Education

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Open Access
A model to reconstruct lecturer dilemma in balancing research and teaching responsibilities: a case of one rural university in South Africa
(ERRCD Forum, 2024) Tsotetsi, Cias Thapelo; Onaolapo, Akinlolu Ademola
In this empirical study, we explore the challenges faced by lecturers at a rurally located university in South Africa as they try to balance the demands of research and teaching. Universities in rural areas play a crucial role in providing higher education access to underprivileged communities and promoting regional development. Our study is based on role theory, which emphasises the intended and unintended purposes of lecturer roles in society. Through a qualitative study of six lecturers, we examine the various issues they encounter when managing research and teaching commitments. We adopt a case study design within an interpretive paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six new lecturers from the university to understand their personal experiences and perspectives on the tension between research and teaching, as well as the potential consequences for their research productivity. We use thematic analysis to analyse the collected data. The findings reveal that the participants at the university struggle to balance the demands of research and teaching, encountering various challenges in the process. These challenges include a lack of funding for research, limited research resources and facilities, and an overwhelming teaching workload. Based on the findings, the study suggests solutions and strategies to guide university administrators, policymakers, and lecturers in navigating this challenging landscape and fostering a supportive environment that values research and teaching contributions. This study contributes to the knowledge by proposing a model that lecturers can follow to balance their work roles.
Open Access
Academic achievement in schools: perspectives of township school managers
(University of the Free State, 2012-04) Majola, Ndoyisile Moses; Bagarette, N.; Van Staden, J.
Apparently, most schools which are situated in townships in South Africa still show the legacy of apartheid and a struggle for freedom and equality and thus poor academic performance. However, it is profoundly imperative to indicate that some township secondary schools in the Bloemfontein area consistently performed remarkably well over the last five year period (2007-2011) despite these political challenges. School academic results are in the forefront of many South Africans and education officials' minds since every parent wants his or her child to attend a well performing school. Furthermore, the education officials have to ensure that all schools perform well and concomitantly with the money allocated to education by the government. This is why the whole issue of academic performance is such a critical issue. The effectiveness or performance of schools is defined in terms of academic performance of the learners in the Grade 12 examinations. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore the perspectives of township secondary school managers with regard to academic performance in their schools. This was done by considering the Grade 12 results in the Bloemfontein area in the five year period from 2007 to 2011. Moreover, this research investigated how management and leadership practices contribute towards excellent academic performance. In pursuance of this investigation, the researcher consequently formulated the objectives of this study. A literature study of education leadership and management, the management tasks and the role school managers have to play in ensuring that academic achievement is attained was conducted. The purpose of this study was to establish' how these factors contribute to academic success. School managers are entrusted with an important responsibility of ensuring that schools operate effectively and thus enhance academic achievement. Therefore, school managers should become leaders who inspire creativity and higher levels of achievement. School managers should regularly motivate and develop educators by creating opportunities in order for them to grow and to learn from each other. The research study was approached from an interpretivist perspective to establish how the participants perceive academic achievement in their schools. In the process of data gathering, the qualitative investigation was undertaken using focus group interviews. The sample comprised of township secondary school managers in the Bloemfontein area. Emergent themes and categories were discussed in the data report on the findings of the qualitative investigation. Participants indicated various factors which are important for school managers to display and perform in their effort to lead their schools to effectiveness. It was also evident from the participants that school managers efficiently utilised both management and leadership skills in their daily school management tasks. Nevertheless, participants highlighted that school managers were not adequately empowered in terms of management and leadership skills and the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). On the basis of the qualitative results and the literature review, the main findings were interpreted and compared. Based on these findings, guidelines were proposed. In the light of the suggested guidelines, school managers need to be aware of the crucial role they play in ensuring that effective management and leadership are implemented in order to improve academic performance. Possible areas for further research were identified. It is hoped that the Free State Department of Education, as well as other provincial education departments in South Africa will be able to use the proposed guidelines in developing a training programme for school managers in the education fraternity.
Open Access
Academic performance in Mathematics among selected high school students in Phuthaditjhaba as a function of the teacher's motivation
(University of the Free State, 2003-10) Ramosunya-Helu, Lerato Jacqueline; Mahlomaholo, M. G.
This study seeks to investigate the academic performance in Mathematics among selected high school students in Phuthaditjhaba as a function of the teacher's motivation. This investigation was triggered by the arguments put forward by some educationists' belief that children do not have a learning problem, but it is the teachers who are having a teaching problem. For the purpose of this study, special focus was on learners doing Mathematics in Grade 11 and their teachers. It has been observed that South Africa is threatened with a shortage of Mathematics teachers and the number of Mathematics learners has decreased. It is therefore very crucial to unearth the difficulties bedeviling learning and teaching of Mathematics. The study used the following instruments to arrive at the findings - namely: A teacher's questionnaire mainly to measure their motivation or self-efficacy. All learners doing Mathematics at Grade 11 in six High schools in Phuthaditjhaba were included for stratified sampling. Males and females, learners of different ages, from different socio-economic backgrounds were included. Test scores of learners obtained from their tests and half yearly examinations written at each school. To use a more or less consistent average performance for learners, four tests were decided upon. The fact that all the sampled schools apply the system of continuous assessment meant that these average marks ultimately determine whether a learner gets promoted to the next grade or fails. No other independent test that may purport to be more objective than the ones used by the teachers of the mentioned learners were constructed. The findings of this study indicate that there is no significant relationship statistically between teacher's motivation and learner's performance and therefore the hypothesis that there is significant relationship is rejected. The results in table 4. 7 indicate that there is some correlation between teacher's motivation and learner's performance. Though the correlation coefficient is positive, the correlation is very small (r = 0.112) Although the study was conducted amongst all the African learners from historically disadvantaged schools doing Grade 11 Mathematics in Phuthaditjhaba High schools, this does not however, rule out the fact that some of the findings may in the end be applicable to learners in other provinces not being targeted at.
Open Access
Academic staff performance appraisal system for higher education in Lesotho
(University of the Free State, 2004-05) Mpooa, Ts'ebetso Margaret 'M'amokheseng; Alt, H.; Hay, H. R.
