An evaluation of a social context training programme for South African magistrates

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-216).This study is an evaluation of the Law, Race and Gender (LRG) Unit’s social context training programme for magistrates (1998-2004). The programme was developed in the context of the political transition of 1994 and the promulgation of the new constitution. These factors created an impetus for the transformation of the justice system. Research suggests that the South African lower court system was plagued by discriminatory practices in relation to race and gender. Under apartheid magistrates were public servants and responsible for enforcing apartheid legislation. Their work demands changed after 1994, yet many members of the magistracy were ill-prepared for the new requirements of their job. The Law, Race and Gender Unit’s training programme was developed to increase magistrates’ awareness, knowledge and skills of the social context concerns of race and gender. The aim of the programme was to help magistrates deliver fair and equal justice to all of South Africa’s citizens. There are few published evaluations of social context training programmes for judicial officers specifically and judicial education interventions generally. This study aims to contribute to this relatively under-researched field. It is also the first study to apply Brinkerhoff’s (2003; 2006) success case method (SCM) to a judicial education training programme. The evaluation is designed according to Rossi, Lipsey & Freeman’s (2004) evaluation hierarchy. The study presents the method, results and discussion of evaluations across this hierarchy. The evaluations include an assessment of the needs identification process, analysis of the programme impact theory, appraisal of programme implementation and evaluation of programme outcomes. A variety of research methods and techniques were used in the different evaluations. These include document analysis, interviews and Brinkerhoff’s (2003; 2006) SCM. The results of the evaluation of the needs identification process suggest that the training need was not identified through a traditional systematic needs analysis. The LRG Unit was established and funded prior to any formal needs assessment. The lack of a comprehensive needs identification process had implications for the development of the actual training intervention. The theory evaluation uses social science research to critique the impact theory implicit in the programme and offers suggestions as to how the impact theory could be strengthened. The implementation evaluation concludes that the training programme was well delivered and received by the trainees and external evaluators. The results of the SCM outcome evaluation demonstrate that despite some of its limitations, the programme succeeded in enriching the education and social awareness of magistrates, which in turn enhanced their work and the way they served their communities and the ends of justice. The study is the first of its kind in that it offers a comprehensive, multi-levelled evaluation of a social context training intervention for judicial officers. It aims to contribute new knowledge to the area of judicial education programme evaluation

Bridging distance between actual and potential development: a case of using ICT mediated consultation tool

It is an ongoing challenge in higher education context to design appropriate learning tasks for students that balances the diversity in student knowledge and variable skills with student's potential to learn under guidance. Obtaining feedback from students on what they know is made more complicated when students are passive during learning activities. In this paper we report on a project that ran over 2 years in which 67 students (28 in 2005; 39 in 2006) from culturally diverse socio-historical backgrounds used an anonymous knowledge sharing tool, the dynamic frequently asked questions (DFAQ) to engage with authentic learning tasks in an Organisational Learning Module. The module was part of the Organisational Psychology honours degree programme at a higher learning institution. The students used the DFAQ tool to consult with both peers and faculty staff. DFAQ is a special purpose web-based tool with a Short Message Services (SMS) interface. A thematic analysis was conducted on students' experiences gathered from focus group discussions. Artefacts from DFAQ are also analysed. The paper reports that DFAQ mediated the educator's access to the students' level of understanding and the potential to learn under guidance. The DFAQ tool therefore allowed the educator to provide students with appropriate guidance that met individual students' knowledge gaps. The paper concludes that DFAQ mediated access to the gap between actual and potential development, stimulated knowledge sharing, peer learning and impacted on pedagogical designs of learning tasks

Exposure to daily trauma: The experiences and coping mechanism of Emergency Medical Personnel. A cross-sectional study

IntroductionTo investigate the experience and coping mechanisms used by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel following exposure to daily or routine traumatic events.MethodsA total of 189 respondents from three EMS in the Cape Town Metropole completed a questionnaire, containing close-ended quantitative questions. This was followed up by a semi-structured interview in order to get greater insight from in-depth qualitative data.ResultsThe significant results of this study indicate that EMS personnel find dealing with seriously injured children most traumatic. They experience avoidance symptoms after exposure to a traumatic incident and apply emotion-focused coping to help them deal with their emotions. Very little or no training has been received to prepare them for the emotional effects of traumatic incidents or how to deal with the bereaved family, and there was consensus amongst the participants that their company debriefings and support structures are inadequate.ConclusionEMS personnel are exposed to critical incidents on a daily basis. Commonly used emotion-focused coping mechanisms are not effective in long-term coping. A key recommendation emanating from this finding is that integrated intervention programmes are needed to assist EMS personnel working in this sustained high-stress environment. The findings can assist health care educators in the design of co-curricular activities intended to help in the development of resilience and the psychological wellbeing of EMS personnel. Policy makers and EMS managers may find the results useful as they evaluate the effectiveness of their current debriefing and support structures

Does belonging matter? Exploring the role of social connectedness as a critical factor in students' transition to higher education

Widening access to Higher Education throughout the world has meant an increase in the number of students who do not necessarily have the types of capital that universities require. This means an increasing need to engage with the issues that separate students from connecting with their modes and places of learning. This paper describes a successful Academic Development programme that is focused on equity students in the Commerce Faculty at the University of Cape Town (South Africa). The programme actively promotes academic and affective factors that will contribute toward affirming students' identity and developing a learning community. The paper reports on the results of a research project that combined qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate how fostering social connectedness impacts on the transition of students to higher education and their academic performance

An evaluation of a knowledge partnership - a review of the literature

Community interaction with universities forms part of the field of engaged scholarship, civic engagement or socially responsive interaction between universities and communities. This type of interaction yields a different form of knowledge production, as universities and communities engage at different levels and different projects develop out of this engagement. One such form of interaction is the science shop. The following literature review examines the theories of engaged scholarship and role of engagement between universities and communities, from an international and South African point of view. This will introduce the UCT Knowledge Partnership Pilot Project – UCT's first science shop – laying the foundations for a further evaluation of this project over the next two and a half years. Using a broad array of available literature, the following review will introduce a scholarly overview of the scholarship of engagement, community engagement and social responsiveness. In doing so, it will further lay the foundations for the investigation of the practical brokering model – a practical illustration and manifestation of the theories of engagement. One of the more popular forms of engagement in a university forum is the science shop. The core idea in writing this review is to explore the idea and principles of the science shop, in order to evaluate the creation of the UCT Knowledge Partnership Pilot Project. The review will identify the development of the science shop in Europe, North America and Australia, looking at how the shops operate, and how they have been successful or unsuccessful in past years. Having obtained this analysis, the Knowledge Partnership Pilot Project itself will be explained in broader terms, with added analysis and evaluation of science shops

Antecedents of perceived graduate employability: A study of student volunteers in a community-based organisation

Orientation: There is growing interest in understanding the factors that contribute to graduates’ employability, but limited local knowledge. International research has pointed at volunteering as one avenue for enhancing employability, and this study presents results that looked at volunteering in the context of employability in a South African sample. Research purpose: This study aimed at investigating motivations to volunteer, perceived graduate competencies, extent of participating in volunteering, along with gender and faculty of registration, as antecedents of perceived graduate employability among student volunteers and to compare the relative contributions of these antecedences in predicting perceived employability. Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional research design and a quantitative data collection method were used. The relative weights analysis was conducted to answer the research question. Main findings: Overall, the results demonstrated, firstly, that different sets of predictors statistically significantly predict Perceived External Employability and Perceived Internal Employability, respectively. In the case of Perceived External Employability, a biographical predictor (faculty of registration) is the strongest predictor, whereas in the case of Internal Employability, a questionnaire measurement (of Social Motivation) comes out on top. Practical implications/managerial implications: The social motivation factor as a predictor of perceived internal employability suggests that the more students valued the social interactions brought about by their volunteering activities, the better they saw themselves equipped for employment. This gives some weight to the argument that engaging in volunteer activities can help equip students with competencies that make them more prepared for the world of work. Contribution/value-add: The study provided support for the construct validity of the scale for the measurement of perceived employability and evidence that different sets of predictors contribute to perceived internal and external employability

Carotid artery calcification at the initiation of hemodialysis is a risk factor for cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage renal disease: a cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vascular calcification has been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, the association of carotid artery calcification (CAAC) with CV events remains unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether CAAC is associated with composite CV events in ESRD patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One-hundred thirty-three patients who had been started on hemodialysis between 2004 and 2008 were included in this retrospective cohort study. These patients received multi-detector computed tomography to assess CAAC at the initiation of hemodialysis. Composite CV events, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular diseases, and CV deaths after the initiation of hemodialysis, were examined in each patient.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CAAC was found in 94 patients (71%). At the end of follow-up, composite CV events were seen in 47 patients: ischemic heart disease in 20, heart failure in 8, cerebrovascular disease in 12, and CV deaths in 7. The incidence of CAAC was 87% in patients with CV events, which was significantly higher than the rate (62%) in those without. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant increase in composite CV events in patients with CAAC compared with those without CAAC (p = 0.001, log-rank test). Univariate analysis using a Cox hazards model showed that age, smoking, common carotid artery intima-media thickness and CAAC were risk factors for composite CV events. In multivariate analysis, only CAAC was a significant risk factor for composite CV events (hazard ratio, 2.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-8.00; p = 0.02).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>CAAC is an independent risk factor for CV events in ESRD patients. The assessment of CAAC at the initiation of hemodialysis is useful for predicting the prognosis.</p

Investigating the experience of working in a diversifying workforce : a case study of the committee section of the South African Parliament

Bibliography: pages 88-97.Due to significant shifts in the political, economic and demographic environment the imperatives for change within South African organisations are becoming increasingly more urgent. One strategy that organisations are adopting in the face of increased pressures is to create and maintain diverse workforces. This trend is matched on a global basis and the need to manage diversity has become commonplace. While increased workforce diversity presents a challenge to traditional organisational management it also holds the promise of providing innovative strategies for a changing work environment. Whereas there is an abundance of literature on managing diversity there is a paucity of work on the psychological, experiential aspects of working in a diverse workforce. The principal objective of this research was to develop a conceptual framework for understanding the experience of working in a diversifying workforce. The researched followed a case study approach focusing on the committee section of the South African Parliament. Data were collected from twenty committee clerks through open-ended, in-depth interviews. The data was analysed using qualitative data analysis techniques. Five major themes emerged from the interviews comprising: Confronting a Changing Workplace, Meeting and Engaging with the 'Other', Stimulating Growth and Development, Learnings and Coping Mechanisms. Each theme is made up of a series of sub-themes. The study presents these results in a diagrammatic from and provides an extended discussion of the themes and sub-themes. Analysis of the results demonstrates that working in a diversifying workforce has an enormous impact on the participant's experience of work and the quality of their working lives