This thesis identified competencies required by the South African, entry-level library and information science graduate. It took into account the development of the information society and resultant proliferation of information and communication technologies and how these developments have given rise to new roles for the library and information worker. This thesis also looked at developments within the South African library and information environment and how these have affected the library and information science profession.

D.Phil. (Curriculum Studies) / The study highlights the conceptual and practical challenges in providing initial teacher education that promotes, amongst other factors, coherence with the prescribed school curriculum. It investigates a History Teaching Methods (HTM) course offered by a university in Kenya to clarify how course related documents, lectures, students’ microteaching lessons, and perceptions about these three aspects obtained from interviews with a teacher-educator and students addressed what the course had to provide as possibilities for the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills that would enable students to teach effectively the secondary school History and Government (H&G) subject. Through a review of literature on curriculum coherence and theories on ethical pedagogic practice and communication combined with primary data collected in Kenya, I explain the nature of the challenges in the HTM course. The challenges, I argue, are primarily a result of overlooking the disciplinary requirements of History. The findings suggest that misconceptions about professional responsibilities of the teacher-educators are largely responsible for the descriptive approach that characterises the pedagogical practices they promoted. The absence of engagement with disciplinary requirements in lectures contributed to the nature of the devices that were used by students to teach. In order to clarify the nature of these pedagogic challenges, I adopted a generic qualitative approach to the research. The direct contact and discussion with a teacher-educator and students enabled me to explore their understanding of the requirements of teaching history at school level. Through observations of lectures I established how the teacher-educators considered these requirements as important to the teacher education they provided. Through observing students’ microteaching lessons I was able to establish their understanding of the nature of historical knowledge and how it ought to be approached when teaching. The study contributes to the general field of teacher education by having devised a conceptual orientation that can be drawn on to establish what is necessary to teach school history effectively, namely, the importance of normative critical thinking and contextual sensitivity. In this study, I indicate the pedagogic processes that need to be considered and constantly in place to teach history by drawing on relevant paradigms and conceptual orientations belonging to the discipline. I found that teacher-educators underplay the importance of these factors and view them as having to be considered by academic entities that are directly involved with history as a discipline. It is due to this oversight that the programme seemed to emphasise descriptive and procedural orientations in initial teacher education. I conclude by suggesting that a course that educates student teachers for, amongst other reasons, teaching H&G at secondary school in Kenya, has to consider firstly, what is essential to history teaching and learning as a discipline and secondly that effective history teaching has to be informed by reasoning that is not only relevant to History as a discipline but also its practicality to the objectives of school history.

This study assessed alumni of the College and University Teaching Program at the University of North Texas and how they perceived the training they received. Three hundred sixty alumni holding a college and university teaching degree were surveyed. One hundred forty-two usable questionnaires were returned. A response rate of 39.4 % was achieved. A survey instrument was used to gather alumni perceptions of learning experiences, academics, and professional benefits as a result of earning a doctorate in the major of college and university teaching at the University of North Texas. Alumni were asked their perceptions on the following: 1) the quality of graduate professional education in college and university teaching degree program, 2) whether they thought the goals and objectives of the program were met, and 3) their recommendations regarding the college and university teaching degree program. It is the overall opinion of the alumni that the quality of the graduate education in college and university teaching degree program was high. The majority of alumni indicated that the program should be reinstated and continued and if the program was still available they would recommend it to others.

Educators, authors and policymakers continue to address the quality and focus of higher education in the United States. Some have noted the unprecedented number of students entering professional colleges and universities as a gateway to promising careers, while others have suggested that our schools lack the wherewithal to reconstitute the idea of a liberally educated person. Yet, over the past 16 years there has been considerable growth in the number of institutions that have established new graduate programs in Liberal Studies. This study examined the growth associated with those programs and addressed the issues of why the programs were started; whom they served; and, how they fit and operated within their host institutions. The methodology encompassed survey and case study research. The population consisted of the total number of schools actively affiliated with the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP). / Ed. D.

