Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa / Blended learning is referenced as the “best of both worlds” (Snart, 2010:xvi), which integrates Face-to-Face instruction with online learning. With interest in incorporating blended learning within the higher education curricula expanding, many private higher education institutions seek to understand how they can use educational technology effectively in blended learning to enhance undergraduate students’ learning engagement. This study investigated the nature and extent of private higher education students’ learning engagement in blended learning programmes within a private higher education provider. Through the lens of Bandura's (2000:121, 2009:180) Social Cognitive Theory, the study investigated private higher education students’ learning engagement in blended learning during the completion of their qualification and how it impacted teaching and learning. A descriptive quantitative research design was adopted, coupled with a positivist paradigm of inquiry. Utilising a cross-sectional survey it acquired descriptive data from a sample population of 567 respondents who answered the study’s research questions. The study found that student orientation programmes are associated with students’ perceived self-efficacy, subsequently affecting their engagement in blended learning programmes directly, and through the impact on outcome expectations, goals and socio-structural impediments. Additionally, socio-structural facilitators impacted outcome expectations and student engagement. The study’s results established a new framework, namely Social Cognitive Student Engagement in Blended Learning. / Gemengde leer word dikwels die “beste van twee wêrelde” genoem (Snart, 2010:xvi) aangesien onderrig nie alleen van aangesig tot aangesig nie, maar ook aanlyn geskied. Gesien die stygende belangstelling in die inskakeling van gemengde leer by hoëronderwysleerplanne, ondersoek talle private hoëronderwysinstellings maniere om opvoedkundige tegnologie in gemengde leer te gebruik om voorgraadse studente se leerbetrokkenheid te verbeter. In hierdie studie is ondersoek ingestel na die aard en omvang van studente se leerbetrokkenheid in die gemengdeleerprogramme wat by ʼn private verskaffer van hoër onderwys aangebied word. Hierdie studie het deur die lens van Bandura se sosiaal-kognitiewe teorie (2000:121, 2009:180) gekyk na studente se leerbetrokkenheid by gemengde leer in die verwerwing van ʼn kwalifikasie, en die uitwerking daarvan op onderrig en leer. Die navorsingsontwerp was deskriptief-kwantitatief en die ondersoekparadigma positivisties. Aan die hand van ʼn dwarssnitopname is beskrywende data by ʼn steekproefbevolking van 567 respondente ingewin. In die studie is bevind dat oriënteringsprogramme op studente se siening van hul eie selfwerksaamheid gemik is, hulle betrokkenheid by gemengdeleerprogramme verbeter, en daardeur hul uitkomsverwagtings, mikpunte en die mate waarin hulle sosiaal-strukturele struikelblokke oorkom, bepaal. Afgesien hiervan het sosiaal-strukturele fasiliteerders ʼn gunstige uitwerking op studente se uitkomsverwagtings en betrokkenheid gehad. ʼn Raamwerk is opgestel, naamlik die Sosiaal-Kognitiewe Betrokkenheid van Studente by Gemengde Leer. / Uhlelo lwemfundo ehlanganisiwe lubizwa, phecelezi nge “best of both worlds” (Snart, 2010:xvi), ukuhlanganisa umyalelo okhishwa ngendlela yokubhekana kwabantu ubuso nobuso kanye nohlelo lokufunda nge-inthanethi. Njengoba uthando lokufaka phakathi uhlelo lokufunda oluhlanganisiwe ngaphakathi kohlelo lwemfundo emazikweni aphakeme lya ngokuya lukhula nje, amaziko emfundo ephakeme amaningi angasese afuna ukuzwisisa ukuthi ngabe angabusebenzisa kanjani ngempumelelo ubuchwepheshe bethekinoloji bezemfundoi ohlelweni lwezokufunda oluhlanganisiwe ukuze kuqiniswe uhlelo lokufunda ngokuxoxisana nabafundi abasafundela iziqu zesigaba sokuqala. Lolu