A case study of lessons learned through empowering and mobilizing unemployed youth into sustainable green jobs within the SANBI – Groen Sebenza partnership programme by a Host Institution in South Africa
- Authors: Fullard, Donovan
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: South African National Biodiversity Institute , Green movement South Africa , Environmental education South Africa , Communities of practice South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Biodiversity conservation Employees , Job creation South Africa , Mentoring South Africa , Groen Sebenza
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191964 , vital:45183
- Description: This research project constituted as a thesis of limited scope for a Masters in Education Degree (i.e. as 50% of the degree) focusses on a job creation programme named ‘Groen Sebenza’ [Green Work]. Groen Sebenza is an environmental education ‘incubator’ programme driven and implemented by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to unlock green jobs and bridge the gap between education and job opportunities in the biodiversity sector in South Africa. The programme is a key intervention to strengthen biodiversity human capacity development in the biodiversity sector in South Africa, seeking to contribute to transformation of the biodiversity sector, and also address issues of youth unemployment in the country. The young ‘interns’ in the programme were called ‘pioneers’ at the start of the project. This research project explores how a host institution operating as a community of practice within a landscape of practice managed to implement the Groen Sebenza programme by absorbing and appointing all their pioneers into sustainable jobs beyond the pilot project. I sought to better understand the process of supporting and empowering unemployed youth into sustainable green jobs within the Groen Sebenza partnership programme. I drew on Community of Practice (CoP) theory, and its value creation framework to develop this understanding, and I under-laboured the analysis with a social realist analysis of enabling and constraining factors. The unit of analysis of a Community of Practice was a useful focus for the study, as these mentors, managers, and administrators were all involved in supporting the empowerment and retention of the young pioneers in the host institution. To develop deeper insight into the learning and knowing, and value created in and by the Groen Sebenza CoP in the Host Institution, I also sought insight into enabling and constraining factors and how these shaped and contributed to empowerment and retention of the pioneers in sustainable green jobs. The research addressed the main question of ‘How do processes of learning, knowing and value creation contribute to empowerment and retention of unemployed youth in a successful Host Institution in the Groen Sebenza programme, and what enabled or constrained the empowerment and retention processes and outcomes?’. Three sub-questions were used in the study, which focussed on the mentoring, training and workplace experiences and how they contribute to the process of learning and knowing within the Groen Sebenza Community of Practice in the Host Institution? [Addressed in Chapter 4], the value creation elements that emerged in the implementation of the programme in support and empowerment of the pioneers in the Host institution’s Groen Sebenza CoP? [Addressed in Chapter 5], and the enabling and constraining factors that shaped and contributed to the uptake of the Pioneers into sustainable green jobs at the Host Institution within the Groen Sebenza Programme? [Addressed in Chapter 6]. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study, in which I used semi-structured interviews as a key data source, as well as document analysis, and a questionnaire. The study drew on inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference since I sought to explore an understanding of the practices and learning that occurred that contributed and led to the successful uptake of Pioneers into jobs, as well as the enabling and constraining factors. The study was interpretive at the epistemic level, and had a social realist under-labouring at the ontological level. Key findings of the study point to the development of enabling cultures of mentoring in workplaces, and the provision of a diversity of workplace learning experiences including formal training. It also points to the importance of personal emergent properties amongst mentors and pioneers that embrace a willingness to work together and build strong relationships, and to learn together. Learning in the community of practice was shown to develop identity and a sense of belonging as pioneers were given meaningful tasks to do and their training and interactions with mentors was experienced as meaningful and relevant. The contributions of the pioneers to the institutional mandate was appreciated by the mentors and therefore also well supported within an empowerment orientation. Various structural factors contributed to this enabling situation, most notably strong support from management as well as good co-operation across divisions. Constraining factors included the physical distances in the province, as well as financial and technical issues such as poor ICT communication systems. Overall, though the study showed that a strong approach to learning in communities of practice supported by empowering mentoring can lead to the integration of young pioneers into sustainable green jobs in the environmental sector. A whole institution approach to this process is, however, needed, and the organisation needs to develop a culture of social learning. As recently as September 2020 as this study was being finalised, the Presidential Employment Stimulus Plan (Office of the President, 2020) following the initial economic shocks emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, made yet another commitment to using the Groen Sebenza model to create and support sustainable job creation for young people in South Africa today in the environmental sector. This study has been developed and designed to understand those processes and enabling conditions that can support retention and empowerment of young people to take up jobs in the environmental sector today. Its recommendations may therefore be of value to those involved in seeking to support sustainable impacts in terms of retention and employment in programmes such as the Groen Sebenza, and in the Groen Sebenza programme itself as it continues to unfold as a key job creation tool for unemployed youth. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Fullard, Donovan
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: South African National Biodiversity Institute , Green movement South Africa , Environmental education South Africa , Communities of practice South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Biodiversity conservation Employees , Job creation South Africa , Mentoring South Africa , Groen Sebenza
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191964 , vital:45183
- Description: This research project constituted as a thesis of limited scope for a Masters in Education Degree (i.e. as 50% of the degree) focusses on a job creation programme named ‘Groen Sebenza’ [Green Work]. Groen Sebenza is an environmental education ‘incubator’ programme driven and implemented by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to unlock green jobs and bridge the gap between education and job opportunities in the biodiversity sector in South Africa. The programme is a key intervention to strengthen biodiversity human capacity development in the biodiversity sector in South Africa, seeking to contribute to transformation of the biodiversity sector, and also address issues of youth unemployment in the country. The young ‘interns’ in the programme were called ‘pioneers’ at the start of the project. This research project explores how a host institution operating as a community of practice within a landscape of practice managed to implement the Groen Sebenza programme by absorbing and appointing all their pioneers into sustainable jobs beyond the pilot project. I sought to better understand the process of supporting and empowering unemployed youth into sustainable green jobs within the Groen Sebenza partnership programme. I drew on Community of Practice (CoP) theory, and its value creation framework to develop this understanding, and I under-laboured the analysis with a social realist analysis of enabling and constraining factors. The unit of analysis of a Community of Practice was a useful focus for the study, as these mentors, managers, and administrators were all involved in supporting the empowerment and retention of the young pioneers in the host institution. To develop deeper insight into the learning and knowing, and value created in and by the Groen Sebenza CoP in the Host Institution, I also sought insight into enabling and constraining factors and how these shaped and contributed to empowerment and retention of the pioneers in sustainable green jobs. The research addressed the main question of ‘How do processes of learning, knowing and value creation contribute to empowerment and retention of unemployed youth in a successful Host Institution in the Groen Sebenza programme, and what enabled or constrained the empowerment and retention processes and outcomes?’. Three sub-questions were used in the study, which focussed on the mentoring, training and workplace experiences and how they contribute to the process of learning and knowing within the Groen Sebenza Community of Practice in the Host Institution? [Addressed in Chapter 4], the value creation elements that emerged in the implementation of the programme in support and empowerment of the pioneers in the Host institution’s Groen Sebenza CoP? [Addressed in Chapter 5], and the enabling and constraining factors that shaped and contributed to the uptake of the Pioneers into sustainable green jobs at the Host Institution within the Groen Sebenza Programme? [Addressed in Chapter 6]. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study, in which I used semi-structured interviews as a key data source, as well as document analysis, and a questionnaire. The study drew on inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference since I sought to explore an understanding of the practices and learning that occurred that contributed and led to the successful uptake of Pioneers into jobs, as well as the enabling and constraining factors. The study was interpretive at the epistemic level, and had a social realist under-labouring at the ontological level. Key findings of the study point to the development of enabling cultures of mentoring in workplaces, and the provision of a diversity of workplace learning experiences including formal training. It also points to the importance of personal emergent properties amongst mentors and pioneers that embrace a willingness to work together and build strong relationships, and to learn together. Learning in the community of practice was shown to develop identity and a sense of belonging as pioneers were given meaningful tasks to do and their training and interactions with mentors was experienced as meaningful and relevant. The contributions of the pioneers to the institutional mandate was appreciated by the mentors and therefore also well supported within an empowerment orientation. Various structural factors contributed to this enabling situation, most notably strong support from management as well as good co-operation across divisions. Constraining factors included the physical distances in the province, as well as financial and technical issues such as poor ICT communication systems. Overall, though the study showed that a strong approach to learning in communities of practice supported by empowering mentoring can lead to the integration of young pioneers into sustainable green jobs in the environmental sector. A whole institution approach to this process is, however, needed, and the organisation needs to develop a culture of social learning. As recently as September 2020 as this study was being finalised, the Presidential Employment Stimulus Plan (Office of the President, 2020) following the initial economic shocks emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, made yet another commitment to using the Groen Sebenza model to create and support sustainable job creation for young people in South Africa today in the environmental sector. This study has been developed and designed to understand those processes and enabling conditions that can support retention and empowerment of young people to take up jobs in the environmental sector today. Its recommendations may therefore be of value to those involved in seeking to support sustainable impacts in terms of retention and employment in programmes such as the Groen Sebenza, and in the Groen Sebenza programme itself as it continues to unfold as a key job creation tool for unemployed youth. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
A sustainability practices educational intervention in response to environmental matters of concern amongst Makhanda youth
- Authors: Musiyiwa, Fungayi Lona
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Sustainable living South Africa Makhanda , Social learning South Africa Makhanda , Eco clubs South Africa Makhanda , Environmental education Activity programs South Africa Makhanda , Youth in development South Africa Makhanda , Youth Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188364 , vital:44747
- Description: This study responded to urbanisation as one of the challenges affecting youths’ lifestyles in this century. Children and youth around the world are living in overpopulated, polluted and unsafe environments which fail to produce opportunities for learning, play and recreation (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2017). This study explored these issues in the context of Makhanda with an intervention to engage youth in sustainability practices, to help them to strengthen sustainable lifestyles. The participants in this research were members of two eco-clubs from two schools in Makhanda ranging in age from 12-14 years (primary school) and 15-17 years (high school). The study explored how learning processes within a club intervention contributed to the well- being of participating youth and their capacity to live sustainable and fulfilling lives. The research explored (with participants) eight themes as matters of concern namely, ‘education’, ‘home-life’, ‘energy use’, ‘mobility’, ‘leisure and communication’, ‘waste’, ‘water’ and ‘food’. Detailed case narratives exploring Wals’ social learning stages were used to explore the themes. These themes were explored through photo narratives of the youths’ lives and matters of concern in sustainability issues, risks and practices emanating from the Makhanda context. The pedagogical framework for the intervention was guided by Wals’ social learning framework for mobilizing sustainability practices. Social learning interaction took place through all the stages of the framework and the challenges and potentials of the educational intervention were explored in relation to each stage. From the six themes suggested above the youth chose food and water as themes to take forward as a response project. The project pursued was a vegetable garden in which the youth were actively engaged in order to seek and try out sustainable ways of living. An interpretive approach was used within the interpretive paradigm. Qualitative data were generated through focus group discussions, observations, individual interviews and document analysis. Practice architectures theory was used analytically to explore the dynamics of the emergent sustainability practices initiated by the eco-club youth. I used it as a change method and a tool for initiating social learning actions for ‘sustainability practices’ projects. The study indicated that the youth’s key challenges affecting sustainability of their lifestyles are: lack of access to basic infrastructure, recreational facilities, electricity supply, transport, security and water. In this study, it was clear that much of the youth’s involvement in these matters of concern and sustainability issues was at the level of participating in the six themes through Wals’ social learning processes. This allowed youths to develop their knowledge and skills on how to participate in the gardening project rather than simply focusing on the environmental matters of concern in question. The Handprint Resource Books have been designed for educators who are looking for practical ideas to work with in the learning areas of the National Curriculum. The focus is on sustainability practices that can be taken up within the perspective that each learning area brings to environment and sustainability concerns. The use of the Handprint Resource Books promoted active youth participation and interaction encouraging youth to be reflective thinkers, which led to understanding of the issues and the sustainability practices that emerged during the discussions. The Handprint Resource Books focused on sustainability practices within the learning area of environment and sustainability concerns. Due to her facilitation skills, an environmental expert’s presentation on a sustainability topic enabled youths to select the intended project. The involvement of youth in the implementation of the vegetable garden as a sustainability practice empowered youth to be more confident in engaging in a collective action for change as they developed the capability to share and start their own vegetable gardens at their homes. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Environmental Learning Research Centre, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Musiyiwa, Fungayi Lona
