An enquiry into the formative and summative assessment procedures, and perceptions thereof, of grade 10 mathematics teachers : a Namibian case study
- Authors: Marongwe, Anesu Desmond
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1385 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001513
- Description: The purpose of this study was to gain insight into observed discrepancies between continuous assessment and final examination average marks in Grade 10 Mathematics in the Oshikoto region of Namibia. The study is framed as a case study and is grounded within the interpretive paradigm. A mixed methods approach was applied, eliciting both quantitative as well as qualitative data. The study took place in two phases. In Phase 1, continuous assessment and Grade 10 final examination average marks for 62 Junior Secondary Schools for the period 2008-2010 were gathered and analyzed. Schools were characterized in terms of the relationship between their continuous assessment and final examination average marks for each of the three years. Phase 2, which was informed by Phase 1, took the form of structured interviews with a sample of three Mathematics teachers and three principals along with a focus-group interview of twelve teachers in order to investigate more deeply the perceptions of teachers and principals toward assessment policy and practice. The study shows that Grade 10 assessment practice in Namibian schools is far from ideal. Many teachers are not fully conversant with the various continuous assessment components as outlined by policy, and teachers are not confident about setting appropriate continuous assessment tasks. There is a strong perception that continuous assessment marks can easily be inflated and those teachers who gave high continuous assessment marks to their learners were generally perceived as being either incompetent or dishonest. While continuous assessment was seen as an important component of teaching and learning, it is evident that teachers and principals would welcome greater clarity, along with standardization and moderation, with respect to continuous assessment practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Marongwe, Anesu Desmond
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1385 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001513
- Description: The purpose of this study was to gain insight into observed discrepancies between continuous assessment and final examination average marks in Grade 10 Mathematics in the Oshikoto region of Namibia. The study is framed as a case study and is grounded within the interpretive paradigm. A mixed methods approach was applied, eliciting both quantitative as well as qualitative data. The study took place in two phases. In Phase 1, continuous assessment and Grade 10 final examination average marks for 62 Junior Secondary Schools for the period 2008-2010 were gathered and analyzed. Schools were characterized in terms of the relationship between their continuous assessment and final examination average marks for each of the three years. Phase 2, which was informed by Phase 1, took the form of structured interviews with a sample of three Mathematics teachers and three principals along with a focus-group interview of twelve teachers in order to investigate more deeply the perceptions of teachers and principals toward assessment policy and practice. The study shows that Grade 10 assessment practice in Namibian schools is far from ideal. Many teachers are not fully conversant with the various continuous assessment components as outlined by policy, and teachers are not confident about setting appropriate continuous assessment tasks. There is a strong perception that continuous assessment marks can easily be inflated and those teachers who gave high continuous assessment marks to their learners were generally perceived as being either incompetent or dishonest. While continuous assessment was seen as an important component of teaching and learning, it is evident that teachers and principals would welcome greater clarity, along with standardization and moderation, with respect to continuous assessment practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Characterisation of a plasmodium falciparum type II Hsp40 chaperone exported to the cytosol of infected erythrocytes
- Maphumulo, Philile Nompumelelo
- Authors: Maphumulo, Philile Nompumelelo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Erythrocytes , Heat shock proteins , Plasmodium falciparum , Molecular chaperones , Malaria -- Prevention -- Research , Protein folding , Proteins -- Analysis , Malaria -- Immunological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4128 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015681
