11613 research outputs found
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Exploring teachers’ implementation of knowledge and skills beyond a school-university partnership
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022School–university partnerships have been shown to be effective in developing the knowledge and skills of participating teachers. Understanding what teachers do in classrooms with these knowledge and skills, including after the end of the partnership, and factors that affect this, is vital in the assessment of the long-term impact and sustainability of such partnerships, but is largely unexplored. This qualitative case study describes the experiences of 16 participants who taught mathematics and physical sciences within a school–university partnership, ways in which they implemented the knowledge and skills they gained through this partnership, and their perceptions of threats to, and conditions for, successful implementation of this knowledge and skill beyond the partnership period. The investigation drew data from two sources: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The data were analysed using an interpretivist paradigm that allowed for a iterative and process-oriented research approach. The knowledge produced was analysed and interpreted using Kram’s framework of mentoring and complex systems theory. The findings suggest that the teachers developed content and pedagogical knowledge, and curriculum management and assessment skills, and are using a variety of approaches to implement these beyond the partnership period. Certain individual and institutional factors that threaten, and teacher traits and school conditions that are conditional for this implementation, were identified. Based on the findings, the study makes several recommendations for future school–university projects
Suppliers' perception on transparency of Free State public procurement
No full textDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2022This study evaluates the perception of suppliers on the transparency of the public procurement in the Free State Province paying attention on the pre-tender stage activities. The study further reviews the public procurement legal framework and processes to contextualise relationships between transparency and participation, competition and accountability. Public procurement has been critiqued for its highest levels of non-compliance to ethical standards, a lack of standardisation as well as lack of transparency of processes. The allegations of unethical relationships between suppliers and government officials led to the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. The Zondo Commission was tasked with, among others, investigating how public procurement systems were flouted to benefit powerful individuals. To collect data in respect of this study, a structured interviews were administered to a total of 17 active participants in the supplier database, from planned 25 participants who are conducting their business within the boundaries of the Free State. Again, literature in the form of government reports, public procurement legislation and articles was reviewed to contextualise public procurement processes and concepts. An analysis of 14 of the 17 participants shows that there is no standardised method of communicating pre-tender information to suppliers. Furthermore, suppliers are not familiar with different sets of documents constituting pre-tender information, such as strategic plans, annual performance plans and procurement plans. For example, only three participants suggest having interacted with pre-tender information before tenders were officially advertised. Measures and platforms used by government to communicate invitations to tender are perceived to be cost effective to an extent that they are adequately utilised by all government departments. In conclusion, majority of participants perceive the transparency of public procurement in the Free State to be inconsistent in different stages of tendering. Additionally, the current procurement framework and procedure appear to be preoccupied with the dissemination of procurement information at the tender invitation stage than at the pre-tender stage of procurement. Furthermore, the current measures of communicating procurement information do not support pre-tender information dissemination, automated tendering, evaluation and execution to support the principles of transparency
An investigation of the iron-cyanide mineralization in gold mine dumps
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Geochemistry))--University of the Free State, 2022Cyanide, in the form of NaCN/KCN, is still widely used world-wide in the gold extraction process. Success of this extraction is owed to the high affinity that cyanide has for gold. Post extraction, waste material is added to tailings dam facilities in the form of a slurry. This slurry is likely to contain cyanide, which is hazardous if it is not managed. Another element that cyanide has a high affinity for, is iron. Iron-cyanide compounds (such as Prussian and Turnbull’s blue) are CNSAD (strong acid dissociable cyanide), meaning that they are stable compounds that only dissociate at pH conditions that are very low (<1). UV-radiation also dissociates these compounds. The potential determination of iron-cyanide compounds to form in the environment and their subsequent