Faculty of Humanities School of Education 8900024a watsonp@clm.wits.ac.za / An understanding of how and what students learn is crucial to improving teaching and learning practices in universities. In the South African context, the need to achieve equity in outcome (success) gives this imperative a sharper urgency. This study investigates the development in student understandings of the concept ‘law’ during a semester of tertiary-level introductory legal study. The study begins from the understanding that ontogenetic development, in the Vygotskian sense, arises from interaction in the social domain, prior to becoming internalized as individual mental structure. The study is thus based on an understanding that the social domain plays a critical role in ontogenesis. In order to make the role of this domain evident, the study combines a Vygotskian frame, and a Vygotskian understanding of the role played by semiotic mediation in development, with a Discourse account of language. The work of Gee is used for this purpose. It is suggested that the two sets of theory are complementary, each providing a dimension that is comparatively lacking in the other. Additional literature is drawn on to further clarify the individual / social relation and it is suggested that the social domain influences individual development in at least two ways: first through the action of context, and how this acts to position text and individuals acting within it; and secondly through historical positioning: through the cultural model understandings brought to the task by the participants. From this theory is drawn a framework for analysis of the empirical data studied. This data included two essays written by students on the topic ‘What is Law’, the first at the beginning, and the second after six months, of introductory legal study. Additional data studied included the course-pack materials of the course, and transcripts of the lecture series. The primary question addressed in the research is: how can an account of first-year undergraduate students’ development of the concept ‘law’ in an introductory course on law be provided, such that the analysis enables an understanding of the role of the social domain in ontogenesis? Specific questions addressed in analysis included whether cultural model understandings, which differed between the different groups studied, were evident in initial student writings, and if so, whether these understandings might help or hinder concept development; what power relations were evident in the context, and how these could be expected to position students; and finally, what Discourse appropriate changes (development) could be read in student texts, and how this could be related both to contextual positioning and prior knowledge held. The findings of this study are specific to the study and cannot be extrapolated to different circumstances. However, at the empirical level the study suggests that factors likely to be associated with success in this context include Discourse familiarity, content foregrounding in prior knowledge structures, the development of authority in writing, and identity shifts towards an ‘insider’ position. Factors found to be associated with lack of success include conflicts of new knowledge with prior knowledge structures, a lack of recognition of the task constraints, a strong identification with a different community, and confusion resulting from contradictions in the mediation provided. These factors may help to understand differential performance in the context by students from different cultural backgrounds. At a broader level, the study suggests that the addition of a Discourse account to a Vygotskian understanding of development provides tools for analysis which are generative in contributing to understandings of how the social impacts on the individual in development. These tools make explicit the intractable nature of the content, form and values combination which functions in language to reproduce context, and through this positions individual development-in-context. This positioning does not act deterministically: through trajectory and choice, identity and individual positioning are a crucial construct in learning. Finally, the study provides evidence of the complexity of the interaction of this content, form, values combination in development: an analysis which focused on content alone would not have captured the richness of development which this method made evident

This thesis investigates the relationship between tertiary education, Basel knowledge and risk-aversion in credit managers in the market for unsecured loans in Sweden. A survey was made to test these links and the sample of respondents consisted of 30 credit managers. Results showed no obvious effect of tertiary education on risk-aversion, managers ability to contravene the algorithm and the non-occurrence of default. It showed that there may be an effect of the inability to contravene the algorithm on the occurrence of ‘bad business’ and that there may be an effect of acquired tertiary education on Basel knowledge. This implies that not allowing credit managers to contravene algorithms may increase the occurrence of default. The results also imply that banks, credit institutes and regulators should take action towards improving the understanding of the Basel directive and regulations among credit managers.

A new one-semester tertiary bridging course in chemistry was designed with constructivist concept-learning as a major aim. This aim was monitored by Concept Learning Test Sequences (CLTSs), developed for each of ten fundamental chemical concept-clusters, selected from ten theory-practical work-units of an expressly written book. The concept-clusters were: density, mixture/compound, structure/bonding, base/salt, redox, mole, rate, metal, halogen, hydrocarbon. Each CLTS comprised a pre-instruction item; two-tier multiple-choice item(s); a post-instruction item; each provided data from a class of 21 students of widely different backgrounds. Separate chapters discuss class results and individual results.Concept-learning Improvement Categories that estimated individual improvement in each CLTS were quantified by assigning numerical values. Summation of these numerical values for all ten CLTSs produced individual Concept-learning Improvement Indices (CLIIs). Improvement in concept-learning appears independent of prior academic background. Rankings by CLIIs and by final assessment percentage were strongly correlated. The mean CLII for the class assessed concept-learning improvement (per concept) at Moderate-to-Intermediate.Various probes revealed that factors which influenced learning included: pre-laboratory reports; practical work; learning partnership(s); positive personal qualities; mathematical skills; confidence; visualisation; integration of theoretical and practical studies; bench problem-solving; a relaxed tutorial atmosphere; historical approaches to chemical concepts. Students assessed the course overall as 'good'.

