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Factors Affecting Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition among Undergraduates in selected Universities in South Africa and Nigeria
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Education in the Department of Comparative and Science Education at the University of Zululand, 2021.This study explored the factors affecting entrepreneurial skills acquisition among
undergraduate students in two selected rural universities in South Africa and Nigeria.
Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. Questionnaires and semistructured
interviews were used respectively for data collection. Systematic sampling
technique was used to select the student respondents, while purposive sampling was used to
select the academic staff respondents for the study. The questionnaire was administered to
student participants, while lecturers were interviewed. Data for the quantitative study was
analysed using descriptive statistics and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while
the qualitative data was collected and analysed thematically. The findings of the study reveals
that students' acquisition of entrepreneurial skills in the two selected rural universities is
influenced by common factors such as a lack of motivation, a lack of well-equipped skills
acquisition centres, a weak connection between university and industry and poor management
of training, among others. Research finding further shows that the effects of entrepreneurship
education on students’ entrepreneurial skills were insignificant in the two selected universities.
It is clear that entrepreneurship training in the South African university lacks practical
orientation, while the hands-on approach in the Nigerian university is characterised by a low
participation rate. Evidence suggests that the respondents generally consider entrepreneurship
as desirable when they perceive that there are people they can rely on for support or any form
of assistance they would need to overcome obstacles and fear of failure in the process of starting
a business. The aforementioned signifies a need for apprenticeship approach to
entrepreneurship education programme. Based on the research findings, it was recommended
that entrepreneurship education should concentrate on developing students’ foundational
abilities as well as technical and entrepreneurial skills associated with the various stages in the
entrepreneurial process, there is a need for a paradigm shift in the pedagogical approach in the
selected South African university from being largely theoretical to experiential and practical
approaches, a close relationship between academia, government and industry is paramount to
effective development of skills amongst students. It is also recommended that universities
incorporate entrepreneurial education across all faculties, expose students to on-the-job
training and financiers, face-to-face interactions with real business people in live projects,
assist with the incubation of business ideas from students. The study addressed the understudied
‘skill factors’ in entrepreneurship and upholds quality assurance in entrepreneurship education
in an apprenticeship way
Infopreneurship: an employer option for library and information science students and graduates in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Art in the department of Information Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.The number of unemployed graduates in South Africa is ever-growing. The
unemployment rate of graduates rose from 2.1% of 6.2 million unemployed graduates
in the 1st quarter of 2019 (Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), 2019a:7) to 2.3% of 7.1
million unemployed graduates in the 1st quarter of 2020 (StatsSA, 2020:7). The
implication of this is that almost 1 million more graduates became unemployed in a
single year. It has been established that one of the alternatives to remedy this is
entrepreneurship. With the word 'entrepreneurship' being a general concept, this study
determined the need for another form of entrepreneurship tailored to individuals
focusing on the information sector: infopreneurs. The study aimed to determine if
infopreneurship can employ Library and Information Science graduates in South
Africa. Specifically, it investigated LIS graduates involvement in infopreneurship,
infopreneurship requisite competencies, areas of infopreneurship, and the challenges
of infopreneurship.
People in the business of providing information products or services for a fee are
referred to in various ways, such as information consultants, information brokers,
information counsellors, freelance librarians, independent information professionals,
and information entrepreneurs. Regarding what they should be called, some
infopreneurs in this study, and other studies, indicated that it is of no significance
what they are called, as what they do is more important. Notwithstanding, the
conceptual framework of this study revealed that the individuals involved in the
provision of information goods and services, though entrepreneurs, are best described
as infopreneurs due to the nature of their businesses.
