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Integration of indigenous knowledge into library and information science teaching practices : a systematic review of the global literature
No full textIndigenous knowledge is an emerging theme in humanistic scholarly conversations. Therefore, thepurpose of this study was to present a global perspective of teaching practices related to indigenous knowledge in the Library and Information Science (LIS) field as it lends itself to a humanistic approach. The aim was to identify how indigenous knowledge is integrated into the LIS curriculum. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology was used to review the literature. Key findings revealed that integrated teaching practices and indigenous knowledge are still emerging topics at LIS schools. The study recommends academics from LIS schools earnestly contribute to global literature by sharing their knowledge on teaching practices 'vis-a-vis' indigenous knowledge. Globally, this would ensure LIS academics tread common ground in integrating indigenous knowledge into the curriculum by using appropriate teaching practices. Ultimately, developing future LIS graduates as custodians of indigenous knowledge in industry.Copyright: 2023. IGI Global. Due to copyright restrictions, only the abstract is available. For access to the full text item, please consult the publisher's website. The definitive version of the work is published in: Digital preservation and documentation of global indigenous knowledge systems. Hershey, Pa: IGI Global, 303-321. doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-7024-4.ch01
Creativity in marketing communication to overcome barriers to organic produce purchases : the case of a developing nation
No full textThe change from conventional to organic foods has been found to have benefits for environmental sustainability and for consumers’ health. Although a market for organic fresh produce has been found to exist in South Africa, consumption levels are low and there is incomplete understanding of the barriers to organic consumption. In this qualitative research interviews were conducted with participants who were aware of organic products but were not regular consumers of organic products. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants to the study to better understand barriers to organic purchases. Qualitative data obtained from interviews was transcribed and thematic analysis conducted. Generally, participants appeared to be concerned about the environment, however, their concern for the environment does not lead to organic consumption. Furthermore, participants had positive attitudes toward organic products, are not influenced by friends and family but are deterred by issues such as price, availability and labelling of organic products. The recommendations include initiatives that will assist marketers with communicating organic benefits to consumers thereby explaining the reasons for higher prices and leading to consumer trust. Creative communication strategies present an opportunity to overcome barriers to consumption
Organisational change management framework for hospitals : a comparative case of St Mary’s, Marianhill, South Africa and St Joseph’s, Adazi-Nnukwu, Nigeria
No full textSubmitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Entrepreneurial Studies and Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2023.Change management in healthcare organisations is a complex task considering the continuous changes in global demography, technology, strategies, clinical communication, information transfer, and disease burden. The current global pandemic highlighted the need for healthcare organisations to continue implementing measures that adequately respond to health challenges towards patient satisfaction. Many organisations find it difficult to implement organisational change successfully. Unsuccessful change programmes can be attributed to the lack of employee training and development, poor leadership, inadequate communication, poor organisational culture and inadequate resources (Mosadeghrad & Ansarian, 2014). However, change programme implementation and its impact depend largely on the ability of managers to adopt and adapt the change programme techniques in their organisations. Agboola & Salawu's (2010) identified that the introduction of change produces a variety of reactions due to the intrinsic uncertainty or the alteration of employee behavioural patterns, including status quo, anxiety and lack of tolerance, amongst others. The greater the impact on the existing culture, the greater the amount of resistance likely to emerge and the more difficult it will be to implement change. The study of Organisational Development (OD) can serve as a learning paradigm for academic research by enhancing student knowledge about how change management can enable hospitals to create effective responses to changes. The main purpose of this study was to explore organisational change management practices in hospitals in Nigeria and South Africa and proposed a conceptual framework for the change management process for hospitals in a developing context. Employees are one of the most critical elements in any organisational change. Research objectives guided this study to determine the influence of driving forces of change on employee performance in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; to examine the impact of organisation culture on the practical implementation of change in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; to determine the influence of practical implementation of change on patient satisfaction in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; and to establish if drivers of change influence resistance to change during the implementation process in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu. This study provided information on resisting forces and stakeholder attitudes towards the change. And thus, assisted in restructuring the health system for greater efficiency through structural reforms that bring healthcare closer to the people, foster greater accountability and promote community participation. A case study research design was adopted for this study. An explanatory mixed-method approach was adopted with the observed hospitals. The target population and sampling frame were the employees and management from different organisational levels at both hospitals. The total number of employees and final sample size for the study was 132 for St Joseph's Hospital and 150 for St Mary's Hospital. The researcher designed two sets of questionnaires for all employees, a survey for quantitative and an open-ended questionnaire for qualitative. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 28.0 and NVivo 12 were used to analyse the data. The analysis results for objectives one, two, three and four revealed a significant relationship between drivers of organisational change and employee performance. Organisational culture significantly impacted the practical implementation of change. Practical implementation of change showed a significant relationship with patient satisfaction. However, a non-significant association was found between drivers of change and resistance to change. The study found that both hospitals were successful in their change programmes. This can be attributed to proper employee training and development, good leadership, effective communication, strong organisational culture and adequate resources. Technology and organisational policy have been documented as key drivers of organisational change and performance. The study recommends that the management of the two healthcare organisations continue to implement technological changes with appropriate and required training. Management should continue to improve the adopted communication system, participative leadership and motivation system to enhance the implementation of change and promote team-building exercises to improve staff attitudes.
