This study provides a consumer profile of first year Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Marketing students. To determine influences on students' tertiary education choices, a literature study was undertaken on consumer behaviour, influencing factors and consumer decision-making. An empirical study established consumer behaviour variables impacting on tertiary students, and revealed students' future perspective. A structured questionnaire was distributed. The main findings are: preferred media are E-TV, Metro FM, Drum magazine and The Sunday Times; Internet access is low; most prefer TUT for tertiary education; parents and academic standards predominantly impact tertiary institution choice; the majority will continue their studies and apply for a marketing job in South Africa; their future perspective is predominantly optimistic. In conclusion, the students are impacted by reference groups and institutional marketing efforts. Primary concerns include: successful communication with this group; the effectiveness of the Open Day; and the lack of using reference groups in marketing. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The cost of education at institutions of higher education is very high and is exacerbated by the failure rate among first-year students, in particular. Their inability to cope with academic demands is largely due to their lack of preparation as a result of poor schooling in previously disadvantaged secondary schools. In the light of this, this study was undertaken to determine the academic needs of and strategies for remedial academic support to first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. A literature review provided a theoretical foundation and highlighted various factors which impede effective study. An empirical investigation used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the needs of first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. The results corroborated the issues addressed by the literature as constraints to students' success. Diverse strategies for providing academic remedial support for first-year students were discussed based on the literature review and empirical investigation. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study provides a consumer profile of first year Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Marketing students. To determine influences on students' tertiary education choices, a literature study was undertaken on consumer behaviour, influencing factors and consumer decision-making. An empirical study established consumer behaviour variables impacting on tertiary students, and revealed students' future perspective. A structured questionnaire was distributed. The main findings are: preferred media are E-TV, Metro FM, Drum magazine and The Sunday Times; Internet access is low; most prefer TUT for tertiary education; parents and academic standards predominantly impact tertiary institution choice; the majority will continue their studies and apply for a marketing job in South Africa; their future perspective is predominantly optimistic. In conclusion, the students are impacted by reference groups and institutional marketing efforts. Primary concerns include: successful communication with this group; the effectiveness of the Open Day; and the lack of using reference groups in marketing. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The cost of education at institutions of higher education is very high and is exacerbated by the failure rate among first-year students, in particular. Their inability to cope with academic demands is largely due to their lack of preparation as a result of poor schooling in previously disadvantaged secondary schools. In the light of this, this study was undertaken to determine the academic needs of and strategies for remedial academic support to first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. A literature review provided a theoretical foundation and highlighted various factors which impede effective study. An empirical investigation used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the needs of first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. The results corroborated the issues addressed by the literature as constraints to students' success. Diverse strategies for providing academic remedial support for first-year students were discussed based on the literature review and empirical investigation. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Intermediate calculus bridges secondary school and advanced university mathematics courses. Most mathematics education research literatures indicated that the conceptual knowledge in intermediate calculus has challenged first year undergraduate mathematics and science learners to a great extent through the lecture method. The content knowledge attained by them has been tremendously decreasing. Negative attitude exhibited by students toward calculus was highly influenced by the lecture method used. Generally, students have not looked at the learning of all mathematics courses offered in universities as normal as other courses. Due to this lack of background conceptual knowledge in learners, they have been highly frustrated by the learning of advanced mathematics courses. Taking the understanding of teaching and learning challenge of conceptual knowledge of calculus into consideration, Ethiopian public universities have been encouraging instructors to devise and implement active learning methods through any professional development training opportunity. The training was aimed to enhance learners’ content knowledge and attitude towards calculus. This is one of the main reasons for the motivation of this study that experimental group learners were allowed to be nurtured by the lecture method in their mainstream class, and then also the active learning intervention method integrated with GeoGebra in the mathematics laboratory class. Only conventional lecture method was used to teach the comparison group in both the mainstream and mathematics laboratory class. The purpose of the study was to explore the Gambari and Yusuf (2016) stimulus of the jigsaw co-operative learning method combined with GeoGebra (JCLGS) on statistics and chemistry learners’ content knowledge improvement and change of their attitude towards calculus. The post-positivism mixed methods tactic was used in a non-equivalent pre- and post-test comparison group quasi-experimental design. The population of the study was the whole freshman mathematics and science degree program learners of two public universities in Ethiopia in 2017. Samples of the size 150 in both the experimental and comparison groups were drawn utilizing two-stage random sampling technique. A questionnaire using a Likert-scale on attitudes and an achievement test were sources used for data collection. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics conducting an independent samples t-test and a Two Way ANOVA for repeated measures using SPSS23. Each of the findings on content knowledge, conceptual knowledge, and procedural knowledge development produced through the TWO-Way ANOVA, respectively as F(1,148)=80.917; 𝜂2=.353; p<.01, F(1,148)=106.913; 𝜂2=.419; p<.01, and F(1,148)=7.328; 𝜂2=.047; p<.01, revealed a statistically significant difference between the treatment and comparison groups from pre-test to post-test. These findings show that the experimental group participants were highly beneficial in developing their content knowledge and conceptual knowledge through the active learning approach and technology-based learning strategy using Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory. The JCLGS learning environment representing Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory modestly influenced the procedural knowledge learning of the experimental group learners’. Although the lecture method affected the comparison group students’ knowledge development in calculus during the academic semester, the impact was not comparable to that of the active learning approach and technology-based learning strategy. The major reason for this was the attention and care given to the active learning intervention integrated with GeoGebra by the researcher, data collectors, and research participants. Overall findings showed that the active learning intervention allowed the experimental group students to considerably enhance their conceptual knowledge and content knowledge in calculus. Learners also positively changed their opinion towards calculus and GeoGebra. The intervention was a group interactive environment that allowed students’ to be reflective, share prior experience and knowledge, and independent learners. As a matter of fact, educators are advised to model such a combination of active learning approach and technology-based learning strategy in their classroom instructional setting and practices. Consequently, their learners will adequately benefit to understand the subject matter and positively change their opinion towards university mathematics. / Mathematics Education / Ph. D. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa / Critical thinking competencies are not only seen as crucial for success in higher education, but also for future personal and workplace success. These competencies are commonly cited as a graduate attribute or goal of higher education, and resulting research has tended to focus on exploring and measuring the development of critical thinking competencies in students within higher education. However, few researchers have explored the curriculum and practice of academic staff within higher education in relation to their influence on developing critical thinking competencies in students, or how they theorise about the development of these competencies as part of their professional practice. Within the South African context, there is a perception of a decline in the development of critical thinking competencies within the secondary school system. This has informed policy imperatives to improve access and success in South African higher education through additional support for students, as well as through research into the first-year experience. Within a constructivist paradigm, and adopting a qualitative approach, this study takes the first year of higher education as its context in order to explore the curriculum, assessment, pedagogical and andragogical practices of academic staff designed to develop critical thinking competencies in first-year students. The aim is to explore how academic staff construct their theory and practice in order to contribute to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in South African Higher Education. Phenomenological case study research methods, which draw on data collection through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, enabled a better understanding of the lived experience of academic staff within private higher education. Academic staff, as research participants, were able to describe deliberate actions taken in their teaching practices to facilitate the development and assessment of critical thinking competencies. The findings revealed that academic staff – while having no coherent, well-articulated construction of critical thinking competencies – feel that such competencies are essential for academic and future life success. This not only affirmed previous research reviewed, but aligned to the inclusion of explicit and implicit references to critical thinking competencies found in the curriculum and assessment documents. Recommendations for professional development responded specifically to these findings. / Kritiese denkvaardighede word nie net as wesentlik vir sukses in hoër onderwys beskou nie, maar ook vir toekomstige sukses, op persoonlike vlak en in die werkplek. Hierdie bevoegdhede word algemeen aanvaar as dié van ‘n gegradueerde of as oogmerk in hoër onderwys. Gevolglik was ondersoeke geneig om te fokus op die verkenning en meting van die ontwikkeling van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede by studente binne die hoër onderwys. Min navorsers het egter die kurrikulum en praktyk van akademiese personeel binne die hoër onderwys met betrekking tot hul invloed op die ontwikkeling van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede in studente verken nie, of hoe hulle teoretiseer oor die ontwikkeling van hierdie bevoegdhede as deel van hul professionele praktyk. Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is die persepsie dat die ontwikkeling van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede binne die sekondêreskoolstelsel afneem. Dit het bygedra tot beleidsimperatiewe om toegang en sukses in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys te verbeter deur bykomende ondersteuning aan studente te gee, asook deur die eerstejaarervaring te ondersoek. Binne ‘n konstruktivistiese paradigma, en deur gebruik te maak van ‘n kwalitatiewe benadering, neem hierdie studie die eerste jaar van hoër onderwys as konteks ten einde die kurrikulum, assessering, pedagogiese en andragogiese praktyke van akademiese personeel wat ontwerp is om kritiekedenkbevoegdhede by eerstejaarstudente te verken. Die doel is om na te volg hoe akademiese personeel hul teorie en praktyk saamstel ten einde by te dra tot die Kundigheid in Onderrig en Leer in Suid-Afrika se Hoër Onderwys. Fenomenologiese gevallestudienavorsingsmetodes wat steun op die inwin van data deur middel van semigestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentontleding, het gelei tot beter begrip van die geleefde ervaring van akademiese personeel binne privaat hoër onderwys. Akademiese personeel, as navorsingsgenote, kon optrede beskryf wat doelbewus in hul onderrigpraktyke geneem word om die ontwikkeling en assessering van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede te fasiliteer. Die bevindinge het getoon dat akademiese personeel – sonder koherente, goed geartikuleerde konstruksie van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede – voel dat sulke vaardighede wesentlik is vir akademiese en toekomstige sukses in die lewe. Dit het nie net vorige navorsing bevestig nie, maar gestrook met die insluiting van eksplisiete en implisiete verwysings na kritiekedenkbevoegdhede binne die kurrikulum- en assesseringsdokumente. Aanbevelings vir professionele ontwikkeling het spesifiek op hierdie bevindinge reageer. / Ubuchule bokucinga nzulu abubonwa kuphela njengecebo elibalulekileyo lokuphumelela kwimfundo ephakamileyo, bukwabonwa njengecebo lokuphumelela komntu kwizinto zakhe nakwindawo axelenga kuyo. Obu buchule bukholisa ukuchazwa njengenjongo yemfundo ephakamileyo, kwaye uphando lweziphumo luthande ukugxininisa ekuqwalaseleni nasekulinganiseleni ukuphuhliseka kwezakhono zokucinga nzulu kubafundi bemfundo ephakamileyo. Noxa kunjalo, bambalwa abaphandi bolwazi abakhe baqwalasela ukusetyenziswa kwekharityhulam ngabahlohli bemfundo ephakamileyo malunga nefuthe ekuphuhliseni izakhono zokucinga nzulu kubafundi, okanye iingcingane zophuhliso lokuphuhliseka kwezi zakhono njengenxalenye yomsebenzi wabo. Kwimeko yoMzantsi Afrika kukho imbono yokuba ziyaphelelwa izakhono zokucinga nzulu kwinkqubo yemfundo yezikolo zeesekondari. Oku kukhokelele ekusekeni iinkqubo zempumelelo kwimfundo ephakamileyo ngokunika inkxaso eyongezelelekileyo kubafundi, nangokuphanda ngamava abafundi abakunyaka wokuqala. Ngokujonga kwinkalo ethi imfundo yinkqubo yokusebenza, nangokusebenzisa indlela yophando lomgangatho, esi sifundo sithatha unyaka wokuqala wemfundo ephakamileyo njengemeko nendawo yokuqwalasela ukusetyenziswa kwekharityhulam, uhlolo, ukufundiswa kolutsha nasebekhulile ngabahlohli ekuphuhliseni izakhono zokucinga nzulu kubafundi bonyaka wokuqala. Injongo kukuqwalasela ukuba abahlohli bayiqulunqa njani ingcingane nokusebenza ukuze kuncediswe kubungcali bokufundisa nokufunda kwimfundo ephakamileyo yoMzantsi Afrika. Iindlela zophando zeemeko ezithile, ezifumana iinkcukacha zolwazi ngokuqhuba udliwano ndlebe oluphantse lwangqongqo, nangokuphengulula imibhalo, kwanceda ukuba kuqondakale ngcono amava abahlohli bemfundo ephakamileyo yabucala. Abahlohli abangabathathi nxaxheba kuphando baye bakwazi ukuchaza izenzo ezingqalileyo ezenzelwe ukuphuhlisa nokuhlola izakhono zokucinga nzulu. Okufunyanisiweyo kwadulisa ukuba abahlohli – lo gama bengenasakhelo sibambekayo nesinokuchazwa gca sezakhono zokucinga nzulu – bayaqonda ukuba ezi zakhono zingundoqo kwimpumelelo kwezemfundo nakubomi obuzayo. Oku akwanelanga nje ukungqina okuvezwe luphando lwangaphambili, koko kongeze kosele kuthethwa ngqo okanye mayana, kwimibhalo yekharityhulam nohlolo, malunga nezakhono zokucinga nzulu. Iingcebiso zophuhliso zisabele ngqo koko kufunyanisiweyo. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Phil.(Education in the subject Curriculum Studies)

For the knowledge economy of the twenty-first century, intellectual skills (such as critical thinking) have been identified as imperative for success. Educational institutions have a responsibility to equip students with the knowledge and skills required for future employment. The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants has identified critical thinking as one of the skills that should be developed in Financial Accounting students who wish to become chartered accountants. For this limited-scope dissertation a qualitative study was done, applying a constructivist paradigm to a case study design, to explore the development of critical thinking in first-year Financial Accounting students in an open distance and e-learning context in South Africa. To achieve this, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twelve academics and the use of document analysis. As the focus of the study was limited to two first-year financial accounting modules which form part of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants accredited programme taught at an open distance and e-learning institution, the findings cannot be generalised. While the perceptions of students were not considered in the study, the findings provide valuable insight into the development of critical thinking in accounting modules. The findings revealed that, although academics believe critical thinking skills and good thinking habits should be developed in first-year Financial Accounting students, it is currently only done through a content-centred approach, or not at all. Furthermore, only technologies which academics are comfortable using, are being incorporated, mainly for the delivery of content. The recommendations made for curriculum evaluation and professional development relate specifically to these findings. / Vir die een-en-twintigste-eeuse kennisekonomie is intellektuele vaardighede (soos kritiese denke) geïdentifiseer as noodsaaklik vir sukses. Opvoedkundige instellings het 'n verantwoordelikheid om studente met die kennis en vaardighede toe te rus wat nodig is vir toekomstige indiensneming. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Instituut vir Geoktrooieerde Rekenmeesters het kritiese denke geïdentifiseer as 'n vaardigheid wat studente in Finansiële Rekeningkunde, wat geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters wil word, moet ontwikkel. Vir hierdie verhandeling van beperkte omvang, is 'n kwalitatiewe studie gedoen deur 'n konstruktivistiese paradigma toe te pas op 'n gevallestudie-ontwerp om die ontwikkeling van kritiese denke in eerstejaarstudente in Finansiële Rekeningkunde in 'n oop e-afstandsleerkonteks in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Om hierdie doel te bereik, is data versamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude te voer met twaalf akademici en dokumentontleding te gebruik. Omdat die studie beperk was tot twee eerstejaar finansiële rekeningkunde modules, wat deel vorm van die Suid-Afrikaanse Instituut vir Geoktrooieerde Rekenmeesters se geakkrediteerde program wat by 'n oop e-afstandsleerinstelling aangebied word, kan die bevindinge nie veralgemeen word nie. Alhoewel die studente se persepsies nie in die studie in ag geneem is nie, bied die bevindings waardevolle insig oor die ontwikkeling van kritiese denke in rekeningkundemodules. Die bevindings dui daarop dat, alhoewel akademici glo dat vaardighede in kritiese denke en goeie denkgewoontes in die eerste jaar van Finansiële Rekeningkunde onderrig moet word, word dit tans slegs deur 'n inhoudgebaseerde benadering gedoen, of glad nie. Verder word slegs tegnologieë geïnkorporeer waarmee akademici gemaklik is, hoofsaaklik vir die oordrag van die inhoud. Die aanbevelings vir kurrikulumevaluering en professionele ontwikkeling hou spesifiek verband met hierdie bevindings. / Kha ikonomi ya nḓivho ya ḓanwaha fumbili nthihi, zwikili zwa nḓivho (zwi ngaho vhukoni ha u humbula nga nḓila yo dzudzaneaho) zwo topolwa sa ndaela ya mvelaphanḓa. Zwiimiswa zwa pfunzo zwi na vhudifhinduleli u lugisela matshudeni nga ndivho na zwikili zwine zwa ṱodea mishumoni ya tshifhingani tshidaho. Tshiimiswa tsha Afrika Tshipembe tsha Vhomakone vha Akhaunthini tsho topola vhukoni ha u humbula nga ndila yo dzudzaneaho vhune ha tea u bveledzwa kha matshudeni a Akhaunthini ya Masheleni vhane vha tama u vha vhomakone vha muvhalelano. Ho itwa ngudo dza khwalithathivi dza desithesheni ya tshikoupu tsho pimiwaho, hu tshi khou u fhaṱwa ndivho na kupfesesele nga kha tshenzhemo kha u bveledza ngudo, u wanulusa vhukoni ha u humbula nga ndila yo dzudzaneaho kha nwaha wa u thoma kha matshudeni a Akhaunthuni ya Masheleni kha nyimele ya tshiimiswa tsha u guda u kule na kha lubuvhisia Afrika Tshipembe. U swikelela izwi, data yo kuvhanganyiwa nga kha inthaviwu dzo dzudzanywaho na vhoraakademi vha fumimbili na u shumisa musaukanyo wa linwalo. Sa musi ngudo yo vha yo sedza fhedzi kha mimodulu mivhili ya nwaha wa u thoma ya Akhaunthini ya masheleni ine ya vhumba tshipida tsha mbekanyamushumo ya akhiredithesheni ya Tshiimiswa tsha Afrika Tshipembe tsha Vhomakone vha Akhaunthuni ine ya funzwa kha tshiimiswa tsha u guda u kule na kha Lubuvhisia, mawanwa a nga si angaredzwa. Ngeno kuvhonele kwa matshudeni ku songo dzhielwa ntha kha ngudo, mawanwa o ṋetshedzwa ndivho ya ndeme kha mveledziso ya vhukoni ha u humbula nga ndila yo dzudzaneaho kha mimodulu ya akhaunthini. Mawanwa o dzumbulula uri, naho vhoraakademi vha tshi tenda uri zwikili zwa vhukoni ha u humbula nga ndila yo dzudzaneaho na maitele a kuhumbulele kwavhudi zwi fanela u bveledziswa kha nwaha wa u thoma wa matshudeni vha Akhaunthini ya Masheleni, zwa zwino zwi khou itwa fhedzi nga kha maitele o disendekaho nga zwi re ngomu, kana zwa sa itwe na luthihi. Zwi tshe zwo ralo, ndi thekhinolodzhi fhedzi dzine vhoraakademi vha takalela u dzi shumisa, zwo tanganyiswa, nga maanda ndisedzo ya zwi re ngomu. Themendelo dzo itwa kha u ela kharikhulamu na mveledziso dzi re na vhushaka na mawanwa anea o tiwaho. / Institute for Open and Distance Learning (IODL) / M. Ed. (Open and Distance Learning)