In South Africa today a constant stream of demands characterise higher education. The global employment market expects graduating students to be flexible, adoptable and prepared to take responsibility for their own learning and their own continuous professional development. The pace of technological change in health sciences and the volume of available information highlight the need to develop students’ critical reflective thinking. A paradigm shift is required in health science education from one of providing instruction to one of promoting effective and lifelong learning. Educators in health sciences need to revisit, rethink and evaluate criteria for health practice. The challenge of this research is to investigate the integration of critical reflection as a learning strategy in the outcomes of learning programmes within a transformative education approach; the integration of theory and practice through a reflective learning approach; the development and implementation of different learning tools to facilitate effective learning; the importance of establishing an understanding of the link between the learning styles of students and critical reflection as a learning strategy; and the value of the integration of critical reflection to promote lifelong learning. A mixed methods research approach was primarily utilised to monitor facilitation of learning initiatives and appropriate activities for strengthening the learning-centred approach, through reflective journals and reflective learning groups. A quantitative and qualitative study was used in which a pilot study questionnaire, observations, structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted and completed. The findings of this investigation indicate that critical reflection adds value to the effectiveness of learning. The investigation also revealed the value of sharing learning experiences in a small learning group and proved that the learning environment for radiography education allows enough opportunities to integrate an alternative learning strategy such as critical reflection. All role players in health science education need to build their own skills to function effectively as whole brain thinkers with a view to maximizing learning effectiveness. Reflective practice enhances lifelong learning and can also be utilised as a tool for quality control of the learning programme. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

In this study an exploration was conducted of change and transformation at an institution of higher education in South Africa using Anstey’s conceptual framework. This framework incorporated the work of major change theorists as well as the balanced scorecard of Kaplan and Norton. A quantitative and exploratory approach was used. The research question for this study was formulated as follows: How successful was the organizational transformation process at the newly established university in the period 2003 – 2007? The first objective of the study was to describe the organizational transformation process as it unfolded at the newly established university. The second objective was to evaluate the success of the organizational transformation process by using Anstey’s conceptual framework. Eight factors were identified in Anstey’s framework according to which the success of the merger was analyzed. These factors were: constructive unease; harnessed urgency; clear purpose; challenging vision with clear measurable objectives; champions at all levels; culture and community; competitive competencies; coherent strategy, and communication and consultation. A computerized survey tool was utilized to design a structured questionnaire with both fixed response and open-ended questions. Some 13 percent of the employees responded to the questionnaire. The internal consistency of the scores derived from the instrument was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha. Descriptive statistics revealed that 62.5 percent of factor scores were neutral and 37.5 percent negative with regard to staffs’ perceptions of the merger. Inferential statistics disclosed that academic staff viewed the merger more negatively on factor 3 challenging vision with clear measurable objectives than their administrative colleagues. The total success of the merger can be summarized by the following statement of one of the participants ‘If the NMMU merger is compared to other mergers in Higher Education in South Africa then it is clear that, from a systems and procedural perspective, it was managed satisfactory. Unfortunately the ‘people’ dimension of the merger did not feature as a priority and many staff members were alienated as a result of this.’ The limitation of the study was the small sample size. This study was also contextual in nature, meaning that it focused on the transformation process as it unfolded at a specific university in South African between the years 2003 – 2007. No results generated in this study can be generalized as they only presented a shot-in-time reflecting the transformation process at a particular organization at a particular period in time. This study also confirmed the usefulness of Anstey’s conceptual framework in assessing transformation at an institution of higher education.

