University of Zululand Repository
Not a member yet
2409 research outputs found
Sort by
Factors Contributing to Child Malnutrition in the Informal Settlement of Inanda Area, eThekwini Municipality.
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science Agriculture and Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Science in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2022.Despite economic advancements in post-apartheid South Africa, malnutrition is the
primary cause of child morbidity and mortality and has adverse effects on the
economy. Malnutrition is determined by multidimensional factors that differ with
geographical location. Informal settlements are socially marginalized places, and there
is a scarcity of adequate data to understand what factors contribute to child
malnutrition. This study aimed to determine what factors contribute to child
malnutrition, specifically in informal settlements in the Inanda area of eThekwini
Municipality. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative research approach.
Convenience sampling was used and supplemented by a non-discriminative snowball
sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample size of
160 caregiver-child pairs. Data analysis was done through descriptive and inferential
statistics. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors that influence
the nutritional status of children. This study revealed high levels of unemployment and
illiteracy among child caregivers. The HFIAS analysis showed that more child
caregivers’ households were severely food insecure. The HDDS analysis showed that
most child caregivers’ households had low dietary diversity (deemed food insecure).
Where cereal roots and fat foods were the main dietary components. A greater
proportion of child caregivers’ households had no water and toilet facilities. A greater
proportion of children were stunted. The binary logistic model revealed that the child’s
gender caregiver’s educational level, household food insecurity status, birthweight
employment status, access to adequate clean water, and sanitation services positively
influenced child nutritional status. While child morbidity negatively influenced the
child’s nutritional status. This study recommends an integrated approach to tackling
malnutrition. Policies and programs to curb malnutrition in informal settlements are
critical. Therefore, government and relevant stakeholders should implement and
monitor food and nutrition programs in informal settlements. This study further
recommends maternal and nutrition education, skill development, improved access to
clean water and sanitation in informal settlements.
Keywords: Binary logistic regression, Inanda, informal settlements,
malnutrition, nutritional status.National Research Foundatio
Translingual teaching of creative writing in grade four classrooms in the Shiselweni region of Eswatini
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Curriculum and Instructional Studies in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2022.This mixed-methods study was anchored on the theory translanguaging to explore the possibilities of using translanguaging in teaching creative writing in grade four (Grade 4) classrooms in the Shiselweni region of Eswatini. The study aimed to answer three research questions. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to help understand these questions. Qualitative data were collected through lesson observations and semi-structured interviews, while quantitative data were collected through a Solomon four quasi-experiment on learners’ competencies in creative writing. Two sampling techniques were used, namely random and purposive. From a population of nineteen schools (N=19), for the quantitative data, random sampling was used in selecting four schools. Purposive sampling, aligned with the qualitative aspect of the study, was used to get four teachers (n=4) whose classes participated as intact groups. Qualitative data analysis was through a thematic approach, while the statistical analysis of the quantitative was through the SPSS version 21 to establish measures of mean and standard deviations. A paired t-test of Levene's Test for Equality of Variances was used to determine the results to compare means and establish whether the results were statistically significant. Teachers reported being grounded in a monolingual stance while practically, they used both siSwati and English. During lesson observation, learners used siSwati in the English lesson covertly. The quantitative analysis showed that learners’ competency in creative writing was high when the language of input was English, and the language of output was siSwati. The study proposes a model for translingual pedagogy to be used in teaching creative writing in Grade 4
The provision of effective learning environment for children with barriers to learning in rural primary schools of the Mopani East district
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Foundations of Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2022.Previous studies in Limpopo highlight that primary schools fail to cope with learners who have barriers to learning. This study investigated the provision of an effective learning environment for children with barriers to learning in rural primary schools. Pragmatism was the chosen paradigm for the study, and a mixed-method methodology approach was adopted to pursue the study’s purpose. Findings show that integration is given the top priority at the beginning of the year when classes are assembled. Most schools identify the different barriers to learning that learners have before commencing the integration process, and learners are counselled to accept each other without discrimination. The findings also reveal that some teachers resent teaching learners with barriers. Additionally, physical infrastructure in the majority of the schools has been found not compliant with accommodating learners with barriers. There are some schools which refer prospective learners with barriers to other schools to avoid enrolling them. The study concludes that the training course for teachers at university must be revisited with a view of making them incorporate courses on inclusive education requisite skills. In order to contribute to the existing body of knowledge, the study proffered two models for inclusive education. The first is a Top-down structural model of how inclusive education can be infused in all government structures from parliament to the school levels. The second model focuses on the effective learning environment in the school and classroom where learners with barriers are found. The current study submits that majority of schools have teachers who are prepared to accept the responsibility of an inclusive classroom
Exploring the effectiveness of local government strategic initiatives to eradicate poverty and inequality: perceptions of Salamanga community in Mozambique
Get PDFA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Public Administration in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2022].The study’s primary objective was to examine the efficacy of local government’s strategic measures utilized to combat poverty and inequality in Salamanga, Mozambique. It has come to that the government of Mozambique’s strategic initiatives are ineffective and fall short of their claimed goals. The report offers proof that the Salamanga community in Mozambique is still in need of help even after decades of gaining freedom. The community’s distance from hospitals and schools continues to increase the population’s lack of education. The majority of those who were able to pursue education at lower levels failed to reach tertiary levels. The study also found that a lack of key financial resources, critical infrastructure and education opportunities correlates to community distress and enduring poverty.
