This research explored the learning conceptions of a culturally diverse population of post-graduate health and life sciences students at a Scottish university; and investigated the relationship between their learning conceptions and academic achievement. There is a vast literature on conceptions of learning deriving from a variety of disciplines, although few studies have addressed the conceptions of experienced learners. A mixed methods approach was implemented, which is underpinned by a phenomenographic methodology. The participants comprised individuals from thirty-two nations, which were broken down into five cultural clusters. Quantitative data were gathered from 156 students, using the Conceptions of Learning Inventory (COLI) (Purdie & Hattie, 2002) and their predicted, and actual, academic performance at the end of their first semester. Three focus groups further explored students’ understanding, and experiences, of learning and assessment. There were some cultural differences in conceptions of learning identified in this study; generally, students from Central Africa scored most learning conceptions higher than students from other cultural clusters. There were no learning conceptions that predicted academic achievement with this group of post-graduate health and life sciences students, although there was a relationship between predicted academic performance and ‘personal development’ and ‘broadening horizons’. Possible explanations for these outcomes are presented. Contrary to previous research, predicted academic performance was not correlated with academic achievement. There were no cultural differences in academic achievement, but more students from Central Africa predicted that they would perform well than students from other cultural clusters. There is some support for learning conceptions sitting in a nested hierarchy, as found by previous research, but this study cannot confirm the exact order of these learning conceptions. In light of these findings, suggestions for future research are considered, with an emphasis on the relationship between learning context and conceptions of learning; and longitudinal research focusing on the development of learning conceptions. Implications of the outcomes from this study for university learning and teaching, as well as international and staff development policies, are presented.

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / This study investigates the effectiveness of the information literacy education that Master of Business Administration (MBA) students receive at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB). The literature reveals that there is a growing trend worldwide to extend information literacy education to include graduate students. The study uses the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education Competencies as the theoretical framework together with Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process. Both process and formative evaluation was used in the study. A mixed method approach was applied to gather data for the study using a pre- and post-information literacy questionnaire, interviews with the information literacy facilitator and the research methodology lecturer and a rubric assessment of students’ group assignment. The information literacy intervention focuses mainly on ACRL Standard 1, with more emphasis on ACRL Standard 2. ACRL Standards 3, 4 and 5 were briefly mentioned as it was difficult to cover all the ACRL Standards adequately within a once-off information literacy session.The results of the study show that the information literacy intervention was successful in introducing students to some of the electronic resources which is one of the major objectives of the intervention. Students’ scores in the pre- and post-information literacy questionnaire and the group assignment were high. This could be an indication that the information literacy intervention was a success. The interviews with the information literacy facilitator and the research methodology lecturer reveal that little collaboration between the library and business academics is taking place. This lack of collaboration affects the quality of the information literacy education in terms of business academics input in the information literacy intervention and in terms of reinforcing information literacy outcomes in students’ assignments. One of the recommendations is that collaborative relationships should be developed between the library and business academics in order to develop an information literacy plan that will fully integrate information literacy within Masters’ courses.