Many interacting factors need to be considered when contemplating the optimum conditions for the creation of a learning environment that is compatible with the aims of tertiary teaching and learning. In the current economic climate, the costs of creating learning environments that foster these aims is also a major consideration. Further, in this era of rapid technological development and change, there are increasing numbers of students of divergent age, experience and ability entering the tertiary sector. Teachers at this level are therefore faced with real problems in providing students with interesting and innovative learning environments that influence and encourage the use of a deep approach to learning and the development of real understanding.This longitudinal research project sought, through the development and introduction of various teaching and learning interventions, to influence nursing students' attitudes towards microbiology and consequently their approaches to learning and achievement. The instruments used in the intervention practices were developed as a result of suggestions by students and staff during the course of this study and were fashioned along the lines of two models of student learning developed by Kember and Gow (1989) and Biggs (1993a). The study also attempted to elucidate the major factors affecting student attitudes towards teaching and learning with multiple media and the relationship between students' attitude, achievement and their learning approach.Significant relationships were established in the study between positive attitudes towards microbiology, higher scores for higher level learning approaches and higher academic grades.The major factors that appeared to influence students' attitudes towards microbiology included: (1) students' interest in microbiology; (2) the relevance students perceived microbiology had to nursing; (3) ++ / students' perceptions of the quality of the microbiology unit and learning materials, (4) the nature of the pastoral care provided; (5) the availability of independent study options; (6) students' perceptions of the degree of difficulty of the unit; (7) the credit point values for the unit and (8) students' perceptions of overload.In this study, freedom of choice of learning materials and the factors interest in, and relevance of microbiology to nursing practice appear to be major forces associated with increased use of deep approaches to learning by the different student groups. Perceptions of a heavy workload, overload of information, lack of pastoral care and perceived inadequate credit point value given to the microbiology units demonstrated little effect in increasing the use of surface learning approaches by students. However, when students' ratings for interest and relevance were low, and these factors were present as a group or individually, they were shown to influence an increase in surface approaches with a corresponding decline in use of deep approaches to learning.Overall, the results derived from this study with regard to learning approach and attitude suggest that if interest in microbiology and the perceived relevance of microbiology to nursing is high, these factors will have a greater positive effect on the use of higher level learning approaches than the variables of overload, inappropriate credit point values and nomenclature problems will have in increasing the use of lower level learning approaches by students.Part of this investigation involved the possible identification of learning strategies that were used more often by students who tended to utilise higher level learning approaches in contrast to students who used lower level approaches. Strategies that evolved from the data collected across the quasi-experimental cohort included (1) ++ / discrimination between specific learning materials that best fitted with students' lifestyles and learning preferences; (2) discrimination between specific learning strategies that better suited different subject areas; (3) interrelating microbiology theory with patients' clinical presentations in the hospitals; (4) using self-assessment, working in groups or with a friend; (5) the use of organised and consistent study habits; (6) the use of mnemonics, note taking, rote learning and continual revision of facts to establish a base knowledge of the subject before linking of material across areas could be made; (7) use of graphs, diagrams and flow charts; and (8) the use of more interactive learning materials such as the CAL.

