Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Bridging courses'

Women are returning to study as mature age students in increasing numbers. Typically, these women have been away from study for a number of years and, in order to gain entrance into a university course most women are required to undertake a bridging program. Bridging programs can provide women with an alternative pathway into university and are designed to develop the academic and study skills required to successfully undertake undergraduate studies. The Women into Science and Technology (WIST) bridging program, offered by Central Queensland University, is a self-paced bridging program which provides a low cost, study at home option specifically designed to accommodate women’s needs. This research focuses on the perceived needs of women who are enrolled in the WIST program. To this end a survey instrument has been developed to identify the needs and challenges of women undertaking the WIST program. This instrument was used to explore the needs and challenges of women enrolled in the WIST program. The survey results revealed that women have a range of needs which include support from the university, development of study and academic skills, personal qualities such as motivation and determination as well as support from their family and personal networks. The results indicate that the university needs to provide a range of support mechanisms and processes. These outcomes were used to develop the Get SET for Study framework that can be used for the planning and design of bridging courses similar to WIST for women who are considering enrolling in university.

This thesis examines how a group of lecturers who taught in a university preparation course designed for Indigenous Australians thought about what `academic literacy' meant. Lecturers were asked to consider the relationships between the meanings of `academic literacy' , curriculum, and the considerable problems the Course was facing in order to remain viable. My research goal was to better understand what alignment of people, ideas, and other important entities would be required to develop a sustainable program for Indigenous people seeking an alternative pathway into university degrees.

