Self-directed learning research and its impact on educational practice

This scholarly book is the third volume in an NWU book series on self-directed learning and is devoted to self-directed learning research and its impact on educational practice. The importance of self-directed learning for learners in the 21st century to equip themselves with the necessary skills to take responsibility for their own learning for life cannot be over emphasised. The target audience does not only consist of scholars in the field of self-directed learning in Higher Education and the Schooling sector but includes all scholars in the field of teaching and learning in all education and training sectors. The book contributes to the discourse on creating dispositions towards self-directed learning among all learners and adds to the latest body of scholarship in terms of self-directed learning. Although from different perspectives, all chapters in the book are closely linked together around self-directed learning as a central theme, following on the work done in Volume 1 of this series (Self-Directed Learning for the 21st Century: Implications for Higher Education) to form a rich knowledge bank of work on self-directed learning

The values of secondary school learners and teachers towards traffic safety and traffic safety education

MEd, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusStatistics regarding traffic collisions show that thousands of road users especially adolescents die annually on South African roads. Effective and meaningful teaching of traffic safety education will contribute to equiping young road users with the relevant knowledge, appropriate skills and positive values in order to accomplish safe participation in traffic situations. In order to realise the above-mentioned , aspects of traffic safety and safety education were studied . Special attention was given to the role values play in traffic situations. In a literature study positive and negative values which play a role in traffic safety were identified. Questionnaires were compiled and distributed to teachers and learners of secondary schools in the Potchefstroom school district with the purpose of determining respectively their values towards traffic safety and traffic safety education as well as the role values play in the decision they have to make in certain traffic situations. The respondents agreed on the importance of traffic safety and traffic safety education. All the teachers agreed that traffic safety education should be introduced at school. It was also possible to identify values that play a role in the decisions one has to make during certain traffic situations. It is recommended that traffic safety education should be introduced into secondary schools either as a separate course or integrated into the different subjects and that values that play a positive role in the decisions one has to make in traffic situations, should be emphasised.Master

Student satisfaction in open distance learning in a BEd Hons programme

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.Many students in South Africa are unable to cope with the academic demands of tertiary education as they are not fully prepared for Higher Education (HE). Various inefficiencies in the South African HE system have been identified, including low throughput rates, student dissatisfaction, unsatisfying graduation rates, learner dropouts, learner repetition, motivation, self–efficacy, attitude, personality differences, maturation, the retention of failing learners and unit costs. Student performance and satisfaction cause concern for the government and the HE sector. The purpose of this study is to understand student satisfaction amongst Open Distance Learning BEd Hons students. It further aims to improve student satisfaction and quality in the programme by recognising the context sensitive needs, expectations and experiences of students from different cultural–language groups, as well as constructing guidelines to improve satisfaction. The purposeful sampling consisted of Second year BEd Hons teacher students enrolled for open distance learning at the School for continuing teacher education (SCTE). A total of 34 students participated in the study. This number comprised of fifteen students from the focus–group interviews and nineteen students who completed open–ended questionnaires. Students were chosen according to three criteria dimensions: major language groups, gender and number of years teaching experience. This study followed a qualitative investigation of two semi–structured, open–ended focus–group interviews in the format of conversations, as well as documentary analysis of the teaching and learning policy of the North West University (NWU), and an open–ended questionnaire. The data were taperecorded for accurate transcription and analysed by using Atlas.ti. Through the use of Atlas.ti, TM, constructed categories of recurring patterns in the dataset, and explored the relationships of these categories. Different strategies were used to enhance validity and reliability respectively. The findings indicated that students’ satisfaction with HE environment is influenced by the quality of the programmes offered to them, communication between lecturers/facilitators and students, environment at the learning centres and the support that students received from HEI. The students in their capacity as clients with Higher education institutions (HEIs) are influenced by the support they receive from their work environment, as well as the level of appreciation they receive from HEI regarding their own culture and values. They also value the environment they experience during course facilitations at the HEIs. The various student attributes also play a significant part in their satisfaction levels towards the HEIs. Findings also highlighted that students were not satisfied with the support they received from the Open distance learning (ODL) unit. It is clear that the students’ perception of the quality of the programme influences their level of satisfaction. Students are mostly satisfied with the quality of the programme but they feel the communication as well the support from HEI and ODL is not adequate. The students indicated that HEI and ODL do not display sufficient understanding and concern for students. They feel there should be a greater commitment from HEI and ODL to understand and consider the profiles of the students. HEI and ODL should actively consider the background, culture, values, attributes, and personal, as well as domestic circumstances of their students. The BEd Hons programme is a valuable and popular programme, but the responsibility rests with both HEI and ODL to ensure that both the quality and delivery of this programme are enhanced and improved so as to guarantee higher levels of satisfaction amongst students.Doctora

