‘n Ondersoek na die fasilitering van verskillende leerstyle en meervoudige intelligensies tydens koöperatiewe leer en groepaktiwiteite in hoër onderwys (Afrikaans)

Education programmes of the previous education departments in South Africa were based mainly on individual achievement and competition. In the new Outcomes Based programmes there is a shift to interaction, shared knowledge and the mastering of a variety of interaction skills. Ned Herrmann’s (1996) theory about the complexity of the human brain, the MI-theory of Gardner (2000b) and Sternberg’s (1997), Litzinger and Osif’s (1993) view of thinking and learning styles form the theoretical framework of this study. This research focuses in the first place on the way that students experience group work and co-operative learning, secondlyon what facilitators know or do not know about MI (multiple intelligences), co-operative learning and groupwork and how they implement the principles in their planning and during contact sessions. The research problem is: To what extend do facilitators in higher education make provision for the learning style preferences and other individual differences of learners during contact sessions facilitated by means of group work and/or co-operative learning? How do the learners respond to these approaches? This mixed methods research is done through observation, semi-structured interviews, a diagnostic questionnaire and a content analysis of study documentation. Study documentation was analysed to determine to what extend facilitators provided for learners’ learning style preferences and other individual differences. The behaviour of teacher training students was recorded over a period of three months and in different group settings. Participants completed a diagnostic questionnaire and the data obtained were compared with their behaviour to determine if there is any correlation between certain learning styles and behaviour patterns. I found that although the questions and assignments leave room for the learners’ differences, there is no reference to MI and learning styles in the study documentation. The theory of co-operative learning and group work is addressed in die study documentation. Learners with high interpersonal intelligence scores participated spontaneously in group activities and co-operative learning. Contrary to this the intrapersonal learners responded in a negative way. Personality clashes, conflict, prejudice, etc. were resolved to a great extend by changing group combinations. Nevertheless, the intrapersonal learner maintains a negative response towards group activities and co-operative learning. There was little or no significant negative behavior observed from learners with high scores in the other seven intelligences according to Gardner (2000b). The outcome of the first contact session led me to the conclusion that co-operative learning and group work are valuable facilitating strategies on the basis of shared sources, knowledge and progress in learning activities. Although the facilitators used these facilitating strategies, I could find no evidence that they took learners’ preferences and differences into account during contact sessions. However, in the interviews it became clear that they are enthusiastic to learn more about MI and learning styles and ways to plan and facilitate according to that knowledge. Facilitators need to know the learners in order to accommodate their diversities in group activities and co-operative learning. Learners, on the other hand, need to know their own abilities, intelligence and learning style preferences. The teaching profession is complex and continuous renewal and amelioration are essential to ensure dynamic and effective learning.Dissertation (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Curriculum Studiesunrestricte

Motoriese vaardighede van eerstejaar onderwysstudente in menslike bewegingstudies

The facilitating of Human Movement Studies form an important part of a learner's total development. The World Health Organization found that more than two thirds of young people are not sufficiently physically active (Brundtland, 2002: 2). This lack of movement above all entails inadequate physical development. The aim of this study is to determine the level of the motor skills of first year students by using a test battery which was developed by the researchers. The level of motor skills was recorded by means of a five point scale. It was found that more than half of the respondents' motor skills were insufficiently developed. The article concludes with the recommendation that physical education students and teachers need to improve their own levels of motor skills in order to develop movement activities significantly. There should also be a clear distinction between movement activities as part of the formal academic programme and activities as part of an extra mural activity plan

Intrapersoonlike leerder se ervaring van kooperatiewe leer en groepwerk

Translated title: The intrapersonal learner's experience of co-operative learning and group work. We report on research done on how learners with a preference for the intrapersonal learning style experience group work. We expand on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Observation of group work in Afrikaans Methodology classes at the University of Pretoria revealed that these learners tended to experience co-operative learning and group work negatively. The observations were followed up by interviews with the participants. The researchers found that the participants withdrew from collaborative learning environments and they indicated both verbally and non-verbally that group work irritated them. They preferred to complete their assignments alone and disliked the interdependence a collaborative learning situation forced on them. We conclude with the recommendation that group work should be used with care and an understanding of differences in learning styles by teachers and lecturers

The impact of university incorporation on college lecturers

In South Africa, recent government plans to change the institutional landscape of higher education have resulted in mergers of colleges into universities or technikons. The research reported in this article focuses solely on the impact of a "college-into-university" incorporation as manifested in the personal, emotional and career experiences of these college staff members. It traces the changes in their perceptions and emotions during and after the incorporation process. It also identifies recurring themes and issues evident in the personal lives of those affected by this incorporation. A unique research methodology was engaged: The College staff who had been appointed to the university after the merger, identified seven critical themes and then designed and conducted 30 semi-structured interviews among themselves. This article thus documents the impact of incorporation into a university on the individual and collective lives of the researchers themselves. The data suggest that the emotional impact of incorporation was intense and that the uncertainty, especially, led to considerable trauma. The most important concern emanating from this joint research project is that while a certain degree of distress is unavoidable in any institutional merger, inattention to the management of human resources, emotions and aspirations could linger on, possibly having a negative effect on the ambitions for the transformation of the new entity.The original publication is available at www.springerlink.co