A structural investigation of the sulphated polysaccharide from Aeodes ulvoidea Schmitz
- Allsobrook, Anthony John Robert
- Authors: Allsobrook, Anthony John Robert
- Date: 1973
- Subjects: Red algae -- Composition Polysaccharides
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4437 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007482
- Description: Aeodes ulvoidea, a red seaweed of the Grateloupiaceae, yielded a highly sulphated polysaccharide which was shown to contain D- and L-galactose, 4-0-methy-L-galactose, 2-0-methyl - D- and L-galactose and 6-0-methyl-D-galactose, together with chromatographic traces of xylose and mannose. The sulphate was not labile to alkali, but it was largely removed with methanolic hydrogen chloride. Periodate oxidation of the polysaccharide, methylation of the de sulphated polysaccharide, and investigation of fifteen oligosaccharides from partial hydrolysis and acetolysis studies of the polysaccharide, indicate that (a) the polysaccharide is composed of a backbone of D-galactose residues which are 1,3- and 1,4-linked (b) at least some regions of alternating structure do occur (c) the 2-0-methylgalactose is linked through the 4-position (d) the 4-0-methyl-L-galactose is present as single unit side chains glycosidically linked to the galactose backbone at position 6, and (e) most of the 6-0-methyl-D-galactose is linked to the 4-position of 2-0-methyl-D-galactose.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973
- Authors: Allsobrook, Anthony John Robert
- Date: 1973
- Subjects: Red algae -- Composition Polysaccharides
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4437 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007482
- Description: Aeodes ulvoidea, a red seaweed of the Grateloupiaceae, yielded a highly sulphated polysaccharide which was shown to contain D- and L-galactose, 4-0-methy-L-galactose, 2-0-methyl - D- and L-galactose and 6-0-methyl-D-galactose, together with chromatographic traces of xylose and mannose. The sulphate was not labile to alkali, but it was largely removed with methanolic hydrogen chloride. Periodate oxidation of the polysaccharide, methylation of the de sulphated polysaccharide, and investigation of fifteen oligosaccharides from partial hydrolysis and acetolysis studies of the polysaccharide, indicate that (a) the polysaccharide is composed of a backbone of D-galactose residues which are 1,3- and 1,4-linked (b) at least some regions of alternating structure do occur (c) the 2-0-methylgalactose is linked through the 4-position (d) the 4-0-methyl-L-galactose is present as single unit side chains glycosidically linked to the galactose backbone at position 6, and (e) most of the 6-0-methyl-D-galactose is linked to the 4-position of 2-0-methyl-D-galactose.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973
An enquiry into some present-day attitudes in art education and their relationship to the current alienation of artist from society
- Authors: Rodger, John Neil
- Date: 1973
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: vital:21146 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6574
- Description: From Introduction: "We can't teach these kids anything, man, they are so pure and unspoiled. Anything we show them or any discipline we impose upon them will only corrupt their purity. It's best if they just stay home and do their own thing”. "If your instructor says he knows what art is, watch out.” These two statements, the first by an instructor at a prominent New York art school, the second by one of America's respected critics, are the sort of talk one might expect to hear at any gathering of the avent-garde . To hear them said in and about the art school puts things in a different light. They are indicative -of the sort of thing that is preached and practised by a sufficient proportion of the art- educational force in the Western world to constitute a crisis unparalleled in the entire history of art education. Unopposed, such views must rapidly spell death for the institution. They must also, if they reached the proportions their authors appear to hope for, ensure a universal visual illiteracy unequalled in any other age. Of course statements like this, archly delivered by the very people who would suffer the most immediate loss at their implementation, are not at all true reflections of the whole state of art education in our time, or those people would simply not be in a position to make them. There are a great many people in the profession who would wholeheartedly reject such statements, and this faction is by no means confined to the older members.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973
- Authors: Rodger, John Neil
- Date: 1973
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: vital:21146 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6574
- Description: From Introduction: "We can't teach these kids anything, man, they are so pure and unspoiled. Anything we show them or any discipline we impose upon them will only corrupt their purity. It's best if they just stay home and do their own thing”. "If your instructor says he knows what art is, watch out.” These two statements, the first by an instructor at a prominent New York art school, the second by one of America's respected critics, are the sort of talk one might expect to hear at any gathering of the avent-garde . To hear them said in and about the art school puts things in a different light. They are indicative -of the sort of thing that is preached and practised by a sufficient proportion of the art- educational force in the Western world to constitute a crisis unparalleled in the entire history of art education. Unopposed, such views must rapidly spell death for the institution. They must also, if they reached the proportions their authors appear to hope for, ensure a universal visual illiteracy unequalled in any other age. Of course statements like this, archly delivered by the very people who would suffer the most immediate loss at their implementation, are not at all true reflections of the whole state of art education in our time, or those people would simply not be in a position to make them. There are a great many people in the profession who would wholeheartedly reject such statements, and this faction is by no means confined to the older members.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973
The life and work of Robert Paul
- Johnson, Christopher Charles Bonsall
- Authors: Johnson, Christopher Charles Bonsall
- Date: 1986
- Subjects: Paul, Robert, 1906-1980 , Artists -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: vital:2510 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018631
- Description: [From Introduction] When Robert Paul died in 1980, his daughter Colette Wiles gave her father's art materials to an artist who was very close to both Robert and his wife in their last years - Dian Wright. The materials consisted of five different pigments and brushes cut into different shapes to suit the artist. This is remarkable when one considers his proficiency in a variety of media and his accurate portrayal in the far reaching studies he executed of the Zimbabwean landscape. Yet, it is characteristic of his resourcefulness that Paul could make 'something out of nothing'. Paul welcomed the opportunity of new landscape when he arrived in Rhodesia in 1927. Against the backdrop of a chosen isolation from the British Isles, Paul developed his own personal tracks in spite of any early influence through John Piper with the English Southern Landscape idioms of the 1920s. This was a fruitful isolation where the creation of his art retained influences but were manipulated according to his needs and unleashed with a proficiency sometimes equal to his peers, who later found fame under the term 'Neo-Romantics'. Paul remained an individual in Africa. My intention in this essay is three-fold; first, to illustrate the effects and influences of 'chosen' and 'enforced ' isolation on his work. Secondly, I wish to determine the extent of the influence that Piper and the Neo-Romantics had on Paul and to illustrate mostly with anecdotes his life and life-style. He was no mean character. His life-long obsessions with art, alcohol and women were played out with a flair and dry humour which few emulated in his era. Although a strictly academic approach can be applied to the assessment of his work, his life followed thoroughly unorthodox lines. As Bradshaw noted when he wrote the forward to the Catalogue of Paul's Retrospective in 1976, he (Paul) had no historical interests in the accepted sense of the word. , ABBYY FineReader 12
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1986
- Authors: Johnson, Christopher Charles Bonsall
- Date: 1986
- Subjects: Paul, Robert, 1906-1980 , Artists -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: vital:2510 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018631
- Description: [From Introduction] When Robert Paul died in 1980, his daughter Colette Wiles gave her father's art materials to an artist who was very close to both Robert and his wife in their last years - Dian Wright. The materials consisted of five different pigments and brushes cut into different shapes to suit the artist. This is remarkable when one considers his proficiency in a variety of media and his accurate portrayal in the far reaching studies he executed of the Zimbabwean landscape. Yet, it is characteristic of his resourcefulness that Paul could make 'something out of nothing'. Paul welcomed the opportunity of new landscape when he arrived in Rhodesia in 1927. Against the backdrop of a chosen isolation from the British Isles, Paul developed his own personal tracks in spite of any early influence through John Piper with the English Southern Landscape idioms of the 1920s. This was a fruitful isolation where the creation of his art retained influences but were manipulated according to his needs and unleashed with a proficiency sometimes equal to his peers, who later found fame under the term 'Neo-Romantics'. Paul remained an individual in Africa. My intention in this essay is three-fold; first, to illustrate the effects and influences of 'chosen' and 'enforced ' isolation on his work. Secondly, I wish to determine the extent of the influence that Piper and the Neo-Romantics had on Paul and to illustrate mostly with anecdotes his life and life-style. He was no mean character. His life-long obsessions with art, alcohol and women were played out with a flair and dry humour which few emulated in his era. Although a strictly academic approach can be applied to the assessment of his work, his life followed thoroughly unorthodox lines. As Bradshaw noted when he wrote the forward to the Catalogue of Paul's Retrospective in 1976, he (Paul) had no historical interests in the accepted sense of the word. , ABBYY FineReader 12
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1986
Traditional and Christian elements in contemporary pictorial African art in South Africa with special reference to the works of John Muafangejo, Azariah Mbatha and Dan Rakgoathe
