The purpose of this research was to investigate the structure and function of a prefect system in primary schools predominantly attended by black learners. It is the wish of learners to partake fully in school governance to bring about desirable changes within the education system. The riots that broke out in 1976, proved beyond doubt that learners no longer wished to be onlookers in the system, but to actively take part in stabilising it for their own future. In the past, learners who served in the prefect council were randomly chosen and elected by the principal and the staff. This was done in isolation of the learners in the school. Favouritism and popularity were the main features for a learner to be elected. At any given moment during the course of the year, a member of the council who did not perform according to the principles as set out by staff members, was sacked and replaced by anybody who they felt would do a better job. The democratic government that was voted for in 1996 brought about drastic changes within the education system. Unlike in the past, where learners were omitted as part of education stakeholders, the present government gives due consideration to learners' inputs and ideas. Legislative Acts such as the South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996) were passed to accommodate the needs and aspirations of learners. In terms of section 10 (3) of Act No. 84 of 1996, public schools are allowed to institute a prefect system where necessary. The latter statement urged the compilation of this research to bring primary schools predominantly attended by black learners on par with their white counterparts who still make use of the prefect system. The procedure for establishing an effective structure for SRC's in secondary schools is applicable in primary schools as well. The system for the election, nomination and voting in secondary schools can be applied in primary schools as well. The functions of a prefect system that included, among others, monitoring of both educators and learners outside the school premises, have been replaced by functions that lead to the creation of an educative environment within the school. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the structure and function of a prefect system in primary schools predominantly attended by black learners. It is the wish of learners to partake fully in school governance to bring about desirable changes within the education system. The riots that broke out in 1976, proved beyond doubt that learners no longer wished to be onlookers in the system, but to actively take part in stabilising it for their own future. In the past, learners who served in the prefect council were randomly chosen and elected by the principal and the staff. This was done in isolation of the learners in the school. Favouritism and popularity were the main features for a learner to be elected. At any given moment during the course of the year, a member of the council who did not perform according to the principles as set out by staff members, was sacked and replaced by anybody who they felt would do a better job. The democratic government that was voted for in 1996 brought about drastic changes within the education system. Unlike in the past, where learners were omitted as part of education stakeholders, the present government gives due consideration to learners' inputs and ideas. Legislative Acts such as the South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996) were passed to accommodate the needs and aspirations of learners. In terms of section 10 (3) of Act No. 84 of 1996, public schools are allowed to institute a prefect system where necessary. The latter statement urged the compilation of this research to bring primary schools predominantly attended by black learners on par with their white counterparts who still make use of the prefect system. The procedure for establishing an effective structure for SRC's in secondary schools is applicable in primary schools as well. The system for the election, nomination and voting in secondary schools can be applied in primary schools as well. The functions of a prefect system that included, among others, monitoring of both educators and learners outside the school premises, have been replaced by functions that lead to the creation of an educative environment within the school. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

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University of Techology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / The concern of this thesis is the way workplace learning is able to be known and spoken about and the effects of the contemporary privileging of an experiential learning discourse in the workplace. Following an analytic method outlined by Foucault, I explore a field of multiple and mobile force relations between professional developers, trade teachers, workplace learning academics, senior managers, organisational consultants and organisational learning theorists, and the purposes to which discourses of workplace learning might be put. The research site for the study was a recent industry-university collaboration that explored workplace learning in a large public sector organisation. Using various organisational texts including: interview transcripts from workers participating in the industry-university research project, documents produced during the project, documents produced by a Professional Development Unit (the industry partners on the project), and academic texts on organisational learning, I examine the circulation and intersection of different workplace learning discourses. I also examine the positioning, position taking and resistances around the subject position of ‘the workplace learner’ in a workplace. A number of Foucauldian themes guide the analyses in this thesis including: power as multiformed, power as relational, the distribution of power, multiple subjectivities, and subjectivity as a site of resistance. This enables an examination of workplace learning discourses as instruments of power, but also as providing points of resistance. This thesis makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the fields of organisational learning and workplace learning by foregrounding complex mechanisms whereby technologies of power interplay with technologies of the self. These citings/sitings/sightings of power and subjectivity have implications for professional development practices and the ‘management’ of workplace learning, as well as the practices of workplace and organisational learning researchers.

By opening the learner model to both the learner and other peers within an e-learning system, the learner gains control over his or her learner model and is able to reflect on the contents presented in the model. Many current modeling systems translate an existing model to fit the context when information is needed. This thesis explores the observation that information in the model depends on the context in which it is generated and describes a method of generating the model for the specific user and purpose. The main advantage of this approach is that exactly the right information is generated to suit the context and needs of the learner. To explore the benefits and possible downsides of this approach, a learner model Query Tool was implemented to give instructors and learners the opportunity to ask specific questions (queries) of the content delivery system hosting several online courses. Information is computed in real time when the query is run by the instructor, so the data is always up-to-date. Instructors may then choose to allow students to run the query as well, enabling learner reflection on their progress in the course as the instructor has defined it. I have called this process active open learner modelling, referring to the open learner modelling community where learner models are accessible by learners for reflective purposes, and referring to the active learner modelling community which describes learner modelling as a context-driven process. Specific research questions explored in this thesis include "how does context affect the modelling process when learner models are opened to users", "how can privacy be maintained while useful information is provided", and "can an accurate and useful learner model be computed actively".

By opening the learner model to both the learner and other peers within an e-learning system, the learner gains control over his or her learner model and is able to reflect on the contents presented in the model. Many current modeling systems translate an existing model to fit the context when information is needed. This thesis explores the observation that information in the model depends on the context in which it is generated and describes a method of generating the model for the specific user and purpose. The main advantage of this approach is that exactly the right information is generated to suit the context and needs of the learner. To explore the benefits and possible downsides of this approach, a learner model Query Tool was implemented to give instructors and learners the opportunity to ask specific questions (queries) of the content delivery system hosting several online courses. Information is computed in real time when the query is run by the instructor, so the data is always up-to-date. Instructors may then choose to allow students to run the query as well, enabling learner reflection on their progress in the course as the instructor has defined it. I have called this process active open learner modelling, referring to the open learner modelling community where learner models are accessible by learners for reflective purposes, and referring to the active learner modelling community which describes learner modelling as a context-driven process. Specific research questions explored in this thesis include "how does context affect the modelling process when learner models are opened to users", "how can privacy be maintained while useful information is provided", and "can an accurate and useful learner model be computed actively".

University of Techology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / The concern of this thesis is the way workplace learning is able to be known and spoken about and the effects of the contemporary privileging of an experiential learning discourse in the workplace. Following an analytic method outlined by Foucault, I explore a field of multiple and mobile force relations between professional developers, trade teachers, workplace learning academics, senior managers, organisational consultants and organisational learning theorists, and the purposes to which discourses of workplace learning might be put. The research site for the study was a recent industry-university collaboration that explored workplace learning in a large public sector organisation. Using various organisational texts including: interview transcripts from workers participating in the industry-university research project, documents produced during the project, documents produced by a Professional Development Unit (the industry partners on the project), and academic texts on organisational learning, I examine the circulation and intersection of different workplace learning discourses. I also examine the positioning, position taking and resistances around the subject position of ‘the workplace learner’ in a workplace. A number of Foucauldian themes guide the analyses in this thesis including: power as multiformed, power as relational, the distribution of power, multiple subjectivities, and subjectivity as a site of resistance. This enables an examination of workplace learning discourses as instruments of power, but also as providing points of resistance. This thesis makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the fields of organisational learning and workplace learning by foregrounding complex mechanisms whereby technologies of power interplay with technologies of the self. These citings/sitings/sightings of power and subjectivity have implications for professional development practices and the ‘management’ of workplace learning, as well as the practices of workplace and organisational learning researchers.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 416-439) Also available in print.