English: The changing social, political, economic and technological environment exerts pressure on governments throughout the world to ensure that higher education institutions are efficient and effective in the delivery of services. The continuing environmental change and, in particular, the financial decline has caused governments to apply stringent financial control measures and to demand higher education institutions to address external and internal demands for efficiency (see 2.2; 3.2.1; and 4.3). Likewise, the Lesotho government ensures that higher education institutions provide efficient services to justify the funds invested in them (see 2.2.2). In recognition of the significant role that a skilled workforce could perform in initiating change, governments - including the Lesotho government - shifted from a confidential to a developmental performance appraisal/management system as a performance control measure with the intention to improve efficiency (see 3.2.2; 4.3; and Table 4.1). This shift from the confidential performance appraisal system was based on the assumption that a holistic, integrated, democratic system would effect a change in staff performance compared to the autocratic system of assessing staff performance (see 3.2.2; Table 4.3; and 4.5.2). The purpose of this study was to determine the type of performance management system used in Lesotho institutions of higher learning and to suggest improvements that would ensure efficient staff performance. The main research question was what system of performance management could bring about efficient academic staff performance in the Lesotho higher education institutions, given the context within which higher education exists. In addressing the main question, this study set out to obtain responses from the Lerotholi Polytechnic (LP), the National Health Training College (NHTC) and the National University of Lesotho (NUL) concerning the following subsidiary questions: the meaning, purpose, principles and objectives of performance management; the existing policies and procedures of performance management; the relation between scholarship and performance management (see 4.2; 4.5.2; and 4.5.3). In addition it required suggestions for the improvement of the existing performance management system (see 8.6). Both a theoretical and a field study were conducted. In the field study, a combination of methods was used, which included a survey descriptive research design adopting both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Quantitative data was collected by means of the self-administered questionnaire. Qualitative data was gathered by means of interviews and focus group discussions. The findings from LP and NHTC with regard to the purpose of performance management revealed that performance management had been instituted to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. The intention was to make these institutions responsive to the demands of the internal and external stakeholders. The purpose of the system in both institutions seems to linger more towards judgement than towards scholarship development, which would result in staff efficiency. Similarly, findings from NUL seem to emphasise punishment and not scholarship development. The findings from NUL with regard to the performance management policy showed that a clear performance management policy did not exist and that preparations were made to introduce an appraisal policy. The staff were evaluated annually based on the point system. The activities of teaching and learning, research and community service are allocated points according to their perceived importance by management. Research is allocated more points, since it is considered to contribute to the improvement of subject content and the methodology of teaching. The findings also reflect that consultancy work contributes to the subject content. But it seemed that the respondents were dissatisfied with the value attached to research, since they had large teaching loads that made it difficult for them to conduct research. In addition, allocated funds were limited to conduct research. Also, the appraisal policy in the three institutions attached more value to research than teaching, yet the latter formed the core of the lecturers’ activities. These findings reflect that for a performance management system to be sustainable, a performance management policy should have clear guidelines to ensure that all forms of scholarship are equally valued and assessed. Based on the afore mentioned findings from the three institutions, it is recommended that the review of the existing performance management system should emphasise promotion of staff efficiency and effectiveness to enable the higher education institutions to respond to the internal and external demands for efficiency. The purpose of the appraisal should be to reflect staff skills and knowledge that need development and also factors that inhibit efficient performance. In all the institutions the recommendation is that the purpose of the performance appraisal system should be to develop staff competencies to enable staff to address knowledge and skill requirements in their contexts. This recommendation is in line with the argument of this thesis namely that for a performance management system to be effective, its purpose must be to develop scholarship. Various recommendations were made to ensure that a performance appraisal system, which supports scholarship development should be in place. The recommendations from both LP and NHTC were that the policy should be clear on the purpose and the procedure of the performance appraisal system. In addition, a policy that emphasises staff development is recommended, since it is not threatening and such a system supports staff to be efficient. With regard to the procedure the recommendation from LP and NHTC was that performance assessment should be based on agreed standards and indicators of performance; that job descriptions be aligned to the mission; the rating of staff should be consistent; and that the grievance procedure should be clear. The recommendations from NUL on procedures of performance management were that the methods and instruments used for collecting evidence on performance should be clearly stipulated; feedback on performance appraisal results should be provided to appraisees; and that the rating of the research and the teaching staff should be consistent. The recommendation from the respondents at LP, NHTC and NUL was that all forms of scholarship should be given equal recognition in appraisal. The institutions should also ensure that the necessary resources to conduct research are available. The respondents from the institutions studied indicated that the success of a developmental, continuous and democratic system of performance appraisal depended on the dynamic leadership that is supportive to change. Recommendations on future research are that research should be conducted on leadership and the management of staff performance in the three institutions studied. Such research is essential, since it will highlight whether the existing type of leadership is conducive for the success of a performance management system. Future research can also be conducted on the interaction between appraiser and appraisee in decisions on the action plans. Interaction promotes involvement in decisions. Without staff involvement in plans and decisions on appraisal, the appraisal system may not be sustainable. In addition, research on the process of appraisal is essential, since the processes determine the success and the continuity of appraisal.
Open Access
The achievement of university access: conversion factors, capabilities and choices
(Cogitatio Press, 2019) Walker, Melanie
In the light both of persistent inequality of education opportunities for low income families and a wide equality gap in South Africa, this article explores students’ university access by applying Amartya Sen’s capability approach to a South African case study. The article demonstrates empirically that access is more than an individual project, shaped both by objective conditions and subjective biographies, that is by general conversion factors and a person’s social and personal options. Key conversion factors are material (income) and social (family, community, school, information), which produce an interlocking system of opportunity. Access thus requires more than formal opportunity to enable social mobility for all. The case study comprises qualitative interviews with diverse students in their first year at one university; illustrative narratives are selected to show different pathways, conversion factors and choices. Agency and self-efficacy emerge as especially important for making choices but also for constructing a higher education pathway where none exists for that person and her family. The article suggests that higher education has the potential to advance social mobility provided that it moves in the direction of expanding the capabilities of all students to have the choice of higher education.
Open Access
Active learning in a high school economics class: a framework for learner engagement
(University of the Free State, 2014-07) Sekwena, Gailele L.; Nkoane, M .M.
