Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / This paper investigates the impact of education on economic growth in South Africa using annual panel data from 1990 to 2011, controlling for regional differences. Education is believed to be an important factor in developing an economy. The theoretical basis of education on economic growth comes from the endogenous growth theory. The endogenous growth theorists believed that investing in education is linked to an increase in efficiency and productivity of labour. It can be argued that by boosting cognitive and other skills, education makes labour more productive and accelerates innovation and technological progress, bringing higher economic growth. The nature of the data allowed for panel estimation techniques to be employed and the fixed effects and random effects models were considered in a Generalised Least Squares estimation framework, with the final estimation model informed objectively by the Hausman test. Education was found to be positively related to GDP, with variations across provinces observed. The results have implications for both policy and further research, which are outlined in the final chapter.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Stellenbosch has implemented an extensively revised undergraduate medical curriculum. Exit outcomes, that have been entitled the Profile of the Stellenbosch Doctor, have been formulated for the programme. The revised curriculum is presented in three phases. Phase I involves the study of non-clinical subjects under the guidance of the Faculties of Natural Sciences and Economic & Management Sciences. Phase II involves the study of subjects that lay the groundwork for the third phase. Phase III involves the study of pre-clinical and clinical subjects in an integrated fashion. The intended outcomes of phases II and III were elaborated by the formulation of specific learning outcomes. Determining whether the specific outcomes formulated for each module are achieved will be one aspect of quality assurance in the revised curriculum. This could be done by investigating the relationship between assessment and the specific outcomes. If, however, specific outcomes for the various modules are not congruent with the exit outcomes for the programme, then student assessment will be invalid as regards the programme outcomes. This study therefore entailed a formative evaluation of part of phase II of the revised curriculum. The aims of the study were, firstly, to determine the degree of congruence between the specific outcomes formulated for phase II and the exit outcomes for the programme and, secondly, to explore why the observed degree of congruence exists. The research strategy employed was a case study. The research techniques used were a document analysis and two questionnaire surveys. The study found that most specific outcomes formulated for phase II of the curriculum are congruent with one or more exit outcomes for the programme. However, few of the exit outcomes are addressed to any great extent by specific outcomes. This raises the concern that assessment of students based on the specific outcomes as presently formulated might not demonstrate development of students towards achievement of the exit outcomes. There are indications that this lack of congruence could be due to i) a large number of competing demands on lecturers' time; ii) lecturers not wanting to spend time doing work prioritised by others as important; iii) perceptions that work related to the revised curriculum is being forced on staff without necessarily consulting them; iv) a lack of reward for good teaching; v) the perception that the strategies adopted for the revised curriculum will not necessarily benefit students. Recommendations are made as to how these findings could be confirmed and strategies developed that could be utilised to ensure a greater degree of congruence between the specific and exit outcomes in future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Fakulteit Geneeskunde van die Universiteit Stellenbosch het 'n omvangryke hersiening van hul voorgraadse geneeskundige kurrikulum geïmplementeer. Uitgangsuitkomste, getiteld die Profiel van die Stellenbosch Dokter, is vir die program geformuleer. Die hersiene kurrikulum word in drie fases aangebied. Fase I behels die studie van nie-kliniese vakke onder leiding van die Fakulteite van Natuurwetenskappe en Ekonomiese- & Bestuurswetenskappe. Fase II behels die studie van vakke wat die grondwerk lê vir die derde fase. Fase III behels die studie van prekliniese en kliniese vakke op 'n geïntegreerde wyse. Die beoogde uitkomste van fases II en III is uitgespel deur die formulering van spesifieke leeruitkomste. Die bepaling van of die spesifieke uitkomste wat vir elke module geformuleer is, bereik word, sal een aspek uitmaak van gehalteversekering in die hersiene kurrikulum. Dit sou gedoen kon word deur die verwantskap tussen assessering en die spesifieke uitkomste te ondersoek. Indien die spesifieke uitkomste vir die verskeie modules egter nie met die uitgangsuitkomste vir die program kongruent is nie, dan sal studentassessering ongeldig wees wat betref die uitkomste van die program. Hierdie studie het dus 'n formatiewe evaluering van deel van fase II van die hersiene kurrikulum behels. Die doelstellings van die studie was om, eerstens, die graad van kongruensie tussen die spesifieke uitkomste wat vir fase II geformuleer is en die uitgangsuitkomste vir die program te bepaal en, tweedens, om ondersoek in te stel na waarom die waargenome graad van kongruensie bestaan. Die navorsingsstrategie wat gebruik is, is 'n gevallestudie. Die navorsingstegnieke wat gebruik is, is 'n dokument analise en twee vraelys ondersoeke. Die studie het vasgestel dat die meeste spesifieke uitkomste vir fase II van die kurrikulum geformuleer wel met een of meer uitgangsuitkomste kongruent was. Min van die uitgangsuitkomste is egter in enige groot mate deur spesifieke uitkomste aangespreek. Die wek besorgdheid dat assessering van studente gebaseer op spesifieke uitkomste soos dit tans daar uitsien, nie noodwendig die ontwikkeling van studente in die rigting van bereiking van die uitgangsuitkomste sal demonstreer nie. Daar is aanduidings dat hierdie gebrek aan kongruensie die gevolg mag wees van: i) 'n groot aantal kompeterende eise op dosente se tyd; ii) dat dosente nie tyd wil wy aan werk wat deur ander as belangrik bepaal is nie; iii) persepsies dat werk wat met die hersiene kurrikulum verband hou op personeel afgedwing word sonder om hulle te raadpleeg; iv) 'n gebrek aan beloning vir goeie onderrig; v) die persepsie dat strategieë wat gebruik word vir die hersiene kurrikulum nie noodwendig tot voordeel van studente sal strek nie. Aanbevelings word aan die hand gedoen oor hoe hierdie bevindinge bevestig kan word en hoe strategieë ontwikkel kan word wat benut sal kan word om in die toekoms 'n groter mate van kongruensie tussen spesifieke en uitgangsuitkomste te verseker.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The process of educational transformation in South Africa was characterised by the creation of a coherent policy and legislative framework (e.g. Constitution; South African Schools Act, 1996) that would form the basis for systematic changes. My concern is if or to what extend the transformational goals of access, redress, equality, quality, freedom and participation manifest itself in public high schools, particularly those schools from historically disadvantaged communities. Engaging in an interpretive and critical analysis of data (South African Schools Act, 1996 and diverse educator voices), I explore the conceptual and pragmatic links between different nuances of democracy in schools. There seem to be huge gaps between policy and practice. As the transformation of the education system is inseparable from the total transformation of our nation, I contend that the education landscape needs to be reviewed. A rigorous multi-facetted approach by all role players is necessary in order to meet the complexity of challenges to the process of transforming the education system of South Africa, in order to bring about a deep democracy. KEY WORDS: Education, transformation, democracy, participation, equality and quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die proses van onderwys-transformasie in Suid-Afrika is gekenmerk deur die daarstelling van 'n koherente beleids-en wetgewende raamwerk (o.a. Konstitusie; Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet, 1996), wat die grondslag van sistematiese veranderinge sou vorm. My besorgdheid is of, en tot watter mate die transformasie-doelwitte van toeganklikheid, regstelling, gelykheid, kwaliteit, vryheid en deelname in publieke hoërskole gemanifesteer word - veral dié skole in histories benadeelde samelewings. Verbind tot 'n interpretatiewe- en kritiese data-analise van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet en menings van diverse onderwyslui, ondersoek ek die konseptueie en pragmatiese skakeling tussen verskillende nuanses aangaande demokrasie in skole. Daar blyk groot gapings tussen beleid en praktyk te wees. Omdat die transformasie van die onderwysstelselonlosmaaklik deel vorm van die totale transformasie van ons nasie, voer ek aan dat die opvoedkundige landskap dringend in heroënskou geneem moet word. 'n Daadwerklike, multi-fassettige benadering deur alle rolspelers is nodig ten einde die komplekse uitdagings ten opsigte van die transformasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwys die hoof te bied, en sodoende 'n diep demokrasie tot stand te bring. SLEUTELWOORDE: Onderwys, transforrnasie, demokrasie, deelname, gelykheid en kwaliteit.