The values of secondary school learners and teachers towards traffic safety and traffic safety education

MEd, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusStatistics regarding traffic collisions show that thousands of road users especially adolescents die annually on South African roads. Effective and meaningful teaching of traffic safety education will contribute to equiping young road users with the relevant knowledge, appropriate skills and positive values in order to accomplish safe participation in traffic situations. In order to realise the above-mentioned , aspects of traffic safety and safety education were studied . Special attention was given to the role values play in traffic situations. In a literature study positive and negative values which play a role in traffic safety were identified. Questionnaires were compiled and distributed to teachers and learners of secondary schools in the Potchefstroom school district with the purpose of determining respectively their values towards traffic safety and traffic safety education as well as the role values play in the decision they have to make in certain traffic situations. The respondents agreed on the importance of traffic safety and traffic safety education. All the teachers agreed that traffic safety education should be introduced at school. It was also possible to identify values that play a role in the decisions one has to make during certain traffic situations. It is recommended that traffic safety education should be introduced into secondary schools either as a separate course or integrated into the different subjects and that values that play a positive role in the decisions one has to make in traffic situations, should be emphasised.Master

Self-directed learning research and its impact on educational practice

This scholarly book is the third volume in an NWU book series on self-directed learning and is devoted to self-directed learning research and its impact on educational practice. The importance of self-directed learning for learners in the 21st century to equip themselves with the necessary skills to take responsibility for their own learning for life cannot be over emphasised. The target audience does not only consist of scholars in the field of self-directed learning in Higher Education and the Schooling sector but includes all scholars in the field of teaching and learning in all education and training sectors. The book contributes to the discourse on creating dispositions towards self-directed learning among all learners and adds to the latest body of scholarship in terms of self-directed learning. Although from different perspectives, all chapters in the book are closely linked together around self-directed learning as a central theme, following on the work done in Volume 1 of this series (Self-Directed Learning for the 21st Century: Implications for Higher Education) to form a rich knowledge bank of work on self-directed learning

The decolonisation of the curriculum project

This book is the result of a longitudinal research project (2016–2018) funded by the National Research Foundation and the Fuchs Foundation, and it disseminates original research. The project researched the affordances of indigenous knowledge in the school science, technology and mathematics curricula. Short learning programmes (SLPs) were offered to STEM teachers, during which they engaged in creative and inquiry-based teaching and learning strategies. Research shows that strategies such as problem-based and cooperative learning have the potential to enhance self-directed learning. This design-based research was conducted in several provinces in South Africa (North-West Province, the Northern Cape, Limpopo Province, and in Gauteng). Based on the data obtained after each intervention, design principles were formulated for redesigning of SLPs. The qualitative research focussed on teachers’ lived experiences of the epistemological border-crossing between natural science and indigenous knowledge, their views on the nature of science and indigenous knowledge, and the reformed teaching and learning that took place after the intervention, in teachers’ classrooms

The decolonisation of the curriculum project

This book is the result of a longitudinal research project (2016–2018) funded by the National Research Foundation and the Fuchs Foundation, and it disseminates original research. The project researched the affordances of indigenous knowledge in the school science, technology and mathematics curricula. Short learning programmes (SLPs) were offered to STEM teachers, during which they engaged in creative and inquiry-based teaching and learning strategies. Research shows that strategies such as problem-based and cooperative learning have the potential to enhance self-directed learning. This design-based research was conducted in several provinces in South Africa (North-West Province, the Northern Cape, Limpopo Province, and in Gauteng). Based on the data obtained after each intervention, design principles were formulated for redesigning of SLPs. The qualitative research focussed on teachers’ lived experiences of the epistemological border-crossing between natural science and indigenous knowledge, their views on the nature of science and indigenous knowledge, and the reformed teaching and learning that took place after the intervention, in teachers’ classrooms