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It's my hand that wrote!

  • Authors: Magade, Mncedi
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142551 , vital:38090
  • Description: This collection of short stories experiments with the idea of the text as it constitutes the world just as much as it is constituted by the world. These short stories use the text as a way to respond to struggles faced by people whose identities do not conform to society’s standards. The stories in here navigate between fantastic and experiential writing which allows the text to speak in its own language. The writing is influenced by that of Mthuthuzeli Matshoba for the realist approach in telling the stories. Ayi Kwei Armah’s writing in Fragments for experientialism that focuses on the dead and the living and which makes specific references to the idea of home – particularly for those who always find it hard to belong. And that of Bruce Sterling’s creation of explosive imagery in science fiction that sticks in the reader’s mind as portrayed in his short story we see things differently. Angela Carter’s brilliance in writing short stories and her approach to magical realism has also been a powerful influence. In telling these stories using a hybrid/fluid approach, I hope to come to terms with being a different “being”. It is to find ways of telling myself that it is okay to be queer, that to be a misfit is no sin. To say this in a language that gives meaning to my own struggles of being. This work is a combination of three disjointed moments of the narrator’s life experiences which are exposed in three sections; It’s My Hand That Wrote, (Un)Tying The Knot and Thoughts. The aim of creating these three moments is to let the reader dive a variety of “truths” of the narrator’s life, instead of aiming to achieve a coherent single “Truth” about one’s life. It’s My Hand That Wrote explores both the unusual and inconsistency of life in a chaotic but explorative fashion.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Job characteristics and organisational citizenship behaviour among employees in a previously disadvantaged South African university

  • Authors: Yawethe, Thozama
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Organizational behavior
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18952 , vital:43002
  • Description: This study examined job characteristics and organisational citizenship behaviour among employees in a previously disadvantaged South African University. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 149 randomly selected participants. A 5-point Likert scale job characteristics survey by Hackman and Oldham (1975) was used to measure job characteristics while, a 5-point Likert scale by Lee and Allen (2002) on organisational citizenship behaviour was used to measure employee’s organisational citizenship behaviour. Different statistical techniques such as Spearman rho correlation technique and Regression analysis were used to analyse data. The results showed that task significance, skills variety, autonomy and feedback are significantly positively related to organisational citizenship behaviour. There was a non-significant negative relationship between task identity and organisational citizenship behaviour. A combination of two or more job characteristics dimensions were found to report a higher proportion of variance in organisational citizenship behaviour than any one job characteristic separately. The study, thus, recommends that managers must design employees’ jobs or tasks that are more meaningful to stimulate the display of organisational citizenship behaviour. Initiatives that stimulate the use of a variety of skills, promotes feedback, promote task significance and autonomy were suggested as solutions to stimulate the display of OCB. The prevalence of such dimensions on one’s job increase motivation and satisfaction therefore contributing positively towards organisational citizenship behaviour.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Johannesburg as dystopia: South African science fiction as political criticism

  • Authors: Kirsten, Ashton Lauren
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Science fiction, South African -- History and criticism , Johannesburg (South Africa) -- Fiction , Science fiction films -- History and criticism , Dystopias in literature , Dystopian films , Politics in literature , Politics in motion pictures , Beukes, Lauren -- Zoo City , Blomkamp, Neill, 1979- -- Chappie , Miller, Andrew K., 1974 or 1975- -- Dub steps
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147671 , vital:38659
  • Description: This thesis will interrogate the spatial dynamics and configurations of one of the country’s most prominent cities: Johannesburg. Johannesburg has been, and continues to be, a central focus in the nation’s imaginary. There is a trend within South African science fiction (sf) – both literature and film – to portray Johannesburg as a dystopian, post-law, poverty-stricken space as a means of conceptualising the socioeconomic situation within the country. This study will isolate Johannesburg-based works of sf and interrogate why authors and filmmakers disproportionately return to this setting. Investigated are three contemporary works, namely, Zoo City (2010) by Lauren Beukes, Neill Blomkamp’s film, Chappie (2015), and Dub Steps (2015) by Andrew Miller. This study explores the ways in which South African works of sf serve as social and political critique in the post-apartheid era of financial disparity, the formation of new boundaries, divisions of space and privilege, and the dereliction of critical infrastructure. The primary methodology of this thesis is that of Marxist literary analysis (specifically with reference to Louis Althusser’s theoretical models), which will be conducted alongside discussions of authentic history of the country as well as political developments in order to illustrate how South African sf critically engages with, and succinctly critiques, its context. The aesthetics of African sf are inseparable from the politics of the past and the current moment and through the aesthetics of the future, South Africans can reimagine the politics of the now. This study therefore also revisits a selection of non-sf Johannesburg-set novels published post-1925 and argues that these texts can be studied as early examples of South African dystopian writing. In doing so, this study illustrates that dystopian writing about and in South Africa is not an advent of the 21st century, but an extension of a long history of critical engagement. This thesis suggests that the dystopian genre is helpful in reframing the issues of the present (and the past) so that some form of meaningful change is theorized. The underlying impulse of dystopian cultural production is ultimately hopeful: a worse context is imagined to warn society of its follies so that these shortcomings and issues can be corrected, thereby avoiding the disastrous world(s) portrayed in the fiction. In this way, this study contends that local sf should not be inextricably linked to the melancholia that thoughts of dystopia bring about. Rather, the nuanced criticism contained within these dystopian texts is testament to the country’s ever-enduring spirit of change and transformation.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Joint Modelling Inference for Longitudinal and Time To Event Data with Application to Biomarkers in Medical and Clinical Studies