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Sustainable living South Africa Makhanda , Social learning South Africa Makhanda , Eco clubs South Africa Makhanda , Environmental education Activity programs South Africa Makhanda , Youth in development South Africa Makhanda , Youth Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188364 , vital:44747
- Description: This study responded to urbanisation as one of the challenges affecting youths’ lifestyles in this century. Children and youth around the world are living in overpopulated, polluted and unsafe environments which fail to produce opportunities for learning, play and recreation (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2017). This study explored these issues in the context of Makhanda with an intervention to engage youth in sustainability practices, to help them to strengthen sustainable lifestyles. The participants in this research were members of two eco-clubs from two schools in Makhanda ranging in age from 12-14 years (primary school) and 15-17 years (high school). The study explored how learning processes within a club intervention contributed to the well- being of participating youth and their capacity to live sustainable and fulfilling lives. The research explored (with participants) eight themes as matters of concern namely, ‘education’, ‘home-life’, ‘energy use’, ‘mobility’, ‘leisure and communication’, ‘waste’, ‘water’ and ‘food’. Detailed case narratives exploring Wals’ social learning stages were used to explore the themes. These themes were explored through photo narratives of the youths’ lives and matters of concern in sustainability issues, risks and practices emanating from the Makhanda context. The pedagogical framework for the intervention was guided by Wals’ social learning framework for mobilizing sustainability practices. Social learning interaction took place through all the stages of the framework and the challenges and potentials of the educational intervention were explored in relation to each stage. From the six themes suggested above the youth chose food and water as themes to take forward as a response project. The project pursued was a vegetable garden in which the youth were actively engaged in order to seek and try out sustainable ways of living. An interpretive approach was used within the interpretive paradigm. Qualitative data were generated through focus group discussions, observations, individual interviews and document analysis. Practice architectures theory was used analytically to explore the dynamics of the emergent sustainability practices initiated by the eco-club youth. I used it as a change method and a tool for initiating social learning actions for ‘sustainability practices’ projects. The study indicated that the youth’s key challenges affecting sustainability of their lifestyles are: lack of access to basic infrastructure, recreational facilities, electricity supply, transport, security and water. In this study, it was clear that much of the youth’s involvement in these matters of concern and sustainability issues was at the level of participating in the six themes through Wals’ social learning processes. This allowed youths to develop their knowledge and skills on how to participate in the gardening project rather than simply focusing on the environmental matters of concern in question. The Handprint Resource Books have been designed for educators who are looking for practical ideas to work with in the learning areas of the National Curriculum. The focus is on sustainability practices that can be taken up within the perspective that each learning area brings to environment and sustainability concerns. The use of the Handprint Resource Books promoted active youth participation and interaction encouraging youth to be reflective thinkers, which led to understanding of the issues and the sustainability practices that emerged during the discussions. The Handprint Resource Books focused on sustainability practices within the learning area of environment and sustainability concerns. Due to her facilitation skills, an environmental expert’s presentation on a sustainability topic enabled youths to select the intended project. The involvement of youth in the implementation of the vegetable garden as a sustainability practice empowered youth to be more confident in engaging in a collective action for change as they developed the capability to share and start their own vegetable gardens at their homes. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Environmental Learning Research Centre, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
An analysis of selected Grade 8 mathematics teachers’ use of gestures as visualisation tools to support mathematical meaning-making
- Authors: Haipinge, David Tuhafeni
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Gesture , Gesture in mathematics education , Visual learning , Visualization , Mathematics Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191969 , vital:45184
- Description: The purpose of this Namibian case study was to investigate how different types of gestures are used to support the construction of mathematical meaning making in teaching and learning. Gestures of three selected Grade 8 mathematics teachers were observed and analysed. This study was intended to answer the following research question: how do selected Grade 8 mathematics teachers use gestures as visualisation tools to support mathematical meaning making? The study was framed by an enactivist perspective and the research was oriented in the interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through video-recorded observations of three selected teachers and through stimulus recall interviews. In order to generate rich data and support validity, five lessons per selected teacher were video recorded. The study found that the participating teachers incorporated a variety of mathematical gestures into their lessons in order to support and provide mathematical meaning. Further, this study found that gestures facilitated meaning making in mathematics. The findings in the study suggest a need for mathematics teachers to be trained in using gestures appropriately to communicate mathematically in their lessons. In addition, this study discovered a new type of gesture – the overlapping gesture in addition to McNeill's (1992) types, namely: pointing gestures, metaphor gestures, beating gestures and iconic gestures. This case study also showed that the more experienced the teachers are, the more mathematical gestures they produce during their mathematics lessons. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Haipinge, David Tuhafeni
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Gesture , Gesture in mathematics education , Visual learning , Visualization , Mathematics Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191969 , vital:45184
- Description: The purpose of this Namibian case study was to investigate how different types of gestures are used to support the construction of mathematical meaning making in teaching and learning. Gestures of three selected Grade 8 mathematics teachers were observed and analysed. This study was intended to answer the following research question: how do selected Grade 8 mathematics teachers use gestures as visualisation tools to support mathematical meaning making? The study was framed by an enactivist perspective and the research was oriented in the interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through video-recorded observations of three selected teachers and through stimulus recall interviews. In order to generate rich data and support validity, five lessons per selected teacher were video recorded. The study found that the participating teachers incorporated a variety of mathematical gestures into their lessons in order to support and provide mathematical meaning. Further, this study found that gestures facilitated meaning making in mathematics. The findings in the study suggest a need for mathematics teachers to be trained in using gestures appropriately to communicate mathematically in their lessons. In addition, this study discovered a new type of gesture – the overlapping gesture in addition to McNeill's (1992) types, namely: pointing gestures, metaphor gestures, beating gestures and iconic gestures. This case study also showed that the more experienced the teachers are, the more mathematical gestures they produce during their mathematics lessons. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
An empirical analysis of the asset price monetary policy transmission channel in South Africa
- Authors: Du Preez, Wilhelmus Petrus
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Monetary policy South Africa , Banks and banking, Central South Africa , Transmission mechanism (Monetary policy) South Africa , Capital assets pricing model , Securities South Africa , Stocks Prices South Africa , Repurchase agreements South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190318 , vital:44983
- Description: The asset pricing channel of monetary policy transmission breeds an interesting study. There has been an ongoing debate to determine whether monetary policy committees should directly influence the asset pricing channel through changes in the central bank control interest rate or whether monetary policy committees should refrain from targeting the asset pricing channel to meet their policy objectives. The study aims to critically analysis the asset pricing channel, firstly on a global context to set the scene and then to critically focus on the study performed by Muroyiwa et al. (2017) who conducted a study on the South African monetary policy and its interdependence on the stock market through utilisation of an SVAR model. It was concluded that monetary policy does significantly influence stock prices. The purpose of this study is to build on the results which have been formed by Muroyiwa et al. (2017) and to expand on the period under analysis which encapsulates 1999:01 to 2007:12 in order to conclude whether there are conflicting conclusions or conclusions which build on what has already been done. The results from the research shows that when the monetary policy committee decides to influence changes in the repo rate, the repo rate will have a direct effect on the asset markets, the indexes that were used to represent the asset market are the all share index, industrial 15 index and the financial 15 index. Furthermore. The study which has expanded the period under analysis has supplemented and built on the results provided by Muroyiwa et al. (2017). , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Du Preez, Wilhelmus Petrus
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Monetary policy South Africa , Banks and banking, Central South Africa , Transmission mechanism (Monetary policy) South Africa , Capital assets pricing model , Securities South Africa , Stocks Prices South Africa , Repurchase agreements South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190318 , vital:44983
- Description: The asset pricing channel of monetary policy transmission breeds an interesting study. There has been an ongoing debate to determine whether monetary policy committees should directly influence the asset pricing channel through changes in the central bank control interest rate or whether monetary policy committees should refrain from targeting the asset pricing channel to meet their policy objectives. The study aims to critically analysis the asset pricing channel, firstly on a global context to set the scene and then to critically focus on the study performed by Muroyiwa et al. (2017) who conducted a study on the South African monetary policy and its interdependence on the stock market through utilisation of an SVAR model. It was concluded that monetary policy does significantly influence stock prices. The purpose of this study is to build on the results which have been formed by Muroyiwa et al. (2017) and to expand on the period under analysis which encapsulates 1999:01 to 2007:12 in order to conclude whether there are conflicting conclusions or conclusions which build on what has already been done. The results from the research shows that when the monetary policy committee decides to influence changes in the repo rate, the repo rate will have a direct effect on the asset markets, the indexes that were used to represent the asset market are the all share index, industrial 15 index and the financial 15 index. Furthermore. The study which has expanded the period under analysis has supplemented and built on the results provided by Muroyiwa et al. (2017). , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
An evolutionary study of legless skinks’ (Acontias Cuvier, 1817) head and vertebrae morphology
- Authors: Evlambiou, Anthony Andreas
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Skinks South Africa , Acontias South Africa , Typhlosaurus South Africa , Acontias Morphology , Acontias Phylogeny , Acontias Evolution , Vertebrae , Skull Growth , Evolutionary developmental biology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190690 , vital:45018
