Teacher assessment practices : case study of three grade 9 mathematics teachers in the Northern region of KwaZulu-Natal province.

Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.The research project explored the Grade 9 mathematics teachers' assessment practices in the context of the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the General Education and Training Band in South African Schools. The research project also explored the mathematics teachers' understanding of the assessment policy in Mathematics and the impact of teachers' understanding of assessment on their assessment practices. The research project was a case study of three Grade 9 Mathematics teachers from three schools in Obonjeni District in the Northern Zululand Region in KwaZulu-Natal Province. The data was collected through observations of teachers teaching Grade 9 Mathematics lessons, analysis of teachers' planning and assessment documents and teacher interviews. Each teacher was observed teaching his/ her lessons five times. Based on the results obtained it was concluded that: (a) teachers have different understandings of the same assessment policy and this resulted in teachers implementing the assessment policy differently. (b) teachers are using some of the assessment practices that are recommended in the assessment policy. and (c) teachers' understanding of assessment does not influence their assessment practices. Finally, recommendations made concerning assessment practices, could lead to teachers' better understanding of assessment

The intellectual structure and substance of the knowledge utilization field: A longitudinal author co-citation analysis, 1945 to 2004

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been argued that science and society are in the midst of a far-reaching renegotiation of the social contract between science and society, with society becoming a far more active partner in the creation of knowledge. On the one hand, new forms of knowledge production are emerging, and on the other, both science and society are experiencing a rapid acceleration in new forms of knowledge utilization. Concomitantly since the Second World War, the science underpinning the knowledge utilization field has had exponential growth. Few in-depth examinations of this field exist, and no comprehensive analyses have used bibliometric methods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using bibliometric analysis, specifically first author co-citation analysis, our group undertook a domain analysis of the knowledge utilization field, tracing its historical development between 1945 and 2004. Our purposes were to map the historical development of knowledge utilization as a field, and to identify the changing intellectual structure of its scientific domains. We analyzed more than 5,000 articles using citation data drawn from the Web of Science^®. Search terms were combinations of knowledge, research, evidence, guidelines, ideas, science, innovation, technology, information theory and use, utilization, and uptake.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We provide an overview of the intellectual structure and how it changed over six decades. The field does not become large enough to represent with a co-citation map until the mid-1960s. Our findings demonstrate vigorous growth from the mid-1960s through 2004, as well as the emergence of specialized domains reflecting distinct collectives of intellectual activity and thought. Until the mid-1980s, the major domains were focused on innovation diffusion, technology transfer, and knowledge utilization. Beginning slowly in the mid-1980s and then growing rapidly, a fourth scientific domain, evidence-based medicine, emerged. The field is dominated in all decades by one individual, Everett Rogers, and by one paradigm, innovation diffusion.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that the received view that social science disciplines are in a state where no accepted set of principles or theories guide research (<it>i.e.</it>, that they are pre-paradigmatic) could not be supported for this field. Second, we document the emergence of a new domain within the knowledge utilization field, evidence-based medicine. Third, we conclude that Everett Rogers was the dominant figure in the field and, until the emergence of evidence-based medicine, his representation of the general diffusion model was the dominant paradigm in the field.</p

Teacher education through distance mode : the Nepalese experience

Distance education has been recognised around the world as a viable and cost-effective method for the initial training of teachers, and for their continuing professional development. In Nepal, one teacher training college has been offering a teacher education course through distance mode. In this regard, the main objective of this study was to seek a deeper understanding of the programme and to determine its overall quality. To achieve this, the research utilised a case study methodology and explored the experiences and reactions of students, tutors/founder members on this B.Ed. programme. To systematically assess the programme's effectiveness, the research developed a new analytical framework appropriate for this context. The framework was further refined as data were analysed. The study revealed that the quality of Self-Learning-Materials provided were poor in terms of content presentation, coverage, student-content interaction, and in encouraging distance students in learning. While the poor quality of the materials was partly due to inadequate finances, it was also due to a lack of expertise and training in distance learning materials development. The distance approach introduced by the college was highly appreciated by students, but the study revealed that the context in which the college worked had impeded development. Initiatives were constrained by several issues, such as the college and its study centres operating with minimal physical infrastructure and logistics, poor learning resources and inadequate staffing. The college and university management and administration was inefficient in supporting its students and staff. Study findings indicate that the quality of the programme was undermined by several factors such as political instability, absence of government support, insufficient finances, poor infrastructure, management incompetence, a lack of adequately trained staff, and shortage of expertise in distance learning. The findings suggest that the quality and sustainability of the programme could be ensured through political commitment, government support, staff development and training, use of communication technology, collaborative partnerships and the establishment of quality assurance mechanisms. This study makes a unique contribution to the field of teacher education through distance mode by exploring its effectiveness in Nepal, and brings to light the complexities and challenges of distance education in a politically unstable, under-resourced and development context

