Thesis (M.Tech.: Homoeopathy)-Dept. of Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006 xxiv, 251 leaves / The first formal Homoeopathic education programme in South Africa introduced Technikon Natal (now the Durban Institute of Technology – DIT). The course had its first intake in 1989 and has since produced some 10 years of graduates. The programme affords the graduate a Master’s Degree in Technology in Homoeopathy (Ross, 2006). Career paths regarding graduates of this programme have never been investigated. Such an investigation was deemed valuable to clarify areas of difficulty regarding the education provided and the profession as a whole, to ascertain the viability of Homoeopathy as a career. It also aimed to identify possible other career choices a graduate may have with the education received. The study was limited to DIT Homoeopathic graduates from 1994 to 2004. The study was designed to investigate the demographic composition of the group, as well as other aspects of their career since graduation.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In most developing economies, and in South Africa in particular, students’ perceptions, motives and attitudes towards the Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) have increasingly become a topic of interest to researchers and academics. Given the high number of students registering to study towards an MBA degree each year, this research assignment aimed to investigate and illuminate the perceived impact of an MBA degree from the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) on salary and career advancement. Data was collected through a carefully designed and structured questionnaire. Supplemented by a comprehensive literature review, the study applied descriptive and inferential statistical procedures along with various tools of analysis to analyse the perceived effects of the USB MBA degree on its students’ income and career advancement. The general perception among MBA graduates was that an MBA degree might help them achieve a major breakthrough in their career path and long-term advancement, accompanied by an increase in income. A further perception was that the reputation of an accredited business school would get them rewarding job opportunities at reputable organisations.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the development of the classroom communication behaviours of Foundation Phase student teachers over the course of a B Ed degree programme at a South African university. It challenges the premise of conventional wisdom that classroom communication behaviours will develop through regular exposure to situated learning experiences. Whilst acknowledging that learning to teach is a long and challenging process of which the precise nature is seldom clear-cut and distinct, this study claims to make a humble contribution to teacher education curriculum development. Classroom communication from the perspective of this study involves communication at two levels: firstly, interpersonal communication behaviours, which are influenced by nonverbal immediacy, communication apprehension, willingness to communicate and self-perceived communication skills; and secondly, instructional communication behaviours, more specifically clarity and immediacy behaviours. There seems to be a general perception that effective classroom communication will develop naturally by exposure to situated learning experiences, such as teaching practice sessions. Although the relative importance of these specific classroom communication behaviours for quality teaching and learning is acknowledged, whether and how these develop is seldom explicitly monitored. This was the intention of this study. It utilised a longitudinal mixed methods approach to follow Foundation Phase students over the four years of the degree programme in order to answer the following research question: To what extent do perceptions related to the classroom communication behaviours of Foundation Phase student teachers change over the course of a B Ed degree programme? The quantitative phase collected data using various self-report surveys in order to investigate possible changes in the self-perceptions of Foundation Phase student teachers regarding their communication behaviours over the four-year period. The purpose of the qualitative phase was to investigate possible changes in the perceptions of external evaluators regarding the instructional communication behaviours of student teachers over the degree programme. The qualitative data was obtained from the evaluation reports written by external evaluators on various aspects of the observed lessons. Although some changes occurred during the course of the B Ed degree programme, they were not as substantial as anticipated. From an interpersonal communication perspective, there was one particularly noticeable change: the self-perceived communication