Browsing by Author "Cliff, Alan"

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    A cultural-historical activity theory based analysis of lecturer and student understanding of learning in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town
    (2019) Van Heerden, Thomas; Cliff, Alan
    Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) provides a framework for analysing activity systems. I use that framework to investigate teaching and learning in two first-year university mathematics courses at the University of Cape Town. The focus of this investigation is whether the different subjects of this activity system (i.e. the students and the lecturers) have different conceptions of learning, and what those possible differences mean for teaching and learning. The CHAT framework is well-suited to this type of work. CHAT’s theoretical roots are in Hegel’s dialectics and Vygotsky’s mediation. Teaching and learning are higher-order mental phenomena. Dialectics allow us to aggregate our data to draw conclusions about this type of higher-order phenomenon, and the notion of mediation (extended from Vygotsky’s initial work by Leont’ev and others) provides a means to understand how learning happens. Data are collected both through face-to-face interviews with a small group of subjects (n = 6) and more broadly through an online questionnaire (n = 55). The face-to-face interviews and the questionnaires make it clear that students and lecturers do have different conceptions of learning; in the language of CHAT, there are tensions in the system. These tensions can be categorised into two major themes: what students do and how they do it. These tensions will not be easily resolved; I suggest teaching some meta-cognitive skills rather than only mathematics as a first step.
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    An activity theory analysis of how management of a private higher education institution interpret and engage with re-accreditation
    (2021) Reid, Rhiannon Sara; Cliff, Alan
    The aim of this study was to provide an in-depth understanding of how a single private provider conducted an application for re-accreditation in line with the recently revised accreditation framework set out by the Council on Higher Education. This framework aims to promote an integrated approach to accreditation and increased autonomy for higher education institutions with regard to the reaccreditation of programmes. The research unpacked how accreditation was understood and applied within the context of the institution, placing emphasis on understanding the elements that promoted or inhibited quality as well as the tensions and contradictions that arose within this process. The driving question addressed by this research was: How does management within a South African private higher education institution engage with the re-accreditation process? Literature revealed that there is limited research on understanding quality assurance in private higher education in South Africa, and specifically on accreditation. Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) was considered the most effective lens to interpret the findings of this study, as research indicates that it is for teasing out the historical and cultural contradictions within as well as between people, tools and the environment within complex educational systems. Multiple data-gathering techniques, including semi-structured in-depth interviews, participant observations and documentation reviews, were conducted. The findings of this study illuminate the critical role of management and their respective interpretations of quality in the shaping of the application for re-accreditation, that balanced quality development and accountability requirements. The study highlighted contradictions and issues that inhibited meaningful engagement with accreditation as well as the enhancement of programme and institutional quality.
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    The balance between excellence and equity on admission test: contributions of experiences in South Africa and Costa Rica 
    (RINACE, 2010) Cliff, Alan; Montero, Eiliana
    Two experiences are described related to the challenge of maximizing excellence and equity in admission for Higher Education. At the University of Costa Rica (UCR) a test of reasoning with figures is being developed and validated to measure fluid intelligence, taking as a frame of reference the concepts by Raymond Cattell. On the other hand, the University of Cape Town in South Africa applies dynamic assessment methods, with tests that "teach" through their solution and based on Vygotskian approaches. These South African instruments have already provided predictive validity evidence in survival analysis studies and belong to an alternative admission program for students that come from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom belong to groups who were segregated during "Apartheid". Whereas in the University of Costa Rica (UCR) the project is recent and currently it is being carried out in a diagnostic and research phase, the University of Cape Town possesses a trajectory of more than 20 years implementing its alternative admission program. Both proposals aim to identify in a more precise way students who have academic and cognitive potential for Higher Education, who come from environments with educational disadvantages, and whose abilities could be underestimated if only "traditional" admission tests and evaluations are employed. This article was published in both Spanish and English and the Spanish version is included.