A new one-semester tertiary bridging course in chemistry was designed with constructivist concept-learning as a major aim. This aim was monitored by Concept Learning Test Sequences (CLTSs), developed for each of ten fundamental chemical concept-clusters, selected from ten theory-practical work-units of an expressly written book. The concept-clusters were: density, mixture/compound, structure/bonding, base/salt, redox, mole, rate, metal, halogen, hydrocarbon. Each CLTS comprised a pre-instruction item; two-tier multiple-choice item(s); a post-instruction item; each provided data from a class of 21 students of widely different backgrounds. Separate chapters discuss class results and individual results.Concept-learning Improvement Categories that estimated individual improvement in each CLTS were quantified by assigning numerical values. Summation of these numerical values for all ten CLTSs produced individual Concept-learning Improvement Indices (CLIIs). Improvement in concept-learning appears independent of prior academic background. Rankings by CLIIs and by final assessment percentage were strongly correlated. The mean CLII for the class assessed concept-learning improvement (per concept) at Moderate-to-Intermediate.Various probes revealed that factors which influenced learning included: pre-laboratory reports; practical work; learning partnership(s); positive personal qualities; mathematical skills; confidence; visualisation; integration of theoretical and practical studies; bench problem-solving; a relaxed tutorial atmosphere; historical approaches to chemical concepts. Students assessed the course overall as 'good'.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to investigate The effect of the Problem-Based Learning Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach in the teaching of composition and inverse functions in a foundation programme. PBL is a philosophical approach to teaching and learning where problems drive the learning. The study was important because it was trying to find out if PBL can improve students’ performance in compositions and inverses of functions at the bridging course for undergraduate mathematics at Oshakati Campus. The study intended to come up with a PBL model suitable for FP mathematics in the teaching of compositions and inverses of functions. The study was done on Science Foundation students who are registered for FP. Eighty students were randomly selected from the foundation students registered for the 2013 academic year. The students were randomly assigned into the experimental and the comparison groups of 40 each. In this study the comparison group of the Foundation students was predominantly taught through the traditional lecture approach while the experimental group was predominantly taught using a hybrid PBL approach. The study also attempted to establish the students’ perceptions with regard to the relevance of inverses and compositions of functions as a concept in a topic that determines their academic destination. It also attempted to ascertain how the PBL approach could best be implemented in order to improve FP students’ understanding of inverses and composition of functions; how Bridging course for undergraduate mathematics (FP) students experience the PBL approach in the teaching and learning of inverses and composition of functions compared to those who are taught using the lecture method and how FP students’ performance on inverses and composition of functions as a result of their PBL experience compare to those who are taught using the lecture method. This study used the concurrent nested mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) research designs. A quasi experimental design was adopted through the administration of a pre-post-test on experimental and comparison groups. The other designs or methods included a questionnaire survey, focus group interviews, non-participant lesson observation and a group research project on compositions and inverses of functions. The experimental group was then mainly taught through a hybrid PBL approach while the comparison group mainly through the lecture approach for a period of three months. The findings of this research study showed that experimental group students performed significantly better in the overall results analysis but there were no significant differences in performance between the two groups for some Hypothetical Learning Trajectory (HLT) domains on compositions and inverses of functions. It is recommended that PBL should be implemented in the other foundation programme subjects. However, the role of the conventional teaching approaches cannot be undermined in the teaching and learning of compositions and inverses of functions since the students who were taught using this method also improved their performances, and as such these conventional teaching approaches should be used together with PBL in order to get the best results on FP students’ mathematics performance. This study recommends further research on how PBL can be implemented in other FP subjects. This study also recommended that PBL should be implemented right at the beginning of the year when the FP students start their classes in the foundation programme.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om die effek van die probleemgebaseerde leer (PBL) benadering in die onderrig van die samestelling en inverse funksies in 'n Stigting program te ondersoek. PBL is 'n filosofiese benadering tot onderrig en leer waar probleme ry die leer. Die studie is belangrik omdat dit probeer het om uit te vind of PBL kan studente se prestasie in komposisies en inverses van funksies te verbeter by die Stigting Program op Oshakati-kampus. Die studie bedoel om vorendag te kom met 'n PBL model wat geskik is vir fondament in die onderrig van komposisies en inverses van funksies. Die studie is gedoen op Science Foundation studente by Oshakati-kampus van die Universiteit van Namibië. Tagtig studente is lukraak gekies uit die fondament studente wat geregistreer is vir die 2013 akademiese jaar. Die studente is ewekansig toegewys in die eksperimentele en die vergelyking groepe van 40 elk. In hierdie studie is die vergelyking groep van die Stigting studente is hoofsaaklik geleer word deur die tradisionele lesing benadering terwyl die eksperimentele groep was hoofsaaklik geleer met behulp van 'n hibriede PBL benadering. Die studie het ook probeer om vas te stel uit wat die studente se persepsies met betrekking tot die toepaslikheid van inverses en komposisies van funksies is soos 'n konsep in 'n onderwerp wat bepaal hul akademiese bestemming. Dit het ook probeer om vas te stel hoe die PBL benadering kan die beste om FP studente se begrip van inverses en samestelling van funksies te verbeter geïmplementeer word; hoe FP studente die PBL benadering in die onderrig en leer van inverses en samestelling van funksies in vergelyking met diegene wat geleer is met behulp van die lesing metode en hoe FP studente se prestasie op inverses en samestelling van funksies as 'n gevolg van hul PBL ervaring vergelyk met dié wat geleer is met behulp van die lesing-metode. Hierdie studie gebruik om die konkurrente geneste gemengde metodes (kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe) navorsing ontwerpe. 'N quasi eksperimentele ontwerp is aangeneem deur die administrasie van 'n pre-na-toets op eksperimentele en vergelyking groepe. Die ander ontwerpe of metodes het 'n vraelys opname, fokusgroeponderhoude, nie-deelnemer leswaarneming, en 'n groep navorsingsprojek oor komposisies en inverses van funksies. Die eksperimentele groep is dan hoofsaaklik geleer deur middel van 'n kruising PBL benadering terwyl die vergelyking groep hoofsaaklik deur die lesing benadering vir 'n tydperk van drie maande. Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing het getoon dat die eksperimentele groep studente uitgevoer aansienlik beter in die algehele resultate analise, maar daar was geen betekenisvolle verskille in prestasie tussen die twee groepe vir 'n paar MTT gebiede op komposisies en inverses van funksies. Die studie het ook bevind dat PBL aan die begin van die jaar reg geïmplementeer moet word wanneer die FP studente begin hul klasse in die fondament program. Dit word aanbeveel dat PBL in al die ander fondament program vakke moet geïmplementeer word. Tog kan die rol van die konvensionele onderrig benaderings nie ondermyn word in die onderrig en leer van komposisies en inverses van funksies, en as sodanig die konvensionele onderrig benaderings moet saam met PBL word gebruik om die beste resultate op FP studente se wiskunde prestasie te kry . Hierdie studie beveel aan verdere navorsing oor hoe PBL in 'n ander fondament program vakke geïmplementeer kan word.

