A substantial number of research articles have been published on postgraduate (doctoral and masters) studies, locally and internationally. Whilst most of these articles address issues of research supervision, some are seen to be concerned with issues of postgraduate retention and throughput as aspects of focus and debate on Higher Education Institutions. This research study was conducted with the aim of analysing students' experiences of researching for a masters dissertation. Seven masters students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa participated in this study. Using a qualitative case study approach within the interpretive paradigm, the researcher sought to answer the two critical questions: 1) what are students‟ experiences of producing a masters dissertation? 2) How are masters students supported through the process of research? The theory of experiential learning was used as a framework for this study. This theoretical framework assumes that people learn new knowledge by consciously reflecting upon their existing and newly constructed knowledge. The literature reviewed as the point of departure for this study was based on two major issues, namely: students‟ issues as well as supervision issues since these are the areas that have been widely researched concerning postgraduates. Issues of trustworthiness and credibility were taken care of and are explained in chapter 3, as well as ethical considerations for the participants. Based on the collected data, eight themes were created and data analysed accordingly. From the analysed data four major insights emerged relating to individuality of research; self-direction in learning; students‟ previous experience; and challenges of research. The findings suggest that research supervision is the major contributory factor to the students' progress with their research. Therefore, greater efforts on the supervisors part in terms of creating an enabling environment for students to successfully conduct or complete their research studies seems to be a necessity. Hence, one of this study's recommendations is that the institution or the specialization should consider introducing group supervision to minimize the privatized nature of supervision. A proper working plan needs to be in place to ensure that postgraduates are adequately supervised in the manner that will encourage them into becoming successful researchers. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

Globalization has had an impact on higher education in South Africa. There is a growing emphasis on public accountability. Consequently there is a rise in quality assurance interventions like the national review of the M.Ed programme. Sometimes these quality assurance interventions are perceived as infringing on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. In this research report, I examine how academics at the University of X (UX), experience the relationship which is emerging by current policy in higher education between ―academic freedom‖, ―institutional autonomy‖ and ―public accountability‖. This research report followed a case study design that used a qualitative approach. I used a phenomenological research methodology with specifically semi-structured interviews to understand the phenomenon of the review and to ascertain academics‘ and managers‘ perceptions thereof. I used non-probability purposive sampling to interview seven academics and five management staff. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The findings were analysed and separated into three themes, viz. the value of the national review process; management versus teaching and learning as areas of focus with the review; and the programme review methodology. The staff found the review to be useful because of the programme focus of the review. It was most useful for management of the programme and for developing collegiality in the sector. Whilst the review criteria tended to focus on management instead of teaching and learning, some participants were comfortable with the review exploring their teaching and learning via direct classroom observations. There was a wide spectrum of views on what makes a good programme, with some participants believing that both teaching and learning and management are important for a successful programme. There are pros and cons to the national M.Ed review methodology. The commendations can be summed up as being fair, using standard programme review methodologies. The criticisms of the methodology includes criticism of the process as being archival, concern over the panel selection, dissatisfaction at the panel‘s report and criticism that the criteria are checklist and that institutions need to go beyond them in order to achieve excellence.

This dissertation examines the knowledge and knower practices in the Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) coursework programmes at South African public universities. This study was prompted by my growing awareness of problems and tensions in the field of ELM generally, and at the level of programme design of the M Ed degree in particular. Many of these had been identified by a national audit of coursework M Eds in ELM (CHE, 2010), and this study sought to find a way of theorising these with a view to improving both course design and teaching. To this end I employed Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) which enables critical engagement with knowledge and knowers in programmes, how they are positioned, and how this positioning may be problematic. Hence my first research question sought to discover and critique what counted as knowledge in these programmes and why, while the second asked how knowers were positioned, and why this had come to be the case. LCT has its roots in the work of Bernstein and Maton, whose preoccupation with curriculum was/is driven by a sense of social justice: if we can understand how and why the curriculum is organised and presented in a particular way, it becomes possible to re-imagine teaching and learning, making it accessible to a broader, more inclusive body of learners. The study also drew on critical realism as an underlabourer. This philosophy provided a nuanced understanding of ontology, encouraging and enabling me, as researcher, to unearth causal mechanisms driving the status quo. Only seven South African universities currently offer the coursework option of a Master’s degree in ELM, compared to thirteen when the audit was conducted in 2010. Six of the universities agreed to take part in the study. Data was gathered through content analysis of the six course outlines and interviews with individual co-ordinators or academics centrally involved in the programmes. Through the development of a translation device I was able to establishing that a knower code was dominant in the programmes. Using this point as my departure, I interrogated the knowledge practices and found that different types of knowledge were being privileged across the programmes, with some having a practical/professional leaning and others a more academic/theoretical orientation. The resultant tension does, I argue, restrict knowledge building and helps to account for the fact that the field is generally considered to be under-theorised. The fact all of these programme are registered with the same national qualifications authority, ostensibly following the same national guidelines for Master’s degrees is worrying. The study attempts to find underlying, historically significant reasons for this unevenness. An analysis of the programmes revealed a leaning towards supportive pedagogical approaches. While all programmes promote a cultivated gaze their purposes are not always the same. While a hegemonic practices potential for opening counts as knowledge, cultivated gaze can enable transformation, it can also encourage that can impede real change and empowerment. The study has the up much needed debate on what is meant by a Master’s in ELM, what and what kinds of knower are envisaged.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-04-24T12:28:23Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Andréa Afonso Sigalla.pdf: 1991431 bytes, checksum: 4de1b944bf0af8da4869356fab76208b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-24T12:28:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Andréa Afonso Sigalla.pdf: 1991431 bytes, checksum: 4de1b944bf0af8da4869356fab76208b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research, of a qualitative approach, had as a general objective to analyze the practice of peer tutoring performed in the Professional Master´s degree in Education: Education of Educators (Formação de Formadores - Formep), at the university PUC-SP, based on the perceptions of its participants, tutors and tutees of the Program. The specific objectives were: (1) to investigate whether this tutoring shows characteristics of a space not only collective, but also collaborative to work and education; (2) to identify the possible contributions of this practice to the research participants and (3) to identify the weaknesses of the tutorial and (4) to make suggestions for its improvement. The defended thesis is that the practice of peer tutoring at Formep is characterized as a collective-collaborative space of work and education, mutual learnings generator (of concepts, skills, relationships and attitudes), which can contribute to the academic and professional trajectories of the subjects involved, whoever they are; tutors and tutees of the Program, in the interactions which they establish among themselves. The theoretical foundation of the research is based on studies on adult learning (PLACCO; SOUZA, 2006); peer learning (DURAN; VIDAL, 2007; FRISON, 2012); collective-collaborative work (BOAVIDA; PONTE, 2002; FIORENTINI, 2004, FORTE, 2009; IMBERNÓN, 2009); fundamental learnings in life and work (DELORS et al., 2006); mediation, social interaction and zone of imminent development (ZID) (VIGOTSKI, 2007, 2009). The research had the participation of 30 subjects, being 13 tutors and 17 tutees, whose data were produced in discussion groups and in interviews. Data analysis was inspired by the Prose Analysis approach (ANDRÉ, 1983) and gave rise to seven analytical categories. Among the main discoveries, the following are highlighted: (1) the collective-collaborative aspect of the practice of academic tutoring at Formep; (2) the contributions of the tutoring, together with the academic monitoring, for the education of researchers, university teachers and supervisors of academic researches, in the case of tutors; (3) the contributions of the tutoring to the development of necessary skills in the post-graduation courses, such as defining a research topic, searching information in databases, preparing a bibliographic review, producing and reading academic texts, in the case of tutees; (4) the importance of interaction with advanced peers to enhance the reflexive and metacognitive capacities of tutors and tutees; (5) the importance of dialogue, negotiation and sharing of ideas, doubts and difficulties in education processes, in higher education. The analysis of the data allows us to affirm that the objectives of the research were reached and that the thesis defended was confirmed / Esta pesquisa, de abordagem qualitativa, teve como objetivo geral analisar a prática de tutoria acadêmica entre pares realizada no Mestrado Profissional em Educação: Formação de Formadores (Formep), da PUC-SP, a partir das percepções de seus participantes, tutores e tutorados do Programa. Os objetivos específicos foram: (1) investigar se a referida tutoria apresenta características de um espaço não apenas coletivo, mas também colaborativo de trabalho e formação; (2) identificar as possíveis contribuições dessa prática aos participantes da pesquisa e (3) identificar os pontos frágeis da tutoria e (4) apresentar sugestões para seu aprimoramento. A tese defendida é de que a prática de tutoria acadêmica entre pares realizada no Formep caracteriza-se como um espaço coletivo-colaborativo de trabalho e formação, gerador de aprendizagens mútuas (de conceitos, habilidades, relações e atitudes), que pode contribuir com as trajetórias acadêmica e profissional dos sujeitos envolvidos, quais sejam, tutores e tutorados do Programa, nas interações que eles estabelecem entre si. A fundamentação teórica da pesquisa está pautada em estudos sobre: aprendizagem do adulto (PLACCO; SOUZA, 2006); aprendizagem entre iguais (DURAN; VIDAL, 2007; FRISON, 2012); trabalho coletivo-colaborativo (BOAVIDA; PONTE, 2002; FIORENTINI, 2004; FORTE, 2009; IMBERNÓN, 2009); aprendizagens fundamentais na vida e na atuação profissional (DELORS et al., 2006); mediação, interação social e zona de desenvolvimento iminente (ZDI) (VIGOTSKI, 2007, 2009). A pesquisa contou com a participação de 30 sujeitos, sendo 13 tutores e 17 tutorados, cujos dados foram produzidos em grupos de discussão e entrevistas. A análise dos dados foi inspirada na abordagem Análise de Prosa (ANDRÉ, 1983) e deu origem a sete categorias analíticas. Dentre os principais achados, destacam-se: (1) o caráter coletivo-colaborativo da prática de tutoria acadêmica realizada no Formep; (2) as contribuições da tutoria, em conjunto com a monitoria, para a formação de pesquisadores, docentes universitários e orientadores de trabalhos acadêmicos, no caso dos tutores; (3) as contribuições da tutoria para o desenvolvimento de habilidades necessárias na pós-graduação, tais como delimitar um tema de pesquisa, buscar informações em bancos de dados, elaborar uma revisão bibliográfica, produzir e ler textos acadêmicos, no caso dos tutorados; (4) a importância da interação com pares avançados para a potencialização das capacidades reflexiva e metacognitiva de tutores e tutorados; (5) a importância do diálogo, da negociação e do compartilhamento de ideias, dúvidas e dificuldades em processos formativos, no ensino superior. A análise dos dados permite-nos afirmar que os objetivos da pesquisa foram alcançados e que a tese defendida foi confirmada