Institutional change in higher education : a case study

Bibliography: p. 151-153.The dissertation, "Institutional Change in Higher Education: A Case Study" examines efforts to bring about fundamental institutional change at the University of Natal over a period of some 1 0 years, 1988 to 1997. The case study is characterised as being of an embedded single case design. It is an instrumental rather than an intrinsic study. It attempts to extend understanding of the complex social phenomenon of institutional change in higher education, through analytic generalization. The two sub-units of the case study relate to different attempts by the executive of the University of Natal to bring about consensus on the need for fundamental change and the nature of the change: through a more-or-less conventional strategic planning process; and by the adoption- as a strategic initiative- of the notion of becoming a learning organization. The two sub units are examined on the strength of University documents and interviews with past and present University office bearers and staff, within a conceptual framework of organizational theory derived mainly from Mintzberg, McGregor, and Senge. Both the strategic planning approach and the learning organization approach are seen to have failed as means of engineering consensual change and in the latter half of 1997 the University experiences a restructuring crisis as a result of financial pressures. A puzzle around restructuring, viz. why the University should pursue structural change which goes beyond the needs of simple cost-cutting and efficiency, is addressed first in terms of a perceived need for innovation, within the foregoing organizational theoretical framework. The analysis is then extended (effectively recontextualised) within a more pedagogic , social and political theoretical framework which is dependent largely on Bernstein. This analysis sees the changes being pursued at the University of Natal as being consistent with a shift in higher education generally to a market-dominated, competitive discourse in which University lecturers become knowledge entrepreneurs, competing within the institution and between institutions for scarce resources in response to perceived market needs . In this process, the narcissistic and introjected identities of academic departments, in which professionals in bounded disciplines determine priorities themselves , are replaced by projected identities and priorities are determined outside the discipline and the University. This cannot happen overnight. However , plans at the University of Natal to remove their administrative authority from academic departments are seen as a step in this direction

An Exploratory Study of the Factors That Impact on the Application of Online Learning at the Department of Planning and Infrastructure of Western Australia

There is a growing necessity in today\u27s globalised and dynamic business environments for learning systems to be capable of generating the continuous learning needs of the workforces within them. In adapting to their changing environments learning workers are not only required to continuously gather new information but also to transform it into understanding within their local contexts. Much praise has been placed on the capability of new learning technologies such as online learning in supporting organisations learning processes. However, relative limited research has been undertaken on how these new learning technologies support workers in learning processes, how these new learning technologies are implemented and operate within organisational contexts, and the nature of the learning subsequently generated. This study explores how workplace learning contexts mediate the processes of learning (Garrick, 1998 p.69) and improve understanding on how this affects the implementation of Online learning. Many organisations have promoted Online Learning for its capability in providing a seemingly unlimited information source; flexible access, cost effectiveness and functionality (Schreiber & Berge, 1998). This study suggests that leaning outcomes generated by online learning practices, rather than being primarily correlated with the capabilities of the technology, are mediated by organisations\u27 learning agendas, learning culture and learning context. This exploratory study acknowledges this view and focuses on how the active nature of learners\u27 constructs and the local context in which learning occurs affects the outcomes of learning generated. This study focuses upon a case study at the West Australian Department of Planning and Infrastructure of (DPI) and applies Jonassen\u27s (2000) principle, that the values and beliefs of the forces controlling the technology determines if it is used to transmit or to transform knowledge. The study\u27s parameters are guided by a theoretical framework adapted from McKenna\u27s (1999) Meta-Learning Process and a qualitative methodology protocol described by Yin (1994). The perceptions of a cross section of organisational members at the DPI are used to improve understanding of the mediating relationships involved in the dialects of learning at the DPI. The three main conclusions drawn from the research are that: first, despite the capabilities of the technology to facilitate a range of learning outcomes, the findings indicate that perceived online learning outcomes at the DPI mirror the learning goals imposed by its current organisational learning agenda. Secondly, the findings indicate that local discourses of leadership, culture, structure and strategy reinforce the learning values and beliefs imposed by the learning agenda. Thirdly, the findings indicate that the mediating relationship between learning agenda and the role of online learning technology has prioritised Compliance orientated organisational learning goals and Transmissive learning approaches. In conclusion, the study indicates that the current learning agenda is part of the cultural pattern and a prisoner of that pattern

