M.Cur. / The study started by establishing that there Is a need for further education for nurses in general. It'was further stated that due to increased technology and the need for patient care, effective further education becomes a priority. But the problem that remains Is how nurses could further their education In the circumstances of the current nature of their work, I.e. the lack of accessibility to flexible learning programmes, long working hours, staff shortfall, low staff morale and institutional constraints. The aim of this study Is to Investigate and report on the Web-based Instruction environment programme in Critical Care Nursing Science Education presented by Technikon Pretoria for nurses. The rationale led to .the formulation of the research question as: "To what extent can Web-based Instruction be used to facilitate a course in Critical Care Nursing Science Education at the Technikon Pretoria?" A literature review of the field of Web-based Instruction was undertaken. It was established that Web-based Instruction is an instructional strategy where the course presenter and the students are not in contact, and it can bridge the gap in tenns of time and space because of its flexibility and accessibility. The students and the course presenter generally reported positive experiences in the Web-based Instruction environment. Web-based Instruction is certainly not the only method for.all our teaching strategies, but it is a strategy that could be used tohelp course presenters to teach more effectively. In terms of the experiences of the students and the course presenter with regard to the Web-based Instruction environment as reported in this study, as well as the technological changes In education. it must be concluded that Web-based Instruction could be considered an acceptable Instructional method and that Critical Care Nursing Science education can be presented in this way...

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Cur. / The manager is responsible for quality education, research and appropriate community service. The aim of this study is to provide guidelines for the purpose of excellent management of a nursing department at a distance education technikon with a view to facilitating the achievement of one of these responsibilities, that is to provide quality education. In South Africa increasing demands are being made on educational structures as everyone needs to be afforded the opportunity for education and training. This also implies demands on the training of nursing staff. Theoretical and vocational training are combined in technikon training. Therefore a nursing department at a distance education technikon should be managed excellent to meet all the demands. In an attempt to make nurse training more accessible, this study focuses on management in the context of a distance education technikon. The paradigmatic perspective guiding this study is described by means of metatheoretical, theoretical and methodological assumptions. The Nursing Theory for the Whole Person is used to state the methodological and theoretical assumptions. The methodological assumptions of this study are based on Botes's research model (1994), which implies that a functional approach has been used. In phase I of the research the experience of managers of distance education nursing departments are investigated and described on the basis of individual interviews. The data is used to formulate propositions to create a tentative conceptual framework. In phase II the experience of managers of departments at a distance education technikon is investigated and described by using a focus group interview. Propositions are formulated by using the data and, together with the statements from phase I, serve as a basis for creating a refined conceptual framework. In phase III of the research a conceptual framework based on the propositions from phase I and II as well as other literature, is described. From this the final conceptual framework is formulated. Phase IV, derived from phase III, sets out guidelines for managing a nursing department at a distance education technikon.

M.Ed. (Educational Linguistics) / With the use of English as a medium of instruction from senior primary upwards in the traditional schools, pupils experience problems related to lack of proficiency in English. This becomes evident when they have to express themselves, and then lack the appropriate vocabulary to use in different learning areas or subjects at school. Pupils seem to be underprepared for senior primary work. An academic support programme which will help upgrade the standard or level of proficiency is discussed at length. Partnership and team teaching among teachers affected by this problem are discussed. If this programme succeeds, the failure rate which has already drained the South African economy will be reduced. The study ends with recommendations that will hopefully help remedy the situation.

M.Ed. / The research question which is addressed in this study is the lack of functional reading and writing skills in a content subject such as Geography. The research was conducted with the assumption that most black students are lacking in the advanced literacy skills to learn Geography successfully. The rationale for the research is that if our education system wishes to improve learning skills and especially literacy amongst most black students the curriculum should put into practice effective reading and writing programmes in the teacher training colleges so that these skills are taught from the pre-primary schools up to matric as an on-going activity. The findings show that there is a large amount of rote learning without understanding of the learning content in the research sample, that they have limited vocabulary that contributes to poor self-expression and that some teachers are not well trained in the teaching of reading and writing skills across the curriculum.

D.Ed. / Die doel met die navorsing was om te bepaal wat konstitueer produktiwiteit in Suid -Afrikaanse skole en in watter mate distriks - amptenare produktiwiteit in skole kan verbeter. Die historiese agtergrond en veranderinge in Suid-Afrika gekoppel aan die tekort van resente navorsing in die veld, het verdere navorsing genoodsaak, ten einde huidige tendense gekoppel aan produktiwiteit binne die Suid-Afrikaanse skool konteks sowel as die distrik te kon identifiseer. `n Literatuurstudie was onderneem ten einde agtergrond te verkry rakende produktiwiteit in skole en distrik se rol daarin. Die ontrafeling van verskeie aspekte rakende produktiwiteit in skoolverband en hoe distriksamptenare produktiwiteitsvlakke in skole kan verhoog was ook nagevors. Die literatuurstudie het die belangrikheid van die skoolbestuurder in sy/haar rol beklemtoon asook die rol van opvoeders in die verbetering van produktiwiteits vlakke in skole. Die literatuurstudie het ook verder die belangrikheid van distriks amptenare en hul ondersteunning in skole beklemtoon, wat aanleiding kan gee tot produktiwiteits verbetering in skole.

D.Cur. (Professional Nursing Science ) / The nursing practice needs critical thinkers because of diverse and rapidly changing developments and desired outcomes in health care. These developments are based on health and informational changes, organisational and cultural change sin nursing education, changes in the scope o fpractice, and increasing patient acuity and the movement of patient care from acute care facility to community selling have increased demands for nurses to think critically, evaluate and quickly choose patient strategy. a need for effective clinical decision making and a need for clinical judgement (Sedlack, 1997:11). Old standards of simply being able to score well on standardized test of basic skills, though still appropriate. cannot be the sole means by which we judge the academic success or failure students. The implication of SAQA Act (/995) and the Education White Paper(1997) on transformation of higher education bring with them challenges for reaching and assessment of tertiary education graduates. The white paper stressed the importance of the development of the ability to think independently and with innovation. The South African Nursing Council (SANe, 1984:3) states explicitly in the philosophy about nursing education, that the development of critical analytically thinking is imperative. Therefore it is imperative for nurse educators to use specific assessment strategies that will assess if students have acquired critical thinking skills. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe strategies to assess critical thinking in a four year program leading to registration as a nurse (General, Psychiatry and Community) and Midwifery in South Africa)

D.Ed. / Schools have to provide quality education and maintain appropriate educational standards. Over and above that, schools have to deliver acceptable results. That will be the hallmark of schools being effective. Again, modem day schools can no longer be managed on an old fashioned way like in the past. School conditions have changed and keep on altering. Effectiveness and ineffectiveness could result from the changed teaching and learning environment. The main focus of this study is to investigate how public secondary schools in the Northern Province could be assisted to overcome ineffectiveness through the employment of vision and mission statements. Attention is placed on how clearly formulated vision and mission statements could be utilized to create effective schools. The main research question which has been driving the entire study is: What is the role and importance of clearly formulated vision and mission statements in developing and promoting school effectiveness in schools in the Northern Province? What are the perceptions of educators (principals and teachers) and parents with regard to the development and implementation of vision and mission statement in their schools? As already stated, the principal focus of the research is to address the problem of ineffectiveness as witnessed by some public secondary schools. The problem of ineffectiveness by schools is investigated from the point of view of vision and mission statements. This therefore, suggests that vision and mission statement have to be comprehended as interventionist strategy to assist ineffective schools to replace ineffectiveness with effectiveness. Vision and mission statements are located within a school as a learning organization. The reason for this is that in a learning organization every member feels an urge and drive to contribute his or her talent to the development of school as an organization. Again, in a school setting, these statements need to be approached as part of the school's comprehensive strategic plan. It is in that way that vision and mission statements could impact the school's organization structure, management process, management strategy, innovative ideas, values and culture. This will enable these statements to facilitate the occurrence of quality teaching and learning in schools.

M.Ed. (Teaching Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Tertiary and Adult Education) / This empirical study forms part of a team research project which was spearheaded by the Bureau of University Education at the Rand Afrikaans University. The aim of this study was to establish whether significant differences between the aptitudes of succesfull and non-succesfull freshman engineering students could be determined. This study consists mainly of two parts. Firstly, a literature study discussing the concepts aptitude and aptitude testing was undertaken. Secondly, an empirical study to establish differences in various aptitudes of the above-mentioned student groups was undertaken. According to the literature study, aptitude can be seen as a combination of factors which enables an individual to achieve a certain level of performance or to develop a certain skill with the necessary training. From the literature study it is apparent that aptitude is inherited, and also influenced by environmental factors. In early childhood it varies considerably but stabilizes in later years. Although slight similarities between aptitude and intelligence exist, a very clear distinction can be drawn. Differences between the aptitude patterns of men and women also appear. In the empirical study a random sample (N=388) was taken from the 1989 - 1991 freshman engineering students of the Rand Afrikaans University. The results of the Senior Aptitude Test (SAT) of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) were used to indicate d ifferences between the above-mentioned student groups. Students t-test was used to establish significant differences between the two groups. The data which was already available, was processed by means of the BMDP-3D computer programme. Significant differences between the two groups were identified, proving/indicating that aptitude should be taken into account during the process of student selection for the engineering course.