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Attitude of physical sciences teachers towards the role of formal assessment of practical work: a case study in Buffalo City metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape
Get PDFThe Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Physical sciences in South African states that learners should carryout formal experiments Formal experiments contribute immensely to the development of laboratory skills and scientific knowledge, as well as understanding science concepts and theories. However, research shows that many teachers do not support and/or guide learners in formal experiments. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the attitude of Grade 11 Physical sciences teachers in Buffalo City Metropolitan District (BCM), in the Eastern Cape province regarding formal experiments. The TALIS framework was used to unpack teachers’ perceptions and understanding of formal experiments and related practical activities. A qualitative approach within the interpretative paradigm was employed in which an open-ended questionnaire and face to face interviews were conducted as data collection tools. The sample comprised ten participants (4 males and 6 females) of ages ranging from 20 to 54 years The data collection process involved three phases that included a pre-intervention questionnaire, an intervention workshop and post intervention face to face interview. Most of the participants 7(70%) confirmed that they did not carry out all formal experiments as prescribed in the CAPS document. The results revealed that most teachers do not understand the purpose of practical work and /or formal experiments, which is a possible explanation for the negative attitude towards the formal experiments teachers hold. The study also revealed that some participants 4(40%) did not understand the link between science pedagogy and the nature of science. It was discovered from the results that negative attitude towards formal experiments was due to lack of resources, lack of knowledge to guide learners to carry out the experiments, lack of time, and overcrowded classes.Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, School of Postgraduate Education, 202
Rural teachers’ experiences during covid-19 pandemic: lessons learnt to cope with future emergencies
Get PDFThis study focused on challenges faced by rural teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the intention of using the outcomes to develop a framework that could assist with coping with similar challenges in future emergencies. The study was situated in the interpretivist paradigm. A qualitative approach was employed using interviews and a focus group discussion. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and the theory of rurality were used as lenses to explore and interpret the challenges that rural teachers experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's findings reveal that teachers faced the following challenges: mental health, adaptability, impact on personal life, safety, and work environment challenges. Furthermore, the study also found that teachers used the following coping mechanisms to deal with the challenges during the pandemic: adherence to rules and regulations, pastoral services, support from friends and family, collaboration, and physical activity. Finally, after applying both the theory of rurality and Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory to the findings, a framework was developed to assist in coping with future emergencies.Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Post Graduate Education, 202
Grade 12 literary writing: Perceptions and practices of educators and learners in an English Home Language classroom
Get PDFThis study sought to understand perceptions and practices of the literary writing abilities of educators1 and learners of Grade 12 at a high school in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. Evidence reveals these abilities to be poor. Interviews with educators in the English Home Language Department at the selected school aimed to gain insight into their approaches to teaching literary writing as well as their comprehension and methods of implementation of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement’s guidelines for the teaching of the literary essay. Focus group discussions were held with the predominantly isiXhosa or Afrikaans-speaking learners to gauge whether their identities as isiXhosa and Afrikaans speakers in the English Home Language classroom affect their perceptions of the literary texts they have to read and write about. Lastly, an analysis of the learners’ literary essays provided a window into the translation of writing techniques taught and learned. The study found that literary essay writing and literature study lessons contributed to the alienation learners experienced. Learners’ varying learning styles are not prioritised for literature study and literary essay writing. The educators’ selected approach is partly due to the overloaded curriculum which does not equip teachers with the information and skills to execute lessons which lead to effective acquisition of literary writing skills. The CAPS’s flawed premises of the nature of language and lack of support of educators’ teaching of the literary essay perpetuates the subjugation of learners. A framework is suggested to create access to academic writing skills for the learners.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Language, Media and Communication, 202
Diaspora in Dialogue: An Ontology of Diasporic Subjectivity in the Work of Three Artists Living In-Between South Africa and Zimbabwe
