Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Wanneer psigometriese toetsing op groepe uit verskillende sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde toegepas word, presteer individue uit agtergeblewe omgewings swakker as bulle ewekniee uit meer ontwikkelde omgewings. Hierdie individue se toegang tot hoofstroom loopbaangeleenthede word dikwels bemoeilik as gevolg van die beperking. Die leerpotensiaal benadering word aangebied as belowende alternatief om die probleem, wat 'n sosio-ekonomiese oorsprong het, te oorbrug. Die resultate van die studie bewys die stelling gedeeltelik waar, maar met buitengewone inspanning. In die finale ontleding van die resultate is dit duidelik dat die verbeterde voorspelling eerder toegeskryf kan word aan die optimale vlak van ontwikkeling wat die individu bereik net voor die toetsing, en nie soseer sy/haar leerpotensiaal nie. / Applying psychometric tests to groups from different socio-economical backgrounds, inevitably result in the individuals from deprived backgrounds performing noteably poorer than their counterparts from more developed backgrounds. These individuals also find enterance to the mainstream careers difficult because of this restriction. The learning potential approach to assessment is presented as a promising alternative to overcome the problem that is related to the socio-economic background of the individual. The results of this study partly confirm the value of the learning potential approach, but only with extra-ordinary effort. In the final analysis of the results it is clear that the improved predictive accuracy was rather due to the optimal level of development the individuals reached just before the testing, and not so much their learning potential. / Psychology / M. Sc. (Sielkunde)

The changing nature of work and its competitive characteristics are global phenomena and are mainly fuelled by ongoing technological advancement. This creates unique challenges for talent attraction and the retention of high performing individuals. In addition, the global workforce is becoming more diverse due to demographic, societal and cultural changes and companies are placing greater demands on employee competency and performance. Managing the human factor as a strategic asset in organisations remains a primary challenge in securing a competitive advantage. The road construction industry in South Africa is no different. There is growing competition between civil engineering contractors to secure tenders and to maximise profitability. This is only possible with a sufficient and sustainable labour force. Valid selection processes are therefore required to ensure that the most productive individuals are selected for the most suitable jobs. Reliable and valid performance predictors will assist employers in making appropriate selection decisions. Selecting high performing individuals will support and enhance overall organisational performance. ix In this study the investigation focused on whether psychomotor ability and learning potential are statistically significant predictors of work performance - with specific reference to drivers and machine operators in a road construction company. A quantitative approach was followed to investigate the relationships between variables, or then the prediction of one dependent variable (driver and machine operator performance) by means of two independent variables (psychomotor ability and learning potential). Results from the study did not indicate any statistically significant relationships between the variables. Only scientifically validated assessment instruments were used in the study - which means the findings led to a renewed focus on the importance of performance measurement and the psychometric quality (reliability and validity) of performance data. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The purpose of this project was to test the hypothesis that student enthusiasm, participation, and comprehension would increase when using cooperative learning techniques in a classroom context.

The purpose of this study was to design a peer tutoring program in the middle school setting that help students who are not reaching their full potential.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Down syndrome (DS), a genetic disorder that affects ~1 in 700 live births, is caused by trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21). Individuals with DS are affected by a wide spectrum of phenotypes which vary in severity and penetrance. However, cognitive and skeletal impairments can be commonly observed in all individuals with DS. To study these phenotypes, we utilized the Ts65Dn mouse model that carries three copies of approximately half the gene orthologs found on Hsa21 and exhibit similar phenotypes as observed in humans with DS. Individuals with DS and Ts65Dn mice have deficits in bone mineral density (BMD), bone architecture, bone strength, learning and memory. Over-expression of DYRK1A, a serine-threonine kinase encoded on Hsa21, has been linked to deficiencies in DS bone homeostasis and cognition. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an aromatic polyphenol found in high concentrations in green tea, is a selective inhibitor of DYRK1A activity. Normalization of DYRK1A activity by EGCG therefore may have the potential to ameliorate skeletal and cognitive deficits. We hypothesized that supplements containing EGCG obtained from health food stores/ online vendors will not be as effective as EGCG from a chemical company in correcting bone deficits associated with DS. Our results suggest that EGCG improves the bone mineral density of trisomic femurs significantly better than the supplements while the EGCgNOW supplement from NOW FOODS improves trabecular and cortical bone structure. The results from HPLC analysis of supplements showed the presence of other catechins in EGCgNOW and degradation analysis revealed the rapid degradation of supplements. Therefore we hypothesize that the presence of EGCG degradation products and other green tea catechins in supplements may play a role in the differential skeletal effects we observed. We further hypothesized that a three week treatment of adolescent mice with EGCG will lead to an improvement in the learning and memory deficits that are observed in trisomic animals in comparison to control mice. However, our results indicate that three weeks of low-dose EGCG treatment during adolescence is insufficient to improve hippocampal dependent learning and memory deficits of Ts65Dn mice. The possibility remains that a higher dose of EGCG that begins at three weeks but lasts throughout the behavioral test period may result in improvement in learning and memory deficit of Ts65Dn mice.