- Authors: Kilian, Julie
- Date: 1987
- Subjects: Muafangejo, John N., 1943-1987 -- Criticism and interpretation Christian art and symbolism -- South Africa Mbatha, Azariah -- Criticism and interpretation Rakgoathe, Dan -- Criticism and interpretation Art, Black -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: vital:2483 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012635
- Description: Art is the outward, visual manifestation of the undying soul of a people. The genius displayed in the day to day articles produced in traditional tribal society is equally present in the art produced by the Contemporary African Artist. The Contemporary African Artist finds himself in an interesting position, in that he is, at one time, a part of two different worlds, two different cultures, has taken place, the and his art provides evidence of the acculturation that coming together of indigenous, traditional African culture and 'European' or 'Western' culture. It follows that the contemporary African artist's work would display characteristics and elements derived from both of these worlds, since art is not created in a vacuum, but is, invariably, the outward, visible expression and symbol of an artist's environment, culture, emotional and intellectual responses and his beliefs. The study of Contemporary African Art reveals that despite the many divergences from the traditional or classic forms, a great many traditional influences and characteristics still persist in the same. An analysis of Contemporary African Art will also show that a significant body of works bear a marked influence of Christian teachings and biblical themes, as well as the influence of exposure to various forms of Swedish Medieval, Byzantine, Romanesque and Carolingian art.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1987
- Authors: Kilian, Julie
- Date: 1987
- Subjects: Muafangejo, John N., 1943-1987 -- Criticism and interpretation Christian art and symbolism -- South Africa Mbatha, Azariah -- Criticism and interpretation Rakgoathe, Dan -- Criticism and interpretation Art, Black -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: vital:2483 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012635
- Description: Art is the outward, visual manifestation of the undying soul of a people. The genius displayed in the day to day articles produced in traditional tribal society is equally present in the art produced by the Contemporary African Artist. The Contemporary African Artist finds himself in an interesting position, in that he is, at one time, a part of two different worlds, two different cultures, has taken place, the and his art provides evidence of the acculturation that coming together of indigenous, traditional African culture and 'European' or 'Western' culture. It follows that the contemporary African artist's work would display characteristics and elements derived from both of these worlds, since art is not created in a vacuum, but is, invariably, the outward, visible expression and symbol of an artist's environment, culture, emotional and intellectual responses and his beliefs. The study of Contemporary African Art reveals that despite the many divergences from the traditional or classic forms, a great many traditional influences and characteristics still persist in the same. An analysis of Contemporary African Art will also show that a significant body of works bear a marked influence of Christian teachings and biblical themes, as well as the influence of exposure to various forms of Swedish Medieval, Byzantine, Romanesque and Carolingian art.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1987
Environmental education in primary schools in Bophuthatswana : a case study in curriculum implementation
- Authors: Shongwe, Doctor Petrus
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa -- Bophuthatswana , Primary school teaching -- Research -- South Africa -- Bophuthatswana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1514 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003396
- Description: This study examines the extent to which teachers in Senior Primary Schools who have obtained a professional qualification in Environmental Education, implement Environmental Education in their schools. It also explores factors which influence the implementation of Environmental Education at the Senior Primary School. Teachers who had qualified from Tlhabane and Hebron Colleges of Education were interviewed as were the principals of their schools and some of the lecturers who had taught them Environmental Education. The implementation of Environmental Education was addressed by means of comparing the teacher's responses with Primary Environmental Education Teacher Competencies as suggested by Glasgow and Robinson (1986) and Lahiry et al (1988). The information was deduced from the teachers responses from semi-structured interviews and were qualitatively analysed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
- Authors: Shongwe, Doctor Petrus
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa -- Bophuthatswana , Primary school teaching -- Research -- South Africa -- Bophuthatswana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1514 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003396
- Description: This study examines the extent to which teachers in Senior Primary Schools who have obtained a professional qualification in Environmental Education, implement Environmental Education in their schools. It also explores factors which influence the implementation of Environmental Education at the Senior Primary School. Teachers who had qualified from Tlhabane and Hebron Colleges of Education were interviewed as were the principals of their schools and some of the lecturers who had taught them Environmental Education. The implementation of Environmental Education was addressed by means of comparing the teacher's responses with Primary Environmental Education Teacher Competencies as suggested by Glasgow and Robinson (1986) and Lahiry et al (1988). The information was deduced from the teachers responses from semi-structured interviews and were qualitatively analysed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
Perceptions of environmental education among senior Ciskeian educationists, and the implications for educational change in the Ciskei region
- Authors: Mkala-Pholo, Pumla Patricia
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa -- Ciskei Environmental education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Ciskei Educators -- South Africa -- Ciskei -- Attitudes Educational planning -- South Africa -- Ciskei
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1692 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003575
- Description: This study was conducted to investigate perceptions of Environmental Education among senior Ciskeian educationists, and to explore the possibility of implementing Environmental Education in school and college curricula in the Ciskei region. Data was collected from interviews with a sample of senior Ciskeian educationists, then analysed and assessed. Corroborating information was obtained from attendance at several regional workshops organised by the Environmental Education Policy Initiative. The data indicated a sound general awareness of environmental problems in Ciskei and a belief in Environmental Education as a means toward their solution. Although the interviewees' understanding of Environmental Education was imperfect, there was broad support for its aims and principles. Since the study was motivated by concern about the implementation of Environmental Education in Ciskei, the results obtained were encouraging.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
- Authors: Mkala-Pholo, Pumla Patricia
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa -- Ciskei Environmental education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Ciskei Educators -- South Africa -- Ciskei -- Attitudes Educational planning -- South Africa -- Ciskei
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1692 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003575
- Description: This study was conducted to investigate perceptions of Environmental Education among senior Ciskeian educationists, and to explore the possibility of implementing Environmental Education in school and college curricula in the Ciskei region. Data was collected from interviews with a sample of senior Ciskeian educationists, then analysed and assessed. Corroborating information was obtained from attendance at several regional workshops organised by the Environmental Education Policy Initiative. The data indicated a sound general awareness of environmental problems in Ciskei and a belief in Environmental Education as a means toward their solution. Although the interviewees' understanding of Environmental Education was imperfect, there was broad support for its aims and principles. Since the study was motivated by concern about the implementation of Environmental Education in Ciskei, the results obtained were encouraging.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
The concept of "the people" in liberation theology
- Authors: Menatsi, Richard
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Liberation theology , Poor -- Religious aspects , Poverty -- Religious aspects -- Christianity , Government, Resistance to -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTh
- Identifier: vital:1297 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015654
- Description: The concept of "the people" has become a key concept within the work of several Latin American theologians, Korean Minjung theologians and South African theologians. When liberation theologians use the concept of "the people" in their literature they do so with a lack of clarity, to the extent that the exact meaning of the term is obscure. In their usage of the concept "the people" liberation theologians come up with differing and at times contradictory meanings, particularly as regards the concrete and symbolic meanings of the concept. This thesis sets out to investigate the use of the concept "the people" by liberation theologians by consulting a selection from Latin American theology, Korean Minjung theology, South African liberation theology and Marxism, to detect its influence on the use of this notion. A general overview of the thesis indicates the following. The first chapter provides a detailed analysis of the concept of "the people" in the work of different liberation theologians. Chapter two considers "the people" in relation to poverty and oppression. The third chapter deals with "the people" as subjects of history. In the fourth chapter "the people" as a concept is developed in relation to belief within the Christian church. The final chapter is an evaluation. The thesis reveals that the following characteristics are central to "the people", they are poor and oppressed but are also inclusive of all those persons who identify and actively support the struggle against poverty and oppression. "The people" are subjects of their own history, finally they are Christian believers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
