Family needs following adult traumatic brain injury
- Authors: Van der Merwe, Jó-Marié
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Brain damage -- Patients -- Family relationships -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11033 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/335 , Brain damage -- Patients -- Family relationships -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation
- Description: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant and growing type of disability in South Africa. Coping with the impact of traumatic brain injury is one of the most difficult tasks that can confront a family, and family members experience a wide range of needs as the injured person progresses through rehabilitation. In South Africa, research on family needs following traumatic brain injury has thus far been neglected and rehabilitation resources are sadly lacking. For this reason it is necessary to accumulate knowledge about these families’ needs so as to assist with the planning of future rehabilitation programmes. The study aimed to explore and describe the needs of a sample of families with adult traumatic brain injury individuals in the Eastern Cape utilizing the Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ). The research approach followed could be described as descriptive and exploratory in nature and was conducted within a quantitative framework. A biographical questionnaire and the FNQ were administered to a heterogeneous sample of 32 family members, including significant others and primary caregivers, of 16 adult traumatically brain-injured individuals, who sustained the TBI one to three years previously, and who underwent rehabilitation treatment at a private rehabilitation hospital in Port Elizabeth. A non-probability, purposive, and convenient sampling method was used. Descriptive statistics were computed to determine the importance and the perceived fulfillment of the needs. The results of the present study indicated that all 40 needs were endorsed by at least half the sample as being important to very important. Furthermore, 52.50% of the needs were endorsed by more than two-thirds of the sample as being important to very important. The needs were rank-ordered according to their importance ratings and the 10 mostly rated as important or very important were identified. These 10 needs were endorsed by between 84.38% and 93.75% of the family members as being important to very important. Six of the important or very important needs related to health information, two to professional support, one to community support, and one to emotional support. The relation between various participant, traumatically brain-injured individual and brain injury characteristics and the 10 important or very important needs, as well as the 10 needs more frequently rated as met were investigated and found to either have a limited or varied relationship. The 10 needs most often rated as met were endorsed by between 43.75% and 56.25% of the family members. Six of the met needs related to health information, two to community support, one to instrumental support, and one to treatment decisions. The highest unmet need was endorsed by 46.88% of the participants and related to the need to discuss their feelings with someone who has gone through the same experience. Based on the findings of the present study, further research on family needs following traumatic brain injury is suggested. It is also recommended that the Family Needs Questionnaire be used to evaluate existing rehabilitation programmes so as to make suggestions as to how to improve them. The results of this study suggested that family members would benefit from receiving educational information material, as well as referrals to professionals for advice and support.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Van der Merwe, Jó-Marié
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Brain damage -- Patients -- Family relationships -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11033 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/335 , Brain damage -- Patients -- Family relationships -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation
- Description: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant and growing type of disability in South Africa. Coping with the impact of traumatic brain injury is one of the most difficult tasks that can confront a family, and family members experience a wide range of needs as the injured person progresses through rehabilitation. In South Africa, research on family needs following traumatic brain injury has thus far been neglected and rehabilitation resources are sadly lacking. For this reason it is necessary to accumulate knowledge about these families’ needs so as to assist with the planning of future rehabilitation programmes. The study aimed to explore and describe the needs of a sample of families with adult traumatic brain injury individuals in the Eastern Cape utilizing the Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ). The research approach followed could be described as descriptive and exploratory in nature and was conducted within a quantitative framework. A biographical questionnaire and the FNQ were administered to a heterogeneous sample of 32 family members, including significant others and primary caregivers, of 16 adult traumatically brain-injured individuals, who sustained the TBI one to three years previously, and who underwent rehabilitation treatment at a private rehabilitation hospital in Port Elizabeth. A non-probability, purposive, and convenient sampling method was used. Descriptive statistics were computed to determine the importance and the perceived fulfillment of the needs. The results of the present study indicated that all 40 needs were endorsed by at least half the sample as being important to very important. Furthermore, 52.50% of the needs were endorsed by more than two-thirds of the sample as being important to very important. The needs were rank-ordered according to their importance ratings and the 10 mostly rated as important or very important were identified. These 10 needs were endorsed by between 84.38% and 93.75% of the family members as being important to very important. Six of the important or very important needs related to health information, two to professional support, one to community support, and one to emotional support. The relation between various participant, traumatically brain-injured individual and brain injury characteristics and the 10 important or very important needs, as well as the 10 needs more frequently rated as met were investigated and found to either have a limited or varied relationship. The 10 needs most often rated as met were endorsed by between 43.75% and 56.25% of the family members. Six of the met needs related to health information, two to community support, one to instrumental support, and one to treatment decisions. The highest unmet need was endorsed by 46.88% of the participants and related to the need to discuss their feelings with someone who has gone through the same experience. Based on the findings of the present study, further research on family needs following traumatic brain injury is suggested. It is also recommended that the Family Needs Questionnaire be used to evaluate existing rehabilitation programmes so as to make suggestions as to how to improve them. The results of this study suggested that family members would benefit from receiving educational information material, as well as referrals to professionals for advice and support.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Constructive dismissal in labour law
- Van Loggerenberg, Johannes Jurgens
- Authors: Van Loggerenberg, Johannes Jurgens
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Unfair labor practices -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11054 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/301 , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Unfair labor practices -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: The history of constructive dismissals in South Africa imitated from the English law in 1986, when an employee successfully challenged the employer on this particular concept after an incident relating a forced resignation. From the literature it is clear that constructive dismissal, as we know it today, originated from our English counterparts. Being a relatively new concept, the South African labour laws caught on at a rapid pace. The leading case on which the South African authors leaned towards was the English case of Woods v WM Car Services (Peterborough). In South Africa constructive dismissals were given statutory force in unfair dismissal law and is defined as the coerced or forced termination of a contract of employment resultant in from the conduct of the employer. There are many forms in which constructive dismissals would postulate that could justify an employee to lay claim to constructive dismissal. Examples thereof are the amendment of the contract of employment, rude language and sexual harassment. It is eminent that certain elements should be present before an employee would have reasonable prospects of succeeding with such a claim. Constructive dismissal comes into the equation when an employer behaves in such a manner that eventually and ultimately leads to the employee, being the receiving party, in the employment relationship, to terminate the employment contract. This termination must be the direct result of the conduct of the employer that irreparably frustrated the relationship and made it impossible for the employee to remain in the service of the employer in question. It appears that the courts have taken a firm stance on coerced or forced resignation, in its various forms tantamount to breach of contact, that any sufficiently unreasonable conduct by an employer may justify that the employee to terminate services and lay claim to the fact that he had been constructively dismissed. It needs to be mentioned that the fact that the mere fact that the employer acted in an unreasonable manner would not suffice and it is up to the employee to prove how the conduct of the employer justified the employee to leave and claim that the employer’s conduct resulted in a material or fundamental beach of the employment contract. In dealing with the contingency of the concept of constructive dismissals it has been expressly provided for in numerous systems of labour law. As is seen herein, a constructive dismissal consists in the termination of the employment contract by reason of the employee’s rather than the employer’s own immediate act. The act of the employee is precipitated by earlier conduct on the part of the employer, which conduct may or may not be justified. Various authors and academics endeavoured to defined constructive dismissal and all had the same or at