Browsing by Author "Field, Carren"

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    A Design and Short-term Outcome Evaluation of the Commerce Faculty’s First Year Experience Mentoring Programme
    (2018) Moeketsi, Themba; Field, Carren
    This dissertation reports on a design and outcome evaluation of the Commerce First Year Experience (FYEM) programme. The FYEM programme is implemented by the Centre of Higher Education Department at the University of Cape Town. The FYEM programme is an academic and social supportive cooperation between universities faculties, departments, mentors and facilities for first year Commerce students. The collective efforts intend to: i) provide the first year students with a sense of belonging, ii) help students to adapt to university, and iii) offer academic and emotional to the students. A three repeated measure was used for this study. The measures were conducted in May, June and July. The first set of evaluation questions were based on the design of the programme: i) should mentoring be compulsory for first year students? ii) what is the effective duration for tertiary mentoring, iii) what is the most effective way of assigning mentors to mentees? and iv) what is the most effective medium for mentoring relationships? The second set of questions was based on the intended short-term outcomes of the programme: v) did the mentoring programme improve the psychosocial and academic attributes of students at observation time one to observation time two? vi) were these effects sustainable, meaning did the students continue to improve even after the end of the programme between observation time two and observation time three? and vii) was a difference between mentored and non-mentored students over time? The theory design results illustrated that selecting appropriate mentors requires setting up criteria based on certain characteristics. The duration of mentoring should be one year to allow the full transition of first-year students to the university. Another result showed that mentoring should be compulsory for the first year students provided that there is an opt-out option. Mentors and mentees should be given the opportunity to select their preferred individuals to work with and not be randomly assigned. Additionally, the most effective medium for mentoring was group sessions instead of one on one. The short-term outcome results for the mentoring programme were statistically insignificant due to the small sample size. There was, however, a small improvement in the means of the psychosocial and academic outcomes. After three months of the programme, there were no significant differences between the mentored and non-mentored students. The sample size may have contributed to the lack of effect as well as lack of qualitative data. In conclusion, it is evident that FYEM programme results were statistically insignificant. However, positive increases were observed for the mentored students’ sense of belonging, peer interaction, academic adjustment and engagement. The limitations of this study must be addressed so that more reliable and valid data can be gathered. The results from the design evaluation component can be used to improve the programmes’ implementation in 2017.
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    A Formative Evaluation of the Dream Toolkit component of the Be the Dream Programme
    (2018) Bhebe, Brilliant; Field, Carren
    The need for positive youth development programmes is necessary in the South African context where youth struggle with many socio-economic challenges including poverty, youth unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, violent behaviour and high school dropout. These programmes aim to promote personal and interpersonal development outcomes for at-risk youth so that they can lead better purpose-driven lives. The following dissertation presents the findings of a formative evaluation conducted for the Dream Toolkit Component of the Be the Dream Programme, a PYD programme implemented by Dream Factory Foundation in Cape Town. Three evaluations were performed, namely programme theory evaluation, implementation evaluation, and short-term outcome evaluation. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were utilised to answer the evaluation questions posed. Overall, the findings indicate that: a) the programme theory of the Dream Toolkit Programme is consistent with best practices programmes and the causal logic of the programme was deemed to be plausible; b) programme participants were highly satisfied with the programme services; c) the programme was implemented with limited fidelity; and d) majority of the learners demonstrated relatively high self-esteem and career decidedness outcome levels. While the evaluation yielded positive results, the evaluator was able to make a number of recommendations and highlight important considerations for DFF to improve the Dream Toolkit Programme. This evaluation contributes to limited research on implementation and programme theory driven evaluations in the PYD programme context.
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    A theory evaluation of a peer education programme.
