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An analysis of the nature of visualisation objects in three Namibian grade 9 mathematics textbooks: a case study in Namibia

  • Authors: Nghifimule, Selma Ndilipomwene
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6334 , vital:21090
  • Description: Textbooks are a universal and central element of teaching and learning mathematics (Namibia. Ministry of Education [MoE], 2008). Steenpaß and Steinbring (2014) state that diagrams in mathematics textbooks are often used as Visualisation Objects (VOs) to enhance learning of mathematical concepts. VOs in textbooks are thus important teaching and learning tools (Fotakopoulou and Spiliotopoulou, 2008). This Namibian interpretive case study analysed the nature of VOs used in the three approved grade 9 Namibian mathematics textbooks namely: y=mx+c to success, Maths for Life 9 and Discover Mathematics 9. The VOs were analysed by using an analytical framework adapted from Fotakopoulou and Spiliotopoulou (2008). This analytic tool was specifically used to interrogate the following categories: the type of VOs, the roles of VOs, the relation of VOs to mathematical content, the relation of VOs to reality, and their properties. The 266 VOs under study were collected from the Algebra and Geometry chapters of each book. This study also included survey questionnaires with the 50 selected mathematics teachers, which sought their views and perceptions on the use of the identified VOs. In addition, the authors’ rationale in selecting the identified VOs used in their textbooks was sought through interviews. This research study is part of the “Visualisation in Namibia and Zambia” (VISNAMZA) project which seeks to research the effective use of visualisation processes in the mathematics classroom in Namibia and Zambia (Schäfer, 2015). It is hoped that this study contributes towards improving the quality of textbook evaluations, and design of suitable and more comprehensive assessment procedures in Namibia. It is also hoped that it creates a critical awareness of the roles of VOs in textbooks amongst teachers, inspiring them to help their learners interpret VOs effectively. It should also inspire potential authors to use suitable and appropriate VOs that enhance conceptual teaching and learning of mathematics. The study discovered that most of the VOs used in the selected textbooks align well with the mathematical content. The VOs can help make abstract ideas concrete, stimulate learning, simplify and clarify written texts. In addition, VOs can also be used as a tool for reasoning and an instrument for problem solving. The findings however also indicate that some of the VOs used are not self-explanatory; they are vague, unfamiliar and confusing, leading to misinterpretations by some learners. Another interesting finding was that some of the learners found it difficult to interpret VOs on their own without the help of the teacher.
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A case for contemporary third literature: the black experience in the postmillennial fiction of three Kwela authors

  • Authors: Mthembu, Lumumba
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/3322 , vital:20480
  • Description: This study seeks to uncover the manner in which the young black experience is constructed in three novels by Sifiso Mzobe, Kgebetli Moele and K. Sello Duiker. Young Blood, Untitled and Thirteen Cents all feature teenage narrators navigating the social milieu of South Africa in the twenty-first century. My analysis is informed by Frantz Fanon’s postcolonial theory because South Africa’s socio-economic landscape conforms to the divisions laid out in The Wretched of the Earth. I contend that post-apartheid South Africa is developing in a manner that is symptomatic of the Fanonian post-independence African state. My close reading of the novels teases out the conditions under which young black subjects must survive and express themselves. I look into the roles of the community, the government, the family, and the school in shaping this experience. Naturally, my discussion segues into questions of sexuality and gender as they intersect with race. I demonstrate how these texts fail and succeed as works of Third Literature, a genre derived from Third Cinema, which I have adapted due to its Fanonian ideological underpinning. Third Literature is a fundamentally revolutionary and activistic genre which seeks to pave the way for social change. In this regard, I concern myself with the recommendations these three authors may have for the readers of their texts. In conclusion, these texts demonstrate that racialized identities are social constructs with measurable experiential effects. However, there are ways of actively resisting or even
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Investigating youth perceptions of youth participation in development: a focus on community engagement as a platform for youth/student participation at Rhodes University

  • Authors: Dano, Nqaba
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/1444 , vital:20058
  • Description: The main objective of the study is to investigate youth perceptions of youth participation in development with a focus on the Rhodes Community Engagement programme as a platform for youth participation. The study was inspired by trying to locate the position that youth put themselves in when they regard their own participation in development. It was further motivated by trying to gain perspectives from the youth themselves because most discourses on youth rarely feature their own voices. The study utilized a qualitative methodology with an interpretive paradigm, which used semi-structured in-depth interviews as a method of data collection. The theoretical framework used was the notion of participatory development. The literature consulted was broken up into participation in development which looked at the history of participation and the need for participation, the importance of participation and the limits of participation and the type of participation. It looked at youth participation, the definition of youth as a group in society and the discourses that surround how youth are defined; lastly it looked at community engage in higher education, the role students place in community engagement and the nature of Rhodes Community engagement. The data was discussed and analysed following the above mentioned themes which were participation in development, youth participation and community engagement. From the data collected it was made evident that if youth are given more spaces and chances to actively participate they could challenge prominent discourses that treat them as irresponsible minors and exclude them from decision-making processes that directly affect them and the society within which they live.
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Understanding how the incorporation of indigenous knowledge (IK) enables or constrains the teaching and learning of alcoholic fermentation in Life Sciences in Grade 11

