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Postgraduate student experience and retention at South African public higher education institutions
Get PDFA country’s economic growth and global competitiveness as a knowledge-based economy can be enhanced by an educated workforce. Therefore, the completion of postgraduate qualifications is of high importance to any country. In South Africa, according to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), it is necessary to improve postgraduate (PG) output and practice skills to promote socioeconomic development. Despite an increase in PG enrolments at public higher education institutions (PHEIs), South Africa reported an increase in PG student dropouts and therefore it is evident that student retention is a challenge. To foster student retention, the interactions between PHEIs and students on their student journeys are important since positive experiences can contribute to the retaining of students. The positive experiences of students depend on different aspects, challenges and dispositions during the student journey. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the variables that influence PG student experience for PG student retention at South African PHEIs. Based on an extensive review of the South African higher education landscape, marketing literature, also in the context of the study, a hypothesised model of the variables possibly influencing PG student experience for PG student retention was proposed. The four independent variables identified were higher education service quality, service design, student engagement and student satisfaction. The hypothesised model presented student experience as the intervening variable and student retention as the dependent variable. This positivistic study followed a deductive approach and a quantitative research methodology. During the empirical investigation, a survey strategy using a self-administered questionnaire collected data from a convenience sample of PG students registered at 15 South African PHEIs. A total of 435 usable questionnaires were returned and analysed statistically. Both descriptive and inferential statistics, including a Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson’s correlations, regression analyses, SEM for mediation as well as t-tests and ANOVAs, were employed in the data analysis.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Management Sciences, 202
The contribution of women to household food security in Makholokeong Village and Diyatalawa village, Free State Province
Get PDFThe study investigated the contribution of women to household food security in Makholokoeng village and Diyatalawa village, Free State Province. Women’s contribution to household food security is poorly documented and misunderstood. Most often women’s contribution is considered as part of the duties of women as a wife and mother than as an occupation to be vaunted for both the household and national economy. Women play crucial roles in household food security as food producers, processors, and food providers for their families. Despite these crucial roles women remain unrecognised as main contributors of household food security. The study was guided by pragmatic research philosophy that used Participatory Rural Appraisal tool amongst other data collection tools to answer the objectives of the study. The study findings show that there is a clear-cut of the agricultural roles men and women perform in agriculture but the involvement of women in decision-making varies with crops and the type of household. The contribution of women to household food security is evident. However, women continue to face challenges which are limiting the role of women in household food security. The study recommends that further studies should be conducted to investigate gender roles in agriculture; and the effectiveness of gender equality policy implementation in agricultural initiatives.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 202
The role of mentoring in the advancement of female leadership in corporate organisations
Get PDFRichard Branson reportedly said that “if you ask any successful business person, at some point along the road, they will always have had a great mentor”. The lack of representation of females at senior and executive levels is slowly transforming, yet not at the required rate. The study was conducted to evaluate the role of mentoring in the advancement of female leadership in corporate organisations. The research method that was followed was a qualitative and explanatory inductive approach to interview participants and observe their experiences and opinions with regard to the role of mentoring in the advancement of women through the following themes: job satisfaction, organisational culture, organisational development mentoring and the barriers and challenges that affect women. The focus area includes women in current senior level positions who have aspirations to advance into more senior or executive levels. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants and due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the globe, a small group of well-respected individuals was selected according to their credibility. The key observations reflected within the study that the themes which were dominant included the following: 1)inequality, 2) lack of support and the importance of a sponsor/coach and 3) barriersand challenges (the “glass ceiling” and “boys club”) that still exist. The findings of the study will equip the role players within corporate organisations and associated bodies to ensure mentoring is used and encouraged for adoption among all organisations, implement mentorship strategies and apply the ADAPT mentoring model. Furthermore, the findings will serve to bring relevant insights and recommendations to promote more women in senior, executive and board-level positions. The implications of the findings suggest that mentoring is an enabler of advancement leverage for female leadership into senior and executive levels. The limitations of the study were the effects of COVID-19 and the subsequent countrywide lockdown, where constraints of meeting in person, availability of time, network and data constraints availed themselves. The researcher was unbale to ascertain long-term effects of the role of mentoring in advancing female leadership, but rather encourages its main benefits and is positive of the influence it may hold to set a precedent. The study established that the ability to create spaces of empowering women in corporates builds strong, economically viable corporates that promote mentoring to advance female representation.Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 202
