Piaget observed that various stages involved in the construction of different forms of knowledge are sequential and that the same sequential order is evident in history. There seem to be three main stages in the development of algebra involving the independent and general solution of equations followed by the evolution of abstract algebra. Piaget referred to these as the intra, inter and transoperational stages but they are termed the levels of percepts, concepts and abstractions here. The perceptual level involves isolated forms, the conceptual level concerns correspondences and transformations amongst forms whilst the abstract level is characterised by the evolution of structures of forms. Historically the overall perceptual level of abstract algebra lasted from antiquity to the middle of the eighteenth century. The conceptual level followed, lasting for approximately one century and the subsequent abstract level has prevailed from the middle of the nineteenth century onwards. Each of these levels involve numerous sublevels but instead of being continually broken down into more and more sublevels, in this study a spiral of learning is being considered. Each round of the spiral contains a perceptual, conceptual and abstract level. The way in which perceptual levels can arise from previous abstract levels gives an indication of how knowledge is reorganised and expanded in new unexplored directions as the spiral is climbed. The important aspects of proof and axiomatisation are also addressed here. The historical emergence of abstract algebra reveals a significant pattern concerning the development of mathematics. The levels of thinking involved are important and reveal a general trend of algebraic thought. Hence careful consideration needs to be paid to the revelations arising from historical investigations so that these may help contribute to the encouragement of learning in students of algebra. The idea of levels of learning has been substantiated by many researchers and investigations undertaken in the past. The main characteristics of the three relevant levels and sublevels as well as insights gained from the historical emergence of algebra are being united here to form a comprehensive theory of learning algebra at both the secondary and tertiary levels of study. / Mathematical Sciences / Ph. D. (Mathematics Education)

Due to the inadequate schooling system and the underpreparedness of learners in South African High Schools, Higher Education Institutions are faced with learners who do not meet the minimum criteria for acceptance into mainstream science programmes. In an attempt to increase access into the institution and meet the demands of more science and technology graduates, the Department of Chemistry at the historically disadvantaged ML Sultan Technikon introduced the Augmented programme for the National Diploma: Analytical Chemistry in 1994. This study provides a report on the profile of the students registered from 1994 to 1996, their graduation rate and a correlation of their points calculated for matric symbols with their graduation rate as well as their performance in Analytical Chemistry, the major subject of their diploma. Interviews are used to determine the perceptions of the lecturers regarding the structure of and teaching in the Augmented programme. / Chemistry / M.Sc. (Chemical Education)

No summary available / Mathematical Sciences/Teacher Education / D.Phil.

This research explores peer review in the academic writing of ESL university students. It investigates the problem from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Overall findings showed no significant differences between the holistic coherence ratings given to the original and final drafts of the group of students exposed to a process approach to writing with peer review. Similarly, there were no significant differences between the holistic coherence ratings of this experimental group and control group on their final drafts. However, the findings of finer-grained comparative analyses of each experimental group student's original and final drafts revealed both positive and negative results with respect to changes made. The study also explores the changes in terms of the peer review process, so attempting to analyse in more qualitative detail how coherence is constituted in student academic writing. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This study concerns the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as a foreign language in colleges of education in the Northern Province. An empirical survey was conducted at Makhado and Shingwedzi Colleges of Education where teachers are trained for the Primary Teachers' Diploma. This study seeks to identify issues which perpetrate negative attitudes to the subject of Afrikaans, as is manifested by low student enrolment, or its absence. Apart from the fact that South Africa is proclaimed by the Constitution of the country to be both multilingual and multicultural, non-Afrikaans student teachers seem to ignore the advantages of including Afrikaans as one of the units of their linguistic flexibility. The study thus identifies the knowledge, skills and attitudes which teachers and student teachers should acquire in this foreign language during their training in order to be successful practitioners in the field. The study endeavours to inform its learners that the language should be regarded as a tool of communication, not one of politics. This knowledge is necessary as African learners tend to associate the subject Afrikaans with the apartheid era of government. Chapter two deals with theoreticar considerations which underpin the teaching of the subject of Afrikaans. The role of language policy and its planning was identified as the basis of negative attitudes towards the language. Chapter three deals with instructional issues pertaining to the teaching of the subject of Afrikaans as a foreign language. These issues include the How? and Why? of