These studies have focused on identifying the mathematical requirements of first-year BCom students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The research methodology used in this quantitative study was to make use of interviewing, questionnaire investigation, and document analysis in the form of textbook, test and examination analysis. These methods provided data that fitted into a grounded theory approach. The study concluded by identifying the list of mathematical topics required for the first year of the core subjects in the BCom degree programme. In addition, the study found that learners who study Mathematics in the National Senior Certificate should be able to cope with the mathematical content included in their BCom degree programme, while learners studying Mathematical Literacy would probably need support in some of the areas of mathematics, especially algebra, in order to cope with the mathematical content included in their BCom degree programme. It makes a valuable contribution towards elucidating the mathematical requirements needed to improve the chances of successful BCom degree programme studies at South African universities. It also draws the contours for starting to design an efficient support course for future “at-risk” students who enter higher education studies.

The purpose of this study was to determine if elementary student teachers applied the training received in a communication course on a thirteen week practicum, and if so, what specifically was applied or transferred. The practicum took place a year after the communication course; this study was undertaken nineteen months after the completion of the communication course. The participants had obtained a bachelor's degree prior to enrolling for a two year teacher training program. The critical incident technique and a structured questioning technique were used respectively in an intensive interviewing process. The findings reveal that the transference occurred in terms of attitude, knowledge, and skills from the experience of the communication course to the practical experience of the thirteen week practicum. These factors were helpful in creating a focussed and motivating presentational style, verbally and nonverbally, and in reducing stress and conflict in interactions with students, parents and collegues. Student teachers were adamant in stating that the success of their learning was due to the positive atmosphere of the communication course, the caring, enthusiastic and motivating nature of the instructors, and the bonding which occurred between the participants as a result of this caring. These factors provided the basic human needs of affection and community. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

This research is concerned with dietitians' experiences of education and practice, which together constitute dietitian identity. The author, herself a dietitian and dietetic educator, recruited twelve female dietitians to participate in individual interviews and collaborative workshops where they shared their ' experiences and reflections on the themes of the research. This dissertation is arranged in three panels to achieve multiple perspectives on the research findings. The first panel explores the potential of using reflexive autoethnography as a research method. The second panel enacts an autoethnographic tale emphasizing the complexities of dietetic education and practice. The third panel is an academic rendering of the research that posits a theory of dietitian performativity. Arranging the findings as a textual triptych protracts the complex interplay of the research themes. In particular, participants enter the profession sustained by promises of being able to make a difference in the lives of others with respect to nutritional health. Dietetic practice comes to be understood as performative through a series of uncontested, repetitive acts. In the mode of dietitian performativity, dietitians' lived realities are sometimes found to be discontinuous from promises of professionalism. Dietetic education, while not considered solely responsible for generating these promises, might operate to sustain or amplify their effects. Dietitians' passion for dietetics is open to question when performativities are found discrepant from promises. Profoundly melancholic expressions are associated with dietitians' inability to engage in liberatory practice, despite believing such practices were achievable. Melancholia instigated dietitians' desire to leave the profession. An imagined, embodied curriculum depicting what might result if dietetic students, educators, and practitioners acknowledge the relationality, emotionality, and promises of their profession is offered in response. The author calls for a renegotiation of what counts as knowledge in dietetic education through the asking of "Who am I?" In posing this question, the dietitian engages in a reflexive turn towards self-recognition such that 'doing' (performativity) emerges from 'being' (identity) and potentially nutrition discourse expands. Dietitian performativity initiated through critical social discourse begs the question of what it means to be human while endeavouring to embrace the joys, complexities, and contradictions that are dietetic education and practice. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Hoër onderwys in SA ondergaan tans ingrypende veranderinge. Groter toeganklikheid, veranderinge in die demografiese profiel van leerders en diversiteit asook die samesmeltings tussen verskeie hoër onderwysinstellings het die landskap van hoër onderwys beïnvloed. Die proses van transformasie en die gepaardgaande paradigmaskuif na uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys hou verskeie implikasies vir die assessering van leer in. Die doel van die studie is om ‘n assesseringsraamwerk vir die vakgebied Menslike Hulpbronbestuur aan universiteite van tegnologie (voorheen technikons) wat kontakonderrig verskaf, te ontwikkel. Met hierdie doel voor oë, is ‘n omvattende literatuurstudie oor assessering gedoen. Dit het gedien as ‘n teoretiese grondslag vir die assesseringsraamwerk. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering tot die studie is gevolg. Fokusgroeponderhoude met die leerders en dosente aan verskillende universiteite van tegnologie is gevoer. Dit is opgevolg met individuele onderhoude met die departementshoofde en beleidsmakers (dekane en vise-rektore). Deelnemers in die industrie wat direk werk met die leerders gedurende hulle tydperk van ervaringsleer as deel van koöperatiewe onderwys in die werkomgewing, is ook genader. Temas oor die verskillende datastelle is ontwikkel waaruit verskeie implikasies en bevindinge na vore getree het en geïnterpreteer is. Van die vernaamste bevindinge dui op die strategiese en oppervlakkige leerbenadering van die leerders; oorbeklemtoning van praktiese bevoegdheid ten koste van toegepaste bevoegdheid asook die onderbeklemtoning van kontinue assessering en die onderbeklemtoning van formatiewe assesseringsmetodes. Groot klasse lei daartoe dat die dosente en departementshoofde assesseringsmetodes kies wat maklik toegepas kan word en wat in die verlede sukses getoon het. Wanneer groepassessering toegepas word, verkies die dosente dit dat die leerders die punte toeken. ‘n Gebrek aan assesseringskriteria lei tot onsekerheid oor wat gedoen moet word in take en in die industrie tydens ervaringsleer. Volgens die data is die industrie ten gunste van betrokkenheid by die assessering van ervaringsleer. Hulle benodig uitkomsgebaseerde riglyne vir die assessering daarvan. Na die eksplisitering en integrasie van al die datastelle, is die assesseringsraamwerk vir Menslike Hulpbronbestuur ontwikkel. Dit sluit ‘n doel en omvang, rasionaal, begripsverklaring, rigtinggewende beginsels en die praktiese implementering daarvan en aanbevelings of voorvereistes waaronder die raamwerk geïmplementeer kan word, in. Die raamwerk gee erkenning aan toegepaste bevoegdheid, assessering wat ‘n integrale deel van leer vorm en praktiese metodes soos oopboekassessering, gevalstudies en aanbiedings. Metodes van assessering wat tot dusver nagelaat is soos joernale, portefeuljes, uitstallings en plakkaataanbiedings is ingesluit in die raamwerk. Variasie in die toepassing van spesifieke assesseringsmetodes word aanbeveel. Die industrie dien as ‘n vennoot in die assessering van die leerders. Die studie eindig met voorstelle rakende verdere navorsing. / Prof. H.C. Geyser

D.Litt. et Phil. / The main concern of this thesis is language for academic purposes, a sub-division of language for special purposes, as applied to the course Voorbereidende Afrikaans at the Rand Afrikaans University. The first problem to overcome was that of designing a test for the selection and classification of students into three classes: those who would not gain entrance into the University; those who would be compelled to do the course and those who would be exempted from the course. Based on the insights gained from literature, the doze test, combined with a paragraph was decided upon as the best instrument for measuring the students' language proficiency, this being the desired outcome of such a test. All the restrictions and limitations inherent in the idiosyncratic circumstances surrounding the test were taken into consideration and the doze test was found to be best suited to the situation and the academic requirements. Various models of language teaching were discussed and the conclusion was reached that the approach best suited to the course would be an eclectic approach including elements of the functional-notional syllabus, the communicative approach and Krashen's Input Hypothesis, using an interactive, task-based methodology. Studies indicated that such a course should also include study skills in order to equip students for academic study. A needs analysis, using Richterich and Chancerel's (1977) model, was done and the greatest need was found to be in the areas of listening comprehension and the acquisition of vocabulary. From the results of the tests there also appears to be a need to pay attention to syntax in general. A number of comparable courses were studied to find possible models upon which such a course could be based and many useful ideas were gleaned, which lead to the compilation of a syllabus for Voorbereidende Afrikaans.