cwaningo luye lwaphenya ubunjalo kanye nezinga lokufunda kwabafundi ngokuxoxisana ezinhlelweni zokufunda okuhlanganisiwe ngaphakathi kweziko langasese lemfundo ephakeme. Ngokusebenzisa iso lomqondo wokufunda kaBandura (Bandura's social cognitive theory (2000:121, 2009:180), ucwaningo luye lwaphenya uhlelo lokufunda ngokuxoxisana nabafundi ohlelweni lokufunda ngokuhlanganyela ngesikhathi bephothula iziqu zabo kanye nangendlela lolu hlelo lunomthelela ngayo kwezokufundisa nokufunda. Idizayini yocwaningo oluchazayo olwencike kumanani luye lwamukelwa, ngokuthi luhambisane nohlelo lwe-positivist paradigm of inquiry. Ngokusebenzisa isaveyi i-cross-sectional survey, idatha echazayo yaqoqwa kwisampuli yenani lonke labaphenduli abayi-567. Ucwaningo luye lwathola ukuthi izinhlelo zokwamukela abafundi zihlobene nemiqondo yabafundi (students’ perceived self-efficacy), bese kulandelise ngokuthinta ngqo ukuxoxisana kwabo kwizinhlelo zokufunda ezihlanganisiwe. Ukwengeza, abahlanganisi besakhiwo somphakathi babe nomthelela phezu kwemiphumela elindelwe kanye nokuxoxisana nomfundi. Kuye kwasungulwa isakhiwo esisha, sona yilesi esilandelayo, phecelezi, Social Cognitive Student Engagement in Blended Learning. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study was conducted to address a distinct lack of knowledge regarding strategizing as a function of social interaction. Social researchers like Critchley contend that an organisation should essentially be regarded as an evolving product of people’s continuous interaction resulting in shared meaning. In subscribing to Critchley’s premise, and assuming that strategy inquiry is an empirically informed social science, the current study consequently set out to gain an understanding of how social interaction between practitioners shapes organisational strategizing and subsequent strategic outcomes. The strategy-as-practice perspective served as an integrative lens for the current research. This perspective that subscribes to the practice turn in social research, focuses on the actual practices (praxis) of strategy actors (practitioners) within unique organisational settings with unique strategizing tools, techniques and artefacts (practices). Informed by the philosophical underpinnings of a pragmatic worldview and a qualitatively driven mixed methods approach, a case study design allowed for in-depth analyses of multiple sources of empirical data to facilitate an understanding of the research phenomena. In addition to exploring social interaction during episodes of strategy practice, the current research investigated how practitioners’ motivations to interact shape and are shaped by ongoing interactions and meaning making. The current study also examined how external and internal organisational contexts, including organisational practices, influence and are influenced by ongoing social interactions. Two small private higher education institutions that reflect the typology of most private providers in the South African higher education landscape were selected for the case study. These private providers face numerous challenges in a tough current economic climate. Private providers further fulfil a pivotal role in the demand absorption of a growing need for higher education in South Africa. The main findings of the current research confirmed that strategizing at the two case study organisations is indeed mainly a function of social interaction. Strategizing is mostly shaped by people as emotional beings. Strategizing is the product of sometimes-irrational interactions and subsequent constantly evolving shared meanings and relationships between people. It is the social interaction between strategy actors during episodes of strategy praxis that serves as a social mechanism in transforming strategizing intent into strategy outcomes. Different strategy actors employ a wide array of techniques to get their