English: The aim of the study was to develop an active learning framework in a high school economics class. The research project intends to create an active learning environment to enhance learner engagement. The study argues that active learning approach seems to help the learners to understand the abstract economics concepts better, compared to the heavy reliance on the chalk-and-talk approach, which often leads to learner passivity in the classroom and rote learning. This study is located in the critical theoretical framework, which aims at promoting critical consciousness, empowerment, emancipation and transformation. It is the aim of this active learning framework to assist in changing the current teacher role in class from that of a knowledge transmitter to a role of facilitator and guide in the teaching and learning environment, and assist the teachers to become selfreflective practitioners. The framework will also empower the learners to become active participants and co-constructors of knowledge in class, thus freeing them from their usual passive role in the economics class. The study was conducted using a Participatory Action Research methodology (PAR). The choice of this methodology was informed by the notion that people who experience a common problem in their daily lives are better positioned to investigate the problem and propose solutions to that problem. A team comprised of the economics educators and learners participated in this collaborative effort to generate the data that were used to create the active learning framework. The study found that learners seem to gain a deeper understanding of the economics concepts when they are engaged in illustrating them practically in class. The study also found that willingness to change from the traditional way of teaching seems to be a major challenge in adopting this learnercentred active learning approach. The study, however, recommends that a gradual and sustained implementation of this approach in class is necessary for both teachers and learners to develop confidence in it and realise its value.
Open Access
Active learning pedagogy for enriching economics students' higher order thinking skills
(Society for Research and Knowledge Management Ltd, 2023) Sekwena, Gailele L.
This paper advances active learning as a pedagogic praxis in Economics education to enrich students’ critical and higher order thinking skills (i.e., analysis, evaluation, and synthesis). The paper is grounded within Critical Theory (CT) as a theoretical lens, which gives this intellectual piece an impetus to propagate empowerment and transformation as guiding principles. The paper adopted Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a methodological approach to generating data. The two overarching research questions that developed the intellectual elements of this paper are: what are the challenges faced by Economics students in responding to higher order questions? How can active learning pedagogy be used to enrich Economics students’ critical and higher order thinking skills? A thematic analysis technique was used to analyse the discourses generated. Research shows that students find it challenging to respond to higher order questions and that Economics teaching is predominantly skewed towards the conventional lecture approach or the teacher-centred method, which often does not create opportunities for students to be actively engaged in the teaching and learning process, thus leaving them as passive recipients of knowledge. Based on the findings, this paper argues for active learning as a more unconventional pedagogy in Economics teaching to empower students to respond to higher order questions.
Open Access
An active learning strategy for addressing dyscalculia in a mathematics classroom
(University of the Free State, 2017-07) Mokotjo, Lindiwe Gloria; Hlalele, D. J.; Mosia, M. S.
According to the White Paper 6 (DoE, 2001:3), mainstream education should provide an equal and fair education to all learners, regardless of their abilities. In South Africa, there is limited information about learners affected by dyscalculia and about any interventions available for such learners. More research indicates that dyscalculia is as prevalent as dyslexia in the classroom environment. However, less research is done on dyscalculia than on dyslexia. This study seeks to formulate an active learning strategy for addressing dyscalculia in a mathematics classroom. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) method is the chosen method in the study to explore the effectiveness of an active learning strategy in addressing dyscalculia in a mathematics classroom. It also creates an awareness of an existing learning disability in a mathematics classroom. Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) is the theoretical framework that underpins the study because of its view to emancipate and award an opportunity to transform the lives of the previously oppressed, while maintaining the respect and dignity of those participating in the study. Participants in this study include individuals who are struggling to learn mathematics and simple numeracy due to dyscalculia, education stakeholders who are responsible for the teaching and learning of mathematics in a classroom, an education psychologist, parents of affected learners, and a local specialist in dyscalculia. The collected data are analysed, using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). In conclusion, two findings emerge – that there is very little awareness of dyscalculia in mainstream education and that an active learning strategy (AL strategy) is effective in improving mathematics performance for all learners, including learners with dyscalculia.
Open Access
Adjusting secondary teacher training programmes in Botswana to ensure effective support within inclusive education
(University of the Free State, 2010-10) Mbengwa, Elizabeth Badirwang; Hay, J. F.
Educational support to learners has for many decades followed the traditional modernist approach predominant in special education: learners were classified and categorized according to the medical model of need. The advent of inclusive education towards the end of the twentieth century, with a totally different approach to need and support, created a mammoth challenge to teachers in inclusive classrooms and staff within education support services, especially in developing countries. A leap had to be made from the medical model to a social and ecosystemic model of need, where the focus shifted to a holistic view of support needs, whether it is located in the learner, the family, the peer group, the school or the broader society – or the interaction amongst these systems that should be addressed. It is evident therefore that there is a need for teacher training programmes to undergo transformation that will enable ordinary or general education teachers or educators to function effectively within the inclusive education system. This study investigated whether secondary special or inclusive education teacher training in Botswana has taken the leap towards producing “diplomates” who can effectively support learners in their inclusive classrooms. Furthermore, the study endeavoured to propose a future model for secondary special/inclusive education teacher training. Participants in the empirical investigation included teachers from the two secondary colleges of education (Molepolole – MCE, and Tonota – TCE), teacher trainers, school heads as well as knowledgeable persons in the area of inclusive education and support. Questionnaires and interviews were used for collecting data. International developments on inclusive education teacher training and support were considered while conducting the empirical investigation. Examples of those include: international developments on the model of special or inclusive education teacher training; teacher competencies, knowledge and skills relevant for inclusive education and support; challenges to inclusive teacher training in institutions and factors to facilitate effective teacher performance in the field. Subsequent to studying international perspectives on special or inclusive education teacher training and investigating the status of special or inclusive education teacher training in Botswana secondary colleges, the researcher reached the conclusion that the current teacher training programme has to a large extent not taken the leap towards inclusive education teacher training. The programme would therefore not enable teachers to function effectively within the inclusive system of education. The findings included amongst others that the programme is predominantly focused on the traditional modernist approach – teachers are trained along the medical model. It was also established that there are other factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness of the programme, for example, unavailability and inadequacy of human and material resources and a lack of policy and guidelines on inclusive education and support at institutional and currently at national level (the national policy still being in progress). On the other hand, it has to be acknowledged that the programme has some positive areas that match international developments on special or inclusive education teacher training. These areas are that the programme is studied by all trainees and it is also broad-based. Moreover, there are programme components that are of importance to successful implementation of inclusive education support, such as the Individualised Education Programmes/Plans (IEPs). This study may be used as a basis for evaluating the current special or inclusive education teacher training programmes at the Botswana secondary colleges of education, namely MCE and TCE. It is also envisaged that the proposed teacher training model will be of great assistance during the reviewing and restructuring of these (and other international) programmes.
Open Access
Alkoholmisbruik van die ouer(s) as bydraende oorsaak van skolastiese geremdheid by graad 4- tot 6-leerders in die Luckhoff-distrik
(University of the Free State, 2004) Joubert, Rene; Kotze, C. J.