This study examines ideas of purpose in undergraduate engineering education by drawing on John Dewey’s conception of “Vocation of Life” and the more recent conception of “Twenty-First Century Skills.” Through a single-site case study and utilizing the constant comparative method, this study produced a set of student learning outcomes the faculty at “Oxbow College” describe for their disciplinary teaching that includes technical, professional, and personal skills. The faculty also described a set of department, school, and national level (i.e. ABET accreditation) contexts that impacted their conceptions. This study is set within a broader landscape of attainment issues in STEM education, and engineering specifically, including: 1) student interest in an engineering education; 2) persistence in engineering education for all students; 3) attainment of engineering degrees by a diverse set of students representing the broader national population. Addressing these challenges is imperative because engineering remains of great importance to the United States’ position of technical authority in the world though the United States confers a significantly lower proportion of bachelors degrees in science and engineering compared with other industrialized nations. Compounding this challenge is the need to broaden engineering education to include non-technical skills without sacrificing technical rigor. Most noteworthy in the findings of this study, these faculty speak directly to a set of student learning outcomes including technical and non-technical (professional and personal) skills in their disciplinary engineering courses. In doing so, they are expanding the idea of what an engineering education does and what it intends to do. The purpose of an undergraduate engineering education at Oxbow College, as described by faculty, is to prepare students for all aspects of their lives after graduation. This study provides insight into what these engineering faculty perceive as important in their courses, demonstrating a shift away from the historical divide between professional and liberal education as well as providing an example of the broadening of student learning outcomes – which has implications for calculating the return on investment of a college education. By emphasizing more than just their disciplinary content, these faculty are reflecting a larger societal change regarding the purpose of higher education.

The purpose of this study was to determine the core skills/methods and practicum experiences play therapy experts and professors believe to be essential in the education of the beginning play therapist in the specific areas of theory and history, terms, organizations, authors who have contributed to the field, methods, skills, training in special populations, practicum experience, and advanced skills. Two questionnaires were used to obtain opinions from play therapy experts and play therapy instructors. The first questionnaire was sent to twelve play therapy experts to obtain their opinions on the core curriculum and experiences necessary for training a play therapist in an introductory play therapy class, practicum experience, and advanced play therapy training. Frequencies and means were obtained and used to delete and add items for Questionnaire II. Questionnaire II was sent to 180 play therapy professors. Fifty play therapy professors returned the instrument. The ratings on Questionnaire II given by the professors were used to provide curriculum guidelines for developing a play therapy program. This program includes an introduction to play therapy course, play therapy practicum experiences, and advanced skills and advanced practicum experiences.

While it is well established that pedagogies purposefully linking subject matter to students’ cultural contexts and prior knowledge can help students learn subject matter, little is known about practices for so doing in undergraduate biology courses enrolling substantial numbers of racially, culturally, and otherwise diverse students. This study sought to understand how four biology instructors of primarily Black and Hispanic students enact a form of teaching that draws out and uses knowledge from and about students’ lives—what I refer to as students’ culturally informed prior knowledge—to help students learn key subject-matter ideas in biology. It also examined how instructors managed their efforts to teach in this way and how they portrayed their reasons for so doing. The study derived several insights. One, instructors can connect important subject-matter ideas, in the study of biology, to facets of students’ daily lives, using the latter to advance students’ understanding of the former. Thus, the teaching of college-level biology with knowledge drawn from students’ lives is more than an aspiration. It can and—per my study—does occur. It is then possible to teach college-level biology with knowledge drawn from students’ lives. Two, to enact such teaching, instructors can strive to draw comparisons between topics that are concrete and familiar to students and new subject-matter ideas to make the latter comprehensible to them. Three, instructors can connect subject matter to their students’ physiological experiences, treating students’ thinking about their bodies as a form of prior knowledge. Four, instructors can call students’ commonly accepted yet incomplete or unexamined ideas and beliefs into question to facilitate their learning of subject-matter ideas. Five, instructors’ efforts to teach using knowledge from students’ lives can include planning and forethought—but also improvisation while teaching. Six, a desire to make the subject matter of their course relatable to students can inspire instructors to teach using knowledge from students’ lives. The study recommends (a) changes in institutional policy toward supporting faculty in efforts to teach using knowledge from students’ lives, and (b) future research into teaching of biology and other STEM subjects that takes into account students’ prior knowledge.

The aim of the study was to identify the factors that have an influence on the completion rates of undergraduate students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Using Tinto's retention rate theory as the theoretical foundation, data were collected from freshman who were enrolled in the years 2005 to 2008. Results showed gender and first-generation status were significant predictors of STEM completion and time taken to complete the degree. Institutional bias played a role in race/ethnicity not being a factor affecting completion rates, as this study was conducted at a Predominantly White Institution. SAT scores and first and second-year college GPA showed to have the most prominent influence on both STEM completion rate and time taken to complete the degree. Females with higher first-year college GPA and higher high school rank finished faster. Similar results were found with first-generation students as well. Students belonging to ethnic minority groups with higher SAT scores and college GPA had greater success in STEM fields as well. The study results can be used to increase completion rates of underrepresented students in the STEM fields, given what we know about the interactions between underrepresented student groups and the most important predictors.

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