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Grade 12 learner's performance in Mathematics: a case of two secondary schools in Nzhelele West Circuit, Vhembe West District, Limpopo Province
No full textMEd (Curriculum Studies)Department of Professional and Curriculum StudiesThe National Senior Certificate Examination results for Mathematics have recently declined, particularly in the Province of Limpopo. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that contribute to Grade 12 learners’ performance in secondary schools in Nzhelele West Circuit. The study adopted a qualitative research design to unearth participants’ experiences regarding the topic under investigation. The populations of the study were the learners, educators, departmental heads, and principals of two secondary schools in Nzhelele West Circuit. The sample size of twenty-eight participants was purposively selected from two secondary schools. The unstructured questions were used to collect data from the participants in which interviews (individual and focus-group) would be conducted. Collected data from interviews were analysed through themes and coding.
Key concepts: Cognitive Development, Constructivism, Learners’ Performance, Poor PerformanNR
Pre-and post-constitutional deprivation of land in South Africa: A human rights perspective
No full textLLM (Human Rights)Ismail Mahomed Centre for Human and People's RightsThe application of apartheid laws and practices in South Africa led to extreme inequalities relating to land ownership and use. The racially discriminating laws legitimised the dispossession of land and placed prohibitions on land ownership for the majority of the population, in particular blacks, coloureds and Indians. Though these laws were finally abolished, a new democratic South Africa faces numerous challenges such as the unequal distribution of land in the country. The first instances of deprivations and dispossessions of land in South Africa can be traced back to the colonial era. Although evidence suggest that deprivations and dispossessions occurred before 1913, there is an anomaly in the current Constitution in Section 25(7) as it only allows equitable redress to those deprived of land after 19 June 1913. The Constitution and subsequent legislation ignore the deprivations and dispossessions that occurred before 1913 and the people affected by such pre-1913 deprivations are left without any equitable redress. Using a doctrinal methodology, this study investigated the pre and post constitutional deprivation of property rights in South Africa from a human rights perspective. The study found that laws and practices that legitimised land deprivations and dispossessions are associated with colonialism as they pre-date 1913. The study further found that Section 25(7) of the South African Constitution does not provide any equitable redress to those deprived or disposed of land before 1913. The protection of those people can, however, be in terms of legislation enacted under the provisions of Section 25(8), but the government has not enacted such legislation. International law now recognises the right to property, and any equitable redress should be in line with international law principles.NR
Comparison of spatial and spectral properties of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data for mapping plant chlorophyll-a
No full textMENVSCDepartment of Geography and Environmental SciencesBackground
Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is a vital parameter to assess vegetation quality in plants as an indicator of photosynthetic capacity to ensure proper flow of ecosystem services. Nowadays, with a rapid increase in human population and deforestation chl-a in higher plants remain at risk from degradation.
Aim
The study sought to compare the spatial and spectral properties Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 in estimating and mapping chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), South Africa.
Methods
Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 multispectral data were used in conjunction with field data collected in August 2017, Firstly, this study assessed the correlation between chl-a and satellite data. Secondly, explored the optimal spatial resolution for mapping chlorophyll-a with stepwise multiple linear regression, and lastly, this study mapped the concentration of plant chl-a across a heterogeneous landscape.
Results
When assessing the correlation between chl-a and satellite data there was an obvious correlation between chlorophyll-a and Band 5 entropy with the highest R² of 0.39 at 30 m spatial scale of Landsat-8. However, there was no statistical significant difference amongst the various spatial resolution. The ability of Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) texture features with Landsat-8 at medium resolution 30 m with R² = 0.55, p = 0.000006, and RMSE = 0.17 μg/m² in estimating plant chl-a yielded higher performance accuracy than Sentinel-2 at 10 m resolution with R² = 0.24, p = 0, and RMSE = 0.46 μg/m², and 20 m resolution with R² = 0.52, p = 0.00001, and RMSE = 6.90 μg/m². In exploring the optimal spatial resolution, Landsat-8 at 30 m spatial resolution was optimal for mapping plant chlorophyll-a. Lastly, plant chl-a were successfully mapped with Landsat-8 multispectral data at 30 m spatial resolution using multiple linear regression. The distribution of plant chlorophyll-a varies across the study area and is unevenly distributed due to different species and height.
Discussions
Chlorophyll-a as a crucial parameter in plants and requires continuous monitoring to ensure and improve ecosystem services provided by plants. This study estimated plant chlorophyll-a across the Vhembe District Municipality. The correlation coefficients derived by GLCM’s features demonstrated the ability of GLCM’s features in predicting and mapping plant chlorophyll-a with Landsat-8 at 30 m spatial resolution. Several studies have successfully mapped chlorophyll-a from a homogeneous
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landscape, for instance in agricultural crops and limited studies mapped chlorophyll-a calibrated from a heterogeneous landscape which motivated this study. Recent advancement in optical remote sensing data opens new avenues for mapping plant chlorophyll-a at various spatial resolution.