competence of the Foundation Phase student teachers improved between the first and second years of the programme, however, thereafter no further changes occurred. From an instructional communication perspective, more noticeable changes occurred: Foundation Phase student teachers improved in some aspects related to clarity, however other aspects still remained challenging. However, there was positive development related to immediacy: the fourth year Foundation Phase student teachers displayed higher levels of immediacy behaviours at the end of the four-year degree programme. Bearing in mind that neither interpersonal nor instructional communication theory was explicitly included in this particular B Ed degree programme; these findings are particularly noteworthy. This study advances the argument that if teacher education intends to address the quality of the teacher graduates entering the profession, classroom communication needs to be included in teacher education curricula. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die ontwikkeling van die klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag van studentonderwysers in die Grondslagfase aan 'n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit oor die verloop van 'n B Ed-graadprogram. Dit daag die konvensionele opvatting uit dat klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag sal ontwikkel met gereelde blootstelling aan leerervarings in die praktyk. Alhoewel aanvaar word dat om te leer om te onderrig 'n lang en uitdagende proses is waarvan die presiese aard selde duidelik en onderskeibaar is, word daar met hierdie studie gepoog om 'n beskeie bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van onderwysersopleidingskurrikulums. Klaskamerkommunikasie behels vanuit die perspektief van hierdie studie twee vlakke: eerstens, interpersoonlike kommunikasiegedrag, wat beïnvloed word deur nie-verbale onmiddellikheid, kommunikasie-angstigheid, gewilligheid om te kommunikeer en self-persepsie van kommunikasievaardighede; en tweedens, onderrigkommunikasie-gedrag, meer spesifiek duidelikheid en onmiddellikheid. Die algemene persepsie bestaan dat doeltreffende klaskamerkommunikasie spontaan sal ontwikkel deur blootstelling aan praktiese ervaring in die klaskamer. Alhoewel die relatiewe belangrikheid van hierdie spesifieke klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag algemeen erken word, word die ontwikkeling hiervan selde eksplesiet gemoniteer. Juis dít was die doel van hierdie studie. Longitudinale gemengde-metode navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik om Grondslagfase studente se kommunikasie-ontwikkeling oor die verloop van hul graadprogram te volg, met die doel om die volgende navorsingsvraag te beantwoord: Tot watter mate verander persepsies oor die klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag van studentonderwysers in die Grondslagfase oor die verloop van die B Ed-graadprogram? Tydens die kwantitatiewe fase van die studie is data ingesamel deur die gebruik van 'n aantal self-rapporterende opnames ten einde moontlike veranderinge in die Grondslagfase studentonderwysers se selfpersepsie van hulle kommunikasiegedrag oor die tydperk van vier jaar te ondersoek. Die doel van die kwalitatiewe fase was om ondersoek in te stel na moontlike veranderinge in die persepsies van eksterne evalueerders wat betref die onderrig-kommunikasiegedrag van die studetonderwysers oor die verloop van die vier jaar van die kursus. Die kwalitatiewe data is verkry uit evalueringsverslae wat geskryf is deur eksterne evalueerders oor verskillende aspekte van die lesse wat geëvalueer is. Alhoewel daar sommige veranderinge plaasgevind het oor die verloop van die vier jaar van die B Ed-kursus, was hierdie veranderinge nie so substansieel as wat verwag is nie. Vanuit die oogpunt van interpersoonlike kommunikasie was daar slegs een merkbare verandering: die Grondslagfase-studente se selfpersepsie van hulle kommunikasievaardigheid het van die eerste na die tweede jaar verbeter, maar daarna het geen verdere veranderinge plaasgevind nie. Vanuit die oogpunt van onderrigkommunikasie het meer merkbare veranderinge egter plaasgevind: die Grondslagfase-studentonderwysers het verbeter ten opsigte van sommige aspekte wat betref duidelikheid, maar ander aspekte het steeds 'n uitdaging gebly. Daar was egter positiewe ontwikkeling wat betref onmiddellikheid: die Grondslagfase- studentonderwysers het in hulle vierde jaar hoër vlakke van onmiddellikheid getoon as aan die begin van hulle studies. Hierdie veranderings is veral opmerklik as is ag geneem word dat nie interpersoonlike kommunikasie of onderrigkommunkasie eksplesiet onderrig is in die spesifieke kursus nie. Hierdie studie voer aan dat as onderwysersopleiding 'n verskil wil maak aan die kwaliteit van onderwysgraduandi wat die beroep betree, moet onderrigkommunkasie ingesluit word by onderwysersopleiding-kurrikulums.

