The purpose of the research is to examine the effects that Apartheid had/has on the shaping of leadership styles of South African political leaders from all political affiliations and different backgrounds. The research phenemenon and tentative hypothesis is that these leaders were influenced in vastly different ways according to their positions as either advantaged, disadvantaged or unaffected by the system of Apartheid. The study will examine how these different experiences under the system of Apartheid shaped current leadership styles. / The system of apartheid, caused different life experiences for South Africans, and can be seen as a defining moment in the development of South Africa, its leaders and citizens. This study investigated how these different life experiences under apartheid influenced leadership styles of South African political leaders. After completion of a literature review, semi structured life history interviews were conducted with a representative sample of members of the South African Parliament, to generate qualitative data for analysis. Content analysis was applied to this data to generate a basis from which valid and reliable conclusions and recommendations were made. The research found support in both the literature review and qualitative life stories data collected for the following propositions: • Leadership is a complex construct, which is composed of many different characteristics and influences. • The life histories of individuals comprise of a combination of unique life experiences and subjective interpretations of those experiences. • Individual life histories influence leadership development. • Apartheid was a time line event that encompassed many different life experiences of individuals within the broad phenomenon, which phenomenon does not necessarily in itself have a significantly 7 homogeneous effect on the shaping of leadership styles. What is a more significant shaper of leadership style is the leader’s experiences in and attitude towards the event or phenomenon. • Life experiences under the phenomenon of apartheid influenced the leadership styles of South African political leaders differently in accordance with their unique life experiences itself, and their subjective interpretations thereof. The recordal of the life stories of South African political leaders presents an opportunity to learn at a broader interface from the experiences of the past, to shape a collective future for a free and democratic South Africa.

The supervision offered at universities today is to some degree being questioned, while the situation of doctoral students is undergoing changes. The supervision students get nowadays is very different from what was available when today’s supervisors were doctoral students. The present study relies on thirty-one in-depth interviews with experienced research supervisors from all faculties at the one university. The Swedish governing documents regarding supervision have mostly been phrased in very general terms on the assumption that certain disciplines have several traits in common. Other documents describe the requirements for supervisors more sweepingly; everybody is expected to work according to the same lines. There is no question that supervision could be anything but good and no attempt at defining the task is made. Previous studies show that supervisors are unaware of what is really expected of them. The aim of this thesis is partly to investigate whether there are any communal traits in the accounts, at individual or group level, and partly to demonstrate how research supervisors’ views on research supervision can vary. The objective is also to highlight qualitative differences in the descriptions by the supervisors as to how and why they supervise. Results show that it is not easy to articulate knowledge about ones own actions. The supervisors under study have not previously reflected too much on the question of supervising. They have neither received nor requested feedback and do not expect to get honest verdicts from their students. They profess themselves to have developed a mode of supervision on their own, without assistance or any form of training. The thesis is based on a theory of variation, tacit knowledge and reflection and that supervisors will be shaped by connections to certain Communities of practice. It draws on the silent or unarticulated knowledge of what supervision is about, how and why supervision is carried out in a specific way, at group level or individually. At group level some similarities to other investigations can be found. Traditions regarding the form of the thesis are usually compliant with faculty norms. At the individual level, however, the study presents new findings in pointing out the existence of three different styles of supervision: researcher, leader and official. These can not be traced back to any specific disciplines. The three styles differ from each other mainly in their attitude to the doctoral students and in their outlook on the question of power and responsibility. The most important conclusion is to draw attention to the significance of having an individual perspective. In order to be able to improve the art of supervision, getting interaction and feedback from doctoral students and the organisation is not sufficient. A prerequisite for development is to gain an awareness of ones own actions. In order to become conscious about ones doings it is necessary to give and take feedback about oneself, achieved through self-reflection. / <p>AKADEMISK AVHANDLING som med tillstånd av utbildningsvetenskapliga fakulteten vid Göteborgs universitet för vinnande av doktorsexamen framläggs till offentlig granskning fredagen den 20 april 2007, klockan 13.00 i sal M202 Sandgärdet, Högskolan i Borås. Fakultetsopponent: Professor Leif Lindberg, Växjö universitet</p>