ideas or views accepted during strategy-related interactions. Findings indicated that the selected strategies at the two case study organisations are mostly not based on objective reasoning linked to a clear plan or vision, but rather on strategy actors’ abilities in getting their ideas to be accepted by the group. Findings further suggested that the owners of the respective case study organisations strongly influence how things are done during episodes of strategy praxis. Strategizing at both companies is informal and comprises mostly of reacting to challenges and dealing with crises. Both organisations follow a differentiation strategy. Safety and security; employment prospects, as well as certain academic issues like small classes for better learning can be regarded as areas of competitive advantage for both. The proliferation of private providers, significant investment in private higher education, as well as private provision’s important demand absorption role suggest that there is a definite future for private higher education in South Africa. The intended main contribution of the current research is to facilitate an understanding of how social interaction as social mechanism shapes strategizing and resultant strategic outcomes. The understanding of the social world supposedly increases as the collection of the compatible causal mechanisms grows – where mechanisms reveal how the observed relationships between phenomena are created and are explained. The findings of the current research could thus serve as a building block in accumulating social science theory regarding this unexplored avenue of interaction-driven strategy research. To this end, a conceptual framework is proffered to guide similar future studies. The current study provided a glimpse into the strategy-workings of two small private higher education providers and ultimately contributes towards the growing body of knowledge regarding private provision within the South African higher education landscape / Hierdie studie is uitgevoer om die kennelike gebrek aan kennis oor strategie as ʼn funksie van sosiale interaksie aan te spreek. Sosiale navorsers soos Critchley beweer dat ʼn organisasie in wese beskou moet word as ʼn ontwikkelende produk van mense se deurlopende interaksie wat aanleiding gee tot gedeelde betekenis. In ooreenstemming met Critchley se veronderstelling dat strategiese ondersoek ʼn sosiale wetenskap is wat empiries ingelig is, was die uitgangspunt van die bepaalde studie gevolglik om te begryp hoe sosiale interaksie tussen praktisyns organisasiestrategie en gevolglike strategiese uitkomste bepaal. Die strategie-as-praktyk-perspektief het as ʼn integrerende lens vir die bepaalde navorsing gedien. Hierdie perspektief wat ooreenstem met die praktykomwenteling in sosiale navorsing, fokus op die werklike praktyke van strategierolspelers (-praktisyns) in unieke organisasie-omgewings met unieke strategie-instrumente, -tegnieke en -artefakte (praktyke). Ingelig deur die filosofiese ondersteuning van ʼn pragmatiese wêreldbeskouing en ʼn gemengde metodiek van kwalitatiewe benadering, het ʼn gevallestudieontwerp voorsiening gemaak vir indringende ontleding van verskeie bronne empiriese data om ʼn begrip van die navorsingsfenomene te fasiliteer. Bykomend tot die ondersoek van sosiale interaksie tydens episodes van strategiepraktyk, het die bepaalde navorsing ondersoek hoe praktisyns se motivering om in interaksie te wees deurlopende interaksie en betekenisgewing vorm en daardeur gevorm word. Die bepaalde studie het ook ondersoek hoe eksterne en interne organisasiekontekste, insluitend organisasiepraktyke, deurlopende sosiale interaksie beïnvloed en daardeur beïnvloed word. Twee klein privaathoëronderwysinstansies wat die tipologie van die meeste privaatverskaffers in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysomgewing weerspieël, is vir die gevallestudie