This ethnographic study explores how assessments of literate learning are produced in cultural and institutional settings. Focusing on one student, Tony Mitchell, I situate assessments of his literate learning in the sociocultural contexts in which the assessments were embedded. I examine: 1) the assessments of Tony as "unable to read or write" produced in his fourth grade class; 2) the special education evaluation process in which Tony’s abilities were assessed as borderline; 3) the profile of Tony as an able, literate learner I constructed as I worked with him in and out of school between December 1992 and December 1993; and, 4) the assessment of Tony as a reader and writer produced in his fifth grade class. Data included documents, interviews, and fieldnotes accumulated over an extended period of time and from a wide range of perspectives. Analysis of the data was an ongoing process beginning with the formulation and clarification of my focus and continuing into the writing phase of the study. Different cultural and institutional contexts produced discrepant assessments of Tony’s literate learning. In instructional and testing environments emphasizing the accumulation of discrete facts, a linear progression of skills, and the transmission of knowledge, Tony was assessed aS a non-reader and non-writer with borderline ability. In settings that recognized literate learning as constructed by students as they work with others in supportive environments, Tony was assessed as an able, literate learner. Tony’s story makes visible the often invisible social processes of classroom life and the education policies in which assessments of students’ literate learning are embedded. It establishes that assessments of students’ literate learning are constructed. It illustrates the relationship between instructional, curricular, and testing practices and assessments of students’ learning. Through Tony’s story it is clear that to be adequately understood assessments of students’ literate learning must be examined in the sociocultural contexts in which they are produced. / Ph. D.

Student selection is particularly challenging in South Africa. Heterogeneous educational backgrounds require that it is necessary to assess prospective students' potential rather than their current abilities that crystallised from inadequate school education. Dynamic assessment assesses learning potential versus traditional psychometric measures, which are static measures of cognitive ability, measuring what a person has already learned. The aim was to determine the predictive validity of a selection battery. The following predictors were included in the study; matric results, Potential Index Battery, LPCAT, bridging course status and gender. The results confirmed that static measures of intelligence and matric results showed lower predictive validity than learning potential tests. The learning potential measure appeared to be a more valid predictor of academic performance and is suitable to include in a selection battery. Gender and bridging course factors did not reflect significant differences in academic performance. There were indications that students perform better in successive years of study, once they have adjusted to tertiary education. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal wat die invloed van motoriese oefening op die leervermoë van die leerder in die grondslagfase is. Vyf en twintig leerders is ewekansig verdeel in `n eksperimentele en kontrole groep. Oor `n tydperk van vyf weke, voor die aanvang van elke leerafdeling, het die eksperimentele groep, saam met die onderwyseres, klaskamer gebaseerde motoriese oefeninge verrig terwyl die kontrole groep geen intervensie ontvang het nie. Die Copeland’s checklist for Attention Deficit Disorder vraelys is as voor- en natoets gebruik. Na die afloop van die empiriese ondersoek het die eksperimentele groep `n verbetering getoon in onoplettendheid/afleibaarheid, impulsiwiteit, ooraktiwiteit/hiperaktiwiteit, onderaktiwiteit en aandagvermoë, terwyl die kontrole groep oor dieselfde tydperk verswak het of onveranderd gebly het. Die veranderinge was egter nie statisties betekenisvol (p≤0.05) nie. Hierdie resultaat dui slegs op „n tedens dat motoriese oefening 'n positiewe effek op die leerders se leervermoë in die grondslagfase het. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Studies)

The effectiveness of language requires that users of a language be provided with the right knowledge to cope with its complexity and demanding nature especially in the area of writing. In this sense, this thesis sought to draw attention to some of the important features of writing and speaking skills in the English language at two higher learning institutions in Namibia. English is a second language for students at these institutions. Articles 3 and 20 of the Namibian Constitution stipulate that the language policy must promote the use of English in schools (The Constitution of Namibia (1990). It is now 24 years since English as medium of instruction was introduced in schools and tertiary institutions, but some students’ English proficiency is still relatively poor, especially in writing and speaking communication skills. This study investigated the barriers that prevent students to write and speak English well at University A and University B. The writing and speaking skills were investigated through the lens of syllabi/study guides, and lack of practical teaching of oral communication and writing skills inter alia morphology and syntax. Fifty-seven respondents took part in the research, comprising Heads of Departments (Language, Communication and Language Centre), Course Coordinators, lecturers and students in the English field at the two institutions investigated. Students were deliberately selected for the questionnaire to illustrate the difficulties they face when writing and speaking English as a second language. The lecturers were also deliberately selected because they were the ones who were with the students in classrooms. This study used qualitative research to gather information through methods such as observation, interviews, open-response questionnaire items, document analysis and verbal reports. The following were the main findings. There was a lack of specific teaching objectives in oral communication and written skills in the syllabi, while the inability of students to write correct sentences, and the limited time allocated to these courses also played a role. The conclusion drawn from this study is that students’ communicative competency is very poor. Therefore, it is the opinion of this researcher that improvement is much needed regarding syllabi content, teaching approaches of speaking and writing skills, students’ admission criteria and the time frame allocated for the different courses. To answer the research question: firstly the time allocated to some of the English courses is short, there is lack of teaching and learning of oral and writing skills approaches and, the syllabi were planned and design in a way that do not enhance much the teaching and learning of the second language. There are not many activities in the study guides that could be used to enhance students’ communicative competency. Such activities should include subject and verb agreement, passive and active form, sentence construction, word-building using prefixes and suffixes, auxiliaries or activities which give the students a chance to practice a certain aspect of language. Also, since English is a second language for students in Namibia, the institutions must seriously look at the time allocated to the courses they offer so that lecturers can appropriately apply proper approaches to teach writing and speaking skills. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

