Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Masters of Technology: Public Management, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / Poor quality of work life is a challenge in higher education institutions (HEIs) and it impact negatively on performance, attraction and retention of quality staff. The purpose of the research was to report on the factors that impact on the quality of work life of employees at the University “A”. The findings from this investigation will assist employees and management alike to understand factors that can improve performance and assist University “A” to be an employer of choice to attract, develop and retain suitably qualified employees. The rationale for the study was to investigate and obtain a better understanding of the quality of work life status in University “A”. Higher education institutions face a serious challenge of retaining adequately qualified and competent staff due to regular resignation and termination of employment contracts of employees. This has resulted in a steady backlog of vacant positions and which has a detrimental effect on the quality of teaching and learning. The deficit of staff leads to increased teaching workloads and consequently impacts negatively on the quality of service being offered including teaching and learning. This study is grounded in both quantitative and qualitative research traditions whereby a survey was conducted in the form of a structured questionnaire and in depth-interviews to university employees. The structured questionnaire was analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Scientists version 12 generating the reliability coefficient Alpha of 0.898 indicating the high degree of acceptance and consistent of the results. This study used the probability stratified random sampling whereby 160 structured questionnaires were distributed to both academic and non-academic employees with 142 returned successfully generating the response percentage of 89%. The findings of this research suggested that career advancement was one of the main reasons that were identified to lead to poor quality of work life. Furthermore, another primary concern was job insecurity, employees felt that their jobs are not reliable and secure. It was also noted in the research outcomes that a high proportion of the respondents were generally not well. The study findings suggest that respondents were not involved in decisions that affect them in their area of work and they feel that they are not given a lot of freedom to decide how to do their jobs. The research results indicated that the increase percentage of the respondents disagreed that their employer provides adequate facilities and flexibility for employees to adjust their work with their family time. It was evident from the responses that even though some policies exist, employees were unaware of their application and also the absence of performance management systems. Another prominent finding from the study was that employee expressed that their health and safety of their working conditions should be improved. The findings and results will assist management and employees alike in the practical implementation of quality of work life programmes with the aim of improving the retention of current employees and attracting potential employees. This study will contribute to the body of knowledge as published studies on the quality of work life is scant in higher education institutions. There is minimal research that has been conducted on the QoWL of employees in higher education institutions, and the results from this research could be utilized by management and supervisors, in order to minimize the potential factors that could negatively impact on the QoWL of employees in HEIs.

D. Tech. Language Practice / Additional language learning in South Africa is a challenge, partly as a result of the country's past history which promoted certain languages in official domains, while others that were spoken by the majority of the citizens remained underdeveloped, and marginalised. As English is a language of learning and teaching at most universities in South Africa, students with a very poor command of English find it severely challenging when they enroll at university. This study assessed the possible, significant effectiveness of the English Word Power (EWP) program, which is used as a form of intervention on the poor English proficiency skills of ICT Foundation students at a University of Technology in Gauteng.