    (2012) Naude, Zani; Field, Carren
    Peer education is a popular strategy to promote positive behaviour among youths. Peer education programmes are usually influenced by either the cognitive behaviour or the structural approach. The cognitive behaviour approach views behaviour change as an individualistic decision that is influenced by an individual's knowledge of the causes and consequences of risk behaviour. The structural approach in contrast rejects the idea that behaviour is an individual decision instead arguing that decision-making takes place within the context of socio-economic dynamics and social and cultural norms. The approach that an organisation favours will influence the design of the programme. Mfesane implemented a peer education programme in the Saldanha Bay Municipality in 2008. This programme was rooted in the Cognitive Behaviour Approach and was targeted at Grade 9 to Grade 12 learners in various high schools in the Saldanha bay area. The programme aimed to convey knowledge of HIV/AIDS to the youth in order to change the youth's sexual behaviours and thus reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. An outcome evaluation that was conducted at the end of the programme's 3 year span found that although the programme successfully increased the youth's knowledge of HIV/AIDS, it did not succeed in changing risk behaviour due to the fact that more than half of the youths were already sexually active by age 16. The evaluation findings motivated Mfesane to review its peer education programme. Initially the organisation considered presenting the programme to a younger cohort. However, the current legal framework in South Africa would restrict what messages Mfesane could share with a younger audience. Instead the organisation agreed to continue targeting high school learners, but to reformulate the programme in order to improve the impact of the programme. The evaluator was approached to conduct a theory evaluation that would assist Mfesane to formulate a more effective programme. A theory evaluation extracts programme assumptions from stakeholders in order to assess the plausibility thereof based on social science literature and previous evaluation findings. During the planning phase of a new programme a theory evaluation can be used to ensure that stakeholders have a common view of the programme and the programme can plausibly achieve its desired outcomes. This theory evaluation was guided by three specific questions: 1) what are the underlying assumptions of the programme; 2) are the assumptions based on clear theoretical linkages; and 3) does evidence exist to support the programme assumptions? These questions guided the systematic method that was used to gather the information that informed the recommended programme theory. The programme assumptions were elicited from programme staff through individual interviews and two focus groups' discussions; one with the programme implementers and another with the programme managers. The separate focus group discussions enabled the evaluator to adopt strategies suited to the group's level of experience and previous exposure to programme theory. The programme implementers were systematically introduced to the different concepts used in programme theory before constructing a common programme theory while the programme managers could directly formulate a programme theory. In structuring their programme theories, both groups moved away from the cognitive behaviour approach and adopted a more holistic approach towards behaviour change that resembles the structural approach. An interesting finding was that in both instances the groups also moved away from focussing on risk prevention rather proposing to strengthen youth to become successful adults. However, the two groups proposed significantly different programme theories and in neither instance did these theories have strong causal links. After reviewing both programme theories, the evaluator presented the two groups with the programme outcomes that had been identified uniquely by each group and those that overlapped. This was used by Mfesane as a guide to identify the outcomes it would like to achieve through the new programme. Although the proposed programme theories supplemented the peer education programme with additional interventions such as income generation, in the end, the organisation for practical reasons decided to continue focusing primarily on peer education as an intervention. The evaluator assessed the plausibility of the proposed new peer education programme by interrogating social science literature and previous evaluation findings. A proposed causal chain for behaviour change was identified by integrating two behaviour change theories, the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, into a single model. This model was used to measure how effectively the proposed activities could facilitate behaviour change. Based on these findings the evaluator could recommend a plausible programme theory in line with Mfesane's vision for the peer education programme. The differences between the two programme theories illustrated the value of a programme theory evaluation during the planning phases to ensure that stakeholders start the programme off with a common understanding thereof.
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    Animal welfare in South Africa : a multi-component programme design
    (2015) Adams, Leanne; Field, Carren
    The ongoing international atrocity of animal abuse is a persistent and widespread social problem within human society. The maltreatment of animals, particularly in rural impoverished contexts in South Africa continues to be a pertinent challenge facing local animal welfare organisations. Upon identifying the need to improve the conditions of animals living in the Darling community, the Swartland SPCA approached the evaluator in order to design a plausible humane education programme. The evaluator began this research by reviewing the history and underlying principles of humane education, the efficacy of humane education, as well as formalised humane education programmes. Findings from the review revealed that humane education programmes hold diminished capability for the achievement of improved animal welfare when implemented in isolation. Although these programmes aim to affect behavioural change in order to respond to the problem of animal welfare, behavioural change is not easily achieved with a simple intervention such as humane education. Thus, designing a programme for the Swartland SPCA based solely on the logic of humane education with the expectation of behavioural change was deemed problematic. Subsequently, the evaluator endeavoured to develop a novel programme design to target the problem of animal welfare in Darling. Increasingly, research points to the need for a multifaceted approach in dealing with the problem of animal maltreatment due to its complex nature as well as the fact that it is based on a large number of confounding personal, familial, social, cultural and psychological factors. To address this need, the evaluator, in consultation with the SPCA, identified a number of possible reasons as to why the problem of animal welfare was a prevalent issue within the Darling community. This highlighted the need for additional interventions that could be employed holistically to alleviate the problem of animal abuse. Given that this research concerns the welfare of animals in terms of human-directed behaviours, it was decided that humane education as a form of intervention should be investigated further in its ability to affect attitudinal change in conjunction with violence prevention and peer education / modelling interventions as additional programme components. In order to affect interpersonal violence at a behavioural level, a violence prevention component was selected with the hope that reductions in interpersonal violence may extent toward the reduction of violence and abusive behaviour towards animals. Finally, peer education / role modelling was selected as a means of involving community members in the promotion of animal welfare via the concepts developed from the humane education programme component. Since an improvement of animal welfare conditions is essentially dependant on the performance of individual behaviours, grounding the programme in a theory of behaviour change was identified as an important first step in the programme design. As such, Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour was utilised as a behaviour change model in order to guide the programme's design framework and to ensure that the programme components corresponded with theoretically identified mechanisms of behavioural change. It was anticipated that utilising a multidimensional programme design rooted in a theory of behaviour change would increase the likelihood of achieving the link between attitudinal change and behavioural change. Therefore, this evaluation provides the Swartland SPCA with a broad-based programme design which provides a variable-oriented insight into the proposed mechanisms of change and can be utilised as a framework in the adaption of programme components. It is envisioned that this tool be used by the programme stakeholders to decide on intended outcomes, select the programme activities, and further define the design details thereof. A number of recommendations are also made in order to assist with the successful implementation of this programme and its sub-components in the long term. These include lobbying for the inclusion of animal welfare and violence prevention content as part of national school curricula, obtaining a violence prevention partner organisation to assist with certain implementation considerations, and finally the importance of continuous community engagement and involvement prior to and during the programme’s roll out.
