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The purpose of this research was to examine the perceptions of collaboration and individual communication skills among advanced high school students. Senior students from an Academic Year Governor's School for science and math, all of whom were enrolled in a 9-week leadership, teamwork, and communications course, participated in this mixed methods study. Pre and post surveys were administered to determine participants' perceptions of collaboration and their own communications skills and whether those perceptions changed after completing the course. Each student answered Likert-style questions taken from Zhuang et al. (2008) that categorized perceptions of three factors of collaboration: cooperation skills, advocating and influencing skills, and negotiation skills. A final open-ended question solicited elaboration regarding perceptions of collaboration. Junior students at the same school were not enrolled in the course but were asked to participate in the study as a comparison group. Two tailed t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences between the pre-survey results of the seniors and the juniors. T-tests also revealed no significant differences between the pre and post data for the juniors. However, senior participants had significantly more positive perceptions of collaboration overall; cooperation skills; and advocating and influencing skills; with a non-significant increase in negotiation skills, skills which were not specifically addressed in the nine-week course. The open-ended responses indicated that the seniors perceived collaboration in a more positive way when they were grouped with other students who were engaged and motivated. Students also indicated that positive collaborative experiences allowed students to hear different views and bring ideas together. More positive responses and fewer negative or neutral responses were noted in the post-survey data. The results of this study suggest that when the skills of collaboration and communication are specifically taught, students are more likely to view collaboration positively, recognize the benefits of collaboration both in school and in the workforce, and enjoy the experience of collaborating. / Doctor of Philosophy / The purpose of this research was to examine the perceptions of collaboration and individual communication skills among advanced high school students. Academically advanced senior students, all of whom were enrolled in a 9-week leadership, teamwork, and communications course, participated in this study that contained both quantitative and qualitative research data. Surveys were administered at the start of the course and then at the completion of the course to determine participants' perceptions of collaboration and their own communications skills and whether those perceptions changed after completing the course. Each student answered questions with responses including "never," "rarely," "sometimes," "often," "usually," and "always" taken from Zhuang et al. (2008). The results of the survey categorized perceptions of three factors of collaboration: cooperation skills, advocating and influencing skills, and negotiation skills. A final open-ended question solicited elaboration regarding perceptions of collaboration. Junior students at the same school were not enrolled in the course but were asked to participate in the study as a comparison group. The analysis of the results of the pre-survey data of the seniors and the juniors revealed a good basis for comparison. The data also showed little change of perceptions for the juniors over the 9-week period. However, senior participants had significantly more positive perceptions of collaboration overall; cooperation skills; and advocating and influencing skills; with a non-significant increase in negotiation skills, skills which were not specifically addressed in the nine-week course. The open-ended responses indicated that the seniors perceived collaboration in a more positive way when they were grouped with other students who were engaged and motivated. Students also indicated that positive collaborative experiences allowed students to hear different views and bring ideas together. More positive responses and fewer negative or neutral responses were noted in the post-survey data. The results of this study suggest that when the skills of collaboration and communication are specifically taught, students are more likely to view collaboration positively, recognize the benefits of collaboration both in school and in the workforce, and enjoy the experience of collaborating.

This descriptive qualitative study examines six eighth-grade students' thinking while solving probability problems. This study aimed to gather direct information on students' problem solving processes informed by the heuristics and biases framework. This study used purposive sampling (Patton, 1990) to identify eighth-grade students who were knowledgeable about probability and had reached the formal operational stage of cognitive development. These criterion were necessary to reduce the likelihood of students' merely guessing answers and important so that the researcher could distinguish between reasoning and intuition. The theoretical framework for this study was informed by Kahneman and Fredrick's (2002) recent revision to the heuristics and biases framework grounded in the research of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman. Kahneman and Fredrick (2002) drew on dual process theory to explain systematic and predictable heuristic ways of thinking. Dual process theory hypothesizes that human thinking is divided into two different modes of processing. One mode, called System 1, is fast and linked to intuition, and the other, called System 2, is slow and linked to reasoning (Evans, 2008; Stanovich and West, 2000). Within dual process theory, System 1 thinking provides a credible system for explaining why people use heuristic thinking (Kahneman and Frederick, 2002). The recent revision to the heuristics and biases framework is focused on three heuristics, representativeness, conjunction fallacy, and availability. These three heuristics are believed to share the same mental process identified by Kahneman and Fredrick (2002), as the attribute substitution process. The clinical task based interview method was used in this study. This technique allowed the researcher to better observe and interact with the participants while exploring the students' probability thinking. The researcher also used think-aloud protocols to better reveal the organic thinking patterns of the students in real time (Ericsson and Simon, 1980; Fox, Ericsson, and Bets, 2010; Van Someren, Barnard, and Sandberg, 1994). The data from the interviews were analyzed using the constant comparison method (Glaser, 1965). This analysis revealed three categories that were combined with other analyses to create profiles for various thinking patterns observed by the researcher. The researcher identified patterns of thinking by students that were consistent with System 1 thinking and associated with the attribute substitution process (Kahneman and Fredrick, 2002). There were also situations in which students demonstrated ways of thinking consistent with System 2 thinking. However, unexpected ways of thinking were also identified by the researcher. For example, there were occasions when students substituted their fraction knowledge when solving probability problems and even seemed to equate probability with fractions. This type of thinking was referred to as the content substitution process in this study. This process occurred when students were using System 1 thinking as well as other types of thinking. In addition, the researcher observed students with thinking patterns that contained characteristics of both System 1 and System 2, which is referred to as slow intuition in this study. Slow intuition seemed to affect students' problem solving strategies as they wavered between multiple problem solving strategies that included either of the two substitution processes: attribute substitution and content substitution. This study contributes to the body of knowledge related to probabilistic thinking. In particular, this study informs our understanding of heuristic thinking used by eighth-grade students when solving probability problems. Further, teaching practices that draw on Fischbein's (1975, 1987) general notion of intuition might be developed and used to improve probability reasoning skills. These teaching practices target students that depend on the attribute substitution process and/or the content substitution process. Each of these heuristic ways of thinking may require different instructional techniques to help students develop more sound ways of thinking about probability. Regardless, teachers need to be informed of the extent that some students rely on their fraction knowledge when solving probability problems. / Ph. D.

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Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Globally there is recognition of a health workforce crisis characterised by critical shortages, migration, and an uneven geographical distribution of health professionals. The Nursing Strategy for South Africa records that for many decades nursing has been a career of choice for South Africans from all sectors of society (Department of Health 2008: 11). That has changed as nursing has become less appealing to learners. This raises questions as to the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of learners towards the nursing profession. Aim of the study : The aim of the study was to determine factors influencing high school learners towards nursing as a career. Methodology : A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative design was used to guide the study. The study was conducted in two high schools that were purposely sampled; the population comprised of high school learners from the two schools. Questionnaires were used to collect data from Grades 10 and 11. Life Orientation subject teachers were interviewed during data collection. Quantitative data was analysed by using SPSS. Qualitative data was analysed by using thematic analysis. Results : The findings of this study revealed that learners had inadequate knowledge of nursing. Interviews with teachers showed that this inadequate knowledge by learners could be associated with a lack of active involvement of the Department of Health in promoting nursing as a career.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work