geselekteer. Hierdie privaatverskaffers het te make met verskeie uitdagings in die bepaalde moeilike ekonomiese klimaat. Privaatverskaffers vervul ʼn kernrol in die vraagabsorpsie van ʼn toenemende behoefte aan hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Die hoofbevindings van die bepaalde navorsing het bevestig dat strategie by die twee organisasies in die gevallestudie wel hoofsaaklik ʼn funksie van sosiale interaksie is. Strategie word meestal gevorm deur mense as emosionele wesens. Strategie is die produk van interaksie wat soms irrasioneel is asook gevolglike gedeelde betekenis en verhoudings tussen mense wat konstant ontwikkel. Dit is die sosiale interaksie tussen strategierolspelers tydens periodes van strategiepraktyk wat dien as ʼn sosiale meganisme wat strategievoorneme in strategiese uitkomste transformeer. Verskillende strategierolspelers gebruik ʼn wye verskeidenheid tegnieke om hulle idees of beskouings tydens strategieverwante interaksie aanvaarbaar te maak. Die bevindings het aangedui dat die geselekteerde strategieë by die twee gevallestudie-instansies meestal nie op objektiewe beredenering wat inskakel by ʼn duidelike plan of visie gebaseer word nie, maar eerder op strategierolspelers se vermoë om hulle idees vir die groep aanvaarbaar te maak. Bevindings het verder bevestig dat die eienaars van die onderskeidelike gevallestudie-instansies ʼn groot invloed het hoe dinge tydens episodes van strategiepraktyk gedoen word. Strategie by albei maatskappye is informeel en bestaan meestal uit reaksie op uitdagings en hantering van krisisse. Albei organisasies volg ʼn differensiëringstrategie. Veiligheid en sekuriteit, werkverskaffingsvooruitsigte asook bepaalde akademiese aangeleenthede soos kleiner klasse vir beter leer, kan beskou word as gebiede van mededingingsvoordeel vir albei. Die proliferasie van privaatverskaffers, beduidende investering in hoër onderwys, asook die belangrike vraagabsorpsierol van privaatverskaffers dui daarop dat daar beslis ʼn toekoms vir privaathoëronderwys in Suid-Afrika is. Die beplande hoofbydrae van die bepaalde navorsing is om ʼn begrip te fasiliteer van hoe sosiale interaksie as sosiale meganisme strategie en gevolglike strategiese uitkomste vorm. Begrip van die sosiale wêreld neem waarskynlik toe soos die versameling van die versoenbare kousale meganismes groei – waar meganismes openbaar hoe die waargenome verhoudings tussen fenomene geskep en verduidelik word. Die bevindings van die bepaalde navorsing kan dus dien as ʼn boublok om sosialewetenskapsteorie te akkumuleer oor hierdie onverkende baan van interaksiegedrewe strategienavorsing. Om hierdie rede, word ʼn konseptuele raamwerk aangebied as riglyn vir soortgelyke toekomstige studies. Die bepaalde studie het ʼn blik gebied op die strategiese werking van twee klein privaathoëronderwysverskaffers en uiteindelik bygedra tot die toenemende kennisgeheel van privaatverskaffing in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysomgewing. / Ucwaningo lwenzelwe ukubhekana nokusweleka kolwazi maqondana nokwenza isu njengomsebenzi wokusebenzisana kwabantu. Abacwaningi ngabantu, abanjengoCritchley, babeka ukuthi inhlangano kumele ithathwe njengento eguqukayo nenqubo yabantu yokusebenzisana kwabantu okunomphumela wokwabelwana ngencazelo Ngokulandela inqubo kaCritchley, kanye nokuthatha ngokuthi ukuphenyisisa isu yinto esekelwe ubufakazi obusekelwe yisayense ngabantu, ucwaningo lwamanje, ngakho-ke lufuna ukuthola ngokusebenzisana kwabantu phakathi kwemifanekiso yama-practitioner, ukwenza isu lenhlangano kanye nemiphumela ebalulekile elandelayo. Isu njengenqubo eyenziwayo nombono lisebenze njengesibuko esihlangane kucwaningo lwamanje. Umbono ohambisana nenqubo yokwenza kucwaningo ngabantu ugxila kwinqubo yokwenza yangempela (praxis) ngalabo abasebenza ngesu (practitioners) kwisimo esingavamile senhlangano enamathuluzi angavamile