dissociation, is an area that requires more investigation. The main aims of the study include the modelling of Prussian/Turnbull’s blue in the goldmine tailings environment. To determine in a lab investigation whether or not iron-cyanide are able to form in different samples associated with such environments. Different analysis of the different samples and the analysis of a blue sample found on a tailings dam close to Welkom. Further modelling the affects that pH and the presence of other complexes has on the production of Prussian blue. The last aim was to determine if there are bacteria present that are able to degrade cyanide. The research approach consisted of two branches, namely modelling and the analysis of samples. Modelling was preformed using PHREEQC. The samples mentioned in this research consist of two branches, namely the laboratory study of adding cyanide to different samples and analysing them, and analysing tailings samples. Methods used in the laborarory study include XRD, FT-IR, XPS and total cyanide analysis. 9 samples were collected from a tailings dam close to Welkom, which forms apart of the Free State goldfields. XRF, ICP-OES, total cyanide, CNS analyzer (LECO) and metagenome analysis were performed on these samples. The main findings show that Prussian and Turnbull’s blue are able to form in such tailings environments. Prussian blue forms in an oxic environment and Turnbull’s blue forms in both an oxic and anoxic environment. The main variables that affect the formation of these iron-cyanide compounds is oxygen, the pH and concentrations of cyanide and iron available in solution. A NaCN solution was added to a pyrite sample, a Witwatersrand reference material and a tailings sample, where pyrite and the Witwatersrand reference material produced a blue substance. The analysis of these two samples and a blue sample from a tailings dam were analysed with FT-IR, revealing the presence of an iron-cyanide bond. The cyanide concentrations of the 9 tailings samples ranged from 0.6 – 10 ppm, where the highest concentration was found in a sample containing a blue substance (2.1) and the lowest is deeper into the tailings below the blue sample (2.3), suggesting that iron-cyanide compounds/complexes immobilize cyanide. The metagenome analysis revealed that the naturally occurring bacteria in the tailings are able to degrade or assimilate cyanide in the oligotrophic tailings environment. Cyanide is a source of carbon for the bacteria and an energy source. In conclusion, iron-cyanide compounds/complexes are able to form in the goldmine tailings environment, where a blue sample from a tailings dam was analysed and determined to be an iron-cyanide compound. It was also determined that these compounds/complexes immobilize cyanide, which are naturally degraded by the bacteria on the tailings dam. Ultimately, geochemical risk assessments for mining projects may benefit from including a microbiological aspect, which has not previously been considered. It is recommended that the following options be followed for remediation of cyanide:
1) The addition of an iron-source for iron-cyanide formation, immobilizing the cyanide
2) Burial of the material, possible burial in a mine void (anoxic environments result in higher pH conditions and zero UV radiation) or the addition of a pH buffer e.g., dolomite
3) Determine which microbes are present in the environment
4) Nurture the bacteria colonies, if found to be necessar
A rebuttal to Ahiakpor's criticisms and a reflection on the historical craft
No full textI want to thank Professor Ahiakpor for engaging with my work. A historian rarely experiences the “subjects” of his research talking back to him because we mainly deal with the archival traces that they left. Whereas my first book, The Ideological Scramble for Africa, focused on the 1950s and 1960s, my article in the previous issue of the Southern Journal for Contemporary History is my first foray into the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, I now have the opportunity to enter into a dialogue with Professor Ahiakpor, who claims my article, “contains several misrepresentations and false claims”. He disagrees with my interpretation of people’s motivations as well as my thesis that many classical economists in Ghana supported the “anticolonial capitalism” project: the embrace of the market to further the political project of liberation in the 1970s and 1980s.Publisher's versio
An energy management plan for centlec (SOC) Ltd in the Mangaung Metro (Bloemfontein)
No full textDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2022A complex task, planning and implementing modern electric systems requires estimation of future power generation and consumption (Lannoye, Flynn, and O'Malley, 2012). Firstly, the electric system is made up of many interconnected circuits and machines. The task of maintaining acceptable voltages and frequencies in these systems under rapidly changing conditions is challenging in and of itself. Secondly, scheduling short run generation and load management to minimize costs can be challenging due to uncertainty in equipment and load availability, as well as the sheer number of alternative schedules that are possible. Last but not least, long-term planning requires sorting through the diverse range of possible resources and in-service times, while keeping in mind the implications for short-term schedules