Abstracts in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / The worldwide growth of open distance and e-Learning cannot be denied, nor can it remain unnoticed. In the South African setting, which is the focus of this study, the increasingly high demand for higher education has also led to the development of distance education. However, the throughput rate for this mode of education has been consistently unimpressive for over a decade and this has led to high dropout rates. There is cause for concern regarding how best to assist students and improve throughput. Therefore, this research has focused on identifying strategies that can be incorporated to support sustained learning in South African ODeL. It considers issues such as the social inequalities, previous disadvantages, and ICT affordances that characterise South African ODeL students. This research took a qualitative research approach, using a case study that was conducted as a dissertation of limited scope. The aim was to unveil the best approaches that could be incorporated in South African ODeL in order to support sustained learning. The study attempted to understand such strategies, based on students' perceptions and reflections on their experiences while studying first-level modules in distance education. The case for this research study was the University of South Africa (UNISA), where eight student participants were interviewed, using semi-structured interviews to collect data. The findings of this study revealed that there are some readily available resources that the institution and instructors can use to promote sustained learning and improve student throughput. This research recommends frequent student surveys to discover student needs and the challenges that they experience. It also recommends improved communication with students, provision of financial aid, development of open educational resources (OERs), ensuring rapid delivery of study material, and the use of different methods of delivering learning content. It is important to note that the findings of this dissertation are of limited scope and cannot be generalised to the issues affecting the majority of South African ODeL students – this because the study was carried out at one institution and involved just one module and eight participants. However, these findings have the potential to enlighten ODeL stakeholders as to matters affecting some of their students. The findings could also provide valuable information for future large-scale research. / Ukudlondlobala kohlelo kohlelo lwemfundo evulekile nokufunda kude kanye nohlelo lwe-inthanethi akunakuphikiswa, futhi angeke kwathathwa sengathi akunakiwe. Ngokwesizinda seNingizimu Afrika, esiyindikimba yalolu cwaningo, izinga elikhulayo lokufuneka kwemfundo ephakeme nakho sekuholele ekukhuleni kwemfundo yokufunda ukude.Yize-kunjalo, izinga legalelo lalolu hlelo lwemfundo kudala lubonakala lungeluhle esikhathini esingaphezu kweminyaka eyishumi kanti lokhu sekuholele ekutheni kwehle izinga labafundi abayeka ukufunda. Kunomnako mayelana nendlela nokuthi abafundi bangancedwa kangcono kangakanani ukuze bathuthukise izinga labo lokusebenza. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo selugxile ekutholeni amasu lawo angasetshenziswa ukuxhasa imfundo esimelele ohlelweni lwe-ODeL lwaseNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu kufaka izindaba ezinjengokungalingani komphakathi, ukuncishwa kwamathuba esikhathini esedlule, kanye nokwazi ukukhokhela uhlelo lwe-ICT okuwuhlelo oluyinsika kubafundi bohlelo lwe-ODeL eNingizimu Afrika. Lolu cwaningo lulandele indlela yocwaningo eyencike kwizinga lengxoxo (qualitative), ngokusebenzisa ucwaningo lotho olwenziwa njengedezetheshini enobukhulu obunqunyiwe. Inhloso kwaye kuwukuveza izindlela ezingcono ebezingafakwa kwi-ODeL yaseNingizimu Afrika, ukuxhasa imfundo imfundo esimelele. Ucwaningo beluzama ukuzwisisa amasu anjalo, asuselwa phezu kwemiqondo yabafundi kanye nokubheka ulwazi lwabo kube ngakolunye uhlangothi bafunda omojuli besigaba sokuqala sohlelo lwemfundo yokufunda kude. Ucwaningo lotho lwalesi sifundo lwenziwa eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika (UNISA), lapho abafundi abayisishiyagalombili befakwa imibuzo yenhlolovo, ngokusebenzisa inhlolovo yesakhiwo sikanxambili ngenhloso yokuqoqa idatha. Ulwazi olutholwe yilolu cwaningo luye lwaveza ukuthi kunemithombo elungisiwe esesimeni esifanele engasetshenziswa yiziko kanye nabayaleli ukuthuthukisa uhlelo lokufunda olusimelele kanye nokuthuthukisa umsebenzi wabafundi. Lolu cwaningo luncoma amasaveyi enziwa njalo abafundi ukubona izidingo zabafundi kanye