Learning thrives in conducive and supportive environments, and where a culture of learning is cultivated. There are many factors that distract learners from devoting themselves wholeheartedly to learning. This study takes a critical look at such factors, and the involvement of high school learners in the infonnal sector of the economy is identified as the focus for an in-depth interrogation. More specifically, the focus is on the reasons for learners' involvement in infonnal work, the type of work they do, as well as the impact of such involvement on their academic perfonnance. I have chosen to use the case study method in order to understand this phenomenon in one township high school, with a focus on Grade 11 learners as the study participants. Data was collected through a multi-method approach. This entailed a survey questionnaire, letters written by learners, and group and individual interviews. The life histories of learners were developed drawing from the data, and my own autobiography. Five learners, two boys and three girls, were selected to represent the voices of working learners through life histories. The findings of this study reveal that the kind of work activity engaged by learners is gendered, poorly paid, and makes them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, and that poverty, education needs, culture, family structure, and size are the main reasons for children's involvement in the economic activities of the infonnal sector. Noting the magnitude of the problem, the study concludes with some recommendations whilst conceding that there are no quick-fix solutions to challenges of this nature.

Douglas College Business Program students have graduated for the past twenty-two years. This study was undertaken to examine three specific aspects of the 'impact' that the Douglas College educational experience has had on these business graduates. Impact, as defined by Alfred (1982), is the sum total of outcomes, changes and benefits produced by a college. Through the use of Astin's model of the components of the process of higher education, specific outcomes related to employment, finances and further educational development were investigated. A survey was conducted of graduates from selected business programs from the years 1981 and 1986. Analyses were carried out to determine outcomes of having graduated from a Douglas College business program. It was found that the Douglas College business program graduates experienced positive outcomes related to employment, finances, and pursuit of further education. Graduates perceived that the benefits related to employment were more important than other benefits related to their educational experience. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Difficulties in predicting female occupational choices according to the theories developed for men have stimulated research into components of a model effective for women. The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of self concept measures in determining the masculinity or femininity of occupations chosen by female undergraduates at a Canadian university. The ninety subjects who participated in the study were chosen for their enrollment in one of three fields defined by previous research as traditionally feminine or in one of three fields defined as traditionally masculine. The two aspects of self concept considered relevant to the sex stereotype of vocational field were sex role stereotyping and self-esteem. The Bern Sex Role Inventory used to assess the former variable, allowed subjects to endorse both masculine and feminine traits, thus providing an index of psychological androgyny as well as an index of stereotypic masculinity or femininity. Self-esteem was also considered from more than one perspective; that of personal and interpersonal functioning and of academic functioning. The results of the study revealed that the subjects' sex role orientation did not correspond to the sex stereotype associated with their fields of specialization. Similarly, statistically significant differences in self-esteem in either the personal or achievement areas emerged from the comparison among career groups. There was, however, a nonsignificant tendency for women in Science to have higher self-esteem in the achievement area than women in the remaining five groups. When self-esteem relationship in the achievement area between sex typing and self-esteem were examined, however, it was apparent that absolute levels of masculinity were significantly related ±o levels of self-esteem in both the areas being measured. The effects on self-esteem of femininity and androgyny were not statistically significant. In the case of the femininity scores, there were certain deviations from the normative data for the Bern Sex Role Inventory. Further consideration of these findings in terms of the instruments employed led to a factor analysis of the Bern Sex Role Inventory. Four factors were obtained. They are identified as scales measuring the constructs Dominance, Independence, Nurturance, and Passivity. Utilizing these newly designed scales, an analysis was made of the previous statistically non-significant relationships. While sex of field could still not be predicted according to scores on these factors, predictions regarding levels of self-esteem were refined by use of factor scores. By thus isolating the independent effects of the two feminine factors--Nurturance and Passivity--upon Inter/Personal self-esteem, the source of the low correlations for femininity was identified. The positive effects of the Nurturance factor were counteracted by the negative effects of the Passivity factor, resulting in a low correlation with self-esteem and with Social Desirability for the original Femininity scale. The two aspects of Masculinity which were defined by the factor analysis also bore differing, although not opposite relationships to the self-esteem criteria. Qualities denoting Independence were of most importance in explaining levels of self-esteem in the personal and interpersonal areas, while traits suggestive of Dominance were most relevant to self-esteem in the achievement area. The effectiveness of sex role stereotyping in predicting the sex stereotype of women's career choices was therefore not confirmed by the results of the present study. The relevance of self-esteem as a variable which moderates the predictive ability of other determinants of career choice was similarly unconfirmed. A number of reasons were postulated as to why the results differ from previous studies on patterns of career choice among women. Recommendations were made for further research into the measurement of psychological androgyny and its significance to women's career aspirations. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This study examines the effect of employment on the school life, progress, citizenship, and character of middle school children. Data for the study came from an examination of students attending middle school in Odessa, Texas.

