Significant changes have taken place in higher education over dte past ten years. Learners are more liberated and want to be acknowledged as individuals with differences, and not expected to adapt their individual characteristics to fit in with the specific environment of the learning situation. A new emphasis is placed upon creating and sustaining learning environments that accommodate Ieamer needs and dte process of effective learning. Learners' individual needs include their need to learn how to learn and an acceptance of their individual differences as expressed in learning styles. Active Ieamer participation in dte learning process is necessary for effective learning to take place. Only dten can the desired outcome be reached. For a Ieamer to actively participate in the learning process, the Ieamer must know how to learn, and how to function as an independent Ieamer. To reach these goals, sound knowledge of individual differences in learning st;ytes is necessary. The impact of individual differences on education and the way they affect educational practice, future learning and academic achievement places the emphasis even more strongly on constant awareness, updatlng or change, improvement and development of the educational environment. The educator, as one of the role players in the educational environment, is the facilitator of learning, and should be empowered with a strong knowledge base regarding individual differences among both learners and educators, thus becoming more innovative and creative. Qualitative non-empirical research was undertaken. The aim of this research was to analyse and explore the concept learning style as well as to promote learning style awareness through assessment of learning st;ytes, and to provide an organised frame of reference to guide the learning process and provide for systematic education. Based on insight and knowledge gained through Inductive and deductive reasoning, The Learning Style Assessment Tool and a model for learning style promotion in higher education were constructed. The instrument enables learners and educators to assess their own learning st;ytes and identify their learning characteristics and preferences. The model can serve as a basis for acknowledging and accommodating learning styles in higher education. The desired outcome of this research is effective learning and quality education. / Health Studes / D. Litt. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Technology: Information Technology, Durban University of Technology. Durban. South Africa, 2015. / Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are ubiquitous nowadays, and there are many situations where they are overall perceived either as advantageous or as disadvantageous; but there are other situations where it is unknown whether they are overall advantageous or disadvantageous. For example, ICTs are perceived as advantageous for communication, but texting during driving is perceived as worse than drinking while driving. Concerning for example eLearning which is the use of ICTs in education, the fact that it has not yet eliminated the problem of poor academic performance raises the question as to whether ICTs are advantageous or not in education especially when one considers their high cost. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of educators on the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning. This aim will be subdivided into three types of research objectives: (a) to select from existing literature suitable theories that can be applied to the examination of educators’ perceptions on the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning; (b) to design a model of the factors affecting educators’ perceptions on the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning; (c) to empirically test the above announced model; (d) to propose recommendations on how to optimize the impact of eLearning. Objectives a, b, and d were accomplished through the review of existing appropriate literature on teaching and learning, and on eLearning; but objective c was met through a survey of 65 educators of Camperdown town schools in the Pinetown district of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The outcomes of these four objectives are as follows: (a) Constructivism, Progressivism, and Self-regulated learning can be used as suitable theories applicable to the examination of educators perceptions on the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning; (b) It makes sense to hypothesize that educators perceptions on the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning are affected by their demographics and by their adherence to learning theories; (c) Empirical test conducted by this study confirm that educators perceptions on the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning are affected by their adherence to constructivism and to progressivism; (d) It can be concluded that the impact of the use of ICTs on teaching and learning will be optimized through the deployment of constructivist and progressivist educators as champions of eLearning projects in schools.

(D. Ed. (Didactics))

Syftet med den kvantitativa undersökningen var att jämföra ASL (att skriva sig till läsning) i ett helordsperspektiv med den traditionella ljudmetoden gällande elevers tidiga läs- och skrivutveckling. Jämförelsen gjordes också för att se vilken läsinlärningsmetod som är mest gynnsam och om någon av dessa har bättre möjligheter att förebygga läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Undersökningen bygger på sekundärdata från cirka 200 elever med olika läsinlärningsmetoder där i första hand ordavkodningsförmågan jämförs. Resultat gällande fonologisk medvetenhet, ordavkodningsförmåga, stavning samt nationella prov i svenska samlades in från två parallellgrupper (ASL - ljudmetod). Testmaterialet har hämtats från förskoleklass till och med årskurs 3. Resultatet visade bättre ordavkodningsförmåga för de flesta elever som har haft ASL som läsinlärningsmetod. Detsamma gäller för elever som hade hög ordavkodningsförmåga från årskurs 1. För elever med låg ordavkodningsförmåga visade resultaten däremot ingen skillnad mellan de båda metoderna. En tolkning skulle kunna göras att ASL gynnar ordavkodningsförmågan för många elever, men inte har större möjligheter än ljudmetoden att förebygga läs- och skrivsvårigheter. / The purpose of the quantitative study was to compare WTR (writing to read) in a whole language perspective with the traditional phonics regarding students' early literacy development. The comparison was also made to see which literacy learning method that is most favourable and if any of them is more able to prevent reading and writing disabilities. The study is based on secondary data from approximately 200 students with different methods of teaching reading in which primarily word decoding ability was compared. Results regarding phonological awareness, word decoding ability, spelling and National tests in Swedish were gathered from two parallel groups (WTR - phonics). The test material has been taken from pre-school to grade 3. The results showed better word decoding ability for most students who have had WTR as literacy learning method. The same applies to students who had high word decoding ability from grade 1. Results from students with low word decoding ability showed however no difference between the two methods. One interpretation would be that WTR favours word decoding ability for many students, but does not have more opportunities than phonics of preventing reading and writing disabilities.

Considerada a importância de que os Programas de Produção mais Limpa (PPLs) são investidos e os problemas constatados com suas performances em todo o mundo, avalia-se como crítica a ausência de Bases Teóricas para avaliar esses programas. Na Literatura acadêmica para este tema, não se encontram abordagens que orientem a Concepção e a Gestão dos PPLs. Movida por estas constatações críticas e pelo senso de urgência em atender esta carência, a pesquisa empreendida, da qual parte dos resultados compõem esta Tese, se dedica à construção de Bases fundamentadas em áreas do conhecimento científico que apóiem a avaliação dos PPLs. Diante da escassez de abordagens teóricas para este propósito, esta Tese se constitui em estudo exploratório e voltado à proposição de um conjunto de enfoques que atenda à sua meta fundamental. Sugerindo que o conjunto resultante estabeleça um arcabouço teórico primário, dirigem-se os enfoques para três níveis de análise : (i) aspectos externos a um Programa a avaliar (macro-análise); (ii) constituição estrutural deste PPL e dinâmicas de seus componentes (meso-análise); e (iii) aspectos psico-sociológicos das relações internas no PPL (micro-análise). Define-se o nivel de meso-análise como foco das elaborações da Tese, para o qual se desenvolvem dois enfoques. Aos enfoques elaborados para os outros dois níveis de análise dedicam-se menores desenvolvimentos, limitando-se a indicar sua integração com os enfoques do nível de meso-análise e seus posteriores desdobramentos e aprofundamentos. Para as construções dos enfoques, utiliza-se de revisões amplas na literatura de Teorias de Aprendizagem, Teorias Organizacionais, Psicologia Ambiental, Complexidade e Gestão da Mudança, como apoios para a revisão de publicações acadêmicas sobre PPLs. Limitações constatadas para estas elaborações teóricas do conjunto de enfoques destacam a importância de uma fase complementar de estudos empíricos qualitativos que, na Tese, prioriza aperfeiçoar o enfoque para Análise Estrutural. Empregando-se principalmente a abordagem de Estudos de Caso e recursos adaptados da Grounded Theory, elabora-se um Esboço Estrutural para este enfoque. A consolidação da integração dos enfoques propostos pela Tese alcança maior consistência pela aplicação do Esboço Estrutural para descrever aspectos dos Casos estudados em um Estudo de Caso Genérico, acompanhada de uma série de análises que integram, progressivamente, conceitos teóricos das ferramentas analíticas que compõem os enfoques. A base da lógica que coordena concepções e construções da Tese se alicerça no enfoque de Pensamento Complexo de Morin, operacionalizada através da dialética hermenêutica que orienta a postura de pesquisa. Tais escolhas filosófico-epistemológicas proporcionam nexo para a integração complexa de múltiplos e variados fatores e conceitos que passam a compor os enfoques, conciliando ambigüidades, oposições e paradoxos típicos dos fenômenos observados nos PPLs. Como resultados, alcança-se evidente capacidade do conjunto de enfoques elaborado para avaliar PPLs de diversos arranjos organizacionais, permitindo-se interpretações ricas dos aspectos que concorrem para seus resultados, o que atende ao propósito original de contribuir para a compreensão de suas performances. Desta forma, a Tese oferece contributo significativo para um campo de conhecimento que carece de contribuições teóricas urgentes. / A critical lack of approaches based on theoretical fundamentals to evaluating Cleaner Production Programmes (CPPs) in the academic literature collides with the significance of these programmes and with their crucial performance problems all over the world. Scientific guidance on designing and managing CPPs is nonexistent or unavailable to regular search on academic publications. Intending to reduce this scarcity of scientific knowledge, the research from which this Thesis gathers its results conceives approaches supported by theoretical underpinnings aimed to evaluate CPPs. Given the knowledge insufficiency on this subject, this Thesis constitutes an exploratory study devoted to the proposition of a set of analytical approaches. This set is intended to establish a basic theoretical framework whose approaches are designed to fit three analytical levels : (i) external aspects of a Programme under assessment (macro-analysis); (ii) structural constitution of this CPP and the dynamics of its components (meso-analysis); and (iii) psycho-sociological aspects of the CPP internal relations (micro-analysis). The main focus of elaborative work concerns the meso-analysis level, to which two approaches have been developed. Less development is dedicated to the other levels and the Thesis confines the elaboration of their approaches to their vital fit and sound synergy with the approaches of the meso-analysis level. The study indicates detailed features of the micro-analysis approach and how they develop in future advanced stages of the research. Similar indications of future developments for the macro-analysis approach receive attention in the discussions. Encompassing reviews of the literature on Learning Theories, Organisational Theories, Environmental Psychology, Complexity and Organisational Change underpin the