This thesis explores the meaning of career as a phenomenon and its implication for career guidance. In 1996, career as a phenomenon was more or less considered to be an obsolete or even extinct phenomenon. Since then, career guidance has received increased attention along with the increased interest in lifelong learning strategies. This thesis is motivated by the paradoxical message of career as an extinct yet living phenomenon. Career is outlined as a bridging issue that involves several contexts and is characterized by a number of dominating discourses in tension with one another. Two educational fields linked by career are of particular interest: the field of education and training in working life and the educational field of career guidance counselling. This thesis explores the meaning of career among a triad of various interested parties in this time of transition in the world of working life, and it explores the sense in which such understanding(s) of career influence policies and practices of career guidance. The thesis is based upon four separate studies. The first study explores, in order to disclose underlying views on career, how the language of European policy documents on career guidance characterize career and career development. Qualitative content analysis is used as the basic method to approach the subject in the texts, with an inductive development of categories. The analysis then conducts a sender-oriented interpretation, based upon a textual model for analyzing documents. The results revealed that underlying perspective on career in the documents derive from economic perspective, learning perspective and political science perspective, and communicate career as subordinated to market forces. The second study pays attention to the receiving side of the ideational message, disclosed in the first study. The second study extends the analysis of the first study with an exploration of ethical declaration documents for the profession. The exploration focuses on significant key principles, the profession's role and mission, and significant changes between the initial and the revised ethical declaration. Similarities and differences were compared, combined with the first study’s results as an interpretive frame for analyzing what consequences and significance the core meaning of career at structural level will have for career guidance practice. The results revealed an implicit shift of emphasis in the career guidance mission, which creates uncertainty regarding on behalf of whom the guidance counsellor is working. The third study explores common-sense knowledge of career, among a group of people influenced by changing conditions in working life. This study explores what social representations people have about career. The study also explores how people's anchored thoughts reflect scientifically shaped thoughts, and how they relate to thoughts currently dominating on structural level. Results disclose how the group explored has stable social representations of career that are anchored in the past, in previous working life conditions, and that contrasts with perspectives dominating in the structural context. The group also has dynamic representations, which provide space for negotiation of the meaning of career. The fourth study explores guidance counsellors' social representations of their mission and of careertherein. Results generated four social representations expressed in argumentative pairs of opposites. The first pair is concerned with their professional mission and reveal their professional identity. The second is concerned with career. Their view on their mission and their professional identity is in sharp contrast with how they experience others' interpretation of their mission, as being a matching practice on behalf of the business sector. Guidance counsellors reject the general view of career among others' and they regard career in the context of guidance as something other than the common view. At the same time guidance counsellors reveal difficulties in really clarifying the meaning they ascribe to career. The empirical findings of each of the four studies are finally interpreted as a whole in the final section of this thesis. With support from social representations theory, the empirical findings illuminate the sources as bearers of social representations of career, which both meet and clash.

The purpose of this study was to examine formal volunteering among retirees in order to explore whether their volunteer experiences represent an extension of their career in the paid workforce or whether their volunteer activities represent a completely new direction, and how this influences their career self-concept, as interpreted through Donald Super’s life-span, life-space theory of career development. This study employed a developmental mixed-method design. In Phase 1, qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 participants to better understand retirees’ volunteer experiences. Phase 1 informed the design of an instrument for the Phase 2 survey which examined the issues among a larger sample of 214 retirees. The Phase 2 results supported the Phase 1 findings and indicated that many retirees sought an extension of career in volunteer activities in that they used similar skills and knowledge. Study participants also displayed a desire for lifelong learning. Retirees relinquished their paid-work career, took on the retiree and volunteer roles, and integrated these roles within their career self-concept to create a new sense of self. These results indicated that the retirees had entered a new stage of life, qualitatively different from ‘retirement’. To better reflect the experiences of these retirees, it was proposed that Donald Super’s life-span, life-space theory of career development be extended to include Redirection. This theorizing is consistent with the finding that retirees both wanted to and are able to integrate previous paid work elements as well as seek out lifelong learning opportunities within their volunteer activities. This study demonstrates that the volunteer role in the lives of retirees can lead to personal renewal and reshaping of the career self-concept, or what is labeled as the stage of Redirection. This study also has implications for volunteer management, retirement planning and social policy, and may be of interest to volunteer managers, nonprofit organizations, career counsellors, financial planners, retirement planning consultants, life coaches and policy planners.