Accompanist is the old term. Collaborative pianist is the new one. Accompanist implies a mostly subservient role, whereas collaborative pianist gestures toward a more equitable relationship between the soloist and pianist, no longer a mere follower. Degree programs that prepare collaborative piano skills are growing rapidly in higher education since their inception five decades ago, encouraging a wider range of pianists to pursue an intentional career path. Becoming a seasoned collaborative pianist takes time, however. Little empirical research has investigated the preparation process. What is it like for collaborative piano majors to accumulate collaborative skills and practical knowledge? How is collaboration defined and experienced, and how helpful do students find their programs? Without understanding student experiences, the artistic well-being of collaborative pianists is at stake, and so is the field’s own ability to do its work. This qualitative study examines lived experiences of collaborative piano students in conservatory and university degree programs. As researcher, I conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews exploring topics including, but not limited to, professional identity, attitudes and dispositions, competencies and skills, struggles and challenges, power dynamics as well as teamwork with four recent graduates in the United States. It seems that issues of professionalization, an unclear definition of “collaboration,” and a lack of student agency are central to all lived experiences. An examination of these phenomena would contribute to the growth of the field, empowering its ability to do its job more efficiently and sustainably.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the utilisation of group supervision in the practice education with undergraduate social work students. Supervision is an component in practice education, as it is the process whereby students are guided and prepared for beginner practice in social work. The practice educator is responsible to plan and organise the students' work, provide leadership in the group supervision sessions and evaluate the work performance of students as set out in the practice education programme. The practice educators grant students the opportunity to learn to integrate theory and practice in social work. The learning needs of the students are assessed and compiled within an educational assessment. These learning needs become the points for discussion for the content of the educational programme. The educational programme is presented in the supervision sessions. Literature strongly supports the utilisation of group supervision in addition to individual supervision. It is necessary that the practice educator determine the individual learning needs of the group of students. The mutual learning needs of the students are addressed within the group supervision sessions, once the learning needs of the group are determined. Group supervision is not utilised in isolation as the practice educator may have to consolidate the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students gained in the individual supervision sessions. The empirical study involved the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in order to explore the theoretical part of the research. The sample consisted of sixteen practice educators (N=16) who are presently supervising undergraduate students at the Department of Social Work at the University of Stellenbosch. This section can be divided into four sections: the nature of the training of practice educators, the knowledge, skills and attitudes of practice educators with regard to the supervision functions of group supervision, the process in group supervision and the general experiences of practice educators when utilising group supervision in practice education. The findings and responsesof the practice educators were analysed and compared with the findings from previous research undertaken by various authors. The study found that although practice educators have a minimum of training in group supervision, they have positive experiences of group supervision. The important aspects of group supervision: the planning phase, the beginning phase and the ending phase in the processof group supervision are dutifully practiced by practice educators. The utilisation of group supervision links effectively with the education system of outcomes based learning and teaching which has been adopted by the Department of Education in Higher Education. The findings of this study can be utilised to apply group supervision to a greater extent in the practice education with undergraduate social work students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingstudie ondersoek die gebruik van groepsupervisie in die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse studente in Maatskaplike Werk. Supervisie is 'n komponent van praktykonderrig waarlangs die studente deur die praktykopleier gelei word tot beginnerspraktyk. Die praktykopleier is verantwoordelik vir die beplanning en organisering van studente se werk; moet die leierskap voorsien in die groepsupervisie sessies en moet ook die studente se werkverrigting evalueer soos saamgestel in die onderrigprogram. Die praktykopleier stel studente instaat om teorie en praktyk in Maatskaplike Werk te integreer. Die leerbehoeftes van die studente word gesamentlik bepaal deur die studente en die praktykopleier en word binne die onderrigevaluering uiteengesit. Die leerbehoeftes van die studente is die punte vir bespreking van die onderrigprogram. Die onderrigprogram word aangebied in die supervisiesessies. Literatuur ondersteun die gebruik van groepsupervisie gesamentlik met individuele supervisie. Die praktykopleier bepaal die individuele leerbehoeftes van die studente in individuele supervisie. Die ooreenstemmende leerbehoeftes van die studente word in die groepsupervisie sessies aangespreek, nadat die leerbehoeftes van die groep vasgestel is. Groepsupervisie word nie in isolasie aangebied nie, aangesien die praktykopleier die leemtes ten opsigte van kennis, vaardighede en houdings in die individuele supervisie sessies assesseer. Die leerbehoeftes word in die groepsupervisie sessies aangespreek. Die teoretiese doel van die navorsingsverslag word uitgebrei in die empiriese ondersoek deur middel van die voltooiing van 'n vraelys. Die steekproef het bestaan uit praktykopleiers (N=16) wat tydens 2001 voorgraadse studente van die Departement Maatskaplike Werk van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch geakkommodeer het vir praktykonderrig. Die empiriese studie word in vier afdelings bespreek: die aard van opleiding in groepsupervisie van praktykopleiers: die kennis, vaardighede en houding van praktykopleiers met betrekking tot die supervisiefunksies van groepsupervisie; die uitvoering van die proses in groepsupervisie en die algemene ervaringe van praktykopleiers wanneer hulle groepsupervisie in praktykonderrig toepas. Die bevindinge en response van die praktykopleiers is geanaliseer en vergelyk met die bevindinge van vorige studies wat deur verskeie outeurs onderneem is. Die studie het bevind dat praktykopleiers groepsupervisie positief ervaar, ten spyte van 'n minimum opleiding in groepsupervisie. Die belangrike aspekte van die beplannings-, begin- en die eindfases in groepsupervisie, word baie deeglik deur die praktykopleiers aangewend in groepsupervisie. Die benutting van groepsupervisie in die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse studente ondersteun die onderrigsisteem van Uitkomsgebaseerde onderrig en leer wat deur die Departement van Onderwys in Hoër Onderwys aanvaar is. Die bevindinge van die studie kan gebruik word om groepsupervisie meer effektief in die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse studente in Maatskaplike Werk te benut.

Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This thesis deals with my practice as a mathematics teacher at a post-matric programme at the University of Stellenbosch. I use aspects of three different approaches to social science research, namely phenomenology, narrative inquiry and the discipline of noticing, to research my personal experiences. These experiences include learning mathematics at school and university as well as teaching mathematics in a post-matric programme. These experiences are presented by means of briefbut- vivid descriptions, journal entries and records of classroom conversations and are reflected on in the light of relevant literature. The reflections and readings lead to alternative ways of thinking about learning, teaching and researching as found in the cognitive theory of enactivism. These new ways of thinking are used to reflect on my current practice by focusing particularly on knowing, listening and noticing and are used to imagine what my practice could look like in the future. My approach, framework, focus areas and imagined practice all emerge during the research process. This process is presented through ‘behind-the-scene’ reflections on my own experiences of doing research. By presenting these experiences, this thesis also deals with the process of doing research – in particular it deals with the process of using an emergent design.

Texas 5A high school and junior college athletic directors' perceptions concerning graduate courses and competencies relating to athletic director performance were investigated. Graduate courses needing emphasis for prospective directors, most and least beneficial graduate courses, perceptions of values of graduate courses, and selected skills necessary for performance of duties were ranked. Significant differences of perceptions of values of graduate courses between 5A high school and junior college athletic directors were found using chi square. Significant differences between graduate course areas and competency areas in Communications, Technical, Business and Public Relations were found utilizing a t-test. 5A athletic directors receive adequate preparation in Communications. Junior college athletic directors receive adequate preparation in Business and Public Relations.

The profession of Psychology in post-apartheid South Africa has been dominated by women, despite attempts to address issues of equity, access and redress in recruitment and training. Certain obstacles to entering the profession, that may be specifically relevant to men, included the longevity and cost of training; the notion that Psychology is a ‘woman’s profession’; and the appeal of more lucrative job opportunities. Women, on the other hand, were often encouraged to enter female-dominated professions such as Psychology and financial support either from one’s family or an economically-independent partner facilitates the pursuit of this career trajectory. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of married females who were embarking on postgraduate study. Using semi-structured interviews, eight married female participants currently enrolled in Professional Masters programmes provided in-depth information on why they took on the dual adjustment of marriage and postgraduate study and what were the challenges and benefits associated with this process. Thematic content analysis was used to interpret these accounts which revealed that the dating phase of relationships often concluded as postgraduate study commenced due to the longevity of the study trajectory. To address the accompanying relationship insecurity, marriage was idealised as offering enhanced security and stability. Despite the notion that Masters and marriage would complement each other in order to overcome the difficulties of marriage and postgraduate study, a blurring of boundaries was experienced between the perceived challenges and benefits as the idealised complementarity was not actualised. Using feminist theory, the study added value to debates on the perpetuating influence of chauvinistic notions regarding marriage and career development for women inherent in the family life cycle theory, as well as explored the implications of the “feminisation” of the profession of Psychology on recruitment, training and future practice of female Psychologists.

The purpose of this case study was to describe and further understand how faculty are being prepared and developed to teach web-based courses at a college in Florida. The study examined practices used by the college in preparing their faculty to teach online. Faculty preparation and development were defined as any activity which expands knowledge about how to teach web-based courses. Broward College was chosen as the site of study. Utilizing the qualitative case study approach, the researcher collected and analyzed data during the Fall 2009 academic semester. Data collection methods included interviews, observations of faculty development workshops as well as online classrooms, and document analysis. The study revealed Broward College's method of preparing faculty to teach online. Faculty are prepared to teach online through the Instructional Technology Department. This method focuses heavily on professional development workshops that directly correlate with the types of online classes offered at the college. Faculty are also prepared to teach online through the use of consultants, known as e-associates, as well as other follow-up support. This was an educational leadership study that focused on preparing faculty to teach online. Florida's community colleges are becoming baccalaureate degree-granting colleges, and as enrollments increase, so will the demand for online classes. In turn, college faculty need to be prepared to teach online. This study emphasizes the importance of leadership, administration, and support needed in order to successfully prepare faculty to teach online. / by Stephanie Arsht. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography.