Trophic relationships of hake (Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus) and sharks (Centrophorus squamosus, Deania calcea and D. profundorum) in the Northern (Namibia) Benguela Current region
- Authors: Iitembu, J A , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457418 , vital:75636 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC183122"
- Description: The trophic relationships of two hake species (Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus) and three shark species (Centrophorus squamosus, Deania calcea and D. profundorum) were investigated using nitrogen and carbon stable isotope signatures (15N and 13C) of their muscle tissues. The sharks were more enriched in 15N than the hake, an indication of the apex predator status of sharks. Among the sharks considered, C. squamosus occupied the highest trophic level and fed primarily on benthic prey. The two species of shark from the genus Deania were not different based on 15N or 13C, so they had similar diets. The 13C signatures indicated that M. capensis and sharks fed on prey derived from similar basal resources. However, there was a significant difference in 13C between M. paradoxus and all other species examined, suggesting that they occupied different feeding niches. Isotope-based populationmetrics showed narrower trophic ranges in sharks than M. capensis. Carbon and nitrogen ranges indicated that hake fed on a more diverse pool of carbon sources and had generally more enhanced trophic diversity in their feeding patterns than sharks. Among the species considered, C. squamosus occupied a unique isotopic space. Our results supported the hypothesis there are trophic overlaps among these species, but some interesting differentiation was revealed.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Troubling the troubled identities of victims and perpetrators in approaches to social justice:
- Authors: Edlmann, Theresa
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143593 , vital:38265 , https://ischp.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ischp_2015_abstract_booklet.pdf
- Description: The terms “victim” and “perpetrator” have become an integral part of human rights-based language about systemic, political, sexual and interpersonal violence. This paper will argue that the terms “victim” and “perpetrator” reflect social constructs whose meaning and impact have shifted and changed over time, but that these evolutions have seldom been adequately interrogated or understood. In developing this argument, the paper will provide a brief historical outline of the emergence and use of these terms in social justice work since the mid-twentieth century, and explore the extent to which they comprise what narrative inquiry would call “discursive resources” which are often “troubled”. The paper will highlight the need for greater critical refection about the psychological, social and political discourses of identity that constellate around terms such as “victim” and “perpetrator”. It will also reflect on the conceptual underpinnings of contemporary mechanisms to address violence that these constructs and discourses give rise to.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Trypanosoma brucei J protein 2 is a stress inducible and essential Hsp40
- Authors: Ludewig, Michael H , Boshoff, Aileen , Horn, David , Blatch, Gregory L
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431798 , vital:72804 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2014.12.016"
- Description: Hsp40 proteins (also known as DnaJ or J proteins) serve as co-chaperones for Hsp70, but also display evidence of independent chaperone function. Furthermore, certain Hsp40s have been shown to be stress-inducible and essential. Trypanosomatids display a remarkable diversification of Hsp40 proteins, with numerous distinct Hsp40-like proteins encoded in the Trypanosoma brucei genome. This study investigated the role of one of the six T. brucei Type I Hsp40s, T. brucei J protein 2 (Tbj2). We found that Tbj2 was heat stress-inducible, and that knockdown using RNA interference resulted in a severe growth defect under normal growth temperatures. Furthermore, a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Tbj2 fusion protein was found to be localized to the cytosol of T. brucei. Taken together, these data suggest that Tbj2 is not functionally equivalent to the other five Type I Hsp40s, and that it is an essential, cytosolic, and stress-inducible chaperone, potentially playing an important role in protein biogenesis in T. brucei.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Tug of war : a critical discourse analysis of Punch and Daily Trust newspapers' coverage of polio eradication in Nigeria
- Authors: Oyewo, Ayanfeoluwa Olutosin
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Punch (Nigeria) , Daily Trust (Nigeria) , Poliomyelitis -- Nigeria , Communication in medicine -- Nigeria , Journalism -- Political aspects -- Nigeria , Journalistic ethics -- Nigeria , Journalism -- Objectivity -- Nigeria , Critical discourse analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3546 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017787
