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A strategy for enhancing the teaching of English literacy to dyslexic foundation phase learners
No full textThe literature indicates that there is a global outcry for learners who experience dyslexia in literacy (English) at an early stage of learning (foundation phase). As a result, these learners’ learning is impeded by this condition (dyslexia) and they are referred to special schools for persons with mental retardation. The aim of this study was to find a strategy to enhance the teaching literacy (English) to dyslexic foundation phase learners. Dyslexia is characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. The study adapted and adopted the principles of participatory action research as an approach and design to generate data. The critical emancipatory research principle was used as the theoretical framework that guided the study. The generated data was analysed using critical discourse analysis.
This study has extensively explored the methods and strategies that responded adequately to learning needs of the dyslexic learners at the foundation phase. In pursuance of, and based on this aim, the study responded to the following objectives: to justify the need for development of the strategies to enhance the teaching of literacy (English) for learners with dyslexia in the foundation phase; to understand the conditions conducive for the implementation of suitable strategies, learning theories and styles in order to accommodate dyslexic learners; to determine the inherent risks and threats that might hinder optimal implementation of the strategies; and to provide the evidence of the optimal functionality and effectiveness of the envisaged strategies that could be used to teach dyslexic learners in the foundation phase. The study has alleviated the effect of dyslexia experienced by learners. The following were found to be helpful: equipping teachers with a multisensory curriculum designed to combine visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning modalities, introduction of the teacher, therapy and parent programme, taking one day of therapy per week during the school day, adapting and enhancing methods of assessment and teaching to accommodate learner’s needs and diversity
Emblematic features of fictional female Afrikaner characters in selected South African television and theatre productions
No full textThis thesis examined the emblematic features of fictional female Afrikaner characters in
selected South African television and theatre productions.
The purpose of this study was to determine how female characters are represented in the
performing arts in relation to different cultural and temporal moments of transition in South
Africa, namely, the Anglo-Boer/South African War (1899-1901), post-apartheid South
Africa (1994-2006) and contemporary South Africa (twenty years into democracy). This
was done in order to determine whether or not the objectives, strategies, and operations
that manifest in these representations can be examined in relation to the historical
backgrounds of the specific timeframes.
The study analysed three South African performing arts productions (Feast of the
Uninvited [2008], Kruispad [2008] and Avu [2016]) in the form of case studies, with the
timeframes of the productions being set during three cultural and temporal moments of
transition in South Africa. The methodology of the study employed James Thomas’
formalist approach and Jason Mittel’s insights on character engagement in The Poetics
of Contemporary Television Storytelling.
The study identifies cases where women have been underrepresented in a temporal
moment of transition is South Africa.Andrew W. Mellon Foundation GrantNational Research Foundation (NRF
Black African adolescents' experiences of gender identity exploration from a hegemonic masculinity perspective
No full textIn this study, the gender identity of black African adolescents residing in the Manguang district in central South Africa is explored. Transformation in the political, socioeconomic and social spheres of South Africa continues to influence the identity development of adolescents living in collectivistic and marginalised contexts. Adolescence is regarded as a complex and significant life stage in the human lifespan during which individuals explore and commit to identity-defining roles, values and norms in search of an authentic sense of self. In light of an ever-changing environment, adolescents may experience an array of opportunities and challenges as they pertain to exploring gender identity.
The theoretical framework for the research study is the lifespan perspective. Gender identity has been conceptualised differently by several theorists. Some theorists are of the opinion that gender identity should be understood from a biological stance, while others are in support of gender identity being conceptualised as a psychosocial construct. From a biological base, gender identity is described in terms of essentialist and binary theories, and from a psychosocial base, it is explained in terms of socialisation processes and gender continuum theories. The psychosocial base of gender identity is valued and prioritised in this research. An additional perspective, namely ‘hegemonic masculinity’, is utilised in this study to indicate how some forms of gendered behaviour are favoured over others.
