Thesis (Master of Education (Education)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008 / This research aims to establish the relationship between language acquisition for isiXhosa as an additional language and the use of e-learning as well as the effect that such an approach will have on the students of the target group. The researcher selected a group of students from those whom she taught, and used e-learning by means of the Blackboard platform in the teaching process. A B-Ed 3 group was identified as target group out of which six candidates were randomly selected as case studies in order to monitor the process of implementation and usage. In an attempt to obtain underlying and rich information, they each maintained a journal about the e-learning usage, completed two questionnaires and attended a focus group discussion. These sources of information supplied data which reflected the students’ true feelings about e-learning. The lecturer, who had no previous experience of e-learning, attended e-learning courses and also from her perspective, noted the process of implementation in a journal. E-learning tasks were used as support to subject content which were used in the classroom. The students were therefore expected to attend all classes and complete the e-learning tasks outside of class time. The research determined that e-learning has the potential to be applied successfully to additional language teaching. Both the lecturer and the students experienced the process positively.

Research has it that students in institutions of higher learning the world over evidence stifled critical thinking dispositions in their studies. Some researchers in countries like the United States of America have come up with findings about critical thinking dispositions peculiar to their contexts and hence not universally applicable. Factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions of students in Zimbabwean institutions of higher learning had not been studied per se. This research focuses on factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions of third year students at Morgenster Teachers’ College in Zimbabwe. Both the qualitative and the quantitative research approaches were employed in this research. Focus group interviews and questionnaires were used to generate data. Third year students at Morgenster Teachers’ College were studied. The research findings reveal that the factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions in the students are individualistic, structuralistic, socio-cultural and political. In this study, it is recommended that the lecturers can alleviate the effects of the factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions by exposing students to critical thinking situations. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Philosophy of Education)

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"December 2008". / Thesis (DAppLing)--Macquarie University, Division of Linguistics and Psychology, Dept. of Linguistics, 2009. / Bibliography: p. 299-327. / Introduction -- Literature review -- Study 1 -- Study 2 -- Conclusions. / The aim of this case study was to identify the beliefs of eight pre-service teachers about thesis writing and professional development while and after writing their BA thesis through diary and survey inquiry. This research was conducted in the teaching area of the major in Modern Languages (LEMO) from the Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP). The methodology used to identify trainee beliefs was applied in two periods: during the process to include reflection in action, and after the process obtaining reflection on action as suggested by Schön (1983, p. 26). Thus, the participants wrote their electronic dialogue diaries while taking the two Research Seminars and writing their thesis. In this diaries they expressed their thoughts and feelings, sent them to the teacher and the teacher answered them also via e-mail. Then, when the Research Seminars had finished, they answered the questionnaire called Thesis and Professional Development Questionnaire (TAPDQ), which was especially designed for this research taking insights from Eraut (1995), Fullan(1995), Burns et al (1999), Schmekes (2004) and Viaggio (1992). This questionnaire contains Likert scales and some open questions. The findings of these studies reveal that participants were aware of their lack of expertise in thesis writing and they looked for strategies to overcome this problem. Also, the findings suggest that the participants were benefited from the constructivist methodology employed in the Research Seminars. Most of the participants reported having acquired skills, knowledge, having improved their attitude and having become better students after writing their thesis. This doctoral thesis begins exploring an area that has not been explored on ELT teacher cognition at least as reported in the research reviews done by Borg (2003, 2006) and Reyes & Rodríguez (2007). It aims to contribute to get a better understanding the thesis writing processes in teacher education programmes in public universities in Mexico. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / xvii, 359 p

Research has it that students in institutions of higher learning the world over evidence stifled critical thinking dispositions in their studies. Some researchers in countries like the United States of America have come up with findings about critical thinking dispositions peculiar to their contexts and hence not universally applicable. Factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions of students in Zimbabwean institutions of higher learning had not been studied per se. This research focuses on factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions of third year students at Morgenster Teachers’ College in Zimbabwe. Both the qualitative and the quantitative research approaches were employed in this research. Focus group interviews and questionnaires were used to generate data. Third year students at Morgenster Teachers’ College were studied. The research findings reveal that the factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions in the students are individualistic, structuralistic, socio-cultural and political. In this study, it is recommended that the lecturers can alleviate the effects of the factors that stifle critical thinking dispositions by exposing students to critical thinking situations. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Philosophy of Education)

The academic challenges faced by pregnant and nursing students in Zimbabwe do not seem to attract the attention of scholars. This study focused on the educational challenges faced by pregnant and nursing adult learners at Morgenster Teachers‟ College, a tertiary education institution. Participants‟ perceptions of the academic challenges they faced were established through the use of a qualitative methodology in which the semi-structured interview was the dominant data collection method. Non-participant observation and document analysis were employed to complement the dominant method. The findings indicated that the academic challenges faced by mothering adult learners are related to physical problems, social relationships, inadequate financial resources and administrative problems. The study revealed that such students develop strategies to alleviate some of the educational challenges they face. In view of the findings, recommendations are made to improve the learning environment of mothering students and for further research to address the problem. / M. Ed. (Adult Education) / Educational Studies

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The academic challenges faced by pregnant and nursing students in Zimbabwe do not seem to attract the attention of scholars. This study focused on the educational challenges faced by pregnant and nursing adult learners at Morgenster Teachers‟ College, a tertiary education institution. Participants‟ perceptions of the academic challenges they faced were established through the use of a qualitative methodology in which the semi-structured interview was the dominant data collection method. Non-participant observation and document analysis were employed to complement the dominant method. The findings indicated that the academic challenges faced by mothering adult learners are related to physical problems, social relationships, inadequate financial resources and administrative problems. The study revealed that such students develop strategies to alleviate some of the educational challenges they face. In view of the findings, recommendations are made to improve the learning environment of mothering students and for further research to address the problem. / M. Ed. (Adult Education) / Educational Studies

This exploratory study sought to determine how the current science education curriculum at Nazarene Teachers College contributes to the final (third) year’s students’ career readiness from their own perspectives. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The target population was 150 third year students; 110 responded to the questionnaire which had a response rate of 79%. To describe the biographical information of the respondents, frequencies and percentages were used. Tables of frequency distribution were then used to deduce the respondents’ responses to the group of questionnaire questions that probe the various career readiness concepts. Scale reliability testing was also used to determine the reliability of career readiness concepts. An overall measure of career readiness was calculated for each respondent and the effect of biographical properties as part of evaluation of respondents. The empirical (quantitative survey)showed that the science education course at the Nazarene Teachers College indeed prepares the students for their career readiness with specific reference to the teaching profession although some aspects can be improved. Therefore, it was recommended that there should be increased time allocated to science education and its teaching approaches; that a suitable science laboratory with all the required equipment for experiential learning should be constructed; the current curriculum content with regards to the relevance for primary school science should be reviewed; and the lecturers should be workshopped on the use of interactive methods of teaching science to facilitate active engagement with students. This study reveals that the science education course at the Nazarene Teachers College strengthened the students’ attitudes towards teaching science; improved their skills and confidence to teach science and enabled them to focus on a learner-centred approach. Students indicated that the use of specific teaching methods and the use of teaching aids contributed in a significant way to their preparation as teachers in the classroom. However, the students rated the contribution science makes to society as of minor importance / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)