factors to be considered in the teaching of the subject with the aim of enhancing the teachers' understanding of the subject. Research is conducted on problematical areas. Chapter four concentrates on the empirical research. The research endevours to identify issues in the teaching of the subject The thesis concludes that there is a need to revisit the aims of learning the Afrikaans language and a need to concentrate on cultivating a culture of learning in the subject of Afrikaans. This can be accomplished by enriching the language through acquiring various teaching skills and addressing various needs of learners. / Hierdie studie handel oor die onderrig en leer van Afrikaans as vreemde taal in onderwyskolleges in die Noordelike Provinsie. h Empiriese studie is gedoen by die Makhado Onderwyskollege en die Shingwedzi Onderwyskollege waar onderwysers vir die Primere Onderwysdiploma opgelei word. In hierdie navorsing word getrag om die faktore wat aanleiding gee tot die lae inskrywingsyfer vir Afrikaans as vak te identifiseer. Afgesien van die feit dat die Grondwet van SuidAfrika voorsiening maak vir veeltaligheid en multikulturaliteit, ignoreer nieAfrikaanssprekende studente die voordele wat daaraan verbonde is om Afrikaans as vak by hulle studiepakket in te sluit. Die kennis; vaardighede en houdings wat onderwysers en onderwysstudente moet verwerf om Afrikaans as vreemde taal suksesvol te kan onderrig, word hier ge'identifiseer. Poging word aangewend om aan te toon dat Afrikaans as werktuig vir kommunikasie aangewend moet word en nie as h politieke werktuig nie. Hierdie kennis is noodsaaklik, aangesien leerders die taal en dus ook die vak Afrikaans, meestal assosieer met die voormalige apartheidsregering. Hoofstuk twee handel oor die teoretiese aspekte wat die grondslag van die onderrig van die vak Afrikaans vorm. Die rol wat die taalbeleid tans speel en ook in die verlede gespeel het, word ge"identifiseer as basis vir die negatiewe ingesteldhede teenoor die taal. , Hoofstuk drie handel oor onderrigaangeleenthede betreffende die vak Afrikaans as h vreemde taal. Hierdie sake sluit in die Hoe? en Waarom? van faktore wat in ag geneem word by die onderrig van die vak wanneer beoog word om die onderwyser se insig betreffende die vak te verbeter. Navorsing is gedoen oor areas wat problematies blyk te gewees het. In hoofstuk vier word die empiriese navorsing weergegee. Hierdie navorsing trag om sekere aangeleenthede betreffende die onderrig van die vak oop te dek. Die tesis volstaan daarmee dat daar 'n nood is om die doelstellings met die onderrig van Afrikaans weer eens te beskou en dat dit ook nodig is om daarop te konsentreer om die onderrig van Afrikaans op aile vlakke te bevorder. Dit kan bereik word deur die verryking van die taal deur middel van die aanleer van verskillende onderrigvaardighede en deur die behoeftes van die leerders aan te spreek. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The aim of nursing practice is to provide evidence-based care that ensures quality outcomes for patients, families, healthcare providers and the health care system. This may only occur with increased exposure to nursing research. Nursing education institutions should therefore ensure that students are prepared to provide evidence-based care by participating in and conducting research. The purpose of the study is to explore and describe the challenges faced by nurse educators in teaching research methodology and supervising undergraduate nursing students at a university in order to make recommendations to support nurse educators in teaching research and supervising research projects. Qualitative, explorative, contextual and descriptive research was conducted to explore and describe the challenges experienced by nurse educators. Data were collected through a focus group discussion. Nine nurse educators participated in the research study. Participants acknowledged that they faced challenges in teaching research methodology and supervising research projects. The challenges described pertained to human resources; research experience, competencies and guidelines; physical resources; and a lack of support from their institution’s management. Based on the challenges, recommendations were made to address the lack of specific competencies, research guidelines, student/educator ratios, physical resources and technology issues / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Submitted in fullfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of the Built Environment (Survey), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Surveying concepts are difficult to understand, especially when students are exposed to surveying for the first time. Surveying is best understood when linked to field applications; however, students are only exposed to surveying and related field operation procedures during practicals. Two-dimensional (2D) explanations of surveying equipment used is shown during class lectures, which makes understanding of field procedures difficult to teach and learn during normal class lectures. A new approach to lecture delivery is required to make lectures more interesting and visually stimulating via three-dimensional (3D) animated models of levelling equipment and simulation of field observations and data collection. Additionally the learning of basic surveying concepts cannot be limited to field practicals, but in conjunction with learning that takes place in the classroom. Students' ability to properly learn the correct use of surveying equipment during time-tabled practicals is limited. The students do not have sufficient time in their normal scheduled practicals to learn to use surveying equipment to the required proficiency level. The main objective of this research was to deal with these inadequacies by exposing students to (3D) animated models of surveying equipment during lectures and the corresponding field applications created within SketchUp software. Students were exposed to these animated 3D models during lectures, so that their actual field operation and application could be simulated. Quantitative analysis of the student achievement data revealed that there was a significant difference between the test scores of the control and experimental groups. Additional analysis of the developed Likert-type scale questionnaire revealed that students' had a positive attitude towards the teaching tool.

Submitted in fulfillment for the Master of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Promulgation of the Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) tasks the Council for Higher Education (CHE), South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and standards generating bodies (Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)) with guiding institutions through the implementation of the new framework. Implementation is through a phased approach spanning a five-year period beginning in January 2011 and with anticipated culmination in December 2014. As the Higher Education Framework Handbook (CHE 2011:2) states: ‘all existing institutions, public and private, offering existing and previously accredited higher education programmes will be impacted upon by this process in some manner or form, whether it be through a minor name change or a complete renewal of the programme content.’ Consequently, universities of technology (UoT’s) have embarked on a curriculum renewal process and the Civil Engineering Department of Durban University of Technology (DUT) is no different. It is within this context of participation and multiple contributory environments of different role-players that this study was founded. This research explored the Civil Engineering industry’s involvement in the curriculum renewal at DUT with the intention of understanding its contribution and influence in the renewal process and particularly in terms of curriculum design. The scope of the study was restricted to DUT Civil Engineering Department and their graduates, with subjects selected from a convenience sample of DUT Civil Engineering Department’s database of employers that have in the past and presently employ DUT graduates and/ or Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) students. The sample constituted organisations from the contracting, consulting and para-statal fields of employment. A questionnaire was designed containing both open-ended questions and rating scales that explored and probed the Civil Engineering industry level of involvement in the curriculum and curriculum renewal activities at DUT. In addition, interviews were conducted with seasoned Civil Engineering staff that have interacted with industry at various levels to gain their view of industry’s involvement with design of the Civil Engineering curriculum. Data from both questionnaires and interviewees overwhelmingly suggested that industry is not directly involved with the curriculum renewal currently underway at DUT, some respondents only gathered that such an activity was taking place through the medium of the questionnaire. This suggests that the resultant curriculum will be void of much industry engagement and influence. The nature of engagement that does occur is largely through the utilisation of DUT graduates or WIL students. Engagement occurs most commonly when curriculum issues are raised by staff at interviews of employers during WIL, suggesting that the nature of association with DUT is limited to employment of students or graduates. It is inferred that industry has very little direct input into the curriculum. DUT Advisory Board is considerably under-utilised for its intended purpose of engaging industry on curriculum issues, and its existence is unfamiliar to industry at large. As much as the Advisory Board is the most appropriate avenue to discuss curriculum issues, it has limitations in that its function is not entirely realised. The data generated also resoundingly suggests that industry is fully supportive of an inclusive participation process. Data further suggest that industry genuinely wants to be involved in curriculum discussions, and decisions for reasons ranging from participating to create more relevant course content, to contributing to creation of graduates with more appropriate employability attributes. Participants from industry further intimated that their role remains for on-site experiential learning: they provide the working knowledge to complement the academic knowledge provided by DUT. They also consider themselves to be providers of other facets that contribute to a holistic graduate, and assume further roles such as those of mentors and supervisors. The likely outcomes of their influence would be rapid engagement of graduates within the Civil Engineering field. A symbiotic relationship therefore becomes apparent between DUT and industry, where with more input into the curriculum by industry; a more work- orientated graduate is produced to better serve the needs of industry. The following recommendations emerge from the findings of this study: Since most of industry’s engagement occurs during WIL interviews, it would be prudent if a generic curriculum- based questionnaire is devised. This should be filled in by employers during student WIL visitations by staff in addition to the existing questionnaire. In doing so DUT would be proactive in literally ‘taking curriculum issues to them’. The DUT Civil Engineering Department should target those companies that have an interest in making a concerted effort by enlisting them onto the Advisory Board. From an institutional perspective DUT should be more proactive and advertise the existence of such an entity, created solely for curriculum discussions with the public, and particularly with industry. Assessments, course content and the project component of the programme generated considerable comments from industry that the Civil Engineering Department could take into consideration during the curriculum renewal process.

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2015. / Introduction Critical care nursing is one of the most stressful specialities in the nursing profession that involves caring for patients who are suffering with life threatening illness or injuries. The highly technological environment where critical care nursing is rendered is associated with a great amount of stress, frustration and burnout. The critical care nursing student needs to be prepared, mentored and supported for the role transition from student to professional nurse. Nursing education and training cannot succeed without proper theory and practice integration. Therefore, the critical care nursing environment should be supportive of the improvement of teaching and learning. Peer mentoring is one important strategy to help foster an environment that is supportive of the critical care nursing student, allowing them to grow and succeed as experts within the speciality of critical care nursing. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to explore the influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students’ learning outcomes in critical care units in KwaZulu- Natal. Methodology A qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. Ten nurses were recruited from the critical care units in five private and two public hospitals. Descriptions of their experiences were gained through individual face-to-face interviews. The broad question to the participants was: “What influence does peer mentoring have on the critical nurses’ learning outcomes in the critical care unit?” iii Results The findings of the study revealed that peer mentoring is a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes so that they will be proficient in the critical care unit. Peer mentoring was however, not consistent in all hospitals and the critical care nursing students were not given the necessary support and supervision. There were no structured support systems in place to ensure that peer mentoring was formalized and that all required nursing personnel took on the responsibility to teach and facilitate learning for critical care nursing students. Recommendations Recommendations were made with regards to policy development, service provision, nursing education and research. These include that a formalized mentorship programme should be incorporated into the core competencies of all qualified critical care nurses, and to be reflected in their performance appraisal in order to motivate the registered nurses to fulfil their independent function as teachers. Each unit mentor should familiarize him/herself with the prescribed learning objectives of the critical care nursing student in order to be able to delegate appropriately so that learning outcomes are achieved by the mentee. There should be an allocation of supernumerary time for the critical care nursing student and their mentor to allow time for formal mentoring responsibilities to take place away from the clinical area, to facilitate assessment and feedback, and enhance consolidation. Ongoing evidencebased practice research should be conducted on this topic, to provide more information on how peer mentoring effects the mentee, nursing education and retention of skilled staff.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / In South Africa, a dire need exists for a psychological approach that would be appropriate and adequate for all South Africans while opposing remaining historical inequalities. Psychological services are saturated within the predominantly white private sector but scarce for the predominantly disadvantaged who are dependant on public services. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the perceptions of Community Psychology among psychology Honours/Bpsych students. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed in this study. A self-constructed questionnaire was used for obtaining data. A convenience sample was obtained from the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Western Cape. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The outcomes of this study are firstly, that there is no significant relationship was established between race and tendency to study community psychology with the exception of the first year. Secondly, the relationship between gender and tendency to study community psychology was also non-significant. The results of the qualitative findings did however suggest that negative perceptions of community psychology are evident among students thus suggesting that they are deterred from pursuing it as a career.