The theoretical framework informing the study recognises two types of infopreneurs;
that is Kirzner's and Schumpeter's. Kirzner's infopreneur is a regular infopreneur that
is alert to new opportunities brought upon by change 1
or opportunities that were
already available but hitherto overlooked. This kind of infopreneur provides
information goods and services already in the market, only he/she does it better. In contrast, Schumpeter's infopreneur is extraordinary in that instead of searching for
opportunities that other infopreneurs might have missed, this kind of infopreneur
creates opportunities for him/herself. He or She is the kind of infopreneur that invents
new information products or services. While Kirzner's infopreneur strives to
equilibrate the market, Schumpeter's infopreneur, by bringing change, disequilibrate
the market. With the lack of a generally accepted theory, these two seemingly
opposing theories formed this study's bedrock because they compensate for each
other's weaknesses. Thus, infopreneurs identified in the study were either one of the
two or both.
Guiding the research process was the interpretive paradigm. Employing the
qualitative methodology, the study used the case study approach. Data was collected
through the triangulation of interviews, content analysis and observation. To
determine the sample size and frame of the infopreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal, non probability sampling methods were used, that is, purposive sampling and snowball
sampling. A total number of 60 infopreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal were interviewed.
The results of the study revealed that infopreneurship is practised in South Africa,
though a minimal number of graduates and students in KwaZulu Natal from the
Library and Information studies practice it. Furthermore, the results showed that
infopreneurship is constantly developing, and so are the activities infopreneurs can
do. Over 150 infopreneurship activities were identified in the study, which implies
that there are over 150 ways LIS students and graduates can make a living through
infopreneurship. Notwithstanding the challenges of competition, poor management
skills, finding an ideal and an inexpensive business location/space, language barrier,
reliable employees, load shedding, technology, financial constraints, and crime, most
of the infopreneurs identified have been at it for over five years. This finding indicates
that infopreneurship can be a long-term employer option.
Shortcomings were encountered while conducting the study. These include the
inability to identify a large population of LIS graduates practicing infopreneurship
and overusing some sources for literature review. As a result, the study recommended
that more research on infopreneurship is required. Furthermore, there is a need for an
infopreneurship-enabling curriculum. In most of the studies on infopreneurs reviewed,
this study inclusive, computer science appeared to be more enthusiastic about
infopreneurship than other disciplines. Therefore, there is a need to investigate why
Computer Science students are enthusiastic about infopreneurship. Also, there is a
need for the government to recognise infopreneurship as a weapon for combating
unemployment among graduates in the country.
These results suggest that infopreneurship can employ Library and Information
Studies graduates. Furthermore, the findings will add to the pool of existing
knowledge regarding infopreneurship and contribute to mapping and auditing
infopreneurs. The study will be of great use to researchers, students, infopreneurs, the
government, and departments of information studies
Exploration of factors contributing to the non-attendance of antenatal care by pregnant women at King Cetshwayo district in Kwazulu-Natal
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Department of Nursing Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty Science and Agriculture at the University of Zululand, 2021.Introduction: Antenatal Care (ANC) along with family planning, skilled delivery care, is the key element of services aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), attendance of ANC is significant for a routine follow-up care including screening to intensive life support during pregnancy up to delivery. During Antenatal Care (ANC) visits, a number of examinations such as taking of blood pressure to detect hypertension, urine analysis to detect any possible presence of proteins and measuring of weight are conducted to establish foetal growth restrictions. Most pregnant women do not attend scheduled ANC visits during their pregnancy, putting themselves and their unborn babies at risk of pregnancy- related complications.
Aim of the study: The study was aimed at exploring and describing factors contributing to non- attendance of Antenatal Care by pregnant women at King Cetshwayo District in KwaZulu-Natal.
Methodology
A qualitative, explorative, descriptive design was used to conduct the study. The study was guided by Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model. The study population consisted of 12 pregnant women attending ANC at King Cetshwayo health district in KwaZulu-Natal who were purposefully sampled. Data collection was determined by data saturation and analysed thematically.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed four major themes such as the location of PHC facilities, cultural beliefs, knowledge deficits and financial constraints. The study revealed several challenges hindering pregnant women from attending ANC visits which may pose risks to pregnant women and their unborn babies leading to increased maternal mortality rates.
Conclusion and recommendations of the study
The study findings revealed that most pregnant women are faced with various challenges regarding the attendance of the ANC. Therefore, the researcher
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recommended that pregnant women should be taught about pregnancy and related complications including the prevention of maternal mortality by encouraging them to attend all ANC scheduled visits. More campaigns regarding pregnancy and the importance of ANC attendance by pregnant women should be organised and conducted in the district. Existing policies regarding the initiation of ANC attendance must be reinforced to ensure that they are implemented. Moreover, more research should be conducted regarding the phenomenon to include a wider range of populations and study areas and to broaden the scope of the research topic
Active leakage management with bayesian networks
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Applied Mathematics in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, 2021.Despite the existence of different active leakage management methods and models, their implementation in most developing countries’ Water distribution systems (WDS’s) remain limited. This is attributed to some limiting challenges to leakage management faced by these WDS. Some of these include; financial constraints, poor record-keeping systems, and inadequate technicalskillsandtechnology. Thisleadsthesedistributionsystemstoadopt passive leakage management approaches that increase water losses and risk the destruction of neighboring infrastructure and water contamination. This study therefore presents a pipe leak monitoring and optimal maintenance sequencedeterminingmodellingframeworkthatisapplicableevenindistribution systems with limited data. The framework comprises of three models: a data adaptive Bayesian network(BN)modelforpredictingpipeleakprobabilitiesusedforleakagemonitoring, a water loss estimation model for estimating pipe leak water losses and a linear programming model in which water loss estimates and pipe leak predictions are used to determine the optimal pipe leak maintenance sequence. Fromtheassessmentandimplementationexampleofthemodelingframework which used simulated data, results indicate that the modeling framework is suitable for WDS with limited data
Enhance school-based assessment practices in a grade 4 natural sciences and technology class at Amajuba district, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
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, 2021.The study aimed at enhancing the School Based Assessment practices in grade 4 Natural Sciences and Technology classes in Amajuba District. The expectation was also that this would improve the existing School Based Assessment practices and ultimately, improve learner performance in grade 4 classes.
Four objectives were formulated to direct the study; the main objective was to determine the current state of school-based assessment in order to enhance the assessment practices in a grade 4 Natural Sciences and Technology class. The other objectives were to establish the teacher’s conceptualisation of school-based assessment practices in a grade 4 Natural Sciences and Technology class, explore the role of school-based assessment practices to enhance teaching and learning in a grade 4 Natural Sciences and technology class, and unearth best practices that can improve the school-based assessment practices in a grade 4 natural sciences and technology class.
Constructivism was identified by the researcher as a theoretical framework that could support the achievement of the stated objectives of the study. Constructivism is a theory of learning which believes that knowledge is constructed by the knower, based on mental activity. Hence, the researcher proposed the adoption of constructivism as the perspective that would best address the challenges. This study embraced participatory action research (PAR) as a research approach. Participatory action research is a philosophical approach to research that recognises the need for persons being studied to participate in the design. Participatory action research practitioners integrate three basic aspects of their work, namely participation, action and research. As per the principles of PAR, the researcher worked with the participants collaboratively to find the best practices that could be implemented to enhance school based assessment practices in grade 4 Natural Sciences and Technology classes.
In the study, reflections were made through the use of PAR, looking at the current state of school based assessment practices which revealed that the language of learning and teaching (LoLT), reading and writing skills, lesson planning, pedagogical approaches utilised by teachers and school based moderation poses a challenge in the implementation of school based assessment. Data collected through the use of PAR was analysed using Critical Discourse analysis (CDA). The empirical analysis, interpretation of data, discussion and determining the findings resulting from interventions were made
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with CDA. Critical discourse analysis acknowledges the need to examine, in practical terms, how one goes about doing critical analysis of text and conversation. A team of Eight Natural Sciences and Technology (NSTECH) teachers, one from each circuit of the Amajuba District in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, plus fellow NSTECH subject advisers worked together as equals in devising ways to enhance school-based assessment practices in a grade 4 NSTECH class. The second part of the study identified the best practices to be used to curb challenges under the supervision of a dedicated team with the vision of enhancing School Based Assessment (SBA) practices in NSTECH. The solutions predicted by the participants to curtail the challenges were discussed. Numerous findings concerning the challenges were compared with the results of the previous research studies reported in the literature review. These included the language of learning and teaching (LoLT), reading and writing competency, poor lesson preparation and inadequate schoolbased assessment moderation
Comparative of Flammable and Toxic Gas Sensing behavior for Rare-Earth Elements Substituted Cobalt based Spinel Ferrites
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Physics at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.There is a considerable need to design and develop a Liquid petroleum gas sensor due
to its use in households and high flammability to protect human safety. Therefore, in this
research work, we present a variety of cobalt-based spinel ferrites doped with 4f
electron rare-earth ions to be used as flammable gas sensors. These spinel ferrites
were fabricated following a glycol hydrothermal chemical-process. Due to their
electronic configuration and charge dynamics, they are very sensitive and selective to
integrative liquefied petroleum gases (LPG). A high response of over 730 was recorded
towards 1 vol% (or 10 000 ppm) of LPG at 225 °C. The CoSm0.1Fe1.9O4 nano-ferrite
meets the criteria of a potential sensor of being highly sensitive and selective with
repeatability and stability that maintained a high response of 241 over 63 days. The
rare-earth elements doped cobalt based ferrites were classified according to two
categories in terms of overall performance. The first category were the ferrites doped
with the low 4f electrons and the second category belonged to the high 4f electrons. The
first category composed of solid and compact nanoparticles and proved to be better in
the LPG performance while giving low photoluminescence emission intensities. This
latter category had the highest combined percentages of oxygen vacancies and
adsorbed oxygen. A temperature dependent tunable carrier-type transition was
observed. The ferrite has p-type characteristics at 225 °C and above, otherwise n-type
below this operating temperature to room temperature
Exploring the Role of Fiscal Policy and Sovereign Debt Shocks on Economic Growth among Southern African Developing Communities
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Masters (MCom) in the Economics Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law at the University if Zululand, 2021.Fiscal policy remains a key macroeconomic stabilisation mechanism at the disposal of governments and fiscal policymakers to influence economic activities consistent with balanced and sustainable economic growth. A thorough understanding of the role fiscal policy remains extremely paramount for fiscal authorities to consistently formulate prudent fiscal stimulus packages that enhances sustainable economic expansion. This thesis critically examines the role of fiscal policy and sovereign debt shocks on economic growth in the Southern African Developing Communities (SADC). Over the years, fiscal policy and austerity measures have triggered a deterioration in the fiscal position of these member countries primarily due to the relatively high budget deficits, inducing even further sovereign debt risk in long-term economic prosperity. The phenomenon of fiscal policy has gained immense scholarly popularity among both researchers and policymakers, stimulating intensive debate in the body of literature as to whether fiscal policy has been able stabilise macroeconomic fluctuations across different economies characterised by different phases of economic growth and development. The study starts by giving a thorough background and introduction in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 discusses a detailed review of existing theoretical frameworks on the role of fiscal policy and sovereign debt on economic growth. Chapter 3 analyses the role of fiscal policy and sovereign debt shocks on economic growth in the SADC region. In this chapter, a Panel Vector Autoregressive (PVAR) model was estimated using annual data for 13 SADC countries ranging from 2000-2018. The empirical results revealed that government expenditure, employment and public debt has a significant positive influence on economic growth while gross fixed capital formation exerts a negative effect on growth. The findings of the study are consistent with the Keynesian school of thought, which strongly argues that governments use countercyclical expansionary fiscal policy as a credible tool to spur economic activities and stabilise macroeconomic fluctuations during different phases of the business cycle. Chapter 4 estimates a Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) model to examine a nonlinear effect of public debt on