- Authors: Menatsi, Richard
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Liberation theology , Poor -- Religious aspects , Poverty -- Religious aspects -- Christianity , Government, Resistance to -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTh
- Identifier: vital:1297 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015654
- Description: The concept of "the people" has become a key concept within the work of several Latin American theologians, Korean Minjung theologians and South African theologians. When liberation theologians use the concept of "the people" in their literature they do so with a lack of clarity, to the extent that the exact meaning of the term is obscure. In their usage of the concept "the people" liberation theologians come up with differing and at times contradictory meanings, particularly as regards the concrete and symbolic meanings of the concept. This thesis sets out to investigate the use of the concept "the people" by liberation theologians by consulting a selection from Latin American theology, Korean Minjung theology, South African liberation theology and Marxism, to detect its influence on the use of this notion. A general overview of the thesis indicates the following. The first chapter provides a detailed analysis of the concept of "the people" in the work of different liberation theologians. Chapter two considers "the people" in relation to poverty and oppression. The third chapter deals with "the people" as subjects of history. In the fourth chapter "the people" as a concept is developed in relation to belief within the Christian church. The final chapter is an evaluation. The thesis reveals that the following characteristics are central to "the people", they are poor and oppressed but are also inclusive of all those persons who identify and actively support the struggle against poverty and oppression. "The people" are subjects of their own history, finally they are Christian believers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
A critical analysis of the application of total quality management principles in two schools
- Authors: Carlson, Brian Kenneth
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Total quality management School management and organization -- Case studies School management and organization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1472 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003353
- Description: In recent years, the principles of Total Quality Management, developed by Edwards Deming and others and used with varying degrees of success in the business world, have been used in schools as part of the process to transform education in terms of school management and classroom learning. This research grew out of my experiences when St. Andrew's Preparatory School participated in a Total Quality Management training programme which highlighted for me the problems and the benefits of such training. This research was undertaken, therefore, to find out how two other schools - one a high school in Grahamstown and the other a high school in Clarke County, U.S.A. had responded to similar training. Open ended questionnaires were used and the responses were analyzed to detect patterns of thoughts, feelings and attitudes, particularly in terms of human relationships at the school and with regard to various components of school culture. Comparisons were also made between the responses from the two schools, and the findings were compared with the claims made for TQM by the theorists and other educational practitioners who have ventured into TQM in their schools. The research findings indicate that Total Quality Management training had a positive impact on the participating schools but that there are problems associated with its adaptation for education. Given the necessary leadership commitment, however, these problems are not insurmountable. Total Quality Management may well be able to contribute towards the restructing of education which seems to be more and more urgently needed both in South Africa and in their countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Carlson, Brian Kenneth
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Total quality management School management and organization -- Case studies School management and organization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1472 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003353
- Description: In recent years, the principles of Total Quality Management, developed by Edwards Deming and others and used with varying degrees of success in the business world, have been used in schools as part of the process to transform education in terms of school management and classroom learning. This research grew out of my experiences when St. Andrew's Preparatory School participated in a Total Quality Management training programme which highlighted for me the problems and the benefits of such training. This research was undertaken, therefore, to find out how two other schools - one a high school in Grahamstown and the other a high school in Clarke County, U.S.A. had responded to similar training. Open ended questionnaires were used and the responses were analyzed to detect patterns of thoughts, feelings and attitudes, particularly in terms of human relationships at the school and with regard to various components of school culture. Comparisons were also made between the responses from the two schools, and the findings were compared with the claims made for TQM by the theorists and other educational practitioners who have ventured into TQM in their schools. The research findings indicate that Total Quality Management training had a positive impact on the participating schools but that there are problems associated with its adaptation for education. Given the necessary leadership commitment, however, these problems are not insurmountable. Total Quality Management may well be able to contribute towards the restructing of education which seems to be more and more urgently needed both in South Africa and in their countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
An investigation into the extent and nature of the understanding first year college of education students have of aspects of arithematic and elementary number theory
- Authors: Oliphant, Vincent George
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Mathematics teachers -- Training of Mathematics -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1606 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003488
- Description: First Year College of Education students who have done and/or passed mathematics at matric level, often lack adequate understanding of basic mathematical concepts and principles. This is due to the fact that formal tests and examinations often fail to assess understanding at anything but a basic level. It is against this background that this study uses alternative and more direct means of assessing the level and nature of the understanding such students have of aspects of basic arithmetic and number theory. More specifically, the goals of the study are: 1. To determine the students' levels of understanding of the following number concepts: Rational numbers; Irrational numbers Real numbers and Imaginary numbers. 2. To determine whether the students understand the rules governing operations with negative numbers and with zero as principles rather than conventions. 3. To determine whether the students understand the rule governing the order of operations as a matter of convention rather than as a matter of principle. A survey of the literature concerning the nature of understanding as well as the nature of assessment is given. The students' understanding in the above areas was assessed by means of a written test followid by interviews. A sample of 50 students participated in the study while a sub-sample of 6 were interviewed. Some of the significant findings of the study were : 1. The students largely failed to draw clear distinctions between Real and Rational numbers as well as between Irrational and Imaginary numbers. 2. Very few of the students could explain the rationale behind the rules governing the. operations with negative numbers and zero. 3. Only half of the students had any knowledge of the rule governing the order of operations. Only one student demonstrated an understanding of the rule as a convention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Oliphant, Vincent George
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Mathematics teachers -- Training of Mathematics -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1606 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003488
- Description: First Year College of Education students who have done and/or passed mathematics at matric level, often lack adequate understanding of basic mathematical concepts and principles. This is due to the fact that formal tests and examinations often fail to assess understanding at anything but a basic level. It is against this background that this study uses alternative and more direct means of assessing the level and nature of the understanding such students have of aspects of basic arithmetic and number theory. More specifically, the goals of the study are: 1. To determine the students' levels of understanding of the following number concepts: Rational numbers; Irrational numbers Real numbers and Imaginary numbers. 2. To determine whether the students understand the rules governing operations with negative numbers and with zero as principles rather than conventions. 3. To determine whether the students understand the rule governing the order of operations as a matter of convention rather than as a matter of principle. A survey of the literature concerning the nature of understanding as well as the nature of assessment is given. The students' understanding in the above areas was assessed by means of a written test followid by interviews. A sample of 50 students participated in the study while a sub-sample of 6 were interviewed. Some of the significant findings of the study were : 1. The students largely failed to draw clear distinctions between Real and Rational numbers as well as between Irrational and Imaginary numbers. 2. Very few of the students could explain the rationale behind the rules governing the. operations with negative numbers and zero. 3. Only half of the students had any knowledge of the rule governing the order of operations. Only one student demonstrated an understanding of the rule as a convention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
Grouping complex systems for classification and parallel simulation
- Authors: Ikram, Ismail Mohamed
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Digital computer simulation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4662 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006665
