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Perceptions of Lesotho secondary school principals on their professional development needs to enhance leadership
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Education Management and Leadership))--University of the Free State, 2023School leadership plays a critical role in effective management of teaching and learning. Principals are entrusted with a huge responsibility of managing schools although they face a variety of challenges running the schools effectively in the 21st century. The professional development of principals is, therefore, crucial to their success as leaders since it extends their knowledge and improves their job performance. This study explored the perceptions of Lesotho secondary school principals on their professional development needs to enhance leadership. Constructivism paradigm was used as a lens for this study. The research was informed by constructivism theory as well as complexity leadership theory. A qualitative research approach was employed, and a multiple case study was adopted to gather data from twelve individual principals from twelve schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and purposive sampling was used to identify and select individual principals who were knowledgeable and had insights to share regarding their professional development needs. Thematic data analysis approach was employed to extract meaning from the collected data. The major findings of the study revealed that principals lack exposure to professional development programmes, and this adversely affects school leadership. The study further exposed that principals need capacitation in digital literacy skills, financial management skills, legal skills as well as management and instructional leadership skills. Additionally, the study found that principals experience numerous challenges in their leadership role, and these have a negative effect on their performance. It further revealed financial constraints and lack of support from the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) as some of the factors hindering principals’ professional development. The study recommends that professional development programmes be arranged for principals to address their needs to enhance school leadership. Additionally, short training courses could be arranged by MoET to capacitate principals in the areas where they lack skills. The findings of this research contributed to the body of knowledge on the professional development needs of school principals. The study has the potential to raise awareness of the professional development needs of Lesotho secondary school principals, which is the area of focus that previous research conducted in Lesotho failed to address. The results of this study could assist MoET in development of professional development programmes for newly appointed principals to advance their leadership skills. To further enhance leadership, teacher training institutions could also use the results of this research to upgrade pre- and in-service leadership training programmes that could be used to assist principals in their leadership positions. The results of the research will as well assist policymakers and the Ministry of Education and Training in Lesotho on how to structure professional development programmes to meet the needs of secondary school principals
Union and communion: The mystical spirituality of James Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
No full textJames Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), founder of the China Inland Mission in June 1865, is one
of the most prominent names in the history of Protestant missions. He authored Union and
Communion, a short devotional commentary on the Song of Songs, published in 1894. Like
many of his other writings, it is suffused with mystical elements. Taylor's mystical dimension,
however, has been eclipsed by an overemphasis on his intriguing 19th century missionary
endeavours in China; in addition, his writings have been eclipsed by popular missionary
biographies and secondary sources. Through a focus on his soul landscape and intimacy with
God, this research has reconnected the mystical threads for an in-depth understanding of the
relationship between his mystical spirituality and his missionary spirituality. By recovering
Taylor's mystical wisdom (through the biblical frameworks of the Song of Songs, the Fourth
Gospel, and the apostle Paul's writings), the research suggests that Taylor be recognised and
re-visioned as a Protestant mystic cum missionary
Exploring leadership practices of addressing learner-on-teacher violence in secondary schools
