Work integrated learning (WIL) for the training of engineering technicians and technologists combines the theoretical learning of the fundamentals with their practical application in a real-world situation and environment. The activities in WIL are intended to provide students with specific learning outcomes in each engineering field of study, as well as with the general skills that are necessary for engineers in any field. The WIL learning outcomes are very specific and provide the student with the opportunity to practise and apply the fundamentals in an actual workplace. WIL includes various modalities such as problem-based learning, project-based learning and workplace learning. In this thesis, work integrated learning is referred to specifically as a period of work placement for engineering students. The other modalities of learning are usually included in all engineering qualifications. Thirty percent of the curriculum for the National Diploma engineering qualification in South Africa consists of work integrated learning, which translates into approximately 120 credits. WIL provides a valuable context for learning. However, there has been debate about the offering, placement, quality and supervision of it. This thesis investigates the various factors that may affect the offering of this component of learning in addition to ascertaining the importance of WIL in the training of technicians and technologists. This research comprises a survey conducted among engineering students as well as interviews with lecturers and supervisors directly involved in the implementation of the WIL component. The study investigates the format of WIL and its duration, the presence or absence of supervisors, mentors, a syllabus and clear guidance within the context of the Higher Education Qualification Frameworks. Quantitative data was collected from Engineering National Diploma and B-Tech students in two universities in Gauteng and then captured and processed. Statistical analysis such as factor analysis, analysis of variance, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, Pearson chi-squared, the Bartlet test and others were carried out, using various standard tests. The study reveals the extent to which both students and lecturers appreciate WIL. The study also offers recommendations for the unique and on-going collaboration between industry and academic institutions for the purpose of the training of future technicians. In addition, it provides reasons for the possibility of a shorter work placement period provided certain preparations are made by the universities prior to placement. It highlights the need for clarity on the responsibilities of the role players involved and on assessment methods, and for the provision of a more specific, yet flexible, curriculum, while also recommending regular reflection on this component of learning. All of these points are discussed within the context of the Higher Education Qualification Framework in South Africa. This framework recommends that higher education institutions accept responsibility for WIL placement and for ensuring that programmes are properly structured and supervised. / Science and Technology Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (Technology Education))

In the U.S., about 7,000 high school students drop out each school day, representing a loss of talent and ability. Concurrently, there are a decreasing number of enrolled students taking science-related courses at the high school and college levels. Adults, who return to obtain their General Educational Development (GED) certification, are an untapped resource that could be steered toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. In this case study, 15 GED students were shown a STEM video, and then peer mentored by 8 CLA (Clinical Laboratory Assistant) students, in a student-centered laboratory experience. Individual interviews of the GED students prior to and after the treatment were used to assess STEM attitudes. Additionally, the CLA peer mentors were given self-assessments regarding their level of self-efficacy. The most marked difference in the pre- and post-treatment data was with the male GED students. Initially, only 2 of the 7 had definite career goals, 5 with undefined career goals, with 4 showing no interest in STEM. After the treatment, 6 exhibited interest in pursuing STEM education or employment. The female GED students' interest remained unchanged, resulting in the male and female students showing equivalent interest in STEM post-treatment. The CLA peer mentors showed an increase in self-efficacy using Bandura's four sources of self-efficacy in social cognition (1997). The preliminary results of this study suggest that interest in STEM education and STEM careers can be generated with peer mentored learning. (Contains 1 figure and 8 tables.)