- Description: This thesis is concerned with grouping complex systems by means of concurrent model, in order to aid in (i) formulation of classifications and (ii) induction of parallel simulation programs. It observes, and seeks f~ furmalize _ and then exploit, the strong structural resemblance between complex systems and occam programs. The thesis hypothesizes that groups of complex systems may be discriminated according to shared structural and behavioural characteristics. Such an analysis of the complex systems domain may be performed in the abstract with the aid of a model for capturing interesting features of complex systems. The resulting groups would form a classification of complex systems. An additional hypothesis is that, insofar as the model is able to capture sufficient . programmatic information, these groups may be used to define, automatically, algorithmic skeletons for the concurrent simulation of complex systems. In order to test these hypotheses, a specification model and an accompanying formal notation are developed. The model expresses properties of complex systems in a mixture of object-oriented and process-oriented styles .. The model is then used as the basis for performing both classification and automatic induction of parallel simulation programs. The thesis takes the view that specification models should not be overly complex, especially if the specifications are meant to be executable. Therefore the requirement for explicit consideration of concurrency on the part of specifiers is minimized. The thesis formulates specifications of classes of cellular automata and neural networks according to the proposed model. Procedures for verificati6If - and induction of parallel simulation programs are also included.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Ikram, Ismail Mohamed
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Digital computer simulation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4662 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006665
- Description: This thesis is concerned with grouping complex systems by means of concurrent model, in order to aid in (i) formulation of classifications and (ii) induction of parallel simulation programs. It observes, and seeks f~ furmalize _ and then exploit, the strong structural resemblance between complex systems and occam programs. The thesis hypothesizes that groups of complex systems may be discriminated according to shared structural and behavioural characteristics. Such an analysis of the complex systems domain may be performed in the abstract with the aid of a model for capturing interesting features of complex systems. The resulting groups would form a classification of complex systems. An additional hypothesis is that, insofar as the model is able to capture sufficient . programmatic information, these groups may be used to define, automatically, algorithmic skeletons for the concurrent simulation of complex systems. In order to test these hypotheses, a specification model and an accompanying formal notation are developed. The model expresses properties of complex systems in a mixture of object-oriented and process-oriented styles .. The model is then used as the basis for performing both classification and automatic induction of parallel simulation programs. The thesis takes the view that specification models should not be overly complex, especially if the specifications are meant to be executable. Therefore the requirement for explicit consideration of concurrency on the part of specifiers is minimized. The thesis formulates specifications of classes of cellular automata and neural networks according to the proposed model. Procedures for verificati6If - and induction of parallel simulation programs are also included.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Voltammetric analysis of pesticides and their degradation: A case study of Amitraz and its degradants
- Authors: Brimecombe, Rory Dennis
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Hydrolysis , Biodegradation , Voltammetry , Pesticides -- Biodegradation , Pesticides -- Environmental aspects , Acaricides , Acaricides -- Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4131 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015724
- Description: Amitraz is a formamide acaricide used predominantly in the control of ectoparasites in livestock and honeybees. Amitraz hydrolysis is rapid and occurs under acidic conditions, exposure to sunlight and biodegradation by microorganisms. The main hydrolysis product of amitraz, 2,4-dimethylaniline, is recalcitrant in the environment and toxic to humans. An electrochemical method for the determination of total amitraz residues and its final breakdown product, 2,4-dimethylaniline, in spent cattle dip, is presented. Cyclic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode showed the irreversible oxidation of amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline. A limit of detection in the range of 8.5 x 10⁻⁸ M for amitraz and 2 x 10⁻⁸ M for 2,4-dimethylaniline was determined using differential pulse voltammetry. Feasibility studies in which the effect of supporting electrolyte type and pH had on electroanalysis of amitraz and its degradants, showed that pH affects current response as well as the potential at which amitraz and its degradants are oxidised. Britton-Robinson buffer was found to be the most suitable supporting electrolyte for detection of amitraz and its degradants in terms of sensitivity and reproducibility. Studies performed using environmental samples showed that the sensitivity and reproducibility of amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline analyses in spent cattle dip were comparable to analyses of amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline performed in Britton-Robinson buffer. In addition, the feasibility qf measuring amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline in environmental samples was assessed and compared to amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline analyses in Britton-Robinson buffer. Amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline were readily detectable in milk and honey. Furthermore, it was elucidated that 2,4-dimethylaniline can be metabolised to 3-methylcatechol by Pseudomonas species and the proposed breakdown pathway is presented. The biological degradation of amitraz and subsequent formation of 2,4-dimethylaniline was readily monitored in spent cattle dip. The breakdown of amitraz to 2,4-dimethylaniline and then to 3-MC was monitored using cyclic voltammetry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Brimecombe, Rory Dennis
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Hydrolysis , Biodegradation , Voltammetry , Pesticides -- Biodegradation , Pesticides -- Environmental aspects , Acaricides , Acaricides -- Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4131 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015724
- Description: Amitraz is a formamide acaricide used predominantly in the control of ectoparasites in livestock and honeybees. Amitraz hydrolysis is rapid and occurs under acidic conditions, exposure to sunlight and biodegradation by microorganisms. The main hydrolysis product of amitraz, 2,4-dimethylaniline, is recalcitrant in the environment and toxic to humans. An electrochemical method for the determination of total amitraz residues and its final breakdown product, 2,4-dimethylaniline, in spent cattle dip, is presented. Cyclic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode showed the irreversible oxidation of amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline. A limit of detection in the range of 8.5 x 10⁻⁸ M for amitraz and 2 x 10⁻⁸ M for 2,4-dimethylaniline was determined using differential pulse voltammetry. Feasibility studies in which the effect of supporting electrolyte type and pH had on electroanalysis of amitraz and its degradants, showed that pH affects current response as well as the potential at which amitraz and its degradants are oxidised. Britton-Robinson buffer was found to be the most suitable supporting electrolyte for detection of amitraz and its degradants in terms of sensitivity and reproducibility. Studies performed using environmental samples showed that the sensitivity and reproducibility of amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline analyses in spent cattle dip were comparable to analyses of amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline performed in Britton-Robinson buffer. In addition, the feasibility qf measuring amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline in environmental samples was assessed and compared to amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline analyses in Britton-Robinson buffer. Amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline were readily detectable in milk and honey. Furthermore, it was elucidated that 2,4-dimethylaniline can be metabolised to 3-methylcatechol by Pseudomonas species and the proposed breakdown pathway is presented. The biological degradation of amitraz and subsequent formation of 2,4-dimethylaniline was readily monitored in spent cattle dip. The breakdown of amitraz to 2,4-dimethylaniline and then to 3-MC was monitored using cyclic voltammetry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
An investigation into the popularity of Zimbabwe's first health communication soap opera, Studio 263 : a qualitative reception study of Bulawayo students aged between 15 and 20 years
- Authors: Bhebhe-Mpofu, Adilaid
- Date: 2007 , 2014-08-18
- Subjects: Studio 263 (Television program) , Television soap operas -- Zimbabwe , Television viewers -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and children -- Zimbabwe , Television and children -- Zimbabwe , AIDS (Disease) -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3531 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013310
- Description: Within the context of debates concerning the reception and interpretation of media texts by television audiences, this qualitative reception study explores how a sample of Bulawayo students negotiate meanings from Zimbabwe's first health communication soap opera, Studio 263. The study thus examines the reasons behind the popularity of this programme with this target audience. The findings of the study reveal that meaning making is a complex process that is dependent on a variety of factors which include, among others, the socio-cultural context of media consumption, gender, economic disposition and age. It particularly maintains that gender and lived realities influence the interpretation and negotiation of meanings in this particular study. , Adobe Acrobat Pro 11.0.0 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Bhebhe-Mpofu, Adilaid
- Date: 2007 , 2014-08-18
- Subjects: Studio 263 (Television program) , Television soap operas -- Zimbabwe , Television viewers -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and children -- Zimbabwe , Television and children -- Zimbabwe , AIDS (Disease) -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3531 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013310
