Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO

This research concerning the organisation of student-personnel services in higher education brings to the reader a comprehensive -and contemporary view of American, European and South-African conditions from which student-personnel services have emerged. It acknowledges the factors which caused guidance services to flourish as we 11 as the comprehensiveness of the existing student-personnel services in the South-African context. Student-personnel services evaluated in a scientific manner create the possibility of determining the• effect of a particular personnel service and allows decisions to be made as to changes in, or elimination of, the service. The evaluation of existing services is necessary in order to give some indication of the status of student-personnel work today. It was intended that this empirical comparative study be restricted to consideration of the organisational and administrative structures as well as the services included in a student-personnel department. The methodology of this study was to conduct a comprehensive literature survey. From this information it was possible to compile a theoretical model for a student-personnel department in South-Africa. This theoretical model was evaluated empirically and it was for this purpose that a questionnaire was drawn up and sent to the administrators of student-personnel departments. Utilizing the information contained in their replies, a South-African model for student-personnel services was constructed, which attempts to provide guidance for the organisational and administrative structures, services as well as an organisational development model. With the compilation of this model it was endeavoured to ensure that the student-personnel service departments, will be of the greatest benefit to the student community as well as to be flexible and adaptable with in the organisational structure of higher educational institutions. The most important finding of this study is that South-African literature concerning student-personnel services is both limited and insignificant. A clear indication by the respondents is that student-personnel services contribute positively to the development of the student community. It is important to acknowledge explicit1y that 70% of the respondents indicated that the theoretical model satisfies the South-African requirement for student-personnel services. Owing to the deductions and limitations of this study it is recommended that a follow-up study should be conducted. The objective should be a theoretical implementation and evaluation of this model in South-African higher educational institutions and to establish the validity of this structure as a model for student-personnel services in South-Africa. / Skripsie (MBA)--PU vir CHO, 1987

Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO

This research concerning the organisation of student-personnel services in higher education brings to the reader a comprehensive -and contemporary view of American, European and South-African conditions from which student-personnel services have emerged. It acknowledges the factors which caused guidance services to flourish as we 11 as the comprehensiveness of the existing student-personnel services in the South-African context. Student-personnel services evaluated in a scientific manner create the possibility of determining the• effect of a particular personnel service and allows decisions to be made as to changes in, or elimination of, the service. The evaluation of existing services is necessary in order to give some indication of the status of student-personnel work today. It was intended that this empirical comparative study be restricted to consideration of the organisational and administrative structures as well as the services included in a student-personnel department. The methodology of this study was to conduct a comprehensive literature survey. From this information it was possible to compile a theoretical model for a student-personnel department in South-Africa. This theoretical model was evaluated empirically and it was for this purpose that a questionnaire was drawn up and sent to the administrators of student-personnel departments. Utilizing the information contained in their replies, a South-African model for student-personnel services was constructed, which attempts to provide guidance for the organisational and administrative structures, services as well as an organisational development model. With the compilation of this model it was endeavoured to ensure that the student-personnel service departments, will be of the greatest benefit to the student community as well as to be flexible and adaptable with in the organisational structure of higher educational institutions. The most important finding of this study is that South-African literature concerning student-personnel services is both limited and insignificant. A clear indication by the respondents is that student-personnel services contribute positively to the development of the student community. It is important to acknowledge explicit1y that 70% of the respondents indicated that the theoretical model satisfies the South-African requirement for student-personnel services. Owing to the deductions and limitations of this study it is recommended that a follow-up study should be conducted. The objective should be a theoretical implementation and evaluation of this model in South-African higher educational institutions and to establish the validity of this structure as a model for student-personnel services in South-Africa. / Skripsie (MBA)--PU vir CHO, 1987

Although the South African government plays an increasing role in tertiary education, its involvement has not received the attention that it deserves. The goals of tertiary education are multi-dimensional at the individual and societal levels, but the guiding paradigm was viewing it in relation to the manpower and socio-economic needs of the country. This meant analysing how the government attempted to deal with these needs, especially in certain key professions, such as engineering and teaching. The following hypotheses were tested: HYPOTHESIS 1 The prestige of the universities within the tertiary education system will persist for a longer period than the economic rewards of its graduates alone would justify. HYPOTHESIS 2 The expansion from elite to mass tertiary education will lead to greater dependence on government funding and increased need for control, co-ordination, and national standards. HYPOTHESIS 3 Governments will underinvest in technical education. HYPOTHESIS 4 In "bad" economic times tertiary education enrolments will decline. HYPOTHESIS 5 Continuing university prestige will cause the college of advanced technical education (CATE) and technikon enrolments and diplomas and certificates awarded to lag behind university degrees and diplomas. HYPOTHESIS 6 In "bad" economic times CATE and technikon technical enrolments will decline. HYPOTHESIS 7 Fears of surpluses of university graduates, especially in the arts, on the one hand and shortages of certain types of manpower on the other hand will lead to government efforts to redress the balance. HYPOTHESIS 8 There will be significant limitations on government efforts to create the desired numbers and types of skilled manpower, for interventionism of this sort will run counter to individual aspirations. Tertiary education for all of the population groups since 1945 was covered. Whilst there are some gaps in the available enrolment and expenditure data, they do not invalidate the conclusions. In a plural society with deep cleavages amongst the four main population groups and lesser intra group cleavages, separate education systems developed. All population groups value academic education very highly, especially the blacks. The biases in favour of an academic education are deep rooted and multi-faceted, going back to the colonial times. Within the South African context, there are also political, socio-economic, educational, and vocational factors reinforcing these biases. Ever since the creation of the Union in 1910 there has