- Description: Environmental factors and/or processes can produce differences in general shape between individuals or particular parts of individuals. Examples of these biological processes may include ontogenetic development, adaptation to local geographic factors, or long-term evolutionary diversification. An organism is not likely to be able to optimise a single structure for multiple purposes and so trade-offs are likely to occur. An example of such a structure is the cranium, as it can be used for multiple activities such as defensive and sexual behaviour, locomotion, prey capture, and ingestion. Morphological characteristics have historically been used in the description of species. Genetic analyses have gained popularity as species delineation techniques and have been particularly useful in identifying cryptic species, especially among morphological conserved species like legless skinks of the subfamily Acontinae (e.g. Acontias Cuvier, 1817 and Typhlosaurus Weigmann, 1834). However, completely doing away with morphological techniques during species descriptions is not the best option. Therefore, novel methods to identify species, especially those with similar body plans, are needed. In this dissertation, we explore the links between head shape and vertebral number to environmental pressures to determine whether the evolutionary process is driven by environmental pressures (soil or biome) or is retained through ancestry. A novel species/clade delineation linked to vertebral number is also investigated. Head shape was expected to have a close link to the environment and the number of vertebrae was expected to have a closer link to ancestry. The first chapter investigates the drivers behind Acontias head shape evolution using geometric morphometric techniques. We found that environmental pressures did affect the evolution of head shape especially in the “soil” and “biome” categories but further investigation is advised. The second chapter explores the viability of using vertebral counts as a novel method for species and/or clade delineation in Acontias and to determine whether vertebral number can be linked to the environment. Delineating species based on vertebral count is likely not an option, however, delineating clades proved to show promising results. A link between vertebral count and environment was found in Acontias with larger bodied species occurring in different environments to smaller body species. In conclusion, the genus Acontias is difficult to delineate morphologically. Genetic sequence analyses can indicate differences and delineate the species. Even though there were differences in morphology based on environmental factors, it is not sufficient to delineate this subfamily alone. Further research is advised and this dissertation provides a good basis to work with. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Evlambiou, Anthony Andreas
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Skinks South Africa , Acontias South Africa , Typhlosaurus South Africa , Acontias Morphology , Acontias Phylogeny , Acontias Evolution , Vertebrae , Skull Growth , Evolutionary developmental biology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190690 , vital:45018
- Description: Environmental factors and/or processes can produce differences in general shape between individuals or particular parts of individuals. Examples of these biological processes may include ontogenetic development, adaptation to local geographic factors, or long-term evolutionary diversification. An organism is not likely to be able to optimise a single structure for multiple purposes and so trade-offs are likely to occur. An example of such a structure is the cranium, as it can be used for multiple activities such as defensive and sexual behaviour, locomotion, prey capture, and ingestion. Morphological characteristics have historically been used in the description of species. Genetic analyses have gained popularity as species delineation techniques and have been particularly useful in identifying cryptic species, especially among morphological conserved species like legless skinks of the subfamily Acontinae (e.g. Acontias Cuvier, 1817 and Typhlosaurus Weigmann, 1834). However, completely doing away with morphological techniques during species descriptions is not the best option. Therefore, novel methods to identify species, especially those with similar body plans, are needed. In this dissertation, we explore the links between head shape and vertebral number to environmental pressures to determine whether the evolutionary process is driven by environmental pressures (soil or biome) or is retained through ancestry. A novel species/clade delineation linked to vertebral number is also investigated. Head shape was expected to have a close link to the environment and the number of vertebrae was expected to have a closer link to ancestry. The first chapter investigates the drivers behind Acontias head shape evolution using geometric morphometric techniques. We found that environmental pressures did affect the evolution of head shape especially in the “soil” and “biome” categories but further investigation is advised. The second chapter explores the viability of using vertebral counts as a novel method for species and/or clade delineation in Acontias and to determine whether vertebral number can be linked to the environment. Delineating species based on vertebral count is likely not an option, however, delineating clades proved to show promising results. A link between vertebral count and environment was found in Acontias with larger bodied species occurring in different environments to smaller body species. In conclusion, the genus Acontias is difficult to delineate morphologically. Genetic sequence analyses can indicate differences and delineate the species. Even though there were differences in morphology based on environmental factors, it is not sufficient to delineate this subfamily alone. Further research is advised and this dissertation provides a good basis to work with. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Assessing South African medical interns’ experience and confidence in managing obstetric emergencies
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Interns (Medicine) Obstetrical emergencies Article
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/7629 , vital:54737 , ("https://10.7196/SAMJ.2021.v111i11.15897")
- Description: Background. Medical doctors in South Africa (SA) are required to complete a 2-year internship at training hospitals, including a 4-month rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology. Following this, doctors are allocated to community service posts, many of which are at district- and primary-level facilities where supervision is limited. Recent triennial Saving Mothers reports identify district hospitals (DHs) as the second leading site for maternal deaths of all causes, the leading site for maternal deaths secondary to obstetric haemorrhage, and the most likely site for the lack of a skilled doctor to be identified as a factor in deaths associated with caesarean delivery. Objectives. To describe the self-perceived readiness of medical interns completing their training to manage obstetric emergencies, based on the Essential Steps in the Management of Obstetric Emergencies modules in the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s internship logbook. Methods. This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed medical interns in the last 3 months of their training, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Data collection took place between October and December 2019. Results. Cluster sampling of interns at training facilities throughout SA resulted in a total of 182 respondents from 17 hospitals in seven provinces in the country, with an overall response rate of 34.1%. Most interns had experience with and confidence in the management of miscarriage and hypertension in pregnancy. However, gaps in labour ward management, pregnancy-related sepsis and surgical skills were identified. Only 42.3% of respondents were confident in their ability to diagnose obstructed labour, 26.3% had performed an assisted delivery, 39.0% were confident in their knowledge of the indications for and contraindications to assisted deliveries, and 35.7% had been involved in the delivery of a baby with shoulder dystocia. Regarding pregnancy-related sepsis, 54.4% had experience with managing a wound abscess and 29.7% were confident managing puerperal endometritis. While 78.0% felt confident to perform a caesarean section (CS), only 28.6% had performed uterine compression suture for uterine atony at CS. Additionally, there was a statistically significant variation in scores between training hospitals. Conclusions. An incongruity exists between the shortcomings in DH obstetric services, the prioritisation of placement of community service doctors at primary healthcare facilities and DHs, and the self-perceived readiness of medical interns completing their training to manage obstetric emergencies safely. This situation highlights the importance of clinical support for junior doctors at DHs and standardisation of intern training at accredited facilities across SA.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Assessing South African medical interns’ experience and confidence in managing obstetric emergencies
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Interns (Medicine) Obstetrical emergencies Article
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/7629 , vital:54737 , ("https://10.7196/SAMJ.2021.v111i11.15897")
- Description: Background. Medical doctors in South Africa (SA) are required to complete a 2-year internship at training hospitals, including a 4-month rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology. Following this, doctors are allocated to community service posts, many of which are at district- and primary-level facilities where supervision is limited. Recent triennial Saving Mothers reports identify district hospitals (DHs) as the second leading site for maternal deaths of all causes, the leading site for maternal deaths secondary to obstetric haemorrhage, and the most likely site for the lack of a skilled doctor to be identified as a factor in deaths associated with caesarean delivery. Objectives. To describe the self-perceived readiness of medical interns completing their training to manage obstetric emergencies, based on the Essential Steps in the Management of Obstetric Emergencies modules in the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s internship logbook. Methods. This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed medical interns in the last 3 months of their training, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Data collection took place between October and December 2019. Results. Cluster sampling of interns at training facilities throughout SA resulted in a total of 182 respondents from 17 hospitals in seven provinces in the country, with an overall response rate of 34.1%. Most interns had experience with and confidence in the management of miscarriage and hypertension in pregnancy. However, gaps in labour ward management, pregnancy-related sepsis and surgical skills were identified. Only 42.3% of respondents were confident in their ability to diagnose obstructed labour, 26.3% had performed an assisted delivery, 39.0% were confident in their knowledge of the indications for and contraindications to assisted deliveries, and 35.7% had been involved in the delivery of a baby with shoulder dystocia. Regarding pregnancy-related sepsis, 54.4% had experience with managing a wound abscess and 29.7% were confident managing puerperal endometritis. While 78.0% felt confident to perform a caesarean section (CS), only 28.6% had performed uterine compression suture for uterine atony at CS. Additionally, there was a statistically significant variation in scores between training hospitals. Conclusions. An incongruity exists between the shortcomings in DH obstetric services, the prioritisation of placement of community service doctors at primary healthcare facilities and DHs, and the self-perceived readiness of medical interns completing their training to manage obstetric emergencies safely. This situation highlights the importance of clinical support for junior doctors at DHs and standardisation of intern training at accredited facilities across SA.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Assessing the local awareness and perception of invasive alien plants: A case study of Port St Johns Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Somkala, Avela Abongile
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Alien plants , Invasive plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22600 , vital:52595
- Description: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are introduced species that constitute a self-sustaining population, consistently producing offspring in large numbers and at considerable distances from the parent plants with the potential to spread over a large area. Species invasions are one of the main conservation threats today and have caused modification of ecosystems, particularly in coastal areas. Therefore, Port St Johns Local Municipality (PSJ LM) was an appropriate study site to evaluate the local awareness and perceptions of IAPs. The study investigated the local community’s perceptions of invasive alien plants' uses and ecological impacts. Information about the local awareness and perceptions of invasive alien plant species in PSJ LM was gathered through semi-structured interviews, observation and guided field walks with 120 participants between February and April 2021. The participants included 30 people working on the alien plant eradication project in PSJ LM (Wards 1, 2 and 3) and 90 randomly selected community members. The data collected were entered in Microsoft Excel 2016 programme and analyzed for descriptive statistical patterns using Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) version 22.0. Biological invasion by IAPs was ubiquitously perceived, with participants working on invasive alien plant eradication project in the area exhibiting more scientifically based knowledge on IAPs than ordinary community members. Invasive alien plants in the area appear to have adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts, as the participants are not benefiting from these plant species. Similarly, costs of eradicating these species were also acknowledged. The ability of local community members to identify IAPs is vital in effective management of the spread of these species. A total of seven invasive IAPs were recorded. Evaluating the perceptions of local people towards IAPs provides valuable insights for development planning and future management programmes focusing on biological invasions. The study will provide a basis for an enabling policy and institutional environment that provides a coherent framework for the sustainable management of IAPs in the Eastern Cape Province. , Thesis (MPhil) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Somkala, Avela Abongile
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Alien plants , Invasive plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22600 , vital:52595
- Description: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are introduced species that constitute a self-sustaining population, consistently producing offspring in large numbers and at considerable distances from the parent plants with the potential to spread over a large area. Species invasions are one of the main conservation threats today and have caused modification of ecosystems, particularly in coastal areas. Therefore, Port St Johns Local Municipality (PSJ LM) was an appropriate study site to evaluate the local awareness and perceptions of IAPs. The study investigated the local community’s perceptions of invasive alien plants' uses and ecological impacts. Information about the local awareness and perceptions of invasive alien plant species in PSJ LM was gathered through semi-structured interviews, observation and guided field walks with 120 participants between February and April 2021. The participants included 30 people working on the alien plant eradication project in PSJ LM (Wards 1, 2 and 3) and 90 randomly selected community members. The data collected were entered in Microsoft Excel 2016 programme and analyzed for descriptive statistical patterns using Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) version 22.0. Biological invasion by IAPs was ubiquitously perceived, with participants working on invasive alien plant eradication project in the area exhibiting more scientifically based knowledge on IAPs than ordinary community members. Invasive alien plants in the area appear to have adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts, as the participants are not benefiting from these plant species. Similarly, costs of eradicating these species were also acknowledged. The ability of local community members to identify IAPs is vital in effective management of the spread of these species. A total of seven invasive IAPs were recorded. Evaluating the perceptions of local people towards IAPs provides valuable insights for development planning and future management programmes focusing on biological invasions. The study will provide a basis for an enabling policy and institutional environment that provides a coherent framework for the sustainable management of IAPs in the Eastern Cape Province. , Thesis (MPhil) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Barriers to participation in sports among urban adolescents at an International School in Cape Town, South Africa
