No description available.

Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Met lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Engels.

No description available.

Proefschrift Rijksuniversiteit Limburg. / Auteursnaam op omslag: Jos Moust. Summary in English. Proefschr. Maastricht. Met lit.opg. - Met samenvatting in het Engels.

D.Phil. (Education) / Transformation policies in South Africa have seen higher education come under increasing pressure to broaden participation of historically under-represented groups. Recently, student enrolments have become increasingly diverse in terms of cultural, socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds, as well as the levels of preparedness that students have for traditional higher education programmes. This places new and challenging teaching demands on lecturers and peer tutors. Whilst peer tutors may find themselves in an ever increasing teaching role, so might those who are responsible for guiding and developing them. This research focuses on offering holistic support to junior lecturers, via mentorship, who have the responsibility of developing and advising student tutors, so that they are able to engage in sound pedagogical practice. The purpose of this study is to investigate the responses to a mentorship programme designed to assist junior lecturers to develop tutors at The University of Johannesburg. These junior lecturers are referred to as tutor coordinators. The research aims to identity what kind of identity shifts, if any, the tutor coordinators experienced as a result of the mentorship programme. It also aims to understand how tutor coordinators engaged with collaborative mentorship and to what extent the mentorship programme influences pedagogy. Several theoretical perspectives have informed the research. These include ideas on collaborative mentorship and interdependence as well as reflective practice, as a tool for professional development in combination with insights from post structuralist theory on discourse, social organisation, power and in particular, identity. The study is framed by the understanding that the research participants construct multiple identities rather than report on an existing identity, and that identity is linked to power relations in a particular context. Broadly this research is a qualitative study. More specifically, it uses emancipatory action research as the research design. This is because the participants were provided with an opportunity to critically engage with their own practice via self-reflection and the recursive relationship offered by the mentorship programme. Questionnaires, observations and interviewing were used to collect the data. Interviews gave in-depth insight into participant subject positions and responses to the mentorship programme. Initially, the data was analysed thematically, using global analysis. Once the themes had been extracted, CDA (critical discourse analysis) was used to allow for a social analysis of language. The findings suggest that the research participants’ experiences in the role of tutor coordinator, shaped their identities in different ways and that in several cases they experienced considerable fragmentation of identity. This fragmentation is evident in the multifaceted and differentiated responses to various features of the mentorship programme. In addition, in some cases notable pedagogical shifts were made and personal sites of development were positively facilitated. This research brings to the fore issues that could determine professional staff development programmes as it considers South African academic identities framed by their current professional and educational challenges.

