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The ease at which individuals acquire a second language is astounding. Individuals are capable of learning a second language at any point through out their lifespan, although it is easier to learn a second language early in life. With increasing knowledge about linguistic neural processing and the brain’s capacity for plasticity, the research on bilingualism has increased substantially. Researchers have become increasingly more interested in the long-term effects of acquiring a second language, especially the enhancement of executive function (EF). This enhancement, also known as bilingual advantage, has been studied for a range of EFs, including inhibition, attention, problem solving, and reasoning. Although this effect was first demonstrated in bilingual children, researchers have extended the quest for understanding to young, middle, and older adults; however, the research findings are mixed for young adults. In order clarify these mixed results, the age of second language acquisition has been included as an experimental variable, producing three relevant groups: early bilinguals, late bilinguals, and monolinguals. There are several ways in which EFs can be measured, including behavioral rating scales, computerized cognitive tasks with behavioral outcomes (i.e., response times and accuracy), and computerized event-related potential cognitive tasks. A novel multi-level approach to measuring the bilingual advantage was developed and used as a framework for the current dissertation; i.e., the bilingual advantage was measured at three levels of measurement. This approach predicts that more complex levels of measurement (i.e., executive behaviors) would produce null findings between the three groups, while differences between early bilinguals and the other two groups would be predicted for less complex levels of measurement (i.e., neurophysiological markers). This approach predicts mixed results for levels of measurement that involve moderate complexity (e.g., computerized tasks of EF). Early bilinguals, late bilinguals, and monolinguals were compared across three hierarchical levels of measurement: (i) executive behaviors; (ii) information processing (i.e., computerized tasks of EF); and (iii) neurophysiology (i.e., event-related potential paradigm). Findings generally support the multi-level approach: no differences were found at the executive behavior level, limited and mixed differences were found at the information processing level, and differences between groups were found at the neurophysiological level. / Graduate

Credit rating is an important financial indicator of the debtor's ability to repay the debt duly and on time and it is expressed in a simple form of credit score. It has been talked about the issue of credit rating particularly in context of the financial crisis 2008 because of the failure of credit rating agencies and their contribution to global dimensions of the crisis. This thesis critically assesses the European legal regulation of credit rating in the light of 2008 financial crisis. The evaluation is carried through an economic analysis of law while also using the knowledge of behavioural economics, so that efficiency of both individual provisions and legal regulation as a whole is examined. The fundamental problem of current regulation is its ambiguity, as on the one hand it promotes greater institutionalization of credit rating and on the other hand it promotes greater market discipline of financial market participants. This dichotomy is inefficient because it does not provide for clear incentives neither for investors, nor for issuers or credit rating agencies. Key finding of this thesis is that credit rating regulation would be more efficient if it was aimed exclusively at supporting market discipline. It is important to draw conclusions from analysis of the efficiency of current...

Research on self-monitoring in the classroom setting has shown decreases in problem behavior and increases in academic engagement in students. Behavior rating scales can be used by teachers to monitor student progress or by students as a self-monitoring tool. The current study examined the impact of using the Individualized Behavior Rating Scale Tool (IBRST) as a self-monitoring tool on problem and on-task behavior in students in a high-need public elementary school. The results indicated that the self-monitoring with the IBRST successfully decreased disruptive behavior and increased on-task behavior in all 3 participating students during targeted academic time periods, evidenced by both direct observations and teacher- collected IBRST data. Improved levels of behaviors were maintained during fading with all 3 students and at 1-week follow-up with 2 students. The results also showed that both teachers and students had high levels of satisfaction with the self-monitoring procedures using the IBRST.