- Description: Heat Shock 40 kDa proteins (Hsp40s) partner with heat shock 70 kDa proteins (Hsp70s) in facilitating, among other chaperone activities; correct protein transport, productive protein folding and assembly within the cells; under both normal and stressful conditions. Hsp40 proteins regulate the ATPase activity of Hsp70 through interaction with the J-domain. Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70s (PfHsp70s) do not contain a Plasmodium export element (PEXEL) sequence although PfHsp70-1 and PfHsp70-3 have been located outside of the parasitophorous vacuole. Studies reveal that a type I P. falciparum (PfHsp40) chaperone (PF14_0359) stimulates the rate of ATP hydrolysis of the cytosolic PfHsp70 (PfHsp70-1) and that of human Hsp70A1A. PFE0055c is a PEXEL-bearing type II Hsp40 that is exported into the cytosol of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes; where it potentially interacts with human Hsp70. Studies reveal that PFE0055c associates with structures found in the erythrocyte cytosol termed “J-dots” which are believed to be involved in trafficking parasite-encoded proteins through the erythrocyte cytosol. If P. falciparum exports PFE0055c into the host cytosol, it may be proposed that it interacts with human Hsp70, making it a possible drug target. The effect of PFE0055c on the ATPase activity of human Hsp70A1A has not been previously characterised. Central to this study was bioinformatic analysis and biochemical characterisation PFE0055c using an in vitro (ATPase assay) approach. Structural domains that classify PFE0055c as a type II Hsp40 were identified with similarity to two other exported type II PfHsp40s. Plasmids encoding the hexahistidine-tagged versions of PFE0055c and human Hsp70A1A were used for the expression and purification of these proteins from Escherichia coli. Purification was achieved using nickel affinity chromatography. The urea-denaturing method was used to obtain the purified PFE0055c whilst human Hsp70A1A was purified using the native method. PFE0055c could stimulate the ATPase activity of alfalfa Hsp70, although such was not the case for human Hsp70A1A in vitro.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Maphumulo, Philile Nompumelelo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Erythrocytes , Heat shock proteins , Plasmodium falciparum , Molecular chaperones , Malaria -- Prevention -- Research , Protein folding , Proteins -- Analysis , Malaria -- Immunological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4128 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015681
- Description: Heat Shock 40 kDa proteins (Hsp40s) partner with heat shock 70 kDa proteins (Hsp70s) in facilitating, among other chaperone activities; correct protein transport, productive protein folding and assembly within the cells; under both normal and stressful conditions. Hsp40 proteins regulate the ATPase activity of Hsp70 through interaction with the J-domain. Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70s (PfHsp70s) do not contain a Plasmodium export element (PEXEL) sequence although PfHsp70-1 and PfHsp70-3 have been located outside of the parasitophorous vacuole. Studies reveal that a type I P. falciparum (PfHsp40) chaperone (PF14_0359) stimulates the rate of ATP hydrolysis of the cytosolic PfHsp70 (PfHsp70-1) and that of human Hsp70A1A. PFE0055c is a PEXEL-bearing type II Hsp40 that is exported into the cytosol of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes; where it potentially interacts with human Hsp70. Studies reveal that PFE0055c associates with structures found in the erythrocyte cytosol termed “J-dots” which are believed to be involved in trafficking parasite-encoded proteins through the erythrocyte cytosol. If P. falciparum exports PFE0055c into the host cytosol, it may be proposed that it interacts with human Hsp70, making it a possible drug target. The effect of PFE0055c on the ATPase activity of human Hsp70A1A has not been previously characterised. Central to this study was bioinformatic analysis and biochemical characterisation PFE0055c using an in vitro (ATPase assay) approach. Structural domains that classify PFE0055c as a type II Hsp40 were identified with similarity to two other exported type II PfHsp40s. Plasmids encoding the hexahistidine-tagged versions of PFE0055c and human Hsp70A1A were used for the expression and purification of these proteins from Escherichia coli. Purification was achieved using nickel affinity chromatography. The urea-denaturing method was used to obtain the purified PFE0055c whilst human Hsp70A1A was purified using the native method. PFE0055c could stimulate the ATPase activity of alfalfa Hsp70, although such was not the case for human Hsp70A1A in vitro.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Evolution of the UG2 unit, Bushveld Complex, South Africa : mineral composition and petrological evidence
- Authors: Everitt, Simon James
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Textures -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex Petrology -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex Chromite -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex Mineralogy -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4913 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001573