This study was conducted at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and it considered the information literacy and lifelong learning skills of the students in the University. The National Open University is an Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system that encompasses education for all, education for life, lifelong learning, life-wide education, adult education, mass education, media-based education, self-learning and part-time studies. The ability to recognise the need for the available information, retrieve, evaluate and use this information is a hallmark towards the direction of information literacy in any society. Developing lifelong learners is central to the mission of higher education institutions like universities, especially for distance learners. The purpose of the study was to investigate information literacy skills amongst the students in the National Open University. This study utilized the case study method of quantitative research mixed with a qualitative strand in its data collection process. The dominant quantitative approach (questionnaire) was used to investigate the information literacy and lifelong learning skills of the students in the National Open University whilst the qualitative approach (interview and document analysis) was used to collect qualitative data needed to clarify areas that were not adequately covered in the quantitative data collection phase. This study used the questionnaire, interview and document analysis as its data collection methods. The study was conducted in five selected study centres out of the seventy-two centres of the National Open University. This study utilized the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula, where the sample size of 384 was chosen because the total number of the sampled students’ population was 170 830. From the quantitative perspective of the study, data analysis involved the use of simple frequency and percentage distribution, mean, median and standard deviation. The descriptive statistics were generated on all the variables in the instrument and this was accomplished with the aid of a computer software programme known as the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. A thematic method of data analysis was used for this qualitative strand of the study. The results of the study revealed that the information literacy library facilities available at NOUN were course materials and University websites. The study confirmed that there were no facilities in relation to information literacy development in all the schools and there was no form of information literacy integration curriculum in the University. The study established that there were no information literacy programmes put in place to support, promote and create awareness of information literacy for lifelong learning and no methods were put in place to assess or measure the information literacy competency levels of the students in the National Open University of Nigeria. The study revealed that the link of collaboration between the academics in the school and the professional librarians was weak and not coordinated. The documents analysed brought to light information that provided insights on information literacy development in the University. In the documents analysed, University documents were in place concerning information literacy development but these resources only stated in print, the development processes towards information. The results of the study revealed that there was still so much work to be done with regards to the implementation of policies by the University management and staff towards information literacy development. The students in the University also have a role to play in developing their information literacy skills for lifelong learning. A recommendation that was made from this study was for the University management to integrate information literacy to become part of the university curriculum for all students. Information literacy (IL) policies should be formulated and channelled to support IL education in the University so that students will attain the necessary competencies and skills needed to access, process and assess information. Arising from the results gained from this study, it was recommended that information literacy educators should be trained in the area of information resources and ICT in order to enhance job performance. There is a serious need for the University to engage the librarians through regular training and re-training through professional development workshops. The library staff in conjunction with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) unit of the University should create seminars and workshop for students and staff towards the improvement of information literacy instruction. For effective IL implementation in a distance learning environment, the University should work towards developing an information literacy course that is designed for asynchronous online delivery. A further empirical study on the development and implementation of information literacy skills for students in the University is also recommended. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Quality and effective student support service (SSS) is a critical demand in the ever-changing landscape of distance education. It is common knowledge that distance education students need continuous support during their studies in order to cope with academic demands while attending to other key activities. This study set out to evaluate the implementation of SSS at the Namibia University of Science and Technology Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning (NUST COLL) at different regional centres across Namibia. The objectives of the study were to: identify problems and challenges experienced with the current implementation of SSS, determine the needs of the distance students and propose recommendations for the improvement of SSS at the regional centres. In an attempt to realise the objectives of the study, the study incorporated both quantitative and qualitative research design to collect data, by making use of questionnaires, open-ended questions and interviews. The participants included 8 regional coordinators (RC) who were purposively selected and 109 distance students who were selected through stratified and convenience sampling techniques from seven COLL regional centres. It was evident from the findings that most students opted for distance education as it allows them to work and study. Furthermore, many students have been studying for many years without getting any qualification. While NUST was providing different SSS, the findings brought to light some challenges such as the shortage of technological tools, understaffed regional centres, and unavailability of support services on weekends and public holidays and lack of collaboration between marker-tutors, lecturers and regional face-to-face tutors. It is proposed that the current model of SSS should be redesigned to respond to challenges facing distance education students at the regional centres. A model for implementation of SSS was developed to pave the way for effective implementation geared towards reducing the dropout rates and increase success rates. Key terms: Implementation of student support services, technological tools, model for implementation, regional coordinators, academic demands, increase success rates, regional centres, distance education, regional centres, and dropout rates. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This doctoral thesis provides a comprehensive treatise of contemporary modern methods of education including e-learning. In its preface the author presents its content, purpose, basis and objectives and sets the main goal of the thesis, namely an intention to analyse and evaluate the latest trends in e-learning, modern forms of education and use of information technology in organisation of studies. Sub-objectives of this dissertation relate to the structure of its prime objective and correspond with its individual chapters in which it presents the history of e-learning within the history of science and institutional education, evaluates the position of e-learning and other modern forms of education in the scope of political and legislative priorities of the European Union and of the Czech Republic and presents several core strategic and legislative documents covering this area also in connection with the concept of lifelong learning. The key theoretical part of the thesis contains a detailed overview of main theoretical issues related to e-learning and other modern forms of education in contemporary local and international literature. This part describes e-learning as a part of the concept of lifelong learning, provides basic definitions of e-learning as well as an analysis of related terms,...

Dissertation is focused on the continuing education of teachers in terms of the current legisla-tion of the European Union and the Czech Republic as one of the key adaptive mechanisms that ensure the ability of the education system to adequately respond to the ever changing so-cial conditions in today's globalized world. The theoretical part through the analysis of different theoretical approaches to further education, defines and describes the issue of further education of teachers, the system - specific conditions, areas and its financing. It deals with the areas of the teacher's profession, their competences, career structure and professional standards. The empirical part of this dissertation, based on empirical research, describes the system of further education of teachers both in terms of school managment, and from the perspective of teachers and it maps specific factors affecting the quality of the current further education of teachers. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

During the past thirty years several models for lifelong education after retirement have been developed worldwide, one of them being the University of the Third Age (U3A). This study explored the contributions of the U3A to the educational needs of older adults and evaluated the benefits they perceived from their participation in U3A by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The latter used a survey to explore the experiences of U3A members of two U 3As and presidents of 68 U3As in Victoria, Australia by means of two different questionnaires. As only 1.47 percent of the over-55 population of Victoria are U3A members, the survey also investigated barriers to U3A participation in general and with special reference to the male population. The findings indicated that member respondents were very satisfied with their U3A experiences which had made substantial differences in their lives. Both male and female respondents saw personal, mental, social, and physical improvement as a result of U3A participation. The majority indicated that participation had improved their intellectual development. Significant differences in the perceptions of male and female participants emerged: female members outnumbered males by three to one. Both the presidents and the members expressed some programmatic concerns, primarily obtaining tutors and classroom availability. The subject areas covered by courses presented were extensive. There was a difference in the subjects desired by males and female respondents; very few courses are offered in science and economics. Some barriers to participation identified are a lack of awareness of U3A, the stereotypical attitudinal barrier of `I am too old' and negative past educational experiences. Moreover, U3As should increase marketing endeavours. Although most U3As advertise, almost a third of the respondents indicated that they would have joined earlier if aware of U3As. A contributing factor appears to be a virtual lack of research and information provided in educational academic journals and other media about lifelong education after retirement. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for future research and for improved practice in the U3A environment as a means to enhance the quality of life for older adults. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