economic growth among SADC members for the period viii 2000-2018. The findings show a significant asymmetric relationship between public debt and economic growth in the SADC region. The results further indicate a debt threshold of 60% at which public debt deters economic growth in SADC region. The empirical results of a linear and nonlinear effect of public debt on growth are consistent with several prior empirical studies conducted across different economies using different methodologies. In line with the Keynesian approach, the results further suggest that fiscal policy plays a central role in augmenting economic activities both in the low-debt regime and high-debt regime, indicating that, indeed, a positive shock in government spending positively influence economic growth in SADC economies, reinforcing the findings of the previous chapter. Furthermore, the results reveal a significant positive impact of public debt on economic growth during the low regime when the debt level is below the threshold of 60%. Moreover, there was a significant negative effect of debt on economic growth during the high-debt regime as debt level reach the threshold of 60%. This result indicates that there is an inverted U-Shape relationship between public debt and economic growth among SADC economies. Chapter 5 empirically interrogates the asymmetric relationships between public debt and economic growth among selected emerging and frontier SADC economies over the period 2000-2018. In this chapter, a Smooth Transition Regression (STAR) and Nonlinear Autoregressive Redistributed Lag (NARDL) is estimated to analyse the asymmetric effect of public debt on economic growth among selected SADC economies. The results revealed mixed findings on nonlinearity among emerging and frontier SADC members. The findings indicate a concave relationship between debt and economic growth in South Africa, while Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe showed a U-shape relationship between debt and economic growth. This implies that public debt exerts a significant positive influence on economic growth during low-debt regime while there is a negative effect of debt on economic growth during a high-debt regime in South Africa. Conversely, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe show a negative effect of debt during the low-debt regime and a positive influence during a high-debt regime. Malawi, however, showed a positive impact of debt on growth during both low-debt and high-debt regimes
Amava abafundisi bolimi lwesizulu ezikoleni eziqokiwe
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, African language in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African language at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021Amava abafundisi bolimi lwesiZulu ezikoleni eziqokiwe: Ucwaningoqhathaniso
ngabathwasiswe ngokwe-PGCE ne-B.Ed emayunivesithi aKwaZulu-Natali: An
investigation into the expertise of isiZulu teachers in selected schools: A comparative analysis
of PGCE and B.Ed graduates in KwaZulu-Natal universities)
The purpose of this study was to explore and make a comparative analysis of Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (PGCE) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) teachers who are teaching
isiZulu as Home Language in selected schools in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. Universities in
South Africa produce the bulk of teachers through two different teacher training programmes
known as PGCE and B.Ed. As the PGCE has a duration of only one year after a three-year
degree whilst B.Ed is a four-year degree, the researcher sought to find out what this means
and if there is equilibrium or disparities in practice. The researcher aimed to understand,
through empirical research, expertise these teachers have in teaching isiZulu as a Home
Language.
This qualitative study adopted an interpretive paradigm. Semi-structured interviews,
observations and documentary analysis were used as methods for data collection. Vygotsky’s
(1978) social-constructivist theory was used as a theoretical framework and a lens for data
analysis. Findings of the study revealed that B.Ed teachers are much stronger in using a variety
of methods of teaching isiZulu but do not have a strong subject knowledge base. PGCE
teachers are trained for a few months and are weak in methods of teaching isiZulu but have a
solid theoretical/subject knowledge capacity. The study concludes that something needs to
change in the way these teachers are trained in higher education institutions. Some of the
recommendations include revisiting the way these programmes are structured, the issue of
duration and the need for in-service training for purposes of further upskilling
Service quality in the academic libraries in Kenya
Get PDFDissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science in accordance with the requirements for the Doctor of Arts in the Department of Library and Information Science, at the University of Zululand, 2022.The subject of service quality has been widely researched in various sectors, and academic libraries are no exception. It has become imperative that university libraries in Africa, Kenya in particular, re-examine their existence in academia, in order to justify the need for their services. This study seeks to establish the level of service quality in Kenyan academic libraries by analysing, evaluating, and assessing the service delivery of the academic libraries. It was guided by the following specific objectives: To evaluate the influence that the service parameters (human resource practices, technology, the library environment and infrastructure, information resources, etc.) have on the service quality in academic libraries; assess the library customer service orientation and its influence on service quality in the academic libraries; assess how the range of services/products offered by academic libraries influence service quality in the academic libraries; and analyse the level of library customer retention/attraction strategies and service delivery approaches and their influence on service quality in the academic libraries.
