In this thesis I explore the effect of introducing group work as one of the methods of
teaching and learning in Business Administration I at the Durban University of
Technology. Introducing group work was also an attempt to satisfy the needs of the
workplace and at the same time incorporate the critical cross-field outcomes in the
teaching of this particular subject. I explore the benefits and problems of using group
work in higher education.
The study was conducted at the Durban University of Technology Riverside Campus
with a sample of Business Administration I students, Business Administration III students
as well as three lecturers in the Department of Office Management and Technology who
lecture at the Durban Campus. The research involved the implementation and the
reflections of exposing students to group work over the two cycles. The study was
developed with the aim of using more innovative teaching methods than just lecturing.
Learners were engaged in the group work project which involved searching for
information as a group, doing group presentations, evaluating the presentations and
reflecting on the whole process. After analysis of data collected, the process was revised
and implemented again with another group of students in the second cycle followed by
analysis of long term implications of group work. An exploration of the lecturers'
perceptions of using group work as a teaching method was also done. Data was gathered
from observations, questionnaires, focus group interviews and analysis of students' test
results.
Results indicated that despite some problems associated with this method, there is scope
for considering a variety of approaches to teaching of the subject Business
Administration I, and group work can be one of the methods used. The findings showed
that staff and students held positive perceptions on group work, and there were
similarities in the benefits of using group work in education as identified by students,
lecturers and the literature. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/1004 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Zondi, Cynthia Khethiwe. |
| Contributors | Searle, Ruth. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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