- Authors: Klaasen, Robyn Jade
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Urban teenagers -- Sports , Sports administration
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22155 , vital:51991
- Description: The benefits of participating in sport have been well documented and great emphasis has been placed on the role that it plays in the development of character and social skills, apart from physical and psychological benefits. Sport represents an optimal means of enabling children and adolescents to meet their daily requirements for physical activity to maintain health. Conversely, despite all of the widely acknowledged benefits, participation in sport among children and adolescents continues to decline throughout the world. Although a great deal of research has been conducted to identify barriers to participation in sport, most of it has concerned poor, rural, disadvantaged, or other marginalised groups. As a consequence, a large proportion of the research has attributed low rates of participation in sport to practical barriers, which usually take the forms of either logistical problems or a lack of resources. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers to participation in sport among adolescents in an affluent, urban setting, at an international school in Cape Town, South Africa. The Barriers to Sport Participation Questionnaire was used to identify the social, personal, and practical barriers that affected 107 adolescents who were enrolled in the school. The data was analysed by means of the SPSS (IBM, Version 27) software package and seven significant barriers were identified. Fear of academic failure, environmental constraints, and lack of interest were identified as the primary barriers, thereby emphasising the significant influence of personal barriers, rather than practical ones. It was also found that the influence of particular barriers was greater on females than their male counterparts and that the respondents who either did not participate in sport themselves or were from households in which other members did not do so were more adversely affected by some barriers than the others. Significant correlations were found between some grades and certain barriers, the most notable being those between respondents in Grades 7, 9, and 10 and the fear of academic failure barrier. In light of these findings, it could be concluded that the global decline in participation in sport among the youth is a complex problem and that particular barriers, which might not have been identified in previous research, could be particularly influential in affluent environments. As it is evident that as barriers can be specific to particular groups and settings, the optimal means of overcoming them is unlikely to be found through the adoption of a one-size-fitsall approach. Instead, further research and customised interventions are required. , Thesis (HMS) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Klaasen, Robyn Jade
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Urban teenagers -- Sports , Sports administration
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22155 , vital:51991
- Description: The benefits of participating in sport have been well documented and great emphasis has been placed on the role that it plays in the development of character and social skills, apart from physical and psychological benefits. Sport represents an optimal means of enabling children and adolescents to meet their daily requirements for physical activity to maintain health. Conversely, despite all of the widely acknowledged benefits, participation in sport among children and adolescents continues to decline throughout the world. Although a great deal of research has been conducted to identify barriers to participation in sport, most of it has concerned poor, rural, disadvantaged, or other marginalised groups. As a consequence, a large proportion of the research has attributed low rates of participation in sport to practical barriers, which usually take the forms of either logistical problems or a lack of resources. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers to participation in sport among adolescents in an affluent, urban setting, at an international school in Cape Town, South Africa. The Barriers to Sport Participation Questionnaire was used to identify the social, personal, and practical barriers that affected 107 adolescents who were enrolled in the school. The data was analysed by means of the SPSS (IBM, Version 27) software package and seven significant barriers were identified. Fear of academic failure, environmental constraints, and lack of interest were identified as the primary barriers, thereby emphasising the significant influence of personal barriers, rather than practical ones. It was also found that the influence of particular barriers was greater on females than their male counterparts and that the respondents who either did not participate in sport themselves or were from households in which other members did not do so were more adversely affected by some barriers than the others. Significant correlations were found between some grades and certain barriers, the most notable being those between respondents in Grades 7, 9, and 10 and the fear of academic failure barrier. In light of these findings, it could be concluded that the global decline in participation in sport among the youth is a complex problem and that particular barriers, which might not have been identified in previous research, could be particularly influential in affluent environments. As it is evident that as barriers can be specific to particular groups and settings, the optimal means of overcoming them is unlikely to be found through the adoption of a one-size-fitsall approach. Instead, further research and customised interventions are required. , Thesis (HMS) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Bitcoin's potential for use as a hedge against adverse market conditions in South Africa
- Authors: Faba, Yonela
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Bitcoin , Hedging (Finance) , Cryptocurrencies , Macroeconomics , Accounting and price fluctuations , Economic forecasting South Africa , Econometric models
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/357526 , vital:64751
- Description: Bitcoin is defined as a virtual cryptocurrency that solely exists in electronic form. Bitcoin was first introduced in 2009 by a programmer or a group of programmers who used the alias; Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin is a decentralised, digital, partially anonymous currency that is not backed by any government or legal entity, and it is not redeemable for gold or any other commodity. The adoption of Bitcoin has been steadily growing over the years, with the earliest adopters being WikiLeaks and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Ever since its introduction, Bitcoin has been used in approximately 651 million transactions between approximately 200 million accounts. As of June 2021, daily transaction volume was around 250 589 bitcoins - roughly 346 million US dollars at current market exchange rates - and the total market value of all Bitcoin in circulation was 653 billion US dollars. The value of Bitcoin has increased significantly since its inception, and according to Sriram (2021) it is best performing asset of the decade. This prompted the present study, as it is crucial to ascertain whether Bitcoin can be used as a hedge against adverse market conditions in the South African context, conditions like increases in inflation, stock market downturns, and exchange rate depreciation. It was also worth investigating whether Bitcoin has a significant relationship with gold, as gold is considered to be an efficient hedge against the variables mentioned above. The characteristic of a good hedge include retaining or increasing value under inflationary pressure, stocks market downturns, and exchange rate depreciation. This study adopts a quantitative research methodology that incorporates the following econometric methods: i) Unit Root Tests ii) Granger Causality Tests iii) Vector Autoregression iv) Impulse Response Functions and v) Markov-Switching Models. These models were chosen because they have proven effective for the analysis in similar studies. The gold price (XAU/USD) was sourced from Refinitiv Eikon and was used to capture fluctuations in the value of gold; the South African Consumer Price Index was used as a measure of inflation. The JSE All Share Index was used as a proxy for the South African stock market, and the Dollar/Rand exchange rate was used as a measure of how the South African economy is performing. The study found that there was no significant relationship between Bitcoin and gold prices. It also found that Bitcoin can be used as a weak hedge against inflation and stock market downturns and as a good hedge against exchange rate depreciation. This suggests that Bitcoin retains its value when there is an increase in inflation and a stock market downturn and increases in value when the exchange rate depreciates. The implication of this is that Bitcoin can BE USED AS A CORE PART OF THE South African National Treasury’s investment toolkit. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Faba, Yonela
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Bitcoin , Hedging (Finance) , Cryptocurrencies , Macroeconomics , Accounting and price fluctuations , Economic forecasting South Africa , Econometric models
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/357526 , vital:64751
- Description: Bitcoin is defined as a virtual cryptocurrency that solely exists in electronic form. Bitcoin was first introduced in 2009 by a programmer or a group of programmers who used the alias; Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin is a decentralised, digital, partially anonymous currency that is not backed by any government or legal entity, and it is not redeemable for gold or any other commodity. The adoption of Bitcoin has been steadily growing over the years, with the earliest adopters being WikiLeaks and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Ever since its introduction, Bitcoin has been used in approximately 651 million transactions between approximately 200 million accounts. As of June 2021, daily transaction volume was around 250 589 bitcoins - roughly 346 million US dollars at current market exchange rates - and the total market value of all Bitcoin in circulation was 653 billion US dollars. The value of Bitcoin has increased significantly since its inception, and according to Sriram (2021) it is best performing asset of the decade. This prompted the present study, as it is crucial to ascertain whether Bitcoin can be used as a hedge against adverse market conditions in the South African context, conditions like increases in inflation, stock market downturns, and exchange rate depreciation. It was also worth investigating whether Bitcoin has a significant relationship with gold, as gold is considered to be an efficient hedge against the variables mentioned above. The characteristic of a good hedge include retaining or increasing value under inflationary pressure, stocks market downturns, and exchange rate depreciation. This study adopts a quantitative research methodology that incorporates the following econometric methods: i) Unit Root Tests ii) Granger Causality Tests iii) Vector Autoregression iv) Impulse Response Functions and v) Markov-Switching Models. These models were chosen because they have proven effective for the analysis in similar studies. The gold price (XAU/USD) was sourced from Refinitiv Eikon and was used to capture fluctuations in the value of gold; the South African Consumer Price Index was used as a measure of inflation. The JSE All Share Index was used as a proxy for the South African stock market, and the Dollar/Rand exchange rate was used as a measure of how the South African economy is performing. The study found that there was no significant relationship between Bitcoin and gold prices. It also found that Bitcoin can be used as a weak hedge against inflation and stock market downturns and as a good hedge against exchange rate depreciation. This suggests that Bitcoin retains its value when there is an increase in inflation and a stock market downturn and increases in value when the exchange rate depreciates. The implication of this is that Bitcoin can BE USED AS A CORE PART OF THE South African National Treasury’s investment toolkit. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Building the field component of a smart irrigation system: A detailed experience of a computer science graduate
- Authors: Pipile, Yamnkelani Yonela
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Irrigation efficiency Computer-aided design South Africa , Irrigation projects Computer-aided design South Africa , Internet of things , Machine-to-machine communications , Smart water grids South Africa , Raspberry Pi (Computer) , Arduino (Programmable controller) , ZigBee , MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport) , MQTT-SN , XBee
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191814 , vital:45167
- Description: South Africa is a semi-arid area with an average annual rainfall of approximately 450mm, 60 per cent of which goes towards irrigation. Current irrigation systems generally apply water in a uniform manner across a field, which is both inefficient and can kill the plants. The Internet of Things (IoT), an emerging technology involving the utilization of sensors and actuators to build complex feedback systems, present an opportunity to build a smart irrigation solution. This research project illustrates the development of the field components of a water monitoring system using off the shelf and inexpensive components, exploring at the same time how easy or difficult it would be for a general Computer Science graduate to use hardware components and associated tools within the IoT area. The problem was initially broken down through a classical top-down process, in order to identify the components such as micro-computers, micro- controllers, sensors and network connections, that would be needed to build the solution. I then selected the Raspberry Pi 3, the Arduino Arduino Uno, the MH-Sensor-Series hygrometer, the MQTT messaging protocol, and the ZigBee communication protocol as implemented in the XBee S2C. Once the components were identified, the work followed a bottom-up approach: I studied the components in isolation and relative to each other, through a structured series of experiments, with each experiment addressing a specific component and examining how easy was to use the component. While each experiment allowed the author to acquire and deepen her understanding of each component, and progressively built a more sophisticated prototype, towards the complete solution. I found the vast majority of the identified components and tools to be easy to use, well documented, and most importantly, mature for consumption by our target user, until I encountered the MQTT-SN (MQTT-Sensor Network) implementation, not as mature as the rest. This resulted in us designing and implementing a light-weight, general ZigBee/MQTT gateway, named “yoGa” (Yonella's Gateway) from the author. At the end of the research, I was able to build the field components of a smart irrigation system using the selected tools, including the yoGa gateway, proving practically that a Computer Science graduate from a South African University can become productive in the emerging IoT area. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Pipile, Yamnkelani Yonela