Conclusion
The use of remote sensing data at 30 m spatial resolution with GLCM features effectively predicted plant chlorophyll-a and enable the data processing and performance accuracy assessment. Therefore, this study highlighted the importance of Landsat-8 imagery in vegetation monitoring across a heterogeneous landscape.National Research Foundation (NRF
A critical analysis of the role of the Judiciary in the development of Customary Law in South Africa
No full textLLM (Human Rights)Ismail Mahomed Centre for Human and People's RightsCustomary law refers to both, written and unwritten laws, traditionally observed amongst the indigenous African people of South Africa. These laws ought to be in line with the constitution and the law of general application. Section 39 (2) of the Constitution (that is, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996) states that “when interpreting any legislation and when developing the Common law or Customary law, courts, tribunal or forum must promote the spirit, purport and object of the Bill of Rights.” In other words, the judiciary is duty-bound to develop and promote customary law by interpreting it in conjunction with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In developing customary law, however, an issue that remains unresolved is whether, in interpreting the law, the courts are positively developing customary law. Against this backdrop, this research seeks to assess different principles of customary law by critically analysing the manner in which courts are engaging with them, in particular, the implication that their approach has on the status of customary law in South Africa’ legal system.National Research Foundation (NRF
Comparison and evaluation of empirical and machine learning models in estimating global solar radiation in Limpopo province
No full textMSc (Physics)Department of PhysicsThis study investigated the performance of machine learning techniques as compared to the
empirical models to forecast the global solar radiation in Limpopo regions. The machine
learning techniques used in this study are Support Vector Machines, Random Forest, and
Artificial Neural Network, and the empirical models used are the Clemence and Hargreaves-
Samani models. To assess the efficiences of the machine learning models against the empirical
models, the researchers calculated and compared the models performance evaluation
using statistical equations such as Coefficient of determination, Mean Square Error, Mean
Absolute Error, and Root Mean Square Error. Calibaration was done to improve performance
of the empirical models. The present study found that machine learning techniques
perform better than the empirical models when estimating the global solar radiation in the
selected Limpopo regions.National Research Foundation (NRF
Healthcare seeking behaviours of homeless substance users residing in the Gauteng Province of South Africa during COVID-19 lockdowns.
No full textMPHDepartment of Public HealthHomelessness continues an upward trajectory of being a global social security problem affecting both developed and developing countries. The World Population review estimates that Nigeria has the highest numbers of homeless people in the world in 2023, followed by Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, among others, whereas the Human Sciences Research Council estimates that between 100,000 and 200,000 people live on the streets of South Africa. Gauteng province alone accounts for 25 000 with Johannesburg having 15, 000 while Tshwane has 10,000. Studies have shown that homeless people have a high level of morbidity and mortality with an average life expectancy of 45 - 47 years old among men living more than ten years on the street. Evidence suggest that homeless people are often denied access to even the most basic assistance including healthcare, which could have been worse during COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed the homeless substance users’ healthcare seeking behaviors during the Covid-19 lockdowns in Gauteng, South Africa. A qualitative approach using an exploratory design, assessed referrals based on suffering from symptoms of Covid-19 during the lockdown period between 2020 and 2022. Data was collected from 25 homeless substance users in the City of Tshwane in Gauteng, through unstructured interviews. After transcribing intelligent verbatim and translating recordings, the principal researcher did thematic data analysis without computer software data analysis programmes. Three themes based on the study objectives included, types of healthcare services used, the determinants of the health seeking behaviours adopted by homeless substance users, and challenges experienced while seeking healthcare. Of the twenty-five participants, ranging from twenty-one to fifty years old, thirteen suffered from Covid-19 symptoms. Five used formal healthcare systems and eight informal healthcare systems. Older participants accessed healthcare services, while less of the younger population used them. Challenges faced entailed marginalization, stigmatization and lack of social support. Since this study was delimited to Gauteng province, findings cannot be generalised nationally. The study can also be carried out in other provinces with high number of substance users such as the Western Cape. The Department of Social Development should include capable substance users in training healthcare programmes aimed at persuading this key population group to use formal health care.National Research Foundation (NRF
The role of code of conduct in enhancing service delivery in local government with specific reference to Mopani District Municipality
No full textDAdminDepartment of Public and Development AdministrationThis study focuses on the role of code of conduct in enhancing basic service delivery in local
government with specific reference to Mopani District Municipality. The deontological theory
will be adopted to emphasise adherence to rules regardless of consequences or motives
behind the action. The theories of virtue, deontology and teleology were selected in this study
to try to understand the concept of ethics and its relevance to answer the research questions
developed in this research. Theories are helpful in predicting and explaining phenomena, such
as why people behave the way they do. Regulatory framework, on the other hand, serves as
the fundamental basis for reasoning or action. There are various manifestations of unethical
conduct in local public administration and these manifestations include corruption, bribe,
nepotism and favouritism, fraud, poor public accountability and kickback.
