scholarly journals Die Evaluering Van ‘N Eentalige Toelatingstoets Wat Vir Toelating Tot Hoër Onderwys In ’N Veeltalige Konteks Gebruik Word

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elize Koch
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
First Language ◽  
Item Bias ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Admissions Test ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
African Context ◽  
English Students

The evaluation of monolingual admissions test used for admission to higher education in a plurilingual context. This study aims to critically evaluate the practice to use monolingual admissions tests across diverse language groups. The specific aim of the study was, accordingly, to evaluate the bias, across language groups, of a reading comprehension test used for admission to higher education. The subsequent aim was to decide about the scalar equivalence of the test across three language groups, namely Afrikaans and English students and students who are first language speakers of an African language. Item bias and structural differences between the English first and English second language groups were found, while structural differences continued to be found after deleting the DIF items from the test. Implications for fair admissions testing in the South African context are discussed. Opsomming: Hierdie stukkie het dit ten doel om die praktyk om eentalige toelatingstoetse oor taalgroepe heen te gebruik, krities te evalueer. Die oogmerk van die studie was gevolglik om ’n toets van leesbegrip wat vir toelating tot universiteit gebruik word en wat slegs in Engels beskikbaar is, te evalueer vir sydigheid. Die uiteindelike oogmerk was om oor die skaalekwivalensie van die toets ten opsigte van drie taalgroepe te besluit, naamlik Afrikaanse en Engelse studente en studente met ’n Afrika taal as eerste taal. Item sydigheid en strukturele verskille tussen Engels eerstetaal sprekers en Engels tweedetaal sprekers is gevind, terwyl strukturele verskille na die verwydering van die DIF items voorgeduur het. Implikasies vir billike toelatingstoetsing in Suid-Afrika word bespreek.

scholarly journals A-142 Examining the Impact of the Recent New Dot Counting Test Cut-Off Score in Bilingualism and Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 935-935
Author(s):  
Graub N ◽  
Lopez-Hernandez D ◽  
Litvin P ◽  
Rugh-Fraser R ◽  
Rad H ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
First Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Failure Rates ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective McCaul et al. (2018) recently revised the Dot Counting Test (DCT) cut-off score from ≥17 to 13.80; we evaluated the new cut-off in monolingual and bilingual traumatic brain injury survivors (TBIS) and healthy comparison participants (HCP). Method The sample consisted of 43 acute TBI [ATBI; 23 English monolinguals (EM); 11 English first language bilinguals (EFLB); and 9 English second language bilinguals (ESLB)]; 30 chronic TBI (CTBI; 13 EM; 9 EFLB; 8 ESLB), and 56 HCP (23 EM; 11 EFLB; 22 ESLB). Results An ANCOVA, controlling for age and education, revealed an interaction where ATBI-EFLB had higher E-scores than the other groups and the CTBI-EFLB had lower E-scores than the other groups. Both the conventional and proposed new cut-off (PNC) scores had different failure rates in ATBI (conventional cut-off: 9%; PNC: 28%), CTBI (conventional cut-off: 10%; PNC: 20%), and HCP (conventional cut-off: 11%; PNC: 13%). For language groups, EM (conventional cut-off: 14%; PNC: 22%), EFLB (conventional cut-off: 10%; PNC: 26%), and ESLB (conventional cut-off: 5%; PNC: 10%) demonstrated different failure rates across cut-off scores. Group differences were found with McCaul et al. (2018) cut-off, but not the conventional cut-off score. Also, chi-squared analysis revealed ATBI EFLB and EM had greater failure rates than ATBI ESLB. Conclusion Unfortunately, the new DCT cut-off score resulted in greater failure rates in TBIS. Furthermore, ATBI EM and EFLB were impacted more by the new cut offs than ATBI ESLB who learned English later in life, although the reason for this finding is unclear and requires additional study.

Promoting career awareness among IT students in a South African context

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-565
Author(s):  
J.T. Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Roelien Goede
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Career Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
African Context ◽  
Capstone Projects ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an intervention strategy for promoting career awareness among IT students in a South African context, followed by a reflection thereof based on qualitative data collected from students. Career awareness during study has shown to be a factor in the work-readiness of IT graduates.Design/methodology/approachThe paper suggests an intervention strategy aimed at promoting IT students' career awareness. It provides context of the exit-level higher education (HE) module used to implement the intervention. Career awareness is achieved by industry talks, projects and events. Interpretive data collection and content analysis are used to understand the impact of the intervention from the students' perspective.FindingsRecommendations are made towards productive interventions for raising career awareness among IT students using industry participation in higher education. The proposed intervention comprises of a combination of industry talks, capstone projects and specific events. Students had largely positive reactions and made suggestions for additional interventions they would find beneficial. A hackathon attended proved the most influential where seven out of eight involved students received job offers from one company. Other students became aware of their own employability, limitations and preferred career paths.Originality/valueFindings provide confirmation on existing feasible approaches and also introduces new interventions that may be generalised to other fields of study. The paper not only provides an instructional design for a module to raise career awareness but also reflects on the feedback of the students. The reflection provided by students acts as a point of reference to ensure that the process followed for the intervention is practical within a South African context. The paper highlights the perceived benefits of involving industry in higher education to raise career awareness, factors that may prevent career awareness among IT students and valuable suggestions made by students to further enhance the intervention strategy. An implication of the research is a set of guidelines identified towards bridging the IT theory–practice gap. These guidelines can be used by many educators in similar environments to justify their interventions.

