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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 12, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 166-174). Also issued in print.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study performed in 2014 was to identify what the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs are of a selected group of electrical engineering professionals from one company in South Africa. The interpretivist research paradigm formed the basis for the “Interactive Qualitative Analysis” methodology used in the study. Due to limitations research was focused on only one constituency, a selected group of electrical engineering professionals in one organisation, which is close to, but have very little power over the specific phenomenon of CPD. Research activities included conducting focus group and individual interviews with participants to gain a better understanding of identified problem through the analysis and interpretation of the collected data. The phenomenon of CPD was found to lie within the spectrum of lifelong learning. Due to increasingly fast changing technological and work environments, practicing professionals take part in professional development, if it is compulsory or not, in order to stay competitive in the global arena. Research has shown that compulsory CPD for registered engineering professionals may further their professional development. From the “Possible Implications for CPD Provision for Engineering Professionals” document several issues and concerns were identified, which influence engineering professionals’ perception of the professional body. The CPD system and CPD provision facilitated by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) may be one of the key reasons why many practicing engineers choose not to register professionally. Through this study the perceived and proposed CPD needs for the selected group of electrical engineering professionals have been identified, but to identify the actual needs of practicing engineering professionals in South Africa, a more detailed study will need to be done that should include all the constituencies that practice within the engineering environment or have any influence on the CPD phenomenon. The study also identified aspects that could help to improve the CPD system and the available CPD initiatives, and enhance the leadership from the professional body. This may positively influence the perception of practicing engineering professionals. Such positive perceptions could result in more practicing engineering professionals registering with ECSA and maintaining their professional registration. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie uitgevoer in 2014 was om die Voortgesette Professionele Ontwikkeling (VPO) behoeftes van ‘n geselekteerde groep elektriese ingenieurs van een maatskappy in Suid-Afrika te bepaal. Die interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma het die “Interaktiewe Kwalitatiewe Analise” metodologie wat gebruik is in die studie onderlê. Binne die studie beperkinge is gefokus op slegs een konstituensie, ‘n geselekteerde groep professionele elektriese ingenieurs binne een organisasie, wie digby die spesifieke fenomeen van VPO funksioneer, maar baie beperkte mag daaroor het. Navorsingsaktiwiteite het fokusgroeponderhoude en individuele onderhoude met deelnemers ingesluit om ‘n beter begrip van die geïdentifiseerde probleem te verkry deur analise en interpretasie van die ingesamelde data. Die fenomeen van VPO lê binne die spektrum van lewenslange leer. As gevolg van ‘n toenemend snel veranderende tegnologiese en werksomgewing, neem professionele praktisyns deel aan professionele ontwikkeling, of dit verpligtend is of nie, en bly sodoende kompeterend in die globale arena. Maar navorsing het ook bewys dat verpligte VPO vir geregistreerde ingenieurspraktisyns hul professionele ontwikkeling tot voordeel kan strek. Vanuit die “Possible Implications for CPD Provision for Engineering Professionals” dokument is verskeie kwessies en knelpunte geïdentifiseer wat professionele ingenieurs se persepsies van die professionele liggaam mag beïnvloed. Die VPO sisteem en VPO verskaffing wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad vir Ingenieurswese (SARI) gefasiliteer word, mag een van die kernredes wees waarom vele ingenieurspraktisyns kies om nie professioneel te registreer nie. Die perseptuele en voorgestelde VPO behoeftes van ‘n geselekteerde groep professionele elektriese ingenieurspraktisyns is geïdentifiseer in hierdie studie, maar om die werklike behoeftes van professionele ingenieurspraktisyns in die breër Suid-Afrikaanse konteks te bepaal is ‘n meer gedetailleerde studie nodig wat al die konstituensies insluit wat praktiseer binne die ingenieursomgewing of die VPO fenomeen in dié konteks beïnvloed. Die studie het ook aspekte identifiseer wat kan help om die huidige VPO sisteem en insiatiewe te verbeter, en die leierskap van die professionele liggaam tot voordeel kan strek. Dit mag ‘n positiewe invloed hê op die persepsies van professionele ingenieurspraktisyns. Diesulke positiewe persepsies kan lei tot meer professionele ingenieurspraktisyns wat registreer by SARI en hul professionele registrasie byhou.

The subject of this study is engineers’ activities, writing and texts in their profession and education. Fieldwork for the study was conducted in three professional workplaces and a major technical university (called Tekniska Institutet in the study). The aim of the study is to explore what kind of writing the engineers are supposed to handle and practice, situated in their professional environment, and to compare this with the writing practices and texts engineering students are prepared for in their higher education. The theoretical framework is a sociocultural approach inspired by Lave & Wenger (1991), Wenger (1998), Wertsch (1998) and Engeström (1987). The theoretical concepts of activity systems, mediational means or cultural tools and trajectory of practice are applied, partly on a linguistic level, to the writing and the work that engineers carry out in their professional community and the university. The engineers in the study write every day in their profession, in different roles, something they are not quite prepared for in their higher education. The study examines whether there are cultural tools that are typical for engineers and their work. One central construction is the list, which can be seen as a cultural tool on both a cognitive and a social or communicative level: the study shows that the list is used both to structure or construct content and to instruct readers, for example, or show them how a soft ware system or a computer programme is structured. The list is also used within the education community, in teachers’ instructions and course material as well as in the students’ texts, such as lab reports and different types of essays.