nezinselelo abafundi abahlangabezana nazo. Ucwaningo luphinda futhi luncoma uhlelo oluhle lokuxhumana nabafundi, ukuhlinzekwa ngosizo lwezimali, ukuthuthukiswa kwemithombo yemfundo evulekile (OER), ukuqinisekisa kohlelo olusheshayo lokuhlinzekwa. ngomatheriyeli wokufunda, kanye nokusebenzisa izindlela ezahlukene zokwethula indikimba yokufundwayo. Kubalulekile ukukhumbula ukuthi ulwazi olufunyenwe lwedizetheshini wulwazi oluncane olubekelwe imingcele kanti lolu lwazi angeke lwafaniswa nodaba oluthinta iningi labafundi base-ODeL yaseNingizimu Afrika – lokhu kungenxa yokuthi ucwaningo lwenziwa kwiziko elilodwa futhi lwaxuba umojuli owodwa kanye nabadlalindima abayisishiyagalombili. Yize-kunjalo, lolu lwazi olutholakele lunethuba lokukhanyisela abasebenzisani njengezinto ezithinta abanye babafundi. Ulwazi olutholakele belunganikeza ulwazi olusemqoka mayelana nocwaningo olubanzi olungenziwa esikhathini esizayo. / Wêreldwyd het oopafstand- en e-leer groei ervaar wat nie ontken kan word of ongesiens kan bly nie. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, wat die fokus van hierdie studie is, het die toenemende vraag na hoër onderwys ook tot die ontwikkeling van afstandsonderrig gelei. Die slaagsyfer vir hierdie vorm van onderrig is egter al vir langer as ʼn dekade deurlopend onindrukwekkend, en dit het tot hoë uitsaksyfers gelei. Daar is rede tot kommer rakende die beste maniere om studente by te staan en die slaagsyfer te verbeter. Die fokus van hierdie navorsing was daarom op die identifisering van strategieë wat geïnkorporeer kan word om volgehoue leer in Suid-Afrikaanse oopafstand- en e-leer te ondersteun. Die volgende kwessies is ondersoek: die sosiale ongelykhede, benadeling in die verlede, en IKT-status wat met Suid-Afrikaanse oopafstand- en e-leer-studente geassosieer word. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg; ʼn gevallestudie wat uitgevoer is, is in die verhandeling van beperkte omvang gebruik. Die doel was om die beste benaderings te bepaal wat in Suid-Afrikaanse oopafstand- en e-leer geïnkorporeer kan word om volgehoue leer te ondersteun. Tydens die studie is daar gepoog om sodanige strategieë te verstaan op grond van studente se persepsies en hul refleksie op hul ervarings terwyl hulle eerstejaarmodules deur afstandonderrig studeer het. Die geval wat in hierdie navorsing bestudeer is, is dié van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (Unisa), waar daar semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met agt studentedeelnemers gevoer is om data in te samel. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het getoon dat daar geredelik beskikbare hulpbronne is wat deur die instelling en die onderriggewers ingespan kan word om volgehoue leer te bevorder en die studente se slaagsyfers te verbeter. Op grond van hierdie navorsing word aanbeveel dat opnames gereeld onder studente gemaak word om hulle behoeftes en uitdagings te bepaal. Verdere aanbevelings sluit in verbeterde kommunikasie met studente, voorsiening van finansiële steun, ontwikkeling van oop opvoedkundige hulpbronne, versekering van spoedige lewering van studiemateriaal, en die gebruik van verskillende metodes om leerinhoud te lewer. Dit is belangrik om te besef dat die bevindinge van hierdie verhandeling beperk in omvang is en nie veralgemeen kan word om die kwessies in te sluit wat die meerderheid van Suid-Afrikaanse oopafstand- en e-leer-studente raak nie – aangesien die studie by een instelling uitgevoer is en slegs een module en agt deelnemers behels het. Hierdie bevindinge het egter die potensiaal om vir oopafstand- en e-leer-belanghebbers lig te werp op kwessies wat sommige van hul studente raak. Die bevindinge kan ook waardevolle inligting vir toekomstige grootskaalse navorsing oplewer. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Open Distance Learning)

This study explored academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics at an OpenDistance Learning (ODL) institution in South Africa (SA), with the intention of discovering the way in which human resource management (HRM) practitioners, employed at the same institution, can support academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics. The study’s purpose was to develop a conceptual framework for HRM practitioners to support academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics, at an ODL institution in SA.For this qualitative study, an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was followed. Data were collected from 13 purposively selected academic researchers, employed at an ODL institution, by means of semi-structured individual