This research is predicated in the firm conviction that the quality of education is dependent upon the quality of teachers. Teachers as the bedrock of education must participate actively and conscientiously in their intellectual growth through various forms of INSET discussed in the research. From an international comparative perspective DE as a strategy of INSET is deemed as the most functional, if not prudent and efficacious educational experience for the upgrading and improvement of the qualifications of teachers. In this research the origin of DE in terms of its antecedents and evolution, the raison d'etre and the advantages and limitations of DE are adumbrated in order to focus on the complexity and diversity of DE. As part of the conceptual and theoretical framework various terms used synonymously with DE are considered. A syntagma of principles providing a utilitarian and pragmatic connotation for DE is then postulated. Selected theories relevant to DE provide the synthesis for theoretical perspectives. The typology of DE institutions comprising autonomous, dedicated providers of DE and those that are mixed or hybrid or dual mode systems is analyzed. In koeping with the theme of educational borrowing fundamental to comparative education studies provision of DE by the UKOU and AU for developed countries, IGNOU and the ZINTEC model for developing countries is discussed. National examples are UNISA, Vista University and SACTE. The provincial institutions discussed are the former SCE, NCE, UCFE and the newly formed SACOL. General and specific recommendations for the provision of DE programmes for the upgrading and improvement of the qualifications of teachers in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal are adumbrated. By way of conclusion, it is iterated that the provision of DE for the upgrading and improvement of the qualifications of teachers is irrefragably xxvii the quintessential factor in the new generation of teacher education and a pivotal element for INSET. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The major goal of the Bachelor of Adult Education degree is to equip officers with the prerequisite skills, knowledge and attitudes to design and deliver programmed instruction to different categories of learners as well as to equip them with skills to conduct research in the field of adult education practice. The present study undertakes to investigate the reasons for lack of patronage for the adult education degree at Zimbabwe Staff College (ZSC) by exploring the quality of the adult education degree programme in terms of its effectiveness, relevance, value and its ability to enhance the quality of life. An adult education degree programme should reflect the sociocultural realities and experiences of adult learners. Participatory approaches should inform the development and implementation of curriculum. The aim of the study is to inform decisionmaking aimed at programme improvement. Effectiveness entails adequacy and appropriateness of teaching methods and support services. Relevance is ensured by considering the policy framework, curriculum provision, learners‟ needs and non–participation in the programme. Value constitutes the ability to improve the economic, professional, social and political aspects of life. Using the qualitative case study design, seven students and two administrators were selected using purposeful sampling, which is informed by the non-probability theory of sampling, to participate in individual and focus group interviews, which were subsequently conducted and generated data for analysis. Available relevant documents were analysed. The major finding revealed that a lack of recognition of the adult education programme by superiors at ZSC was the major obstacle to participation. Lack of recognition was found to be attributable to the absence of any national lifelong learning policy, ZSC policy framework, institutional structural conditions, and non–participatory curriculum development process and also to other associated barriers. The non-existence of the national and local policies on adult education was found to be negatively affecting not only participation but also the quality of the content provision because a lifelong learning policy framework is supposed to be informing design and practice. Recommendations focus on revision of the policy framework and the way the policies are implemented at national and local levels. A review of the implementation of policy is imperative if the restrictions responsible for the invisibility of adult education in the country and adult education programmes at ZCS are to be removed. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

This thesis presents concept maps as an alternative tool for learning of adult university students. The theoretical part explains the changes in the ability to learn of these adult students. The thesis presents basic information about concept maps and describes specific examples for their use by university students. I describe the advantages and disadvantages which bring them this information recording graphical tool. The empirical part combines all topics of the theoretical part. Qualitative research presents the subjective views of adult university students on changes in their ability to learn. They try to create concept map and then they give their subjective views on this tool and their previous experience with it.