Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recently, Participatory action research (PAR) has become a common approach to
social programmes in South Africa. This tendency has created a need to evaluate
this kind of programmes to determine if it really achieves what it sets out to do. The
purpose of this study was to evaluate an entrepreneurial skills training programme in
a rural community where a participatory action research approach was followed.
A literature review was undertaken to present an in-depth look into the body of
literature that surrounds the study. Programme evaluation was discussed as a
research design, including types and stages of evaluation. The concept of
empowerment was investigated. The review also included a study of literature on
PAR, especially the definitions, context and process of PAR. The role of
entrepreneurship in rural development was also investigated as well as the
evaluation of entrepreneurial skills training programmes.
An entrepreneurial skills training programme was implemented in the rural town of
Darling on the West Coast of South Africa. The PAR approach was followed in the
implementation of the study that was conducted over a period of 15 months.
Participants joined the programme that included different projects, voluntarily. The
participants were divided into three groups according to their period of participation in
the programme. The researcher facilitated actions as well as reflection meetings with
the group of participants before and after the entrepreneurial skills training course.
The researcher made field notes during the implementation of the programme. The
participants' empowerment status was measured with a standardized questionnaire
using a pre-test-post-test design. The participants' application of the entrepreneurial
skills that were taught in the course was measured during semi-structured interviews
at the end of the research perico. four case studies document the extremes of the
respective outcomes of the programme, namely empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Statistical analysis showed statistically significant improvements in the micro, macro
and total empowerment scores of the total group. Looking at the three groups
separately, group one showed statistically significant improvements on the micro and interface levels and group two on the micro level. Even though group three showed
small improvements on all three levels, none of them were statistically significant.
Data from the field notes wer:e analyzed according to the PAR concepts of
participation, action and reflection. Participation mostly had a collaborative nature;
action was aimed at economical change and reflection aimed at practical problem
solving. The interviews revealed that 20 of the 24 participants had micro baking
businesses at the end of the research period and they succeeded in the short-term
goal of applying the skills that were taught in the course. The case studies showed no
correlation between the participants' application of entrepreneurial skills and the
changes in their empowerment status.
The findings of the study suggest that the longer participants participate in a PAR
programme, the bigger the improvement in their empowerment status will be.
Monitoring of the implementation revealed that the study fell short of the "ideal type"
of PAR, since participation was not yet collegiate. Actions were only effective in
economic change and not in social transformation. Reflection resulted in limited
critical self-awareness among the participants. The PAR approach has proven to be
successful in the attainment of the short-term goals of an entrepreneurial skills
training programme. The long-term sustainability of the entrepreneurs' businesses
will have to be followed-up by further research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die afgelope tyd is deelnemende aksie navorsing (DAN)'n algemene benadering tot
sosiale intervensie programme in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie tendens het 'n behoefte laat
ontstaan om hierdie tipe programme te evalueer om te bepaal of dit werklik die
program doelwitte bereik. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n
entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingsprogram in 'n landelike gemeenskap waar die
DAN-benadering gevolg is, te evalueer.
'n Literatuuroorsig is onderneem om die konseptueie raamwerk wat vir die studie
saamgestel is, te kan beredeneer. Programevaluering, insluitende tipes and stadia
van evaluering, is bespreek as 'n navorsingsontwerp. Die konsep van bemagtiging is
ook bestudeer. Die oorsig het 'n ook studie van literatuur oor DAN ingesluit, veral
definisies, die konteks en die proses van DAN. Die rol van entrepreneurskap in
landelike ontwikkeling is 00~ ondersoek sowel as die evaluering van
opleidingsprogramme gemik op die ontwikkeling van entrepreneursvaardighede.
'n Entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingsprogram is in 'n landelike dorpie, Darling, aan
die Weskus van Suid-Afrika geïmplementeer. Oor 'n periode van 15 maande is die
DAN-benadering in die implementering van die program gevolg. Deelnemers het
vrywillig by die program wat uit verskillende projekte bestaan het, aangesluit. Die
deelnemers is na aanleiding van hul tydperk van deelname in die program in drie
groepe verdeel. Die navorser het aksies sowel as refleksie byeenkomste met die
groep deelnemers voor en na die entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingskursus
gefasiliteer. Die navorser het veldnotas tydens die implementering van die program
gemaak. Die deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus is gemeet met 'n gestandaardiseerde
vraelys terwyl 'n voor-en-na-toets ontwerp gevolg is. Die deelnemers se toepassing
van die entrepreneursvaardighede wat in die kursus geleer is, is tydens semigestruktureerde
onderhoude aan die einde van die navorsingsperiode gemeet. Vier
gevallestudies dokumenteer die uiterstes van die onderskeidelike uitkomste van die
program, naamlik bemagtiging en entrepreneurskap. Statistiese analise het statisties betekenisvolle verbeteringe in die mikro, makro en
totale bemagtigingsvlakke van die totale groep getoon. Afsonderlik gesien, het groep
een statisties betekenisvolle verbeteringe op die mikro en tussenvlak getoon en
groep twee net op die mikrovlak. Alhoewel groep drie klein verbeteringe op al drie
vlakke getoon het, was geen van die verbeteringe statisties betekenisvol nie. Data
van die veldnotas is volgens DAN konsepte, naamlik deelname, aksie en refleksie
geanaliseer. Die deelnemers en die fasiliteerder se deelname het meestal In
samewerkende aard gehad, aksie was gemik op ekonomiese verandering en
refleksie was gemik op praktiese probleemoplossinq. Die onderhoude het aangetoon
dat 20 van die 24 deelnemers aan die einde van die navorsingsperiode In mikro
bakbesigheid gehad het en dat hulle daarin geslaag het om die korttermyn doelwit,
naamlik die toepassing van die vaardighede wat in die kursus geleer is, te bereik. Die
gevallestudies het geen korrelasie getoon tussen die deelnemers se toepassing van
entrepreneursvaardighede en die veranderinge in hulle bemagtigingstatus nie.
Die studie se bevindinge dui daarop dat hoe langer deelnemers aan In DAN-program
deelneem, hoe groter sal die verbetering in hulle bemagtigingstatus wees. Die
monitering van die implementering van die program het laat biyk dat die studie tekort
skiet in vergelyking met die "ideaaltipe" van DAN, want die deelname was nog nie
korporatief nie. Aksies was net suksesvol in ekonomiese verandering en nie in
sosiale transformasie nie. Refleksie het tot beperkte kritiese "selfbewustheid" by die
deelnemers gelei. Dit blyk dat die DAN-benadering suksesvol was om die korttermyn
doelwitte van In entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingsprogram te bereik. Die
langtermyn volhoubaarheid van die entrepreneurs se bakbesighede sal met verdere
navorsing opgevolg moet word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52686 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Bester, Alte |
| Contributors | Van Der Merwe, M. E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 v. (various pagings) : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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