D.Phil. / In spite of developments in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD field) with regard to the development of human resources, the HRD field has no universally accepted evaluation paradigm that could be utilised for evaluating the impact of HRD interventions. This unsatisfactory state of evaluation was brought about, firstly, by the prevailing dominance of the Kirkpatrick approach (1994) towards evaluation and, secondly, by the absence of empirically-tested evaluation models. Although the Kirkpatrick approach to evaluation establishes a logical frame of reference for evaluation, this approach could be considered controversial and restrictive. Furthermore, the taxonomic nature of the Kirkpatrick approach provides limited prospects for explaining the contribution and impact HRD interventions could have on enhanced organisational effectiveness. Consequently, a need exists for an innovative HRD evaluation paradigm that offers satisfactory exposition possibilities with regard to the effectiveness of interventions. Furthermore, the Human Resource Development field is characterised by a lack of terminological congruence particularly with regard to such concepts as evaluation, Human Resource Development and organisational effectiveness. In order to overcome the problem, concepts that are applicable to the study in question, were defined and a few objectives that could be achieved by means of evaluation were explained/highlighted. From further analysis of a variety of evaluation approaches propounded in literature it appears that the conceptualisation of evaluation areas such as reaction, learning and performance could be considered problematic. Furthermore, these evaluation approaches focus mainly on evaluating the impact of a few interventions without determining the contribution of most interventions for enhanced organisational effectiveness. Bearing relation to the aforementioned, important variables that occur on individual, group and organisational levels, and that influence the effectiveness of an intervention, are not considered. The aforementioned, therefore, does not indicate that the evaluation approaches followed could be considered as faulty, but instead that these approaches could be regarded as incomplete. Against the above background, an Evaluation Model has been formulated that could overcome evaluation problems. The model includes five major factors, namely individual, group and organisational factors, the learning environment and the components of the training cycle. It has been hypothesised that these factors mutually interact with each other and transform HRD inputs into specific outputs. These elements also serve as outputs of the HRD function and it has been argued that the factors could be considered as indicative of effective HRD iniatives. The elements of the transformational process serve as one of three key evaluation areas, of which the other two evaluation areas are organisational effectiveness and external factors. The proposed evaluation approach thus pays attention to the impact and interaction between the different elements, the point of departure being that effective transformation (that is, processing HRD inputs to outputs) would only be possible if full functional discharge occurs in all the elements.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Education) / The research was structured to determine the present state of inservice education and training (INSET) in South Africa with regard to teachers' centres. It addressed the present education system in South Africa as well as the underlying philosophy of teachers' centres. The hypotheses were formulated to determine whether teachers' centres meet the needs of the teachers they serve; whether domestic circumstances have any influence on a teacher's usage of a teachers' centre; and how teachers perceive a good teachers' centre to function. The history of in-service education and specifically teachers' centres was traced through 13 countries, including South Africa, and factors determining the nature of teachers' centres were discussed. Five possible types of teachers' centres were identified and the Johannesburg Teachers' Centre, as being representative of the majority of the centres in South Africa, was analized...