- Description: The resurgence of the polio virus in Nigeria following vaccine rejections poses a severe threat to the total worldwide eradication of polio. Vaccine refusals are a huge problem in Nigeria, especially in the North, which accounts for about 60 percent of polio cases in 2013. These refusals were informed by claims that polio vaccines contained anti-fertility properties that were designed by the ‘West’ to reduce the Muslim population. These claims and subsequent vaccine rejections culminated in the killing of health workers during an immunisation exercise in February 2013. This study is an analysis of the coverage of the polio eradication controversy by two newspapers- Punch and Daily Trust, following the killings of the health workers. Daily Trust is situated in Northern Nigeria, while Punch is situated in the South. The choice of these newspapers is based on the argument by Ayodele (1988) and Omenugha (2004) that the Nigerian press has been accused of escalating tension in the country because they view many aspects of the Nigerian reality from the lenses of religious, political and cultural prejudices. Because it is a text-based study, the chosen research method is Fairclough’s (1995) model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), following a preliminary thematic content analysis. In addition to Fairclough’s model, the study employs textual analytic tools such as narrative analysis and rhetoric/argumentative analysis. The selected texts, which comprise editorials and news stories are analysed based on the themes identified during the thematic content analysis. The study concludes that while the two newspapers differ in their locations and stylistic approach to news, they are similar in their coverage of the polio eradication crisis. They both side with the Federal Government and help perpetuate the South versus North animosity thereby ignoring the intricacies involved in the polio eradication controversy.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Ultra-high precision machining of contact lens polymers
- Authors: Olufayo, Oluwole Ayodeji
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Contact lenses , Polymers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3001 , vital:20385
- Description: Contact lens manufacture requires a high level of accuracy and surface integrity in the range of a few nanometres. Amidst numerous optical manufacturing techniques, single-point diamond turning is widely employed in the making of contact lenses due to its capability of producing optical surfaces of complex shapes and nanometric accuracy. For process optimisation, it is ideal to assess the effects of various conditions and also establish their relationships with the surface finish. Presently, there is little information available on the performance of single point diamond turning when machining contact lens polymers. Therefore, the research work undertaken herewith is aimed at testing known facts in contact lens diamond turning and investigating the performance of ultra-high precision manufacturing of contact lens polymers. Experimental tests were conducted on Roflufocon E, which is a commercially available contact lens polymer and on Precitech Nanoform Ultra-grind 250 precision machining. Tests were performed at varying cutting feeds, speed and depth of cut. Initial experimental tests investigated the influence of process factors affecting surface finish in the UHPM of lenses. The acquired data were statistically analysed using Response Surface Method (RSM) to create a model of the process. Subsequently, a model which uses Runge-Kutta’s fourth order non-linear finite series scheme was developed and adapted to deduce the force occurring at the tool tip. These forces were also statistically analysed and modelled to also predict the effects process factors have on cutting force. Further experimental tests were aimed at establishing the presence of the triboelectric wear phenomena occurring during polymer machining and identifying the most influential process factors. Results indicate that feed rate is a significant factor in the generation of high optical surface quality. In addition, the depth of cut was identified as a significant factor in the generation of low surface roughness in lenses. The influence some of these process factors had was notably linked to triboelectric effects. This tribological effect was generated from the continuous rubbing action of magnetised chips on the cutting tool. This further stresses the presence of high static charging during cutting. Moderately humid cutting conditions presented an adequate means for static charge control and displayed improved surface finishes. In all experimental tests, the feed rate was identified as the most significant factor within the range of cutting parameters employed. Hence, the results validated the fact that feed rate had a high influence in polymer machining. The work also established the relationship on how surface roughness of an optical lens responded to monitoring signals and parameters such as force, feed, speed and depth of cut during machining and it generated models for prediction of surface finishes and appropriate selection of parameters. Furthermore, the study provides a molecular simulation analysis for validating observed conditions occurring at the nanometric scale in polymer machining. This is novel in molecular polymer modelling. The outcome of this research has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge and has provided basic information in the area of precision manufacturing of optical components of high surface integrity such as contact lenses. The application of the research findings presented here cuts across various fields such as medicine, semi-conductors, aerospace, defence, telecom, lasers, instrumentation and life sciences.
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- Date Issued: 2015
uMqathi
- Authors: uMqathi
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: UNCATALOGUED
- Type: Video
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/303714 , vital:58364 , KHV-273
- Description: Elderly man speaking to students , Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/) (NEVER CAHNGE THIS FIELD)
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
uMqathi talking about how times have changed
- Authors: uMqathi
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: UNCATALOGUED
- Type: Video
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/303681 , vital:58361 , KHV-268
- Description: Elderly man talking about how times have changed , Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/) (NEVER CAHNGE THIS FIELD)
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
uMqathi talking about songs sung by abakhweta
- Authors: uMqathi
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: UNCATALOGUED
- Type: Video
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/303691 , vital:58363 , KHV-270
- Description: Elderly man talking about the songs sung by abakhweta , Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/) (NEVER CAHNGE THIS FIELD)
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
uMqathi talking about Xhosa songs
- Authors: uMqathi
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: UNCATALOGUED
- Type: Video
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/303686 , vital:58362 , KHV-269
- Description: Elderly man talking about Xhosa songs , Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/) (NEVER CAHNGE THIS FIELD)
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
uMqhathi
- Authors: uMqhathi
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: UNCATALOGUED
- Type: Image
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/219631 , vital:48542 , KHP-173
- Description: uMqhathi interviewed by students , Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/) (NEVER CAHNGE THIS FIELD)
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
uMqhathi
- Authors: uMqhathi
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Keiskammahoek (South Africa)
- Type: Image
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/219636 , vital:48543 , KHP-173
- Description: Photograph of uMqhathi being interviewed. , Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
Uncertainties in modelling hydrological responses in gauged and ungauged sub‐basins
- Authors: Tumbo, Madaka Harold
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Hydrologic models , Watersheds -- Tanzania , Water-supply -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Water resources development -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Rain and rainfall -- Mathematical models , Rain gauges -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Great Ruaha River Watershed (Tanzania)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6053 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018568
- Description: The world is undergoing rapid changes and the future is uncertain. The changes are related to modification of the landscape due to human activities, such as large and small scale irrigation, afforestation and changes to the climate system. Understanding and predicting hydrologic change is one of the challenges facing hydrologists today. Part of this understanding can be developed from observed data, however, there often too few observations and those that are available are frequently affected by uncertainties. Hydrological models have become essential tools for understanding historical variations of catchment hydrology and for predicting future possible trends. However, most developing countries are faced with poor spatial distributions of rainfall and evaporation stations that provide the data used to force models, as well as stream flow gauging stations to provide the data for establishing models and for evaluating their success. Hydrological models are faced with a number of challenges which include poor input data (data quality and poorly quantified human activities on observed stream flow data), uncertainties associated with model complexity and structure, the methods used to quantify model parameters, together with the difficulties of understanding hydrological processes at the catchment or subbasin. Within hydrological modelling, there is currently a trend of dealing with equifinality through the evaluation of parameter identifiability and the quantification of uncertainty bands associated with the predictions of the model. Hydrological models should not only focus on reproducing the past behaviour of a basin, but also on evaluating the representativeness of the surface and subsurface model components and their ability to simulate reality for the correct reasons. Part of this modelling process therefore involves quantifying and including all the possible sources of uncertainty. Uncertainty analysis has become the standard approach to most hydrological modelling studies, but has yet to be effectively used in practical water resources assessment. This study applied a hydrological modelling approach for understanding the hydrology of a large Tanzanian drainage basin, the Great Ruaha River that has many areas that are ungauged and where the available data (climate, stream flow and existing water use) are subject to varying degrees of uncertainty. The Great Ruaha River (GRR) is an upstream tributary of the Rufiji River Basin within Tanzania and covers an area of 86 000 km2. The basin is drained by four main tributaries; the Upper Great Ruaha, the Kisigo, the Little Ruaha and the Lukosi. The majority of the runoff is generated from the Chunya escarpment, the Kipengere ranges and the Poroto Mountains. The runoff generated feeds the alluvial and seasonally flooded Usangu plains (including the Ihefu perennial swamp). The majority of the irrigation water use in the basin is located where headwater sub‐basins drain towards the Usangu plains. The overall objective was to establish uncertain but behavioural hydrological models that could be useful for future water resources assessments that are likely to include issues of land use change, changes in patterns of abstraction and water use, as well the possibility of change in future climates.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Uncle Noodle
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229676 , vital:49699 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC176906"