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:31:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Estela A B Jacomette.pdf: 3322493 bytes, checksum: 34236e3ed596da07362393bc7f764286 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-12 / With the advent of globalization, the development of different technologies, the increase of competitiveness and the quest for leadership by the organizations, came to sight significant changes too in the type, quality, quantity, and nature of the job of people who are inserted in them. This phenomenon demands a performance more globalized from the organizations, new competences from their professionals and the management of labor in a way more flexible. This scenery has generated significant impact on institutions of higher education, especially in the lato sensu programs considered vocational This research aims to develop an innovative curriculum in a shared way with teachers, board of directors of teaching institution, coordinator, technical adviser, students and market executives in a lato sensu post-graduation course in business management, having the sustainability in its cross-sectional, aiming at to execute the demands of this new society. From the principles of action research used a qualitative approach, the study makes a theoretical-reflective survey of the different actors of the innovative curriculum: macroeconomic context, professional skills demanded to professional management, lato sensu post-graduation courses, integrated curriculum and teacher´s training. After research undertaken about the subjects inquired, the research shows elements to respond to the problems proposed. We conclude that s possible to develop an innovative curriculum, in a shared way, since it´s founded on a solid pedagogical approach and the training of teachers staff is adequate to the proposed model / Com o advento da globalização, a evolução das diferentes tecnologias, o aumento da competitividade e a busca da liderança pelas organizações, surgem também mudanças significativas no tipo, qualidade, quantidade, e natureza do trabalho das pessoas que nelas estão inseridas. Tal fenômeno demanda uma atuação mais globalizada das organizações, novas competências de seus profissionais e o gerenciamento da mão de obra de forma mais flexível. Esse cenário tem gerado impacto significativo nas instituições de ensino superior, principalmente nos programas de lato sensu considerados profissionalizantes. Esta pesquisa tem o objetivo de desenvolver um currículo inovador de forma compartilhada com professores, diretoria da instituição de ensino, coordenadora, orientadora técnica, alunos e executivos de mercado em um programa de pós-graduação lato sensu em gestão de negócios, tendo a sustentabilidade em sua transversal, visando atender as demandas dessa nova sociedade. A partir dos princípios da pesquisa-ação aplicados a uma abordagem qualitativa, o estudo faz um levantamento teórico-reflexivo dos diferentes participantes do currículo inovador: contexto macroeconômico, competências profissionais demandadas aos profissionais da gestão, pós-graduação lato sensu, currículo integrado e formação de professores. Após a investigação desenvolvida acerca dos objetos inquiridos, a pesquisa apresenta elementos para responder aos problemas propostos. Concluímos que é possível desenvolver um currículo inovador, de forma compartilhada, desde que ele esteja fundamentado numa proposta pedagógica sólida e que a formação do corpo docente esteja adequada ao modelo proposto

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / This study investigates the effectiveness of the information literacy education that Master of Business Administration (MBA) students receive at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB). The literature reveals that there is a growing trend worldwide to extend information literacy education to include graduate students. The study uses the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education Competencies as the theoretical framework together with Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process. Both process and formative evaluation was used in the study. A mixed method approach was applied to gather data for the study using a pre- and post-information literacy questionnaire, interviews with the information literacy facilitator and the research methodology lecturer and a rubric assessment of students’ group assignment. The information literacy intervention focuses mainly on ACRL Standard 1, with more emphasis on ACRL Standard 2. ACRL Standards 3, 4 and 5 were briefly mentioned as it was difficult to cover all the ACRL Standards adequately within a once-off information literacy session. The results of the study show that the information literacy intervention was successful in introducing students to some of the electronic resources which is one of the major objectives of the intervention. Students’ scores in the pre- and post-information literacy questionnaire and the group assignment were high. This could be an indication that the information literacy intervention was a success. The interviews with the information literacy facilitator and the research methodology lecturer reveal that little collaboration between the library and business academics is taking place. This lack of collaboration affects the quality of the information literacy education in terms of business academics input in the information literacy intervention and in terms of reinforcing information literacy outcomes in students’ assignments. One of the recommendations is that collaborative relationships should be developed between the library and business academics in order to develop an information literacy plan that will fully integrate information literacy within Masters’ courses.