okwenza isu, amathekniki kanye nezinto ezenziwa ngezandla zama-artefact (practices). Ngokusekelwa kwisisekelo sefilosofi ngombono womhlaba wokwenza ngokubambekayo kanye nendlela exubene yokwenza ye-qualitative, idizayini yesifundo ngesibonelo, kuvumele ukuthi kwenziwe uhlaziyo olunzulu ngemithombo ehlukene yolwazi olutholakale ngobufakazi bophenyisiso, kusize ukuqondisisa ngento okwenziwa ngayo ucwaningo. Nangaphezu kwalokho, ukuphenya ngokusebenzisana kwabantu ngesikhathi sezikhawu zokwenzeka kwezinto, ucwaningo lwamanje luhenyisisa ngokuthi ngabe ama-practitioner agqugquzelwa yini ukwenza umumo wobunjalo kanye nokuthi lowo mumo nawu ube nomphumela kubo ngokuqhubekela phambili kanye nokuthi kube nencazelo. Ucwaningo lwamanje, lubuye luhlole nokuthi ngabe izimo zangaphakathi nezangaphandle kwenhlangano, ezibandakanya inqubo yokusebenza kwenhlangano, zinomthelela kanjani futhi nazo zibawumthelela kanjani kwezokuxhumana nokusebenzisana kwabantu. Izikhungo ezimbili ezincane zemfundo ephakeme ezibonisa ithayipholoji yabahlinzeki abaningi bangasese kwindawo yemfundo ephakeme eNIngizimu Afrika ziye zakhethwa. Laba bahlinzeki bangasese babhekene nezinselele ezihlukene kumkhakha onzima wamanje kwezomnotho. Abahlinzeki bangasese babuye badlale indima ebalulekile nokuthi badinga ukuthi banganyelwe kwisidingo esikhulayo semfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika. Okuthokele kakhulu ngocwaningo lwamanje kuqinisa ukuthi ukwenza isu ngeziboniso ezimbili zocwaningo, kwinhlangano, kuyadingeka ikakhulukazi njengomsebenzi wokusebenzisana kwabantu. Ukwenza isu kuvamise ukusekelwa ngabantu njengabantu abanemizwa ngokomoya. Ukwenza isu kungumphumela wokuthi ngezinye izikhathi kuba nokusebenzisana okungenasizathu esibambekayo kanti imiphumela kuvamise ukuba ngeshintshayo nokwabelana ngesizathu sayo kanye nobuhlobo bayo phakathi kwabantu. Ukusebenzisa kwabantu phakathi kwalabo abenza isu ngezikhathi zenqubo yokwenza okusiza njengendlela yabantu ekuguquleni inhloso yesu ukuze libe yisu elinemiphumela. Abantu abenza amasu abehlukene basebenzisa amathekniki ehlukene ukwenza ukuthi imibono yabo kanye nezindlela ababona ngayo izinto kwemukeleke ngesikhathi sokuxhumana mayelana namasu. Imiphumela etholakele ikhombisa ukuthi amasu akhethiwe kwizifundo zezibonelo ezimbili zezinhlangano zisekelwe kwizizathu ezingatshekele ohlangothini oluthize, kodwa esihambisana nohlelo olucacile kanye nombono, kodwa kuncike kumakhono abenzi bamasu ekwenzeni ukuthi imibono yabo yemukeleke eqenjini. Okunye okuthokakele kubuye kwaphakamisa nokuthi abanikazi bezinhlangano okwenziwa ngazo iziboniso zesifundo banomthelela kakhulu ngokuthi izinto zenziwe kanjani ngezikhathi zenqubo ebambekayo yokwenza. Ukwenza amasu kuzo zimbili izinkampani kwenziwa ngendlela engahlelekile kakkhulu, kanti kuquka ekuncikeni ekuphenduleni kwizinselele kanye nokuphendula kwizimo ezisikazayo ezivelayo. Zombili izinhlangano zilandela amasu ehlukahlukene. Ukuphepha nokuvikeleka, amathuba emisebenzi kanye nezinto ezithile zesiakhademiki ezifana namaklasi amancane ukuze kufundeke kangcono nakho nngeminye yemikkhakha esiza kakhulu ekuphumeleleni. Ukubakhona ngobuningi kwabahlinzeki bangasese, ukutshalwa kakhulu kwezimali kwimfundo yangasese ephakeme, kanye nokuhlinzekwa kwmefundo yangasese kanye nesidingo sendima yokumuncwa ngokwenganyelwa, kuphakamisa ukuthi likhona ikusasa langampela lemfundo yangasese ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso eqondiwe ngokuthela esivivaneni kocwaningo lwamanje ukusiza ekutheni kube nokuqondisisa ngokuthi ukusebenzisana kwabantu njengendlela yokubumba amasu kanye nemiphumela kungasiza kanjani. Ukuqondisisa ngomkhakha wabantu kuyenyuka njengoba kukhula ukuqoqana kwezindlela zokwenza – lapho khona izindlela zokwenza ziveza ukuthi ngabe ubudlelwane obubhekiwe nobuqashelwayo bungabanjani uma kuqhathaniswa izinto ezenziwe futhi nokuthi zichazwa kanjani. Okutholakele ngocwaningo lwamanje kungasiza ngokuba yisakhelo ekuqokeleleni itiyori yesayense ngabantu maqondana nalo mkhakha ongakaphenyisiswa ngokwanele kwisu elixhumene ngokusebenzisana locwaningo. Maqondana nalokhu, uhlaka lombono luyahlinzekwa ukuba ngumkhombandlela kucwaningo lwangekusasa. Ucwaningo lwamanje luveze kancane ukusebenza kwesu kwizikhungo ezimbili ezincane zabahlinzeki ngemfundo ephakeme yangasese, kanti futhi luthela esivivaneni ekukhuleni kolwazi ngokuhlinzekwa kwemfundo yangasase emkhakheni wemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

