The purpose of this study was to make sense out of the voices of women leaders in Higher Education (HE) about their journey towards developing their own leadership identity. Despite the growing body of literature on women in leadership, few studies have empirically investigated the leadership of women â their experience in their journey towards developing their own leadership identity. It is against this background that this study was conducted about the experiences of women in leadership and how they make sense about their journey. In view of empowering other women to become agents of change in constructing their own paths towards idiosyncratic approaches to leadership the women who took part in this study had to narrate their own experiences and achievements. The focus was also on providing direction to potential women leaders in terms of constructing their own paths in empowerment towards innovative and unique leadership in Higher Education. The study had to reflect on how women leaders at two Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) gained mastery over their own careers and how the obstacles and experiences contributed to their growth and success, with a view to contributing to the development of women in HE and their taking up leadership positions. The study was carried out using the qualitative research method to collect data. The study consisted of eight women participants who are currently in leadership positions at two universities. For focus group interviews four women from the two universities were selected as participants in the survey. For personal interviews four women from two different universities were also selected. The narratives of the women who participated in the focus group and personal interviews as a way of collecting data, made it simple for them to tell the story of their experiences in their journey in leadership positions. Purposive sampling was used to select all the participants. The women who participated volunteered and their identity was kept confidential. The internal and external determinants that emanated from women story-telling were used as themes for this study. The themes used were the ones that shaped the womenâs identity formation and gave them directives on how to make their voices heard. In their story-telling women indicated that they had had mentors from their community and family; some regarded their fathers as mentors, others their teachers, some had to stand up and become mentors to others. The following objectives were used to make sense of the situation of identity formation in leadership positions: ï· To explore identity formation and the development of a female leadership identity in particular ï· To explore the empowerment challenges that female leaders encounter in developing their own identity in taking up leadership positions ï· To make sense out of the voices of women leaders in Higher Education about their journey towards their own leadership identity. The focus of the study was on the voices of women in leadership positions in terms of their empowerment and making sense of their own leadership identity. The study was conducted in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The interpretive, qualitative approach was used to collect data. Data collected from both interviews were analyzed using the seven properties of sense-making. This approach has the potential to identify problems that at first appear to have nothing to do with the interface between leadership in institutions. The model is suitable when the goal is to make a successful improvement of an existing interruption that occurs when women become leaders where their individual identity has been interrupted to the extent that it resulted in silencing their voices. This will provide a direction to potential women leaders in terms of constructing their own paths in transforming the existing expectations towards innovative and unique approaches to leadership in HE. The study findings show that even though women in leadership positions still face challenges, they have developed their own strategies for making their voices heard. Women know well that authenticity in leading like women is the strong indicator of causing their voices to be heard. The findings indicate that all women identities are influenced by the environment and they also influence the environment. Women as leaders have to extract cues to be able to make sense of the situations they find themselves in. The findings suggest that in both institutions barriers to women advancement still exist, and those barriers are silences which end up making womenâs voices not to be heard. A lack of power in women is seen as structural barriers inherited in the academic environment. Women as leaders realize that even though they lack power by not being in top positions where decisions are made, they regain power by empowering themselves and other women, by networking and being ambassadors. The lack of power is due to a gender-based construct. Gender is seen as a pervasive symbol of the power relation. Women have a time in their lives when they become pregnant and take maternity leave. This affects the progression of womenâs academic careers and networking. There are other factors that contribute to a lack of power to women, such as personal and psychological barriers and climate issues (Ramphele 2008). A number of factors contribute to keep women out of Higher Education leadership. Women are seen by society as people who fulfil the caring and reproductive roles. There should be a revision of the social structure of the institutions so that women as leaders should be empowered. When woman are empowered, the whole nation is empowered. There are a number of women empowerment projects in South Africa and women are given opportunities and recognition. Yet in HEIs, it seems the entry and recognition of women is minimal. This led the researcher to embark on research on the empowerment of women in the context of academia, considering women as agents of social change that have the capacity to foster structural changes.