Thesis (PhD (Accountancy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The accountancy profession operates within an environment that is changing at a rapid pace. It is the responsibility of the profession to ensure that all its members (including future members) meet the expectations placed on them by the users of their services. Professional accountants need to stay relevant in this changing environment that may require them to change or adapt the services they offer to their clients. It is the responsibility of professional accountancy bodies to strategically plan for these changes to ensure that members that join the profession posses the required knowledge and skills to be relevant and to stay relevant within the environment they operate in. One of the key drivers of change in the environment has been identified as the advances in information and communication technologies. Information and communication technologies have an impact on the role that accountants play in the environment (i.e. what they do) as well as on how they perform their role (i.e. how they do it). The main aim of this research was to determine if, and to what extent, students, that have completed their formal education and enter the profession as trainee accountants, possess the knowledge and skills to enable them to interact with and use information technology to be regarded as competent accountants within the South African business environment. Accountants are educated in South Africa at universities that offer programmes that have been accredited by a professional accountancy body as well as through practical training offered by training organisations. During this education process, accountants are imparted with the knowledge and skills as prescribed by the professional accountancy body so that they can join the profession as competent accountants. This research showed that there are serious shortcomings in the formal education of students regarding information technology that results in students entering the profession as trainee accountants not being competent in using information technology. The reasons for students not being competent in information technology are: • the lack of clear guidance on the IT skills required of students completing their formal education because of professional accountancy bodies setting IT syllabi that are too vague and/or concise; • ignorance of the demands on trainee accountants as to the IT skills they require to be competent in the South African business environment; and • the lack of proper IT training offered by South African universities that deliver trainee accountants that possess a limited range of IT skills that may not be relevant to the environment students will function in. Through a survey the perceptions of role-players at South African universities on the strategies that universities would have to employ to ensure that the students they deliver to profession, acquire the relevant IT skills to be competent in the use of information technology, were determined.

The aim of this study was to find out the academic and social experience of Lesotho students who studied at institutions of higher in the Western Cape between 1990-1997.

<p>In this thesis, I explore the benefit of electronic formative assessment on learner achievement. Studies had revealed the connection between throughput and assessment. There is great discrepancy between the throughput rate of Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDI) and Historically Advantaged Institutions (HAI), according to the National Plan for Higher Education. Previously, assessment was used primarily for summative and certification purposes. Now, with the introduction of Outcomes Based Education (OBE), a number of alternative forms of assessment can be used. In this study I establish the importance and necessity of frequent, electronic, formative assessments which would thereby improve learners&rsquo / achievement in the classroom.</p> <p>The white paper on e-education (DOE: 2003) states that e-education must be transformed so that information and communication technology (ICT) can be successfully integrated to &ldquo / ensure that all learners will be equipped for full participation in the knowledge society&rdquo / . Recent research has reported significant increases in learner achievement through educational technology with the use of learning management systems (LMS) software (Stephens, 2001, Buchanan, 2000, DeKock, 1994). This study was built upon this body of research on educational technology and how it can be effectively integrated into classrooms. This research would impact on learner achievement through the use of formative assessment to assist under-prepared learners to improve their summative scores. In particular, the effect of formative electronic assessment on learner achievement in the subject Business Information Systems, for first year accounting learners, in the Business Faculty at Peninsula Technikon was investigated. This quantitative study utilized the use of questionnaires and the control group design. The control group design, which consisted of the control and experimental groups was used on a group of learners who had been exposed to the treatment. The treatment for the experimental group comprised of using a formative on-line learning assessment. Independent variables included the treatment condition, race, gender and home language. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used on assessment. Analysis firstly revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between achievement in the practical component between the experimental and the control group. The Kruskal-Wallis tests showed that there were no significant differences between genders. The control group performed better than the experimental group in the theory test. Secondly, analysis revealed statistically significant mean achievement differences between Coloured female with no prior computer usage (M= 78) and Black female with no computer usage (M=44). Based on these findings, implications of the results of this study, future avenues of research and implementation suggestions are offered.</p>

The purpose of this research was to shed light on how do Educator perceive instructional leadership in their schools. This was an exercise in which educators are requested through the Questionnaire to air their view on instructional leadership of Principals in the Mafikeng District of the North West Province. It was hoped that a broader understanding of the distinctive factor that accounts for the understanding of the role of Principals as instructional leaders in Secondary would assist in informing the policy makers on the understanding of the role played by Principals as instructional leaders in schools. The study focuses on the manner in which schools develop or are developing towards becoming effective schools with the help ·or their instructional leaders. The responsibilities of the Principal as an instructional leader in school are vital. It has been discovered that, there is a need for information about the skills and tasks required to support practices of instructional leaders in schools so that the best possible instruction can be made towards the educators, parents and the learners who are placed in their care. / Thesis (M. Ed.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

M. Tech. (Information Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences) Vaal University of Technology / The majority of research studies completed on podcasting technology focused on the acceptance of podcasting technology in the educational settings and the challenges that it poses for higher education institutions and instructors. Very little interest has been accorded to the effect that podcasting could have on the learners‟ academic performance. Utilizing a quasi-experimental non-equivalent group posttest, a wide used research method in the education discipline, the relationship between podcasting technology and academic performance, is investigated. The quasi-experimental was performed based on data collected over a period of 12 months, in which a non-random sample of 150 learners was taken from a population group of 350 management and entrepreneurship undergraduate learners at the Tshwane University of Technology. The sample was separated into two groups, namely the experimental group of 75 students, and the control group of 75 students. Both groups were offered the same subject by the same instructor. Control group learners are learners who have already completed the subject in the first semester before the podcasting technology was introduced in the subject. The experimental group learners are learners who have completed the subject through the support of podcasting technology. The assessment marks for four formal tests of the two groups were compared by means of a t-test to determine the effect of the intervention. The outcomes of the study showed an increase in the overall mean score of the experimental group in comparison to the mean score of the control group. The number of students obtaining distinctions also increased, compared to the control group. These considerations possibly indicate a positive relationship between the availability of podcast lectures and academic performance.

M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Ph.D. (Education) / This study was undertaken to assess whether the team management approach would help in resolving prominent problems in secondary schools. Attention was focused on the ever increasing management task in secondary schools and more specifically, on the management task of school managers. Contemporary schools are complex institutions and there are many problems to solve. For the secondary school to function well, it has to be managed effectively ...