and costs (Loken, 2007). It is Eskom, as a power supplier, and Centlec, as a distribution and retail company, which is responsible for planning and implementing electricity generation and distribution in Mangaung metro municipality and broadly in South Africa. In 1902, Centlec became the power utility for the city of Bloemfontein, with a capacity of 102 MW (Megawatt). It last operated in 2006 with a peak power demand of 60 MVA (Mega Volt Ampere). Centlec (SOC) Ltd is an exclusively owned subsidiary of Mangaung Metro Municipality. Centlec is also required to comply with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) of 2003, which is a part of the Municipal Systems Act of 2000 and Companies Act of 1973. Moreover, Centlec (SOC) Ltd accounts for 96% of domestic and residential electrical consumers in Bloemfontein. Another 4% of Bloemfontein's electrical consumption is consumed by commercial buildings such as malls, government buildings, offices, and other businesses (Centlec Annual Report 2010/2011- 2017/2018). As part of the New York Global Energy awards ceremony, Eskom was named 2001 Power Company of the Year by the financial times. Nonetheless, because of corruption and mismanagement, Eskom became a liability to the state (Ward, 2020). In spite of having a capacity of over 45,000 MW, Eskom could generate only 27,000 MW and reverted to "rolling blackouts". Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Public Enterprises, observed in 2019 that Eskom was experiencing "systemic corruption, malfeasance, fraud, and state capture" that had "eroded investor confidence and compromised the credibility of the organization" (Ward, 2020). The failure of Eskom directly affects the power network provider and retailer which is Centlec.Centlec currently only purchases electricity from Eskom and does not generate its own. Centlec has been forced to completely rely on Eskom because of this phenomenon (Inglesi-Lotz and Blignaut, 2011; Eskom, 2011a). On the other hand, Eskom produces its power from coal-based power plants. The National Research Council (2010) reports that coal (fossil fuel) and nuclear power (more recently), were the main energy sources used to expand industrialization, housing, and transportation over the 20th century. Despite this, the growing consumption of fossil fuels is resulting in higher electricity prices, depletion of coal, and carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere (Arent, Wise & Gelman, 2011). South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan 2010 to 2030 (IRP) promulgated in May 2016 lays out the scale and mix of new electricity capacity needed over the next two decades for the first time. In addition to nearly doubling the system capacity, the new plan would drastically change the mix of energy sources and players in the marketplace. By 2030, coal's share of the energy mix will drop from 90% to 65%, renewables' share will increase to 9%, and nuclear's share will increase to 23% (Joffe, 2012). A third of the new capacity is to be built by private investors (Joffe, 2012). As a result of IRP (Integrated Resource Plan, 2010 to 2030), Centlec should formulate its own energy management plan to reduce its dependence on Eskom and become a leader in renewable energy generation
An exploratory investigation of the effect of a sports vision program on Grade 4 and 5 female netball players' visual skills
No full textVision is one of the most complex and dominant sensory systems necessary for information feedback from the environment. Few studies have already reported a positive effect of a sport vision program on elite sport teams’ visual skills; however, few studies have focused on the effect of sport vision programs on children’s visual skills. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of a sports vision program on Grade 4 and 5 female netball players’ visual skills. Girls (N = 25) with a mean age of 10.08 years (SD = 0.65) formed part of this study. A pre-test–post-test design was followed with a retention test. The eight-week sports vision program was executed twice a week for 60 min on the experimental group (n = 13). The Developmental Test of Visual–Motor Integration (VMI-4), the Wayne Saccadic Fixator (WSF) and the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test were used to evaluate the girls’ visual skills, hand–eye coordination, visual reaction time, peripheral vision and saccadic eye movements. No statistical differences were found between the two groups before starting with the sports vision program. After intervention, significant differences between the two groups were reported, with the experimental group performing better in hand–eye coordination (p = 0.001) and reaction time (p = 0.001). Results further indicated that the experimental group experienced significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in motor coordination, hand–eye coordination, reaction speed and visual tracking after intervention with significant lasting effects (p ≤ 0.05). The control group performed significantly worse in reaction time (p = 0.01). A sports vision program can be recommended for Grade 4 and 5 female netball players to improve certain visual skills.Publisher's versio
Xenophobia against non-national academics employed at higher education institutions in South Africa: A legal perspective
