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Navigating barriers to academic professional development in Zimbabwe : a qualitative analysis of academics’ experiences
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal Issue 4, Volume 8, 2024In Zimbabwe, universities have established Teaching and Learning Centres to address issues of teaching quality which have become a source of concern. However, programmes designed and developed in these centres have experienced limited uptake from members of faculty thereby threatening the quality of teaching and learning. This study aims to explore the reasons for this low uptake of academic professional developed programmes from the lived experiences of lecturers. The study was framed by two theories, namely constructivism and adult learning theory. In terms of methodology, the qualitative case research approaches were used to collect data through open-ended semi-structured interviews. The population of the study was lecturers in institutions of higher learning from which 20 lecturers were purposely sampled from two conveniently sampled case study institutions. For data analysis, identification of themes was done through transcription and thematical analysis of data. The study revealed that departmental workloads, time, and pressure to do research made lecturers not to prioritize training in academic professional development. It also came out that lecturers were not consulted in the development of
training programmes and that workshops clashed with scheduled academic commitments of lecturers. It was recommended that needs analysis of lecturers should be conducted to inform the workshop programmes as well as having policies that are clear on workload balance and time for support staff development
Naming of spaza shop businesses in Bungeni Area, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province
Get PDFThesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024The study examined the naming of spaza shop businesses in Bungeni area, Vhembe District, in the Limpopo Province. It is vital to name a spaza shop since it makes people know the feelings, traditions, culture, wishes, and value norms attached to a specific nation. In most instances, a name conveys to inhibitants or occupants in a site information of some kind portraying a narrative that impacts on their lives. In African society, people give names that carry a certain meaning which is related to their personal feelings, thoughts and believes. This research dissertation illustrates some glaring bad repurcations when spaza shop owners in Bungeni area neglect giving their spaza shops names that have positive influences to enhance an impactful contribution to the successes of their spaza shops. The study also outlined the reasons that culminate the owners of spaza shop businesses in Bungeni area, being influenced by their belief systems when naming their spaza shops. To conclude, the study indicated that numerous measures can be taken in making sure that spaza shop owners in Bungeni area, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province use names that bear positive influences thereby contributing to the success of their spaza shop
Designing a secure access network technique to mitigate the impact of distributed denial of service attacks on mobile edge computing
Get PDFThesis (M. Sc. (Computer Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) enhances networking technology by bringing computing and storage close to end users. However, this advancement introduces security challenges, particularly its susceptibility to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that threaten network availability and performance in MEC. This study tackles these security vulnerabilities by introducing AdaptiveMECShield, an anomaly-based detection system designed to mitigate DDoS attacks in MEC environments. AdaptiveMECShield integrates several key features to efficiently detect and respond to malicious activity, load balancing, adaptive thresholding, windowing strategies, and real-time traffic monitoring using Software Defined Networking (SDN) controllers. The system dynamically adjusts trust values for network nodes based on packet header information, enabling timely and accurate detection of abnormal traffic. The adaptive thresholding mechanism allows the system to effectively respond to varying traffic patterns, minimizing false positives and negatives while maintaining high detection accuracy. Rigorous simulations demonstrated that AdaptiveMECShield outperformed the Self-Organising Map (SOM) scheme in terms of detection accuracy, false positive and negative rates, detection times, and resource consumption efficiency. In conclusion, AdaptiveMECShield significantly improves the security of MEC systems against DDoS attacks. Its proactive and adaptive nature ensures enhanced security and resilience of edge computing and IoT networks, contributing to uninterrupted availability and improved performance of critical services
Grade 11 learner's speaking skills in Sepedi home language classroom at Bogwasha Circuit, in Sekhukhune East District, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFThesis (M. Ed. (Language Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024South African schools under the Department of Basic Education (DBE) have language education as part of the curriculum. The DBE introduced the study of home languages as a measure to preserve culture, traditions and values of indigenous languages and drive transformation agenda. Sepedi Home Language (SEPHL) is a subject that is taught in most Bapedi communities in the Limpopo Province and partly in some provinces such as Gauteng and Mpumalanga. The subject is concerned with language education of the SEPHL. It is predominantly taught as a home language in schools. According to Education (2019), home languages refer to a learners’ mother tongue or a home language that is spoken in a particular setting and promotes abstract reasoning. The aim of this study is to investigate the speaking skills of learners in learning to speak fluently in Sepedi Home Language. The study draws from the theory of phenomenology. The framework is concerned with traditions of philosophy which aims to reflect on human experience (Irene & Albine, 2018). The approach attempts to explain language experiential meanings as they occur and are shaped by language, cognitive sensibilities, social, personal, and cultural preunderstandings (Van Manen and Adams, 2018). The study employed the qualitative research methodology as the founding foundation. The study constitutes a population of 32 schools from which 2 were sampled. This study investigated the speaking skills of learners in learning to speak fluent SEPHL in Bogwasha Circuit Sekhukhune East District in Limpopo, South Africa.