conception and development of the approaches, integrating elements drew on an extensive review of the academic literature on CPPs. In order to overcome limitations pointed out from the elaboration of the approaches, a complementary empirical phase of qualitative research assumes vital importance to the study and its priority focused improvements in the structural analysis approach. Case Study methods and adapted features of Grounded Theory served as main contributing approaches/techniques to the complex confection of a Structural Blueprint for this analytical approach. Applying this Structural Blueprint as a tool to describe aspects examined in actual Cases, composing a Generic Case Study, followed by a series of analyses that progressively integrate theoretical concepts of the proposed approaches into the assessment supported by the Blueprint, the study succeed in consolidating the integration of the analytical approaches. The logical basis steering Thesis conceptions and developments stands on Morin’s concept of Complex Thinking, which provides guidance to the hermeneutic dialectic conducted in accordance with the study’s research posture. Nexus afforded by such philosophic-epistemological orientation prevails in the complex integration of multiple and diverse factors and concepts embodied in the analytical approaches, providing consonance for the typical ambiguities, oppositions, and paradoxes observed in phenomena related to CPPs. The proposed set of approaches features evident capacity to evaluate CPPs holding varied organisational arrangements, imparting rich interpretations of aspects that contribute to their results and serving its original purpose of assisting the comprehension of their performance. Thus the Thesis offers relevant contribution to this field of knowledge, which demands urgent theoretical advancements.

Research has shown that students achieved higher standardized test scores in mathematics and gained more positive attitudes towards mathematics after learning from reform curricula. Because these studies involve actual students and teachers, there are classroom variables that are involved in these findings (Silver and Stein, 1996; Stein et al., 1996). To understand how much these curricula by themselves contribute to higher test scores, I have studied the cognitive demand of tasks in two traditional and two reform curricula. This work required the creation of a scale to categorize tasks based on their level of cognitive demand. This scale relates to those by Stein, Schoenfeld, and Bloom. Based on this task analysis, I have found that more tasks in the reform curricula require higher cognitive demand than tasks in the traditional curricula. These findings confirm other results that posing tasks with higher cognitive demand to students can lead to higher student achievement.

Significant changes have taken place in higher education over the past ten years. Learners are more liberated and want to be acknowledged as individuals with differences, and not expected to adapt their individual characteristics to fit in with the specific environment of the learning situation. A new emphasis is placed upon creating and sustaining learning environments that accommodate learner needs and the process of effective learning. Learners' individual needs include their need to learn how to learn and an acceptance of their individual differences as expressed in learning styles. Active learner participation in the learning process is necessary for effective learning to take place. Only then can the desired outcome be reached. For a learner to actively participate in the learning process, the learner must know how to learn, and how to function as an independent learner. To reach these goals, sound knowledge of individual differences in learning styles is necessary. The impact of individual differences on education and the way they affect educational practice, future learning and academic achievement places the emphasis even more strongly on constant awareness, updating or change, improvement and development of the educational environment. The educator, as one of the role players in the educational environment, is the facilitator of learning, and should be empowered with a strong knowledge base regarding individual differences among both learners and educators, thus becoming more innovative and creative. Qualitative non-empirical research was undertaken. The aim of this research was to analyse and explore the concept learning style as well as to promote learning style awareness through assessment of learning styles, and to provide an organised frame of reference to guide the learning process and provide for systematic education. Based on insight and knowledge gained through inductive and deductive reasoning, the Learning Style Assessment Tool and a model for learning style promotion in higher education were constructed. The instrument enables learners and educators to assess their own learning styles and identify their learning characteristics and preferences. The model can serve as a basis for acknowledging and accommodating learning styles in higher education. The desired outcome of this research is effective learning and quality education.

