D.Tech. Business Administration. Business School. / Assess the extent to which good corporate governance and corporate sustainability are practiced by all 128 public Further Education and Training (FET) college council members in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Since 1998, the governance of public FET colleges has moved to the forefront of the political agenda in the Republic of South Africa. Among the governance issues which have received most attention are council board appointments, the role of the Government in the management of public FET colleges and the role of the community in the governing of public FET colleges.

The development of social enterprises are recognised by the broader community as an effective tool for addressing social problems. As a result, the development and emergence of social enterprise sectors have taken various paths in different geographic regions in the world. For the African context, the withdrawal of funding from the state as a result of external conditions imposed by foreign actors as well as the institutional support provided by foreign aid organisations were the key drivers behind the emergence of the social enterprise sector in Africa. Within the South African context, job creation and poverty alleviation are pressing priorities, both politically and economically, so providing an environment that is conducive for the development of social enterprises or social entrepreneurship. Implementing social entrepreneurship activities in higher education is important as universities are under increasing pressure to become responsive to student needs, and there is a growing scrutiny of their engagement, supportive, and economic role in local communities. By supporting local communities, institutions can broaden the student experience and create an economic impact. In addition, as the student experience entails more than curricular learning opportunities, social entrepreneurship practices are an important dimension for higher learning. This study used a series of case studies of social entrepreneurship projects that were implemented in the classroom of the first and second year Management students on the 2nd Avenue Campus of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). These case studies highlighted the possibilities of how classroom space and students can be utilised to set-up social enterprises to improve the conditions of the many disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities within which the university functions. At the same time, learning takes place through the practical application of the theory taught in the classroom. From the seven case studies highlighted in the study, a framework was developed to implement social entrepreneurship activities in the context of higher education. This framework includes five steps, namely, motivation and inspiration to develop social enterprises in the classroom, student involvement in creating and developing a product for sale, use of appropriate teaching strategies to provide the learning experience, provision of adequate mentoring and control of the social enterprises and, finally, assessment of the social enterprises. With the funds generated from the projects, communities benefited, for example, the upgrading of community facilities. Educators in higher education institutions are responsible for developing future business leaders. Given the increasing importance of social issues, especially poverty, this educational experience ensured that the students were made aware of the importance of using the powers yielded by business to solve some of these social issues, and thus contribute to the improvement of the South African economy. As a result, social entrepreneurship has a role to play in addressing social and economic issues. For example, the entrepreneurship part of the business will help to alleviate the unemployment strain placed upon the South African economy, whereas, the social part of the business will assist in alleviating poverty. Regarding the implementation of social entrepreneurship activities within the environment of higher education, it is evident from the case studies that successful social enterprises can be established within the classroom and sufficient funds generated to effect positive change within disadvantaged communities. Other higher education institutions in South Africa may find the implementation of social entrepreneurship activities more problematic as they might not possess a similar university culture as the NMMU.

This thesis looks at language as the medium of all our ideas and sentiments. The thesis represents a position statement regarding the development of isiZulu as an academic language. The field of Economics is used to merely illustrate and support the points that are being made in this work. It is argued that each language is viewed as the means of expression of the cultural heritage of its people, and it remains a reflection of cultural groups who speak that particular language. It is a fact that indigenous African Languages have been, for obvious reasons, blatantly understudied during the apartheid years in South Africa (Rudwick 2004). Languages have market value and the desirability of English as the most important global language today has an effect in most Black learners in South Africa. The study examined the development of indigenous African languages, isiZulu in particular, in Zululand University where ninety percent of students and lecturers are isiZulu first language speakers, and came to a conclusion that there is an urgent need for Black South African students to learn academic subjects through their mother tongues. This would help them in thorough understanding and interpretation of analytic text presented in a foreign language such as English. The study advocates that isiZulu, which is the mother-tongue of many students at the University of Zululand, should be a language for upward mobility to these students, but as the situation stands, isiZulu becomes a neglected or marginalised language since it is not the normal medium of instruction and it is not used for effective communication in their education system.

This thesis looks at language as the medium of all our ideas and sentiments. The thesis represents a position statement regarding the development of isiZulu as an academic language. The field of Economics is used to merely illustrate and support the points that are being made in this work. It is argued that each language is viewed as the means of expression of the cultural heritage of its people, and it remains a reflection of cultural groups who speak that particular language. It is a fact that indigenous African Languages have been, for obvious reasons, blatantly understudied during the apartheid years in South Africa (Rudwick 2004). Languages have market value and the desirability of English as the most important global language today has an effect in most Black learners in South Africa. The study examined the development of indigenous African languages, isiZulu in particular, in Zululand University where ninety percent of students and lecturers are isiZulu first language speakers, and came to a conclusion that there is an urgent need for Black South African students to learn academic subjects through their mother tongues. This would help them in thorough understanding and interpretation of analytic text presented in a foreign language such as English. The study advocates that isiZulu, which is the mother-tongue of many students at the University of Zululand, should be a language for upward mobility to these students, but as the situation stands, isiZulu becomes a neglected or marginalised language since it is not the normal medium of instruction and it is not used for effective communication in their education system.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Science, 2002. / In this thesis I consider how mathematics students in a traditional firstyear Calculus course at a South African university appropriate mathematical objects which are new to them but which are already part of the official mathematics discourse. Although several researchers have explained mathematical object appropriation in process-object terms (for example, Sfard, 1994; Dubinsky, 1991, 1997; Tall, 1991, 1995, 1999), my focus is largely on what happens prior to the object-process stage. In line with Vygotsky (1986), I posit that the appropriation of a new mathematical object by a student takes place in phases and that an examination of these phases gives a language of description for understanding this process. This theory, which I call “appropriation theory”, is an elaboration and application of Vygotsky’s (1986) theory of concept formation to the mathematical domain. I also use Vygotsky’s (1986) notion of the functional use of a word to postulate that the mechanism for moving through these phases, that is, for appropriating the mathematical object, is a functional use of the mathematical sign. Specifically, I argue that the student uses new mathematical signs both as objects with which to communicate (like words are used) and as objects on which to focus and to organise his mathematical ideas (again as words are used) even before he fully comprehends the meaning of these signs. Through this sign usage the mathematical concept evolves for that student so that it eventually has personal meaning (like the meaning of a new word does for a child); furthermore, because the usage is socially regulated, the concept evolves so that its usage is concomitant with its usage in the mathematical community. I further explicate appropriation theory by elaborating a link between the theoretical concept variables and their empirical indicators, illustrating these links with data obtained from seven clinical interviews. In these interviews, seven purposefully chosen students engage in a set of speciallydesigned tasks around the definition of an improper integral. I utilise the empirical indicators to analyse two of these interviews in great detail. These analyses further inform the development of appropriation theory and also demonstrate how the theory illuminates the process of mathematical object appropriation by a particular student.

