published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study's aim was to investigate whether self-determined behaviour and achievement motivation impact learner's academic performance. Convenient geographic sampling was used to select three pnmary schools in Soshanguve. A likert type questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 learners. Item analyses were preformed to investigate the reliability of subscales. Three hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and Pearson product moment correlations. The first, which predicted that intrinsic motivation is positively related to academic achievement, was not supported. Both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated learners achieved better in academic tasks than amotivated learners. The second, which predicted a negative correlation between extrinsic motivation extrinsic motivation and academic performance, was also not supported. The third, which predicted that there is a negative correlation between amotivation and academic performance, was confirmed. General conclusions, recommendations, and limitations of the study are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This study evaluated the impact of acculturative stress and negative autostereotypes on the level of self-esteem and achievement motivation among subgroups of Hispanic college students. Subjects were classified by generational level as Second-generation (i.e., foreign-born parents), or Other (i.e., first-generation, foreign-born individuals, and third-generation, foreign-born grandparents;). By country/region of origin, subjects were divided into Central-Americans, Puerto-Ricans, Mexican, Mexican-Americans, and South Americans. Results showed that acculturative stress may facilitate loss of self-esteem particularly in Second-generation individuals, while negative autostereotypic attitudes may actually increase the student's level of motivation for achievement, particularly in Mexican-American individuals. Also, country/region of origin overall influenced negative autostereotypic attitudes.

Examines goal orientation, ethnicity, gender, and achievement variables of 149 elementary school children (grades 3-5) at a Southern California elementary school. Research was conducted using a 2 x 2 goal orientation matrix that included mastery-approach, mastery-avoid, performance approach, and performance-avoid constructs. California Standards Test (CST) were used to determine achievement. Results supported the hypothesis that there would be no differences based on ethnicity, gender, or grade level. Statistically significant differences were found in the mastery-avoid goal because of class subject. Also, mastery-avoid was found to have a negative correlation to high test scores as measured by CST.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Kumba Resources is one of the largest South African-domiciled mining groups. After completing an extensive and hard-hitting re-engineering drive Kumba Resources engaged in making its operations more efficient and to create growth opportunities to realise its vision: UT0 outperform the mining and minerals sector in creating value to all stakeholders through exceptional people and superior processes". The vehicle used in Kumba to achieve its vision is the Kumba Way. The Kumba Way is built on foundational values of Integrity, Respect, Accountability, Fairness and Caring. The motivational values, People make it happen,We do it together, Let's do it and We do it better every time create the energy and commitment to continuously improve performance The Kumba Way is a process that aims to achieve world-class performance throughout the organisation. It will create value for all shareholders and a strong competitive advantage by focusing on three areas: • The organisation-wide acceptance and internalisation of a common vision and set of values, creating an open, positive and trusting environment. • The establishment of governance processes, which provide the framework and tools to challenge and measure the performance of all employees. • Operational excellence, which involves identifying best practices across and beyond the organisation and institutionalising them. The People Performance Process, a governance process with target setting, is the driver for performance within Kumba Resources. The process was designed on best practices identified within the organisation as well as those proven in high-performing organisations worldwide. Leading organisations, well aware of the crucial role workers play in their organisations' productivity and, ultimately, in its profitability, make every effort to continually elicit optimum performance, from their employees. They do so by identifying and reinforcing successful