Considerada a importância de que os Programas de Produção mais Limpa (PPLs) são investidos e os problemas constatados com suas performances em todo o mundo, avalia-se como crítica a ausência de Bases Teóricas para avaliar esses programas. Na Literatura acadêmica para este tema, não se encontram abordagens que orientem a Concepção e a Gestão dos PPLs. Movida por estas constatações críticas e pelo senso de urgência em atender esta carência, a pesquisa empreendida, da qual parte dos resultados compõem esta Tese, se dedica à construção de Bases fundamentadas em áreas do conhecimento científico que apóiem a avaliação dos PPLs. Diante da escassez de abordagens teóricas para este propósito, esta Tese se constitui em estudo exploratório e voltado à proposição de um conjunto de enfoques que atenda à sua meta fundamental. Sugerindo que o conjunto resultante estabeleça um arcabouço teórico primário, dirigem-se os enfoques para três níveis de análise : (i) aspectos externos a um Programa a avaliar (macro-análise); (ii) constituição estrutural deste PPL e dinâmicas de seus componentes (meso-análise); e (iii) aspectos psico-sociológicos das relações internas no PPL (micro-análise). Define-se o nivel de meso-análise como foco das elaborações da Tese, para o qual se desenvolvem dois enfoques. Aos enfoques elaborados para os outros dois níveis de análise dedicam-se menores desenvolvimentos, limitando-se a indicar sua integração com os enfoques do nível de meso-análise e seus posteriores desdobramentos e aprofundamentos. Para as construções dos enfoques, utiliza-se de revisões amplas na literatura de Teorias de Aprendizagem, Teorias Organizacionais, Psicologia Ambiental, Complexidade e Gestão da Mudança, como apoios para a revisão de publicações acadêmicas sobre PPLs. Limitações constatadas para estas elaborações teóricas do conjunto de enfoques destacam a importância de uma fase complementar de estudos empíricos qualitativos que, na Tese, prioriza aperfeiçoar o enfoque para Análise Estrutural. Empregando-se principalmente a abordagem de Estudos de Caso e recursos adaptados da Grounded Theory, elabora-se um Esboço Estrutural para este enfoque. A consolidação da integração dos enfoques propostos pela Tese alcança maior consistência pela aplicação do Esboço Estrutural para descrever aspectos dos Casos estudados em um Estudo de Caso Genérico, acompanhada de uma série de análises que integram, progressivamente, conceitos teóricos das ferramentas analíticas que compõem os enfoques. A base da lógica que coordena concepções e construções da Tese se alicerça no enfoque de Pensamento Complexo de Morin, operacionalizada através da dialética hermenêutica que orienta a postura de pesquisa. Tais escolhas filosófico-epistemológicas proporcionam nexo para a integração complexa de múltiplos e variados fatores e conceitos que passam a compor os enfoques, conciliando ambigüidades, oposições e paradoxos típicos dos fenômenos observados nos PPLs. Como resultados, alcança-se evidente capacidade do conjunto de enfoques elaborado para avaliar PPLs de diversos arranjos organizacionais, permitindo-se interpretações ricas dos aspectos que concorrem para seus resultados, o que atende ao propósito original de contribuir para a compreensão de suas performances. Desta forma, a Tese oferece contributo significativo para um campo de conhecimento que carece de contribuições teóricas urgentes. / A critical lack of approaches based on theoretical fundamentals to evaluating Cleaner Production Programmes (CPPs) in the academic literature collides with the significance of these programmes and with their crucial performance problems all over the world. Scientific guidance on designing and managing CPPs is nonexistent or unavailable to regular search on academic publications. Intending to reduce this scarcity of scientific knowledge, the research from which this Thesis gathers its results conceives approaches supported by theoretical underpinnings aimed to evaluate CPPs. Given the knowledge insufficiency on this subject, this Thesis constitutes an exploratory study devoted to the proposition of a set of analytical approaches. This set is intended to establish a basic theoretical framework whose approaches are designed to fit three analytical levels : (i) external aspects of a Programme under assessment (macro-analysis); (ii) structural constitution of this CPP and the dynamics of its components (meso-analysis); and (iii) psycho-sociological aspects of the CPP internal relations (micro-analysis). The main focus of elaborative work concerns the meso-analysis level, to which two approaches have been developed. Less development is dedicated to the other levels and the Thesis confines the elaboration of their approaches to their vital fit and sound synergy with the approaches of the meso-analysis level. The study indicates detailed features of the micro-analysis approach and how they develop in future advanced stages of the research. Similar indications of future developments for the macro-analysis approach