All human beings are endowed with unique talents and potentialities, and are able to bring to life the hidden gifts or the talisman within them. Being in the prime of their lives, youth should be engaged in developing themselves, acquiring virtues, and striving for excellence. Reports from schools and other sources, however, indicate that many South African youth have become prey to various social ills, such as teenage pregnancy, violence, crime, and drugs and alcohol abuse, which inhibit them from achieving their talisman. In response to this situation, a life skills programme was designed to awaken the sense of talisman in youth. Believing that all human beings are gifted with special talents and potentialities, the Youth Enrichment Programme (YEP) aims to improve and transform the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of youth, thus bringing them closer to the state of talisman. The programme intends to equip youth with values and skills that improve their social, moral and cognitive behaviour, so that they can become responsible citizens in a united and peaceful society. It pays special attention to the moral and spiritual aspects of the learners, aspects severely neglected by most education systems. The principles of YEP are founded on the spiritual nature of man, the oneness of mankind, unity in diversity, and equality. The programme adopts transformational and multi-domain teaching strategies to transform learners through interactive critical assessment of values in the context of real-life moral and social issues. The main purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate YEP in terms of its influence on the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of adolescent learners and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Various aspects of the programme were investigated, including its underlying theoretical principles, methodological approaches and design characteristics. The researcher evaluated the influence of the programme on the behaviour of adolescent learners in five institutions in two provinces. The qualitative and quantitative data from the learners, teachers and facilitators in the five case studies showed that the programme had a positive influence on the learners in the cognitive, social and moral domains. It broadened their view of life and developed problem solving skills in the cognitive domain, enhanced their communication skills and co-operation in social domain, and improved their general moral behaviour especially in the areas of trust and respect in the moral domain. Overall, the effect of the programme was most prominent in transforming the moral behaviour of the learners, bringing some of them closer to their state of talisman. The study also discovered three unexpected phenomena - the beneficial role of peer learning facilitation, the positive effect of facilitation on the young facilitators, and the salutary effect of the programme on the general learning atmosphere in the schools. All human beings are endowed with unique talents and potentialities, and are able to bring to life the hidden gifts or the talisman within them. Being in the prime of their lives, youth should be engaged in developing themselves, acquiring virtues, and striving for excellence. Reports from schools and other sources, however, indicate that many South African youth have become prey to various social ills, such as teenage pregnancy, violence, crime, and drugs and alcohol abuse, which inhibit them from achieving their talisman. In response to this situation, a life skills programme was designed to awaken the sense of talisman in youth. Believing that all human beings are gifted with special talents and potentialities, the Youth Enrichment Programme (YEP) aims to improve and transform the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of youth, thus bringing them closer to the state of talisman. The programme intends to equip youth with values and skills that improve their social, moral and cognitive behaviour, so that they can become responsible citizens in a united and peaceful society. It pays special attention to the moral and spiritual aspects of the learners, aspects severely neglected by most education systems. The principles of YEP are founded on the spiritual nature of man, the oneness of mankind, unity in diversity, and equality. The programme adopts transformational and multi-domain teaching strategies to transform learners through interactive critical assessment of values in the context of real-life moral and social issues. The main purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate YEP in terms of its influence on the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of adolescent learners and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Various aspects of the programme were investigated, including its underlying theoretical principles, methodological approaches and design characteristics. The researcher evaluated the influence of the programme on the behaviour of adolescent learners in five institutions in two provinces. The qualitative and quantitative data from the learners, teachers and facilitators in the five case studies showed that the programme had a positive influence on the learners in the cognitive, social and moral domains. It broadened their view of life and developed problem