Conflicting practices in higher education : a practitioner’s perspective
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy specialising in Leadership and Complexity at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The purpose of the study is to provide insights into the challenges faced by academics at a
previously disadvantaged university of technology in Durban.
The challenges academics face has been divided thematically in terms of learning and teaching
challenges; workload including administrative challenges; research and individual challenges
including mentorship, supervision and student challenges.
A systems thinking lens was used throughout the ethnographic study. The soft systems
methodology diagramming technique was used to construct a rich picture to unravel the
problematical situation with a view to constructing a framework of enquiry for the study.
A living theory paradigm with the aim of improving my practice was maintained throughout
the study by the practitioner-researcher using action research.
It is the researcher’s intention that the thesis is a new, serious contribution to a critical
understanding of the university of technology sector because it offers empirically-based
research analysing and dissecting existing challenges at a specific institution that can provide
a basis for further research in the sector.
The findings of the study can be of assistance to university leadership and management as well
as politicians, policy makers and practitioners not only to understand and absorb the harsh
reality of a concrete environment but to think, plan, design and implement strategies and tactics
leading to a better institution.
Equipping civil technology teachers with hands-on skills and educational resources for effective teaching of practical lessons
No full textContinuous professional development for teachers will always be prioritized, especially in cases where there are obvious and conspicuous gaps in their subject-matter expertise and when they handle practical skills exercises with inadequate planning and delivery. Hence, this study explores the effects of equipping Civil Technology teachers with hands-on skills and provision of educational resources for effective teaching of practical lessons. This study purposefully sampled nine (09) Civil Technology teachers from Ekurhuleni East, Gauteng province of South Africa. This study was hinged on Stronge’s qualities of effective teachers as its framework. This study adapted a mixed method design where closed-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were considered relevant data collection instrument and sources. A sequential explanatory design was used to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal that even though teachers get continuous hands-on skills training from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) annually, the trainings are often too generic and do not adequately boost teachers with confidence to teach specific skills (i.e., construction and plumbing) to learners. As a result, Civil Technology teachers could not actualize their continuous professional development training as an element of learning to become innovative skills teachers. The survey found that while certain Ekurhuleni East schools have instructional tools, some of the teachers were not trained to use them, which made it difficult to effectively teach practical lessons in Civil Technology. Therefore, this study recommended that the Gauteng Department of Education should focus on discipline specific instructional strategies that will promote innovation in skills-based activities in Civil Technology
Charged radiation collapse in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity
No full textWe generalise the continual gravitational col
lapse of a spherically symmetric radiation shell of matter in
f
ive dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity to include
theelectromagneticfield.Thepresenceofchargehasasignif
icant effectinthecollapsedynamics.Wenotethatthereexists
a maximal charge contribution for which the metric func
tions in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity remain real, which
is not the case in general relativity. Beyond this maximal
charge the spacetime metric is complex. The final fate of col
lapse for the uncharged matter field, with positive mass, is an
extended, weak and initially naked central conical singular
ity. With the presence of an electromagnetic field, collapse
terminates with the emergence of a branch singularity sepa
rating the physical spacetime from the complex region. We
show that this marked difference in singularity formation is
only prevalent in five dimensions. We extend our analysis to
higher dimensions and show that for all dimensions N ≥ 5,
charged collapse ceases with the above mentioned branch
singularity. This is significantly different than the uncharged
scenario where a strong curvature singularity forms post col
lapse for all N ≥ 6 and a weak conical singularity forms
when N =5.Acomparison with charged radiation collapse
in general relativity is also given
A sociological exploration of language lecturers' journey into African language teaching
No full textPost-apartheid policies aimed to promote African languages in higher education, yet lecturers face lack of institutional support and resource scarcity. This qualitative study explores experiences of African language lecturers at South African universities, using Bourdieusian theory to understand broader discourses around language, identity, and power shaping efforts to revalue these languages. In-depth interviews were conducted to gain insights into lecturers' journeys and lived experiences. The findings revealed that their habitus was oriented towards language teaching by familial, socio-political, and educational contexts. In addition, accumulating cultural capital through credentials facilitated academic lecturers’ progression while leveraging social capital through professional networks provided them crucial access and advocacy. Within competitive academia, lecturers continuously pursued prestigious positions and various forms of capital. Collaborating with language communities enabled developing localized, culturally validating pedagogies to counter institutional barriers. Technology access empowered effective role performance, research publishing, and career advancement. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by African language lecturers and highlights the need for institutional support, resource availability, and community engagement to promote and sustain African language education in higher education institutions
Social context and the use of technology in teaching African languages : a case study of public universities in KwaZulu-Natal
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Language Practice
at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.This study uses the concepts of Bourdieu’s sociological theory to investigate factors influencing technology use in teaching African languages. The study contends that language lecturers’ choices in teaching with technology were affected by the social phenomena of the field in which they operate. By adopting Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital, and field, the study offers a multi pronged approach to understanding the complex nature of the relationship between practices of individuals and social structures. A thematic textual analysis was used to investigate the attitudes of lecturers who taught African languages in selected public universities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The analysis reveals a mutually reinforcing relationship between individuals who operate in the teaching field and their behavioural attitudes towards using technology in teaching African languages. The study contributes to understanding how individuals and groups navigate different social and cultural contexts and how they could use their resources to the advantage of their fields. In addition, the study showed how agents actively try to shape their current teaching practices and adopt new approaches while subtly resisting external pressures that conflict with the practical realities of their field and their audience (students). The results of the interviews indicate that individuals' behaviours were influenced by the forces of the field where they operated, external factors and their habitus. This study recommends that policymakers collaborate with stakeholders like communities, governments, institutions, and lecturers to ensure technology development for teaching African languages yields desirable results. It also suggests African countries create an enabling environment for African languages to thrive, and future research adopts an integrated approach examining various factors influencing technology use in language teaching.
