The aim of this study explicates both the dynamics in theoretical and practical perspectives of novice and experienced practitioners on the effects of a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education. This programme is designed and developed with the dual purposes to empower higher education, training, and development practitioners to facilitate learning in an innovative way and to ensure transfer of learning. Following the global critique on the lack of training of novice practitioners, the lack of training of experienced practitioners; quality teaching and learning in higher education, improvement and reform of teaching in higher education, and transfer as “an ultimate goal that has thus far proved elusive” (Pedersen&Liu 2003:313), the enquiry exposed key results and insights into the programme, transfer, and higher education. Quantitative data from seven case studies enhanced holistic understanding sprouting from internal and external influences on learners in comparrison to the teoretical paradigm and outcomes set by the programme. This paradigm nutures factors driving transfer, innovative teaching strategies and approaces employed by the programme and South African educational system. The study substantiated transferred professional and personal development and ideological change attributing to competence as three major findings. This study therefore suggests that it is possible to attribute current competence, knowledge, facilitating skills, attitudes, and values to the programme as initial learning provider. The greatest inhibitor to transfer appeared to be a deification of traditional forms of education agains the modern paradigm as well as insificient cencern with a substantial knowledge base and facilitating skills. Recommendations includes modelling of principles of approaches to teaching and learning regarding OBE, learner-centrered, adult learning, the accomodation of learning style and integration of “multiple layers of meaning and experience rather than defining human possibilities narrowly” (Miller 2003). The findings and recommendations constitute greater attention to the facilitators of learning’s ways of knowing in the classroom as critical to supporting adult learning and growth. The study employed a lens through which learning and teaching experiences are and could be filtered, given developmentally appropriate supports and challenges to enhance facilitating skills and competencies to meet the demands of the changing nature of work and learning. Therefore, turning to a specific alternative (and surely not flawless) application of the messages carried by interpretation of theory transferred to the art of teaching and training practices, this study portrays the broader concept of symbolic inversion and transgression. The study becomes the variety of facts and figures, of form and future in the wholeness and limitations of being, belonging and seeing in higher education. The interior translation of the inputs and process of a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education by the facilitators of learning who participated in this programme hold the multiple ways of more sustained and more profound effect in their teaching practice, translating learning into the real and living world. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / PhD / unrestricted

The University of Pretoria offers the course <i.Use of the Internet in Education and Training (RBO 880) since 1997. This module is presented as an online course with minimum face to face interaction between facilitator and learners. The research documents and analyses the activities, cyber artefacts, documentation, interactions and challenges, constructed and designed by the facilitator and learners’ that formed part of this module. This literature review comprises an exploration into five different aspects of online learning under different headings specifically: learning theories, eLearning, virtual communities, adult Learning characteristics adult motivation and instructional design principles. This research reports only on one main research question: What can be learnt from the continuous presentation of the module Use of the Internet in Education and Training (RBO 880)? The research design and the methodology that will be followed during a properly development research approach is functional in this particular context (RBO 880) and enables the researcher to address the research question, that falls within the scope of this research study. The researcher explores multiple perceptions, to ensure trustworthiness of data and analyses of the module that is presented and analysed. The researcher analyses selected aspects of the design, development and implementation of the RBO 880 module from an exploration of a selection of its artefacts. As a prelude to each facet of this analysis, the researcher will present and explore a cyber artefact retrieved from the cyber archives. In this archive is stored a great variety of electronic source documents representative of the six years during which the module RBO 880 were presented. The substantive reflection combines the findings with the literature review. The researcher attempts to construct a balance by providing some critique against the presentation of the RBO 880 module as part of the conclusions. The conclusions reached in this research answers the research question and might prove useful in future research, for researchers’ organisational specialist, readers, online facilitators and curriculum designers, into training and learning that takes place through the medium of the Internet. / Dissertation (MEd (Computer Intergrated Education))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / MEd / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between principal preparation programs in Texas and professional leadership practices and responsibilities based on Mid-continent Research for Educational and Learning's (McREL) 21 leadership responsibilities. The study also examined the relationship between Texas principal preparation programs and Knowles's principles of adult learning. Through an online survey, the study solicited practicing principals' perceptions as to whether McREL's 21 leadership responsibilities and Knowles's principles of adult learning were included in their principal preparation programs. Quantitative findings indicated there were no significant differences between principals' perceptions of their principal preparation programs and the university/certification program in which they obtained their principal certification. Additionally, there were no significant differences between principals' perceptions of their programs and the year their principal certification was completed. There were also no significant differences between principals' perceptions of their programs and the geographic location of the school district in which they were presently employed. However, the study found there were significant differences in two areas of leadership responsibilities when comparisons were generated between principals who were fully certified before assuming the role of principal and those who were not fully certified: 1) ideas/beliefs and 2) optimizer. Principals who had not completed their certification program scored the two areas higher than those who had. The study also utilized qualitative methodology through in-depth interviews with principal program coordinators and practicing principals. Program coordinators and principals revealed leadership responsibilities of "communication," "culture," and "visibility" as areas of emphasis and importance in their programs. The need for more emphasis in the area of "discipline" was communicated mutually by program coordinators and principals. Principals stated areas of "knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment" and "resources" as leadership responsibilities needing more emphasis. Both program coordinators and principals concurred principal preparation programs should have more emphasis and importance placed upon Knowles's principles of adult learning.