solving skills in the cognitive domain, enhanced their communication skills and co-operation in social domain, and improved their general moral behaviour especially in the areas of trust and respect in the moral domain. Overall, the effect of the programme was most prominent in transforming the moral behaviour of the learners, bringing some of them closer to their state of talisman. The study also discovered three unexpected phenomena - the beneficial role of peer learning facilitation, the positive effect of facilitation on the young facilitators, and the salutary effect of the programme on the general learning atmosphere in the schools. / Dissertation (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to examine how individuals who became involuntary unemployed due to the Covid-19 pandemic experience and handle the situation as unemployed. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for products and services in certain industries has drastically reduced and work opportunities have decreased.  Whilst working as career counsellors within support during this year we have encountered a new group of job seekers – those who have higher education experience, who, before 2020, were not part of the natural unemployment in Sweden. During the interviews it was noticed that most of these participants expressed a strong professional identity associated with their previous professional role.  This, in turn, could be attributed to having an impact on their coping strategies and their way of reflecting over their situation of being unemployed. The empirical data that was produced using qualitative interviews were later analysed using Hodkinson and Sparkes careership theory, Mezirow's Transformative learning and Ylva Ulfsdotter and Malin Lindes explanation of the term Professional Identity. This study highlighted that most participants continued to have a strong connection to their previous professional identity and that a forced turning point due to the pandemic contributed to a feeling that unemployment would only be temporary. It also concluded that those participants who had an inherent idea of a new career or a new lifestyle acted quickly and were able to make the transition to a different occupation. The turning point also contributed to the participants learning as they planned alternative careers as backups for eventual, future, turning points to come / Det här examensarbetet syftar till att skapa en förståelse för individers upplevelser och hantering av en påtvingad brytpunkt och ofrivillig arbetslöshet orsakad av Covid -19 pandemin. I våra yrkesroller som studie och yrkesvägledare inom Stöd och matchning har vi under 2020 kommit att möta en ny grupp arbetssökanden vilken är målgruppen för studien. Målgruppen vilken vi benämner som den nya gruppen arbetssökanden är individer med eftergymnasial utbildning som vid uppsägningen befann sig mitt i karriären i yrken förknippade med deras tidigare utbildningsval. Den nya gruppen arbetssökande befann sig innan 2020 mitt i karriären och var inte var en utmärkande del av den naturliga arbetslösheten i Sverige.  I många branscher har efterfrågan på produkter och tjänster minskat drastiskt till följd av pandemin och arbetsmöjligheterna är få. Empirin togs fram genom kvalitativa intervjuer som senare analyserades till stöd av Hodkinson och Sparkes Careership teori, Mezirows begrepp referensramar samt Ylva Ulfsdotter och Malin Lindes förklaring av begreppet yrkesidentitet. Under intervjuerna har vi reflekterat över att en stark yrkesidentitet förknippad med tidigare yrkesroll påverkat respondenternas hantering och upplevelse av den ofrivilliga arbetslösheten. Det framgick även att respondenter som haft en inneboende idé om en ny karriär eller en ny livsstil tenderat att agera snabbt och åter komma i sysselsättning. Resultatet visar på att en effekt av brytpunkten var att respondenterna planerade alternativa akademiska karriärer som backup för eventuella framtida brytpunkter.

“Låt romanen komma in – Transformativt lärande i gymnasieskolans litteraturundervisning“ är en litteraturdidaktisk studie i forskningsämnet pedagogik som tar syftestexten för litteraturundervisningen i det gymnasiala svenskämnet som utgångspunkt. Genom en förstudie där elva svensklärare och en skolbibliotekarie samtalar i fokusgrupper riktas projektet mot sitt huvudfokus som är en läsloggsintervention där 31 elever i gymnasiekursen Svenska 3 läser John Ajvide Lindqvists “Låt den rätte komma in” (Ordfront, 2004/2015). Med hjälp av begrepp från läsforskning (Rita Felski, “Uses of Literature”, Blackwell Publishing, 2008) och erfarenheter från förstudien för eleverna logg över sin läsning. Resultatet av läsloggsinterventionen visar att elevernas metareflektion hjälps framåt av begreppsanvändningen och att eleverna därmed tar steget in i en transformativ lärandeprocess. Licentiatavhandlingen innehåller en analys av den didaktiska potentialen för transformativt lärande med fokus på fokalisation och främmandegöring i Ajvide Lindqvists roman samt en praktisk modell för hur begreppsorienterad litteraturundervisning med läslogg på gymnasiet kan utformas. / The function of reading fictional texts in Swedish secondary school education has been questioned in public debate (e.g. Melin, 2016-07-17), even though the reading of fictional texts has been shown to be important to