M.Ed. / Although the language assessment procedures for South African Grade12 learners have been extensively investigated by language practitioners, additional research is required in order to enhance assessment procedures and questioning techniques so that attitudes, values and learners' observable knowledge be included in testing. This study addresses the deficiencies associated with the existing assessment and evaluation techniques as related to English Second Language examinations. In this regard all aspects of assessment Le. writing, language and literature have been critically analyzed. The gaps that exist between assessment theories and assessing English in practical use have also been investigated, including ways of closing these gaps. The focus of the argument in this research report is that the less effective questioning measures in Grade 12 examinations should be addressed by critically analyzing existing papers and by identifying alternative assessment techniques. An alternative assessment programme incorporating new techniques has thus been formulated, and a pilot project conducted. The results from the pilot project, including learners' critical analysis of current assessment practice and educator responses have been analyzed and documented. The major findings were that: ~ The examinations encouraged learners to write in only a limited range of genres. The tasks set were appropriate as there was an assessment of the knowledge and skills that learners require beyond the classroom. ~ The literature papers focused too narrowly on intensive reading of short extracts from text.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Ed. / This study originated from a need for an improved understanding of the legal academic as teacher. It is an ethnographic exploration of the culture of the legal academic as teacher. To this end, the aim was to create an image of the very essence of how legal academics create and live their lives as teachers. In exploring the culture of the legal academic as teacher, I drew on various theoretical concepts in literature. The four primary concepts framing this study theoretically are culture, identity, the teacher and the law domain. I conducted studies of three law teachers at a South African university through observation during class visitation, discussion about teaching in interview sessions and review of teaching related documents. In analysing the data a thematic pattern, constituting the findings emerged. From three categories namely students, self and discipline, and sub-categories, themes emerged. Based on the category of student with sub-category of care and support of students, the theme of supportive relationship with students emerged; the focus being on participants as law teachers’ attitudes and behaviour in as far as relationships with students are concerned. From the category of the self and sub-categories of seeking feedback and recognition, dedication and enjoyment materialised the theme of participants’ primary identity as teacher. From the category of discipline and the sub-categories of being a subject specialist, what participants teach and how they teach as well as the “universal” language of law the theme of social identity as teacher and the law teacher as subject specialist emerged. In line with the ethnographic design type of the study findings were organised according to two topics harmonious to cultural ethnographic writing namely the topic of social organisation of culture and the topic of ideational organisation of culture. Since the topic, social organisation of culture is concerned with social behaviour and the way that individuals organise themselves into interacting social systems, participants’ interaction with students and the way they mediate a sense of self within the social systems within which they function relates to the topic of social organisation. Findings suggest that participants share dimensions of their teaching role with academics in general and even teachers in general. These common dimensions mainly relate to the way that participants experience the self as teacher and the supportive relationships they forge with their students. One could therefore argue that features related to the sense of selfhood and relationship with students form part of a culture of academics at a macro level. Notwithstanding, both these components are integral to the teaching identities of the legal academics that participated in this study. From the perspective of participants’ sense of self, their identities as teachers have at its core a sense of choice. Not only do participants choose to be law teachers but also they demonstrate passion, take pride in teaching and constantly measure their success in order to ensure they live up to their own and their students’ expectations. In contrast to their individual selves, touched on above where identity is driven by self-interest in their relationship with students, participants were found to be sensitive and caring in their dealings with students.

M.Ed. (Tertiary Didactics) / Every year research reports give the statistics of the number of examination failures and passes among university students. These reports focus the attention on a distressing problem, namely the large percentage of first-year students who either drop their studies or fail. This problem is to a great extent caused by students who are not adequately equipped for university studies or because the matric examination results did not accurately reflect the student's academic potential. Several economic, social and political factors could possibly also contribute to students failing or terminating their studies. The results of the problem causes great impact and implications. They form part of a vicious circle: the student is influenced negatively since there is doubt about his abilities and his self-image also faces a severe blow; the student's parents, who already have many financial responsibilities, as well as the community, are also influenced since taxpayer's money is being used to finance tertiary education. The problem of the high number of first-year students who fail has therefore to be solved because of the negative implications involved. A possible solution might be that universities should submit all prospective students to severe selection, in order to advise potentially unsuccessful students timeously or to point them in other directions. Only potentially successful students should be allowed to enter first-year studies. Suitable selection mechanisms would not only benefit the student, but would also have favourable financial implications for parents and the government. This study forms part of a team research project aimed at evaluating specifically the. selection mechanism of each faculty at Rand Afrikaans University, in order to determine the extent of the success achieved with the application of the said selection mechanism. The specific purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate the selection mechanism currently applied by the Faculty of Law at the Rand Afrikaans university. The study required a literature research in order to investigate the factors influencing the performance of first-year students. The Bureau for University Education made available data, information and material for this study. This investigation concerned only 1990 full-time first-year B.Proc students at the Rand Afrikaans University. The research instrument used is known as the "M-Score". This "instrument" awards a numeric value to the various symbols obtained in the different Subjects in the std. 10 final examination. The different values are added together to give one numeric value, the so-called "M-Score". The "M-Score" may vary between 3 and 30 as a result of the symbols obtained in the final examination.

M.Com. (Sales Management) / This study emphasizes that the sales effort is linked to the sales opportunities in the most profitable way. To make this possible, the sales potential of a sales area must first be analysed scientifically. Only then can the allocation of sales personnel to a sales area be made in the best possible way. The consumer, rather than the sales area, is the starting-point. In other words, the emphasis is on the satisfaction of needs in the sales area. The role of sales potential and forecasting in sales quota allotment is also analysed, since these contribute to the most effective allocation of sales personnel to the sales area. Optimum allocation of sales personnel to the sales area takes place, based on information from the sales area (market needs).

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract