Browsing by Author "Mcghie, Venicia"
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Item Embedding academic literacy skills into the mainstream curriculum: the case of information systems 131/132(Central University of Technology, Free State, 2016) Ndesi, L.; Kimani, L.; Latief, N.; Mcghie, VeniciaThis paper reports on collaborative teaching between two academic literacy (AL) specialists and two lecturers teaching first-year students Information Systems (IFS) 131/132 during the 2012 and 2013 academic years in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. The aim of the collaborative teaching was to embed AL skills into the first-year IFS curriculum in order to ensure that the transfer of skills was taking place effectively. The objective was to determine whether the skills taught were enabling the students to pass their IFS modules well, thereby ensuring access for success. The theoretical framework used in this paper draws on Barton's 'ecology' approach to literacy and learning; the social learning theory of Wenger; and the views of Bransford, Brown and Cocking on how people learn and transfer knowledge.Item Factors that could facilitate a successful transition from high school to post- school education: the case of high school X in Phillipi(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Jansen, Janine Charlene; Mcghie, VeniciaThis study investigated the factors that could influence Grade 12 learners from low socio-economic backgrounds and their decision-making process with regard to accessing post-school education. The aims of the study were to establish the factors that could facilitate a successful transition from high school to university study, as well as identify the factors that potentially could inhibit the learners’ transition. The objective of the study was to make recommendations, based on the findings of the research data, that could assist the different role players on how best to facilitate, guide and support high school learners’ post-school educational choices. It was proposed that knowledge of the factors that could promote or inhibit the decision-making process of learners would provide valuable insights that could be used to enable more learners to access higher education and, in so doing, increase the participation rates of African and coloured youth at higher education institutions. The student-focused Chapman college-choice model was used as the theoretical framework in order to gain insights into what the factors were that have a significant influence on the choice of learners to pursue studies beyond high school. The study was situated within an interpretative, qualitative research paradigm, using a case study design. The research site was a high school in Phillipi near Cape Town. The research participants consisted of twenty-eight Grade 12 learners who were selected by means of purposive sampling. Three Grade 12 educators also participated in the study. The research instruments included, for the learners, a demographic information sheet, a self-reflective questionnaire and three focus group interviews. Secondary data was included in the discussions. The educators had to complete a self-reflective questionnaire only. Content analysis, using a three-stage open coding process was used to analyse the qualitative data which were organised according to the study’s three sub-questions. The factors discussed in the theoretical framework were used as a guide to group the data into themes and sub-themes. The findings of this study corresponded with the literature reviewed and the factors identified in the theoretical framework, but one finding contradicted the literature, while new factors emerged from the data collected. The findings revealed that there was a greater need of support required from the different role players - family, friends, the community, educators and the school; the Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education; higher education institutions, non-governmental organisations; and companies and other institutions - to ensure that an enabling environment is created to support Grade 12 learners’ transition from high school to university studies. Based on these findings, recommendations were made on how an enabling and supportive environment for Grade 12 learners could be strengthened.Item An investigation into pre-university factors that could inhibit access to higher education for learners from low socio-economic backgrounds: the case of high school x in Khayelitsha, Cape Town(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Bonani, Khwezi; Mcghie, VeniciaThis study investigated the factors inhibiting learners from low socio- economic backgrounds from accessing higher education. The intention to investigate and identify these inhibiting factors was motivated by the growing body of evidence that suggests that there is a correlation between poverty and lack of education. The aim of the study was to investigate which pre-university factors have the most inhibiting impact on learners from low socio-economic backgrounds. The objective was to identify these factors in order to find ways in which they could be overcome and/or prevented. It was argued that, if the impact of the inhibiting factors could be minimised or eliminated, more learners would be able to access higher education successfully. The theoretical framework used in the study was based on Sen’s Capabilities approach. The list of capabilities applied to analyse the data were education and skill, economic resources, employment and working conditions, housing, and family and social integration. The study was positioned within a qualitative, interpretive research paradigm and used a case study design. The research site was a high school in Khayelitsha near Cape Town. Research participants were purposively selected and consisted of a total of twenty-nine learners from across Grade 10, 11 and 12, as well as three educators.The study used multiple sources of data instruments: secondary data (statistics and other census information about Khayelitsha), the participants’ June 2014 progress reports, a demographic information sheet, a reflective questionnaire and three focus group interviews (one per Grade).Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data through a three-stage open coding process. The list of inhibiting factors discussed in the literature, namely poor schooling, a lack of financial means, a lack of knowledge and information, and socio cultural factors was indeed confirmed by the data collected in this study. Other factors emerged from the data and these were regarded as new knowledge that this study contributes towards the body of knowledge. Lastly, the findings suggest that the inhibiting factor which had the greatest impact on learners from low socio-economic backgroundswas a lack of knowledge and information because this factor negatively impacted on all the capabilities listed above. Based on these findings, recommendations were proposed for the parents and community, school and educators, the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Higher Education and Training, and for higher education institutions.Item Unlocking human agency through youth development programmes: An exploratory study of a selected NGO working in youth development on the Cape Flats(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Schippers, Deidree Dianne; Conradie, Catharina; Mcghie, VeniciaThis study explored how human agency could be unlocked through youth development programmes using a case study of a selected NGO working in youth development on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. The aim of the study was to explore whether the selected youth development organisation encourages and unlocks young people’s aspirations and agency in its program design. The objectives of the study were, firstly, to determine if the organisation provided the students with opportunities and spaces in which the young people could exercise their agency in the development process in order to pursue their goals and aspirations. Secondly, to identify challenges that could inhibit the students from exercising their agency; and lastly, to arrive at recommendations on how the challenges could be overcome or prevented. The argument in this study was that youth development organisations should empower and help to develop the youth in such a way that they could realise their full potential in order to make a positive and constructive contribution to their communities and the South African economy. Human development interventions, the kind that is instrumental to youth development, stresses the importance of helping people to expand on their existing capabilities and strengthening human values such as democracy and agency (Conradie & Robeyns, 2013). As such, the Capability Approach as pioneered by Amartya Sen (1988), was used as the theoretical framework because individuals, specifically young people’s well-being, is often dependent on the extent to which they have the aspirations, freedom and capabilities (in other words the opportunities) to live the lives which they value (Robeyns, 2005). Human agency is thus necessary to translate aspirations, freedom and capabilities into actions that could assist individuals to achieve their desired states of well-being. The six dimensions of agency that the study focused on were reflective judgement, motivation, goal pursuit, autonomy, relatedness and competence as conceptualised by Conradie (2013). The study was located in a qualitative research paradigm and used a case study design. The research participants consisted of two groups. The first group were the two programme managers of the selected organisation. The second group was 40 Grade 10 learners who participated in the youth development programme offered by the selected organisation at a high school on the Cape Flats. The research instruments used included a biographical information sheet, a self-reflective questionnaire and a focus group discussion for the student participants, and individual interviews conducted with the programme’s two staff members. The quantitative data consisted of the students’ biographical information and were analysed through Excel software. Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data through a three-stage open coding process. The importance of the findings of the study was that the youth development organisation added value to the students’ development by assisting them to identify their aspirations and unlock their agency role. The findings also showed that being part of a community characterised by poor households, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and crime, and disadvantaged public schooling; the students’ chances to succeed against those odds were slim. Based on the findings, recommendations were proposed for the Department of Social Development, youth development organisations, post-school institutions, families and communities, and young people, on how the different role players could engage collaboratively in order to empower and assist the youth to realise their full potential; and in so doing, enable them to make a constructive contribution to South Africa at large.