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    Evaluating the first year roll-out of the Imibala Gifted And Talented Enrichment Programme of the Imibala Trust in The Western Cape
    (2015) Reddy, Lucina Jacqueline; Field, Carren
    The following dissertation details an evaluation conducted on a giftedness programme. The introduction of giftedness programmes can be traced as far back as 1922 where Terman was one of the first people to document and formalise the link between one's innate ability and their performance on a number of outcomes. Since then many other theorists Renzulli (1977) and Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, and Worrell (2011) have expanded on the definition of giftedness to include not only one's innate ability but development of potential through a specialised environment that encourages the gifted learner to enhance their ability. In 2013, a programme evaluation student at the University of Cape Town, Reitumetse Mogorosi, conducted research for the Imibala Trust to assist with the design of the Gifted and Talented Enrichment (GATE) Programme. The Imibala Trust had for some time (with the support of the Metropole East Education Department) decided to pilot such a programme that aimed to serve gifted disadvantaged children in the Helderberg region. As a result of Mogorosi's work the GATE personnel were provided with an evaluation report that detailed a plausible programme theory for their programme; the activities that the GATE programme should include in its design; the selection process to be followed to recruit the identified target audience; and the importance of engaging relevant stakeholders in the programme. Following Mogorosi's (2014) report, the GATE programme was piloted in 2014. In 2014, a second masters' student from the University of Cape Town evaluated the pilot implementation of the GATE programme. This dissertation is an account of that evaluation study. The evaluator conducted two forms of evaluation, namely a process evaluation and a short-term outcome evaluation. The process evaluation aimed to establish whether the GATE personnel had implemented the programme as planned; while the short-term outcome evaluation aimed to determine whether the participants in the GATE programme perceived any changes as a result of the programme.
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    Evaluating the University of Cape Town's Global Citizenship Programme
    (2016) Goodier, Sarah; Goodman, Suki; Field, Carren
    Global citizenship programmes are proliferating around the globe, particularly in the higher education environment. The increase in such programmes has resulted from the need to produce socially - responsible graduates equipped to handle the increasingly global, complex and diverse future. Many global citizenship service learning programmes utilise the engaged and critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire. This pedagogy facilitates students in engaging critically with a variety of perspectives and encourages them to think independently. The University of Cape Town's (UCT's) Global Citizenship Programme: Leading for Social Justice was implemented through the Centre for Higher Education Development at the university from 2010 onwards. This programme utilises Freire's critical pedagogy and provides UCT students with a guided, reflective opportunity to think about themselves in the context of the world and about global issues within their local context. An iterative cycle of learning, action and reflection underpins the each of the programme's three modules. Modules can be taken individually or in any order while a student is registered at UCT. The UCT Global Citizenship Programme is the evaluand for this evaluation. The evaluation process consisted of four parts, namely: theory, design, service utilisation and short - term outcome e valuations. As the programme had not been evaluated previously, the programme stakeholders were interested in working with the evaluator to articulate the programme theory, assessing it for plausibility and determining what design and pedagogy is used in other global citizenship programmes. Service utilisation was also of interest to the stakeholders and a process evaluation focusing on whether the programme is targeting and reaching its intended recipients was also undertaken. In addition, the evaluator explored possible short - term outcomes achieved by the GC2 module, to shed light on whether the programme is producing proximal outcomes with its current approach and pedagogy. This evaluation provided an articulated theoretical grounding for the GC Programme. The theory and design evaluation produced an articulated programme theory, from the perspective of the programme stakeholders, which was modified through consultation with the social science literature. The programme was found to be comparable to the majority of other such programmes in terms of its overarching design and pedagogy. The blended - learning approach in the GC Programme was found to be a unique feature compared with other global citizenship programmes. The process evaluation of the service utilisation found that the programme reaches a small proportion of its envisioned target population, despite two of the three modules having reached their maximum class size (~100 students). This is due to the current broad definition of the target population used, which effectively includes all UCT students. Females and students from the Commerce and Humanities faculties are over - represented in the programme when compared to the general UCT student population. A word cloud analysis for the short - term outcome e valuation indicated that it is possible that the programme participants may be achieving the outcomes for GC2. Due to the fact that there is limited evaluation research in the area of global citizenship programmes, this study makes a contribution to this research and evaluation area. The recommendations suggested in this study provide workable improvements that the GC Programme staff could make to this largely sound and popular programme. By taking, in particular, the recommended steps to measure outcomes, the GC Programme could provide a much stronger case for the impact of this well - conceived programme on UCT's students.