least some of the elements present, to justify constructive dismissal. The most glaring element being the termination of employment as a result of the any conduct that is tantamount to a breach going to the root of the relationship by the employer, that frustrated the relationship between the employer and the employee and rendered it irreparable. The employee resigns or repudiates the employment contract as a result of the employer normally not leaving the employee any other option but to resign. This can also be termed as coerced or forced resignations and are commonly better known as “constructive dismissal”. The employee is deemed to have been dismissed, even though it is the employee who terminated the employment contract. The most important element to mention is the employee terminated the employment contract, ie resigned yet this is regarded as a dismissal, it is however for the employee to first lay a claim at the proper authority and the employee must prove his / her allegation before it can be a constructive dismissal. As will become clear, that the onus of proof is on the employee to show that the termination of employment resulted from the conduct of the employer. Equally true as in all cases of constructive dismissal, including cases of sexual harassment, being a ground for constructive dismissal, the employee must prove that to remain in service would have been unbearable and intolerable. Sexual harassment is one of the most difficult forms of constructive dismissals, in many cases there are no witnesses and the employee either “suffers in silence or opt to place her dignity at stake to prove her case. It seems as though the test is to determine if the employer’s conduct evinced a deliberate and oppressive intention to have the employment terminated and left the employee with only one option that of resignation to protect her interests. Employees have a right to seek statutory relief and needs to be protected. If a coerced or forced resignation had taken place irrespective whether the employee resigned or not. It is against this back drop that constructive dismissals was given legality and are now recognized as one of the four forms of dismissals in terms of the Act.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Van Loggerenberg, Johannes Jurgens
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Unfair labor practices -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11054 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/301 , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Unfair labor practices -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: The history of constructive dismissals in South Africa imitated from the English law in 1986, when an employee successfully challenged the employer on this particular concept after an incident relating a forced resignation. From the literature it is clear that constructive dismissal, as we know it today, originated from our English counterparts. Being a relatively new concept, the South African labour laws caught on at a rapid pace. The leading case on which the South African authors leaned towards was the English case of Woods v WM Car Services (Peterborough). In South Africa constructive dismissals were given statutory force in unfair dismissal law and is defined as the coerced or forced termination of a contract of employment resultant in from the conduct of the employer. There are many forms in which constructive dismissals would postulate that could justify an employee to lay claim to constructive dismissal. Examples thereof are the amendment of the contract of employment, rude language and sexual harassment. It is eminent that certain elements should be present before an employee would have reasonable prospects of succeeding with such a claim. Constructive dismissal comes into the equation when an employer behaves in such a manner that eventually and ultimately leads to the employee, being the receiving party, in the employment relationship, to terminate the employment contract. This termination must be the direct result of the conduct of the employer that irreparably frustrated the relationship and made it impossible for the employee to remain in the service of the employer in question. It appears that the courts have taken a firm stance on coerced or forced resignation, in its various forms tantamount to breach of contact, that any sufficiently unreasonable conduct by an employer may justify that the employee to terminate services and lay claim to the fact that he had been constructively dismissed. It needs to be mentioned that the fact that the mere fact that the employer acted in an unreasonable manner would not suffice and it is up to the employee to prove how the conduct of the employer justified the employee to leave and claim that the employer’s conduct resulted in a material or fundamental beach of the employment contract. In dealing with the contingency of the concept of constructive dismissals it has been expressly provided for in numerous systems of labour law. As is seen herein, a constructive dismissal consists in the termination of the employment contract by reason of the employee’s rather than the employer’s own immediate act. The act of the employee is precipitated by earlier conduct on the part of the employer, which conduct may or may not be justified. Various authors and academics endeavoured to defined constructive dismissal and all had the same or at least some of the elements present, to justify constructive dismissal. The most glaring element being the termination of employment as a result of the any conduct that is tantamount to a breach going to the root of the relationship by the employer, that frustrated the relationship between the employer and the employee and rendered it irreparable. The employee resigns or repudiates the employment contract as a result of the employer normally not leaving the employee any other option but to resign. This can also be termed as coerced or forced resignations and are commonly better known as “constructive dismissal”. The employee is deemed to have been dismissed, even though it is the employee who terminated the employment contract. The most important element to mention is the employee terminated the employment contract, ie resigned yet this is regarded as a dismissal, it is however for the employee to first lay a claim at the proper authority and the employee must prove his / her allegation before it can be a constructive dismissal. As will become clear, that the onus of proof is on the employee to show that the termination of employment resulted from the conduct of the employer. Equally true as in all cases of constructive dismissal, including cases of sexual harassment, being a ground for constructive dismissal, the employee must prove that to remain in service would have been unbearable and intolerable. Sexual harassment is one of the most difficult forms of constructive dismissals, in many cases there are no witnesses and the employee either “suffers in silence or opt to place her dignity at stake to prove her case. It seems as though the test is to determine if the employer’s conduct evinced a deliberate and oppressive intention to have the employment terminated and left the employee with only one option that of resignation to protect her interests. Employees have a right to seek statutory relief and needs to be protected. If a coerced or forced resignation had taken place irrespective whether the employee resigned or not. It is against this back drop that constructive dismissals was given legality and are now recognized as one of the four forms of dismissals in terms of the Act.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
Reader-response approaches to literature teaching in a South African OBE environment
- Authors: Van Renen, Charles Gerard
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Reader-response criticism -- South Africa , Literature -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Competency-based education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:11013 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/297 , Reader-response criticism -- South Africa , Literature -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Competency-based education -- South Africa
- Description: This research is based on the hypothesis that response-based approaches to teaching literature and an outcomes-based system of education (OBE) are conceptually incompatible. This thesis claims that reader response involves processes that cannot be accommodated pedagogically within a system based on pre-determined outcomes. Furthermore, the kind of assessment prescribed by OBE is inappropriate to the nature of reader response. The hypothesis is based on three main premises. The first is that each reader brings a highly individual and complex set of personal schemata to the reading of imaginative texts, and these schemata have a decisive influence on the nature of a reader’s response. This means that response during imaginative engagements with literary texts tends to be idiosyncratic, and therefore largely unpredictable. Because of this, it would be inappropriate for a teacher, working within an OBE system, to try to teach towards pre-selected outcomes and to attempt to ensure that these outcomes, based on responses to literary texts, are in fact achieved. The second premise is that readers’ imaginative engagements with literary texts are essentially hidden events, which even the individual reader cannot fully bring to the surface and articulate. Because they are complex, and to some extent inaccessible, it would be inappropriate to assess the processes of response in the form of tangible evidence that a particular kind of response has taken place, or an outcome achieved. The third premise is that responses need time to grow and develop and do not merely happen quickly and cleanly. Consequently, aesthetic response, already a complex and inaccessible process, has no clearly distinguishable beginnings or endings. It would therefore be inappropriate to try to pinpoint the exact nature and parameters of a particular response or fragment it into a discrete unit of competence or knowledge. A two-dimensional problem emerges. The first is a conceptual one: whether there is an inherent tension between encouraging response to imaginative literature on the one hand, and accepting the rationale for OBE, on the other. The second dimension of the problem is empirical: whether teachers of literature experience any tension of either a conceptual or a practical nature when following response based approaches within the OBE system of Curriculum 2005, and if so, what they do in order to cope. In exploring the conceptual problem, the argument of this thesis is supported by reception theory and reader response criticism. The former provides key theoretical principles and insights that illuminate