The effectiveness of a guide training program was evaluated as a means of providing interpretive services to commercial boaters at the New River Gorge National River. Commercial river guides attended a National Park Service sponsored training program which provided accurate information and education concerning natural and cultural history of the New River, the national significance of the New River Gorge National River, the history and purpose of the National Park Service, and information and services available at the visitor centers. The emphasis of the training session was to increase the river guides’ knowledge base and to encourage their interpretive presentation of this information to their customers. Customers of a commercial outfitter were administered a questionnaire before and after the guide training program. Significant differences in the amount of interpretation guides presented on the river, the amount of knowledge customers acquired during the trip, and the customers' overall trip rating were noted by empirical testing. Increases in the means of all three outcome variables occurred following guide training. Customers’ intentions to visit a New River Gorge Visitor Center did not significantly change following guide training. The validity and reliability of the instrument is discussed as well as potential biases and constraints of the study. Implications for management and further research are also discussed. / M.S.

The problem of this study was a test of a specific videotape designed to influence the actions of tour guides for older adult groups. The purposes of the study were to observe guide performances and older adult responses before and after training in techniques for sharing information with older adults in public spaces. The hypotheses were tested. 1) Guides after training would exhibit significant differences in behaviors of pointing, repeating, pausing, questioning, conversing, facing art when talking, talking inaudibly, pacing rapidly. 2) Older adult drop-outs would decrease on tours with especially trained guides.

Abstract in English, Tswana and Xitsonga / Education officers based at science centres and museums play a significant role in teaching the visiting learners science. However, little is known about their teaching practices at these centres. The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching practices of education officers when teaching science in a science centre environment. The focus of this study was on the education officers’ knowledge and instructional strategies used in teaching science at a science centre in Pretoria, Gauteng province. A qualitative case study approach was used. Data was collected from the three participating education officers using semi-structured interviews and observations. Data was analysed separately from each case using education officers’ knowledge framework guidance. The findings from this study indicate that although education officers have shown an adequate content knowledge in teaching science at the science centre their teaching method was teacher-centred and non-interactive and show-and-tell strategies were more common amongst the education officers. The study also revealed that education officers did not use their resources/exhibits effectively in teaching science. It is recommended in this study that intensive training of education officers is required before they can interact with the visiting learners. / Baokamedi ba thuto ba kwa mafelong a maranyane le dimusiamo ba tshameka karolo e e botlhokwa mo go ruteng barutwana ba ba etileng dithuto tsa maranyane. Mme goitsiwe go le gonnye ka mekgwa e ba e dirisang kwa mafelong a. Morero wa thuto e ne e le go tlhatlhoba mekgwa ya baokamedi ba thuto fa ba ruta dithuto tsa maranyane mo tikologong ya lefelo la maranyane. Ntlhakgolo ya thuto e e ne e lebile kitso le mekgwa e e dirisiwang mo go ruteng maranyane mo lefelong la maranyane kwa Pretoria, porofensing ya Gauteng. Mokgwa wa boleng ba kgetsi thuta o dirisitswe. Tshedimosetso e tserwe mo baokameding ba thuto ba bararo ba ba neng ba tsere karolo ka mokgwa wa dipotsolotso tsa seka-kago le tebelelo. Tshedimosetso e tlhatlhobilwe kgetsi le kgetsi go dirisiwa kgakololo ya lenaneo la kitso ya baokamedi ba thuto. Dipitlhelelo tsa thuto e di supa gore le ga baokamedi ba thuto ba bontsha kitso e e lekaneng mo go ruteng maranyane kwa lefelong la dithuto tsa maranyane mekgwa ya bone ya go ruta e ne e lebagane bone gape e sena kamano mo go dimo ga moo mekgwa ya go buwa le go bontsha e ne e le tlwaelo gareng ga baokamedi ba thuto. Thuto e bontshitse gape gore baokamedi ba thuto ba ne ba sa dirisi didiriswa ka natlafalo mo go ruteng maranyane. Kgakololo go tswa mo thutong eno ke gore baokamedi ba thuto ba tlhoka katiso e e utlwalang pele ba ka kopana le baithuti ba ba etang. / Vadyondzisi lava kumekaka eka ndhawu ya science na museum va tlanga xiphemu xa nkoka swinene eku dyondziseni ka vadyondzi lava va endzelaka ndhawu leyi. Hambi swiri tano, i swi ntsongo leswi tivekaka hi madyondziselo ya science eka ndhawu leyi. Xikongomelo nkulu xa dyondzo leyi akuri ku lavisisa tindlela ta madyondziselo ya vadyondzisi loko va dyondzisa tidyondzo ta science endhawini leyi ya tidyondzo science. Dyondzo leyi ayi kongomisiwile eka vutivi na tindlela leti vadyondzisi va letelaka ha kona vadyondzi edhawini leyi ya science ePitori, eka Xifundzha nkulu xa Gauteng. Maendlelo ya qualitative case study ya tirhisiwile eka vulavisisi lebyi. Vuxokoxoko byi hlengeletiwile ku sukela eka vadyodzisi vanharhu va science hi ndlela ya mbulavurisano na vulangutisisi bya vukheta swinene. Vuxokoxoko lebyi byi hleriwile hi ku hambana hambana hi kuya hi vutivi bya vadyondzisi lava vanharhu. Hambi leswi vadyondzisi lava va nga kombisa vutivi byo ringanela no twisisa tidyondzo ta science eka ndhawu leyi, swi kumekile leswaku madyodziselo ya vona aya pfumeleli vadyondzi ku va teka xiphemu eku tirhiseni ka swikombiso na switirhisiwa swo pfuneta ku twisisa tidyondyo ta science. Vadyondzisi a va tirhisa ndlela yo vulavula no komba switithisiwa na swikombiso swo pfuneta tidyondzo leti ehandle ko pfumelela vana ku tirhisa swilo leswi swa science. Ku yisa emahlweni, swi kumekile leswaku vadyondzisi a va tirhisi switirhisiwa kumbe swikombiso swo va pfuneta eka dyondzo ya science hi ku hetiseka. Hi ku landzelela dyondzo leyi, ku tsundzuxiwa leswaku vadyondzisi va kuma dyondzo yo enta no enela ku suka eka va vutivi byo antswa va nga si nyikiwa mpfumelelo wo dyondzisa vana tidyondzo ta science. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Natural Science Education)