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    A comparative analysis of academic literacy specifications for a standardised test and academic literacy requirements for reading and writing in a range of disciplinary contexts
    (2015) Scholtz, Desiree Leonora; Cliff, Alan
    Standardised testing gained prominence in the South African higher education sector in the last decade, largely as a means of providing information to identify students who might require additional academic support and for placements onto appropriate higher education programmes of study. This study explored academic literacy as a construct for standardised tests in comparison with the kinds of literacies required for reading and writing for various subjects across diploma programmes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether alignment between the academic literacy test specifications and reading and writing practices in and across diploma subjects would support the claim that generic standardised tests are appropriate for all subjects and fields of study. Theoretical approaches to standardised testing and academic literacies formed the backdrop to frame the study and analyse the findings. The multiple-case study approach was used to explore the reading and writing practices across various diploma subjects, using semi structured interviews and document analysis for data generation. The test specifications of a standardised test served as the interview protocol, as well as the analytic codes for interview and document data that were analysed by means of thematic coding and content analysis. The findings revealed two distinct content representations in different subjects, that is text-dominant and visual literacy-dominant orientations that influenced the practice and application of different literacies, academic literacy being but one of an array of literacies. Conclusions based on the data and findings suggest that while academic literacy as a construct is integral to knowledge acquisition in academia, disciplinary literacies have a profound presence and should be accommodated in standardised testing to ensure that what is tested resonates with subject literacies. It is argued that alignment of test specifications and reading and writing practices in subjects would render tests and test results valid for appropriate use.
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    A contextual investigation into selected factors associated with student performance in Financial Accounting 1 at a South African institution
    (2005) Moore, Colleen; Rochford, Kevin; Cliff, Alan
    In South Africa, applicants to Higher Education come from diverse socio-economic, language and educational backgrounds. Within this context many researchers (e.g. Yeld 2001; Cliff 2003) suggest that school-leaving results may not adequately reflect the entry-level abilities of many students to be successful in Higher Education. Against this backdrop, the matric aggregate and the matric results in Accounting or Mathematics comprise the main selection criteria for admission to three Accounting National Diploma courses at the Cape Technikon. The main question that this study therefore attempted to answer was whether matric Accounting HG or SG is a good predictor of success in Financial Accounting 1. The following sub-questions were also asked: Is performance in Financial Accounting 1 linked to other academic variables, like matric aggregate and matric Mathematics HG or SG, and to other measureable influences like home language, gender, and age? Using the ex post facto research method, all the aforementioned data was collected from the technikon records. Eight null hypotheses were formulated and tested for approximately 300 students registered for Financial Accounting 1 during each of the years 1998-2002. Based on the results of the ANOVA analyses, Mann-Whitney tests (Maths SG), t-tests (gender) and Pearson product-moment correlation (age), it was concluded that for all five years there is a statistically significant relationship between the Financial Accounting 1 marks of students and the variables Matric Accounting HG scores, Matric Accounting SG scores, Matric aggregate scores and Home language, although the latter result is possibly borderline significant and might need further investigation. The higher the students' above-mentioned matric scores, the higher investigation. The higher the students' above-mentioned matric scores, the higher the subsequent Financial Accounting 1 marks are likely to be.
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    The design and use of 'alternate'assessments of academic literacy as selection mechanisms in higher education
    (Taylor & Francis, 2009) Cliff, Alan; Hanslo, Monique
    In a context where applicants to higher education study vary widely in terms of their prior educational, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds, it becomes extremely important to assess the extent to which these applicants might be said to be ready to cope with the typical academic reading and writing demands of higher education study. This assessment becomes even more crucial in a country like South Africa, where issues of equity of access, selection and redress remain a central challenge. Put simply, the challenge is to identify academically talented students from educationally diverse backgrounds, especially in cases where the educational backgrounds of these applicants may have militated against them, fully demonstrating their talent in conventional (e.g. school-leaving) examinations. This article describes the theoretical basis for the development of tests of academic literacy that downplay the role of prior learning in the assessment of academic readiness. The uses of these tests as selection mechanisms complementary to conventional academic assessments are also outlined. Empirical data are presented that demonstrate associations between these tests and academic performance in higher education. Issues and challenges regarding the validity and reliability of these tests are presented, and the implications of major research findings on the tests debated and deliberated upon.
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    El Balance entre Excelencia y Equidad en Pruebas de Admisión: Contribuciones de Experiencias en Sudáfrica y Costa Rica
    (Red Iberoamericana de Investigación sobre Cambio y Eficacia Escolar (RINACE), 2010) Cliff, Alan; Montero, Eiliana
    Two experiences are described related to the challenge of maximizing excellence and equity in admission for Higher Education. At the University of Costa Rica (UCR) a test of reasoning with figures is being developed and validated to measure fluid intelligence, taking as a frame of reference the concepts by Raymond Cattell. On the other hand, the University of Cape Town in South Africa applies dynamic assessment methods, with tests that "teach" through their solution and based on Vygotskian approaches. These South African instruments have already provided predictive validity evidence in survival analysis studies and belong to an alternative admission program for students that come from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom belong to groups who were segregated during "Apartheid". Whereas in the University of Costa Rica (UCR) the project is recent and currently it is being carried out in a diagnostic and research phase, the University of Cape Town possesses a trajectory of more than 20 years implementing its alternative admission program. Both proposals aim to identify in a more precise way students who have academic and cognitive potential for Higher Education, who come from environments with educational disadvantages, and whose abilities could be underestimated if only "traditional" admission tests and evaluations are employed.
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    Entry-level students' reading abilities and what these abilities might mean for academic readiness
    (Language Matters, 2014-12-23) Cliff, Alan
    he National Benchmark Tests Project (NBTP) was commissioned by Higher Education South Africa and became operational in 2009. One of the main aims of the NBTP is to assess the extent to which entry-level students might be said to be ready to cope with the conventional demands of academic study in three key areas: academic literacy; quantitative literacy; and mathematics. This paper presents an analysis of the academic literacy readiness of a sample of registered students as reflected in their performance on the NBT in Academic Literacy, a standardised assessment developed in the context of the wider project. The paper presents a theoretical analysis of the construct of academic literacy as operationalised in the test. This is followed by a categorised empirical analysis of test-takers’ performance on the test, in which the levels of academic readiness of these test-takers are presented and discussed. The argument presented highlights the diverse range of academic literacy levels of entry-level students, as well as implying the teaching and learning interventions that might be necessary to improve readiness. Concluding comments argue that some groups of students may be unable to cope with conventional academic literacy demands in the absence of explicit intervention.
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    Institutional inclusion in Higher Education: an analysis of the experiences of access, belonging and participation of international/ foreign students at the University Of Cape Town.
    (2021) Naidoo, David; Cliff, Alan
    Despite the ongoing global conflicts, wars, disputes and crises which face the world, education is one of the forces enabling global unity. Cultural enrichment, through ‘semesters away,' student exchange programmes and the marketing of ‘ivy-league' education online, have resulted in an explosion in student migration. However, international student migration is not a new concept, dating back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Europe, where foreign students formed communities at recognized universities. The value of global migration in the realm of academics, has gained increasing attention in light of the tremendous value migrant students add to host countries' cultural, political and academic landscapes. However, the largest contribution relates to economic gain, which earns host countries billions of US dollars. While migrant students may be ‘welcome' into host communities, evidence points to issues surrounding homesickness, xenophobia, acculturative stress and social adjustment. One of the largest pull factors in student migration is the issue of university rankings. The University of Cape Town (UCT) is described as the ‘Harvard' of Africa due to its global and local ranking. The institution is ranked 1st in Africa and 136th in the world, in part for its international outlook (staff, students and research collaboration) (Times Higher Education, 2020). It is for this reason that students from across the globe traverse to South Africa to obtain a recognised qualification. The seductive power of UCT as a highly ranked university, exerts a tacit, subtle power over IS. Although there is this academic attraction, student experiences of access, participation and belonging may be questionable. Apart from seductive power, overt power, as seen in the application process for visas, study permits and inflated fees for IS, may create barriers to entry. Migrant student experiences may also be affected by the recent and continued volatility in the higher education landscape. Student mass action, centred on the calls for the #feesmustfall / #rhodesmustfall (‘fallist movements') and calls to decolonise higher education, have taken centre stage in the South African academic landscape. This begs the question of where and how IS fit into the struggle of the host nation. Students' ability to cope and acculturate into the host society is influenced by socio-cultural capital, determined largely by their country of origin (global north versus global south). In this regard IS may experience acceptance or marginalisation based on their social capital or by how they are viewed and accepted by the host nation. Students can also build resilience through assimilation, integration and self- marginalisation. The role of host societies and institutions in assisting migrant students to cope with the acculturation process and culture shock is globally, well documented. This researched is aimed at uncovering issues of access, participation and belonging of IS at the University of Cape Town. The aim of this study was explored by asking the following questions: What are the lived experiences of access, belonging and participation of international students at the University of Cape Town? Sub questions: i. What factors motivated students to migrate to South Africa? ii. How did IS experience and negotiate their experiences during the application process? iii. What were their experiences during