Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Self-management programmes provide one form of education for people with diabetes. Evaluations of these programmes allow for a better understanding in regard to their impact and whether outcomes are met. Very little research has used qualitative methods to capture participants’ experiences of these programmes and their perception of psychological outcomes. This is the first qualitative evaluation of the Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Programme in Whangarei. It has adopted an interpretative-phenomenological approach to explore participants’ experiences of the programme and participants’ perceptions in regard to their self-efficacy and quality of life after attending a course. A sample of 7 participants with diabetes provided data via interviews 4 weeks and 3 months after attending the course. The themes that emerged from the initial interview were separated into three evaluation components. In “6 weeks sounded very long but it was worth the time”, participants discussed enrolment, benefits of the course and suggestions for future participants. In “I know what I need to do and I’m confident to do it”, participants linked the gained knowledge from the course to improvements in their self-efficacy regarding self-management behaviours, education and control of own life. In “Life is good, diabetes is just another thing to handle”, participants reflected on the impact of living with diabetes and changes to their life. An overarching theme of settling into a comfortable routine emerged from the follow-up interview. Participants reflected positively on their course and research participation. The programme was perceived to be beneficial to participants, impacting positively on increasing knowledge, self-efficacy development, behaviour changes and quality of life. The participants maintained these benefits in the short-term. These results are discussed in terms of the need for further research to evaluate if benefits are maintained in the long-term, referral process to the programme, decision-making process in regard to enrolment and impact of a support person attending the programme. Practice implications for the programme are discussed in regard to incorporating a follow-up phone call to participants after they attended a course and offering follow-up sessions with the latest information on diabetes care.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the enrolled nurse/registered nurse (EN/RN) programme to determine the extent to which the graduates of the programme had acquired knowledge and skills to provide primary health care services to communities using the Stufflebeam CIPP model as a framework. The study determined the extent to which the graduates perceived that their knowledge and skills in provision of primary health care services have been strengthened and the extent to which their supervisors perceived the improvement of the graduates' knowledge and skills in provision of primary health care services in clinical and primary health care settings. The programme used two models for upgrading: one year full-time residential and two year distance education. The study used methodological triangulation for data collection. Data collection tools comprised of self-administered questionnaires to the EN/RN upgrade graduates, structured group interviews to their supervisors from the hospitals and district health teams and the review of the students' examination records from Institute of Health Sciences/University of Botswana (IHS/UB). Data were collected and analyzed from the one year full-time residential graduates who completed the programme from 1995-2000 and from the two year part-time distance education graduates who completed the programme 1996-2000. The findings from the academic records indicated that out of the 1116 enrolled nurses that were admitted into the EN/RN upgrade programme between 1994-2000 nine (0.8%) withdrew from the programme due to ill health or personal reasons before writing the final examinations. This is indicative of a high retention rate in the programme. In the one year full-time residential programme, out of the 695 enrolled nurses were admitted in the programme from 1995-2000 period five (0.7%) withdrew from the programme before writing the final examinations, 690 students sat for the final examination and 640 (92.8%) passed. In the two year part-time distance education programme, out of the 421 enrolled nurses were admitted in the programme from 1996-2000 period four (0.9%) withdrew from the programme before writing the final examinations, 417 students sat for the final examinations and 402 (96.4%) passed. Out of the 1107 students from both the one year full-time residential and the two year part-time distance education programme that sat for the final IHS/UB examinations, 1042 (94.1%) passed. The academic records revealed that the programme was efficient and effective because 1042 (94.1%) out of 1107 students completed the programme in one year and two years as planned because the programme was not repetitive and there were replacement costs. This high pass rate (94.1%) is an indication that the graduates did acquire knowledge and skills for provision of primary health care services. Data analysis from the self-administered questionnaires of the graduates also revealed that the graduates perceived that their knowledge and skills for provision of primary health care services have been strengthened because of the acquisition of the new knowledge in primary health care. This complemented the high academic performance of the graduates that the graduates knowledge and skills to deliver primary health care had been strengthened. Data analysis from the structured group interviews of the supervisors of the graduates further revealed that the supervisors perceived that the knowledge of the graduates in providing primary health care services in the hospitals and the district health teams had improved. The supervisors indicated that the graduates were now providing primary health care services with less supervision in the hospitals and the health districts. / Health Studies / D.Litt et Phil. (Health Studies)