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:20:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Claudia Barrozo de Queiroz e Ataides.pdf: 1059626 bytes, checksum: 97c902d985004b5a0f60e820d0305532 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-12-12 / This research investigates the post-graduation, presenting it as a social scenario that constitutes subjectivities. Through the means of indicators produced in monthly meetings with nine post-graduate students, carried out between March 2004 and May 2005, social subjectivity, a category developed by González Rey (2003), and specially sociometry, a category proposed by Moreno (1992), are explored aiming to broaden the reflection about the subjective social processes that structure the actions and inter-relations in the academy, constitute the post-graduates, and mold their writing. Social subjectivity refers to the existence of a social context of subjectivization that constitutes the subject and is constituted by it in a dynamic and reciprocal process. Sociometric analysis helps the investigation of complex processes related to choices, acceptances, rejections, mutual or not, which configure a social reality that is not apparent and many times is in dissonance with the official truth about the relations. Throughout the period of this research, three scenarios for analyses were designed: the post-graduation classroom, the dyad advisor-postgraduate student, and the post-graduate students private life. The results of the present research point to the need of reflection about the non-official forms of how the theoretical-methodological diversity is experienced in the post-graduation. In the analysis, the subject whom the academic society is committed with is questioned: on the one hand there is the autonomous subject, who is reflexive and able to live with and dialogue with diversity; on the other hand, there is the adherent subject, who is passive and involved in situations of subordination and commited with the dialogue between peers, in a self-confirmation exercise. The results here obtained also emphazise the need of rethinking the parameters that regulate the practice of advising in the post-graduation. / Esta pesquisa investiga a pós-graduação apresentando-a como cenário social de constituição de subjetividades. A partir de indicadores produzidos em encontros mensais com nove mestrandos, realizados entre os meses de março de 2004 e maio de 2005, a subjetividade social, categoria criada por González Rey (2003) e as forças sociopsicológicas, em especial a sociometria, categoria proposta por Moreno (1992), são exploradas com o intuito de ampliar a reflexão sobre os processos sociais subjetivos que estruturam as ações e inter-relações na academia, constituem os mestrandos e moldam suas escritas. A subjetividade social refere-se à existência de um contexto social de subjetivação que constitui o sujeito e é constituído por ele em processo dinâmico e recíproco. A análise sociométrica auxilia na investigação de processos complexos relacionados a escolhas, aceitações, rejeições, mútuas ou não, que configuram uma realidade social não aparente e muitas vezes em dissonância com a verdade oficial sobre as relações. No decorrer desta pesquisa delinearam-se três cenários de análise: a sala de aula de mestrado, a dupla de orientação e a vida privada dos mestrandos. Os resultados da presente pesquisa apontam para a necessidade de reflexão sobre as formas não-oficiais de como a diversidade teórico-metodológica é vivenciada na pós-graduação. Na análise questiona-se com qual sujeito se compromete a sociedade acadêmica: de um lado está o sujeito autônomo, reflexivo e capaz de conviver e dialogar com a diversidade; de outro, está o sujeito aderente , passivo, envolvido em situações de subordinação e comprometido com o diálogo entre iguais, num exercício de auto-confirmação. Os resultados obtidos também enfatizam a necessidade de se repensar os parâmetros que regulamentam a prática da orientação na pós-graduação.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the past number of years, the pressure on universities worldwide, including universities in South Africa, has increased to bridge the gap between higher education and society. This includes becoming active partners with its communities. Therefore, the importance of community engagement as one of the three pillars of higher education, alongside teaching and learning, and research, has gained considerable momentum. Higher education institutions in South Africa are also increasingly challenged to elevate the status of their teaching and to raise their levels of community engagement. This also pertains to the area of postgraduate education, which points to the need for a close relationship between teaching, learning and research. The aim of this study was to develop a contextualised and integrated curriculum framework for community-engaged teaching, learning and research in a postgraduate Play Therapy programme. This was done using a contextualised perspective on higher education with reference to current higher education legislation in South Africa as well as curriculum development in general. A literature review of community engagement provided a perspective on the current state of community engagement - nationally, as well as internationally. The study used a qualitative single