Co-generated learnings from hopes-an NRF grant funded university engagement project
- Authors: Quvile, Xola Bulumko
- Date: 2024-12
- Subjects: National Research Foundation (South Africa) , Research grants -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/68366 , vital:76990
- Description: The study had sought to understand the systemic and individual factors that facilitated or inhibited the NRF grant-funded HOPES Project. HOPES collaborated with the Centre for the Community School in the Faculty of Education, and various communities of practice (COPs) in existing school communities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The project applied a critical participatory action research work to develop a framework for school improvement and in the process contribute to making schools beacons of hope. This research provides insights into how an NRF community engagement grant project team (HOPES) navigated external and internal factors such as COVID-19, rules regulating the grant, and multiple realities of the stakeholders at play. The study was qualitative and used the critical participatory action research design. The study purposively and conveniently sampled seven HOPES Project team members to collect data via focus groups and individual interviews and collected secondary data from NRF HOPES annual project reports. The study findings improved the participants' understanding of their journey, and the co-generated knowledge shed light on how NFR and community engagement grant funders could promote enabling conditions towards achieving individual scholars and collective project outcomes. The study findings provide learnings for the Faculty of Education and the Nelson Mandela University on how extrinsic and intrinsic enablers and barriers can be addressed to optimise a project of this nature. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, School of Postgraduate Education, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-12
Factors that influence customers’ spaza shopping experience
- Authors: Yase, Tembelihle
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Home-based businesses--South Africa-Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55780 , vital:53877
- Description: Spaza shops, originating in South Africa during the 1970’s, often operate in townships, selling products and services to customers who live mostly within walking distance of the shop. Almost five decades later, and spaza shops abound across most townships in South Africa. These businesses not only provide grocery items and services to customers in the township community but are a means for people to earn a livelihood for themselves and also contribute economically through creating employment opportunities in the informal sector. Research about spaza shops shows that there is a growing customer interest in purchasing products and services from spaza shops, and that if spaza shops are to continue growing, they need to be more competitive. Research by renowned authors in the field of experience marketing, Pine and Gilmore (2013) puts forward that experiences are the new relevant economic offering, and an essential value creating platform for businesses to be more competitive. However, before customer experience can be enhanced in spaza shops, it is important to first identify the factors that influence customer experience in a spaza shop context. Considering the latter, the primary objective of this study was to measure factors that influence customer experience in spaza shops. A descriptive research design was selected for this study, followed by a positivistic research paradigm and quantitative research methodology. Secondary data was collected through articles, journals, books and from newspapers. Primary data was collected using a survey in the form of a self-administered questionnaire. The target population for this study was customers who are older than 18 years, who had bought grocery items (products and services) in spaza shops located in Nelson Mandela Bay townships specifically in Walmer Township, KwaZakhele, Zwide, Motherwell, KwaMagxaki and New Brighton. A non-probability sampling method and convenience sampling technique were used to distribute a total of 200 selfadministered questionnaires. Once the data collection phase was completed, the data from the questionnaires was recorded, coded, and cleaned on a single excel spreadsheet. After the latter was done, a total of 185 questionnaires were deemed useable and considered for data analysis, which was conducted with the aid of IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 (computer software). , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Management Sciences, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Anisotropic copper oxide nanorods decorated with gold and palladium nanoparticles and their enzymatic properties
- Authors: Sicwetsha, Simbongile
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: To be added
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178547 , vital:42949
- Description: The synthesis of spherical CuO nanoparticles (CuONPs), copper oxide nanorods (CuONRs), CuONRs decorated with gold (CuONRs@Au1.0NPs), CuONRs decorated with palladium (CuONRs@Pd1.0NPs) and CuONRs decorated with gold and palladium (CuONRs@Au0.5/Pd 0.5NPs) was carried out. The successful preparation of these nanomaterials was confirmed using UV-vis, DLS (zeta potential), XRD, TEM and EDS. The nanoparticles were found to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. The peroxidase-like activity of the nanoparticles was dependent on pH, temperature and enzyme substrate concentration. The investigation of the steady-state kinetic parameters showed that the peroxidase-like activity of the nanomaterials followed the Michaelis-Menten kinetics behaviour. The spherical CuONPs showed the Km = 1.12 mM and 1.14 mM for H2O2 and TMB respectively. The CuONRs showed the Km = 40.04 mM and 2.91 mM for H2O2 and TMB respectively. The CuONRs@Au1.0NPs showed the Km = 3.05 mM and 6.49 mM for H2O2 and TMB respectively. The CuONRs@Pd1.0NPs showed the Km = 0.13 mM and 2.59 mM for H2O2 and TMB respectively. The CuONRs@Au0.5/Pd0.5NPs showed the Km = 2.66 mM and Km = 19.70 mM for H2O2 and TMB respectively. The nanomaterials interact with hydrogen peroxide to produce hydroxyl radicals (OH·). Therefore, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was investigated and detected using 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) as a radical scavenger. The prepared nanomaterials were used in biosensing for the colorimetric detection of glucose. The LOD and LOQ for spherical CuONPs was 0.73 μM and 2.42 μM, for CuONRs was 0.13 μM and 0.42 μM, CuONRs@Au1.0NPs was 7.19 μM and 21.78 μM, for CuONRs@Pd1.0 NPs was 19.65 μM and 59.54 μM, and for CuONRs@Au0.5/Pd0.5NPs was 10.46 μM and 31.71 μM. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Bioethical analysis of selected biomedical issues in South Africa and other countries
- Authors: Rusere, Jean
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: To be added
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178530 , vital:42948
- Description: Access restricted until April 2023. , Thesis (MPharm) -- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacy, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04