Increasing catalytic activity of a fructosyltransferase using site-directed mutagenesis
No full textSubmitted in complete fulfilment for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Biotechnology, University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally occurring metabolites that have a wide
application in the food industry. They are one of the most well-studied prebiotics and
have been used as an alternative sweetener to sucrose, as the modern diet demands
healthier and calorie-reduced foods. FOS is commercially produced either by
hydrolysis of inulin into inulin-type FOS or by sucrose transfructosylation into levantype
FOS. The levan-type FOS are short-chain FOS and are produced under the
catalysis of fructosyltransferase (FTase) or fructofuranosidase (FFase). In this study,
FOS production was studied using a fructosyltransferase, SucC, which was originally
isolated from Aspergillus niger and was functionally expressed in Pichia pastoris. The
tertiary structure of SucC was determined by bioinformatics analysis and catalytic sites
were verified and validated by wet and dry experiments where the amino acid residues
D64, D194 and E271 were proved to form the catalytic triad. Three mutants, C66S,
G273V, L313H were constructed aiming to improve the enzyme performance. Only the
C66S mutant showed improved enzymatic activity which was 61% increase in specific
activity. The other mutants, G273V and L313H, led to a complete loss of enzyme
activity. By simulating saturated mutagenesis, tertiary structure alignment, and
molecular docking, it was predicted that the C66S mutation could increase the
hydrophilic environment surrounding the active site without visible changes in its
structure. Two more amino acid residues (E296, H310) in addition to D64, D122, R193,
D194, E271 in mutant C66S were predicted to be interacting with sucrose, and the
binding energy changed from -3.65 to -4.14 kcal/mol. Subsequently, mutant C66S was
constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. The
purified mutant C66S showed improved enzymatic activity with a 61.3% increase in its
specific activity. Its Km value was decreased by 13.5% while the kcat value increased by
21.6%. Its transfructosylation efficiency significantly improved during the initial
reaction stages of FOS production. These results clearly revealed that the increase of
hydrophilicity surrounding the active site enhanced the transfructosylating activities.
Therefore, modification of the hydrophilic micro-environment surrounding the active
site could be an alternative way to artificially evolve an enzyme’s catalytic efficiency.
Investigation on the recovery of used engine oil using a single contactor and South African clays
No full textThis dissertation is submitted in the fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering: Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.In this study, used engine oil has undergone treatment by means of adsorption using three different naturally occurring South African clays. These were activated using sulphuric acid to enhance the removal of heavy metals. Adsorption is an effective and economic method for removing heavy metal constituents from used engine oils. Different types of low-cost adsorbents have been developed and tested to remove heavy metal ions. However, the adsorption efficiency is dependent on the type of adsorbents. Clay porous structure and the high surface area provide benefits in the treatment of liquids such as used oil and the adsorption of heavy metals. The effect of various parameters affecting adsorption behavior, i.e. contact time, pH, clay dosage, and initial metal ion concentration have been investigated. The three types of clays have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine crystalline structure, the components in the clay material using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and the thermal analysis to detect the structural changes that are accompanied by the thermal treatment. The metallic components found in the oil were determined using an atomic emission spectrometer (AES). Furthermore, the experimental adsorption data have been modelled by means of Langmuir and Freundlich’s isotherms. In addition, adsorption kinetics psuedo first and second order used to describe the mechanism of zinc and lead adsorption. Physio-chemical analysis of the treated and untreated used oil showed the presence of iron (Fe), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), in the investigated clays. In conclusion, the Attapulgite clay has the most removal efficiency when compared to the Bentonite and Kaolin clay. Hence, this is observed for both the elemental analysis and the fluid properties before and after treatment.