The dissertation investigates how non-profit organisations (NPOs) can function more efficiently by sharing resources and services. The design responds with the strategy of service integration, by transforming the facilities of POPUP, a single NPO, into a shared services hub for multiple NPOs. POPUP is a People Upliftment Programme in Salvokop, Pretoria, and serves the under-privileged communities of Pretoria with skills development courses. The dissertation aims to create restorative environments for these students and explores the theoretical approaches of regenerative design, biophilic design and restorative environmental design. The premise of the investigation is that humanity has an inherent inclination towards nature and that a healthy human-nature connection enables the healing process. Furthermore, the dissertation follows a contextual approach that responds to the railway heritage significance of Salvokop, the urban condition of disconnection from the Central Business District, as well as the self-restoration of the natural landscape. The study seeks to regenerate the human-nature connection, a manifestation of the connection between the current natural landscape and the urban condition. In this way, restorative environments are created that contribute to the regeneration of people. / Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2014 / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

This thesis surveys the development of education programmes variety broadcast by the Czech Television from 1992 to 2010. The main tendencies of pragramme creation are illustrated on the background of specific political, social and technological context characteristic for the Czech Republic in the period concerned. The theoretical part gathers some relevant information from the fields of sociology, psychology and media studies connected to the socialization process, with special focus on children. One separate chapter is then dedicated to the issue of education programme definition, another to the legislative and further social role of the Czech television in relation to education. By means of annual almanacs, papers, PROVYS software system, internal and public documents research, as well as a number of interviews with current or former employees of the Czech television, the empirical part illustrates the development and changes referring to the period studied. The result of this is an extensive image of the main tendencies of television education development produces by groups or centers in charge. The thesis does not give a full-range account of all education programmes shown by the broadcaster, as with regard to the amorphous character of the genre this is not even accomplishable, but attempts to...

Magister Educationis - MEd / This mini-thesis attempts to explain the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure in public schools in the Western Cape. The mini-thesis uses the case study as research design to explore aspects such as the motivation for using ICT, funding models, infrastructure models, ICT curriculum integration and teacher development. In order to gather data on the above, interviews and observations are used as research tools. The study begins with the exploration of the history of ICT infrastructure in South African schools and subsequently an international perspective is added through the literature review. Officials and teachers of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) were interviewed to obtain their perspectives and a school was visited to observe procured ICT infrastructure. The results revealed that the WCED is using the Khanya project to deliver an ICT infrastructure to schools and to provide facilitation in the integration of ICT into the curriculum. It further showed that due to the rapid change in technology, Khanya had to adapt the hardware configuration on a regular basis and that this put considerable strain on and already small budget for ICT. The challenge that emerged is the lack of adequate ICT training for teachers. This could potentially hamper the integration of ICT and if not addressed, could serious hamper the WCED in its quest to deliver a technology based curriculum. The study concludes with conclusions drawn for the data as well as recommendations for effective ICT integration. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / There is global interest in teacher education as a strategy for national development. More specifically, emphasis is placed on teachers as the driving force behind educational provision which is central to achieving high standards of learner achievement. This study focused on teacher in-service development and its role for effective teaching and learning towards the holistic development of learners. Extensive social inequalities, along the lines of race, still exist in South Africa almost twenty years into the new dispensation. This is evident by the vast majority of impoverished schools in previously disadvantaged areas. Learners at these schools experience a range of barriers to learning which impede teaching and learning. Consequently, teachers at these schools are confronted with a tensionfilled task: having to be sensitive to the needs of these learners, whilst at the same having to ensure their success. This is reflected in Department of Education (DoE) policies which emphasises principles of social transformation for redress and equity, coupled with the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills for the benefit of individuals in South Africa, as well as global trends. As a quantitative data collection method in this mixed method study, 55 teachers (of which 26 responded) from two schools, were asked to complete a questionnaire on the effectiveness of teacher in-service development programmes towards the holistic development of learners. Qualitative data collection methods entailed interviewing a principal of one of the schools; a social worker from the area; as well as a district officer from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). In addition, relevant DoE policies were reviewed. Findings reflect that teachers at impoverished schools are confronted with a range of challenges presented by learners in the classrooms. The findings also indicate that even though DoE policies reflect a commitment to teacher development, the in-service programmes offered to teachers mostly do not reflect the needs of teachers for the holistic development of learners. In instances where inservice programmes do assist with the holistic development of learners, findings indicate that the implementation thereof is challenging due to the high teacher: learner ratio and limited resources. Thus, recommendations include the periodic monitoring and review of long-term DoE teacher development initiatives whilst short term measures incorporate giving attention to impediments like lack of parental support and behavioural challenge. Long term measures, which are strongly recommended, encompass systemic change that facilitates the working together of a number of governmental departments. In so doing, educational reform takes on a society wide form, as it is evident that on its own it cannot abate poverty and the related effects. Thus, the DoE’s vision of education for social transformation towards redress and equity, as well as economic growth for individuals and South Africa is more plausible. These recommendations create a vital space for future research.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This study aimed to assess employee’s responses with regard to the implementation of a new workplace improvement programme. The purpose of this research was to focus on the understanding that could be gained about employee’s responses to organisational change using qualitative research

The object of this diploma thesis is to cover and describe main selected aspects of reporting on refugee crisis in two key czech news programmes - in Zprávy FTV Prima and in Události ČT. Within the confines of one randomly chosen week in six months at the turn of the year 2016 and 2017 the author uses the quantitative method of analysis (with some elements of qualitative research) to describe in detail the discours chosen by these two powerful media institutions to inform the recipients. This work concentrates on most frequent topics, on their framing, on the linguistic and semantics codes etc. The initial part of the thesis offers insight into theoretical knowledge about this topic - history of migration in Czech territory, selected theoretical concepts and last but not least - the context, facts about the number og migrants living in CZ and EU also. The conclusions may serve as a basis for other analysis concerning this highly topical and very complex issue. The author perceives this subject as one of the most important event of late, which in addition strongly resonates with social and public life. It was in this very recent exodus that exposed how significant may the attitude of media be for shaping the public opinion and the strongest ones seem to be those who can connect both persuasive...

