Vuyisile Nkonki | University of Fort Hare (original) (raw)
Papers by Vuyisile Nkonki
Proceedings of The Focus Conference (TFC 2022), 2023
Putting together a Portfolio of evidence is a difficult, time-consuming, and intimidating underta... more Putting together a Portfolio of evidence is a difficult, time-consuming, and intimidating undertaking, especially when emergency remote online teaching and learning is required as compelled by COVID-19 restrictions. Under these conditions, student teachers were required to finish their school experience teaching practice and provide portfolios of evidence to demonstrate their developing teaching competencies. Given that there were no contact lectures or tutorials during this time, these students had to rely on Blackboard support through online workshops and pre-recorded training sessions to help them construct their school experience e-portfolios. The aim of this study was to evaluate how Blackboard support equipped the student teachers to develop their e-portfolios with no face-to-face contact sessions. This study examined the benefits of Blackboard support in the building of e-Portfolios by student teachers. The fourth-year and PostGraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students submitted data through a qualitative survey in which they narratively conveyed their perspectives on support provided for e-portfolios. Thematic analysis was used to extract meaning units, which were then aggregated into themes and then presented as categories suggested by the research questions. This study evaluates Blackboard support as well as the affordances that are most and least attended achieved with the Blackboard e-Portfolio module, and through the support provided by the workshop facilitators. Recommendations on the effective use of Blackboard, the practices that would foster the realisation of all the conceptual, practical and reflective competencies and the enhancement of e-Portfolio development for the school experience are provided.
International journal of educational sciences, Jun 3, 2017
The aim of this study was to investigate the English syllabus of Tamil Nadu Equitable Education s... more The aim of this study was to investigate the English syllabus of Tamil Nadu Equitable Education system or Uniform System of School Education or Samacheer Kalvi Thittam with respect to the teachers' perspective. The method of this study was Descriptive Method. Stratified proportionate sampling method was followed by administering a close-ended questionnaire. Proportionately nine different schools, three government schools, three government aided schools and three self-financing schools in and around Trichy district, Tamil Nadu were selected for the study. Three English teachers from each school, tota lof twenty-seven teachers were sampled. The responses from the teachers were measured as Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree. More favourable responses were received from the teachers' towards the syllabus. The conclusion of the study establishes that the English syllabus of the system is good when compared to the previous one. The study recommends that the syllabus may be framed in depth so that it enables the students to appear for competitive examinations.
Journal of Social Sciences, Jun 1, 2012
This paper argues that educators' career stages account for variations in the educators' percepti... more This paper argues that educators' career stages account for variations in the educators' perceptions, concerns and dispositions towards the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in South African schools. These variations have a bearing on the implementation of IQMS. The presented results are extracted from a larger study and are based on a survey of 305 educators. Three null hypotheses, one each, on the significant differences in educators' perceptions of IQMS, their concerns about IQMS, and their dispositions towards IQMS were tested, using educators' career stages as a sorting variable. The Kruskal Wallis test was employed for the purposes of gauging significant differences. This research concludes that there were significant differences bet ween educators' perceptions and dispositions. However, the educators' concerns about IQMS did not differ, but were shared by educators across career stages. Only in the 'collaboration concern' did career stages differ. The potential impact of these variables on the implementation of IQMS, and the need to bargain for educators' ca reer stages in the implementation of IQMS, and other school policies and programmes, are highlighted. This study generated data that could be generalised to 3370 school educators in one Education district of one Province in Sout h Africa. Similar studies in other districts in the province and nationally will generate a good feedback from educators. Reviews based on empirical data are pertinent for the success of the policies and for feedback to guide new policies. This paper makes recommendations for policy formulators, programme administrators, as well as further research. Internationally too, gathering of similar data from educators, when policies are being implemented, will be useful to receive robust feedback.
International journal of educational sciences, Jun 3, 2017
The aim of the current paper is to study the link between the effects of corporate governance on ... more The aim of the current paper is to study the link between the effects of corporate governance on information asymmetry problems and stock liquidity in the Tunisian Stock Market. We use a sample of 49 Tunisian firms listed between 1998 and 2007. Our results show that corporate governance has direct and indirect effects on stock liquidity. Threat of expropriation exerted by family and foreign shareholders discourages reluctant investors, which decreases stock liquidity. In contrast, they invest their capital in State controlled firms. In fact, State is regarded as an effective controller rather than a shareholder. The State involvement in Tunisian firms is considered as state guarantee for investors, which increases stock liquidity. Our results provide evidence that some attributes of corporate governance improve stock liquidity because they reduce information asymmetry.
