Magister Artium (Human Ecology) - MA(HE) / A theory-based evaluation has been conducted with an improvement-orientated purpose on the Social Auxiliary Worker (SAW) Training Programme for an accredited provider to improve and continue to implement their own SAW Training Programmes. Theory-driven evaluations are essential for distinguishing between the validity of programme implementation and the validity of programme theory. Addressing the social needs of communities through social development and transformation is a top priority for the South African Government. South Africa faces a shortage of Social Work Practitioners (SWPs) due to emigration, as well as insufficient numbers of university graduates. This shortage has left the current SWPs with severe workload pressures. The South African Department of Social Development (DSD) initiated, in 2004, the training of Social Auxiliary Workers (SAWs) to serve as assistants to the SWPs. The SAW qualification initiative has been developed as a course accredited with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) at the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 4. Providers of SAW training courses are accredited by the Health and Welfare Sectoral Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) and by the South African Council for Social Services Professions (SACSSP). The empirical part of the study was conducted in two stages. The first stage consisted of a clarificatory evaluation, wherein a step-by-step logical participatory process was followed for the clarification and development of the programme theory. This process resulted in logic models and a theory-of-change model against which the evaluation questions for the study were developed. These questions assessed the need for the SAW training programme - and for the SAW training programme planning and design. It was found that there was a need for SAW training programmes and that the SAW training programme had been designed to address this need. The second stage consisted of an implementation evaluation. This was done by means of a data matrix using the evaluation aspects for each of the objectives developed during the clarificatory evaluation. Data gathering was done by means of content analysis, focus group workshops and questionnaires. Data interpretations, conclusions and judgements were made with regard to each of the objectives and consolidated in a table format which indicated the outputs and outcomes, implementation results- and a judgement and recommendation for each objective. It was found that a standardised and structured process was followed most of the time, but that the knowledge and skills training elements, particularly in their practical application, left room for improvement. The study illustrates the advantages of a theory-based evaluation that assists with programme planning and modification, knowledge development and the planning of evaluation studies.

Nursing throughout the world is striving for international competitiveness and accountability for effectiveness and trust to the students, patients and the community they serve, thus making the issue of accreditation increasingly important. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the heads of private nursing education institutions on accreditation process by nursing education and training quality assurance body at eThekwini district. Reviewed literature has revealed that the South African Government has facilitated and encouraged the establishment of quality assurance through the South African Qualifications Authority Act, the National Qualifications Framework Act (NQF) and the Nursing Act. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews with each of the heads of the seven selected private nursing education institutions. Qualitative content analysis using an editing style was performed in this study. Findings of this study revealed that nursing education institutions lack their own internal quality assessment processes as quality of teaching and learning depends on the interaction between the teacher and the students, the collective integrity as well as the professionals in the nursing education institution. Recommendations focused on periodic internal self-assessment as a vehicle to promote the culture of institutional internal self-assessment practices, as quality is seen as logical approach for conveying the importance of excellence to individuals who are nursing care recipients. Reports from the internal review should be provided by the institution to the external evaluation team prior to the external evaluators visit. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Education))--Rhodes University, 2006. / Half-thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Education (Environmental Education).

In this day and age where technology is rapidly improving and developing, it is essential that information should be managed accurately, fast and dynamic. Information systems not adhering to the requirements of the environment must be replaced or updated. Dependable, available information is worth its value in gold to individuals, organisations and the government. Training information is one of the most controversial themes of our times, because of the dynamic nature of this field. The question is what is available in the market to manage training in its entirety? Legislation in South Africa has certain expectations and requirements, which have to be adhered to. A training management system that will satisfy the needs of individuals, organisations and the government is designed and developed to address the problems experienced by Sasol Utilities. Abbreviations such as SAQA, NQF, NSB and SETA are used generally and are an integral part of the training problem. The Computer Assisted Training Management System is designed to address the development possibilities of certain job categories and individuals. This includes the.management of all training information such as historical background, scheduling, the determination of certain short comings and achievement evaluation. Various reports, which are valuable for management purposes can be generated. The Computer Assisted Training Management System is designed in such a way that it can be adapted to suit a variety of needs. Information can be added, changed or deleted according to the specific needs. However, information can only be changed as determined by the administrator. A built in security system ensures that the integrity of the information is maintained and protected. The idea behind the design and development of the Computer Assisted Training Management System is that the system must be user friendly, dynamic, unique and functional and that it must comply with all the technical aspects. The need for training differs from institution to institution, as well as from the requirements laid down by the government. This system is therefore designed in such a way that it would not become obsolete in the near future. In fact, follow-up systems may originate from the current Computer Assisted Training Management System. The Computer Assisted Training Management System is therefore a dynamic and unique management tool for the processing of training information and is able to adapt to changing circumstances, without forfeiting integrity. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