The study concluded from the discussion of the data that strategic measures to reduce poverty and inequality in Mozambique are ineffective and occasionally fail at implementation phase with no beneficial outcomes. However, the study found that, from the perspectives of the local authorities, Mozambique’s local government’s strategic efforts are effective and have a good impact on eradicating poverty and inequality. Government policy makers were advised to make sure that their plans are supported by enough and other pertinent resources in addition to looking good on paper.
The research also recommended that the government of Mozambique make sure that any tactical actions aimed at reducing inequality and poverty be maintained for next generations. According to the survey, some community members are not even aware of the government’s strategic plans or programs used to combat poverty and inequality. This raises questions about the community’s participation in decision-making over matters that affect the community. It was suggested that the government must include the community on offer them an opportunity to voice their own ideas and opinions to measures for eradicating poverty and inequality
Experiences of primary school teachers with learners with autism spectrum disorder in Manzini cluster Eswatini
Get PDFA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Needs Education, Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2022.This study investigated the experiences of Primary School Teachers who teach learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Manzini cluster of Eswatini. It was motivated by factors arising from the introduction of the Inclusive Education policy in Eswatini, which called for all learners living with and without disabilities to be educated collectively in mainstream environments. However, there was no documentation on how the policy would be implemented and complaints arose amongst teachers stating that they were experiencing challenges with the inclusion of learners with autism. The objectives of the study thus were to determine the teachers’ experiences, understand the classroom management practices they were using and to formulate strategies that would ease their challenges in managing learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The ecological perspective and Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystems theory were used as the theoretical frameworks of the study. The qualitative research method was adopted in implementing the interpretevist paradigm. The thematically-analyzed data was collected through a focus group discussion and one--on-one interviews using a semi structured interview guide on 10 purposively sampled teachers. The criteria used to select the teachers was based on the number of learners with ASD in the schools and their classrooms so as to have a cohort that had vast experience in managing learners with ASD. Findings showed that teachers had challenges with learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder because of the lack of training and capacitation for teaching them, poor provision of resources, limited support by the government and school administration, poor parental involvement, large numbers of students in mainstream classes and little time to give the learners enough care and attention to respond to their special needs. They thus suggested the need for training and capacitation, provision of teaching aids, advancements in the use of technological gadgets, involving teachers in curriculum development for Autism Spectrum Disorder, syllabus modifications, reduction of learners in mainstream classrooms, building, equipping and fully staffing resources centers per cluster for learners with severe cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder who cannot be included in mainstream classes and also teachers to source information on how to handle challenges they encounter with learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the schools
eHealth Engagement on Facebook during COVID-19: Simplistic Computational Data Analysis
Get PDFeHealth Engagement on Facebook during COVID-19: Simplistic Computational Data AnalysisUnderstanding social media networks and group interactions is crucial to the advancement of linguistic and cultural behavior. This includes how people accessed advice on health during COVID-19 lockdown. Some people turned to social media to access information on health when other routes were curtailed by isolation rules, particularly among older generations. Facebook public pages, groups and verified profiles using keywords “senior citizen health”, “older generations”,
and “healthy living” were analyzed over a 12-month period to examine engagement with social media promoting good mental health. Crowd Tangle was used to source status updates, photo and video sharing information in the English language, which resulted in an initial 116,321 posts and 6,462,065 interactions. Data analysis and visualization were used to explore large datasets, including natural language processing for “message” content discovery, word frequency and correlational analysis as well as co-word clustering. Preliminary results indicate strong links to healthy aging information shared on social media, which showed correlations to global daily confirmed cases and daily deaths. The results can identify public concerns early on and address mental health issues among senior citizens on Facebook
Impact of Obesity on Learner Academic Performance in Rural Secondary Schools in Vhembe District
Get PDFThesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Education In The Department Of Educational Psychology And Special Education School, at the University Of ZululandThe emerging scourge of overweight and obesity are attributed to the consumption of high energy-dense foods, poor nutrition, lifestyle transition and little physical activity which cause serious developmental health problems, psychological complications and cognitive dysfunction. These debilitating challenges consequently affect children’s growth and development and result in academic under-achievement. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of obesity on learner academic performance in rural secondary schools in Mvudi circuit of Vhembe district. This study used Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Design in collecting data through questionnaires and in-depth face-to-face interviews and observations. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select 125 school learners and purposive sampling was used to select 5 teachers and 5 learners from the five rural secondary schools in Mvudi circuit of Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study findings established that obesity has the capability to directly impair the physiological, psycho-social and economic dimensions of learners which exert an impact on academic performance. Overall, variables such as nutrition, gender, physical inactivity, industrialisation, sedentary lifestyle and bullying negatively affect academic performance. Government sectors, teachers, parents and learners should work together in addressing the challenges caused by obesity as it exerts an adverse impact on the academic attainment of learners
Experiences of community service nurses and unit managers in a rural public hospital in Zululand district, Kwazulu-Natal province
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Nursing in the Department of Nursing Science at the University Of Zululand, 2022.Introduction
Community Service Nurses function under the Nursing Act No. 33 of 2005 and South African Nursing Council Regulation R765 of 24 August 2007. In South Africa, all nursing graduates who are citizens of South Africa should perform remunerated community service for one year, in public healthcare facility. The period of transition from being a student nurse to becoming a qualified professional nurse is often stressful. The nurses surfing through this transition sometimes feel inadequately prepared for the clinical environment.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to explore and describe the experiences of the community service nurses in the rural public hospital located in a rural area during their one year period of community service.
