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A capacity building strategy for managing curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023The study aimed to formulate a capacity-building strategy in managing curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges.
A number of objectives were devised to direct the study; the main objective was understanding the need to develop a capacity-building strategy for managing the delivery of the curriculum. The other objectives were exploring strategies to develop a capacity-building for management of curriculum delivery, determining the conditions that were required for a capacity-building strategy in managing curriculum delivery, identifying the threats that could arise to hinder the development of a capacity-building strategy for managing curriculum delivery, and formulating the indicators that could be used to enrich the management of a curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges.
Critical emancipatory research (CER) was identified by the researcher as a theoretical framework that could support the achievement of the stated objectives of the study. CER is more about empowerment, which is in line with this study. Hence, the researcher proposed the adoption of CER as the perspective that would best address the challenges. The researcher argued for a collaborative research approach, conducted by a team of researchers in collaboration with suitable co-researchers, who emerged during the research process. This qualitative research approach incorporates the best aspects of team-building in TVET colleges. Using data collected by our research team, the researcher showed how we had operationalised CER to formulate a capacity-building strategy for the management of curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was used, as it addressed the participation, emancipation and working with real challenges to bring about change in the community. As per the principles of PAR, the researcher worked with the co-researchers collaboratively to find solutions to the challenges curriculum managers encountered. Data generated through the use of PAR was analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The empirical analysis, interpretation of data, discussion and determining the findings resulting from interventions, were made with CDA.
In the first part of the study, reflections were made through the use of PAR, looking at the needs to develop a capacity-building strategy for the management of curriculum delivery, which resulted in the absence of a collaborative team. The second part of the study identified the components of the solutions as strategies to be used to develop a capacity-building strategy for managing curriculum delivery in TVET colleges. The solutions predicted by the co-researchers to curtail the challenges, were discussed. Numerous findings concerning the challenges were compared with the results of the previous research studies, reported in the literature review, such as teamwork, teaching and learning resources, participatory decision-making, career development, blended learning, technology, collaborative involvement, active stakeholder engagement, collaborative teams, networking and monitoring, technology-based learning, and stakeholder development programs.
This research project is distinctive in understanding the strategy to be implemented successfully by a collaborative team to create a collaborative environment in TVET colleges. In conclusion, the study argues that capacity-building can never be done by an individual, but only by working as a team having a collaborative relationship, where all stakeholders are engaged and able to partake in the decisions and are involved collectively
Transmission of affect: a land based Integrated Multi-tropic Aquaculture Farm and Tourism Development
No full textDissertation (M.Arch.(Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2023By countering typical remediation and breathing new life into a post-industrial site - through the reformation of its socio-economic amenities and marine terrestrial environment, a poetic act of countering a period of abbau, ‘the unbuilding of the world’ has surfaced in the form of an aquacultural and tourism development that embodies the moving - known among indigenous communities and the site. Therefore, the research for the Development leads to ask - how may a strategically embodied architectural approach of affect¹ reconnect the transmission, absorption, and anchoring of the coastal town’s hidden ecological - by leveraging atmospheric configurations, multi-sensory maritime embodiments, and unearthed hidden terrains amidst a post-company showpiece? Locally, there have been past efforts to redress unemployment and rehabilitate the severely disturbed coastline caused by open-cast mining but seldom have been successful in addressing the three interlinked -, and which aptly represent the Nama Khoi Municipality, which translates as putting ‘people first’. The Development, as a response, is informed by both One Health and indigenous ques, both of which emphasise the interlinked - - ecological, animal, and human well-being. The Development therefore seeks to reinforce these principles by taking an interdisciplinary and experiential architectural approach - with the site, building and programme - that promotes biodiversity, ecological conservation, and community participation. Counted as an Operation Phakisa (meaning ‘hurry up’) project, this research provides a hopeful glimpse into how an urgent act of reactivation would positively affect the derelict mining town of Kleinzee and unearth a west coast identity expressed through a set of -
Food and nutrition security among farming households in Lesotho: the role of commercial agriculture
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Consumer Science))--University of the Free State, 2023Food insecurity and malnutrition are persistent challenges to the global community. The COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate change and the Russian-Ukraine war have exacerbated hunger and poverty rates. However, agriculture continues to be regarded as a critical pathway towards tackling food insecurity and malnutrition.
In Africa, investments in agricultural development have increased in the recent past, aiming to fight food insecurity and poverty. The transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture has received increased attention from significant investors. Lesotho is one of the least developed countries in the world that is also faced with persistent and high poverty rates that spread throughout the country. In the past decade, the government of Lesotho and its partners have invested in supporting farming households by commercialising agriculture and increasing market participation.