case study design and an interpretive paradigm to generate empirical data. The first phase of the empirical part of the study focused on determining the current state of community engagement within the postgraduate Play Therapy programme. Data was generated using questionnaires completed by current students and lecturers. In the second phase of the empirical study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers from 13 national as well as international higher education institutions to review curriculum frameworks and content from other higher education community engagement models. The last empirical phase included two focus groups, one with current students and one with current lecturers in the postgraduate Play Therapy programme under investigation. From the findings of the study, a curriculum framework emerged which outlines community engagement within the postgraduate programme. The emerging framework points to the need for a stronger integration of teaching and learning with community engagement (service component) through service learning. In the South African context and within the programme that was investigated, service learning provides for engaged learning which includes experiential learning and opportunities for students to engage in interactive and experiential processes. The study has also pointed out that research within the postgraduate programme should reflect, in a much stronger way, links to community-based research. Such links may benefit a scholarship of engagement. Also, the research component of the programme needs to be linked more closely to teaching and learning in order to better inform the curriculum in terms of trends, needs and priorities. These activities need to take place within community partnerships with a reciprocal benefit to both the programme and the communities involved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Universiteite wêreldwyd, asook in Suid-Afrika, het gedurende die afgelope paar jaar druk ervaar om die gaping tussen hoër onderwys en die gemeenskap te verminder. Dit sluit in om aktiewe vennote van gemeenskappe te word. Die belangrikheid van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid as een van die drie pilare van hoër onderwys, saam met leer, onderrig en navorsing, het dus aansienlik toegeneem. Hoëronderwysinstansies in Suid-Afrika word ook uitgedaag om die stand van hul leer en onderrig te verhoog en die vlakke van hul gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid te versterk. Dit geld ook vir nagraadse opleiding, wat neerkom op 'n hegter verband tussen leer, onderrig en navorsing. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om 'n gekontekstualiseerde en geïntegreerde kurrikulumraamwerk vir gemeenskapsgerigte leer, onderrig en navorsing binne 'n nagraadse program in Spelterapie te ontwikkel. Dit is gedoen deur 'n kontekstuele oorsig van hoër onderwys te gee met verwysing na die huidige hoëronderwys-wetgewing in Suid-Afrika asook 'n oorsig oor kurrikulumontwikkeling. 'n Literatuuroorsig van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid het perspektief op die huidige stand van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid landwyd én wêreldwyd verskaf. Hierdie studie berus op 'n kwalitatiewe enkelgevallestudie-ontwerp en benut 'n interpretatiewe paradigma om die empiriese data te genereer. Die eerste fase van die empiriese gedeelte van die studie was gerig op die bepaling van die huidige stand van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie. Data is gegenereer deur die gebruik van vraelyste wat deur huidige studente en dosente ingevul is. In die tweede fase van die empiriese studie is semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met dosente van 13 nasionale asook internasionele hoëronderwysinstansies gevoer om die kurrikulumraamwerke en inhoud van ander hoër instansies se gemeenskaps-betrokkenheidsmodelle te verken. Die laaste empiriese fase sluit twee fokusgroepe in - een met huidige studente en een met huidige dosente in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie, wat die onderwerp van hierdie studie uitmaak. 'n Kurrikulumraamwerk het vanuit die bevindinge van die studie ontstaan wat 'n uiteensetting van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie verskaf. Die opkomende raamwerk dui op die behoefte aan sterker integrasie van leer en onderrig met gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid (dienskomponent) deur middel van diensleer. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks en in die program wat ondersoek is, bied diensleer die geleentheid vir betrokke leer wat die volgende insluit: ervaringsleer en geleenthede vir studente om betrokke te raak by interaktiewe ervaringsprosesse. Die studie het ook uitgewys dat navorsing in die meestersprogram op 'n baie sterker wyse die verband met gemeenskapsgerigte navorsing moet reflekteer. Hierdie konneksies kan ook die vakkundigheid van betrokkenheid versterk. Daarby moet die navorsingskomponent van die program nader aan leer en onderrig beweeg sodat die kurrikulum altyd die jongste tendense, behoeftes en prioriteite weerspieël. Hierdie aktiwiteite moet in gemeenskapsvennootskappe plaasvind om voordele vir die program sowel as die betrokke gemeenskappe te bied.