English: Article 1: Alcoholism seldom affects just one aspect of a person's life. It also becomes the educator's problem when its effects emerge in learners. Severe alcohol intake is associated with a variety of neurological and behaviour patterns. Alcoholism affects that part of the brain which deals with emotion, memory, co-ordination and learning motivation. The aim of this research is to investigate the symptoms of alcohol abuse through the use of selected information, as well as the effect it has on the child. The example set by the parents and domestic conditions have a significant influence on the child. The inadequacy of dependable learning structures may result in behaviour problems. The genetic composition of an individual may cause an imbalance of the brain which increases the susceptibility of alcohol dependency. The result of alcohol abuse on the child includes among others, physical defects in children. Foetal alcoholic syndrome (FAS) is the direct result of the mothers's alcohol intake during pregnancy. The defects caused by FAS in children is irreversible. These children show, even up to fourteen years later, clear signs of retarded growth and development. The brain of the FAS victim stops developing at the age of eight years. Mental incompetence, a low IQ, serious learning problems and weak academic performance are observed in these children. Psychologically there are very few areas that are not affected by alcohol abuse. Disturbance during the prenatal stage of the foetus may lead to specific personality traits which may be susceptible to alcohol abuse. The abuse of alcohol by the parent can affect the learner's academic performance negatively. These learners form a high risk group for developing learning problems. The emotional effect on children of alcoholics are severe. Such learners with feelings of grief, fear, rage and despair isolate themselves. They are exposed to intense emotional tension. In the Luckhoff district alcohol abuse has become a social phenomenon among the coloured community which should be urgently addressed. Article 2: The destructive phenomenon, alcohol abuse, poses a serious threat for the individual and the community. When a mother abuses alcohol while she is pregnant, the toxic matter reaches the foetus through the bloodstream of the mother. Thus the baby can get foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The influence of FAS can be divided into two categories, namely, alcohol related birth defects and alcohol related neurological defects. By means of an empirical investigation the correlation between the parental alcohol abuse in the Luckhoff district and the influence it has on the scholastic achievements of the children of such parents was investigated. The experimental group consisted of 30 learners from grade 4 to 6, between the ages 9 and 14. To estimate the standard of academic progress a selection of standardised tests were used on the learners. Over a period of a year auditory diagnostic tests were conducted. The South African Police Service has a record of all alcohol related crimes and cases. The local Health Clinic documents all the cases reported and treated where alcohol played a part over a period of a month. A self-structured questionnaire was completed by the learners, parents and educators of the learners concerned. The academic progress of the learners was closely monitored for a year. The findings and conclusions made from the data confirm that the parental abuse of alcohol seriously affects the learners academic progress. All the learners involved in the experiment showed serious deficiencies in respect of reading, spelling and mathematics. These learners also showed deficiencies regarding their receptive command of language and most of them were unable to read or understand questions of the ASAT IQ test. The academic performance of these learners is a cause for great concern. Educators indicated that the performance of these learners ranges form below average to weak. None of these learners performed above average. Most of the parents (living in the Luckhoff district and mainly Afrikaans-speaking) acknowledged that they abused alcohol regularly and that it was always available in their homes. Their domestic affairs are also influenced by alcohol. There are often fights and arguments caused by the misuse of alcohol. As many as 57, 1 % of the mothers used alcohol during pregnancy. This investigation indicates that alcohol abuse by die parenUs plays an important role in the academic performance of such learners. These learners are academically disadvantaged as a result of ther parents' alcohol abuse. Eventually they may become handicapped academically unless their needs are met with the necessary support and guidance. It is important that the parents are alerted to the fact that their alcholism causes problems for their c.hildren and that their academic progress will be weak as a result. Furthermore, it is important that steps should be taken to address this serious problem.
Open Access
Alternative quality assessment practices in Lesotho
(University of the Free State, 2008-11) Khaahloe, 'Matselane Belina; Kotzé, G. S.
The focus of this study is on the quality of assessment practices in assessing student achievement in institutions of higher education in Lesotho. The purpose of the study was to investigate the quality of assessment practices in assessing student achievement, and also to determine the extent to which alternative assessment practices are used in institutions of higher education in Lesotho. Five institutions were selected to take part in the research. The design of the research is a descriptive survey. The study further employs a multi-method approach, within which quantitative and qualitative methods are combined. A literature study was undertaken to provide the background and the context of the problem. The empirical study employed a survey in which separate questionnaires for students and lecturers were compiled. The questionnaires were used to gather data on the quality of assessment practices and the extent to which alternative assessment is used in higher education in Lesotho. Interviews were also used to determine the initiatives of the Lesotho government in improving the quality of assessment in institutions of higher education in this country. Three instructional leaders from the selected institutions of higher education were interviewed. Pilot studies were carried out to test the clarity and feasibility of both the questionnaires and the interview protocol. Request to conduct the research study was sought and permission was granted. The Department of Statistics at the University of Free State assisted with the analysis of the quantitative data collected through student and lecturer questionnaires, while the researcher analysed the qualitative data collected through the interviews held with Lesotho government officials from the higher education sector. The study has uncovered that the quality of assessment practices in institutions of higher education is satisfactory in some aspects, while in others quality is not acceptable. It has also been revealed that the use of alternative assessment is very limited in institutions of higher education in Lesotho. The quality of assessment practices need to be maintained, enhanced and continuously improved to meet the emerging contexts. It was concluded that the use of alternative assessment practices can enhance the quality of assessment in higher education in Lesotho.
Open Access
Alternatives to establishing conducive learning environment (AECLE) model for schools: assertive discipline perspective
(OpenED Network, 2024) Letuma, Motsekiso Calvin
Effective classroom management necessitates a continuous adaptation of teachers' tactics, due to the dynamic nature of the classroom, which comprises learners from diverse backgrounds. These individuals are influenced by the continuous changes that occur in response to the dynamic nature of the world. This paper presents a conceptual model framework for managing learner classroom indiscipline. This model is derived from a theoretical framework that was adopted during an empirical investigation, carried out in four Quintile 3 secondary schools in South Africa. The paper exclusively concentrates on a literature review of empirical studies pertaining to indiscipline in South African secondary schools, the studies that either adopted or explored the implementation of the assertive discipline model and relevant South African education legislation and reports from government websites. Based on assertive discipline theory, the alternatives to establishing a conducive learning environment model offers alternate solutions for managing learners' behavioural issues. The core component of the strategy focuses on proactive behaviour management strategies that encourage the school to take full responsibility for student conduct and disregard extraneous influences. The model emphasises implementing a behaviour management strategy that encompasses the articulation of expectations, the establishment of classroom rules, the communication and instruction of these rules to learners, the demonstration and reinforcement of desired behaviour, and the utilisation of consequences.