This study was undertaken against the backdrop and importance of leadership in the postgraduate supervision environment in universities of technology (UoTs) in South Africa. Although many higher education institutions (HEIs) realise the importance of postgraduate supervision and research, universities need to implement effective leadership strategies in order to address external competitiveness, challenges and complexities in the learning and teaching environment. The literature review provided guidelines for HEIs in terms of postgraduate supervision in a complex and challenging academic learning and teaching environment. These institutions are governed by law and have experienced numerous changes in policies and procedures, coupled with funding pressures, a demand for higher pass rates, more enrolments and outputs, and improved communication processes, as well as the challenge of managing the postgraduate student-supervisor relationship within a challenging South African higher education context. The new higher education dispensation brought on by the merger and incorporation process that occurred some years ago, whereby former technikons became universities of technology, challenges South African HEIs to revisit their in-house postgraduate supervision environment within a relatively new and young research milieu so as to attend effectively to a more diverse adult student population. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for supervisory leadership in the postgraduate supervision relationship and research environment within the Faculty of Management Sciences of a South African UoT. This research was based on a pragmatic approach to gain insight into the views and experiences of postgraduate supervisors in terms of leadership in the supervision environment. A mixed-method design was used, incorporating a developmental phase, a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews, which combined qualitative and quantitative research methods that provided valuable data collected from respondents from four UoTs in South Africa. The significance of the study lies in the development of a leadership model for postgraduate supervisors in the supervision environment in South African UoTs. The study incorporated the views and perceptions of respondents within the higher education context in South Africa. The model is not only based on sound theoretical principles (as discussed in the literature review), but also provides a practical model that could be used by novice postgraduate supervisors within the developing research environment, and affords an opportunity to enhance the research capacity of UoTs in South Africa. The study could be applicable to other UoTs in South Africa.

Research in the field of statistics education grew out of research in psychology, mathematics, education and more recently, in technology. Thus research in the field of statistics education has become an interdisciplinary area of inquiry and studies related to this topic appear in publications across different disciplines. Many researchers are unfamiliar with the work being done outside their own disciplines, and if familiar, find it challenging to build on the published knowledge since relevant studies might use different definitions, research questions and research methodologies. Concerns like these emphasise the need for an adequate mapping and organisation of research studies pertaining to statistics education. Another concern revealed by studies that focus on the teaching and learning of statistics is that students are unable to reason correctly about important statistical concepts after formal, traditional teaching. Many researchers agree that the use of specific technology tools can help to improve students' understanding and reasoning of particular concepts. However, there seems to be a lack of empirical research on the effect of the use of technology tools on students' understanding of and reasoning about statistical concepts, and in particular, the concept of statistical inference. Thus, more research is needed in this regard. The purpose of this interdisciplinary study (higher education studies and statistics) was two-fold. First, the researcher undertook an extensive document analysis in order to reveal the current developments, trends and patterns in the field of statistics education research. Documents were explored in a non-interactive way by means of a qualitative content analysis design. The sample of documents included 138 articles appearing in three leading statistics education journals and 24 doctoral dissertations in statistics education, published in the period 2005 to 2009. The content analysis yielded rich data describing the field of statistics education research according to themes and topics of the research covered in the documents; methods and methodologies employed in the research; theories and statistical concepts covered; and the prominent countries and disciplinary settings where statistics education is studied. Results from the document analysis shed light on the emphasis in statistics education research, on areas in need for future research and on understanding the development of statistics education research (including the use of technology). This research can serve as a valuable resource for new and current researchers in the field. Second, as a consequence of the first investigation, the researcher conducted an empirical investigation to determine whether there is a relationship between computer-aided teaching and learning (CAT/L) and students' performance and statistical reasoning related to the concept of statistical inference. The empirical study was preceded by an extensive literature review on the use and effectiveness of CAT/L in statistics education. The empirical investigation further endeavoured to determine whether the use of a CAT/L tool had a positive effect on students' learning experience, enjoyment of statistics and attitude towards statistics. The empirical study was located within a quantitative paradigm, with some qualitative enhancement. By using a quasi-experimental design, comparisons between a treatment (n=36) and control group (n=80) of statistics students at a higher education institution, were made. The treatment group used Excel as a computer-aided technology tool and the two groups were assessed through tutorials, semester tests and the CAOS test (designed to assess students' statistical reasoning skills). A survey was completed by the treatment group at the end of the semester. Data were analysed by conducting univariate (one-way ANOVA) and multivariate (ANCOVA) analyses. In addition, the coefficient of determination and adjusted means were examined, while data mining with decision trees and a stepwise model selection procedure were also used in the data analysis. The results revealed that the use of technology in an introductory statistics module had a substantial and statistically significant positive effect on academic performance, but only a modest, but statistically significant positive effect on statistical reasoning. In addition, results from a survey design (questionnaire), used to gather quantitative and some qualitative information regarding the experience of students exposed to CAT/L, indicated that learning with the intervention was well accepted and successful and that students' attitude towards statistics and CAT/L changed from mainly negative to mainly positive, As a whole, this study can be seen as a contribution to the advancement of the scholarship of teaching and learning in general, and of scholarship in statistics education in particular. In accordance with the research findings and limitations of the empirical study, recommendations are made for future research as well as ways in which the findings could be disseminated as widely as possible.

Access to university in South Africa has been, and continues to be, a highly contested area that is plagued with many layers of complexity rooted in the social, political and educational past and present. Situated within an overarching commitment to fair and just higher education, in this thesis I have attempted to understand the complex field of access to university. I have done this by focusing on the transition from school to university, through the lens of the capabilities approach as developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. The capabilities approach provides a framework for seeking to understand what young people entering universities are able to be and to do and what limits their being and doing. As such, the capabilities approach requires us to move beyond measurable access statistics to a more nuanced understanding of the agency and well-being of students admitted to university. Four research questions guided the study. 1. How do first-year students at the UFS experience the transition to university in their first year of study? 2. How do learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12 from local UFS feeder high schools experience the process of preparation for and access to university? 3. How can these experiences of the interface between school and university be theorised using a capabilities-based social justice framework? 4. Based on the evidence from the research, what interventions could support efforts towards a more socially just transition for these students? Working within a pragmatic paradigm, the study employed a mixed methods research design. My starting assumption was that in order to thoroughly understand the transition to university, it is necessary to study both the final years of schooling and the first-year at university. As such, the study focused on the University of the Free State (UFS) and a sample of 20 feeder schools. A total of 2816 learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12 completed the quantitative South African High School Survey of Learner Engagement (SAHSSLE) (adapted from the version used in the United States) in September 2009. The SAHSSLE provides a wealth of data regarding educational practices at school as well as learnersâ experiences and attitudes towards their education. A smaller sample of 33 learners also completed qualitative reflections on their school experience, plans for universities and their âuniversity knowledgeâ. At the university level, I collected qualitative data from 128 first-year students in 2009 using focus group methodology. In 2010 an additional sample of 142 first-year students were asked to provide a written description of their first month at university and to draw a picture of how they experienced the transition. The thesis covers much theoretical ground related to higher education and social justice as well as in the specific study area of access. In the access domain I make use of Conleyâs multidimensional model of university readiness together with research on effective educational practices that underpins the student engagement literature and instruments. Drawing on the theory and literature, I propose an ideal theoretical capabilities list for the transition to university. Following a detailed presentation of the empirical results structured in two main sections, namely: transition to university experiences and readiness for university; I then make use of the capabilities framework to theorise the transition to university. Taking the well-being of students as the starting point, the capabilities framework for the transition to university asks what the outcome of a successful transition should be. Rather than defining success merely as measurable performance (such as changing enrolment demographics, credits passed in the first-year or progression to the second year of study for example) which does not take student well-being into account; the capabilities framework presented argues that educational resilience should be regarded as the outcome of a successful transition to university. In this context, resilience is defined as follows: ⢠Being able to navigate the transition from school to university within individual life contexts; ⢠Being able to negotiate risk, to persevere academically and to be responsive to educational opportunities and adaptive constraints; and ⢠Having aspirations and hopes for a successful university career. A pragmatic capabilities list and framework for the transition to university is proposed and defended, together with specific recommendations for how this framework could be applied to facilitate the transition to university. The seven capabilities for the transition to university are as follows: 1. Practical reason 2. Knowledge and imagination 3. Learning disposition 4. Social relations and social networks 5. Respect, dignity and recognition 6. Emotional health and reflexivity 7. Language competence and confidence. These seven capabilities encompass the lessons learned from the literature review of university access and the first-year at university, the capabilities literature, and the empirical data within an overarching commitment to social justice and the promotion of the well-being of students. The thesis ends by considering what the UFS could do differently to facilitate the transition as well as what the UFS could do in partnership with schools.