Learners are expected to perform exceptionally well in-home languages as they are mainly the languages, they speak at their homes regularly. However, with the dominance of English as a prestigious and global language predominantly used as a medium of instruction, learners often struggle with their home languages when it comes to acquiring vital language skills such as speaking, reading and writing. The study found that Sepedi Home Language speaking skills are adversely influenced by various factors such as technology, dialect, influence of other languages, Language use and code-switching in the classroom
Experiences of Grade 10 teachers and learners in learning Sepedi Home Language poetry aspects at Magatle Circuit, Capricorn South, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFThesis (M.Ed. ( Language Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024This study aimed to investigate difficulties experienced during the teaching and learning of poetry in the Grade 10 Sepedi Home Language classroom at Magatle Circuit, Capricorn South, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Amongst other prescribed literary genres like plays, novels, folktales, and short stories, poetry is one genre that is deemed worthy of art rather than mere amusement. One of the key roles of educators is to integrate poetry skills from cultural practices with formal education, using relevant and effective teaching strategies. The study employed a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through non-participant observation, and semi-structured interviews and were analysed thematically by coding them into sections and subsections according to the themes that emerged. The findings of the study revealed that learners and teachers have negative attitudes towards the poetic nature of the language used in poetry. The study, therefore, recommends that teachers be upskilled with strategies to teach poetry and that learners should be motivated to appreciate poetry as one of the important genres taught in school
Effects of alternaria leaf spot (alternaria alternata (fr.) keissi) on the growth, yield and phytochemical profile of moringa oleifera lam
Get PDFThesis (M. Sc. Agriculture (Plant Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024Moringa oleifera is a species of Moringa belonging to the family Moringaceae which
has been used for thousands of years in less developed communities. It is a nutrient rich plant containing a variety of minerals and phytochemicals. Moringa is affected by
pests and diseases which affect their growth, yield and phytochemical composition.
Alternaria alternata is one of the pathogens that causes Alternaria leaf spot disease in
Moringa. The objective of the study was to determine whether Alternaria leaf spot
(caused by Alternaria alternata) affects the growth, yield and phytochemical contents
of the PKM1 cultivar of M. oleifera. The study was conducted at the University of
Limpopo, Plant Pathology Laboratory, and the Green Biotechnologies Research
Centre of Excellence. Two main treatments: M. oleifera seedlings inoculated with A.
alternata and a non-inoculated control were used. The data collected for growth
parameters were plant height and stem diameter. Fresh shoot mass and root length
were collected as yield parameters. For the physiological attributes: photosynthetic
rate, stomatal conductance, transpirationrate, water use efficiency, and Ci intercellular
CO2 concentration were collected. The L*, a*,b*,c* and h values were collected as
colour parameters. Lastly, the biochemical compounds (total flavonoids, total phenols,
antioxidant activity and chlorophyll). To compare differences in treatment means,
paired sample t-test was performed at a 5% significance level using Sigma Stat
software 2016 and Graph Prism 5. The inoculated treatment significantly (p<0.05)
reduced the plant height and fresh shoot mass and had no significant (p>0.05) effect
on the stem diameter and root weight Inoculation affected the physiological attributes as follows: photosynthetic rate,
stomatal conductance and transpiration rate was decreased by 4%, 17% and 4%
respectively, while the water use efficiency increased by 10% in comparison to the
non-inoculated plants. There was no significant effect on the Ci intercellular CO2
concentration. The colour parameters affected by the treatment were as follows: the
mean± standard error of the treatment was higher than the control for the L*, a*, b*
and c* values. There was no significant difference for the h value. The inoculation
significantly (p<0.05) increased the total flavonoids, phenols and antioxidant activity
by 69%, 4% and 4% and decreased, chla, chlb and totchl by, 48%, 43% and 44%
respectively. In conclusion, the introduction of A. alternata into PKMI cultivar of M.
oleifera influenced its growth and development and altered the physiological and
biochemical defence mechanismFoodBev SETA and the DS
Financial development, foreign direct investment and economic growth nexus in South Africa
Get PDFThesis (M. Com. (Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024Financial markets, a wide range of financial instruments and foreign direct investment
inflows have grown in value and volume in a controlled manner during the decades
under democracy in South Africa. According to its economic prospects and
demographic potential, South Africa is distinguished as having a fast-growing market
when compared to other developing economies. The relationship between a country's
financial superstructure and economic development has long been emphasised in
financial sector development literature. This study investigates the impact of financial
sector development and foreign direct investment on economic growth in South Africa
from 1994 to 2020. This study applied Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips
Perron unit root tests, Bounds Co-integration analysis, Autoregressive Distributed Lag
method, diagnostic tests and stability tests. The bounds cointegration test approach
proved a long-run relationship among gross domestic product, domestic credit by
private sector, and foreign direct investment. The ARDL method was employed to
estimate the coefficients for the long run and short run model as well as the error
correction term. The long run result indicate that liquidity liabilities and domestic credit provided by private sector have a negative relationship with economic growth. While domestic credit from the financial sector and foreign direct investment has a positive correlation with economic growth whilst in the short domestic credit provided by private sectorand liquidity liabilities have a positive relationship while domestic credit from the
financial sector and foreign direct investment are negatively related to economic
growt
Perceptions of senior phase teaching in implementing teaching and learning materials within Sepedi Home Language curriculum : a case of Tubatse Circuit, Sekhukhune East District, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFThesis (M. Ed. (Language Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024This study aims to explore the perceptions of Senior Phase teachers in implementing
teaching and learning materials within the Sepedi Home Language curriculum at
Tubatse Circuit, Sekhukhune East District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The
quester-view approach was used to collect data in written and/or face-to-face forms.
The study sampled three (3) teachers per three primary schools and three (3)
Departmental Heads from the sampled schools. Data was analysed thematically
following the inductive method. The study intended to find out why Senior-Phase
teachers do not find it easy to implement the Sepedi Home Language curriculum,
investigating the relevancy of the teaching and learning materials since they are
developed from the guidelines of a second language and written in English rather than
Sepedi
