the one hand, and the Maslow theory of needs, on the other. Furthermore, the understanding of the concept of media is informed by mass communication approaches and media richness theory. This thesis expects that, as an outcome, such a communication strategy would increase graduate employment potential. Public relations planning model is applied in the study in order to guide the implementation of the proposed communication strategy. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

South Africa is living is turbulent times at present. Non-government educational organisations are challenged by changes in education policy and by scarcity of donor funding for their work. This study focuses on the management of organisation change in a non-government organisation (NGO) working in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. I undertook the research to gain a clearer understanding of the management of organisational change. I used a third-wave change management approach, the future search conference, to conduct the process of change with the NGO. It focuses on the positive aspects of the organisation, its potential and its desired future. I conducted both the study and the future search conference as participatory action research, which involved the participants in the cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection and thus built ownership of the solutions they generated. I used the accounts of the activities arising from the future search conference, minutes of meetings, semistructured interviews and observation of behaviour to gather data. I analysed the data using triangulation, and in particular, space triangulation, to minimise the impact of the differences in culture and language use in the facilitator and participants. Analysis of the data collected revealed in the NGO that change and transformation are slow processes requiring ongoing support from the OD consultant. The staff defined organisational effectiveness, the goal of organisational change initiatives, in terms of fundraising ability. This ability embraces many of the qualities of a learning organisation and open systems thinking, two requirements for successful organisational change. In the NGO both organisation development and transformation were processes as well as products, and changes could not easily be measured until after the processes were completed. Organisational culture, and in particular the juxtaposition of the values of the organisation and staff and those of its partners and clients, played an important role in transformation. The differences lay in a ‘being’ and a ‘task’ orientation and the staff’s responsibility lay in building connections between the two. The staff received the approach of the future search conference well and there was an equally good fit between the future search conference and participatory action research. This needs to be investigated further with regard to change management in South African organisations.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This thesis consists of three essays on the economics of education and migration. The first essay analyzes the effects of remittances on public education spending in migrants’ source countries. The second essay studies the impact of migration on public education expenditures in migrants’ destination countries. The third essay investigates the effects of public education expenditures on subsequent human capital inequality. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The private and social returns to education literature share the same conclusion: that education is beneficial for both the individual and society. However, the theoretical underpinnings are flawed as the literature does not account for the main feature that leads to the acquisition of education: the private demand for education. An understanding of the factors that motivate the individual to invest in education would lead to a deeper insight as to why both private and social returns to education exist, and would provide a clearer framework on which to base the government funding of education. This thesis provides a first attempt at filling this gap by introducing a method of estimating the returns to government investment in education, which is labelled the ‘labour market drop-out rate approach’. The approach focuses on the social return to education, not in terms of graduate earnings, but in terms of the interaction of the graduate with the economy. The approach introduces a measure of expertise utilisation, based on the premise that there is no social return to an individual acquiring education if he or she does not utilise the acquired knowledge base on entering the labour market. The approach is tested using the labour market for marine scientists in South Africa as a case study. In this case the private demand for education is found to be heavily influenced by the provision of student bursaries from the National Research Foundation, with a resulting estimate of the social return to a degree in marine science being a mere 20% to 25%. Owing to this, a new approach to government investment in marine science is introduced, that of graduate contribution schemes. Of broader significance is the ease of application of this approach, it may be adopted to analyse any funding programme in which a government may decide to invest. As such, the labour market drop-out rate provides an extension to the returns to education literature through its theoretical dealings of the private demand for education, as well as a practical tool which government agencies can use to evaluate the efficacy of any government funding of education.

In this thesis I explore the rhetoric behind the assessment push nation-wide and, particularly, in California. I take a close look at what politicians, educators, and citizens say about public education and their views of the current educational reform: whether they are speaking in support of or opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. I look specifically at the finances of public education in California, the impact and current outcome of NCLB, and propose new reforms as suggested by those intimately involved in education.

The problem addressed in this study can be stated thus: There are extremely limited numbers of students from the lowest economic class graduating from our nation's institutions of higher education. The challenge to institutions of higher education is how to improve access, support, and successful completion of higher education for students experiencing the most extreme poverty barriers. Weber's (1946) social-class theory was selected to determine the meanings and interpretations of students from poverty backgrounds in regard to their success and perceived barriers to success in completing college. This theoretical construct is based on the idea that collectively held meanings arise from three distinct although related dimensions of life including, lifestyles, context, and economic opportunity. Focus group interviews with a representative group of 24 people who grew up in generational poverty were the main source of data (Merton, Fiske, & Kendall, 1990). The focus group interviews were open-ended and designed to reveal the participants' subjective experience of completing a college degree (Schatzman & Strauss, 1973). A demographic questionnaire administered to 56 respondents was used to complement the focus group interviews. The grounded theory approach guided the data collection and analysis process (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). According to its objectives, the study results provided: (a) a description of the poverty-related conditions, (b) an overview of the early educational experiences of the participants, (c) a demographic profile, (d) an overview of perceived challenges and barriers to higher education and (e) a discussion of success factors. The findings from this study would suggest five areas for educational improvement: (a) development of a campus climate sensitive to social class and poverty issues; (b) implementation of faculty, staff, and student social-class sensitivity training programs combined with curricular reform; (c) facilitation of connections to informal mentors; (d) articulation of connections between obtaining a college degree and earning a higher income; and an (e) exploration of expanding college partnerships with social service agencies that are geared to helping people in poverty.

楊希. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-169). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in Chinese and English. / Yang xi.