A new one-semester tertiary bridging course in chemistry was designed with constructivist concept-learning as a major aim. This aim was monitored by Concept Learning Test Sequences (CLTSs), developed for each of ten fundamental chemical concept-clusters, selected from ten theory-practical work-units of an expressly written book. The concept-clusters were: density, mixture/compound, structure/bonding, base/salt, redox, mole, rate, metal, halogen, hydrocarbon. Each CLTS comprised a pre-instruction item; two-tier multiple-choice item(s); a post-instruction item; each provided data from a class of 21 students of widely different backgrounds. Separate chapters discuss class results and individual results.Concept-learning Improvement Categories that estimated individual improvement in each CLTS were quantified by assigning numerical values. Summation of these numerical values for all ten CLTSs produced individual Concept-learning Improvement Indices (CLIIs). Improvement in concept-learning appears independent of prior academic background. Rankings by CLIIs and by final assessment percentage were strongly correlated. The mean CLII for the class assessed concept-learning improvement (per concept) at Moderate-to-Intermediate.Various probes revealed that factors which influenced learning included: pre-laboratory reports; practical work; learning partnership(s); positive personal qualities; mathematical skills; confidence; visualisation; integration of theoretical and practical studies; bench problem-solving; a relaxed tutorial atmosphere; historical approaches to chemical concepts. Students assessed the course overall as 'good'.

For several years, the Family Life Education and Gerontology classes have been involved in an intergenerational teaching/learning project. By matching Millennials and Baby Boomers in computer literacy classes, it builds bridges across generations. The students are teamed up with Seniors through a “Cyber Seniors” project, under the auspices of Collat Jewish Family Services (CJFS), which in turn is supported by United Way. The Seniors are encouraged to develop and expand their computer skills on any electronic device of their choosing. Out of these interactions a number of anticipated and unanticipated outcomes were achieved. The project supports computer related skills, and internet safety and privacy for Seniors. The metacognitive learning that took place in both parties, was unanticipated and most rewarding. Students gained respect, empathy and greater understanding for the Seniors. Teaching, learning and socializing were intertwined and the Seniors spoke highly of the social benefits of these meetings.

