This study examines the role of academic literacies and academic-writing practices at two diverse South African senior secondary schools and the implications that these practices have for academic-literacy teaching in Higher Education (HE). As student academic writing is central to teaching, learning and assessment in HE, learner academic-writing standards at schools will often impact on academic success in HE. This is a concern for HE as research from South African schooling contexts have found that students from secondary schools are seldom equipped to cope with the demands of HE writing practices. In addition, the introduction of a new curriculum (National Curriculum Statement – NCS) based on the principles of the South African constitution and informed by the Bill of Rights, impacted for the first time on senior secondary schools in 2006, when it was implemented in grade 10, and HE received its first cohort of matriculants with an NCS educational background in 2009. Therefore, this study specifically explores teachers' writing practices within an NCS writing-practice design for grades 11 and 12, and assesses its current implications for academic-writing practices in HE. Critical ethnography was selected as the primary methodology as it is concerned with multiple perspectives and explores local-practice contexts. Therefore, it provides a holistic understanding of the complexity of writing practices by examining the participants' writing-practice perceptions, observing their teaching practices and analysing their written responses or feedback to first and final drafts. The data/study sample consisted of three grades 11 and one grade 12 English Home Language and English First Additional Language teachers as well as selected learners from two secondary schools in the Port Elizabeth district. The data was collected by means of classroom observations, teacher interviews and learner samples of academic writing. Although this study focused on the teaching of academic writing by the four teachers, literacy understandings were also explored by describing what literacy practices subjectively meant to the four teachers by determining the meanings they collectively and individually gave to dominant literacy practices in academic writing, especially feedback practices in text production. A detailed examination of the new NCS requirements suggest that it offers an understanding of knowledge as a social construct, advocates a multiple literacies approach to teaching and learning, and allows for a process approach to cognitively-demanding writing which takes cognisance of the rhetorical, social and cultural dimensions of literacy. Collectively, the ASs in LO3 reflect a process approach to writing, from planning, drafting, feedback, revision to presentation of the final text. It also considers the specific rhetorical dimensions of purpose, audience, and context. Therefore, these NCS writing practices should benefit learners advancing to HE. This study argues that if teachers in secondary schools were to adhere more closely to the NCS's LO3 and its ASs implementation guidelines, learners would be better prepared to cope with HE academic-writing requirements. Instead, the study found that the teachers tended to reduce writing practices to the mastery of discrete sets of technical skills with a focus on surface features of language like spelling and grammar. In addition, the study found that when the teachers' perceptions of the NCS and their own classroom-writing practices were explored, they tended to resist a social-practice approach to academic writing, and, as a result, mostly adapted LO3 of the NCS rather than adopting it as intended by the policy-makers. Similar to other South African studies, this study concludes that teachers remain largely rooted in their autonomous teaching practices favouring traditional methods with which they are familiar over curricula policies which could emancipate learners toward levels of achievement which would better prepare them for both HE and the world of work. In other words, teachers in the sample tend to conserve their traditional methodologies which are predominantly informed by deficit views of learners‟ problems, selectively including new policy requirements which create the impression of compliance, rather than fundamentally altering their approaches pedagogically in the classroom and their academic-writing practices in particular.

Database modeling is a complex conceptual topic often taught through the use of project-based teams. One of the problems with the use of project-based teams in university courses is the determination of whether this is the most effective use of instructor and student time involvement and effort level. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of providing team dynamics training prior to the commencement of short-duration project-based team conceptual data modeling projects on individual data modeling task performance (DMTP) outcomes and team cohesiveness. The literature review encompassed conceptual data design modeling, the use of a project-based team approach, team dynamics and cohesion, self-efficacy, gender, and diversity. The research population consisted of 75 university students at a North American University (Canadian) pursuing a business program requiring an information systems course in which database design components are taught. Analysis of the collected data revealed that there was a statistically significant inverse relationship found between the provision of team dynamics training and individual DMTP. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between team dynamics training and team cohesion. Therefore, this study calls into question the value of team dynamics training on learning outcomes in the case of very short duration project-based teams involved in conceptual data modeling tasks. Additional research in this area would need to clarify what about this particular experiment might have contributed to these results.

The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the field dependence/independence preference (FD/FI) of selected master's students and their choice of academic discipline, 2) to determine the FD/FI of selected master's students and their areas of specialization within their discipline (kinesiology, health promotion, recreation), 3) to determine the relationship between FD/FI and GRE scores, and 4) to determine the relationship between FD/FI and cumulative GPA. The Witkin Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) was used to test for FD/FI.