receive attention in the discussions. Encompassing reviews of the literature on Learning Theories, Organisational Theories, Environmental Psychology, Complexity and Organisational Change underpin the conception and development of the approaches, integrating elements drew on an extensive review of the academic literature on CPPs. In order to overcome limitations pointed out from the elaboration of the approaches, a complementary empirical phase of qualitative research assumes vital importance to the study and its priority focused improvements in the structural analysis approach. Case Study methods and adapted features of Grounded Theory served as main contributing approaches/techniques to the complex confection of a Structural Blueprint for this analytical approach. Applying this Structural Blueprint as a tool to describe aspects examined in actual Cases, composing a Generic Case Study, followed by a series of analyses that progressively integrate theoretical concepts of the proposed approaches into the assessment supported by the Blueprint, the study succeed in consolidating the integration of the analytical approaches. The logical basis steering Thesis conceptions and developments stands on Morin’s concept of Complex Thinking, which provides guidance to the hermeneutic dialectic conducted in accordance with the study’s research posture. Nexus afforded by such philosophic-epistemological orientation prevails in the complex integration of multiple and diverse factors and concepts embodied in the analytical approaches, providing consonance for the typical ambiguities, oppositions, and paradoxes observed in phenomena related to CPPs. The proposed set of approaches features evident capacity to evaluate CPPs holding varied organisational arrangements, imparting rich interpretations of aspects that contribute to their results and serving its original purpose of assisting the comprehension of their performance. Thus the Thesis offers relevant contribution to this field of knowledge, which demands urgent theoretical advancements.

Considerada a importância de que os Programas de Produção mais Limpa (PPLs) são investidos e os problemas constatados com suas performances em todo o mundo, avalia-se como crítica a ausência de Bases Teóricas para avaliar esses programas. Na Literatura acadêmica para este tema, não se encontram abordagens que orientem a Concepção e a Gestão dos PPLs. Movida por estas constatações críticas e pelo senso de urgência em atender esta carência, a pesquisa empreendida, da qual parte dos resultados compõem esta Tese, se dedica à construção de Bases fundamentadas em áreas do conhecimento científico que apóiem a avaliação dos PPLs. Diante da escassez de abordagens teóricas para este propósito, esta Tese se constitui em estudo exploratório e voltado à proposição de um conjunto de enfoques que atenda à sua meta fundamental. Sugerindo que o conjunto resultante estabeleça um arcabouço teórico primário, dirigem-se os enfoques para três níveis de análise : (i) aspectos externos a um Programa a avaliar (macro-análise); (ii) constituição estrutural deste PPL e dinâmicas de seus componentes (meso-análise); e (iii) aspectos psico-sociológicos das relações internas no PPL (micro-análise). Define-se o nivel de meso-análise como foco das elaborações da Tese, para o qual se desenvolvem dois enfoques. Aos enfoques elaborados para os outros dois níveis de análise dedicam-se menores desenvolvimentos, limitando-se a indicar sua integração com os enfoques do nível de meso-análise e seus posteriores desdobramentos e aprofundamentos. Para as construções dos enfoques, utiliza-se de revisões amplas na literatura de Teorias de Aprendizagem, Teorias Organizacionais, Psicologia Ambiental, Complexidade e Gestão da Mudança, como apoios para a revisão de publicações acadêmicas sobre PPLs. Limitações constatadas para estas elaborações teóricas do conjunto de enfoques destacam a importância de uma fase complementar de estudos empíricos qualitativos que, na Tese, prioriza aperfeiçoar o enfoque para Análise Estrutural. Empregando-se principalmente a abordagem de Estudos de Caso e recursos adaptados da Grounded Theory, elabora-se um Esboço Estrutural para este enfoque. A consolidação da integração dos enfoques propostos pela Tese alcança maior consistência pela aplicação do Esboço Estrutural para descrever aspectos dos Casos estudados em um Estudo de Caso Genérico, acompanhada de uma série de análises que integram, progressivamente, conceitos teóricos das ferramentas analíticas que compõem os enfoques. A base da lógica que coordena concepções e construções da Tese se alicerça no enfoque de Pensamento Complexo de Morin, operacionalizada através da dialética hermenêutica que orienta a postura de pesquisa. Tais escolhas filosófico-epistemológicas proporcionam nexo para a integração complexa de múltiplos e variados fatores e conceitos que passam a compor os enfoques, conciliando ambigüidades, oposições e paradoxos típicos dos fenômenos observados nos PPLs. Como resultados, alcança-se