Thesis (M. Ed. ) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / The aim of this study was to investigate the English Language Proficiency of non-English speaking learners in the Foundation Phases. An in-depth literature study was conducted to investigate this phenomenon. The historical background of language provision in South-African schools, the issue of language and cognition and different aspects of mother tongue education was touched on. The implicaitons of the current situation of the Language of Teaching and Learning (LoLT) for teaching and learning in South Africa was also covered. A qualitative research design and methodology were deemed appropriate to explore the challenges and strategies used by Foundation Phase teachers to enhance the English language proficiency of their learners. The research findings of the empirical investigation were presented in accordance with themes and categories that emerged from the data during the thematic analysis of the eight semi-structured individual interviews. The main concerns of the participants regarding the way to address challenges were presented. The complexity of this phenomenon pictured in my mind. The research findings lived up to my expectations and confirmed what was found in my literature study. Hence I came to realise that the experiences of the participating teachers were extremely important in reaching the conclusions of this research. The major research findings and meaningful issues came to light from the literature review and the empirical evidence. Finally recommendations are put forward for the consideration of Foundation Phase teachers, schools and the Department of Education (DoE) when dealing with the proficiency of their learners.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Education )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / This study investigates mediation of learning in Grade 10 Business Studies. Mediation of learning is one of the roles that have to be fulfilled by educators in the teaching and learning situation. Learning theories that focus on teaching and learning provide insight about the study under investigation. Aspects such as teaching, learning, constructivism, mediation of learning, teaching strategies, teaching and learning through different learning theories and assessment for learning are dealt with. A qualitative research design is employed in this study. Data is gathered through observations of Grade 10 Business Studies lessons and questionnaires completed by Grade 10 Business Studies educators. Purposive sampling is used to sample the participants for this study. Ten schools in the Lejweleputswa district and ten Business Studies educators from these schools are sampled. Data is analysed qualitatively and emerging trends are reported on and interpreted. Observations in the study indicated that most Grade 10 Business Studies educators do not implement mediation of learning in their lesson presentations. Learners are mostly passive listeners in the classrooms. Most educators indicated that they implement mediation of learning in their lessons, although observations portrayed the opposite. Educators are in need of training to be successful mediators of learning. Conclusions and recommendations are made regarding mediation of learning in Grade 10 Business Studies classrooms.

Thesis (M. Ed.) Humanities)) -- Central University of Technology, Free state, 2013 / In this study, the researcher used literature review and empirical investigation to: * establish management styles that are adopted in both effective and ineffective secondary schools; * examine the main causes of secondary schools’ ineffectiveness; and * determine and recommend guidelines for the effective implementation of participative management styles in ineffective secondary schools. The research method consisted of an investigation in which a sample of two hundred educators in Lejweleputswa district in the Free State was involved. In order to determine the effective ways of managing ineffective secondary schools, each respondent completed a questionnaire. The empirical research was undertaken to gather information that could provide answers to the following research questions: * What management styles are adopted in both effective and ineffective secondary schools? * What are the main causes of ineffectiveness in secondary schools? * In what way can participative management styles change the status of ineffective secondary schools? The literature survey conducted by the researcher showed that leadership styles that are used as a measure for the effective management of secondary schools are effective. Effective management is developed and enhanced with the use of various leadership styles. The empirical investigation shows that: * educational activities presented are learner-centred * learner development is promoted through a well-designed academic programme * learner performance is regularly monitored * schools show appreciation for learners’ effort and success * learning environments are learner-friendly * educators are involved in decisions that have an effect on their employment * educators work together as co-workers to improve on their teaching practices * educators are provided with opportunities to upgrade their teaching skills * school management teams (SMT) delegate authority to their subordinates * educators turn teaching and learning into challenges that promote creative problem-solving skills * educators work effectively with parents and the community * educators do not work in isolation * there is no lack of social interaction among educators * educators do not find it difficult to control classroom events The researcher provided recommendations for the above findings. The recommendations were highlighted in chapter five. These recommendations proved to promote effective ways of managing ineffective secondary schools.