Journal of communication, Jul 1, 2016
This paper sought to establish the perceptions of first year students on the Supplemental Instruc... more This paper sought to establish the perceptions of first year students on the Supplemental Instruction (SI) programme. It argues that first year students' expectations and the facilitation methods of the Supplemental Instruction Leaders (SILs) shape students' perceptions of the SI programme. Framed within the interpretive paradigm and a case study design, the study sought to gain an understanding of first year students' perceptions of SI. A purposive sample of 15 first year students completed an open-ended questionnaire. Content analysis was employed to make sense of the data. Six themes emerged, which showed students' perceptions of Supplemental Instruction. These themes reveal underlying expectations and preferences with respect to the focus of SI, and SI leaders' facilitation methods in comparison to lectures and tutorials. Recommendations are made for bargaining for students' perceptions, and the strategies for addressing the confusion between the Supplemental Instructional programme, the tutorial system and lectures.
Journal of Communication
This study investigated enablers of and constraints to students' use of Blackboard. It used Arche... more This study investigated enablers of and constraints to students' use of Blackboard. It used Archer's social realist perspective to explore structural, cultural, and agential influences that bear on stu dents' use of Blackboard, a Learning Management System. A qualitative approach using a survey design informed the investigation. Data were sourced through an online open-ended questionnaire obtained from a group of 100 students who were selected purposively. The content analyses of students' narrative responses involved the extraction of themes. Culturally, the study revealed that not all lecturers across the levels of the qualifications made courses available online, even though students keep appealing for the use of Blackboard for all courses. Structural issues uncovered related to network failure, compatibility with other devices, and the maintenance of computer hardware. It also emerged that some of the students exercised their agency in making Blackboard usable on their own gadgets, overcoming personal fears, in acquiring proficiency in the use of Blackboard. This paper concludes t hat the students' voice and perspective in the sustained use of technology is necessary to mitigate teaching and learning challenges for the benefit of learning. It is recommended that lecturers give students opportunities to exercise their agency to confront structural and cultural challenges they experience in the use of Blackboard.
Journal of Communication
The paper investigated the effectiveness of portfolio assessment for a professional development c... more The paper investigated the effectiveness of portfolio assessment for a professional development course in an institution of higher learning. Framed in the interpretive framework, this research began by situating professional development course in the professional development paradigms. Using a qualitative survey design, this paper infers the effectiveness of portfolios from narratives of participants who commented on their usefulness as an assessment tool for professional development. Sixteen participants of the Assessment and Moderation course across Faculties, departments, and disciplines of an institution of Higher Learning highlighted its usefulness. When narratives were analysed, emerging themes and their resultant categories suggested their effectiveness in a number of areas in fostering a process approach to learning; including improvement in and further development of assessment practices. The study recommends the scaling up of portfolio assessment to include other professional development courses, as well as the training of lecturers on portfolio assessment.
This study is an exploration of the outside the classroom scientific experiences of Grade 11 lear... more This study is an exploration of the outside the classroom scientific experiences of Grade 11 learners, as indicators of their interests, public understanding and engagement with Science and Technology. The out of school scientific experiences, interests and feelings of being informed about scientific issues, debates and developments of male and female grade 11 learners are described and then compared to ascertain significant differences. This investigation departs from the hypothesis that science teaching and learning focuses more on concepts, laws, principles and formulae with very little reference to science-related public issues and everyday life experiences of the learners. Gender differences and motivational traits related to the students' preferences for particular types of learning activities and needs are not considered in science curriculum planning and design and also in classroom teaching. This leads to boredom and diminishing interest in science among learners. The study analyses data from a survey of a sample of five schools with two hundred and twenty five Grade 11 learners. Tables of descriptive findings, analysis of variance and post-hoc comparison of means to analyse and interpret data from the learners are used. The researcher finds that generally learners have never had the scientific experiences described or seldom engage themselves with scientific activities, issues and debates beyond classroom science. Learners expressed interest in scientific issues and developments but indicated that they were not informed about such issues and developments. The results of significant differences showed that the outside the school scientific experiences, levels of interest and being informed of male and female Grade 11 learners differed. The study has implications not only for science curriculum planners and designers but also for science teachers and further research in the field of public understanding of science. I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who helped me to complete this thesis: o My Supervisor and Programme Director, Prof. Johann Mouton, for introducing me to the field of Philosophy and Sociology of Science; Research and Development and also Programme Evaluation, o Marthie Van Niekerk, Programme Coordinator and Executive Secretary, for her understanding, warmth, support, energy, enthusiasm for all the programme activities and its people and for attending to all my calls, E-maiIs and requests. o The educators and learners, for their cooperation , o My parents, friends and colleagues for their warm support and encouragement. iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
South African Journal of Higher Education, 2021
The ability of an institution to graduate students, also known as the throughput rate, is one of ... more The ability of an institution to graduate students, also known as the throughput rate, is one of the most important means of an institution receiving a grant/ subsidy from the government. This article sought to interrogate the differentials in throughput rates of PhD graduates per faculty in a selected institution over a period of five years. Framed within the interpretive paradigm, a qualitative approach and a case study design were adopted. A non-probability purposive sample of 30 participants was selected the academic staff within the six faculties that make up the university under investigation. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically and using the constant comparison technique. The major findings pointed to differentials in PhD production across faculties as emanating from variations in supervision approaches as reflected in the recruitment and selection of candidates, students’ composition, allocati...