Various assessments and international studies have shown that learners in South African schools experience challenges and perform poorly with respect to literacy and numeracy. To become competitive in the global arena, there is an urgent need to raise the standards of education. Language is required for all learning, including numeracy and mathematics. Many young learners in South Africa struggle to develop adequate language skills because of an inherent pathology and/or barriers in their learning environment. Learners who do not develop adequate listening and language skills during their early years are most likely to experience difficulty in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, resulting in poor academic progress. By supporting learners to overcome their developmental delays as early as in the foundation phase, future learning problems may be prevented. To raise education standards, teachers need to heighten their attempts to facilitate literacy and numeracy in the foundation phase. Teachers currently have to adapt to a new national curriculum statement (NCS) that is based on an outcomes-based education (OBE) approach (Department of Education, 1997:16). Many teachers, especially those in black townships and other previously disadvantaged areas, find this difficult as they have not been sufficiently trained or are not adequately qualified. Educational changes have necessitated the need for high quality staff development and support. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) working within a collaborative approach in the education context can support the learners who need to acquire listening and language skills, as well as the teachers who have to facilitate these skills. This study developed a support programme for foundation phase teachers to facilitate listening and language for numeracy. The multifaceted programme consisted of training, mentoring, and practical components, which aimed at developing the participants’ competence (foundational, practical, and reflective competence). The programme integrated the principles of adult learning within an OBE approach while taking culture and diversity into consideration. The programme was evaluated within a Logic Model framework. The research made use of a concurrent, equal status triangulation design where triangulation was obtained by transforming QUAL data into QUAN data to be compared. In the QUAN strand, data were collected from 96 teacher participants (who were selected by using a convenience sampling method) by means of questionnaires, portfolio assignments, attendance registers, and financial statements. Qualitative data were collected from eight focus group discussions (using a nested design with 12 participants at a time) as well as a research diary, testimonials, and various correspondences. The findings indicated that all the participants have gained knowledge, skills, and confidence, but to varying degrees. Factors that affected the outcomes included aspects related to time, the choice of venue, age, prior support and qualifications, as well as motivation related to the context. Group learning was identified as a suitable strategy for teacher support in these contexts. Provided that specific factors are considered to increase effectiveness, the outcomes indicated that the programme could be used to support foundation phase teachers in these specific contexts. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

The study is a programme evaluation of the sustainability of the social sector of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to empower women, youth and persons with disabilities as vulnerable groups. The study gives a background to the EPWP program and the problem of poverty in South Africa. The Strengths Perspective and the Social Development Approach are used as theoretical frameworks to underpin the study. These two approaches are appropriate as they focus on the well-being of people and communities. The social development approach emphasises the social and economic well-being of people, and the strengths perspective focuses on the strengths that people possess, and not on their weaknesses. The study describes poverty, providing a basis for its understanding and also contextualising the EPWP as a poverty alleviation strategy. The study continues to discuss the empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities on a national and international level, and also as the official targets of the social sector of the EPWP. In the context of applied research, the study utilised programme evaluation to evaluate the sustainability of the social sector of the EPWP to empower women, youth and persons with disabilities. The research question for the study was “how sustainable is the Social Sector of the Expanded Public Works Programme to empower women, youth and persons with disabilities?” In the context of a mixed methods research approach the researcher utilised the triangulation mixed methods research design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data was collected by means of mailed and hand-delivered questionnaires from officials involved in the implementation of the social sector of the EPWP. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions conducted with groups of women and youth as beneficiaries of the social sector of the EPWP. The evaluation revealed that the target to include persons with disabilities as 2% of the participants in the programme was not reached, as no persons with disabilities were registered as beneficiaries of the Home Community Based Care and Early Childhood Development programmes within the EPWP. The findings confirmed that the strengths perspective and the social development approaches are applicable as theoretical frameworks which underpin the social sector of the EPWP. The study also revealed that poverty can be defined and measured using different dimensions, and not only the monetary approach. The study has also shown that Public Works programmes are used in South Africa and globally by policy makers as a strategy to alleviate poverty, and that in some instances they target specific vulnerable groups. In South Africa the official targets are women, youth and persons with disabilities. Women and youth participated in the social sector of the EPWP in Gauteng Province, but the target of including persons with disabilities was not reached. The social sector of the EPWP in Gauteng has made a positive contribution to poverty alleviation, job creation, skills development and empowerment of women and youth. The study also brought to light the fact that although the social sector of the EPWP is under good management, it may not be sustainable in the long term. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2013 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / The contemporary evaluation literature advocates for and recommends a pluralistic approach to programme evaluation, with some writers contending that the use of multiple and/or mixed methods for the practice is inevitable. The rationale for such an approach encompasses aspects of both the ‘technical’ and the ‘political’ requirements of evaluation practice. A review of evaluation research literature underscores the important role of mixed methods research towards realizing richer evaluation findings, and addressing the pragmatic, democratic and political facets of the evaluation practice. However, it is observed that there is a dearth of literature that focuses on how the use of a mixed methods evaluation approach facilitates the realization of richer conclusions or inferences about programme merit/worth. Thus, the overarching aim of the thesis is to establish how the perception and implementation of mixed methods research among evaluation practitioners influences the nature of inferences they make. This thesis aims at identifying patterns and relationships within and between conceptions and practices of mixed methods evaluation through a descriptive process. The selection of cases is therefore purposive and includes fourteen published evaluation articles on projects/programmes. An analytical framework is developed on the basis of a literature review on mixed methods research and background literature on evaluation research. This framework guides the qualitative content analysis of each case study and the cross-case analysis across the fourteen studies to identify common patterns. The findings reveal two prominent perspectives of mixed methods evaluation prevailing among evaluation practitioners. The first (labeled a ‘strong’ conception) has the intention of and places emphasis on the integration of the qualitative and quantitative components, with the primary objective of obtaining richer evaluation inferences. In this conception, the use of the methods and the data/inferences thereof are synthesized to achieve this goal. This conception is congruent with mixed methods purposes of: - ‘complementarity’ and ‘triangulation’ and is responsive to the ‘technical’ needs of evaluation. The second perspective (labeled a ‘weak’ conception) is silent about the integration of the respective methods or data/findings/inferences, qualifying the use of multiple methods and data in a single study as sufficing for a mixed methods approach. It resonates with justifications of mixed methods research that address issues of: - comprehensiveness, multiple view points, inclusiveness and democracy and seems more tailored to the ‘political’ needs of evaluation. The findings also reveal that the resulting multiple inferences from this ‘weak’ conception can weaken each other when contradicting or inaccurate qualitative and quantitative findings result, especially when the complimentary function of either method is not planned a priori. Therefore within the context of realizing richer and more valid evaluation findings/inferences, it is recommended that the purposes and qualification as mixed methods research of the second perspective be re-considered. It is apparent that in embracing the ‘political’ needs of evaluation practice, this conception seems to eschew the ‘technical’ requirements initially intended for a mixed methods approach. This has implications particularly for the mixed methods purpose of ‘expansion’ and rationales of pluralism, inclusiveness and democracy, which are seemingly popular within programme evaluation practice.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This investigation was aimed at gaining an understanding of the learning processes in the English Foreign Language programme at Stellenbosch University. The relationships between students’ reported language learning strategy use and their language proficiency as measured on a standardised English language proficiency test were recorded and the influence of other learner factors such as age, gender, motivation, culture and educational background, and teacher-centeredness versus learner/learning-centeredness in learning situations and curricula were explored. A literature review was done to provide some insight into similar research conducted internationally and in South Africa and to provide a framework for this investigation. Research contributions by Chamot & Kupper (1989), Mahlobo (1999), Oxford (1990) and Van der Walt and Dreyer (1995a & 1995b) provided insight and a foundation for this investigation. The research is primarily qualitative and set in an interpretivist paradigm in an attempt to firstly explore the relationship between reported language learning strategy use and English language proficiency in the skills of reading and listening and secondly to explore other factors which could impact on the development of English language proficiency in all four language skills. The study was not concerned with a search for generalisible phenomena, but was aimed at providing a descriptive analysis of the interpreted understanding of social phenomena with regard to English Foreign language learning processes, where English proficiency had to be used for academic purposes. Information was obtained through observation, informal discussions, questionnaires, interviews, focus group interviews and English language proficiency test results. Results were interpreted for this particular situation at Stellenbosch University and suggestions were made as to how language learning strategies could be incorporated into the English Foreign Language curriculum to optimise the development of English language proficiency. Suggestions for further related research were also made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek was daarop gemik om insig te verkry in die leerprosesse in die Engels as Vreemde Taal (EFL) program by Stellenbosch Universiteit. Die verhoudings tussen leerders se aangeduide taalleerstrategieë en hulle prestasie op ’n gestandardiseerde Engelse taaltoets is ondersoek asook ander faktore wat moontlik ’n invloed sou kon hê op die taalleerproses: ouderdom, geslag, motivering, kultuur en opvoedkundige agtergrond, asook onderwyser-gefokusde versus leerder-gefokusde onderrig en kurrikula. ’n Literatuurstudie is gedoen om ’n insig te verkry oor soortgelyke navorsing wat gedoen is op internasionale vlak en in Suid-Afrika, en ook om ’n raamwerk vir hierdie navorsing te voorsien. Die navorsing van veral Chamot & Kupper (1989), Mahlobo (1999), Oxford (1990) en Van der Walt en Dreyer (1995a & 1995b) het bygedra tot insig en ’n agtergrond vir hierdie ondersoek. Die navorsing is hoofsaaklik kwalitatief in ’n interpretiwistiese paradigma om eerstens die verhouding te ondersoek tussen aangeduide taalleerstrategie gebruik en Engelse taalvaardigheid in the lees- en luistervaardighede, en tweedens om ondersoek in te stel na ander faktore wat moontlik ’n invloed kan hê op die taalleerproses in al vier die taalvaardighede. Die studie is nie in die eerste plek onderneem om veralgemenings te kan maak nie, maar was gemik op die verkryging van ’n beskrywende analise van die sosiale invloede betrokke by die aanleer van Engels as ’n vreemde taal vir gebruik as ’n akademiese taal. Inligting is verkry deur observasie, informele gesprekke, vraelyste, onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude en Engelse taalvaardigheidstoetsuitslae. Bevindinge is ontleed vir die spesifieke situasie by Stellenbosch Universiteit en aanbevelings is gemaak oor die moonlike insluiting van taalleerstrategieë in die leerplan en kurrikula van die Engels as Vreemde Taal (EFL) program. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing is ook gemaak.