the nature of aesthetic reading, while the latter describes and analyses the nature, extent and manifestations of response in educational contexts, underpinned by both reception theory and empirical research. Together they offer evidence that personal response is determined by a complex range of processes, and is the core activity in reading for aesthetic purposes. This thesis also examines the conceptual basis and the structure of OBE as interpreted in both Curriculum 2005 and the revised National Curriculum Statement. The purpose of this is to establish the extent to which the philosophy and modus operandi of these curricula are rooted in notions of competence, and the requirement that learners give tangible demonstrations of pre-determined outcomes being achieved. If it is found that the curricula do lean heavily on pre-determined outcomes in regard to competencies that must be demonstrated, it may be concluded that 1) reader response activities are incompatible with OBE in a South African context, and 2) the potential exists for such incompatibility to create obstacles to creative and effective literature teaching. This can lead to difficulties for the teacher, who will then have to adopt acceptable strategies to cope with the situation. These strategies may ultimately be to the detriment of the pupils, particularly if the teacher seeks a compromise between genuine response and the kinds of activities that would yield precise, palpable measures of attainment that can be easily demonstrated. Exploring the empirical dimension of the problem involves investigating the responses of both teachers and teacher trainers to the experience of promoting response-based literature teaching and learning in an OBE environment. In order firstly investigated whether the practitioners do encourage reading response as a core activity in reading for aesthetic purposes. The extent to which practitioners have a sound grasp of the conceptual issues relevant to this research is also investigated. Insight into such issues depends on teachers and teacher trainers understanding the nature of reader response, on the one hand, and the rationale and structures of the relevant OBE curricula, on the other. Whether, and to what extent, practitioners experience tensions through their awareness of conceptual incompatibilities is also investigated. It should be borne in mind that practitioners work in real contexts in which a variety of complex factors play a role in determining how they respond to pressures from the environment. It cannot therefore be expected that teachers and others involved in delivering the curriculum will be able to reflect on purely conceptual issues without being influenced to an extent by more practical or logistical considerations. However, this study argues that the extent to which they are able to identify the relevant factors that affect the conceptual underpinnings of their practice will determine the degree to which their responses support the argument of this thesis. Together, the empirical and the theoretical findings offer qualitative evidence that should illuminate the nature and extent of the problem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Van Renen, Charles Gerard
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Reader-response criticism -- South Africa , Literature -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Competency-based education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:11013 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/297 , Reader-response criticism -- South Africa , Literature -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Competency-based education -- South Africa
- Description: This research is based on the hypothesis that response-based approaches to teaching literature and an outcomes-based system of education (OBE) are conceptually incompatible. This thesis claims that reader response involves processes that cannot be accommodated pedagogically within a system based on pre-determined outcomes. Furthermore, the kind of assessment prescribed by OBE is inappropriate to the nature of reader response. The hypothesis is based on three main premises. The first is that each reader brings a highly individual and complex set of personal schemata to the reading of imaginative texts, and these schemata have a decisive influence on the nature of a reader’s response. This means that response during imaginative engagements with literary texts tends to be idiosyncratic, and therefore largely unpredictable. Because of this, it would be inappropriate for a teacher, working within an OBE system, to try to teach towards pre-selected outcomes and to attempt to ensure that these outcomes, based on responses to literary texts, are in fact achieved. The second premise is that readers’ imaginative engagements with literary texts are essentially hidden events, which even the individual reader cannot fully bring to the surface and articulate. Because they are complex, and to some extent inaccessible, it would be inappropriate to assess the processes of response in the form of tangible evidence that a particular kind of response has taken place, or an outcome achieved. The third premise is that responses need time to grow and develop and do not merely happen quickly and cleanly. Consequently, aesthetic response, already a complex and inaccessible process, has no clearly distinguishable beginnings or endings. It would therefore be inappropriate to try to pinpoint the exact nature and parameters of a particular response or fragment it into a discrete unit of competence or knowledge. A two-dimensional problem emerges. The first is a conceptual one: whether there is an inherent tension between encouraging response to imaginative literature on the one hand, and accepting the rationale for OBE, on the other. The second dimension of the problem is empirical: whether teachers of literature experience any tension of either a conceptual or a practical nature when following response based approaches within the OBE system of Curriculum 2005, and if so, what they do in order to cope. In exploring the conceptual problem, the argument of this thesis is supported by reception theory and reader response criticism. The former provides key theoretical principles and insights that illuminate the nature of aesthetic reading, while the latter describes and analyses the nature, extent and manifestations of response in educational contexts, underpinned by both reception theory and empirical research. Together they offer evidence that personal response is determined by a complex range of processes, and is the core activity in reading for aesthetic purposes. This thesis also examines the conceptual basis and the structure of OBE as interpreted in both Curriculum 2005 and the revised National Curriculum Statement. The purpose of this is to establish the extent to which the philosophy and modus operandi of these curricula are rooted in notions of competence, and the requirement that learners give tangible demonstrations of pre-determined outcomes being achieved. If it is found that the curricula do lean heavily on pre-determined outcomes in regard to competencies that must be demonstrated, it may be concluded that 1) reader response activities are incompatible with OBE in a South African context, and 2) the potential exists for such incompatibility to create obstacles to creative and effective literature teaching. This can lead to difficulties for the teacher, who will then have to adopt acceptable strategies to cope with the situation. These strategies may ultimately be to the detriment of the pupils, particularly if the teacher seeks a compromise between genuine response and the kinds of activities that would yield precise, palpable measures of attainment that can be easily demonstrated. Exploring the empirical dimension of the problem involves investigating the responses of both teachers and teacher trainers to the experience of promoting response-based literature teaching and learning in an OBE environment. In order firstly investigated whether the practitioners do encourage reading response as a core activity in reading for aesthetic purposes. The extent to which practitioners have a sound grasp of the conceptual issues relevant to this research is also investigated. Insight into such issues depends on teachers and teacher trainers understanding the nature of reader response, on the one hand, and the rationale and structures of the relevant OBE curricula, on the other. Whether, and to what extent, practitioners experience tensions through their awareness of conceptual incompatibilities is also investigated. It should be borne in mind that practitioners work in real contexts in which a variety of complex factors play a role in determining how they respond to pressures from the environment. It cannot therefore be expected that teachers and others involved in delivering the curriculum will be able to reflect on purely conceptual issues without being influenced to an extent by more practical or logistical considerations. However, this study argues that the extent to which they are able to identify the relevant factors that affect the conceptual underpinnings of their practice will determine the degree to which their responses support the argument of this thesis. Together, the empirical and the theoretical findings offer qualitative evidence that should illuminate the nature and extent of the problem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
The law relating to retrenchment
- Authors: Van Staden, Leon
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Downsizing of organizations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11055 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/304 , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Downsizing of organizations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa
- Description: Retrenchment, as a form of dismissal, is regulated by section 189 and 189A of the Labour Relations Act 1995. In order for a retrenchment to be fair, it must comply with both the substantive and procedural requirements stipulated in the Act. After an employee has proved the dismissal, the onus rests on the employer to comply with these two requirements by providing proof thereof. One of the most important procedural requirements that must be complied with by the employer is that the employer cannot merely make a decision to retrench. This decision may only be made once the employer, when contemplating a retrenchment, followed the lengthy consultation process as required in section 189. Recent amendments to section 189 introduced a distinction between a small and big employer and further between a large-scale and small-scale dismissal. If the employee is of the opinion that the employer did not comply with either the procedural or substantive requirements or both, he/she may refer such a dispute for conciliation and thereafter for arbitration or adjudication, according to a dispute resolution process contained in the Act, during which process certain remedies are available to the dismissed employee. The Labour Relations Act 1995 also introduced important amendments which have the effect that employees are allowed to, in certain circumstances, to strike over collective retrenchment disputes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Van Staden, Leon
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Downsizing of organizations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11055 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/304 , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Downsizing of organizations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa
- Description: Retrenchment, as a form of dismissal, is regulated by section 189 and 189A of the Labour Relations Act 1995. In order for a retrenchment to be fair, it must comply with both the substantive and procedural requirements stipulated in the Act. After an employee has proved the dismissal, the onus rests on the employer to comply with these two requirements by providing proof thereof. One of the most important procedural requirements that must be complied with by the employer is that the employer cannot merely make a decision to retrench. This decision may only be made once the employer, when contemplating a retrenchment, followed the lengthy consultation process as required in section 189. Recent amendments to section 189 introduced a distinction between a small and big employer and further between a large-scale and small-scale dismissal. If the employee is of the opinion that the employer did not comply with either the procedural or substantive requirements or both, he/she may refer such a dispute for conciliation and thereafter for arbitration or adjudication, according to a dispute resolution process contained in the Act, during which process certain remedies are available to the dismissed employee. The Labour Relations Act 1995 also introduced important amendments which have the effect that employees are allowed to, in certain circumstances, to strike over collective retrenchment disputes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
Algorithms for the solution of the quadratic programming problem
- Authors: Vankova, Martina
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Quadratic programming , Nonlinear programming , Algorithms
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11086 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/348 , Quadratic programming , Nonlinear programming , Algorithms
- Description: The purpose of this dissertation was to provide a review of the theory of Optimization, in particular quadratic programming, and the algorithms suitable for solving both convex and non-convex quadratic programming problems. Optimization problems arise in a wide variety of fields and many can be effectively modeled with linear equations. However, there are problems for which linear models are not sufficient thus creating a need for non-linear systems. This dissertation includes a literature study of the formal theory necessary for understanding optimization and an investigation of the algorithms available for solving a special class of the non-linear programming problem, namely the quadratic programming problem. It was not the intention of this dissertation to discuss all possible algorithms for solving the quadratic programming problem, therefore certain algorithms for convex and non-convex quadratic programming problems were selected for a detailed discussion in the dissertation. Some of the algorithms were selected arbitrarily, because limited information was available comparing the efficiency of the various algorithms. Algorithms available for solving general non-linear programming problems were also included and briefly discussed as they can be used to solve quadratic programming problems. A number of algorithms were then selected for evaluation, depending on the frequency of use in practice and the availability of software implementing these algorithms. The evaluation included a theoretical and quantitative comparison of the algorithms. The quantitative results were analyzed and discussed and it was shown that the results supported the theoretical comparison. It was also shown that it is difficult to conclude that one algorithm is better than another as the efficiency of an algorithm greatly depends on the size of the problem, the complexity of an algorithm and many other implementation issues. Optimization problems arise continuously in a wide range of fields and thus create the need for effective methods of solving them. This dissertation provides the fundamental theory necessary for the understanding of optimization problems, with particular reference to quadratic programming problems and the algorithms that solve such problems. Keywords: Quadratic Programming, Quadratic Programming Algorithms, Optimization, Non-linear Programming, Convex, Non-convex.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Vankova, Martina
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Quadratic programming , Nonlinear programming , Algorithms
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11086 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/348 , Quadratic programming , Nonlinear programming , Algorithms
- Description: The purpose of this dissertation was to provide a review of the theory of Optimization, in particular quadratic programming, and the algorithms suitable for solving both convex and non-convex quadratic programming problems. Optimization problems arise in a wide variety of fields and many can be effectively modeled with linear equations. However, there are problems for which linear models are not sufficient thus creating a need for non-linear systems. This dissertation includes a literature study of the formal theory necessary for understanding optimization and an investigation of the algorithms available for solving a special class of the non-linear programming problem, namely the quadratic programming problem. It was not the intention of this dissertation to discuss all possible algorithms for solving the quadratic programming problem, therefore certain algorithms for convex and non-convex quadratic programming problems were selected for a detailed discussion in the dissertation. Some of the algorithms were selected arbitrarily, because limited information was available comparing the efficiency of the various algorithms. Algorithms available for solving general non-linear programming problems were also included and briefly discussed as they can be used to solve quadratic programming problems. A number of algorithms were then selected for evaluation, depending on the frequency of use in practice and the availability of software implementing these algorithms. The evaluation included a theoretical and quantitative comparison of the algorithms. The quantitative results were analyzed and discussed and it was shown that the results supported the theoretical comparison. It was also shown that it is difficult to conclude that one algorithm is better than another as the efficiency of an algorithm greatly depends on the size of the problem, the complexity of an algorithm and many other implementation issues. Optimization problems arise continuously in a wide range of fields and thus create the need for effective methods of solving them. This dissertation provides the fundamental theory necessary for the understanding of optimization problems, with particular reference to quadratic programming problems and the algorithms that solve such problems. Keywords: Quadratic Programming, Quadratic Programming Algorithms, Optimization, Non-linear Programming, Convex, Non-convex.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
An evaluation of paired comparison models
- Venter, Daniel Jacobus Lodewyk
- Authors: Venter, Daniel Jacobus Lodewyk
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Paired comparisons (Statistics) , Mathematical statistics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11087 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/364 , Paired comparisons (Statistics) , Mathematical statistics
- Description: Introduction: A typical task in quantitative data analysis is to derive estimates of population parameters based on sample statistics. For manifest variables this is usually a straightforward process utilising suitable measurement instruments and standard statistics such the mean, median and standard deviation. Latent variables on the other hand are typically more elusive, making it difficult to obtain valid and reliable measurements. One of the most widely used methods of estimating the parameter value of a latent variable is to use a summated score derived from a set of individual scores for each of the various attributes of the latent variable. A serious limitation of this method and other similar methods is that the validity and reliability of measurements depend on whether the statements included in the questionnaire cover all characteristics of the variable being measured and also on respondents’ ability to correctly indicate their perceived assessment of the characteristics on the scale provided. Methods without this limitation and that are especially useful where a set of objects/entities must be ranked based on the parameter values of one or more latent variables, are methods of paired comparisons. Although the underlying assumptions and algorithms of these methods often differ dramatically, they all rely on data derived from a series of comparisons, each consisting of a pair of specimens selected from the set of objects/entities being investigated. Typical examples of the comparison process are: subjects (judges) who have to indicate for each pair of objects which of the two they prefer; sport teams that compete against each other in matches that involve two teams at a time. The resultant data of each comparison range from a simple dichotomy to indicate which of the two objects are preferred/better, to an interval or ratio scale score for e d Bradley-Terry models, and were based on statistical theory assuming that the variable(s) being measured is either normally (Thurstone-Mosteller) or exponentially (Bradley-Terry) distributed. For many years researchers had to rely on these PCM’s when analysing paired comparison data without any idea about the implications if the distribution of the data from which their sample were obtained differed from the assumed distribution for the applicable PCM being utilised. To address this problem, PCM’s were subsequently developed to cater for discrete variables and variables with distributions that are neither normal or exponential. A question that remained unanswered is how the performance, as measured by the accuracy of parameter estimates, of PCM's are affected if they are applied to data from a range of discrete and continuous distribution that violates the assumptions on which the applicable paired comparison algorithm is based. This study is an attempt to answer this question by applying the most popular PCM's to a range of randomly derived data sets that spans typical continuous and discrete data distributions. It is hoped that the results of this study will assist researchers when selecting the most appropriate PCM to obtain accurate estimates of the parameters of the variables in their data sets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Venter, Daniel Jacobus Lodewyk
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Paired comparisons (Statistics) , Mathematical statistics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11087 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/364 , Paired comparisons (Statistics) , Mathematical statistics
- Description: Introduction: A typical task in quantitative data analysis is to derive estimates of population parameters based on sample statistics. For manifest variables this is usually a straightforward process utilising suitable measurement instruments and standard statistics such the mean, median and standard deviation. Latent variables on the other hand are typically more elusive, making it difficult to obtain valid and reliable measurements. One of the most widely used methods of estimating the parameter value of a latent variable is to use a summated score derived from a set of individual scores for each of the various attributes of the latent variable. A serious limitation of this method and other similar methods is that the validity and reliability of measurements depend on whether the statements included in the questionnaire cover all characteristics of the variable being measured and also on respondents’ ability to correctly indicate their perceived assessment of the characteristics on the scale provided. Methods without this limitation and that are especially useful where a set of objects/entities must be ranked based on the parameter values of one or more latent variables, are methods of paired comparisons. Although the underlying assumptions and algorithms of these methods often differ dramatically, they all rely on data derived from a series of comparisons, each consisting of a pair of specimens selected from the set of objects/entities being investigated. Typical examples of the comparison process are: subjects (judges) who have to indicate for each pair of objects which of the two they prefer; sport teams that compete against each other in matches that involve two teams at a time. The resultant data of each comparison range from a simple dichotomy to indicate which of the two objects are preferred/better, to an interval or ratio scale score for e d Bradley-Terry models, and were based on statistical theory assuming that the variable(s) being measured is either normally (Thurstone-Mosteller) or exponentially (Bradley-Terry) distributed. For many years researchers had to rely on these PCM’s when analysing paired comparison data without any idea about the implications if the distribution of the data from which their sample were obtained differed from the assumed distribution for the applicable PCM being utilised. To address this problem, PCM’s were subsequently developed to cater for discrete variables and variables with distributions that are neither normal or exponential. A question that remained unanswered is how the performance, as measured by the accuracy of parameter estimates, of PCM's are affected if they are applied to data from a range of discrete and continuous distribution that violates the assumptions on which the applicable paired comparison algorithm is based. This study is an attempt to answer this question by applying the most popular PCM's to a range of randomly derived data sets that spans typical continuous and discrete data distributions. It is hoped that the results of this study will assist researchers when selecting the most appropriate PCM to obtain accurate estimates of the parameters of the variables in their data sets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
The use of computer-based management information systems as a recruitment tool an assessment of the attitudes of recruitment agents in a selected area of the Western Cape on 10 February 2004
- Authors: Victor, Louana
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Employment agencies -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Evaluation , Employee selection -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Data processing , Management information systems -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10997 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/342 , Employment agencies -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Evaluation , Employee selection -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Data processing , Management information systems -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Description: Recruitment and selection has become a specialised industry and is competing in a global market. To remain competitive, recruitment agents have to stay ahead of their competitors, by providing an excellent service to customers and applicants, and by keeping up with technological developments in their field. The current investigation focuses on an assessment of the attitudes of recruitment agents in a selected area of the Western Cape Province to the use of computer-based management information systems as a recruitment tool. A questionnaire was distributed amongst recruitment agents in the identified area. It focused on recruiter biographical information, the services they offer, the methods and processes they use in recruitment, the knowledge and skills they need in their field, and their knowledge and attitude towards electronic-recruitment. The literature indicated a move towards using technology in the field of recruitment, and this was consistent with the findings of the study. Although the respondents were familiar with developments in technology used for recruitment, only a small number were familiar with the major business information systems, namely, SAP R/3, Oracle and PeopleSoft. Information specifically related to recruitment agents in South Africa was limited, but the study provided some insight into this field. It was found that recruitment agents disagree on what a good advertisement, as well as a good résumé, should contain, and this is problematic as these are two of the most important things that recruitment agents work with every day. The literature provided no indication of the qualifications needed by a recruitment agent, and resulting from this, a second finding of the study indicated that, according to the respondents, the qualifications needed by a recruitment agent are varied. It was found that qualifications of the sample group varied from only a school-leaving certificate to post-graduate degrees. A significant trend identified that only 24.2 per cent of recruitment agents are involved in research related to recruitment, and write articles related to their field. This contributes to the fact that so little information is available about South African recruitment agents. The study indicated that recruitment agents hold a positive attitude towards computer-based information systems, although they are accepted with caution because of various logistical problems in the South African market. The study also provided useful information to start a process of drawing up a profile of the South African recruitment agency business.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Victor, Louana
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Employment agencies -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Evaluation , Employee selection -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Data processing , Management information systems -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10997 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/342 , Employment agencies -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Evaluation , Employee selection -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Data processing , Management information systems -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Description: Recruitment and selection has become a specialised industry and is competing in a global market. To remain competitive, recruitment agents have to stay ahead of their competitors, by providing an excellent service to customers and applicants, and by keeping up with technological developments in their field. The current investigation focuses on an assessment of the attitudes of recruitment agents in a selected area of the Western Cape Province to the use of computer-based management information systems as a recruitment tool. A questionnaire was distributed amongst recruitment agents in the identified area. It focused on recruiter biographical information, the services they offer, the methods and processes they use in recruitment, the knowledge and skills they need in their field, and their knowledge and attitude towards electronic-recruitment. The literature indicated a move towards using technology in the field of recruitment, and this was consistent with the findings of the study. Although the respondents were familiar with developments in technology used for recruitment, only a small number were familiar with the major business information systems, namely, SAP R/3, Oracle and PeopleSoft. Information specifically related to recruitment agents in South Africa was limited, but the study provided some insight into this field. It was found that recruitment agents disagree on what a good advertisement, as well as a good résumé, should contain, and this is problematic as these are two of the most important things that recruitment agents work with every day. The literature provided no indication of the qualifications needed by a recruitment agent, and resulting from this, a second finding of the study indicated that, according to the respondents, the qualifications needed by a recruitment agent are varied. It was found that qualifications of the sample group varied from only a school-leaving certificate to post-graduate degrees. A significant trend identified that only 24.2 per cent of recruitment agents are involved in research related to recruitment, and write articles related to their field. This contributes to the fact that so little information is available about South African recruitment agents. The study indicated that recruitment agents hold a positive attitude towards computer-based information systems, although they are accepted with caution because of various logistical problems in the South African market. The study also provided useful information to start a process of drawing up a profile of the South African recruitment agency business.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
The specification and design of a prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring tool
- Authors: Viljoen, Deon Walter
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: MPEG (Video coding standard) , Digital video -- Standards , Multimedia systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11092 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015741 , MPEG (Video coding standard) , Digital video -- Standards , Multimedia systems
- Description: The purpose of this project was the specification, design and implementation of a prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring tool. A literature study was conducted of the MPEG-4 standard and multimedia authoring tools to determine the specification and design of a prototype 2- D MPEG-4 authoring tool. The specification and design was used as a basis for the implementation of a prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring tool that complies with the Complete 2-D Scene Graph Profile. The need for research into MPEG-4 authoring tools arose from the reported lack of knowledge of the MPEG-4 standard and the limited implementations of MPEG-4 authoring tools available to content authors. In order for MPEG-4 to reach its full potential, it will require authoring tools and content players that satisfy the needs of its users. The theoretical component of this dissertation included a literature study of the MPEG-4 standard and an investigation of relevant multimedia authoring systems. MPEG-4 was introduced as a standard that allows for the creation and streaming of interactive multimedia content at variable bit rates over high and low bandwidth connections. The requirements for the prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring system were documented and a prototype system satisfying the requirements was designed, implemented and evaluated. The evaluation of the prototype system showed that the system successfully satisfied all its requirements and that it provides the user with an easy to use and intuitive authoring tool. MPEG-4 has the potential to satisfy the increasing demand for innovative multimedia content on low bandwidth networks, including the Internet and mobile networks, as well as the need expressed by users to interact with multimedia content. This dissertation makes an important contribution to the understanding of the MPEG-4 standard, its functionality and the design of a 2-D MPEG-4 Authoring tool. Keywords: MPEG-4; MPEG-4 authoring; Binary Format for Scenes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Viljoen, Deon Walter
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: MPEG (Video coding standard) , Digital video -- Standards , Multimedia systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11092 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015741 , MPEG (Video coding standard) , Digital video -- Standards , Multimedia systems
- Description: The purpose of this project was the specification, design and implementation of a prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring tool. A literature study was conducted of the MPEG-4 standard and multimedia authoring tools to determine the specification and design of a prototype 2- D MPEG-4 authoring tool. The specification and design was used as a basis for the implementation of a prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring tool that complies with the Complete 2-D Scene Graph Profile. The need for research into MPEG-4 authoring tools arose from the reported lack of knowledge of the MPEG-4 standard and the limited implementations of MPEG-4 authoring tools available to content authors. In order for MPEG-4 to reach its full potential, it will require authoring tools and content players that satisfy the needs of its users. The theoretical component of this dissertation included a literature study of the MPEG-4 standard and an investigation of relevant multimedia authoring systems. MPEG-4 was introduced as a standard that allows for the creation and streaming of interactive multimedia content at variable bit rates over high and low bandwidth connections. The requirements for the prototype 2-D MPEG-4 authoring system were documented and a prototype system satisfying the requirements was designed, implemented and evaluated. The evaluation of the prototype system showed that the system successfully satisfied all its requirements and that it provides the user with an easy to use and intuitive authoring tool. MPEG-4 has the potential to satisfy the increasing demand for innovative multimedia content on low bandwidth networks, including the Internet and mobile networks, as well as the need expressed by users to interact with multimedia content. This dissertation makes an important contribution to the understanding of the MPEG-4 standard, its functionality and the design of a 2-D MPEG-4 Authoring tool. Keywords: MPEG-4; MPEG-4 authoring; Binary Format for Scenes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
The legal implications of rugby injuries
- Authors: Viljoen, Erna
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Rugby football injuries -- South Africa , Sports medicine -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Rugby football players -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11058 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/332 , Rugby football injuries -- South Africa , Sports medicine -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Rugby football players -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa
- Description: Sports law in South Africa is a field requiring exciting and intensive research. With so many sporting codes changing their status to professional sport, intensive research on the legal implications pertaining to each professional sporting code has also become necessary. Professional rugby in South Africa has grown into a multimillion rand industry. It is an industry whose role players need specialized legal advice on a multitude of issues. This dissertation addresses the legal issues arising out of the situation where a professional player is injured, during practice or a game, due to the intentional or negligent action of another. The medico-legal aspects of rugby, relating to causation and proof of injuries are an indispensable element of proving liability where rugby injuries are concerned. These aspects are crucial in assessing the criminal and delictual liability of players, coaches, referees, team physicians and even the union concerned. The problem of rugby violence, causing injury, is addressed by both the criminal law and the law of delict with the issue of consent being central to this discussion. Furthermore, the labour law implications can be far-reaching for both the player and the employer union due to the unique features of sport as an industry. All role players in professional rugby will have to cooperate with the legal community to ensure that a practical body of law is established in order to make rugby a safer sport for all concerned and to protect the professional player from unnecessary, incapacitating injury.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Viljoen, Erna
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Rugby football injuries -- South Africa , Sports medicine -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Rugby football players -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11058 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/332 , Rugby football injuries -- South Africa , Sports medicine -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Rugby football players -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa
- Description: Sports law in South Africa is a field requiring exciting and intensive research. With so many sporting codes changing their status to professional sport, intensive research on the legal implications pertaining to each professional sporting code has also become necessary. Professional rugby in South Africa has grown into a multimillion rand industry. It is an industry whose role players need specialized legal advice on a multitude of issues. This dissertation addresses the legal issues arising out of the situation where a professional player is injured, during practice or a game, due to the intentional or negligent action of another. The medico-legal aspects of rugby, relating to causation and proof of injuries are an indispensable element of proving liability where rugby injuries are concerned. These aspects are crucial in assessing the criminal and delictual liability of players, coaches, referees, team physicians and even the union concerned. The problem of rugby violence, causing injury, is addressed by both the criminal law and the law of delict with the issue of consent being central to this discussion. Furthermore, the labour law implications can be far-reaching for both the player and the employer union due to the unique features of sport as an industry. All role players in professional rugby will have to cooperate with the legal community to ensure that a practical body of law is established in order to make rugby a safer sport for all concerned and to protect the professional player from unnecessary, incapacitating injury.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
A preliminary investigation into the patterns of performance on a computerized adaptive test battery implications for admissions and placement
- Authors: Vorster, Marlene
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Universities and colleges -- Admission , Advanced placement programs (Education) , Computer adaptive testing , Universities and colleges -- Entrance requirements
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11030 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/285 , Universities and colleges -- Admission , Advanced placement programs (Education) , Computer adaptive testing , Universities and colleges -- Entrance requirements
