This study set out to provide an understanding of the Certificate in Education programme, CE (PD), in terms of various stakeholder perspectives and its historical development. Through the use of case study method the study investigates the relationship between the first three semesters of the Certificate in Education (Participatory Development) CE (PD) offered largely on-campus at the University of KwaZulu-Natal with the final semester module of the programme offered as a service-learning off-campus called Development in Practice (DIP). The objective of DIP is to produce reflective learners in an authentic development context. Within the CE (PD) programme this is understood as praxis. The purpose of the study therefore is to investigate processes within the programme that facilitated or hindered the attainment of praxis. The case study method served this research goal well as it allowed for the social, ideological and historical reality of the CE (PD) to be viewed within a context of its development and the broader contexts of the university and South Africa. As such, this study looked at how one could ensure that theory, abstract knowledge and practice are combined for the purpose of improving community development practice. The study focussed on the aspect of praxis within the CE (PD) with the intention of contribution to the improvement of praxis in training for community development practitioners. Based on Freire's understanding of praxis, the situated cognition and transformative learning theories this study found that certain processes impacted positively or negatively to the CE (PD) programme in facilitating praxis. These processes were varied and included amongst others curriculum conceptualisation and planning, and the most important one being ideology and power related issues. The detailed description of the CE (PD) process would be useful to future curriculum development initiatives. This study argued that community development training is a contested area and cannot only focus skills training but must include consciousness raising located within an emancipatory tradition. Based on this argument an interactive programme development model located within praxis is offered as a contribution towards community development practitioner training in the South African context. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This research focuses on a rock art recording process as a possible social development project from a Communication for Participatory Development perspective. The study is part of and builds on the wider National Heritage Council-funded Biesje Poort: KhoiSan rock art recording project. The wider project’s overall objective is “to alert and assist the local authority to the presence of a KhoiSan Heritage resource/s in their area of jurisdiction and assist in developing its educational and tourism potential” (NHC/Lange 2010, proposal). One of the project’s secondary objectives is to transfer skills in the recording and representation of the rock engravings and broader cultural landscape via GPS mapping to members of a present day KhoiSan community in the Northern Cape, as well as to young researchers from a variety of educational institutions in South Africa. My research explores and documents the role of participatory communication in the project including its promotion of skills transference, empowerment, and the level of participation amongst all participants. In doing so, the research investigates the dialogue, power relations and research negotiation between members of the multicultural and multidisciplinary research team. Data is gathered via participant observation and face-to-face interviews that is then analysed against participatory development communication principles as outlined in models such as Communication for Participatory Development (Kincaid & Figueroa, 2009), and strategies such as Participatory Action Research (PAR). Findings generated from this study reveal that in spite of all challenges encountered by participants the intended project objectives were met. This study further provides an insight into other possible research outcomes that could be achieved by implementing a participatory communication research with multicultural and multidisciplinary participants. Taking into account the possible influence that this research’s contextual dynamics could have exerted on the outcomes, recommendations have been made that further research be undertaken on a broader scale to provide more definitive evidence of using this approach. Further recommendations are made that dialogue, and skills acquisition or transference, be at the heart of every participatory communication. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Thesis. 1977. M.C.P.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / No leaf 54; 2 leaves numbered 56. / Bibliography : leaves 106-108. / by Ernesto E. Rodriguez. / M.C.P.