South African Journal of Higher Education, 2016
This study forms part of a wider NRF project that sought to examine the enabling and constraining... more This study forms part of a wider NRF project that sought to examine the enabling and constraining conditions in the uptake of professional development opportunities by academics as teachers at eight South African universities. This case study isolated two rurally-based, historically disadvantaged South African institutions (HDIs). Qualitative data from institutional self-evaluation reports were augmented with semi-structured interviews conducted with five members of the senior management and ten academics at each of the institutions. Thematic analysis of the data revealed constraints around promotion policy and the value accorded to research development over teaching development, the inability of rural institutions to attract and retain staff, as well as the huge workloads that consumed time that could have been used for professional development. The study recommends reconsideration of theoretical frameworks that inform professional development in rural universities and a re-look at practicalities in the modes of delivery when planning for professional development interventions in rural settings.
The study sought to understand and explain factors that influence individual lecturers' possi... more The study sought to understand and explain factors that influence individual lecturers' possibility to adopt Blackboard, a Learning Management System (LMS) at an institution of higher learning. Rogers' (1995) diffusion of innovation theory is used as a framework for the explanation of these factors. The study starts by looking at different theoretical frameworks, namely: positivist, interpretive, and the critical perspectives. The underlying assumptions and the teaching and learning practices reinforced and perpetuated by these perspectives are discussed, followed by the views of these perspectives on LMSs and e-learning. Thereafter, Snelbecker's (1999) model of CMS adoption is described and critiqued in relation to Blackboard adoption. This research offers the Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory (1995) as an alternative to explain the soaring numbers in the uptake of Blackboard in an institution of higher learning. This theory is also used to look at influences i...
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
Following mixed views in literature on the relevance and return on investment of formal higher ed... more Following mixed views in literature on the relevance and return on investment of formal higher education professional development initiatives, the current study sought the views of the impact of the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education and Training (PGDHET) on the professional practice of higher education staff in one institution. Framed in the interpretive paradigm, the study adopted a case study design in which multiple sources of data were utilised. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire from eleven (11) purposefully selected lecturers possessing a PGDHET qualification. The data was corroborated with a data analysis of PGDHET reports. Qualitative data thus collected was analysed through the extraction and aggregation of meaning units into themes. Quantitative data was used to discern and describe impact trends of the PGDHET. It emerged from the study that the PGDHET challenged lecturers' conceptions of teaching and learning, and expanded their repertoire of innovative teaching strategies. Furthermore, participants reported contributions to advancement of departmental best teaching practices and the status of teaching institutionally. The conclusion drawn is that the PGDHET impacts beyond the lecture room as it influences also the academic development practices, faculty and departmental practices, as well as the overall culture of the institution. This research recommends ways of further consolidating and further advancing the impact of the PGDHET.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
The issue about how to enable Foundation Provisioning lecturers to design and deliver curriculum ... more The issue about how to enable Foundation Provisioning lecturers to design and deliver curriculum for underprepared students that would enable them to access disciplinary epistemologies and succeed in their programmes of study is the focus of this paper. It argues that the curriculum is a point of leverage in terms of enabling epistemological access, embedding graduateness and academic literacies, foster engagement in active, collaborative, and self-regulated learning in foundation provisioning. Framed in the interpretive perspective, this case study research used various Scholarship of Curriculum Practice (SoCP) frameworks to reflect on Foundation Provisioning curriculum development interventions offered by academic developers of the Teaching and Learning Centre in an institution of Higher Learning. The curriculum development workshops were used as cases for this study which focused on the infusion of academic literacies, alignment of curricular to specific level descriptors, integration of technology to enhance teaching and learning, assessment in the Foundation provisioning context, the development and strategic use of the Foundation Provisioning learning guides. Data was obtained from a total of forty (40) Foundation Provisioning lecturers who were involved in the workshops. An evaluation questionnaire which consisted of open questions and a rating scale was used to solicit participants' views on the benefits of the curriculum development workshops, dispositions to act on the insights gained, and areas where improvements in the Foundation curriculum are sought. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, and a rating scale was used gauge the overall benefits of the workshop. The research findings report on the benefits of using the epistemological access construct, and the curriculum frameworks as theoretical tools for reflecting on foundation provisioning activities and outcomes, and areas of foundation provision practice where these are applicable, as well as areas where improvement and further development of teaching and learning practices are sought. The study concludes that there is need for the fore-grounding of lecturers on the curriculum frameworks that underlie foundation provisioning, and the capacitation on how to embed knowledge literacies in the foundation curriculum. Recommendations for foundation curriculum alignment in the form of adjustments to the module learning guides and the strategic use of these learning guides to foster learning are made. The need to plan and embed in the actual curriculum delivery, tracking, active learning, and other foundation literacies is recommended.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
Foundation Provisioning is defined as the provisioning of modules, courses or other curricular el... more Foundation Provisioning is defined as the provisioning of modules, courses or other curricular elements that are intended to equip underprepared students with academic foundations that will enable them to successfully complete a higher education qualification. The models adopted for these subsidised programmes allow for more time, more teaching, learning and assessment opportunities for students, and expend more resources than their mainstream counterparts. This paper sought to measure the efficiency of programmes, Faculties, and the institution, and to determine the predictors of efficiency in Foundation Provisioning in a selected university. It also sought to establish whether foundation provisioning efficiency has a bearing on mainstream academic success. Framed in the positivist perspective and the ex post facto design, secondary data was obtained on a cohort of foundation students. This research looked into the mainstream achievement results for these foundation students at the end of the third year of study in four Faculties with foundation programmes. The input data included foundation training workshops for lecturers, Supplemental Instruction (SI) for foundation modules, average salaries for foundation lecturers, and the Faculties' years of experience in running foundation programmes. The output data were the module pass and completion rates in the third year of study. The efficiencies of foundation programmes in the entire university were analysed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models. Regression was used to determine factors that predict and impact on the efficiency levels, while linear prediction was used to determine whether efficiency explains success in the mainstream. The overall efficiency of Foundation Provisioning in a selected historically disadvantaged university is reported. The paper then proceeds to describe significant differences in the efficiencies of various programmes in the Faculties, and the predictor variables that explain the efficiencies of programmes within this selected university. Lastly, this paper reports on whether foundation provisioning efficiency has a bearing on academic success in the mainstream. The study concludes that there are variations in the efficiency levels of faculties and programmes and these are accounted for by the salary levels of foundation lecturers as well as the Faculty's experiences of running foundation provisioning. At practice level, in the Faculties and programmes, the study recommends improvement of efficiency levels of programmes by altering the input variables.
The International Journal of Educational Organization and Leadership, 2021
Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, 2019
Using Margaret Archer's constructs, namely structure, culture, and agency, this paper argues that... more Using Margaret Archer's constructs, namely structure, culture, and agency, this paper argues that although there are commendable structural changes in the CHE (Council on Higher Education) and RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) policy which accommodate marginalised and unstructured experiential knowledge, thus equating it with 'scientific' knowledge produced by the university, there remains subtle preservations of material interests of the corporate agent (CHE policy maker) and the ideas, beliefs, and theories the latter holds about the place of unstructured learning and knowledge in universities. To advance this argument, a critique is mounted on three accommodative sub-units of the CHE RPL policy, namely: the notion of exemption, residency clause, and the ten percent ceiling on the number of applicants admitted through RPL. The rare allowance for exceptional deviations to the two latter notions (by CHE) is infused in the foregoing critique. In the final analysis, a reconsideration of these provisions is suggested.
To help shed more light on issues of student access through the articulation route, the authors c... more To help shed more light on issues of student access through the articulation route, the authors conducted a study aiming to determine South African higher education stakeholders’ perceptions of articulation enablers and constrains from the Further Education and Training (FET) sector to university. Using a qualitative research design, four purposively selected key informants from some Eastern Cape Province higher education institutions informed the study through in-depth interviews. Data were qualitatively analysed to discern themes and patterns. Respondents agreed that there was blurred policy on issues of articulation from FET to university. Few respondents were aware of the South African Qualifications Authority’s (SAQA) current career development pathways and initiatives that enhance such articulation. Apparently, students were not aware of various articulation routes available in South Africa. Hence, they suggested a need to mount training and awareness workshops and professiona...