This dissertation is the developmental research report on the design and development of a multimedia tutorial on Anthropometry for university-level health science students. The practical implication of using Merrill's Model of Instructional Design for developing course work for senior students in the health sciences was investigated. The multimedia tutorial was designed and developed, and the prototype evaluated by a team consisting of subject and education experts. The prototype was tested by third-year dietetic students who had completed the lecture-based and paper-based course. The students were observed while using the program, then completed a structured questionnaire and finally were given the opportunity to express their views in an informal group discussion. It was found that if the activation of relevant existing knowledge does not take place, Merrill's Model will be turned inside-out: the student's own problem replaces the instructional problem. / Thesis (MEd (Computer-integrated Education))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Social Studies Education / unrestricted

This qualitative research study examines six participant's awareness and understanding of a Treatment Literacy (TL) programme implemented by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in the Western Cape in the period 2001 to 2009. The study investigates what attracted the participants to the TAC; what they learnt and how this was taught; the extent, if any, to which participant's experiences changed their understanding of HIV and AIDS, sexuality, treatment and other health-related practices. To analyse participants' awareness levels, understanding and experiences, I drew on Freire (1970; 1985) and Mezirow (1991; 1994) adult education literature, more specifically literature addressing the social movements and how activists learn and teach in different context (informal and non-formal) such as Newman (1995) and Foley (1999). These perspectives underpin the central argument of the thesis, namely that adult education is contextual and has impact on awareness, understanding and experiences and in this case HIV and AIDS. A primary finding of the study is how the participants in the study perceived the world as central to their learning. Learning is thus a substantially personal experience; however, the development of the individual frequently occurs within a group dynamic. Participants felt that being part of TAC and fighting for access to treatment and helping other people who are either HIV positive or affected by HIV and AIDS, helped them in turn to deal with their own challenges of being HIV positive and affected with HIV and AIDS. Being HIV positive and receiving education from TAC has given participants dignity and the necessary consciousness to obtain control of their life. Participants also reported that the TL programme boosted their confidence and raised their level of awareness and understanding of the topic.

Various assessments and international studies have shown that learners in South African schools experience challenges and perform poorly with respect to literacy and numeracy. To become competitive in the global arena, there is an urgent need to raise the standards of education. Language is required for all learning, including numeracy and mathematics. Many young learners in South Africa struggle to develop adequate language skills because of an inherent pathology and/or barriers in their learning environment. Learners who do not develop adequate listening and language skills during their early years are most likely to experience difficulty in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, resulting in poor academic progress. By supporting learners to overcome their developmental delays as early as in the foundation phase, future learning problems may be prevented. To raise education standards, teachers need to heighten their attempts to facilitate literacy and numeracy in the foundation phase. Teachers currently have to adapt to a new national curriculum statement (NCS) that is based on an outcomes-based education (OBE) approach (Department of Education, 1997:16). Many teachers, especially those in black townships and other previously disadvantaged areas, find this difficult as they have not been sufficiently trained or are not adequately qualified. Educational changes have necessitated the need for high quality staff development and support. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) working within a collaborative approach in the education context can support the learners who need to acquire listening and language skills, as well as the teachers who have to facilitate these skills. This study developed a support programme for foundation phase teachers to facilitate listening and language for numeracy. The multifaceted programme consisted of training, mentoring, and practical components, which aimed at developing the participants’ competence (foundational, practical, and reflective competence). The programme integrated the principles of adult learning within an OBE approach while taking culture and diversity into consideration. The programme was evaluated within a Logic Model framework. The research made use of a concurrent, equal status triangulation design where triangulation was obtained by transforming QUAL data into QUAN data to be compared. In the QUAN strand, data were collected from 96 teacher participants (who were selected by using a convenience sampling method) by means of questionnaires, portfolio assignments, attendance registers, and financial statements. Qualitative data were collected from eight focus group discussions (using a nested design with 12 participants at a time) as well as a research diary, testimonials, and various correspondences. The findings indicated that all the participants have gained knowledge, skills, and confidence, but to varying degrees. Factors that affected the outcomes included aspects related to time, the choice of venue, age, prior support and qualifications, as well as motivation related to the context. Group learning was identified as a suitable strategy for teacher support in these contexts. Provided that specific factors are considered to increase effectiveness, the outcomes indicated that the programme could be used to support foundation phase teachers in these specific contexts. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