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Irrigation efficiency Computer-aided design South Africa , Irrigation projects Computer-aided design South Africa , Internet of things , Machine-to-machine communications , Smart water grids South Africa , Raspberry Pi (Computer) , Arduino (Programmable controller) , ZigBee , MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport) , MQTT-SN , XBee
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191814 , vital:45167
- Description: South Africa is a semi-arid area with an average annual rainfall of approximately 450mm, 60 per cent of which goes towards irrigation. Current irrigation systems generally apply water in a uniform manner across a field, which is both inefficient and can kill the plants. The Internet of Things (IoT), an emerging technology involving the utilization of sensors and actuators to build complex feedback systems, present an opportunity to build a smart irrigation solution. This research project illustrates the development of the field components of a water monitoring system using off the shelf and inexpensive components, exploring at the same time how easy or difficult it would be for a general Computer Science graduate to use hardware components and associated tools within the IoT area. The problem was initially broken down through a classical top-down process, in order to identify the components such as micro-computers, micro- controllers, sensors and network connections, that would be needed to build the solution. I then selected the Raspberry Pi 3, the Arduino Arduino Uno, the MH-Sensor-Series hygrometer, the MQTT messaging protocol, and the ZigBee communication protocol as implemented in the XBee S2C. Once the components were identified, the work followed a bottom-up approach: I studied the components in isolation and relative to each other, through a structured series of experiments, with each experiment addressing a specific component and examining how easy was to use the component. While each experiment allowed the author to acquire and deepen her understanding of each component, and progressively built a more sophisticated prototype, towards the complete solution. I found the vast majority of the identified components and tools to be easy to use, well documented, and most importantly, mature for consumption by our target user, until I encountered the MQTT-SN (MQTT-Sensor Network) implementation, not as mature as the rest. This resulted in us designing and implementing a light-weight, general ZigBee/MQTT gateway, named “yoGa” (Yonella's Gateway) from the author. At the end of the research, I was able to build the field components of a smart irrigation system using the selected tools, including the yoGa gateway, proving practically that a Computer Science graduate from a South African University can become productive in the emerging IoT area. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Coaches perspective on the positional demands of school boy (u18/u19) rugby players during a 70-minute match
- Authors: Barnard, Devon Vernon
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Rugby football coaches South Africa , Rugby Union football players South Africa , Rugby football injuries South Africa , School sports South Africa , School sports Coaching South Africa , School sports Physiological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190089 , vital:44962
- Description: INTRODUCTION: Rugby union has been one of the team sports that has grown over the last few years, and the margin between success and failure for teams has become narrower as the years have gone by. The game consists of players going through different movements such as sprints and/or collisions, that vary in intensity. The demands that face schoolboy rugby players are not well understood, and the lack of research in this area leads to a potential lack of understanding of the perceptions that coaches have about the demands that schoolboys are faced with during a match. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions that the schoolboy rugby coaches had surrounding the demands that their players are faced with during a 70-minute match. There were a few secondary purposes of the study, such as determining which school, government or private, had a better understanding or perception of the demands, as well as comparing strength and conditioning coaches’ perceptions to regular coaches’ perceptions. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study to determine the coach’s perceptions. These perceptions were collected through an online questionnaire, which consisted of ten sections and 74 questions. The questionnaire was piloted on a subject group with different types of experience. Coaches from the top 100 schools list were contacted through their school website. RESULTS: The questionnaire had a 72% response rate: 41 responses from 51 emails. The 41 responses consisted of 23 government schools and 18 private schools, which included 11 of the top 20 rugby schools in South Africa, with most responses coming from the Eastern Cape (41.5%). Results indicated that a government school’s coaches had significantly (p<0.05) more experience than private schools’ coaches, and that they had significantly (p<0.05) better academic qualifications than private schools. However, strength and conditioning coaches had significantly (p<0.01) better academic qualifications than coach, whereas coaches had significantly (p<0.01) better coaching qualifications than strength and conditioning coaches. CONCLUSION: “Experience has been shown to be a potential reason for what is described as a good coach”. This is also another potential reason why government schools are a dominant force in schoolboy rugby in South Africa. However, this is also coupled with better qualifications showing the dual importance of both experience and education. This study has shown that coaches, within a South African cohort, overall had good general perception of the demands of school level rugby matches. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Barnard, Devon Vernon
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Rugby football coaches South Africa , Rugby Union football players South Africa , Rugby football injuries South Africa , School sports South Africa , School sports Coaching South Africa , School sports Physiological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190089 , vital:44962
- Description: INTRODUCTION: Rugby union has been one of the team sports that has grown over the last few years, and the margin between success and failure for teams has become narrower as the years have gone by. The game consists of players going through different movements such as sprints and/or collisions, that vary in intensity. The demands that face schoolboy rugby players are not well understood, and the lack of research in this area leads to a potential lack of understanding of the perceptions that coaches have about the demands that schoolboys are faced with during a match. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions that the schoolboy rugby coaches had surrounding the demands that their players are faced with during a 70-minute match. There were a few secondary purposes of the study, such as determining which school, government or private, had a better understanding or perception of the demands, as well as comparing strength and conditioning coaches’ perceptions to regular coaches’ perceptions. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study to determine the coach’s perceptions. These perceptions were collected through an online questionnaire, which consisted of ten sections and 74 questions. The questionnaire was piloted on a subject group with different types of experience. Coaches from the top 100 schools list were contacted through their school website. RESULTS: The questionnaire had a 72% response rate: 41 responses from 51 emails. The 41 responses consisted of 23 government schools and 18 private schools, which included 11 of the top 20 rugby schools in South Africa, with most responses coming from the Eastern Cape (41.5%). Results indicated that a government school’s coaches had significantly (p<0.05) more experience than private schools’ coaches, and that they had significantly (p<0.05) better academic qualifications than private schools. However, strength and conditioning coaches had significantly (p<0.01) better academic qualifications than coach, whereas coaches had significantly (p<0.01) better coaching qualifications than strength and conditioning coaches. CONCLUSION: “Experience has been shown to be a potential reason for what is described as a good coach”. This is also another potential reason why government schools are a dominant force in schoolboy rugby in South Africa. However, this is also coupled with better qualifications showing the dual importance of both experience and education. This study has shown that coaches, within a South African cohort, overall had good general perception of the demands of school level rugby matches. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Consequences of citizens’ non-reporting of crime to the Police: A survey of Mthatha Policing Precinct, South Africa
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Citizen crime reporting Victims of crimes surveys Article
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/7962 , vital:57343 , ("https://iipccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/035.pdf")
- Description: Whilst citizens are at liberty to decide whether or not to report a crime to the police, nonreporting of crime to the police may come with a heavy price. This study evaluates the consequences of non-reporting of crime to the police in South Africa’s Mthatha policing area. It comes against a backdrop of a rise in criminal activities in South Africa. A survey was conducted among households in selected residential areas of Mthatha, from where 120 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS to reveal both descriptive and inferential statistics. From the analysis, continued engagement in criminal activities by perpetrators, resulting in absence of investigations was found to be the major impact of non-reporting of crime to the police. Findings also revealed that the victims bear the most implications of non-reporting of crime. Inability to identify crime hot spots, misallocation of policing resources and inability to determine crime trends and tendencies were also viewed as significant impacts of non-reporting of crime to the police. A factor analysis revealed officials’ inability to determine trends and tendencies that could inform policing strategies as the most significant component.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Citizen crime reporting Victims of crimes surveys Article
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/7962 , vital:57343 , ("https://iipccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/035.pdf")
- Description: Whilst citizens are at liberty to decide whether or not to report a crime to the police, nonreporting of crime to the police may come with a heavy price. This study evaluates the consequences of non-reporting of crime to the police in South Africa’s Mthatha policing area. It comes against a backdrop of a rise in criminal activities in South Africa. A survey was conducted among households in selected residential areas of Mthatha, from where 120 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS to reveal both descriptive and inferential statistics. From the analysis, continued engagement in criminal activities by perpetrators, resulting in absence of investigations was found to be the major impact of non-reporting of crime to the police. Findings also revealed that the victims bear the most implications of non-reporting of crime. Inability to identify crime hot spots, misallocation of policing resources and inability to determine crime trends and tendencies were also viewed as significant impacts of non-reporting of crime to the police. A factor analysis revealed officials’ inability to determine trends and tendencies that could inform policing strategies as the most significant component.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Echogenic liposomes for ultrasound-triggered drug delivery
- Authors: Izuchukwu, Ezekiel Charles
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Liposomes , Drug delivery systems , Colon (Anatomy) Cancer Treatment , Transmission electron microscopy , Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , Liquid chromatography , Echogenic liposomes , Ultrasound-triggered drug delivery
- Language: English
- Type: Masters theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188997 , vital:44805
- Description: Colorectal cancer is one of common cancers worldwide. It is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of death. The use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone or in a chemotherapy regime has been the effective treatment of colorectal cancer patients. The efficacy of 5-FU in colorectal cancer treatment is significantly limited by drug resistance, gastrointestinal, and bone marrow toxicity through high-level expression of thymidylate synthase, justifying a need to improve its therapeutic index. Liposomes are colloidal membranes comprising of one or more lipid bilayers enclosing an aqueous core. They have been used to improve the therapeutic index of many anti-cancer drugs by changing drug absorption, elongating biological half-life, reducing metabolism, and reducing toxicity to healthy tissues. Echogenic liposomes are specifically designed to respond to external triggering like ultrasound stimulation by entrapping a gas or an emulsion that can vaporize. A liposome's unique property is that it can entrap both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances simultaneously in the lipid bilayer and the aqueous core, respectively. These stimuli-responsive liposomes can be triggered externally with ultrasound, to release the chemotherapeutic cargo only at the required site. This research aims to formulate echogenic liposomes encapsulating 5-FU for potential ultrasound triggered release (echogenic). Liposome formulations wereprepared with lipid composition of crude soybean lecithin and cholesterol by thin-filmhydration method and the drug was passively loaded in the formulation. The 5-FU loadedliposomes were evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) for particle size, polydispersityindex, and zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphology.Encapsulated liposomal formulations were also evaluated using physicochemical techniquesincluding thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Theencapsulation efficiency and release kinetics were studied using a validated high-performanceliquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Echogenic properties were explored by entrapping abiocompatible gas (argon) at the same time as the drug (5-FU) using a pressure/freezemethodology. The liposomal formulations were typically spherical with a size of about 150 nmand encapsulation efficiency of 62%. Low-frequency ultrasound (20 kHz) was used to triggerthe drug release from the complete formulation at 10%, 15%, and 20% amplitude and exposuretime of 5 min and 10 min. The rate of drug release from the nano-carrier was a function of theultrasound amplitude and exposure time and reached a maximum of 65% release under theconditions investigated. The cumulative release was investigated, with and without theapplication of ultrasound. It was demonstrated that the application of ultrasound resulted in complete release (99%) after 12 h while this dropped to 70% without ultrasound. These results are encouraging for optimizing ultrasound parameters for triggered and controlled release of the 5-FU, for conditions such as the management of cancer where low-power ultrasound can be applied. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Izuchukwu, Ezekiel Charles
