Commercial airlines need to employ well qualified pilots to run their core business. The current supply from privately and military qualified pilots is proving to be inadequate. A further challenge facing the airline is having to attempt to reflect the diversity of the country in its workforce. The present study investigated the predictive validity of a psychological test battery for cadet pilots. The predictors that were included in the research are: biographical data, ABET levels in terms of English and Matric results, as well as results from psychological tests, namely: English literacy skills assessment (ELSA), Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RMP), Blox test, subtests of the Intermediate Battery (B/77) viz: Arithmetic 1 and 2, and Reading Comprehension, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). The objective of the research was to determine the predictive validity of the selection battery utilizing the final flying school results as the criteria. The results of the research were inconclusive. Only some of the tests showed positive correlations with the modules of the flying school results. The Ravens Progressive Matrices, Blox, Matriculation English symbol, ABET levels and Reading Comprehension, were found to have predictive power with some of the modules of the flying school results based on the regression analysis. It is recommended that a revised profile for a commercial airline pilot should be developed, as well as that the critical skills and competencies should be identified to enable the airlines to utilize appropriate and relevant assessment tools to select prospective candidates, particularly among the previously disadvantaged communities. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the extent to which educational attainment, school quality and numeric competency influence individuals’ employment and earnings prospects in the South African labour market using data from the 2008 National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS). While NIDS is one of the first datasets to contain concurrent information on individual labour market outcomes, educational attainment levels, numeric proficiency and the quality of schooling received in South Africa, it is also characterised by limited and selective response patterns on its school quality and numeracy measures. To account for any estimation biases that arise from the selective observation of these variables or from endogenous selection into labour force participation and employment, the labour market returns to human capital are estimated using the Heckman Maximum Likelihood (ML) approach. The Heckman ML estimates are then compared to Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimates obtained using various sub-samples and model specifications in order to distinguish between the effects that model specification, estimation sample, and estimation procedure have on estimates of the labour market returns to human capital in South Africa. The findings from the multivariate analysis suggest that labour market returns to educational attainment in South Africa are largely negligible prior to tertiary levels of attainment and that racial differentials in school quality may explain a significant component of the observed racial differentials in South African labour market earnings. Neither numeracy nor school quality appears to influence labour market outcomes or the convex structure of the labour market returns to educational attainment in South Africa significantly once sociodemographic factors and other human capital endowment differentials have been taken into account. Though the regression results vary substantially across model specifications and estimation samples, they are largely unaffected by attempts to correct for instances of endogenous selection using the Heckman ML procedure. These findings suggest that the scope for overcoming data deficiencies by using standard parametric estimation techniques may be limited when the extent of those deficiencies are severe and that some form of sensitivity analysis is warranted whenever data imperfections threaten to undermine the robustness of one’s results. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek in watter mate opvoedingspeil, skoolgehalte en numeriese vaardighede individue se werks- en verdienstevooruitsigte in die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark beïnvloed. Die studie gebruik data van die 2008 National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS). Alhoewel NIDS een van die eerste datastelle is wat inligting oor individuele arbeidsmarkuitkomste, opvoedingsvlakke, numeriese vaardighede sowel as skoolgehalte bevat, word dit ook gekenmerk deur beperkte en selektiewe responspatrone rakende skoolgehalte en die numeriese vaardigheidmaatstaf. Die arbeidsmarkopbrengs op menslike kapitaal word deur middel van die Heckman ‘Maximum Likelihood (ML)’-metode geskat om te kontroleer vir moontlike sydighede wat mag onstaan weens selektiewe waarneming van hierdie veranderlikes of as gevolg van endogene seleksie in arbeidsmarkdeelname of indiensneming. Die Heckman ML-skattings word dan vergelyk met gewone kleinste-kwadrate-skattings wat met behulp van verskeie modelspesifikasies en steekproewe beraam is, om sodoende te bepaal hoe verskillende spesifikasies, steekproewe