This study is an attempt to interrogate the shared terrain of academic Maori Studies, Treaty of Waitangi praxis (where �praxis� is defined as the practical use of reason and the resonable use of practice - in contrast to purely theoretical activity) and the University system in this country. In this wide ranging �interrogation�, I will employ a dialectical method of analysis where each of the major Articles of the Treaty are assigned a particular �role� in the Thesis because it represents the central �University� or Kawanatanga Problematic; that Article 2 (Tino Rangatiratanga-Chieftainship) is the Antithesis because it represents the �Maori� contradiction or the Tino Rangatiratanga Mandate; and that Article 3 (Kotahitanga-Unity and Association) is the Synthesis because it represents Treaty Praxis� or the Kotahitanga Solution. This study (like the Treaty) has been organised into five appropriate Parts: Part A (The Preamble) provides the overture for the study, and, as such, contextualises the methodological framework and theoretical paradigms in, on and around which the rest of the study is located. Part B (The Kawanatanga Problematic) will attempt to articulate the struggle of Maori Studies in academia by problematising Kawanatanga (as is the case in most of the scholarship on this critical aspect of the Treaty). Part C (The Tino Rangatiratanga Mandate) will outline three major neglected areas of Tino Rangatiratanga in academia: such as the agency of Maori staff, students and communities; and the status of language and of knowledge taonga (treasures). Part D (The Kotahitanga Solution) will attempt to synthesise Treaty praxis within the debate by outlining and evaluating a number of Treaty principles and examples. Part E (Post-Script) will summarise the personified (signatory) aspects of the study and will also attempt to articulate a possible future for Maori Studies. It is hoped that the analytical framework employed in this study and will also attempt to articulate a possible future for Maori Studies. It is hoped that the analytical framework employed in this study will assist in clarfying (i) the nature of the struggle of a �minority-culture� subject (Maori Studies) within (ii) a �majority-culture� institution (the University), and (iii) the promise of bicultural synthesis (or Treaty praxis) as a means of mediating this struggle. It is also hoped that this thesis will be a contribution to that ongoing debate.

This study examines the broad problem of the role of information in decisionmaking by tertiary education administrators. The purpose of the study is to investigate the information required by administrators for decisionmaking, to discover patterns of use, the sources most commonly used, and the effect of environment and context on the type and source of information. The method chosen to exemplify the research problem, a case study of one particular tertiary institution, allows for examination, in depth, of the flow of information and of information seeking behaviour in one unique organisation. It also affords the opportunity to apply the findings directly to the object of the study. At the time, the institution was experiencing a period of uncertainty and change which culminated in its becoming part of a new networked or federated university. Three groups of models from the literature guide the study. These relate typologies of information to decisionmaking; transpose information for decisionmaking into the higher education context; and relate behavioural and environmental factors to information. The basis of this case study is a series of semistructured interviews following an agenda based on the models chosen. Data was analysed by patternmatching and explanation-building. Two significant contextual factors are apparent: the first, the high degree of perceptible uncertainty in the institution's environment; and the second, the idiosyncrasies of the individual administrator. The case study approach was found to be appropriate for the unusual organisational circumstances existing at the time. Strategies for improvement in the effectiveness of information seeking for decisionmaking include recommendations for the institution and for its library. Suggestions for further research are also made.