  • Authors: Mutanho, Chrispen
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/1264 , vital:20041
  • Description: There is growing interest in the role of indigenous knowledge (IK) in science education in many parts of the world. In South Africa, this comes against the backdrop of a long history of cultural alienation, neglect and suppression of the IK of the indigenous people by colonial governments. Hence, the first post-independence National Curriculum Policy Statement (Curriculum, 2005) and its subsequent modified versions emphasised the need to redress the imbalances of the past so as to make science accessible to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. However, literature reveals that the efforts to implement an IK-based curriculum are constrained by the lack of clarity, knowledge and skills on how to effectively make use of IK in the classroom situation so as to bring about effective teaching and learning. Against this background, this study sought to understand how the incorporation of IK enables or constrains the teaching and learning of alcoholic fermentation. Underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, a qualitative case study was conducted at a high school in Mthatha District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study comprised of a sample of ten Life Sciences teachers from four neighbouring high schools, two Grade 11 Life Sciences teachers and their classes and two focus groups of six learners from each class. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select the participants and the research site. The study made use of a questionnaire, document analysis, lesson observation, stimulated recall interviews and focus group interviews to generate data. The questionnaire sought to get an overview of Life Sciences teachers’ attitudes, opinions and experiences on incorporating IK in science teaching. The data gathered were then used as baseline information to inform the main study. The lesson observations, stimulated recall interviews and the focus group interviews sought to understand how the incorporation of IK enables or constrains the teaching and learning of alcoholic fermentation. Document analysis, lesson observation, stimulated recall interviews and focus group interviews were conducted to understand the experience of incorporating IK in a real life classroom situation. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural constructivism and Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) theory. From Vygotsky’s theory I borrowed the idea of mediated learning, scaffolding (Bruner, 1986), zone of proximal development (ZPD), as well as the use of language and cultural artefacts as tools of analysis of the classroom interaction between the teacher and the learners during the teaching-learning process. Shulman’s theory of PCK was also used to analyse how teachers apply IK in teaching Science. The data obtained were coded inductively and presented in tables, graphs and thick descriptive texts to make it easy to understand. The findings of this research show that incorporating IK improved the teaching-learning process by arousing learners’ interest in science, increasing learners’ participation and motivation, meaning making, language use, questioning and engagement in the learning process. Teaching became learner-centred, for it was directed by learners’ questions. Collaborative learning through group discussions, debates, arguments and brainstorming emerged to be an effective way of engaging learners in learning. The teachers used probing to encourage critical thinking before scaffolding learners. However, even though teachers generally accept IK as valuable in their teaching they lack the pedagogical content knowledge to effectively incorporate it into meaningful teaching and learning. Furthermore, teachers viewed cultural diversity as a constraint to their efforts to incorporate IK in teaching science. On the contrary, their learners held the view that having cultural diversity in classrooms created an opportunity to learn from other people’s cultures. Variables such as experience and difference in the cultural background of learners and teachers alike, tended to affect the teachers’ ability to incorporate IK.
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Public understanding of malaria in pregnancy : selected Dar es Salaam audiences' reception of the health education film Chumo

  • Authors: Nkwera, Godfrey
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Chumo (Television program) , Malaria in pregnancy -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam , Health education -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam , Communication in medicine -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam , Sex role -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam , Health behavior -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam , Health behavior -- Sex differences -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3544 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017785
  • Description: This study examines the impact of a health education film, Chumo, in Dar es Salaam on knowledge about malaria in pregnancy. Specifically, the study examines the meanings that the selected audiences make after watching the film. Drawing on the tradition of ‘reception studies’, the data for this study was generated through focus group discussions. These discussions were preceded by thematic analysis of the film and its script. An analysis of the audiences’ responses reveals that Chumo, mostly, successfully conveyed new knowledge about malaria in pregnancy, and reinforced existing knowledge bases about the disease. The audiences were able to ‘decipher’ most of the preferred meanings (of the producers) with regard to the disease, particularly in relation to the transmission of the disease and its prevention in pregnant woman. For example, the analysis indicates that both women and men become more aware of the importance of attending antenatal care sessions at local clinics (hereafter ANC). An interesting finding is that men, mostly, expressed a reluctance to attend ANC with their wives because they fear having to undergo HIV/AIDS testing. Men also expressed the sentiment that attending ANC is a women’s responsibility. The discussion groups also raised issues about the use of insecticide-treated nets - some people believe that using them will affect their health because of the chemicals used to treat the nets. From the reception analysis, various other meanings and themes, relating to the choice of storylines and gender stereotypes used in the story, were raised in discussion. The study attempted to assess whether the storyline was advantageous in conveying the core educational messages, or if some elements of the storyline either ‘got in the way’ or reinforced gender roles in ways that may or may not be helpful in terms of combatting malaria in pregnancy. The study also found that Chumo stimulated interpersonal communication, which may trigger behaviour change. It can be demonstrated, at least for the participants in these focus groups, that the film motivated positive attitudes towards behaviour change, i.e. created at least some intention to change. However, interpersonal communication and attitude to change are not, of course, actual change of behaviour: these elements only indicate the possibility of behaviour change in the future. Further study needs to be undertaken to explore whether the actual change took place and whether the change is a result of the exposure to Chumo.
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Recent developments in banking supervision and the soundness of the financial system : a comparative study of South Africa, Brazil and China