en beramingstegnieke skattings van die arbeidsmarkopbrengste op menslike kapitaal in Suid-Afrika beïnvloed. Die meerveranderlike-analise dui daarop dat daar grotendeels onbeduidende arbeidsmarkopbrengste is op opvoeding in Suid-Afrika vir opvoedingsvlakke benede tersiêre vlak, en dat rasseverskille in skoolgehalte ’n beduidende deel van waargenome rasseverskille in arbeidsmarkverdienste mag verduidelik. Indien sosio-demografiese faktore en ander menslike kapitaalverskille in ag geneem word, beïnvloed syfervaardigheid en skoolgehalte nie arbeidsmarkuitkomstes en die konvekse struktuur van die arbeidsmarkopbrengste op opvoeding in Suid-Afrika beduidend verder nie. Terwyl die regressieresultate aansienlik tussen die verskillende modelspesifikasies en steekproewe verskil, word die resultate weinig geraak deur vir gevalle van endogene seleksie met behulp van die Heckman ML-metode te kontroleer. Hierdie bevindinge dui daarop dat daar net beperkte ruimte bestaan om ernstige dataleemtes met behulp van standaard parametriese beramingstegnieke te oorkom, en dat die een of ander vorm van sensitiwiteitsanalise benodig word wanneer datagebreke die betroubaarheid van die beraamde resultate nadelig kan raak.

Treatment decision making (TDM) in oncology is complex. Understanding treatment information is essential for shared TDM. Research suggests many patients have low numeracy. This mixed methods study explored numeracy and experience with numbers in a sample of individuals diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. Participants completed questionnaires (N = 32) and interviews (N = 20) assessing numeracy, decisional conflict and regret, and number preference. Results suggest that mean objective numeracy was relatively high, and most reported high confidence in numerical ability. Most participants preferred to receive numbers during the TDM process. There was no relationship between numeracy and decision outcomes. Future research should investigate the use of numeracy measures in practice and the impact of patient preferences and beliefs on shared TDM.

The research presented in this thesis combined a number of aims. One was to investigate in detail the early typical development of individual cognitive domains including attention, literacy and numeracy, and consequently to investigate whether domain-general attentional abilities constrain the development of either literacy or numeracy skills in preschool to school-age children. A further aim was to test the development of the same cognitive processes in two groups of children with developmental disorders of known genetic origin; Down syndrome (DS) and Williams syndrome (WS). A combination of standardised tests, novel experimental paradigms, and questionnaire measures were employed in pursuit of these aims, and children were assessed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally one year later. In typically developing (TD) children, novel findings pointed to differential influences of cognitive constructs of sustained and selective attention on the one hand, and executive attention on the other, on reading and numeracy abilities longitudinally. In both of the atypically developing groups of children, novel and individual patterns of developmental relationships emerged in the domains of attention, literacy and numeracy. In addition, the investigation of cross-domain relationships between attentional abilities and literacy and numeracy skills evidenced typical patterns in DS children, but atypical patterns in WS children. These findings emphasize the importance of cross-syndrome, cross-domain, and fully developmental research to understand both typical and atypical profiles of cognitive development. Furthermore, teaching practice, early identification of difficulties, and interventions should consider the wider implications of potential constraints of broader cognitive domains, such as attention, on learning.

Early identification practices in assessment are crucial to preventing academic failure as well as identifying students at-risk for later learning disabilities. The PAM Early Numeracy Screening is a set of subscales designed to measure early numeracy in kindergarten students in a group setting. Given that the existing early numeracy measures are individually administered, the purpose of the current study was to explore the psychometric properties of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Correlational analysis was the primary research design used to investigate the evidence of reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Criterion measures included the KeyMath-3 Diagnostic Assessment, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, Eighth Edition, Early Math Measures Study Teacher Rating of Students’ Math Proficiency, and the Early Numeracy Indicators. The sample consisted of 97 kindergarten students from a school district in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Results support the PAM Early Numeracy Screening as a promising group administered measure of early numeracy in kindergarten. Implications for future research include investigating the internal structure of the subscales and exploring evidence of predictive validity of the subscales, specifically the Quantity Discrimination subscale to independently predict later math achievement.