The quality of mathematics knowledge attained by students entering university in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields has been decreasing. There is a need to enhance students’ mathematical knowledge in order to maintain the standards of STEM curriculum at university. The rationale of this study was to investigate the influence of Pre-Calculus Mathematics Refreshment module taught using Meta-cognitive skills and Co-operative Learning (MCL), or Co-operative Learning (CL) only, or Traditional lecture (T) intervention method to First Year pre-engineering Students on their Applied Calculus 1 in an Ethiopian university. The study further investigated the influence of Pre-Calculus Mathematics Refreshment module for MCL, or CL, or T intervention method on male and female students’ achievement. The refreshment module and Applied Calculus 1 scores were measured through posttest and normal class room score of Applied Calculus 1 result. The dependent variables were student achievement in pre-calculus refreshment Module and Applied Calculus 1. Out of 29 universities in Ethiopia only four were selected to participate in this study. Population of this study was all pre-engineering first year students in those universities in 2016/2017. The sample consisted of 200 pre-engineering university students who studied in four of Ethiopian universities and one class was randomly selected by lottery method from existing pre-engineering classes in each university. Two experimental groups which were taught MCL and the other CL intervention method and two of them were control groups upon whom the control novice with traditional lecture method and control without intervention was applied. In each group 50 students of 25 males and 25 females were purposely selected from sampled class. A pre-calculus mathematics Pre-test was administered first, where the average scores of all students Pre-test result was below 33%. Then, first MCL and CL intervention methods were discussed and exercised for one week before implementing the study. For the study, selected pre-calculus mathematics topics was taught in all classrooms for 32 periods i.e. 50min x32= 26.7hrs at the beginning of the first semester parallel with Applied Calculus 1 for the academic year 2016 / 2017. The statistical tools used under this procedure include descriptive statistics percentage, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics, T-test, and one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). The results show statistically significant differences (Sig 0.00) at the significance level (0.05) between students that learnt pre-calculus refreshment module and control group which did not. Among the students those learned pre-calculus refreshment module through MCL, CL and T method students in the MCL and CL groups’ posttest scores significantly different from T group in pre-calculus results both with Sig of 0.00. But there was no significant difference between MCL & CL groups were Sig is 0.97. Additionally, the female students in the MCL group was not significant different from CL and T group, on an impact of refreshment module, in Applied Calculus 1 mathematics where Sig is 0.994 and 0.237 respectively, and CL female group scores significantly different from T group in Applied Calculus 1 results with Sig 0.042. The male students in the MCL and CL groups were significantly different from T group in Applied Calculus 1with Sig of 0.07 and 0.012 respectively. Also, there was a positive correlation between Pre-Calculus refreshment module and Applied Calculus 1 with correlation coefficient of 0.835. Lastly, the result of pre-calculus mathematics posttest scores with the female students in MCL relatively increased than male students, than in CL and T groups, which indicated that MCL benefit more female students than male students. The differences were more in favor of pre-calculus mathematics refreshment with MCL intervention method. To improve success in engineering participation of all students, recommended that a pre-calculus module should be offered by all universities for first year engineering students, structured co-operative learning with purpose has significant gains for effective instruction, and to increase the success rate of female students this study has proven that they are trainable and therefore, meta-cognition skills have to be nurtured for female students. / Mathematics Education / D. Phil (Mathematics Education in Science and Technology)

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar como as estratégias de ensino e de avaliação são utilizadas por professores da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná na formação de engenheiros. Os principais fatores que justificam a realização deste estudo são o pequeno número de estudos que tratam das questões pedagógicas no ensino de engenharia, o contexto atual de valores que exige uma multiplicidade de fun- ções do engenheiro e a influência que as estratégias de ensino e de avaliação exercem no processo de formação. O estudo fundamenta-se em conceitos desenvolvidos por diversos autores das áreas de educação em engenharia e didática do ensino superior que discutem a história, os problemas, as necessidades de mudanças nessa área e estratégias de ensino e de avaliação nesse nível de ensino. A abordagem metodológica adotada foi o delineamento misto sequencial explanatório, composto de uma fase quantitativa, seguida por uma fase qualitativa que ajuda a entender com maior profundidade os resultados quantitativos obtidos na primeira fase. O estudo foi conduzido em três câmpus da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram professores que ministravam disciplinas específicas e/ou profissionalizantes de 11 cursos de engenharia. Na primeira fase do estudo, quantitativa, foi desenvolvido um questionário para a coleta de dados. O instrumento foi validado por um painel de especialistas, testado em um estudo-piloto e administrado a uma amostra constituída por 199 professores. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos a testes da estatística descritiva e da estatística não paramétrica. Os resultados indicaram a frequência de utilização de estratégias de ensino e de avaliação; a adoção de condutas relacionadas ao processo ensino-aprendizagem; a importância que os professores atribuem a vários aspectos relacionados à aquisição de habilidades didático-pedagógicas; e a influência de algumas características pessoais e contextuais sobre a definição de estratégias de ensino e de avaliação utilizadas. Com base nos resultados quantitativos foi elaborado um protocolo de entrevista semiestruturada, administrada a 17 professores. O conjunto de resultados mostrou que a maioria dos professores não conhece e/ou não utiliza estratégias de ensino sugeridas pelas propostas de aprendizagem ativa e de avaliação formativa, mas que, entretanto, no desenvolvimento das aulas procuram promover uma participação ativa dos alunos nas discussões sobre os conteúdos ministrados, desenvolver e avaliar aspectos superiores à capacidade de memorização e de reprodução; que os processos de ensino e de avaliação desenvolvidos são centrados no professor; que os principais fatores que influenciam a definição das estratégias de ensino e de avaliação utilizadas são características diretamente relacionadas à prática didática; que a aquisição de habilidades didático-pedagógicas ainda acontece principalmente por meio da experiência no cotidiano da sala de aula. Esta pesquisa contribuiu para que se tenha uma compreensão mais ampla a respeito da prática didática nos cursos de engenharia, mas fica evidente a necessidade de mais estudos que venham a identificar outras especificidades dessa área do ensino superior. / The objective of the study was to analyze how teaching and assessment strategies are used by teachers of the Federal University of Technology – Paraná in training of engineers. The main factors that justify this study are the small number of studies dealing with pedagogical issues in engineering education, the current context of values that require a multiplicity of functions of the engineer and the training process under the influence of teaching and evaluation strategies. The study is based on concepts developed by several authors of the areas of engineering education and higher education didactics who discuss the history, problems, the need for changes in this area and strategies of teaching and evaluation in this level of education. The methodological approach adopted was the explanatory sequential mixed method design, composed of a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase that helps to understand in more depth the quantitative results obtained in the first phase. The study was conducted in three Campi of the Federal University of Technology - Paraná. The research responsibles were teachers who taught specific and / or vocational disciplines in 11 engineering courses. In the first phase of the quantitative study, a questionnaire was developed to collect data. The instrument was validated by a panel of experts, tested in a pilot study and administered to a sample of 199 teachers. Data were submitted to descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistics. The results indicated the frequency of use of teaching and evaluation strategies; the adoption of behaviors related to the teaching-learning process; the importance that teachers attribute to various aspects related to the acquisition of didactic-pedagogical skills; and the influence of some personal and contextual characteristics on the definition of teaching strategies and evaluation used. Based on the quantitative results, a semi-structured interview protocol was administered to 17 teachers. The answers of the teachers allowed a deepening of the results obtained in the quantitative phase. The set of results showed that most teachers do not know and / or do not use teaching strategies suggested by the active learning and formative evaluation proposals, but that, in the meantime, in the development of the classes, they seek to promote an active participation of the students in the discussions about content taught, develop and evaluate superior aspects to the ability of memorizing and reproducing; that the process of teaching and evaluation developed, they are focused on the teacher; that the main factors that influence the definition of teaching and assessment strategies used are characteristics that are directly related to didactic practice; and that the acquisition of didactic-pedagogical abilities still works mainly through the everyday classroom experience. This research contributed to a broader understanding of didactic practice in engineering courses, but it is evident that more studies are needed to identify other specificities of higher education.