  • Authors: Azeez, Adeboye Nurudeen
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Biochemical markers Bayesian statistical decision theory
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Biostatistics)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18476 , vital:42543
  • Description: In the past couple of decades, longitudinal and survival data analysis have emerged as important and popular concepts of biostatistics and statistics for disease modelling. In recent years, these two statistics concepts have been combined to develop a joint model for longitudinal and survival data analysis. The Joint model is a simultaneous modelling application of longitudinal and survival data while taking into account a possible association between them. In this thesis, three sub-topics (Conditional score approach, estimating equation approach, and modified Cholesky decomposition approach) are utilised to model the association if the independence assumption is violated. Using the conditional score approach, the study investigated the association between longitudinal covariates and the time-to-event process to examine the within-subject measurement error that could influence estimation when the assumption of normality and mutual independence is violated. Given the assumption violation, I proposed an estimating equation approach based on the conditional score to relax parametric distributional assumptions for repeated measures of random effects. I jointly modelled the time-dependent biomarkers and event times using the Cox model with intermittent time-dependent covariates measure, in which the longitudinal model was used to characterize the biomarker underlying (unobservable) trajectory and incorporated as a latent time-dependent covariate in the survival model to predict failure times. Estimates of the parameters were obtained by a restricted maximum likelihood estimate (REML). A modified Cholesky decomposition method was used to capture the within-subject covariance for a positive definite and symmetric matrix, with the assumption that the observed data from different subjects are independent. I illustrated the proposed method by a real data set from a lung study and simulation. An extension to the joint model of longitudinal-survival data was also proposed, in which the longitudinal data has a cumulative and weighted effect on the hazard event function. Using a Bayesian parametric method, I proposed a skewed weighted probability density function to estimate the parameters. The weighted cumulative effect used enabled different longitudinal profiles to be incorporated over time in calculating the hazard ratio between the subjects. The proposed functions provide greater flexibility for modelling the association structure of different longitudinal and survival sub-model. The focus was on the association between the biomarker (serum creatinine, sCr) and the development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Since the effect of sCr biomarker is anticipated to be a cumulative effect, with the development of sCr biomarker over time leading to progressively higher damage of the kidney. The approach was applied a simulation for validation of the proposed method
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Journeying home, exile and transnationalism in Noni Jabavu and Sisonke Msimang’s memoirs