evidente capacidade do conjunto de enfoques elaborado para avaliar PPLs de diversos arranjos organizacionais, permitindo-se interpretações ricas dos aspectos que concorrem para seus resultados, o que atende ao propósito original de contribuir para a compreensão de suas performances. Desta forma, a Tese oferece contributo significativo para um campo de conhecimento que carece de contribuições teóricas urgentes. / A critical lack of approaches based on theoretical fundamentals to evaluating Cleaner Production Programmes (CPPs) in the academic literature collides with the significance of these programmes and with their crucial performance problems all over the world. Scientific guidance on designing and managing CPPs is nonexistent or unavailable to regular search on academic publications. Intending to reduce this scarcity of scientific knowledge, the research from which this Thesis gathers its results conceives approaches supported by theoretical underpinnings aimed to evaluate CPPs. Given the knowledge insufficiency on this subject, this Thesis constitutes an exploratory study devoted to the proposition of a set of analytical approaches. This set is intended to establish a basic theoretical framework whose approaches are designed to fit three analytical levels : (i) external aspects of a Programme under assessment (macro-analysis); (ii) structural constitution of this CPP and the dynamics of its components (meso-analysis); and (iii) psycho-sociological aspects of the CPP internal relations (micro-analysis). The main focus of elaborative work concerns the meso-analysis level, to which two approaches have been developed. Less development is dedicated to the other levels and the Thesis confines the elaboration of their approaches to their vital fit and sound synergy with the approaches of the meso-analysis level. The study indicates detailed features of the micro-analysis approach and how they develop in future advanced stages of the research. Similar indications of future developments for the macro-analysis approach receive attention in the discussions. Encompassing reviews of the literature on Learning Theories, Organisational Theories, Environmental Psychology, Complexity and Organisational Change underpin the conception and development of the approaches, integrating elements drew on an extensive review of the academic literature on CPPs. In order to overcome limitations pointed out from the elaboration of the approaches, a complementary empirical phase of qualitative research assumes vital importance to the study and its priority focused improvements in the structural analysis approach. Case Study methods and adapted features of Grounded Theory served as main contributing approaches/techniques to the complex confection of a Structural Blueprint for this analytical approach. Applying this Structural Blueprint as a tool to describe aspects examined in actual Cases, composing a Generic Case Study, followed by a series of analyses that progressively integrate theoretical concepts of the proposed approaches into the assessment supported by the Blueprint, the study succeed in consolidating the integration of the analytical approaches. The logical basis steering Thesis conceptions and developments stands on Morin’s concept of Complex Thinking, which provides guidance to the hermeneutic dialectic conducted in accordance with the study’s research posture. Nexus afforded by such philosophic-epistemological orientation prevails in the complex integration of multiple and diverse factors and concepts embodied in the analytical approaches, providing consonance for the typical ambiguities, oppositions, and paradoxes observed in phenomena related to CPPs. The proposed set of approaches features evident capacity to evaluate CPPs holding varied organisational arrangements, imparting rich interpretations of aspects that contribute to their results and serving its original purpose of assisting the comprehension of their performance. Thus the Thesis offers relevant contribution to this field of knowledge, which demands urgent theoretical advancements.

A CPD model for the University of Technology lecturers is designed in this study. The focus of the CPD model is on teaching as a predominant feature of the Lecturers‟ functions. Literature review on the nature, historic developments and the mandate of former Technikons in South Africa is conducted. A comparative analysis of University of Technology education systems in five other countries is conducted. Research was then conducted to establish the status of Lecturers‟ CPD in former Technikons. Data obtained from literature and the research project was used to design a CPD model for University of Technology Lecturers. Interviews were subsequently conducted with CPD practitioners in Universities of Technology to obtain opinions on the model. A survey was conducted to obtain Lecturers‟ opinions on the aspects of the model. Data obtained was then used to modify the model. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)