A cross-cultural study of susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo illusions
- Authors: Smith, T V G
- Date: 1970
- Subjects: Personality and culture , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology , Visual perception , Optical illusions , Cross-cultural studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3239 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013235
- Description: In order to investigate certain anomalies evident in the literature, the performances of three Xhosa groups (rural dwellers, urban dwellers, and undergraduates) of varying degrees of acculturation and a White undergraduate group, each group consisting of 30 subjects, were measured on tests of mode of field approach and susceptibility to the Müller- Lyer and Ponzo illusions. In addition, the effect of the introduction of a mental set, which facilitated the perception of perspective in the Ponzo figure, on susceptibility to the illusion was ascertained. Mode of field approach was measured by a portable version of the Rod-and-Frame Test. Susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer illusion was measured by a conventional movable- slide, subject-adjustable device, while a piece of apparatus which also worked on the movable slide principle and was subject-adjustable was developed to measure susceptibility to the Ponzo illusion. The set to facilitate the perception of perspective in the Ponzo figure was introduced by having subjects match the length of Ponzo contrast lines embodied in a photograph and a line-drawing of a bridge, both of these pictures having strong perspective cues. The subjects were required to perform the tasks in prescribed order. Standardised English or Xhosa instructions were ensured by the use of "programmed" worksheets for each task. Prior to each experimental task, the more unacculturated subjects performed comprehension checks to ensure that they understood the concepts of equal length and verticality. The results of the study suggested that: (i) When groups of differing acculturation levels are tested, there may be a pronounced negative association of field dependence with susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo illusions. In general, the more unacculturated the subject, the more field dependent and the less susceptible to illusions he was. However, there was no evidence which either strongly supported or refuted the relationship between these attributes at the intra-group level. (ii) There is no intra- group association between susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and to the Ponzo illusions. This would indicate that they are not necessarily generated by similar inference habits or by similar contour properties. (iii) The introduction of a "perspective set" increases susceptibility to the Ponzo illusion only among acculturated subjects, who have well-developed pictorial depth perception skills and who habitually infer depth in inverted - V configurations. (iv) There is a significant association between acculturation and field independence. The unacculturated subjects, presumably because they lack the skills of visual analysis which are engendered by Western culture, were more field dependent than the acculturated subjects. (v) Provided that their degrees of acculturation are more-or-less equivalent, as were those of the two undergraduate groups, there are no differences in mode of field approach or susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo illusion among Xhosa and White subjects. Summary, p. 112.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1970
Geological and economic factors affecting ore reserve estimation and grade control in porphyry type deposits
- Authors: Reichhard-Barends, E O
- Date: 1980
- Subjects: Porphyry , Geology, Economic , Ore deposits , Copper mines and mining
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4921 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004466
- Description: From introduction: The mining of porphyry type deposits accounts for about 50% of the world's present copper (Figs.I,2) and molybdenum production and resources. Mining organizations therefore invest substantial amounts of time, money and skills in the location and delineation of these types of deposit. The optimization of this investment effort is based on complex inter-relationships between geological, economic and political factors. The object of this dissertation is to review the geological and some of the economic aspects involved in the exploration and evaluation of porphyry deposits . These may hopefully provide some practical guidelines for decision making during the exploration and evaluation of such deposits. For the purpose of this dissertation, the exploration-evaluation of porphyry deposits, has been divided into three main stages:- Stage 1 : Geological mapping, interpretation of exploration drilling results and other geological factors which may help in understanding the shape and nature of the deposit. A knowledge of existing geological models for porphyry deposits will be essential in understanding the geological factors affecting tonnage and grade of these deposits Stage 2 Stage 3 (see Part I). Determination of grade-tonnage relationships. This is important in order to establish the different tonnage-grade alternatives for the deposit. Based on this, reserve estimations are calculated for different possible scales of mining. Drilling and sampling techniques, as well as statistical and preliminary economic evaluation methods are applied during this stage (see Part 2). Mine development and feasibility studies involve factors that influence type and scale of mining, and factors affecting mineral processing and extraction in relation to tonnage- grade alternatives. These factors are reviewed in Part 3.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1980
Form and idea in the fiction and non-fiction of John Fowles
- Authors: Etter, Julie-Anne
- Date: 1986
- Subjects: Fowles, John, 1926-2005
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2179 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001830
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1986
The profit maximising pricing model
- Authors: Jackson, Cecil Wilfred
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Profit -- Mathematical models , Pricing -- Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:899 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004597 , Profit -- Mathematical models , Pricing -- Mathematical models
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1988
An evaluation of the life science curriculum in Namibia and its development through stakeholders' perceptions of ʺlearner centred educationʺ
- Authors: Kristensen, Jesper Olsson