  • Authors: Masola, Athambile
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Home in literature , Exile (Punishment) in literature , Women authors, Black -- South Africa -- History and criticism , Jabavu, Noni -- Criticism and interpretation , Msimang, Sisonke -- Criticism and interpretation
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/166529 , vital:41376
  • Description: This thesis examines the memoirs of two South Africa female writers: Noni Jabavu and Sisonke Msimang. In analysing their memoirs, this thesis sets out to contribute to the scholarship which centres the voices of Black women writers. It explores how both writers interrogate the concepts of home, exile and transnationalism. My focus is on the ways in which the writers theorise questions of belonging, and the extent to which their writing provides the opportunity to give voice to the complex nature of belonging. I read the narratives from these two writers alongside each other, as Noni Jabavu is Sisonke Msimang’s literary ancestor. By looking at their works alongside each other, this thesis becomes an intergenerational conversation between the past and the present. Using Black feminist thought and migratory subjectivity, this thesis examines the ways in which these writers connect the personal and the political. Noni and Sisonke navigate the private spaces of home in conversation with the political experience of exile and the nation. In the second chapter, I explore home as ekhaya, isizwe and an imaginary homeland. Ekhaya is the isiXhosa word denoting the family home, where there is a network of family rather than a nuclear family. Home is also isizwe: the isiXhosa word which evokes the nation state, which takes on layered meanings in the context of colonialism and apartheid. Home can also be an imaginary homeland, which is an imagined version of home after a long absence such as exile. In the third chapter, I examine three forms of exile: internal exile, estrangement and political exile. Finally, in chapter four, I analyse transnationalism: a border-crossing which raises questions of power, mobility and kinship. Looking at home, exile and transnationalism together allows for an exploration which challenges taken-for-granted ideas about place and identity. These memoirs illuminate the ways in which Black women constitute and reconstitute their identities according to the places which they access through travel.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Khoekhoe lexical borrowing in Namaqualand Afrikaans

  • Authors: Christie, Camilla Rose
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Code switching (Linguistics) , Afrikaans language -- Foreign elements -- Nama , Nama language -- Foreign elements -- Afrikaans , Afrikaans language -- Phonology , Nama language -- Phonology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/168385 , vital:41576
  • Description: Although several languages in the Khoekhoe branch were historically spoken alongside Afrikaans in bilingual speech communities throughout the Western and Northern Cape, the last century has seen abrupt and catastrophic language loss, resulting in a shift from a bilingual to a monolingual paradigm. However, a number of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape over the last forty years have recorded the retention of Khoekhoe-branch plant names by monolingual Afrikaans speakers. Such surveys make no attempt to source these loanwords to their Khoekhoe-branch targets, do not make use of the standardised Namibian Khoekhoe orthography, and often resort to transcribing loaned click consonants using only ‘t’. This study undertakes a sociohistorical linguistic investigation into the etymological origins and contemporary usage of these loaned plant names in order to develop a clearer understanding of language contact and lexical borrowing in the Namaqualand region. Following the lexicographical compilation of a representative corpus of loanwords, this study conducts a series of semi-structured interviews with monolingual speakers of Namaqualand Afrikaans. Qualitative sociolinguistic analysis of these interviews reveals that, although loanwords are perceived to be of Nama origin, they are semantically opaque beyond pragmatic reference. Preliminary phonological observations identify a loss of phonemic contrastivity in loaned clicks coupled with a high incidence of variability, and suggest epenthetic stop insertion and epenthetic nasalisation as two possible strategies facilitating click loan. Synthesising these ob servations, this study speculates that the use of loanwords hosting clicks may enjoy a degree of covert prestige in Namaqualand Afrikaans, which may in turn shed light on historical sociolinguistic processes of click diffusion. It recommends that urgent and immediate attention be focused on the usage, sociolinguistic status, and regional variation of Nama within the Northern Cape, and advocates strongly for cooperation and improved communication between linguists and ethnobotanists.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Knowledge of drowning risks amongst adolescents in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Isaacs, Imeraan
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Primary health care
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPH
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18422 , vital:42264
  • Description: The purpose of this research study was to explore and describe the knowledge and the level of awareness of drowning risks amongst adolescents in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, Eastern Cape Province, and South Africa. Drowning is defined as the “process of experiencing respiratory impairment from either submersion or immersion into a water medium” (van Beeck et al 2005:853). Global statistics place drowning as being the third foremost cause of unintentional death worldwide (WHO 2013). The World Health Organization reports that more than 90% of the estimated 370 000 drowning fatalities recorded in 2012 occurred in low and middle income countries (WHO 2014). A qualitative descriptive explorative contextual design was employed in this research study. A non-probability convenience sampling method was used. Adolescents aged 10- 13 years old who attend a public primary school and model C primary school in Nelson Mandela Metropole area in the Eastern Cape Province were the target population who had the specific characteristics of interest and significance to the research phenomenon (Asiamah et al 2017). Four focus group interviews were conducted. The groups consisted of five to ten participants grouped together to discuss the matter. Field notes were also taken by the researcher on what was heard, observed, thought and experienced during the interview process (Streubert & Carpenter 2007). Ethical principles were maintained as well as the concepts of trustworthiness were applied throughout this study.Data analysis was done using Tesch’s approach to open coding in qualitative research. A total of six themes and seven sub-themes arose during the analysis of the data and were completely discussed. The findings suggest that most of the participants are quite aware and knowledgeable of the potential risks that predispose an individual to drowning. The consequences of what happens when a victim is exposed to drowning, however, requires more insight. The risk of being unsupervised as well as not being able to swim was echoed in most of the group interviews. vii A noteworthy finding was the fact that the participants who were involved with some form of water safety programme/s at school were very articulate in their responses to the questions. It was recommended that educational programmes ought to be aligned with current evidence which is reflective of the region’s demographics and dynamics. Even though all researchers do not share the sentiments that swim proficiencies heighten the safety of the individual in and around water, the need for ongoing research initiatives is a significant stimulus that will generate new evidence and inform current preventive strategies. Identification and awareness of drowning risks require a foundation of comprehension in order to better understand and interpret the consequences of these risks. Learn to swim or swim orientation initiatives could potentially assist at primary school level with the safety levels of learners.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of food preparers regarding food preparation in East London, South Africa