Full Thesis / Thesis (Ph.D.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006. / South Africa has a shortage of SMTs with well-honed management skills. SMTs are working under the most difficult conditions, especially during the transformation process in education. They are often not well-prepared for tasks they must perform and are neither given sufficient training. The focus of this research is to examine the role of HODs in the management of HRD. The EMD curriculum delivery nexus prompts the need to examine curriculum and education management and development, theories, practices and policies that support the implementation of the curriculum. HODs that are determined to build learning organisations should be able to create a culture of collaborative learning, where the acquisition of skills and knowledge is seen as an investment for the future. For transformation to take place in schools, educators should become major focal points for producing the momentum for change. Educational transformation and curriculum change development is taking place at a rapid pace. The whole transformation process is characterised by policy formulation rather than policy implementation. The concern is that the state of readiness of implementation at school level has not been investigated. The establishment of sound legal and regulatory framework to facilitate the transformation process can only become effective if schools are ready for the implementation of the new curriculum. A qualitative research methodology was employed for this study. The key objective of the research was to elicit the perceptions, by means of questionnaires and interviews, that educators and SMTs have of the role that HODs play on the management of HRD to support curriculum change, development and delivery, as well as the role of District Officials in this regard. The population of this study consisted of educators from primary schools in three education districts in the Free State province. The sample employed in this study consisted of sixty educators, including Heads of Department (HODs). Twenty educators per education district were randomly selected. It is evident that HODs require competencies such as staff provisioning, maintaining good human relations and providing an intensive HRD programme so that they manage educators effectively, which, in turn will result in their effective management of departments. The recommendations of this study are incorporated in a Human Resource Development (HRD) programme put forward by the researcher to add to the current body of knowledge in Human Resource Management in Education.

Thesis (Phd. (Education )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2015 / For learners to be effective computer applications users, they need three basic skills – computer literacy, computer fluency and intellectual and reasoning skills to apply computational techniques or computer applications to the problems and projects in a field. Computational thinking as addressed in the first literature chapter is the description and the promotion of new ways of thinking in an increasingly digital age. A computational thinker must constantly engage in technology advancements. Computational thinking is a way of solving problems and is a cognitive or a thinking process. To flourish in the world of work, computational thinking has to be a fundamental part of the way learners think and understand the world. It describes the mental activity in formulating a problem to allow a computational solution. The solution can be carried out by the learner or the computer or a combination of learner and computers. Problem-solving competency as addressed in the next literature chapter involves the ability to acquire and use new knowledge, or to use old knowledge in a new way to solve problems that are not routine. Problem-solving as a skill involves a range of processes that includes analysing, interpreting, reasoning, predicting, evaluating and reflecting. Learners need profound Computer Applications Technology (CAT) knowledge and a general reasoning ability as well as investigative strategies for solving ill-defined problems. To address the research questions, the researcher employed the QUAN-QUAL design in this study. In this study the quantitative method was used to gather data relating to the education of teachers, in-service training received and answers to certain computational thinking skills and problem-solving skills. It was also used to test the relationship between problem solving and computational thinking skills. A Likert-scale type questionnaire was completed by 150 CAT teachers. In addition, this study also employed the qualitative method with semi-structured interviews to gather data relating Abstract vi to problem solving and computational thinking skills. Eight CAT teachers were interviewed to ascertain the afore-mentioned. A pilot study was conducted with the aim to test the research approach and to identify potential problems that may affect the quality and validity of the results. The wording of some questions in the questionnaire was altered to ensure that the instrument measures what it is supposed to. Descriptive statistics in this study was used to describe