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Liposomes , Drug delivery systems , Colon (Anatomy) Cancer Treatment , Transmission electron microscopy , Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , Liquid chromatography , Echogenic liposomes , Ultrasound-triggered drug delivery
- Language: English
- Type: Masters theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188997 , vital:44805
- Description: Colorectal cancer is one of common cancers worldwide. It is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of death. The use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone or in a chemotherapy regime has been the effective treatment of colorectal cancer patients. The efficacy of 5-FU in colorectal cancer treatment is significantly limited by drug resistance, gastrointestinal, and bone marrow toxicity through high-level expression of thymidylate synthase, justifying a need to improve its therapeutic index. Liposomes are colloidal membranes comprising of one or more lipid bilayers enclosing an aqueous core. They have been used to improve the therapeutic index of many anti-cancer drugs by changing drug absorption, elongating biological half-life, reducing metabolism, and reducing toxicity to healthy tissues. Echogenic liposomes are specifically designed to respond to external triggering like ultrasound stimulation by entrapping a gas or an emulsion that can vaporize. A liposome's unique property is that it can entrap both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances simultaneously in the lipid bilayer and the aqueous core, respectively. These stimuli-responsive liposomes can be triggered externally with ultrasound, to release the chemotherapeutic cargo only at the required site. This research aims to formulate echogenic liposomes encapsulating 5-FU for potential ultrasound triggered release (echogenic). Liposome formulations wereprepared with lipid composition of crude soybean lecithin and cholesterol by thin-filmhydration method and the drug was passively loaded in the formulation. The 5-FU loadedliposomes were evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) for particle size, polydispersityindex, and zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphology.Encapsulated liposomal formulations were also evaluated using physicochemical techniquesincluding thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Theencapsulation efficiency and release kinetics were studied using a validated high-performanceliquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Echogenic properties were explored by entrapping abiocompatible gas (argon) at the same time as the drug (5-FU) using a pressure/freezemethodology. The liposomal formulations were typically spherical with a size of about 150 nmand encapsulation efficiency of 62%. Low-frequency ultrasound (20 kHz) was used to triggerthe drug release from the complete formulation at 10%, 15%, and 20% amplitude and exposuretime of 5 min and 10 min. The rate of drug release from the nano-carrier was a function of theultrasound amplitude and exposure time and reached a maximum of 65% release under theconditions investigated. The cumulative release was investigated, with and without theapplication of ultrasound. It was demonstrated that the application of ultrasound resulted in complete release (99%) after 12 h while this dropped to 70% without ultrasound. These results are encouraging for optimizing ultrasound parameters for triggered and controlled release of the 5-FU, for conditions such as the management of cancer where low-power ultrasound can be applied. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Ecological infrastructure importance for drought mitigation in rural South African catchments: the Cacadu Catchment case example
- Authors: Xoxo, Beauten Sinetemba
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Sustainable Development Goals , Water security South Africa , Remote sensing , Watershed restoration South Africa , Restoration ecology South Africa , Ecosystem services South Africa , SDG 15.3.1
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191203 , vital:45070
- Description: Water scarcity is recognised as one of the significant challenges facing many countries, including South Africa. The threat of water scarcity is exacerbated by the coupled impacts of climate and anthropogenic drivers. Ongoing droughts and continued land cover change and degradation influence the ability of catchments to partition rainwater runoff, thereby affecting streamflow returns. However, quantifying land degradation accurately remains a challenge. This thesis used the theoretical lens of investing in ecological infrastructure to improve the drought mitigation function in rural catchments. This theoretical framework allows for a social-ecological systems approach to understand and facilitate science-based strategies for promoting ecosystem recovery. Specifically, this study aimed to explore the role and benefit of ecological infrastructure for improving drought mitigation, and consequently, water security for rural communities. Thus, this study sought to assess the consequences of human actions to catchment health status using the 15th Sustainable Development Goal indicator for the proportion of degraded land over the total land area as a surrogate. Secondly, hydrological modelling was used to describe how different land covers influence catchment hydrology, which related to how ecological infrastructure enables drought risk-reduction for mitigation regulation. Finally, this study developed a spatial prioritisation plan for restoration to improve drought mitigation for four focal ecological infrastructure (EI) categories (i.e. wetlands, riparian margins, abandoned agricultural fields and grasslands). The focal EI categories were selected for their importance in delivering water-related ecosystem services when sustainably managed. Chapter 1 sets the scene (i.e. provides the study background) and Chapter 2 provides a review of the literature. In Chapter 3, the recently released global GIS toolbox (TRENDS.EARTH) was used for tracking land change and for assessing the SDG 15.3.1 degradation indicator of i.e. Cacadu catchment over 15 years at a 300 m resolution. The results showed a declining trend in biomass productivity within the Cacadu catchment led to moderate degradation, with 16.79% of the total landscape degraded, which was determined by the pugin using the one-out, all-out rule. The incidence of degradation was detected in middle reaches of the catchment (i.e. S10F-J), while some improvement was detected in upper reaches (S10A-C) and lower reaches (S10J). In Chapter 4, a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) based on community stakeholder priorities, open-access spatial datasets and expert opinions, was used to identify EI focal areas that are best suitable for restoration to increase the drought mitigation capacity of the Cacadu catchment. The collected datasets provided three broad criteria (ecosystem health, water provision and social benefit) for establishing the AHP model using 12 spatial attributes. Prioritisation results show that up to 89% of the Cacadu catchment is suitable for restoration to improve drought mitigation. Catchments S10B-D, and S10F, S10G and S10J were highly prioritised while S10A, S10E and S10H received low priority, due to improving environmental conditions and low hydrological potential. Areas that were prioritised with consideration for local livelihoods overlap the areas for drought mitigation and form a network of villages from the middle to lower catchment reaches. Prioritised restoration areas with a consideration of societal benefit made up 0.56% of wetlands, 4.27% of riparian margins, 92.06% of abandoned croplands, and 51.86% of grasslands. Chapter 5 reports on use of the Pitman groundwater model to help understand the influence of land modification on catchment hydrology, and highlight the role of restoration interventions. The Cacadu catchment is ungauged, therefore the neighbouring Indwe catchment was used for parameter transfer through a spatial regionalisation technique. Results suggest that degradation increases surface runoff and aggravates recharge reduction, thereby reducing streamflow during low flow periods. In areas where there is natural land cover recovery, the Pitman Model simulated similar dry season streamflow to the natural land cover. Combining the outcomes from the three assessments allowed the study to highlight the role and benefits of ecological infrastructure in terms of drought mitigation. Study findings were interpreted to make recommendations for the role and benefit of ecological infrastructure for drought mitigation at a landscape scale and tertiary catchment level, within the context of available management options. The results support the notion that multiple science data sources can promote investments in ecological infrastructure. However, better spatial and temporal resolution datasets at a national level are still needed to improve the accuracy of studies such as the one outlined in this thesis. The study recommends adopting better ecosystem protection approaches and collaborative governance at multiple levels to reduce the vulnerability of rural communities to drought impacts. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Institute for Water Research, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Xoxo, Beauten Sinetemba
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Sustainable Development Goals , Water security South Africa , Remote sensing , Watershed restoration South Africa , Restoration ecology South Africa , Ecosystem services South Africa , SDG 15.3.1
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191203 , vital:45070
- Description: Water scarcity is recognised as one of the significant challenges facing many countries, including South Africa. The threat of water scarcity is exacerbated by the coupled impacts of climate and anthropogenic drivers. Ongoing droughts and continued land cover change and degradation influence the ability of catchments to partition rainwater runoff, thereby affecting streamflow returns. However, quantifying land degradation accurately remains a challenge. This thesis used the theoretical lens of investing in ecological infrastructure to improve the drought mitigation function in rural catchments. This theoretical framework allows for a social-ecological systems approach to understand and facilitate science-based strategies for promoting ecosystem recovery. Specifically, this study aimed to explore the role and benefit of ecological infrastructure for improving drought mitigation, and consequently, water security for rural communities. Thus, this study sought to assess the consequences of human actions to catchment health status using the 15th Sustainable Development Goal indicator for the proportion of degraded land over the total land area as a surrogate. Secondly, hydrological modelling was used to describe how different land covers influence catchment hydrology, which related to how ecological infrastructure enables drought risk-reduction for mitigation regulation. Finally, this study developed a spatial prioritisation plan for restoration to improve drought mitigation for four focal ecological infrastructure (EI) categories (i.e. wetlands, riparian margins, abandoned agricultural fields and grasslands). The focal EI categories were selected for their importance in delivering water-related ecosystem services when sustainably managed. Chapter 1 sets the scene (i.e. provides the study background) and Chapter 2 provides a review of the literature. In Chapter 3, the recently released global GIS toolbox (TRENDS.EARTH) was used for tracking land change and for assessing the SDG 15.3.1 degradation indicator of i.e. Cacadu catchment over 15 years at a 300 m resolution. The results showed a declining trend in biomass productivity within the Cacadu catchment led to moderate degradation, with 16.79% of the total landscape degraded, which was determined by the pugin using the one-out, all-out rule. The incidence of degradation was detected in middle reaches of the catchment (i.e. S10F-J), while some improvement was detected in upper reaches (S10A-C) and lower reaches (S10J). In Chapter 4, a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) based on community stakeholder priorities, open-access spatial datasets and expert opinions, was used to identify EI focal areas that are best suitable for restoration to increase the drought mitigation capacity of the Cacadu catchment. The collected datasets provided three broad criteria (ecosystem health, water provision and social benefit) for establishing the AHP model using 12 spatial attributes. Prioritisation results show that up to 89% of the Cacadu catchment is suitable for restoration to improve drought mitigation. Catchments S10B-D, and S10F, S10G and S10J were highly prioritised while S10A, S10E and S10H received low priority, due to improving environmental conditions and low hydrological potential. Areas that were prioritised with consideration for local livelihoods overlap the areas for drought mitigation and form a network of villages from the middle to lower catchment reaches. Prioritised restoration areas with a consideration of societal benefit made up 0.56% of wetlands, 4.27% of riparian margins, 92.06% of abandoned croplands, and 51.86% of grasslands. Chapter 5 reports on use of the Pitman groundwater model to help understand the influence of land modification on catchment hydrology, and highlight the role of restoration interventions. The Cacadu catchment is ungauged, therefore the neighbouring Indwe catchment was used for parameter transfer through a spatial regionalisation technique. Results suggest that degradation increases surface runoff and aggravates recharge reduction, thereby reducing streamflow during low flow periods. In areas where there is natural land cover recovery, the Pitman Model simulated similar dry season streamflow to the natural land cover. Combining the outcomes from the three assessments allowed the study to highlight the role and benefits of ecological infrastructure in terms of drought mitigation. Study findings were interpreted to make recommendations for the role and benefit of ecological infrastructure for drought mitigation at a landscape scale and tertiary catchment level, within the context of available management options. The results support the notion that multiple science data sources can promote investments in ecological infrastructure. However, better spatial and temporal resolution datasets at a national level are still needed to improve the accuracy of studies such as the one outlined in this thesis. The study recommends adopting better ecosystem protection approaches and collaborative governance at multiple levels to reduce the vulnerability of rural communities to drought impacts. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Institute for Water Research, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Effect of adding a probiotic to an aquaponic system on plant and fish growth, water quality, and microbial diversity