Land and water degradations are serious environmental concerns facing South Africa. One of the major causes is human-induced soil erosion due to intensified land uses and environmental degradation caused by bad agricultural practices and inappropriate land uses. Soil erosion is a typical and important example of land degradation that the LandCare program intends to address. In order to evaluate the success of LandCare project in addressing soil erosion evaluation tools which can be applied during the project monitoring and evaluation process. Several soil loss models and field assessment methods were theoretically evaluated on criteria such as the scientific principles, availability and the impact of data requirements of the models. Soil loss models, SLEMSA (Soil Loss Estimation for Southern Africa) and RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Estimation) and the ACED (Assessment of Current Erosion Damage) method were selected to be tested in a study area that is naturally susceptible to erosion. The soil loss as predicted by RUSLE and SLEMSA and that resulting from visible damage as accounted by ACED method is not comparable. The SLEMSA and RUSLE models vary considerably in extent and approach compared with the field assessment method, ACED. ACED can be used as a participatory learning erosion tool and to identify critical areas on hillslopes. SLEMSA and RUSLE had predictive advantage over ACED and could predict soil loss before and after the LandCare project. Therefore, the models were considered valuable tools to guide decision-making based on the management and use of the natural resources on farmland or by the community. Soil loss models that require readily available input data, such as RUSLE and SLEMSA, are suitable evaluation tools for monitoring and evaluation of soil erosion in LandCare project. Based on the results of the scenario prediction study, it was found that RUSLE could simulate the impact of different agricultural practices much better than SLEMSA. However, the reliability of SLEMSA and RUSLE should be verified with measured data from erosion plots as RUSLE also underestimate the erodibility of the Escourt soil. / Dissertation (MSc (Agriculture))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

This study investigates the criteria teachers use when selecting and evaluating learning support material, in particular, English second language textbooks. The study seeks to determine what informs the criteria that teachers use for selection. The study is conducted against the backdrop of Curriculum 2005 (C2005) and outlines the C2005 revision process and the subsequent introduction of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). Through a series of focus group interviews, the researcher explores the criteria teachers use for evaluation. Many of the teachers in this study did not have clearly articulated criteria; rather, they drew on implicit criteria and mentioned favoured qualities or attributes that they looked for in a textbook. In addition, the teachers in the focus groups used criteria that had been ‘told’ rather than ‘owned’ and had not developed their own sets of criteria. This research concludes that teachers are caught between two conflicting sets of criteria: those of their pre-service training and those of the new curriculum, which is currently being mediated to them through brief orientations. Drawing on recent literature, the researcher argues that in order to shift deep-seated literacy practices, teacher training needs to be prolonged, in-depth and ongoing.

What happens to the implementation trajectory of a specific policy as it is shaped by multiple stakeholder understandings and competing policy influences in the school environment? The specific case in focus is the new government policy in South Africa on Whole School Evaluation (WSE). This policy requires that schools conduct internal self-evaluations, which will be followed by external evaluations and the implementation of school development plans for the purpose of bringing about school improvement. The purpose of this study is to explain how different stakeholders (education planners, teachers, and principals) understand and enact WSE policy within the school environment given the competing policy demands in the South African context. My study is unique for three reasons. First, I wish to cancel out explanations for possible policy failure that can be attributed to a lack of commitment to the new WSE. I will be seeking to understand how policy is implemented in contexts where there is a readiness to receive and manage change. Second, I will compare rival stakeholder understandings and trace the influence of these competing understandings on the implementation process and outcomes within the South African school context and, third, investigate how one policy is understood and acted-on, given the competing demands of related policies on schools and the practitioners working in the sampled schools. The specific research questions that guided this investigation are the following: 1. How do various stakeholders in the school environment understand WSE policy? 2. How do schools implement WSE policy given the presence of other evaluation related policies in the same school environment? Data was collected over a period of one year using a multi-method approach. Multiple methods of data collection included using in-depth, semi-structured interviews (both individual and focused group sessions) with stakeholders, observations of critical incidents in the policy implementation process, document analysis, photographs, teacher diaries, field notes, free writing schedules and structured questionnaires. The main findings from the study are the following: -- that when implementers are faced with multiple competing policies their implementation stance is determined by what is considered to be practical, immediate and known -- that for policies to have the desired impact there has to be a high degree of “coherence” among the different policies as well as “coherence” within individual policy frameworks. Furthermore, a combined and well-co-ordinated approach to multiple policy implementation is necessary for the policies to have the desired impact -- that for policies have the desired impact there has to be a high degree of “coherence” within the minds/understanding of practitioners -- that stakeholders who have negative experiences of a particular policy issue remain skeptical about the value of similar