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Exposure to the clinical learning environment forms an essential part of nursing education. Being a nurse lecturer in the private sector, the researcher observed that bridging course learners do not always perform academically as satisfactorily as they should. For the purpose of the current study, the researcher investigated enrolled bridging course learners’ perspectives related to factors influencing their learning in the clinical environment. The study focused on bridging course learners in the private sector. The objectives of the study were to determine whether the following was valid for the population under consideration: - a shortage of staff is a barrier to learning in the clinical environment; - an orientation programme has been implemented for bridging course learners in the clinical environment; - bridging course learners in the clinical environment have to take charge of wards; - the attitude of staff members is a barrier to the learners’ learning experience. - there is a learner/mentor relationship in the clinical environment; - opportunities to gain practical competence exist in the clinical environment. An exploratory descriptive design with a predominantly quantitative approach was applied. The population for the study consisted of bridging course learners at the three private nursing colleges in the Cape metropolitan area (N = 89). Due to the small size of the population, all available learners who voluntarily gave consent were included in the study. The sample size for this study constituted 62% (n = 55) of the target population. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and both open and closed ended questions were used. Reliability and validity were assured by means of a pilot study and the use of experts in the field of nursing education and statistics. Data were collected personally by the researcher. Ethical approval was obtained from the Committee for Human Science Research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University. Statistical associations were determined using the Spearman and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results of this study are presented in percentages and tables. The majority (n = 46/84%) of the participants disagreed that the staffing in units was sufficient. Most (n = 40/73%) participants disagreed with the statement that working conditions were conducive to learning. Qualitative analysis revealed that the participants perceived the clinical environment to be hostile, and the majority (n = 47/85%) of the participants agreed that staff members had a negative attitude towards them. Furthermore, only five (n = 5/9%) participants indicated that they always spent time with their mentor, and the majority (n = 36/65%) of the participants disagreed with the statement that they could achieve specific outcomes before moving to another ward. A shortage of staff, being placed in charge of wards in the absence of a registered nurse, negative attitudes of staff members, and the lack of a mentor–learner relationship were identified as factors that impacted negatively on learning in the clinical environment. Several recommendations, grounded in the study findings, were identified, including: - Sufficient staff should be on duty to improve the learning environment, in order for learners to achieve their outcomes according to the curriculum. - Learners should receive adequate supervision and support. - Sufficient time should be allocated for practical procedures, such as releasing learners on practical days to practise procedures. Factors influencing enrolled bridging course learners’ learning experiences in the clinical environment were identified. Strategies to address these factors may improve their clinical experiences and ultimately their clinical competence.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Blootstelling aan kliniese leer omgewing is ’n grondliggende deel van verpleegonderrig. As ’n verpleeglektrise in die privaat sektor, het die navorser tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat oorbruggingsleerders nie akademies na wense presteer nie. Vir die doel van hierdie studie het die navorser die faktore geëvalueer wat die kliniese onderrig van oorbruggingsleerders gedurende hul plasing in die kliniese omgewing beïnvloed. Die ondersoek konsentreer op oorbruggingsleerders wat in die privaat sektor werk. Die oogmerke van die studie was om te bepaal of: - ’n personeeltekort onderrig in die kliniese omgewing belemmer; - daar ’n oriënteringsprogram vir oorbruggingsleerders bestaan; - oorbruggingsleerders die bevel oor eenhede moet oorneem; - leerders personeelgesindhede as ’n hindernis ervaar; - daar ’n leerder/mentor-verhouding in die kliniese omgewing is; - geleenthede vir praktiese onderrig geskep word. ’n Beskrywende, verkennende studie met ’n oorwegend kwantitatiewe benadering is uitgevoer. Die studiebevolking was oorbruggingsleerders (N = 89) wat die drie privaat verpleegkolleges in die Kaapse metropool verteenwoordig. As gevolg van die klein populasie het alle leerders wat vrywillig hul toestemming verleen het, aan die studie deelgeneem. Gevolglik is ’n steekproef (n = 55/62%) van die teikenpopulasie geneem. Die navorser het ’n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys gebruik om data in te win en beide oop en toe vrae was gevra. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is deur middel van ’n proefstudie sowel as die gebruik van deskundiges op die gebied van verpleegonderrig en statistiek verseker. Die navorser het die data persoonlik ingesamel. Etiese goedkeuring is van die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee van die Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe van die Universiteit Stellenbosch verkry. Statistiese korrelasies is met behulp van die Spearman- en Mann-Whitney-U-toetse ondersoek. Die resultate van die studie word in die vorm van persentasies en tabelle aangebied. Die meeste deelnemers (n = 46/84%) reken daar is nie voldoende personeel in die sale nie. Voorts dink die meeste (n=40/73%) ook dat werksomstandighede nie onderrig bevorder nie. Kwalitatiewe ontleding toon dat die deelnemers die kliniese omgewing as bedreigend beskou, en die meeste (n = 47/85%) is dit ook eens dat personeel ’n negatiewe houding teenoor hulle openbaar. Slegs vyf deelnemers (n = 5/9%) het aangedui dat hulle altyd tyd saam met hulle mentor deurbring, terwyl die meeste (n = 36/65%) erken dat hulle nie hulle studie-uitkomste bereik alvorens hulle na ’n ander saal oorgeplaas word nie. Die studie bevind dat ’n personeeltekort, om in bevel van eenhede geplaas te word in die afwesigheid van ‘n geregistreerde verpleegkundige, personeel se negatiewe houding, en die gebrek aan ’n mentor/leerder-verhouding van die faktore is wat onderrig in die kliniese omgewing benadeel. Verskeie aanbevelings word op grond van die studiebevindinge gedoen. Dit sluit die volgende in: - Daar behoort genoegsame personeel aan diens te wees om die onderrigomgewing vir leerders te verbeter en hulle sodoende in staat te stel om hul studie-uitkomste volgens die kurrikulum te behaal. - Behoorlike toesig oor leerders moet verseker word. - Leerders behoort op praktiese dae van ander werk vrygestel te word ten einde hul prosedures te voltooi. Faktore wat die leer ervaring van oorbruggings leerders in die kliniese omgewing beinvloed was identifiseer. Strategieë wat hierdie faktore adresseer, kan hulle kliniese ervaring asook hul kliniese vaardigheid verbeter.

