Abstract Orientation: The informal sector serves as an untapped reservoir of skilled individuals practising the motor mechanic trade, who are ready for possible reclamation into the formal sector. Research purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a recognition of prior learning (RPL) strategy to link informal practising motor mechanic artisan training to the formal sector to enhance these artisans’ employability status. Motivation for the study: The current formal sector training initiatives for motor mechanics do not provide for or acknowledge the non-formal learning of the informal sector practising motor mechanics. South African desperately needs a national artisan development programme that includes all the components of artisan growth. Although the national artisan development programme will primarily focus on the development of artisans in the formal sector, the large numbers of persons who are involved in artisan work in the informal sector need to be progressively incorporated into the formal sector process. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative design was used and a purposive snowball sample applied. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted to answer the research question. Semi-structured interviews were applied to solicit data from 16 experts representing the motor mechanic training environment. The data were analysed utilising the ATLAS.ti 7.0 program. Contribution/value-add: This study attempted to conduct ground-breaking research in theory building to improve the employability status of people involved in motor mechanic artisan work in the informal sector. The findings of this study could lead to the development of new theory for SETAs to engage in the training and funding of informal practising motor mechanics. The study conceptualises a focused RPL strategy for motor mechanics that could be systematically applied to integrate the informal and formal sector training for the trade.

<p> This study was designed to examine three issues concerning the learning of a new coordination pattern. The first issue examined was the root of the conflicting findings of previous work concerning the effect of learning a novel coordination pattern on the performance an intrinsically stable antiphase pattern (Fontaine, Lee, & Swinnen, 1997; Lee, Verschueren & Swinnen, 1995; Zanone & Kelso, 1992). Consideration of these experiments revealed that different metronomes were used, and that this metronome difference is critical because it may have influenced the learners' attentional focus during learning. Therefore, the present experiment sought to examine whether a difference of attentional focus was the cause of this conflict. The second issue was whether the superiority of an external focus over internal focus of attention during learning would be evident in the learning of a new coordination pattern. And last, this study set out to examine the issue of prior learning of a bimanual coordination pattern on the learning of a new coordination pattern. Two groups of participants (one with an. internal focus of attention, and the other with an external focus of attention) learned to perform a 90° relative phase (RP) coordination pattern over two practice sessions, and were then asked to perform a 135° RP pattern in a third session. An additional two groups of participants (one with an internal focus of attention, and the other with an external focus of attention), served as controls, and learned to perform the 135° RP pattern over all three sessions. Results of this experiment did not support the hypothesis that a difference in attentional focus during learning is responsible for the conflicting findings concerning the effect of learning on intrinsic pattern performance. Although the results seem to indicate that an external focus of attention is more beneficial than an internal focus of attention during learning of a new coordination pattern, further work without feedback as a confounding factor is required. Finally, results show that prior learning does influence the learning of a new coordination pattern in that positive transfer of learning was evident (prior learning of the 90° pattern facilitated performance of the 135° pattern), and findings provide evidence for the creation of a new attractor with learning. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Published Article / An exploratory study was conducted to investigate firstly, the contextual problems first-year university students experienced at their respective schools and secondly, the subject related-problems that they could be bringing to science classes and which could later affect their understanding of science concepts. The study is grounded in constructivism. A questionnaire was administered to all the 2007 First-year B.Ed (FET) Natural Science students at the Central University of Technology, Free State. The contextual problems identified by respondents included school, educator, examiner and student-related problems. Subject specific problem areas were identified in biology, chemistry and physics. The paper also reports on the preliminary results of some teaching interventions implemented in the three subjects. A Force Concept Inventory (FCI) test was administered to the physics students, and a concept test for chemistry group. Concept mapping as a teaching and learning strategy has been introduced in biology classes. Further research continues on the effectiveness of these interventions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX231196.