Research indicates that too often the newest teachers do not receive the support and development they need to serve their students well, especially in the hardest-to-staff schools in the highest poverty communities. The purpose of this modified case study was to examine the perceptions of whether, what, and how early career teachers learned from their peer mentoring experience, seeking to illuminate their voices. The following data collection methods were utilized to achieve triangulation: (a) initial one-on-one in-depth interviews to gauge participant perspectives and a second interview to explore further areas of interest after analysis of the first interview, (b) teacher evaluation report to determine the alignment between written supervisory feedback and peer mentoring support, (c) An examination of public documents for each school, with a specific focus on the school’s climate and culture and learning environment. Participants included 10 early career teachers in a 3K-12 public school district in New York City, who were in their first to fourth year of teaching. Results indicated that beginning teachers perceived that they learned strategies, techniques, and instructional methods from their mentors; however, they lacked information to help them navigate the technical aspects of their jobs. Future studies should explore how to leverage all stakeholders within a school community to support the transition of early career teachers into the profession.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the potential reciprocal growth in undergraduate peer-mentoring relationships in the context of a formal peer-mentoring programme at a first-year university residence from a dyadic relational perspective. The investigation adopted a case study research design to study four dyads from a relational point of view within the context of a formal peer-mentoring programme at a university residence. The study used purposive selection procedures to identify actively participating dyads that could contribute to providing a rich description of the research problem. The study was premised on the assumption that, as a reciprocal relationship, peer mentoring is an effective means of facilitating the transition from school to university, and that universities have a joint responsibility in this regard. At the end of the mentorship year, a semi-structured, in-depth interview covering both the psychosocial and academic issues related to their experiences was conducted from a relational perspective with each of the four dyads to harvest their perceptions and lived experiences as participants. Finally, the interviews were processed and subjected to monadic as well as dyadic analysis to develop an understanding of the internal dynamics of each mentoring dyad. The study addressed a number of lacunae, such as the paucity of theoretically underpinned research and mentoring theories in student-peer mentoring, by introducing into peer-mentoring research the triple theoretical framework of social constructionism (constructing meaning by acknowledging the value of a sense of social interdependence as opposed to individual independence), relational theory (acknowledging the reciprocal nature of the mentoring relationship rather than focussing on the single perspective of the mentor or mentee), and the principles of Ubuntu (an African cultural belief system stressing the value of relational interdependence for existence, the importance of family and extended family support, and spirituality). In exploring the theoretical challenges endemic in peer-mentoring research, the study examined role-model theory, attribution theory, attachment theory, and involvement and social integration theories to abstract and highlight elements pertinent to the field of peer-mentoring research. In addition, the study developed a multi-perspective development process for the selection of theories; a theoretical framework for the analysis and interpretation of the data using the computer program ATLAS.ti., as well as a dyadic process for analysing mentoring dyads both from a monadic and dyadic perspective. Finally, the study recontextualised and expanded the meaning of key concepts culled from the literature for use in future peer-mentorship research. Given the rich perspective this study provided on the reciprocal nature and dynamics of peer mentorship on the theoretical, conceptual and practical levels, the research has made a contribution to raising awareness of this crucial field, which could stem the relentless tide of costly attrition. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie verken die potensiële wedersydse groei in voorgraadse portuurgroepverhoudinge in die konteks van formele portuurgroep-mentorprogramme by ʼn eerstejaar-universiteitskoshuis vanuit ‘n diadiese perspektief. Die ondersoek maak gebruik van gevallestudie as navorsingsontwerp om vier diades binne die konteks van ‘n formele portuurgroep-mentorprogram by ‘n enkele universiteitskoshuis vanuit ‘n verhoudingsperspektief te bestudeer. Daar is van doelgerigte seleksie gebruik gemaak om aktiefdeelnemende diades te identifiseer wat ‘n deeglike beskrywing van die navorsingsprobleem kon lewer. Die studie gaan van die veronderstelling uit dat portuurgroepondersteuning as ‘n wedersydse verhouding ‘n effektiewe manier is om die oorgang van die skool na universiteit te fasiliteer en dat universiteite ‘n gesamentlike verantwoordelikheid het in dié verband. Aan die einde van die mentorskapjaar is ‘n semi-gestruktureerde in-diepte onderhoud wat sowel die psigososiale en akademiese aspekte wat verband hou met hulle ervarings gedek het, vanuit ‘n verhoudingsperspektief met elkeen van die vier diades gevoer om hulle persepsies en belewings op te teken. Uiteindelik is die onderhoude geprosesseer en onderwerp aan sowel monadiese- as diadiese analise om ‘n begrip te ontwikkel van die interne dinamika van elke mentorpaar. Die studie het ‘n aantal leemtes probeer beredder soos die gebrek aan teoreties gefundeerde navorsing en mentorteorieë ten opsigte van portuurgroepondersteuning deur ‘n drievoudige teoretiese raamwerk van sosiale konstruksionisme (om betekenis te konstrueer deur die waarde van ’n sin van sosiale interafhankliheid eerder as individuele onafhanklikheid te erken), relasionele teorie (die erkenning van die wedersydse aard van die mentorverhouding eerder as om op die enkelperspektief van die mentor of persoon wat gementor word te fokus) en die beginsels van Ubuntu (’n kulturele geloofsisteem wat klem lê op verhoudingsinterafhanklikheid vir bestaan, die belangrikheid van familie en uitgebreide familie-ondersteuning en spiritualiteit) aan te wend. In ‘n poging om die teoretiese uitdagings endemies aan die navorsing van portuurmentorskap te beskryf, het die studie rolmodelteorie, gehegtheidsteorie en betrokkenheid- en sosiale integrasieteorieë ondersoek om die elemente eie aan die veld van portuurgroepondersteuning te abstraheer en te belig. Daarby het die studie ’n multiperspektief-ontwikkelingsproses daargestel vir die seleksie van teorieë; ’n teoretiese raamwerk vir die singewingsproses van datahantering deur die rekenaarprogram ATLAS.t.i., sowel as ’n diadiese proses vir die analisering van mentordiades vanuit sowel ’n monadiese- as diadiese perspektief. Laastens het die studie die betekenis van sleutelkonsepte wat in die literatuur voorkom, gerekontekstualiseer en verbreed vir gebruik in toekomstige navorsing oor portuurmentorskap. Gegewe die ryk perspektief wat hierdie studie verskaf op die wedersyde aard en dinamika van portuurmentorskap op teoretiese, konseptuele en praktiese vlakke, het dit ‘n bydrae gemaak tot ’n verhoogde bewustheid van hierdie baie belangrike veld en sal moontlik in die toekoms die groot uitvalsyfer onder studente kan teëwerk.