young people’s academic achievement (Jerrim &amp; Moss, 2019). Swedish policy documents clearly state that upper secondary teaching of literature in the subject of Swedish is aimed at increasing the pupils’ self-awareness and their comprehension of experiences and perceptions of others (The Swedish National Agency of Education, 2011). However, results from a large-scale reading project show that Swedish teenagers find it difficult to reflect upon their own roles as readers of fictional texts (Nordberg, 2018). Therefore, this licentiate thesis targets upper secondary reading of fictional texts, and the possibility of using literary terminology pedagogically to visualize and develop pupils’ transformative learning processes. The overall research question posed is: - How can applied literary terminology be used in upper secondary literary studies todevelop pupils’ transformative learning processes? A pilot study was conducted based on three focus group-sessions with teachers and the librarian at an upper secondary school. The main study was based on reading journals written by pupils reading John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel Låt den rätte komma in (2004) [Let the Right One In, 2008] as part of the Swedish 3 course. The methodological framework is inspired by participatory research. Consequently, this research-project uses an inclusive approach to the participants – 11 Swedish teachers, 1 librarian and 31 pupils – which means that they are considered as subjects rather than objects of knowledge. My own role in this project is tripartite: as a colleague, a teacher, and researcher. The pilot study was conducted in order to find out which possibilities and obstacles arose when the staff participants worked on teaching literature. The main study, within which the pupils are included as participants, focuses on advancing meta-perspectives of their own reading and made use of results from the pilot study and concepts derived from Felski’s (2008) ‘modes of textual engagement’. The pilot study revealed tensions which obstruct the teaching of literature, including the teacher-experienced importance of pupils ‘stepping into’ stories, as opposed to a great many pupils’ reluctance both towards the text and the act of reading. Moreover, the tension between engaged reading and the heavy emphasis placed on assessable outcomes of teaching and learning was addressed by the teachers. The main study revealed that reluctance is an inherent part of reading fictional texts. Further, that the pedagogical application of concepts used in literary studies can support the reading process, make it move forward, encourage the adoption of meta-perspectives on reading and on the pupils themselves as readers, as well as supporting a cohesive view of the finalized text. In summary, the findings suggest that applying literary concepts in literary studies supports pupils towards advancing their transformative learning and potentially points to a new way of making the goals section of the policy documents tangible for teaching and learning practices. According to this study, transformative learning-goals can be achieved if critical perspectives are preceded by individual engagement with the reading of the text. The suggested concept of transformative potential is beneficial to an analysis of the pedagogical function of a certain fictional text used in a certain learning situation geared towards transformative learning. This finding stands in contrast to trends of using reading as a means of writing practice or imaging historical epochs. / <p>Licentiate Thesis in Education with Specialisation in Didactics.</p>

The diploma thesis is focused on the topic of transformative learning in connection with adult experiential learning. The goal of the thesis is to identify transformative effects in the interpretation of participants' experiences which are caused by experiential learning courses. The concept of transformative learning is mainly examined by foreign authors who look at the concept from different perspectives. This thesis deals with a qualitative survey which is based on the reflection of the common framework of transformative learning, including its various concepts and topic of adult experiential learning. Respondents of the survey are nine employees in management positions who have completed a long-term development program focused on management skills. The development of semi-structured interview with respondents was aimed at identifying a shift in "knowing" and changes in thinking, perception and action throughout life. The analysis of qualitative data brings concrete implications in the interpretation of experience in work and personal life. Key words transformative learning, Jack Mezirow, perspective transformation, disorienting dilemma, critical reflection, dialogue, experiential education, Kolb's learning cycle, experience