No full textThesis (LLD (Laws))--University of the Free State, 2022In this thesis I explore xenophobia against non-national academics at higher education institutions in South Africa, with a specific focus on the legal and policy protections afforded to them. Xenophobia is a national as well as a global phenomenon and manifests in South African society. Although much research has been conducted on xenophobia in general, the position of the non-national academic in relation to xenophobia has not been extensively investigated. I this thesis, therefore, I highlight first, the need to examine the non-national academics' experience of xenophobia within the higher education space and secondly, the legislative and policy protections available to this category of employee. Since xenophobia is a type of discrimination and is linked to issues of equality, I examine xenophobia against the background of existing scholarship on equality and discrimination. The theoretical approach to the study is located in the theories of Tajfel & Turner as well as Harris which focus on xenophobia and social exclusion. The conclusions drawn from the research are that xenophobia against non-national academics in the higher education context does exist and manifests in a covert or symbolic way instead of in a violent manner. While there exist international treaties, national laws, institutional policies, and case law which cater for the rights of non-national academics to some extent, these do not provide adequate legal protection for this group. I recommend the passing of xenophobic-specific legislation to enhance enforcement and accountability and for higher education institutions to specifically provide for xenophobia in its policies. I also conclude that non-national academics would best benefit from the notion of transformative substantive equality since this notion speaks to changes being made to structures within institutions to achieve equality
Precarity, ungrievability, and thinking beyond the law: a framework for understanding the position of LGB individuals in South Africa
No full textDrawing primarily on the work of Judith Butler and Drucilla Cornell, this paper aims to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the position of sexual minorities in South Africa. This will be done particularly in light of the violence, discrimination, and marginalisation that is experienced by, predominantly, black gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals from poorer South African communities. In so doing, the paper also explores how the marginalisation of and violence against LGB individuals play an important role in national identity development and the upholding of a hetero-patriarchal social order. The goal is thus to create an understanding of why, despite legal and constitutional rights, LGB individuals continue to be marginalised, violated, and discriminated against in their everyday lived experiences, and further, why, because of this socio-symbolic positioning, the law cannot necessarily guarantee these rights or protections.Publisher's versio
Cost efficiency at South African universities
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (Management Accounting))--University of the Free State, 2022Universities are at a crossroads. Globally, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the looming Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) have changed the higher education landscape as we know it. Students can now study at the best universities in the world through technological innovation at a fraction of the cost of traditional university education. Traditional universities have lost their competitive advantage regarding geographic location, relevance, content, and mode of delivery. Universities must adapt to the changing business environment brought about by technological innovation and the 4IR or face the consequences. It seems unavoidable that the enrolments at most traditional universities will decrease significantly in the near future due to increased competition in terms of relevance and more affordable international online education. What happens when students can study more relevant modules for free at the best institutions in the world? What happens to universities if student numbers decline when most university costs are fixed? How will these institutions cover their costs if their funding decreases significantly in an industry notorious for its slow pace of adapting to change? Worldwide it is already happening that student numbers are declining, and universities globally are experiencing major financial sustainability problems (theoretical focus of this study). South African students are poor, with substandard secondary education, seeking relevant, affordable education that will ensure employability. However, all indications are that South African universities failed to meet students’ demands, raising Tuition Fees substantially over the last decade or two and continuing to do so. Declining government subsidies also imply that affordable education is not a given without some drastic changes. The empirical focus of this study was to establish why South African universities had to increase their Tuition Fees over the last decade in times of increasing enrolments and what the potential consequences would be if the student enrolments had to decline in the future. This was the reason why the period of financial analyses was chosen from 2010 to 2019, before the COVID-19 disruption. Traditional