An intensive scrutiny of spelling and orthography in Sesotho sa Leboa : a case of the University of Limpopo students
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024Maikemišetšo a nyakišišo ye, ke go utolla mafokodi a baithuti ba ngwaga wa mathomo diyunibesithing mabapi le ditlhohlo tša mongwalo le mopeleto ka Sesothong sa Leboa. Nyakišišo ye e nepišitše go fatišiša mabaka ao a dirago gore mongwalo le mopeleto tša Sesotho sa Leboa e be le ditlhohlo. Se sengwe ke go fatišiša ka fao barutiši(gadi) ba thekgago baithuti mabapi le ditlhohlo tšeo ba kopanago natšo ge ba ngwala polelo ye. Nyakišišo ye e hlahlilwe ke Teori ya tshekaseko go ya ka diphošo, le Teori ya legato la tšwetšopele ya mopeleto. Nyakišišo ye ke ya boleng, gomme tshedimošo e kgobokeditšwe go tšwa phatadiganong (tšeo di dirilwego ka sebelele, motho ka motho ka phatadiganong ya sekabeakanywa) le baithuti, gammogo le barutiši(gadi), ditaodišotlhaloši tša baithuti le tshedimošo go tšwa go dipuku tše nne tša bangwadi ba Sesotho sa Leboa. Bakgathatema ba hlaotšwe ka lebaka la gore ba na le diponagalo tšeo di ka thušago monyakišiši ka tshedimošo ya go amana le tlhogonyakišišo, ebile ba mo kgotsofatša ka diponagalo tša bona. Nyakišišo e hweditše gore baithuti le bangwadi ba bangwe ge ba ngwala, ba foša mopeleto le mongwalo mabapi le diponagalo tšeo di hlaoletšwego nyakišišo bjalo ka, kgomagantšho le kgaogantšho ya mantšu, thatafatšo, khuetšano, tirwa, lephethi, leamanyidiri, mainamatšo, mainagokwa le maadingwa. Barutiši(gadi) bjalo ka bakgathatema, le bona ba hlatsetše gore baithuti ba šitwa ke mongwalo le mopeleto. Se sengwe ke go re nyakišišo e hweditše gore go na le go nyalelana magareng ga diphošo tša baithuti le bangwadi. Seo se tloga se thekgwa ke mehlala ya diphošo tšeo di hweditšwego ditaodišong tša baithuti le tšeo di hweditšwego dingwalong tša bangwadi. Ge e le baithuti, ge ba fatwa diganong ba hlatsetše gore ba tshwenywa ke taba ye ya mongwalo le mopeleto, ka ge ba palelwa ke go ngwala le go peleta ka tshwanelo. Monyakišiši o šišintše gore go tšwelwe pele go dira diphatišišo ka diyunibesithing tše dingwe tša Aforika Borwa, ka ge taba ya go phoša mongwalo le mopeleto e ama polelo gampe
The diagnostic value of contrast administration following normal non-contrast brain computed tomography in Mankweng Hospital
Get PDFThesis (M. Med. (Diagnostic Radiology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2024BACKGROUND: The use of intravenous contrast during computed tomography (CT) scans enhances the detection and characterization of pathologies. However, its high cost, along with the potential adverse effects of the contrast agents and radiation, presents significant challenges for the resource-limited public health sector in South Africa. It is the responsibility of radiologists to justify the use of intravenous contrast and the exposure of patients to ionizing radiation.
AIM: This study aims to determine whether the administration of contrast significantly alters the diagnosis of normal non-contrast CT brain scans.
METHODS: A descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Mankweng Hospital, analysing 181 brain CT images acquired between January 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022. All patients underwent consecutive non-contrast CT (NCCT) and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) scans, with CECT performed immediately following NCCT. A simple random sampling approach was employed. Senior registrars reported the scans, a consultant radiologist verified the reports, followed by a discussion of a subset of equivocal scans in a consensus meeting. Results were recorded and statistically analysed using SPSS. The kappa coefficient was utilized to measure the agreement between the NCCT and CECT scans, with all statistical analyses conducted at a 5% level of significance.
RESULTS: Among the 181 sampled scans, 88 (48.6%) were initially reported as normal on NCCT. Of these, 84 (95.5%) remained normal after contrast administration, while 4 (4.5%) exhibited significant diagnostic changes after receiving the contrast. The kappa coefficient of 0.945 indicated almost perfect agreement between the NCCT and CECT scans (p < 0.005). The administration of contrast provided additional diagnostic value primarily in immunocompromised patients or those with fever, seizures, or decreased levels of consciousness.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that administering contrast following a normal NCCT brain scan may not be necessary. Omitting this step could reduce healthcare costs, scan time, and radiation exposure. Radiologists should justify the use of contrast and repeat scans based on clinical information. We recommend adopting a “scan, review, and justify” approach to optimize resource utilization and minimize harm. Future studies should investigate the cost-effectiveness of this approach