The overarching objective of this research is to recognize the learning styles of engineering and technology students and to propose pedagogical methods for the comprehension of technological concepts in electricity. The topic of electrical resistor-capacitor (RC) circuits has been chosen because it is fundamental to engineering and technology courses. There is substantial evidence to suggest that students find such a concept difficult to grasp. The focus of the research lies in explicating undergraduate students cognitive structures about RC circuits, and proposing a method related to students learning styles of how these cognitive structures may be enhanced. The main thesis argument claims that the transfer of knowledge from familiar RC circuit configurations to unfamiliar RC circuit configurations does not occur easily even if the problem-space is kept identical. The methodology used in this research is a mixed-method approach employing qualitative and quantitative data-gathering and analysis processes. This research concludes that the reasons for lack of transfer of knowledge stem from conceptual and perceptual constraints. Constraints involve: (a) which analogical models are employed in relation to the RC circuit, (b) how the circuit schematic diagram is drawn, and (c) relations between analogy, circuit schematic diagram, voltage-time graphs and verbal jargon used to describe circuit behaviour. The research presents a variety of novel, custom-designed learning aids which are employed within the research methodology to rectify the lack of transfer of knowledge for the RC circuits considered in the study. The design of these learning aids is based on the concept of embodied cognition and mainly makes use of visual and kinaesthetic means to appeal to students who may have different learning styles. The use of such learning aids is proposed as a complementary teaching strategy. The approach taken in this research and its outcomes are significant because they continue to inform the research and educational communities about how human development may be fostered through engineering and technology education (Barak and Hacker, 2011).

published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

How we attach to others, and more generally how we develop and maintain our attachment in our important relationships, has been a question that has captivated psychology researchers. This study introduces Context-Dependent Insecure Attachment (C-DIA), a new model of how childhood experiences are linked with adult attachment behavior. This model postulates that for people with insecure attachment, whether they exhibit anxious or avoidant behavior in romantic relationships is dependent on their dynamic with their partner. This is because different types of partners could trigger one of two working models of attachment, an anxious or avoidant one. These two opposing working models of attachment are a product of growing up in a two-parent household, where children likely would have been exposed to two working models of primary attachment relationships, likely one based in anxiety and one in avoidance. In adulthood, significant relationships would induce relatively anxious or avoidant behavior, depending on which working model was triggered. This model of C-DIA was tested using self-report vignettes, self-report written measures, and a romantic attachment interview. Results of Study 1 indicated that there were people who had high scores on anxiety and avoidance. Results of Study 2 indicated that those with high scores for anxious and avoidant attachment were likely to report experiencing C-DIA, and to report having parents who had a contrasting dynamic and attributes. Results of Study 3 were broadly not significant, but did not have enough variance in the sample in order to come to a definitive conclusion about C-DIA.

New digital technological possibilities allow physical museum artefacts to be transferred into a virtual environment using 3D computer models with rich information content for educational purposes. However, although several museum websites have applied relevant educational theories to learning activities in these 3D environments, these alone are not enough to develop 3D museum environments without consideration of virtual visiting styles in the learning context. This research addresses the relationship between visiting styles and the design of 3D museum environments based on pedagogic approaches for learning efficacy. Relevant literature on the nature of web-based museum systems was reviewed. Three stages of primary research (a critical review, observations and interviews) were also conducted in this study. The critical review examined the use of 3D technologies in current museum websites in terms of informational aspects and the learning context. The observation studies identified the relationship between visitor behaviours and associated learning activities within 3D museum environments. The interviews further elicited experts’ views and were used to test the research hypotheses. A theoretical design reference model was developed. Initially based on the Reeves multimedia design model, the model consists of three phases: analysis, design and assessment. A prototype 3D exhibition was created based on the theoretical model and two pedagogic approaches. Evaluation of this showed that the design of the exhibits with rich multimedia formats had the potential for more effective visitor learning. The two pedagogic approaches encouraged the related visiting style(s), leading to a deeper engagement with the content and ultimately improving learning efficiency.

The purpose of this study is to investigate what active leaders think is important in a good leadership, with a focus on work with groups of children and youth. A qualitative interview study with four interviewees was used to answer these questions: What do active leaders think characterize a good leadership? Which different leadership styles do active leaders prefer? How consistent are the interviewees’ responses with previous literature? All the interviewees had 20 years of experience or more in leadership, among these 2 worked as recreation instructors, while the other 2 had worked with leadership in a number of different and varied areas. In the results responses were compiled from the interviews. In the discussion there is a comparison with literature and the results of the study are discussed. The results show that the preferred leadership style of all who were interviewed was the democratic, whereas a situational leadership style was also something that all interviewees appear to exhibit examples of in different degrees. One conclusion seems to be that the interviewees are not purely using any one particular style, but that different stylistic features from a number of leadership styles can be identified from the responses. The leadership skills that those who were interviewed bring up are many, but a few that were mentioned by several interviewees were to be positive, clear, fair, open to criticism, and to be relationship-oriented. A comparison of interview responses in the study's results with previous literature suggests that large parts of the interview responses are also consistent with previous literature and research. / Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka vad verksamma ledare anser är viktigt i ett bra ledarskap, med fokus på arbete med grupper av barn och ungdomar. En kvalitativ intervjustudie med fyra intervjupersoner användes för att besvara dessa frågeställningar: Vad anser verksamma ledare kännetecknar ett bra ledarskap? Vad föredrar verksamma ledare för olika ledarstilar? Hur stämmer de intervjuades svar överens med tidigare litteratur? Samtliga intervjupersoner hade 20 års eller mer erfarenhet av ledarskap, bland dessa arbetade 2 st som fritidspedagoger, medan de övriga 2 hade arbetat med ledarskap inom ett antal olika och varierande områden. I resultatet sammanställdes svaren från intervjuerna. I diskussionen görs en jämförelse med litteraturen och studiens resultat diskuteras. Resultatet visade att den ledarstil som samtliga intervjuade föredrog var den demokratiska, medan även en situationsanpassad ledarstil var något som samtliga intervjuade tycks uppvisa exempel på i olika hög grad. En slutsats tycks vara att de intervjuade inte renodlat använder sig utav någon viss stil, utan olika stildrag från ett flertal ledarstilar kunde identifieras utifrån svaren. De ledaregenskaper som de intervjuade tar upp är många, men några som nämndes utav flera intervjuade var bland annat att vara positiv, tydlig, rättvis, öppen för kritik, samt att vara relationsinriktad. En jämförelse av intervjusvaren i studiens resultat med tidigare litteratur pekar på att stora delar av intervjusvaren även överensstämmer med tidigare litteratur och forskning.

