This thesis examines meaning-making in three different areas of undergraduate physics: the refraction of light; electric circuits; and, electric potential and electric potential energy. In order to do this, a social semiotic perspective was constituted for the thesis to facilitate the analysis of meaning-making in terms of the semiotic resources that are typically used in the teaching and learning of physics. These semiotic resources include, for example, spoken and written language, diagrams, graphs, mathematical equations, gestures, simulations, laboratory equipment and working practices. The empirical context of the thesis is introductory undergraduate physics where interactive engagement was part of the educational setting. This setting presents a rich data source, which is made up of video- and audio recordings and field notes for examining how semiotic resources affect physics teaching and learning. Theory building is an integral part of the analysis in the thesis, which led to the constitution of a new analytical tool – patterns of disciplinary-relevant aspects. Part of this process then resulted in the development of a new construct, disciplinary affordance, which for a discipline such as physics, refers to the inherent potential of a semiotic resource to provide access to disciplinary knowledge. These two aspects, in turn, led to an exploration of new empirical and theoretical links to the Variation Theory of Learning. The implications of this work for the teaching and learning of physics means that new focus is brought to the physics content (object of learning), the semiotic resources that are used to deal with that content, and how the semiotic resources are used to create patterns of variation within and across the disciplinary-relevant aspects. As such, the thesis provides physics teachers with new and powerful ways to analyze the semiotic resources that get used in efforts to optimize the teaching and learning of physics.

Computer programming is a core area in computer science education that involves practical as well as conceptual learning goals. The literature in programming education reports however that novice students have great problems in their learning. These problems apply to concepts as well as to practise. The empirically based research presented in this thesis contributes to the body of knowledge on students' learning by investigating the relationship between conceptual and practical learning in novice student learning of programming. Previous research in programming education has focused either on students' practical or conceptual learning. The present research indicates however that students' problems with learning to program partly depend on a complex relationship and mutual dependence between the two. The most significant finding is that practise, in terms of activities at different levels of proficiency, and qualitatively different conceptual understandings, have dimensions of variation in common. An analytical model is suggested where the dimensions of variation relate both to concepts and activities. The implications of the model are several. With the dimensions of variation at the center of learning this implies that when students discern a dimension of variation, related conceptual understandings and the meaning embedded in related practises can be discerned. Activities as well as concepts can relate to more than one dimension. Activities at a higher level of proficiency, as well as qualitatively richer understandings of concepts, relate to more dimensions of variation. Concrete examples are given on how variation theory and patterns of variation can be applied in teaching programming. The results can be used by educators to help students discern dimensions of variation, and thus facilitate practical as well as conceptual learning.

The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to describe how registered nurses utilise teachable moments to enhance students' learning in the clinical setting. The research questions were: What are the problems faced by registered nurses when they teach students in the clinical setting? and How do registered nurses utilise teachable moments to teach students? A pilot study was conducted in the clinical setting involving the respondents who had similar characteristics than the population. The sample consisted of 45 registered nurses who provided direct patient care in the clinical setting. A self­ administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data analysis was done by using descriptive statistical tests. The findings brought to light strengths and weaknesses with regard to the utilisation of teachable moments by registered nurses, and problems faced by registered nurses with regard to clinical accompaniment in general. Recommendations to improve clinical accompaniment by registered nurses through effective utilisation of teachable moments were made. Further research was recommended to explore some problematic areas that emerged from this study. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

O presente trabalho analisou a conjuntura que nos deparamos para obtenção de dados nos sistemas de informação disponíveis que estimam o valor da refeição dos Restaurantes Universitários (RUs) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Revendo a missão institucional de desenvolver educação superior com excelência e compromisso social, num período de agravamento da crise financeira, surgiu a necessidade de implantar as novas normas de contabilidade aplicada ao setor público, junto aos avanços tecnológicos na geração de dados computacionais para aferir o grau de eficiência e economicidade nas ações desenvolvidas pelos gestores públicos da Universidade. A metodologia utilizada foi a revisão literária que embasa as avaliações e análise da conjuntura dos RUs da UFRGS. Como resultado, identificamos a necessidade indispensável do aperfeiçoamento das diretrizes do sistema de informação de custos na UFRGS. / The present work analyzed the conjuncture that we face to obtain data in the available information systems that estimate the value of the meal served in University Restaurants (URs) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Reviewing the institutional mission of developing college education with excellence and social commitment, in a period of worsening financial crisis, emerged the need to implement new rules of accounting applied to the public sector, along with technological advances in generation of computational data to assess the degree of efficiency and economy in actions developed by the public managers of the University. The methodology used was the review of the literature that bases the evaluations and analysis of the conjuncture of URs. As a result, we identified the indispensable need to improve the guidelines of the cost information system at UFRGS.

National and international assessment results, research studies and reports point to South Africa as having educational challenges, specifically with mathematics, science and language. Addressing some of these issues is a key aim for the SANC project at Rhodes University, the context in which this study takes place. Working from a broad Vygotskian perspective of learning and development, this study had a dual focus and investigated how Grade 3 learners’ mathematical proficiency progressed (or not) whilst participating in after school maths clubs over the course of a year, and explored how the mediation offered in the clubs enabled or constrained the emergence of zones of proximal development (ZPD) and thus learning for the club learners. Methodologically, this study works within a largely qualitative, interpretive research paradigm and is designed using a longitudinal case study research strategy. Two after school maths clubs formed the empirical field. The study drew on a range of data collection methods to investigate the dual nature of the research questions for Grade 3 learners. Examples include adapted one-to-one mathematical proficiency interviews and paired task based interviews. The study highlighted the relationship between the multiple roles I played both within the research study and within the SANC project context and emphasises the influence and future implications for these various roles within the SANC project and beyond in terms of my own role as club mentor, for the future design of the SANC project maths club programme and for broader teacher and club facilitator development within and beyond the project. This study has offered insight into how mathematical proficiency may develop in Grade 3 South African learners and as such is an important contribution to the newly developing field of both numeracy and primary educational research in Southern Africa. Additionally, the research findings point to the clubs, as an example of an out-of-school time (OST) programme, providing potentially enabling spaces for both recovery and extension of mathematical proficiency in learners as these spaces are free from several contextual constraints that teachers face in their classrooms. Furthermore, it was found that learners showed development of their conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and adaptive reasoning as proposed by Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell (2001). The use of various elements of the Maths Recovery (MR) programme (Wright, 2003) in the research process has highlighted various important contributions for broader research. For example, the need to investigate less time consuming approaches to both diagnostic assessment and learner mathematical profiling. Findings from this study support Meira and Lerman’s (2001, 2009) recently developed notion that catching attention is key to the creation or emergence of a ZPD. The study found that a combination of ‘attention catching’ and ‘tuning in’ enabled the creation (emergence) and sustainment of ZPDs in club learners. The study proposed the notion of tuning in where participants in a mathematical interaction continually adjust to each other in order to communicate mathematically. Furthermore, the study found that when attention is not caught or the participants are not tuned in, the learning activity may still be useful in assisting learners to consolidate their existing learning and / or build confidence and as such is particularly relevant to the South African context where fluency in calculating is weak (Hoadley, 2012; Schollar, 2008). This emergent notion of ‘flow’ additionally can play a supporting role in the emergence of a ZPD. The study also found that the manner in which the mediation was offered is important. The results show that the mathematical contributions learners make during interactions captured the mentors’ attention and resulted in mediation that was intentional but spontaneous, flexible, responsive and in-the-moment. This study makes theoretical and methodological contributions to various aspects of mathematics education research particularly with regard to how ZPDs emerge and are sustained and how mediation is offered to facilitate the emergence of ZPDs. Additionally, some aspects of the Learning Framework in Number (LFIN) as part of the Maths Recovery programme have been extended to work in a South African after school club context and to provide useful information for both learner progression over time and for planning of club activities. As such this study thus also contributes to the newly developing field of primary mathematics research in South Africa and to the body of research on primary after school learning programmes both locally and internationally.