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    A formative evaluation of the IPads for Education programme: A practical example illustrating the importance of programme implementation
    (2017) Mogale, Nqobile Shelly; Field, Carren
    Background: South Africa as a developing country is faced with the problem of insufficient resources that support learning in schools. This problem is mostly in schools from low income communities, whereby it contributes to the low academic performance observed in these schools. The iPads for Education Programme was implemented as a pilot study in Sentinel Primary School, Hout Bay, as a solution to low academic performance. The programme aimed to improve mathematics performance of grade five learners through the use of iPads as a teaching and learning device during school lessons. Objective: This dissertation reports a formative evaluation that was conducted on the iPads for Education Programme. Methods: The evaluation assessed the implementation of the programme and short-term outcomes for the learners using both qualitative and qualitative approaches. Results: The evaluation found the implementation of the programme to be weak and as such subsequent recommendations for improvement were made. Overall the research provides practical evidence of the importance of stakeholder engagement and buy-in for programme implementation.
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    A theory and implementation evaluation of a leadership development programme at a financial services organisation
    (2012) Gordon, Ciani Wendy; Field, Carren
    The concept of leadership is diverse and complex. Organisations that strive to be successful often turn to their leaders to drive efficiency and performance and to create a competitive advantage using human capital. There has been a noticeable shift in the past decade with regards to what constitutes an excellent leader. The most effective leaders are more focused on people than on outcomes, and are committed to the wellbeing and satisfaction of employees. The South African business environment has somewhat influenced the way organisations operate. Changing legislation and an ethnically diverse workplace means that leaders have to be equipped to manage change and transformation. This adds to the skill set that an effective leader should possess. Given the ever-changing nature of the business environment, there is pressure on leaders to remain charismatic and adaptable, and to ensure the same for their teams. The Leadership Development Programme evaluated as part of this research was implemented at a leading asset management organisation in Cape Town, South Africa. The programme was developed internally and has been in existence for six years. Although the programme is viewed in a positive light, these opinions are mostly based on perceptions, rather than research; and therefore the evaluation effectiveness. The programme aims to increase the leadership knowledge, skills and abilities of the participants and in turn create excellent leaders who are capable of driving organisational efficiency and performance.
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    Theory and implementation evaluation to the STAP/ADAPT diversity programme
    (2014) Behrendt, Leigh-Ann; Field, Carren
    The modern day workplace is faced with the challenge of managing an increasingly diverse workforce. Although diversity among employees yields many benefits, companies must consider the implications of having people from different cultural, linguistic, socio-economic and religious backgrounds working closely together (Chuang & Liao, 2010; Mayo, 2006; Stewart & Ruckdeschel, 1998; Wentling, 2000). It is for this reason that organisations increasingly invest in programmes aimed at managing diversity. Having interventions which allow employees to understand those different from themselves will not only develop their intercultural communication skills, but also impact positively on interpersonal interaction within the company (Avery & Thomas, 2004; Bagshaw, 2004; Cross, 2004). Given the history of South Africa, diversity and diversity management are particularly sensitive topics. Legislative measures, such as the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998, were implemented by the post-apartheid government to redress the past imbalances and inequality. While these laws may mandate certain processes and procedures within organisations, they do very little to change people's mind sets in attempt to get employees to engage and cooperate with each other (Alexander, 2007; April, Ephraim, & Peters, 2012; Cavaleros, Van Vuuren, & Visser, 2002). In order to deal with this human aspect of diversity, initiatives aimed at increasing tolerance for and acceptance of 'different others', reducing stereotypes and increasing individuals' intercultural communication skills, have emerged. These programmes often bring people from various backgrounds together, allowing them to learn about each other and communicate, encouraging them to adopt different perspectives and to tolerate and respect views and opinions that may not coincide with their own (Paluck, 2006; Roberson, Kulik, & Pepper, 2003). Although multinational companies are the forerunners of such programmes, tertiary education providers have been found to invest in or develop similar programmes (McCauley, Wright, & Harris, 2000). The University of Cape Town's Transformation Services Office implemented one such programme: the STAP/ADAPT programme, which is the focus of this evaluation. The evaluation consisted of two parts, namely: a theory and an implementation evaluation.