A framework for the design of online course induction components
Get PDFStudents from all over the world now have the opportunity to access a wide variety of high-quality educational resources thanks to the rise of online learn- ing. In recent years, there has been a rise in popularity of online education among both students and teachers. This pattern has only continued to in- crease with the occurrence of global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many people to work and study from home. Therefore, it is crucial that online courses are presented in a manner that is suitable for a diverse range of potential students. Many educators lack the necessary experience to move their physical courses to an online environment, which has become a recent trend. Ed- ucators tend to teach in the manner in which they were taught, which may not translate well to online learning delivery. Moreover, many learners today are assumed to possess the necessary knowledge and skills to participate in online learning without much thought. The combination of assumed learner knowledge and lack of online-specific teaching experience can result in the introduction of artificial barriers to the student’s learning by educators. If left unaddressed, these artificial barriers or artificial learning thresholds can cause the student to experience anxiety, a lack of engagement, and a lack of motivation to complete the course for which they are enrolled in. The global expansion of online education has increased the demand for professional training and specialised knowledge to help teachers instruct stu- dents and create online course materials. First, this dissertation highlights some of the success and challenge factors of online learning. It discusses threshold concepts and suggests that artificial barriers or artificial thresholds can hinder online learning. The dissertation ii ABSTRACT iii demonstratesasimpleexampleofwhatanartificiallearningthresholdcan beandpresentsthedevelopmentofaframeworkthatcanguideaneducator toconstructcourseswiththeaimtoeliminateartificiallearningthresholds. Second, the dissertationverifiesanddiscussestheresultingframeworkby presentinganddiscussingfeedbackbasedonanexperteducatorreviewof the framework. Thisdissertationproposesthateducatorscanbeguided,byfollowingthe developedframework,onhowtodesigncourseswithnoartificiallearning barriers.Itistheresearcher’scontentionthatdoingsowillreducestudent anxietyandincreasemotivationandengagement.Thesis (MIT) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Information Technology, 202
The co-construction of a sustainable process model for school-based support teams in community schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole
Get PDFMany factors contribute to the critical state of Schooling in South Africa. Challenges experienced by schools are socio-economic factors, overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources, dysfunctional schools and inequalities (Spaull, 2012). A grouping of community schools from a socio-economically marginalised area in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole in the Eastern Cape of South Africa organised itself into a formal network of schools called the Manyano Network. The Manyano schools approached the Centre for the Community School (CCS), which is affiliated with the Faculty of Education at Nelson Mandela University, for assistance in the establishment and support of School-based Support Teams to support learners who experience barriers to learning. To ensure the voice of all participants in the study were heard, the Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) design and methodology were used. A multidimensional theoretical framework, Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems model, Kolb’s experiential learning, and Epstein’s model were employed in the study, providing insights into the multi-faceted nature of the Manyano community schools. Furthermore, multiple paradigms, participatory paradigm, critical paradigm, and interpretive paradigm were implemented as a lens through which to interpret and understand the data. The main research question of the thesis is What are the fundamental elements required towards the co-construction of a sustainable process model for School Based Support Teams in South African Community Schools? The three sub-questions are: • •What are the perceptions of School-based Support Team members in SouthAfrican community schools regarding the main barriers to learning? • •What support structures are available for School-based Support Teammembers who encounter learners presenting barriers to learning? • •How can the PALAR process enable the formulation of a sustainable processmodel for School Based Support Teams in South African community schools? The aim of the thesis is to explore the fundamental elements required toward the co-construction of a sustainable process model for School-based Support Teams in South African Community schools.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, School of Initial Teacher Education, 202
Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices and the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Sarah Baartman District, Eastern Cape