The distinction between theory and practice can be traced back to Aristotle (384-322 B.C). Theory has been seen as the preserve of the academician who, through research, produces knowledge for the practitioner to use in his/her practice. This research sets out to investigate perceptions of the respondents with regard to the extent to which theory is applicable in practice. It does this in the context of teacher training at the Lesotho College of Education, (LCE), a teacher training college in Lesotho. In this research project; a case study of 5 students from the LCE who had been on teaching practice, their mentor teachers on teaching practice, and a college lecturer who had observed said students on teaching practice was used. Data was collected by means of focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews. Relevant documents in the form of classroom observation forms were also used. The findings from the data analysis revealed that students on teaching practice had, to a great extent, had difficulties in applying what they had learned at the college when they got to teaching practice. Difficulties were mainly experienced in the areas of classroom and time management as well as in the application of the teaching methods learned at the college. This research takes a closer look at these difficulties. It investigates their probable causes and, finally, suggests ways of responding to them.

Programmes developed specifically for the gifted and talented pupil are not a novel idea. Yet, by comparison, the history of gifted education is a brief one. Highly gifted and talented pupils often have difficulty being challenged in a conventional classroom situation. Since classroom instruction is usually designed for the benefit of pupils who function at the level of the majority of their peer age-group, this teaching, no matter how well done, may not be appropriate for the extremely gifted pupil whose abilities differ greatly from this group. Even special programmes for gifted and talented students may be designed for a broad group of gifted students and may not meet the specific needs of the gifted child, especially ones with a special intellectual talent. While it is important to bear aspects such as the characteristics of giftedness and the attributes of the talented individual in mind, the basis of this dissertation examines what enrichment and acceleration strategies may be utilised by the English First Language (HG) teacher when presented with a preselected group of pupils who are gifted in English, utilising a composite gifted educational model as a mechanism for the development of this specific programme.

A collection of mostly lyrical poems. The poems explore moments of experience and thought relating to longing and belonging, in terms of relations, memory and place. The poems are mostly short and intense. Silence and implied meanings are often as important as what is said; shadows are evoked to recall substance. Though short, the poems are not tightly closed – on the contrary, meanings proliferate in the process of exploration.

We provide a tool for communicating about insects in isiZulu to facilitate research and knowledge sharing in the fields of indigenous knowledge, cultural entomology, environmental education and community extensioninvolving isiZulu speakers. A total of 213 different names for 64 insect specimens were encountered among a sample of 67 respondents in 11 communities distributed across the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This list includes 93 names that can be considered core isiZulu vocabulary and which are widely used to identify insects that are agriculturally, medically, domestically, culturally or ecologically common or significant. Substantial variation was found regarding the names for particular insects, especially between regions, suggesting dialectal differences between isiZulu speakers. Grammatical and social variation in names was also recorded. This study highlights interdisciplinary teamwork in the field of indigenous knowledge research and the influences affecting the standardisation of South African languages for technical and scientific work.

O presente trabalho analisou a conjuntura que nos deparamos para obtenção de dados nos sistemas de informação disponíveis que estimam o valor da refeição dos Restaurantes Universitários (RUs) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Revendo a missão institucional de desenvolver educação superior com excelência e compromisso social, num período de agravamento da crise financeira, surgiu a necessidade de implantar as novas normas de contabilidade aplicada ao setor público, junto aos avanços tecnológicos na geração de dados computacionais para aferir o grau de eficiência e economicidade nas ações desenvolvidas pelos gestores públicos da Universidade. A metodologia utilizada foi a revisão literária que embasa as avaliações e análise da conjuntura dos RUs da UFRGS. Como resultado, identificamos a necessidade indispensável do aperfeiçoamento das diretrizes do sistema de informação de custos na UFRGS. / The present work analyzed the conjuncture that we face to obtain data in the available information systems that estimate the value of the meal served in University Restaurants (URs) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Reviewing the institutional mission of developing college education with excellence and social commitment, in a period of worsening financial crisis, emerged the need to implement new rules of accounting applied to the public sector, along with technological advances in generation of computational data to assess the degree of efficiency and economy in actions developed by the public managers of the University. The methodology used was the review of the literature that bases the evaluations and analysis of the conjuncture of URs. As a result, we identified the indispensable need to improve the guidelines of the cost information system at UFRGS.