This research project explores issues around the poor throughput and high dropout rate in the Certificate of the Theory of Accounting (CTA) by focusing on Accounting knowledge as an object of study. The CTA was identified as a serious block in the steps that one needs to go through on the journey to becoming a Chartered Accountant. Having a clear understanding of Accounting knowledge can lead to finding ways that can make the subject more accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. This study contributes to understanding Accounting knowledge at the CTA level with the aim of clearly delineating its legitimate knowledge and knower structures. It answers the following two research questions: • What constitutes legitimate knowledge structures in the CTA? • What constitutes legitimate knower structures in the CTA? Academics from nine universities and representatives of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) participated in this study. Data was collected through interviews, observation and document analysis. Eighteen CTA lecturers and two members of the SAICA management team were interviewed. Three universities provided documents on their practices, which included learner guides, examination papers, suggested answers, lecture notes, tutorials and other curriculum documents for each of the four CTA subjects. SAICA provided the competency framework and examinable pronouncements. A conference that was jointly hosted by SAICA and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation was observed. This study used Critical Realism as its ontological underpinnings and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) as its substantive theory. It used the Specialisation and Autonomy principles of LCT to analyse the data. Specialization establishes the ways agents and discourses within a field are constructed as special, different or unique and thus deserving of distinction and status (Maton, 2014). The principle of Autonomy is concerned with the extent to which the field is self-governing and can do things of its own free-will (Maton, 2004). The study found that the CTA has a hierarchical knowledge structure, which means that when new knowledge is created in Accounting it is integrated into existing knowledge, resulting in coherent and integrated knowledge. CTA also has a hierarchical curriculum structure. While horizontal curriculum structures evolve through the replacement of existing knowledge by new approaches and content, a hierarchical curriculum typically grows through integration and subsumption of new knowledge into pre-existing knowledge and it relies on the acquisition of knowledge developed in previous modules or levels of study.

Thesis (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aims to establish whether the support of the Teacher Support Team (TST) might have an impact on High School learners to stay in school. My specific focus was on how the TST members experienced the support that was given to learners and how learners experienced the support given to them. I used a basic interpretive design. I used focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. My study shows that the TST of a High School needs to have a proper structure to function in building resilience in learners. A proper structure will enable them to develop a healthy support system that could address the various barriers in learning that learners may encounter. All the role players, who were involved in the research, knew their rights and responsibilities towards this process. I conclude by acknowledging the limitations of this study and recommending further research. / AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek is daarop gemik om vas te stel in watter mate die ondersteuning van die Onderwys Ondersteunings Span (OOS) ‘n invloed het op Hoërskool leerders om op skool te bly. My spesifieke fokus was op hoe die lede van die OOS die ondersteuning, wat hulle vir die leerders gebied het, ondervind het en hoe die leerders die ondersteuning, wat hulle by die OOS ontvang het, ondervind het. Ek het van fokusgroepe en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gebruik gemaak. My ondersoek toon dat die OOS van Hoërskole ‘n meer gestruktureerde stelsel nodig het waarbinne hulle kan funksioneer. ‘n Gestruktureerde stelsel sal verseker dat daar ‘n gesonde ondersteunings sisteem gebou word. Dit sal ook verseker dat leerders met leerstoornisse se behoeftes aangespreek kan word. Alle rolspelers was ten volle bewus van hul verantwoordelikheid in die navoringsproses. Ten slotte wil ek, in die lig van sekere tekortkominge wat by hierdie studie ervaar is, verdere navorsing op hierdie terrein aanbeveel.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether or not significant correlations could be obtained between raw scores on fifty-three scales of the Mini-Mult Prison Questionnaire (MMPQ), a personality test, and nine selected behavior variables for a group of thirty-two institutionalized male delinquents. A correlation matrix using Pearson's r revealed that seven MMPQ scales correlated at the p = .05 level of significance with the behavior criteria. Thus, four of the five hypotheses formulated were supported. However, caution was emphasized in interpreting the results due to sample size, sample homogeneity, and the dissimilarity of the adolescent sample from the adult prison population on which the MMPQ was developed.

The focus of this study is to add to the outcome research on effective school counseling interventions and to specifically evaluate the effectiveness of the Student Success Skills (SSS) small group intervention with students identified as having drop out potential in the 9th grade. This study analyzed two years of pre-existing, non-identifiable student data (N = 167) collected by school counselors at one high school in South Florida. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine differences in academic grades, standardized test scores, and absences between the students who did participate in the SSS small group intervention when compared to those students who did not participate. Statistically significant differences were found between groups in all three dropout potential factors (GPA, test scores, and absences) supporting the use of SSS small group school counseling intervention with students at risk for dropping out. Effect size estimates were reported for each of the measures. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