The Gap model adopted for the current study suggests that customer satisfaction is often not achieved as a result of gaps/shortfalls in the service delivery process. Descriptive survey research method was employed, guided by the study’s research objectives. Mixed method approach was used to generate both the qualitative and quantitative data. From the entire list of accredited universities in Kenya, a sample of 10 (ten) institutions was selected. Systematic random sampling, random sampling, purposive methods were employed to identify the actual sample size for the different strata. In total seven hundred and fourteen (714) questionnaires were returned from the external library customers (55% males and 45% females); while for the internal library customers (librarians), 47 out of the 80 questionnaires administered were returned (43% males and 57% females). This gave an overall, 76% response rate. Purposive sampling procedure was used to identify the interview participants (who were the senior management of the academic libraries) using an interview schedule, in total 10 interviews were conducted; while observation was guided by an observation schedule that was obtrusively applied to capture information on the general state of each of the academic libraries, the facilities, and the service delivery processes. SPSS was used for data analysis, descriptive statistics, factor analysis and multiple regression.
Findings of the study revealed that academic libraries in Kenya are faced with a myriad of challenges such as a growing and divergent population, limited range of information resources and services, poor infrastructure, inadequate staff working areas and tools, limited budgets, heavy bureaucratic tendencies, lack of top institutional management support, poor leadership by the departmental heads, and lack of clear market orientation strategies.
The above concerns notwithstanding, the study showed that the academic libraries are endowed with a rich pool of well-trained information professionals, large market for services, and customers’ goodwill; all of which need to be fully exploited. Also noted was that the academic libraries are poorly equipped to cater for people with disabilities (PWDs). The study recommends the following: a radical shift in the management of the academic libraries; the creation of an enabling environment for optimal service delivery; greater supervision by the Commission for University Education (CUE), and a policy framework that will guide the overall operations of the academic libraries. This study has strong implications for the improvement of library and information services for customer satisfaction in Kenya, and perhaps, elsewhere
The historical trajectory of women participation in the Swazi parliament: breaking the barriers of patriarchy 1968–2015
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, 2019.The integration of women's experiences in Swazi historical discourse is still at an elementary development stage. This is particularly the case if we consider the involvement of women in the parliamentary affairs of the country in both the colonial and post-colonial periods. The little that we have deals with women from the royal family and their experiences, which hardly represents the experiences of women at grassroots level. This thesis is a contribution to historical writing on Swazi women and focuses on the evaluation of the magnitude to which Swazi women contribute in the Swazi political system, particularly their access to Parliamentary positions. The study shows that the ideology of patriarchy, as perpetrated by the adoption of a traditional system of governance since 1978, has frolicked an important role in limiting the access of women to Parliamentary positions and the general participation of women in the country’s political affairs. The fundamental argument of the thesis is that, in spite of public pronouncements by the Swazi leadership, and in spite of the provisions of the constitution of the country, women participation and representation in the Swazi Parliament remains peripheral. The adoption and implementation of a democratic electoral process has also done very little to allow women easy access to Parliament as representatives of their local communities. The thesis shows that women still struggle against the barriers of patriarchism that are systematically reinforced and buttressed in all rural areas where voting takes place. Through the use of a qualitative research methodology, the thesis generated data that indicates that the paths and avenues for women's access to Parliament in Swaziland have been made narrow since the gaining of independence in 1968. The thesis is an input to the existing literature on Swazi history, particularly the history of Swazi women’s access to Parliament and the county’s general political/ parliamentary system