Get PDFAs a Zimbabwean artist and educator, living and working in South Africa, my daily experience is that of an “in-between” diasporic subjectivity, which is compounded by the discourses around the uneasy reintegration of post-apartheid South Africa into Africa. This context gives rise to the core philosophical aim of this thesis, which is to explore the notion of “diasporic subjectivities” as a philosophical approach to understanding what it means to be in a complex contemporary reality. The notion of diasporic subjectivities works in the same way as that of “queer subjectivities”, which has been used to understand not just gay people but all people. “Diaspora” names people who have moved, migrated, or been scattered away from an established or ancestral homeland, but retain some sense of belonging to this homeland. From an African perspective, I problematise the concept of an established homeland and the settled subjectivities that belong to it, in contrast to which only the diaspora remains in an uncomfortable state of in-betweenness. Instead, I explore a contention among both European and African existentialist philosophers that the condition of not being at home is the fundamental human condition out of which a home must be created. This would mean that the groundlessness, liminality or in-betweenness of being is experienced not just by the diaspora but by all humans. However, importantly, I find that sociocultural differences due to the history of colonialism gives rise to different experiences of homelessness and the groundlessness of being. This makes a distinction necessary, but to avoid the pitfalls of tying this distinction to geographical locations such as Western versus Non-Western or Global North and Global South, I will refer instead to spaces, practices and even individuals, in which there are “mindsets of entitlement” versus “mindsets of disentitlement”. The former refers to the mindset of ownership characteristic of the settled and developed. The latter refers to the mindset of many who feel a sense of unbelonging, due to disenfranchisement and forced disembodiment and dislocation. I have aimed to support the thesis that the groundlessness, liminality or in-betweenness of being is experienced not just by the diaspora but by all humans, in two ways. Firstly, I consider in detail through various means (narratives, personal reflection, investigation of philosophical texts, dialogues), the philosophical concepts of “belonging”, “home” and “nostalgia” as component aspects of an ontology of diasporic subjectivity. In the second part of this study, I engage in an interpretative process, as outlined by Hans-Georg Gadamer, whereby I use this ontology to help me dialogue with artworks produced by three Zimbabwean artists, Ronald Muchatuta, Gerald Machona, and myself (Vulindlela Nyoni), who share the diasporic condition of being Zimbabweans living in-between Zimbabwe and South Africa. The ontology of diasporic subjectivity developed in the first part offers a language with which to dialogue with the artworks or question the way in which the complexities of belonging, home and nostalgia are expressed in the works, while the works in turn help deepen an understanding of diasporic subjectivity. Both philosophies and artworks may function as transformative, practical tools for seeking wisdom, cultivating self-awareness, developing moral character, and living a reflective and examined life. The combination of personal narratives and self-reflexive, philosophical dialogues regarding artworks and art making and its exigencies holds the potential to produce deeper philosophical insights into the fundamentally diasporic human condition. This kind of hybrid research at the interface between philosophy and artistic praxis is accessible to a broad-based audience. It is therefore better able to undo malicious stereotypical associations between émigrés and malignant tropes of societal decay on the African continent and to validate the contributions made by African diaspora to the decolonial project, than neatly distanced academic reflections, which reduce the philosophical impact of transnational migration to measurable motivations and statistics.Thesis (D.Phil) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Scinces, 202
An evaluation of the importance of effective leadership at Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
Get PDFLeadership can be viewed as a social influence in which someone in a managerial position seeks voluntary participation of employees, communities, and businesses, to achieve stated objectives. Leadership styles applied by any organisation, also play a significant role in improving the services and business growth in local municipalities. The purpose of this research was to investigate the importance of effective leadership towards business success at Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and to recommend strategies that the Municipality can implement to enhance effective leadership. A quantitative methodology in form of a survey was adopted and a sample of 60 respondents was used. The results concluded that a significant relationship exists between leadership effectiveness and the Municipality’s growth and success. Most of the respondents were satisfied with how full-time ward councillors ensure that crucial service challenges are addressed, and that the Municipality supports small to medium businesses through mentoring and training programmes. However, some were not satisfied with service delivery and the maintenance of roads. Finally, “the results indicated a strong relationship between service delivery and transformational leadership. Service delivery had a positive correlation with transformational leadership, but a negative correlation with transactional leadership. The research results are significant for political leadership within local municipalities for the enhancement of business growth. This study ends with the limitations, a brief conclusion and recommendations.”Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 202
