List of Titles

Double jeopardy: reflections of accessing and navigating public spaces during COVID-19 by blind and visually impaired (BVI) people in Gqeberha

- Sysaar, Nicay Courtlynn

Authors: Sysaar, Nicay Courtlynn
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466306 , vital:76716
Description: Disability only exists in reference to ability, denoting that people are only disabled if considered and treated as disabled. The inherent social conditions and features of society significantly shape disability. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was significant in the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals (BVI) since these individuals “access the world” through tactile contact, a behaviour strongly opposed during the pandemic. Therefore, this study explored how BVI individuals struggled to access and navigate public spaces in Gqeberha and how their risk of contracting COVID-19 increased when accessing these spaces. The study was qualitative ethnographic research. It was conducted in Gqeberha and embedded within a non-governmental organisation (NGO). A heterogeneous purposive sampling method was used to recruit ten BVI individuals and four trainers. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews and participant observation and analysed thematically. The study's key findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 countermeasures implicated the lives of BVI individuals, as some felt the need to avoid public spaces not by choice but by obligation to protect themselves from the possible risk of infection. The research findings reveal the barriers encountered through social encounters, physical navigation of the built environment, and information access, thus making the social, digital, and physical spheres inaccessible. COVID-19 exacerbated these barriers while simultaneously revealing the perpetual debilitating barriers in the lives of BVI people before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and presently. The recommendations explored the implementation of awareness-based programmes, integration and inclusion in physical spheres, and inclusionary disaster communication during disasters. Ultimately, as a society, we have a lot to do to achieve accessibility and, fundamentally, social integration. It is recommended that when developing health safety policies in times of crisis, it is crucial to consider populations with unique challenges rather than having a blasé approach. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Evaluation of traditional and residual momentum strategies during the Covid period on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange

- Yengwa, Mphathi Lubabalo

Authors: Yengwa, Mphathi Lubabalo
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/462834 , vital:76339
Description: Traditional momentum is a concept which was first discovered by Jegadeesh and Titman (1993), defined as a tendency of stocks to experience a continuation in their relative performance. A stock that performed relatively well will continue to perform relatively well, and vice versa. It has been observed by other researchers that during market crises, traditional momentum tends to produce large negative returns for investors, defined as a momentum crash. To mitigate momentum crashes, many researchers have developed new momentum strategies which have better performance than traditional momentum during market crises; such strategies include residual momentum. While both residual and traditional momentum have been studied in international markets and locally, the performance of both the residual and traditional momentum strategies have not been examined in the most recent Covid-fuelled financial crisis on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The study compares the performance of hypothetical long-only winner traditional and residual momentum portfolios (from 2018–2022) using various risk metrics, which include the tracking error, Sharpe ratio, Jensen’s alpha and information ratio. To compare the statistical significance of the difference in mean returns of residual and traditional momentum strategies to the benchmark (FTSE/Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Top 40) the study uses Welch’s t-test. The study uses an Auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) regression to examine the effect that various market conditions (bull market, bear market and extreme volatility) have on the returns of residual and traditional momentum strategies. Given the limited period examined in this study, the Monte Carlo simulation was used to extrapolate potential outcomes of how the momentum strategies might perform under different market conditions (as mentioned) in 1 000 iterations of each condition. The simple return analysis undertaken in this research revealed that traditional momentum outperformed residual momentum both before and throughout the COVID period. In the risk-adjusted performance measures, traditional momentum outperformed at all four risk indicators during the 2020 COVID year. The statistical significance tests, which compared the strategies' mean returns to the benchmark, demonstrated no statistically significant difference in returns over the COVID year. Furthermore, when evaluating the strategies over a five-year period (2018-2022), the difference in mean returns was shown to be statistically insignificant. However, statistical significance in returns was shown in some individual years. The ARDL regression findings show that bull, bear, and volatility factors explain relatively little of the returns for both momentum strategies, which is consistent with previous research. The Monte Carlo simulation, using the bear variable, forecasted that traditional momentum would result in negative returns during market declines, but residual momentum would provide positive returns and surpass traditional momentum with a probability of 26%. When using the bull variable, the simulation discovered that both traditional and residual momentum strategies resulted in positive returns. However, the residual momentum strategy outperformed in terms of returns and had an 84% likelihood of outperforming the traditional momentum strategy across 1,000 iterations. Nevertheless, when the simulation included the volatility variable, it projected negative returns for residual momentum and positive returns for traditional momentum. Additionally, it estimated a 14% probability of residual momentum surpassing traditional momentum under volatile market circumstances. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Exploring how visual models can be used in teaching mathematics for growing a productive disposition in Grade 9 learners

- Shetunyenga, Fillipus Shetunyenga

Authors: Shetunyenga, Fillipus Shetunyenga
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463625 , vital:76426
Description: The Namibian Curriculum for Basic Education states clearly that Indigenous Knowledge (IK) should be integrated into science teaching. However, the irony is that it does not give clear pedagogical guidelines on how it should be integrated. The implication is that the curriculum assumes that all teachers are aware of how to integrate IK into their teaching. This assumption has therefore led to little or no integration of IK in many classrooms in Namibia, something which could be in part a contributing factor to poor learners’ academic performance in science subjects and Agricultural Science in particular. This tension in the curriculum plus the apparent gap in the literature regarding the integration of IK has triggered my interest to conduct this interventionist qualitative case study. Essentially, this study aimed to explore affordances and/or hindrances when using the indigenous technology of organic crop farming to mediate learning in Grade 12 Agricultural Science classes in peri-urban schools in the Oshana region in Namibia. The study was underpinned by the interpretivist and Ubuntu paradigms. Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory and Shulman’s (1986) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) framework were used as lenses to analyse my data. Within PCK, I also used Mavhunga and Rollnick’s (2013) Topic-Specific PCK as an analytical framework. The findings of the study revealed that the integration of Indigenous knowledge in Agricultural Science education has great potential in improving both the teaching and learnng of science. It also revealed that the Agricultural Science teachers were positive towards the integration of IK in their lessons. However, they conceded that they lacked pedagogical insights on how to integrate IK as they were never trained on how to integrate it. As a result, they found the presentations by the Indigenous Knowledge Custodians (IKCs) informative and shed light on how they could integrate IK during teaching and learning. That is, they became cultural knowledge brokers making science relevant and accessible to their learners. The study thus recommends that teacher training institutions should modify the curriculum to include a pedagogy course module on IK to equip students with the essential PCK on IK integration in science teaching. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Exploring social learning practices for catchment management: a case study of two catchments in South Africa

- Siyengo, Kwanele

Authors: Siyengo, Kwanele
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/464848 , vital:76550
Description: Social learning is achieved through a wide range of practices and is understood in different ways through multiple definitions in the literature. It is recognised as an outcome of stakeholder engagement through collaborative activities such as catchment management. Stakeholder engagement and collaboration in catchment management helps stakeholders understand the complex systems they work in, by enabling deliberation, dialogue, knowledge sharing and interdependencies. These are seen as processes which enable not only the sustainable use of natural resources but also help to achieve outcomes of transformative social learning. In partnership with the Living Catchments Project (implemented by the South African National Biodiversity Institute - SANBI), this study explores social learning practices and facilitation – and the role these play for transformation. Exploring two case studies, the Olifants River catchment and the Umzimvubu River catchment, the study adopted a qualitative participatory case study approach. It used observations, semi-structured interviews and reflections to look at the social learning practices in the two catchments. Additionally, it made use of the Social Learning, Knowledge Management and Mediation (SLKMM) framework as an analytical tool to investigate social learning practices and tools in the cases and explore how support for these can be enhanced in future. The results showed that there are existing social learning platforms and facilitation practices in the two catchments. Though not often explicit, social learning exists, and various tools (analytical, visual, participatory, and conceptual) and practices can be used to facilitate social learning. The greatest challenge for transformative social learning in these catchments is the need for a monitoring and evaluation practice which documents and makes explicit important learning and transformation taking place. This is therefore why, through a set of recommendations, it is suggested that it is key to build capacities within existing facilitators and to work closely with stakeholders from research, policy, and implementation to grow the existing social learning work, for future transformation. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Figuring the black femme fatale: analysing black womanhood in U-Carmen eKhayelitsha

- Waters-Maine, Leigh

Authors: Waters-Maine, Leigh
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466117 , vital:76687
Description: In this thesis, I investigate black womanhood in U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, a post-apartheid film opera. The aim of this research is to examine the representation of black women in this film opera, focusing largely on the lead character, U-Carmen. This thesis is driven by a form of intersectional feminism which is characterised by overlapping categories such as race, gender, class and sexual orientation (Crenshaw 1989). A growing number of scholars have written about the rise of South African operas (Roos 2012; André 2016; Gerber 2021) but have seldom focused on the multi-layered representation of black women, which is what this thesis aims to do. In reading this work, I argue that U-Carmen eKhayelitsa foregrounds U-Carmen as a black woman with a storyline that rejects essentialists portrayals of black women on opera stages. The film opera, I argue, figures a complex womanhood represented in voice, labour, motherhood, and death. It not only recognizes the marginalised, but it also offers a change to the perception of the gendering of the black female body. In this thesis, I employ textual analysis to consider the historical contexts of U-Carmen alongside its contemporary resonances and analyse the main female character in the opera and how she can enforce or change the narrative of the role of women in opera. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Integrating sustainability into strategic decision making in the South African automotive sector

- Makaudi, Tuelo Ivan

Authors: Makaudi, Tuelo Ivan
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461874 , vital:76247
Description: Sustainability has become a major topic for businesses, policy makers, government, and researchers. With the growing awareness of climate change, environmental and social problems, attention has turned to how businesses impact the environment, society, and economy. Sustainability, therefore, requires the integration of environmental and social issues into strategic decision making. Many organizations consider sustainability as an important issue for the business. However, some companies are struggling to combine business success and the success of other stakeholders, particularly those representing the interests of the environment and society. The purpose of this case study is to explore how sustainability is integrated into strategic decision making within some companies in the South African automotive industry. This study followed a qualitative approach, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten senior managers in the automotive sector in South Africa. The study used an inductive thematic analysis approach to analyse the data, and five main themes were generated: (1) Business profitability, (2) Organization culture, (3) Rationality, (4) Compliance, and (5) Corporate social responsibility (CSR). The findings of the study indicated that strategic decisions made considered business profitability first and foremost above environment and society. There is evidence that businesses engage in some sustainability activities, but this was related to the business objective to be profitable and to meet compliance requirements. The findings of the study also indicated that a rational decision-making approach was used predominantly, compared to intuitive and political approaches. This was due to the cautious approach of maintaining profit-making as a primary business objective. In terms of recommendations, this study recommends that automotive companies in South Africa integrate sustainability considerations into organizational/or business strategy to enable the industry to create shared value for the environment, society and economy. Integrating sustainability into business strategy will align business practices with sustainability goals and therefore allowing the automotive industry to have a positive impact in the society and environment which in turn will lead to improved financial performance. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Mediating learning of nutrition through using traditional food processing and preservation to grade 6 rural school learners

- Tyeda, Nomvume

Authors: Tyeda, Nomvume
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463658 , vital:76429
Description: Rural learners, especially those in the school where I teach, seem to grasp science in a disconnected manner, and hence struggle to understand it. This concern aligns with the findings of the Trends of International Mathematics and Science Studies, which notes poor performance in science among learners in South Africa. When examining these challenges, learners appear to inhabit a realm divided by a river, struggling to bridge the gap between what they learn at home and what is taught at school. Against this context, this research aimed to mediate the learning of nutrition for Grade 6 rural school learners by integrating traditional ways of food processing and preservation. The interpretivist and Indigenous research paradigms underpin the research. I used the Ubuntu perspective within the Indigenous research paradigm, which emphasises respect and humble togetherness. This qualitative case study took place at a rural school in the OR Tambo Coastal district in the Eastern Cape. It involved 14 Grade 6 Natural Sciences and Technology learners, a critical friend, and two Indigenous Knowledge Custodians. Various methods were used to collect data, including group activities by learners, participatory and lesson observation, focus group interviews (sharing circles), and learners’ journal reflections. The findings of the study revealed the significance of integrating Indigenous Knowledge with modern scientific principles, engaging in experiential and hands-on learning activities, involving Indigenous Knowledge Custodians, and using visual learning aids to enhance learners’ engagement and sense-making of nutrition. The study recommends that Indigenous Knowledge should be integrated with modern science to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic of nutrition. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Mediating learning of sound through cultural music and dance stories to Grade 4 farm school learners