Institutional change in higher education: a case study

The dissertation, "Institutional Change in Higher Education: A Case Study" examines efforts to bring about fundamental institutional change at the University of Natal over a period of some 1 0 years, 1988 to 1997. The case study is characterised as being of an embedded single case design. It is an instrumental rather than an intrinsic study. It attempts to extend understanding of the complex social phenomenon of institutional change in higher education, through analytic generalization. The two sub-units of the case study relate to different attempts by the executive of the University of Natal to bring about consensus on the need for fundamental change and the nature of the change: through a more-or-less conventional strategic planning process; and by the adoption- as a strategic initiative- of the notion of becoming a learning organization. The two sub units are examined on the strength of University documents and interviews with past and present University office bearers and staff, within a conceptual framework of organizational theory derived mainly from Mintzberg, McGregor, and Senge. Both the strategic planning approach and the learning organization approach are seen to have failed as means of engineering consensual change and in the latter half of 1997 the University experiences a restructuring crisis as a result of financial pressures. A puzzle around restructuring, viz. why the University should pursue structural change which goes beyond the needs of simple cost-cutting and efficiency, is addressed first in terms of a perceived need for innovation, within the foregoing organizational theoretical framework. The analysis is then extended (effectively recontextualised) within a more pedagogic, social and political theoretical framework which is dependent largely on Bernstein. This analysis sees the changes being pursued at the University of Natal as being consistent with a shift in higher education generally to a market-dominated, competitive discourse in which University lecturers become knowledge entrepreneurs, competing within the institution and between institutions for scarce resources in response to perceived market needs. In this process, the narcissistic and introjected identities of academic departments, in which professionals in bounded disciplines determine priorities themselves, are replaced by projected identities and priorities are determined outside the discipline and the University. This cannot happen overnight. However, plans at the University of Natal to remove their administrative authority from academic departments are seen as a step in this direction

Branding through trade shows in the automotive industry

The automotive industry is a major global industry with a great history of exhibitions. As trade shows are getting more attention within studies, the same is not the case for automotive trade shows. Noteworthy, automotive trade shows emphasize non-selling roles such as image-building. This paper seeks to investigate image-building purposes of exhibiting automotive companies using integrated marketing communications (IMC). Data has been gathered from four participating companies in the Geneva Motor Show. The empirical findings show several reasons to implement IMC in trade show activities to enhance the brand image. By carefully blending the promotional tools the brand image may be enhanced. The findings imply the need for better knowledge within IMC for some companies. The findings also suggest that this relative new marketing concept yields plural benefits. The paper clarifies the image-building purposes of exhibiting automotive companies and leads to proposals for further research in an unexplored area

Search behaviour in electronic document and records management systems: An exploratory investigation and model

Introduction. Organisations implement records management programmes and invest in electronic document and records management systems so that information can be accessed by the right person, at the right time, with the least amount of effort and cost. One of the key factors that predicts the effectiveness of these systems relates to the degree to which users successfully identify the records they wish to retrieve. In this paper we offer a deeper insight into how knowledge workers employ these systems to address their information needs. Method. Four records managers were interviewed to determine how records management principles were applied in their systems. Interviews were also conducted with ten users from each organisation to map their search behaviour. Additionally, protocol analysis was used to observe how participants verbalised their thought processes and actions when they conducted their simple and difficult searches in the systems. Results. A comprehensive model of search behaviour when using electronic document and records management systems was developed from the study. Seven key search stages were identified, illustrating the different ways in which searchers approach their information problem. Conclusions. The study highlights some key differences between users of these systems and other forms of information search behaviour, including different methods of addressing simple or difficult search needs, and user approaches around identifying search strategies. The particular challenges that arise in retrieving information from these systems are also explored

Transnational Higher Education in Selected Private Colleges in Oman: Academic Staff Perceptions and Experiences

The primary aim of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of Transnational Higher Education (TNE) in Oman by investigating the implementation of TNE programmes hosted by two Omani private colleges. TNE in private Higher Education (HE) is the outcome of government policy requiring all private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to establish collaborative partnerships with credible international universities; the latter being responsible for awarding the degrees. With the private HE sector in Oman currently accommodating about 50 percent of the new students entering the national HE system, it was important to examine issues around the nature of institutional partnerships; curriculum development; academic impact (teaching and learning, and quality of education) as well as problems or challenges faced in the delivery of TNE programmes by private local HE colleges. By recognising the dearth of research in this area, this qualitative study focused on the perceptions and experiences of academic staff regarding TNE in Oman. It also examined the policy drivers for TNE in Oman and its implications at the national and institutional levels, in order to understand the political and economic context in which these institutions were operating in. Data were generated primarily through the use of semi-structured interviews carried out with 27 academic staff from two selected private colleges. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis which enabled the identification of various key themes from the data. The study confirmed that the provision of TNE by private colleges is driven by government policy which seeks to accelerate the building of national capacity through the provision of good quality HE. The academic staff were generally satisfied with the provision of TNE programmes, however, the study highlighted that the implementation of TNE programmes was affected by a number of factors including,financial constraints; socio-cultural challenges; and ineffective communication among key stakeholders. The thesis further investigated participants‟ views regarding the ways in which the implementation of the existing TNE programmes could be improved. Participants identified that enhancing the role of the local colleges in the development of a quality culture and rethinking of the role of the foreign partner Universities and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in the development of TNE programmes were key areas for policy and academic action