Open Access
Analysing student affairs research within higher education through Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model lens
(University of the Free State, 2020-07) Holtzhausen, Sophia Maria; Wahl, W. P.
Through Bronfenbrenner’s Person, Process, Context and Time (PPCT) model lens, this study identified the most important student affairs research themes for transforming student (including postgraduate students) learning and development in higher education, as well as how these themes might be managed or implemented best by higher education institutions. In order to address these questions, this five-article doctoral journey is situated within the parameters of Higher Education Studies, Student Affairs, Student Development Theory, and Ecology of Learning. All these fields of study and theories play a fundamental role in accomplishing student learning and development. However, this study predominantly is positioned within the field of student affairs, with special reference to Jones and Asbes’ (2017:143) third student development theory category. The motivation for this is that the study specifically concentrated on the ecological aspects of student development, reinforcing the applicability of Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) bio-ecological systems theory (i.e. the PPCT model) as a theoretical lens. Mainly qualitative data generation methods were employed in this study. The research findings are put forth in the format of five articles, which present a kaleidoscope of research that focused on the historical interval of 2008-2019: In Article 1 four North American directives and Kuh’s High Impact Educational Practices provided a development trajectory of the student affairs profession. Although Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model lens has signposted four historical movements (in loco parentis, service providers, out-of-class development officers, and multiple educators), the reader should note that these student affairs practitioners’ roles are evolutionary. This study also found that scholarly student affairs practitioners should be flexible and theory-based in their praxis. Also, because student affairs function under a contemporary umbrella with broad and diverse responsibilities, there is substantial scope for further development in this field. Article 2 explores the student affairs research position worldwide between 2008 and 2019 in the light of an extensive document analysis of 926 student affairs research articles published in 91 peer-reviewed journals. The thematic categorisation of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) was used to determine nine prominent and five new international publication trends as derived from the document analysis (CAS 2019). Thereafter, Bronfenbrenner's PPCT model, particularly the chrono-system, provided critical insights in this study about how and why student affairs manifest in worldwide higher education. Article 3 established an increase in and emphasis on African student affairs research. This provoked the significance of mapping African student affairs research during the past interlude (2008-2019) through Bronfenbrenner’s lens. The document analysis of 121 articles (published in 34 selected academic journals) confirmed nine of CAS’s prominent African student affairs research trends, while four new local themes were observed. Finally, postgraduate programmes and services requiring future exploration to extend and promote student affairs as a field of research and studies in the African context were identified. Article 4 focused on the interrogation, namely: In what way can scholarly article style postgraduate studies specifically enrich the field of student affairs? In this qualitative research journey, taken through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical microscope, higher education experts and supervisors agreed that well-defined institutional policies, faculty/departmental guidelines, and assessment are essential for success. Subsequently, article option training and support for postgraduate students, supervisors, and student affairs practitioners are essential. This study’s final, proposed outcome is postgraduate attribute indicators for quality assessment of article style postgraduate studies, which require extensive future exploration. Finally, in Article 5 the findings of a 360-degree circle reflection on the four intervention guideposts are presented and analysed (through Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model). Lessons learned to promote postgraduate student development could serve as catalyst for further research.
Open Access
An analysis of factors inhibiting the access of students with special educational needs to higher education in the Free State
(University of the Free State, 2006) Nkoane, Molebatsi Milton; Mahlomaholo, M. G.; Van Tonder, S. P.; Hay, H. R.
English: The major focus of this study is an investigation into how higher education institutions in the Free State Province could enhance access of students with special educational needs. In order to make a systematic and scientific research analysis, the thesis seeks to examine practices that inform higher education, and how students with special educational needs make sense of their experiences concerning higher education. The purpose of the research is therefore to explore the factors that inhibit access to higher education institutions (HEIs) for the SEN students in the Free State region. Equally important, the challenges facing higher education institutions are investigated, drawing on evidence of the policy framework, i.e. the Bill of Rights (1996); the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996); the South African Qualification Authority (1995); the National Qualification Framework (2002), the Education Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation (Notice 1196 of 1996); and Education White Paper No 6: Special Needs Education; Building an Inclusive and Training System (2001). These policies will be examined and the researcher identifies, defines and looks for causality and the manifestation of students with SEN in HEIs in order to propose ways for South Africa to initiate a public policy that will encourage understanding among policy-makers, practitioners and researchers in order that they might reflect upon these challenges. Equally important, interest in inclusive education has grown substantially in the last decade in South Africa as a new paradigm in the education sector has occurred whereby the Ministry of Education has to introduce an inclusive education system at school level [see DoE Education White Paper No 6 (2001)]. However, universities do not seem to be fully geared for SEN students. Access to higher education is used interchangeably with the concept inclusive education in this thesis because the researcher of this particular study understands them to basically mean and refer to the same process. Equally important, these concepts are central to this investigation. It is vital to provide a more in-depth and clear discussion thereof. In doing so, this thesis indicates why these concepts are so essential as well as central to this study. Furthermore, this research interrogates different literature sources on inclusive education. The review of challenges and possibilities for broadening access to education with focused view on (i) curriculum; (ii) assessment to promote access; (iii) access and fair chances to higher education. These are some of the issues that will be interrogated in this study. A close scrutiny and critical interrogation and/or review of possible barriers that could inhibit access to higher education for SEN students will be undertaken. This thesis presents and interprets data from seemingly contradicting approaches, namely positivistic; critical emancipatory and textual orientated discourse analysis (TODA). Thus implying the data collection techniques includes qualitative and quantitative methods, such as the use of questionnaires, open-ended questions using the free attitude interview (FAI) technique. The reason for this thesis to adopt the triangulation model are mutual validation of results on the basis of different methods and to assist the research to obtain a more in-depth or a complete picture of the phenomenon under investigation and produce a sound explanation. Equally important this thesis reflects on findings. It also draws various conclusions which lead to recommendations that could be followed up. These reflections are viewed against the backdrop of a situation that is unfolding in South Africa, a country that is beginning to shed some of the vestiges of the past. But contrary to popular belief, forces retarding progress towards aspired inclusivity and accessibility or democracy as well as a lack of “utopia” seem to have merely disguised themselves rather than actually retreating in shame. Based on the data collected and analysed it seems sound that the services provided by HEIs in the Free State serve certain section of the population of students. However, departments, units, administrators and SEN students alike believe that there are numerous administrative and other issues that must be addressed to provide equal services to all. Lastly, suggestions and recommendations that are important for the purpose of access to be realised in HEIs by students with SEN are made. This could enable future relevant research based on the theory generated in this study. The purpose of the thesis is to empower SEN students, rather than blowing the deficiencies or challenges out of proportion. The study aims to destroy the reproduction of the status quo of segregation, inequalities, exclusion and marginalisation of SEN students in HEIs. Access to equal higher education provision will be discussed and defined through various discourses. In fact, the understanding of SEN students and access to higher education remains a social construction. Access to higher education provision has to do with how marginalised and excluded SEN students understand the barriers and what they think could be done to overcome them and what they as equal human beings feel and aspire to become. The discourse raised challenges such as oppression, exclusion or marginalisation of students with SEN. HEIs should avoid ignoring the existence of SEN students at all costs. The vision and frame of reference of these institutions should always be conscious of those they are serving in the broad spectrum. Research in this area could be understood as playing a role in the process of the emancipation of marginalised SEN students. Inevitably, the thesis can therefore only be judged emancipatory after SEN students themselves have made their voices heard. This study can be viewed as a forum of amplification for the voices of those who are marginalised or excluded from mainstream university culture. It might also be engaged as a tool for those who are seeking emancipation for themselves.