behaviours while flagging and correcting unproductive performance. The People performance Process developed by Kumba consists of the following elements: • Inputs to the process are cascaded targets, generic and jobs specific outputs as well as the way the organisation values are lived. • Individual performance contracting was developed to ensure a clear understanding of what level of performance is required as well as what behaviour is expected in achieving the outputs. • Continuous observation and feedback focuses on creating the mindset within Kumba to ensure that feedback on performance is a continuous process and not restricted to only twice a year formal feedback. • Measuring performance implies measuring the objective achievement as set out in the performance contract as well as living the motivational values that will be measured with a 360-degree questionnaire. • Peer comparison is part of the process to ensure equity and fairness by making use of ranking of employees and considering the impact of uncontrollable on performance. • The formal performance feedback affords managers the opportunity to recap on the continual feedback given but most important it facilitates focusing on increasing performance in the future. • Measuring and auditing of the process ensures fair and equitable application and achievement of process objectives. • Consequence management implies that positive and negative consequences are linked to the level of performance as well as the way the motivational values are lived. A blended learning approach was followed consisting of E-Iearning providing "intellectually get it" and workshops support "emotionally get it". Change management was seen as a cornerstone for the implementation of the process. Line management need to take ownership of the process and therefore cooperation and buy-in are essential. A pilot implementation of the process was completed involving all top and senior managers within Kumba and already vast positive movements are evident. Kumba has not yet completed implementation in terms of the execution of the process across the organisation, but the continuous focus on changing mindsets and behaviours together with performance improvements will assist Kumba to become the high-performing organisation it aspires to become. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kumba Resources is een van die grootste Suid-Afrikaans gevestigde mynbou groepe. Na voltooing van 'n omvangryke en kragtige "re-engineering" fokus Kumba Resources op die verhoging van effektiwiteite in hul bestaande bedrywe sowel as op die identifisering van groei geleenthede ten einde hul visie te verwenslik: "Om die mynbou en mineraal sektor te uitprestreer ten einde waarde te ontsluit vir alle belanghebbendes deur uitsonderlike mense en superieur prosesse". Die voertuig wat Kumba gebruik om sy visie te verwenslik is die "Kumba Way". Die "Kumba Way" is gefundeer op die waardes van Integriteit, Respek, Aanspreeklikheid, Billikheid en Omgee. Die motiverende waardes "Mense laat dit gebeur, Ons doen dit saam, Kom ons doen dit saam en Ons doen dit beter elke keer" skep die energie en verbintenis tot deurlopende verbetering. Die "Kumba Way" het ten doelom wêreldklas prestasie reg deur die organisasie te bereik. Dit skep waarde vir alle deelhebbers en 'n sterk mededingende voordeel deur op die volgende drie areas te fokus: • Die organisasie-wye aanvaarding en internalisering van 'n gemene visie en waardes ten einde 'n oop, positiewe en vertrouens-wekkende omgewing te skep. • Die daarstelling van leidende prosesse as raamwerk en gereedskap om prestasie van alle werknemers te daag en te meet. • Die bereiking van bedryfsuitmuntendheid deur die identifisering van beste praktyke binne en buite die organisasie asook die institusionalisering daarvan. Die mens prestasie proses is tesame met doelwitstelling 'n leidende proses wat prestasie binne Kumba aandryf. Die proses is gefundeer op beste praktyke geidentifiseer binne die organisasie sowel as in hoë presterende organisasies wêreldwyd. Leier organisasies is deeglik bewus van die rol wat werkernemers speel in die produktiwiteit binne hulorganisasie en uiteindelike die winsgewendheid, en doen dus alles moontlik om optimale prestasie van werknemers te bewerkstellig. Ten einde dit te verwesenlik is dit nodig om suksesvolle gedrag en prestasie te versterk en onproduktiewe gedrag en prestasie waar te neem en reg te stel. Die mens prestasie proses wat deur Kumba ontwikkel is bestaan uit die volgende elemente: • Insette tot die proses word verkry van doelwitstelling, generiese en spesifieke posuitsette en organisasie-waardes. • Individuele prestasie kontraktering het ten doelom 'n duidelike begrip van die vlak van prestasie en die besondere gedrag wat vereis word