interviews, naive sketches and fieldnotes. The IPA approach offers an analysis method that was accordingly employed. Thereafter, the findings were interpreted with the Job-Demands Resource (JD-R) theory.These interpretations were used to construct the conceptual framework according to the organising principles of Dickhoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968) Academic researchers have some resources to support engagement in research ethics, but also face several job demands, which has a negative influence on their ability to engage in research ethics. HRM practitioners have a critical role to fulfil to support academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics, by facilitating a work environment where job resources are readily available. In addition, the ODL institution must be well-balanced, successful, and endorse a culture of ethics within its organisational culture, for academic researchers to engage in research ethics. HRM practitioners have an essential role to endorse a culture of ethics within the ODL institution. The findings will benefit both academic researchers and the ODL institution. The support that HRM practitioners provide, should include, inter alia, a) enabling an engaging leadership style, b) ensuring that ethical values are embedded in the recruitment strategy, and c) revising the performance agreements and performance appraisals of academic employees to include research ethics. This study forms part of a limited pool of qualitative studies to investigate WE, using the JD-R theory as a theoretical framework. This study is furthermore a forerunner in exploring the role that HRM practitioners can play in supporting academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics. It is the first study to use the IPA approach in the field of Management Sciences to investigate WE with the JD-R theory as a theory of engagement. By using the organising principles of Dickoff et al. (1968), for conceptual framework development to explain WE according to the JD-R theory, a seminal contribution was made. / Hierdie studie ondersoek akademiese navorsers se verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek by ’n oopafstandleerinstelling (ODL institution) in Suid-Afrika met die voorneme om ’n manier te vind waarop nslikehulpbronbestuurspraktisyns (MHB-praktisyns) wat by dieselfde instelling werksaam is, akademiese navorsers se verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek kan ondersteun. Die studie se oogmerk was om ’n konseptuele raamwerk vir MHB-praktisyns te ontwikkel om akademiese navorsers se verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek by ’n pafstandleerinstelling te ondersteun. Vir hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is ’n Interpreterende Fenomenologiese Ontledingsbenadering (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [IPA] approach) gevolg. Data is by 13 doelbewusgeselekteerde akademiese navorsers, werksaam by ’n oopafstandleerinstelling, ingesamel deur middel van migestruktureerde- individuele onderhoude, naïewe sketse en veldnotas. Die Interpreterende Fenomenologiese Ontledingsbenadering bied ’n ntledingsmetode wat dienooreenkomstig gebruik is. Hierna is die bevindings met die werk- vereistes-hulpbronneteorie (job-demands resource [JD-R] theory) geïnterpreteer. Hierdie interpretasies is gebruik om die konseptuele raamwerk te ontwikkel volgens die organiseringsbeginsels van Dickhoff, James en Wiedenbach (1968). Akademiese navorsers beskik oor ’n paar hulpbronne wat ’n verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek ondersteun, maar word ook met verskeie werkseise gekonfronteer wat ’n negatiewe invloed op hulle vermoë om hul tot navorsingsetiek te verbind, kan hê. MHB-praktisyns speel ’n kritiese rol om akademiese navorsers te ondersteun ten opsigte van hul verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek deur ’n werksomgewing te fasiliteer waar werkshulpbronne geredelik beskikbaar is. Verder moet die oopafstandleerinstelling ‘n gebalanseerde etiese organisasiekultuur onderskryf om akademiese navorsers te help om hulle te verbind tot etiese navorsing. MHB-praktisyns speel ’n noodsaaklike rol om ’n etiese kultuur binne die ODL- instelling te ondersteun. Akademiese navorsers, sowel as die oopafstandleerinstelling, sal baat vind by die bevindinge. Die ondersteuning wat MHB-praktisyns bied, behoort onder meer die volgende in te sluit: a) om ’n werksbegeesterde leierskapstyl moontlik te maak; b) om te verseker dat etiese waardes by die werwingstrategie ingesluit is; en c) om die prestasie-ooreenkomste en prestasiebeoordelings van akademiese