ETD Collection

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    Thinking on their feet : the role of knowledge in the work of personal training.
    (2013-01-08) Watermeyer, Amanda Jane
    Personal training is an occupation which requires service and knowledge work. There have been some studies of personal training that have focused on the service dimension of the work of personal trainers but few on the knowledge work entailed in workplace competence. This study focused on “knowledgeable labour” in the field of personal training. A small sample of apprenticed, trained and educated personal trainers was observed at work with their clients in order to investigate whether different learning pathways lead to differences in the forms of knowledge and ways of knowing they use in their workplace practices. A first level of analysis focused on whether there were noticeable differences in the “practical competence” of the trainers -as manifest in their observable practices with their clients. A second level of analysis, explored whether there were more subtle differences in their practices by focusing on the form and content of their exchanges with their clients, and of their reflections in and on their practice. This level of analysis focused on what the South African National Qualifications framework has referred to as “applied competence’ which is grounded in foundational and reflexive competence and is not reducible to what is manifestly or visible in practical activities. It sought to establish whether there were differences in the applied competence of trainers who have qualified through the different learning pathways. The study found that access to a formal knowledge base, and a related ability to reflect explicitly made a difference to the quality of the knowledge that trainers imparted to their clients, to their decision making in practice, and to the quality of explanations and justifications they offered to their clients. These differences point to the need for vocational qualifications that develop reflective practitioners who are able to build bridges work between the science and the client in their situated practices in their workplaces and therefore think on their feet.
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    Recognition of prior learning: An elusive goal for the non-formal learner?
    (2006-11-14T12:20:03Z) Thakrar, Jayshree Sona
    Recognition of prior learning (RPL), the practice of valuing adults’ learning, derived from formal, informal or non-formal contexts, forms a key component of the transformational agenda of the education landscape in South Africa. Yet few institutions of higher education in South Africa practice RPL. The aim of this study is to provide insight into RPL by evaluating its current practice at one institution of higher education, the University of Fort Hare, highlighting its successes and challenges. The sources of information for this study included past RPL candidates, RPL assessors and co-ordinators, and the policy, processes and procedures that govern the RPL process in the institution. The methods used to collect the data included interviews, observation of institutional RPL workshops and an analysis of relevant RPL documentation. The research results suggest that there has been a limited uptake of RPL, which has impeded a holistic approach to RPL. Challenges include the draft status of an institutional policy, inconsistent RPL practices, the limitations of some of the RPL assessment methods, the lack of RPL data systems, the costs associated with supporting RPL candidates, the duplication of resources and practices, and the impact on academic workloads. A series of recommendations have been made to address these and other challenges highlighted in the research results.