University of Zululand Repository
Not a member yet
2409 research outputs found
Sort by
Social grants, food security and coping strategies: a case study of selected households in Umhlathuze District, KwaZulu-Natal.
Get PDFA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters Of Arts in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Zululand, 2018The main aim of this study was to establish an association between social grants and access to sufficient food within beneficiary households and how these households cope with food insecurity. A data set of 100 respondents from uMhlathuze city was used to determine the effectiveness of social grants. Firstly, the results of the regression analysis show the relationship between characteristics of the household caregiver such as gender, educational attainment, marital status and employment status, with food (in) security. The intention was to determine whether such features reduce or augment household access to adequate food, and it was discovered that most of these characteristics do not significantly affect food (in) security levels. Households running out of food, the skipping of meals and reasons for skipping meals were used as predictors of food insecurity. Also, other methods were utilised to comprehensively assess the significance of social grants, such as: reviewing how the households utilised the income from the grants, the percentage contribution of the grants to the general household income and what other sources of income the households had. It was evident that grant income was pooled amongst household members to support various household necessities other than food. When households received grants, they spent them on food, education, medical costs, clothes, payment of loans, water bills, starting a small business and building a home, and very few could afford to make savings or investments. The majority of households admitted that they would be incapable of surviving without the grants, as they were a necessary contribution towards food access. It had been fully established that households were food insecure and sometimes hungry; therefore, there was a necessity for assessing the types of adopted coping strategies. Unfortunately, many used mechanisms that were harmful to the households in the long run, such as taking loans, skipping meals and purchasing cheap food. To assess the importance of caregiver characteristics for food security, a simple correlation analysis was used. It was discovered that the progression of food insecurity does not subside or grow within the household on account of caregiver socio-demographic characteristics. They were ineffectual in sufficiently achieving food access. In conclusion, social grant beneficiary households at Umhlathuze are food insecure. This is an unfortunate state of affairs, as access to sufficient food is a basic human right, according to Section 27 of the South African Constitution
Perceptions of the university of Zululand academics towards science shops
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master Of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University Of Zululand, 2018The study examined the perceptions of University of Zululand academic staff members towards adopting Science Shops. Science Shops represent a participatory action research programme which began in the Netherlands and introduced to the University of Zululand with a view to enhancing the university-community relationships. The study specifically focused on the academic staff members who participated in the NUFFIC training programme that gave birth to the idea of Science Shops. NUFFIC is a Dutch acronym of The Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education - translated into English. The study used a qualitative research approach to explore the perceptions of academic staff about SSs. Qualitative research techniques were adopted for the study. A semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended questions was designed and used to obtain information from the ten (10) academic staff members who participated in the study. Focus group interviews were also conducted with the participants as a way of seeking additional information which was not covered in the questionnaire. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants from the four (4) Faculties at the participating institution, namely Faculties of Arts, Commerce, Administration and Law (CAL), Education, and Science and Agriculture. Overall, results revealed that the participants perceived Science Shops as an important programme that merited adoption and integration into the University curriculum. The majority of the participants also believed that Science Shops had the potential to restructure the University for relevance (as its motto goes), in teaching, research and community service. Furthermore, Science Shops were seen as a possible means to generate alternative income for the University. However, some challenges were highlighted by the participants which they saw as needing attention before the Science Shop concept could fall on fertile ground. These challenges included the overpopulated classrooms, inadequate knowledge and orientation about community engagement research, and the nature of research in the Science Faculty which appeared not to be amenable to community participation
Investigating the teaching of isiZulu folktales in the Johannesburg East and South District secondary schools
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Magister Educationis in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of Zululand, 2018This study examined the teaching of isiZulu folktales at some Johannesburg East and South district secondary schools. The purpose if this study was to determine the methods used by isiZulu teachers in their classrooms when they teach folktales. The research questions were concerned with the teaching methods and strategies employed by teachers in their teaching of folktales. The study employed a mixed-methods approach involving 95 teachers as part of the quantitative approach and eight teachers participated in the qualitative semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study suggest that teachers use the lecture method in their teaching of folktales. The findings also reveal that teachers do not possess training in alternative methods of teaching folktales. The study recommends that teachers should be trained in the use of alternative methods such as drama. The study also recommends that school neighbouring communities should get involved in the performance of folktales by visiting isiZulu classes where folktales are taught
The attitudes of Further Education and Training (FET) phase teachers toward the implementation of inclusive education in Libode District in the Eastern Cape
Get PDFA dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
Masters of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Needs Education, Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2018.This research investigated the attitudes of Further Education and Training (FET) phase teachers toward the implementation of inclusive education in Libode District in the Eastern Cape. The investigation took place during the period between March and July 2017. The participants in this study were 182 Further Education and Training (FET) phase teachers from 12 randomly selected FET phase schools in the Libode district. Data were collected from teachers using a questionnaire. The data from the questionnaire were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that the FET phase teachers in the Libode District hold negative attitudes toward the implementation of inclusive education in the Libode FET phase schools in the Eastern Cape Province.