Nursing faces many challenges today, such as an international shortageof nurses and high medico-legal risks. One way of becoming a professional nurse is to complete a diploma course called the Bridging Course at a private nursing college. This is a two-year diploma course that is controlled by the South African Nursing Council (SANC), Regulation 683. This course allows enrolled nurses to further their studies to become a professional nurse, thus becoming an independent practitioner. These Bridging Course students need to do mentoring as part of their training so as to socialise them into the requirements for the role they will fulfil as a professional nurse and assist them to attain the competencies needed to function independently after the training phase. The various prescribed competencies that the Bridging Course student nurse needs to complete are clinical, co-ordination and management competencies. Clinical competencies equip them to perform and teach all nursing duties and co-ordination competencies ensure smooth, effective running of a ward. Then there are management competencies to be able to meet the vision, mission and philosophy of the unit and to have control from an or Nursing faces many challenges today, such as an international shortage of nurses and high medico-legal risks. One way of becoming a professional nurse is to complete a diploma course called the Bridging Course at a private nursing college. This is a two-year diploma course that is controlled by the South African Nursing Council (SANC), Regulation 683. This course allows enrolled nurses to further their studies to become a professional nurse, thus becoming an independent practitioner. These Bridging Course students need to do mentoring as part of their training so as to socialise them into the requirements for the role they will fulfil as a professional nurse and assist them to attain the competencies needed to function independently after the training phase. The various prescribed competencies that the Bridging Course student nurse needs to complete are clinical, co-ordination and management competencies. Clinical competencies equip them to perform and teach all nursing duties and co-ordination competencies ensure smooth, effective running of a ward. Then there are management competencies to be able to meet the vision, mission and philosophy of the unit and to have control from an organisational, human resource and business perspective. Research studies have discovered higher retention and graduation rates to be one of the positive outcomes of the mentoring process; also that mentoring solidifies people as leaders (Seekoe, 2011:15). Due to the international shortage of professional nurses, effective mentoring is much needed. This will allow the professional nurses to be able to perform competently in all expected areas. Having competent, qualified professional nurses may help to reduce medico-legal risks and restore the public’s trust in the nursing profession. Despite extensive research on mentoring, there is little research on the Bridging Course student nurse’s perceptions regarding mentoring, ganisational, human resource and business perspective. Research studies have discovered higher retention and graduation rates to be one of the positive outcomes of the mentoring process; also that mentoring solidifies people as leaders (Seekoe, 2011:15). Due to the international shortage of professional nurses, effective mentoring is much needed. This will allow the professional nurses to be able to perform competently in all expected areas. Having competent, qualified professional nurses may help to reduce medico-legal risks and restore the public’s trust in the nursing profession. Despite extensive research on mentoring, there is little research on the Bridging Course student nurse’s perceptions regarding mentoring.

The United States is among one of the only democratic industrialized nations in the world that does not provide guaranteed access to civil representation in cases involving basic human need. This leaves indigent litigants who are at risk of losing their homes or their children left to seek counsel through insufficient pro-bono programs or limited scope legal self-help centers. This thesis provides a history of the struggle for the right to civil counsel, known as Civil Gideon, and explores a variety of proposed solutions to bridge the justice gap for indigent litigants. Despite considerable support for Civil Gideon among scholars and the legal community, the public is unaware of the justice gap- about 80% of Americans assume the right to civil counsel already exists. This thesis conducted two studies to understand possible reasons for this gap between public knowledge and reality and to identify the possibility of manipulating public knowledge through exposure to injustices. The findings from these studies are used to inform a network approach to shape public support for Civil Gideon so that the US court system can truly represent opportunity and equality for all citizens.

"Women are returning to study as mature age students in increasing numbers. Typically, these women have been away from study for a number of years and, in order to gain entrance into a university course most women are required to undertake a bridging program. Bridging programs can provide women with an alternative pathway into university and are designed to develop the academic and study skills required to successfully undertake undergraduate studies. The Women into Science and Technology (WIST) bridging program, offered by Central Queensland University, is a selfpaced bridging program which provides a low cost, study at home option specifically designed to accommodate womens needs. This research focuses on the perceived needs of women who are enrolled in the WIST program. To this end a survey instrument has been developed to identify the needs and challenges of women undertaking the WIST program. This instrument was used to explore the needs and challenges of women enrolled in the WIST program. The survey results revealed that women have a range of needs which include support from the university, development of study and academic skills, personal qualities such as motivation and determination as well as support from their family and personal networks. The results indicate that the university needs to provide a range of support mechanisms and processes. These outcomes were used to develop the Get SET for Study framework that can be used for the planning and design of bridging courses similar to WIST for women who are considering enrolling in university." -- abstract