South Africa is characterised by various causes of unethical conduct in local public
administration. These causes are psychological causes, deficient control and accountability,
complex legislation, inadequate procedures and manuals, deficient management and
organisation. The Batho-Pele White Paper (1997) principles identify several Batho-Pele
principles. Batho-Pele principles include redress and value for money. The study describes
various legislative and policy frameworks governing local public administration. The legislative
and policy framework include, Batho-Pele White Paper (1997), Prevention and Combating of
Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004, and the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management
Act 56 of 2003. The study adopted mixed methods approach to gain a deeper understanding
of the phenomenon being studied. Mixed methods give a voice to study participants and
ensure that study findings are grounded in participants’ experiences.
The study uses research paradigm which is guided by pragmatism. The study focuses on
pragmatic research paradigms amongst others namely post positivism, constructivist,
participatory and pragmatism. The study uses descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to
analyse data. The study describes all the processes of ethical consideration in the research
ethics having knowledge and understanding that respondent’s participation in research must
be done voluntarily without any harm. The research revealed that leadership seems to play a
more significant role in influencing the behaviour of municipal officials, than the rules or codes
of conduct of a municipality. The study recommends a properly institutionalized of code of
conduct to be developed for guiding the municipality’s ethics performance.
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Findings of the research study
The study findings revealed that majority of the respondents at 181 (95,2%) agreed that there
are adequate controls to ensure that municipal officials comply with policies and procedure in
the municipality. The study further confirms that most of the respondents at 175 (92,1%) of
the respondents agreed with the statement that the Constitution of the Republic of South
Africa, 1996 encourages the action of municipal officials to be in line with the values and
principle of public administration. Majority of the respondents at 166 (87,4%) agreed that
challenges facing local municipalities need to be evaluated to check if they are yielding desired
results. The study found that 115 (81,6%) of respondents agreed that existing code of conduct
needs to be revised. The findings revealed that mechanisms should be developed in an ethical
manner that are reflected in different ways, such as compliance to rules and laws, desisting
from fraud, theft, corruption and abuse of leadership authority. The study findings revealed
that appointing an ethics officer is one of the effective strategies for enhancing ethical conduct
in the municipality, an important mechanism that is adhered to at the Mopani district
municipalities. The findings revealed that municipal officials are aware of the manual code of
conduct in place. The researcher found that corruption is the main issue that leads to unethical
challenges confronting municipalities in enhancing basic service delivery in the municipality.
Recommendations of the research study
It was recommended that code of conduct approaches should be aimed at enhancing basic
service delivery in the municipality, the training of municipal officials should emphasize
innovativeness and the importance of values. Local Government: Municipal Systems Act,
2000 (Act 32 of 2000) stipulates that South African local government does not have an official
code of conduct as a separate document for ethical conduct. This is not conducive to ethics
being taken seriously at local government sphere. The researcher sees a need for a separate
code of conduct to be established, formulated and emphasised. It was established that political
instability, lack of skilled workforce and corruption within the municipality exacerbate poor
service delivery resulting to people’s suffering. It was recommended that municipal officials
should do what is in the best interest of the public to ensure public accountability. It was
recommended that municipal officials should act ethically all times. It was recommended that
promised standard of services should be delivered. It was recommended that there should be
plans for service delivery to avoid community protests on basic service delivery. The
researcher recommends that leaders need to be trained and encouraged to create strong
ethical cultures within the municipality.National Research Foundation (NRF
Exploring the preservation methods of Ndayo by Vhavenda People
No full textPhD (African Studies)Department of Indigenous Knowledge System and Heritage StudiesThe purpose of this study is to explore the preservation methods of how ndayo were preserved by Vhavenḓa. Ndayo is a method practiced by Vhavenḓa people when raising their children and their intention is to guide, teach, mould, and transmit norms and values to younger generations. Through ndayo, indigenous knowledge holders aim to witness their children grow up in society with control respect and discipline.
The decision to conduct this study was influenced by the alarming loss of preservation methods of ndayo by Vhavenḓa people. The objectives of this study are as follows; to explore traditional indigenous knowledge practices of preserving ndayo by Vhavenḓa people, to promote the benefits of preserving traditional indigenous knowledge practice ndayo by Vhavenḓa people, and to develop strategies that will preserve traditional indigenous knowledge practice ndayo by Vhavenḓa people. Vhavenḓa people posses’ valuable traditional indigenous knowledge practices, which should be passed down to the younger generation. The study will facilitate learning and accessibility of traditional indigenous knowledge practices by the younger generation.