Includes bibliographical references. / An hypothesised relationship between levels of proficiency in English of ESL (English as a Second Language) students and the approaches to learning which they adopt, in situations in which English is the language of instruction, is the focus of this study. An attempt was made to identify the extent to which students, who are required to learn in a second language, adopt undesirable approaches to learning as a consequence of linguistic or cultural factors. Such students appear to adopt reproductive strategies to pass examinations and retain only isolated pieces of information for practical application. In a sense, they graduate but remain unqualified. Quantitative responses of 307 students, relating to their contextualised perceptions of the demands of the learning situation, were gathered and analysed using a learning approach categorisation procedure. Qualitative responses of 120 students, relating to their descriptions of the context and content of learning, were gathered in semi-structured interviews to supplement and enrich the quantitive data collected. Levels of proficiency in the language of instruction were measured using integrative tests of comprehension of spoken discourse and written texts presented in actual lecture situations. Students were given the opportunity to rate the lectures and reading material from which they were expected to learn and self-esteem was measured as a construct considered likely to affect perceptions of the demands of the learning situation. Concurrently with the above, a group of students from each of 3 year groups was taught a new topic over a short series of lectures and tested for understanding in the language of instruction. Balanced groups, from each of the 3 year groups, were taught the same topic and tested for understanding in the mother-tongue. This procedure was subsequently replicated with a second topic of similar complexity, across all three year groups, with languages switched. Critical aspects of the teaching/learning situation were kept constant. These procedures provided compelling evidence, after analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, of a relationship between proficiency in the language of instruction and the ways in which students engage in learning tasks. Difficulty with the language of instruction appears to increase the demands of the learning situation and the likelihood of adopting reproducing strategies, which are not normally associated with success in terms of learning outcomes.