However, agriculture in Lesotho is constrained by limited access to production resources and erratic climatic events, among others. As a result, agriculture suffers from low productivity and its contribution to food insecurity and nutrition security is challenged. Despite the challenges, there is a continual investment in commercial agriculture as a development approach. However, the role of agriculture in yielding food and nutrition security outcomes is unclear, and empirical evidence is limited. In light of these, the study sought to assess the contribution of commercial agriculture on household food and nutrition security.
The specific objectives to address the research aim were:
• To determine the food and nutrition security status of commercial and subsistence farming households in Lesotho.
• To determine the factors that affect the food and nutritional security of the farming households in Lesotho.
• To assess the contribution of commercial agriculture on the food and nutrition security of the farming households in Lesotho.
• To assess the characteristics of the food and nutrition security clusters.
• To make policy recommendations on household food and nutrition security in Lesotho.
The study adopted an exploratory research approach with a cross-sectional nature. Data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interview schedules. The findings indicated that farming households experienced food and nutrition insecurity differently. The household food insecurity access scale indicated the prevalence of varied levels of food insecurity among 60% of the surveyed households. Individual dietary diversity scores showed low dietary diversity among the majority of women of reproductive age (79.4%), under-five children (72%) and male adults (65.4%). Significant differences in food and nutrition security status were observed between the four districts that represent the agro-ecological zones. The household dietary diversity score reflected that farming households could afford diverse diets weekly, and not daily. There were significant differences in food and nutrition security between commercial and subsistence farming households. Household income was a determinant for all household food and nutrition security indicators. After grouping the surveyed households, the findings also indicated that the food and nutrition secure cluster was characterised by small household size, higher monthly household income, farming for commercial purposes, as well as respondents who are married and have higher education status. Food secure farming households also have access to extension services and credit to purchase agricultural inputs. In assessing commercial agriculture's contribution to food and nutrition security, qualitative and quantitative findings reflected a positive contribution to most indicators. Involvement in commercial agriculture is a pathway to enhancing food and nutrition security hence a nutrition-sensitive approach to commercial agricultural interventions is recommended for better food and nutrition outcomes. The findings also demonstrate that involvement in agriculture alone is inadequate for enhancing food and nutrition security. Since household income is a significant determinant for achieving food and nutrition security, there is a need to stimulate the economy to create income-generating activities. Farming households must also be capacitated with nutrition knowledge in combination with proper allocation of agricultural produce and farm income to meet the dietary requirements for all members of the households
Modelling time-depended paired comparisons using soccer data
No full textDissertation(M.Soc.Sc.(Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2023This study presents a comprehensive analysis of soccer ranking models, encompassing the evaluation of existing models, the introduction of a new time-series paired comparison model, and a comparative study of model predictions against official soccer rankings. The investigation into the landscape of professional soccer rankings reveals the limitations of traditional FIFA rankings, prompting the exploration of alternative statistical models. The Linear Thurstone 3 (LT3) model emerges as a standout performer, demonstrating consistent and accurate predictions, particularly in the years 2023 and 2026.
However, inherent challenges, including data limitations, tournament dynamics, model assumptions, parameter standardization, and non-round-robin tournament structures, underscore the complexity of predicting soccer outcomes. The study provides recommendations for future research to address these limitations, emphasizing the refinement of models, improvement in data quality, dynamic model adaptation, ensemble modelling, cross-sport comparative analysis, and continuous evaluation.
This research contributes to the ongoing pursuit of precision and fairness in professional soccer rankings. The dynamic nature of the field necessitates continuous refinement and adaptation of models to enhance accuracy. By addressing the identified limitations and implementing the recommended strategies, future research endeavours can contribute to a more nuanced and reliable understanding of team rankings in the ever-evolving world of international soccer
The influence of transformational leadership on teacher professionalism of Grade 6 teachers in the Xhariep district
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Education in Mathematics))--University of the Free State, 2023The focus of education today is on providing high-quality education that can change the socioeconomic circumstances of South Africans living in poverty. Teachers have a responsibility to look after the emotional, physical, and mental health of their students. School principals play a vital role in supporting these tasks. One of their responsibilities is to be effective leaders who can influence how teachers behave in their schools. This study investigated how transformational leadership can impact the professionalism of Grade 6 teachers in the Xhariep District. According to the literature, principals can have a significant impact on how teachers behave professionally because they are transformational leaders. The study was guided by the discussion and analysis of the transformational leadership model, which helped to identify the factors that influence Grade 6 teachers' professionalism. The study used a qualitative approach to the research problem located within the interpretivism paradigm. Three primary schools were selected as the research sites, and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The data from six Grade 6 Natural Sciences & Technology teachers (two from each primary school) and three principals from each primary school were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that principals can influence teachers' professionalism through effective leadership practices, which can lead to high-quality teaching and learning. The study also found that teacher professionalism is a complex issue that is influenced by both teacher-internal factors and school-external factors. The study provides recommendations on how schools can help teachers become more professional and create environments with adequate teaching resources to deliver high-quality instruction
Counter‑gradient variation and the expensive tissue hypothesis explain parallel brain size reductions at high elevation in cricetid and murid rodents
No full textTo better understand functional morphological adaptations to high elevation (> 3000 m above sea level) life in both North American and African mountain-associated rodents, we used microCT scanning to acquire 3D images and a 3D morphometric approach to calculate endocranial volumes and skull lengths. This was done on 113 crania of low-elevation and high-elevation populations in species of North American cricetid mice (two Peromyscus species, n = 53), and African murid rodents of two tribes, Otomyini (five species, n = 49) and Praomyini (four species, n = 11). We tested two distinct hypotheses for how endocranial volume might vary in high-elevation populations: the expensive tissue hypothesis, which predicts that brain and endocranial volumes will be reduced to lessen the costs of growing and maintaining a large brain; and the brain-swelling hypothesis, which predicts that endocranial volumes will be increased either as a direct phenotypic effect or as an adaptation to accommodate brain swelling and thus minimize pathological symptoms of altitude sickness. After correcting for general allometric variation in cranial size, we found that in both North American Peromyscus mice and African laminate-toothed (Otomys) rats, highland rodents had smaller endocranial volumes than lower-elevation rodents, consistent with the expensive tissue hypothesis. In the former group, Peromyscus mice, crania were obtained not just from wild-caught mice from high and low elevations but also from those bred in common-garden laboratory conditions from parents caught from either high or low elevations. Our results in these mice showed that brain size responses to elevation might have a strong genetic basis, which counters an opposite but weaker environmental effect on brain volume. These results potentially suggest that selection may act to reduce brain volume across small mammals at high elevations but further experiments are needed to assess the generality of this conclusion and the nature of underlying mechanisms.Publisher's versio
The extent and scope of procedural fairness under legality review
No full textDissertation (LL.M.(Human Rights))--University of the Free State, 2023The prevailing view in administrative law scholarship concerning the relationship between the (hereafter ‘PAJA’)¹ and the principle of legality over the last decade has been that these two mechanisms for review of public conduct should not be used interchangeably and that instead, they should be applied separately, within each of their scopes of application. In other words, the prevailing view maintains that PAJA and its grounds of review must be exhausted first before resort can be had to the principle of legality – which serves as a safety net to catch all exercises of public power which fall outside the purview of PAJA.² Indeed, this is not just the prevailing view but a constitutional injunction occasioned by amongst others, the principle of subsidiarity which serves to give impetus to the doctrine of the separation of powers.³ This notwithstanding, a thorough reading of administrative law cases since the enactment of PAJA shows that the courts have not maintained this constitutionally ordained PAJA and legality review distinction consistently. There are indeed cases in which our courts have imported procedural fairness (a separate ground of review under PAJA) into the legality review. However, it is still not clear as to when and under what circumstances a reviewing court will subject public conduct (not administrative in nature, and therefore not subject to PAJA), to procedural fairness as seemingly subsumed into the principle of legality. Against this backdrop, I ask in this dissertation what the unintended consequences of this prevailing approach have been. Second to that, I ask whether the prevailing view has not resulted in the development/broadening of legality as a ground for the review of ‘non-administrative’ public conduct. And most significantly, whether our courts have managed to develop a cogent substantive approach to the question of whether or not in a given case of legality review, procedural fairness should apply
A critical analysis of the viability of wrongful life claims under South African law: a stretch too far or a simple step forward
No full textDissertation(LL.M.(Private Law))--University of the Free State, 2023Is it better to not be born at all than to be born with a severe disability? Is there any life that is not worthwhile?¹ suspect that many readers would initially be hesitant to disagree. The well-known slogan “every life is worth living” sums up this tendency or the revulsion to the extremely unsettling notion that some lives are worse than nothing or are not worth living.² Alternatively, in circumstances where the quality of life is so poor that it is understandable to feel contrite about ever being born or to hate the day of a child’s birth, it appears to be the harsh reality that it was unlucky for such a child to be born to live such a life and that the child’s life is not worth living³