A qualitative method which is exploratory in nature was adopted in this study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Unstructured interviews were conducted with twelve Vhavenḓa traditional indigenous knowledge holders who are key participants. Data coded as themes. The findings of the study showed that ndayo is an ongoing process done throughout a child’s development, and the practices that are predominantly used were expressed in stories, songs, folklore, proverbs, dances, myths, cultural values, believes, rituals, community traits’, idioms and initiation schools (ngoma).
Ndayo can be preserved through the use of digitalization, libraries, websites, e-learning and different platforms of social media, traditional indigenous knowledge practices should be preserved so that the younger generation will have access to the knowledge. The study recommends family, schools, churches, community, policy makers and curriculum implementers to incorporate traditional indigenous knowledge practices specifically ndayo by Vhavenḓa people.
In addition, family, schools, churches, community, policy makers and curriculum implementers must promote the benefits of preserving traditional indigenous knowledge practices by Vhavenḓa people.National Research Foundation (NRF
The role of school management teams in curriculum management of the intermediate phase in Mopani West District, Limpopo Province
No full textD.Ed.Department of Educational StudiesDepartment of Educational StudiesThe aim of this research was to examine the function of school management teams (SMTs) in managing the intermediate phase curriculum in the Mopani West District of Limpopo Province. The implementation of SMTs is a significant change brought about by the new education system, which requires school leaders and their SMTs to undergo comprehensive training to contribute effectively to curriculum management. However, despite the training provided, there is evidence of poor curriculum management in the intermediate phase, as demonstrated by learners’ academic performance. Guided by Hersey and Blanchard's (2014:215) Situational Leadership theory, this study adopted an interpretive paradigm within the qualitative research approach. A total of 18 participants, comprising six school principals, six deputy principals, and six departmental heads, were purposefully selected for the study. Data was gathered through observation, individual interviews, and document analysis. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data in three interrelated stages, guided by the study’s four research questions. The study’s findings revealed that SMTs are responsible for the daily management of school affairs and implementing departmental policies. Resources were identified as the most critical support structures, as curriculum management largely depends on the resources available in schools. The study recommends that SMTs should monitor and support curriculum implementation and suggests the development of a Curriculum Management and Delivery Model (CMDM) to assist school management teams in enhancing their curriculum management roles. Additionally, the study highlights the need for comprehensive training to be provided by the Department of Basic Education.National Research Foundation (NRF
Tsenguluso ya kutalutshedzele kwa madzinamapambwa kha thalusamaipfi dza nyambombili dza Tshivenda na Tshiisimane dzo topolwaho
No full textPhD (Tshivenda)Muhasho wa Nyambo dza AfrikaṰhoḓisiso ndi ya tsenguluso ya kuṱalutshedzele kwa madzinamapambwa kha ṱhalusa-maipfi mbili dza nyambombili dza Tshivenḓa na Tshiisimane dzo topolwaho. Ṱhalusa-maipfi idzo ndi Tshivenḓa/English Ṱhalusamaipfi/Dictionary (Tshikota, 2006) na Venda Dictionary (Van Warmelo,1989). Kha ṱhalusamaipfi idzi hu vhonala hu na ṱhoḓea ya u lavhelesa thaidzo dzi vhangaho uri vhashumisi vhadzo vha si kone u bin-dula nga nḓila yo fhelelaho zwi tshi kwama kuṱalutshedzele kwa madzinamapambwa. Ndi zwa ndeme uri vhasikaṱhalusamaipfi vha ḓaho vha bveledze ṱhalusamaipfi dzine dza ḓo ṋekedza vhashumisi ṱhalutshedzo dzine vha nga kona u dzi shumisa hu si na vhukonḓi. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi yo ḓo bvisela khagala muhumbulo wa uri kuṱalutshedzele kwa madzinamapambwa kha ṱhalusamaipfi dza nyambombili dza Tshivenḓa na Tshii-simane ku tea u khwinifhadzwa u itela u swikela ṱhoḓea dza vhashumisi. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi yo ḓisendeka kha ‘Modern Theory of Lexicographical Functions’ yo bveledzwaho nga Wiegand (1989) ine ya katela ngudo ya zwa vhusikaṱhalusamaipfi na maitele a u vhumba ṱhalusamaipfi. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi yo itwa ho shumiswa ngona ya khwaḽithethivi ngeno tsenguluso ya mafhungo yo shumisa khethekanyo ya mafhungo u ya nga ther-wana dzo topolwaho nga muṱoḓisisi (thematic analysis).National Research Foundation (NRF