  • Authors: Fundam, Thembeka , van Niekerk, Firstnames
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Primary health care Food service management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPH
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18400 , vital:42262
  • Description: Background: Food preparers and food handlers seem to face difficulties in identifying activities that render food unsafe as a result of food contamination during food preparation. Research has shown that food preparation is a global problem and a potential health risk which can result in food-borne diseases as a result of a lack of knowledge on the principles of hygienic practices and negative attitudes when handling food. Aim: This study aims to determine the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that motivate food preparers in safe food preparation. Method: Building on existing work in understanding this phenomenon it asks: A purposive sample of male and female participants who prepare food at home were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire items were developed through focus group interviews and after a pilot study, presented to participants to complete. The items were subjected to principal component analysis (factor analysis), yielding a six-factor solution. The factor means, standard deviations were calculated and reliability was determined for each factor using Cronbach’s alpha as a measure of internal consistency. Group differences were determined through independent samples t-tests and anova. Results: The quantitative analysis demonstrated that food preparers have a fair knowledge and perception of how to prevent contamination. However, their behaviour is various aspects of food preparation might at times put them at risk for contamination. With regards to attitude, when comparing groups, people who prepare food with love and care demonstrated a more positive attitude towards food preparation than those who are less passionate to prepare food. On this basis, hygiene education should focus on the perceived threat to health as cues to action in changing attitudes and adherence to recommendations on hygiene. Conclusion: Further research is required to solicit the views of respondents below the age of 18 with regard to food-handling practices in pre-prepared food to ascertain and prevent further contamination and ensure food safety.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Kwakhe kwanje phi na?

Labour dispute resolution in Uganda

  • Authors: Chabo, Godsent , Ndimurwimo, Leah A
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Dispute resolution (Law) -- Uganda , Labor disputes -- Uganda Arbitration, Industrial -- Uganda Industrial relations -- Uganda
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48960 , vital:41566
  • Description: The dissertation examines the Ugandan labour dispute resolution system by undertaking an analysis of international labour standards and a case study of South Africa’s labour dispute system. The study pronounces the legislative provisions of the Employment Act and Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act that exist for the effective and efficient resolution of labour disputes through an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system. The study contends for the provision of a proactive and expeditious dispute resolution system that helps to resolve labour disputes in the most effective and efficient manner, without necessarily having to resort to the courts. The dissertation further examines the provisions of relevant international labour standards on labour dispute resolution to ascertain their adequacy as part frameworks that apply to Uganda’s obligation to provide ADR systems that respond to the needs of the labour relations community. The study contends that ratifying particular ILO conventions creates obligations upon a country to comply and apply provisions of these conventions in national legislation. It is further argued that by having ratified those international labour standards that provide for ADR, Uganda assumes specific obligations under international law, enjoining the country to provide the required ADR system of conciliation and arbitration, which is reliable and trusted by the countries citizens. A case study of South Africa is adopted with the primary focus on whether Uganda can learn from South African’s ADR system which is arguably more effective and efficient. South Africa has a labour dispute resolution system that has influenced majority of the Southern African Development Community (SADAC) law, hence prompting this study to borrow its ADR system predominantly the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). Despite the differences between Uganda and South Africa, the study also indicates fundamental similarities. Preferably, disputes should be resolved at conciliation level, resulting in the minority of disputes being referred to arbitration or the Industrial Court. This is far from the reality of the situation in Uganda. The study acknowledges that the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act and Employment Act have put up provisions to establish a fast and effective labour dispute system, however, the gap exists at implementing these effective provisions in the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act and the Employment Act. These lacunae in implementation make the attainment of an effective and efficient labour dispute resolution difficult. For this reason, the author proposes several remedial interventions in line with international labour standards and lessons from South Africa’s system that look to the future and the continued provision of fast, effective, and user-friendly ADR services. For Uganda to solve successfully apply these remedies, a strong political will as well as concerted efforts from all role players in the labour relations community is required.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Lack of prey switching and strong preference for mosquito prey by a temporary pond specialist predator