The study recommends many strategies to combat these negative attitudes, including making available a guide for FET phase schools on how to implement inclusive education, in-service training of the FET phase teachers on inclusive education, participation of FET phase school teachers in implementing the Inclusive Education Policy, involvement of stakeholders (parents and experts in different relevant fields) in the implementation of inclusive education, providing special education needs learners in FET phase schools with relevant resources, introduction of modularization to progressed learners in the FET phase schools and strengthening subject choices in FET phase feeder schools in grade eight and nine for grade ten subject streams
Educators’ views on the challenges facing the teaching of life skills in UMkhanyakude primary schools
Get PDFA mini dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters Of Education in Research Methodology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University Of Zululand, 2016This study was designed to explore educators’ views on the challenges facing the teaching of Life skills in Umkhanyakude primary schools. The study was motivated, among other things, by the paucity of literature regarding educators’ views on the challenges facing Life skills in rural area primary schools. Life skills are a mandatory subject for all learners at Junior and Intermediate phases. It deals with the holistic development of the learner throughout childhood and equips them with knowledge, skills and values that will assist them to achieve their full physical, intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills (DoE 2012). To guide the study three research hypotheses were formulated and statistically tested at a/the 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using descriptive survey design.
The sample for the study comprises of 202 educators in Umkhanyakude Districts primary schools. This/the sample was obtained using the random sampling. Data was obtained from the sample using a questionnaire. The questionnaire is a 24 item, which was designed in a Likert like 5 scale. The validity of the questionnaire was obtained through a sample pilot test of 60 educators and the reliability coefficient of 0.753 was obtained using the Crobach’s Alpha. The data obtained from the sample was analysed using the Chi Square with SPSS. The study’s findings revealed agreement amongst educators that there are challenges facing the Life skills teaching. In addition, the study revealed that an overwhelming majority of educators (99%) confidently agree that Life skills can be used as an intervention to counteract the challenges faced in the Life skills class. Additionally, the study revealed that biographical information like gender and post level have no significant influence on the educators’ ability to indicate different challenges experienced in Life skills class, while, on the other hand, age, phase, experience and qualifications was found to have a significant impact on the educators’ ability to indicate different challenges experienced in Life skills class. Likewise, the study revealed that there is no evidence that educators’ view on the challenges facing Life skills teaching depend on the post level and gender. The respondents’ opinions were independent of gender, meaning that males and female homogenously agree that there are challenges when teaching Life skills. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that all educators teaching Life skills must be professionally qualified as the study revealed qualification influence the teachers’ ability. More important is that educators with more years of teaching experience may be the ones teaching the subject as per the study results. It is also recommended that efforts should be made by stakeholders, especially the Department of Education, to motivate educators teaching Life skills considering the importance of Life skills education in equipping learners with essential skills to cope with the various challenges learners are facing. Efforts should be made to ensure the continuity of Life skills education as an intervention in schools. Finally, it is recommended that there should be networking and collaboration between educators; especially for those qualified and those unqualified to teach Life skills education, as the findings indicated as such
Clinical informatics tools for healthcare quality improvement: a literature review
Get PDFPeer reviewed article published under Inkanyiso journal, Volume 10 Number 1, p.74-89, November 2018.The paper is a review of existing literature on the importance of clinical informatics
tools in promoting effective healthcare delivery. The study reports literature on
clinical informatics types, benefits and challenges across the globe. The paper
explains the dangers of medical errors and how clinical informatics tools can
reduce medical errors, increase access to safe, effective and affordable treatment
of illnesses, and promote evidence-based medicine. The paper identifies various
challenges facing the use of clinical informatics in developing countries. The issues
of digital divide in the use of clinical informatics tools, particularly among developed
and developing countries of the world, are also discussed. The paper reveals that
hospitals at various levels should embrace the use of clinical informatics tools in
healthcare delivery, especially in developing countries where there are inadequate
medical personnel. The paper has the potential to inform policy makers, improve
practice and contribute to research in the area of social informatics
The role of the international community towards dismantling the apartheid regime in South Africa: 1960-1990.
Get PDFA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of History, Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2018.This research study delves into the role of the international community towards dismantling the apartheid regime in South Africa during the period 1960-1990. It argues that racial discrimination in apartheid South Africa came into being gradually over the centuries of white settlement that began when the Dutch East India Company founded a colony on the Cape in 1652. Dutch settlers were joined by English colonials who fought and won control of South Africa at the end of the nineteenth century. White control followed independence from Britain and the descendents of Dutch setters regained political power when the Afrikaner-dominated National Party (NP), which governed South Africa until 1994, won all-white elections in 1948. One of the National Party’s main goals was to codify centuries of de facto white domination. The legislative cornerstones of apartheid – including the Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 (prohibiting marriage between people of different races), the Population Registration Act and Group Areas Act, both of 1950, the Reservation of Separate Amenities and Bantu Education Bills both of 1953 – constructed distinct racial categories, and sought to ensure that racial groups were kept physically separate; and that black, Asian, and coloured South Africans receive inferior education and remain weak in political and economic terms. This research study posits that collective action against apartheid came out of, and involved, a number of different historical experiences, related to different historical processes and structural contexts. The reaction of the outside world to the development of apartheid was widespread and posed a sustained challenge to the South African regime, which, facing myriad internal and external threats, eventually capitulated to make way for a new, democratic dispensation during the 1990s. Central to the argument in this research study is that while countries throughout the world took various measures to weaken and topple apartheid, it was particularly the anti-apartheid movements in the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), support from the Soviet Union, pressure by the United Nations (UN), the OAU and the Frontline States that mounted the most serious of these challenges to the apartheid state
The prevalence and effects of abuse against men in the three tribal authorities in INgwavuma District in KwaZulu-Natal.
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, 2018The study aimed at investigating the prevalence and effects of abuse or violence against men in an intimate relationship in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Notably, the thesis is entitled “The prevalence and Effects of Abuse against Men in the three Tribal Authorities in Ingwavuma in KwaZulu-Natal”. The study defines domestic violence as an abusive behaviour by one or both partners in an intimate relationship (e.g. marriage, dating, family, friends, and cohabitation). Domestic violence as a public health problem leads to death, physical disabilities, mental health problems, psychological problems, economical deficiencies, to mention a few. The study was informed by three main research objectives: to identify the causes of men abuse; to determine the effects of men abuse; and to develop strategies for addressing men abuse. The theoretical framework that underpinned the study was Social Learning Theory by Bandura. The study used a post-positivist research paradigm which enabled the researcher to yield multiple perspectives from the target population rather than a single reality. In that light, the study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods during data collection. The qualitative data were gathered through open-ended questions among men who once experienced abuse by their intimate partners while quantitative data were gathered through a survey. The study also used in depth literature review and document analysis which formed part of qualitative content analysis.
