University of Zululand Repository
Not a member yet
2409 research outputs found
Sort by
Low Pressure Focal Plane Detectors for the K600: A design study
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, 2020Magnetic spectrometers and position-sensitive particle detectors have been used for a long time in experimental nuclear physics, with the K600 high-resolution magnetic spectrometer at iThemba LABS being an example of such a system. This dissertation presents a review of the K600 magnetic spectrometer and its position-sensitive focalplane detectors. The diverse research program conducted using this spectrometer is also discussed. The limitations of the current detection system are characterized, and a conclusion is reached that a new focal-plane detection system is required in order to make full use of the K600 spectrometer and its capabilities and broaden the research program as a result. A review of the detector technologies used at facilities already performing the types of experiments that will extend the current K600 research program is also provided. This review is then used to guide the decisions regarding the type of detector to use in conjuction with the K600. The prototype detector is discussed and its performance is simulated under different conditions using GARFIELD. Finally, conclusions from the reviews are drawn, and an outlook for the prototype-detector build is provided
Ameliorative effect of the methanolic Crude extracts of Inula glomerata and Salacia kraussii on erectile dysfunction in Sprague Dawley rats
No full textA 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, 2020.Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common but multifaceted sexual disorder suffered by men
with an adverse effect on their self-esteem and quality of life. Globally, the prevalence of
ED has markedly increased as revealed by epidemiological studies. The use of
conventional drugs has been reported to have side effects in addition to being
unaffordable especially to rural dwellers. The leaves of Inula glomerata and roots of
Salacia kraussii are among those herbal plants used by Zulu traditional healers to
manage impotence. The study investigated the ameliorative effects of the methanolic
crude extracts of the leaves of Inula glomerata and roots of Salacia kraussii on butanol
induced erectile dysfunction.
The plant materials were screened for their phytochemical’s composition. The crude
extracts were prepared from the plant materials by maceration using methanol. The In
vitro antioxidant efficacy of the crude extracts was tested against DPPH and ABTS
radicals. For in vivo studies thirty-five male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into seven
groups (with five rats per group). The normal group, n-butanol, n-butanol+ Inula glomerata
(50 and 250 mg/kg body weight), n-butanol+ Salacia kraussii (50 and 250 mg/kg body
weight) and n-butanol+ Cialis (5 mg/kg body weight). The extracts were administered to
the male rats orally by cannula every day for 28 days. Some sexual behaviour were
monitored. In addition, the effect of the extracts on antioxidant status, the level of nitric
oxide, testosterone and uric acid as well as acetylcholinesterase, ACE, arginase activities
were assessed. The crude extracts’ cytotoxicity was also determined using MTT assay.
vii
The result showed that both plants contain tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids.
At a varying degree of efficiency, the crude extracts scavenged ABTS and DPPH radicals
with Salacia kraussii (IC50 6.58× 10−3 mg/ml) displaying a better scavenging activity than
ascorbic acid (IC50 1.27× 10−2 mg/ml). Furthermore, the results indicated that the plants
boosted catalase and SOD activities and concomitantly increased the level of glutathione.
The extracts also attenuated arginase, ACE and acetylcholinesterase activities at the
same time elevated nitric oxide and testosterone level. In conclusion, both plants
exhibited libido-boosting capacity and anti-erectile dysfunction efficacy. Nonetheless, due
to their cytotoxicity, they require strict medical supervision before ingestion
Evaluating marketing strategies in promoting rural horse racing for tourism development at Umzinyathi District Municipality
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Recreation and Tourism in the Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, 2020.This study evaluates the marketing strategies in promoting rural horse racing for tourism development uMzinyathi District Municipality, such as the Dundee July event as tourism development. Rural horse racing is a historic contemporary facet of tourism in many developing countries, hence the study looked at the Dundee July horse racing event as cultural-based tourism. The rural tourism development in the Umzinyathi District in Dundee is seen to be merely based on a wide range of natural potential. The fundamental purpose of this study was to explore and examine the effectiveness of the existing marketing strategies in developing and sustaining horse racing in the rural Dundee located in the uMzinyathi district municipality. The researcher was motivated to examine the marketing strategies of the Dundee July horse racing event for tourism development at uMzinyathi district municipality because the event is not receiving the widespread recognition it merits as a tourism event in terms of coverage.