The study explored women’s underrepresentation in engineering at a Technical Vocational and Education and Training (TVET) College in Gauteng, South Africa. Research on the lack of women in engineering exists, however, the underrepresentation of women students in engineering at TVET Colleges is under-researched. Using a theoretical starting point Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy, a qualitative study explored views of selected female students on female underrepresentation in engineering at TVET Colleges, with reference to South West Gauteng College. Interviews with women in Engineering, Business Studies and Hospitality courses were undertaken. Findings indicated: engineering students' desire for equal career opportunities in engineering; recognition of the impact of gender stereotypes and differing ways of developing self-efficacy and capabilities as women to follow an engineering career; the barrier of gender stereotypes on secondary school girls’ choice of and achievement in Mathematics and Science and the information gap concerning career options in engineering; as well as benefits provided by TVET Colleges offering these courses. Some recommendations which are suggested are: TVET Colleges should ensure that more information about the engineering courses offered at these institutions be relayed to the public in a manner that is inclusive to everyone irrespective of gender. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Work integrated learning (WIL) for the training of engineering technicians and technologists combines the theoretical learning of the fundamentals with their practical application in a real-world situation and environment. The activities in WIL are intended to provide students with specific learning outcomes in each engineering field of study, as well as with the general skills that are necessary for engineers in any field. The WIL learning outcomes are very specific and provide the student with the opportunity to practise and apply the fundamentals in an actual workplace. WIL includes various modalities such as problem-based learning, project-based learning and workplace learning. In this thesis, work integrated learning is referred to specifically as a period of work placement for engineering students. The other modalities of learning are usually included in all engineering qualifications. Thirty percent of the curriculum for the National Diploma engineering qualification in South Africa consists of work integrated learning, which translates into approximately 120 credits. WIL provides a valuable context for learning. However, there has been debate about the offering, placement, quality and supervision of it. This thesis investigates the various factors that may affect the offering of this component of learning in addition to ascertaining the importance of WIL in the training of technicians and technologists. This research comprises a survey conducted among engineering students as well as interviews with lecturers and supervisors directly involved in the implementation of the WIL component. The study investigates the format of WIL and its duration, the presence or absence of supervisors, mentors, a syllabus and clear guidance within the context of the Higher Education Qualification Frameworks. Quantitative data was collected from Engineering National Diploma and B-Tech students in two universities in Gauteng and then captured and processed. Statistical analysis such as factor analysis, analysis of variance, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, Pearson chi-squared, the Bartlet test and others were carried out, using various standard tests. The study reveals the extent to which both students and lecturers appreciate WIL. The study also offers recommendations for the unique and on-going collaboration between industry and academic institutions for the purpose of the training of future technicians. In addition, it provides reasons for the possibility of a shorter work placement period provided certain preparations are made by the universities prior to placement. It highlights the need for clarity on the responsibilities of the role players involved and on assessment methods, and for the provision of a more specific, yet flexible, curriculum, while also recommending regular reflection on this component of learning. All of these points are discussed within the context of the Higher Education Qualification Framework in South Africa. This framework recommends that higher education institutions accept responsibility for WIL placement and for ensuring that programmes are properly structured and supervised. / Science and Technology Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (Technology Education))

This study investigated the effective use of online Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) with immediate formative feedback, and the granting of partial credit for correct second or third chance answers when assessing and assisting students’ conceptual learning at higher cognitive levels. The research sample comprised first year engineering science students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria campus. The differences between using online MCQ-assessment for problem-solving calculations and using constructed written questions (CRQs)1 in the assessment of problem-solving calculations were explored. Furthermore, the differences between the assessment of problem-solving calculations using online MCQs without immediate formative feedback, and with immediate formative feedback and the granting of partial credit were analysed. The findings revealed that students’ marks were lower when answering problem-solving calculations using online MCQs without immediate formative feedback than when answering the same questions using CRQs. This clearly indicates that using online MCQs without immediate formative feedback is not effective in assessing scientific problem-solving calculations. Alternatively, online MCQs proved effective in assessing problem-solving calculations when immediate formative feedback and partial credit were employed. The statistical analysis showed that students performed significantly better when immediate formative feedback was given and partial credit was granted for correct second or third attempts. This was due to online MCQs utilising immediate formative feedback, which made it possible to grant partial credit when students chose the correct answers after feedback. This showed that online MCQs with immediate formative feedback and partial credit being granted can be an effective assessment tool for scientific problem-solving calculations. It increases performance and supports learning from assessment. Students can thus correct their calculations whilst in the process of doing them. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Science Education)