Browsing by Author "Duma, Princess Thulile."

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Experiences of academic success of students with disabilities at Universities of Technology in South Africa.
(2019) Duma, Princess Thulile.; Shawa, Lester Brian.
As a minority group, people with disabilities experience discrimination and stigmatisation in our communities. According to some disability models, the general public often perpetuates the negative treatment of people with disabilities, and this is exemplified particularly in the medical and the social models. In South Africa, the issue of disability has rightly received concerted attention, which is evident in the number of legislations the country has promulgated since the advent of a democratic government. South Africa is one of the signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and it ratified it and the Optional Protocol on 30 November 2007. Transformation and the democratisation of the education sector have resulted in a steep incline in the number of students with disabilities in higher education. These students are not often included in statistics but there is evidence that many have gained confidence in the system and have proved themselves to be competent students in the academic sphere. Moreover, many are succeeding despite the under-preparedness of some higher education institutions to accommodate these students both physically and academically. The following questions guided the study: 1. Which experiences of academically successful students with disabilities contribute to their academic success in universities of technology? 2. How do the experiences of academically successful students with disabilities contribute to their academic success in universities of technology? 3. Why do the experiences of academically successful students with disabilities contribute to their academic success in the way they do? The purpose of the study was to explore and thus understand the experiences of academic success of students with disabilities in two universities of technology in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, namely the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). Disabilities are mostly associated with limitations and dependency, but this study took a positive approach by placing the investigation under the lenses of the resilience and self-efficacy theories. The study was underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm which allowed the researcher to view the academic environment through the perceptions and experiences of the participants. The theoretical framework that I employed comprised a combination of phenomenology, resilience and self-efficacy and I used these theories as a springboard to understand the phenomenon of academic success achieved by students with disabilities. Thirteen participants were involved in this qualitative research. I used both purposive and snowball sampling to obtain saturated data. A qualitative research design was employed in this inquiry. Semi-structured interviews and photo-voice images were used as the primary data collection methods. The data that were obtained through these methods were augmented by observation notes and document analysis. The study found that, irrespective of the different backgrounds of the two institutions, the participants shared common academic experiences. The findings could be divided into three distinct categories, namely: main focus, stressors, and enablers. In the category of main focus it was found that students with disabilities desired independence, leeway to build their own future, and they wanted to be developed and empowered so that they could emancipate themselves from the bondage of discrimination. The second category revealed conflicting forces that I refer to as stressors. These stressors were engendered by a lack of inclusivity and were driven by a number of issues including an ‘unfriendly’ infrastructure, limited curricula, inappropriate teaching and learning methodologies, residential issues, and limited funding. The third category enlightened the enablers, which were support, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, spirituality, and resilience. Although a combination of the three theories that were employed was a novel approach in this field of study, it should be noted that the findings were not unique and did not digress from those of earlier studies. In order to enhance the academic success of students with disabilities, I strongly recommend that universities prioritise inclusivity and encourage disability awareness among all staff members.
Leading workplace learning : a case of Mangosuthu University of Technology.
(2013) Duma, Princess Thulile.; Hardman, Stanley George.
Learning organization and organizational learning are concepts that have been explored extensively in the literature. Interestingly, there seems to be a lot that organizations can still learn from the concept of organizational learning. Using the practitioner research methodology, this research project attempted to explore how applicable the theory of learning organization is at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). Practitioner research allows the practitioner to reflect on his or her practice with the intention of improving the practice. As the Skills Development practitioner, I am motivated to improve workplace learning at MUT. The literature review conducted for this study has revealed that workplace learning has an enormous impact on both the performance and the image of organizations. As the environment in which organizations operate in the 21st century is very turbulent and demands dynamic people to function within the structure, employees need to share knowledge, and learn and re-learn new skills. To explore the intensity of workplace learning at MUT a survey and focus group was used. The findings revealed that MUT is on a journey of becoming a learning organisation; given all the efforts it has put in place to strengthen workplace learning. Workplace learning is encouraged at MUT.