been an ongoing debate and controversy about the division of authority in education between the central government and the provincial governments. This has been especially the case with the colleges of education for the whites. It Will soon end, however, when the central government will take them over, as well as primary and secondary schools for the whites. Black education was taken over from provincial governments in 1954 up to the university level as part of the separate development policy. The same was done in the case of coloured education in 1967, and by 1970 with Indian education. In 1960 the University College of Fort Hare was taken over by the central government, and the University Colleges of Zululand and North were also created in 1959 for specific ethnic groups. Since then all of the non-white universities have experienced student unrest, especially the black ones. The government policy had the unintended consequence of contributing to their politicisation. The administrative structure is a complex one. There is one education ministry for each major population group, plus one dealing with general education matters. An elaborate statutory advisory system of boards, committees, and councils exists. There is, however, no body offering advice to the government on tertiary education as a whole for any of the population groups. The current expenditures for universities from 1953 until 1985 were under the Holloway formula, consisting of the basic subsidy, standard provision, cost of living allowance, free income, and capital expenditure. The new formula provides more emphasis upon outputs, with half of the funds being made available in June and the other half in December. Those in the natural sciences also receive somewhat more than those in the human sciences. University enrolments have grown much faster than the college of education, CATE, and technikon enrolments. Thus, the first part of Hypothesis 1 was substantiated. One of the consequences of •this phenomenal growth has been a significant failure rate, especially amongst first-year university students. This great expansion of tertiary education has led to greater dependence on government funding, as predicted by Hypothesis 2. Hypothesis 3 also holds true, for there was underinvestment in CATE and technikon education for a long time as opposed to university education, although this is no longer true for the non-whites. Hypotheses 4 and 6 lacked significant supporting evidence and thus they were not confirmed. Tertiary education overall enrolments are not normally economically determined to any marked degree. Hypothesis 5 was upheld, because CATE and technikon enrolments and certificates and diplomas awarded as contrasted to university enrolments and degrees and diplomas awarded have lagged behind total awards and constitute a declining proportion. The last part of Hypothesis 1 is confirmed; technicians earn almost as much as teachers and sometimes even more than university graduates. Yet, they lack their prestige. Human capital theory, beginning in the 1960s, provided the theoretical justification for the great expansion of tertiary education. It maintained that investment in education will yield rich dividends to the individuals and to the economy in terms of higher growth. Since the early 1970s, however, it has come under increasing criticism from social scientists. Many maintained that there might be a declining positive correlation between education enrolments and growth rates and even negative correlations. Some even maintained that there are social limits to growth, including in education. Developing surpluses of university graduates abroad, continuing shortages of engineers and technicians, and the rising number of secondary school graduates, most of them with an academic education, led to government concern and the creation of the De Lange Commission. The government tried to redress the balance between university graduates in general and the shortages of technical and teaching personnel in particular. The De Lange Commission maintained that education must be linked to the manpower and economic development needs of the country. Earlier government commissions addressed the problems of technical and teaching personnel shortages. Many of their recommendations were implemented, but shortages of technical personnel have remained. Hypothesis 7 was thus confirmed. The government has tried to pursue the goals of manpower and economic development needs of the country, but as hypothesised (Hypothesis 8) it has run into difficulties because its goals run counter to individual aspirations. Many students pursue tertiary education for purely utilitarian or socio-economic reasons. There is also a minority which desires it for self-development or the advancement of knowledge regardless of the economic consequences. Moreover, the prestige of university education creates a strong social demand for it. Supply and demand projections for engineers and technicians indicate continuing shortages in the short- range at least. As far as the teachers are concerned, there will be enough white, coloured, and Indian ones, perhaps even some surpluses in the medium-range. In the case of the blacks, shortages will remain. The number of non-white university students by 1990 might equal white university students. The white population alone is no longer able to provide sufficient numbers of high level manpower. In the short-range the demand for university graduates looks good, but this does not mean that there will be no problems in the long-range. Unemployment of university graduates has been low, but underemployment, especially in the arts, has been far more significant. There will be increasing numbers of underemployed university graduates, with the potential for political discontent amongst highly educated and frustrated people, especially the blacks. Possible solutions to engineer and technician shortages include the granting of degrees by technikons, validation of technikon courses, and the awarding of degrees by an external authority. In the case of teachers, increasing their renumeration and the merging of the colleges of education with the university faculties of education would result in increasing their prestige and attracting more men to the profession. As far as unemployment and underemployment of university graduates are concerned, the solution lies in relating individual actions to societal needs. Incentives or disincentives of one sort or another appear to be necessary, such as differentiated fee structures and the limiting of enrolments in those disciplines which produce labour market surpluses. The government could also provide employment for unemployed university graduates and encourage the private sector to do the same. All of these solutions have disadvantages as well as advantages, but in the long run they have the potential of avoiding even more serious consequences. / Proefskrif (DPhil)--PU vir CHO, 1986

1. THE PROBLEM INVESTIGATED - In the course of the past decade it has become clear that the ever-increasing tempo of scientific and technological development has increasingly placed the stress to a larger extent on proper training, and the implementation of especially high-level manpower. Apart from formal education continuing education and in-service training and retraining have begun to receive attention universally from educational authorities. It is also a fact that the practitioner of a profession periodically has to receive continuing education and training in order * to attain specialised knowledge in his own field; * to keep up with recent developments in his field; and * to get help with new adjustments and challenges posed by the profession he is in. Apart from continuing education to the professional practitioner, provision also has to be made for supportive programmes, provision for ad hoc needs for knowledge about specific issues, the identification of individuals who either did not enter into the sphere of formal education or who left it early, and the fulfilment of knowledge about recreational activities. With regard to continuing education the following might be stated axiomatically: * education and training are continuing activities; * in both developed and developing countries lifelong learning should receive the highest priority rating in all educational planning, and * in the RSA the need for continuing education was stressed by two recent government reports, viz. Provision of Education in the RSA (HSRC Report), 1981, and Report of the National Manpower Commission on High Level Manpower in the RSA, 1980. The problem to be investigated was thus: What task does the university have in the provision of continuing education and how can the university fulfil this task? In other words, it has to be determined what the task of the university, with its special structural nature, skills and facilities is with regard to the provision of continuing education, with its complex objectives, structure and idiosyncratic nature. 2. HYPOTHESES - The following research hypotheses were postulated: Main hypothesis The university with its skills encompassed in a large number of departments, bureaus and institutes, has, apart from its task of formal instruction of registered students, also the task of making a contribution in the provision of continuing education to practitioners of professions and the “general public”. Sub-hypothesis 1: The special nature of continuing education makes possible the effective participation of the university in this activity. Sub-hypothesis 2: The university, on the basis of its special structure, is particularly suited to make a contribution in the field of continuing education. Sub-hypothesis 3: Various overseas and South African universities are already actively engaged in the field of continuing education. Sub-hypothesis 4: The Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education has a contribution to make in the field of continuing education on the basis of its special character. 3. METHOD OF RESEARCH - At the inception of the study a hypothesis and a number of sub-hypotheses were postulated. In the course of the study the hypotheses were then proved either in terms of being acceptable or unacceptable. Use was also made of a literature survey and interviewing by way of a schedule of questions asked of university departments and units for continuing education at universities. Concepts were defined, deductions and conclusions were arrived at and descriptions were also used. * In chapter 2, by means of a literature survey, variant concepts of continuing education were dealt with and explicated, viz., amongst others, adult education, lifelong education, life-wide education and recurrent education. The nature, the essence, the structure and aspects of continuing education were also dealt with. Subsequently motives which adults have for participating in continuing education programmes were examined, and it emerged that the social togetherness with others and the desire to make progress professionally are important motives. The need for continuing education to be integrated into the system of formal educational provision was stressed. * In chapter 3 the task of the university, with special reference to the provision of continuing education, was put under the magnifying glass. It was pointed out that continuing education is one of the most important aspects of the community service which the university can render. * In chapter 4 the stress was on the provision of continuing education at some overseas universities. Examples of courses for the practitioners of professions as well as generally formative and culturally enriching programmes were provided. Both the manner of presentation of these courses and the purpose of the courses were looked at. * In chapter 5 the provision of continuing education in South African universities were dealt with in the same way. Reference was made evaluatively to noticeably positive and less positive aspects of the provision of continuing education at each university. * In chapter 6 attention was given to the provision of continuing education at the PU for CHE with due regard for the special nature and essence of the university, the area from which the university draws its students and the skills offered at this university. Apart from continuing educational courses initiated by the Bureau for Continuing Education and presented under its auspices, reference was also made to continuing educational courses offered by departments, bureaus and institutes. In the same manner as when dealing with the other universities, evaluation was made and deficiencies pointed out. * In chapter 7 findings were arrived at, conclusions drawn and some recommendations made. 4. FINDINGS - 4.1 With regard to the sub-hypotheses: 4.1.1 The special nature of continuing education makes possible the effective participation of the university in this activity Continuing education is a creative event which continues throughout man’s life and which has the purpose of integrating the various learning events with each other in order to have man developed in his totality. Continuing education points to a new view and a new approach with regard to education and the provision of educational services. The view that education should be limited merely to institutions for formal education has made room for a new approach: education carries on throughout man 1s life. It is also true that no initial training can offer a guarantee for lifelong training, and it is periodically necessary for practitioners of professions to be trained in-service. “Professional practitioner” implies someone who has already received higher education.) School and university curricula should to a larger extent make provision for continuing education. Stress has to be put throughout on the need for continuing education. Through bringing home self-study techniques to pupils and students they can be prepared for eventual further training following the period of formal education at the secondary or the tertiary level. Continuing education envisages the optimal development of all people at all stages of life, and the optimal utilization of all educational facilities (including therefore those of the university too) in the interests of the state, but above all with a view to the richer personal fulfilment of the individual. Although continuing education indicates education in the wider sense, it places primary stress on professional training and re-training, that is, in-service training of professional practitioners. What is also envisaged with continuing education is culturally and generally formative education of the "general public". The special nature and objectives of continuing education, viz. to retrain the professional practitioner periodically, thus makes possible the effective participation of the universities which are especially equipped to fulfil this demand, the need for continuing education. 4.1.2 The university, on the basis of its special structure, is particularly suited to make a contribution in the field of continuing education It is universally accepted that the task of the university is to teach, to do research and to provide community service. The university serves the local community from which it receives financial support and other support, and from which its students are drawn. The university also renders service to the national community through the training of scientists and professional practitioners. As a result of technological developments in all fields throughout the world, the task of community service of the university has been thus influenced that increasingly attention has had to be given to the training, re-training and in-service training of professional practitioners. This further training is also in the first instance applicable to those who have already been trained for a profession, but whose knowledge has become obsolescent as a result of technological development. It is also true that the community service of the university is linked to the teaching and research tasks of the university and that continuing education can be mentioned as an example of community service. The university has special skills which are situated in its academic departments and research and teaching bureaus and institutes. The university also has the calling of rendering community service in the shape of continuing education. It is universally accepted that continuing education is not a separate activity of the university 1s teaching structure, that continuing edu= cation should be offered at university level and that co-ordinated con= tinuing educational activities are to be preferred tci separate, ad hoc efforts. On the other hand it is generally accepted that community service (and implicitly continuing education) should not take place at the expense of the primary task of the university which is teaching and research. 