This PhD takes a social constructionist approach (see Burr, 2003) to explore how professional women in Sri Lanka make sense of and enact their careers. By explaining career through the recursive relationship between social context and individual agency, this study adds new insights into existing understandings of women s careers which are dominated by psychological models of women s development over their lifespans (see Maneiro and Sullivan, 2005; O Neil and Bilimoria, 2005; Pringle and Dixon, 2003). Most importantly this study which addresses women s experiences in Sri Lanka fulfils a significant gap in the extant literature which has paid only little attention to careers in South Asian nations. This study is based on qualitative interviews (see King, 2004) conducted with 24 professional Sri Lankan women: eight in early career, eight in mid-career and eight in late career (see O Neil and Bilimoria, 2005). All respondents aspired to reach the highest possible level in their organisations hierarchies and therefore continuously engaged with work organisations, home and family and wider contextual structures in Sri Lanka in pursuit of achieving their career goals, contributing towards maintaining and/or transforming these social structures in the process. Based on these findings I developed a theoretical framework to understand women s careers in a dynamic and contextually significant manner. This framework highlights eight different strategies women use to develop their careers which has four possible social outcomes. In illuminating specifically what women do to advance their careers within their social contexts and with what implications this framework makes a significant contribution to the careers literature which gives only little attention to individuals career strategies. Moreover by appreciating both social context and individual agency as explanations of women s careers this model refrains from taking an overly deterministic (see McRae, 2003; Crompton, 2011) or voluntaristic (see Maneiro and Sullivan, 2005; O Neil and Bilimoria, 2005) stance to conceptualising women s career development. Second, I outline a South Asian model of women s career development highlighting family, moral notions, religious philosophies and wider belief systems such as astrology and horoscopes as central constituents of women s careers. I highlight how these understandings could be used to identify blind spots in existing literature and further develop prevailing ideas of women s careers in the West. Specifically I argue that traditional notions do not altogether disappear as societies develop (see Gerth and Mills, 1991), but rather individuals use these notions to walk towards modernity. Finally I conclude the thesis by outlining how scholars could develop my work further, calling upon authors to bring moral character, traditional notions and enchantment back to the careers field. Key words: Gender, Career development, Social constructionism, Sri Lanka.

Current research on Career Ladder Teacher Incentive Plans indicates a need to go beyond the usual description of legislation, career ladder plans, teacher evaluation procedures and "intent" of the policymakers. This study uses a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to examine the interaction among teacher participation on a career ladder project, student achievement and teacher characteristics. Student achievement test scores over a two year period were analyzed. One group of students had teachers who participated for two years on a career ladder and the other group had teachers who did not participate the two years. One hundred forty teachers and two thousand two hundred sixty-three students in grades 3, 4 and 5 were analyzed in order to identify differences in test scores due to teacher participation. Contrasts were drawn between teachers as participants and non-participants on the career ladder, years of experience and education and their influence on how students scored on a State Mandated Norm Referenced Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Comparisons of the two groups in the study lead to some fairly consistent results. Even though there were no variables that impacted the achievement scores from a statistically significant standpoint, when the factor of "time" was defined in terms of Ladder and non-Ladder participation, the two year group showed statistically different results from the one year group. The results of this study indicate that a Career Ladder Program in the course of one year or two years would not significantly impact student achievement. However, the element of time is an important factor when looking at the potential for career ladder impact on student achievement. This factor should be considered in any quest for immediate versus long term success patterns of such plans.

An investigation of several potential explanatory factors underlying the discrepant gender distributions within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) field positions across different higher education institution types was undertaken. Data collection consisted of a main online survey of a nationally representative sample of STEM faculty members from a variety of institution types (N = 4, 195) and a follow-up survey of a subset of main survey respondents (N = 712). Regression analyses were conducted to assess predictors of initial job preference, work hours, and WFC (work-family conflict). Family friendliness ratings of research jobs, work centrality, and rated importance of the family friendliness of various jobs during one’s initial job search predicted initial job preferences and displayed significant gender differences, so these variables are supported as explanatory factors underlying the discrepant gender distributions across institution types. In predicting work hours, the presence of dependent children was associated with significantly reduced work hours among women but not among men. Workload emerged as the only consistent significant predictor of WFC. Comparisons of respondents employed at research-focused and teaching-focused institutions revealed nonsignificant or smaller than expected differences in workload, WFC, and work centrality. These findings run counter to reported faculty beliefs that jobs at teaching-focused institutions are more family friendly than those at research-focused institutions. Women reported adjusting their work goals and habits in order to accommodate their family goals, and vice versa, more frequently than did men. Women frequently reported heightened commitments to their families, relative to those reported by men, although in some cases the predicted gender differences were not observed or were of smaller magnitude than was expected. Analyses were conducted separately for two cohort groups created by splitting the sample at year in which PhD was earned. These two cohort groups differ in meaningful ways with respect to the relationships among the variables under investigation, such that many observed gender differences were isolated to, and/or were stronger within, the group of earlier PhD earners as compared to the group of later PhD earners. These results highlight how and why male and female faculty members differ in their early career planning decisions and their behaviors and adjustments within the context of their STEM higher education career paths.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Homoeopathy), Durban Institute of Technology, 2006 / The first formal Homoeopathic education programme in South Africa introduced Technikon Natal (now the Durban Institute of Technology – DIT). The course had its first intake in 1989 and has since produced some 10 years of graduates. The programme affords the graduate a Master’s Degree in Technology in Homoeopathy (Ross, 2006). Career paths regarding graduates of this programme have never been investigated. Such an investigation was deemed valuable to clarify areas of difficulty regarding the education provided and the profession as a whole, to ascertain the viability of Homoeopathy as a career. It also aimed to identify possible other career choices a graduate may have with the education received. The study was limited to DIT Homoeopathic graduates from 1994 to 2004. The study was designed to investigate the demographic composition of the group, as well as other aspects of their career since graduation. / M

The theses investigates the problematics of career plateau in a big organization. In theoretical part conceptions of career, its phases and types, possibilities for development, succes criteria, career plateuing, its types, causes and effects are described, also possible ways to handle the career plateau are discussed, on one side from individual point of view on the other side from organizational point of view. Empirical part consists of organisation's description and a research concerning the perception of individual career development and career plateauing among employees of the organization. The research includes qualitative and quantitative approach and focuses on organisational and structural plateauing. Possible practical solutions in the field of human ressources management are given.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This case study of a Bronx, New York charter school drew upon Emdin’s (2016) book on pursuing school improvement as a secondary analysis of existing data from the school. The Principal Investigator is currently a teacher at the school and was participant-observer. The overall study can be considered an integration of qualitative fieldwork and survey methods. A strong implication from the highly significant quantitative results for 18 paired t-tests for nine Behaviors pre-/post-training is that professional development and special trainings had a strong positive effect. With Bonferroni Adjustment Significance (.05/18, p=.0003) level of .003, paired t-tests showed that staff ratings (knowledge and self-efficacy ratings) for all nine Behaviors exhibited a significant increase in mean rating from pre-training to post-training; thus, the intervention of professional development and special trainings had significant impact. Quantitative data supported the conclusion that significant progress was made toward the school’s original goal of transforming toward greater cultural competence and changing school climate to better meet the needs of urban learners from varied cultural backgrounds. Independent t-tests on dichotomous groups found one (of three) comparisons to be statistically significant (t= -.392, df=41.55, p= .000; Bonferroni Adjustment Significance, .05/3, p=.016) when comparing the means for people of color staff (n=29) of 8.934 (SD=1.254) versus for White staff (n=18) of 7.63 (SD=1.023). People of color staff had a significantly higher post-training self-efficacy for performing all nine specified behaviors compared to White staff. Qualitative data from five research questions produced via coding on 64 Emergent Themes, 15 Categories, and 12 Hierarchical Emergent themes—the last effectively coalescing all data into short statements to summarize all that school staff and teachers expressed about the training using Emdin’s book and other special training activities and discussions: acknowledge many book benefits; accept less ready White peers; learn bias, empathy; incomplete training, need to continue/action; impact of expanded awareness; retain many strengths to training model; plan to address barriers to success of training model; evidence of many improvements at school; ending oppression/biased discipline; training challenge of staff in different stages; expert facilitation of difficult conversations; and action for curriculum modifications.