Proceedings of The Focus Conference (TFC 2022), 2023
Putting together a Portfolio of evidence is a difficult, time-consuming, and intimidating underta... more Putting together a Portfolio of evidence is a difficult, time-consuming, and intimidating undertaking, especially when emergency remote online teaching and learning is required as compelled by COVID-19 restrictions. Under these conditions, student teachers were required to finish their school experience teaching practice and provide portfolios of evidence to demonstrate their developing teaching competencies. Given that there were no contact lectures or tutorials during this time, these students had to rely on Blackboard support through online workshops and pre-recorded training sessions to help them construct their school experience e-portfolios. The aim of this study was to evaluate how Blackboard support equipped the student teachers to develop their e-portfolios with no face-to-face contact sessions. This study examined the benefits of Blackboard support in the building of e-Portfolios by student teachers. The fourth-year and PostGraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students submitted data through a qualitative survey in which they narratively conveyed their perspectives on support provided for e-portfolios. Thematic analysis was used to extract meaning units, which were then aggregated into themes and then presented as categories suggested by the research questions. This study evaluates Blackboard support as well as the affordances that are most and least attended achieved with the Blackboard e-Portfolio module, and through the support provided by the workshop facilitators. Recommendations on the effective use of Blackboard, the practices that would foster the realisation of all the conceptual, practical and reflective competencies and the enhancement of e-Portfolio development for the school experience are provided.
International journal of educational sciences, Jun 3, 2017
The aim of this study was to investigate the English syllabus of Tamil Nadu Equitable Education s... more The aim of this study was to investigate the English syllabus of Tamil Nadu Equitable Education system or Uniform System of School Education or Samacheer Kalvi Thittam with respect to the teachers' perspective. The method of this study was Descriptive Method. Stratified proportionate sampling method was followed by administering a close-ended questionnaire. Proportionately nine different schools, three government schools, three government aided schools and three self-financing schools in and around Trichy district, Tamil Nadu were selected for the study. Three English teachers from each school, tota lof twenty-seven teachers were sampled. The responses from the teachers were measured as Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree. More favourable responses were received from the teachers' towards the syllabus. The conclusion of the study establishes that the English syllabus of the system is good when compared to the previous one. The study recommends that the syllabus may be framed in depth so that it enables the students to appear for competitive examinations.
Journal of Social Sciences, Jun 1, 2012
This paper argues that educators' career stages account for variations in the educators' percepti... more This paper argues that educators' career stages account for variations in the educators' perceptions, concerns and dispositions towards the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in South African schools. These variations have a bearing on the implementation of IQMS. The presented results are extracted from a larger study and are based on a survey of 305 educators. Three null hypotheses, one each, on the significant differences in educators' perceptions of IQMS, their concerns about IQMS, and their dispositions towards IQMS were tested, using educators' career stages as a sorting variable. The Kruskal Wallis test was employed for the purposes of gauging significant differences. This research concludes that there were significant differences bet ween educators' perceptions and dispositions. However, the educators' concerns about IQMS did not differ, but were shared by educators across career stages. Only in the 'collaboration concern' did career stages differ. The potential impact of these variables on the implementation of IQMS, and the need to bargain for educators' ca reer stages in the implementation of IQMS, and other school policies and programmes, are highlighted. This study generated data that could be generalised to 3370 school educators in one Education district of one Province in Sout h Africa. Similar studies in other districts in the province and nationally will generate a good feedback from educators. Reviews based on empirical data are pertinent for the success of the policies and for feedback to guide new policies. This paper makes recommendations for policy formulators, programme administrators, as well as further research. Internationally too, gathering of similar data from educators, when policies are being implemented, will be useful to receive robust feedback.
International journal of educational sciences, Jun 3, 2017
The aim of the current paper is to study the link between the effects of corporate governance on ... more The aim of the current paper is to study the link between the effects of corporate governance on information asymmetry problems and stock liquidity in the Tunisian Stock Market. We use a sample of 49 Tunisian firms listed between 1998 and 2007. Our results show that corporate governance has direct and indirect effects on stock liquidity. Threat of expropriation exerted by family and foreign shareholders discourages reluctant investors, which decreases stock liquidity. In contrast, they invest their capital in State controlled firms. In fact, State is regarded as an effective controller rather than a shareholder. The State involvement in Tunisian firms is considered as state guarantee for investors, which increases stock liquidity. Our results provide evidence that some attributes of corporate governance improve stock liquidity because they reduce information asymmetry.