This study focuses on sustainability in higher education and the competencies essential to address sustainability issues. Because sustainability issues are complex, "wicked", and dynamic, sustainability education programs need to reflect the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the field. Graduates who are competent in sustainability research and problem solving will have the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to analyze a sustainability problem systemically and comprehensively, then will construct and implement interventions to reach optimal sustainability solutions. To prepare graduates, sustainability education programs should facilitate the development of key sustainability competencies (Wiek, Withycombe, & Redman, 2011). Such programs provide an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates real-world sustainability issues through a combination of formal (guided by curriculum) and informal (not guided by curriculum) learning environments. This study examines Community Environmental Services (CES), a research and service unit at Portland State University (PSU) that has been providing students informal learning opportunities connected to real-world projects. CES projects provide students opportunities to work with community partners addressing waste, recycling, and materials management issues. The intent of this research is to determine if CES provides students real-world learning opportunities not provided in traditional academic programs that facilitate the development of sustainability competencies, and positively influence students' employment opportunities post-graduation. The findings from this research suggest that CES alumni believed they were proficient in each of the key sustainability competencies, which were developed equally through their experiences working at CES and their academic program. This study also found that CES alumni felt their experiences working at CES- including the development of professional skills and building a professional network- had more of an impact on future employment and career opportunities than their academic degree or other sources. The findings and insights from this research provide a model for sustainability education that can be replicated by other universities. A combination of formal sustainability curriculum integrated across campus, and informal real-world learning opportunities help facilitate student development of key sustainability competencies.

The problem of this study is an investigation into the need for and possible content and design of a specialized program of study to develop proficiencies for resource development in higher education. The study has three broad purposes. The first is to determine if there is a need for the specialized preparation of educational resource development officers in higher education; secondly, to ascertain what competencies are required of professionals in this field; and, finally, to assemble those competencies into component parts of a program of study. The following results were discovered by the study. 1) A majority of experienced practicing professionals in the field of educational resource development agrees that some form of specialized preparation for new professionals is needed. 2) Practicing professionals identified and described several competencies as well as personality traits and basic skills which are required of the educational development officer. 3) A majority of experienced practicing professionals agreed on a general format for a formal program of advanced degree work that would include an internship, master's level work and would terminate with some overall form of competency evaluation

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Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 J35 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 H37 / Master of Science

Prompted by increasing demand in South Africa for the development of a focused but flexible English Second Language (ESL) curriculum at university level, this thesis contends that substantial theoretical under-pinning is needed for decisions on ESL course materials. Once the theoretical constructs are determined, a model based on a systematic approach to course design is proposed. It maximizes the individualization of experiential learning, despite the large numbers of students who take these courses, through a multi-form course structure offering four streams of study at three levels of difficulty. Entry is possible at the start of the year and at mid-year. The empirical research which forms the basis of the study is an analysis of the 1985 student group at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Several methods are used, including post-course questionnaires, diagnostic assignments and a detailed language and stylistic error count linked with a clause analysis of a sample of assignments and examination scripts. The model curriculum meets the contextually basic science requirements of a university course, within the parameters of response needed in regard to the ESL student profile determined by the needs and role analysis completed in Chapter 2. Model aims and terminal learning objectives are presented in Chapter 3 as the foundation on which the rest of the thesis is constructed, and include comprehension, applied composition, oral and aural skills, use of reference works, methods of thinking, and occupationally relevant specialist language. In Chapters 4 and 5, in-depth analyses of appropriate course content and methods emphasize the use of Afrocentric English literature in contemporary settings with appropriate readability levels, language in use in specified contexts, development of vocabulary, remedying incorrect usage, comprehension skills, composition skills, development of cognitive processes, oral and listening skills, and the purpose and place of grammar. The final chapters outline approaches to criterion-referenced assessment and evaluation, and suggest appropriate set works and criteria for their selection. The course materials aim at improving English communicative performance. The underlying principles used in developing this course design and its associated materials can be valuably extrapolated and applied at universities and other tertiary institutions. / English Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (English)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Introduction: There is a global shortage of nurses, particularly in South Africa where there is a scarce resource of professional nurses. Since KwaZulu1Natal College of Nursing (KZNCN) is tasked with the responsibility of training 86% of professional nurses in the province, it is unfortunate to lose 22% of these students through failure and attrition. Most of these failures are in the subject of Anatomy and Physiology. Aim of study: The aim of the study was to establish factors that impact on the success in Anatomy and Physiology in first year student nurses affiliated to KZNCN, in a South African context. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive survey research design was used to establish relationships between variables that impact on nursing students’ success in Anatomy and Physiology. Results: The majority of respondents were Black (86.7%) from rural areas (6􀀀.3%) of KwaZulu1Natal. Their nurse training was in English as a second language (78.6%) but most respondents felt that they were coping well with being taught in English (p 􀀀0.00􀀀). However, respondents with English as a first language obtained significantly higher marks in Anatomy and Physiology I (p = 0.003) and there was a good correlation between matriculation English and Anatomy and Physiology II results (p = 0.02). There was also a good correlation between matriculation Biology/Life Science mark and Anatomy and Physiology I marks (p <􀀀 0.00􀀀). Additionally, good performance in Anatomy and Physiology I was a good indicator for success in Anatomy and Physiology II (p < 0.00􀀀). A significant number of respondents found the academic workload, financial stressors and long working hours stressful but engaged in positive coping skills to address these. Conclusion: Prior knowledge in English and Biology/Life Sciences has a significant positive impact on student performance in Anatomy and Physiology. / M