abstract: Scholars have attended to paradoxes inherent in wider public discourse where subordinated groups most affected by laws and sanctions have the least political, material, and rhetorical capital to speak back to them. Such scholarship often focuses either on the subordinated status of a group or the work of subordinated groups going public as part of a collective mass movement for social change. In doing so, scholarship risks undermining the agency of subordinated rhetors or treating mass-movement rhetoric as somehow both exceptional and yet necessary for enacting cultural citizenship. What is less frequently studied is the agency that local publics demonstrate through their tenacious organizational decision-making in the face of political, material, and rhetorical sanctions. In response to this gap, this project features the Puente Movement, a mixed-documentation-status grassroots organization in Phoenix, AZ. Specifically, I’ve analyzed this organization’s public efforts from April 23rd, 2010 to September 6th, 2012 to oppose Senate Bill 1070—a state-specific measure to stop undocumented immigration across the Mexico/Arizona border and deport current undocumented residents. I situate the study in the larger context of Latino cultural citizenship. Combining a critical-incident interview technique and a rhetorically informed decision-making framework, I analyze Puente’s active construction and public circulation of argumentative appeals in relation to their decision-making that attempted to leverage Puente’s identity and membership to serve its constituents and to continue to direct wider public attention to SB 1070. Using a five-part framework to assess potential risks and benefits, the study documents the complexity of this decision-making. For instance, the study shows how Puente’s strategy of Barrio Defense Committees negotiated the tension between protecting the identification of local residents and publically protesting the injustices of immigration sanctions. It also highlights how a strategy to use member’s undocumented status as a point of publicity actively engaged tensions between the narratives Puente members wanted to present to the public about undocumented people and the images otherwise circulated. Behind these strategies and others like them is Puente’s persistent effort to re-frame immigration controversy. Findings are relevant to the study of Latino/a social movements, public-spheres scholarship, and action-research with subordinated rhetors.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation English 2015

Legal and scientific imperatives necessitate the validation of a psychometric battery before using it for the purposes of personnel selection and decision- making. The aim of this investigation is to validate a selection battery, i.e. the Ability, Processing of Information and Learning (APIL) Battery and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM), used in selecting university bridging - course students. The empirical study is informed by a literature review focussing on the legal and scientific parameters of psychometrics within selection, the conceptualisation of intelligence and its relationship to academic performance. Hypotheses are posed regarding the predictive power of the selection battery and the effect of biographical factors on academic performance. Results indicate that the APU. Battery apd Raven's APM are both valid predictors of academic performance, ·although the former appears more effective. This investigation emphasises the influence of moderating factors, i.e. factors other than cognitive ability, on academic performance.
Industrial and Organisational Psychology
M. Adm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

An exploratory, descriptive qualitative design was used to describe and explore how the students experienced their clinical accompaniment in a specific programme. The researcher conducted a tape recorded interview to a 14 individual students, who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, transcription followed, then data analysis was done following the steps as described by De Vos, Srydom, Fouché and Delport (2005:334) citing Creswell (1998:142) where open coding leads to themes and subthemes. From the findings of this study it was discovered that the students experienced dissatisfaction in terms of their development of clinical skills to competence as they were not given an opportunity due to negative circumstances around their training. Recommendations were made to improve clinical accompaniment of student nurses for all involved so that the student nurses acquire clinical skills, knowledge and values.
Health Studies
M.A. (Health Studies)

Reading is considered to be a vital skill for academic success, yet it is seldom taught to or practised with students. Students begin to `read to learn' during primary and secondary schooling. However, at tertiary level the academic demands are much greater than before and involve more extensive reading of conceptually more complex texts. This study investigates the implementation of an intensive reading programme for post-matric English Second Language Science students, based on the assumption that reading improves reading. In addition, this study investigates the effect that reading ability has on academic performance in Science, which relies inter alia, on the ability to read, comprehend and interpret word problems. An intervention group and a control group were used to ascertain the effects of an intensive reading programme and the findings suggest that any reading (intensive or extensive) improves reading and language skills. This in turn impacts on academic performance in Science, if students have an ability in Science to begin with.
Linguistics
MA - SP APPLIED LINGUISTICS