registration and orientation? iv. What were their experiences academically and socially? v. How did they negotiate their transition from their home countries to South Africa? vi. What are the differences in experience between IS from varying socio-economic, cultural and geographic backgrounds? This qualitative research, using constructivist grounded theory, sought to uncover the experiences of IS through the lens of inclusive education, power, social capital, acculturation and voice research. Addressing issues of inclusive education is sometimes described as a conundrum in seeking to find solutions to, exactly ‘who is included, and into what?' Research indicates that inclusion is rather a layered, grey area rather than a binary of ‘who is in or who is out?' What inclusive education points to however, is the nature of power between students and institutions. The effects of the various types of power relations on IS are greatly influenced by class, culture, race and origin of students. This study captures the experiences of a cohort of 25 IS from various parts of the world and includes representation from both sexes and varying years of study. Findings of this study, relating to access, participation and belonging within the ambits of inclusive education, indicate varying degrees of inclusion. In the main, the political and geographical nature of the country of origin has a pronounced bearing on the experience of the IS. Similarly, the effects of the seductive power of western, coloniality play an integral role in choice of institution. The South African scenario is further complicated by student unrest/ #fallist movements which further alienates IS.
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    An investigation of factors that facilitate or constrain how adults learn in relation to training in PeopleSoft systems.
    (2012) Chetty, Sashni; Cliff, Alan
    This study looked at how administrative staff navigated and negotiated the demands of a workplace utilising the PeopleSoft system, how they conceived of the processes of workplace learning they engaged in, factors they believed facilitated or constrained their learning processes and how these factors were dealt with.
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    The National Benchmark Test in Academic Literacy: How might it be used to support teaching in higher education?
    (Taylor & Francis, 2015) Cliff, Alan
    The National Benchmark Test in Academic Literacy is designed to assess the ability of first-year students to cope with the typical language-of-instruction, academic reading and reasoning demands they will face on entry to higher education. Drawing on quantitative data, this paper reports on the overall performance levels of a large-scale (n = 6500) national sample of test-takers who took the test as applicants for the 2013 intake into higher education. Overall test-taker performance is disaggregated by performance on sub-scales of the overall construct of academic literacy. The argument is made that the National Benchmark Test provides a framework for a nuanced and practicable understanding of test-takers’ academic literacy ‘proficiencies’. The conclusion to the paper evaluates the extent to which the test enables higher education lecturers’ greater engagement with students’ academic literacy shortcomings and with research-led information aimed at the improvement of teaching and learning.
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    A spatial analysis of the Alternative Admissions' Research Project at the University of Cape Town, 2000 - 2005.
    (2012) Takalani, Takadzani; Butcher, Shirley; Meadows, Michael E; Cliff, Alan
    The purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate the potential contribution of spatial analysis using GIS on candidates who undergo the Alternative Admissions Research Project (AARP) tests for alternative admission to University of Cape Town (UCT). Spatial analysis may be useful in interrogating existing information on the geographical distribution of AARP candidates, in particular, those who are regarded as educationally disadvantaged as a result of apartheid policy and practices of the past. GIS techniques and tools were applied in order to assess accessibility of UCT AARP services provided to students nationally, and to demonstrate how GIS may be incorporated into the various academic faculties at UCT, particularly academic faculty recruitment planning.
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    The extent to which a basic financial literacy programme delivered to over-indebted call-centre agents enables transformative learning to take place
    (2020) Denton, Laura; Cliff, Alan
    Against the backdrop of a high level of personal over-indebtedness experienced by a large number of a Company's call-centre employees, a basic financial literacy workshop was conceptualised, implemented and offered to employees. However, while some participants found the learning helpful in alleviating their indebtedness to a lesser or greater degree, others did not. Drawing on qualitative data analysed through an interpretivist lens, this paper attempts to understand the extent to which the adult learners experienced transformative learning in the classroom. The paper's argument states that if transformative learning conditions are identified as being present in the workshop and adult learners experience a shift to a new worldview of their indebtedness situation, they will successfully implement positive changes towards alleviating their debt. The interview data for this small-group study comprised in-depth, face-to-face interviews with two participants, regarded as representative of the larger group of participants, triangulated with facilitator interview data and with workshop observation and note-taking. The thematic analysis method was used for identifying, coding and analysing the data. The themes identified related to the four main components of transformative learning theory namely, (1) triggering transformation; (2) critical reflection; (3) critical discourse and (4) willingness to act. The study showed that there were indeed components of transformative learning evident in the workshop facilitation and experienced by the study participants but that the nature of these components were embryonic. Further development of these emergent elements is required for true transformative learning to take place. Owing to the deep seated influence of a learner's worldview in prescribing how to spend his or her money, against the backdrop of the broader South African culture of indebtedness, it is only through experiencing true transformative learning that adult learners can identify and critically reflect on the belief systems that shape the way they think about and make positive changes towards their indebtedness.
