A research report submitted to the Faculty of Law and Management University of Witwatersrand, in 25% fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development), 2016 / The National Certificate: Vocational (NCV) qualification was introduced at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in 2007 to enable students to acquire necessary skills and knowledge that would prepare them effectively for the world of work. The NCV is an outcomes-based curriculum and its introduction was accompanied by a general shift to outcomes-based teaching and learning approaches, as well as a rigorous assessment and moderation regime, particularly with regards to the internal assessment (ICASS) component. The shift required lecturers to adopt multi-dimensional assessment of skills, knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and dispositions when assessing students. The report released by Umalusi in 2014 pointed out a number of factors that negatively affect the implementation of ICASS at some TVET colleges. The aim of the study was to explore the factors that constrain or enhance the implementation of the ICASS component of the NCV at TVET colleges. Literature related to the research topic was consulted and, subsequently, document analysis and semi-structured interviews were used to determine ICASS practices applied at Western College (Westcol) for TVET. ICASS requirements as per NCV-related policies and the current ICASS practices at the college were compared to determine the factors that (including those cited by Umalusi) hinder or promote ICASS implementation. The findings reflected that lack of resources (mainly financial and physical resources, as well as under-qualified and unqualified lecturers at the college) hinder the effective implementation of the ICASS component in some subjects at the college. Furthermore, the quality of the assessment elements was of great concern. Most interviewees reported that: some of the ICASS tasks in various subjects were of poor quality; there was lack of or poor moderation of tasks; portfolios were incomplete and there was a lack of structured remedial intervention after tasks were conducted. Interviewees attributed the above situation to increased lecturers’ workloads and students’ poor class attendance. The research recommends that the college build capacity for ICASS implementation through the provision of resources, and the training and development of lecturers, as well as partnerships with industries and other institutions to complement and strengthen the college’s limited resources and to apply knowledge management practices so that the college can leverage and benefit from the knowledge it currently possesses, to improve the implementation of the internal assessment component. / XL2018

Thesis (masters)--University of South Africa, 2001.