In South Africa, reform policies and frameworks introduced since the 1994 democratic election have sought to bring about change to a highly ineffective and unfair system. In spite of all the changes which have occurred, however, there is evidence to suggest that the system is still not functioning as effectively as it might, given that a relatively large number of graduates remain unemployed in a country with a high skills shortage. This thesis aims to explore the experiences of graduates from one university, Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape, as they enter the job market. It does this through the administration of a first job destination survey administered at the 2009 Graduation Ceremonies held in Grahamstown. Analysis of the survey takes into account the idea that it is not a degree per se, or even a degree from a prestigious university which brings employment, but also the social, cultural and human capital that graduates can bring to their job search.

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L'emploi salarié hors cursus durant l'année universitaire peut-il affecter les résultats universitaires ? A partir des données tirées d'enquêtes nationales (les enquêtes « Conditions de Vie » de l'Observatoire national de la Vie Etudiante (OVE) et Panel 1995 du Ministère de l'Education National), cette thèse a pour ambition d'analyser à l'échelle de la France, le travail salarié des étudiants sous toutes ses formes et de relever les différents impacts qu'il pourrait avoir sur la réussite universitaire. Il ressort de l'analyse que le travail salarié a une influence négative et significative sur les résultats académiques. Cependant, ce n'est pas le travail en lui-même qui porte préjudice aux étudiants mais plutôt tout un ensemble de caractéristiques propres à l'emploi telles que l'intensité du temps accordée à l'emploi et le secteur d'embauche. De plus, il semblerait que ce soient les meilleurs étudiants qui font le choix de travailler pendant les études tandis que les étudiants non-salariés n'auraient pas intérêt à cumuler emploi et études. En somme, l'exercice d'une activité professionnelle pendant les études peut constituer une première expérience professionnelle utile, à condition qu'elle n'empiète pas trop sur le temps d'études et qu'elle soit liée aux études. Une politique publique qui inciterait les étudiants à ne pas travailler au-delà du temps partiel pourrait leur être favorable. Enfin, l'étude particulière des étudiants de première année de Licence nous montre que la majorité des étudiants-travailleurs inscrits en L1 et ayant abandonné leur année universitaire ne travaillait pas de manière intensive. L'activité professionnelle hors cursus n'est donc pas le seul élément qui peut justifier du taux d'échec alarmant des L1. / Students' employment during the academic year can it affect academic performance? Using data from national surveys (surveys "Living Conditions" of the National Observatory of Student Life (OVE) and Panel 1995 of the Ministry of National Education), this thesis aims to analyze, at the scale of France, students' employment in all its forms and to identify the different impacts it could have on academic achievement. This analysis shows that students' employment has a negative and significant influence on academic achievement. However, it's not the employment itself that is detrimental to students but some characteristics of these activities, such as the job intensity and the hiring sector. Moreover, it seems that they are the best students who work while studying, whereas unemployed students would have no incentive to combine jobs and education. In short, combine study and job can become a first professional experience useful for students, provided that job is linked to studies and does not interfere too much on school time. Public policy that would encourage students not to work beyond the part-time could be favorable to them. Finally, the particular study on students in university first year shows that the majority of students-workers enrolled in L1 who have abandoned their academic year not working intensively. Employment outside the curriculum is not the only factor that can justify the alarming failure rate of L1.

Economical and educational problems are caused by the reversed effect of the Employment Equity Act and Affirmative Action. One such problem is called “brain drain” (Lundy, 2006), The general aim of the research was to determine whether affirmative action caused final year students of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to consider overseas employment. A literature study was conducted before the empirical objectives were reached. The empirical study was of a quantitative descriptive and inferential nature. A cross-sectional survey design was used to achieve the empirical objectives. A self- administered survey package was handed out to final year students within the various disciplines at their various classes. One hypothesis was tested. The results indicated that support was found for the hypothesis. The findings are discussed in relation to the data gathered. The implications of the research and the limitations of the study are outlined in the Results chapter.

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The purpose of this project is to develop a classroom handbook explaining the process and standards, necessary in developing an employability portfolio.