Les systèmes de recherche ont facilité l’accès à l’information disponible sur le web à l’aide de mécanismes de collecte, d’indexation et de stockage de contenus hétérogènes.Ils génèrent des traces résultant de l’activité des internautes. Il s’agit ensuite d’analyser ces données à l’aide d’outils de data mining afin d’améliorer la qualité de réponse de ces systèmes ou de la personnaliser en fonction des profils des utilisateurs. Certains acteurs, comme la société Marketshot, se positionnent comme intermédiaires entre les consommateurs et les professionnels. Ils mettent en relation les acheteurs potentiels avec les grandes marques et leurs réseaux de distribution à travers leurs sites Internet d’aide à l’achat. Pour cela, ces intermédiaires ont développé des portails efficaces et stockent de gros volumes de données liées à l’activité des internautes sur leurs sites. Ces gisements de données sont exploités pour répondre favorablement aux besoins des internautes, ainsi qu’à ceux des professionnels qui cherchent à comprendre le comportement de leurs clients et anticiper leurs actes d’achats. C’est dans ce contexte, où on cherche à fouiller les données collectées du web, que se placent mes travaux de recherche. L’idée est de construire des modèles qui permettent d’expliciter une corrélation entre les activités des internautes sur les sites d’aide à l’achat et les tendances de ventes de produits dans la « vraie vie ». En effet, ma thèse se place dans le cadre de l’apprentissage probabiliste et plus particulièrement des modèles graphiques « Topic Models ». Elle consiste à modéliser les comportements des internautes à partir des données d’usages de sites web. / Research systems have facilitated access to information available on the web using mechanisms for collecting, indexing and storage of heterogeneous content. They generate data resulting from the activity of users on Internet (queries, logfile). The next step is to analyze the data using data mining tools in order to improve the response’s quality of these systems, or to customize the response based on users’ profiles. Some actors, such as the company Marketshot, are positioned as intermediaries between consumers and professionals. Indeed, they link potential buyers with the leading brands and distribution networks through their websites. For such purposes, these intermediaries have developed effective portals, and have stored large volumes of data related to the activity of users on their websites. These data repositories are exploited to respond positively to the needs of users as well as those of professionals who seek to understand the behavior of their customers and anticipate their purchasing actions. My thesis comes within the framework of searching through the data collected from the web. The idea is to build models that explain the correlation between the activities of users on websites of aid for the purchase, and sales trends of products in « real life ». In fact, my research concerns probabilistic learning, in particular Topic Models. It involves modeling the users’ behavior from uses of trader websites.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The research concerned with the aim of this study, was to assess the appli-cation of intelligence-driven investigation in combating organised motor vehicle theft. The strategic intelligence plan, information sharing and understanding of or-ganised vehicle theft, are some of approaches which will assist in dealing with the challenge of the illegal sale of vehicles and vehicle parts. There is indeed a need to address police corruption, if the battle against vehicle theft is to be realised. The objectives of this study were the following: to explain the strategic intelli-gence plan for investigating motor vehicle theft; to evaluate whether investiga-tions of organised motor vehicle theft in Thohoyandou cluster are intelligence-driven; to assess if the cluster uses intelligence offender profiling in investi-gations; to explore how intelligence-driven investigation assists in information sharing; and, to make recommendations for the improvement of intelligence-driven vehicle theft investigation. The researcher wanted to apply new research knowledge, in order to develop good practice in the field. This has been done by recommending new proced-ures to enhance performance and to improve the ways and means of combating organised vehicle theft. KEY TERMS Intelligence-driven investigation; strategic intelligence; intelligence cycle; crime investigations; modus operandi; offender profiling; organised crime; systems theory; motor vehicle theft; information sharing.

Physical activity has been demonstrated in the literature as an effective way to reduce the risk for development of chronic disease. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change has been developed as a means to predict and facilitate movement into healthier lifestyle behaviors. The model is centered on "stages of change", which describe a continuum of readiness to engage in a health behavior change. Stages contain temporal, qualitative, and quantitative characteristics. This was a six-month study that evaluated the effectiveness of stage-matched (theorized to be pertaining only to the maintenance stage of change) vs. generic (theorized to be pertaining to anyone, regardless of stage) newsletters in assisting subjects to attain the Maintenance stage of change. It also sought to identify further qualitative characteristics that can differentiate between the Action and Maintenance stages of change. Results indicated that monthly stage-matched newsletters were no more effective in helping subjects reaching Maintenance than were the generic newsletters. Exerciser self-schema was related to stages of change, but those relationships differed from baseline to six-month follow-up, indicating development of exerciser self-schema during the study period. Implications of this are discussed. Other concepts discussed included "structure" of change process, in that three new scores were developed and correlated with self-efficacy as well as intercorrelated. Motivation was also evaluated and compared across levels of success at adhering to exercise during a three-month period. Limitations of the study and implications are discussed.