How we think about universities, their purposes and about the place of postcompulsory education in our society is the exemplification of a number of attitudes about humanity and life in general. Perceptions about the place of tertiary or postcompulsory education in the life of the ordinary person have changed along with a broader sweep of changes in the way people view themselves in relations to the world. The meaning of education in general and in particular, that of tertiary or postcompulsory education in the life of people today occupies a very different one to that of as little as forty or thirty years ago. The recent movements in the policies and processes surrounding the structure, form and purpose of higher education in Australia signifies to some extent at least the depth of these shifts in perceptions. In the field of social welfare education changes in political and social attitudes have led to calls for increased accountability in standards of practice in both service delivery and professional education, yet this call has come at a time of change in the cultural climate where there is decreasing clarity about what is expected of social welfare as a service, and of education for professional practice in the area. This thesis contends that the practice of and education for social work and social welfare stand in an invidious position in the current society in that practitioners and teachers, agencies and universities are being called on to be more accountable both philosophically and pragmatically, but that at the same time as this call for accountability presses upon the profession, questions are also being asked about the value basis of professional practice. Criticisms are being levied at the profession some suggesting that it is ideologically bound and ineffective in dealing with social problems seen to be within its scope of contribution to society. With justification these same criticism are being aimed at social work and welfare training programs with suggestions that contend that the education of people to work in the social welfare sector is at a cross-roads. Unless a reassessment of the goals and purposes of education for this field takes place it may lose all social status and relevance, yet there are those who suggest that change is long overdue and that there has been little change in the philosophy and practice of social welfare education The thesis has a primary contention that training people to work as social workers and other professional providers of social welfare in the current society is being placed under the microscope as a consequence of a number of movements in educational and political thought that have had their culmination in the competency movement that has impacted on both tertiary education, the professions and the industries. The institutions in which this training or education takes place have been changed in form and function particularly since 1989, following the Dawkins restructuring of the tertiary education sector and the account of these changes provides a backdrop for the story about social welfare education in Australia. These changes have included the construction of a national training platform with the espoused intention of formulating a seamless web of credentialling linking schools, the workplace, industry based training, DeTAFE and universities. The introduction of Competency Based Education, where training is asked to demonstrate a higher level of accountability and transparency than has been the case in the past, and the introduction of higher, sharper demands for effectiveness and relevance have shaken the universities out of comfortable complacency. In particular the competency movement has placed demands on the professions to demonstrate that they are able to describe their skills, roles and functions in accessible and assessable terms. This demand has also been placed on the social welfare profession. The requirement for the social welfare profession to formulate competencies has thrown into sharp relief an ideologically bound framework of practice that is seen to be out of touch with the needs of the current society, and this has had direct relevance for the education programs preparing people to practice in these areas. Chapter One focuses on views of knowledge and education and goes on to critique the changes in higher education that have occurred over the last half-century in Australia in general and in South Australia in particular, specifically in reference to the programs for educating social welfare workers. This chapter is largely historical, but this history is told with more of an appreciation of the spectacle of history's passing or recycling parade rather than of social progress. Chapter Two addresses the impact and significance of the structural and policy changes within the higher education sector with a particular focus on the competency movement as a demonstration of one of the currently perceived purposes of education. Chapter Three explores responses to the competency movement as further indicators of the views about the purposes of higher education in general and their relevance to those teaching with the social work and social welfare programs. Chapter Four locates voices in the discourse about the social welfare field, the type of work involved in the area, the sort of training needed, and the dilemmas inherent in the profession in the current society. This chapter highlights the need for a consensus position to support the formulation of standards for practice as implied in the design of competencies, and the ramifications of the lack of such consensus. Chapter Five displays the state of disarray in the profession through the analysis of the draft competencies produced so far, where lack of vision and consensus are seen, in the final reckoning, as the stumbling blocks to future clarity of purpose. Of any profession, social welfare work is one of the most difficult to put into competency based form due to both the nature of the work and the lack of a consensus view of its primary goals and purposes, yet it is essential that this can be achieved given the impactful and intrusive nature of the work, and the push for accountability implicit in the competency movement. The thesis concludes with a statement of hope that clearer standards for practice can be formulated and that social welfare education and practice can re-configure to contribute relevantly to the current society.

An overview of Aboriginal education in the last two hundred years reveals that Aborigines have had a depressingly inadequate education, also marked by inequity of opportunity and participation. The developmental pattern of Aboriginal education has been characterised by four broad periods or eras related to specific government policies. These periods are identified successively as The Protection Era, the Segregation Era, The Assimilation Era and The Integration Era. The Protection Era began with the early frontier settlement of Europeans in Australia and extended until the 1860's. The Segregation Era marked the full development of Aboriginal reserves from 1860 to 1940. The Assimilation Era extended from the 1940s to the mid 1960s. Finally the period of Integration began in the late 1960s and gathered momentum in the 1970s. Throughout the periods of protection, segregation and assimilation very little effort was expended in the provision of adequate education for Aborigines. It was not until the late 1960s that concerted attempts were made to redress the many decades of neglect and apathy. Researchers uncovered glaring problems needing urgent redress. Aboriginal pupils persistently achieved very poorly in comparison with others and left school at an earlier age. As a consequence Aborigines left school lacking the knowledge and skills to compete with other Australians and had much poorer prospects of employment. In the early 1970s the National Aboriginal Education Committee and the state Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups, combined with support and funding from DAA, Commonwealth Education and The Schools Commission, were very influential in establishing programmes. In response to the growing numbers of Aborigines who were denied adequate schooling, three general types of adult programmes were developed: a) enclave/support systems; b) pretertiary/bridging courses and c) off campus centres. It was these programmes operating at WACAE that DEET commissioned me to evaluate. The existence of these programmes is the result of WACAE's prompt response to the need for redressing Aboriginal educational imbalance. The programmes developed following the commencement of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Programme at Mt Lawley College in 1973. The first enclave was established in 1976, external AEEC commenced in 1978 and G.E.C. in 1980, the first off campus centre was set up in 1983, and the Tertiary Preparation Course (internal AEEC) began operation in 1985. Commonwealth money has provided the financial basis for the programmes, but WACAE was the first institution in Australia to implement programmes and its achievement is significant. The terms of reference for this project required that the method of research should be through data gathering by means of interviews and examination of documentary evidence during a three week period in Perth. The evaluator consulted DAIS staff, students and, as particularly requested in the brief, Aboriginal community members. Findings revealed that WACAE's enclaves, on campus and off campus, have made progress towards educational equity for Aborigines, provide good support and are valued by students and Aboriginal community members. Aboriginalisation was found to be essential to maximum enclave effectiveness. Staff, students and Aboriginal community members would like to see increased Aboriginal representation, contract hiring of staff not being conducive to employment security or staff continuity. It is recommended that rationalisation of enclaves would achieve a more efficient pooling of resources. During the last thirteen years considerable amounts of external funds have been injected and it is recommended that WACAE take greater institutional responsibility for enclaves, using funds from normal Commonwealth sources, as distinct from special course funding. The existing staffing patterns and conditions of employment should be regularised in regard to salary, tenure, study leave, superannuation, etc. Such a measure is necessary to ensure staff continuity, security and inclusion in the power structure of the institution. WACAEs external pretertiary courses (AEEC and GEC) have achieved a small measure of progress towards equity of access and participation in education for Aborigines. The wide geographical distribution is significant in providing availability of courses. The courses are valued by Aboriginal community members and there is a need for external courses of this nature to continue in the future. However, progress towards equity has been extremely slow and time taken for completion of courses is unduly long considering the basic nature of GEC, and the fact that the courses are designed for completion in one year. The courses are preceived as enhancing employment performance and prospects as well as being preparation for tertiary study. There has been a shift in opinion regarding Aboriginal education during the 1980s towards the view that education should not be seen in isolation but in combination with employment and training. It is recommended that DEET take immediate steps to implement the Aboriginal Employment Development Policy in Western Australia, considering how best the benefits of external AEEC and GEC can be maintained and expanded. On the other hand, the Tertiary Preparation Course (internal AEEC) has achieved commendable results and is assessed as being worthy of increased resources and energy. Difficulty was encountered in efforts to determine exactly how DEET funding was used. It seems that this type of enquiry would necessitate the services of a qualified accountant. Enclave/support systems and pretertiary/bridging courses will be needed for some time to come. Many Aboriginal people stated that they envisage the time when these programmes will no longer be needed, 'when inequity of education has been addressed' and 'equality' achieved. Until this goal is reached the programmes will remain necessary. The achievement of the broad objectives of the AEDP, i.e. employment and income equity with other Australians and equity of participation in all levels of education, will see Aboriginal aspirations becoming a reality.

This thesis contends that conservative academic culture and the predominance of science-based courses can block the inclusion of green education into tertiary curricula. In the study, I used a participatory action research approach, embedded in a critical research paradigm, in order to work with interested students and community groups as well as academia at the University of Canberra. During the research period, I aimed to further develop green education on the campus, while observing responses of academia, students and environmentally related community groups. Data were analysed using an analytical model linking education with social change. The thesis addresses the following questions: how do students demonstrate their interest in environmental sustainability; why are formal studies within an institution unable to respond to student interest; what characterises the gap between formal university studies and non-formal environmental education in relevant community groups; what is green education, how is it put into practice, and does it bridge the gap between formal studies and community-based environmental education. The study found that the environmental science-based course at the university was focussed on the transmission of knowledge rather than the teaching of contemporary problem solving in the form of green education. The formal environmental education of the university setting varied greatly in terms of purpose, culture, values and philosophy from the environmental education of the community, which was compatible with the theory of green education. Communication between academia and community groups was minimal. The study also demonstrates that following student activities, green education has now been implemented in many universities around the globe, resulting in a breakdown of the barrier between formal and nonformal education sectors. Students have set-up and maintained links with the green education practiced by community groups, and have then brought ideas of green education into universities. Recommendations are made for green education at the University of Canberra.

The purpose with this paper is to examine if tertiary education and democracy have an impact on economic growth. In order to decide how democratic the examined countries are the democracy index constructed by The Economist is used. Besides the two central theories the purpose is also to explain why these variables could affect growth and to examine direct and indirect effects. Indirect effects mean that one variable affects another variable which thereafter has an impact on economic growth. 34 OECD countries are compared in order to investigate whether education and democracy are strongly correlated with BNP per capita. Therefore a statistical design is used as method. The empirical results suggest that there is significant correlation between democracy and economic growth. Educational levels seem to have a very small and insignificant effect on economic growth. The empirical results also indicate that the small effect that educational levels have on growth can to a great extent be explained by corruption. This means that countries with higher educational attainment have a tendency to be less corrupt which in turn leads to higher economic growth. The significant and positive correlation between democracy and economic growth can to some extent be explained by the indirect effect which is corruption.