This study was conducted at the school where I teach which is a semi-rural secondary school (Grade 8-12) situated in Omuthiya Town in Oshikoto region, Namibia. The new curriculum that has been implemented in Namibia, has posed challenges in how best to put the curriculum into practice at this school. It was this challenge that triggered my interest in doing a research study with the aim of improving my practice. Essentially, the study sought to gain insight into whether integrating learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences of acids and bases in conjunction with practical activities using easily accessible materials enabled or constrained meaning-making of this topic. This study is located within an interpretive paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative case study approach was adopted with my Grade 9 class. Data were gathered using document analysis, videotaped lessons and observations by a critical friend, stimulated recall discussions while watching the videotaped lessons as well as focus group interviews with the learners. An inductive analysis to discover patterns and themes was applied during the data analysis process. The themes were further turned into analytical statements. Data sets were also analysed in relation to the research questions posed by this study. The validation process was achieved by using a variety of data gathering techniques. I watched the videotaped lessons with a teacher who observed the lessons and transcripts of the interviews and a summary of discussions were given back to the respondents to verify their responses and check for any misinterpretations, a process known as member checking. I also translated what the learners said in Oshiwambo, their home language, into English. The findings from the study revealed that the use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences of acids and bases facilitated meaningful learning during teaching and learning. Furthermore, linking learning to learners’ everyday experiences enabled them to learn scientific concepts in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. However, linking learners’ prior knowledge and experiences to conventional science (textbook science) proved to be a challenge. My recommendations are that teachers need support in their endeavors to incorporate learners’ real life experiences into their teaching and learning repertoires. Another aspect of my study that deserves further research is the role that language plays in implementing the curriculum.

Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL) / Conceptualised within Habermasian critical theory, the conceptual framework includes concepts such as domination, emancipation and emancipatory education, and frames RPL as emancipation. Recognition of prior learning is promoted by the South African government as an instrument for access and redress. This research paper focuses on an investigation into the benefits of the implementation of RPL policies and practices in the policing sector. Findings reveal that the participants in the study who are employed in the policing sector enjoyed a wide range of emancipatory benefits, including access to formal academic programmes. Furthermore, these programmes enabled historically disadvantaged staff to gain formal qualifications which in turn provided access to higher salaries and promotions. Explaining the latter as redress, I argue that RPL is a form of emancipation that has liberated disadvantaged staff from apartheid discrimination and domination.

Undergraduate enrollment in colleges and universities has grown and changed drastically over the past 2 decades, with a significant portion of this growth coming from the increased number of nontraditional students who have made the decision to make their way onto college and university campuses to pursue a college degree. Due to these changes, many institutions of higher education have had to rethink the way they have historically operated. In an attempt to better meet the needs and demands of adult nontraditional students, colleges and universities have reviewed their existing programs and instituted programs that allow for the awarding of academic credit for prior learning. For those institutions of higher education involved in the prior learning assessment (PLA) process and interested in providing a quality program, an increased emphasis and focus should be on the importance of determining what a learning activity is, and more importantly, what constitutes college-level learning. This study focused on the identification and profiling of prior learning assessment (PLA) processes in Texas public universities offering nontraditional baccalaureate degree programs, the identification of commonalties among such programs, and the determination of program quality based on established standards. The instrument utilized in this study was designed on Urban Whitaker's 10 Standards of Good Practice. The population consisted of those public institutions of higher education in Texas that offer the Texas CIP code 30.9999.40 - Applied Arts and Sciences - baccalaureate degree. A within-stage mixed-model methodology was used. Open-ended questions were used to strengthen the data obtained from the quantitative portion. This research study suggests that, although there are similarities with regards to the types of PLA processes used in the awarding of PLA credit, many of the organizations could benefit from an evaluation of their current policies, procedures, and/or common practices related to the process of awarding credit via prior learning assessment as they relate to overall quality.