Thesis (MPhil (Rehabilitation))--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African National Census (1996) reports a disability prevalence of 6,6% in South Africa. In November 1999 the government paid out 635 881 temporary or permanent disability grants. Legislation is in place to allow the Department of Social Services to administer the grants. For this study demographic information of disability grant recipients in a semi-rural area was sought in order to improve understanding of disability and to assist in service delivery. The study was executed in Kleinmond, a coastal town in the Western Cape with a population of 3 918, where 189 people reported a disability during the 1996 census. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the disability profile, caregiver utilization and needs of disability grant recipients in Kleinmond, Western Cape, South Africa. METHODS A descriptive survey was the study design of choice. The study population consisted of recipients of a permanent disability grant who collected their grants at the Kleinmond Post Office in June 1999. In order to capture the necessary information, a questionnaire was developed based on the disability catalogue of the International Classification of Impairment, Disability and Handicap (ICIDH) of the World Health Organisation. Pilot studies were conducted and the researcher interviewed 29 grantees during the main study in Kleinmond in June/July 1999. Repeatability of the questionnaire was tested. Ninety six percent of the responses were the same on the second visit to four randomly selected grantees. Data was analysed with the statistical software package STATISTICA. RESULTS The response rate was 90% (29/32). The mean age of the mainly male grantees was 42 years (range: 18 - 64). Most grantees were single, but the majority stayed with someone else. Ninety three percent (27/29) were unemployed while 69% (20/29) felt they were able to work. Most grantees took regular medication and the majority accessed health services at the primary level local clinic. Twenty five grantees (86%or 25/29) reported multiple disabilities, while one person did not fit into any of the categories. The most common disability category was situational disability (82% or 24/29). Nineteen persons with disabilities (66% or 19/29) relied on help which was mainly given by the parents. Assistance was needed with activities such as collecting the disability grant, shopping and managing money. With regard to needs of grantees, most found it important to have the clinic closer to their homes (52% or 15/29), to increase the amount of the disability grant (76% or 22/29) and to raise awareness of disability in the community (69% or 20/29). CONCLUSION Most disability grant recipients in this study reported problems in many of the seven disability categories of the ICIDH, i.e. multiple disabilities. This is consistent with the assumption that only severely disabled people qualify for a permanent disability grant in South Africa. This might explain why the majority of the grantees utilized a caregiver for some tasks. Needs with regard to health and social services of this defined group of persons with disabilities in Kleinmond will be brought to the attention of the authorities, who are planning a new community centre and clinic. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volgens die Nasionale Sensus opname van 1996 is die prevalensie van ongeskiktheid in Suid- Afrika 6.6%. Bevindinge dui aan dat 635881 individue 'n ongskiktheidstoelaag ontvang. Hierdie toelae word volgens wetgewing deur die Departement van Maatskaplike Dienste ge-administreer. In hierdie studie is demografiese inligting van individue wat 'n ongeskiktheidstoelaag ontvang ingesamel in 'n poging om insig in gestremdheid en dienslewering aan gestremdes te verbeter. Die studiepopulasie het bestaan uit individue wat 'n ongeskiktheidstoelaag in die Wes-Kaapse kusdorp Kleinmond ontvang. Kleinmond het 'n populasie van 3 918 waarvan 189 individue ongeskik is volgens die 1996 sensus. DOEL Die doel van die studie was om 'n ongesiktheidsprofiel van individue in Kleinmond te bepaal, asook te evalueer of hulle versorgers benodig het en om hulle behoeftes te bepaal. METODOLOGIE Daar is gebruik gemaak van 'n beskrywende studie. Die studiepopulasie het bestaan uit aile individue woonagtig in Kleinmond wat 'n permanente ongeskiktheidstoelaag ontvang het en dit by die poskantoor afgehaal het. Data is deur middel van 'n vraelys ingesamel. Die vraelys is gebaseer op die ongeskiktheids katalogus van die Internasionale Klassifikasie van Gebrek, Ongeskiktheid en Gestremdheid (ICIDH) van die Wereld Gesondheidsorganisasie. Die vraelys is getoets deur middel van loodsstudies. Die betroubaarheid van die vraelys is ook getoets deur tydens die navorsing dieselfde vrae tydens 'n tweede besoek aan vier kandidate te stel. Hierdie vier individue is ewekansig geselekteer en 96% van die response het ooreen gestem met die van die eerste besoek. Data is verkry van 29 individue gedurende Junie/Julie 1999. Data analise is met behulp van STATISTICA, 'n statistiese sagteware pakket, gedoen.RESULTATE Die responskoers was 90% (29/32). Die meerderheid van die studiepopulasie was manlik met 'n gemiddelde ouderdom van 42 jaar (rykwydte: 18 - 64). Individue was meerendeels ongetroud en het wonings met ander persone gedeel. Uit die studiepopulasie was 93% (27/29) individue werkloos. Van hierdie groep het 69% (20/29) egter gevoel dat hulle wei een of ander vorm van arbeid kan verrig. Bykans aile individue uit die studiepopulasie het gereeld medikasie gebruik. Die plaaslike prirnere gesondheids kliniek is deur die meeste individue benut vir gesondheidssorg. Meeste individue (86% of 25/29) het meer as een ongeskiktheid gehad en een persoon het nie in enige van die kateqoriee ingepas nie. Die ongeskiktheid wat die mees algemeenste voorgekom het was situasie-gebonde ongeskiktheid (82% of 24/29). Hulp is hoofsaaklik deur ouers verskaf en 66% individue (19/29) het van hulp gebruik gemaak. Hierdie hulp was meestal nodig met aktiwiteite soos die afhaal van die ongeskiktheidtoelaag, die doen van inkopies en die bestuur van persoonlike finansies. Die studiepopulasie het 3 groot behoeftes uitgespreek naamlik 'n kliniek nader aan hulle wonings (52% of 15/29), 'n verhoging in die ongeskiktheidstoelaag (76% of 22/29) en .n groter bewustheid van ongeskiktheid in die gemeenskap (69% of 20/29). Samevatting Baie van die individue uit die studiepopulasie het ongeskikthede in meer as een van die ongeskiktheidskategoriee aangedui. Hierdie bevinding is in ooreenstemming met die aanname dat in Suid-Afrika slegs individue met erge ongeskiktheid n ongeskiktheidstoelaag ontvang. Dit kan moontlik ook verklaar waarom die meerderheid van die populasie versorgers benodig het vir die uitvoer van sekere take. Die behoeftes van hierdie studiepopulasie sal onder die aandag van die plaaslike owerheid, wat tans besig is met die beplanning van 'n nuwe gemeensskapssentrum en kliniek, gebring word.

