M. Tech. Public Management / Granting admission to students using various entrance requirements in Further Education and Training (FET) colleges presents a huge challenge. The criteria have proved to be inadequate to meet this challenge. According to the Department of Higher Education and Training, the aim is to develop economies of scale and create capacity within colleges, to reach more students and offer a wide range of programmes, thereby positioning them to meet social and economic demands. However, the challenge still exists. The demand to produce skilled youth is escalating rapidly, hence some students opt to further their studies at FET colleges even if they have completed grade 12 and when, on completion, they will receive the same National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 4 certificates. The study is aimed at investigating the effects of using various admission requirements at FET Colleges, as well as to recommend measures which could be taken to overcome the challenges.

No description available.

This study was initiated as a result of the appearance of a number of articles and commentaries in the academic press which intimate that the English language levels of many overseas students studying in Australia are not sufficient to meet the demands of their academic programs. A preliminary investigation into the standards set by one university revealed that there was no statement, policy or, public document describing an appropriate level of language use; and that the university concerned defined language proficiency entirely in terms of bands, scores or grades provided by external testing organisations.Commencing with the assumption that there is an entry level of English language competence, below which students have little chance of success in their studies (at least, within the accepted timeframe), this qualitative case study into one tertiary institution utilises a number of data collection strategies in order to develop a description or definition of a 'gatekeeper' level of English competence. It then compares the findings with the criteria for assessment and grading used by the two most widely available English language tests, TOEFL and IELTS.The first chapter introduces the background to the study. The second chapter outlines the underlying philosophical, social and linguistic framework within which the study was devised, in the context of the literature which informed it. The following chapter presents a justification for the selected research methods and data collection strategies. In the fourth and fifth chapters, the results demonstrate that interpretations of tertiary entry-level language proficiency vary, leading to confusion and an absence of strategic direction; it is further suggested that an appropriate level of language proficiency for tertiary entry cannot be defined without taking into account the prevailing social, political and educational ++ / environment. Recommendations are put forward for the development of an institutional-level framework in which it might be possible to make judgements about the desired levels of language proficiency and improve on existing procedures for their evaluation.This study aims to bring together a number of different strands of research into language and tertiary education such as definitions of language proficiency, language testing and literacy issues, and demonstrate their interconnectivity. As a result, it presents a broad overview (within the overarching discipline) rather than focusing on a single area in depth. Although as a site case study this research does not claim generalisability, it is hoped that- its findings might be useful for other institutions as a basis for their own research.

It is the objective of this dissertation to highlight the legislative and administrative aspects of teacher training for Indians in Natal. However, because the field which could be covered was so extensive, it was decided to focus attention primarily on those aspects pertinent to teacher training for Indians in Natal. Attention by way of example is invited to the following fields which had to be explored as they serve as the basis for teacher training of Indians in Natal: 1) A synopsis of the history of teacher training with special reference to recent developments. In this regard the survey inter alia, reveals that teacher training gained momentum during the last few decades. Prior to that, commencing from the close of the last century, the problem of an adequate corps of qualified teachers arose mainly as a result of historical circumstances. It was only during the 1950's that the Department responsible for Indian Education made concerted efforts to tackle the Indian teacher training problem in all seriousness. Thus, for almost six decades little was done to alleviate teacher training facilities for Natal's Indian community. 2) An overview of the basic legislation for teacher training in the South African context. The rapid growth of the South African population and to a lesser extent the effects of the Second World War prompted the South African Government to introduce numerous legislative and administrative measures to meet the teacher training needs of prospective students. National legislation presently places most of the responsibility for providing adequate teacher training facilities for the different population groups on the shoulders of the different education departments. 3) An overview of the financing of teacher training institutions and trainee teachers with special reference to the Springfield College of Education. It is the responsibility of the Central Government to fund education. Since the financial means of the Government are limited, it is not possible presently to provide all the population groups with adequate facilities for teacher training. A larger percentage of the national budget will have to be spent on teacher training than at present. Incentives, such as, inter alia, bursaries, are awarded to successful candidates for teacher training. On the financing of the tertiary educational sector, the Universities advisory council has completed an investigation into a revised subsidy formula for universities. A subsidy formula for technikons has been designed and will be adapted to the basic formula for universities. 4) A description of the administrative framework and basis for selecting prospective students for admission to teacher training institutions. No other single factor is as decisive in determining the quality of education in a country as the quality of the corps of teachers, lecturers and instructors. The recruitment and selection methods employed by the Department of Education and Culture (House of Delegates) are comparable to those employed by other education departments in South Africa. Since supply exceeds demand in the case of the number of applicants for teacher training in the Indian education department, applicants are carefully screened and the best are obviously selected. 5) An overview of teacher training and practice in essence with special reference to the University of Durban-Westville. Teaching practice forms an integral part in the moulding of a prospective student for teaching. Teaching practice is basically in two forms, that is, school-based and campus- based. A detailed study of the teaching practice programme implemented by the University of Durban-Westville indicates that students are subjected to almost all aspects of a teacher's normal work. Furthermore, if students are successful in following all aspects of teacher training as offered, the possibility exists, that they could be successful teachers The following recommendations are, inter alia, made, viz. that - i) an investigation into a more cost-beneficial system of financing of the tertiary education sector be undertaken; ii) a broad model for recruitment and selection of trainee teachers be drawn up by the Education Authorities; iii) facilities for continued education be carefully planned in terms of accessibility; and iv) that training institutions be geographically and demographically well placed. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1985.

The existing selection criteria and procedures applied at universities training occupational therapists in South Africa are not meeting the country's need for selecting students who adequately fulfill the demographic mix which represents the South African population. The aims of this research were: to investigate the existing criteria and procedures used for the selection of occupational therapy students; to establish recommendations with regard to how these criteria and procedures can be adapted to allow for more appropriate and equitable selection of students, and to obtain opinions from qualified therapists about those characteristics deemed most important for them to possess in the current South African Health System. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology was adopted. A survey was undertaken to obtain basic information and statistics about the numbers of applicants selected, and the existing selection criteria and procedures currently used to select occupational therapy students in South African universities. A series of two focus groups for each of the eight existing universities were carried out i.e. one incorporating the views of lecturers and clinicians and the other the views of students. The purpose of these groups was to obtain existing and emerging views of qualified therapists and students on current selection processes, what could be recommended to make selection fairer for disadvantaged applicants and what specific characteristics of qualified therapists would be most desirable in the current health system. The results indicate that the proportion of African students admitted into occupational therapy degrees is still far below numbers of other race groups, particularly white South Africans. That existing selection criteria and procedures are still dominated by eurocentric influence, particularly in the historically white universities, although there are definite attempts on the part of all occupational therapy training centres to overcome this, and that there are serious problems related to recruitment of African applicants which are partly the cause of the low numbers of African applicants. Characteristics deemed most desirable in qualified occupational therapists included many, most significant were: flexibility, particularly a special ability to be able to adjust to all types of people and cultures which included good communication and interpersonal skills; the ability to be assertive where appropriate; a "life-Iong-Ieamer" attitude including a visionary mentality/attitude; creativity and inriovative thinking; perseverance, determination and good management skills. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1997.

The purpose of this research was to examine the records of all students who pursued a curriculum at Ball State University which could lead to provisional certification to teach biology in the public schools of Indiana, covering retrospectively, all consecutive years for which complete records could be retrieved, to determine if such provisional certification to teach biology could be predicted by the examination of test scores made by students on the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board.A statistical comparison was made between the Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of those persons achieving provisional certification to teach biology in the public schools of Indiana and those persons not achieving such provisional certification, to determine whether Scholastic Aptitude Test scores in and of themselves could be used to predict provisional certification to teach biology in the public schools of Indiana.The records of all students at Ball State University who at any time between September of 1965 and June of 1974 pursued a course of study which, if completed, would lead to provisional certification to teach biology in the public schools of Indiana were examined, excluding all who had not been graduated by June of 1974 and those who did not have Scholastic Aptitude Test scores in their files at Ball State University.These students were divided into two groups, Group one was made up of those students who achieved provisional certification to teach biology in the public schools of Indiana and consisted of 331 students, Group two was made up of those students who failed to achieve provisional certification to teach biology in the public schools of Indiana and consisted of 244 students,A statistical comparison was made of the two groups - those certified (group one) versus those who were not certified (group two) - by the use of discriminant analysis, using as variables within the two groups, the bivarients (1) verbal score made on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and (2) mathematical score made on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, The method of discriminant analysis combines variables within the two groups and then compares those groups on the basis of group differences without regard for their interrelations and partly overlapping information.The statistical analysis of the two groups indicated that there was no significant difference in the scores attained by the students in the two groups on the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board. The conclusion was made that scores made on the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board are not valid predictors of provisional certification of biology teachers at Ball State University during the period between September of 1965 and June of 1974.The study recommends that the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board be evaluated in all areas of advisement, including high school, junior college, and university advisement.The study further recommends that scores attained on the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board not be used in situations to which they are not applicable and for which they were not designed.The study further recommends that the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board be totally reexamined by qualified independent researchers to determine not only the value of this test as currently applied, but other possible ways in which this test can be used with validity.

M.A. / none

M. S.

In the mid-1980’s institutions of higher learning were coerced by the South African government to admit students from all races. As a result, these institutions were confronted with the need to identify preparedness for higher learning, especially amongst the ex-Department of Education and Training (DET) learners. Grade 12 results were not a sufficient predictor for ex-DET learners, and a review of current admission criteria became a necessity. This study aims to develop a suitable science entry-level test to be used as a component of an existing test battery. The test battery is used as an admission tool by the Port Elizabeth Technikon to further assess first year applicants who do not meet the normal entrance requirements for a science course. The only requirement for further assessment being Grade 12 physical science. The science entry-level test consists of a list of validated science skills and knowledge to be used to assess the skills and knowledge mastered at the time of test taking. On the basis of test scores, an assessment is made regarding the applicant’s preparedness for higher learning. This study holds the view that preparedness in students for higher learning in science can be measured by means of valid science competencies. In addition, knowledge of the level of preparedness of the applicant enables further educational support and guidance to be provided where necessary. Research which measures manifest academic ability rather than potential to learn is favoured since it is believed that the former generates psychometric evidence of that which was already mastered academically whilst the latter determines whether the student will be able to achieve under ideal conditions. The content covered by the proposed Science Competency Test was sanctioned by technikon lecturers of first year physics and chemistry courses. The content was taken from the examinable section of the Grade 11 and 12 physical science syllabi. This content is the most acceptable and fair knowledge-base a prospective science student can be expected to have mastered at school. The content was limited to those skills and knowledge believed by the lecturers to contribute to academic success in the first year. Items that tested this content were compiled and pilot tests were administered to Grade 12 physical science learners at various disadvantaged schools. The Science Competency Test was compiled from the pool of trial items after the performance of the items was statistically determined. This final Science Competency Test was completed by a sample of 179 first-time first year science students. The findings of the study were inconclusive as the Science Competency Test showed a moderate predictive ability for only one section of the sample. It further showed that the weighted matric score, WMS was not a significant predictor of future academic performance of the sample either. A discrepancy in performance amongst learners of different home languages and educational backgrounds was also noted.

M. A. / The inequalities regarding opportunities for the various cultural groups in South Africa to obtain access to tertiary education, could largely be attributed to the insufficient schooling that was available to black scholars until now. A new political dispensation and the coupled drastic changes to the educational system, including tertiary institutions, demands that the admission policies regulating the access tot tertiary education be reviewed and changed to provide for the educationally disadvantaged student. The Rand Afrikaans University created an alternative admission policy to accommodate educationally disadvantaged students and or students who do not qualify in terms of the usual admission criteria. Apart from certain minimum requirements, the policy requires that the learning and developmental potential of the prospective students be established. Language proficiency, intelligence, learning potential and other non-cognitive components are elements of the alternative evaluation. RAU found that the admission policy creates the necessity to research the predictive validity of the cognitive part of the test battery, with regard to the criterium academic performance. This research project attempted to assess whether the psychometric test battery which the University uses, within the framework of an academic support programme called Project 100, can be viewed as valid in predicting future academic performance of these students. The battery includes the measurement of intelligence by means of the LSAT; learning potential as assessed by the APIL; as well as language proficiency that is measured by using the Leesbegripstoets and the Reading Comprehension Test. M-score was also included into the statistical procedures, as to see whether the predictive validity of this factor is really as low as it is generally assumed. The statistical procedures that were employed to establish the predictive validity, included correlation coefficients for determining the validity of the individual components. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive validity of the components of the battery in conjunction with each other. Using the technique of discriminant analysis, the success of grouping through the test battery was assessed - looking at the proportion of the cases correctly classified into the categories pass, fail, and no admission to exam; and the categories successful and unsuccessful. The individual correlation coefficients revealed that each component correlated significantly with academic performance. M-score also correlated with academic performance, but this coefficient was the lowest of all the factors. The component which correlated highest with academic performance, was language proficiency. The GSAT and the APIL correlated to the same extent with performance, and the relationship between the two instruments was also relatively high. This implies that these two instruments probably measures the same construct. The results from the regression analysis proved M-score, APIL and the GSAT in combination to explain more of the variance in academic performance than any of these factors individually. M-score seems to explain other aspects of performance than intelligence and learning potential, and should for this reason be reckoned with when assessing a prospective student's potential success. The discriminant analysis showed that the tests successfully distinguish between the categories successful and unsuccessful, but not between the three categories pass, fail and no admission to exam. The factors should however never be seen in isolation. No single factor can predict academic performance to the full. The person should be seen as a whole, and the influence of non-cognitive factors should always be kept in mind.