Magister Artium - MA / This research paper investigates the extent to which the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is implemented in the Real Estate industry within the Johannesburg Metropolitan area. The Real Estate industry is an ideal industry to assess the prior learning of real estate agents since there is no doubt that such a workplace has been recognized as an effective and efficient learning environment which allows workers to take part in an ever-changing work environment (Le Clus, 2011). Despite the availability of resources from different entities, i.e. the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), RPL centres, Umalusi, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), and so on (OECD, 2010) there seems to be incompatibility between the existing policy and the implementation of such policy in the Real Estate industry. Hence, to paraphrase a common theme within the literature (Cameron and Miller, 2004) there is a gap between the promise and rhetoric of RPL and the actual reality, and a disjuncture between policy formulation and implementation of RPL. Also, most research (Cameron and Miller, 2004) reveals that RPL has neither fulfilled its promised potential of encouraging the previously disadvantaged groups to access formal education and training, nor achieved its goal as a mechanism for social inclusion. The two primary research questions for this research paper were: Why are potential RPL candidates not taking the RPL route to obtain their certification? What are the barriers that obstruct efficient RPL implementation within the Real Estate industry? The research design was exploratory within a qualitative framework employing focus group interviewing, individual interviewing and the distribution of questionnaires that consisted of open-ended questions. The research sample comprised nineteen participants that included eight estate agents, four principals, five RPL Centers‟ representatives, one representative from the Services SETA and one representative from the Estate Agency Affairs Board. Master of Education in Adult Education and Global Change - Dissertation [University of the Western Cape] The research findings show that there are serious issues with the implementation current RPL policy within the real estate industry. Many scholars (Colardyn and Bjørna°vold, 2004; Bjørna°vold, 2000) indicate that RPL comes with its challenges, for instance that of the role it can play and the extent to which it can address the twin goals of increasing educational level of participation and employment rates. RPL also takes much time, as Anderson, Fejes and Ahn (2004) stress, to transform non-formal and informal learning into more or less formal learning that is ratified in the form of officially acknowledged certificates. Elements such as lack of or insufficient learner support by advisors and language barriers, have contributed significantly to the dropping out of most candidates. The strength of RPL is that unaccredited knowledge and skills can be brought into the open for everyone to see and, in a sense, come into use (Berglund and Anderson, 2012). This was made evident by the candidates who made it through RPL. RPL has also contributed to social equity and redress by admitting candidates as recognised agents and principals who previously were about to be excluded from the industry due to lack of recognised qualifications.

This study explored the implementation of the recognition of prior learning (RPL) at Unisa by investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the RPL methodology, instruments and processes when taking students through the RPL process. The successes and challenges experienced by the RPL academic advisors and the academic assessors were determined and guidelines provided for the effective implementation of RPL at Unisa. The empirical research design was exploratory within a qualitative framework employing participant observation, focus group interviewing, individual interviewing and the distribution of questionnaires that consisted of open-ended questions. The research sample comprised 26 purposefully selected participants. With regard to the research findings, the challenges include a lack of administrative support, a lack of support from top management and the academic staff, and a lack of communication between management and the RPL department. The strength of the RPL department lay in its well-documented process manual. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Health Sciences in Emergency Medical Care, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Purpose Emergency care education and training in South Africa is experiencing an important transformation period, involving migration from short course based training to a newly proposed, formalised, three-tier qualification system, aligned with the Higher Education Sub-framework. Many existing and experienced holders of short course emergency care certificates face the challenge of gaining access to formal emergency care programmes without meeting the minimum entry requirements. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will therefore become one of the key strategies for planned migration of short course graduates into professional learning programmes. However, the research reports on RPL practice in the field of emergency care are scarce. Hence, valuable lessons about RPL in emergency care programmes are missed. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of RPL practice within the National Certificate: Emergency Care (NCEC) Programme in the Western Cape, through the experience of ambulance emergency assistants, who applied for RPL on the Programme and the paramedic educators involved in the facilitation and RPL assessment on the NCEC Programme. Methodology The design of this descriptive exploratory study was qualitative, and was set in the interpretative paradigm using a case study mode of inquiry. The qualitative data was collected through semi-structured focus groups, individual interviews, and document analysis. The participants were from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Department of Emergency Medical Sciences, and the Western Cape Government College of Emergency Care (WCCEC). Collected data was interpreted by means of thematic analysis, set against the context of the study objectives and the theoretical framework. Finding The study revealed three main themes related to RPL efficacy in the NCEC Programme. These included the need for RPL training for educators involved in RPL, lack of support and guidance for RPL assessors and participants, and the need for careful selection of RPL assessment methods. The document analysis highlighted the gap between a comprehensive and sound RPL policy document and the practical implementation of these policies. Conclusion and Recommendations The emergency care field requires greater awareness and information on RPL processes, principles, assessments, and requirements. The higher education institutions, as the sole providers of the newly proposed formal emergency care programmes need to consider building capacity for RPL by means of training and dedicating academic staff to RPL, and developing comprehensive RPL policies, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the field. RPL assessment methods need to be more diverse and tailored to the individual RPL claimants. Further research on RPL will ensure a fair, social inclusive and redressing process during the planned migration of emergency care education and training. / M