Open Access
An analysis of the adjustment problems of international students in a South African university
(University of the Free State, 2006-12) Dzansi, Dennis Yao; Wilkinson, A. C.; Alt, H.
English: The literature on international student adjustment problem is replete with studies done in universities in the West. This skews the understanding of the international student adjustment phenomenon in favour of developed countries at the expense of the less developed ones and thus creates an obvious gap in the student adjustment literature. The purpose of this study was to fill this apparent gap by exploring the nature of adjustment problems encountered by international students at the Central University of Technology (CUT), a typical developing world university, located in Bloemfontein, in the Free State Province of South Africa. The empirical study was preceded by an extensive literature survey that led to the conclusion that while international students’ adjustment problems are numerous and similar in many respects, they differ significantly across countries, and according to a number of demographic factors. This means that in part, adjustment problems are contextual. The implication is that any wholesale use of existing measurement instruments that were specifically designed for Western country conditions would be inappropriate for use in the South African context. Consequently, a custom made measurement instrument was developed for this study. Validity and reliability issues that naturally emerge with custom made instruments were thoroughly dealt with. Among others, the empirical investigation revealed that: 1. International students at CUT encounter many adjustment problems. 2. International students at CUT regard their adjustment experiences as problematic. 3. The adjustment problems of international students at CUT differ significantly according to country/region of origin, age, and gender of students. The study identified the following as the ten most difficult adjustment problems international students at CUT have to contend with in their order of difficulty starting with the most difficult to the least difficult: 1. High cost of living in South Africa 2. Cost of food 3. Cost of health insurance 4. Getting visa extensions 5. Feel comfortable visiting immigration office 6. Work restrictions 7. Becoming a citizen of South Africa 8. Understanding immigration rules 9. Sufficiency of funds to meet expenses The study raises issues which, if attended to, could help ameliorate adjustment problems international students encounter at CUT. The expectation is that, by reducing the number and severity of adjustment problems, international students would live in harmony with their educational and social environment at CUT. This in turn would make CUT very attractive to international students.
Open Access
Appreciating the University of the Free State's transformation: a juxtaposed journey with Alice to Wonderland
(University of the Free State, 2013-01) Smit, Emmerentia Jacomina; Niemann, S. M.
Introduction and background to the study The dynamic higher education (HE) sector is continually adapting in order to enhance scholarship. The University of the Free State (UFS) experienced extreme pressure to stabilise the institution in the aftermath of the Reitz debacle in 2008. As a UFS staff member involved in marketing and publicity, I often experienced cognitive dissonance about the resulting changes in the institution. Directly after the Reitz debacle, the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, introduced a Ministerial Committee on Progress towards Transformation and Social Cohesion and the Elimination of Discrimination in Public Higher Education Institutions. The ensuing briefing paper reported that the challenges of transformation should not be underestimated. Inherited legacies “produced at the structural level … social and economic inequalities which were accompanied and underpinned by a complex skein of discriminatory political and cultural attributes, dispositions and orientations” (Soudien, 2010). Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training, argued that “explicit bigotry, such as the videotaped incident at the University of the Free State, [is] met with public outrage. Meanwhile, covert forms of racism [discrimination] remain prevalent” (McEvoy, 2009). The transformation debates led me to consider creating a post-critical living theory (Polanyi, 1958; McNiff, 2006) on the institutional identity consciousness (Corbey, 1991) of the UFS (Jansen, 2008). In addition, I considered the possibility of appreciating the Reitz debacle as a public catalyst to a wonderland of transformed identity (Cooperrider, 2010). I also reflected on the outcomes of Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) leadership styles and their contribution towards supporting and developing authentic institutional identity at both rural and urban HEIs (Cameron, Dutton & Quinn, 2003; Bushe, 2005; Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010). By breaking down the disciplinary boundaries, I unpacked the changes in terms of consciousness development, leadership, vision, and identity at the UFS and then reflected on my own identity transformation within the context of the broader institution. In doing so, I juxtaposed a journey with Alice in Wonderland, using the Wonderland characters, sites and experiences to reflect on the transformation at the UFS. I called it my Metaphor Positioning System (MPS), in contrast to a Global Positioning System (GPS). I met Alice at our agreed point-of-departure. Instead of using a GPS (Global Positioning System) to make sense of our journey, I used a MPS (Metaphor Positioning System) and BBM, using the browser option on our mobile phones to record Alice’s route. Science differs in Wonderland, where the different branches of Arithmetic are Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision, and where the future is beforehand documented on the Oraculum – a calendar of all the days of Underland, each having its own title and illustration. We had no predetermined “route” or “course” and, therefore, had no ETA [estimated time of arrival] or ETE [estimated time [en route] or [geo-fencing] boundaries] for our journey. My “position” was the present “epoch” and Alice’s 150 years ago. Our position was somewhere between the beginning and the end of the journey. The UFS campus was our “control point” and I could locate Alice’s actual position on the “moving map” screen. Adapted from screenwriter Linda Woolverton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010). Theoretical framework For the purpose of this study, a qualitative, post-critical and postmodern Appreciative approach (Bushe, 2005; Cooperrider, 2010; Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010) is applied to the processes of institutional identity transformation at the UFS. The study is primarily located within the field of Higher Education Studies but borrows notions from industrial and social psychology, visual culture and management studies. Research problem, aim, and objectives The apparent devastating Reitz debacle in February 2008, when four White students humiliated four Black service workers while capturing the incident on video (CNN, 2008), introduced major changes to the UFS. These actions of transformation must have been so radical that it resulted in the World Universities Forum’s 2011 Award for Best Practice in Higher Education. I had to make sense of these processes of change at the UFS and, as a staff member at the institution, observed the numerous changes, which urged me to engage with it on various conscious levels. However, as I engaged on my journey towards coming to terms with the changes, I realised that in my subconscious mind I had also changed, resulting in my final article. This study, as a juxtaposed journey with Alice, was driven by the following questions: What is the authentic identity of the UFS when it needs to identify and brand itself? Is the institution aware of that identity which lies at its heart? The purpose of this study is, first, to apply an Appreciative approach to what appears as an enormous disaster in the existence of the UFS and, secondly, to lead the UFS to consciousness and appreciation where the institution can declare: I am Me. In the entire world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine because I chose to be authentic – I own everything about me: my being, my feelings, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes … I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay. Virginia Satir’s Declaration of Self-Esteem. Article landscape This study consists of 5 articles.