  • Authors: Gutu, Taurai Fortune
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Basel III (2010) , Bank management -- South Africa , Bank management -- Brazil , Bank management -- China , Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2009 , Ratio analysis , Liquidity (Economics)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: vital:1130 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020892
  • Description: While the 2008 financial crisis has come and gone, its effects on the global financial sector still show. Globalisation has since changed the way that banks do business, and increased competitiveness and with it the level of risk within the international banking community. Therefore, because of these prolonged effects of the financial crisis and the rise in the level of risk in banking, regulators deemed it fit to make the global financial sector safer and sounder. As a result, the BASEL III Capital Accord was introduced with tighter capital adequacy and liquidity ratio requirements; as well as also introducing the leverage ratio. In this paper, through the study of the rules and regulations on banks in South Africa, Brazil and China, it was discovered that all three countries have since begun the implementation of the new Accord as from January 2013. While preparatory measures may be different, there is a general sense of regulatory alignment among the three countries. By analysing the capital adequacy, liquidity and leverage ratios of the three countries, it was also established that these ratios are interconnected, with the capital adequacy ratio being the most important one. The study concludes that, with proper implementation of these ratios and effective management, countries implementing the BASEL III regulations would be in a stronger position to achieve soundness in their banking systems. , Gutu, Taurai Fortunate
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The barefoot road

The impact of job redesign on employee job outcomes: the case of the implementation of a private-public partnership model at a hospital

  • Authors: Onaga, Chukwuka Moses
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Department of Health , Hospitals -- Employees , Public-private sector cooperation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Personnel management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Job enrichment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Job satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:853 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017521
  • Description: It has been widely reported that despite high health expenditure and a myriad of policies in place, South Africa’s health outcomes are worse than those in many lower income countries. The adverse health outcomes are even more pronounced in a rural province such as the Eastern Cape Province. Consequently, the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH) had turned to Private Public Partnerships (PPP) with the hope of mitigating some of the challenges beleaguering the health system in the province. This study evaluated the impact of the implementation of one of the PPP models at an Eastern Cape Hospital on key employee job outcomes. This is crucial as there had not yet, been this type of scientific assessment of the impact of the PPP model since the inception of the PPP about half a decade ago. Theoretical guidance of the study was provided by the Job Characteristics Theory (JCT) of Oldham and Hackman (1975), which predicted that changes in five core characteristics of a job will affect three critical psychological states which will in turn impact on key employee job outcomes. Uniquely, this study veered away from the traditional quantitative approach to the application of the JCT but rather adopted a qualitative case study approach. There is historical evidence that cross cultural validation of a theory in a new setting (a South African PPP hospital in this instance) benefits from an initial qualitative study. Data collection and analysis were guided by the JCT. Primary data collection was by semi-structured, face to face, one on one interviews. The analyses of the data specifically employed pattern matching and explanation building techniques, all underpinned by the JCT. Validity of interview data was strongly contributed to by available relevant case study documents. This study found that indeed, the implementation of this PPP model brought about changes in all five (JCT) core job characteristics of clinical staff, but to varying degrees in the three unique shared service areas. Interestingly, the three psychological states were found to have been impacted upon by changes in the JCT core job characteristics but also by factors related to the context of the job, such as quality of supervision and co-worker relationship. In contrast to the predictions of the JCT, this study also found that the key job outcomes were impacted directly by such contextual factors as the recent availability of specialists and staff shortages, among others. It also emerged that the PPP implementation has directly evoked a perception of inequity and breach of psychological contract among clinical staff working at the shared service areas. Among the three shared areas, the accident and emergency unit was discovered to have had the worst overall impact. Due to the importance of contextual factors at this PPP setting, key recommendations were directed towards improved management of the jobs. It is also recommended that a follow-up quantitative study be commissioned to further explore the main themes that emerged from this study. This research report is presented in three sections. Section 1 is the evaluative report itself, structured as an academic paper. Section 2 expands on the literature that was briefly reviewed in Section 1 while Section 3 outlines, in greater details, the research methods followed during the conduct of the research and the justifications thereof.
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Political grey : areas of ambiguity and contradiction