No description available.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Relevant literature in higher education indicates that the higher education scene is changing fast and that higher education providers and their educators are at the centre of such change. The changing student body is of particular interest to higher education providers as the changing needs of students result in new inquiries into how current students learn and perform. Student engagement is widely suggested as a means of addressing the changing nature of the current generation of students and enhancing student success. Student engagement may be defined as the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to the desired higher education outcomes. Student success is no longer considered merely as cognitive competence as there is a greater understanding today of what makes up the entire student and his or her learning needs. This study was aimed at determining to what extent student engagement is being promoted at a private higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa. A mixed method research design was applied. Self-constructed questionnaires were distributed to staff members and students at the institution and semi-structured interviews with individual staff members and focus group interviews with students were also conducted. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated and appropriately analysed. From the findings of this study a number of issues emerged. Firstly, it was revealed that the institution as a private provider in the field of culinary arts and hospitality and its educators recognise the changing nature of their students. Secondly, staff seem committed to the concept of student engagement and related practices to foster student success. Thirdly, students acknowledge engagement in their own learning as a favourable feature, but indicate further engagement opportunities to be created by their lecturing staff and the institution. A number of implications also emerged from the study. It is evident that lecturers at The Private Hotel School may aim to gain a better understanding of the current generation of students and they may also focus on determining more ways to facilitate engagement. Furthermore, it is evident that students at this institution may be made more aware of their role in engaging in their own learning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die relevante literatuur in hoër onderwys dui daarop dat die hoëronderwysomgewing besig is om vinnig te verander en dat die verskaffers van hoër onderwys en hul opvoeders sentraal staan in sulke verandering. Die veranderende behoeftes van studente dien as aansporing vir nuwe navorsing oor hoe teenswoordige studente leer en presteer; gevolglik is die veranderende studenteliggaam van besondere belang vir die verskaffers van hoër onderwys. Daar word algemeen aanbeveel dat studentebetrokkenheid ondersoek word om die veranderende aard van die huidige geslag studente te verken en studentesukses te verhoog. Studentebetrokkenheid kan gedefinieer word as die tyd en moeite wat studente aan aktiwiteite wy wat empiries verbind kan word met verlangde uitkomste in hoër onderwys. Studentesukses word nie meer gesien as slegs kognitiewe bevoegdheid nie aangesien daar tans meer begrip is van wat die hele student en sy of haar leerbehoeftes behels. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om te bepaal tot watter mate studentebetrokkenheid bevorder word by ʼn private hoëronderwysinstelling in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. ʼn Gemengde-metode navorsingsontwerp is gebruik, en self-opgestelde vraelyste is aan personeellede en studente by die instelling uitgedeel. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met individuele personeellede en fokusgroep-onderhoude is met studente gedoen. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is gegenereer en toepaslik ontleed. ʼn Aantal kwessies het vanuit die bevindinge van hierdie studie aan die lig gekom: Eerstens, dat die opvoeders van die instelling as ʼn private verskaffer op die terrein van kulinêre kuns en gasvryheid die veranderende aard van hul studente herken; tweedens, dat die personeel verbind is tot die bevordering van studentebetrokkenheid en verwante praktyke om studentesukses te bevorder; en derdens, dat studente betrokkenheid in hul eie leerproses as ʼn positiewe doelstelling beskou, maar dat verdere geleenthede tot betrokkenheid geskep kan word deur hul doserende personeel en die instelling. ʼn Aantal verdere implikasies het ook vanuit hierdie studie aan die lig gekom. Dit is duidelik dat dosente by The Private Hotel School nog ʼn groter poging kan aanwend om die huidige geslag studente beter te begryp en dat hulle ook kan probeer om meer maniere te vind om studentebetrokkenheid te fasiliteer. Dit blyk verder dat studente by hierdie instelling nog meer bewus kan raak van hoe hulle self tot groter betrokkenheid by hulle eie leerproses kan bydra.

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / The aim of this study was to check on the impact of transformation in a higher education institution with particular reference to the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), hence the work entitled “Evaluation of the impact of transformation at the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus): A review of the progress during the period 2000 – 2007”. The 1990s marked the period during which all government departments went through a rough time in that they were required to transform or sink. The higher education realm was not immune to this tedious process with challenging factors, which were, among others, economic forces, the emergence of technology, competition in terms of educational products, new funding programmes with public accountability, mergers and globalisation trends. In order for the universities to keep pace with the aforementioned challenges, a need for not merely administering, but managing the process of change as it presented itself to the universities, the need for visionary and transformational leadership became apparent. To ensure that the process of transformation in the higher education realm took place, the government enacted a number of items of legislation, and among others, the White Paper on Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education (Government Gazette, no. 4, 18207, 15 August 1997) was passed. It was abundantly clear from the literature reviewed that the Transformation of Higher Education in South Africa was long overdue. This was marked by the 1975 uprisings and other related activities such as the demand for academic autonomy by institutions of higher learning. It was evident from the results of the study that transformation at the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus) was anathema to many. It is advisable for the University to take note of the results of this study, and that there is need for a turn-around strategy that would include Total Quality Management to be drawn up, implemented and monitored forthwith.