policies. Stakeholders draw on these experiences to guide their future actions -- that school-site conceptions of evaluations are constantly developed and changed as a result of multitudinous “forces of influence” -- that homogenous culture, bureaucratic responsiveness and hierarchical organization together compose a positive response to official policy -- that the course of policy implementation is influenced both negatively and positively by variables operating within and outside the school context. Finally the insights gained from this study hold practical as well as theoretical significance. Not only does it offer planning insights for the North West province in relation to WSE implementation, but is also serves to unpack the “black box” of policy implementation. It deepens our understanding of the problems faced with implementing planned change in transforming contexts even in cases where there is a receptiveness to change. / Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Admissions assessment batteries at most South African higher education institutions augment matriculation results with assessment data from cognitive and non-cognitive measures, in order to identify potentially successful students. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) is a non-cognitive measure, developed in the United States of America to assess the motivational orientation and use of learning strategies among college students. Numerous international studies have confirmed the reliability and validity of the MSLQ. Presently only three quantitative studies have been conducted in the South African higher education context, and in these, researchers have focused on the predictive validity, construct validity and reliability of the MSLQ when used with multicultural and multilingual groups of test-takers. An overview of these studies revealed a confirmation of adequate reliability of the MSLQ, and whereas it was established that nine of the fifteen subscales of the MSLQ are significantly related to the academic success of undergraduate students, limited support was found for the construct validity of the measure. As a result of these findings, a lack of qualitative methods for confirming or disconfirming the quantitative results was noted. The general aim of this study was to explore the applicability of the MSLQ in a higher education South African context, with respect to aspects related to bias, through assessing the item content with specific reference to language and cultural appropriateness. This was to ensure that items on the MSLQ did not favour or disadvantage any cultural and language groups. Investigations in this regard are a necessity in a country like South Africa in an effort to promote fair assessment practices. In order to achieve the above-mentioned aim, a quantitative and qualitative approach was utilised following an exploratory-descriptive research method. The researcher employed a non-probability, purposive sampling procedure to select post-graduate participants employed at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) to act as expert reviewers. A Bias Review Form was the primary mode of data collection and this enabled the researcher to collect the biographical details of the expert reviewers, their ratings of the language and cultural appropriateness of each item, and their comments, suggestions and recommendations for improving identified problematic items. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the reviewers’ responses to the short biographical questionnaire included on the Bias Review Form, while frequency counts were calculated based on the reviewers’ responses to the language and cultural appropriateness of each item. The reviewers’ comments were analyzed into themes using Tesch’s model of content analysis. Three main themes relating to potential bias were identified, namely, language, culture and item characteristics. Guba’s model was employed for assessing the trustworthiness of the qualitative data and for data verification.

There has been a shift in the South African education system from a purely grade-oriented system to that of a learner-centred outcome-based system of education which challenges higher educational institutions and their faculties to adjust their goals to this system. In South Africa there is evidence of poor academic performance at higher education institutions. Among other things, noncognitive factors may be important mediators of academic success. With the expansion of higher education and the increased emphasis on access, retention and life-long learning, it is a good reason to explore the nature of different learning styles (Healey & Jenkins, 2000). Learning styles and personality types has been identified as significant predictors of academic performance. The present study aimed to contribute to this body of research in general and to Kolb’s (1981) theory of experiential learning and his conceptualisation of learning styles in particular. The aims of the study were to explore and describe the learning styles of first year university students (Aim 1), to explore and describe the learning styles of first year university students per faculty (Aim 2), and to explore the relationship between learning styles and academic performance for students in the various faculties (Aim 3). The study used an explorative descriptive and correlational research method and was conducted within a quantitative framework. Participants were selected using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. The sample was comprised of 391 first year university students to whom Kolb’s Learning Style Indicator was administered as part of the Explore programme during orientation week. Descriptive statistics were used in order to explore and describe the learning style of the learners for the sample as a whole and per faculty. Data for the learning styles and academic performance categories were cross tabulated so as to comment on the relationship between learning styles and academic performance per faculty. Small cell sizes made it impossible to analyse the latter data statistically. Across the six faculties the Accommodator learning style was the most represented, followed by the Diverger learning style. No significant relationship was found between learning styles and academic performance. The implications of the findings for counselling and teaching students are highlighted and suggestions to expand the research through using larger samples are also made.

