The purpose of this study was to investigate the roll played by Further Education and Training Colleges in delivering education in South-Africa, with specific reference to technical education. As technology developed, the need for well trained artisans also increased. Technical Colleges have helped in addressing that need by increasing the theoretical knowledge of apprentices and artisans. With the political changes in South-Africa, came changes in education. Technical Colleges changed to Further Education and Training Colleges, and with that the purpose of these institutions. No longer will supplementary theoretical training be done at Technical Colleges, instead complete trade training will be done at Further Education and Training Colleges. This study has shown some problems with this new approach that need to be addressed before Further Education and Training Colleges can take their place in the provision of quality education in South -Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

While traditional theories are useful in the study of persistence in some nontraditional students, many nontraditional female students are at high risk of not successfully persisting towards their educational goals. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of spirituality, as a validating factor and an intrinsic motivator to persist, in nontraditional female students in community and technical colleges. A hermeneutic phenomenology research design was used with the "lived experiences" of these women articulated through their own voices. Although the study did not have a rigid set of fixed procedures, van Manens (1990) suggested activities for human science research were followed. Individual interviews, as well as two focus group interviews, were conducted to gather the data. A purposeful research sampling approach was used to select the participants from a community college and a technical college in the southern United States. The conceptual framework that informs this study is that of Sharon Daloz Parks' (2000) theories of faith development in the college years. In regards to persistence, Rendon's (2000) model of Academics of the Heart framed the validating environment that nurtured the nontraditional women‟s motivation to persist towards their educational goals. This framework reconnects the intellect with the spirit. In this study, it was found that spirituality was an internal validating factor for these nontraditional female students and this intrinsic motivation supports them in their persistence to achieve their goals. From the study emerged five major themes: spiritual development/growth, challenges, validation, support and perseverance. Supportive environments in educational settings may nurture and affirm this spirituality that exists in the increasing numbers of nontraditional female students attending our colleges today. These findings make a contribution to the present literature in that the results of the study provide insight as to how programs may be modified for nontraditional female students to support them in their persistence in an educational setting. In understanding where the students are on their continuum of developing spirituality, administrators, faculty, and support staff, could better provide the environments that are needed to nurture the growth of this internal validating factor and intrinsic motivator of spirituality.

While approximately 62% of high school graduates enroll in college, almost half of these students do not return for their second year in school. This demonstratable gap in college interest and reaching actual goals speaks to a need for information on how to facilitate the precollege guidance process to achieve more successful high school graduate and postsecondary institution matches. Much information is available in regard to the college choice process of high school students considering four year colleges and universities; scant information is known about how students discover information about the complete range of postsecondary educational opportunities. In particular, the community and technical college postsecondary education options have received minimal attention. Providing precollege counseling and information to students is considered a function of the high school counselor. Therefore, their perceptions and knowledge of postsecondary educational institutions are important in understanding the information they relate to their students. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe high school counselors' perceptions of community and technical colleges as viable and valued postsecondary education options. The study probed into the unique experiences of high school counselors from a major school system and examined how their perceptions were informed and shaped. A qualitative research design incorporating one-on-one interviews was conducted. The conceptual framework guiding this study was informed and developed by integrating three respected models: McDonough's (1997) model of building a comprehensive college culture in the high school, McClafferty and McDonough's (2002) model, and the American School Counselor Association National Model. The perceptions of the high school counselors resulted in five themes which included experiences with university bound students, experiences with community and technical college bound students, pathways of awareness of community and technical colleges, precollege counseling, and perceptions of community and technical colleges. The study concludes with implications for policy, practice, and recommendations for further study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roll played by Further Education and Training Colleges in delivering education in South-Africa, with specific reference to technical education. As technology developed, the need for well trained artisans also increased. Technical Colleges have helped in addressing that need by increasing the theoretical knowledge of apprentices and artisans. With the political changes in South-Africa, came changes in education. Technical Colleges changed to Further Education and Training Colleges, and with that the purpose of these institutions. No longer will supplementary theoretical training be done at Technical Colleges, instead complete trade training will be done at Further Education and Training Colleges. This study has shown some problems with this new approach that need to be addressed before Further Education and Training Colleges can take their place in the provision of quality education in South -Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of Education Policy and Management, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 254-269).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 32).

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis, PlanA (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.