D.Tech. Organisational Leadership. Business School. / The research problem for this thesis reads as follows: Educational technology within Universities of Technology is not strategically governed and managed, resulting in the underutilisation of resources impacting on the achievement of strategic goals and objectives. The primary research question therefor follows: Can a strategic approach be formulated to mitigate the research problem to benefit Universities of Technology? Questions explored in the thesis are: What business principles and managerial strategies can be applied in the formulation of a governance scenario for effective educational technology governance? What are the key national and international strategic driving forces that influence institutional governance? What are the key strategic driving forces that influence governance at the Tshwane University of Technology?

Thesis (Masters Diploma (Post -School Education)) -- Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 1990 / The main hypothesis underlining this study is the belief that the great emphasis on "transfer" and "articulation" in tertiary education in California contains lessons for the tertiary sector in the RSA. Such lessons can fruitfully be examined with a view to intelligent, selective adaptation. In California an extremely flexible pattern of mobility exists between the four systems of tertiary education, namely the University of California (UC) (9 campuses), the California State University (CSU) (19 campuses), the Community Colleges (CCs) (106 campuses), and the Private/Independent sector (377 campuses). This pattern contrasts strikingly with the relatively inflexible approach in the RSA where transfer and articulation between the universities, technikons and colleges of education are not generally encouraged and do not occur too frequently. The creation of a model in the RSA which incorporates the most constructive elements of the systems in California is one of the primary objectives of this study. In the creation of this model cognisance has been taken of the many similarities and also the considerable differences in the economic, social, historical and physical conditions which exist in the RSA and in California. Every attempt has been made to avoid errors of "transplantation" which could easily take place. The key word in this study is "adaptation" and not the direct "transfer" of ideas since an eclectic approach, if applied too literally, can easily lead to an imposition of alien concepts. This study is therefore aimed primarily at focusing attention on the need for greater ''mobility'' among the tertiary education sectors in the RSA and in stimulating constructive moves in this direction. A secondary hypothesis underlying this study is the assumption that the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education in California has proved successful and worthy of emulation in certain respects. This assumption has led to an examination of the California Plan with a view to the possible adaptation of some of its successful principles - other than "transfer" and "articulation" - in order to formulate the basis for a much needed Master Plan for Tertiary Education in the RSA. Implicit in this secondary hypothesis is a brief analysis of those aspects of the California Master Plan such as budgeting, funding, examining, control of standards, and so on, which have contributed to the success which has been achieved in California during the last three decades. This analysis is inevitably followed by a consideration of these points in the South African context in order that any constructive ideas may be incorporated or adapted to the conditions prevailing in the RSA. The universality of certain educational principles emerges clearly from this study as do the undeniable virtues of careful, logical studies of other educational systems in order that one may be in a stronger position to assess and improve one's own system.

D. Litt. et Phil. (Curriculum Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Subject Didactics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Phil. / The aim of this research is to determine the state of concept learning and concept teaching in History at Vista University. In order to determine this, the following objectives were formulated: To determine the role of concepts in History. To determine, from a learning-psychological perspective, the importance of concept-learning as a significant part of the process of meaningful learning. To identify factors which influence concept learning. - To determine guidelines for the meaningful learning and teaching of concepts from a didactical perspective. - To illustrate the link between the learning theories and the distinctive nature of History as an academic discipline by means of an example. In order to address the aim and objectives, an extensive and comprehensive literature study was undertaken. The literature study firstly focussed on the various conceptualizations regarding concepts, its value in teaching and learning, its distinctive nature, as well as its general and unique characteristics. The differences between the use of concepts in the Natural Sciences and Social Sciences were highlighted. It was further established that concepts in History have a significant structuring value as well as formative value. For this very reason, the close link between concepts and generalizations in History was elaborated upon. Generalizations in History should however not be equated to laws formulated in the Natural Sciences. Generalizations in History have no control or predictive value, but rather explain historical events by providing detail (local expressions in time, place and circumstance). These local expressions are made up of concepts. Attention was given to the theoretical substructure of concept learning in general by studying the learning theories of Piaget, Bruner, Ausubel, Gagne and Vygotsky. Concept learning was identified as an integral link in the chain/process of meaningful learning.