Exploring resilience in undergraduate nursing students at a nursing education institution in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Get PDFUndergraduate nursing students worldwide experience stress and anxiety due to the demands of nursing education, which include challenges related to academic workloads and the clinical environment. This, in turn, may impede programme completion and continuation in nursing careers. Resilience is recognised as an effective attribute for nursing students in adapting to stressors and has been found to have a beneficial impact on learning experiences, academic performance, and professional practice. Despite numerous research studies conducted on resilience in the health professions, there remains little empirical work that has explored undergraduate nursing students' understanding and experience of their resilience. The purpose of this study was thus to explore undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of their resilience at a nursing education institution in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and to compile recommendations for a resilience training programme in undergraduate nursing education. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was implemented, with the study underpinned by the Resilience Ecological Stress Model. Third and fourth-year nursing students were recruited by purposive sampling, following which data was collected online by means of eleven individual semi-structured interviews conducted and recorded on the Microsoft (MS) Teams platform. Data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six steps of reflexive thematic analysis, generating codes and themes. The following themes were identified: participants’ perceptions of their challenges while studying nursing, participants’ understanding and experience of resilience, and participants’ views on the unique requirements of the degree in nursing. Findings indicated that nursing students perceive resilience as a beneficial attribute in mitigating the stress and anxiety evoked by their diverse challenges. Recommendations for nursing education were formulated based on the theoretical framework constructs and the findings of the study.Thesis (MCur) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 202
Experiences of accoucheurs caring for women during confinement in public maternity units in the O.R. Tambo District Municipality
Get PDFMidwifery is a health science profession that deals with women in their confinement period, including the caring of new-borns. Historically, the midwifery profession has evolved from being a female-dominated profession to an occupation followed by both males and females. However, accoucheurs working in public maternity units face various challenges, such as a lack of support and discrimination from their female counterparts and women during confinement. These challenges are based mainly on tradition, religion, and the history of midwifery, a female-dominant profession. The potential effects of these challenges can be seen when women during confinement refuse maternal care from accoucheurs. As a result of this prejudice, accoucheurs may be unable to practice their midwifery skills and may choose other disciplines involving less intimate care. Such acts of refusal of care by women during confinement and these various challenges faced by accoucheurs in public maternity units are common in rural areas. The O.R. Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM) comprises predominantly of rural areas where culture and tradition play an essential role in the community’s life. This study employed a qualitative research design with an explorative, descriptive, and contextual approach to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of accoucheurs caring for women during confinement in public maternity units in the ORTDM. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of accoucheurs caring for women during confinement in public maternity units in the ORTDM to make recommendations to nursing managers regarding the provision of optimal support to accoucheurs working in the rural Eastern Cape. The target population of the study was all accoucheurs working in public maternity units in the ORTDM. Snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling method, was used to select participants who met the inclusion criteria and were voluntarily willing to participate in the study. The data collection method used was one-on-one semistructured interviews, which were also captured using a digital voice recorder. Field notes were used during data collection to enhance the researcher’s understanding of accoucheurs’ nonverbal experiences. The sample size, which was 12 accoucheurs, was determined by data saturation. Data was transcribed verbatim, and Braun and Clark’s (2006) steps of reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) were used as a framework for data analysis. Lincoln and Guba’s model of trustworthiness was used to maintain the quality of the study by employing credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). The ethical principles that guided this study with human participants were the principles of respect for persons, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice as outlined in the Belmont Report and its application (2015:14) Three main themes emerged from the data analysis, namely: • Theme 1: Accoucheurs experienced specific factors that enabled them to care for women during confinement in public maternity units. • Theme 2: Accoucheurs identified barriers that disabled them in caring for women during confinement in public maternity units. • Theme 3: Recommendations for nurse managers by accoucheurs to optimize their ability to care for women during confinement in public maternity units. Direct quotations from the raw data and relevant literature supported the research study results and were discussed in-depth in Chapter Four. Various recommendations were discussed in Chapter Five of this study that present options for nurse managers to optimize the support for accoucheurs who were caring for women during confinement in public maternity units.Midwifery is a health science profession that deals with women in their confinement period, including the caring of new-borns. Historically, the midwifery profession has evolved from being a female-dominated profession to an occupation followed by both males and females. However, accoucheurs working in public maternity units face various challenges, such as a lack of support and discrimination from their female counterparts and women during confinement. These challenges are based mainly on tradition, religion, and the history of midwifery, a female-dominant profession. The potential effects of these challenges can be seen when women during confinement refuse maternal care from accoucheurs. As a result of this prejudice, accoucheurs may be unable to practice their midwifery skills and may choose other disciplines involving less intimate care. Such acts of refusal of care by women during confinement and these various challenges faced by accoucheurs in public maternity units are common in rural areas. The O.R. Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM) comprises predominantly of rural areas where culture and tradition play an essential role in the community’s life. This study employed a qualitative research design with an explorative, descriptive, and contextual approach to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of accoucheurs caring for women during confinement in public maternity units in the ORTDM. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of accoucheurs caring for women during confinement in public maternity units in the ORTDM to make recommendations to nursing managers regarding the provision of optimal support to accoucheurs working in the rural Eastern Cape. The target population of the study was all accoucheurs working in public maternity units in the ORTDM. Snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling method, was used to select participants who met the inclusion criteria and were voluntarily willing to participate in the study. The data collection method used was one-on-one semistructured interviews, which were also captured using a digital voice recorder. Field notes were used during data collection to enhance the researcher’s understanding of accoucheurs’ nonverbal experiences. The sample size, which was 12 accoucheurs, was determined by data saturation. Data was transcribed verbatim, and Braun and Clark’s (2006) steps of reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) were used as a framework for data analysis. Lincoln and Guba’s model of trustworthiness was used to maintain the quality of the study by employing credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). The ethical principles that guided this study with human participants were the principles of respect for persons, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice as outlined in the Belmont Report and its application (2015:14) Three main themes emerged from the data analysis, namely: • Theme 1: Accoucheurs experienced specific factors that enabled them to care for women during confinement in public maternity units. • Theme 2: Accoucheurs identified barriers that disabled them in caring for women during confinement in public maternity units. • Theme 3: Recommendations for nurse managers by accoucheurs to optimize their ability to care for women during confinement in public maternity units. Direct quotations from the raw data and relevant literature supported the research study results and were discussed in-depth in Chapter Four. Various recommendations were discussed in Chapter Five of this study that present options for nurse managers to optimize the support for accoucheurs who were caring for women during confinement in public maternity units.Thesis (MCur) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 202
Achievement in mathematics through self-directed learning facilitation: an impact evaluation of an offline technological approach
Get PDFInternational assessments indicate that mathematics education in South Africa is still in a crisis of significant proportions. This is reflected in the low pass rate of Grade 12 mathematics learners in South Africa in general, and in the Eastern Cape Province in particular. In response, the Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Center (GMMDC) of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in the Eastern Cape developed an intervention strategy. A Techno-Blended support Model for teaching and learning mathematics (TBM), used as an intervention strategy, provides learners with potential from disadvantaged communities and under-resourced schools with 21st-century education technology. The defining features of the strategy which distinguishes it from others are that it is technology-enhanced, providing the learner access to mathematics teaching and learning without the need for Internet connectivity, that is, offline, incorporating blended learning into the approach. This ex-post study, using secondary analysis, evaluates the impact of the defining features of the strategy on learners' self-directed learning skills acquisition or enhancement for mathematics learning. Firstly, statistical analysis of secondary qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed methods approach, with primary qualitative data integrated into the secondary qualitative data employing quantification, is undertaken. The quantified data is then compared with the quantitative data (methodologic triangulation technique). Secondly, the theory-based Contribution Analysis is undertaken to increase the validity and credibility of the findings of the statistical analysis, providing an additional layer of triangulation. The study revealed that providing 21st-century digital education technology for use offline, within a blended learning environment, leads to a significant improvement in learner mathematics knowledge; conceptual understanding; positive self-perceptions; and finally, to the required intrinsic motivation to learn. Analysed data, obtained from the original study, indicates a positive correlation between learners who participated in the intervention strategy and enrolment in STEM-related courses at tertiary institutes.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Education, School of Postgraduate education, 202