This research project offers an analysis of the Adult Basic Education and Training Directorate in the Eastern Cape Province. The Bush Models are described and critiqued and then used as a tool for analysis. Other organisational models are described and used to add depth to the analysis. The choice of analysing the Adult Basic Education and Training Directorate comes both from a professional desire to know and understand this organisation more fully, as well as the importance of stressing that the definition of education organisations does not stop at school, colleges and universities, but includes the government bodies which are a key part of the sector. This assignment therefore explores both the features of a government department as well as the appropriateness of using Bush’s models in this context and draws on other organisational theory--Introduction.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study begins with an ethnographic self-study which allows for a reflection on traditional learning experiences. This study is located in the context of the initial development of dental health professionals within those higher education institutions that endeavour to provide education and training in a rapidly changing context. This context is characterised by the simultaneous need to address the blurring of boundaries and the dichotomies that exist such as the first world and the third world, the developed and the less developed world, the rich and the poor, health and wealth, the private and the public sectors, the formal and the informal sectors, the advantaged and the disadvantaged, the privileged and the underprivileged. The definitions, concepts, theories and principles around curricula and professional development are examined in an effort to extend into discoveries of educational research usually beyond the purview of dental health practitioners, policy makers or higher education specialists involved in training these dental health practitioners. It poses key questions regarding the nature of professional competences within dental health science undergraduate studies and how the curricula are organised around these perceptions of competence. Investigative tools include participant observation, interviews and questionnaires which have included both education deliverers - the teaching staff - and education consumers - the students. The areas of access by students to programmes (input), activities whilst in the programmes (throughput) and their competences at the exit end of the programme (output) are examined. It was found that institutions and programmes are paradoxically positioned declaring missions to be globally competitive and internationally recognised and at the same time wanting to reach out to the population who are disadvantaged and who form a majority. Whilst the needs of the wider community is for basic dental services and primary health care, the resources appear to be geared for producing technologically-superior professionals who will cater for a largely urban and middle class populations. The resources available, particularly human resources, for this training, are going through a critical shortage. Simultaneously demands are being made to challenge the epistemological rationale of the curriculum practice of the training sites at both universities and technikons (now known as universities of technology). These findings reveal that the SAQA demands and the proposed transformation of higher education provided an impetus for schools and departments within universities and technikons and their institutes to look at educational concepts and to transform curricula. This shift was found to be hampered by a variety of causes which included territorial protection, lack of a deep understanding of the education and training concepts and lack of human, physical and financial resources. It was also found that traditional designs of programmes are locked into tribal boundaries which restrict movement beyond these. The boundaries are ring-fenced by historical legacies and practices which confine programmes within these borders and continue to cement the fragmented development of dental health science professionals. The education and training of the different dental health science occupational categories are fragmented between institutes, within institutes and with three separate professional regulating bodies and, seemingly, disjointed functioning national and provincial departments of health and education. This (education and training) is found to be dominated by the traditional mould of teaching, learning and assessment with pockets of change in some schools and departments. Teaching units in the form of subjects, which operate as discrete units and remain entrenched by the habituations of subjects and departments within schools, restricts movement in the competence-based direction. The framework offered by this thesis sets broader and more fluid principles and guidelines which embody the notion of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values and which course designers and educators can utilise so that renewed ways can emerge for their programmes. This allows for a cross over into each other's territories (regulatory, institutional and the health and educational services) that will allow for courses to be designed more holistically and rationally with appropriate transformatory potential.

Text in Afrikaans / A labour market-oriented curriculum component for grade 7 - 9 learners in the existing education curriculum for South Africa could be achieved on the basis of an analysis and synthesis of various curricula by using curriculum components. The aim of the study is to reveal the essence of curriculation in order to bring the outcomes in the curriculum in line with the labour market needs of South Africa. An appropriate educational curriculum should not only address the high unemployment rate in South Africa, but should also bring about improvements in teaching practice as well as set standards that will be comparable both nationally and internationally. An analysis of different curricula shows clearly that various relevant theories can lead to the development of a curriculum component. These theories are not necessarily contradictory, but rather attempt to reveal the essentials for teaching and training. An analysis of the definitions of curricula gives an indication of the teaching possibilities of an appropriate labour market-oriented educational curriculum, whereby such a curriculum can be integrated in a sensible way with teaching practice by using the curriculum components. This theoretical consideration of different theories, curriculum components and teaching models has found a practical expression in a teaching labour market-oriented curriculum component that could possibly address current teaching and unemployment labour problems in South Africa. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Post apartheid South Africa saw the introduction of many policies and legislations that were to meet the goals of democracy, social redress, equity and development. One of the crucial legislations that guided the restructuring of higher education was the South African Qualifications Authority Act (SAQA) of 1995. Within this SAQA Act (1995) is the issue of quality assurance. Through a system of quality assurance and through processes such as the registration of higher education practices and programmes such as the Education and Training Quality Assurance Bodies (ETQA), the National Standards Body (NSB), the Standards Generating Bodies (SGB), the Council of Higher Education and the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) within the SAQA Act mandate. The higher education sector is been guided to offer relevant and responsive needs that meet the needs of learners, employers and other stakeholders. Quality Assurance could relate to greater accountability and efficiency in respect of education or higher standards of education provision. It is within the expression of higher standards and comparability of quality assurance that through the SAQA Act (1995) all providers of higher education, whether public higher education providers of private higher education providers, are required to register as providers of higher education programmes and to register its programmes been offered. It is within this expression of quality assurance that this study is located. This study examined the impact of the Quality Assurance Legislation on programme design of the Information Technology (IT) Department within the School of Technology at Anchorlite College, which is a private higher education institution (PHEI). The Study focused on two critically questions, viz: i. Did the PHEI use a quality assurance system before the quality assurance legislation? ii. What impact did the quality assurance legislation have on pedagogy, resources and content of programme design of a PHEI A case study method was used on a purposeful sampled PHEI to illuminate the impact of the quality assurance legislation on programme design at Anchorlite College. Data was obtained through an interview with the Head of Department. The institution's records were used to retrieve data. Also a questionnaire was administered to the IT staff The findings indicate that there are both positive and negative aspects concerning the impact of the quality assurance legislation on programme design. The SAQA Act (1995) did impact on the IT programme pertaining to staffing, physical resources, assessment, programme design and learners. The findings indicate that the quality assurance legislation within the' Requirements for Learning Programmes' (SAQA, 1998) influenced and impacted the IT programme. This impact was indicated by appropriate and adequate staff have been employed to support the learning programme, the physical resources have increased, a more informed assessment strategy has been implemented and the learners admission requirements into the IT programme has changed by introducing aptitude testing. The findings did indicate that some staff was aware of the quality assurance before the SAQA Act (1995) The recommendations of this study indicate that the staff aligns themselves with the needs of the industry by internships or forming partners with industrial organizations. The IT programme will have to be reviewed and adapted to include the needs of the industry. The system of staff development programmes is implemented so that the staff becomes familiar with the new skills and techniques of industry. The SAQA Act (1995), the quality assurance legislation did impact on the programme design of the IT programme at Anchorlite College. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - Educational Management)-University of Durban Westville, 2002.