M.A. / The interest in this mini-dissertation is on enhancing accountability in the local government system of the Republic of South Africa. Specifically, the focus is on the assessment of the enforcing mechanisms among councillors and senior officials in municipalities. Local government refers to that sphere of government closest to its constituents and involved in the provision of a wide range of services that affect the lives of its inhabitants residing in its area of jurisdiction (Zybrands, 1998:193). Section 151 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996 (the Constitution) provides that the local sphere of government consists of municipalities, which must be established for the whole territory of the Republic. In section 3 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Bill, 1999 it is stated that the municipalities constitute the local sphere of government despite their separate legal personality. The rising public expectations and the growing demand for the provision of social services by municipalities demands acceptable working standards by councillors and municipal officials in the municipalities. The municipalities are directly in touch with the public and perform a variety of functions that affect the lives of the citizens. The councillors and municipal administrators have substantial authority and power that have to be exercised in line with democratic principles that include accountability. Section 152 (1) (a) of the Constitution states that local government should provide a democratic and accountable government for local communities. The councillors and municipal officials are subject to accountability and they are required to demonstrate a sense of responsibility when carrying out their functions and account. for their decisions and activities in public (Gildenhuys, 1997:17). However, the Constitution does not specifically state the mechanisms and how councillors are accountable to their citizens and what citizens can do to exact accountability from them (Craythorne, 1997: 198). Inadequate mechanisms to ensure accountability constrain the achievement of the local government objects. The lack of accountability among councillors and officials is a major factor that contributes to the financial and administrative crisis in most municipalities. The Researcher observed growing concerns on the issues of accountability among councillors and municipal officials. Hence an exploratory study on the issue based on qualitative research methodology was undertaken. The method of work comprised a literaturereview, unstructured interviews conducted with senior municipal officials and field visits to municipalities. The accountability systems examined include the legal, political, bureaucratic and professional accountability systems. The major mechanisms designed to enhance accountability in municipalities that are analysed include bodies such as the office of the Auditor-General, the Public Protector and the courts; elections; structures such as the municipal council and its committees; the code of conduct; leadership; training and development; performance appraisals and the reward systems among others. The assessment of the mechanisms highlights the major challenges in the enforcement of accountability in municipalities, which include the lack of adjudicative powers among the bodies; financial and human resource constraints; the apathetic community; non-compliance with the code of conduct; the lack of exemplary behaviour and adequate skills among the councillors and officials and uncoordinated local government training and development programs among others. The major conclusion drawn from the research study is that a multi-dimensional approach is required to ensure effective accountability systems in municipalities. The recommendations include the enforcement of the legal instruments, codes of conduct and regulations; the impartial prosecution of violators; implementing effective policies on training and personnel management; educating citizens and encouraging associations and all stakeholders to play a catalytic role in enforcing accountability in municipalities. It is important that municipalities apply effective mechanisms for the promotion of accountable behaviour, as the lack of it undermines the democratic principles and efficient and effective operations in municipalities.

M.Ed. (Subject Didactics) / Technological renewal, which facilitates the effortless correction of errors, has raised the relevance of accuracy in typing. By means of sophisticated equipment correction can now be done very swiftly. This raises the question if accuracy as focal skill of the typist still has any relevance. If corrections are done quickly and effectively by the various functions of the typewriter, should the emphasis in the teaching of Typing not be shifted from accuracy to speed? Error identification is precipitated by the spellchecker. This, however, does not eliminate the process of proofreading as not all errors can be identified in this way. Technological renewal thus makes a greater demand on the typist's proofreading skills as these functions are heavily depended on. Irrespective of the skill of the typist, error identification, correction, and/or retyping a document take time, thus reducing the level of productivity at which the typist functions. correcting is time-consuming and costly.· Therefore accuracy is essential, as the time-consuming correction of errors is detrimental to the productivity of the typist. The business world demands a high level of productivity. This implies that producing a document should be planned, bearing the impact on productivity in mind. Due to these standards and expectations set by the business community, it is crucial that Typing students reach the highest possible level of skill and accuracy. Thus , despite sophisticated equipment, the quality of typing remains of the utmost importance. Improved modern equipment will not make a noticable difference to the efficiency of a typist.It is imperative that the teacher keeps abreast of technological improvements and include these in teaching. At the end of their training, pupils should be suitably equipped to play a meaningful role in the technologically structured society they are meant to serve. If technological development is taken into consideration, it is evident that the typist should be able to use the available equipment to produce even more accurate work. The empirical investigation undertaken in this study has in fact proved that the level of accuracy of Typing pupils is not of exceptional quality. Errors in 106 papers were grouped, analysed and processed. The study particularly focussed on the types of errors, their frequency and distribution according to finger use. These results have mainly led to the conclusion that technology has not yet inherently improved the accuracy of the typist, but has merely improved the speed with which corrections are done. Recommendations in this regard are done.