The social constructivist paradigm governed the study, and the researcher approached the study in a qualitative manner. The researcher followed exploratory and descriptive research designs. The population group of interest consisted of both male and female black adolescents, as increased exploration processes characterise the developmental stage of adolescence. Including vulnerable individuals that occupy a turbulent life stage was important to the researcher as the research offered them the opportunity to voice their personal experiences that were regarded as worthy to the researcher. In order to recruit the participants from the secondary school in Mangaung for the study, the researcher employed purposive sampling. Both inclusion and exclusion criteria were utilised to select the participants. Four focus group discussions were conducted (two with male participants and two with female participants) to collect data for the research study. The data were analysed by following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis. In this study, the researcher employed a hybrid approach to data analysis, which consisted of both inductive and deductive methodologies. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis, namely (a) Traditional views on what it means to be a boy or girl; (b) Exploring who I am: Balancing social context with personal agency; (c) Exploring gender identity in a changing environment; and (d) The complexity in exploring gender identity.
The results indicated that the participants regard their gender identity exploration to be multidimensional in nature, consisting of biological, psychological and social dimensions. The exploration of gender identity was deemed to be not only personal and sensitive but also importantly influenced by the sociocultural environment. While the influences of culture, family, school and peers were deemed to contribute towards gender identity exploration processes, adolescents were also regarded to exercise personal agency in their striving for exploration. The social construction of gender identity exploration makes it a perplexing and complex task. Adding to these complexities was the fact that adolescents explore their gender identity in relation to culturally valued masculine ideologies. While increasing Westernisation influences gender roles and identity constructs, adolescents continue to be influenced by the deeply entrenched hegemonic structures in society, such as heteronormativity and the hegemonic form of masculinity. Especially in black African cultures, these are viewed as normative and, therefore, respected, which makes the exploration of alternative gender roles a challenging task for developing adolescents. By conducting this study, novel contributions were made to the scientific knowledge base on gender identity development and exploratory processes during adolescence
CRONJE, Eliza Hendrik Oostenwald Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 1904-1964; 35 Files; 0,66 Metres.Private papers of E.H.O. Cronje, farmer and Member of the National Executive of the National Party in the Orange Free State
MALAN, Maarten Petrus Albertus Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 1885-1968; 25 Files; *1,11 Metres.
AUDIO CASSETTES IN ARCA COLLECTION = 2Private papers of M.P.A. Malan, National Party MPC, Bloemfontein District [1949-1952], Senator [1952-1969
Screening for PALB2 mutations in South African women with BRCA negative familial breast cancer
No full textPALB2 (Partner and Localizer of BRCA2) plays a key role in the repair of damaged DNA by localizing BRCA2 and initiating the repair process. The gene has been recognized as a third breast cancer (BC) predisposition gene, together with BRCA1 and BRCA2. The absolute risk for the development of BC for mutation carriers with a familial predisposition, represents 58% at 50 years of age, similar to that of BRCA2. Although germline loss-of-function PALB2 mutations is rare, the mutation spectrum internationally and in South African (SA) is still unknown.
Eighty-six SA breast- and/or ovarian cancer (OVC) patients were selected. Patients had to be affected with either breast- and/or OVC, have a positive family history of BC (two or more affected family members, excluding the index), tested negative for pathogenic mutations in BRCA1/2, represent one of the four main SA ethnic groups and had sufficient amounts of good quality DNA stored to complete a comprehensive screen of the entire gene. The complete coding sequence together with the intron-exon boundaries were screened using qPCR-based high resolution melt analysis (HRMA). All samples deviating from the baseline was Sanger sequenced. In silico analysis using a combination of prediction programmes was performed for single base changes present in the coding regions of the gene.