Article 1 The University of the Free State (UFS) experienced extreme pressure to ânormaliseâ all aspects of the institution in the aftermath of the Reitz debacle in 2008. This urged me to undertake a journey juxtaposed with Alice in Wonderland as a UFS staff member experiencing some dissonance about the changes in leadership. Being involved in marketing and publicity, I realised how my personal consciousness contributed to the collective consciousness, enabling me to share the unifying identity of my institutional environment. During this period of turmoil and change, the UFS had to revisit its identity and, like Alice, my institution and I had to embark on a journey in search of an authentic identity and to develop a consciousness of what that identity might be. Characters, sites and experiences served as Metaphor Positioning System (MPS), and not Global Positioning System (GPS), coordinates that assisted me in my journey towards identity consciousness. I also used observations, visual culture, literature and auto-ethnographic work to break down disciplinary boundaries as I unpacked the development of an institutional identity consciousness with aspects of the narrative genre â characters, time, space, themes, intrigues and the narratorâs perspective. This study, therefore, provides insights that might add value to other institutionsâ processes of being conscious of their identities, and supplies beacons that will illuminate their journeys. Article2 Geographical settings contribute greatly to the unique identity of the institution. The urban campus is perceived as superior because of the access to technological, educational and recreational resources. The opposite is perceived of the rural campus, which often desires to copy the institutional identity of the urban campus. Directive documents and developmental programmes urge governments, urban HEIs, HE practitioners, and the global community to change their perception of rural campuses. However, self-image, self-esteem and individuality are internal processes of strategic self-appreciation and are applicable to the authentic institutional identity development of rural HE settings, as well as the conscious and unconscious branding of the HEI, as presented in this psycho-social perspective. Metaphors from Alice in Wonderland illustrate the pointlessness of an unauthentic identity. By synergising theories from the disciplines of social and developmental psychology and internal branding, and applying AI principles, the researcher re-conceptualises strategic authentic institutional identity formation. Article 3 A vision is perceived as a valued and strategic tool for a leader, but a dreaming leader might be frowned upon. However, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and Appreciative Leadership (AL) employ âdreamsâ as one of the crucial elements of this qualitative research method. This conceptual article differentiates between a predominantly conscious-mind or preconceived dreaming (where the vision is restrained and directed by components of strategy formation) and a predominantly subconsciousmind or free-range dreaming (where the vision unveils a future unlimited by conscious constraints). An alternative concept of vision that might assist leaders drive creative transformation, instead of merely adjusting and upgrading existing strategies and practices, is conceptualised. Theoretical support is supplied by the Alice in Wonderland chronicle (Carroll, 1969) as well as by research conducted by Harvardâs Medical and Business Schools. The article forms part of a larger research project within a post-critical paradigm, whereby the reflective and theoretical epistemology of leadership includes metaphors from Alice in Wonderland. These metaphors are juxtaposed with the UFS â where an internationally awarded transformation took place after a debacle that was covered by various major international news agencies. Article 4 This study documents the apparently devastating Reitz debacle â where four White students humiliated four Black service workers while capturing the incident on video â from one week prior to the incident which occurred in February 2008 to only 30 months later when the UFS received the World Universities Forumâs 2011 Award for Best Practice in Higher Education. The purpose of the research was to apply the Appreciative approach to what seems to be an enormous disaster in the existence of the UFS. Motivation for the study manifested in a journey about sense-making of the defining factors that accomplished the transformation on the UFS campus. Intuitive as well as scholarly consideration determined the selection of the research design, approach and method. The Appreciative approach is applied within action research methods, especially participative and juxtaposed by an insider-author. The dynamics and opportunities that resulted from the Reitz debacle and the application of an Appreciative approach to leadership facilitated transformation on the campus and within its community. Data was collected by means of personal observations, interviews, photographs and documentation. The international media documented this uncontrolled case study extensively. To illuminate this study, traditional problem-based and appreciative strength-based leadership styles and images are juxtaposed with aspects in logician Lewis Carrollâs fantasy novel Alice in Wonderland (1865). By applying an Appreciative approach, a life-giving transformation may develop from a seemingly disparaging debacle. This finding suggests some practical and/or managerial implications. Extensive international exposure not only contributes to the relevance, reality and validity of this case study on the Reitz debacle, but also illustrates the possibilities of alternative approaches to a global audience of leaders. The extraordinary success of the Appreciative approach may contribute and add value by challenging other institutions to employ this approach in order to heal, unite, and invigorate troubled and diverse communities. Article 5 The University of the Free State (UFS) underwent a well-publicised transformation process following a well-publicised dilemma. Over the past few years, the author experienced an unpublicised transformation process after one of those everyone-knew-but-you dilemmas. Auto-ethnography (AE) was my travel vehicle on my journey from institutional awareness to personal transformation. Through self-reflection, qualitative research methods and observation, travel-related metaphors, theories on transformation, personal development, personal transformation and authentic leadership were used as a vehicle to connect Self, Others and Culture in institutional and personal identity consciousness. The authorâs travel companion, the unpretentious and individualistic Alice of Wonderland, provides insight into and understanding in complex circumstances. The readers are taken along a ten-phase journey to experience the practical and theoretical processes of transformation, during which they will be allowed to linger among the locals at various Wonderland stations.

The main purpose of the research study was to determine significant predictors of success and non-completion in first-year accounting. In order to do so, cognitive as well as non-cognitive factors that may have an influence on performance in firstyear accounting were identified through a literature study, and relatively unexplored factors were identified. Therefore, the research study investigated whether study attitude, abstract thinking and time perspective can statistically predict performance in first-year accounting. A quantitative non-experimental predictive multivariate design was used and confounding variables were taken into consideration. Five hundred and thirty three (533) first-year accounting students at a South African University participated in the study. The participants completed the Psycho-Social Questionnaire (PSQ), factor B of the 16PF Questionnaire, and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). Study attitude was measured in terms of performance in another first-year subject that most of the first-year accounting students had to enrol for. A univariate analysis indicated significant relationships between achievement in first-year accounting and age, gender, psychosocial background, past-negative time perspective and study attitude. The results also indicated that the relationship between first-year accounting and abstract thinking ability is not statistically significant because the sample scores for abstract thinking ability were homogeneously grouped around the mean. Because factors that may have an influence on performance in accounting are interrelated, a multivariate analysis indicated significant relationships between performance in first-year accounting and age, the past-negative time perspective and study attitude. Therefore, the above-mentioned factors can predict performance in first-year accounting to a certain extent. The most outstanding result of the study was that a past-negative time perspective together with an unfavourable psychosocial background may lead to non-completion in first-year accounting.

In view of the government policy directives to broaden access, of especially students in Natural Science (hereafter referred to as Science) and to increase student throughput, a quantitative study was undertaken to identify indicators of academic success, in order to develop a framework for placement. The first-year curriculum of programmes in Natural Science, Engineering and Health Sciences all include Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics as core fundamental Science modules. Academic student achievement pertaining to these three modules, were considered to design a framework for placing students in appropriate programmes. The national shortage of Science skills and higher subsidy from government prompt universities to change current curricula. When exploring success indicators of university Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, the schooling system comes to the fore. The shortage of qualified teachers, constantly changing school curriculum and poorly resourced schools becomes evident in the quality of knowledge and skills of first-year students entering universities. This quantitative study focuses on the academic achievement of first-year students in the three fundamental modules, based on curricula that are developed and embedded in content and skills acquired at school level. The university curriculum continues from the perceived school exit level. Very few changes were made to first-year curricula, yet the school curriculum and student profiles changed considerably. The high failure and drop-out rate strengthens the rationale for this research. The study investigated placement of first-year students in appropriate programmes, in order to enhance academic success. In a study of policy documents, literature and empirical research on academic achievement, no other reference to a framework for placement could be found. In order to design the framework the research focused on two types of sources, namely, a literature study on South African Higher Education, and general mental ability and non-cognitive influences on academic success. This highlighted the importance of specific abilities and interests that are key to Mathematics and Science. Students in the fields of Natural Science, Engineering, Health Sciences as well as teachers and lecturers in these fields, come from a very limited pool, and special care, planning and management of such students, teachers/lecturers and academic programmes are required. Universities have no choice but to adjust current curricula, practise innovative enrolment management and render time and support to ensure an increased graduation rate in these fields. An empirical study was conducted on the academic achievement of four cohorts of first-year Science students at the University of Johannesburg, in Gauteng, South Africa. The link between the background variables (gender, age, home language and ethnicity) and the influence of Grade 12 results were shown to be associated with academic achievement in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics at first-year level. Home language, ethnicity and Grade 12 Admission Point Score (APS) contributed significantly towards predicting academic achievement. The Stellenbosch University Access Test had good predictive value, and in conjunction with the Grade 12 profile, it could be applied meaningfully to place students in appropriate programmes. The inclusion of non-cognitive instruments provided significant insight to place students, based on informed decisions. The findings of both the literature and empirical study were structured in six categories which formed the foundational principles of the conceptual framework for placement: i) Neither the influence of the South African schooling system, nor the curriculum or quality of students will change in the foreseeable future; ii) Universities should collect as much as possible knowledge of students to promote quality learning and provide them with support; iii) Structured support and institutional First- Year Experience programmes will assist students with the adjustment from school to university; iv) Higher Education should urgently consider alignment with the entry-level of students and establish generic programmes to introduce them into universities; v) Opportunities to articulate from generic programmes to specialised qualifications with additional support for acquiring English language proficiency, computer and academic literacies as well as career guidance will be of utmost importance to provide Science graduates to assist with national needs; and vi) Students will be successful if specialised lecturers and methodology are employed for first-year teaching of complex disciplines. The proposed framework was designed, based on the above foundational principles and supported by four guidelines for implementation, namely: i) the establishment of a first-year enrolment centre with one-stop service and support; ii) a well designed extended qualification with a generic entering phase; iii) time allocated (during the generic phase) to assess individual students with a compound test battery; and iv) specialised methodology, a dedicated teaching and learning strategy with dedicated first-year lecturers to promote academic achievement in Science. The study culminated in the framework for placement for Science students, after admission. The theoretical implication of the proposed framework is represented by the holistic lens through which the field of Science was researched, culminating in common Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics attributes. Its practical implication focuses on changed perceptions and practices embedded in firstyear lecturers and university managers. The conceptual framework promises to change minds, attitudes and practices on placement and includes the responsibility to inform knowledgeable university colleagues. Those embarking on future research relating to this theme can build upon this study, while placement in Science education should stimulate the development of theory and practice and can be tested in Higher Education.