The aim of this study was to explore, from a group dynamics perspective, the adult learners' experiences in a learnership program structured to include employed and unemployed learners. A secondary aim was to develop guidelines for practitioners regarding the implementation of learnerships that are structured to include employed and unemployed learners, taking into account the group dynamics at play. The case study played out within a pharmaceutical distribution company within South Africa. A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory method was used to analyse the data that were collected by means of questionnaires and focus groups. The data collected were transcribed and uploaded into Atlas.ti, which is a visual qualitative data analysis and theorybuilding software program that contributes to the management of qualitative data. It was used to complete a rigorous inductive-abductive analysis. The final code list contained 277 codes linked to 29 code families which in turn were linked to 8 super families. These super families were described and the experiences of the learners were then interpreted by means of a number of group dynamics theories and adult learning theories that were discussed in the preceding literature chapters. In the case study the exploration of the learners' experience indicated that certain group dynamics were not taken into consideration and this led to an emotionally burdened experience. If one considers the adult learning theory, these experiences could influence the learning effectiveness. The implementation of a learnership program taking the group dynamics into consideration prior to implementation thereof, could contribute towards a more successful learnership. Guidelines were given based on the conclusions of the research for example: <ul> <li> Ensure that all the relevant parties including management, supervisors, employed learners, unemployed learners, employed staff, SETA etc. strive towards the same goal right from the start.</li> <li> Integrate the employed and unemployed learners' rights from the start so that the unemployed learners are accepted as part of the system.</li> <li> Make it very clear to the employed staff that the unemployed learners are not a threat to their employment within the company as the unemployed learners have not been given a commitment that they will be employed after the learnership.</li> <li> Make sure that the training facilitators are well trained and equipped to deal with the group dynamics that can develop in the classroom environment so that they can contribute to the containment of emotions and to alert the company of the events.</li> <li> Ensure that change agents are available to monitor and manage these group dynamics.</li> <li> Explain the differences and similarities that might exist between the groups and assist the groups to realise their mutually dependent relationship.</li> </ul> The guidelines obtained from this study can be used to stimulate the thinking process when planning and managing the implementation of a learnership program in order to be aware of consequential implications that group dynamics can have on the successful implementation of such a learning program. The conclusions and guidelines will be useful to human resources practitioners, training providers and line managers that are planning to implement similar learnership programs. AFRIKAANS: Die doel van die studie was om volwasse leerders betrokke by ‘n leerlingskapprogram wat gestruktureer is om bestaande werkers en werklose leerders in te sluit, se ervaring vanuit ‘n groepdinamika perspektief te ondersoek. ‘n Sekondêre doelwit was om riglyne te ontwikkel vir mense in die praktyk met betrekking tot die implementering van ‘n leerlingskapprogram vir volwasse leerders bestaande uit werklose leerders en leerders in diens van ‘n bepaalde maatskappy, met in agneming van die groepdinamika daarby betrokke. Die gevallestudie het plaasgevind binne ‘n farmaseutiese verspreidingsmaatskappy in Suid-Afrika. ‘n Kwalitatiewe, konstruktiwistiese metode is gebruik om die data te analiseer wat deur vraelyste en fokusgroepe versamel is. Die data is getranskribeer en ingelees in Atlas.ti, wat ‘n visuele kwalitatiewe data-analise en teoretiese gebaseerde sagtewareprogram is wat bydra tot die bestuur van kwalitatiewe data. Hierdie program is gebruik om ‘n indringende gebaseerde teorieanalise te doen. Die finale kodelys bestaan uit 277 kodes gekoppel aan 29 kode families wat weer op hul beurt gekoppel is aan 8 hooffamilies. Hierdie hooffamilies is beskryf en die navorsingsgebeure van die studie is by wyse van groepdinamikateorieë en volwasseleerteorieë (wat in die vorige literatuur hoofstukke van die studie bespreek is) geïnterpreteer. In hierdie gevallestudie het die interpretasie van die ervarings van die leerders wat ondersoek is, daarop gewys dat sekere groepdinamika nie oorweeg is nie en dat dit gelei het tot ‘n emosionele stresvolle ervaring. Volwasseleerteorie dui aan dat hierdie ervarings die leereffektiwiteit kon beïnvloed het. Die implementering van ‘n leerlingskap program waar die groepdinamika in ag geneem word voor die implementering kan bydra tot die sukses van soortgelyke leerlingskapprogramme. Die riglyne wat deur hierdie studie verkry is, kan gebruik word om die denkproses te stimuleer tydens die beplanning en die bestuur van die implementering van soortgelyke leerlingskapprogramme. Dit sal veroorsaak dat die betrokke persone bewus is van die invloed van groepdinamika kan hê met betrekking tot die suksesvolle implementering van ‘n leerlingskap program. Die navorsingsinligting wat ingewin is, sal bruikbaar wees vir menslike hulpbronne praktisyne, opleidingsvoorsieners en lynbestuurders wat beplan om ‘n soortgelyke leerlingskapprogram te implementeer. Copyright 2010, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Ward, ME 2010, A group dynamics perspective of the experiences of adult learners taking part in a learnership program, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02152012-114353 / > C12/4/124/gm / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

The aim of this study is to expand our knowledge of the learning processes of an adult learner of Swedish as second language, in his different regional lifeworlds; family, friends, school and work. Based on a lifeworld approach to human existence and learning the study is grounded in Husserl’s contribution to phenomenology. The research questions deal with how learning is expressed in the different regional lifeworlds, how different approaches to learning are made visible, and future prerequisites for learning. Processes of learning according to Transformative Learning as well as the concept of disjunctures are applied in the analysis, as is the concept of horizons of possibilities. Participating observation, stimulated recall, audio recordings and interviews were used to assemble material for the study. The most important findings are the limited possibilities for the student’s regional worlds transforming into learning worlds, and the challenges regarding learning processes due to biography and lack of interaction. As for prerequisites for learning disjunctures are currently solved with assimilation rather than learning, and the most visible horizon of possibility is the participator’s personal openness to learning in daily encounters. An important conclusion drawn from the study is the urgent need for a more holistic approach to adult learning, involving a greater part of the student’s lifeworld.

Within a Northeast urban school, there is little empirical evidence to indicate the effectiveness of the district professional development (PD) program. Elementary teachers at the study site reported that they encountered problems accessing professional development programs applicable to their needs. The purpose of this case study was to examine teacher perceptions of district PD programs and to discover teacher perceptions of PD best practices. Knowles' adult learning theory provided a frame of reference for this study. The research questions assessed teachers' perceptions of the format, content, and process of professional development programs and examined how teachers applied new knowledge, concepts, and skills offered in professional development training. A case study design was used to gather focus group data from a critical case sample of 6 elementary teachers who were participating in PD training or who had participated in PD within the past 3 years. Emergent themes were identified from the data. Findings were developed and validated with member checking. The findings indicated that these 6 teachers desired more involvement in planning relevant PD, greater time allocated to collaborative activities, and more grade-level customized programming. Implications for positive social change include improved district professional development opportunities that align with best teaching practices for effective student instruction and increased student achievement.