the findings and the inferential statistics used to test the hypotheses and draw conclusions from the quantitative statistics. For qualitative data, thematic analysis was used to analyse the original data obtained from the semi-structured interviews. To promote critical thinking skills, teachers must engage learners in higher-order thinking. Findings show that teachers do not always use classroom practices that encourage critical thinking. It was encouraging that the majority of teachers do allow group work in the CAT classroom, as group work is an important facet in computational thinking and problem solving. The study culminates in a computational thinking and problem-solving toolkit developed by the researcher. This toolkit is intended primarily for facilitators (such as CAT subject advisors or CAT mentor teachers) to enable them to conduct workshops for fellow CAT teachers. By using this toolkit, teachers will gain an understanding of what computational thinking skills and problem-solving skills are and how to develop these skills in Grades 10 – 12 CAT learners.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study takes as starting point the observation in sensemaking theory that autonomic arousal is accompanied by a loss of existing frames and cues and the consequential cognitive implosion. Situations such as these are marked by a crisis in identity construction and the resultant loss of sense being made. The aim of the study was to find out to what extent this phenomenon is at play during a merger between two organizations. Specifically to what extent this phenomenon did manifest itself among the employees of the Central University of Technology in Welkom after the merger of the former Welkom Campus of Vista University and the Technikon Free State. The study starts with an overview of the literature on corporate mergers; focusing on research on effects with regards to (i) how the different gender groups of employees were affected by these interruptions, (ii) how employees with diverse levels of experience were affected, (iii) to what extent the qualifications of employees was a factor regarding the impact of this autonomic arousal and (iv) whether race was a factor in determining the extent of autonomic arousal. The above is followed by an explanation of the sensemaking perspective and the nature of and moment for autonomic arousal. It is argued that organizational mergers represent an interruption in the ongoing flow of sensemaking that could lead to autonomic arousal. Using sensemaking theory and autonomic arousal as a theoretical starting point, interviews were conducted with key figures in the specific merger between the Vista University Welkom Campus and the Technikon Free State. The respondents were selected using the snowballing sampling technique. The idea behind the interviews was to demonstrate how staff members were emotionally affected by the interruption of the merger and how it had an impact on their perceptions about their work. It was found that the flow of experience was interrupted and as cues and frames were reduced, the employees focussed more on personal issues. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie neem as vertrekpunt die observasie van singewingsteorie dat outonomiese aktivering gepaard gaan met 'n verlies aan bestaande raamwerke en aanduidings en die gevolglike kognitiewe implosie. Sulke situasies word gekenmerk deur 'n krisis in identiteitskonstruksie en gevolglike verlies aan sin. Die doel van hierdie studie was om uit te vind tot watter mate hierdie fenomeen plaasvind tydens 'n samesmelting van organisasies, en spesifiek hoe dit manifesteer onder die werknemers van die Sentrale Universiteit van Tegnologie in Welkom na die samesmelting van die Welkom-kampus van Vista Universiteit en die Technikon Vrystaat. Die studie begin met 'n oorsig van die literatuur oor korporatiewe samesmeltings en oomames, spesifiek oor daardie studies wat die effekte bestudeer met betrekking tot (i) hoe verskillend mans en vroue geraak is, (ii) die impak van verskillende vlakke van ervaring onder werknemers se persepsies oor die samesmelting, (iii) die mate waartoe die kwalifikasievlak van werknemers, asook (iv) ras 'n rol gespeel het in die vlak van outonomiese aktivering wat deur werknemers ervaar is. Daama word singewingsteorie en die aard en geleenthede van outonomiese aktivering uitgepak. Daar word argumenteer dat korporatiewe samesmelting 'n onderbreking in die vloei van sin veroorsaak wat tot outonomiese aktivering kan lei. Ge1ei deur singewingsteorie en outonomiese aktivering as teoretiese vertrekpunt is onderhoude gevoer met sleutelfigure in die spesifieke samesmelting tussen die Welkom kampus van Vista Universiteit en die Technikon Vrystaat om die outonomiese effek van die onderbreking te illustreer. Die respondente is deur die sneeubalmetode geselekteer. Die idee is om te toon hoe werknemers emosioneel getref is en hoedat dit 'n impak op hulle persepsies rondom hulle werk tot gevolg gehad het. Daar is bevind dat die vloei van sin deur die samesmelting onderbreek is, en dat werknemers soos te wagte, meer op persoonlik sake begin fokus. Dit dui op 'n vemouing van singewingsraamwerke en die verlies van lewensin.