Journal of communication, Jul 1, 2016
This paper sought to establish the perceptions of first year students on the Supplemental Instruc... more This paper sought to establish the perceptions of first year students on the Supplemental Instruction (SI) programme. It argues that first year students' expectations and the facilitation methods of the Supplemental Instruction Leaders (SILs) shape students' perceptions of the SI programme. Framed within the interpretive paradigm and a case study design, the study sought to gain an understanding of first year students' perceptions of SI. A purposive sample of 15 first year students completed an open-ended questionnaire. Content analysis was employed to make sense of the data. Six themes emerged, which showed students' perceptions of Supplemental Instruction. These themes reveal underlying expectations and preferences with respect to the focus of SI, and SI leaders' facilitation methods in comparison to lectures and tutorials. Recommendations are made for bargaining for students' perceptions, and the strategies for addressing the confusion between the Supplemental Instructional programme, the tutorial system and lectures.
Journal of Communication
This study investigated enablers of and constraints to students' use of Blackboard. It used Arche... more This study investigated enablers of and constraints to students' use of Blackboard. It used Archer's social realist perspective to explore structural, cultural, and agential influences that bear on stu dents' use of Blackboard, a Learning Management System. A qualitative approach using a survey design informed the investigation. Data were sourced through an online open-ended questionnaire obtained from a group of 100 students who were selected purposively. The content analyses of students' narrative responses involved the extraction of themes. Culturally, the study revealed that not all lecturers across the levels of the qualifications made courses available online, even though students keep appealing for the use of Blackboard for all courses. Structural issues uncovered related to network failure, compatibility with other devices, and the maintenance of computer hardware. It also emerged that some of the students exercised their agency in making Blackboard usable on their own gadgets, overcoming personal fears, in acquiring proficiency in the use of Blackboard. This paper concludes t hat the students' voice and perspective in the sustained use of technology is necessary to mitigate teaching and learning challenges for the benefit of learning. It is recommended that lecturers give students opportunities to exercise their agency to confront structural and cultural challenges they experience in the use of Blackboard.
Journal of Communication
The paper investigated the effectiveness of portfolio assessment for a professional development c... more The paper investigated the effectiveness of portfolio assessment for a professional development course in an institution of higher learning. Framed in the interpretive framework, this research began by situating professional development course in the professional development paradigms. Using a qualitative survey design, this paper infers the effectiveness of portfolios from narratives of participants who commented on their usefulness as an assessment tool for professional development. Sixteen participants of the Assessment and Moderation course across Faculties, departments, and disciplines of an institution of Higher Learning highlighted its usefulness. When narratives were analysed, emerging themes and their resultant categories suggested their effectiveness in a number of areas in fostering a process approach to learning; including improvement in and further development of assessment practices. The study recommends the scaling up of portfolio assessment to include other professional development courses, as well as the training of lecturers on portfolio assessment.
This study is an exploration of the outside the classroom scientific experiences of Grade 11 lear... more This study is an exploration of the outside the classroom scientific experiences of Grade 11 learners, as indicators of their interests, public understanding and engagement with Science and Technology. The out of school scientific experiences, interests and feelings of being informed about scientific issues, debates and developments of male and female grade 11 learners are described and then compared to ascertain significant differences. This investigation departs from the hypothesis that science teaching and learning focuses more on concepts, laws, principles and formulae with very little reference to science-related public issues and everyday life experiences of the learners. Gender differences and motivational traits related to the students' preferences for particular types of learning activities and needs are not considered in science curriculum planning and design and also in classroom teaching. This leads to boredom and diminishing interest in science among learners. The study analyses data from a survey of a sample of five schools with two hundred and twenty five Grade 11 learners. Tables of descriptive findings, analysis of variance and post-hoc comparison of means to analyse and interpret data from the learners are used. The researcher finds that generally learners have never had the scientific experiences described or seldom engage themselves with scientific activities, issues and debates beyond classroom science. Learners expressed interest in scientific issues and developments but indicated that they were not informed about such issues and developments. The results of significant differences showed that the outside the school scientific experiences, levels of interest and being informed of male and female Grade 11 learners differed. The study has implications not only for science curriculum planners and designers but also for science teachers and further research in the field of public understanding of science. I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who helped me to complete this thesis: o My Supervisor and Programme Director, Prof. Johann Mouton, for introducing me to the field of Philosophy and Sociology of Science; Research and Development and also Programme Evaluation, o Marthie Van Niekerk, Programme Coordinator and Executive Secretary, for her understanding, warmth, support, energy, enthusiasm for all the programme activities and its people and for attending to all my calls, E-maiIs and requests. o The educators and learners, for their cooperation , o My parents, friends and colleagues for their warm support and encouragement. iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
South African Journal of Higher Education, 2021
The ability of an institution to graduate students, also known as the throughput rate, is one of ... more The ability of an institution to graduate students, also known as the throughput rate, is one of the most important means of an institution receiving a grant/ subsidy from the government. This article sought to interrogate the differentials in throughput rates of PhD graduates per faculty in a selected institution over a period of five years. Framed within the interpretive paradigm, a qualitative approach and a case study design were adopted. A non-probability purposive sample of 30 participants was selected the academic staff within the six faculties that make up the university under investigation. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically and using the constant comparison technique. The major findings pointed to differentials in PhD production across faculties as emanating from variations in supervision approaches as reflected in the recruitment and selection of candidates, students’ composition, allocati...