personeel te hersien om navorsingsetiek in te sluit. / Lolu cwaningo lwacubungula ukulandela nokusebenzisa kwabacwaningi inkambiso yocwaningo enhle nelungileyo esikhungweni seMfundo-buqama Evulelekile (ODL), phecelezi, i-Open Distance Learning institution eNingizimu Afrika (SA), ngenhloso yokuthola indlela engasetshenziswa ngabasebenzi abangongoti bezokuphathwa kwabasebenzi (HRM), abaqashwe esikhungweni leso, ukweseka ukulandela nokusebenzisa kwabacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme inkambiso yocwaningo enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwabe kuwukwakha okuthuthukisa uhlaka-kuhlaziya lokuqonda olwenzelwe abasebenzi be-HRM ekusekeleni abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ukuze bakwazi ukulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo esikhungweni esiyi-ODL eNingizimu Afrika. Kulolu cwaningo olwabe luwucwaningo olugxile ekuxoxisaneni okunzulu futhi okunohlonze nababambiqhaza bocwaningo bakhethiweyo abayingcosana (qualitative research) kwalandelwa indlela-kuhlaziya egxile kwisimo-kuqonda sombambiqhaza ocwaningo, phecelezi i-Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Imininingo yocwaningo yaqoqwa kubacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme abayi-13 abakhethwe ngenhloso, kusetshenziswa indlela-kuxoxisana engagcini nje kuphela ohlwini lwemibuzo ehlelekile, kepha elandelisa nangeminye imibuzo evulekile, phecelezi ama-semi-structured individual interviews, nemidwebo elula kanye namanothi athathwe endaweni okwenzelwa kuyona ucwaningo. Indlela-kuhlaziya i-IPA ihlinzeka ngendlela yokuhlaziya okuyiyona eyasetshenziswa ocwaningweni. Emuva kwalokho imiphumela eyatholakala ocwaningweni yahunyushwa kusetshenziswa ithiyori i-Job-Demands Resource (JD-R) theory. Ngokusho kuka-Dickhoff, James no-Wiedenbach (1968) lezi zihumusho zabe sezisetshenziselwa ukwakha uhlaka-kuhlaziya lokuqonda. Abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme banazo izinsiza-kusebenza zokulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso yocwaningo enhle nelungileyo, kodwa-ke zikhona futhi nezingcindezi-zidingo zomsebenzi eziningana ezinomthelela ongemuhle emandleni abo okulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Abasebenzi be-HRM banendima esemqoka kakhulu okumele bayidlale ekwesekeni abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ekulandeleni nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo, ngokuthi bakhe isimo sokusebenzela lapho ziyinala futhi zitholakala kalula izinsiza-kusebenza. Ngaphezu kwalokho isikhungo esiyi-ODL kumele kube ngesizinzile nesihleleke kahle, esiphumelelayo futhi eseseka usiko-mpilo lwenkambiso enhle nelungileyo ngaphakathi kusiko-mpilo lwaso njengenhlangano, ukuze abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme bakwazi ukulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Abasebenzi be-HRM banendima esemqoka okumele bayidlale ekwesekeni usikompilo lwenkambiso enhle nelungileyo ngaphakathi esikhungweni esiyi-ODL. Imiphumela etholakale ocwaningweni izohlomulila abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme iphinde futhi ihlomulise nezikhungo eziyi-ODL. Ukwesekwa okuhlinzekwa ngabasebenzi be-HRM kumele kubandakanye, phakathi kokunye, a) ukwakhiwa kwesitayela sobuholi senzebenziswano, ubambiswano nokubonisana b) kuqinisekisa ukuthi izimo-mpilo zenkambiso enhle nelungileyo ziyisisekelo seqhingasu lokuqashwa kwabasebenzi, kanye c) nokubuyekezwa kwezivumelwano zensebenzo kanye nokuhlolwa nokubuyekezwa komsebenzi wabasebenzi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ukuze kubandakanywe inkambiso enhle nelungileyo. Lolu cwaningo luyingxenye yeqoqwana elincane lomsebenzi osuwenziwe kuze kube manje wocwaningo olugxile ekuxoxisaneni okunzulu futhi okunohlonze nababambiqhaza bocwaningo abakhethiweyo abayingcosana okuhloswe ngalo ukuphenya nokucwaninga i-WE, kusetshenziswa ithiyori i-JD-R njengohlaka lwethiyori yocwaningo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo luyivulandlela ekucubunguleni indima engadlalwa ngabasebenzi be-HRM ekwesekeni ukulandela nokusebenzisa kwabacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Lolu wucwaningo lokuqala olusebenzisa indlela-kuhlaziya i-IPA emkhakheni wamaSayensi Ezokuphatha ngenhloso yokuphenya nokuhlola i-WE kusetshenziswa ithiyori i-JD-R njengethiyori yokucubungula umsebenzi wocwaningo. Kwaba negalelo elikhulukazi impela ukusetshenziswa kwemigomo yokuhlela ka- Dickoff nabanye (1968), ekwakheni nokuthuthukisa uhlaka-kuhlaziya lokuqonda ngenhloso yokuchaza i-WE ngokuhambisana nethiyori i-JD-R / Human Resource Management / D. Phil. (Human Resource Management)