om doelwitbereiking te verseker. • Deurlopende observering en terugvoer het ten doelom 'n ingesteldheid te ontwikkel dat prestasie en gedrag terugvoer deurlopend moet geskied en nie net formeel twee maal per jaar nie. • Meting van prestasie impliseer die meting van doelwitbereiking soos ooreengekom in die prestasiekontrak sowel as die leef van. die motiverende waardes wat deur middel van 'n 360-grade vraelys gemeet word. • Portuur vergelyking is deel van die proses om gelykheid en billikheid in die proses te verseker deur gebruik te maak van rangorde plasing en inagneming van die inpak van onbeheerbare aspekte op prestasie. • Formele prestasie terugvoering gee bestuurders die geleentheid om die deurlopende terugvoer saam te vat, maar die belangrikste is om te fokus op die verbetering van toekomstige prestasie. • Meting en ouditering van die proses is nodig om die billike en eenvormige toepassing van die proses sowel as die bereiking van proses doelwitte te verseker. • Gevolgbestuur impliseer dat positiewe en negatiewe gevolge met die vlak van prestasie verbind word, sowel as die wyse waarop die waardes gelewe word. 'n Gemengde benadering tot opleiding is gevolg bestaande uit elektroniese leer om 'n begrip vir die proses te ontwikkel en werkwinkels om die vaardigheid van toepassing, te ontwikkel. Veranderingsbestuur is gesien as een van die hoekstene vir implementering van die proses. Lynbestuur moet eienaarskap van die proses aanvaar en daarvoor is hulle insette en inkoop essensieel.Die toets-implementering van die proses is gedoen op die top- en seniorbestuursvlak binne Kumba en 'n beduidende positiewe verandering is reeds bewerkstelling. Kumba het egter nog nie bereik wat nodig is om die hoë presterende organisasie te wees wat dit aspireer om te wees nie, en daarom is 'n deurlopende fokus op die verandering van ingesteldheid en gedrag tesame met 'n verhoging in prestasie nodig.

The concept of Goal Orientations (GOs), which was initially developed in the area of educational psychology, is becoming more and more popular in organisational psychology. Although research on GOs has come a long way since the 1970s there are still a number of conceptual and operational issues which have yet to be addressed. These include issues with the definition, dimensionality, stability and specificity of GOs. It is considered essential to address these concerns because they greatly influence the reliability, validity and accuracy of GO research. Consequently, one aim of this study was to examine the dimensionality, stability and specificity of GOs. It is believed that once enough evidence regarding these issues is gathered this could be used to develop a comprehensive definition of GOs. This study aims to contribute towards gathering such evidence. GOs have been examined both in terms of profiles as well as in terms of individual GO scales (non-profile perspective) in the past. This study uses both perspectives in order to attempt to provide as much information as possible regarding the issues being investigated. Another aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between GOs and performance, mental effort and self-efficacy. Further knowledge of these relationships is considered to be of benefit to organisations. So as to achieve these aims a longitudinal study, consisting of a survey and an experimental study, was carried out. The survey sample consisted of 641 participants whilst the experimental sample was made up of 73 participants. The participants were mainly Loughborough University students. However, there were also a number of employed and retired individuals participating in the study. Quantitative analysis was deemed to be the most appropriate method of analysis to achieve the aims of this study. Data analyses were carried out using SPSS and Latent Gold software packages. The results point towards GOs not being as general and stable as initially assumed. There is a strong possibility of GOs being domain-specific. Consistent with a number of past studies, the approach GOs were found to be more strongly related to self-efficacy, mental effort and performance on tasks than the avoidance GOs. Moreover, the relationships between GOs and these variables seem to be moderated by task characteristics. The profile analyses results revealed that a number of GO profiles obtained in this study were very similar to those obtained in other studies. A closer look at these common GO profiles indicated that some profiles were consistently more strongly related to self-efficacy, mental effort and performance than others. This study provides a foundation for future research studies to build on in order to better understand the nature of GOs and their relationships with self-efficacy, mental effort and performance.