- Description: Several disequilibrium textures are found to occur within the hanging wall and footwall of the UG2 chromitite layer of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. These textures include plagioclase chadacrysts found included within orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene as well as the orthopyroxenes exhibiting round crystal boundaries that appear to be resorbed. Textures found within the UG2 stratigraphy such as linear boundaries and 120° triple junctions at interfaces of adjacent plagioclase or pyroxene grains also suggest that recrystallization has taken place. The presence of both disequilibrium textures and recrystallization textures would suggest that a complex emplacement history has occurred. Ideally, this would be expected to be manifested by minerals of the same type but which are texturally distinct showing different composition. However this has been found not to be the case; minerals that suggest disequilibrium textures show similar compositions to the minerals which appear to have formed in equilibrium. This is also the same for recrystallized crystals which show the same compositions as crystals that have not been recrystallized. For example tabular clinopyroxene, which has a compositional range of En 44.6 to En 50.5, is indistinguishable from clinopyroxene occuring as discontinuous rims, En 44.3-48.2, and as intergranular necking connecting primocrysts of orthopyroxene ( En 44.3-50.4). Similarly, plagioclase occurring as inclusions with An 66.3-76.0 is indistinguishable from plagioclase occurring as zoned or recrystallized interstitial grains ( An 69.0- An 77.4). Compositional variation has however, been found to be controlled to an extent by stratigraphy in that minerals show different compositions within one layer to the same minerals within another layer, consistent with an evolving magma composition. It is concluded therefore that while composition is not texturally controlled it is to an extent stratigraphy controlled and that the evidence collected within the study supports two models for the formation of chromite within the Bushveld complex. The evidence is consistent with a combination of the magma mixing model and magma injection model to account for the textures and compositional variations found within the study. The evidence may also show support for models involving late modification of minerals by magmatic fluids but not as prominently as for the models mentioned above , Microsoft� Word 2010 , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Everitt, Simon James
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Textures -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex Petrology -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex Chromite -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex Mineralogy -- South Africa -- Bushveld Complex
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4913 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001573
- Description: Several disequilibrium textures are found to occur within the hanging wall and footwall of the UG2 chromitite layer of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. These textures include plagioclase chadacrysts found included within orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene as well as the orthopyroxenes exhibiting round crystal boundaries that appear to be resorbed. Textures found within the UG2 stratigraphy such as linear boundaries and 120° triple junctions at interfaces of adjacent plagioclase or pyroxene grains also suggest that recrystallization has taken place. The presence of both disequilibrium textures and recrystallization textures would suggest that a complex emplacement history has occurred. Ideally, this would be expected to be manifested by minerals of the same type but which are texturally distinct showing different composition. However this has been found not to be the case; minerals that suggest disequilibrium textures show similar compositions to the minerals which appear to have formed in equilibrium. This is also the same for recrystallized crystals which show the same compositions as crystals that have not been recrystallized. For example tabular clinopyroxene, which has a compositional range of En 44.6 to En 50.5, is indistinguishable from clinopyroxene occuring as discontinuous rims, En 44.3-48.2, and as intergranular necking connecting primocrysts of orthopyroxene ( En 44.3-50.4). Similarly, plagioclase occurring as inclusions with An 66.3-76.0 is indistinguishable from plagioclase occurring as zoned or recrystallized interstitial grains ( An 69.0- An 77.4). Compositional variation has however, been found to be controlled to an extent by stratigraphy in that minerals show different compositions within one layer to the same minerals within another layer, consistent with an evolving magma composition. It is concluded therefore that while composition is not texturally controlled it is to an extent stratigraphy controlled and that the evidence collected within the study supports two models for the formation of chromite within the Bushveld complex. The evidence is consistent with a combination of the magma mixing model and magma injection model to account for the textures and compositional variations found within the study. The evidence may also show support for models involving late modification of minerals by magmatic fluids but not as prominently as for the models mentioned above , Microsoft� Word 2010 , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Lʹétude des thèmes du deuil et de la marginalité dans Le Royaume Aveugle et Reine Pokou, concerto pour un sacrifice de Véronique Tadjo
- Sachikonye, Tsitsi Shamiso Anne
- Authors: Sachikonye, Tsitsi Shamiso Anne
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Tadjo, Véronique -- Criticism and interpretation , West African literature (French) -- History and criticism , African fiction (French) -- 20th century
- Language: French
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3603 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002956 , Tadjo, Véronique -- Criticism and interpretation , West African literature (French) -- History and criticism , African fiction (French) -- 20th century
- Description: The field of our study is Francophone African Literature and this thesis explores the themes of marginality and grief both experienced by Princess Akissi in The Blind Kingdom and Princess Pokou in Queen Pokou (2004) during their rise to power in their respective kingdoms. The two novels written by Véronique Tadjo from Ivory Coast, are subjected to thematic analysis because they are both based on similar storylines - that of conflict and rivalry within kingdoms resulting in the exile of the two princesses. One of the novels is set in a pre-colonial period while the other is set in a postcolonial era. Queen Pokou, winner of the 2005 Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire (which is the most distinguished prize in Francophone African literature), is a retelling of the founding myths of the Baoulé people of Ivory Coast. In her literary texts, Tadjo transgresses the original legend and her reconstruction of this legend is significant because it challenges the ritual sacrifice made by Princess Pokou in order to free her people and to become queen. In The Blind Kingdom (1990), Tadjo highlights the corruption and injustice of the ruling elite. Space is used to reinforce the King’s domination thus a revolution is necessary to overthrow the exploitative power structures in place. The revolution that takes place relies heavily on the participation of Karim and especially on Princess Akissi who chooses to rebel against her father, King Ato IV in order to stop injustice. This thematic analysis, supported by semiotic theory, aims to establish and demonstrate the relationship between marginality of the two princesses, in particular, and their subsequent grief. It sheds light on the reasons for their exclusion from power as well as the nature of the conflicts that occur as they rise to power. The study postulates that certain myths and images are evoked by the novelist to symbolise the exclusion of the two princesses from power.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Sachikonye, Tsitsi Shamiso Anne
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Tadjo, Véronique -- Criticism and interpretation , West African literature (French) -- History and criticism , African fiction (French) -- 20th century
- Language: French
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3603 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002956 , Tadjo, Véronique -- Criticism and interpretation , West African literature (French) -- History and criticism , African fiction (French) -- 20th century
- Description: The field of our study is Francophone African Literature and this thesis explores the themes of marginality and grief both experienced by Princess Akissi in The Blind Kingdom and Princess Pokou in Queen Pokou (2004) during their rise to power in their respective kingdoms. The two novels written by Véronique Tadjo from Ivory Coast, are subjected to thematic analysis because they are both based on similar storylines - that of conflict and rivalry within kingdoms resulting in the exile of the two princesses. One of the novels is set in a pre-colonial period while the other is set in a postcolonial era. Queen Pokou, winner of the 2005 Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire (which is the most distinguished prize in Francophone African literature), is a retelling of the founding myths of the Baoulé people of Ivory Coast. In her literary texts, Tadjo transgresses the original legend and her reconstruction of this legend is significant because it challenges the ritual sacrifice made by Princess Pokou in order to free her people and to become queen. In The Blind Kingdom (1990), Tadjo highlights the corruption and injustice of the ruling elite. Space is used to reinforce the King’s domination thus a revolution is necessary to overthrow the exploitative power structures in place. The revolution that takes place relies heavily on the participation of Karim and especially on Princess Akissi who chooses to rebel against her father, King Ato IV in order to stop injustice. This thematic analysis, supported by semiotic theory, aims to establish and demonstrate the relationship between marginality of the two princesses, in particular, and their subsequent grief. It sheds light on the reasons for their exclusion from power as well as the nature of the conflicts that occur as they rise to power. The study postulates that certain myths and images are evoked by the novelist to symbolise the exclusion of the two princesses from power.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »