Magister Educationis - MEd (AL (Adult Learning and Global Change)
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Item Group work in management education - The role of task design(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Du Toit, Anna; Hendricks, Mohamed NatheemThis minithesis examines adult learners' experiences of group work in management education. Group work is an integral part of learning and teaching methods at most business schools because it develops team skills demanded by today's workplace. Furthermore, group work in education is grounded in the belief that much learning happens through social interaction and that diversity within groups promotes learning. At a more practical level, group work makes large projects feasible. Learners view group work as beneficial. But their experiences also reflect that it is often associated with problems. The main problems reported relate to unequal participation and group conflict. Underpinning the study is the recognition of the key role of social interaction in learning. This study analyses learners' group experiences in a business school. The study aims to identify conditions that hinder and promote group interaction with a view to enhance learning. Through questionnaires and interviews the study obtains an overview of the experiences of 45 adult learners on a one-year management programme at a business school in South Africa in relation to two group assignments. Questionnaires are also used to obtain the views of the two educators who designed the two group assignments. The study includes an analysis of the two group assignment briefs. The study found that non-participation or 'free-riding' and the sub-division of group tasks occurred frequently. The design of the group tasks promoted sub-division and non-participation, which in turn gave rise to tension and conflict. Learning objectives were unclear as the purpose of group work in the learning process was not communicated to students. The tasks did not demand much group interaction or learner interdependency which meant that tasks could be split up and done individually or by part of the group. This reduces the opportunity for group collaboration to clarify understandings and create shared meaning, which in turn negatively impacts on individual learning. The study argues that successful group work requires careful task design. To realise its full potential certain conditions must be met. Learners need to know that the group process is an integral part of their learning, group work must be integrated into overall course design and assessment, tasks must demand a high degree of interaction, learners need to be interdependent, and groups need support throughout the process.Item The challenges facing adult educators in reducing illiteracy among adults above twenty years of age: an Eastern Cape case study(University of the Western Cape, 2008) Ndlovu, Mpumelelo; Hendricks, Natheem; NULL; Faculty of EducationThis study analyses the challenges faced by adult educators in reducing illiteracy among adult above twenty years of age in the Eastern Cape. The focal point is on ascertaining why there is an increase in the percentage of illiteracy in the province despite a slight decrease in other provinces. Most importantly is the determination of the significant role played by adult educators. A qualitative approach is employed to pursue the aims of the study. Data is collected using semi-structured interviews. The study has shown that lack of monitoring and supervision by ABET administrators, lack of resources for skills development and language of instruction, all contribute to the increase in illiteracy rate in the Province. For administrators of adult learning programmes it is suggested that they become more familiar with operations at Adult Learning Centres and provide training including technical where appropriate. Designers of curriculum should select curriculum resources appropriate to adult learners. Providers of direct support to adult learners should ensure that training is provided on an ongoing basis. This training should focus on teaching methods and learning approaches (pedagogy) as well as the effective use of ABET learning and teaching guides.Item Social constructivism and collaborative learning in social networks: the case of an online masters programme in adult learning(University of the Western Cape, 2013) Isaacs, Lorraine Ann; Groener, ZeldaThis study investigates how students in an online Masters Programme in Adult Learning, although geographically dispersed used SNs to develop a supportive environment that enables collaborative learning to support and deepen their learning. Web 2.0 social software provided the tools for various forms of communication and information sharing amongst student within the social networks. This study shows how the use of Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, podcasts, blogs, chat rooms, social networking sites and email have the potential to expand the learning environment, increase participation and enrich the learning experience. Rapid technological developments transform our world into a global society which is ever changing and interconnected. The SNs as a learning environment in this technological driven global society is complex and not clearly defined; therefore it was not easy for me to understand the nature of the SNs as learning environment. The social nature of this study has therefore urged me to use social constructivism as a conceptual framework to gain insights into how students have used the social networks to develop a supportive environment that enables collaborative learning to support and deepen their learning. The utilisation of social constructivism as theoretical lens has helped to broaden my perceptions of the SNs as learning environment, to deepen my understanding of how learning occurs in the SNs and to comprehend learner behaviour within this pedagogical space. Social constructivists view learning as a social process in which people make sense of their world by interacting with other people (Doolittle & Camp, 1999). Social constructivists belief in the social nature of knowledge, and the belief that knowledge is the result of social interaction and language usage, and, thus, is a shared, rather than an individual, experience (Prawat & Floden, 1994). Furthermore, they believe that this social interaction always occurs within a socio-cultural context, resulting in knowledge that is bound to a specific time and place (Vygotsky, 1978).Item A transformative approach to teaching adults in a culturally diverse context(University of Western Cape, 2013) Wales, Raymond; Groener, ZeldaThe post-modem society is described as a society on the move, a phenomenon the anthropologist, (Vigouroux, 2005) describes as 'flows'. These flows are mostly manifested by people moving in and towards countries with better economic prospects. In most African countries there is a large-scale migration from rural to urban areas and a lot of trans-national migration across countries, due to recent socio-economic and socio-political trends. Democracy in South Africa became a powerful drawing card on the African continent for those nations plagued by poverty, unemployment and civil wars and migration to South Africa became increasingly popular. Therefore, democracy in South Africa is also a spatial process, which transcends local and national geographical spaces.Item Social movement learning: Collective,participatory learning within the jyoti jivanam movement of south Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Rhamachan, Molly; Hendricks, Mohammed NatheemThe purpose of this research paper is to explore and examine the nature of learning within the context of and situated within a social movement. Based on an exploratory qualitative study of learning within the Jyoti Jivanam Movement of South Africa, this research explores the nature and purpose/s of learning within a social movement. Accordingly, this study is guided by the research questions: How and why do adults learn as they collectively participate in social movements; and what factors facilitate, contribute, hinder and influence learning within social movement? This study confirms that social movements are important sites for. Collective learning and knowledge construction. For this reason, social movements need to be acknowledged as pedagogical sites that afford adults worthwhile learning opportunities. Furthermore, social movements, as pedagogical sites, not only contribute to conceptions of what constitute legitimate knowledge(s), social movements also contribute to the creation of transformative knowledge(s).Item Social movement learning: collective, participatory learning within the jyoti jivanam movement of South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Ramlachan, Molly; Hendricks, Mohammed NatheemThe purpose of this research paper is to explore and examine the nature of learning within the context of and situated within a social movement. Based on an exploratory qualitative study of learning within the Jyoti Jivanam Movement of South Africa, this research explores the nature and purpose/s of learning within a social movement. Accordingly, this study is guided by the research questions: How and why do adults learn as they collectively participate in social movements; and what factors facilitate, contribute, hinder and influence learning within social movement? This study confirms that social movements are important sites for collective learning and knowledge construction. For this reason, social movements need to be acknowledged as pedagogical sites that afford adults worthwhile learning opportunities. Furthermore, social movements, as pedagogical sites, not only contribute to conceptions of what constitute legitimate knowledge(s), social movements also contribute to the creation of transformative knowledge(s).Item The contribution of student activities to citizenship education: a study of engagement at a South African research university(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Lange, Randall Stephen; Cloete, Nico; Luescher-Mamashela, ThierryThis study seeks to determine to what extent undergraduate students in a research university in South Africa are involved in activities that contribute to citizenship education. The research design involves a case study at the University of Cape Town (UCT) whereby an electronic survey, called the Student Experience at the Research University-Africa (SERU) survey, was indigenised to fit the South African context and it was conducted at UCT. The survey had a census design and all undergraduate students at the university were invited to participate. At the end of 2012 a sample of 861 surveys were analyzed using SPSS to determine the activities students were involved in during the research period.Item Psychosocial interaction model and barriers to participation in adult learning: a case of community caregiver training in Gauteng(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Ngidi, Nkosazana Fidelia Nelisa Nomalizo; Groener, ZeldaThis study was prompted by my observations and feedback from trainers and learners on an array of barriers to participation in learning which are experienced by learners participating in accredited adult learning programmes offered by a NGO in Cape Town. The aim of this research was to investigate these barriers using a Psychosocial Interaction Model by Merriam and Darkenwald (1982) and the Transition Theory by Schlossberg (1981). Participants in a Health and Welfare Seta (HWSETA) accredited training programme, which is a qualification in Ancillary Health Care level 1, who are community caregivers, were used as research participants. This research provided empirical evidence on barriers to participation in adult learning experienced by these learners and recommendations have been made based on the findings. A new theoretical insight that was generated as a result of this study is that of the interplay between internal and external barriers to participation in adult learning and other variables within the continuum of the Psychosocial Interaction Model as well as certain variables within the Transition Theory. This came as a result of broadening the investigation into barriers to participation in learning, using all variables across the whole spectrum of the Psychosocial Interaction Model, instead of only using the barriers factor.Item Recognition of prior learning, benefits and social justice in the policing sector(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Lackay, Bradley; Groener, ZeldaConceptualised within Habermasian critical theory, the conceptual framework includes concepts such as domination, emancipation and emancipatory education, and frames RPL as emancipation. Recognition of prior learning is promoted by the South African government as an instrument for access and redress. This research paper focuses on an investigation into the benefits of the implementation of RPL policies and practices in the policing sector. Findings reveal that the participants in the study who are employed in the policing sector enjoyed a wide range of emancipatory benefits, including access to formal academic programmes. Furthermore, these programmes enabled historically disadvantaged staff to gain formal qualifications which in turn provided access to higher salaries and promotions. Explaining the latter as redress, I argue that RPL is a form of emancipation that has liberated disadvantaged staff from apartheid discrimination and domination.Item The Life Skills programme in the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) and 'employability' – a human capital development(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Nefdt, Joseph; Groener, ZeldaScholars argue within a human capital perspective that generic employability skills such as critical thinking, computer literacy, independent thinking, problem solving, communication skills must be included in human capital development. Employers are demanding that education and training institutions enable students to develop generic employability skills so that they can be 'work ready' for employment in the 'new knowledge economy'. As a consequence, the implementation of generic employability skills programmes can be found in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges worldwide. Framed within a human capital perspective, this research paper focuses on an investigation into the extent to which the National Certificate (Vocational) Life Skills course, offered at a TVET college in the Western Cape, enables students to develop the required generic employability skills of communication, problem solving, teamwork, leadership and critical thinking. Findings reveal that the NCV Life Skills course was both successful and unsuccessful in enabling participants to develop generic skills which make them 'ready for work'.Item An analysis of the efficacy of radio programs as a strategy for adult education for HIV/AIDS awareness intervention in the Livingstone District, Zambia(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Chibwe, Duffrine Chishala; Omar, RahmatThe study explored the efficacy of radio programs as a strategy for adult education for HIV/AIDS awareness intervention in the Livingstone District Zambia. Data was collected through a review of policies, including the HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Policy Guidelines (2008), National HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework (NASF2006-2010), PMTCT guidelines on HIV Prevention (2008), Zambia Information and Communication Policy (2007) and the Communication and Advocacy Strategy (NACAS, 2004). In addition semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults and young adults aged 23 to 58 years in Maramba catchment area. The research revealed that overall, there is a mixed picture of effectiveness of the use of radio for educating adults on HIV/AIDS prevention. Some of the most important factors that enable the effective use of radio in education of adults include sharing of experiences which result in increased understanding of issues among community members, community participation in radio listening groups also results in further sharing of information and active engagement with other community members on the topic of discussion and the use of local languages with the use of simple words and visual aids to take account of low literacy levels. In addition, there were important set of factors related to economic, social and cultural issues including gender inequalities, poverty and unemployment to mention a few. My research has identified the need to give greater consideration to adult education theory and adult learning principles in the design and delivery of the radio education programs. The research suggests that HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention strategies need an approach which takes account of adult education theory – to promote active involvement of learners in developing the curriculum of the radio programs and involvement of a range of stakeholders in designing and delivering the radio programs. My research also suggests that there is a need to adopt a critical perspective on the social, cultural and religious practices which influence the participation of both women and men in radio education programmes for HIV/AIDS prevention.Item The continuous learning cycle. Investigating possibilities for experiential learning(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Welby-Solomon, Vanessa; Groener, ZeldaScholars focusing on experiential learning argue that experience should be considered as critical for adult learning. This research paper frames experiential learning within a Constructivist framework. This paper focuses on an investigation into the ways that facilitators use the Continuous Learning Cycle, a model for learning based on Kolb's Learning Cycle, to facilitate learning through experience during the triad skills observation role-play in a workshop, which is part of an induction programme, for a retail bank. Indications are that facilitators use the Continuous Learning Cycle in limited ways, and therefore undermine the possibilities for optimal experiential learning; and that the Continuous Learning Cycle has limitations.Item The reconstruction of the identity of police trainers in a changing work environment(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Schwartz, Gerrit Jacobus; Omar, Rahmat; Groener, ZeldaThis study set out to determine how trainers construct their professional identities in a changing work environment in a training academy of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the context of a police-university partnership. The study differentiates between three professional identities (academic, police and trainer) and builds on the notion that the construction of professional identity is a conscious and dynamic process, which is formed in social contexts and settings where individuals participate in communities of practice or act on affordances to participate in organisational activities. Following a constructivist methodological approach, the study involved face-to-face interviews with trainers of the SAPS Academy and an analysis of police documents in the Academy. The study portrays trainers’ professional identity construction as relational and ongoing. Trainers perceive their changing roles in the SAPS Academy as a form of progression in their professional identity where one aspires to become an academic as a form of achievement. While the SAPS Academy attempts toregulate the construction of professional identity through enforcement of policies, it strengthens police trainer identities rather than enabling the construction of the needed new academic identities. Trainers therefore have to navigate the tensions between the institutional culture and construction of professional identity. Trainers negotiate their professional identities when they become part of the trainer pool, where they join smaller communities of practice, and when they make use of affordances for learning and development. The practice of multi-skilling of trainers, an authoritarian institutional culture and challenges to academic freedom and autonomy hamper their attempts to construct academic identities at both institutional and disciplinary level. The study suggests that organisations need to understand how policies contribute to employees’ construction of professional identities, particularly when new and unfamiliar professional identities are to be constructed. Development of higher academic qualifications is not enough. Workplaces need to apply organisational policies consistently and without ambiguity. A holistic approach should be followed when organisations embark on the construction of professional academic identities as employees construct professional identities through their lived experiences. Finally, the study showed that workplaces should provide a suitable environment that would stimulate professional and academic identity construction.Item Changing diversity, social justice perspective and adult learning - the case of a Technical Vocation and Training (TVET) college(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Emjedi, Salma; Groener, ZThe National Certificate Vocational (NCV) programme was designed with multiple agendas, among which was to address the high unemployment among the South African youth, to produce students with an employable skills set as well as it being a vehicle for redress. Managing diversity within education speaks to this agenda of redress. This study investigated diversity within a technical vocational education and training (TVET) college, by exploring the teaching and learning challenges Life Orientation college lecturers face when teaching diverse student population. It considered the background to the TVET sector as well as the learning programme, the NCV, that provided the context for the study. Various literature on diversity was reviewed as well as literature on teaching diverse cohort of students. The investigation was approached from a social justice perspective. The data revealed a number of themes, the first of which was Conceptions of Diversity within the TVET college context as well as Lecturer Strategies to cope with student diversity. Not all lecturer strategies were successful in dealing with diversity-related tensions; this led to the theme Issues and Incidents related to Student Diversity. The concluding theme was participant suggestions for Lecturer Preparation to deal with issues of diversity. In turn, these themes informed the recommendations which include all three key elements in the education process, i.e policy and curriculum, lecturer training and development, and equally important, the student involvement in diversity programmes and strategies within the TVET college.Item Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) practices of teachers in working class schools in the Western Cape(University of the Western Cape., 2016) Mettler, Eunice; Hendricks, M.NContinuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) of teachers at working class schools in South Africa has come under scrutiny over the past few years. Despite new education policies which incorporated the dire need for CPTD, the achievement of learners at working class schools remains poor. This investigation was prompted by the cause of this discrepancy. This study investigates the participation of teachers in Continuous Professional Development initiatives at working class schools in the Western Cape. The primary research question for this research paper is: “Why are teachers at working class schools not participating in CPTD initiatives as expected?” A qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm was adopted throughout this study. The interpretive approach allowed the researcher to gain a more social world interpretation of the respondents as it provided insight in CPTD practices at working class schools. The process of data gathering was inductive as information emerges from interviews and questionnaires. Open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The study comprised 15 respondents and included teachers at two schools and three officials from the Department of Education. The demographics of the two schools were similar which made it possible to ask the same questions for all respondents. The study highlighted the lack of participation of teachers in CPTD due to human, material and financial constraints. Urgent consideration needs to be given to eradicating these barriers for continuous professional development of teachers. Providers of CPTD should ensure that the needs of teachers are met and training should be embarked upon on a continuous basis. In addition, priority should be given to teachers employed at schools in working class areas.Item Educational barriers and employment advancement among the marginalized people in Namibia : the case of the OvaHimba and OvaHemba in the Kunene Region(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Ndimwedi, Jesaja Nghitila; Hendricks, MNThis study examines the relationship between educational attainment and employment advancement among marginalized people in Namibia. It attempts to identify the situational, institutional and dispositional barriers that have stifled the educational progress of OvaHimba and OvaZemba people based in the Kunene region and how these have limited their access to formal employment opportunities and/or employment advancement. Furthermore, it explores the potential of Adult Education to improve the formal educational qualifications of the OvaHimba and OvaZemba adults. Namibia is often lauded as an example of a country which has successfully negotiated the perils of post-independent statehood to take its place as a model citizen in the community of democratic nations. Blessed with relative stability, an abundance of natural resources, and a liberal constitution, Namibia appears to be ideally placed to provide all its citizens with a decent life consisting of access to quality education, healthcare and economic opportunities. Despite this, Namibia education has failed it adult population because of numerous factors. This study identify these factors.Item Intercultural peer group interactions, integration and student persistence between Nigerian students and students from other countries at a university in the Western Cape(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Babalola, Marian O; Groener, ZeldaAs a Nigerian, I became interested in investigating how Nigerian students, from different cultural backgrounds are able to integrate and persist in their academic programmes. I used Tinto‟s (1993) Longitudinal Model of Institutional Departure as a foundation for my conceptual framework. I adopted a qualitative research approach as this provides opportunities for interpretations by both participants and the researcher. I purposively selected 20 Nigerian students who were at different stages of their Master‟s programmes at a university in the Western Cape province of South Africa, but only 12 students were available and interviewed. The data reveals a significant relationship between intercultural peer group interactions, formal social integration and student persistence, while there was no significant relationship between intercultural peer group interaction, informal social integration and student persistence. Furthermore, informal social integration was partially related to formal academic integration and student persistence. Finally, it emerged that informal academic integration was also strongly linked to social integration and academic success. Due to the limiting nature of a research paper, the research has been restricted to the Nigerian experience to allow an insider perspective.Item Psychosocial barriers to participation in adult learning and education: Applying a PsychoSocial Interaction Model(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Adams-Gardner, Myrtle; Groener, ZeldaAdult learners’ perception of factors that are internal to their perceived control of their lives can be challenging to overcome when making a decision to participate in learning. There are complex relationships between psychological, and social barriers to participation in adult learning. Psychosocial barriers can deter adults’ participation in learning programmes. Understanding the nature of such barriers can enable policymakers, educators and adult learners create strategies to reduce such barriers in order to increase adults’ participation in adult learning. This study investigated the research question: What are adult learners’ perceptions of psycho-social factors that undermine participation in adult education and learning? The psycho-social interaction model adopted as a conceptual framework allowed the study to contextualise and analyse the effects of socio-economic status on the adult learner’s decision and readiness to participate. The model provided the broad segments of the adult learners’ pre-adulthood and adulthood learning years and through a thematic analysis attempted to analyse psychosocial factors that emerged as barriers to participatory behaviour in learning. An interview guide was used during a semi-structured interview. The study investigated a group of adult learners attending a non-formal learning programme in Central Johannesburg, South Africa. The selection of participants included 6 males and 4 females between 21 years to 49 years of age. The study findings showed that the adult learners’ perceptions of family support as well as the learning environment support are key enabling factors, which assist the