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Life science project Curriculum evaluation -- Namibia Environmental education Educational change -- Namibia Life sciences -- Study and teaching -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1527 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003409
- Description: Following Independence in 1991 Namibia embarked on a major reform of the entire education system. The reform was perceived as a way of redressing the apartheid legacy and bringing about a democratic learner centred education for all. At the same time the reform was also seen as a prime vehicle to bring about sustainable development through incorporating relevant environmental education into various carrier subjects. One such carrier has been the subject Life Science, which is compulsory from Grade 8 to Grade 10. The Life Science Project was a joint venture between the Ministry of Education and Ibis, a Danish Development NGO, established to develop and support the implementation of Life Science in junior secondary schools. This half-thesis is an evaluation of the Life Science Project through an analysis of the central assumptions on which the Life Science curriculum is based and by investigating different stakeholders’ perceptions and understanding of the learner centred approach adopted by the curriculum. Three questions have guided this research: 1. Are there curriculum models that are more conducive for reform and change than others? 2. Do stakeholders and curriculum developers in Namibia understand the theory of social constructivism, and the systemic implications such an approach has for the education system? 3. Which approach to environmental education complements a transformative curriculum and the changes outlined in policy? From the research carried out in this half-thesis, it would appear that the Namibian education system and the Life Science curriculum suffers from what could be termed “ideological confusion”. Confusion in the sense that there are marked inconsistencies between policy and praxis, between the stated goals and aims of the reform and the curriculum designed to achieve these. This confusion is further exacerbated by various stakeholders’ different interpretations of both policy and the systemic implications the reform policy has on education. In this half-thesis I argue that embarking on an objectives driven model of curriculum cannot bring about change and transformation of the Namibian education system. I further argue that, by not having considered and implemented the necessary systemic changes to the education system, Namibia has, in fact, developed a child centred education system which is fundamentally different from a learner centred education system. Finally, I argue that environmental education, through the subject Life Science, set within an objectives driven, Child Centred Education system is inappropriate for and unable to address the need for developing an environmentally literate citizenry who are able to take informed decisions in order to address the environmental crisis and bring forth a more sustainable future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Primary caregivers' experience of raising children with autism: a phenomenological perspective
- Authors: Swanepoel, Yolandi
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Autism in children Autistic children Autism in children -- Diagnosis Parents of autistic children
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3067 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002576
- Description: Autism occupies an extreme position among childhood pathologies due to its severity, duration and impact on the family. In this qualitative study, four primary caregivers of autistic children were interviewed regarding their experiences of the diagnostic process, their post-diagnostic adjustment, and how helping professionals can improve their service rendering to these families. This study utilised a phenomenological approach to look at primary caregivers as the best-informed authority to explore and describe their lived realities and experiences of raising their autistic children in South Africa. The rationale for a phenomenological approach in this study is that such an interpretative inquiry enables material to be collected and analysed within the specific context of the subjective realities of primary caregivers of autistic children in South Africa. The researcher utilised semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews as method of data collection. Each participant was interviewed over the course of three separate interviews. The themes and categories that resulted from a content analysis of the material were grouped into two broad fields of experience, namely: (1) experiences surrounding the diagnostic process; and (2) the pervasive influence of autism on different areas of family life. In terms of experiences surrounding children’s diagnosis, four themes were identified: (1) Being a new parent and making sense out of chaos; (2) Responsibility and blame; (3) Confusion and disillusionment during early experiences with helping professionals; and (4) Feelings about the diagnosis. The pervasive influence of autism on different areas of family life includes: (5) Strained family relationships; (6) Challenges of behaviour management and disciplining the autistic child; (7) Challenges of finding suitable resources for education and day-care; and (8) Maintaining the family unit and doing things as a family.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
An investigation into problems facing small-to-medium sized enterprises in achieving growth in the Eastern Cape : enhancing the strategy for developing small 'growth potential' firms in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Sha, Shafeek
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Small business -- Management , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Business enterprises -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1173 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002789 , Small business -- Management , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Business enterprises -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: As the world economy continues to move towards increased integration, some of the greatest opportunities for Small-to-Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) will derive from their ability to participate in the global marketplace. It is generally accepted that SMEs are becoming increasingly important in terms of employment, wealth creation, and the development of innovation. However, there are considerable doubts about the quality of management in this sector with policy-makers suggesting that there are particular weaknesses in innovation, a lack of financial acumen, marketing, entrepreneurial flair, practical knowledge, and human resource management. As a result, many firms do not reach their full potential and fail to grow. According to organisational life cycle models, the introductory phase is particularly important since it is generally known and accepted that there is a high mortality rate of SMEs within the first two years. Given this high failure rate, it becomes vital to research the factors/characteristics/management abilities that are required to enable the SME to survive and indeed progress to the growth phase of the organizational life cycle. This research seeks to investigate the internal and external factors that are consistent in the success of SMEs who have reached the growth phase. A significant contribution to the enhancement of the growth potential of a firm will be made through the understanding of these factors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Gazing at horror: body performance in the wake of mass social trauma