Job redesign could significantly impact the efficiency was obtained. This survey was comprised of nineteen scales with of the organization. The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to describe and compare job characteristics, general job satisfaction, and motivation potential of the job in order to diagnose the job profile of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants.The convenience sample consisted of all staff nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants working at a 515 bed Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the midwest who voluntarily agreed to complete the Job Diagnostic Survey. A response rate of 36.8% (n = 118) to measure the degree of job characteristics, motivating potential of the job, psychological states, growth need strength, general job satisfaction, and satisfaction context factors present in the current job.Mean scores were computed to measure each variable. All means for each job category were found to be over the midpoint (3.5). Growth need strength was significantly lower than the normative data for RN's and LPN's. Task identity and experienced responsibility for work outcomes were significantly lower than the norm for LPN's assigned to the acute medical area. Motivating potential was significantly lower for nursing assistants assigned to the acute medical and the long term psychiatric area.Adjusting staff assignments to encourage continuity and observation of patient outcomes, and providing direct feedback regarding performance to staff members from nurse managers were implications. Implications include combining tasks to provide a more identifiable job and enable the worker to visualize patient outcomes to a greater degree. Recommendations included further research utilizing the JDS, including comparison of various types of nurse jobs. Statistical analysis in future studies should include comparisons of these different groups. / School of Nursing

Adolescents’ Perception of Parental Involvement Scale (APPIS) and Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) were administrated to a sample (N = 300) of Egyptian high school students to investigate the effect of students' perception of parental involvement on their achievement motivation. Parental involvement was investigated as a multidimensional concept that covers home, school, and community according to three main concepts in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. These concepts are phenomenology, microsystem, and mesosystem. Achievement motivation was investigated as a tripartite construct that includes performanceapproach goal, mastery goal, and performance-avoidance goal according to Elliot's approach and avoidance achievement motivation model.Students' perception of parental involvement was found to differ significantly by the type of parental involvement and parents' educational level. There was a significant univariate interaction effect between the type of parental involvement and parents' educational level on students' perception of parental involvement at school, while there were non-significant univariate interaction effects on students' perception of parental involvement at home and within community respectively.Students' achievement motivation was found to differ significantly by students' gender and grade. There was a significant univariate interaction effect between students' gender and grade on students' performance-avoidance goal, while there were non-significant univariate interaction effects on students' performanceapproach goal, and mastery goal respectively.Students' perception of parental involvement was found to differ significantly by students' gender and grade. There were significant univariate interaction effects between students' gender and grade on students' perception of parental involvement at home, and within community respectively, while there was a non-significant univariate interaction effect on students' perception of parental involvement at school.Students' perception of parental involvement at home has a statistically significant relationship with students' perception of parental involvement at school, within the community, and mastery goal, while it has a statistically non-significant relationship with performance-approach goal, and performance-avoidance goal. Students' perception of parental involvement at school has a statistically significant relationship with students' perception of parental involvement within the community,and mastery goal, while it has a statistically non-significant relationship with performance-approach goal, and performance-avoidance goal. Students' perception of parental involvement within the community has a statistically non-significant relationship with students' performance-approach goal, mastery goal, and performance-avoidance goal. Students' performance-approach goal has a statistically significant relationship with students' performance-avoidance goal, however it has a statically non-significant relationship with mastery goal. Students' mastery goal has a statistically non-significant relationship with their performance-avoidance goal. / Department of Educational Psychology

This study was made to determine the relationship between n Achievement, the McClelland technique measure of achievement motivation obtained from picture-story protocols, and academic achievement in elementary school children. The California Achievement Tests Battery was used as the criterion for academic achievement.

The present investigation was to determine if combining two mental preparation strategies would be more effective than a single strategy. In Experiment 1, subjects (n=40) performed basketball free-throws (20 shots) using one of these mental strategies: 1) imagery, 2) relaxation, 3)relaxation plus imagery, 4) placebo control. Results indicated a significant main effect with the imagery group performing significantly better than the placebo control group. In Experiment 2, subjects (n=40) performed five trials on an isokinetic leg-strength task using one of the following mental strategies: 1) preparatory arousal, 2) imagery, 3) preparatory arousal plus imagery, 4) placebo control. Results indicated a significant trials main effect with all subjects improving over time. State anxiety results indicated that the combination group exhibited higher levels of anxiety than all other conditions.