The horse racing event has become a popular traditional and cultural horse racing attraction in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa with one main goal to contribute to the growth of the economy and job creation. Research shows that tourism constitutes one of the largest industries, which contribute up to 6 trillion dollars to global economies annually (or 9% of global gross domestic product) while creating nearly 260 million jobs worldwide, either directly in the industry or in related sectors. Tourism events such as the Dundee July in South Africa is a complex industry, this is the result that it is a compilation of both event and various services offering, such as accommodation, transportation, dining, recreation, and travel for participants. All these services involve tourism experience for the participants in the horse racing event. At the end of the day, since these services are not offered by one provider who has control over them, it is said to be complex as services are provided by different people or organizations who might not communicate or act as a team with other providers.
The adoption of effective marketing strategies is important. The study finds the marketing mix key foundation on which most modern marketing strategies and business activities are based. More so, it also discovered that an extended marketing mix is a tool used by businesses and Marketers to help determine a product or brand offering.
vi
The 4 Ps of marketing were seen to be associated with the Marketing Mix since their development in 1960 by Jerome McCarthy, which was later developed into 7Ps (“product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning, and people). Understanding the 7Ps of marketing known as the marketing mix is similar to the marketing strategy tools of 4Ps. As marketing is a “continually evolving discipline and as such can be one that organization and firm find themselves left very much behind the competition if they stand still for too long”.
The motivational theory was adopted by the researcher to put things in the right perspective. A motive is a starting point that triggers the decision-making process of an individual (Crompton 2006). Therefore, in this case, motivation is a theoretical concept that denotes the driving force of human behaviour and explains why individuals choose one alternative instead of another. It is argued that socialization, leisure, and the development of new relationships are the factors that motivate individuals to attend events. It is therefore in the best interests of the event marketer to provide a satisfactory experience to its customers. This study adopted a mixed-method as the research methodology, the researcher explores the importance of marketing tourism events to promote tourism at the uMzinyathi municipality.
The key objective of the study examined the marketing strategies used in promoting the Dundee July event, to establish an effective marketing strategy that can best promote the Dundee July event as a stand-alone event and put it on the tourist map of South Africa. Structured questionnaires were distributed as a means of collecting data with residents and visitors. In doing so the information collected assisted the researcher in exploring and examining the effectiveness of the existing marketing strategies in developing and sustaining rural horse racing in Dundee located at uMzinyathi district municipality (KZN), as a tourism event. The results revealed that organizing an event is a challenging task, thus requires serious effective marketing strategies to attract a greater number of spectators.National Research Foundation (NRF
Evaluating and enriching curriculum delivery in selected King Cetshwayo district high schools
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2020.Curriculum delivery is a critical part of education system, it is the process of determining learning outcomes and the learning contents of what learners have been exposed to. This qualitative study evaluated the process of curriculum delivery in King Cetshwayo district high schools of Kwa-ZuluNatal province, South Africa. The aims of the study were to investigate the nature of curriculum delivery and monitoring; determining the factors which enable or constrain successful curriculum delivery for the achievement of learning outcomes; to ascertain the measures put in place by the Department of Basic Education to support schools in order to enhance the achievement of learning outcomes; establishing if the objectives of curriculum delivery are clear to all educators as curriculum implementers and to propose strategies that can be employed to enhance curriculum delivery in schools. Gross, Giacquinta and Bernstein’s (1971) Curriculum Implementation Theory was used to underpin this study. The theory describes the process of curriculum implementation based on five critical conditions for effective curriculum delivery in schools. Existing related literature on curriculum delivery across the globe, Africa and South Africa were extensively reviewed. Data for this study were built and collected through semi-structured interviews.
Participants for this study were from twelve high schools. School Management Team members from six high schools were organised into two focus groups. There were three high school principals, two from urban high schools and one from a rural high school. There were five teachers, three from two rural highs schools and two from urban high schools. There were six high schools that were involved in focus groups interviews and six high schools that were involved in semi–structured in-depth interviews. There were three district officials that were sampledofwhichtwo were from the district office and one was from the circuit office.
Findings revealed that curriculum delivery in these schools faced numerous challenges. The educators have negative perceptions about curriculum delivery and these perceptions affect curriculum delivery in schools. The study indicated that monitoring and evaluation needed to be improved upon, with effective monitoring tools. Findings also showed that several factors such as infrastructural facilities, parental involvement, teachers’ and learners’ absenteeism, overcrowded classroom,
vi
inadequate Learner Teacher Support Materials and other factors constrain curriculum delivery. The study established some measures that can be put in place by the Department of Basic Education to support schools, these include frequent school visit andprovision of necessary support materials to teachers. The study furthersuggested that teachers should be involved in curriculum planning to improve teachers’ clarity of objectives and ownership of curriculum. Additionally, it is suggested that teachers attend regular and adequate training for their professional development to improve curriculum delivery.
The study therefore recommends that subject advisors and School Management Team members should concentrate more on strengthening the foundation ratherthan concentrating more on a roof of a fallen house. Furthermore, the district officials should be exposed to training courses on monitoring and evaluation, so that curriculum planners may be supported with valuable feedback for future planning. The study also recommendsthat teachers should be supported regularly with necessary professional development activities as this may ensure clarity of the objectives of the curriculum delivery and how to effectively deliver their lessons in the classrooms. The use of adequate and regular monitoring tools for feedbacks on curriculum delivery may also assist in future planning for the curriculum to achieve learning outcomes. The Department of Basic Education should work collaboratively with community leaders to mobilise whoever can be involved in the enhancement of curriculum delivery in the education sector. There is a further need for the department to allocate funds to schools equitably, the resources should be distributed equally to both urban and rural schools and different kinds of learners should be considered.
Conclusively, for effective curriculum delivery in schools, the study proposed a model for curriculum delivery in schools, this model follows a systematic approach for curriculum delivery in real classroom practices
Impact of homestay programmes on sustainable livelihoods for community development in Morija Lesotho
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts, at the University of Zululand, 2020.The homestay programme was a government initiative to implement sustainable livelihood community-based programmes in rural areas of Lesotho and especially those rich in ecotourism, with the goal of tackling poverty. This study utilised a thematic qualitative approach, which incorporated ethnographic practices to examine homestay programmes in Morija, Lesotho. Data were collected using face-to-face and semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis produced themes and sub-themes. The study found out that operator packages and prices are very different from one another. The study further revealed a lack governmental support for homestay programmes and operators. Homestay operators in Morija, Lesotho, may establish a homestay association, and shape, customise and price homestay packages. Government may assist operators with homestay business trainings so that they are well-equipped and are able to market their homestays and understand the business model more clearly. Therefore, the study further recommends that the government of Lesotho, through its stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture, and the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation are to assist homestay operators by marketing the homestay programme regionally and internationally. These results would be beneficial to homestay operators, community and government officials and stakeholders to improve the homestay business in Lesotho
Language maintenance and shift: a survey of isiZulu speakers residing in Soshanguve
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages in the Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, 2020.The study’s main objective was to investigate the language maintenance and shift amongst the isiZulu language speakers residing in Soshanguve, a township in which Sotho-Tswana languages (or Sepitori) dominate. The most current South African Census offers quantifiable insight into the variety of this area. With more than 400,000 populations, the inhabitation of Soshanguve is dense, and most of the inhabitants belong to the Black African group (99.17%). In terms of language distribution, the census specifies that the languages spoken mostly in households are Sepedi (28.20%), Setswana (16.70%), Xitsonga (15.05%), isiZulu (13.58%) and other or non-applicable languages (1.84%), which may point to non-South African languages (for example, languages spoken by immigrants of other African countries and South Asia) or to inborn speakers of local mixed language Sepitori.
The study was looking at how growing up in an environment that is dominated by Sotho-Tswana languages (or Sepitori) had influenced the participants’ knowledge of their isiZulu language. The study also examined the language use of the isiZulu language speakers in Soshanguve in order to discover the areas or domains of use of the isiZulu language, their attitudes concerning their cultural language, as well as the influences that caused them to either preserve or move away from their cultural language. In order to achieve this study’s objective, mixed-methods were used to collect data from the participants (=20) who are isiZulu speakers residing in Soshanguve (different generations). This gathering of data was in the form of questionnaires as well as individual interviews. The responses from 20 distributed questionnaires and 20 interviews served to provide a sociolinguistic profile of the language maintenance and shift in Soshanguve. Both the distribution of questionnaires and interviews occurred almost simultaneously. The use of purposive sampling as a sampling method was suitable for selecting a sample of 20 participants for this study. The focus was on those isiZulu speakers who went to schools that offered isiZulu as a home language.
The study revealed that the participants held positive attitudes toward isiZulu as their cultural language. They also held positive attitudes toward Sotho-Tswana languages (or Sepitori) as the languages existed side-by-side within their township. In addition to this, they believed that living in a neighbourhood with a majority of amaZulu as well the degree of social unity among them helps a great deal to maintain the isiZulu language, and they also believed that it was also important for them to know the Sotho-Tswana languages (or Sepitori) for communication purposes. The
v
findings suggest that language attitude as well as language use, which corresponds to Haugen’s theory of language ecology, are the reasons why the isiZulu language is prolonging in Soshanguve as a viable language despite living side-by-side with dominant languages for centuries. The findings also indicate that language attitudes contribute to language maintenance, however; it is also a stepping-stone to learning a second language, which could cause harm to the mother tongu
The attributes of successful tourism-related entrepreneurs in Mtubatuba Local Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Recreation and Tourism in the Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, 2020.Previous studies have recognized entrepreneurs as a significant part of the global pursuit for sustaining economic development and social progress in the world. The attributes that lead to successful entrepreneurial undertaking need to be properly researched. This study therefore explores the entrepreneurial attributes that have significant impact in differentiating between successful and struggling tourism entrepreneurs in South Africa, using Mtubatuba Local Municipality as a case. A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data. Convenience sampling was employed in selecting 124 tourism-related entrepreneurs living in different regions of Mtubatuba Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Data analyses were done using IBM’s SPSS version 25 software for statistical purposes. Descriptive (Frequency, Mean, Standard Deviation), bivariate (Spearman’s Correlation, Mann Whitney U test) and multivariate (Reliability test using Cronbach’s Alpha) data analyses yield information to address research objectives. The results indicate that the entrepreneurial attributes that somewhat differentiate successful entrepreneurs from struggling entrepreneurs are: business drive and enthusiasm, being efficient and effective, and being visionary and having achievement motivation. This study also validates that socio-demographic variables tend to be more useful in explaining the reasons for success or struggle among entrepreneurs than behavioural variables. This study recommends that Mtubatuba Local Municipality needs to organize targeted Tourism Development and Tourism Business Management education for the willing population of Mtubatuba Local Municipality, in collaboration with Tourism KwaZulu-Natal. By so doing, equal opportunity can be granted to anyone who wants to start-up and manage a new tourism business.Moses Kotane Institute (MKI
The effects of manipulative objects as scaffolders in the context of learning grade 11 geometry
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, at the University of Zululand, 2020.Although the poor performance of learners in geometry has been an issue of concern for mathematics researchers and teachers for decades, a solution to this problem has not yet been found. The majority of South African learners in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase in South Africa are unable to perform at the expected levels of Van Hiele’s model geometry thinking, namely, levels 3 and 4. Teaching strategies which promote memorisation as a type of learning, for example the lecture method, tend to hinder learners in reaching the expected levels of the model. Thus, the introduction of learning aids such as geoboards may help both in promoting active learning and in developing the relevant skills which learners require if they are to reach levels 3 (abstraction) and 4 (deduction). Thus, this study investigated the effects of manipulative objects as scaffolders towards the learning of selected geometry theorems in grade 11.
This study was conducted on 24 eleventh grade learners in one of KwaZulu-Natal public schools found in King Cetshwayo District. Van Hiele’s theory was adopted to observe, examine and analyse the effects of manipulative objects on problemsolving, learners’ engagement time and the extent to which these objects can scaffold geometry learning in reaching levels 3 and 4 of the theory. Level 3 involves the application of geometry theorems while their proofs are done in level 4. Written tests, observations and semi-structured interviews were used to answer the following research questions: Does the incorporation of manipulative objects enable learners to engage in solving geometry problems? What effects do manipulative objects have on learners’ engagement time in geometry learning at grade 11? To what extent are manipulative objects able to scaffold learners in reaching level 3 and level 4 of Van Hiele’s model of geometry thinking?