  • Authors: Koekemoer, Carmen
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Politics in art , Art -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Leadership in art , Portraits, African , Portraits, European , Art and revolutions -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
  • Identifier: vital:2492 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013136
  • Description: This Master of Fine Arts submission, consisting of a thesis titled ‘Political Grey: Areas of Ambiguity and Contradiction’ accompanied by an exhibition titled ‘Positions’, encompasses the concept of leadership while uncovering and expressing its ‘grey areas’ in a contemporary and undefined moment in South Africa. The concept of leadership has been complicated throughout the thesis in terms of how it is conceptualised in a traditional royal African art context as well as how Leader-Figures have been and are portrayed in both Western and African portrait genres. The notion that the new is built upon the old is continued throughout my thesis and is evident in the accompanying body of work. This notion is expressed on a number of levels: by the re-contextualisation of the print medium; the creative processes described as ‘postproduction’ which I use in my work; as well as that which is described as a ‘post-transitional’ moment. The recent political history of the country is considered, with reference made to the anti-apartheid movement and resistance art produced. Printmaking, viewed as an archetypal medium for resistance, is discussed, with reference made to its socio-political role during the 1980s as well as to the extent to which it continues to be used by contemporary artists in a different realm of conflict and change. This is demonstrated by the shift from the medium as a tool for protest to the medium as an instrument of political irony and pointed commentary.
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Prioritising native fish populations for conservation using genetics in the Groot Marico catchment, North West Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Van der Walt, Kerry-Ann
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Native fishes Fishery management -- South Africa -- North West Fish populations Fishes -- Conservation -- South Africa -- Western Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69102 , vital:29390
  • Description: The Groot Marico catchment in the North West Province is a National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area (NFEPA) because it represents unique landscape features with unique biodiversity that are considered to be of special ecological significance. Three native freshwater species Amphilius uranoscopus, Chiloglanis pretoriae and Barbus motebensis, have high local conservation importance and B. motebensis is endemic to the catchment and is IUCN-listed as vulnerable. The main objective of this study is to contribute towards the effective conservation of these three species in the Groot Marico River system by assessing their genetic structure to determine whether tributary populations of the three species comprise of one genetic population or whether they are divided into genetically distinct subpopulations, in order to prioritise areas for conservation. The central null hypothesis was that there is no genetic differentiation between tributary populations (i.e., panmixia) of B. motebensis, A. uranoscopus and C. pretoriae in the Groot Marico catchment, North West Province. In total, 80 individuals per species were collected, targeting at least 10 individuals per population from a total of eight populations (seven tributaries and the Groot Marico main stem) and across the study area. Samples were collected by electrofishing and specimens were euthanized using an overdose of clove oil. A sample of muscle tissue was removed for genetic evaluation and the remainder of the specimens served as voucher specimens. For the genetic evaluation, mitochondrial (ND2, cyt b) and nuclear (S7) genes were used. Genetic techniques used were DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), purification and sequencing. From the 240 individuals collected, 123 sequences for B. motebensis, 111 sequences for A. uranoscopus and 103 sequences for C. pretoriae were analysed across all three genes. Statistical analysis included looking at cleaned sequences in order to obtain models using MODELTEST (version 3.06). Population structuring and phylogeographic analysis was performed in Arlequin (version 2000), TCS (version 1.2.1) and PAUP*. Results indicated that for B. motebensis the null hypothesis could be rejected as there were two distinct lineages (the Draai and Eastern lineages) that demonstrated significant divergence in both the ND2 and S7 genes, suggesting historical isolation. The low divergence in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (0% < D < 0.8%) suggests that this isolation is not very old and is probably not comparable to species level differentiation. The null hypothesis was also rejected for A. uranoscopus as there were also significant levels of differentiation between tributary populations resulting in the identification of two lineages (the Ribbok and Western lineages). However, for C. pretoriae, the null hypothesis could not be rejected as there was no genetic differentiation between tributary populations i.e., one panmictic population. Therefore, due to each species showing different genetic structuring within the tributary populations, more than one priority area for conservation needs to be implemented. These priority areas of conservation where therefore evaluated based on the current conservation status of the species (B. motebensis being vulnerable on the IUCN Red List), the number of Evolutionary Significant Units for each species and the overall genetic diversity of all three species in the Groot Marico catchment. In total, four tributary populations were conservation priorities areas, these were the Draai, Vanstraatens, Ribbok and Kaaloog tributaries. The Draai, Vanstraatens and Kaaloog tributaries were selected as priority areas for B. motebensis (B. motebensis is considered to be the most vulnerable of all three species). The Draai tributary was selected due to the B. motebensis population within the tributary showing isolation from the rest of the tributary populations. In order to conserve B. motebensis from the Southern lineage, the Vanstraatens and Kaaloog tributaries were selected. Reasons for selecting these two specific tributaries within the Southern lineage were that the Vanstraatens tributary had unique alleles (three Evolutionary Significant Units) for B. motebensis and the Kaaloog tributary had high genetic diversity (HD = 0.889, ND2 gene) when compared to the other tributary populations. The Ribbok and Vanstraatens tributaries were selected as priority areas for the conservation of A. uranoscopus. The Ribbok tributary was selected as it showed isolation from the rest of the tributary populations, as seen with the Draai tributary (B. motebensis) and the Vanstraatens tributary was selected to represent the Western lineage as it had the highest diversity for both genes (ND2 and S7). The Ribbok tributary has the highest prioritisation when compared to the Vanstraatens tributary. Chiloglanis pretoriae occurs within the Draai, Vanstraatens, Ribbok and Kaaloog tributaries, therefore by prioritising these tributaries for conservation, C. pretoriae will in turn be conserved.
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Involuntary consent