- Tshitshi, Hlengiwe

Authors: Tshitshi, Hlengiwe
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463647 , vital:76428
Description: The current South African Natural Science and Technology (NS-Tech) curriculum for grades 4–9 encourages teachers to integrate Indigenous Knowledge (IK) into their teaching. By doing so, it is hoped that this would contextualise and make science relevant to learners. However, the contradiction is that IK is hardly discussed in the curriculum and there are no clear guidelines on how to integrate it. It is against this background that in this study I used stories about cultural beliefs and practices on traditional music and dance to support Grade 4 NS-Tech from a farm school talking about and making sense of the topic of sound. This study is underpinned by the interpretivist and Indigenous research paradigms. Within the Indigenous research paradigm, I focused on the Ubuntu perspective. A qualitative case study research design was employed, and the study was conducted in the Sarah Baartman District of the Eastern Cape. Four Grade 4 learners and four Indigenous Knowledge Custodians who were all family members were participants in this study. In addition, I invited an NS-Tech teacher to be my critical friend in this study. A focus group interview (sharing circle), participatory and lesson observations and learners’ journal reflections were employed to gather data. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory together with Ogunniyi’s contiguity argumentative theory were used as lenses to analyse data. A thematic approach to data analysis was employed to come up with sub-themes. Thereafter, common sub-themes were subsequently combined to form themes. The findings of this study revealed that the following factors can significantly enable/constrain the ability of Grade 4 Natural Sciences and Technology learners from a farm school to comprehend and engage with the topic of sound: (1) integration of IK into science lessons, (2) Experiential learning through hands-on activities, (3) Community involvement in knowledge acquisition, and (4) Emotional effect of loud sounds. In addition, the contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Custodians facilitated a notable enhancement in learners’ dialogue and understanding of sound. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Quick View

Participatory mapping of key drivers of ecological change and analysing equity dimensions of ecosystem services flow in the Kat River Catchment

- Seriki, Esther Ahuoiza

Authors: Seriki, Esther Ahuoiza
Date: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Uncatalogued
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465024 , vital:76566
Description: Rivers are important ecosystems which supply ecosystem services critical to social-economic well-being. However, many rivers are degraded due to human activities. Degradation of river systems compromises the quality and quantity of ecosystem services they can supply. Managing important drivers of ecological change requires broad-based stakeholder participation to mobilise collective actions for an effective rehabilitation strategy. This study looked at two crucial research objectives in the Kat River catchment. The first was to undertake a multidimensional, participatory, engaged mapping of ecological changes, as well as current and changing ecosystem services in the Kat River catchment, and the second was to analyse the equity dimensions of ecosystem services flow in the Kat River catchment. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participatory GIS mapping exercises. A purposive sampling method was applied to recruit research participants for interviews and workshops. Between March 13th and May 31st, 2023, thirty-one (31) participants representing four social groups, non-farming individuals, catchment management forum members, commercial and subsistence farmers, participated in interviews. Additionally, twenty-two (22) stakeholders attended 2-day workshops held between 20−21 April 2022, and 30−31 May 2023. Data collected from interviews and workshops were analysed using thematic analysis. The results of stakeholder perceptions regarding the perceived ecological changes and their key drivers in the Kat River catchment revealed a concerning trend. Participants reported significant changes to the catchment area over time, including increased occurrences of flooding and water pollution and decreased aquatic biodiversity. Furthermore, degradation of ecosystem services, such as water quality, availability of medicinal plants, reeds, and fish populations, was noted. These environmental shifts have been accompanied by a rise in social-economic burdens, including the prevalence of water-borne diseases, cultural burdens (particularly the inability of certain groups to access ancestral grave sites) and declining fish populations. These findings emphasise the urgent need for intervention strategies to mitigate further degradation of the catchment area and safeguard the well-being of both the human population and the integrity of the ecosystems. Recommended intervention measures include improving wastewater management practices and creating targeted public awareness campaigns. By addressing these challenges, stakeholders can work towards preserving the integrity of the catchment area, protecting water resources and conserving biodiversity for future generations. The equity dimensions (distributive and procedural equity) analysis revealed notable disparities in access to the benefits of ecosystem services, as well as in participation of residents in the Kat River Water Users Association. Certain social groups, such as commercial farmers, were observed to receive more benefits from ecosystem services, while other groups, including the elderly and disabled individuals, seem to be negatively impacted by the activities of those who benefit most from ecosystem services in the Kat River catchment. This raises not only an equity issue but also the issue of how costs are externalised by certain groups. Of particular concern was the finding that seventy (70) per cent of the research participants were not aware of the presence of the Kat River Water Users Association, raising concerns about procedural equity in water resource management processes. Additionally, ninety (90) per cent of the participants had the perception that there was unfair water access and allocation across the various social groups, highlighting possible distributive inequities. The participants expressed a clear interest in learning more about the existence and operation of the Kat River Water Users Association, signalling a need for increased awareness and participation among social groups. Addressing these equity concerns is crucial to ensure that water resource management processes are designed to provide all stakeholders and water-dependent actors with equitable and fair access to decision making. Moving forward, efforts should be directed towards raising awareness of the Kat River Water Users Association and to promoting inclusive participation among all social groups. This awareness may involve targeted outreach campaigns, community engagement initiatives and policy reforms to foster more equitable water governance practices within the catchment. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Institute for Water Research, 2024
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Showing items 21 - 40 of 585