摘 要 本研究主要是藉由探討台灣企業在面臨「轉型升級壓力」而必須做經營策略調整時，經由本研究所建構的理論模型與實際個案間的檢證研究突顯出「企業學習能力」在企業轉型升級與策略選擇過程中的關鍵地位。 本研究以創造台灣最高經濟產值貢獻的資訊科技(IT)產業之個案廠商為對象，探究其「企業學習能力」對「企業轉型升級策略」選擇的影響，以及「目標產業的知識特質」、「企業學習能力」、「企業轉型升級壓力」三者間的關聯性。本論文的研究方法是以對個案的資料文件做深度探究的內容分析法為主，選取國內具代表地位的二家資訊硬體大廠為研究對象，嘗試對其「企業學習能力」與「企業轉型決策過程」作系統性的探索。 本研究歸納分析所得到的研究發現如下： 【研究發現一】取得「企業學習能力」的實證觀察指標。 【研究發現二】「企業轉型升級壓力」的大小會影響「企業轉型升級策略選擇」。壓力愈小時，企業選擇「攻勢」之轉型升級的機會就愈大；反之，則企業選擇「守勢」之退守退出的機會就愈大。 【研究發現三】「企業學習能力」的強弱會影響「企業轉型升級策略的選擇」。企業學習能力愈強時，則企業選擇「攻勢」之轉型升級的機會就愈大；反之，則企業選擇「守勢」之退守退出的機會就愈大。 【研究發現四】「企業學習壓力數學關係式」的發現實證了「企業學習能力」與「目標產業知識特質」和「企業轉型升級壓力」之間，存有簡單的「數學關聯」。 【研究發現五】「企業轉型升級策略選擇」的決策關係式。 因此，本研究認為企業在做轉型升級的決策時，千萬不要忽略企業本身的「學習能力」是否能承載「目標產業的知識特質」？建議企業宜在所欲朝向轉型升級之「目標產業的知識特質」下，考量企業本身的「學習能力」強弱，評估本身「企業轉型升級壓力」的大小，最終對「企業轉型升級策略」做出合乎自身最佳利益的理性選擇。此外，本研究亦建議企業或可藉由參考「企業學習能力系統-SOFA模型」來規劃建構或是強化自身的「企業學習能力」，以因應未來無窮的變局與挑戰！ / Abstract This research is conducted by exploration and explanation between theoretical model and case studies to prove the key role of the enterprise’s learning ability (ELA) in the procedure of the enterprise’s transformation and the option of strategy. The researcher selected cases from information technology industry which contributed most to Taiwan economic growth in recent years to explain the influence of ELA on selecting the strategy of transformation and to explore the relevance among the characteristics of objective industrial knowledge, ELA and the pressure of enterprise transformation. This thesis applied content analysis to explore the documents from two big enterprises of information hardware , trying to systematically study their learning ability and to find out how they make a decision of transformation. According to the analyses of these two cases, the study has got the following conclusions： 1.The collection of empirical indexes of enterprise learning ability (ELA). 2.The pressure of enterprise transformation will influence the option of transformation strategy. The smaller the pressure is , the bigger the chance for the enterprise choosing aggressive way to transform would be. On the contrary, the bigger the presser is , the bigger the chance for the enterprise choosing conservative way to withdraw would be. 3.The performance of ELA will influence the option of enterprise transformation strategy. The stronger the ELA is , the bigger the chance for the enterprise choosing aggressive way to transform would be. On the contrary, the weaker the ELA is , the bigger the chance for the enterprise choosing conservative way to withdraw would be. 4.The formula of enterprise learning pressure proves the existence of simple mathematical relevance among ELA, the characteristics of objective industrial knowledge and the pressure of enterprise transformation. 5.The decision-making formula of the option of enterprise transformation strategy. As a result , this research indicates that an enterprise making transformation decision should never neglect the fact whether its ELA could undertake the characteristics of objective industrial knowledge or not . This research suggests that enterprises facing transformation pressure from the characteristics of objective industrial knowledge had better take their learning ability into consideration , and finally make a rational choice of transformation strategy to meet their best needs. In addition , this research recommends that enterprises might use “Enterprise Learning Ability System (ELAS)” i.e. “SOFA model” to construct or strengthen their learning ability in order to cope with countless challenge in the future.