adult learner to develop learning capabilities. Negative experiences with prior schooling was also described as a psychosocial barrier to participation. Age was a socio-economic variable that influenced the type of stimuli participants identified as a psycho-social factor which influenced their decision to take up further learning. Adult learners felt confident to successfully complete their current and future studies however perceived their learning press as a motivating factor that impacted their decision to participate. Findings also suggested that experiences of adult learners are unique to their specific context and educational planning can integrate ways to address enhancement of learning experiences for a diverse learner audience in non-formal learning programmes. The study concluded that while adult learners acquire social competencies through accessing nonformal programmes, further learning support is necessary to overcome the social and psychological complexities needed to develop basic academic learning capabilities.Item Participation and barriers to participation in adult learning at a community college in the Western Cape: A chain-of-response model(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Hearne, Vivian; Groener, ZeldaThis study investigates “why adults participate in learning activities” and “what barriers deter adults from participating in learning activities.” Learning activities can include informal learning initiatives and formal education programmes. According to Larson and Milana (2006) “the question of why some people participates in adult education and training while others don’t thus” (p. 2) is as relevant and urgent as ever as we want to make lifelong learning accessible for everybody. While working at a Community College in the Western Cape (South Africa), for the period October 2007 until June 2010, I have observed and noticed that many of the learners who entered the different programmes were all of a certain age. Many of them experienced an excess of barriers deterring them from participation in learning. For the purpose of this study, I am going to use the Chain-of-Response (COR) Model by Cross (1981a) to investigate specifically the situational barriers affecting those learners. Cross (1981a) developed the COR model. The rationale behind it was to better understand what urges people to participate in higher education or learning institutions. This model can be seen as cyclic, and involves seven steps developed by Cross (1981a) which have different impacts on the decision-making process of whether to enter or participate and persist in an adult learning course. Cross (1981a) argues that “an adult’s participation in a learning activity is not an isolated act but is the result of a complex chain of responses based on the evaluation of the position of the individual in their environment” (p. 36). Responses leading to participation tend to originate within the individual, as opposed to outside forces; it can either encourage or discourage participation in learning.Item Psychosocial barriers to participation in adult learning and education: Applying a psychosocial Interaction model(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Adams-Gardner, Myrtle Grace; Groener, ZeldaAdult learners’ perception of factors that are internal to their perceived control of their lives can be challenging to overcome when making a decision to participate in learning. There are complex relationships between psychological, and social barriers to participation in adult learning. Psychosocial barriers can deter adults’ participation in learning programmes. Understanding the nature of such barriers can enable policymakers, educators and adult learners create strategies to reduce such barriers in order to increase adults’ participation in adult learning. This study investigated the research question: What are adult learners’ perceptions of psycho-social factors that undermine participation in adult education and learning? The psycho-social interaction model adopted as a conceptual framework allowed the study to contextualise and analyse the effects of socio-economic status on the adult learner’s decision and readiness to participate. The model provided the broad segments of the adult learners’ pre-adulthood and adulthood learning years and through a thematic analysis attempted to analyse psychosocial factors that emerged as barriers to participatory behaviour in learning. An interview guide was used during a semi-structured interview. The study investigated a group of adult learners attending a non-formal learning programme in Central Johannesburg, South Africa. The selection of participants included 6 males and 4 females between 21 years to 49 years of age. The study findings showed that the adult learners’ perceptions of family support as well as the learning environment support are key enabling factors, which assist the adult learner to develop learning capabilities. Negative experiences with prior schooling was also described as a psychosocial barrier to participation. Age was a socio-economic variable that influenced the type of stimuli participants identified as a psycho-social factor which influenced their decision to take up further learning. Adult learners felt confident to successfully complete their current and future studies however perceived their learning press as a motivating factor that impacted their decision to participate. Findings also suggested that experiences of adult learners are unique to their specific context and educational planning can integrate ways to address enhancement of learning experiences for a diverse learner audience in non-formal learning programmes. The study concluded that while adult learners acquire social competencies through accessing non-formal programmes, further learning support is necessary to overcome the social and psychological complexities needed to develop basic academic learning capabilities.