- Description: The fallibility of human judgment in the making of decisions requires the use of tests to enhance decision-making processes. Although testing is surrounded with issues of bias and fairness, it remains the best means of facilitating decisions over more subjective alternatives. As a country in transition, all facets of South African society are being transformed. The changes taking place within the tertiary education system to redress the legacy of Apartheid, coincide with an international trend of transforming higher education. One important area that is being transformed relates to university entrance requirements and admissions procedures. In South Africa, these were traditionally based on matriculation performance, which has been found to be a more variable predictor of academic success for historically disadvantaged students. Alternative or revised admissions procedures have been implemented at universities throughout the country, in conjunction with academic development programmes. However, it is argued in this dissertation that a paradigm shift is necessary to conceptualise admissions and placement assessment in a developmentally oriented way. Furthermore, it is motivated that it is important to keep abreast of advances in theory, such as item response theory (IRT) and technology, such as computerized adaptive testing (CAT), in test development to enhance the effectiveness of selecting and placing learners in tertiary programmes. This study focuses on investigating the use of the Accuplacer Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs), an adaptive test battery that was developed in the USA, to facilitate unbiased and fair admissions, placement and development decisions in the transforming South African context. The battery has been implemented at a university in the Eastern Cape and its usefulness was investigated for 193 participants, divided into two groups of degree programmes, depending on whether or not admission to the degree required mathematics as a matriculation subject. Mathematics based degree programme learners (n = 125) wrote three and non-mathematics based degree programme learners (n = 68) wrote two tests of the Accuplacer test battery. Correlations were computed between the Accuplacer scores and matriculation performance, and between the Accuplacer scores, matriculation performance and academic results. All yielded significant positive relationships excepting for the one subtest of the Accuplacer with academic performance for the non-mathematics based degree group. Multiple correlations for both groups indicated that the Accuplacer scores and matriculation results contribute unique information about academic performance. Cluster analysis for both groups yielded three underlying patterns of performance in the data sets. An attempt was made to validate the cluster groups internally through a MANOVA and single-factor ANOVAs. It was found that Accuplacer subtests and matriculation results do discriminate to an extent among clusters of learners in both groups of degree programmes investigated. Clusters were described in terms of demographic information and it was determined that the factors of culture and home language and how they relate to cluster group membership need further investigation. The main suggestion flowing from these findings is that an attempt be made to confirm the results with a larger sample size and for different cultural and language groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Vorster, Marlene
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Universities and colleges -- Admission , Advanced placement programs (Education) , Computer adaptive testing , Universities and colleges -- Entrance requirements
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11030 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/285 , Universities and colleges -- Admission , Advanced placement programs (Education) , Computer adaptive testing , Universities and colleges -- Entrance requirements
- Description: The fallibility of human judgment in the making of decisions requires the use of tests to enhance decision-making processes. Although testing is surrounded with issues of bias and fairness, it remains the best means of facilitating decisions over more subjective alternatives. As a country in transition, all facets of South African society are being transformed. The changes taking place within the tertiary education system to redress the legacy of Apartheid, coincide with an international trend of transforming higher education. One important area that is being transformed relates to university entrance requirements and admissions procedures. In South Africa, these were traditionally based on matriculation performance, which has been found to be a more variable predictor of academic success for historically disadvantaged students. Alternative or revised admissions procedures have been implemented at universities throughout the country, in conjunction with academic development programmes. However, it is argued in this dissertation that a paradigm shift is necessary to conceptualise admissions and placement assessment in a developmentally oriented way. Furthermore, it is motivated that it is important to keep abreast of advances in theory, such as item response theory (IRT) and technology, such as computerized adaptive testing (CAT), in test development to enhance the effectiveness of selecting and placing learners in tertiary programmes. This study focuses on investigating the use of the Accuplacer Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs), an adaptive test battery that was developed in the USA, to facilitate unbiased and fair admissions, placement and development decisions in the transforming South African context. The battery has been implemented at a university in the Eastern Cape and its usefulness was investigated for 193 participants, divided into two groups of degree programmes, depending on whether or not admission to the degree required mathematics as a matriculation subject. Mathematics based degree programme learners (n = 125) wrote three and non-mathematics based degree programme learners (n = 68) wrote two tests of the Accuplacer test battery. Correlations were computed between the Accuplacer scores and matriculation performance, and between the Accuplacer scores, matriculation performance and academic results. All yielded significant positive relationships excepting for the one subtest of the Accuplacer with academic performance for the non-mathematics based degree group. Multiple correlations for both groups indicated that the Accuplacer scores and matriculation results contribute unique information about academic performance. Cluster analysis for both groups yielded three underlying patterns of performance in the data sets. An attempt was made to validate the cluster groups internally through a MANOVA and single-factor ANOVAs. It was found that Accuplacer subtests and matriculation results do discriminate to an extent among clusters of learners in both groups of degree programmes investigated. Clusters were described in terms of demographic information and it was determined that the factors of culture and home language and how they relate to cluster group membership need further investigation. The main suggestion flowing from these findings is that an attempt be made to confirm the results with a larger sample size and for different cultural and language groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Designing an evaluation instrument for South African intermediate phase school textbooks
- Authors: Vosloo, Barend Jacobus
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Textbooks -- South Africa -- Evaluation , Curriculum change -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:11014 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/324 , Textbooks -- South Africa -- Evaluation , Curriculum change -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Description: No coherent theory about the practice of South African intermediate phase school textbook evaluation has been forthcoming since the advent of a new South African school curriculum in 1998. This deficiency has had an adverse effect on the quality of intermediate phase school textbooks, as well as on the capacity to assess their value. This research project, therefore, had two aims. The first was to articulate a theory about the practice of textbook evaluation. The second was to develop a procedure for evaluating South African intermediate phase school textbooks in terms of the theory. The research method was underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm in terms of which relevant data were analysed and interpreted. The data emanated from a literature review, an analysis of the national Department of Education’s Revised National Curriculum Statement and its draft policy for the evaluation of learning support material, and two surveys. The first survey comprised a sample of intermediate phase teachers and the second a sample of intermediate phase textbook authors. Sufficient evidence was found to conclude that the capabilities of the authoring team, the authors’ rationale and their observance of the process of learning and instruction, the accessibility of the textbook, the availability of teacher support, meeting the requirements of the Revised National Curriculum Statement, and certain key notions about textbook evaluation play a role in articulating a theory about textbook evaluation in order to guide the process of determining the effectiveness of South African intermediate phase school textbooks. Based on the above-mentioned theory, this study proposes a procedure to assist teachers and textbook evaluators to assess the worth of South African intermediate phase school textbooks in a brief, systematic, thorough, rigorous, and practical manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Vosloo, Barend Jacobus
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Textbooks -- South Africa -- Evaluation , Curriculum change -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:11014 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/324 , Textbooks -- South Africa -- Evaluation , Curriculum change -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Description: No coherent theory about the practice of South African intermediate phase school textbook evaluation has been forthcoming since the advent of a new South African school curriculum in 1998. This deficiency has had an adverse effect on the quality of intermediate phase school textbooks, as well as on the capacity to assess their value. This research project, therefore, had two aims. The first was to articulate a theory about the practice of textbook evaluation. The second was to develop a procedure for evaluating South African intermediate phase school textbooks in terms of the theory. The research method was underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm in terms of which relevant data were analysed and interpreted. The data emanated from a literature review, an analysis of the national Department of Education’s Revised National Curriculum Statement and its draft policy for the evaluation of learning support material, and two surveys. The first survey comprised a sample of intermediate phase teachers and the second a sample of intermediate phase textbook authors. Sufficient evidence was found to conclude that the capabilities of the authoring team, the authors’ rationale and their observance of the process of learning and instruction, the accessibility of the textbook, the availability of teacher support, meeting the requirements of the Revised National Curriculum Statement, and certain key notions about textbook evaluation play a role in articulating a theory about textbook evaluation in order to guide the process of determining the effectiveness of South African intermediate phase school textbooks. Based on the above-mentioned theory, this study proposes a procedure to assist teachers and textbook evaluators to assess the worth of South African intermediate phase school textbooks in a brief, systematic, thorough, rigorous, and practical manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