- Authors: Tang, Cheong Wai Acty
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Abramovic, Marina Performance art -- South Africa Drama -- Psychological aspects Psychic trauma Performance art -- Psychological aspects Loss (Psychology) Ritual in art Art, Modern -- 20th century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2149 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002381
- Description: This thesis explores various dilemmas in making theatre performances in the context of social disruption, trauma and death. Diverse discourses are drawn in to consider issues of body, subjectivity and spectatorship, refracted through the writer’s experiences of and discontent with making theatre. Written in a fractal-like structure, rather than a linear progression, this thesis unsettles discourses of truth, thus simultaneously intervening in debates about the epistemologies of the body and of theatre in context of the academy. Chapter 1: Methodological Anxieties Psychoanalytic theory provides a way in for investigating the dynamics of theatrical performance and its corporeal presence, by focusing on desire and its implication in the notions of loss and anxiety. The theories of the unconscious and the gaze have epistemological implications, shifting definitions of “presence” and “truth” in theatre performance and writing about theatre. This chapter tries to outline the rationale for, as well as to enact, an alternative methodology for writing, as an ethical response to loss that does not insist on consensus and truth. Chapter 2: (Refusing to) Look at Trauma This chapter examines the politics that strives to make suffering visible. Discursive binaries of public/private, dead/living, and invisible/visible underlie the politics of AIDS and sexuality. These discourses impact on the reception of Bill T. Jones's choreography, despite his use of modernist artistic processes in search of a bodily presence that aims to collapse the binary of representation (text) and its subject (being). The theory of the gaze shows this politics to be a phallocentric discourse; and narrative analysis traces the metanarrative that results in the commodification of oppositional identities, so that spectators participate in the politics as consumers. An ethical artistic response thus needs to shift its focus to the subjectivity of the spectator. Chapter 3: The Screen and the Viewer’s Blindness By appealing to a transcendent reality, and by constituting spectators as a participative community, ritual theatre claims to enact change. The “truth” of ritual rests not on rational knowledge, but on the performer’s competence to produce a shamanic presence, which director Brett Bailey embraces in his early work. Ritual presence operates by identification and belonging to a father/god as the source of meaning; but it represses the loss of this originary wholeness. Spectators of ritual theatre are drawn into an enactment of communion/community, the centre of which is, however, loss/emptiness. The claim of enacting change becomes problematic for its absence of truth. Bailey attempts to perform a hybrid, postcolonial aesthetics; but the problem rests in the larger context of performing the notion of “South Africa”, a communal identity hardened around the metanarrative of suffering, abjecting those that do not belong to the land of the father/god – foreigners that unsettle the meaning of South African identity. Conclusion: Bodies of Discontent The South African stage is circumscribed by political and economic discourses; the problematization of national identity is also a problematization of image-identification in the theatre. In search for a way to unsettle these interrogative discourses, two moments of performing foreignness are examined, one fictional, one theatrical. These moments enact a parallel to the feminine hysteric, who disturbs the phallocentric truth of the psychoanalyst through body performance. These moments of disturbing spectatorship are reflected in the works of performance artist Marina Abramovic. Her explorations into passive-aggression, shamanism and finally theatricality and the morality of spectatorship allow for an overview of the issues raised in this thesis regarding body, viewing, and subjecthood. Sensitivity to the body and its discontent on the part of the viewer becomes crucial to ethical performance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
The extent to which review for unreasonableness is meaningfully incorporated in the promotion of Administrative Justice Act no. 3 of 2000
- Authors: Bednar, Jeannine
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Administrative law Administrative law -- South Africa Judicial review of administrative acts -- South Africa Law reform -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3707 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006515
