Browsing by Author "Hutchings, Catherine"

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    Cultivating a growth mindset within a blended learning environment at a University in South Africa: a design-based research study
    (2024) Titus, Fahiema; Hutchings, Catherine
    This Design Based Research study attempts to unlock the spirit of personal empowerment among professional adult learners within the higher educational system through an interpretivist qualitative lens of observation and reflection. Adult Learners in this research include the educators assigned to transmit subject information and the professional development of relevant skills and competencies as required within a Blended Learning Environment. Candidates were selected from professional academic, training and learning institutions and the sample of individuals hold professional positions in their respective fields. The workshop practices were based on simplified hand, eye, body, breathing, calming, mental stimulations to enhance the awareness of their ability to self regulate their thinking, emotional and physiological processes. Furthermore, the outcomes of the research also showcase how often overlooked qualities of Human Excellence can be unhinged through Intentionality, Awareness and Attentional Training, Reflection/ Contemplation, and Mindful Learning Processes. The overall analysis and feedback sessions are drawn from the candidates' demonstrable understanding of their ability to enhance awareness of their personal perceptions, biases, internal energies, proprioception, mental states, and habitual behavioural conditioning. These components of personal change within a blended learning space are designed as part of the Foundational and Intermittent phases of application to the professional development program. Design principles and related artefacts derived from the DBR methodology provide educators and researchers a means by which educational practices are potentially optimised. In conclusion this DBR incentivises researchers, adult educators and policymakers to deepen investigations in improving professional development standards and practices within Blended Learning environments in the Higher learning institutions.
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    Cultivating a growth mindset within a blended learning environment at a University in South Africa: a design-based research study
    (2024) Titus, Fahiema; Hutchings, Catherine
    This Design Based Research study attempts to unlock the spirit of personal empowerment among professional adult learners within the higher educational system through an interpretivist qualitative lens of observation and reflection. Adult Learners in this research include the educators assigned to transmit subject information and the professional development of relevant skills and competencies as required within a Blended Learning Environment. Candidates were selected from professional academic, training and learning institutions and the sample of individuals hold professional positions in their respective fields. The workshop practices were based on simplified hand, eye, body, breathing, calming, mental stimulations to enhance the awareness of their ability to self regulate their thinking, emotional and physiological processes. Furthermore, the outcomes of the research also showcase how often overlooked qualities of Human Excellence can be unhinged through Intentionality, Awareness and Attentional Training, Reflection/ Contemplation, and Mindful Learning Processes. The overall analysis and feedback sessions are drawn from the candidates' demonstrable understanding of their ability to enhance awareness of their personal perceptions, biases, internal energies, proprioception, mental states, and habitual behavioural conditioning. These components of personal change within a blended learning space are designed as part of the Foundational and Intermittent phases of application to the professional development program. Design principles and related artefacts derived from the DBR methodology provide educators and researchers a means by which educational practices are potentially optimised. In conclusion this DBR incentivises researchers, adult educators and policymakers to deepen investigations in improving professional development standards and practices within Blended Learning environments in the Higher learning institutions
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    Investigating the nature of family involvement in ruManyo-speaking children's home literacy learning
    (2012) Mukoya, Angelika Mate; Hutchings, Catherine
    This study aimed to investigate the nature of family involvement in ruManyo-speaking children’s home literacy learning. The study was conducted in rural and urban settings in the Kavango Educational Region of Namibia. The particular focus of this small-scale study is the kind of activities children in their homes, and how parents and other family members engage with them. Attention was also given to how family members involve themselves in children's literacy learning, both in Namibia and in many other countries. The data for this report was collected using a case study, which included both observations and semi-structured interviews with teachers, learners, and parents.
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    Socio-Cultural factors that influence the ways B-Tech students think about referencing and related concepts as a literacy practice
    (2019) Mbutho, Nozuko Princess; Hutchings, Catherine
    The literature shows that many university students, both globally and in South Africa, do not understand what fully constitutes referencing and why referencing is important in their scholarly journey and in academic institutions. As a result students neglect referencing in their academic work. It has been documented that poor referencing practices, or lack of referencing, might contribute to the persistent rise of plagiarism in higher educational institutions all over the world. I have observed similar trends among our B-Tech students at the University of Technology where I lecture. B-tech students seem to battle to understand the importance of referencing and as a result their assignments are not referenced even though students have been at the university for more than three years. These observations spiked an interest in me to explore the reasons behind this persistent issue. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the socio-educational and cultural factors that might influence the way students think about referencing and related practices beyond textual issues. The main reason for looking at these socio-educational and cultural factors is related to the South African diverse cultural and educational context. South Africa has eleven official languages, varied cultural beliefs and value systems, wide-ranging schooling systems in spite of the demise of apartheid, and its people have different socio-economic statuses, and political interests. Therefore, I considered that these differences need to be taken into consideration when dealing with issues of unintentional plagiarism and poor referencing skills in universities. After ethical approval, fifteen third year and B-Tech (fourth year) students from one of the University of Technology (UOT) campuses in South Africa, and with varied cultural value systems, varied educational schooling backgrounds, and varied home language backgrounds were chosen to participate in the study, using a heterogeneous purposeful sampling technique. Data were collected using face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews. Transcripts from the interviews were analysed using elements of Grounded theory. The results show that, despite their different cultural and schooling backgrounds, the majority of the students in the sample had never been exposed to formal instruction on referencing skills in high school. Their first formal referencing training was at the university. The students felt that the training provided at our UOT was not in-depth, practical or extensive enough. Furthermore the students reported that the reading and writing practices in high school were limited to memorising and regurgitating chunks of text from authoritative texts without necessarily being encouraged to acknowledge sources of information. The students were used to being given all the information considered necessary by teachers in class, and therefore saw no need to search for information themselves. Based on these findings, the following recommendations are suggested: lecturers at our and other higher education institutions need to be cognisant that critical reading and writing, referencing and its related practices might be an unknown concept and practice for new students joining the university. Lecturers therefore need to provide a more detailed and comprehensive training on referencing and its related concepts. In addition, higher educational institutions should provide extensive training for lecturers on referencing, on how to teach referencing, and how to provide informative and developmental feedback to the students.
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    Studying at University: a guide for first year students
    (2014) Hutchings, Catherine; Stent, Stacey
    Studying at University: A guide for first year students' is intended to provide new students with the knowledge and skills required for coping with their studies and academic assignments at the university. This guide is intended to help new students adjust to university life. This resource is the 4th edition in the "Studying at University" series.
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    Studying at University: a guide for first year students (4th edition)
    (2013) Hutchings, Catherine
    The 4th edition of 'Studying at University: A guide for first year students' is intended to provide new students with the knowledge and skills required for coping with their studies and academic assignments at the university. This guide is intended to help new students adjust to university life, with a particular focus on studies in the Humanities. However, much of the information is relevant to all students new to studying at university.
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    Writing your World Week 1 - Woodward on identity: Roots and routes
    (2019-06-01) Hutchings, Catherine; Woodward, Kath
    This video focuses on a discussion with Professor Woodward on identity in relation to the world we live in. The professor talks about how personalities are linked to the world that we live in. She then discusses how people use identities to operate within the world and the relevant restrictions. The video goes on to talk about how people share identities and are able to make sense of who they are in relation to others and the world they live in. Then it discusses the embodiment of identities. This is followed up by a discussion on culture, religion and gender. This is video 5/9 in week 1 of the Writing your World course.