The problem this study addressed is the relationship between Clery Act crime data and student recruitment at private colleges and universities. For this quantitative study, I used secondary data from the Department of Education and the Delta Cost Project (2013) to conduct ordinary least squares regression analyses to determine the predictive ability of institutional characteristics, specifically the total number of crime incidents reported in compliance with the Clery Act, on the variance in number of applications and applicant yield rate at private four-year institutions in the United States. Findings showed that the total number of reported incidents was a significant positive predictor of the total number of applications. Conversely, findings also showed that the total number of incidents had a significant negative impact on institutional yield rates. An implication of this study is that although crime statistics required by the Clery Act may not serve as variables used in the student application process, they are part of numerous variables used in the student's decision to enroll at a particular school. The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing and investing in safety and security measures designed to reduce rates of crime; especially for private, enrollment-driven institutions of higher education.

Trends in tuition and financial aid policy have increased the number of students who borrow for higher education and the aggregate debt students acquire. Most research on student borrowing over the years has analyzed the effects of borrowing and the prospects of indebtedness on individual students' choices and persistence. However, dynamics at the institutional level such as the need to ensure a stable flow of resources may accelerate or slow down student borrowing. Drawing on resource dependence theory, this study examined changes in student borrowing at private not for profit four year institutions in the US to identify trends and implications. A fixed effects regression analysis was applied to panel data from the Delta Cost project and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Analytical focus was on the financial and enrollment characteristics of private not for profit four-year institutions, the relationship between these characteristics and student borrowing, and whether these relationships are stable or change over time. Findings revealed that the financial and enrollment characteristics of private not for profit institutions during the study period were characterized by gradual variation. The results also revealed that most of the financial characteristics were predictive of student borrowing and that these relationships vary with time. Evidence from this study cautions higher education policy makers that high tuition dependence and the attendant student loan burden may disadvantage some students. Policy makers concerned about providing equitable access to higher education to all student subpopulations should try to moderate competition among institutions and tuition rises that intensify student borrowing. Institutional practices such as tuition maximization and selective price discrimination must be moderated so that financial aid, including loans, can realize the objective of encouraging fairness and choice in higher education entry.