- Description: Prior to the current constitutional dispensation, the development of South African administrative law was restricted by the doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty. Even in that comparatively 'hostile' environment, review for unreasonableness developed as an aspect of judicial review, and was applied as a check on the exercise of administrative power in certain circumstances. The principle of proportionality as an aspect of review for unreasonableness also developed during this period. With the advent of the new Constitutional dispensation, the framework within which administrative law in South Africa operates became one governed by Constitutional Supremacy. The Rights to Just Administrative Action, including a right to reasonable administrative action, were entrenched in the Constitution. Review for unreasonableness is an important aspect of administrative law in the present Constitutional dispensation as the mechanism for protecting the Constitutional right to reasonable administrative action. Proportionality is an important principle underlying the Bill of Rights as a whole, and it is an important aspect of the right to reasonable administrative action, and of review for unreasonableness. In early 2000, the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act No. 3 of 2000 ("the PAJA"), was passed by Parliament in fulfillment of the Constitutional requirement to pass legislation to give effect to the constitutional rights to Just Administrative Action. This thesis examines whether or not review for unreasonableness, and proportionality as an aspect of review for unreasonableness, have been meaningfully incorporated in the PAJA, and if they have not been, what potential remedies there might be. This is done by examining the basis of judicial review both before and under the current constitutional dispensation; defining unreasonableness, and proportionality; examining the content of the right to administrative action which is "justifiable in relation to the reasons given" in section 24(d) of the Interim Constitution and the right to reasonable administrative action in terms of section 33(1) of the Final Constitution; examining the application of review for unreasonableness and proportionality by the Courts both before and under the current constitutional dispensation; examining the content of judicial review incorporated in the PAJA and the drafting history of section 6(2) of the PAJA which relates to review for unreasonableness; drawing conclusions regarding whether or not review for unreasonableness and proportionality were meaningfully incorporated in the PAJA; and finally making recommendations with regard to review for unreasonableness and proportionality in light of the provisions of the PAJA.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Call centres as a vehicle to improve customer satisfaction in local government: a case study of front line workers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Magoqwana, Babalwa Mirianda
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (Eastern Cape, South Africa) Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Work environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Call center agents -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3340 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004339
- Description: This dissertation provides an account of 'Batho Pele' (People First) and 'new public management' as applied in two government call-centres in the Eastern Cape. Focusing on the workers at these call-centres, this research examines the workplace organisation of these call-centres based in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The study involved interviews with managers, call-centre operators and trade unionists. The findings show how the work environment is not conducive to the goals of customer satisfaction as presented in the Batho Pele policies. The research investigates the conditions of workers as one explanatory factor for poor call-centre service. If workers are a key element in the success of the 'new public management', their work environment and conditions have to facilitate their job satisfaction and their improved customer service. The research demonstrated the evident lack of professionalism in the call-centre, customer care designed as a matter of compliance rather the need to change the culture and the persistent lack of discipline and supervision. The call centre operator's experiences include issues of surveillance, stress, emotional labour, lack of training, internal conflicts and bad 'customer service' as perceived by the citizens of the Metro.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Teaching reading in Rukwangali in four Grade 3 Namibian classrooms : a case study
- Authors: Siyave, Theresia Nerumbu
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Reading (Elementary) -- Namibia Reading teachers -- Training of -- Namibia Kwangali language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia Literacy -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia Native language and education -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1798 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003683
- Description: This study aims to explore four grade 3 teachers’ understanding of teaching reading in Rukwangali, a home language in Namibia in Kavango region and to observe the strategies they use as well as the activities they set for their learners. During my School Based Studies (SBS), I noticed that learners were not reading with understanding. My interest was also stimulated by a study carried out in Namibia that found that the literacy levels for Namibian learners were poor compared to those of other African countries. This is a qualitative case study carried out within an interpretive paradigm. It seeks to understand the meaning that people attached to human actions. I selected the participants purposefully and in terms of convenience, as all three schools selected are situated in Rundu, the town in which I work as a college lecturer. The research tools I employed were semi-structured interviews, document analysis, classroom observation, and stimulated recall discussions on the lessons I observed. I used a variety of methods to triangulate data and enhance validity. This study reveals that teachers use multiple methods to teach reading. These methods include phonics and syllabification to help struggling learners to decode difficult and long (polysyllabic) words and the look-and-say method for whole word recognition and meaning making at word and sentence level. In addition, they also use the thematic approach to teaching and learning to expand learners’ vocabulary and enhance their understanding of the texts they read and to make their lessons learnercentred. However, the problems of language, lack of reading books written in Rukwangali and large class sizes constrain the teachers from teaching in a more learner-centred way. Therefore, the study gives some tentative recommendations to remedy this situation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
The response of microalgal biomass and community composition to environmental factors in the Sundays Estuary
- Authors: Kotsedi, Daisy
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Algal blooms -- South Africa -- Sundays River Estuary
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10609 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1434 , Algal blooms -- South Africa -- Sundays River Estuary
