Denna studie syftar till att genom ett pedagogiskt perspektiv undersöka människors berättelser om tillfrisknande från utmattningssyndrom med fokus på förändringsprocesser, lärande och utveckling. För att kunna uppnå studiens syfte har två frågeställningar använts. Den ena är, på vilket sätt uppfattar informanterna att det har skett en förändring från dagen de fick sjukdomsdiagnosen fram tills idag? Den andra frågeställningen är, på vilket sätt har vägen ur ett utmattningssyndrom utvecklat informanterna? För att läsaren skulle få en tydligare bild av vad begreppet utmattningsdiagnos innebar redogjordes det kort för begreppet. En bakgrundsdel presenterades även för att läsaren skulle få en tydligare bild av varför personer drabbas av utmattningssyndrom. Efter bakgrundsdelen redogjordes det för den tidigare forskning som studerats när det gäller faktorer som kan främja och hindra ett eventuellt tillfrisknande från utmattningssyndrom.   För att uppnå studiens syfte och undersöka människors berättelser om tillfrisknandet från utmattningssyndrom användes intervjumetoden semistrukturerad intervju som metodansats. Efter att intervjuerna genomförts bearbetades materialet genom att det sorterades, reducerades och till sist analyserades. Resultatet visade, om personerna skulle kunna ta sig ur utmattningssyndromet var det viktigt att dem reflekterade över situationen och genomförde konkreta förändringar i arbetsliv samt vardag. Det kunde exempelvis handla om att sätta gränser, ta kontroll över situationen och hitta en balans mellan privatliv samt arbetsliv. När personer som drabbats av utmattningssyndrom genomför denna förändringsprocess är risken mindre att de återigen hamnar i ett utmattningssyndrom. Anledningen till detta är för att de har lärt sig mer om sig själva och att de har utvecklats som personer. / This study aims to investigate people’s stories of recovery from burnout with focus on the changing process, learning and development thru an educational perspective. To accomplish the reason for the study two questions have been used. The first question is, in what way does the informants perceive that an alteration has been made from the day that they were diagnosed with burnout until today? The second question is, in what way have the road to recovery from burnout developed the informants? To give the reader a clearer image of what the term burnout means a short explanation was made about the meaning of the term. A background was also presented to clarify why people get this diagnosis. Thereafter an explanation of the previous research that has been conducted regarding burnout syndrome and what factors that can aid and prevent a recovery was presented.   To achieve the purpose of the study and investigate people’s stories about recovery from burnout a semi structured interview was used as the method. After the interviews were done the data was sorted, reduced and analyzed. The result showed that for a person to be able to get out of a state of burnout it is paramount for him/her to reflect over the situation and perform concrete alterations in their work life and everyday living. It could for example be putting up boundaries, take control over the situation and finding a balance between private life and work life. When the persons have gone through this alteration process the risk of once again ending up in a stadium of burnout is smaller. The reason for this is the person have learned more about themselves and developed as a person.

