Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / South Africa is a country, which is rich in history and has a young democracy, which continues to evolve. The new democratic Government has envisioned a Higher Education (HE) system that would be accessible to all who wants to further their tertiary studies. The White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education of 1997 reaffirms the purpose of HE with regard to social responsibility, since it incorporates community engagement as a scholarly activity, which places emphasis on developing students as future citizens of South Africa. HE can produce different forms of community engagement, which include but is not limited to distance education, community based research, participatory action research, professional community service and service learning. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) accepts that South Africa has social and economic challenges, as any young democracy has, and incorporates Service Learning as a mechanism, which may contribute to the solutions of such challenges. In this research study, emphasis is placed on Service Learning as a teaching methodology to enhance students’ interpersonal and diversity skills, while it also develops their professional learning experience, as well as their corporate social responsibility. Students are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences, both academically and personally. The literature survey reveals that South African HE is a member of the Talloires Declaration (2005) that unites universities globally to a uniform framework on the civic role and social responsibilities of HE. South African HE has partnerships with both the United States Fordand Kellogg Foundations in order to promote, develop and create awareness regarding social responsibility.

The training of agricultural extension graduates is an important contributor to agricultural / The training of agricultural extension graduates is an important contributor to agricultural development in both developed and developing countries. Extension workers help small holder farmers uplift their food production. In most African countries, the curriculum of agricultural extension institutions has been adopted from other countries. This causes higher education institutions to produce graduates with inadequate skills to meet the needs of African countries. With the transformation in South Africa, and the resultant unification of the extension system, the curriculum needs to be reviewed to meet the current needs of the employers. This research explores the potential of including structured experiential learning into the curriculum with the aim of bridging the gap that exists within the extension training systems in South Africa. The alumni from two institutions, one with an unstructured experiential learning programme and the other with a structured experiential learning programme were interviewed to find out the skills that they feel are needed and whether those skills can be effectively taught during the academic training of students. A convenience sampling method was used. The employer’s perceptions regarding the skills for effective extension work were also solicited. Both the alumni and the employers indicated that well planned and supervised experiential learning would help students acquire practical agriculture skills, and also orientate them to the new work environment. The educators indicated that the curriculum structure at times impedes the effective implementation of an experiential learning programme due to semester system and demands from other courses The research revealed that for effective experiential learning, it is important that universities work with communities in development programmes and to forge links with the industry. Although service providers may be willing to offer experiential learning to students, they are also limited in terms of resources. They cannot always accommodate students from tertiary institutions as there are number of them requiring experiential learning opportunities. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The White Paper on education states that students should be employable after graduation / Thesis

The Skills Development Act (97 of 1988) introduced a new approach to the development of workrelated skills in South Africa. This Act provided the legal underpinnings for learnerships, which include both structured work experience (Le. a practical component) and instructional learning (i.e. a theory learning component). Learnerships are offered in an accredited workplace environment and culminate in a qualification that is registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Research studies support the view that informal learning accounts for over 75%-90% of the learning that takes place in organizations today. Although the majority of learning that occurs in the workplace is informal, little is, however, known about how such learning is best supported, encouraged and developed in a learnership programme. The impact of informal learning on learnerships must be seen as an essential ingredient for effective workplace skills programmes and the advancement of skills acquisition leading to qualifications and career planning resulting in a highly skilled workforce. This research study was prompted by the perception that the majority of workers in the footwear industry have a low formal educational level and are either non-skilled or semi-skilled, financial sustainability of the footwear industry and global competition. Learnerships are perceived to be a creative vehicle whereby workers are able to acquire basic production and manufacturing skills in the workplace through a Clothing, Textiles, Footwear and Leather (CTFL) learnership programme. This research study explores the factors in an education and training environment that enhance or inhibit informal learning opportunities and how these factors shape or impede informal learning, thus impacting on the performance of learners in a footwear learnership programme. Although no single theoretical framework of informal learning exists, this research study was informed and underpinned by the theoretical models of various experts in the field of informal 7 learning. Using an interpretivist paradigm the researcher opted to study the implementation of learnerships at one accredited training provider in the footwear industry. Data collection instruments provided rich, detailed qualitative data using semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis within a case study approach. The findings of this study identified a number of overarching factors that enhanced or impeded informal learning in a footwear learnership programme that also impacted on the performance of learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