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(School of Education Management, Policy, and Comparative Education), 2023The manifestation of learner-on-teacher violence is a growing concern for contemporary schools worldwide. Although it is a global problem, it also appears to be on the rise in South Africa and is not adequately reported or addressed. Yet, this phenomenon is still severely understudied, especially from a leadership perspective. Thus, this study aims to explore leadership practices of addressing learner-on-teacher violence in secondary schools. The study adopted a two-pronged theory consisting of the Social Cognitive Learning Theory (SCLT) and the Invitational Leadership Theory (ILT). A qualitative design was employed, and a multiple case study was utilised to call attention to leadership practices for addressing learner-on-teacher violence in secondary schools. Two secondary schools in the eastern Free State were selected for this study. Eight participants were purposively selected for the study. The data was mainly collected through semi-structured interviews (one-on-one interviews) with principals, heads of departments (HODs), and teachers and was supplemented by document analysis. Data collected from this study was analysed using thematic analysis, and five themes emerged. The findings revealed that learner-on-teacher violence in the forms of verbal violence, physical violence, and sexual harassment is prevalent in secondary schools. The study found that school leaders respond to learner-on-teacher violence incidents per the learner code of conduct, involvement of parents, and other school-based targeted violence intervention programs. However, the findings revealed that all these strategies seem insufficient to stop the prevalence of these incidents due to several challenges, including a lack of parent involvement, inadequate policies, and a lack of support from the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Therefore, this study recommends that the DBE capacitates school leaders on the review of policies and supports them with the implementation thereof. Parents and politicians must play their roles and refrain from interfering with disciplinary processes; thus, the Department of Education (DOE) must assist school leaders in that regard
Whole genome analysis of Rwandan G9P [8] rotavirus strains pre- and post-RotaTeq® vaccine introduction
No full textDissertation(M.Med.Sc.(Virology))--University of the Free State, 2023Children under the age of five who live in developing countries, are consistently exposed to the threat posed by Group A rotaviruses (RVA), despite the introduction of vaccines. Prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, over 3500 children in Rwanda died per year due to RVA associated disease. Therefore, the RotaTeq® vaccine was implemented in May 2012 to alleviate the disease burden. This led to a significant decline in rotavirus infections and fatalities in this region. Considering the extensive diversity of rotavirus strains found in Africa, additional data is necessary to assess the impact of vaccine introduction on RVA strains that are currently circulating in Rwanda. This study aimed to perform whole genome analysis of Rwandan G9P[8] rotavirus strains pre- and post-RotaTeq® vaccine introduction.
This was a descriptive observational experimental study which was executed at the University of the Free State - Next Generating Sequencing (UFS-NGS) Unit at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Bloemfontein, South Africa. This study formed part of a larger project aimed at addressing the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for Technical Service Agreement (TSA) between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UFS-NGS Unit. This study involved 30/158 faecal samples from Rwandan children that had already been conventionally genotyped as G9P[8] (based on the outer capsid proteins), as part of routine surveillance by World Health Organization African Regional Office (WHO/AFRO). A total of 23 samples were retrieved from the period prior to vaccination, while seven samples were used from the period following vaccination. To conduct whole genome sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq® platform, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was isolated from the faecal samples and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesised from the extracted material using the Maxima Kit. Subsequently, library preparation was carried out utilising the NextEra XT Kit. Following this, a variety of bioinformatics tools were employed to analyse the study data.
Whole genome analysis revealed that all 30 of the Rwandan G9P[8] study strains displayed the characteristic Wa-like constellation. Phylogenetic analysis in the form of maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed and revealed that the Rwandan study strains were clustering closely together. It was observed that three study strains from the post- vaccination study era were clustering distinctly from the rest of the G9P[8] study strains. The ranges of high similarity between nucleotides in all 11 genome segments agreed with the phylogenetic relationships that were observed. Amino acid differences were observed in the neutralisation epitope regions of the VP4 and VP7 genome segments compared to the Rwandan G9P[8] study strains and the RotaTeq® vaccine strain. These changes were mainly seen in the post- vaccine study strains and may lead to the escape of vaccine mutants, which could potentially affect the efficacy of the vaccine. The protein surfaces displayed these amino acid variations, as observed in three-dimensional (3D) protein structures. Analysis of selection pressures revealed that ten of the genome segments were subject to purifying selection, except for the VP4 genome segment, where two sites were subject to positive selection, which could influence the protein’s evolutionary dynamics.