- Description: “Ah,” he seemed surprised to see me, “Now you find out who really cares...” His kidneys hadn‟t been on the job in months, and with the machines failing, his hands were fattening into stubby yellow fingers, as the waste shored up inside of him. I touched his arm, and we joked about the broad blunt strokes of the casiotone the old dame played for the lunch-eaters next door. Uncle Noodle had always been my favourite. In a world where adults were always certain, ready to disdain and judge and pass verdict – I loved it that he was indecisive, insecure, unsure. Often wretched, often defeated. His heart had chasmed in the wake of his wife‟s leaving, finally dividing him from all his hopes, collapsing his dignity destroying his happiness machinery.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding and modelling surface water-groundwater interactions
- Authors: Tanner, Jane L , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/438220 , vital:73444 , ISBN 978-1-4312-0630-8 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/2056%20-2-14.pdf
- Description: The main objective of the total project was to contribute to the incorpo-ration of uncertainty assessments in practical water resource decision making in South Africa. The companion report addresses more general issues of uncertainty and hydrological modelling, while this report con-centrates on the uncertainties in both understanding and modelling the interactions between surface water and groundwater. Since groundwa-ter routines were added into the widely used Pitman model in the early 2000s by both Prof Hughes and Mr Karim Sami, the approaches have come under a great deal of criticism mainly from the geohydrological community of specialists within South Africa. Arguably, a great deal of this criticism is based on misunderstandings of the intention of adding groundwater routines into an existing surface water model. It was stated quite clearly at the time that this approach was not seen as a replace-ment for existing detailed numerical approaches to groundwater model-ling. The intention was to create a scientific and practical tool that could be used to simulate the complete hydrological cycle at the catchment scale so that integrated water resources decision making could be better supported.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding climate variability and livelihoods adaptation in rural Zimbabwe : case of Charewa, Mutoko
- Authors: Bhatasara, Sandra
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Environmental impact analysis -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farmers -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko -- Economic conditions , Food supply -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farms -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Land use, Rural -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Crops and climate -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3403 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018928 , Climatic changes -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Environmental impact analysis -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farmers -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko -- Economic conditions , Food supply -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farms -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Land use, Rural -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Crops and climate -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko
- Description: Rural farmers in Zimbabwe have been grappling with various changes and challenges occurring in the country since the early 1990s. Amongst these, climate variability has emerged as one significant aspect. It has introduced new challenges for these farmers who are already facing various difficulties in maintaining their insecure livelihoods. Yet, current adaptation theories and inquiries have failed to sufficiently account for and analyse the capacity of these farmers to adequately respond to changing climatic conditions. In this respect, a number of studies have been heavily embedded in deterministic concepts that regard rural farmers as passive victims who play only a minor part in decisions and actions that affect their own livelihoods and well-being. Similarly, although some studies have acknowledged farmers’ capacity to adapt and build elements of resilience, they have not adequately shown how farmers interpret changes in climate and the structures, processes and conditions underpinning adaptation. Following that, my study uses a case study of a rural community in a semi-arid region of Mutoko district in eastern Zimbabwe and Margaret Archer’s sociological theory to understand and analyse how farmers problematise climate variability and respond to it. The study utilises a qualitative approach to divulge the subtleties on how rural people interpret processes of change and adapt to such changes. The thesis found that farmers are encountering increasingly unpredictable and unreliable rainfall patterns as well as shifting temperature conditions which are inducing labyrinthian livelihoods conundrums. However, these climatic shifts are not being experienced in a discrete manner hence farmers are also discontented with the obtaining socio-economic circumstances in the country. Simultaneously, whilst farmers in large part conceived changes in rainfall and temperature to be caused by natural shifts in climate, they also ascribed them to cultural and religious facets. Importantly, the thesis reveals considerable resourcefulness by farmers in the face of nascent changes in climate variability. Farmers have therefore constructed versatile coping and adaptive strategies. What is crucial to mention here is that climatic and non-climatic challenges are negotiated concurrently. Therein, farmers are adapting to climate variability and at the same time navigating difficult socio-economic landscapes. All the same, the process of adaptation is ostensibly not straightforward but complex. As it evolves, farmers find themselves facing numerous constraining structures and processes. Nonetheless, farmers in this study are able to circumvent the constraints presented to them and at the same time activate the corresponding enabling structures, processes and conditions.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding Grade 10 Life Sciences teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching topics on human reproduction
- Authors: Silas, Fenni
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Life sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , Human reproduction -- Cross-cultural studies , Human reproduction -- Social aspects -- Namibia -- Ohangwena , Ohangwena (Namibia) -- Moral conditions , Taboo -- Namibia -- Ohangwena
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2062 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020305
- Description: This study was conducted in order to understand Grade 10 Life Science teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching human reproduction topics in the Ohangwena political region in the northern part of Namibia. It also explored how the culture of the majority of the inhabitants of Ohangwena region who are Oshiwambo speaking impacts the teaching of human reproduction topics. The study was prompted by the fact that the Grade 10 Life Science syllabus requires learners to learn details of human reproduction although in Oshiwambo culture such things are not discussed openly. And this section has proven to be one of the poorly answered sections in the Grade 10 national examinations. A total of thirty five (35) Grade 10 Life Science teachers participated in this study. It is a qualitative case study underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. The unit of analysis for this study was teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching the topic of human reproduction. Data were generated through document analysis, questionnaires and tape recorded semi-structured interviews. Such data were analysed inductively by sorting them into categories and then into emerging themes. Categories included teachers’ views and experiences of being taught and teaching human reproduction, how culture influenced the manner in which teaching and learning of human reproduction takes place as stated in the socio-cultural theory, and how teachers of different gender perceived and experienced the teaching of human reproduction according to the feminist standpoint theory. The emerging themes were colour coded and then developed into analytical statements. Data triangulation, member checking, and follow up interviews ensured data validity and trustworthiness. This study revealed that the cultural belief of the Owambo people that prohibits adults to talk to children about things related to sex because it encourages them to practice sex is still strong among individuals in the community including teachers themselves. As a result, teachers are not comfortable with teaching human reproduction topics. From the findings, it is recommended that teachers should be empowered to teach Life Science, specifically human reproduction topics, with confidence. Furthermore, parents should be made aware of the importance of including human reproduction topics in the school curriculum so that they can motivate their children to study it with an open mind.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding how Grade 11 Biology teachers mediate learning of respiration: A Namibian case study
- Authors: Amutenya, Laina N
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Biology -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Respiration -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2020 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017331
- Description: The new curriculum in Namibia has introduced a new approach to teaching and learning requiring teachers to make use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge (PEK) including indigenous knowledge (IK) and practical work/activities. It further emphasizes some variations in teaching methods such as; the use of analogies, the use of mind maps, and so forth with the aim to actively involve learners in the learning process and develop skills to solve global challenges. The emphasis is on understanding of knowledge, skills and the will to use them appropriately throughout their lives. The main aim of this study was to understand and document how Biology teachers mediate learning of the topic respiration. Informed by an interpretive paradigm, a qualitative case study was conducted at two secondary schools in the Kunene region. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling. Data were gathered using three main sources, namely, documents, semi-structured interview questions which culminated into a questionnaire and observations. Triangulation was thus used to give credibility, objectivity and validity to the interpretation of the data. Data analysis in this case study involved a multi-stage process of organizing, coding and categorizing, synthesizing and summarizing. The audio recorded lessons were transcribed into text and I analyzed data using a colour coding technique by segmenting and labelling text to identify descriptions and broad themes in the data. Vygotsky’s Mediation of Learning and Social Constructivism in conjunction with Shulman’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) informed the data analysis process. Teacher-learner interactions were the main theme for mediation of learning (social constructivist perspective), hence during analysis I paid more attention to moments where interactions evolved and I used PCK to gain insights in teaching and instructional strategies used by teachers. The findings of this study revealed that: 1) teachers endeavor to use a variety of teaching methods such as the use of a mind maps and question and answer method. Learners were keen to ask questions in order to understand this topic. 2) The study also revealed that a lack of practical activities is one of the challenges teachers are faced with. Based on my research findings, I therefore suggest that there is a need for continuous professional development of biology teachers and capacity building in order to improve both their content and pedagogical content knowledge.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding how grade 11 Biology teachers mediate learning of the topic on transpiration
- Authors: Frans, Marian Kauna Nyanyukweni
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Biology -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , Plants -- Transpiration -- Study and teaching (Secondary) , Language and education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2027 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017338
- Description: This study emerged in response to the poor performance in Biology at my school. The Ministry of Education Biology (NSSCO) Examiners’ report (2011) for Paper 3 indicates that learners proved to have difficulties in designing experiments, failed to give a distinction between apparatus and the experiment. The 2012 Examiners’ report on transpiration also highlights that learners were not exposed to practical work. Furthermore, the 2012 report notes that teachers need to work on their learners’ drawing and spelling of terms. It is against this backdrop that a qualitative study was conducted at a school in Oshikoto, using a sample of two teachers. The study’s purpose was to investigate how grade 11 Biology teachers mediate learning of the topic on transpiration. Social Constructivism and Pedagogical Content Knowledge formed the framework used to analyse data gathered from document analysis, interviews and observations. The study findings were that teachers use locally available material for demonstration during practical work, elicit prior knowledge, use a chalkboard to summarise content to learners, and use a question and answer method as strategies in mediating learning on transpiration. In addition, the teachers use homework, scaffolding activities, group work, code-switching, feedback on activities, as well as the use of analogies. Despite efforts by participant teachers to mediate learning of transpiration, shortage of equipment for conducting practical work, poor English proficiency among teachers and learners, and little emphasis on graphing by the syllabus proved to be barriers to their efforts. This study thus recommends that in order to improve on teaching transpiration, teachers need to co-plan lessons, conduct practical work, code-switch during lessons, ensure effective assessment, and include lessons on graphing. Furthermore, teachers need continued training on how to teach transpiration.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding how Grade 11 life sciences teachers mediate biodiversity concepts in a second language context : a case study