This study sets out to investigate how conflict is managed at schools. The literature review clearly indicated the complexity of the management of conflict in school organisations. Schools, by virtue of being social organisations aiming at providing education services to learners, cannot thrive under conditions of dysfunctional conflict. However, it is also clear that not all conflict is bad and can be functional in school improvement and renewal. The most important aspect pertaining to conflict in schools, is that it must be managed. This actually implies that conflict has to be managed from its sources, apparent or potential and that, this must involve a process that ranges from conflict diagnosis to school organisational learning and effectiveness. This clearly relates to all types of conflict and includes, conflict resolution, prevention and management. The empirical study established that school principals largely used the dominating and avoiding styles of handling conflict. The variance between categories of responses indicated that conflict handling styles were used contingent on situational conditions. To this end, it was found that educators from big schools showed statistically significant differences with educators from small schools in so far as principals' conflict handling styles are concerned. Based on this finding and nothwistanding the results of the frequency analysis which generally indicated almost equal responses in terms of the agree and disagree responses, it was concluded that the dominating and avoidng styles, and to an extent, the compromising styles were used predominantly in the surveyed schools. The study thus recommends that peer group and needs-specific capacity building programmes for school principals should be initiated so as to expose principals to conflict management learning experiences from practice, and in relaxed atmospheres facilitated by peer coaching and mentoring. Keywords: conflict; conflict management; conflict management styles, conflict theories, conflict models; conflict resolution; organisational conflict / Thesis (M.Ed. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Relationships between parenting styles practiced in individuals' families of origin and the measurement of individuals' spiritual maturity in adulthood were studied. Relationships between gender and the authoritative (facilitative) parenting style comprised the main focus of the study. Participants for this study were recruited from a large, non-denominational Christian church located in north Texas. A total of 300 individuals were randomly selected. A total of 160 individuals filled out the demographic sheet, the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), and the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI). Canonical correlation procedures were performed among the set of SAI scales measuring individuals' spiritual maturity (awareness, instability, grandiosity, realistic acceptance, disappointment, and impression management) and the set of PAQ scales that measure parenting styles (authoritative or facilitative, authoritarian, and permissive) of mothers and fathers. Conclusions about female and male students raised in homes characterized by fathers and mothers with an authoritative (facilitative) parenting style were varied. Female adults raised in homes characterized by fathers and mothers with an authoritative (facilitative) parenting style were not correlated in a positive manner with spiritual maturity. Male adults raised in homes characterized by fathers with an authoritative (facilitative) parenting style demonstrated significance at only a large observed p value and therefore, could not be reported. Male students raised in homes characterized by mothers with an authoritative (facilitative) parenting style were correlated significantly with spiritual maturity in one correlation at the .04 level of significance. In another correlation, at the .003 level of significance, male adults raised in homes characterized by mothers with an authoritative (facilitative) parenting style were not correlated. Some cautions were discussed regarding the findings, and directions for future research on parenting styles and spiritual maturity were discussed.

The problem investigated was the need for effective and efficient learning for middle school science students to meet expectations set in Goals 2000. The use of the 4MAT Instructional Method was investigated as a possible method for attainment of current science standards. The study included one middle school science instructor's classes with 89 participating students. Measurements were taken and comparisons drawn using three assessment methods to determine if improved academic achievement and attitude scores resulted. Data analysis yielded no significant conclusion in either academic achievement or attitude improvement; however, observations of the researcher indicated potential usefulness of the 4MAT approach. The t-value calculated in the assessment methods was insufficient with a .05 probability of error present in the findings. The limitations of the study skewed the results and outweighed the possible observational insight.