An underlying premise of this study was that the formal financial sector has an important role to play in the process of assisting the development of South Africa’s disadvantaged communities, especially those living in poverty. The study explored the construct of financial inclusion and sought to understand what measures are being taken by South African financial services institutions to optimise financial inclusion. Through secondary data analysis, the study investigated instances of the construct in other geographies and sought to compare and contrast what was being done in those geographies, with what is being done in South Africa. The study concluded that while the lower segments of the market are relatively unchartered territory for South African financial services organisations, the strategies that are being employed to service these markets seem to be a combination of strategies that are being employed in other geographies around the world. Based on evidence from the analysis of the various geographies and face-to-face interviews with industry practitioners from some of the larger financial services organisations in South Africa, the study proposed some additions to the way in which product development processes are carried out within financial services.<p / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study explores the disconnection that exists between refugee policy developers and those whom they intend to benefit by bringing the voices of refugees and their supporters into community discussions on policies and practices that directly affect the refugee resettlement experience. The purpose of their involvement was to help ensure that resettlement activities were relevant to their needs. In an effort to make the findings as generalizable as possible, the researcher applied techniques of Participatory Action Research (Carr & Kemmis, 1986) within a Grounded Theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) methodological framework. Community consultations involving a total of 86 refugees, refugee claimants and their supporters in three cities were conducted during the period that Canada was responding to post-9/11 concerns for national security with its first implementation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Findings from those consultations were triangulated with data from interviews with 29 service providers, government officials and individual refugees, as well as documentary evidence from scholarly research, government publications and mass media sources. Implications for further policy development were then developed from that process. Findings from the research suggest that the potential for unexpected policy outcomes can be reduced if culturally sensitive community consultations, in the preferred language of the community, are incorporated in policy development and implementation processes. These findings can contribute to building local community capacities to increase the effectiveness of resettlement activities and improving their sustainability by inviting those who have the most to benefit take ownership of them. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

A great deal of educational, psychological, medical and social service expertise, time and money is devoted to a small population of children and young people who do not currently fit into mainstream education. This thesis seeks to identify areas of practice and policy that might lead to more effective multiagency provision and to more inclusive education. It looks at the provision for a group of KS2, KS3 and KS4 young people who have been excluded or removed from mainstream education for behavioural, emotional and/or social reasons. The research took place in one unit within a portfolio pupil referral unit (PRU) over several years. The method of research was through unstructured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and the records of case histories. Interviewees and respondents include arbitrarily chosen adults, young people in mainstream schools and young people already in other education settings. Teachers, education managers, psychologists and social work professionals were interviewed as well as parents or carers. Through this process, lines of communication, accountability, information giving and sharing were explored. The findings relate to communication between agencies and the possibilities for wider education policy. The networks for essential information sharing between professionals were not uniform and relied heavily on the personal rapport between individual professionals. Communication between the client group and service providers was determined by professional parameters and time allocations. The satisfaction of the client relied heavily on their preconceived ideas of outcome and service deliverer’s performance judged against those ideas. The variety of life experiences that contributed to the need for alternative provision identified the call for further consideration of how education is delivered rather than what should be taught.

With an expansion of knowledge and interest in ASD, widening diagnostic criteria and an increasing number of students being diagnosed, it is important to address whether schools are meeting the needs of this population adequately and to examine which methods are most effective in achieving this end. The study aimed to develop a clearer insight into the special educational needs of young people with ASD and how these needs can best be met in educational settings. Questionnaires were distributed (through parent support groups) to young people with ASD and their families regrading their high school experiences. The findings from the questionnaire were used to derive a model of good practice for supporting pupils with ASD.The main factors were found to be: the existence of trained staff in the field of autism, higher staffing ratios to support these pupils, flexibility of staff to respond to their individual needs and an inclusive ethos throughout the school. To 'test' this hypothetical model of good practice a case study of an educational setting deemed by parents and pupils to be 'successful' was undertaken in order to test the strength of these hypotheses and also to potentially identify any additional factors to include in the model. Many of the factors identified in the model were found to be present in the 'successful' school yet other significant features included: good relationships between staff and parents, between staff and pupils and between pupils and peers. the case study highlighted that these relationships as well as an inclusive ethos were pivotal to the success of the school. However, it was apparent that an element of inclusion dissonance existed across the school: the perceived commitment of staff to achieving inclusion for these pupils was not always seen in reality.

Sport and recreation have the inherent power to bring communities together; to provide a sense of inclusion to people living on the fringes of society and to solve a myriad of social problems such as social inclusion. The current sport and recreation provision system focusing on social inclusion in marginalised communities in South Africa includes a variety of change agents with seemingly contradictory roles and expectations related to the goal of social inclusion. The discrepancy regarding the possible and actual benefits of sport and recreation participation necessitates the deconstruction of roles and expectations of change agents working towards social inclusion through the provision of sport and recreation opportunities. The overall aim of the study was to deconstruct the roles and expectations of change agents and marginalised community members in social inclusion through sport and recreation provision. Post-structuralism was utilised as a theoretical lens through which change agents’ roles and expectations were deconstructed in order to emphasise the role of discourse and power in social reality. The presumption that the social world can be accurately known, and truthfully and objectively represented, is questioned by post-structural theorists. Reality, knowledge and perceptions of the world are therefore perceived as discursive. Post-structuralism emphasises the role of discourse and power in the reproduction of knowledge, social reality and social regulation in society. Discourses informing the provision of sport and recreation opportunities as a vehicle for social inclusion in marginalised communities include the marginalised community discourse and the discourse promoting sport and recreation as solely beneficial. This study utilised a qualitative ethnographic approach to answer the research question: How does deconstructing the roles and expectations of change agents operating in marginalised communities facilitate social inclusion through sport and recreation? Based on abovementioned research question it was postulated that discrepancies exist between transparent and non-transparent expectations held, and roles played by change agents and marginalised communities in the provision of sport and recreation as social inclusion intervention; that discourses construct and maintain current practices in the provision of sport and recreation as vehicle to improve social inclusion; and that notions of power are constructed in the relationship between change agents and marginalised communities within the provision of sport and recreation as vehicle to social inclusion. Results of the study included the corroboration of two discourses that influence the roles and expectations of change agents providing sport and recreation opportunities related to the goal of social inclusion. The conclusion of the study emphasised that the current sport and recreation provision system in marginalised communities in South Africa is structured in such a way that the status quo in these communities is maintained, which contribute to the difficulty in facilitating social inclusion. The conclusion of the study confirmed that the current sport and recreation provision system in marginalised communities in South Africa is structured in such a way that the status quo in these communities is maintained which contribute to the difficulty in facilitating social inclusion. The study concludes with recommending that social inclusion of marginalised communities should be addressed at a structural level in social policy, and that change agents involved in sport and recreation provision in marginalised communities be recognised as stakeholders. Implications for further study centre around the repositioning of sport and recreation provision in marginalised communities in South Africa; exploring monitoring of grants and funding of sport and recreation opportunities in marginalised communities in South Africa; the development of a toolkit to assist change agents in measurement and evaluation; and, the development of a toolkit to assist in information-sharing amongst change agents. Key words: change agents; community; discourse; expectations; marginalised communities; post-structuralism; roles; social inclusion. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / Unrestricted

As the number of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increases, many classrooms are turning to an inclusion model of learning. To gain the perspective of program users rather than providers, this study explored parents' perceptions of the inclusion model. Pearlin's stress process model served as the theoretical framework for this study. Ten parents in Pennsylvania were recruited via snowball sampling for participation, and 7 completed the study. Parents completed a short demographic questionnaire and then participated in individual interviews. The research questions were concerned with the lived experiences of parents of children with autism enrolled in inclusion programs or who have participated in inclusion programs within the past 5 years, their perceived roles, and the stresses they felt in those roles. Transcripts were iteratively reviewed to identify consistent themes across interviews. Findings from this study showed: (a) the inclusion model of education had both positive and negative effects on different children diagnosed with autism, (b) the development of emotional skills of children with autism enriched their participation and social relationships with other people, and (c) a strengthened support system for children with autism must be advocated through accessible information and services. These findings support available literature, which is largely against the inclusion model. Findings suggest that support systems for information dissemination should be strengthened, and educators should develop their emotional skills to help students with disabilities.