The steady and consistent growth of online learning and the rapid development of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis and blogs have led to innovative methods of training and instruction. As a result, continuing research is needed to develop and validate instructional design theories and models that support teaching and learning in today's technology-rich learning environment. The goal of this research was to refine the Creating Online Learning Communities for Adults (COLCA) instructional design (ID) theory by using the theory to design an online faculty development course. A formative research design guided the investigation. Formative research seeks to identify improvements for an instructional design theory based on a designed instance of the theory, in this case an online faculty development course in Web 2.0 tools and techniques. This research is a designed case applying the COLCA instructional design theory to an online faculty development course. Data sources included course documents and observations, email messages, and participant interviews. These data were used to determine which methods prescribed by the COLCA ID theory work well, what methods could be improved, and in which specific situations each method works best. As an original contribution to the discipline of information technology as applied to teaching and learning, this study sought to improve upon an instructional design theory currently in its early stages of development and informs the design of online learning communities for adults. This research is important to continued growth and advancement of contemporary instructional design theories that provide support for emerging technologies, adult learners, and online learning methods that facilitate the development of online learning communities and communities of practice.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Distance education is increasingly being regarded as a possible solution for some of South Africa's educational problems. The Literature, however, illustrates no concrete research that has been conducted in terms of the creation of an environment conducive to adult distance learning institutions like Technikon Southern Africa. There are perhaps numerous reasons for this, however being a 'distance learning setting' is probably one the most prominent reasons for not seriously considering the learning environment as both an essential and vital determinant governing the learning process. In this research an interpretative study has been done of the programme group Police Practice of Technikon Southern Africa. The purpose of this study was to establish whether an environment conducive to adult learning does in fact exist in Police Practice and to develop a set of recommendations/criteria which could be used by this programme group of TSA. Various critical questions stimulated this study. These questions were in tum used to generate interview questions, which were used during the interview process. A qualitative approach was followed and data was obtained by means of interviews. The subjects of the study were educators of the programme group Police Practice of Technikon Southern Africa. There were a number .of conclusions drawn from this study. Some of the most prominent of them were as follows: • This is a lack of meaning given to the open / flexible approach. • Considering adult learning principles in distance learning IS of vital importance. • A more personalized approach to distance learning is necessary. • There is a crucial need for in-service training and staff development. • Technological advancements should be adopted with caution. • There exists a need to create a much more challenging environment for learners. Various recommendations were generated from both the conclusions and the literature study of this research. Some of the most important of them were as follows: • An open learning approach should be used. • The implications of adult learning principles should be carefully considered. • Personalising learning through the use of the text should be implemented. • Appropriate in-service training for educators should be made available. • A challenging environment should be created. In addition to this a possible checklist was proposed for the creation of an environment more conducive to adult learning (distance education). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: DIE SKEP VAN 'N OMGEWING WAT BEVORDERLIK IS VIR LEER AAN TECHNIKON SUIDER-AFRIKA Afstandsleer word toenemend beskou as 'n moontlike oplossing vir sekere Suid-Afrikaan onderwysprobleme. Volgens die literatuur is daar egter geen bewys van konkrete navorsing oor die skep van 'n omgewing wat bevorderlik is vir volwassene onderwysinstansies soos Technikon Suider-Afrika nie. Een van die hoofredes waarom die onderwysomgewing in afstandsonderwys nie as 'n noodsaaklike bepalende faktor in die leerproses beskou word nie is juis dat dit binne 'n "afstandsleer-konteks" val. In hierdie navorsing is 'n interpretatiewe studie van die Programgroep: Polisiepraktyk van Technikon Suider-Afrika uitgevoer. Die doel van die navorsing was om vas te stelof daar wel 'n onderwysomgewing wat bevorderlik is vir afstandsleer by polisiepraktyk bestaan. Verder was die doelook om riglyne te ontwikkel wat deur die Programgroep van Technikon Suider-Afrika gebruik sou kon word. Verskeie kritieke vrae het hierdie navorsing gestimuleer. Hierdioe vrae is op hulle beurt gebruik om vrae wat in die onderhoudproses gebruik sou word, te genereer. 'n Kwalitatiwe benadering is gevolg en die data is deur middel van onderhoude ingesamel. Fasiliteerders/dosente van die Programgroep: Polisiepraktyk van Technikon Suider- Afrika vir die onderhoude gebruik. Verskeie gevolgtrekkings/afleidings het uit die navorsmg gespruit. Van die mees prominente gevolgtrekkings sluit in: • Daar is 'n gebrek aan sinvolheid met betrekking tot oop/plooibare leer. • Dit is duidelik dat volwassene leerbeginsels in afstandsleer belangrik is. • 'n Meer persoonlike benadering tot afstandsleer is noodsaaklik. • Daar is 'n deurslaggewende behoefte aan indiensopleiding en ontwikkeling. • Omsigtigheid in die benadering tot tegnologiese vooruitgang is noodsaaklik. • Daar bestaan 'n behoefte aan die skep van 'n veel meer uitdagende omgewing vir leerders. 'n Aantal aanbevelings is op grond van die gevolgtrekkings en die literatuurstudie van hierdie navorsing gegenereer. Voorts is 'n moontlike kontrolelys vir die totstandkoming van 'n omgewing wat bevorderlik is vir volwassene afstandsleer, voorgestel. Die belangrikste daarvan was die volgende: • Die gebruik van 'n oop-leer-benadering • Die inagneming van die implikasies van volwassene leer-beginsels • Die verpersoonliking van leer deur die gebruik van die teks • Toepaslike indiensopleiding vir opvoeders • Die sken van 'n omgewing wat uitdagings bied.

This thesis investigates the importance of the work community and its social organisation and the role it has for the participants' ability to learn and to form a professional identity as pedagogical leaders. Furthermore, the thesis wants to investigate if it matters to the directors’ learning how the principal (municipality or private company) organises for learning. The empirical material for the study comes mainly from semi-structured interviews with participants in the directors’ programme and close colleagues. An expression for the working community in a workplace is a community of practice. Learning and social interaction are about negotiation of meaning, making sense in everyday life. All four interviewed participants have contexts with features of communities of practice. In a few cases, it is clear that the context is about educational leadership, in a practice that is designed in collaboration with colleagues. Although there are significant differences in both the scope and the structure of supporting structures between the two investigated private contexts, it becomes clear that their structure leads to learning. The lack of structure in municipal schools leaves their directors with little access to guidance for their learning and identity development.

This study attempted to determine, given an individual's learning environment preference as determined by Alone/Peer Oriented scale of the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS), if achievement scores could be predicted when given either an individual or a peer-group teaching environment. Participants were graduate students (n = 18) enrolled in a graduate course.

This study determined the number of self-directed learning projects undertaken by older adults and examined the motivational factors and anticipated benefits related to the learning activities. In addition, obstacles to conducting self-directed learning were identified by the respondents. A list of 20,032 names of adults, aged 50 or more years and residing in Tom Green County, Texas, was obtained from voter registration rolls and the residential rolls of four retirement complexes. Four hundred names were randomly selected to serve as the sample of the study. Of the 400 potential subjects, 120 persons agreed to be interviewed. Indepth interviews were conducted using the questions from Tough's Interview Schedule for Studying Some Basic Characteristics of Learning Projects and a probe sheet to identify obstacles to conducting self-directed learning projects. The interviews focused on the learning activities of older adults during the previous year. The 120 subjects of this study conducted a total of 239 learning projects in the previous year, an average of 1.99 self-directed learning projects per person. Ninety-five (95%) percent of the persons interviewed reported to have conducted at least one learning project in the past year. The majority of the learning projects were self-planned for the purpose of self-enjoyment and self-fulfillment. The most frequent obstacles to conducting self-directed learning projects identified by the subjects included: 1) finding the time for the learning activity; 2) the cost of the learning activity; 3) home responsibilities; 4) difficulty deciding what knowledge or skill to learn; 5) difficulty remembering new material or information; and 6) poor health. Comparisons of the results of this study were made with the results of previous studies by Tough, Hiemstra, and Ralston. The data support the belief that books, pamphlets, and newspapers are the primary source of information for the older adult. The results of this study indicate that older adults value self-directed learning as a major source of self~fulfillment in their lives and are motivated to develop new knowledge and skills through self-planned, self-directed learning projects.

It may be useful to identify this so-called gap that seems to plague first-year college writers before attempting to discover why it exists. In order to identify the gap, I want to define these writers who are leaving high school and finding difficulty in college composition classes. Patricia Bizzell defines basic writers as "those who are least well prepared for college" (Bizzell "What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College?" 294). I'd like to broaden her definition of basic writers and use the term "inexperienced writers" as the field now defines them. In order to fully understand why most college freshman writers are not successful, I will outline the type of thinking and reasoning that students are expected to display when they get to college, and thus the new world view Bizzell discusses in her article. Since Piaget's theory takes us only through the formal operational stage that he claims children may reach when they are 11 or 12 years old, I had to turn to two studies that detail the thinking strategies of late adolescents and adults. William Perry conducted a study in the 1950's and 1960's on the intellectual and ethical development of college students through a series of interviews with undergraduate men. He outlines three world views, or cognitive and ethical developmental stages through which undergraduates pass during their postsecondary education: Dualism, Relativism, and Commitment in Relativism. Perry's model details how students, as they move through the levels, make sense of the information, opinions, and theories confronting them in a college classroom (Perry 57-134). I use William Perry's concept of cultural exploration as Patricia Bizzell interprets it through her article ["What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College?"] to explore the demands of college composition classes. I am using Bizzell's interpretation because she outlines how Perry's model meshes with writing instruction, and writing is the central focus of my thesis. I examine how students are asked to think and relate to their own culture in both two and four-year institutions using Perry's world view stages not so much as a strict guideline, but as a framework for student cognitive development. After determining how the writing curriculum of three different Virginia post-secondary institutions -- Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College -- engage with Perry's scheme, I use the model to interpret how two major writing assessments, the Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL) and the SAT essay, coincide with post-secondary philosophy. Finally, I examine how an international curriculum, the International Baccalaureate (IB), corresponds with Perry's scheme and affects writing instruction at the high school level. By analyzing these secondary assessments and curricular program, I move closer to answering why the gap continues to exist.

A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Coursework and Research Report), University of the Witwatersrand. / This research report examines the nature of drama as a means of facilitating adult learning, especially in the South African rural context, by conducting a literature review and by compiling case studies of the use of drama at Akanani, an association. of rural development projects in South Africa where theatre-for-development is the principal methodology employed. The literature review explores the use of drama as a methodology in education and then focuses on how and why theatre-for-development has been used in Africa for community development and empowerment. The international developments in popular theatre are also considered so that as much information as possible can feed into the guidelines which are this report's conclusions. This chapter concludes with a consideration of how drama can be used for adult learning in South Africa. This research was conducted primarily by compiling a number of case studies of the use of drama at Akanani in the far northern Transvaal. Participant observation, illuminative evaluation and semi-structured interviews were used within a Participatory Research apprgach to gather information about Akanani. The researcher spent two periods of time at Akanani conducting the interviews and observing the daily operations as well as the use of drama in various contexts at Akanani. The cases studies were compiled to discover whether drama, as it is used at Akanani, is a successful and appropriate methodology for adult education in the rural areas of South Africa. This research finds drama to be a a very effective means of facilitating learning amongst adults in rural areas and concludes by offering guidelines for the use of drama as a methodology in adult education in South Africa, especially in the rural areas.

This study is about adult learners in formal secondary schools attending normal day classes with school pupils. Ii is particularly about the aspirations of 1,430 adult pupils. these adults, after a break in their formal education, return to study in the secondary schools in the Herschel district of Transkei in the 1993 academic year. / GR 2016

This study investigated implications of new education policies, the white paper on education and training and implementation of adult basic education and training (ABET) and the consequences thereof for education, training and development practitioners (ETDPs) and adult learners. The study also investigated how ETDPs implement new ABET policies and how these new policies affect adult learners. Adult education policies (in the democratic South Africa) were introduced to reduce inequalities in education. Despite these interventions, since 1994 the failure rate of adult education learners has continued to deteriorate. (This is partly confirmed by honours students (see Personal Communications) involved in teaching adult learners from 1993 to 1998.) The new adult education policies are intended to improve literacy and the quality of education for adults in South Africa. However, this does not seem to be happening. Three groups within adult education participated in this study. The groups consisted of twenty (20) adult learners, seven (7) ETDPs and seven (7) district education managers. All thirty-four (34) respondents were based in Soweto and the surrounding areas, which lie within Gauteng Province (see map contained in Appendix A). The information was gathered from respondents by telephonic interviews and by completing questic-nnaires. The literature review examined adult education policies; the Whit,- Pape" on Education and Training; successes and failures of ABET policies; and implementation and financial implications for adult education. “Quality education” based on a review of literature (world-wide and locally) was explored The information from the respondents supports the view that new ABET polices have had little impact in offering quality education. The results from the. interview and questionnaires show that the process of policy implementation is ineffective and inefficient, and is without clear direction. Workshops orgauised by the Department of Education reach only a few, and are not very effec j F i n a n c i a l constraints have rendered the process of policy implementation almost, impossible. The majority of learners and educators in this study were not iu'iy aware of the workshops. Based on world-wide and local literature, elements which might improve quality education were suggested. The study used both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The concluding section of the research report suggested areas for future research relating to the process of policy implementation in adult education in South Africa.