The concurrent jurisdiction of the Labour Court and the High Court
- Authors: Wagener, Pieter Cornelius
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: South Africa. High Court , South Africa. Labour Court , Exclusive and concurrent legislative powers -- South Africa , Law, Interpretation and construction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11051 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/286 , South Africa. High Court , South Africa. Labour Court , Exclusive and concurrent legislative powers -- South Africa , Law, Interpretation and construction
- Description: An overview is given of the difficulties surrounding the concurrent jurisdiction of the Labour Court and High Court The main categories of the jurisdictional dispute are identified and systemised. The main branches are those of statutory overlap and interpretation of statutes. Statutory overlap concerns matters remaining from the industrial court era, urgent applications, delict and law of contract. Statutory interpretation mainly involves the interpretation of provisions in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. An overview of the principles of jurisdiction with respect to the different courts, as well as a brief historical review of the development of such jurisdiction is given. Particular attention is given to the role of fundamental rights in the Constitution. Broad principles are identified whereby the difficulties may be addressed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Wagener, Pieter Cornelius
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: South Africa. High Court , South Africa. Labour Court , Exclusive and concurrent legislative powers -- South Africa , Law, Interpretation and construction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11051 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/286 , South Africa. High Court , South Africa. Labour Court , Exclusive and concurrent legislative powers -- South Africa , Law, Interpretation and construction
- Description: An overview is given of the difficulties surrounding the concurrent jurisdiction of the Labour Court and High Court The main categories of the jurisdictional dispute are identified and systemised. The main branches are those of statutory overlap and interpretation of statutes. Statutory overlap concerns matters remaining from the industrial court era, urgent applications, delict and law of contract. Statutory interpretation mainly involves the interpretation of provisions in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. An overview of the principles of jurisdiction with respect to the different courts, as well as a brief historical review of the development of such jurisdiction is given. Particular attention is given to the role of fundamental rights in the Constitution. Broad principles are identified whereby the difficulties may be addressed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Coping and satisfaction with life of retired elderly females in a residence for the aged
- Authors: Yerushalmi, Orit
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Older women -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Attitudes , Old age homes -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11027 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/383 , Older women -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Attitudes , Old age homes -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Demographically the aged are the fastest growing group both world-wide and in South Africa but despite this, psychologists have neglected psycho-geriatric research and its importance. In the past, old age has been studied by psychologists as a deviation from the norm of youth. The primary focus has been on the rate of cognitive decline, the process of social withdrawal and the etiology of dementia. Although these issues are of significant importance, the positive aspects of aging should also be considered; thereby challenging the stereotype that old age means disengagement, decline and degeneration. This study aimed to explore and describe the coping and life satisfaction of the retired elderly females in a residence for the aged. A quantitative exploratory descriptive research design was employed, making use of non-probability convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 40 retired females who have been living in a residence for the aged for at least 12 months. Further inclusion criterions were that the participants should have a relatively "sound/stable" neuropsychological status (i.e., they should not be suffering from any clinically diagnosed disorders, for example, dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease). The Coping Resources Inventory (CRI) was utilized to identify the coping resources used by the participants; the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29) was utilised as a measure of the participants' sense of coherence; the Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale (LSES) was employed to measure the global life satisfaction of the participants, namely on the cognitive level. A biographical questionnaire collated important demographic and background information. The data was analysed through computing descriptive statistics. Following this a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was utilised to inter-correlate the total score of the SOC-29 and the total score of the LSES with the individual subscales of the CRI. The results of the present study indicated the following: the SOC-29 revealed a relatively high mean score for the current sample. Results of the CRI revealed relatively high mean scores for the total scale as well as the five different subscales. The highest scores were obtained for the Spiritual/Philosophical and Physical Resources Subscales, while the lowest score was obtained for the Cognitive Resource Subscale. Results from the LSES indicated relatively high mean scores for both the total and all eight subscales. The highest scores were obtained for the Mood and xii Social contacts Subscales, while the lowest scores were obtained for the Health and Finance Subscales. Significant positive correlation was evident between the total scores of the CRI, the SOC-29 and the LSES. With regard to the individual subscales of the CRI, the results indicated significant moderate relationships between the SOC- 29 total raw score, the LSES total raw score and the Cognitive, Social and Physical Subscales scores of the CRI. However, the SOC-29 and LSES total raw scores did not correlate with the Emotional and Spiritual/Philosophical subscales of the CRI.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Yerushalmi, Orit
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Older women -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Attitudes , Old age homes -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11027 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/383 , Older women -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Attitudes , Old age homes -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Demographically the aged are the fastest growing group both world-wide and in South Africa but despite this, psychologists have neglected psycho-geriatric research and its importance. In the past, old age has been studied by psychologists as a deviation from the norm of youth. The primary focus has been on the rate of cognitive decline, the process of social withdrawal and the etiology of dementia. Although these issues are of significant importance, the positive aspects of aging should also be considered; thereby challenging the stereotype that old age means disengagement, decline and degeneration. This study aimed to explore and describe the coping and life satisfaction of the retired elderly females in a residence for the aged. A quantitative exploratory descriptive research design was employed, making use of non-probability convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 40 retired females who have been living in a residence for the aged for at least 12 months. Further inclusion criterions were that the participants should have a relatively "sound/stable" neuropsychological status (i.e., they should not be suffering from any clinically diagnosed disorders, for example, dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease). The Coping Resources Inventory (CRI) was utilized to identify the coping resources used by the participants; the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29) was utilised as a measure of the participants' sense of coherence; the Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale (LSES) was employed to measure the global life satisfaction of the participants, namely on the cognitive level. A biographical questionnaire collated important demographic and background information. The data was analysed through computing descriptive statistics. Following this a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was utilised to inter-correlate the total score of the SOC-29 and the total score of the LSES with the individual subscales of the CRI. The results of the present study indicated the following: the SOC-29 revealed a relatively high mean score for the current sample. Results of the CRI revealed relatively high mean scores for the total scale as well as the five different subscales. The highest scores were obtained for the Spiritual/Philosophical and Physical Resources Subscales, while the lowest score was obtained for the Cognitive Resource Subscale. Results from the LSES indicated relatively high mean scores for both the total and all eight subscales. The highest scores were obtained for the Mood and xii Social contacts Subscales, while the lowest scores were obtained for the Health and Finance Subscales. Significant positive correlation was evident between the total scores of the CRI, the SOC-29 and the LSES. With regard to the individual subscales of the CRI, the results indicated significant moderate relationships between the SOC- 29 total raw score, the LSES total raw score and the Cognitive, Social and Physical Subscales scores of the CRI. However, the SOC-29 and LSES total raw scores did not correlate with the Emotional and Spiritual/Philosophical subscales of the CRI.
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- Date Issued: 2004