A total of 20 variants was identified, of which two represented loss-of-function mutations (PALB2 c.424A>T, p.Lys142Ter and PALB2 c.508A>T, p.Arg170Ter). These mutations were situated in exon 4. Although the first mutation has been detected before, PALB2 c.508A>T, p.Arg170Ter was novel. These mutations were detected for the SA Indian (single patient), Coloured (two patients) and Afrikaner (single patient) populations. The two patients carrying these Class 5 pathogenic mutations had an extensive family history of BC and other ca types.
Two of the 18 missense variants [PALB2 c.2794G>A, p.Ala915Thr (rs374736398) and PALB2 c.3434G>T, p.Gly1145Val (novel variant)] were classified as putative Class 4 variants based on their location in the carboxy-terminal WD-40 domain, the binding site for the N-terminus of BRCA2. PALB2 c.2794G>A, p.Ala915Thr was detected for three SA patients (SA Indian and White population), whereas the novel PALB2 c.3434G>T, p.Gly1145Val variant was present in a single Coloured BC patient. In the families of the patients carrying either one of the putative Class 4 variants, BC was the dominant ca type observed. Interpretation of rare missense variants such as PALB2 c.3434G>T, p.Gly1145Val regarding impact on clinical treatment remains challenging, as no rare missense variant to date has been used to determine the clinical management of patients carrying these variants. The majority of PALB2 variants was observed for the Coloured and SA Indian populations, whereas for the other three groups, it was limited. This observation could have been due to the unique admixture of these population groups present in SA, as SA has a multi-faceted colonisation history based on the country’s location with respect to major historical trade routes. Another explanation could be the higher percentage of representation of these two population groups in the cohort, as 33.7% of the cohort was Coloured with 25.6% self-identified as SA Indian BC/OVC patients. Although 17.4% of the cohort represented Black patients, the number of variants observed for this group was very low. This indicated that the prevalence of PALB2 mutations/variants might be different for each of the SA population groups, depending on the genetic heritage of these patients. For this reason, the cohort needs to be increased in order to determine the mutation spectrum. Once this has been determined, case-control studies should be performed to determine the relative risk involved with each variant regarding the development of breast- and other ca types in SA.National Research Foundation (NRF)The Division of Human Genetics (UFS)National Health Laboratory Service
Enhancing the leadership role of female- managers through participatory action research: a case in the technical vocational education and training college
No full textThe aim of the study was to design a plan to enhance the leadership role of female managers through participatory action research in the TVET College. Without the support of management to colleagues taken into consideration, the objectives of the institution will not be achieved. The female managers would not be able to utilize their potential and talents to achieve the mission of the institution. This might result in the stakeholders losing confidence in the institution. This endeavour was conducted in a cooperative and collaborative manner in order to improve the performance of the TVET College. The study focused on the challenges faced by these female managers in their respective workplaces by looking at issues so that we can be well informed before we start bringing a change. The context of this study allows participation of the stakeholders to be actively involved in the social change leading to social justice. Critical Leadership Studies (CLS) will be used as the theoretical framework through which the study is conducted. The study uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a methodology to generate data because the participants become co-researchers and not subjects. BMJ (2013: 3) posits that in PAR, participants have the power and control over the process and that may assist to arrive at the following preliminary findings: (i) shared vision can lead all stakeholders to focus on the task at hand; (ii) collaborative planning can lead to ownership of the institution. The study concludes with the set of recommendations for the TVET College. Developing and utilising the mechanisms that can enhance the successful management role of females in the TVET by addressing the issues of gender equity at this institution. The study was conducted on the three campuses by interacting with the campus manager, HODs, senior lecturers, the lecturers and support staff. The findings were that the colleagues, both females and males did not honour their obligations by reporting late for duty, absenteeism without asking for permission first, lack of respect for authority, not setting the assessment tasks as agreed, setting the assessments of a low standard and failing to meet deadlines for submission. Colleagues constantly stay away from meetings and when they attend, they prolong the meetings by unnecessarily questioning every directive if it does not suit them. The conclusion arrived at was that these things happen because the manager was a female. We recommended that forums be held wherein everyone participates in bringing in the solution.