No description available.

No description available.

Inclusive education involves the participation of all children, including those with disabilities, as an expectation within mainstream education. The goal of inclusive education in Ontario, Canada is for all students, regardless of differences, to have equitable access to curriculum instruction with their typically developing peers. Physical education (PE) involves curriculum delivery in unique settings. While inclusive practice in PE has been studied in elementary schools, less research has focused on secondary school. In this dissertation, I explore how curriculum, resources, and educational practices support or create barriers for provision of inclusive PE in secondary schools. The first manuscript describes a critical discourse analysis of the 2015 Ontario Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 9-12. Analysis considers how language is used and reflected within curricular text to represent inclusion. The analysis highlights that teachers require support beyond policy to practice inclusion, and advocates for teacher and student voices to be represented in curricular documents. The second manuscript presents a rapid review of current literature to overview resources for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) available to support implementation in PE settings. Findings show that literature available to encourage professional development in universal design in PE is limited but growing. Physical educators still require support to facilitate implementation of UDL in practice. The third manuscript uses interpretive description to explore the perspectives of Ontario secondary school PE teachers implementing inclusive PE. Physical educators express a need for professional development opportunities and in-situ resources that provide informed knowledge about inclusive practices. The discussion chapter reflects on the exploratory findings of this research. Collaboration with school-based rehabilitation health professionals, such as occupational therapists and physical therapists, may provide a novel approach to support physical educators. Future research, policy, and practice initiatives should consider teacher agency within the context of system-based barriers that exist and influence inclusive PE. / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy / Inclusive classrooms allow children with different abilities to learn together. Physical education (PE) is a class that may require adaptive teaching strategies and environmental modifications for all students to participate. This thesis explores how we can support PE teachers in delivering inclusive PE for secondary school students. The first study looks at how the Ontario Secondary School PE curriculum uses language to support inclusion. The second study identifies recent literature that explores how Universal Design for Learning, as a teaching approach, is used in PE classes to support inclusion. The third study examines physical educators’ views on what they need to create inclusive classes so that diverse students can participate fully. Findings from all studies suggest that PE teachers may benefit from collaboration with health professionals with expertise in development, movement science, and inclusion.

Undesirable solid oxides and sulphides, known as inclusions, are an inherent product of the steelmaking process that can clog the steel flow during casting. Caster operators can break up the clogged material to improve flow, but this reduces steel quality and yield. Modifying these inclusions using calcium treatment and its effects on industrial processing conditions are the focus of this study. To effectively improve calcium treatment, experimental and industrial data are required to develop models to predict inclusion behaviour. The advantage of experimental testing is that the precise control of chemistry, temperature, alloying elements, and sampling can help identify the effects of each variable. The difficulty, however, is correlating experimental results to real-time industrial processing, where these variables are difficult to control individually. In industry, indirect observations of caster behaviour may give an idea of the effectiveness of the treatment, but this is after the fact. In this study, liquid steel samples were taken at different processing steps without any modification to the process itself to ensure normal shop conditions. The inclusion analysis was conducted using an automated Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and AZtech feature analysis software to determine inclusion characteristics, including population, composition, and size. This study shows 8 sequential calcium-treated steel heats in an industrial setting and their associated clogging behaviour during a cast. The study indicated that a few heats with undermodified alumina inclusions immediately or subsequently affected the casting process leading to a severe clogging event. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)