Open Access
Appreciating the University of the Free State's transformation: a juxtaposed journey with Alice to Wonderland
(University of the Free State, 2013-01) Smit, Emmerentia Jacomina; Niemann, S. M.
Article 1 The University of the Free State (UFS) experienced extreme pressure to „normalise‟ all aspects of the institution in the aftermath of the Reitz debacle in 2008. This urged me to undertake a journey juxtaposed with Alice in Wonderland as a UFS staff member experiencing some dissonance about the changes in leadership. Being involved in marketing and publicity, I realised how my personal consciousness contributed to the collective consciousness, enabling me to share the unifying identity of my institutional environment. During this period of turmoil and change, the UFS had to revisit its identity and, like Alice, my institution and I had to embark on a journey in search of an authentic identity and to develop a consciousness of what that identity might be. Characters, sites and experiences served as Metaphor Positioning System (MPS), and not Global Positioning System (GPS), coordinates that assisted me in my journey towards identity consciousness. I also used observations, visual culture, literature and auto-ethnographic work to break down disciplinary boundaries as I unpacked the development of an institutional identity consciousness with aspects of the narrative genre – characters, time, space, themes, intrigues and the narrator‟s perspective. This study, therefore, provides insights that might add value to other institutions‟ processes of being conscious of their identities, and supplies beacons that will illuminate their journeys. Article2 Geographical settings contribute greatly to the unique identity of the institution. The urban campus is perceived as superior because of the access to technological, educational and recreational resources. The opposite is perceived of the rural campus, which often desires to copy the institutional identity of the urban campus. Directive documents and developmental programmes urge governments, urban HEIs, HE practitioners, and the global community to change their perception of rural campuses. However, self-image, self-esteem and individuality are internal processes of strategic self-appreciation and are applicable to the authentic institutional identity development of rural HE settings, as well as the conscious and unconscious branding of the HEI, as presented in this psycho-social perspective. Metaphors from Alice in Wonderland illustrate the pointlessness of an unauthentic identity. By synergising theories from the disciplines of social and developmental psychology and internal branding, and applying AI principles, the researcher re-conceptualises strategic authentic institutional identity formation. Article 3 A vision is perceived as a valued and strategic tool for a leader, but a dreaming leader might be frowned upon. However, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and Appreciative Leadership (AL) employ “dreams” as one of the crucial elements of this qualitative research method. This conceptual article differentiates between a predominantly conscious-mind or preconceived dreaming (where the vision is restrained and directed by components of strategy formation) and a predominantly subconsciousmind or free-range dreaming (where the vision unveils a future unlimited by conscious constraints). An alternative concept of vision that might assist leaders drive creative transformation, instead of merely adjusting and upgrading existing strategies and practices, is conceptualised. Theoretical support is supplied by the Alice in Wonderland chronicle (Carroll, 1969) as well as by research conducted by Harvard‟s Medical and Business Schools. The article forms part of a larger research project within a post-critical paradigm, whereby the reflective and theoretical epistemology of leadership includes metaphors from Alice in Wonderland. These metaphors are juxtaposed with the UFS – where an internationally awarded transformation took place after a debacle that was covered by various major international news agencies. Article 4 This study documents the apparently devastating Reitz debacle – where four White students humiliated four Black service workers while capturing the incident on video – from one week prior to the incident which occurred in February 2008 to only 30 months later when the UFS received the World Universities Forum‟s 2011 Award for Best Practice in Higher Education. The purpose of the research was to apply the Appreciative approach to what seems to be an enormous disaster in the existence of the UFS. Motivation for the study manifested in a journey about sense-making of the defining factors that accomplished the transformation on the UFS campus. Intuitive as well as scholarly consideration determined the selection of the research design, approach and method. The Appreciative approach is applied within action research methods, especially participative and juxtaposed by an insider-author. The dynamics and opportunities that resulted from the Reitz debacle and the application of an Appreciative approach to leadership facilitated transformation on the campus and within its community. Data was collected by means of personal observations, interviews, photographs and documentation. The international media documented this uncontrolled case study extensively. To illuminate this study, traditional problem-based and appreciative strength-based leadership styles and images are juxtaposed with aspects in logician Lewis Carroll‟s fantasy novel Alice in Wonderland (1865). By applying an Appreciative approach, a life-giving transformation may develop from a seemingly disparaging debacle. This finding suggests some practical and/or managerial implications. Extensive international exposure not only contributes to the relevance, reality and validity of this case study on the Reitz debacle, but also illustrates the possibilities of alternative approaches to a global audience of leaders. The extraordinary success of the Appreciative approach may contribute and add value by challenging other institutions to employ this approach in order to heal, unite, and invigorate troubled and diverse communities. Article 5 The University of the Free State (UFS) underwent a well-publicised transformation process following a well-publicised dilemma. Over the past few years, the author experienced an unpublicised transformation process after one of those everyone-knew-but-you dilemmas. Auto-ethnography (AE) was my travel vehicle on my journey from institutional awareness to personal transformation. Through self-reflection, qualitative research methods and observation, travel-related metaphors, theories on transformation, personal development, personal transformation and authentic leadership were used as a vehicle to connect Self, Others and Culture in institutional and personal identity consciousness. The author‟s travel companion, the unpretentious and individualistic Alice of Wonderland, provides insight into and understanding in complex circumstances. The readers are taken along a ten-phase journey to experience the practical and theoretical processes of transformation, during which they will be allowed to linger among the locals at various Wonderland stations.