To unpack the unknown information surrounding rotavirus strain diversity, evolution, and the epidemiology of circulating RVA strains in Rwanda during the pre- and post- vaccine introduction periods, it remains important to continue performing whole genome studies in this region
Identifying a sustainable risk management strategy for private student accommodation providers in Bloemfontein
No full textDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2023The research investigated the risks prevalent in the private student accommodation industry in Bloemfontein with the aim of establishing sustainable risk management strategies to improve viability as well as impact knowledge to enable private student accommodation providers to incorporate risk management into their business strategy. The study showed that the majority of private property investors did not conduct due diligence before in investing in private student accommodation while overlooking potential risks associated with the growing industry. As a result, students have been subjected to dilapidated living conditions. Properties in Brandwag, Willows and Universitas have been left in dilapidated states as property investors fail to cope with both systematic and unsystematic risks prevailing in the industry. Various risks faced by private student accommodation including cashflow challenges, financial management, liquidity and default risk, were identified as major risks in the private student accommodation sector in Bloemfontein. Focus and emphasis was on identifying and managing the risks to ensure that investors making investments in this sector of the property industry would understand and properly evaluate the risks associated with investments in this sector of the real estate industry. A fuzzy inference system model was used to determine impact of the risks associated with the industry. The findings showed that the majority of private student accommodation providers with a few years operating experience and minimal knowledge of the industry were highly exposed to cashflow, liquidity, regulatory and operational risks. Low rental income as a result of a NSFAS rental ceiling and delayed payments resulted in cashflow mismatches as the majority of the students were NSFAS funded. The research concludes by providing sustainable risk management strategies to address the anomaly of increasing demand and declining supply for private student private student accommodation in Bloemfontein
Managing a multigenerational workforce at a commercial bank in the central region
No full textDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2023The multigenerational workforce presents a critical challenge for managers, and each generational has different expectations. This study aimed to explore ways to manage a multigenerational workforce at a commercial bank in the Central Region.
The literature review highlighted five focus areas facing multigenerational organisations. The focus areas were grouped into various, characteristics of each generation, namely, atmosphere, and management issues.
A quantitative research design was employed in the study conducted at a Commercial Retail Bank in the Central region, The sample size included 101 retail bank employees including junior employees working in the frontline, junior management, and senior management in this region, a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from.
The results indicated that for generational characteristics, millennials prefer monetary recognition while pre-millennials still get motivated with non-monetary recognition. For organisational atmosphere within generations, pre-millennials were dominant in their response indicating that they are more comfortable working within their generation, this indicates that there could be potential age discrimination challenges in the central commercial bank. Lastly for management issues, pre-millennials believe that ethics is one of the sources, where they perceive millennials as less ethical than them, and this at some point leads to conflict between the two generations, The next source of conflict they believe derives from values, again pre-millennials think that old generational values and new generations values are not inline, as results when they need to work as a team, they have a lot of clashes.
The following recommendations were recommended to assist the Central Commercial Retail Bank in managing its aged diverse workforce.
Generational motivators: As a bank, the suggestion will be to introduce quarterly incentives that will recognise sales performance.
Flexibility: Management will need to ensure that they allow some level of flexibility for task completion, as both generations indicated, this will ensure that both generations are productive.
Age discrimination: To bridge the gap of age discrimination, the commercial bank must encourage knowledge sharing, management must facilitate knowledge sharing between generations by creating platforms for cross-generational collaboration, such as intergenerational task forces. This will allow employees to learn from each other’s expertise and experiences.