This pilot research survey was undertaken as a result of the need to assess the service quality within Higher Education in general and the Department of Management at UWC in particular. This report focuses on the complexities of measuring service quality in higher education. The quality of service delivery within education is becoming more important as the competition for students increases.<br /> The literature was searched to find a suitable measure with a sound theoretical structure. This measure was then adapted for the department.<br /> <br /> In a preliminary way this instrument was then applied to students in the department and initial results are reported on.<br /> The results revealed that undergraduates overall were uncertain in their attitude to the service quality in the department. On the other hand, postgraduate students tended to rate the service quality rather more negatively (p &lt / 0.004). Furthermore there were no gender differences except for tangibles (p = 000.5).<br /> <br /> This pilot study could serve as a pilot study of the service quality in an academic environment. It is the main contention of this report that students themselves should be part of defining quality.

<p>The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate success of an integrated newsletter assignment for first year Human Resource Management students as an authentic and meaningful form of assessment by tracing and deciphering the narratives of the role-players. The study also examined the role that the newsletter can play regarding experiential learning, which is an essential component of teaching and learning at technikons in South Africa.</p>

No abstract provided / GR 2016

A research report submitted to the Wits School of Education, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Education Submission 17 October 2016 / As access to formal schooling has expanded all over the world, there is acknowledgement that the quality of learning in many schooling systems, including South Africa, is extremely weak. Nationally representative samples of South African children participated in the PIRLS 2006 and pre-PIRLS 2011 studies, along with 48 other countries as a benchmarking exercise to measure the literacy levels of primary schools according to international standards. The PIRLS 2006 study indicated that more than 80% of South African children had not yet learned to read with meaning by grade 5. The pre-PIRLS results provided a new baseline of reading literacy levels for Grade 4 learners in South Africa, 29% of Grade 4 learners that participated did not have the rudimentary reading skills required at a Grade 2 level. Learners tested in African languages, particularly Sepedi and Tshivenda, achieved the lowest performance overall and were considered to be educationally at risk (University of Pretoria, 2012). The context in which schooling takes place is key in understanding learner performance in South Africa. After decades of differential provision of education on the basis of race, the education system has been overhauled since the early 1990s. The South African government has introduced several initiatives and policies to address these systemic imbalances. All things considered, South Africa’s learner performance has remained poor, even relative to several poorer countries in the region. There is a wealth of research describing weaknesses in the education system. However, going a step further and identifying resources and practices that actually improve learner performance is central to improving education planning, policy and ultimately classroom practice. Rigorous evidence on classroom-based practice and resources that will have a measurable effect on learner performance in a developing country like South Africa is limited. The most significant shortfall of non-experimental evaluation methods (including qualitative and many quantitative approaches) is the absence of a valid estimate of the counterfactual – what outcomes would have been obtained amongst programme beneficiaries had they not received the programme. This often leads to the reporting of large positive effects of programmes being evaluated. By using a lottery to allocate participants to an intervention and a control group, the Randomised Control Trial (RCT) methodology constructs a credible ‘counterfactual’ scenario – what might have happened to those who received an intervention had they not received it. This study provides a systematic literature-based argument on why RCTs should be part of the methodological options education researchers and policy makers consider in developing countries such as South Africa. Both the strengths and limitations of RCTs are discussed in light of the debate on RCTs and evaluation methods in education, as well as the technical critique of the methodology. The main critique of external validity is also elaborated on with efforts that may be taken to diminish the limitations discussed. In addition, the study illustrates the value of RCTs using data from two South Africa RCTs on early grade reading interventions through a secondary analysis of the RCT data. The first case study in Chapter 4, is the Reading Catch-Up Programme (RCUP) conducted in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal. The main findings of the RCUP evaluation were that although learners in intervention schools improved their test scores between the baseline and the endline assessment, the learners in comparison schools improved by a similar margin. The results should contribute to a sobering realisation that the effects of the various interventions introduced by education stakeholders including NGOs and government are not obviously positive or more importantly, different from normal schooling. This points to the need to evaluate programmes before they are rolled out provincially or nationally, using RCTs and other rigorous methods. The new analysis of data in this study explores the so-called “Matthew Effect” - the notion that initially better-performing children typically gain more from additional interventions and from schooling itself. The data from the RCUP RCT indicates that children with higher baseline test scores benefited from the intervention, whereas children with very low English proficiency at the outset did not benefit from the programme. Although females significantly outperform males in the reading tests used, there was no clear evidence of a differential effect of the intervention by gender. The Matthew Effect therefore seems to be driven by prior knowledge and not gender or any other characteristic that was measured in the data. The second case study in Chapter 5, is the Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS) conducted in the North West province. The EGRS may be seen as a more extensive follow-up to the RCUP to answer some of the unanswered questions. For example, will an early grade reading intervention that is implemented over a longer duration (two years) have an impact? Can intervening right at the start of school be a strategic point to intervene? Can a Home Language literacy intervention have lasting educational benefits? In conclusion, although the policy formulation and evaluation process should draw on research using a variety of methods, the policy process will certainly be impoverished if there is a lack of research meeting two core criteria: interventions and findings that are relevant to the larger schooling population; and the precise measurement of the causal impact of interventions and/or policies. This study makes a clear literature-based argument on the contribution of internally valid methods, specifically RCTs in fulfilling these criteria and illustrates this with two case studies of RCTS. The study also provides a demonstration of the insights that are possible through secondary analysis founded on the richness of RCT data. / MT2017