Throughout the world, quality assurance (QA) has become an increasingly dominant theme in higher education (HE) in recent years, with international processes playing an important role in the way in which quality assurance is interpreted and implemented (European Commission Tempus, 2009:7). The importance of quality assurance mechanisms in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is reflected in the literature review which suggests that clearly defined and effective quality assurance policies are necessary in order to raise the standards in HEIs. The main drivers of change in higher education and the incentives for introducing more structured approaches to quality assurance have been identified as the growth in student numbers (massification), the recognition that higher education and skills levels are vital elements in the economic, political and social development of countries, stakeholder demands for accountability, and the perception that higher education has become both an international and a competitive market area. These are some of the many factors that have contributed to the understanding of the need for greater transparency and consistency in quality assurance in HEIs (Becket & Brookes, 2005:1; Fresen, 2005:18). Globally, the majority of HEIs in most countries have now implemented more structured and systematic approaches to quality assurance in response to the new demands for quality higher education in order to ensure high academic standards, integrity and accountability. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) suggests that, while there is a clear need for the development and implementation of quality assurance strategies in HEIs throughout the world, there is, nevertheless, a lack of uniformity and agreement in respect of the form that such strategies should take (COL, 2009:3). This also applies to the HEIs in Namibia. This study was conducted in order to investigate the phenomenon of quality assurance with special reference to the internal quality assurance mechanisms implemented by HEIs in Namibia and, based on the findings of the study, to make recommendations aimed at the improvement of the practice of quality assurance in higher education in Namibia. The recommendations are contained in a proposed framework for best practice in quality assurance in HEIs in Namibia â see Annexure to this thesis. As background to the study an extensive literature review was conducted to investigate the phenomenon of quality assurance. This literature review revealed that, apart from unpublished official documents, there is little information available on empirical literature on quality assurance in higher education in Namibia. Accordingly, the researcher identified the need to investigate the field of quality assurance in higher education in Namibia in an attempt to close the existing knowledge gap. The research design was tailored to the purposes of this study and comprised a qualitative research approach. A phenomenological explorative and descriptive design was used with the aim of seeking an understanding and interpretation of the true meaning that the participants accorded to their experience of the phenomenon under study, namely, quality assurance in HEIs. In other words, this design provided the researcher with an opportunity to understand the phenomena as they unfolded in their natural setting during the enquiry. The methodology was based on improvement-oriented evaluation. The study confined itself to degree-granting HEIs only, with a university status. Three institutions participated in the study â one public university, one private university, and one polytechnic. The data were collected by means of individual interviews (purposeful sampling) and institutional document analyses. Focus group interviews were conducted for the purposes of triangulation. This threefold approach was adopted so as to allow the triangulation that would ensure effective data collection and information validation. The key research questions in terms of which the study aimed to find answers may be summarised as follows: What are the internal quality assurance mechanisms in place in HEIs in Namibia? What may be said about the implementation stage of these mechanisms, and are there areas of possible improvement? The study revealed, inter alia, that the overall picture is that the new paradigm for quality assurance systems in higher education in Namibia, in its current format and at both national and institutional level, is an extremely recent phenomenon as it is in the initial stage of development. The NCHEâs national quality assurance system in Namibian higher education was only introduced in 2009. Certain institutions had taken the initiative to introduce formalised quality assurance systems before 2009. However, mechanisms and procedures for self-evaluation have not been part of the quality assurance practices of HEIs. No attention has ever been given to benchmarking as one of the mechanisms of quality assurance which identifies best practices from which to learn in the interests of improvement. Many quality assurance mechanisms are informal and it is essential that attention be given to more structured mechanisms. Overall, there is a growing awareness of internal quality assurance in the Namibian HEIs. There is, however, very little agreement on notions of quality and quality assurance in these HEIs in Namibia. The understanding of the concept of quality assurance and the involvement of key stakeholders, such as students and employers, tend to be limited and, in the case of employers, actually relatively rare. Quality culture in HEIs in Namibia is generally extremely low. In certain institutions there appears to be a gap between the formal legal requirements and the actual implementation of quality assurance. There seems to be a lack of publicly available, transparent information about the quality assurance processes and their outcomes in the HEIs in Namibia. Where they do, in fact, exist, quality assurance units and offices in HEIs tend to be inadequately resourced. Although there are some notable exceptions, central information systems, which are key to effective decision-making, are still lacking in most HEIs. A framework for best practice in quality assurance in HEIs in Namibia, aimed at the improvement of the practice of quality assurance in higher education in Namibia, was deemed necessary and, thus, such a framework was developed and suggested. See Annexure A attached to Chapter 6. The value of this study is to be found in its endeavour to address the lack of research on quality assurance in higher education in Namibia. It is hoped that the study will make a meaningful contribution to the establishment and improvement of quality assurance in a relatively âyoungâ higher education system in Africa. The significance of the study lies in its enhancing the awareness of the current development of quality assurance in higher education practices and in its promoting the need to introduce formalised internal quality assurance systems and processes in order to improve the quality levels in HEIs in Namibia. Through this study much needed information on institutional quality assurance will be available to HEIs in Namibia, and also to government, higher education policy makers, and development partners. In addition, the study addressed the issue of accountability and continuous improvement as regards protecting the students from poor quality higher education.

This research study focuses on the development of a framework that can lead to the enhancement of the levels of job satisfaction that are experienced by the fixed-term academic staff members employed at South African Higher Education Institutions. This part of the academic workforce has become a vital part of the academic community as a whole, globally as well as in South Africa. It is thus very important that the needs of these staff members are tended to, and that the levels of job satisfaction that they have, are monitored. Six main clusters that may influence the levels of job satisfaction of these staff members were identified, namely the emotional well-being of these staff members, the availability of resources that is needed to complete the tasks, the levels of autonomy that they experience, the challenges and accomplishments that they are confronted with, their levels of job- and financial security as well as the overall manner in which their daily environment is managed. . To obtain more information about the factors that may influence the job satisfaction of these staff members, an adapted version of standardised Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was sent to fixed-term academic staff members at five different Higher Education Institutions in South Africa. This was done with the help of the Human Resource Management departments of these HEIâs, as all employee information is confidential. The quantitative as well as qualitative data obtained from this questionnaire indicated that there are a number of aspects which has an influence on the levels of job satisfaction that are experienced by these staff members. The findings from literature as well as empirical research were analysed and discussed accordingly. Recommendations regarding strategies that may be followed to improve the levels of job satisfaction of this group of staff members were made. These recommendations were based on the findings from literature as well as the research conducted for this study. The levels of job satisfaction that are experienced by fixed-term academic staff members are essential for the continued motivation and productivity of these staff members. It is thus advisable that the HEIs focus on the needs that these staff members have to ensure not only their continued productivity and prosperity but also that of the HEI as a whole.

A growing number of underprepared students are entering higher education institutions and studentsâ underachievement in mathematics is indeed of great concern. Numerous research studies have pointed out that the academic domain of underpreparedness among such students entails a lack of mathematical ability and effective study skills. Research studies also point out that education should focus on âlearning how to learnâ and that educators in South Africa should turn back to their primary responsibility, which is to teach learners necessary thinking skills. Tertiary institutions, therefore, have the obligation to train future professional students, and the responsibility lies with lecturers to help students become aware of study skills and learning strategies with regard to mathematics-related subjects. A comprehensive look into learning theories and the learning of mathematics and statistics provided the researcher with insight with regard to these aspects. The researcher therefore deemed it necessary to conduct a research study with the aim to meet the need for improving studentsâ academic performance in such subjects. The study reports on the introduction of a classroom learning strategy that was designed to improve studentsâ academic performance in a mathematics and statisticsrelated subject at the Central University of Technology, Free State. The study is located within a quantitative paradigm, with some enhancement by means of qualitative information. The study followed a non-equivalent pre-test post-test design involving an experimental group and control group of students. A quasi-experimental approach was used to determine whether the post-test performance of students who were exposed to the classroom learning strategy (experimental group) was higher than that of students who received no classroom learning strategy (control group) in the module Business Statistics/Statistics II. With regard to the qualitative mode of study, the researcher conducted a nominal group setting to determine the developmental experiences students found most useful after the implementation of the classroom learning strategy intervention. The quantitative analysis of studentsâ post-test performance showed increases in studentsâ academic performance in the module Business Statistics/Statistics II. The results that emerged from the nominal group technique setting also support the effectiveness of the researcherâs proposed classroom learning strategy intervention, as it had a positive effect on studentsâ attitudes regarding a mathematics and statistics-related subject.