Methodology
A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was conducted, using semi- structured interviews with (5) five Unit Managers and (8) eight Community Service Nurses. Purposive sampling was used. Data were analysed using thematic method of content analysis.
Results
Five themes and sub-themes emerged, the key themes being: inadequate human and material resources, supportive learning environment, and management of a clinical unit, allocation to nursing units and experience or role taking in leadership.
Conclusion
The community service nurses received inadequate supervision and support by experienced professional nurses in the various nursing units due to staff shortages. The challenge limited the CSNs’ opportunities to acquire clinical skills and competencies for delivery quality care to patients
PROTEST AND PRISON NARRATIVES IN THE POETRYOF DENNIS BRUTUS
Get PDFPROTEST AND PRISON NARRATIVES IN THE POETRY OF DENNIS BRUTUSDennis Brutus, one of South Africa’s most renown anti-apartheid activists, is one of many African poets who use their poetry to protest against, and resist, repressive governments often leading to run-ins with security agencies and sometimes incarceration. Brutus’s prison experiences form an important backdrop to his oeuvre overall and especially his work of protest and political activism. The poems and narratives under focus document his horrifying personal encounters and stories shared with him by other prisoners as well as their coping strategies and modes of solidarity. We explore some of these poems for the ways in which they represent an extremely valuable contribution to the emerging sub-genre of (South) African prison/protest literature on the one hand. On the other hand, the poems foreground the continued importance of literary representations of protest and resistance to the growing cultural archives of hitherto hidden accounts of the struggle against colonialism in general and apartheid in particular. It also highlights the role of such narratives in contemporary African societies where independence has unfortunately not yet brought an end to repressive rule
Annotation and comparative analysis of P450s, their redox partners and secondary metabolite gene clusters in the bacterial phylum Bacteroidetes
Get PDFA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, at the University of Zululand, 2022.Species belonging to the bacterial phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes represent over 90% of the gastrointestinal microbiota. Changes in the ratio of these two bacterial groups were found to have contrasting health effects, including obesity and inflammatory diseases. Despite the availability of many bacterial genomes, comparative genomic studies on the gene pools of these two bacterial groups concerning cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), ferredoxins, and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (smBGCs) are not reported. Recently, an analysis of P450s, ferredoxins, and smBGCs in Firmicutesspecies has been reported. However, such studies on Bacteroidetes species have not been performed. This study is aimed to address this research gap. In this study, a thorough comparative analysis of P450s in the phylum Bacteroidetes has been carried out. P450 data mining and annotation of P450s in this phylum displayed 98 P450s in 77 species. It consisted of 130 genera, the Hymenobacter genus having the most P450s. Twenty-one P450 families were discovered, with CYP1103 dominating. Cluster analysis revealed 1298 smBGCs, with terpene being the most dominant. Out of the 98 P450s found in 334 Bacteroidetes species, only eight P450s (8.2 %) of seven Bacteroidetes species were found as part of the secondary metabolite BGCs. Genome data mining and annotation of ferredoxins in 104 Bacteroidetes species revealed the presence of 269 ferredoxins in their genomes. Among the Bacteroidetes species, Tenacibaculum jejuense had the highest number of ferredoxins (six). The 269 ferredoxins found in Bacteroidetes species can be grouped into five iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster types: 2Fe-2S, 3Fe-4S, 4Fe-4S, 2[4Fe-4S], and 2[4Fe-4S]Alv. The 7Fe-8S cluster-type ferredoxins were not found in the Bacteroidetesspecies analyzed in this study. Based on the amino acid spacing pattern analysis between the cysteine amino acids of the Fe-S cluster binding motif, 136 2Fe-2S ferredoxins of Bacteroidetes can be grouped into five subtypes. Eleven 4Fe-4S ferredoxins found in Bacteroidetes species can be grouped into three subtypes. The study revealed the presence of diverse sets of P450s, ferredoxins, and smBGCs in Bacteroidetes species genomes. Bacteroidetes species have the highest number of P450 families, ferredoxin cluster-types, and smBGCs compared to Firmicutes species. Only four P450 families, three ferredoxin cluster types, and five smBGCs are commonly shared between these two bacterial groups. Considering the above facts, we propose that the contrasting effects of these two bacterial groups on the host are partly due to the distinct nature of secondary metabolites produced by these organisms. Thus, the cause of the contrasting health effects of these two bacterial groups lies in their gene pools