This study describes the conversations that emerged during structured and unstructured peer response sessions in a basic writing classroom. The evidence suggests that the students were more likely to discuss both global and local issues in their writing when their teacher provided them with a structured set of questions to answer during response sessions. Additionally, the degree to which the students internalized these structured patterns of response and transferred them to the unstructured writing workshop sessions varied significantly among groups of students. While some students used the guided response questions to build beneficial writing-reading relationships with their peers and learn new methods for responding to writing, others kept the structured and unstructured response sessions almost entirely separate. These results raise questions regarding how students' sense of ownership over their own writing and motivation to participate in a community of writers affect the degree to which they internalize the patterns of response that are encouraged by their teacher during structured peer response sessions. / Department of English

This case study, involving six Grade 10 learners, investigates how a peer tutoring programme could shape the mathematical experience and disposition of the participating tutors. The study is grounded in an interpretive paradigm and data was collected in four sequential phases. The Mathematics Dispositional Functions Inventory (MDFI) instrument was completed by the tutors prior to commencement of the tutoring programme. The tutoring sessions then took place over a three week period during which time each tutor kept a reflective journal. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted, after which each tutor completed the MDFI instrument again in order to track any potential changes in their mathematical disposition. The study found that the participating tutors showed an improved mathematics disposition after the peer tutoring experience. Not only was the peer tutoring programme an empowering experience for the tutors, it also had a positive influence on both the tutors’ self-confidence as well as their perceived mathematical ability.

Approximately 200 million people, 5% aged 15-64 worldwide are illicit drug or substance abusers (World Drug Report, 2006). Between 2002 and 2005, an average of 8.2% of 12 year olds and older in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale metropolitan areas used illicit drugs (SAMHSA, 2007). Eight percent of pregnant women, aged 15 to 25, were more likely to have used illicit drugs during pregnancy than pregnant women aged 26 to 44. Alcohol use was 9.8% and cigarette use was 18% for pregnant women aged 15 to 44 (SAMHSA, 2005). Approximately a quarter of annual birth defects are attributed to the exposure of drugs or substance abuse in utero (General Accounting Office, 1991). Physical, psychological and emotional challenges may be present for the illicit drug/substance abuse (ID/SA) mother and infant placing them at a disadvantage early in their relationship (Shonkoff & Marshall, 1990). Mothers with low self efficacy have insecurely attached infants (Donovan, Leavitt, & Walsh, 1987). As the ID/SA mother struggles with wanting to be a good parent, education is needed to help her care for her infant. In this experimental study residential rehabilitating ID/SA mothers peer taught infant massage. Massage builds bonding/attachment between mother and infant (Reese & Storm, 2008) and peer teaching is effective because participants have faced similar challenges and speak the same language (Boud, Cohen, & Sampson 2001). Quantitative data were collected using the General Self-Efficacy and Maternal Attachment Inventory-Revised Scale before and after the 4-week intervention program. A reported result of this study was that empowering ID/SA mothers increased their self-efficacy, which in turn allowed the mothers to tackle challenges encountered and created feelings of being a fit mother to their infants. This research contributes to the existing database promoting evidence-based practice in drug rehabilitation centers. Healthcare personnel, such as nurse educators and maternal-child health practitioners, can develop programs in drug rehabilitation centers that cultivate an environment where the ID/SA rehabilitating mothers can peer teach each other, while creating a support system. Using infant massage as a therapeutic tool can develop a healthy infant and nurture a more positive relationship between mother and infant.