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    The value of the matriculation and the alternative admissions tests scores in predicting success for the Bachelor of Business Science extended curriculum programme students at the University of Cape Town
    (2007) Francis, Ramona Helena Catharina; Cliff, Alan
    The focus of this minor dissertation is on the relationship between the Matriculation examination results, the Alternative Admissions Research Project (AARP) test scores and the academic success of students in the Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc) degree programme. This study is particularly focused on the BBusSc Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) students, and reports on the 2001 to 2003 cohorts for the period 2001 to 2005 to ascertain what value the data available upon admission contribute in terms of predicting success for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds within the diverse education landscape in South Africa. This study examines and gives a descriptive analysis of the concurrent validity of AARP test scores and the Matriculation examination results and the predictive validity of each set of scores in relation to performance in each academic year of study, as well as the relationship of these scores with retention at university and graduation. The predictive validity of the AARP test results and the Matriculation examination scores alone and in conjunction with other pre-admission data for the Extended Curriculum students are analysed and discussed and then compared to performance, retention and success of Mainstream BBusSc students. The assessment of this validity contrasts the ECP with the mainstream curriculum provisions to highlight the possible effects of the sustained interventions provided by the BBusSc ECP.
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    Who benefits from online education? How the implementation of technology in higher education can result in increasing inequalities in higher education institutions
    (2020) Pieterse, Allison; Mlatsheni, Cecil; Cliff, Alan
    The existing literature is inconclusive on how technology in education influences student outcomes and whether it will lead to an improvement in tertiary education access. This paper aims to determine whether the implementation of technology in higher education will lead to an improvement in the access to higher education through online education as well as improving student outcomes. In addition, the paper aims to show that implementing technology in higher education could increase existing inequalities amongst students from different backgrounds. The paper will do this by demonstrating the qualitative and quantitative factors which are the underlying reasons for some students doing better in an online setting compared to others. Furthermore, the paper will show that students from advantaged backgrounds with respect to race and income, benefit more from online and blended learning than students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. Therefore, tertiary institutions need to provide caution when establishing blended learning and online education programmes as it could lead to increasing educational inequalities.
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    Writer performance ranges on the NBT Academic Literacy Test: an analysis through a Semantics lens
    (2019) Msusa, Naomi; Cliff, Alan
    Karl Maton argues that Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) not only allows knowledge practices to be seen and analysed; it also brings them into relation with the analysis of students themselves. In other words, it views educational experiences as an outcome of the dispositions brought by actors to a knowledge context, and the nature of the context itself. My dissertation research addressed the question of how LCT can be used to analyse student performance of a higher education applicant cohort on a National Benchmark Test (NBT) Academic Literacy assessment. This was done in order to glean more information that can be used firstly as a predictive tool for future success, and as an identifier of specific areas that reveal student academic under-preparedness. The study also attempted to show how this information might play a role in the development of interventions intended for students identified in this way. I argued that an appropriately designed tool can enable the lecturer to surface additional information from the NBTs that may be of further use after admission and placement, particularly when applied to an aspect of the curriculum of an extended or support programme. I proceeded by analysing the performance patterns of an NBT Academic Literacy test-taker cohort. I focused on the semantic gravity and semantic density ranges of these test-takers' performance, and used this analysis as a tool to gauge the level of performance of the NBT test-taker against what is considered to be the 'legitimate' indicator for success: status and achievement in this domain in a first year classroom. I demonstrated how, by using this tool, the lecturer might be able to determine what information from the NBT AL may be deemed to be of value to complement existing provision of support in this domain