- Description: The Sundays Estuary is permanently open to the sea and has been described as channel-like along its entire length with a narrow intertidal area (mostly less than 5 - 6 m in width). The estuary experiences regular freshwater inflow with large supplies of nutrients, derived from the Orange River transfer scheme and agricultural return flow. In particular, nitrate concentrations are high as a result of fertilisers used in the Sundays River catchment area. The objectives of this study were to measure microalgal biomass and community composition and relate to flow, water quality and other environmental variables. Surveys in August 2006, March 2007, February, June and August 2008 showed that salinity less than 10 percent mostly occurred from 12.5 km from the mouth and this was also where the highest water column chlorophyll a (>20 μg l-1) was found. Different groups of microalgae formed phytoplankton blooms for the different sampling sessions, which were correlated with high chlorophyll a. These included blooms of green algae (August 2006), flagellates (March 2007), dinoflagellates (June 2008) and diatom species (February and August 2008). The dominant diatom (Cyclotella atomus) indicated nutrient-rich conditions. Green algae and diatoms were associated with low salinity water in the upper reaches of the estuary. Flagellates were dominant throughout the estuary particularly when nutrients were low, whereas the dinoflagellate bloom in June 2008 was correlated with high ammonium and pH. Maximum benthic chlorophyll a was found at 12.5 km from the mouth in February, June and August 2008 and was correlated with high sediment organic and moisture content. Benthic diatoms were associated with high temperature whereas some species in June 2008 were associated with high ammonium concentrations. The middle reaches of the estuary characterise a zone of deposition rather than suspension which would favour benthic diatom colonization. Phytoplankton cells settling out on the sediments may account for the high benthic chlorophyll a because maximum water column chlorophyll a was also found in the REI zone (where salinity is less than 10 percent and where high biological activity occurs) in the Sundays Estuary. The estuary was sampled over five consecutive weeks from March to April 2009 to identify environmental factors that support different microalgal bloom species. Phytoplankton blooms, defined as chlorophyll a greater than 20 μg l-1, were found during Weeks 1, 4 and 5 from the middle to the upper reaches of the estuary. Diatom species (Cylindrotheca closterium, Cyclotella atomus and Cyclostephanus dubius) occurred in bloom concentrations during these weeks. These diatom species are cosmopolitan and indicate brackish nutrient-rich water. Flagellates were the dominant group in Weeks 2 to 4, but positive correlations with chlorophyll a were found during Weeks 1 and 2. During the first week of this study the conditions were warm and calm (measured as temperature and wind speed) and there was a well developed bloom (38 μg l-1). There was a strong cold front from 17 to 19 March, which mixed the water column resulting in the decrease of the chlorophyll a levels (<20 μg l-1) and the bloom collapsed during Weeks 2 and 3. However, in Weeks 4 and 5 conditions were again calm and warmer, which appeared to stimulate the phytoplankton bloom. Nanoplankton (2.7 - 20 μm) was dominant during each week sampled and contributed a considerable amount (55 - 79 percent) to the phytoplankton biomass. Once again subtidal benthic chlorophyll a and water column chlorophyll a were highest 12.5 km from the mouth. Deposition of phytoplankton cells from the water column was evident in the benthic samples. The study showed that the Sundays Estuary is eutrophic and characterised by microalgal blooms consisting of different phytoplankton groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
The response of microalgal biomass and community composition to environmental factors in the Sundays estuary
- Authors: Kotsedi, Daisy
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Algal blooms -- South Africa -- Sundays River Estuary , Estuaries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10636 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013611
- Description: The Sundays Estuary is permanently open to the sea and has been described as channel-like along its entire length with a narrow intertidal area (mostly less than 5 - 6 m in width). The estuary experiences regular freshwater inflow with large supplies of nutrients, derived from the Orange River transfer scheme and agricultural return flow. In particular, nitrate concentrations are high as a result of fertilisers used in the Sundays River catchment area. The objectives of this study were to measure microalgal biomass and community composition and relate to flow, water quality and other environmental variables. Surveys in August 2006, March 2007, February, June and August 2008 showed that salinity less than 10 percent mostly occurred from 12.5 km from the mouth and this was also where the highest water column chlorophyll a (>20 μg l-1) was found. Different groups of microalgae formed phytoplankton blooms for the different sampling sessions, which were correlated with high chlorophyll a. These included blooms of green algae (August 2006), flagellates (March 2007), dinoflagellates (June 2008) and diatom species (February and August 2008). The dominant diatom (Cyclotella atomus) indicated nutrient-rich conditions. Green algae and diatoms were associated with low salinity water in the upper reaches of the estuary. Flagellates were dominant throughout the estuary particularly when nutrients were low, whereas the dinoflagellate bloom in June 2008 was correlated with high ammonium and pH. Maximum benthic chlorophyll a was found at 12.5 km from the mouth in February, June and August 2008 and was correlated with high sediment organic and moisture content. Benthic diatoms were associated with high temperature whereas some species in June 2008 were associated with high ammonium concentrations. The middle reaches of the estuary characterise a zone of deposition rather than suspension which would favour benthic diatom colonization. Phytoplankton cells settling out on the sediments may account for the high benthic chlorophyll a because maximum water column chlorophyll a was also found in the REI zone (where salinity is less than 10 percent and where high biological activity occurs) in the Sundays Estuary.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
An investigation into the benefits of integrating learners' prior everyday knowledge and experiences during teaching and learning of acids and bases in Grade 7: a case study
- Authors: Kuhlane, Zukiswa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching (Primary) -- Research -- South Africa Prior learning -- South Africa Limited English-proficient students -- Education (Primary) -- South Africa Teaching -- Aids and devices -- Research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1602 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003484