Strategies to assist management in managing a multigenerational workforce: The recommended strategy to overcome this will be for the commercial bank to design a training curriculum for their managers, which will upskill them with information on how to manage each generational and how to identify strengths and use them for the benefit of the team and the commercial bank
A framework to improve curriculum leadership in primary schools
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023Research attests that there is correlation between leadership and learner achievement. Principals, deputies, head of departments and subject heads play an important role in designing high quality, critical, community-oriented and collective curriculum leadership in schools. Since the dawn of democracy, the South African education system has experienced many changes in their curriculum. This has led to a serious confusion in terms of leadership, which has resulted in ineffective curriculum leadership in schools. The aim of this study was to design a framework to improve curriculum leadership with the purpose of improving learner achievement. The study used a qualitative approach and a diverse group of curriculum leaders were involved, using critical participatory action research as participants, and the researcher used two primary schools for research. A focus group technique to facilitate participants’ observation was used to stimulate sustained interaction. The research question is: how can a framework to improve curriculum leadership in primary schools be designed? Providing ongoing curriculum leadership in schools today is a multifaceted process. The study used Africana Critical Theory (ACT) as its theoretical framework. African leadership models contend that there is a great interest in educational leadership today, because of the widespread belief that the quality of leadership makes a significant difference to school and learner achievement. It is a critical common place that leadership in schools is confronted by moral and ethical dilemmas, thus ACT as the 21st century outgrowth of efforts to deconstruct and reconstruct, the dialectics of domination and liberation of Africana life worlds, as well as lived experiences. Data were collected using free attitude interviews and analysed using critical discourse analysis. The study drew heavily on critical leadership studies as a conceptual framework that was used throughout the study. Critical leadership studies, as a conceptual framework proposed by the study - respond to the failure of mainstream leadership studies to address important questions of power, control and inequalities (cf. 1.3, 1.7, 2.2, 2.2.8.3, 2.7.1. 2.7.2, 2.7.3, 5.1, 6.2.2.3 & Figure 7.1). The discussion of the findings resulting from the intervention was done with the use of critical discourse analysis
[Fuel] Station: reclaiming the mechanized landscape through a Bio Diesel Pant and Re-[Fuel] Station at Beervlei Dam, Eastern Cape
No full textDissertation (M.Arch.(Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2023In this thesis, a brief history about the Karoo will be explored and how man using the machine to change his context is used as inspiration in developing a theoretical approach to support the design of an industrial architecture within the mechanized context of Beervlei Dam. Various literary resources will be used to gain a better understanding of the wider context, culture and its architecture and the influences of the machine. Theories from Christian Norberg-Schulz, Lebbeus Woods, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Anthony Vidler, Rem Koolhaas and Robert McCarter will be used to support design decisions and contextual appropriation to arrive at an accurate architectural response to the complex landscape of Beervlei Dam. When exploring the site at Beervlei Dam, there are two governing aspects that overwhelm the senses and reveals the ‘genius loci’, which is ‘Place’ and ‘The Machine’. Norberg-Shulz explains that the ‘genius loci’ or ‘spirit of place’ is the character of place that gives meaning to it and enables man to ‘dwell’ within it. Therefore ‘Place’ and ‘The Machine’ will be used as inspirational guidelines throughout this thesis in order to reach a final proposal
Evaluating the impact of government support programme on the development of land reform farms in South Africa
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Sustainable Agriculture))--University of the Free State, 2023Concerns have been raised in various studies regarding the unproductive use of agricultural land acquired through land reform programme. Given the vital role of agriculture in creating jobs and ensuring food security, it is essential to make concerted efforts to promote the development of land reform farms for commercial purposes. This study aims to evaluate the initiatives undertaken by various stakeholders to facilitate the commercial use of land reform farms and contribute empirical evidence to shape support programs.
The study is guided by the development theory, which emphasises the importance of considering the actors and structural powers in the development process, as their influence plays a pivotal role in the relevance of policies. The researcher sought to demonstrate how the development theory has informed the existing policies related to the development of land reform farms. To gather comprehensive data, a mixed-method approach was employed, allowing for the triangulation of findings from various sources. Quantitative data was collected from 122 participants using survey questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained through three focus group discussions with farmers and four open-ended discussions with commodity organizations. For data analysis, Microsoft Software Package (Version 2020) was utilised, and a Pearson Correlation Coefficient approach was applied to examine the nature, strength, and direction of the key variables being measured. Additionally, a correlation coefficient was used to assess the frequency and direction of interactions between these variables.