Small and Medium-sized enterprises represent the backbone of the economy and they play a crucial role in the development of regions. Promoting position of SMEs within the economy may be done through their financial support. The aim of this work is to depict the current SME environment in the European Union and to determine different levels where the companies may acquire funding. The European level process is analysed on two different real projects with the EU funding.

In South Africa all the major categories of violent crime (homicide, aggravated robbery, serious assault and rape) showed an increase during the early 2000s. More than half of the total offences that were committed in South Africa during 2005 were aggressive offences. The goal of the study was to explore the perception of offenders regarding the triggering and contributing socio-economic factors to aggravated robbery with a view to inform rehabilitation and re-integration programmes for these offenders. Within the context of the interrelatedness of socio-economic factors such as poverty, inequality, unemployment and human rights, developmental social welfare and its underpinning theory of social development was an appropriate theoretical framework for the study. A qualitative research approach was utilised for the study and data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews. Respondents for the study included maximum-term offenders that were serving an imprisonment sentence for aggravated robbery. The research findings indicate a reciprocal relationship between poverty, inequality, unemployment, intoxicating substances and intra- and interpersonal factors as possible triggering and contributing factors to aggravated robbery. Unemployment, which is exacerbated by a lack of education and skills development and linked to intra- and interpersonal factors, appears to be a dominant socio-economic factor that could contribute to or trigger aggravated robbery. The study concluded that rehabilitation programmes still lack a holistic, integrated developmental approach and hence do not prepare ex-offenders for full integration into society. The Department of Correctional Services was pointed out as a significant role-player in facilitating rehabilitation programmes that include skills development for job creation in a holistic, integrated developmental manner. Recommendations include that the Department of Correctional Services should seek partnerships and closer working relations with external service providers, and develop and implement integrated developmental rehabilitation programmes that will facilitate the creation of productive economic opportunities for offenders while they are still incarcerated and once they have been released back into the community. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

In order to provide evidence demonstrating the efficacy of cochlear implantation in the children enrolled in the Pretoria Cochlear Implant Programme (PCIP), an in-depth analysis of the numerous variables involved in determining each individual child’s success with his/her cochlear implant needs to be undertaken. As the PCIP has been operating for over a decade, a standardised database that includes the variables identified by similar cochlear implant programmes world-wide as being related to outcomes of children with cochlear implants and their families, has to be assembled. As the PCIP functions partly as a paediatric cochlear implant programme, an Early Communication Intervention (ECI) approach with the emphasis on the family unit is of critical importance. To address this need, a comprehensive questionnaire was used in a cross sectional study combining qualitative, and predominantly quantitative methods. The aim was to determine the perceptions of parents/caregivers of children with cochlear implants in the PCIP of the children’s outcomes. The questionnaire was further used to gather relevant data pertaining to children and their families’ biographical, medical, environmental, audiological, linguistic and educational histories and current functioning. A total of 45 participants, all mothers of children with cochlear implants, returned questionnaires. Results indicated that several key factors played a role in determining a positive outcome in the children’s audiological, linguistic, social and educational functioning leading to placement in an inclusive educational setting. These included an early age at diagnosis and prompt fitting of hearing aids and subsequent cochlear implantation, the absence of prenatal and perinatal complications including feeding difficulties, a higher level of maternal education, achievement of developmental milestones within normal age norms, the use of an FM system in the primary school phase, access to ECI, the presence of an older sibling to act as a language model, the absence of birth trauma and congenital rubella syndrome as cause of hearing loss, and later (acquired) onset of hearing loss. Children whose cause of hearing loss was non-syndromic and hereditary or unknown, were more likely to have positive outcomes. The clinical implications for the PCIP were synthesised and presented as a developmental systems model, providing guidelines for the entire process from referral to the cochlear implant programme to exiting of the system. The urgency of the need for a universal newborn or infant hearing screening programme as well as reliable systems of early referral to cochlear implant programmes, emerged strongly in the recommendations of the study. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Technology Outreach Programme on Public Understanding of Science, Engineering and Technology (PUSET). The study further intended to give feedback to the management of the Tsebo Koloing Technology Outreach Programme, to assist them to make an informed decision with regard to the continuation, termination or revision of the existing programme, which represent a major investment of resources. It was also foreseen that the findings of this study could contribute towards the design and successful implementation of similar PUSET programmes elsewhere. To facilitate the understanding of the problem statement of this study, an evaluation framework based on the Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model of Stufflebeam, Madaus&Kellaghan, (2000) was applied. The research was carried out at four secondary schools that were considered disadvantaged situated in townships near Pretoria, South Africa. Secondary school learners and science and technology teachers, who visited the Tsebo Koloing programme, as well as members of the executive committee of the programme, participated in the study. This study provided valuable insight into the understanding of the effects of the TK programme on learners and teachers in schools (particularly in a developing nation context) who visited the programme and how the extent to which the programme created and promoted PUSET furthermore this study emphasized the importance of programme evaluation and proper planning of S&T outreach programmes with regard to needs assessment; identification of target groups; programme design; programme development and content; as well as programme implementation and evaluation. Although valuable information was obtained from this research, there is still scope for further research on how to evaluate the effects of S&T programmes on PUSET as well as research on the effectiveness of mobile S&T programmes. / Dissertation (MEd (Assessment and Quality Assurance in Education and Training))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / MEd / unrestricted