  • Authors: Futter, Dylan Brian
  • Date: 2013-05-24
  • Subjects: Ignorance (Theory of knowledge) Responsiblity Free will and determinism Theory (Philosophy) Social ethics Blame
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2742 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007846
  • Description: In this dissertation I take exception with a widely held philosophical doctrine, according to which agents are only blameworthy for the bad actions they have chosen to bring about. My argument strategy is to present cases in which agents are blamed for involuntary actions that are not in any way connected to their culpable and voluntary choices. These failures correspond, I suggest, to occasions of culpable ignorance where agents have been negligent or careless. More specifically, I claim that violations of natural duties of respect and consideration, and certain acquired role-type duties, are blamed without any voluntary consent. If my examples are persuasive, then the point is reached where a normative principle of 'voluntary consent' does not in fact coincide with people's actual practices and 'considered judgements'. In the final sections of the dissertation, I argue against the plausibility of keeping the principle and revising our judgements. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
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An analysis of temporal relations in languages: a comparative study of Mandarin and isiXhosa

  • Authors: Ma, Xiujie
  • Date: 2013 , 2013-01-30
  • Subjects: Chinese language Xhosa language Grammar, Comparative and general -- Temporal constructions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2367 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003055
  • Description: This study sought to investigate how temporal relations are expressed in Mandarin and isiXhosa. The objective was to compare how two typologically distinct languages, one isolating and the other agglutinating, cope with the encoding of situations that occur at different positions on the time line. Data was drawn from questionnaire responses from, and interviews with, isiXhosa speakers who provided translations of a wide range of sentences from English into isiXhosa. The study revealed that isiXhosa relies on the grammatical category – tense – to encode temporal relations, while Mandarin relies more on lexical and pragmatic devices – the use of temporal adverbials and the implication of aspectual markings – to locate a situation on the time line. Typically, each sentence in isiXhosa must be marked for tense: temporal adverbials are optional elements and used to more precisely locate the situation on the time line. By contrast, in Mandarin, temporal adverbials have a more central function in that they independently express different positions on the time line: without temporal adverbials, it is extremely difficult to locate a situation on the time line in some sentences. Another important difference between the two languages was revealed in this study: isiXhosa grammar allows speakers to talk about situations in terms of their distance (past or future) from the speech time whereas Mandarin grammar allows its speakers to talk about situations in terms of the internal properties (e.g. completed, ongoing, etc.) of those situations. The study revealed that isiXhosa and Mandarin are similar in one important respect: both languages have no formal properties, i.e. overt tense markers (isiXhosa) and compulsory temporal adverbials or other temporal devices (Mandarin) for marking the temporal location of present situations. The study also revealed that both languages encode ‘pastness’ in terms of whether or not the effects of the situation in question still remain at speech time.
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Exploring the influence of spirituality on students' well-being

  • Authors: Magula, Nokuzola Princess
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Sprituality , Well-being , Students , Christians , Rhodes University , College students -- Religious life -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Christian college students -- Religious life -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- Religion -- Research , Well-being -- Religious aspects , Spirituality -- Research
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2918 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002083
  • Description: This study was aimed at exploring the impact of spirituality on the well-being of students at Rhodes University in South Africa. The study was conducted within a qualitative research paradigm deploying an interpretive phenomenological analysis strategy for data analysis. The study involved a sample of four female Honours students who were all active Christians. The selected students were interviewed to elicit their experiences of spirituality and how this related to their everyday lives. The study used semi-structured interviews in order to get as much information as possible from the small sample of research participants. Data generated in this study was processed, presented and interpreted inductively and hermeneutically in order to identify emerging superordinate themes. This study found that spirituality was experienced as having a positive impact on well-being by all the four students. The study revealed that belief and faith in God amongst the students resulted in enhanced and positive experiences of hope, optimism and compassion which provided the students with a deeper sense of meaning of life and a source of direction in difficult times. The study further showed that participants experienced spirituality as a regulatory mechanism shaping their lifestyles and behaviours. Participants viewed their spirituality and religiosity as a source of social support helping them to cope with distressful situations. The findings of this study are consistent with the findings of previous studies done in the field of psychology and spirituality. The fact that this study has shown that spirituality and religion has a positive impact on student’s well-being may mean that University administrators and psychologists may find the study interesting and valuable
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Immobilisation of electric eel acetylcholinesterase on nanofibres electrospun from a nylon and chitosan blend