- Description: Within the context of debates concerning the reception and interpretation of media texts by television audiences, this qualitative reception study explores how a sample of Bulawayo students negotiate meanings from Zimbabwe's first health communication soap opera, Studio 263. The study thus examines the reasons behind the popularity of this programme with this target audience. The findings of the study reveal that meaning making is a complex process that is dependent on a variety of factors which include, among others, the socio-cultural context of media consumption, gender, economic disposition and age. It particularly maintains that gender and lived realities influence the interpretation and negotiation of meanings in this particular study. , Adobe Acrobat Pro 11.0.0 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
The educationally-related challenges faced by teenage mothers on returning to school: a Namibian case study
- Authors: Shaningwa, Lilia Mariro
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Teenage mothers -- Namibia -- Case studies Teenagers -- Education -- Namibia -- Case studies Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Case studies Teenage pregnancy -- Namibia -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1506 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003388
- Description: The study aimed to investigate the educationally-related challenges faced by teenage mothers in coming back to school in two senior schools in the Kavango Education Region. This small-scale study focused on the challenges that influence or affect the academic progress and development of these learners. The study looked at how teenage pregnancy is perceived as a social problem in many countries as well as in Namibia and examined its impact on the educational aspirations of the young mothers. Namibia has a policy in place to cater for the continued education of learners returning to school after the birth of their babies. This policy was analysed and its implementation in the selected schools formed part of the study, The findings revealed that the educational challenges faced by these young women range from social exclusion to the need to manage the dual responsibilities of motherhood and study. The way in which the learners who participated in this study are viewed by their peers and their teachers was found to be influenced by the cultural connotations ascribed to women as soon as they become mothers, a factor that adds to the challenges these learners face when returning to schools. Cultural connotations which perceived a mother as an adult in the society was attached to the change of the behaviours and attitudes of school young mothers. The findings also showed that while these learners tended to be withdrawn in class and were generally unable to participate in extra-mural activities, they none the less were able to compete with their peers in terms of their academic performance. The study revealed that there is no shared understanding of the policy among the participants and that it is not effectively implemented in the schools, nor is it uniformly applied.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Shaningwa, Lilia Mariro
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Teenage mothers -- Namibia -- Case studies Teenagers -- Education -- Namibia -- Case studies Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Case studies Teenage pregnancy -- Namibia -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1506 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003388
- Description: The study aimed to investigate the educationally-related challenges faced by teenage mothers in coming back to school in two senior schools in the Kavango Education Region. This small-scale study focused on the challenges that influence or affect the academic progress and development of these learners. The study looked at how teenage pregnancy is perceived as a social problem in many countries as well as in Namibia and examined its impact on the educational aspirations of the young mothers. Namibia has a policy in place to cater for the continued education of learners returning to school after the birth of their babies. This policy was analysed and its implementation in the selected schools formed part of the study, The findings revealed that the educational challenges faced by these young women range from social exclusion to the need to manage the dual responsibilities of motherhood and study. The way in which the learners who participated in this study are viewed by their peers and their teachers was found to be influenced by the cultural connotations ascribed to women as soon as they become mothers, a factor that adds to the challenges these learners face when returning to schools. Cultural connotations which perceived a mother as an adult in the society was attached to the change of the behaviours and attitudes of school young mothers. The findings also showed that while these learners tended to be withdrawn in class and were generally unable to participate in extra-mural activities, they none the less were able to compete with their peers in terms of their academic performance. The study revealed that there is no shared understanding of the policy among the participants and that it is not effectively implemented in the schools, nor is it uniformly applied.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Working in the city: the design of a vehicle technology research centre for Volkswagen SA in the Nelson Mandela Metropole
- Authors: Danev, Anton V
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Volkswagen of South Africa (Firm) , Research institutes -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , Motor vehicle industry -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M.Arcitecture
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52834 , vital:44235
- Description: Volkswagen AG is the second largest vehicle manufacturer worldwide with a factory plant located in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. Major part of their [technological] research has in the last 10 years shifted towards a sustainability outlook along a environmentally friendly end-user products approach. A great market is emerging where environmentally sensitive vehicles and equipment are at the forefront of technological development. Volkswagen currently has a limited number of Vehicle Technology Research facilities worldwide and is looking to establish firm positions locally, in line with its company ethics of sustainability and energy consciousness. Part of this initiative is to locate into the CBD of Port Elizabeth aiming to revitalise derelict [inner-city] urban space and promote environmentally sensitive development. Consequently this thesis seeks to explore the possibility of introducing a ( technology) research facility and office space, as part of a mixed-use development, into Port Elizabeth’s inner city and investigate the architectural challenges thereof.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Danev, Anton V
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Volkswagen of South Africa (Firm) , Research institutes -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , Motor vehicle industry -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M.Arcitecture
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52834 , vital:44235
- Description: Volkswagen AG is the second largest vehicle manufacturer worldwide with a factory plant located in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. Major part of their [technological] research has in the last 10 years shifted towards a sustainability outlook along a environmentally friendly end-user products approach. A great market is emerging where environmentally sensitive vehicles and equipment are at the forefront of technological development. Volkswagen currently has a limited number of Vehicle Technology Research facilities worldwide and is looking to establish firm positions locally, in line with its company ethics of sustainability and energy consciousness. Part of this initiative is to locate into the CBD of Port Elizabeth aiming to revitalise derelict [inner-city] urban space and promote environmentally sensitive development. Consequently this thesis seeks to explore the possibility of introducing a ( technology) research facility and office space, as part of a mixed-use development, into Port Elizabeth’s inner city and investigate the architectural challenges thereof.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Investigating the role of portfolios in developing reflective practice : a case study
- Authors: Mbango, Karolina Naango
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Portfolios in education -- Namibia -- Case studies Student teachers -- Namibia -- Case studies Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia -- Case studies Teacher educators -- Namibia -- Case studies Reflective teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1595 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003477
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the purpose and role portfolios are playing in developing reflective practice in student teachers and to assess the degree to which this role is being achieved in practice. This study was a interpretive small scale case study. The target groups were 3 student teachers in their final year of study, 3 teacher educators and the vice-rector of the college. Data were obtained through interviews and document analysis. The findings indicated that the students had no meaningful orientation to both the role of portfolio development and reflective skills. The sources of this were the lack of common understanding among teacher educators, lack of support for both teacher educators and student teachers and lack of time, lack of guidelines for construction and clear assessment rubric. The results of this study indicated that the teacher educators were in need of vigorous professional development and considerable implementation strategies are needed to develop the desired reflective skills.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Mbango, Karolina Naango
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Portfolios in education -- Namibia -- Case studies Student teachers -- Namibia -- Case studies Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia -- Case studies Teacher educators -- Namibia -- Case studies Reflective teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1595 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003477
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the purpose and role portfolios are playing in developing reflective practice in student teachers and to assess the degree to which this role is being achieved in practice. This study was a interpretive small scale case study. The target groups were 3 student teachers in their final year of study, 3 teacher educators and the vice-rector of the college. Data were obtained through interviews and document analysis. The findings indicated that the students had no meaningful orientation to both the role of portfolio development and reflective skills. The sources of this were the lack of common understanding among teacher educators, lack of support for both teacher educators and student teachers and lack of time, lack of guidelines for construction and clear assessment rubric. The results of this study indicated that the teacher educators were in need of vigorous professional development and considerable implementation strategies are needed to develop the desired reflective skills.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Reflective accounts of childhood inter-species experiences in a Southern-African context: a phenomenological-hermeneutic exploration
- Authors: Rump, Samantha
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Child psychology -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa Human-animal relationships -- South Africa Children and animals -- South Africa Animal psychology -- South Africa Hermeneutics Phenomenology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3045 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002554
- Description: The aims of this research were to describe in rich phenomenological detail the recollected childhood experiences described by three South African adults of growing up with animals in the context of a traditionally African cultural perspective in South Africa; as well as to document the emotional, physical and social effects of inter-species relationships as described by these participants, in order to explore and situate these experiences in relation to broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development. The question of how these described experiences correlate with broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development comprised the hermeneutic of the study. Here it was found that the experiences of these South African individuals were generally in keeping with the trends found in the literature. Participants attributed to their childhood relationships with animals a variety of benefits. These benefits occur on a range of levels, from the physical to the cognitive, and the psychosocial. The emotional attachment of the participants to animals with whom they had interacted in childhood correlated with the nature of interspecies relationships as anticipated by the literature. Cultural differences in the conceptualisation of inter-species relationships, between western and traditionally African ideologies, appeared to influence the moral and ethical positions assumed by the participants, while the subjective nature of the described attachment between participants and animals remains qualitatively similar across cultures, when explored in relation to international research. The similarities between the experiences of the participants and international research findings lend credence to Wilson’s hypothesis that all human beings are potentially able to connect in deep and profound ways with their natural environment, and that this connection contributes to the development of social and cognitive skills, as well as constituting emotional support and stability. The research concludes with an examination of its own limitations and suggestions are made for further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Rump, Samantha
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Child psychology -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa Human-animal relationships -- South Africa Children and animals -- South Africa Animal psychology -- South Africa Hermeneutics Phenomenology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3045 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002554
- Description: The aims of this research were to describe in rich phenomenological detail the recollected childhood experiences described by three South African adults of growing up with animals in the context of a traditionally African cultural perspective in South Africa; as well as to document the emotional, physical and social effects of inter-species relationships as described by these participants, in order to explore and situate these experiences in relation to broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development. The question of how these described experiences correlate with broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development comprised the hermeneutic of the study. Here it was found that the experiences of these South African individuals were generally in keeping with the trends found in the literature. Participants attributed to their childhood relationships with animals a variety of benefits. These benefits occur on a range of levels, from the physical to the cognitive, and the psychosocial. The emotional attachment of the participants to animals with whom they had interacted in childhood correlated with the nature of interspecies relationships as anticipated by the literature. Cultural differences in the conceptualisation of inter-species relationships, between western and traditionally African ideologies, appeared to influence the moral and ethical positions assumed by the participants, while the subjective nature of the described attachment between participants and animals remains qualitatively similar across cultures, when explored in relation to international research. The similarities between the experiences of the participants and international research findings lend credence to Wilson’s hypothesis that all human beings are potentially able to connect in deep and profound ways with their natural environment, and that this connection contributes to the development of social and cognitive skills, as well as constituting emotional support and stability. The research concludes with an examination of its own limitations and suggestions are made for further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
The relationship between learning styles and perceptions of blended learning : a case study of third-year Environmental Science students at Rhodes University
- Authors: Gambiza, James
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Blended learning , Education, Higher -- Computer-assisted instruction , Environmental sciences -- Study and teaching (Higher)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2013 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016352
- Description: The use of blended learning to support teaching and learning is growing globally. Few studies, however, have investigated the relation between students’ learning styles and their perceptions of blended learning. This study used a case-study approach to investigate third year Environmental Science students’ learning styles and perceptions of the online component of blended learning at Rhodes University. Vermunt’s inventory of learning’s styles instrument was used to assess the students’ learning styles. Students’ perceptions of online learning were assessed using an 84-item online experience questionnaire. Multivariate cluster analyses based on students’ learning styles, perceptions of online learning and final coursework marks were done. The correlation between learning styles and perceptions of blended learning was assessed. Students had been using computers for about 10 years. About 91% of students owned computers and 50% had access to Internet at home or in their residences. Internet and email were the most commonly used tools for student learning averaging about at least six times per week. Three of Vermunt’s four learning styles were identified. These were the meaning-directed, application-directed and reproduction-directed styles. The undirected learning style was absent. A major finding of this study was the dissonance in learning styles of students. For example, students with the meaning-directed style also scored high on reproduction-directed style. Students combined deep approaches with memorisation when learning. I developed an instrument consisting of seven scales that described students’ perceptions of online learning. The scales were epistemological judgements, multiple sources of information, learning goals, relevance, Internet experience, appropriate tool and student interaction. There was high within scale variability in students’ perceptions of online learning. The perception that the Internet provided multiple sources of information was positively associated with advanced models of epistemology that support the construction of knowledge. There was dissonance between the perception of the Internet as enhancing epistemological judgements and some components of learning style. A perception of epistemological judgements was positively correlated with both deep and surface cognitive processing strategies.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Gambiza, James
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Blended learning , Education, Higher -- Computer-assisted instruction , Environmental sciences -- Study and teaching (Higher)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2013 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016352
- Description: The use of blended learning to support teaching and learning is growing globally. Few studies, however, have investigated the relation between students’ learning styles and their perceptions of blended learning. This study used a case-study approach to investigate third year Environmental Science students’ learning styles and perceptions of the online component of blended learning at Rhodes University. Vermunt’s inventory of learning’s styles instrument was used to assess the students’ learning styles. Students’ perceptions of online learning were assessed using an 84-item online experience questionnaire. Multivariate cluster analyses based on students’ learning styles, perceptions of online learning and final coursework marks were done. The correlation between learning styles and perceptions of blended learning was assessed. Students had been using computers for about 10 years. About 91% of students owned computers and 50% had access to Internet at home or in their residences. Internet and email were the most commonly used tools for student learning averaging about at least six times per week. Three of Vermunt’s four learning styles were identified. These were the meaning-directed, application-directed and reproduction-directed styles. The undirected learning style was absent. A major finding of this study was the dissonance in learning styles of students. For example, students with the meaning-directed style also scored high on reproduction-directed style. Students combined deep approaches with memorisation when learning. I developed an instrument consisting of seven scales that described students’ perceptions of online learning. The scales were epistemological judgements, multiple sources of information, learning goals, relevance, Internet experience, appropriate tool and student interaction. There was high within scale variability in students’ perceptions of online learning. The perception that the Internet provided multiple sources of information was positively associated with advanced models of epistemology that support the construction of knowledge. There was dissonance between the perception of the Internet as enhancing epistemological judgements and some components of learning style. A perception of epistemological judgements was positively correlated with both deep and surface cognitive processing strategies.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Unionism in schools blessing or curse? : a case study of three schools in the Kavango region of Namibia
- Authors: Musore, Pontianus Vitumbo
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Teachers' unions--Namibia Namibia National Teachers' Union School management and organization--Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1809 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003695
- Description: This study investigates the role played by the Namibia National Teachers’ Union (NANTU) in school management. It examines the challenges faced by school principals in managing schools as a result of the presence of unions. In order to understand the behaviour and impact of union representatives in schools the study makes use of literature on teacher unionism, democratic, political and ambiguity management and leadership theories. Working in the interpretive orientation the study used semi-structured interviews, document analysis and focus group discussions. The research was conducted in the form of a case study involving three schools in the Kavango region of Namibia, and the data collected were dealt with according to case study principles. The study reveals that the presence of the union has several benefits for the school: for example, it advances the democratic participation of stakeholders, provides feedback to the school principal on how staff members experience his or her leadership, and offers advice on labour-related matters. It was also discovered that NANTU representatives act as mediators in conflict situations, which means that teachers can become better at managing and resolving conflict through their experience of serving on the union structures. However it was also discovered that the presence of NANTU in schools has several negative effects on schooling. For example, NANTU activities can disrupt school programmes; moreover, in some schools, neither NANTU representatives nor school principals understand their own or each other’s roles, and consequently they are always in conflict. The absence of a policy regulating the representation of NANTU in decision-making structures in schools causes the conflict to escalate. It emerged that the role of NANTU in schools is mainly determined by the leadership style of the school principal and the effectiveness of the NANTU representatives in that particular school. For example, an autocratic leadership style on the part of the school principal tends to exacerbate the conflict situation, while NANTU has been known to mobilize learners to demand the removal of school principals through class boycotts. NANTU is more concerned with defending the rights and interests of its members than any other matter affecting education. This research is likely to benefit school managers, policy makers and implementers, and NANTU structures, as it provides clarity on what both NANTU and school principals expect from one another. The study also demonstrates that school principals need to acknowledge and consider the divergent nature of the various interest groups in schools.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Musore, Pontianus Vitumbo
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Teachers' unions--Namibia Namibia National Teachers' Union School management and organization--Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1809 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003695
- Description: This study investigates the role played by the Namibia National Teachers’ Union (NANTU) in school management. It examines the challenges faced by school principals in managing schools as a result of the presence of unions. In order to understand the behaviour and impact of union representatives in schools the study makes use of literature on teacher unionism, democratic, political and ambiguity management and leadership theories. Working in the interpretive orientation the study used semi-structured interviews, document analysis and focus group discussions. The research was conducted in the form of a case study involving three schools in the Kavango region of Namibia, and the data collected were dealt with according to case study principles. The study reveals that the presence of the union has several benefits for the school: for example, it advances the democratic participation of stakeholders, provides feedback to the school principal on how staff members experience his or her leadership, and offers advice on labour-related matters. It was also discovered that NANTU representatives act as mediators in conflict situations, which means that teachers can become better at managing and resolving conflict through their experience of serving on the union structures. However it was also discovered that the presence of NANTU in schools has several negative effects on schooling. For example, NANTU activities can disrupt school programmes; moreover, in some schools, neither NANTU representatives nor school principals understand their own or each other’s roles, and consequently they are always in conflict. The absence of a policy regulating the representation of NANTU in decision-making structures in schools causes the conflict to escalate. It emerged that the role of NANTU in schools is mainly determined by the leadership style of the school principal and the effectiveness of the NANTU representatives in that particular school. For example, an autocratic leadership style on the part of the school principal tends to exacerbate the conflict situation, while NANTU has been known to mobilize learners to demand the removal of school principals through class boycotts. NANTU is more concerned with defending the rights and interests of its members than any other matter affecting education. This research is likely to benefit school managers, policy makers and implementers, and NANTU structures, as it provides clarity on what both NANTU and school principals expect from one another. The study also demonstrates that school principals need to acknowledge and consider the divergent nature of the various interest groups in schools.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Challenges facing school management teams in the general education and training band schools untitles
- Authors: Mapisa, Bafundi Zealous
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: School management -- Education and training
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:18423 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006923
- Description: During the apartheid era, that is, before 1994, principals tended to regard schools as their properties. Principals were expected to manage schools on their own without consulting the rest of the staff. From 1994 with the advent of a new political era, South Africa ended up having one National Education System. That system came up with many changes. In the new education system, the management of the school was taken from being the principal‟s duty only, to the responsibility of a management team which is referred to as the school management team (SMT). Because of the democratic nature of the SMT, it is required that educators work co-operatively as a team. The researcher has observed that this has been a challenge in some schools where principals resisted change. On the other hand, principals of schools are facing challenges due to a lack of cooperation amongst their subordinates. The establishment of SMTs does not nullify the authority of the school principal but the challenge that lies therein is that each member of the SMT must play his or her role properly. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges facing SMT members in the GET band schools of Circuit 2 in Centane. A qualitative investigation was undertaken with the purpose in mind to develop a better understanding of the challenges facing SMTs in Circuit 2. This study was undertaken among 5 schools in Circuit 2 in Centane which falls under Butterworth District. The researcher used convenience sampling in selecting the SMTs of schools that would participate in this research study. Due to the fact that the researcher is a principal in one of the schools in Circuit 2 he could obtain easy access to SMTs of other schools in the Circuit. The following stakeholders were identified and participated in the selected schools: principal, deputy principal and Head of Department. Qualitative data were collected through semi- structured interviews. The study was framed within the interpretive approach, and sought to unpack the perceptions of SMT members with regard to team-management . An interpretive paradigm made it possible for the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of SMT members‟ perceptions of team-management within their contexts. The outcomes pointed to several challenges ranging from the SMT terms of reference, cooperation, sources of support and stress as a result of the work overload involved. Based on the findings, SMTs have brought the phenomenon of cooperation to the fore, and cooperation may be perceived to have many advantages. However, in order for the SMTs to play a meaningful role in curriculum management and governance issues, there is a need for them to be conversant with issues and kept abreast of developments in education as a system. It is therefore recommended that members of the SMT be exposed to continuing professional training and development in the aforementioned governance areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Mapisa, Bafundi Zealous
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: School management -- Education and training
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:18423 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006923
- Description: During the apartheid era, that is, before 1994, principals tended to regard schools as their properties. Principals were expected to manage schools on their own without consulting the rest of the staff. From 1994 with the advent of a new political era, South Africa ended up having one National Education System. That system came up with many changes. In the new education system, the management of the school was taken from being the principal‟s duty only, to the responsibility of a management team which is referred to as the school management team (SMT). Because of the democratic nature of the SMT, it is required that educators work co-operatively as a team. The researcher has observed that this has been a challenge in some schools where principals resisted change. On the other hand, principals of schools are facing challenges due to a lack of cooperation amongst their subordinates. The establishment of SMTs does not nullify the authority of the school principal but the challenge that lies therein is that each member of the SMT must play his or her role properly. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges facing SMT members in the GET band schools of Circuit 2 in Centane. A qualitative investigation was undertaken with the purpose in mind to develop a better understanding of the challenges facing SMTs in Circuit 2. This study was undertaken among 5 schools in Circuit 2 in Centane which falls under Butterworth District. The researcher used convenience sampling in selecting the SMTs of schools that would participate in this research study. Due to the fact that the researcher is a principal in one of the schools in Circuit 2 he could obtain easy access to SMTs of other schools in the Circuit. The following stakeholders were identified and participated in the selected schools: principal, deputy principal and Head of Department. Qualitative data were collected through semi- structured interviews. The study was framed within the interpretive approach, and sought to unpack the perceptions of SMT members with regard to team-management . An interpretive paradigm made it possible for the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of SMT members‟ perceptions of team-management within their contexts. The outcomes pointed to several challenges ranging from the SMT terms of reference, cooperation, sources of support and stress as a result of the work overload involved. Based on the findings, SMTs have brought the phenomenon of cooperation to the fore, and cooperation may be perceived to have many advantages. However, in order for the SMTs to play a meaningful role in curriculum management and governance issues, there is a need for them to be conversant with issues and kept abreast of developments in education as a system. It is therefore recommended that members of the SMT be exposed to continuing professional training and development in the aforementioned governance areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
The effect of mussel bed structure on the associated infauna in South Africa and the interaction between mussel and epibiotic barnacles
- Jordaan, Tembisa Nomathamsanqa
- Authors: Jordaan, Tembisa Nomathamsanqa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Mytilidae -- South Africa , Mytilus galloprovincialis -- South Africa , Mussel culture -- South Africa , Shellfish culture -- South Africa , Perna -- South Africa , Barnacles -- South Africa , Mussels -- South Africa , Mussels -- Ecology , Barnacles -- Ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5675 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005360 , Mytilidae -- South Africa , Mytilus galloprovincialis -- South Africa , Mussel culture -- South Africa , Shellfish culture -- South Africa , Perna -- South Africa , Barnacles -- South Africa , Mussels -- South Africa , Mussels -- Ecology , Barnacles -- Ecology
- Description: Mussels are important ecological engineers on intertidal rocks where they create habitat that contributes substantially to overall biodiversity. They provide secondary substratum for other free-living, infaunal or epifaunal organisms, and increase the surface area for settlement by densely packing together into complex multilayered beds. The introduction of the alien invasive mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis has extended the upper limit of mussels on the south coast of South Africa, potentially increasing habitat for associated fauna. The aim of this study was to describe the structure of mussel beds, the general biodiversity associated with multi- and monolayered mussel beds of indigenous Perna perna and alien M. galloprovincialis, and to determine the relationship between mussels and epibiotic barnacles. This was done to determine the community structure of associated macrofauna and the role of mussels as biological facilitators. Samples were collected in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, where M. galloprovincialis dominates the high mussel zone and P. perna the low zone. Three 15 X 15 cm quadrats were scraped off the rock in the high and low zones, and in the mid zone where the two mussel species co-exist. The samples were collected on 3 occasions. In the laboratory mussel-size was measured and sediment trapped within the samples was separated through 75 μm, 1 mm and 5 mm mesh. The macrofauna was sorted from the 1 mm and 5 mm sieves and identified to species level where possible. The epibiotic relationship between mussels and barnacles was assessed by measuring the prevalence and intensity of barnacle infestation and the condition index of infested mussels. Multivariate analysis was used on the mean abundance data of the species for each treatment (Hierarchical clustering, multidimensional scaling, analysis of similarity and similarity of percentages) and ANOVA was used for most of the statistical analyses. Overall, the results showed that tidal height influences the species composition and abundance of associated fauna. While mussel bed layering influenced the accumulation of sediments; it had no significant effect on the associated fauna. Time of collection also had a strong effect. While there was an overlap of species among samples from January, May and March, the principal species contributing to similarity among the March samples were not found in the other two months. The outcomes of this study showed that low shore mussel beds not only supported a higher abundance and diversity of species, but were also the most structurally complex. Although the condition index of mussels did not correlate to the percentage cover of barnacle epibionts, it was also evident that low shore mussels had the highest prevalence. The levels of barnacle infestation (intensity) for each mussel species were highest where it was common and lowest where it was least abundant. This is viewed as a natural artefact of the distribution patterns of P. perna and M. galloprovincialis across the shore. Mussels are more efficient as facilitators on the low mussel zone than the high mussel zone possibly because they provide habitats that are more effective in protecting the associated macrofauna from the effects of competition and predation, than they are at eliminating the effects of physical stress on the high shore. Although mussels create less stressful habitats and protect organisms from the physical stress of the high shore, there are clear limitations in their ability to provide ideal habitats. The biological associations in an ecosystem can be made weak or strong depending on the external abiotic factors and the adaptability of the affected organisms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Jordaan, Tembisa Nomathamsanqa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Mytilidae -- South Africa , Mytilus galloprovincialis -- South Africa , Mussel culture -- South Africa , Shellfish culture -- South Africa , Perna -- South Africa , Barnacles -- South Africa , Mussels -- South Africa , Mussels -- Ecology , Barnacles -- Ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5675 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005360 , Mytilidae -- South Africa , Mytilus galloprovincialis -- South Africa , Mussel culture -- South Africa , Shellfish culture -- South Africa , Perna -- South Africa , Barnacles -- South Africa , Mussels -- South Africa , Mussels -- Ecology , Barnacles -- Ecology
- Description: Mussels are important ecological engineers on intertidal rocks where they create habitat that contributes substantially to overall biodiversity. They provide secondary substratum for other free-living, infaunal or epifaunal organisms, and increase the surface area for settlement by densely packing together into complex multilayered beds. The introduction of the alien invasive mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis has extended the upper limit of mussels on the south coast of South Africa, potentially increasing habitat for associated fauna. The aim of this study was to describe the structure of mussel beds, the general biodiversity associated with multi- and monolayered mussel beds of indigenous Perna perna and alien M. galloprovincialis, and to determine the relationship between mussels and epibiotic barnacles. This was done to determine the community structure of associated macrofauna and the role of mussels as biological facilitators. Samples were collected in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, where M. galloprovincialis dominates the high mussel zone and P. perna the low zone. Three 15 X 15 cm quadrats were scraped off the rock in the high and low zones, and in the mid zone where the two mussel species co-exist. The samples were collected on 3 occasions. In the laboratory mussel-size was measured and sediment trapped within the samples was separated through 75 μm, 1 mm and 5 mm mesh. The macrofauna was sorted from the 1 mm and 5 mm sieves and identified to species level where possible. The epibiotic relationship between mussels and barnacles was assessed by measuring the prevalence and intensity of barnacle infestation and the condition index of infested mussels. Multivariate analysis was used on the mean abundance data of the species for each treatment (Hierarchical clustering, multidimensional scaling, analysis of similarity and similarity of percentages) and ANOVA was used for most of the statistical analyses. Overall, the results showed that tidal height influences the species composition and abundance of associated fauna. While mussel bed layering influenced the accumulation of sediments; it had no significant effect on the associated fauna. Time of collection also had a strong effect. While there was an overlap of species among samples from January, May and March, the principal species contributing to similarity among the March samples were not found in the other two months. The outcomes of this study showed that low shore mussel beds not only supported a higher abundance and diversity of species, but were also the most structurally complex. Although the condition index of mussels did not correlate to the percentage cover of barnacle epibionts, it was also evident that low shore mussels had the highest prevalence. The levels of barnacle infestation (intensity) for each mussel species were highest where it was common and lowest where it was least abundant. This is viewed as a natural artefact of the distribution patterns of P. perna and M. galloprovincialis across the shore. Mussels are more efficient as facilitators on the low mussel zone than the high mussel zone possibly because they provide habitats that are more effective in protecting the associated macrofauna from the effects of competition and predation, than they are at eliminating the effects of physical stress on the high shore. Although mussels create less stressful habitats and protect organisms from the physical stress of the high shore, there are clear limitations in their ability to provide ideal habitats. The biological associations in an ecosystem can be made weak or strong depending on the external abiotic factors and the adaptability of the affected organisms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011