Open Access
An appreciative inquiry into the design of a conceptual model for a flexible undergraduate curriculum structure
(University of the Free State, 2017-01) Steyn, Christoffel Mathyss Van As; Ndeya-Ndereya, C. N.
English: The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual model for a flexible undergraduate curriculum structure offered at a higher education institution, using the Appreciative Inquiry theoretical framework. Since 1994 the South African education sector has gone through significant changes. These changes have brought about many challenges in the sector. For instance, massification of higher education has caused higher education institutions to reform their curricula in order to accommodate previously disadvantaged students entering tertiary education. In this way, the South African government has been attempting to redress the social inequalities that had prevailed in the education sector during the apartheid era. One of its efforts has been widening access for a variety of groups in society, in order to increase their participation in the higher education sector. Widening of access should also lead to academic success; however, many students who enter higher education are academically underprepared, even though they meet the minimum admission requirements for higher education studies. They lack basic academic foundation in communication (oral, reading and writing), numeric and literacy skills. These inadequacies are mainly the result of admitting students from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are not being sufficiently prepared for studying at higher education level when they leave the secondary basic education and further education and training school system, resulting in the creation of a so-called “articulation gap”. An explorative case study was conducted at the Vaal University of Technology to respond to the study’s research question, which was: How may a flexible curriculum structure for an undergraduate programme be designed in order to address the articulation gap between further education and training and higher education? Staff involved in an extended programme of the institution and students who either had gone through the extended programme or were currently in the programme, participated in individual interviews and focus group interviews, respectively. The investigation discovered that the first-year students in the extended programme had diverse needs. It became evident that many students were not only academically underprepared; they were also socially, culturally, emotionally and intellectually underprepared to enter higher education. In this study the design of the proposed conceptual model was based on Tyler’s model for curriculum design that has been used in education since 1947. The Tyler Model identifies and focuses on designing a curriculum that addresses the diverse needs of students. The increase of student numbers in higher education poses challenges to higher education institutions, and research should be conducted into preparing students at secondary school level for higher education demands. Further research is needed to establish how curricula for extended programmes could be reformed to enhance academic success of students, and how to increase the throughput in higher education.
Open Access
An appreciative inquiry of selected elements of staff well-being at a higher education institution
(University of the Free State, 2014-06) Van Straaten, Laurika; Du Plessis, A.; Van Tonde, S. P.
English: This study explored identified elements of well-being of support services staff of a South African higher education institution (HEI), and ways of optimising their well-being by means of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). The study was underpinned by the research paradigm of social constructionism and the belief that reality is socially constructed through our language. The principles of social constructionism entail that people determine their own destiny by envisioning their desired future. The same principle of dreaming about a desired future is supported by AI – hence this theme was strengthened by both the social constructionism paradigm that underpinned the study, and the research method that was followed (AI). The institution under research has gone through a process of institutional restructuring from 2007 to 2011. It became evident from an institutional climate survey conducted at the institution in 2013 that elements related to staff well-being had been affected, either through the restructuring or by other factors. A literature review of well-being revealed that very little research has been done relating to the well-being of support services staff of HEIs, and particularly so in the South African higher education (HE) context. This study was aimed at addressing that gap. The literature review included a study of current perspectives and theories on staff well-being and the research method of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). During the empirical phase of the study the strengths of the HEI were identified, as well as some positive developments that support services staff members of the institution would like to see in order to enhance their well-being. The research participants‟ social world was interpreted in an attempt to understand their own reality in terms of the language they used during an AI workshop. A qualitative research design was followed, and action research was conducted by means of an AI process. The study identified the positive core of the organisation to be its hard-working and dedicated staff, positive relations between colleagues, supervisors and subordinates, a willingness of staff to adapt to change, good remuneration and benefits offered to staff, job security and a supportive work environment. It transpired that through its positive core, the institution could enhance the well-being of support services staff by valuing and acknowledging contributions made by support services staff, by establishing equality between support services and academic staff, appointing adequate support services staff to do the work, ensuring manageable workloads, creating opportunities for promotion for support services staff, and by doing more to address the overall well-being (physical, psychological and emotional well-being) of support services staff. As there are limited studies available pertaining to the well-being of support services staff at HEIs, this study will make a contribution to the body of knowledge in that field. It is hoped that the institution will realise the importance of the role of support services staff as the gears that keep the machine running, and that their well-being should be a matter of high priority. The applicability of AI as research method in such a study was illustrated, as the statement of positive, provocative propositions rather than problems created a positive context or climate for the participants within which to work, which resulted in positive findings rather than complaints as often is found to be the case with other types of staff surveys.
Open Access
Assessering van leesbegrip in Afrikaansmedium primêre skole in die Vrystaat
(University of the Free State, 2006-06) Knox, Lizelle; Ferreira, Annelie
English: No evidence of South African research on the assessment of reading strategies could be found. The assessment of reading strategies in Afrikaans medium primary schools in the Free-State was investigated to determine to what extent educators assess reading strategies. The teaching of reading comprehension is closely related to the assessment thereof. The latest research as well as the Learning Area Languages in the Revised National Curriculum Statement show that effective teaching of reading strategies as well as the assessment thereof should be of utmost importance in the Language classroom. Good readers spontaneously use reading strategies to improve reading comprehension. On the other hand research has shown that poor readers do not acquire reading strategies spontaneously and that their reading comprehension suffers accordingly. In the first article, the assessment of various reading strategies, for example the activating of background knowledge, inferences and predictions were critically investigated. Further investigations, for example the use of dictionaries and paraphrasing (write in own words) were also done. In the second article the different types of questions used during assessment of reading comprehension were investigated. The investigation showed that the few assessments of reading strategies are causing concern. The focus is on question types that concentrate on lower order thinking, for example literal comprehension. Learners are seldom exposed to questions that result in higher order thinking for example inferences and critical reading questions. It is therefore recommended that educators assess and teach reading strategies. When reading comprehension is assessed, educators should also use question types that facilitate higher order thinking. The main purpose of teaching reading is to create and develop independent, strategically readers.