  • Authors: Mafuma, Tendai Simbarashe
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase Acetylcholinesterase -- Inhibitors Electric eel Biosensors Immobilized enzymes Pesticides -- Environmental aspects Pesticides -- Toxicology Nylon Chitosan Nanofibers Electrospinning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:3886 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001620
  • Description: Organophosphates and carbamates are potent inhibitors of the neurotransmitter acetylcholinesterase. This inhibition results in the blocking of nerve signal transference into the post synaptic neuron leading to loss of muscle action and death. Because of the universal mechanisms of signal transduction in animals, these inhibitors have been widely used as agricultural pesticides as well as chemical warfare agents (nerve agents). Health issues associated with pesticide usage result from the fact that both the pesticides and their breakdown products often end up in water and food sources as well as in the soil. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of studies aimed at the detection of these pesticides in the environment. One popular research area is enzyme based biosensor construction. Some important criteria for consideration during the construction of biosensors are the importance of a suitable solid support as well as the enzyme immobilisation method. Recently, there has been increased interest in using nano-scale material e.g. using nanoparticles as enzyme support material. This is largely due to their advantages such as large surface area to volume ratio as well as reduced mass transfer resistance. Electrospinning is a straight forward and cost effective method for producing nanofibres from any soluble polymer(s). The applications of electrospun nanofibres have been reported in clinical studies, biofuel production as well as bioremediation. In this study two polymers were selected: nylon for its mechanical stability and chitosan for its biocompatibility and hydrophilicity, for the fabrication of electrospun nanofibres which would function as immobilisation support material for acetylcholinesterase. The first objective of this study was to electrospin nanofibres from a nylon-6 and chitosan blend solution. A binary solvent system consisting of formic acid and acetic acid (50:50) successfully dissolved and blended the polymers which were subsequently electrospun. Scanning electron microscopy characterisation of the nanofibres showed that (i) a nylon-6: chitosan ratio of 16%: 3% resulted in the formation of bead free nanofibres and (ii) the fibres were collected in non-woven mats characterised by different size nanofibres with average diameters of 250 nm for the main fibres and 40 nm for the smaller nanofibres. Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) analysis of the nanofibres indicated that a new product had been formed during the blending of the two polymers. The second aim of the study was to carry out a facile immobilisation of electric eel acetylcholinesterase via glutaraldehyde (GA) cross-linking. Glutaraldehyde solution 5% (v/v) resulted in the immobilisation of 0.334 mg/cm² of acetylcholinesterase onto the nanofibres. The immobilisation procedure was optimised with reference to acetylcholinestease and crosslinker concentrations, incubation time and the cross-linking method. A comparative investigation into the optimum pH and temperature conditions, pH and thermal stabilities, substrate and inhibition kinetics was then carried out on free and immobilised acetylcholinesterase. The final objective of this study was to determine the storage stabilities of the immobilised and free enzymes as well as the reusability characteristics of the immobilised acetylcholinesterase. Several conclusions were drawn from this study. Acetylcholinesterase was successfully immobilised onto the surface of nylon-6:chitosan nanofibres with retention of its activity. There was a shift in the pH optimum of the immobilised acetylcholineseterase by 0.5 units towards a neutral pH. Although both free and immobilised acetylcholinesterase exhibited the same optimum temperature, immobilised acetylcholinesterase showed enhanced thermal stability. In terms of pH stability, immobilised acetylcholinesterase showed greater stability at acidic pH whilst free acetylcholinesterase was more stable under alkaline pH conditions. Relative to free acetylcholinesterase, the immobilised enzyme showed considerable storage stability retaining ~50% of its activity when stored for 49 days at 4°C. Immobilised acetylcholinesterase also retained > 20% of its initial activity after 9 consecutive reuse cycles. When exposed to fixed concentrations of carbofuran or demeton-S-methyl sulfone, immobilised acetylcholinesterase showed similar inhibition characteristics to that of the free enzyme. The decrease in enzyme activity observed after immobilisation to the nanofibres may have been due to several reasons which include some enzyme molecules being immobilised in structural conformations which reduced substrate access to the catalytic site, participation of the catalytic residues in immobilisation and enzyme denaturation due to the reaction conditions used for acetylcholinesterase immobilisation. Similar observations have been widely reported in literature and this is one of the major drawbacks of enzyme immobilisation. In conclusion, nylon-6:chitosan electrospun nanofibres were shown to be suitable supports for facile acetylcholinesterase immobilisation and the immobilised enzyme has potential for use in pesticide detection. Future recommendations for this study include a comparative study of the GA cross-linking method for AChE immobilisation which will lead to more intensely bound enzyme molecules to prevent non-specific binding. An investigation into the effect of inhibitors on stored immobilised AChE, as well as reactivation and reuse studies, may also be useful for determining the cost-effectiveness of reusing immobilised AChE for pesticide detection in environmental water samples. Several models have been designed for the determination of the kinetic parameters for immobilised enzymes. These take into account the mass transfer resistance as well as the overall charge of the immobilisation matrix. The use of these models to analyse experimental data will give a clear understanding of the effects of immobilisation on enzyme activity
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Profiling for volatile compounds in the Kgalagadi desert truffle