This master thesis focuses on the topical theme which is currently gaining momentum, i.e. continuity or connection of the educational process in kindergartens and primary schools. The purpose of this work is to highlight the necessity of cooperation among kindergartens and primary schools in the following educational process, outline the possibilities, limits and pitfalls of this collaboration together with the role of school management. The aim of the master thesis is to determine on the basis of expert sources and empirical investigation how and whether currently proceeds such a cooperation within the continuity of education in kindergartens and primary schools. This work also proposes on the basis of the findings of facts measures and other procedures that could contribute to the positive development of cooperation among kindergartens and primary schools following training.

Trata-se da meta-avaliação de um processo avaliativo desenvolvido por secretários e assessores técnicos municipais de uma região de saúde do estado de São Paulo, com foco nos critérios de utilidade e participação. É uma pesquisa qualitativa, cuja base empírica foi 1) o material produzido em sete oficinas realizadas com os representantes municipais, com vistas à avaliação de um aspecto da linha de cuidados em saúde sob a ótica da integralidade; e 2) as entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com os mesmos atores após a finalização do processo avaliativo. Para a avaliação do critério de utilidade, utilizou-se principalmente o referencial de KIRKHART (2000), com o objetivo de ampliar a análise para além do uso instrumental dos achados avaliativos e focá-la na identificação de influências múltiplas exercidas por um fenômeno complexo como um processo avaliativo. A análise do critério participação se deu com base no referencial de COUSINS e WHITMORE (1998), buscando a identificação no material empírico de decisões ou aspectos contextuais que fizeram com que a opção participativa fosse aprofundada ou limitada no processo em foco. O trabalho destaca a importância de explicitar pressupostos que baseiam a metodologia da avaliação/ meta-avaliação escolhida, e a necessidade de se buscar referenciais teóricos de análise compatíveis com a opção realizada, frisando a inexistência de posturas neutras ou estudos totalmente objetivos; e a importância de capacitar avaliadores a acompanharem a demanda dos participantes de um processo participativo com a flexibilidade necessária para conferir-lhe o maior aproveitamento possível. Conclui-se pela viabilidade, com vantagens, da realização de processos participativos locais com gestores na Saúde Pública, destacando a possibilidade de ganhos em formação e o enriquecimento dos processos de negociação em nível do território, de forma coerente à política de construção das regiões de saúde no SUS. / This study aims to meta-evaluate an evaluation process developed by policymakers and technical advisors of a Health Region of Sao Paulo, centering on criteria of utility and participation. It analyzes the feasibility and possible benefits of using a participatory methodology in Public Health evaluations, highlighting aspects that facilitate and hinder this undertaking. It is a qualitative research, which empirical basis was 1) the material produced in seven workshops with municipal representatives, aiming the evaluation of an aspect of health care from the perspective of integrity; and 2) semi-structured interviews with the same actors after completion of the evaluation process. KIRKHART´s theoretical framework (2000) was used to evaluate the utility criterion, in order to expand the analysis beyond the instrumental use of the evaluation findings, and focus it in identifying multiple influences exerted by a complex phenomenon as an evaluation process. The evaluation criterion of participation was based on references of COUSINS e WHITMORE (1998), aiming to identify decisions or contextual aspects in the empirical material that made participatory option limited or depth in the focused process. The work highlights the need to seek theoretical frameworks of analysis consistent with the methodological choice carried out in order to enhance the identification of evaluation gains and limitations, and enable evaluators to monitor the demand of participants in the evaluation process with flexibility to reach its best use, even in those cases where there are limitations on the possibilities of participation. The results confirmed the viability, with advantages, of holding local participatory processes with policymakers and managers in Public Health, highlighting the possibility of gains in education and the enrichment of the negotiation process in the territory level, consistent with the policy of building health regions in SUS.