- Authors: Gqoloqa, Zingisa
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Life sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Language and education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2028 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017339
- Description: This research focused on an investigation of the pedagogy and strategies used by Grade 11 Life Sciences teachers when mediating Biodiversity concepts with English second language learners. My interest in this investigation was triggered by the Examiners’ Reports for Life Sciences from 2009 to 2012 which consistently noted learner challenges in answering, interpreting and analysing questions during exams. The reports highlighted learners’ lack of understanding of the questions which led to them providing irrelevant information in their exam scripts. These reports claimed that challenges experienced by these learners could be attributed to language issues experienced by English second language learners. Influenced by these reports, a qualitative case study of two Senior Secondary schools in East London, Eastern Cape South Africa was conducted. Underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and driven by the desire to achieve an in-depth understanding of the case under study, three phases of information gathering were followed. The first phase was that of gathering information through document analysis. Documents were analysed to gain insights and understanding of the issue before conducting interviews. The next phase was that of gathering information through semi-structured interviews followed by classroom observations. Findings from these observations were verified through stimulated recall interviews which provided clarity on the intentionality of choosing a certain method and strategy over another when assisting learners in making meaning of biodiversity concepts. The main findings of this study are that factors which limit learner understanding of biodiversity concepts are a result of a combination of factors such as failure to interpret questions, spelling problems which alter meaning of concepts and an inability to make distinctions among closely related concepts within the topic of Biodiversity. Responding to these factors, teachers demonstrated knowledge of a variety of teaching strategies to support learners. The choice of teaching strategies seemed to be guided by their experiences as well as the challenges they often encounter. Furthermore, teachers’ reflections on their practice provided opportunities for them to identify strengths and limitations of their choice of strategies and possibilities for improvement. It was also noted that factors such as large class sizes, gaps in content knowledge and a lack of detail in chalkboard summary limited the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. The study recommends that: • Teacher-learner ratio needs to be considered for effective support; • There is still a need to capacitate educators in environmental education. In-service training should focus on developing teacher understanding of foundational knowledge in life sciences; and • Teachers need to improve their chalkboard summary skills to increase the level of support that could be provided by comprehensive chalkboard summary through the elaboration of ideas
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- Date Issued: 2015
Understanding how grade 11 Physical Science teachers mediate learning of the topic distillation in the Kavango Region
- Authors: Shifafure, Andreas Muronga
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Kavango , Distillation -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Kavango , Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia -- Kavango , Community and school -- Namibia -- Kavango , Interdisciplinary approach to knowledge
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2046 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017357
- Description: The National Curriculum of Education was implemented with the broad view of including all learners as laid out in the document Toward Education for All. The curriculum emphasised that the topic distillation should be studied. According to the Examiners Reports, the topic distillation is one of the topics where learners face difficulties in the Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) examination Grade 12. This led me to do research on understanding how Physical Science teachers mediate the topic distillation in Namibia specifically in the Kavango region. The study was carried out at two rural schools with two teachers teaching Grade 11. The community member who I asked to demonstrate the making of Kashipembe was also a participant during this study. Kashipembe is a local cultural brew alcohol beverage commonly made in the Kavango East and West Regions of Namibia, which was used as a learning context in this research study. The study used a qualitative case study underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. Data was generated through the use of document analysis, semi-structured interviews, stimulated recall interviews, lesson observations, brainstorming and practical demonstration of making Kashipembe. These different methods of data gathering were used with the aim of triangulating and validating the data. Therefore, my theoretical framework adopted Vygotsky’s (1986) mediation of learning, social constructivism and pedagogical content knowledge according to Shulman’s (1986) theory. The emergent themes were identified inductively and they were colour coded. These themes were later developed into analytic statements which were used in the study. The findings indicate that the use of community knowledge and experience during the teaching of scientific concepts like distillation is important. These findings can also be used by the practising teachers to make their teaching more effective in the curriculums where distillation is included. Therefore, the Namibian curriculum developers need to include this community knowledge in the curriculum to make it easier for the learners to make sense of the topic distillation.
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- Date Issued: 2015