Vi è un ampio e diffuso consenso che suggerisce che il tirocinio (internship), come forma di apprendimento esperienziale, può essere uno strumento efficace per lo sviluppo delle competenze tecniche e trasferibili degli studenti e quindi come strumento di rafforzamento dell'occupabilità (employabiltiy) dei laureati. Numerosi studi hanno anche scoperto che le esperienze internazionali possono sviluppare le competenze più apprezzate dai datori di lavoro. Questa ricerca affronta una lacuna all'intersezione di questi due campi di studio. La maggior parte degli studi analizza le esperienze internazionali con un focus distintivo sull'aspetto internazionale e non sui diversi tipi di esperienze, ad es. studiare all’estero rispetto a fare un tirocinio (internship) all’estero. La domanda a cui questo studio si propone di rispondere è se il tirocinio (internship) e il contesto internazionale abbinati estendono l'esperienza di apprendimento oltre a quella sviluppata attraverso un tirocinio domestico da solo. Quando la progettazione di questo studio è stata inizialmente pianificata, è stato fatto un grande sforzo per identificare uno strumento per misurare l'occupabilità (employability) nel modo più obiettivo possibile. Le misurazioni basate sull’utilizzo di giochi digitali (digital game-based assessments) sono state identificate come lo strumento più appropriato per farlo in modo obiettivo. In questo studio i comportamenti che definiscono l’occupabilita’ (employability) degli studenti risultato in oltre 30 indicatori quantitativi. Questi indicatori convergono con le competenze trasferibili che sono state identificate come quelle richieste dal mercato del lavoro e ampiamente analizzate nella letteratura sull'occupabilità (employability). I dati per questo studio sono stati raccolti nel triennio 2017-19 e sono stati coinvolti un totale di 1315 studenti italiani. L'analisi fattoriale esplorativa ha esaminato la struttura alla base degli indicatori di occupabilità (employability) generati dalle valutazioni basate sul gioco digitale (digital game-based assessments). I risultati rivelano diversi temi significativi che contribuiscono ulteriormente alla conoscenza e comprensione di ciò che influenza l'occupabilità (employability) dei laureati. Il primo risultato che emerge dalle analisi di questo studio risponde alla domanda di ricerca. Quando un tirocinio (internship) si svolge all’estero, c'è un apprendimento esperienziale aggiuntivo dato dal contesto internazionale, che contribuisce ulteriormente all'apprendimento esperienziale e trasformativo già sviluppato attraverso un tirocinio (internship) domestico. Inoltre, risulta anche che questo elemento aggiuntivo sia associato a comportamenti di occupabilità (employability) legati a fattori cognitivi e non sociali. Ciò contrasta con gli studi precedenti sull'impatto delle esperienze internazionali, che generalmente associano questo tipo di esperienze allo sviluppo di competenze di tipo sociale e interpersonale. Questo studio rileva infine che quando sembra esserci una superiorità degli studenti maschi nei comportamenti di occupabilità (employability) legati dalle capacità cognitive, questa superiorità scompare quando associata a stage internazionali. / There is a large and widespread consensus suggesting that internships, as one form of experiential learning, can be an effective instrument for the development of students’ technical and transferable skills and therefore as enhancing graduate employability. Separately, studies have found that international experiences can develop the skills most valued by employers. This research addresses a gap at the intersection of these two fields of study. Most studies analyze international experiences with a distinctive focus on the international and not on the different types of experiences, e.g. study abroad versus internships. The question this study aims to answer is whether an internship and an international context combine to extend the learning experience beyond that developed through a domestic internship alone. When the design of this study was initially planned, much effort was put into identifying a tool to measure employability in the most objective way possible. Digital game-based assessments were identified as the most appropriate tool to do this objectively. Insights into behaviors in this study result in over 30 quantitative descriptors of employability, which converge with the lists of transferable skills that have been identified as those demanded by the labor market and extensively analyzed in the employability literature. The data for this study was collected over three years 2017-19, and a total of 1315 Italian students were involved. Exploratory factor analysis examined the structure underlying the employability descriptors generated by the digital game-based assessments. The findings reveal several significant themes that further contribute to our current knowledge and understanding of what influences graduates’ employability. The first finding answers the research question. When an internship takes place in a country different from that of the student’s home, there is additional experiential learning from the international context, which contributes further to the experiential and transformative learning already developed through the internship. It also appears that this additional element is associated with employability behaviors predicted by Cognitive and not Social factors. This contrasts with earlier studies on the impact of international experiences, which generally find that social and interpersonal skills are developed. This study also finds that when there appears to be a gender bias toward male students in employability behaviors predicted by cognitive abilities, this bias disappears when associated with international internships.