In this investigation an attempt was made to determine the misconceptions that engineering students have of the idea of a limit. A comprehensive literature study showed that there are a number of common misconceptions that students normally form. The empirical investigation was done in two phases. A questionnaire on the idea of a limit was given to the students during the first phase. During the second phase six interviews were conducted. The findings were grouped according to the nature of a limit and students' views on the relationship between the continuity of a function at a point and the limit at that point. An analysis of these findings led to the identification of the misconceptions that these students have of the idea of a limit. / In hierdie ondersoek is gepoog om die wanbegrippe wat ingenieursstudente van die limietbegrip vorm, bloot te stel. 'n Omvattende literatuurstudie het 'n aantal algemene wanbegrippe aan die lig gebring. Die empiriese ondersoek het in twee fases plaasgevind. Tydens die eerste fase is 'n vraelys aan die studente gegee in 'n poging om meer te wete te kom van hulle begrip van 'n limiet. Die vraelys is opgevolg deur ses onderhoude. Die responsies is gegroepeer in terme van die aard van 'n limiet en studente se sienings van die kontinuiteit van 'n funksie by 'n punt en die limiet by daardie punt. Die analisering van hierdie responsies het die identifisering van 'n aantal wanbegrippe by hierdie groep studente moontlik gemaak. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (with specialisation in Mathematics Education)

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is currently experiencing a time in which existing infrastructure is reaching its design life end. With a growing economy and the increased level of social development, existing infrastructure is under extreme pressure. South Africa is also facing a challenge in which a need exists for engineering capabilities. These capabilities include engineering skills to maintain and manage existing infrastructure, plan for new infrastructure and construct new needed infrastructure. This study looks at a possible solution towards the above mentioned challenges. As a solution, the study proposes a professional development program to prepare engineers to work in the environment of infrastructure development. More specifically the program prepares civil engineers to work in public sector organisations responsible for basic service infrastructure. The research for the proposed professional development program is done by comparing literature with feedback received from various industry professionals. By doing this, the components for the proposed program were researched and identified. The components for the proposed program are professional work experience, professional training and structured mentorship. A further deliverable of the proposed program is to assist candidates taking part in the program to register as professional engineers on completion of the program. The study further showed the proposed program should be structured in such a way that all the components mentioned above work together interactively and should be centrally managed to ensure all the goals for the program are being reached. It is further stated that if the proposed program could successfully be implemented and if all the stakeholders commit towards the goal of the proposed program, the program could have a significant positive impact towards the challenges mentioned above. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika beleef tans 'n tyd waarin bestaande infrastruktuur besig is om hul ontwerp tydperk te bereik. Met 'n groeiende ekonomie en die verhoogde vlak van maatskaplike ontwikkeling is bestaande infrastruktuur onder geweldige druk. Suid- Afrika staar ook tans `n uitdaging in die gesig in verband met onvoldoende getalle professionele ingenieurs, veral in die omgewing van die instandhouding van bestaande infrastruktuur, die konstruksie van nuwe infrastruktuur, en die beplanning van verdere nodige infrastruktuur. Hierdie studie ondersoek dus 'n moontlike oplossing tot bogenoemde uitdagings. As 'n moonlike oplossing stel die studie voor dat `n professionele ontwikkelingsprogram vir ingenieurs saamgestel word. So `n program sal dus ingenieurs oplei en voorberei vir werk binne die openbare sektor wat verantwoordelik is vir die ontwikkeling en bestuur van basiese dienste infrastruktuur. Die navorsing vir die voorgestelde professionele ontwikkeling program is gedoen deur bestaande literatuur te vergelyk met inligting ontvang vanaf verskeie professionele ingenieurs in die praktyk. Deur dit te doen, is die komponente vir die voorgestelde program nagevors en geïdentifiseer. Die geïdentifiseerde komponente vir die voorgestelde program is dus soos volg: professionele werkservaring, opleiding en gestruktureerde mentorskap. 'n Verdere aflewering van die voorgestelde program is om kandidate te registreer as professionele ingenieurs teen voltooiing van die program. Die studie toon ook verder aan dat al die komponente, soos wat hierbo genoem is, geïntegreerd moet plaasvind en dat die program gestruktureerd bestuur moet word vanaf `n sentrale punt of organisasie. Dit word dan verder genoem dat indien die voorgestelde program suksesvol geïmplementeer kan word, en indien die verskeie belanghebbendes tot die program hulle self tot die program kan verbind, die program 'n beduidende positiewe impak op die uitdagings hierbo kan maak.

In this investigation an attempt was made to determine the misconceptions that engineering students have of the idea of a limit. A comprehensive literature study showed that there are a number of common misconceptions that students normally form. The empirical investigation was done in two phases. A questionnaire on the idea of a limit was given to the students during the first phase. During the second phase six interviews were conducted. The findings were grouped according to the nature of a limit and students' views on the relationship between the continuity of a function at a point and the limit at that point. An analysis of these findings led to the identification of the misconceptions that these students have of the idea of a limit. / In hierdie ondersoek is gepoog om die wanbegrippe wat ingenieursstudente van die limietbegrip vorm, bloot te stel. 'n Omvattende literatuurstudie het 'n aantal algemene wanbegrippe aan die lig gebring. Die empiriese ondersoek het in twee fases plaasgevind. Tydens die eerste fase is 'n vraelys aan die studente gegee in 'n poging om meer te wete te kom van hulle begrip van 'n limiet. Die vraelys is opgevolg deur ses onderhoude. Die responsies is gegroepeer in terme van die aard van 'n limiet en studente se sienings van die kontinuiteit van 'n funksie by 'n punt en die limiet by daardie punt. Die analisering van hierdie responsies het die identifisering van 'n aantal wanbegrippe by hierdie groep studente moontlik gemaak. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (with specialisation in Mathematics Education)