Mätningar av kunskaperna inom matematik hos svenska elever har under en längre tid visat på en nedåtgående trend. Samtidigt läser vi dagligen om den svenska lärarkårens höga arbetsbelastning. Syftet med det här examensarbetet är att undersöka en hållbar lösning, som både vänder den nedåtgående kunskapstrenden hos eleverna och dessutom underlättar lärarnas arbete. I Examensarbetet undersöks elevernas upplevelser samt kunskapsutveckling då de  arbetar med det digitala verktyget Elevate My Math. Undersökningen, som är både kvantitativ och kvalitativ görs i en ekonomiklass där halva klassen får arbeta med Elevate My Math och den andra halvan får jobba med ett material som vanligtvis används inom undervisningen. Resultaten visar att eleverna upplevelse av att arbeta med Elevate My Math är mycket positiv. Samtidigt visar resultatet att vidare forskning behövs för att säkerställa elevernas kunskapsutveckling vid användandet av Elevate My Math.

Previous psychological literature has shown mathematics anxiety in older populations to have an association with many factors, including an adverse effect on task performance. However, the origins of mathematics anxiety have, until recently, received limited attention. It is now accepted that this anxiety is rooted within the early educational years, but research has not explored the associated factors in the first formal years of schooling. Based on previous focus groups with children aged 4-7 years, ‘numeracy apprehension’ is suggested in this body of work, as the foundation phase of negative emotions and experiences, in which mathematics anxiety can develop. Building on this research, the first piece of research utilized 2 interviews and 5 focus groups to obtain insight from parents (n=7), teachers (n=9) and mathematics experts (n=2), to explore how children experience numeracy and their observations of children’s attitudes and responses. Thematic and content analysis uncovered a range of factors that characterised children’s numeracy experiences. These included: stigma and peer comparisons; the difficulty of numeracy and persistent failure; a low sense of ability; feelings of inadequacy; peer evaluation; transference of teacher anxieties; the right or wrong nature of numeracy; parental influences; dependence on peers; avoidance and children being aware of a hierarchy based on numeracy performance. Key themes reflected the focus group findings of children aged 4-7 years. This contributed to an item pool for study 2, to produce a first iteration of the Numeracy Apprehension Scale (NAS) that described day-to-day numeracy lesson situations. This 44-item measure was implemented with 307 children aged 4-7 years, across 4 schools in the U.K. Exploratory factor analysis led to a 26-item iteration of the NAS, with a 2-factor structure of Prospective Numeracy Task Apprehension and On-line Number Apprehension, which related to, for example, observation and evaluation anxiety, worry and teacher anxiety. The results suggested that mathematics anxiety may stem from the initial development of numeracy apprehension and is based on consistent negative experiences throughout an educational career. The 26-item iteration of the NAS was further validated in study 3 with 163 children aged 4-7 years, across 2 schools in the U.K. The construct validity of the scale was tested by comparing scale scores against numeracy performance on a numeracy task to determine whether a relationship between scale and numeracy task scores was evident. Exploratory factor analysis was again conducted and resulted in the current 19-item iteration of the NAS that related to a single factor of On-line Number Apprehension. This related to the experience of an entire numeracy lesson, from first walking in to completing a task and was associated with, for example, explaining an answer to the teacher, making mistakes and getting work wrong. A significant negative correlation was observed between the NAS and numeracy performance scores, suggesting that apprehensive children demonstrate a performance deficit early in education and that the NAS has the potential to be a reliable assessment of children’s numeracy apprehension. This empirical reinforces that the early years of education are the origins of mathematics anxiety, in the form of numeracy apprehension.

Math storybook reading can be a beneficial activity in the home numeracy environment that facilitates children’s exploration and understanding of numbers. Parents play an important role in guiding and supporting their children’s math development through their joint engagement in the story. Exploring how parents and their children interact during home activities such as math storybook reading is crucial given strong associations between the home numeracy environment and later academic success. The primary goal of this study was to investigate how parents supported their children’s early numeracy development as they responded to children’s number mistakes and engaged their children in conversation about the number concepts present in the story. Observations of parent-child interactions (n = 47) while reading a math storybook and interviews with parents were intended to uncover how parents can use storybooks as a means of involving their children in math learning and guiding their understanding of numbers. The present study expands on the extant math storybook literature by examining the role of parental beliefs and home practices in shaping parents’ and children’s behaviors during math storybook reading. Results indicated that parents’ beliefs about the importance of early math learning and their role in helping their children learn math were associated with a lower frequency of children’s simple math mistakes, a greater degree of support parents provided in response to those mistakes, and a greater amount of simple math concepts parents discussed with their children while reading. Furthermore, children exposed to a greater frequency of home counting activities completed more of the math tasks in the storybook. Finally, three main factors that appeared to drive parents’ selection and use of math storybooks were children’s interest, attention spans, and math abilities. These findings support the use of math storybooks as a potentially beneficial activity that can elicit positive parent-child interactions around number concepts and demonstrate that parents are intentional in how they use storybooks to guide their children’s math development. The results are discussed in relation to home support for early numerical development and contextualized within the math storybook literature.

A percepção de risco teratogênico equivocada pode levar à privação de uso de medicamentos seguros e à relutância ou não adesão ao tratamento farmacológico durante a gestação. Estudos prévios realizados em países desenvolvidos sugerem que a percepção de risco teratogênico ao uso de medicamentos é superestimada por gestantes, não gestantes e profissionais de saúde. Grande parte destes estudos foi realizada em centros de aconselhamento teratogênico e utilizou apenas uma técnica de aferição da percepção de risco (Escalas Visuais Analógicas). Com o objetivo de caracterizar a percepção de risco teratogênico por gestantes e mulheres em idade fértil, conduzimos um estudo que combinou métodos qualitativos e quantitativos de investigação. Participaram da pesquisa usuárias de serviços de saúde da rede básica municipal de Porto Alegre. Em termos qualitativos, foram realizados dois grupos focais com gestantes. Os dados quantitativos resultaram da realização de entrevistas estruturadas com 287 mulheres em idade fértil divididas em dois grupos: gestantes e não gestantes. A percepção de risco de malformações congênitas na população geral e as percepções de risco teratogênico das exposições a paracetamol, metoclopramida, misoprostol e radioterapia na gestação foram aferidas por duas técnicas: Escalas Visuais Analógicas (EVA) e perguntas numéricas. A concordância entre as duas técnicas de aferição foi avaliada pela análise gráfica de Bland-Altman. Não encontramos concordância entre as medidas obtidas por EVA e por pergunta para nenhuma das percepções de risco em estudo. As medianas das percepções de risco teratogênico medidas por EVA foram superiores às obtidas através da pergunta numérica, para todas as variáveis. Para ambas as técnicas de aferição, as medianas das percepções de risco teratogênico ao paracetamol e à metoclopramida foram mais baixas que para o risco de malformações congênitas na população geral. Já as medianas das percepções de risco ao misoprostol e à radioterapia apresentaram os maiores valores. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nas percepções de risco entre gestantes e não gestantes. A lógica acionada pelas mulheres na estimação do risco teratogênico é a da classificação dos medicamentos em fortes e fracos. Dentro desta lógica, os medicamentos e as exposições percebidos por elas como fracos não apresentam riscos, enquanto que aqueles percebidos como fortes são vistos como perigosos e devem ser evitados na gestação. Concluímos que o uso de EVA leva à superestimação das percepções de risco teratogênico. Além disso, frente à dificuldade em operar a lógica probabilística na estimação de risco, as mulheres operam uma lógica própria, classificando os medicamentos em fortes ou fracos. / An erroneous perception of teratogenic risk can lead to the non-use of safe medications and reluctance to or abstaining from pharmacological treatment during pregnancy. Previous studies conducted in developed countries suggest that the perception of teratogenic risk in the use of medications is overestimated by pregnant women, non-pregnant women and health professionals. Most of these studies were performed in teratogen counseling centers and only used one technique for measuring risk perception (Visual Analogue Scales). In order to characterize the perception of teratogenic risk by pregnant women and women of childbearing age, we conducted a study that combined qualitative and quantitative research methods. Public health care users from the city of Porto Alegre participated in the research. In qualitative terms, two focus groups were carried out with pregnant women. The quantitative data was derived from structured interviews with 287 women of childbearing age divided into two groups: pregnant and non-pregnant women. The perception of risk of congenital malformations in the general population and the perception of teratogenic risk through exposure to acetaminophen, metoclopramide, misoprostol and radiation therapy during pregnancy were measured via two techniques: Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and numerical questions. The agreement between the two measurement techniques was evaluated using Bland-Altman graphic analysis. We did not find an agreement between the measurements obtained through VAS and those obtained through questions for any of the risk perceptions in the study. The medians of the perceptions of teratogenic risk measured by VAS were higher than those obtained by numerical questions, for all variables. For both measurement techniques, the medians of the perceptions of teratogenic risk with acetaminophen and metoclopramide were lower than those for the risk of congenital malformations in the general population. However, the medians of the perceptions of risk with misoprostol and radiation therapy presented the highest values. There were no significant differences in risk perceptions among pregnant and non-pregnant women. The logic employed by women in estimating teratogenic risk is the classification of drugs according to strong and weak. According to this logic, the drugs and exposure to them, perceived by these women as weak, do not present risks, while those perceived as strong are seen as hazardous and should be avoided during pregnancy. Our conclusion is that the use of VAS leads to the overestimation of teratogenic risk perceptions. Moreover, given the difficulty to engage in probabilistic logic for estimating risk, women engage in their own logic, classifying medications as strong or weak.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in parent-child interactions when they played the same numeracy-related game using two formats, a technology-based electronic format and a non-technology traditional board format. It aimed at unpacking the game format effect on parent-child interactions in early home numeracy activities. A mixed-method study with an embedded design was conducted to approach the research questions. In the repeated-measures experiment, 39 parent-preschooler dyads played the same numeracy-related game – The Game of the Goose – using both an electronic format and a board format. The videos of all the play sessions were the data source. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. The quantitative analysis was the primary focus. The videos of parent-child play were coded using two pre-determined coding schemes, Parental Scaffolding Behavior and Mathematical Talk. Two repeated-measures multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were conducted respectively for each coding scheme. The qualitative analysis of the 30% selected dyads played a supportive role to further explore the similarities and nuanced differences in parents’ performance of each coded scaffolding behavior across the two formats. The MANOVA for Parental Scaffolding Behaviors showed that the game format had a significant effect on seven of the twelve coded behaviors. The frequencies of Affirmation/Encouragement, Explanation, Inquiry, Re-representation, Modeling, Correction/Disaffirmation, and Physical Control were significantly higher in the board game condition compared in the electronic game condition. The MANOVA for Mathematical Talk revealed an interaction between the game format and the player on Naming Numbers. Both parents and children engaged in more statements about naming numbers in the board condition compared to the electronic condition, but the difference across the two game formats was bigger for parents than for children. In terms of the main effect of game format, the frequencies of Counting, Using Spatial Words and Estimating were significantly higher in the board game condition compared to the electronic game condition. Themes from qualitative analysis revealed parents’ different roles when using the two game formats, as well as the affordances of each format and their influence on parental scaffold behaviors. Interpretations of the results and findings about the game format effect were provided through the lens of sociocultural perspectives and affordances. This study enlarged the understanding of parent-child interaction in early numeracy activities. The findings offered implications for how to help preschoolers develop early numerical skills using different tools and how to design effective learning products for early numeracy using the features of different formats.