The extended role of today’s pharmacist with the emphasis on patient-focused care has highlighted the need for increased exposure of undergraduate pharmacy students to experiential learning in patient-centred environments, and additional skills development in therapeutics, problem solving and clinical decision making. At the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), final year pharmacy students complete a university-coordinated, hospital-based, structured experiential learning programme (ELP) for the exit-level module, Pharmacology4. However, the students consistently experience difficulties in the application of pharmacological knowledge during the transition from lecture-based learning to the patient-focused clinical setting. The student population at the NMMU is diverse, with varied cultural, ethnic, language and secondary level education backgrounds, as well as different learning preferences and approaches. The extent to which these factors affect academic achievement in the experiential learning environment is unknown. Central research question The central research question for this study was therefore, “What would be the effect of an intervention aimed at supporting undergraduate pharmacy students during clinical placements, on academic achievement in, and student attitudes towards, experiential learning programmes (ELP)?” In order to explore the research question, several factors which may influence academic achievement in ELPs were investigated, namely: academic achievement (pre-university, in the BPharm programme and, in pharmacology); the admission route into the BPharm programme and the subsequent rate of academic progression; English reading comprehension ability; learning styles; problem solving ability; the extent to which students are prepared for application of knowledge in the ELP, in terms of assessment methods used prior to the final year and previous pharmacy work-based experience. In addition, the students’ lived experience of the ELP was explored, and the need for, and nature of, an intervention was determined. The research was based in a pragmatic paradigm, using an advanced mixed methods approach. An intervention-based, two-phase, quasi-experimental design was employed with an initial exploratory Preliminary Phase (in 2013) preceding the larger experimental framework (Phases One and Two, in 2014 and 2015 respectively). The research design was primarily quantitative, with pre- and post- testing conducted before and after the ELP. The ELP was completed by the comparator cohort in Phase One and the experimental cohort in Phase Two. Supplementary qualitative data was collected before, during and after the ELP. The intervention, in the form of supplementary academic support sessions, was developed from the qualitative data using an iterative approach, and implemented during the ELP in Phase Two. Attitudes and expectations of the students towards the hospital-based ELP were generally positive and realistic. Areas of concern included the difficulties experienced in the application and integration of pharmacological knowledge, both in the clinical setting and the clinical case study-based assessments; students feeling overwhelmed, inadequate and inferior in the clinical environment, compounded by an absence of clinical pharmacists as role models; and feeling unprepared for patient-focused care. The qualitative data strongly supported the need for supplementary academic support sessions. The intervention was developed and implemented in Phase Two, using patient case-based, active learning strategies. The majority of students (91.0%; n = 104) reported improved case analysis skills. A statistically significant (p = .030, Cohen’s d = 0.34) improvement was noted in the summative Pharmacology4 assessment marks obtained by the experimental cohort post-intervention, although of small practical significance. Predictors of academic achievement in the ELP were found to be language, specifically English reading comprehension skills, academic achievement in the BPharm programme and pharmacology, the university admission score, the rate of academic progression, and problem solving ability. Previous pharmacy-based work experience and assessment questions requiring application of knowledge were also found to influence achievement in the ELP. The need for an intervention in the form of supplementary academic support sessions was confirmed. The intervention was subsequently developed and successfully implemented, with student-reported self-perceived improvements in patient case analysis skills. These positive findings were supported by quantitative data which showed a statistically significant improvement in academic achievement in the ELP. Several predictors of academic achievement in the ELP were identified, and invaluable insight was gained into the nature of the difficulties experienced by pharmacy students in the transition from lecture-based learning to experiential learning in patient-focused environments.

Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2005. / Cooperative education is practiced in many fields of industry. The South African construction industry has shown a preference for cooperative construction management education. Cooperative construction management education is practiced worldwide, but the majority of these programmes do not have compulsory credit bearing experiential learning as part of its programmes. This study examined the experiential leaning experience as well as the relevance and adequacy of preparation of subject areas taught in UT construction management programmes from the perspective of all the stakeholders. The study had four main objectives namely (I) To measure the extent of the perceived relevance by industry stakeholders, students and academics of the topics and content of construction management programmes at UT; (2) To establish the level of inadequacy, as perceived by industry stakeholders and academic staff of the preparation of UT construction management graduates to perform construction management functions: (3) To determine the level of dissatisfaction, if it existed with the experiential learning of construction management students; and (4) To establish the preparedness of construction industry stakeholders to mentor construction management experiential learning students; and to use the findings of the study to inform development of construction management programmes. Literature was reviewed relative to experiential learning and its general and specific application to construction management education. Self- administered questionnaires were completed by I" year as well as senior students registered for the National Diploma: Building as well as the B. Tech. degrees in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. The study suggests that although the experiential learning experience IS relevant and generally well accepted by all role-players, there is a mismatch between the needs of industry and what is being produced by the UT. The topics that form the programme are relevant, but a level of dissatisfaction exists with the preparation of construction management graduates to perform construction management functions do exist.