The study indicates that most farmers gained income from farming due to land access and support. Partnership effectiveness was insufficient for enhancing most farmers' skill sets. Although Land Development Support (LDS) fulfilled most of farmers' desires for commercial farming, farm sustainability might suffer due to insufficient entrepreneurial aptitude. Additionally, comprehensive stakeholder consultation in policy development could enhance policy relevance for addressing potential challenges in farm sustainability. Land size and its utilisation (r= -0.2700); Funding sufficiency for farm production (r=0.1775); Income derived after LDS ( r=0.5212); Aspirations of farmers (r=0.0757); Partnership arrangement and sustainability of production (r=0.0044) emphasises the importance of remodelling the partnership arrangement to cub its current challenges.
In conclusion these findings underline the need for a more streamlined approach that involves the active participation of relevant stakeholders, a well-defined funding model, and the selection and capacity building of farmers involved in developing land reform farms. This holistic approach is essential to address the challenges associated with unproductive land use and to foster the successful development of land reform farms for commercial purposes, thereby contributing to enhanced food security and job creation
“May the fourth be with you”: how will the fourth industrial revolution impact South Africa’s labour force?
No full textDissertation (LL.M.(Labour Law))--University of the Free State, 2023As we are on the verge of transitioning from an already modern era to a more sophisticated one, one cannot help but sit back and wonder how this new leap will affect the current and future world of employment.
The First Industrial Revolution came into being due to the developments made in the textile and iron industry, the use of steam and other forms of power, and the adoption of factory systems in the middle of the 18ᵗʰ century.⁵
Through these developments and initiatives, the First Industrial Revolution brought about social and economic change, increased business and trade, laid the foundation for the creation of new machinery, and much more.⁶ However, with these positive measures came adverse effects. Employers pushed employees beyond their limits, child labour increased, and cities became overpopulated.⁷
The First Industrial Revolution saw the rise of trade unionism as those employed desired more control over their work. Workers had to endure terrible working conditions on a daily basis, which were detrimental to their health and life. This led to these aggrieved workers forming trade unions to fight for a better work-life and working environment.⁸
The Second Industrial Revolution, which occurred late in the 19th century, added to that developed during the First Industrial Revolution. It brought electricity, chemical industries (and their chemical products), electronic communications technology, and alloys.⁹
These inventions made people's lives much more convenient and increased productivity in many countries.¹º However, those employed continued to work for long hours in horrible conditions, living conditions deteriorated, and many companies suffered at the hands of debt.¹¹
Trade unions started expanding across different industries during the Second Industrial Revolution, all aiming to promote better working conditions and eradicate continued exploitation.¹² The Knights of Labour was one of the most important unions during this period in that it was one of the few that had no restrictions on its membership.¹³
The Third Industrial Revolution brought automation and digitization to the table with the help of electronics, computers, the Internet, and new communication technologies in the middle of the 20ᵗʰ century.¹⁴
The Third Industrial Revolution paved the way for new innovations, which in turn created new types of jobs, such as software engineers and IT specialists. However, it also resulted in the loss of many other jobs due to implemented robots and computers capable of performing human tasks, such as agricultural activities.¹⁵
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, built on the developments of the Third Industrial Revolution, is not far from imposing its full effect.¹⁶ It will be accompanied by innovations ranging from artificial intelligence and cloud computing to 3-D printing and augmented reality.¹⁷ The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will stretch as far as the four corners of the earth and cause multiple disruptions, especially in the world of work. It is predicted that new types of jobs will be ushered in, and current ones will evolve, requiring individuals to either upskill or reskill.¹⁸ Unfortunately, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will also lead to the downfall of many jobs and the replacement of humans in others.¹⁹ This begs the question of whether our current labour laws are relevant and sufficient to protect employees during this period.
Each of the previous industrial revolutions left their mark on society and, inadvertently, the workplace. The First Industrial Revolution with steam power and the factory system, the Second Industrial Revolution with electricity and chemicals, and the Third Industrial Revolution with automation and digitization. The question now is what possible impact, or how would the Fourth Industrial Revolution impact, the current and future world of employment. This mini-dissertation is centred on this question. It explores the possible impact of this new industrial revolution, specifically referring to current and future employees and employers. Will it be more advantageous than disadvantageous to the latter parties, or will it be the other way around? This is the question that concerns many, including me