- Description: This study was conducted at a school designated as a higher primary school comprised of grade 0-9 learners (GET band) in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. With the advent of the new curriculum in South Africa, we are also grappling with the implementation of the new curriculum at this school. This motivated me to investigate the benefits of eliciting and integrating learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences during teaching and learning of acids and bases. Essentially, the study sought to gain insight into whether engaging learners during practical activities using easily accessible materials from their homes facilitated meaning-making of acids and bases. This study is located within an interpretive paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative case study approach was conducted with the researcher’s Grade 7 class. To gather data, document analysis, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, lesson observations, stimulated recall discussions while watching the videotaped lessons as well as focus group interviews with learners were used. An inductive analysis to discover patterns and themes was applied during the data analysis process. The validation process was done through watching the videotaped lessons with the teachers who observed the lessons. Also, transcripts of the interviews and a summary of discussions were given back to the respondents to verify their responses and check for any misinterpretations. Rich data sets were analysed in relation to the research questions which were: How do Natural Sciences teachers elicit and integrate learners’ prioreveryday knowledge and experiences to facilitate learning of scientific concepts of acids and bases in their classrooms? Does engaging learners in practical activities using everyday substances enhance their conceptual development and understanding of acids and bases? The findings from the study revealed that the use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences during teaching and learning of acids and bases facilitated meaningful learning. Furthermore, linking learning to learners’ everyday experiences enabled them to learn scientific concepts in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. It is thus recommended that teachers should be supported in their endeavours to incorporate learners’ real life experiences during their teaching and learning repertoires. Notwithstanding, as much as there were benefits in this study there were, however, also some challenges that were encountered, such as language, which warrants further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An investigation of community learning through participation in integrated water resource management practices
- Authors: Phiri, Charles M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa Water conservation -- South Africa -- Management Water resources development -- South Africa -- Citizen participation Rain and rainfall -- South Africa Water quality management -- South Africa Integrated water development -- South Africa Water -- Management -- South Africa -- Study and teaching Social learning -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003504
- Description: South Africa is a semi arid country in which the average rainfall of 450mm/year is well below the world average of about 860mm/year. As a result, South Africa’s water resources are scarce in global terms and limited in extent. Current predictions are that demand will outstrip water availability in the next 15 years. A coordinated approach to improve both water quality and quantity is needed and in order to achieve that, it is crucial to strengthen capacities of local community involvement in identifying the problems that affect them and strategies to solve them. This research was undertaken to develop a deeper understanding of community learning processes in integrated water resources management (IWRM) practices. The study drew on situated and social learning theory which explains that knowledge and skills are learned and embedded in the contexts in which knowledge is obtained and applied in everyday situations. Multiple data collection techniques were used within a case study design and included document analysis, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. Data analysis was done in three phases and involved uncovering patterns and trends in the data sets. In this context I discovered, through careful observation and interviews with members of the different communities of practice, that people are learning through social learning interactions with other community members as they engage in their daily water management and food production practices. Learning interactions take place through both informal and formal processes such as meetings, training workshops, conversations and interactions with outsiders. I also discovered that people learn from ‘external groups’ or training programmes which bring new knowledge and expertise, but this needs to be contextualised in the local communities of practice. The research has also shown that there are a number of challenges that appear to exist in these learning contexts. For instance it was found that participation and social learning processes and interactions are influenced by a range of causal mechanisms that are contextual. These insights into how communities learn, as well as the tensions and difficulties that are experienced in the learning processes are important for furthering learning and participation in community-based IWRM practices, projects and programmes.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Guidelines for the design of a mobile phone application for deaf people
- Authors: Yeratziotis, George
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Mobile communication systems -- Design and construction , Deaf -- Means of communication
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9750 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007925 , Mobile communication systems -- Design and construction , Deaf -- Means of communication