universities globally and in South Africa will have to make drastic decisions changing both ‘What’ and ‘How’ they teach. Universities require the thorough application of Management and Cost accounting to obtain relevant and accurate information to aid in their decision-making process to improve their efficiency. However, there exists a gap between the need for universities to apply Management and Cost accounting and the available knowledge on how to use it effectively in the diverse service setting of a university. Therefore, this study's primary objective was to apply Management and Cost accounting principles to assess the efficiency of South African universities as typical service organisations in a disruptive environment. The study used quantitative, exploratory research based on secondary data in the public domain to achieve the primary objective. The Financial Statements from a sample of 16 from the 26 publicly funded universities in South Africa were analysed financially and statistically from 2010 to 2019, using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The sampled universities’ Financial Statements for 2010, 2015 and 2019 were gathered and analysed. The descriptive statistics performed considered the composition and growth of the three Revenue streams and Expense categories of the sampled universities applicable to this study from 2010 to 2019. Inferential statistics were applied using inflation and the growth in Teaching Input and Teaching Output units (TIOUs) to calculate a Budgeted benchmark for the related Revenue streams and Expense categories. These Budgeted benchmarks were then compared to the actual amounts of the related revenue and Expense items and the significance of the difference tested. Regression analysis was also applied to determine the impact of TIOU growth on Total Revenue and Total Expenses as well as the relationship between the Difference in Budgeted and Actual Expenses and Actual and Budgeted Revenue. From the empirical part of this study, it seems that universities did not manage their Expenses efficiently. More concerning is the fact that Expenses increased above inflation and the growth in enrolments. This increase was also primarily a result of increases in Indirect costs; thus an Expense category without any causal relationship to the outputs (number of enrolments) at a university. Universities in South Africa further did not deliver on their objective of providing affordable education that will ensure employability since the increase in Expenses (primarily Indirect) was funded by Tuition Fees rising significantly above inflation and growth in enrolments, justifying the call from students in 2015 that #FeesMustFall.Another critical finding from the empirical part of this study is that universities depended on enrolment growth to fund the increase in Expenses. In an environment dominated by fixed costs, an increase in enrolments should not have resulted in a significant increase in Expenses. Universities should have benefited from Economies of Scale, becoming more efficient in the managing of their Expenses, but this does not seem to be the case. The research questions to be answered are what will happen if enrolments start to decline because of factors such as online teaching becoming the norm, or more affordable and relevant education become available? Add the fact that Salaries represent the major Expense at South African universities in a country with some of the strictest labour laws in the world, how long will it take these universities to become financially viable again? This study provides answers to the stated questions and makes recommendations that could assist universities in applying Management and Cost accounting to manage the disruption they are facing
Straddling the line between creation and conservation - reclaiming Kamfers Dam
No full textDissertation (M.Arch. (Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2022Architecture ceases not to exist outside its context, every structure is sited among ever-changing climates and cultural conditions. It is shaped by its environment, natural forces, objects over systems, and formal morphology over networks and ecologies. The association of one body with the other aligns itself with a level of accountability and it is in this regard that absolute engagement is defined (Baldwin, 2021). Straddling the line between creation and conservation within the greater context of Kamfers Dam, a permanent wetland located 6km north of Kimberley, Northern Cape. The study responds to ecology with subliminal thresholds, buffer zones, shared notions, established ecosystems, and tangible and intangible tensions that co-exist between various natural and
man-made communities. According to Wolfhart Pannenberg, creation is not just placed into existence once, creation needs conservation of its existence in every moment. Thus, conservation is nothing else but a continuous creation that is part of a greater ecosystem (Miller, 2009). The interest of this study proposes a Conservation, Research, and Visitors Centre, which aims to explore how a landscape intervention can better foster, facilitate and narrate the concurrent tensions between humanity and natural systems. The aim is to simultaneously and harmoniously mend the "undissolvable unity" between "creation and conservation", humanity and nature" and the engagement between various bodies.