South African Journal of Higher Education, 2016
This study forms part of a wider NRF project that sought to examine the enabling and constraining... more This study forms part of a wider NRF project that sought to examine the enabling and constraining conditions in the uptake of professional development opportunities by academics as teachers at eight South African universities. This case study isolated two rurally-based, historically disadvantaged South African institutions (HDIs). Qualitative data from institutional self-evaluation reports were augmented with semi-structured interviews conducted with five members of the senior management and ten academics at each of the institutions. Thematic analysis of the data revealed constraints around promotion policy and the value accorded to research development over teaching development, the inability of rural institutions to attract and retain staff, as well as the huge workloads that consumed time that could have been used for professional development. The study recommends reconsideration of theoretical frameworks that inform professional development in rural universities and a re-look at practicalities in the modes of delivery when planning for professional development interventions in rural settings.
The study sought to understand and explain factors that influence individual lecturers' possi... more The study sought to understand and explain factors that influence individual lecturers' possibility to adopt Blackboard, a Learning Management System (LMS) at an institution of higher learning. Rogers' (1995) diffusion of innovation theory is used as a framework for the explanation of these factors. The study starts by looking at different theoretical frameworks, namely: positivist, interpretive, and the critical perspectives. The underlying assumptions and the teaching and learning practices reinforced and perpetuated by these perspectives are discussed, followed by the views of these perspectives on LMSs and e-learning. Thereafter, Snelbecker's (1999) model of CMS adoption is described and critiqued in relation to Blackboard adoption. This research offers the Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory (1995) as an alternative to explain the soaring numbers in the uptake of Blackboard in an institution of higher learning. This theory is also used to look at influences i...
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
Following mixed views in literature on the relevance and return on investment of formal higher ed... more Following mixed views in literature on the relevance and return on investment of formal higher education professional development initiatives, the current study sought the views of the impact of the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education and Training (PGDHET) on the professional practice of higher education staff in one institution. Framed in the interpretive paradigm, the study adopted a case study design in which multiple sources of data were utilised. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire from eleven (11) purposefully selected lecturers possessing a PGDHET qualification. The data was corroborated with a data analysis of PGDHET reports. Qualitative data thus collected was analysed through the extraction and aggregation of meaning units into themes. Quantitative data was used to discern and describe impact trends of the PGDHET. It emerged from the study that the PGDHET challenged lecturers' conceptions of teaching and learning, and expanded their repertoire of innovative teaching strategies. Furthermore, participants reported contributions to advancement of departmental best teaching practices and the status of teaching institutionally. The conclusion drawn is that the PGDHET impacts beyond the lecture room as it influences also the academic development practices, faculty and departmental practices, as well as the overall culture of the institution. This research recommends ways of further consolidating and further advancing the impact of the PGDHET.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
The issue about how to enable Foundation Provisioning lecturers to design and deliver curriculum ... more The issue about how to enable Foundation Provisioning lecturers to design and deliver curriculum for underprepared students that would enable them to access disciplinary epistemologies and succeed in their programmes of study is the focus of this paper. It argues that the curriculum is a point of leverage in terms of enabling epistemological access, embedding graduateness and academic literacies, foster engagement in active, collaborative, and self-regulated learning in foundation provisioning. Framed in the interpretive perspective, this case study research used various Scholarship of Curriculum Practice (SoCP) frameworks to reflect on Foundation Provisioning curriculum development interventions offered by academic developers of the Teaching and Learning Centre in an institution of Higher Learning. The curriculum development workshops were used as cases for this study which focused on the infusion of academic literacies, alignment of curricular to specific level descriptors, integration of technology to enhance teaching and learning, assessment in the Foundation provisioning context, the development and strategic use of the Foundation Provisioning learning guides. Data was obtained from a total of forty (40) Foundation Provisioning lecturers who were involved in the workshops. An evaluation questionnaire which consisted of open questions and a rating scale was used to solicit participants' views on the benefits of the curriculum development workshops, dispositions to act on the insights gained, and areas where improvements in the Foundation curriculum are sought. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, and a rating scale was used gauge the overall benefits of the workshop. The research findings report on the benefits of using the epistemological access construct, and the curriculum frameworks as theoretical tools for reflecting on foundation provisioning activities and outcomes, and areas of foundation provision practice where these are applicable, as well as areas where improvement and further development of teaching and learning practices are sought. The study concludes that there is need for the fore-grounding of lecturers on the curriculum frameworks that underlie foundation provisioning, and the capacitation on how to embed knowledge literacies in the foundation curriculum. Recommendations for foundation curriculum alignment in the form of adjustments to the module learning guides and the strategic use of these learning guides to foster learning are made. The need to plan and embed in the actual curriculum delivery, tracking, active learning, and other foundation literacies is recommended.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
Foundation Provisioning is defined as the provisioning of modules, courses or other curricular el... more Foundation Provisioning is defined as the provisioning of modules, courses or other curricular elements that are intended to equip underprepared students with academic foundations that will enable them to successfully complete a higher education qualification. The models adopted for these subsidised programmes allow for more time, more teaching, learning and assessment opportunities for students, and expend more resources than their mainstream counterparts. This paper sought to measure the efficiency of programmes, Faculties, and the institution, and to determine the predictors of efficiency in Foundation Provisioning in a selected university. It also sought to establish whether foundation provisioning efficiency has a bearing on mainstream academic success. Framed in the positivist perspective and the ex post facto design, secondary data was obtained on a cohort of foundation students. This research looked into the mainstream achievement results for these foundation students at the end of the third year of study in four Faculties with foundation programmes. The input data included foundation training workshops for lecturers, Supplemental Instruction (SI) for foundation modules, average salaries for foundation lecturers, and the Faculties' years of experience in running foundation programmes. The output data were the module pass and completion rates in the third year of study. The efficiencies of foundation programmes in the entire university were analysed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models. Regression was used to determine factors that predict and impact on the efficiency levels, while linear prediction was used to determine whether efficiency explains success in the mainstream. The overall efficiency of Foundation Provisioning in a selected historically disadvantaged university is reported. The paper then proceeds to describe significant differences in the efficiencies of various programmes in the Faculties, and the predictor variables that explain the efficiencies of programmes within this selected university. Lastly, this paper reports on whether foundation provisioning efficiency has a bearing on academic success in the mainstream. The study concludes that there are variations in the efficiency levels of faculties and programmes and these are accounted for by the salary levels of foundation lecturers as well as the Faculty's experiences of running foundation provisioning. At practice level, in the Faculties and programmes, the study recommends improvement of efficiency levels of programmes by altering the input variables.
The International Journal of Educational Organization and Leadership, 2021
Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, 2019
Using Margaret Archer's constructs, namely structure, culture, and agency, this paper argues that... more Using Margaret Archer's constructs, namely structure, culture, and agency, this paper argues that although there are commendable structural changes in the CHE (Council on Higher Education) and RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) policy which accommodate marginalised and unstructured experiential knowledge, thus equating it with 'scientific' knowledge produced by the university, there remains subtle preservations of material interests of the corporate agent (CHE policy maker) and the ideas, beliefs, and theories the latter holds about the place of unstructured learning and knowledge in universities. To advance this argument, a critique is mounted on three accommodative sub-units of the CHE RPL policy, namely: the notion of exemption, residency clause, and the ten percent ceiling on the number of applicants admitted through RPL. The rare allowance for exceptional deviations to the two latter notions (by CHE) is infused in the foregoing critique. In the final analysis, a reconsideration of these provisions is suggested.
To help shed more light on issues of student access through the articulation route, the authors c... more To help shed more light on issues of student access through the articulation route, the authors conducted a study aiming to determine South African higher education stakeholders’ perceptions of articulation enablers and constrains from the Further Education and Training (FET) sector to university. Using a qualitative research design, four purposively selected key informants from some Eastern Cape Province higher education institutions informed the study through in-depth interviews. Data were qualitatively analysed to discern themes and patterns. Respondents agreed that there was blurred policy on issues of articulation from FET to university. Few respondents were aware of the South African Qualifications Authority’s (SAQA) current career development pathways and initiatives that enhance such articulation. Apparently, students were not aware of various articulation routes available in South Africa. Hence, they suggested a need to mount training and awareness workshops and professiona...