4.1.3 Various overseas and South African universities are already actively engaged in the field of continuing education Continuing educational courses which have as an objective in-service training or refresher courses for professional practitioners, and the general forming and knowledge and cultural enrichment of the community, are offered locally and overseas over a wide spectrum. Continuing education courses for professional practitioners, e.g. for attorneys, medics, nurses, social workers, accountants, engineers and teachers vary from one-day seminars to three-week residential courses. Generally formative and culturally enriching courses for the public vary from evening classes to week-long courses and mostly also include public lectures on topical events. These courses often form part of Winter and Summer Schools. Courses providing knowledge about recreational activities are also included in these fields. Examination of continuing education courses is seldom done, and normally only attendance certificates are presented. On the other hand, it usually happens at overseas universities that credits for degree purposes can be achieved through continuing education courses. It is also a fact that in some cases at overseas institutions so much value is attached to continuing education as a means to the further training of the employee that substantial rebates are allowed in personal income tax to the employee in terms of costs incurred in the course of continuing educational courses. At most South African universities, in contrast to overseas universities, no attention to speak of is given to research on continuing education. Continuing education units usually function as separate departments at universities and are controlled according to regulations, constitutions etc. In some cases at South African universities the unit for continuing education constitutes part of another department, such as for example university education. With regard to the financing of continuing education units, the following variations are found: from completely self-sufficient to completely dependent on financing through the university. In South Africa continuing education of universities can not claim state subsidies. In England continuing education is fully subsidized by both the central and local governments. Apart from presentation of continuing education courses in the form of lectures, seminars, conferences and discussions, courses at some overseas universities are also presented by means of audio and video cassettes and by way of correspondence courses. Radio and television are also freely used for this purpose by universities that have their own radio transmitters and/or television channels. 4.1.4 The Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education has a contribution to make in the field of continuing education on the basis of its special character The academic skills of the PU for CHE are located in 8 faculties, more than 80 academic departments and a number of bureaus, centres and institutes. This university also has its own specific skills because of its Christian-Afrikaans character, its rura1 but also semi-urban situation (Vaa1 Campus) and its specia1 area from which students are drawn - ski1ls which are transmitted via a Christian practice of scho1arship and which can then also make a contribution to the provision of continuing education. In the same way as is the case with other South African universities, the objective of continuing education at this university is also periodically to retrain professiona1 practitioners and also to render community service in the form of generally formative and culturally enriching programmes. Because of the rural situation of this university the nature of continuing education differs from urban universities, in the same way that the number of people involved in the programmes are different. 4.2 With regard to the main hypothesis: On the basis of the acceptance of the above four sub-hypotheses the main hypothesis can also now be accepted. The crucial finding on the basis of the research is that the university, with its skills encompassed in a large number of departments, bureaus and institutes, apart from the formal task of teaching registered undergraduate and postgraduate students, also has the task of rendering continuing education to professional practitioners and the "general pub1ic". 5. SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MADE ON THE BASIS OF THE COMPLETED RESEARCH - The recommendations emanating from the research are distinguished into two groups, viz. recommendations with regard to continuing education in general by universities, and secondly recommendations aimed more specifically at continuing education at the PU for CHE. 5.1 General recommendations: * Research on continuing education should get more attention. * Continuing education provision to the professional practitioner could be extended to more professions. * More co-operation should be obtained with professional councils in the provision of continuing education for the professional practitioner. * Universities could co-operate in the presentation of continuing education courses. * Co-operative training ("sandwich courses") should be considered for the training of various professional practitioners. * Continuing educational presentations at universities should receive financial support from government. 5.2 Recommendations more specifically with regard to continuing education at the PU for CHE: * More attention should be directed to the continuing educational opportunities for the agricultural and mining sectors. * More effective liaison should be effected between the Bureau for Continuing Education and academic departments. * Consideration should be given to audio and video cassettes and correspondence courses in the presentation of continuing education courses, amongst others in Christian scholarship. * Continuing education courses can be presented decentralized to a larger extent. * The institution of a course in non-formal education at the H.E.D. or B.Ed. levels should be considered. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1985

Although the South African government plays an increasing role in tertiary education, its involvement has not received the attention that it deserves. The goals of tertiary education are multi-dimensional at the individual and societal levels, but the guiding paradigm was viewing it in relation to the manpower and socio-economic needs of the country. This meant analysing how the government attempted to deal with these needs, especially in certain key professions, such as engineering and teaching. The following hypotheses were tested: HYPOTHESIS 1 The prestige of the universities within the tertiary education system will persist for a longer period than the economic rewards of its graduates alone would justify. HYPOTHESIS 2 The expansion from elite to mass tertiary education will lead to greater dependence on government funding and increased need for control, co-ordination, and national standards. HYPOTHESIS 3 Governments will underinvest in technical education. HYPOTHESIS 4 In "bad" economic times tertiary education enrolments will decline. HYPOTHESIS 5 Continuing university prestige will cause the college of advanced technical education (CATE) and technikon enrolments and diplomas and certificates awarded to lag behind university degrees and diplomas. HYPOTHESIS 6 In "bad" economic times CATE and technikon technical enrolments will decline. HYPOTHESIS 7 Fears of surpluses of university graduates, especially in the arts, on the one hand and shortages of certain types of manpower on the other hand will lead to government efforts to redress the balance. HYPOTHESIS 8 There will be significant limitations on government efforts to create the desired numbers and types of skilled manpower, for interventionism of this sort will run counter to individual aspirations. Tertiary education for all of the population groups since 1945 was covered. Whilst there are some gaps in the available enrolment and expenditure data, they do not invalidate the conclusions. In a plural society with deep cleavages amongst the four main population groups and lesser intra group cleavages, separate education systems developed. All population groups value academic education very highly, especially the blacks. The biases in favour of an academic education are deep rooted and multi-faceted, going back to the colonial times. Within the South African context, there are also political, socio-economic, educational, and vocational factors reinforcing these biases. Ever since the creation of the Union in 1910 there has been an ongoing debate and controversy about the division of authority in education between the central government and the provincial governments. This has been especially the case with the colleges of education for the whites. It Will soon end, however, when the central government will take them over, as well as primary and secondary schools for the whites. Black education was taken over from provincial governments in 1954 up to the university level as part of the separate development policy. The same was done in the case of coloured education in 1967, and by 1970 with Indian education. In 1960 the University College of Fort Hare was taken over by the central government, and the University Colleges of Zululand and North were also created in 1959 for specific ethnic groups. Since then all of the non-white universities have experienced student unrest, especially the black ones. The government policy had the unintended consequence of contributing to their politicisation. The administrative structure is a complex one. There is one education ministry for each major population group, plus one dealing with general education matters. An elaborate statutory advisory system of boards, committees, and councils exists. There is, however, no body offering advice to the government on tertiary education as a whole for any of the population groups. The current expenditures for universities from 1953 until 1985 were under the Holloway formula, consisting of the basic subsidy, standard provision, cost of living allowance, free income, and capital expenditure. The new formula provides more emphasis upon outputs, with half of the funds being made available in June and the other half in December. Those in the natural sciences also receive somewhat more than those in the human sciences. University enrolments have grown much faster than the college of education, CATE, and technikon enrolments. Thus, the first part of Hypothesis 1 was substantiated. One of the consequences of •this phenomenal growth has been a significant failure rate, especially amongst first-year university students. This great expansion of tertiary education has led to greater dependence on government funding, as predicted by Hypothesis 2. Hypothesis 3 also holds true, for there was underinvestment in CATE and technikon education for a long time as opposed to university education, although this is no longer true for the non-whites. Hypotheses 4 and 6 lacked significant supporting evidence and thus they were not confirmed. Tertiary education overall enrolments are not normally economically determined to any marked degree. Hypothesis 5 was upheld, because CATE and technikon enrolments and certificates and diplomas awarded as contrasted to university enrolments and degrees and diplomas awarded have lagged behind total awards and constitute a declining proportion. The last part of Hypothesis 1 is confirmed; technicians earn almost as much as teachers and sometimes even more than university graduates. Yet, they lack their prestige. Human capital theory, beginning in the 1960s, provided the theoretical justification for the great expansion of tertiary education. It maintained that investment in education will yield rich dividends to the individuals and to the economy in terms of higher growth. Since the early 1970s, however, it has come under increasing criticism from social scientists. Many maintained that there might be a declining positive correlation between education enrolments and growth rates and even negative correlations. Some even maintained that there are social limits to growth, including in education. Developing surpluses of university graduates abroad, continuing shortages of engineers and technicians, and the rising number of secondary school graduates, most of them with an academic education, led to government concern and the creation of the De Lange Commission. The government tried to redress the balance between university graduates in general and the shortages of technical and teaching personnel in particular. The De Lange Commission maintained that education must be linked to the manpower and economic development needs of the country. Earlier government commissions addressed the problems of technical and teaching personnel shortages. Many of their recommendations were implemented, but shortages of technical personnel have remained. Hypothesis 7 was thus confirmed. The government has tried to pursue the goals of manpower and economic development needs of the country, but as hypothesised (Hypothesis 8) it has run into difficulties because its goals run counter to individual aspirations. Many students pursue tertiary education for purely utilitarian or socio-economic reasons. There is also a minority which desires it for self-development or the advancement of knowledge regardless of the economic consequences. Moreover, the prestige of university education creates a strong social demand for it. Supply and demand projections for engineers and technicians indicate continuing shortages in the short- range at least. As far as the teachers are concerned, there will be enough white, coloured, and Indian ones, perhaps even some surpluses in the medium-range. In the case of the blacks, shortages will remain. The number of non-white university students by 1990 might equal white university students. The white population alone is no longer able to provide sufficient numbers of high level manpower. In the short-range the demand for university graduates looks good, but this does not mean that there will be no problems in the long-range. Unemployment of university graduates has been low, but underemployment, especially in the arts, has been far more significant. There will be increasing numbers of underemployed university graduates, with the potential for political discontent amongst highly educated and frustrated people, especially the blacks. Possible solutions to engineer and technician shortages include the granting of degrees by technikons, validation of technikon courses, and the awarding of degrees by an external authority. In the case of teachers, increasing their renumeration and the merging of the colleges of education with the university faculties of education would result in increasing their prestige and attracting more men to the profession. As far as unemployment and underemployment of university graduates are concerned, the solution lies in relating individual actions to societal needs. Incentives or disincentives of one sort or another appear to be necessary, such as differentiated fee structures and the limiting of enrolments in those disciplines which produce labour market surpluses. The government could also provide employment for unemployed university graduates and encourage the private sector to do the same. All of these solutions have disadvantages as well as advantages, but in the long run they have the potential of avoiding even more serious consequences. / Proefskrif (DPhil)--PU vir CHO, 1986

1. THE PROBLEM INVESTIGATED - In the course of the past decade it has become clear that the ever-increasing tempo of scientific and technological development has increasingly placed the stress to a larger extent on proper training, and the implementation of especially high-level manpower. Apart from formal education continuing education and in-service training and retraining have begun to receive attention universally from educational authorities. It is also a fact that the practitioner of a profession periodically has to receive continuing education and training in order * to attain specialised knowledge in his own field; * to keep up with recent developments in his field; and * to get help with new adjustments and challenges posed by the profession he is in. Apart from continuing education to the professional practitioner, provision also has to be made for supportive programmes, provision for ad hoc needs for knowledge about specific issues, the identification of individuals who either did not enter into the sphere of formal education or who left it early, and the fulfilment of knowledge about recreational activities. With regard to continuing education the following might be stated axiomatically: * education and training are continuing activities; * in both developed and developing countries lifelong learning should receive the highest priority rating in all educational planning, and * in the RSA the need for continuing education was stressed by two recent government reports, viz. Provision of Education in the RSA (HSRC Report), 1981, and Report of the National Manpower Commission on High Level Manpower in the RSA, 1980. The problem to be investigated was thus: What task does the university have in the provision of continuing education and how can the university fulfil this task? In other words, it has to be determined what the task of the university, with its special structural nature, skills and facilities is with regard to the provision of continuing education, with its complex objectives, structure and idiosyncratic nature. 2. HYPOTHESES - The following research hypotheses were postulated: Main hypothesis The university with its skills encompassed in a large number of departments, bureaus and institutes, has, apart from its task of formal instruction of registered students, also the task of making a contribution in the provision of continuing education to practitioners of professions and the “general public”. Sub-hypothesis 1: The special nature of continuing education makes possible the effective participation of the university in this activity. Sub-hypothesis 2: The university, on the basis of its special structure, is particularly suited to make a contribution in the field of continuing education. Sub-hypothesis 3: Various overseas and South African universities are already actively engaged in the field of continuing education. Sub-hypothesis 4: The Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education has a contribution to make in the field of continuing education on the basis of its special character. 3. METHOD OF RESEARCH - At the inception of the study a hypothesis and a number of sub-hypotheses were postulated. In the course of the study the hypotheses were then proved either in terms of being acceptable or unacceptable. Use was also made of a literature survey and interviewing by way of a schedule of questions asked of university departments and units for continuing education at universities. Concepts were defined, deductions and conclusions were arrived at and descriptions were also used. * In chapter 2, by means of a literature survey, variant concepts of continuing education were dealt with and explicated, viz., amongst others, adult education, lifelong education, life-wide education and recurrent education. The nature, the essence, the structure and aspects of continuing education were also dealt with. Subsequently motives which adults have for participating in continuing education programmes were examined, and it emerged that the social togetherness with others and the desire to make progress professionally are important motives. The need for continuing education to be integrated into the system of formal educational provision was stressed. * In chapter 3 the task of the university, with special reference to the provision of continuing education, was put under the magnifying glass. It was pointed out that continuing education is one of the most important aspects of the community service which the university can render. * In chapter 4 the stress was on the provision of continuing education at some overseas universities. Examples of courses for the practitioners of professions as well as generally formative and culturally enriching programmes were provided. Both the manner of presentation of these courses and the purpose of the courses were looked at. * In chapter 5 the provision of continuing education in South African universities were dealt with in the same way. Reference was made evaluatively to noticeably positive and less positive aspects of the provision of continuing education at each university. * In chapter 6 attention was given to the provision of continuing education at the PU for CHE with due regard for the special nature and essence of the university, the area from which the university draws its students and the skills offered at this university. Apart from continuing educational courses initiated by the Bureau for Continuing Education and presented under its auspices, reference was also made to continuing educational courses offered by departments, bureaus and institutes. In the same manner as when dealing with the other universities, evaluation was made and deficiencies pointed out. * In chapter 7 findings were arrived at, conclusions drawn and some recommendations made. 4. FINDINGS - 4.1 With regard to the sub-hypotheses: 4.1.1 The special nature of continuing education makes possible the effective participation of the university in this activity Continuing education is a creative event which continues throughout man’s life and which has the purpose of integrating the various learning events with each other in order to have man developed in his totality. Continuing education points to a new view and a new approach with regard to education and the provision of educational services. The view that education should be limited merely to institutions for formal education has made room for a new approach: education carries on throughout man 1s life. It is also true that no initial training can offer a guarantee for lifelong training, and it is periodically necessary for practitioners of professions to be trained in-service. “Professional practitioner” implies someone who has already received higher education.) School and university curricula should to a larger extent make provision for continuing education. Stress has to be put throughout on the need for continuing education. Through bringing home self-study techniques to pupils and students they can be prepared for eventual further training following the period of formal education at the secondary or the tertiary level. Continuing education envisages the optimal development of all people at all stages of life, and the optimal utilization of all educational facilities (including therefore those of the university too) in the interests of the state, but above all with a view to the richer personal fulfilment of the individual. Although continuing education indicates education in the wider sense, it places primary stress on professional training and re-training, that is, in-service training of professional practitioners. What is also envisaged with continuing education is culturally and generally formative education of the "general public". The special nature and objectives of continuing education, viz. to retrain the professional practitioner periodically, thus makes possible the effective participation of the universities which are especially equipped to fulfil this demand, the need for continuing education. 4.1.2 The university, on the basis of its special structure, is particularly suited to make a contribution in the field of continuing education It is universally accepted that the task of the university is to teach, to do research and to provide community service. The university serves the local community from which it receives financial support and other support, and from which its students are drawn. The university also renders service to the national community through the training of scientists and professional practitioners. As a result of technological developments in all fields throughout the world, the task of community service of the university has been thus influenced that increasingly attention has had to be given to the training, re-training and in-service training of professional practitioners. This further training is also in the first instance applicable to those who have already been trained for a profession, but whose knowledge has become obsolescent as a result of technological development. It is also true that the community service of the university is linked to the teaching and research tasks of the university and that continuing education can be mentioned as an example of community service. The university has special skills which are situated in its academic departments and research and teaching bureaus and institutes. The university also has the calling of rendering community service in the shape of continuing education. It is universally accepted that continuing education is not a separate activity of the university 1s teaching structure, that continuing edu= cation should be offered at university level and that co-ordinated con= tinuing educational activities are to be preferred tci separate, ad hoc efforts. On the other hand it is generally accepted that community service (and implicitly continuing education) should not take place at the expense of the primary task of the university which is teaching and research. 4.1.3 Various overseas and South African universities are already actively engaged in the field of continuing education Continuing educational courses which have as an objective in-service training or refresher courses for professional practitioners, and the general forming and knowledge and cultural enrichment of the community, are offered locally and overseas over a wide spectrum. Continuing education courses for professional practitioners, e.g. for attorneys, medics, nurses, social workers, accountants, engineers and teachers vary from one-day seminars to three-week residential courses. Generally formative and culturally enriching courses for the public vary from evening classes to week-long courses and mostly also include public lectures on topical events. These courses often form part of Winter and Summer Schools. Courses providing knowledge about recreational activities are also included in these fields. Examination of continuing education courses is seldom done, and normally only attendance certificates are presented. On the other hand, it usually happens at overseas universities that credits for degree purposes can be achieved through continuing education courses. It is also a fact that in some cases at overseas institutions so much value is attached to continuing education as a means to the further training of the employee that substantial rebates are allowed in personal income tax to the employee in terms of costs incurred in the course of continuing educational courses. At most South African universities, in contrast to overseas universities, no attention to speak of is given to research on continuing education. Continuing education units usually function as separate departments at universities and are controlled according to regulations, constitutions etc. In some cases at South African universities the unit for continuing education constitutes part of another department, such as for example university education. With regard to the financing of continuing education units, the following variations are found: from completely self-sufficient to completely dependent on financing through the university. In South Africa continuing education of universities can not claim state subsidies. In England continuing education is fully subsidized by both the central and local governments. Apart from presentation of continuing education courses in the form of lectures, seminars, conferences and discussions, courses at some overseas universities are also presented by means of audio and video cassettes and by way of correspondence courses. Radio and television are also freely used for this purpose by universities that have their own radio transmitters and/or television channels. 4.1.4 The Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education has a contribution to make in the field of continuing education on the basis of its special character The academic skills of the PU for CHE are located in 8 faculties, more than 80 academic departments and a number of bureaus, centres and institutes. This university also has its own specific skills because of its Christian-Afrikaans character, its rura1 but also semi-urban situation (Vaa1 Campus) and its specia1 area from which students are drawn - ski1ls which are transmitted via a Christian practice of scho1arship and which can then also make a contribution to the provision of continuing education. In the same way as is the case with other South African universities, the objective of continuing education at this university is also periodically to retrain professiona1 practitioners and also to render community service in the form of generally formative and culturally enriching programmes. Because of the rural situation of this university the nature of continuing education differs from urban universities, in the same way that the number of people involved in the programmes are different. 4.2 With regard to the main hypothesis: On the basis of the acceptance of the above four sub-hypotheses the main hypothesis can also now be accepted. The crucial finding on the basis of the research is that the university, with its skills encompassed in a large number of departments, bureaus and institutes, apart from the formal task of teaching registered undergraduate and postgraduate students, also has the task of rendering continuing education to professional practitioners and the "general pub1ic". 5. SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MADE ON THE BASIS OF THE COMPLETED RESEARCH - The recommendations emanating from the research are distinguished into two groups, viz. recommendations with regard to continuing education in general by universities, and secondly recommendations aimed more specifically at continuing education at the PU for CHE. 5.1 General recommendations: * Research on continuing education should get more attention. * Continuing education provision to the professional practitioner could be extended to more professions. * More co-operation should be obtained with professional councils in the provision of continuing education for the professional practitioner. * Universities could co-operate in the presentation of continuing education courses. * Co-operative training ("sandwich courses") should be considered for the training of various professional practitioners. * Continuing educational presentations at universities should receive financial support from government. 5.2 Recommendations more specifically with regard to continuing education at the PU for CHE: * More attention should be directed to the continuing educational opportunities for the agricultural and mining sectors. * More effective liaison should be effected between the Bureau for Continuing Education and academic departments. * Consideration should be given to audio and video cassettes and correspondence courses in the presentation of continuing education courses, amongst others in Christian scholarship. * Continuing education courses can be presented decentralized to a larger extent. * The institution of a course in non-formal education at the H.E.D. or B.Ed. levels should be considered. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1985