- Authors: Kasozi, Nasser
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: To be added
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294596 , vital:57236
- Description: Thesis embargoed. Release date April 2023. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
- Authors: Kasozi, Nasser
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: To be added
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294596 , vital:57236
- Description: Thesis embargoed. Release date April 2023. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
Effects of elevated temperature, rainfall and soil nutrients on acacia mearnsii invasion
- Authors: Kharivha, Tshililo
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Acacia mearnsii , Acacia mearnsii Effect of high temperatures on South Africa , Acacia mearnsii Climatic factors South Africa , Plant invasions South Africa , Invasive plants , Climatic changes South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/189997 , vital:44954
- Description: Climate change is associated with the risk of plant invasion hence a better understanding of the effects of elevated temperature, precipitation and soil nutrients on dominant invasive plants is needed for effective ecological planning. This study was set out to: (i) examine how elevated temperature (±2°C increase), (ii) high (above local average) and low (below local average) precipitation, (iii) elevated soil nutrient content (increase in soil N), and (iv) a combination of the above manipulations affects germination and growth of Acacia mearnsii, a dominant invasive plant in South Africa. The study further evaluated how the above-mentioned treatments affect soil chemical properties following A. mearnsii germination and growth. The above-mentioned specific objectives were tested under manipulated greenhouse conditions over six experimental months. The results indicated that the above-mentioned climate change scenarios have the potential to facilitate germination and growth of the invasive species A. mearnsii, and this is likely to proliferate its invasion in future. Results showed that seed germination was significantly high under all climate change manipulation treatments (˃50%) with highest seed germination recorded under high rainfall treatment (64%). Plant height was significantly higher under high temperature and high rainfall treatments throughout all the experimental months, though it was lowest under high nitrogen and combined treatment with high rainfall. The numbers of branches were high under higher temperature and low rainfall treatments than under high rainfall, high nitrogen and both combined treatments of low and high rainfall. Relative to the control, plants grown under climate change scenarios increased their root lengths, but this varied across different treatments. Total dry biomass was relatively high under high temperature treatment (0,7 g). Lower plant dry biomass was observed under low and high rainfall treatments (0,4 g), high nitrogen and combined treatments with both low and high rainfall treatments (0,1 g). Concerning the effects of climate change scenarios on soil chemical properties, soil pH levels were significantly higher after A. mearnsii germination and growth than before the experiment was setup. Soil resistivity was significantly higher in climate change treatments receiving nitrogen and combined treatments of low rainfall than other treatments and the soils before experiment. Soil total P was significantly higher in all the climate change treatments after A. mearnsii germination experiment than the before experiment soils. Soils receiving high temperature, high nitrogen, and combined treatment of low rainfall had significantly higher soil total N than other treatments and the before experiment soils. Soil total C was significantly higher in soils receiving high temperature, high nitrogen, and combined treatment of low rainfall after A. mearnsii germination than other treatments and before experiment soils. The findings suggest that future climate change scenarios of increased temperature and rainfall with soil nutrients could considerably enhance growth and germination success of the invasive plant A. mearnsii. Similarly, climate change scenarios could enhance some soil nutrient properties, which in turn, is likely to give the invasive plant A. mearnsii a germination and growth advantage. These results are the first in South Africa to show that future climate changes have the potential to facilitate A. mearnsii germination and growth, making it more invasive. The findings have implications for invasive plants management, especially action for managing the plant through clearing of the plant in sensitive ecosystems (e.g. riparian systems). , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Kharivha, Tshililo
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Acacia mearnsii , Acacia mearnsii Effect of high temperatures on South Africa , Acacia mearnsii Climatic factors South Africa , Plant invasions South Africa , Invasive plants , Climatic changes South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/189997 , vital:44954
- Description: Climate change is associated with the risk of plant invasion hence a better understanding of the effects of elevated temperature, precipitation and soil nutrients on dominant invasive plants is needed for effective ecological planning. This study was set out to: (i) examine how elevated temperature (±2°C increase), (ii) high (above local average) and low (below local average) precipitation, (iii) elevated soil nutrient content (increase in soil N), and (iv) a combination of the above manipulations affects germination and growth of Acacia mearnsii, a dominant invasive plant in South Africa. The study further evaluated how the above-mentioned treatments affect soil chemical properties following A. mearnsii germination and growth. The above-mentioned specific objectives were tested under manipulated greenhouse conditions over six experimental months. The results indicated that the above-mentioned climate change scenarios have the potential to facilitate germination and growth of the invasive species A. mearnsii, and this is likely to proliferate its invasion in future. Results showed that seed germination was significantly high under all climate change manipulation treatments (˃50%) with highest seed germination recorded under high rainfall treatment (64%). Plant height was significantly higher under high temperature and high rainfall treatments throughout all the experimental months, though it was lowest under high nitrogen and combined treatment with high rainfall. The numbers of branches were high under higher temperature and low rainfall treatments than under high rainfall, high nitrogen and both combined treatments of low and high rainfall. Relative to the control, plants grown under climate change scenarios increased their root lengths, but this varied across different treatments. Total dry biomass was relatively high under high temperature treatment (0,7 g). Lower plant dry biomass was observed under low and high rainfall treatments (0,4 g), high nitrogen and combined treatments with both low and high rainfall treatments (0,1 g). Concerning the effects of climate change scenarios on soil chemical properties, soil pH levels were significantly higher after A. mearnsii germination and growth than before the experiment was setup. Soil resistivity was significantly higher in climate change treatments receiving nitrogen and combined treatments of low rainfall than other treatments and the soils before experiment. Soil total P was significantly higher in all the climate change treatments after A. mearnsii germination experiment than the before experiment soils. Soils receiving high temperature, high nitrogen, and combined treatment of low rainfall had significantly higher soil total N than other treatments and the before experiment soils. Soil total C was significantly higher in soils receiving high temperature, high nitrogen, and combined treatment of low rainfall after A. mearnsii germination than other treatments and before experiment soils. The findings suggest that future climate change scenarios of increased temperature and rainfall with soil nutrients could considerably enhance growth and germination success of the invasive plant A. mearnsii. Similarly, climate change scenarios could enhance some soil nutrient properties, which in turn, is likely to give the invasive plant A. mearnsii a germination and growth advantage. These results are the first in South Africa to show that future climate changes have the potential to facilitate A. mearnsii germination and growth, making it more invasive. The findings have implications for invasive plants management, especially action for managing the plant through clearing of the plant in sensitive ecosystems (e.g. riparian systems). , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Evaluating the physiological, morphological and nutritional effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and drought on select South African maize cultivars
- Authors: Bopape, Tebadi Mamadiga
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Corn Varieties South Africa , Dry farming South Africa , Corn Effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide on South Africa , Corn Effect of drought on South Africa , Corn Morphology , Corn Nutrition , Corn Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: Master theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/189020 , vital:44807
- Description: Thesis embargoed. Expected Release date October 2022. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Botany, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Bopape, Tebadi Mamadiga
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Corn Varieties South Africa , Dry farming South Africa , Corn Effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide on South Africa , Corn Effect of drought on South Africa , Corn Morphology , Corn Nutrition , Corn Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: Master theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/189020 , vital:44807
- Description: Thesis embargoed. Expected Release date October 2022. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Botany, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Evaluation of Megabruchidius tonkineus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), a candidate biological control agent for Gleditsia triacanthos L. (Fabaceae) in South Africa
- Salgado Astudillo, Sara Elizabeth
- Authors: Salgado Astudillo, Sara Elizabeth
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Honey locust South Africa , Honey locust Biological control South Africa , Invasive plants Biological control South Africa , Biogeography South Africa , Biogeography Climatic factors South Africa , Megabruchidius tonkineus South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188386 , vital:44749
- Description: Gleditsia triacanthos L. (Fabaceae) (honey locust) is a fast-growing, deciduous tree indigenous to the United States of America. Introduced around the world as an ornamental tree, it has become invasive in a number of countries. Where it is invasive, G. triacanthos competes and replaces indigenous species; it creates dense stands along watercourses, posing a significant environmental threat. In South Africa, G. triacanthos is regarded as one of the country’s fastest spreading weeds. Gleditsia triacanthos produces numerous seeds contained in large hanging pods. Once dislodged from the pods, the seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals, including livestock, which eat the pods. It has been suggested that the seeds should be the target for biological control programme. Some invasive alien plant species are characterised by their ability to spread and establish in new ecosystems because they tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. In order to predict areas of likely invasion, species distribution models (SDMs) are used to identify areas climatically suitable for their invasion, so enabling better targeted control of the plant species. Gleditsia triacanthos adapts to a wide range of climates and soil types, and tolerates salinity, drought and frost. Currently primarily restricted to the Grassland Biome of South Africa, G. triacanthos has doubled its distribution area in the past 15 years, and it is not known how far the species will spread. In this study we used two different modelling programmes, CLIMEX and MaxEnt, to predict areas where G. triacanthos could find favourable growing conditions; both SDMs showed that most of the country is suitable for G. triacanthos and that it will probably continue to spread, if left unmanaged, into new bioregions, such as the Karoo. In South Africa, the Asian seed-feeding bruchid, Megabruchidius tonkineus (Pic, 1914) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) has been recorded in the plant’s seed pods and has been considered as a biological control agent. The insect was not released as part of a formal biological control programme and neither host-specificity nor impact studies were conducted on the species prior to its discovery. In 2017 a decision was made to re-consider its status as a Abstract biological control agent until further details of its biology, host specificity, and impact on the seeds of G. triacanthos in South Africa were available. This study shows that Megabruchidius tonkineus has established across the entire G. triacanthos population in South Africa damaging approximately 9% of seeds. Laboratory studies show that, Megabruchidius tonkineus completes its larval development in the seeds of G. triacanthos in about 66.80 ± 0.6880 SE days before eclosing. In addition, the adult females oviposit on the following Fabaceae species: Arachis hypogaea, Albizia, julibrissin, Cicer arietinum, Pisum sativum, Dipogon lignosus, Peltophorum africanum, Podalyria buxifolia Senegalia burkei, Umtiza listerina and Vachellia sieberiana. However, larval development was limited to G. triacanthos. It is concluded that the seed-feeding beetle is not a threat to native Fabaceae species in South Africa, however, it does not damage enough G. triacanthos seeds to be considered a valuable biological control agent at this stage, and additional seed-feeding biological control agents should be considered to reduce the number of G. triacanthos seeds entering the environment. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Salgado Astudillo, Sara Elizabeth
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Honey locust South Africa , Honey locust Biological control South Africa , Invasive plants Biological control South Africa , Biogeography South Africa , Biogeography Climatic factors South Africa , Megabruchidius tonkineus South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188386 , vital:44749