During this investigation, learners received instruction with manipulative objects. This study employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Quantitative data collected were analysed using Microsoft Excel while thematic analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data.
v
Findings of this study revealed that manipulative objects enhanced learners’ problem-solving skills in geometry such that learners are able to perform at level 3 of Van Hiele’s model. The findings also revealed that spending least amount of time on verbal learning actions like asking and answering questions in the class may have negative effects on learners’ verbal communication as the majority of learners correctly answered level 3 questions but were unable to explain what they had written. Learners had difficulties with geometry proofs prior to and after the treatment which indicated that manipulative objects were unable to help learners reach level 4.
These findings implied that to improve learners’ performance in geometry and help them reach level 3, manipulative objects should be used by mathematics teachers. However, to help learners with geometry proof, this study recommends that further investigation may focus on other forms of manipulatives as manipulative objects were unable to help learners with geometry proofs i.e. virtual manipulatives or manipulative objects which are different from the ones used in this study
Factors affecting the implementation and management of continuing professional teacher development in the Zululand District, South Africa.
Get PDFA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2022The study investigated factors affecting the implementation of Continuous Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) programmes in the Zululand District. CPTD programmes are the universally accepted strategies used to improve the performance of teachers. Whereas the performance of teachers defines the performance of learners; at the same time, the performance of learners is used as an indication of the quality of the country’s education system. Therefore, the quality of CPTD programmes received by teachers determines the quality of an education system. It was established from literature that the reason why most CPTD programmes fail was that they were usually implemented using traditional methods. These methods included workshops, seminars, talks, and conferences which are brief and sporadic events in which teachers tend to be passive recipients of information, having no opportunities to collaborate with others. The researcher used qualitative approach in the study because he wanted to get the feelings and experiences of the participants in the implementation of CPTD programmes. The researcher used one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis as research instruments. The study was conducted in all the five circuits of the Zululand District. The sample consisted of a district official, 2 principals, 12 School Management Team (SMT) members and 12 post level 1 teachers. The total number of participants was 27. An equal number of participants was drawn from primary and secondary schools. The key findings of the study were that district officials mostly used a traditional approach to implement CPTD programmes. Traditional programmes were characterised by once-off workshops which were not based on teachers’ needs. These CPTD programmes did not have follow-up programmes set up to check on the effectiveness of CPTD programmes in the development of learner performance. Teachers were never consulted about their needs. All CPTD programmes were not based on adult learning theories. Teachers were not involved in the planning of CPTD programmes. CPTD facilitators did not have appropriate facilitation skills. Teachers were not encouraged to form collaborative structures like Professional Learning Communities. The study recommends that before district officials implement CPTD programme, they must undergo training on facilitation skills. Collaborative methods must be used in the implementation of CPTD programmes. Teachers must be involved in all implementation stages of CPTD programmes
Biophysical characterization of the interaction between HIV-p24 protein and the conjugate HIV- p24 derived aptamer
No full textA 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, 2019.The Human Immunodeficiency Virus epidemic is a serious world health concern. Reports
show that 75% of people, who are aware of this disease, live with it, and the remaining 25%,
which constitute over 9 million people are still in need of access to HIV testing services, with
some waiting for the window period to subside. Early diagnosis is imperative for mitigating
viral transmission. Unfortunately, available rapid tools are serologically based and may not
detect the virus in time and moreover other methods, such as PCR methods and p24 antigen
tests, have limitations resulting in diagnostic delays amongst others. The HIV-p24 protein is
overexpressed during the early and last stages of viral infection. This makes it an important
biomarker, requiring sensitive and efficient point-of-care diagnostic tools, which are based on
biological agents that do not elicit immune response and therefore can diagnose the virus,
especially before seroconversion. In this study, two DNA aptamers (agents that bind to their
targets with high affinity and specificity) have been successfully synthesized, in vitro through
systemic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) and studied in conjunction
to the HIV p24 biomarker. Subsequently, bioinformatics was used to characterize the
interaction between each aptamer and the target protein which displayed strong interactions.
These interactions are crucial in the development of an alternative diagnostic tool which will
detect the virus at early stage or window period.National Research Foundation (NRF