This research set out to explore how a group of nine educators from a Catholic Church school in Malta, who have attended the Let Me Learn professional Learning process (LMLpLp), experienced personal and professional transformation. This study investigates those factors influencing participants in their transformative learning journey. It also explores the dynamics of transformative learning and whether individual transformation affects the school’s transformative learning experience. More specifically this study set out to explore how teachers who participated in the Let Me Learn professional Learning process have experienced transformative learning. This study takes a qualitative phenomenological approach. It seeks to identify phenomena of personal and professional transformative learning through the perceptions of the educators participating in this study. Through the use of the semi-structured interview it seeks to gather ‘deep’ data. This data represents the voices of these educators in narrative, thus emphasising the importance of the personal perspective and interpretation. This allowed this research to understand the subjective experience, motivation and actions of the participants. The Literature review informs the questions asked during the interview. The interview was used as a tool for gathering information regarding values, attitudes and beliefs of participants. Each interview was transcribed, translated (when response was given in Maltese) and categorised according to Mezirow’s ten stages. Excerpts from each stage were further processed to generate themes. The themes were later streamlined and an acceptable interpretive framework was created. Each interview excerpt was then analysed through the framework. Once all interviews were coded, detailed narratives were written. These narratives are meant to help the reader reflect on the process of transformative learning. It underscores those factors highlighted by the participants, which helped bring about both personal and professional transformative learning. This research has identified that individual constructs are strongly determined by an individual’s personal learning characteristics. Awareness of these personal learning characteristics (self-knowledge) helped educators assess their practice and understand how their personal characteristics were determining their approach to teaching and affecting their interpersonal relationships with students and colleagues. This research showed that transformative learning is a mutually interdependent experience. Individual transformation amounts to, and is influenced by, the collective transformation. This study highlighted the role of the school community in the pursuit of personal transformation. Yet another important finding of this research is the importance of a shared language of possibility. Through a shared language, a learning community can create a dialogic environment through which intentions, beliefs and interventions can be shared among the professional community. This research accentuates the importance of a shared language as a means of articulating a change in perspective. The study identified three main agents of change. The Let Me Learn team, as promoters and experts of this particular learning process; the teachers, who internalised the process and applied it to their practice; and the school’s senior management team, who internalised the Process, positioned it into the larger vision of the school and created a conducive environment through which the whole school community was empowered to take responsibility to bring about change in practice. A number of implications emerge from this study that could inform policy on teacher professional learning. A major implication concerns the importance of a shared language – a language that reflects the shared values and ideological position of the community. Such language frames the learning process, makes learning visible for teachers to be able to respond effectively with strategies that respect each learner’s learning preference and makes learning visible to the learner himself. Another implication from this study arises from the finding that the transformative learning process of any individual educator and effectively of the whole school community, goes beyond the effectiveness and limitations of any one professional development programme. True and deep-seated transformative learning comes from within the individual educator. This statement has serious repercussions on any professional development programme that aims to aid participants in their quest to transform their practice. This study also emphasised the importance that any professional development needs to be seated in the local experience and needs of the school community. Any attempts at developing comprehensive, nation-wide projects with pre-packaged approaches, are doomed to fail. What this research has shown is that for effective professional development, the identified outcomes need to correspond to the local needs of the school, rather than the national guidelines, detached from the realities of the particular school. Finally, this study accentuated the importance of incorporating mentoring support in any professional development proposal. Delivery of information and skills without follow-up tend to lead to superficial application. Transformative learning presupposes a period of shared reflection on practice and collegial mediation of ideas through contact between teachers and their leaders and on-the-job support from their professional development mentors.

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