Get PDFntestinal parasites also known as parasitic worms are one of the common water, soil and feacal transmitted infections of public importance in the world. This study evaluated the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) of public workers comprising EPWP and CWP general workers on intestinal parasites in a selected municipality in the study area . Additionally, using secondary data, the researcher established the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Sarah Baartman District Municipality (SBDM) from 2012 to 2020. Method: The study made use of a quantitative, cross-sectional research design resembling a study by S.D. Hambury .A structured questionnaire, closed-ended, telephonically-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 160 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Community Work Programme (CWP) general workers. Data on the prevalence was obtained from the SBDM National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). Data was analysed using both inferential and descriptive statistics using SPSS software version 16.1, inferential statistics tests used were Chi2 square tests and p-value tests. Descriptive statistic tests used included frequency distributions, percentage, cumulative percent, and valid percent. Results: The participants’ overall awareness, attitudes and practices of the study were poor, 64.4% of the study participants had the correct knowledge about intestinal parasite infections. The age of study participants and who the participants thought was at risk of being infected by intestinal parasites had a non significant relationship (p>0.05). Gender and the responses to who is at risk of getting infected with intestinal parasites had a statistically significant (p<0.05) relationship. Intestinal parasite prevalence from 2012 to 2020 in SBDM was 46.37% which means it was close to half of the sampled population. Males had the highest prevalence as compared to females, with a prevalence of 53.1% xvi in males and 46.9% in females. The highest disease infection was found between ages one and six years. Conclusion: The researcher concluded that the overall awareness, attitudes and practices on intestinal parasites in SBDM were poor. The intestinal parasites present in SBDM were Cytoisospora belli (35.4%) and Giardia lamblia (35.4%), Ascaris lumbricoides (17.7%), Trichuris trichiura (3%), and Taenia species (2%). The study also revealed that the prevalence of intestinal parasites was low from 2012 to 2020. Recommendations were made with an emphasis on education to increase disease prevention and control awareness.Thesis (Ma) -- Faculty of Health Science, 202
A study exploring the understanding and interpretations of schizophrenia amongst Zulu Community members, in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal Province
Get PDFMental illness is a global and widespread phenomenon, and its presented symptoms are experienced differently within various contexts. In many contexts, cultural beliefs are noted as influencing the thinking, feeling, and behavior of individuals and groups. Schizophrenia is often associated with a clustering of symptoms, which are often interpreted from within a cultural lens. This is in part, due to the lack of access to mental health facilities, and the limited understanding of psychological processes, but primarily due to cultural belief systems. As such, many individuals rely on indigenous knowledge systems and traditional healing when experiencing psychological symptoms. Within South Africa, the symptoms associated with schizophrenia are understood and treated in accordance with cultural beliefs and it is likely that bewitchment, spirit possession, as well as ancestral callings such as ukuthwasa, etc. will be associated with the symptoms of mental illnesses. The implications that this poses to psychological treatments and interventions are vast and require exploration. This study employed a qualitative methodology, with an exploratory and descriptive design. There were 8 participants (males= 4; females= 4), aged between 26-37 that were recruited for the study by utilizing a purposive sampling strategy, as well as a snowball sampling technique. Thematic analysis was used as a means of data analysis, by following the method by Braun and Clarke. The study applies the principles of ethics with regard to confidentiality and privacy. The findings of the study revealed that participants’ perceptions of schizophrenia were influenced by their culture. Participants of the study suggested that culture is influential in the treatment of those diagnosed with schizophrenia. Furthermore, the study revealed that there is a hierarchical system in the Zulu Culture and those diagnosed with schizophrenia are placed at the bottom.Thesis (Ma) -- Faculty of Health Science, 202
Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding social media as a teaching strategy at a public nursing college in Limpopo province
Get PDFThe emergence of social media (SM) in the academic arena has demonstrated the potential for innovation in teaching and learning. Moreover, its appeal is enhanced by its accessibility and affordability. Consequently, the use of SM has increased globally and has influenced interaction and socialisation amongst educators and learners. In addition, SM has affected learning and how educators teach and collaborate with learners when constructing knowledge in higher education settings. However, despite its advantages, nurse educators' use of SM is less than optimal in teaching. Therefore, the study aimed to explore nurse educators' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the use of SM as a teaching strategy at a public nursing college in the province of Limpopo, South Africa. The research design employed for this study was quantitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual, and Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory underpinned the study. Stratified, proportionate sampling was used to select the nurse educators who were respondents to the study’s survey via a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. An educator as a specialist in the use of SM, a statistician and the study supervisors reviewed the questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted to check the validity and reliability of the data collection instrument. Data gathered through the survey was statistically analysed to produce descriptive statistics. The researcher adhered to the ethical principles of respect, beneficence, and justice. The research results indicated that the nurse educators in the study were knowledgeable about SM platforms. Moreover, although they had a positive attitude towards incorporating SM as a teaching strategy. Therefore, based on the research results, recommendations were to facilitate the use of SM as a teaching strategy.Thesis (Ma) -- Faculty of Health Science, 202