In conclusion, the researcher hopes that when the findings and recommendations of this study are implemented, it will enhance significance of the role played by the female leaders at the TVET College. Furthermore, more research is required as to what the root cause of this unbecoming behaviour is
An exploratory factor analysis of risk management practices: a study among small and medium contractors in Gauteng
No full textEnglish: Risk management (RM) is acknowledged as a key activity in project management in the pursuit to deliver successful construction projects. However, these projects are associated with various risks, which often jeopardise project performance, especially among small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs). Risk management practices (RMPs) have been developed, in order to curtail project risks. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on the practices that constitute RM for SME projects. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to determine the RMPs that can be tailored for construction SMEs to manage risk in their projects, in order to achieve project success. An extensive review of relevant literature on RMPs was conducted and used to develop a structured questionnaire posted to construction SMEs who were conveniently sampled in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The empirical findings established nine RMPs that were reliable and valid for managing risk in projects undertaken by construction SMEs, namely organizational environment; defining project objectives; resource requirements; risk measurement; risk identification; risk assessment; communication approach and evaluation; risk response and action planning, as well as monitoring and review. It is important to note that the study was not conducted across South Africa; hence, the findings cannot be generalized. Despite the delimitation, the researchers recommend that these practices are for risk management in construction projects undertaken by SMEs in South Africa.Afrikaans: Risikobestuur (RB) word erken as ’n sleutelaktiwiteit in projekbestuur in die
strewe om suksesvolle konstruksieprojekte te lewer. Hierdie projekte word egter geassosieer met verskeie risiko’s wat projekprestasie dikwels in gevaar stel, veral onder klein en medium konstruksie-ondernemings (KMO’s). Risikobestuurspraktyke (RBP) is ontwikkel om projekrisiko’s te beperk. Tog is daar geen konsensus oor die praktyke wat RB vir KMO-projekte uitmaak nie. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsing is dus om die RBP te bepaal wat aangepas kan word vir konstruksie-KMO’s om risiko in hul projekte te bestuur ten einde projeksukses te behaal. ’n Uitgebreide literatuurstudie oor RBP is gedoen en
gebruik om ’n gestruktureerde vraelys te ontwikkel wat aan konstruksie-KMO’s in die Gauteng provinsie van Suid-Afrika gepos is. Die empiriese bevindinge het nege RBP opgestel wat betroubaar en geldig was vir die bestuur van risikos in projekte wat deur konstruksie-KMO’s onderneem is, naamlik organisatoriese omgewing; definisie van projekdoelwitte; hulpbronvereistes; risiko-meting; risiko-identifikasie; risikobepaling; kommunikasiebenadering en evaluering; risikoreaksie en aksiebeplanning, sowel as monitering en hersiening. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat die studie nie oor die hele Suid-Afrika uitgevoer is nie; daarom kan die bevindings nie veralgemeen word nie. Ten spyte van die beperking, beveel die navorsers aan dat hierdie praktyke is wat vir risikobestuur in konstruksieprojekte deur KMO’s in Suid-Afrika onderneem moet word.Publisher's versio
KOORNHOF, Pieter Gerhardus Jacobus Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE In Process; 75,20 Metres.
AUDIO CASSETTES IN ARCA COLLECTION = 16Private papers of P.G.J. Koornhof, National Party MP Edenvale [1964-1966], Primrose [1966-1984], Minister of Immigration [1972-1976], Mines [1972-1976], Sport and Recreation [1972-1978], National Education [1976-1978], Plural Relations and Development [1978-1979], Co-operation and Development [1979-1984], Ambassador USA [1986-1991], Chairman of the President's Council [1984-1986]
MARAIS, W Inventory of documents
No full textArticles pertaining to Gustav Preller, Anton van Wouw, and Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr de Waa