- Description: Deaf people in South Africa are no longer a minority group and their needs regarding communication and interaction must therefore be taken into consideration. This demographic does not communicate and interact in the same way as hearing people, which means that any existing usability or accessibility guidelines do not apply. As a result, Deaf people do not have access to information in the same way that a hearing person does. Providing proper access to Information and Communications Technology services, which meet their particular needs, will help the hearing impaired to better integrate into society. The importance of demolishing the communication barrier between the hearing and the hearing impaired is very important. Many people assume that sign language is somehow based on oral language. However, this is not the case. Sign languages are natural visual-spatial languages, and form a contrast with spoken languages which are auditory-vocal based. Acknowledging this fact in 2008, the South African Sign Language Policy Implementation Conference together with several governmental bodies suggested that South African Sign Language should become recognized as the 12th official language of South Africa. Due to the fact that cell phone technology continues to evolve, it will remain a tool of communication upon which Deaf people heavily rely on. The cell phone fulfils a basic need for everyone, but especially for the Deaf demographic as they rely on the short message system to communicate. Deaf people are currently faced with a lack of appropriate mobile phone applications, which would allow them to communicate with hearing as well as deaf people. The primary objective of this research was therefore to make mobile technology equally accessible meaning usable to members of the Deaf demographic. The focus of the research was to investigate the communication barrier and a range of variables that can influence the deaf user’s experience. Topics such as user interface design, usability and interaction were investigated. The outcome of this research was to propose a set of guidelines that, when applied to the design of a website or to phone application accessibility, would ensure communication and interaction from a deaf user. The proposed set of guidelines was then applied to the design of the high fidelity prototype of a mobile phone application. The specific application is a messaging phone application that allows deaf users to communicate with other deaf and hearing users via short message system. A mobile phone application that allows Deaf people to send and receive messages based on the sign language alphabet. The application was named Signchat. Purpose of this was to visibly display how the guidelines were implemented in Signchat. While Signchat’s main purpose is to accommodate the needs of Deaf people, it is also a learning tool and an application that bridges the gap by allowing deaf and hearing users to communicate.
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- Date Issued: 2012
An assessment of urban residents' knowledge and appreciation of the intangible benefits of trees in two medium sized towns in South Africa
- Authors: Chinyimba, Abby
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Trees in cities -- South Africa--Limpopo , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Ecology -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Plants and civilization -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Willingness to pay -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Limpopo (South Africa) -- Environmental conditions , Cultural importance , Cultural and regulating services , Intangible benefits , Urban systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4730 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001957
- Description: In order to meet the different public needs and requirements of contemporary urban society, a better understanding of public perceptions, appreciation and knowledge of the assorted values derived from urban trees is beneficial for improved urban greening. Thus, this study carried out an assessment of urban residents’ knowledge and appreciation of the benefits of trees and the role they play in enhancing the quality of life in urban systems. The study primarily focused on the intangible benefits (also referred to as cultural and regulating services) of urban trees, because most research to date in South Africa on trees and the benefits derived from them is biased towards the provisioning services of trees in rural areas. The significance and contribution of the intangible benefits of trees in urban systems is often underestimated and not seriously taken into account by urban planners, policy makers and other key decision makers. The study was conducted in three different residential settlement types (formal townships, RDP settlements and informal settlements) in two towns in the Limpopo Province in South Africa, namely Bela-Bela and Tzaneen. Findings revealed that the intangible benefits of trees are seen to play a significant role in improving both residents’ quality of life and the environmental conditions in cities, including the preservation of biodiversity. Findings also showed that urban residents had strong spiritual connections with trees and placed considerable cultural and historical importance on specific tree species and individual trees. Urban residents in both towns had moderate knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees based on the knowledge score that was created for the purposes of this study. Fifty seven percent of the residents had ‘reasonable’ knowledge of some of the intangible benefits of trees, while 43% had low levels of knowledge. That said, the majority of residents demonstrated high appreciation (98%) of the intangible benefits of trees (especially social and cultural values), with few residents not recognising these, suggesting that knowledge does not necessarily lead to appreciation. Age and level of education were found to influence knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees. A large proportion (86%) of residents who possessed tertiary level qualifications had more knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees as compared to residents with no formal education. Findings also revealed that younger respondents (60%) had more knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees. Factors that influenced appreciation of the intangible benefits of trees included links to crime, peoples’ value systems (their pro-environmental and altruistic values) and residential settlement type. Sixty five percent of residents in both towns felt that urban street trees and trees in public spaces attract criminals and promote crime, while 67% of RDP and 96% of informal township residents did not use or appreciate the social and recreational benefits of trees mainly because of the absence or long distances to public parks. A Willingness To Pay (WTP) survey revealed that a high proportion of residents in Bela-Bela (86%) were WTP a small annual fee in order to sustain greening initiatives in their communities compared to the residents in Tzaneen (53%). In terms of the planting and retention of trees, it was found that 300 households in both study towns had planted and retained a total of 1 615 trees in spite of the various factors that negatively influenced planting and retention of trees such as residency time and tenure security. The majority (66%) of informal township residents said tenure security was an important factor to consider when making tree planting decisions, while this was not an issue for formal township and RDP residents. Policy implications and recommendations are presented to help municipalities and urban planners improve and develop effective policies and programmes that will enable implementation of sustainable urban greening programmes