Prevalence and correlates of sickness presenteeism among secondary school teachers in the Bukedi region of eastern Uganda
Get PDFEducation is regarded as one of the main cornerstones for sustainable development, especially if the majority of the global citizenry manage to achieve it at secondary school level. The efficaciousness thereof, however, almost entirely depends on the productivity and performance of teachers meant to instill various skill sets among secondary school learners. Sickness presenteeism among secondary school teachers has previously emerged and gained attention as the single most important antagonist of secondary school productivity. However, it has been reported to be increasing in magnitude as absenteeism has gradually decreased over the years. The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence and correlates of sickness presenteeism among secondary school teachers in the Bukedi region in Eastern Uganda. The study adopted a pragmatic philosophy and a sequential explanatory mixed methods design targeting 433 secondary school teachers in the Bukedi sub region of Eastern Uganda. The schools were stratified by district first and then each district was stratified by ownership. Simple random sampling was used to sample half the number of schools per stratum, simple random sampling was used to sample the teachers. Key informants such as principals and teachers were purposively sampled and engaged in key informant semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data emerging from an analysis of the questionnaires was analyzed in SPSS version 25 using the log-binomial model, while the qualitative data from the semi-structured interviews was analyzed thematically. This study disclosed that the majority (68.3%) of the teachers engaged in sickness presenteeism. Moon lighting, egocentrism and heavy workload were the significant intrapersonal correlates of sickness presenteeism, while under staffing was a prominent institutional correlate. This study confirms findings from global research that staff working in people-based service sectors are most likely to engage in sickness presenteeism. The recommendations include the following: MoES to formulate a comprehensive policy on sickness presenteeism for teachers, DEOs to make follow ups to address the prevalent sickness presenteeism among secondary school teachers, the school administration to set up a special committee dealing with teachers’ welfare regarding ill health and work, and teachers are to be educated, sensitized about the dangers associated with sickness presenteeism and how to handle it with the school administration.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Education, School of Post Schooling, 202
A critical analysis of representations of disability on South African public university websites
Get PDFSince the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, the dominant discourses in South African higher education have pertained to redressing historical injustices and imbalances. Digital media are among the tools that have been used to communicate, promote and advance transformation in higher education. However, when compared to race and gender, there have been minimal attempts to problematise the representation of disabilities on higher education media platforms. This potentially leaves a substantial number of students, prospective students, their parents and support systems, on the outside of institutional processes that seemingly aim to create a sense of unity and belonging. The process potentially renders persons with disabilities as either invisible or represented in ways that are often uncritically imposed from dominant discourses about disability. This study aimed to determine how disabilities are represented on South African public university websites. The analysis of the representational dynamics in these virtual spaces during the National Disability Rights Awareness Months in 2019 and 2020, sought to contribute to the expansion of the discourses about disability in the South African higher education sector. Although data were collected from all 26 of the public universities in South Africa, only 13 included disability-related content during the awareness months. Therefore, the findings reflect website representations from these 13 public universities. The representations of the provisions of reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities was found to be a dominant frame that the universities used to represent disabilities on their websites. Photographs, illustrations and textual content, worked together to construct a representation pattern about disability as that which requires reasonable accommodations, and that must be researched, designed and provided for by (other) members of the university community. This study draws attention to the under-theorisation of disability in higher education and the need for critical engagement with institutional media representations of disabilities in higher education.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 202