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, there have been several turning points in South African education. One of the key changes has been the conception of Social Sciences (SS) – a learning area under the National Curriculum Statement of 2002. The structure of SS has undergone a significant change with regard to evolving from Human and Social Sciences (HSS) to its current state – SS. The DoE claims that the SS curriculum is the result of integration – a concept which has been widely accepted in the international community. The aim of this study was to investigate the views and pedagogy of SS teachers with reference to the concept of integration. I engaged in qualitative research and employed the interpretivist paradigm when analysing my data. Research instruments included semi-structured interviews, a picture identification session and a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of key SS policy documents which inform SS pedagogy. Data were analysed through the method of open-coding. The study concluded that integration has a multitude of meanings, and the conceptualisation and implementation of it differs from teacher to teacher. Integration has now become a generic concept which can be applied to socio-political, economic, educational and environmental spheres of the SS curriculum. For this reason I argue that the SS curriculum may not be foregrounded by the concept of integration, but rather an alternate disciplinary collaboration/s such as interdisciplinarity, pluridisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity. The different disciplinary collaborations has been investigated and applied to the SS curriculum within the South African educational context. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

This pilot research survey was undertaken as a result of the need to assess the service quality within Higher Education in general and the Department of Management at UWC in particular. This report focuses on the complexities of measuring service quality in higher education. The quality of service delivery within education is becoming more important as the competition for students increases.<br /> The literature was searched to find a suitable measure with a sound theoretical structure. This measure was then adapted for the department.<br /> <br /> In a preliminary way this instrument was then applied to students in the department and initial results are reported on.<br /> The results revealed that undergraduates overall were uncertain in their attitude to the service quality in the department. On the other hand, postgraduate students tended to rate the service quality rather more negatively (p &lt / 0.004). Furthermore there were no gender differences except for tangibles (p = 000.5).<br /> <br /> This pilot study could serve as a pilot study of the service quality in an academic environment. It is the main contention of this report that students themselves should be part of defining quality.

<p>The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate success of an integrated newsletter assignment for first year Human Resource Management students as an authentic and meaningful form of assessment by tracing and deciphering the narratives of the role-players. The study also examined the role that the newsletter can play regarding experiential learning, which is an essential component of teaching and learning at technikons in South Africa.</p>