  • Authors: Bogopa, Juda
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Desert plants -- Botswana -- Kgalagadi District Supercritical fluid extraction Gas chromatography Mass spectrometry Tuberaceae -- Analysis -- Botswana -- Kgalagadi District Truffles -- Analysis -- Botswana -- Kgalagadi District
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4280 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002006
  • Description: The thesis focuses on ‘green’ sample preparation techniques that utilise minimal or no organic solvents thereby producing negligible volumes of organic waste, to ensure safety both to user and the environment. Volatile compounds were extracted and pre-concentrated from Kgalagadi desert truffles (kalaharituber) by headspace solid phase microextraction (HSSPME) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). PHWE was employed for the extraction of amino acids and fatty acids. Subsequent analysis of volatile compounds was carried out by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Four types of HS-SPME fibers (PDMS 100 μm, PDMS 7 μm, Polyacrylate 85 μm, CAR/DVB/PDMS 50/30 μm) were evaluated. A total of 24 volatile compounds with a molecular weight range from 110 to 354, the most prominent peak being 2-t-Butyl-2,3-dimethyl-3-buten-1-ol (C₁₀H₂₀O, MW 156) were detected after sampling with a PDMS 100 μm fiber. Less volatile compounds were detected after SFE with CO2. A total of 16 amino acids were identified while 17 fatty acids (MW from 132.12 to 367.49) were also identified. The characteristic profile of the Kgalagadi desert truffle was found to contain mainly fatty acid methyl esters and unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. The most prominent compound peaks identified were; 2-t-butyl-2,3-dimethyl- 3-buten-1-ol, disulfide, ethyl benzoic acid 2-4-dhydroxy-3,6-dimethyl-methyl ester, 8,11- octadecanoic acid methyl ester, benzoic acid, 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethyl-methyl ester, isoquinoline, 1 butyl-3,4-dihydro and 3-heptanone, 6 methyl. Optimization results indicated that fresh slices from the heart of truffles were the best to use for HS-SPME-GCMS volatile compound analysis as they showed a higher sensitivity
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A process-genre approach to teaching argumentative writing to grade nine learners

  • Authors: Elson, Jillian Margaret
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: English language -- Rhetoric -- Study and teaching (Secondary) English language -- Writing -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Written communication
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1714 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003597
  • Description: This action research study aimed to improve teaching and learning of argumentative writing through a process-genre approach. Learners were carefully guided through the processes of writing the argumentative genre, with the focus being on teaching of the genre and on the structural conventions of writing arguments. Participants were a class of grade nine learners who speak English as a first language. They were chosen for this study as Grade Nine is a crucial year for writing development before learners enter the senior phase and are met with heightened expectations in the curriculum, that often they struggle to meet, as their writing has not been sufficiently developed to an academic level. The focus of writing in Grade Nine is on narrative and prose, so this writing intervention, in which a teaching module was developed in collaboration with the 1eamers, aimed to broaden their writing skills and provide them with a head start in leaming the fine art of argumentation, as this is a useful skill to acquire for purposes even beyond the classroom. Genre theorists advocate the importance of teaching genres to leamers at a young age, as it allows them access into different communities of discourse, as they become aware and understand the conventions held by a patiicular community, and realize the purpose of different styles of writing for effectively communicating, which prepares them to meet the expectations of their audience. Teaching the structures of different genres therefore allows the writer, and the audience, a framework for understanding the text. The process approach has been widely used by educators as it focuses on explicit teaching of writing processes that are fundamental to leamers' development in writing. Learners need to be carefully guided from the initial stages, to the more complex stages (especially in argumentative writing which has been deemed the most complex genre for learners to master) in order to understand the complexities of constructing an essay in a cohesive way, as they need to consider multiple aspects of writing, such as the linguistic features, rhetorical features and structural features of the genre and unify them into a sound argument. This takes time, practice and revision, and extensive feedback is required. The process-genre approach proved to be successful in this study, as leamers showed remarkable improvements in their writing from the initial stages of writing to the final drafts of their essays. The findings revealed that explicit teaching of genres and structural elements of writing is vital for ensuring learners' development. Learners require modelling of the genre, scaffolding and careful guidance through step-by-step processes in order to build confidence and express their ideas effectively in written text. The findings indicate the relevance of using the process-genre approach for teaching and learning and that teaching and learning writing is indeed a process that needs more time and practice that is cUiTently allocated in the curriculum.
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An investigation of instructional leadership in a Namibian rural school

  • Authors: Namukwambi, Nahum
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Educational leadership -- Namibia -- Omusati Rural schools -- Namibia -- Omusati School management and organization -- Namibia -- Omusati Teachers -- Namibia -- Omusati Effective teaching -- Namibia -- Omusati Learning -- Namibia -- Omusati
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1633 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003515
  • Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate how instructional leadership manifests itself and can be strengthened in a Namibian rural school. As a teacher, head of department and later an education officer, I have long held the view that committed school leadership is essential for the school’s instructional and academic success. Equally, I have always been aware of the impact of the past segregation and the unequal education provided by the colonial government in South Africa and South West Africa/Namibia. The inferior education provided to Africans posed a serious challenge to the leadership and management of schools, as would be principals were not adequately trained to provide the necessary “ingredients” relevant for instructional success. Given this background, I attempted, using a case study of one secondary school, to investigate how instructional leadership is manifesting itself and could be strengthened in a rural school in the Omusati region of Namibia. Research questions that framed the study were: firstly, how does the leadership approach in the school promote teaching and learning; secondly, what is the role of external players in enhancing instructional leadership and thirdly, what are the strengthening and inhibiting factors of instructional leadership. The population of the study was composed of an Inspector of Education, a school principal, a head of department (HOD) and four teachers from a secondary school, located in the Omusati region in Namibia. Data were collected through interviews, document analysis and observation. With regard to data analysis, I first immersed myself in the data. I developed themes that formed the basis of my discussion with my research questions in mind. The analysis revealed that instructional leadership is strongly evidenced at the case study school. However, it emerged that despite the existence of strong instructional leadership at the school, as with all other organisations, there are several challenges that limit the effective implementation of the teaching and learning programme. These challenges vary from indiscipline, poor time management, to lack of teaching and learning resources. Participants also provided a number of possible solutions to the problems identified, including that the principal should be a good role model for the staff and that an enabling environment for both teaching and learning should be created. The study also strongly suggested that participative leadership and management is a cornerstone to the academic success of the school.
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In-beam spectroscopy of ⁷²Ge

  • Authors: Henninger, Katharine Rose
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Nuclear shapes , Hyperfine structure
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:5559 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018233
  • Description: The high-spin states of the nucleus ⁷²Ge were populated via the ⁷°Zn(a,2n)⁷²Ge fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam-energy of 30 MeV. The ')'-decays were observed with the AFRODITE spectrometer array at iThemba LABS (Faure, South Africa). Twenty-seven new transitions, 18 new levels and 2 new bands were added to the ⁷²Ge level scheme, and several corrections were made to t he previously-known level scheme. Transitions were characterised using Directional Correlation from Oriented states (DCO) and polarisation measurements, and spin-parity assignments were made for 7 new levels. Spin and parity were also reassigned to a previously-known structure. One of the new bands was ident ified as part of an octupole-vibrational band. No tetrahedral states were observed in the scheme despite N = 40 and Z = 32 having been identified as tetrahedral magic numbers. The meaning of the new 14⁺ yrast level for the underlying structure of the ground state band is discussed
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'Carrying the fire' : Cormac McCarthy's moral philosophy

  • Authors: Davies, Christopher
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: McCarthy, Cormac, 1933- -- Criticism and interpretation American fiction -- 20th century -- Moral and ethical aspects American fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2217 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002260
  • Description: In this thesis, I argue that the question of ethics, despite claims to the contrary, is a central concern in Cormac McCarthy’s fiction. My principal contention, in this regard, is that an approach that is not reliant on conventional systems of meaning is needed if one is to engage effectively with the moral value of this writer’s oeuvre. In devising such an approach, I draw heavily on the ‘immoralist’ writings of Friedrich Nietzsche. The first chapter of the study contends that good and evil, terms central to conventional morality, do not occupy easily definable positions in McCarthy’s work. In the second chapter, the emphasis falls on the way in which language and myth’s mediation of reality informs choice. The final chapter focuses on the post-apocalyptic setting of The Road, in which normative systems of value are completely absent. It argues that, despite this absence, McCarthy presents a compassionate ethic that is able to find purchase in the harsh world depicted in the novel. Finally, then, this study argues that McCarthy’s latest novel, The Road, requires a reconsideration of the critical claim that his work is nihilistic and that it negates moral value.
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An investigation into knowledge and change in a Grade 9 environmental research project

  • Authors: Webber, Susan Marion
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Environmental education -- Activity programs -- South Africa Environmental education -- Evaluation -- South Africa Environmental education -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa Sustainable development -- Evaluation -- South Africa Sustainable development -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa Active learning -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1597 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003479
  • Description: This study considers a Grade 9 Integrated Environmental Research Project which was implemented as a vehicle to induce knowledge-based change in learners. It was noted that change did not occur as hoped, and this study was undertaken to review the Grade 9 Project in order to improve it and to probe the apparent gap between knowledge and action. The study generated evidence on the learning processes within the project. This revealed a number of contradictions and tensions which limit change initiatives within the local environment. Notable here was a contradictory mandate between undertaking a research-based change project and responding to the rubric of assessment which was not linked to the research done. It was found that faced with this dual mandate, learners chose to focus on the assessment-laden mandate as this was the ultimate agenda that would reap the reward within the traditional school environment. The study examines the gap between knowledge and practice to probe ways in which to close this gap in the context of an environmental research assignment. The outcome is a recommendation that we as the project designers review the evidence of tensions and contradictions revealed in the study to reflect on the underlying purpose of the project and reshape it in light of recent literature on the challenges of social learning and change.
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