Within the framework of comprehensive research that has been done on the mathematics achievement of first-year university students, research literature contains relatively few studies concerning the prediction of the mathematics achievement of final year students. An ex post facto empirical study was undertaken to rectify this situation to some extent. The aims of this study were: • To develop prediction models with which to predict the mathematics achievement of third-year students at the PU for CHE. • To develop a prediction analysis for continuous data by means of which the mathematics achievement of third-year students can be predicted in terms of a pass/fail dichotomy by using the fundamentals of Boolean algebra. • To determine, as a secondary aim, the differential influence of several independent variables on the mathematics achievement of male and female students in their third year. Of the set of independent variables in this study, five indicated previous achievement, 10 were aptitude variables (including an estimated IQ score) and 21 were measures of different interests, while a measure of the algebraic preparedness of prospective mathematics students on the PU for CHE was also included. The mathematics achievement of students at the end of the first semester of the first year was used in part of the investigation as an independent variable. Four criteria were defined to quantify the mathematics achievement of students at the PU for CHE. In three of these, unsuccessful attempts to obtain a pass in mathematics courses were taken into consideration. The aptitude variables in this study were measured with the Senior Aptitude tests (Human Sciences Research Council), the 19-Field Interests Questionnaire (Human Sciences Research Council) and the algebraic preparedness of students was measured by means of a 60-item multiplechoice test developed by this researcher and of which measures of validity and reliability were reported. The data of two groups of subjects considered as study populations, were used in the study. The group of first-year students following mathematics courses for the first time in 1982 was employed as an experimental group. Of the 154 first-year students in this group, 58 were able to advance to the third year and wrote the examination in least one mathematics course in that year. The class of first-year students registered for mathematics courses for the first time in 1983 was used as a crossvalidation group in order to validate the prediction models. This group consisted of 138 students, of which 54 advanced to the third year. Six hypotheses were examined in this study by means of several statistical techniques. By means of singular correlations it was shown that certain independent variables exerted a bigger influence on the mathematics performance of third-year students than others and that the correlations of some independent variables with mathematics achievement decreased from the first year to the third year. Regarding other variables, the opposite tendency was found. By means of factor, regression, discriminant and Boolean analysis, it was further found that the mathematics achievement of male and female students on the third year level was influenced differently by independent variables. The hypothesis that a higher percentage of the variance of mathematics performance in the case of females than that of males can be accounted for, could not be accepted for all criteria of mathematics achievement. The validity of prediction models could also not be accepted for all criteria of mathematics performance, even if the mathematics achievement of students at the end of the first semester in the first year was included as an independent variable in the regression analysis. Finally it was found that prediction models for the pass/fail dichotomy for mathematics achievement, developed by means of Boolean analysis, were on the average more successful in terms of validity than the discriminant functions developed by using discriminant analysis. This result indicated a promising future for the use of Boolean analysis in the prediction of academic achievement. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1988

Within the framework of comprehensive research that has been done on the mathematics achievement of first-year university students, research literature contains relatively few studies concerning the prediction of the mathematics achievement of final year students. An ex post facto empirical study was undertaken to rectify this situation to some extent. The aims of this study were: • To develop prediction models with which to predict the mathematics achievement of third-year students at the PU for CHE. • To develop a prediction analysis for continuous data by means of which the mathematics achievement of third-year students can be predicted in terms of a pass/fail dichotomy by using the fundamentals of Boolean algebra. • To determine, as a secondary aim, the differential influence of several independent variables on the mathematics achievement of male and female students in their third year. Of the set of independent variables in this study, five indicated previous achievement, 10 were aptitude variables (including an estimated IQ score) and 21 were measures of different interests, while a measure of the algebraic preparedness of prospective mathematics students on the PU for CHE was also included. The mathematics achievement of students at the end of the first semester of the first year was used in part of the investigation as an independent variable. Four criteria were defined to quantify the mathematics achievement of students at the PU for CHE. In three of these, unsuccessful attempts to obtain a pass in mathematics courses were taken into consideration. The aptitude variables in this study were measured with the Senior Aptitude tests (Human Sciences Research Council), the 19-Field Interests Questionnaire (Human Sciences Research Council) and the algebraic preparedness of students was measured by means of a 60-item multiplechoice test developed by this researcher and of which measures of validity and reliability were reported. The data of two groups of subjects considered as study populations, were used in the study. The group of first-year students following mathematics courses for the first time in 1982 was employed as an experimental group. Of the 154 first-year students in this group, 58 were able to advance to the third year and wrote the examination in least one mathematics course in that year. The class of first-year students registered for mathematics courses for the first time in 1983 was used as a crossvalidation group in order to validate the prediction models. This group consisted of 138 students, of which 54 advanced to the third year. Six hypotheses were examined in this study by means of several statistical techniques. By means of singular correlations it was shown that certain independent variables exerted a bigger influence on the mathematics performance of third-year students than others and that the correlations of some independent variables with mathematics achievement decreased from the first year to the third year. Regarding other variables, the opposite tendency was found. By means of factor, regression, discriminant and Boolean analysis, it was further found that the mathematics achievement of male and female students on the third year level was influenced differently by independent variables. The hypothesis that a higher percentage of the variance of mathematics performance in the case of females than that of males can be accounted for, could not be accepted for all criteria of mathematics achievement. The validity of prediction models could also not be accepted for all criteria of mathematics performance, even if the mathematics achievement of students at the end of the first semester in the first year was included as an independent variable in the regression analysis. Finally it was found that prediction models for the pass/fail dichotomy for mathematics achievement, developed by means of Boolean analysis, were on the average more successful in terms of validity than the discriminant functions developed by using discriminant analysis. This result indicated a promising future for the use of Boolean analysis in the prediction of academic achievement. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1988