The advancement of knowledge through research has long been a major objective of higher education institutions. Most higher education institutions in South Africa strive for being 'excellent' in research. However, the 21st century has brought some challenges to institutions of higher education in South Africa. Among the challenges encountered include the increasing pressure on academic staff to either 'publish or perish', obtain funding and a rating from the National Research Foundation and the need to be promoted. Addressing these challenges calls for institutions of higher learning to reappraise their research and development strategies and create an environment in which research of all kinds can flourish. Building capacity in research is crucial, in that it reinforces the institution's ability to improve its overall impact on research. The present study was conducted to establish the research capacity needs of academic staff in the humanities at the University of Zululand. The study intended to identify research capacity strategies and policies in p lace at the University of Zululand, determine the level of research support available for academic staff, establish the level of research competencies and skills of academic staff, examine factors influencing research productivity and recommend possible solutions that could lead to the improvement of the research environment at the University of Zululand. Due to the nature of the problem investigated, the study used a descriptive survey research design, as well as a knowledge audit process to gain an understanding of research capacity needs of academic staff in the humanities at the University of Zululand. Self-administered questionnaires, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The collected data was analysed using the computer program SPSS and content analysis. The overall findings revealed that research support provided to academic staff was not adequate and that correlated with the relatively low research productivity in the humanities at the University of Zululand. The study also revealed that grants for research, v access and publication, research networking, sufficient work time, teaching loads, motivation and rewards were cited as the major factors that inhibited research productivity. The study found that the university did not have formal research policy and strategies in place. It was also found that the university did not have a formal research office or centre. Based on the findings, the study recommended that academic staff should insist that the institution ensures that policies on research are established and written in black and white. The study recommended that the institution should develop a research rapport with academic staff and provide more research support for academic s taff, if the university desires to be excellent in research. This would include the development of the research centre/office that would support academics . The study further recommended a similar study, but extended on a larger scale, to include more universities and make comparative analysis of research needs of academic staff. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

The focus of this research is Service-Learning. The research aims to construct a Service- Learning theory that is grounded in South African practice. The dynamic and challenging early decades of South Africa’s new democracy constitute the context into which Service- Learning has been introduced into Higher Education in the country. The potential of Service- Learning to make a meaningful contribution to the development of Higher Education, particularly in relation to its multiple roles in African society, is recognised. There is concern, however, that lack of adequate theorisation means that Service-Learning is poorly understood and that its practice and impact are erratic. I undertake the study from an underlying paradigm of constructivism, adopting a qualitative approach and employing Grounded Theory methods. Aligning with Charmaz’ (2006) “constructivist stance” on Grounded Theory, and conscious of the need to be informed by as wide a variety of experiences and voices as possible, I access a range of formal and informal documentation that cover Service-Learning activities at module/ project, institutional and national levels. The activities include the promotion of Service-Learning in all sectors of society, its implementation in a variety of disciplines and communities, policy and research initiatives and scholarly publications from South African authors. Coding and memo writing yield the major concepts on which I construct the theory, namely, Context, Identity, Development, Curriculum, Power and Engagement. Centered on the core concept of Engagement, the theoretical framework comprises four Discourses, namely Service-Learning as Scholarly Engagement, Service-Learning as Benevolent Engagement, Service-Learning as Democratic Engagement and Service-Learning as Professional Engagement. The Discourses each have a primary focus, i.e. knowledge, service, social justice and resource development respectively. The Discourses framework has implications for the definition, practice and evaluation of Service-Learning. In addition, the framework offers conceptual tools for the understanding of engagement in contexts other than Service-Learning. By their nature, the Discourses may be split, merged or elaborated as new knowledge and practice come to light. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

This study focuses on moral values in education, in particular, their inclusion as part of the academic curricula of Durban University of Technology (DUT), Faculty of Management Sciences. The literature lends much support for moral values as being important for students and Higher Education as a whole but there is still very little focus provided with regards to having them incorporated as part of a module in the programmes of Higher Education. This study is based on the researcher’s view that the teaching of moral values should be intrinsically linked to academic programmes to produce well groomed graduates who would become morally responsible and add value to a democratic society and in particular the world of work. The research study seeks to ascertain the opinions of the students and staff of DUT concerning: - the integration of the study of moral values in academic programmes at the DUT? and - the roles staff and students could play in reinforcing the importance of moral values? This research falls within an interpretivist paradigm and takes a qualitative approach as it examines views, perceptions and feelings of the relevant role players of the Durban University of Technology. The Faculty of Management Sciences is chosen for this research study. Students from the cohorts of 1st, 2nd and 3rd year levels of the four selected departments are chosen as part of the research sample. The sample also includes three academic staff from the four selected departments as well as all Heads of Departments from the Faculty. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with management members chosen by the researcher. Arising from the findings of the study, staff and students are of the view that if moral values are absent in students they will display a negative behaviour which has an adverse impact on their working career. Many students are of the view that including moral values in the curricula of Higher Education will build students’ characters and morally equip and develop them into responsible citizens. Arising from the strong support of the various stakeholders, it is recommended that the teaching of moral values should be integrated in the curricula of Higher Education. It is also recommended that educators and management lead by example and be role models to their students. Debates, case studies and community-based learning in relation to ethical issues are some of the more popular teaching methods that are recommended. It can be concluded that there is support from various authors and major role players for the integration of moral values in the curricula of Higher Education.