  • Authors: Cuthbert, Ross N , Dalu, Tatenda , Wasserman, Ryan J , Weyl, Olaf L F , Froneman, P William , Callaghan, Amanda , Dick, Jaimie T A
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466946 , vital:76801 , https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12801
  • Description: The strengths of trophic interactions within ecosystems can be mediated by complex mechanisms that require elucidation if researchers are to understand and predict population‐ and community‐level stabilities. Where multiple prey types co‐occur, prey switching (i.e. frequency‐dependent predation) by predators may facilitate low‐density prey refuge effects which promote coexistence. On the other hand, lack of switching and strong preferences by predators can strongly suppress prey populations, which is especially important considering vector species such as mosquitoes.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Laypersons’ perceptions and livelihood uses of invasive alien species (Opuntia ficus-indica) in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Mdweshu, Luleka
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Opuntia ficus-indica
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Botany)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18720 , vital:42727
  • Description: Opuntia ficus-indica is a succulent plant species that originated from Mexico and parts of neighbouring middle-America and introduced in South Africa by white settlers in the eighteenth century. The species is now categorized as invasive in South Africa but has both commercial and non-market uses. This study evaluated the livelihood uses and local perceptions of O. ficus-indica of rural residents in Makana, Ngqushwa and Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipalities in the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. Data on the livelihood uses and local perceptions on the species in the study area were gathered through community focus group discussions and household surveys using semi-structured questionnaires between June 2018 and August 2019. A sample of 150 participants selected via snowball-sampling technique provided detailed accounts on utilization of O. ficus-indica in the study area. The importance of O. ficus-indica as a useful plant species was ubiquitously perceived, with all respondents reporting its contribution towards their livelihood needs and more than three quarters (88.0%) using the species on a regular basis. Majority of the respondents (41.0%) regarded O. ficus-indica as an important source of cash income while about a third (33.0%) regarded the species as an important source of food products and nutrition. Interviews with respondents revealed that O. ficusindica is currently being harvested from the wild with 73.3% of the respondents reporting that the abundance of the species was decreasing. The positive socioeconomic contributions of O. ficus-indica need to be taken into account when assessing the costs resulting from invasions caused by alien plant species. This study is a crucial starting point in trying to understand and initiate the management of alien invasive species such as O. ficus-indica. Results of this study are also important for understanding local peoples’ perceptions of new introductions and management of existing alien plants in the province.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Learners’ perception on the effect of infrastructure development on academic performance in Port Elizabeth public secondary schools

  • Authors: Goduka, Nomava
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Infrastructure (Economics) -- Planning , School facilities -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Finance Academic achievement
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46053 , vital:39479
  • Description: South Africa is striving to attain quality equal education; however, this ideal is affected by various factors such as discrimination, learner-related challenges (e.g. dilapidated rural schools, poverty, and violence), educator-related challenges (e.g. low morale and motivation, and poor administration and management of schools), and governmental issues (e.g. a lack of will, lacklustre attitudes, and an inability to deliver resources and/or services). While the National Department of Basic Education is battling to eradicate the backlog of school infrastructure and maintenance, mud schools are still prevalent in rural areas. The present state of poverty-stricken areas is most affected by the mentioned challenges and, as a result, it is necessary to determine the nature and extent of the consequences in terms of academic performance. This study, therefore, investigated the reality of the current rural school situation by investigating the perceptions of learners on the effect of infrastructure development on their academic performance in public secondary schools. Three secondary schools in the Motherwell area in Port Elizabeth were chosen for the research setting. A quantitative research approach was deemed suitable for the study, and a questionnaire was utilised for data collection. A total of 151 questionnaires were completed. The key findings derived from the data indicated that inadequate infrastructure has a negative impact on academic performance. Some of the key issues pertaining to infrastructure included inadequate leisure areas, laboratories, libraries, and sport fields. Overcrowding in classrooms were also found to be prevalent, and posed a major barrier to learning. The findings of the study provided insights into the reality of rural education and were used as a basis for offering recommendations that may assist stakeholders to improve the current situation.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Learning about volunteering: an exploration of literacy volunteers' experiences

  • Authors: Yendall, Kaitlin Amy
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Literacy -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Literacy programs -- South Africa , Voluntarism -- South Africa , Volunteer workers in community development -- Training of , Service learning , Language and education -- South Africa , Language arts (Primary) , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) , Volunteer workers in Education -- Training of
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138336 , vital:37623
  • Description: After almost 25 years of democracy in South Africa, not everyone has access to the same quality education. The responsibility of creating a literate society however cannot rely on the national government and schools alone, but instead needs to fall on the shoulders of various stakeholders. Volunteers in particular have an important role to play in remedying the current literacy crisis experienced in South Africa. This study takes the form of a case study approach and examines the experiences of Project Read literacy volunteers. A telephonic survey and two focus group discussions were conducted in order to determine who it is that volunteers for the programme; what prompts these particular individuals to volunteer; the perceived benefits of volunteering; and how volunteers report on their volunteering experiences. Although the Project Read programme is focused on the early literacy development of learners, volunteers seemed to undergo a developmental process themselves – something they had not anticipated at the start of their volunteering journey. This study illustrates the power of meaningful relationships in breaking down artificial categories and in bringing about important change with regards to the perceptions and attitudes of individuals towards community engagement. It is hoped that the data generated through this study will assist in recruiting and retaining more literacy volunteers through feedback to the NGO. In this way more children will be assisted to enhance their literacy competencies, from which they can build and achieve.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Learning and teaching

  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Nelson Mandela University , Education, Higher -- Curricula , Education, Higher -- Study and teaching
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44433 , vital:37379
  • Description: Nelson Mandela University is recognised as a leader in embracing a humanising pedagogical philosophy or the ‘humanisation of education’. This is the touchstone of learning and teaching at our University for a number of reasons, of which I will name a few. It is about creating an environment that is conducive to bold thinking and questioning; dislodging outdated theories and narrow-minded preconceptions of teaching, learning and engagement in order to stimulate an alternative, emancipatory approach to higher education; and pioneering new programmatic interventions and recognitions of what teaching and learning in South Africa is about.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Learning how to theorize in doctoral writing: A tool for teaching and learning

  • Authors: Wilmot, Kirsten
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445824 , vital:74435 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-8/learning-theorize-doctoral-writing-kirstin-wilmot
  • Description: Doctoral writing is an elusive research practice. Given their size, individuality and disciplinary complexity, analysing doctoral dissertations is a complex task – one that makes defining exact rules for students to follow difficult, if not impossible. In order to open up access to increasingly diverse students, there is a need to make this tacit writing practice explicit. To do so requires a more detailed understanding of what doctoral writing involves. This chapter illustrates an approach that can provide such an understanding. Drawing on the concept of ‘semantic gravity’ from Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), the chapter focuses on a student’s progression from ‘raw’ data description to fully realized theoretical discussions of data. The findings demonstrate how, through the drafting process, specific movements in writing – notably, from strongly contextualized to more abstract meanings – are developed over time. In showcasing these findings, the chapter reveals how LCT is able to make this aspect of doctoral writing explicit and demonstrable to students and supervisors.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Learning styles, availability, and utilization of instructional materials as correlates of grade 6 learners’ mathematics performance in Buffalo city

  • Authors: Adu, Kemi Olajumoke
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Learning ability
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11374 , vital:39066
  • Description: Mathematics is the foundation for the economic and technological development of any nation. It has been asserted that Mathematics is expected to help in accelerating social, economic and technological progress of any society. Performance of this subject is very important and there are different types of learners; such auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Auditory learners appreciate listening to the teachers and sit down close to the teachers in class. Visual learners like to see things physically during teaching. They learn by materials like charts, graphs, and pictures. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. Students can prefer one, two, or three learning styles; all these are subject to the availability of instructional materials. The Primary school level is very important in any educational system and any lack at this level would permeate to other levels of the educational system. Hence, this thesis examines the Learning Styles, Availability, and Utilization of Instructional Materials as Correlates of Grade 6 Learners’ Mathematics Performance in Buffalo City. The study adopted the positivist paradigm and employed the quantitative approach in investigating the phenomenon. The thesis made use of correlational research design as it attempted to find out the effects of learning styles and instructional materials on learners’ performance in Mathematics. Stratified sampling was used to select participants. Stratified sampling is a process of dividing the sample frame into strata to obtain relatively homogenous subgroups; this gave us 1225 Grade 6 learners selected across 35 schools in Buffalo City as the sample of the study. Three instruments which are Students’ Learning Styles Scale (SLSS), Availability and Utilization of Instructional Materials Inventory (AUIMI), and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) whose reliability co-efficient are; 0.87, 0.78 and 0.89 respectively. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed among others; students learning style (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) have a significant relationship on Grade 6 learners Mathematics performance (B=-.113, t=-3.886, p<0.05). Students learning style (∆R2=.012, ∆F (1, 1223) = 5.047, p < 0.05) emerged as the best predictor of Grade 6 learners Mathematics performance in Buffalo City, while the availability and utilization of instructional materials (∆R2 = .000), ∆F (1,223) = .018, P > 0.05), and gender (∆R2 = .000, ∆F (1,1223) = .036, p>0.05) emerged as better predictors. The study further iv revealed that, Grade six learners with visual learning style ( = 13.242, SD = 5.565) had the best performance in Mathematics at Buffalo City, followed by learners with auditory learning style ( = 12.996, SD = 3.883), and learners with Kinaesthetic learning style ( = 11.525, SD =3.800). The study concluded that one of the most fundamental issues to consider in improving Mathematics performance is the understanding of the learners’ learning styles and effective use of appropriate instructional materials for teaching Mathematics.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2020

Level and determinants of postpartum adherence to antiretroviral therapy in the Eastern Cape, South Afric

Life after training: Professional experiences of early career clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa

  • Authors: Haine, Phillipa , Booysen, Duane D
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450703 , vital:74975 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2020.1821317"
  • Description: We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived professional experiences of early career clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa. Our informants were four early career psychologists (females = 2, males = 2; clinical = 2, counselling = 2; period in service = 1 to 7 years). They completed semi-structured interviews on their critical early career professional experiences, as well as the meanings they attributed to these experiences. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the data yielded four super-ordinate themes: (i) training as a ‘rite of passage’; (ii) expectations for a professional future; (iii) entering the professional psychology workspace; and (iv) future career directions. Findings suggest employment opportunities in the healthcare system to influence the professional socialisation of early career psychologists in addition to their personal choices. Systemic factors appear to explain why South African psychologists would opt to practice privately, and why debates on the profession’s relevance, accessibility, and credibility may continue unabated.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2020

Life after training: professional experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa

  • Authors: Haine, Phillipa
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Clinical psychologists – South Africa , Counseling psychologists – South Africa , Psychologists -- Job stress -- South Africa , Psychologists -- Employment -- South Africa , Career development -- South Africa , Psychologists -- Training of -- South Africa , Life change events , Qualitative research
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142421 , vital:38078
  • Description: Professional psychology in South Africa has experienced numerous transformations since its tainted historical affiliation with the apartheid regime. However, despite the profession’s attempts to respond to the burgeoning mental health needs of the country, psychologists in South Africa continue to be confronted by a number of challenges within the professional field. International research suggests that early career psychologists, in particular, experience further challenges in adjusting to new professional careers. Considering the dearth of research on this topic within local literature, the aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived professional experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa, following training. An interpretive phenomenological method was employed to investigate the fundamental early career professional experiences of participants, as well as the meanings participants attributed to these experiences. Four participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured, one-on-one, Skype interviews, and the interview data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study revealed four super-ordinate themes, including: (i) Training as a ‘rite of passage’; (ii) Expectations for a professional future; (iii) Professional psychology: Entering the work space; and (iv) Future directions. The findings suggest that clinical and counselling psychologists’ experiences as recently qualified professionals in South Africa are both positive and negative, with the overall experience being positive. Emerging themes suggest that early career psychologists are faced by a number of personal and professional challenges on entering the work place. Furthermore, findings suggest that the early career experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa might not necessarily be due to personal choice, but rather due to greater systemic factors, such as limited available posts, maladministration, the devalued status of mental healthcare in comparison to other healthcare concerns in the country, an unresponsive marketplace and limited efforts by government to accommodate psychologists in different contexts
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2020
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