Browsing by Author "Essack, Shaheeda"

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    The contribution of mentorship to personal and institutional development at the Westville Campus of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-04) Essack, Shaheeda; Kapp, C. A.; Szell, G.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The current study is based on the premise that higher education is essentially alienating for most first generation, first year and academically under-prepared university students in higher education. The study further maintains that the experience of alienation can be overcome by implementing a form of peer mentoring system that simultaneously seeks to address personal, social and academic needs. This thesis has five chapters. Chapter One outlined the problem statement in relation to the nature of student experience of higher education and the impact of peer facilitated mentoring on student development, with specific reference to the first year, first generation and academically under-prepared student. An overview of related literature in the area of student experience of higher education and the potential role of peer facilitated mentoring in higher education indicates that peer mentoring serves to give context, meaning, purpose and direction to students, especially to those that are marginalized. Chapter Two provided an extensive account of peer facilitated mentoring in higher education. The chapter began with a critical analysis of the national plan on the restructuring of higher education in South Africa with reference to socio-economic challenges, its impact on the restructuring of higher education and the subsequent effects of such change on student personal, social and academic development. Against this background, the subjective, lived and personal experience of the student as framed in the discourse of higher education a being an alienated experience was then presented. The concept of higher education as being an alienated experience for first year, first generation student in a developing ociety was explained within the theoretical framework espoused by Mann (2000). The theoretical framework on alienation places emphasis on the socio-cultural context, the primacy of discourse, the student as outsider (knowledge, power and insight), the teaching and learning process, the loss of ownership of the learning process and alienation as a strategy for self-preservation. A case is made that student experience of higher education can be one of alienation and that peer facilitated mentoring, as an intervening strategy, can serve to alleviate some of these negative experience. The process of peer facilitated mentoring is viewed as a democratic and collaborative response to challenges in teaching and learning in higher education. Mentoring is being widely used in higher education, globally, as a means to address student needs and institutional goals. Peer facilitated mentoring is being gradually introduced into South African higher education, especially at the first year level. The entire gamut of the first year experience of higher education was explored with a conclusion on some of the principles that must inform the first year experience. Inherent in these principles is the common element of co-operative and collaborative learning that must underpin the process of mentoring. In this regard the co-operative model was presented as the basis upon which mentoring must unfold. Upon this model, the macro and micro model of mentoring were viewed as providing both the conceptual and operational framework within which a peer-mentoring programme could be implemented. A detailed discussion is then presented on the following elements: the processes and phases of mentoring, the selection and recruitment of mentors, the selection and recruitment of mentees, the matching of mentors to mentees, benefits of the programmes and the possible weaknesses and drawbacks of the programme. The chapter concluded with a discμssion on the. significance of evaluating the programme and the manner in which such evaluations could occur. Chapter Three provided an in-depth account of the research design as regards the evaluation of the programme. Mentors, mentees and faculty co-ordinators formed part of the evaluation proces . Questionnaires were implemented to both mentees and faculty co-ordinator . Focus group interviews were conducted with mentors. The sampling frame, selection of question , analysis of feedback, interpretation of results, the validity and reliability of results were explained and motivated for in the discussion. Chapter Four pre-ented an in-depth analyses and interpretation of the feedback received from mentees, mentors and faculty co-ordinators. The analyses included both quantitative and qualitative analyses and thematic interpretations. The analyses generated a range of issue that shed light on the level to which the hypothesis could be validated and the conclusions that could be drawn. The conclusions drawn from the current study are that the first year experience of higher education is neither alienating nor engaging for the first year student and that student experience falls somewhere in the continuum between alienation and engagement. The level of alienating or engaging experiences depends on the nature and context operational at particular moments. At best the first year experience can be said to be a partially broken fragmented experience and that peer facilitated mentoring has the potential to play a mediating and powerful role in ensuring that the needs of both the student and the institution are met. Recommendations made include: ensuring that institutional policy reflects the out-of-class learning experiences, placing the programme within the main academic programme, continuously assessing the needs of first year students, continuously re-establishing the aims, objectives and goals of the programme, developing a specific curriculum for mentoring, taking care to select and train mentors and ensuring that there is supervision, monitoring and assessment of the programme.
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    Towards academic staff development in the faculty of arts at the University of Durban-Westville
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-12) Essack, Shaheeda; Kapp, C. A.; Thorold, A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate .the need for a staff development programme for academics in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Durban-Westville. This thesis has five chapters. Chapter One is the introductory chapter and examines the nature of the study in relation to the aims of the study, sub-problems, various definitions of staff development and formulates a hypothesis. The hypothesis states that: "There is a definite need for an academic staff development programme in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Durban-Westville." This hypothesis is then followed by a motivation and rationale of the study followed by a discussion of background studies on staff development. The limitations, strengths and scope of the study are presented followed by some preliminary considerations. Chapter Two provides an in-depth examination of staff development. It begins with a critical discussion of the various philosophies that underpin staff development practices. These philosophies include positivism, hermeneutics and the political nature of staff development. This is followed by a discussion on the goals of higher education and its link to staff development. Special reference is made to the South African context, quality assurance in South African universities and staff development programmes at the Historically Black Universities. Thereafter, an in-depth discussion of the link between teaching and learning is presented. This is accomplished by referring to theories of teaching and learning in higher education. Once this is completed, the entire spectrum of staff development activities is presented. This discussion begins with a description of the various competencies of the lecturer followed by a presentation of two models on staff development. The following staff development practices are then discussed in detail: induction programmes, seminars and workshops, reflective teaching and self-directed practice, mentoring, consultation, personal growth contracts, the cascades method and micro-teaching. This discussion is consolidated by presenting the case of the University of Durban- Westvi11e and motivating for the need for academic staff development in the Faculty of Arts. Chapter Three presents the research design and methodology - it outlines the steps undertaken in the current study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of research were utilized. The primary means of collecting data was the survey which included the dissemination of questionnaires to both third year students and lecturers in the Faculty of Arts. Students were selected from the population of third year students in the Faculty of Arts. A proportional stratified randomized sampling procedure was applied to both the population of staff and students. Chapter Four presents the analysis of the data in a systematic way. The student questionnaire is analyzed followed by an analysis of the staff questionnaire. These results are presented in table form, followed by a discussion. There are 38 tables in this chapter. Chapter Five is the final chapter that presents the conclusions drawn from the study and provides recommendations for the establishment of a staff development programme.