scholarly journals Subordination vs. agency/resistance in South Africa: Virgins bargaining their way through higher education

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 431-445
Author(s):  
Sunelle Stander
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Black Students ◽  
South African ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Alternative Route ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Student Protests ◽  
African Context

Oppression manifests itself in various ways, such that intersections between different forms of oppression can be identified. This is also true for women living in South Africa, a country that has for years been plagued by many forms of oppression (racism, sexism, classism, etc.). Women are, amidst various forms of oppression, often left with few alternative options but to bargain with various forms of gender relations as a means to obtain basic human rights (like education). Recent student protests have highlighted the discriminating ways in which black students are kept from obtaining higher education. The so called “maidens bursary”, awarded to underprivileged girls who vow to stay virgins throughout their studies, will be used as a case study that examines an alternative route to which underprivileged women may resort in order to obtain a quality education. The notion of patriarchal bargaining will then be used to illumine the often unrecognized, complex and interwoven relationship between subordination and agency/resistance that operates within the South African context.

scholarly journals Speech-language assessment in a linguistically diverse setting: Preliminary exploration of the possible impact of informal ‘solutions’ within the South African context

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Barratt ◽  
Katijah Khoza-Shangase ◽  
Kwandinjabulo Msimang
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
First Language ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Therapy Services ◽  
African Context ◽  
Diverse Setting ◽  
Communication Impairments

Speech-language therapists (SLTs) working in the context of cultural and linguistic diversity face considerable challenges in providing equitable services to all clients. This is complicated by the fact that the majority of SLTs in South Africa are English or Afrikaans speakers, while the majority of the population have a home language other than English/Afrikaans. Consequently, SLTs are often forced to call on untrained personnel to act as interpreters or translators, and to utilise informally translated materials in the assessment and management of clients with communication impairments. However, variations in translation have the potential to considerably alter intervention plans. This study explored whether the linguistic complexity conveyed in translation of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) test changed when translated from English to isiZulu by five different first-language IsiZulu speakers. A qualitative comparative research design was adopted and results were analysed using comparative data analysis. Results revealed notable differences in the translations, with most differences relating to vocabulary and semantics. This finding holds clinical implications for the use of informal translators as well as for the utilisation of translated material in the provision of speech-language therapy services in multilingual contexts. This study highlights the need for cautious use of translators and/or translated materials that are not appropriately and systematically adapted for local usage. Further recommendations include a call for intensified efforts in the transformation of the profession within the country, specifically by attracting greater numbers of students who are fluent in African languages.

scholarly journals The cross-cultural application of the social axioms survey in The South African police service

2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adi Barnard ◽  
Sebastiaan Rothmann ◽  
Deon Meiring
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Item Bias ◽  
The South ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Police Service ◽  
Social Axioms ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
The Social ◽  
South African Police

The objectives of this study were to investigate the replicability, construct equivalence, item bias and reliability of the Social Axioms Survey (SAS) in the South African Police Service (SAPS). A cross-sectional survey design was used. the participants consisted of applicants who had applied for jobs in the SAPS (n = 1535), and the SAS was administered to them. An exploratory factor analysis utilising target rotation applied to all 60 items of the SAS revealed four interpretable factors (Social Cynicism, reward for Application, Fate Control, and Spirituality/religiosity). Values of tucker’s phi higher than 0,90 were found for seven language groups (Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Swati, Tsonga, Venda and Pedi). Analyses of variance found that item bias was not a major disturbance. Unacceptable alpha values were found for some of the scales of the SAS.

scholarly journals The role of demographics in students' selection of higher education institutions

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wiese ◽  
C. H. Van Heerden ◽  
Y. Jordaan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Recruitment Strategies ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
Institution Selection ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose: To investigate the choice factors students consider when selecting a higher education institution, with a focus on the differences between gender and language groups. Problem investigated: The educational landscape has seen several changes, such as stronger competition between institutions for both student enrolments and government funding. These market challenges have led to an interest in students' institution selection processes as it has implications for the way higher education institutions (HEIs) manage their marketing and recruitment strategies. The research objective of this study was to identify the most important choice factors of prospective South African students. It also aimed to determine if any gender and language differences exist with regard to students' institution selection processes. Methodology: A convenience sample of 1 241 respondents was drawn, representing six South African universities. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data. Questions from the ASQ (Admitted Student Questionnaire) and CIRP (The Cooperative Institutional Research Programme) were used and adapted to the South African context after pilot testing. Hypotheses were analysed using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test with Wilks' lambda as the test statistic. Findings/Implications: Irrespective of gender or language, the most important choice factor for respondents was the quality of teaching at HEIs. The findings showed that males and females differ according to the selection of certain choice factors which suggest that HEIs can consider recruitment strategies for each gender group. Significant differences between the language groups were found for 17 of the 23 choice factors, signalling that different language groups make decisions based on different choice factors. African language-speaking students have, amongst other, indicated that the multiculturalism of the institution is a very important choice factor for them. Conclusion: The findings provide HEIs with an indication of the importance of choice factors considered by students in selecting a HEI. This will enable HEIs to use their limited funds more efficiently to attract the right calibre student (recruitment policies), to create a unique position, to sagment the student market more appropriately and to gain a competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Merging Academic and Career Advising to Offer Holistic Student Support: A University Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-100
Author(s):  
Monique Schoeman ◽  
Sonja Loots ◽  
Leon Bezuidenhoud
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Career Information ◽  
African Context ◽  
The University ◽  
Career Advising

Higher education in South Africa has focused extensively on widening access to further inclusivity and to economic development. However, as students need to persist and succeed in their studies, access alone is not enough. Furthermore, the responsibility of higher education to help students succeed does not end with graduation; institutions need to produce graduates who are ready to enter the labour market. Therefore, it is important to integrate career information and concepts into these practices when conceptualising holistic academic advising. Since academic advising is still developing as a professional practice in the South African context, no clear, practical framework has been used uniformly at universities. Career advice is also not necessarily integrated into academic advising in a conscious manner. This may result in students who are struggling to integrate all the academic and career information provided to make informed decisions regarding their studies and career paths. This paper argues that the 3-I Process is an appropriate framework for the integration of career and academic advising in the South African context. In this case study, we draw from the experiences of nine advisors from the central advising office, faculties, and the career office at the University of the Free State to understand the extent to which they have been incorporating the elements of the 3-I Process into their existing academic advising practices and how they view the possibilities of following a more integrated approach. We also map how the framework can be adapted to the broader South African context to inform and develop more holistic and professionalised advising practices, as well as to contribute towards students’ success beyond university.

scholarly journals Curriculum development in South Africa: the role of professional bodies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musimuni Dowelani ◽  
Faith Dowelani
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Curriculum Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Job Preparation ◽  
Professional Body ◽  
African Context ◽  
Development Literature

The function and main goal of higher education has evolved over time; studies show that there is a shift in focus from pure intellectual exploration to job preparation. Curriculum development literature argues that the collaboration between universities and industries is critical for skills development and provides alignment between skills required in the workplace and skills transferred through higher education. This desk study aimed to synthesis the role of professional bodies as representatives of industry in curriculum development in the South African context. Observations show that a significant number of professional bodies mandate curriculum, by accrediting qualifications offered by universities. Not all programs require professional body accreditation or approval, however approximately 60% of all university programmes in South Africa are subject to the accreditation of professional associations. Without the accreditation from professional bodies, universities would not be able to offer qualifications in certain disciplines such as health and engineering. There is evidence that professional body involvement in curriculum development ascertains a level of quality. 

scholarly journals Bias and equivalence of the Strengths Use and Deficit COrrection Questionnaire in a South African context

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Symen A. Brouwers ◽  
Karina Mostert ◽  
Sanelisiwe V. Mtshali
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Personnel Development ◽  
West Germanic ◽  
Strengths Use ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
African Context ◽  
Perceived Organisational Support

Orientation: Developing personnel into skilled employees is a major focus of managers and companies. Doing this in a valid way in a cross-culturally diverse working environment may be challenging. It is, therefore, important to investigate the cultural consistency of new tools that assist managers in reaching these personnel development goals.Research purpose: Determine whether the Strengths Use and Deficit COrrection (SUDCO) questionnaire is universally applicable across the Nguni, Sesotho and West-Germanic language groups in South Africa by evaluating it statistically for bias and equivalence.Motivation for the study: South African personnel management could gain valuable insights and outcomes when they aim to improve both strengths and weaknesses.Research design, approach and method: The study employed semi-stratified sampling. A sample (N = 658) of employees in the banking sector participated in the study. The research focused on psychometric properties relating to bias, structural equivalence and reliability.Main findings: A four-factor model fitted the data best. This model described perceived organisational support (POS) for strengths use, POS for deficit correction, strengths-use behaviour and deficit-correction behaviour. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis for the direct comparison of the SUDCO’s fit across the language groups (Nguni, Sesotho and WestGermanic) showed the 33 were unbiased against any of the three language groups and structured into the same four latent constructs.Practical implications: In personnel development, employees and managers should understand the benefits of a combined strengths and deficit approach as relating to different language groups.Contribution: The study contributes to literature a cross-culturally validated measure for the assessment of strengths and deficits.

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