The issue of wrongful life claims has become increasingly prevalent in South Africa’s legal landscape, raising complex ethical and legal questions surrounding the right to life and the compensation for harm caused by medical negligence.⁴ Medical professionals may be held accountable under South African law if they fail to fulfill their legal obligation to a healthcare consumer and harm results.⁵ When a child is born with an abnormality or handicap, and the parents assert that they would have ended the pregnancy, in respect of the ,⁶ if they had been adequately informed of the defect or condition, the claim of wrongful life arises.⁷ For many years, wrongful life claims have been a contentious subject in South Africa.⁸ The legal context and case law pertaining to these claims constantly change, and the courts have been asked to address complex moral and ethical dilemmas.⁹
In South Africa, the right to reproductive autonomy is constitutionally protected. This means that, in terms of the 1996, hereinafter referred to as “the ",¹º individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies and to have access to information that allows them to make those decisions.¹¹ Section 12(2) of the ¹² states that: “Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right— (a) to make decisions concerning reproduction; (b) to security in and control over their body; and (c) not to be subjected to medical or scientific experiments without their informed consent.¹³ However, the law is less clear when it comes to the rights of parents to make decisions on their unborn child’s behalf. In wrongful life claims, the courts must balance the right of parents to make reproductive choices¹⁴ with the rights of a child who has been born with a disability or congenital disability while, most importantly, taking the best interest of the child into consideration.¹⁵ While society and the government control many aspects of people’s daily lives, they do not actively attempt to control human reproduction.¹⁶
The courts within South Africa have been reluctant to recognise wrongful life claims, with the majority of cases being dismissed by reason of the child’s right to life¹⁷ trumps the parents’ right to reproductive choices.¹⁸ However, as will be seen throughout this dissertation, there have been a few cases in other jurisdictions where the courts have allowed wrongful life claims to proceed, particularly in cases where the parents were deprived of essential information that would have allowed them to make an informed decision about the pregnancy. The issue of wrongful life claims remains a contentious issue in South African law along with international jurisdictions¹⁹ and is likely to continue to be the subject of debate and litigation in the years to come.²
Experiences of Science teachers on the teaching of learners with hearing-impairment in Lesotho secondary schools
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Curriculum Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023There is a global concern through the ‘education for all’ initiative that all learners, regardless of their disabilities, should be in school. This enables learners with diverse needs to study Science as a subject, which, according to different researchers, is a cornerstone for economic development. This subject also equips learners with the knowledge and skills that capacitate them as individuals to contribute positively towards their communities. However, research shows that hearing-impaired learners (HIL) lag behind and their performance in Science is not always satisfactory. The problem is implicated in the fact that very little research work has been directed towards Science teaching for HIL. For this reason, this study seeks to understand teachers’ experiences when teaching Science to HIL in Lesotho secondary schools. Opportunities to learn (OTL) and capabilities frameworks are used to guide this study. OTL variables are used in this study and include teachers’ beliefs about teaching approaches and learning activities that accommodate HIL. The inclusion of a capability framework is for studying the teaching approaches customised for increasing learning opportunities for HIL. The paradigm that was used in this research is interpretivism. This study also follows a qualitative approach and falls within a case-study design. The sample comprised of four Science teachers teaching learners with hearing impairment. The findings of this study show that the use of experiments is effective for teaching Science to HIL, even though they are time consuming in preparation and deliberation of the lesson. Teachers also believed that the use of information and communication technology (ICT) could not only improve their teaching of Science but could as well respond to the many challenges they encounter when teaching HIL. The study also indicates that teachers teaching HIL require different accommodative strategies, but due to different challenges and contextual factors HIL’s opportunities to learn Science concepts are compromised. The study concludes that, since HIL are taught like any other learners in their Science lessons, it’s imperative that teacher capacity building be provided to maximise the opportunities to learn Science for HIL
The influence of an entrepreneurial mindset on the performance of small medium and micro enterprises (SMEs) in the informal sector
No full textDissertation (MDS (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023The important relationship between an entrepreneurial mindset and the performance of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMEs) operating in the informal sector is examined in this dissertation. This study aims to determine the degree to which informal SMEs operate with an entrepreneurial mindset in addition to evaluating the effect of an entrepreneurial mindset on the overall performance of these businesses. SMEs are essential to supporting regional growth and the overall economy in the modern economic environment. However given the particular difficulties that informal SMEs encounter, it is important to take a close look at how an entrepreneurial attitude affects their operations.
This dissertation attempts to offer insights into the characteristics of an entrepreneurial mindset and how these characteristics influence the operational and strategic decisions of informal SMEs through a thorough literature analysis and empirical research methodologies. The study aims to measure the effect of entrepreneurial thinking on key performance metrics, such as profitability, innovation, and sustainability, in the setting of informal SMEs by utilising both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
It is expected that the research's conclusions will make significant contributions to both academic research and useful policies, providing suggestions for encouraging and maintaining an entrepreneurial attitude among informal sector SMEs. To lay the groundwork for future studies and policy interventions, this dissertation aims to close the current knowledge gap regarding the interplay between an entrepreneurial attitude and the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in informal sector areas