- Description: Gleditsia triacanthos L. (Fabaceae) (honey locust) is a fast-growing, deciduous tree indigenous to the United States of America. Introduced around the world as an ornamental tree, it has become invasive in a number of countries. Where it is invasive, G. triacanthos competes and replaces indigenous species; it creates dense stands along watercourses, posing a significant environmental threat. In South Africa, G. triacanthos is regarded as one of the country’s fastest spreading weeds. Gleditsia triacanthos produces numerous seeds contained in large hanging pods. Once dislodged from the pods, the seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals, including livestock, which eat the pods. It has been suggested that the seeds should be the target for biological control programme. Some invasive alien plant species are characterised by their ability to spread and establish in new ecosystems because they tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. In order to predict areas of likely invasion, species distribution models (SDMs) are used to identify areas climatically suitable for their invasion, so enabling better targeted control of the plant species. Gleditsia triacanthos adapts to a wide range of climates and soil types, and tolerates salinity, drought and frost. Currently primarily restricted to the Grassland Biome of South Africa, G. triacanthos has doubled its distribution area in the past 15 years, and it is not known how far the species will spread. In this study we used two different modelling programmes, CLIMEX and MaxEnt, to predict areas where G. triacanthos could find favourable growing conditions; both SDMs showed that most of the country is suitable for G. triacanthos and that it will probably continue to spread, if left unmanaged, into new bioregions, such as the Karoo. In South Africa, the Asian seed-feeding bruchid, Megabruchidius tonkineus (Pic, 1914) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) has been recorded in the plant’s seed pods and has been considered as a biological control agent. The insect was not released as part of a formal biological control programme and neither host-specificity nor impact studies were conducted on the species prior to its discovery. In 2017 a decision was made to re-consider its status as a Abstract biological control agent until further details of its biology, host specificity, and impact on the seeds of G. triacanthos in South Africa were available. This study shows that Megabruchidius tonkineus has established across the entire G. triacanthos population in South Africa damaging approximately 9% of seeds. Laboratory studies show that, Megabruchidius tonkineus completes its larval development in the seeds of G. triacanthos in about 66.80 ± 0.6880 SE days before eclosing. In addition, the adult females oviposit on the following Fabaceae species: Arachis hypogaea, Albizia, julibrissin, Cicer arietinum, Pisum sativum, Dipogon lignosus, Peltophorum africanum, Podalyria buxifolia Senegalia burkei, Umtiza listerina and Vachellia sieberiana. However, larval development was limited to G. triacanthos. It is concluded that the seed-feeding beetle is not a threat to native Fabaceae species in South Africa, however, it does not damage enough G. triacanthos seeds to be considered a valuable biological control agent at this stage, and additional seed-feeding biological control agents should be considered to reduce the number of G. triacanthos seeds entering the environment. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Exploring affordances and hindrances when using Grade 8 Physical Science learners’ home language to mediate learning of chemical bonding
- Shilongo, Wilhelm Nghidiputate
- Authors: Shilongo, Wilhelm Nghidiputate
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Code switching (Linguistics) , Chemical bonds , Education, Bilingual Namibia , Native language and education Namibia , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191079 , vital:45056
- Description: It seems code-switching from English to learners’ home language is a regular practice in Namibian schools. That is, science teachers mediate specific challenging science topics such as chemical bonding through code-switching from English to learners’ home languages. Based on anecdotal evidence and on Grade 10 Examiners’ Reports for previous years, chemical bonding is one of the challenging key concepts in Physical Science, and yet it is an important concept in the study of chemistry. Therefore, the purpose of this interventionist study was to investigate how the use of learners’ home language enables and/or constrains Grade 8 Physical Science learners’ sense making of the topic, chemical bonding. The study is a convergent parallel mixed method case study and was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. It was conducted with 17 Grade 8 learners in a rural school, where I teach, in the Oshana region. I used a diagnostic test to elicit learners’ prior knowledge on this topic, a post-intervention test, observation, reflections, focus group interview and stimulated recall interviews as my data collection methods. I used Vygotsky’s (1978) Socio-Cultural Theory as my theoretical framework to help explain how learners make sense of the concept of chemical bonding when learners’ home language is used in a Physical Science class. To analyse the quantitative data obtained, I used a descriptive statistics and inferential statistics method. In the descriptive statistics, data were compiled into graphs, tables, and other visual representations, while for the inferential statistics, a t-test was used to establish the significant difference of the data collected. On the other hand, a thematic approach to analyse the qualitative data was employed to come up with sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that learners’ home language stimulates learners’ interest to learn new concepts, and enhances learners’ understanding and participation during the science lessons. Another finding of the study revealed that learners’ prior knowledge in chemical bonding contained some misconceptions. Furthermore, the findings of the study also revealed that learners learn best when their prior knowledge are elicited before they are introduced to new concepts in their science classrooms. The study recommends that learners’ home language should be incorporated into Physical Science lessons, especially when the teachers are teaching challenging concepts such as chemical bonding. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Shilongo, Wilhelm Nghidiputate
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Code switching (Linguistics) , Chemical bonds , Education, Bilingual Namibia , Native language and education Namibia , Socio-cultural theory
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191079 , vital:45056
- Description: It seems code-switching from English to learners’ home language is a regular practice in Namibian schools. That is, science teachers mediate specific challenging science topics such as chemical bonding through code-switching from English to learners’ home languages. Based on anecdotal evidence and on Grade 10 Examiners’ Reports for previous years, chemical bonding is one of the challenging key concepts in Physical Science, and yet it is an important concept in the study of chemistry. Therefore, the purpose of this interventionist study was to investigate how the use of learners’ home language enables and/or constrains Grade 8 Physical Science learners’ sense making of the topic, chemical bonding. The study is a convergent parallel mixed method case study and was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. It was conducted with 17 Grade 8 learners in a rural school, where I teach, in the Oshana region. I used a diagnostic test to elicit learners’ prior knowledge on this topic, a post-intervention test, observation, reflections, focus group interview and stimulated recall interviews as my data collection methods. I used Vygotsky’s (1978) Socio-Cultural Theory as my theoretical framework to help explain how learners make sense of the concept of chemical bonding when learners’ home language is used in a Physical Science class. To analyse the quantitative data obtained, I used a descriptive statistics and inferential statistics method. In the descriptive statistics, data were compiled into graphs, tables, and other visual representations, while for the inferential statistics, a t-test was used to establish the significant difference of the data collected. On the other hand, a thematic approach to analyse the qualitative data was employed to come up with sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that learners’ home language stimulates learners’ interest to learn new concepts, and enhances learners’ understanding and participation during the science lessons. Another finding of the study revealed that learners’ prior knowledge in chemical bonding contained some misconceptions. Furthermore, the findings of the study also revealed that learners learn best when their prior knowledge are elicited before they are introduced to new concepts in their science classrooms. The study recommends that learners’ home language should be incorporated into Physical Science lessons, especially when the teachers are teaching challenging concepts such as chemical bonding. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
Exploring learners’ engagement with literacy in a book club
- Authors: Jamieson, Vuyokazi
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Book clubs (Discussion groups) South Africa Makhanda , Literacy South Africa Makhanda , High school students Books and reading South Africa Makhanda , Books and reading South Africa Makhanda , Reading, Psychology of , Service learning South Africa Makhanda , Critical realism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263601 , vital:53642
- Description: This study observes the literacy engagement of a group of learners enrolled in Grades 8–10 in Nombulelo High School, a poorly-resourced school in the city of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The learners participated in a book club hosted and run by St Andrew’s College, a privileged independent school, as a community engagement initiative. The idea of extending literacy engagement and engagement with written texts beyond textbooks used in schools is critical for learners with ambitions to enter higher education. Studying at a university requires a lot of reading, and if reading has not been taken up as a practice that involves more than ‘text consulting’ (Geisler, 1994) students will be unlikely to read the number of texts required of them. Studies (see Geisler, 1994 for an overview) have shown how the literacy of the university is very different to school based literacies. The assumption behind the study on which this thesis reports is that engagement with fictional texts might promote reading and bring about understandings of this activity as enjoyable and not a task only associated with schooling. The study is underpinned by a critical realist philosophy which allowed for the identification of structures and mechanisms that led to the emergence of literacy events in learners’ lives and to their experiences and observations of those events. The study was guided by the following questions: How do learners from a poorly-resourced high school engage around fictional texts in the context of a book club? What enables or constrains this engagement? The study was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in that lockdown requirements meant that learners from St Andrew’s College could not participate in the book club as much as anticipated initially as they had been forced to return home to pursue online learning. Learners from Nombuelo High School were, however, granted access to College premises, where they met in the school library following strict Covid protocols. The study draws on in-depth interviews, observations and document analysis of five learners from Nombulelo High School who participated in the book club, as well as on book reviews they wrote for the book club website. The critical realist analysis allows for the identification of mechanisms in learners’ homes and communities that enable literacies, including those that are screen-based such as using a computer, mobile phones and other technologies. This study found evidence of challenges regarding school based texts, reading fictional texts and viewing it as an enrichment of the school project. Because of children were African the emergence of communal practices and story telling is woven throughout the results section. However, is an example of the complexity of social and economic challenges facing South African marginalised schools. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Centre for Higher Education Research, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
- Authors: Jamieson, Vuyokazi
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Book clubs (Discussion groups) South Africa Makhanda , Literacy South Africa Makhanda , High school students Books and reading South Africa Makhanda , Books and reading South Africa Makhanda , Reading, Psychology of , Service learning South Africa Makhanda , Critical realism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263601 , vital:53642
- Description: This study observes the literacy engagement of a group of learners enrolled in Grades 8–10 in Nombulelo High School, a poorly-resourced school in the city of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The learners participated in a book club hosted and run by St Andrew’s College, a privileged independent school, as a community engagement initiative. The idea of extending literacy engagement and engagement with written texts beyond textbooks used in schools is critical for learners with ambitions to enter higher education. Studying at a university requires a lot of reading, and if reading has not been taken up as a practice that involves more than ‘text consulting’ (Geisler, 1994) students will be unlikely to read the number of texts required of them. Studies (see Geisler, 1994 for an overview) have shown how the literacy of the university is very different to school based literacies. The assumption behind the study on which this thesis reports is that engagement with fictional texts might promote reading and bring about understandings of this activity as enjoyable and not a task only associated with schooling. The study is underpinned by a critical realist philosophy which allowed for the identification of structures and mechanisms that led to the emergence of literacy events in learners’ lives and to their experiences and observations of those events. The study was guided by the following questions: How do learners from a poorly-resourced high school engage around fictional texts in the context of a book club? What enables or constrains this engagement? The study was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in that lockdown requirements meant that learners from St Andrew’s College could not participate in the book club as much as anticipated initially as they had been forced to return home to pursue online learning. Learners from Nombuelo High School were, however, granted access to College premises, where they met in the school library following strict Covid protocols. The study draws on in-depth interviews, observations and document analysis of five learners from Nombulelo High School who participated in the book club, as well as on book reviews they wrote for the book club website. The critical realist analysis allows for the identification of mechanisms in learners’ homes and communities that enable literacies, including those that are screen-based such as using a computer, mobile phones and other technologies. This study found evidence of challenges regarding school based texts, reading fictional texts and viewing it as an enrichment of the school project. Because of children were African the emergence of communal practices and story telling is woven throughout the results section. However, is an example of the complexity of social and economic challenges facing South African marginalised schools. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Centre for Higher Education Research, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08