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2005 / This research study attempted to identify the computer science needs of a rural school and then attempted to see to what extent a higher education institution could meet those needs and to what extent it could not, through a service-Ieaming project. The study also attempted to develop a framework to guide the implementation of a serviceleaming project in computer science for a rural school. The study was set against the literature on the need for higher education to transform and demonstrate greater responsibility and commitment to social and economic development of society in general, and the need for increased participation, collaboration and partnership formation through service-learning projects in particular. The literature on computer use in schools and best practice for service-learning in higher education was also reviewed. Using qualitative approaches and data production methods the school teachers, learners, students and lecturers in a higher education institution were interviewed in order to establish the computer science needs of the school and to find out how the students and lecturers could address those needs through service-learning. The research findings indicated that the rural school in De Doorns has a serious lack of essential computer-related infrastructure such as the computer laboratory, computers, and well-trained staff in using computers. Other computer science-related needs included proposal writing, technical assistance and security personnel. The research findings also revealed that students and lecturers in the departments of Information Technology, Office Management, Human Resource Management and Education could be involved in the training of staff, enhancement of computer skills and proposal writing. From the research findings, it became evident that the two school community needs, Le. the provision of computer laboratories and security services, could not be addressed through service-Ieaming, but through funding proposals and fundraising that involved the Western Cape Education Department and the private sector. The study therefore demonstrates possible partnerships between schools and higher education institutions and calls for collaborative efforts that include government departments and the private sector in order to make education beneficial to the development of school learners, students in higher education and South African communities in general.

M.Tech. (Public Relations Management) / Learning through experience or experiential learning is an aspect of learning that proved to be very challenging to study. This study aimed to investigate the contemporary view of experiential learning and the practices used by higher education service providers In South Africa in the implementation of experiential learning activities in public relations qualifications. Higher education service providers play a significant role in determining the content of a curriculum and for that reason it was decided to start this investigation by focusing on higher education service providers. The study aimed to explore and analyse the concept of experiential learning as it pertains to public relations education and training and develop a framework for effective and standardised implementation. Experiential learning can be defined as a holistic approach to learning in which the learner is actively involved in the learning process by means of concrete experience, abstract conceptualisation, observation and reflection as well as active experimentation. Higher education service providers have included experiential learning activities in their education and training programmes for a number of years. International and local public relations qualifications have as part of the proposed curriculum, internships or cooperative education programmes included as a credit bearing component to the qualification. The research study began by determining what experiential learning is, how higher education service providers view experiential learning, its relevance to public relations education and training and how it is implemented in public relations qualifications across South Africa. Educators, learners and future employers all form part of the stakeholder group involved in the education and training of public relations practitioners for the South African industry. The expectations of these groups of individuals need to be taken into consideration when designing qualifications, and partnerships are needed to ensure that all are involved in achieving the set objectives. Developments in higher education and training in South Africa include the forming of closer working relationships between education and labour...

The research problem in this study was to identify how successful the methods are that organisations use within the Manufacturing Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authorities (MERSETA) chambers to develop, implement and maintain learnerships. To achieve this aim a literature examination to determine the aspects of workplace learning were explored, including the various perspectives of learning, together with an investigation into workplace learning. Further, apprenticeships, traineeships, learnerships were discussed; including the concepts vocational education and training standards, and competence explored. Finally a process model for effective learnership implementation was presented based on international approaches together with the South African models and current practices. - v - The process learnership model served as a basis for drawing up a survey questionnaire to establish the extent to which organisations agreed or disagreed with the learnership model developed. The survey was limited to the “automobile” and “new tyre” chambers of the MERSETA. The results obtained from the empirical study indicted a high degree of agreement with the process model for effective learnership implementation. The results obtained from the quantitative data, and qualitative data were used to adapt the learnership process model, and produce a six-phase integrated learnership model. From the survey it become evident that organisations needed to be sensitised and educated as to learnerships before considering more seriously learnership implementation. Further, it emerged that learnerships cannot only be effective within a process approach, and that it should also take place within a positive “organisational learning culture”. Organisations and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) can now use the six-phase integrated learnership model with confidence, as there was a high degree of agreement with the learnership model that was developed as part of this research study. The six-phase integrated learnership model has been comprehensively developed and surveyed by organisations that are currently implementing learnerships on a large scale. Organisations and SETAs can now give effect to the Skills Development Act No. 97 of 1998, and contribute to the National skills Development Strategy of 2001, which aims to improve the workplace skills of all South Africans.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), a mechanism grounded in the educational transformational policies of the African National Congress to redress the historical legacy of Apartheid, is a relatively new (and often contested) concept in South Africa. This research endeavors to investigate the effect of a module, which forms part of a B.Ed (upgrade) programme and is based on the processes and principles of RPL, on students’ (in-service teachers’) self-efficacy and their skills in terms of the development and execution of work schedules and lesson plans (the RPL-focus of the module). The methodology includes the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data through the administering of pre- and post- self-efficacy questionnaires, assessment of the portfolios of evidence produced by the students, and the feedback obtained from the focus-group interviews. The data indicate a statistically significant improvement in the participating students’ self-efficacy and draw attention to the negative issue of context in previously disadvantaged South African schools. The significance of this research lies not only in the interrogation of an innovative approach to dealing with RPL issues in an academic programme, and its possible influence on teacher self-efficacy, but also in its contribution to the academic debate about the RPL process which is currently taking place both locally and internationally.