South African higher education institutions are being increasingly plagued by high attrition rates (especially in first year) and low graduation rates. The students entering the higher education institutions have diversified considerably in terms of race, level of maturity and level of preparedness for the higher education system. This change in student characteristics has led higher education institutions to urgently investigate strategies to enhance the teaching and learning environment, so that these students can be empowered to transcend their backgrounds and achieve their potential. One such strategy identified by the Council of Higher Education is the matching of teaching styles to students' learning styles to improve the performance of the students and ultimately the retention rates of the institution.This study aimed to explore the learning styles of the first year anatomy students at a South African University of Technology, to ascertain any association between gender and these learning styles and to investigate the impact of matching teaching and assessment styles to student learning styles. The VARK learning style questionnaire was used to determine the students? learning styles. The VARK learning styles are based on four sensory modalities that a student may use to receive, process and transmit information. Sixty seven students completed the VARK questionnaire, the majority of whom favoured a combination of learning styles. The most commonly exhibited unimodal (single) learning style was the kinaesthetic mode, while both genders recorded a multimodal learning preference. No significant relationship was found between the performance of students whose learning styles were matched to the teaching and assessment styles and those where the learning styles were mismatched with the teaching and learning styles.This study served to highlight the diversity (in terms of learning styles) present among the first year anatomy students. The study advocates a teaching and assessment strategy that is balanced and is considerate of multiple learning styles rather than attempting to match the teaching and assessment strategy to the learning styles of the students. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The merging of 150 technical colleges into 50 multi-site Further Education and Training Colleges brought with it a lot of change; one of which was curriculum innovation. The latest curriculum to be introduced was the National Certificate (Vocational); a three year qualification aimed at providing a vocational qualification to those exiting at level 4 on the NQF. One of the programmes on offer is the National Certificate-Marketing. Several subjects make up this programme but this study focuses on marketing. The choice to focus on this subject was motivated by my years of lecturing on the subject, my involvement as an assessor and Head of the Marketing Subject Committee. The rationale of this study was to describe the classroom experiences of lecturers involved in the implementation of the National Certificate-Marketing programme. Data on the classroom experiences of FET college lecturers in implementing this new curriculum reform is absent. Out of four FET colleges that offer the National Certificate-Marketing programme, three colleges were chosen purposively. The sample comprised of two urban area campus sites and one rural area campus site. The theoretical poles underpinning the study are Phenomenology and Globalisation. Being qualitative in nature, the study sought to find the meanings that these lecturers have attached to their classroom experiences. To this end, Limited topical life history accounts of three FET college lecturers in KwaZulu-Natal were undertaken. The use of in-depth semi-structured interviews and photovoice as data collection methods were well suited to achieve this. The degree of flexibility that these methods offered enabled me to collect rich data that unveiled the classroom experiences obtained when implementing the new curriculum. The narrative approach was used to analyse the data. Main themes were drawn from these narratives and these were discussed in the last chapter. Both the findings and the discussion may have implications for management of classrooms, training of lecturers, and support for new lecturers and the enrolment of learners. In summary, the findings of the study suggest that lecturers have had a lot of challenges in implementing this curriculum including lack of proper initial training, inadequate resources, learner diversity, lack of commitment and enthusiasm from learners, increase in workloads, overly bearing recording and reporting processes and insufficient support structures. It was noted that these findings are similar to those of other education sectors both at home and abroad. In spite of these challenges, this study noted the enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and robustness with which the participants in this study have thus far implemented the curriculum. The ingenuity in their work and passion for their learners was also clearly demonstrated throughout the interviews and photovoice sessions. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010