Text in Afrikaans / A labour market-oriented curriculum component for grade 7 - 9 learners in the existing education curriculum for South Africa could be achieved on the basis of an analysis and synthesis of various curricula by using curriculum components. The aim of the study is to reveal the essence of curriculation in order to bring the outcomes in the curriculum in line with the labour market needs of South Africa. An appropriate educational curriculum should not only address the high unemployment rate in South Africa, but should also bring about improvements in teaching practice as well as set standards that will be comparable both nationally and internationally. An analysis of different curricula shows clearly that various relevant theories can lead to the development of a curriculum component. These theories are not necessarily contradictory, but rather attempt to reveal the essentials for teaching and training. An analysis of the definitions of curricula gives an indication of the teaching possibilities of an appropriate labour market-oriented educational curriculum, whereby such a curriculum can be integrated in a sensible way with teaching practice by using the curriculum components. This theoretical consideration of different theories, curriculum components and teaching models has found a practical expression in a teaching labour market-oriented curriculum component that could possibly address current teaching and unemployment labour problems in South Africa. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Current literature on teaching research methodology in the social sciences points to the changing nature of our world in terms of its complexity and diversity and how this affects the way in which we search for answers to related problems. New ways of approaching research problems that relate to the demands of practice need to be explored, which is in contrast with the ‘either-or’ world we coach our students for, that is to be either qualitative or quantitative researchers. Also, educational policy reform in South Africa has sought to address the issue of real-life relevance of curricula, and specifically, reformists have turned to proponents of Mode 2 knowledge to inform initiatives for change. This means that tertiary institutions will have to adjust the way in which they deliver education to future generations of South Africans. The aim of this study was to map the content of undergraduate research methodology courses at South African universities and to explore the beliefs held by some academics that inform the way in which these courses are constructed. Critical theory allowed the researcher to search for unequal distributions of power and is defined in this study in its oppressive role, that is, its productive ability to bring about inequalities and human suffering. As some critical social theorists embrace specific, and at times divergent, methodologies, a pluralistic approach, based on Habermas’ idea of the relative legitimacy of all theories and methods, was used to. The study revealed that there is a heavy reliance on the methods that are traditionally linked to the positivist paradigm. It also revealed that alternate paradigms focusing on philosophies that dictate the use of qualitative methods are increasingly included in methodology courses and juxtaposed against or used to supplement positivist approaches to research. As academics may struggle to let go of traditional paradigms, they may find a compromise in presenting both. By acknowledging the limitations of past curricula, academics actively seek to change these discourses, but by doing so they may be instituting new hegemonies. One of the findings of this study is thus that distinctions about the content of research courses are being made on a methodological level instead of also acknowledging the epistemological and pragmatic grounds for making choices. Moreover, it is argued that the consensus achieved regarding the curriculum for a research course is the result of conversations held between academics in an ideal speech situation that excludes other significant voices. The lecturers' dominance over the students is maintained in the dialogical activities that they undertake with colleagues that confirm their position of authority in academic society. Students recognise this authority and consent to it. It is proposed that the way forward for curriculum construction lies in establishing academic communities of practice that should be viewed as the type of university that Habermas would advocate: where academics need to share power and be open to the challenges that they face such as negotiating what is accepted as knowledge. / Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Psychology / unrestricted