Effects of fire on architecture and composition of canopy shrubs in subtropical dune thicket of the southeastern Cape Floristic Region
Get PDFDisturbance, such as fire and megaherbivory, is a pervasive phenomenon globally and has different effects on the flora and vegetation of different ecosystems. The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa includes the distinctive Subtropical Thicket biome, which occurs as interrupted blocks that are not exposed to fire, but also as mosaics with the fire-prone vegetation of the Fynbos biome, especially on coastal dunes where thicket species are exposed to fire. Subtropical Dune Thicket (hereafter thicket) thus co-occurs with Fynbos, capable of supporting intense fires that can lead to thicket shrub defoliation and mortality. Thicket also experiences disturbance from meso- and megaherbivores that causes defoliation and mortality of shrubs. The aim of this study was to investigate the resilience of thicket shrub species to varying disturbance levels from fire and browsing to understand what drives thicket persistence in a fire-prone landscape. Firstly, I established the architectural traits of thicket species in long unburnt and post-fire contexts and investigated the relationships between these traits and the survival, resprouting ability and persistence of thicket shrubs. In mature thicket, I identified three distinct architectural guilds, namely hedge formers, lateral spreaders, and vertical growers. In post-fire thicket I identified three resprouting architectures, namely weak resprouters, moderate resprouters and strong resprouters. There was no strong relationship between the unburnt and post-fire resprouting architectures. Secondly, I compared thicket species and architectural composition in patches of landscape that experience different levels of fire exposure to assess the potential effect of fire frequency on determining thicket structure. I recognised three thicket vegetation units, each with a distinct structure and each corresponding to the level of fire exposure in the landscape. The first unit, forest-thicket, is exposed to low levels of fire frequency (> 100 years) and harbours forest species, many of which were vertical growers. The second unit, thicket, is exposed to moderate levels of fire frequency (50-100 years) and is dominated by lateral spreaders. The last unit, fynbos-thicket, is exposed to high levels of fire frequency (10-50 years) and here hedge-forming shrubs dominate the canopy cover. Forest-thicket and fynbos-thicket had a diverse set of shrub species with many being restricted to their respective vegetation type, whereas thicket had a lower diversity with no unique shrub species.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Management, 202
Assessing land degradation and the effectiveness of calcrete bontveld rehabilitation in a grassridge PPC cement mining area using multi-sensor remotely sensed data and machine learning techniques
Get PDFThis study uses multi-temporal remote sensing data to spatially visualise and quantify land degradation due to mining as well as Calcrete Bontveld rehabilitation at the Grassridge PPC Cement mine, Gqeberha formerly known as Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Botanical field data is also used to verify the suasses of rehabilitation in the area. SPOT-6 and Landsat multi-spectral images were compared, and Support Vector Machine and Random Forest algorithms were used for classification in order to determine which yields more accurate results for a limestone mine. Support Vector Machine analysis using SPOT-6 images yielded the best results. This was due to the high spatial resolution of SPOT-6 compared to Landsat and Support Vector Machine classifier was able to classify images with fewer training points compared to Random Forest. The spatio-temporal land cover change at the mine was then determined between the years 2000, 2015 and 2020. Land cover classification is useful for monitoring land degradation and, in this case, was able to show the extent of rehabilitation success. For the year 2020, a 17% area was rehabilitated; however, the algorithm could not distinguish between unmined Calcrete Bontveld matrix and rehabilitation sites that were older than five years. The performed change detection also showed that 29.50% of unmined Calcrete Bontveld matrix had changed to “mature rehabilitation” (rehabilitation sites older than five years). Again, for this percentage in some areas the algorithm could not distinguish between the unmined Calcrete Bontveld matrix and rehabilitation sites that were older than five years due to high similarities between the two land cover types. Area changes of the different land cover classes could also be used to demonstrate how rehabilitation areas have matured over time and lead to the conclusion that most of the Calcrete Bontveld which was mined, has over the years been successfully rehabilitated. Vegetation analysis was conducted to further validate the rehabilitation success of Calcrete Bontveld matrix. Multivariant Detrended Correspondent Analysis showed that rehabilitation sites which were younger than five years (2–year-old rehabilitation plots that were sampled) had great dissimilarity to the natural unmined Calcrete Bontveld matrix and that rehabilitation sites older than five years, in this case 16–years older, had high similarity and resemblance to natural unmined Calcrete Bontveld matrix and therefore could be considered as being mature. This was a more definitive assessment as it considers all aspects of the vegetation. Species cover and species richness also showed that Calcrete Bontveld matrix rehabilitation sites which have been rehabilitated for more than 5 years had greater similarity to natural unmined vegetation compared to areas that have been rehabilitated for less than five years. This study, therefore, demonstrates that due to the high similarity between mature rehabilitation sites and unmined Calcrete Bontveld, rehabilitation has been successful.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202