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- Date Issued: 2013
Rural livelihoods, forest products and poverty alleviation: the role of markets
- Authors: Mutamba, Manyewu
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Rural development -- Zambia Rural poor -- Zambia Zambia -- Rural conditions Forest management -- Zambia Forest conservation -- Zambia Households -- Economic aspects -- Zambia Forest products -- Zambia Forests and forestry -- Zambia Non-timber forest products -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4741 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006081
- Description: There is growing acknowledgement that forests and forest products are central to rural livelihoods, but their role in lifting households out of poverty remains contentious. This study tested the assertion by proponents of forest based poverty alleviation that changing conditions in the use and management of forests and forest products has created opportunities for poor rural households to lift themselves out of poverty. The study used detailed annual income data from various household sectors in two contrasting sites in Zambia, namely Mufulira and Kabompo districts, analyzing the relative contribution of forest income to household livelihood, the effect of household wealth status on forest use, factors driving household participation in forest product trade, and the influence of distance to urban markets on trends in the use of forest products. The study found that forest based activities play a central role in the livelihoods of households in the two study sites, contributing close to half of total household income, and dwarfing the contribution of agricultural sectors such as cropping and livestock rearing which are generally regarded as the main income sources for rural households. Forest based sectors were also found to be particularly valuable sources of household cash, often coming at critical times to meet basic needs. The findings also revealed that without the contribution of forest income, the proportion of households that would fall below the poverty line would increase sharply in both study sites. Wealthier households earned higher magnitudes of both subsistence and cash income from forest based activities than their poorer counterparts. Even the share of total household income coming from forest based activities was also higher among these better-off households, confirming that these activities are lucrative and they are improving the wealth status of households. Household participation in forest product trade was found to be influenced by demographic factors such as number of productive household members, age and the education level of the household head. Economic factors such as the level of income from wage labour, household poverty level, and ownership of key assets such as a bicycle were found to be important. Distance of homestead from the forest was also found to be an important contextual variable. The influence of urban demand on the use of forest products by rural households was significant in the study area. Although local sales played an important part as a source of cash for households, the most preferred channels for trade were linked to urban markets, either through roadside markets, middlemen or direct sales to urban buyers. The study concluded that with improved local organization and support for product development and marketing, some forest based activities provide a viable poverty alleviation option for poor rural households who otherwise have limited economic opportunities to escape poverty.
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- Date Issued: 2013
The relationship between work-family conflict and job stress on organisational commitment: a study of selected hospitals within the health department in the Kkonkobe municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Ruzungunde, Vongai Sarah
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/955 , vital:26512
- Description: The aim of this research was to assess whether and to what extent does work-family conflict (WFC) and job stress affect organisational commitment of the employees within the health department. The quantitative design was used for the purposes of this study and the sample consisted of 141 respondents from selected hospitals within the Nkonkobe Municipality. The cluster sampling method was used to select the hospitals and then the simple random sampling was used to select the sample from the cluster. Data was analysed using both inferential and descriptive statistical analysis such as SAS 9.1, T-test scale and The Pearson Correlation Analysis. The results of the study showed significant positive relationships between WFC and job stress. Also, both WFC and job stress showed negative relationships with organisational commitment showing that they affect the commitment of workers. These findings are helpful and useful to the health department in implementing policies and procedures that will reduce WFC and job stress in employees in order to ensure that high levels of commitment towards the organisation are maintained for optimal success.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Teachers’ practices of ‘cooperative learning’ instructional technique in six schools: Implications for learner performance in Mathematics
- Authors: Febana, Papama
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Group work in education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Team learning approach in education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5094 , vital:29075
- Description: One of the key features of curriculum change in South Africa in the last twenty years has been a move away from teacher centred instructional techniques to those that promote active participation of learners in their learning. Although the post democratic National Curriculum Statement has put emphasis on the importance of cooperative learning as a learner centred instructional technique, there is hardly any research on how teachers in schools understand and use it. This study sought to fill this gap by using a case study of seven mathematics classes in six schools. Data was collected through interviews, observations and document analysis.
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- Date Issued: 2015