A sample of 7724 college students in Washington and Utah was selected to study the relationships of religious activity and religious affiliation to illicit sexual behaviors, use of marijuana, and getting drunk. For all religious affiliations (except for the Jews), there were significant correlations between church activity and the measured illicit behaviors. LDS rates of behavior were significantly lower at <.001 for the five illicit behaviors. Two factor analyses were calculated to determine which sexual behaviors would load on a single factor and which substances would load on another factor. Extramarital coitus, heavy petting, and passionate kissing formed the first "sexual" factor. The use of beer, liquor, and marijuana combined with the behavior getting drunk to form the "substance-abuse" factor. A canonical analysis reported a moderate relationship with a canonical coefficient of .534 between the two factors. A discriminant analysis based on each subjects' religious affiliation and activity level yielded a 70-80 percent correct classification percentage.

Introducing automated vehicles in to traffic withhuman drivers, human behavior prediction is essential to obtainoperation safety. In this study, a human behavior estimationmodel has been developed. The estimations are based on aHidden Markov Model (HMM) using observations to determinethe driving style of surrounding vehicles. The model is trainedusing two different methods: Baum Welch training and Viterbitraining to improve the performance. Both training methods areevaluated by looking at time complexity and convergence. Themodel is implemented with and without training and tested fordifferent driving styles. Results show that training is essentialfor accurate human behavior prediction. Viterbi training is fasterbut more noise sensitive compared to Baum Welch training. Also,Viterbi training produces good results if training data reflects oncurrently observed driver, which is not always the case. BaumWelch training is more robust in such situations. Lastly, BaumWelch training is recommended to obtain operation safety whenintroducing automated vehicles into traffic. / N ̈ar automatiserade fordon introduceras itrafiken och beh ̈over interagera med m ̈anskliga f ̈orare ̈ar det vik-tigt att kunna f ̈orutsp ̊a m ̈anskligt beteende. Detta f ̈or att kunnaerh ̊alla en s ̈akrare trafiksituation. I denna studie har en modellsom estimerar m ̈anskligt beteende utvecklats. Estimeringarna ̈ar baserade p ̊a en Hidden Markov Model d ̈ar observationeranv ̈ands f ̈or att best ̈amma k ̈orstil hos omgivande fordon itrafiken. Modellen tr ̈anas med tv ̊a olika metoder: Baum Welchtr ̈aning och Viterbi tr ̈aning f ̈or att f ̈orb ̈attra modellens prestanda.Tr ̈aningsmetoderna utv ̈arderas sedan genom att analysera derastidskomplexitet och konvergens. Modellen ̈ar implementerad medoch utan tr ̈aning och testad f ̈or olika k ̈orstilar. Erh ̊allna resultatvisar att tr ̈aning ̈ar viktigt f ̈or att kunna f ̈orutsp ̊a m ̈anskligtbeteende korrekt. Viterbi tr ̈aning ̈ar snabbare men mer k ̈ansligf ̈or brus i j ̈amf ̈orelse med Baum Welch tr ̈aning. Viterbi tr ̈aningger ̈aven en bra estimering i de fall d ̊a observerad tr ̈aningsdataavspeglar f ̈orarens k ̈orstil, vilket inte alltid ̈ar fallet. BaumWelch tr ̈aning ̈ar mer robust i s ̊adana situationer. Slutligenrekommenderas en estimeringsmodell implementerad med BaumWelch tr ̈aning f ̈or att erh ̊alla en s ̈aker k ̈orning d ̊a automatiseradefordon introduceras i trafiken / Kandidatexjobb i elektroteknik 2020, KTH, Stockholm

Black engineering and science students in colleges and universities have not been researched sufficiently to determine the reasons for their success or failure. This was an exploratory study focusing on those factors that influenced non-persistence of African-American science and engineering students at the University of the District of Columbia from 1987 to 1991. The subjects for this study were eight (8) African-American students who matriculated at the University of the District of Columbia from 1987 to 1991. The students were enrolled in the College of Physical Science, Engineering, and Technology during that period of time. A survey of 59 questions grouped into five categories was administered as an interview over the telephone and by mail. The survey revealed the following: (a) Students own experiences lead to mind changes about career aspirations, and these aspirations are not always in concert with parents; (b) academic success is no guarantee of persistence; (c) negative experiences do not dampen perceived need for further education; and (d) non-persistence is caused by lack of preparation, desire to transfer, disillusionment, financial difficulties, and changes in the environment. In that the study involved only eight students, the data was not sufficient to warrant definitive recommendations for curriculum changes, program changes, or approaches being used by pre-college programs to interest African-American students in selecting science or engineering related disciplines. However, two areas have promise for future research: learned helplessness syndrome-- how it and students' natural fear of failure may be related to non-persistence; and contextual learning--how it addresses a learning style not utilized regularly in teaching quantitative subjects. The data did point out the need for continued assessment of first-year students, as well as continuous monitoring of their concerns on a semester-by-semester basis. Individually oriented treatment is encouraged for these students. / Ed. D.