The study drew a sample from men who once experienced abuse from their intimate partners.
The study adopted non-probability sampling because the researcher did not know the size of the population. Additionally, the researcher used snowball and purposive sampling techniques. These sampling techniques were used at different stages to select the respondents. Snowball was largely used because the researcher did not know the victims of abuse. The study sampled 60 men who once experienced abuse and interestingly, all of them were interviewed as intended by the study. The collected data were analysed through the use of qualitative content analysis. The study acknowledged the wealth of knowledge on the concept ‘abuse’ by the respondents. The findings showed that men abuse is not a new thing in the province but is well-known and experienced by a number of men. The concept ‘abuse’, among men, meant different ways of abuse experienced by any gender in an intimate relationship. For example, the findings showed that abuse means an intimate partner who may pull a man by his private parts, being beaten, insulted, forced to clean the floor and wash nappies. It is observed that men abuse is a problem in the area and is well-known in the community. The findings showed that a large number of men suffer silent abuse because they believe that it is a mark of shame to be known as a man who is abused by his wife. It was established that the main cause of men abuse is power hunger by women. It was established that some women deprived men of sexual intercourse; some young women cheated with young men, they call Ben 10s, in the community. It was observed that a large number of men do not report cases of abuse. It was revealed that the reason men do not report cases of abuse, is the fear of being in the spotlight and that they do not know where to report. The study found that the few men who reported cases of abuse by their intimate partners ended up being a joke in the community. It was revealed that the culprit is never punished. The study showed that men do not have rights in KwaZulu-Natal. In other words, there is nothing that protects men from their women intimate partners. The strategies for preventing men abuse from their intimate partners are well presented. The most crucial strategies spelled out were related to raising awareness campaigns on men abuse; community workshops on men abuse; and educating women on men abuse. The full thesis is available in the University of Zululand Institutional Repository.National Research Foundation Of South Africa and NIHSS/SAHUD
The role of Non-Governmental Organisations toward addressing poverty in the Nkomazi Local Municipality in Mpumalanga
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Development Studies in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University Of Zululand, 2018The aim of this study is to assess the role of NGOs in addressing poverty, and it was conducted in the Mpumalanga province, under Nkomazi Local Municipality. This study situates the development of NGOs within the theoretical frameworks of Keynesianism, the neo-liberal economic system, and from the theory of NGOs as a third sector. The Keynesian system holds that increased government expenditure results in a corresponding increase in economic output. The Keynesians welfare system supports the active participation of government in the economy. However, at the height of the Keynesian economy, NGOs did not receive due attention. The policies of the Keynesian economy did not support NGOs until the role of the multilateral organisations rose to prominence, and it was then that NGOs gained recognition. Problems with Keynesian economics led to the emergence of neo-liberalism, and neo-liberalism shaped policy in a way that favoured economic growth through the Market. It was within the framework of neo-liberalism that NGOs arose to prominence. This occurred under the auspices of multilateral organisations which encouraged the rise of NGOs. However, the poor performance of the State and the Market, with regards to poverty and development gave rise to the emergence of NGOs as a third sector. Literature relating to this study further shows that the operation of NGOs as a third sector depended on factors such as leadership, management, adaptability, financial capacity, corruption, and accountability. The present study adopts a mixed-method approach. This entails the integration of positivism and interpretivism into a philosophy of post-positivism. Therefore, this study uses both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data was collected through structured interviews, while quantitative data was collected by questionnaires. The qualitative data were analysed by content analysis, the quantitative data were analysed by SPSS. The findings of this study show that NGOs mostly experience the following challenges: high staff turnover, mostly because of low wages; limited resources, and a lack of permanent structures from which to work. Even though NGOs experience these challenges, the results of this study show that the NGOs in the study area are able to adapt and work in an environment characterised by limited resources. Lastly, regardless of the challenges experienced by NGOs, this study shows that NGOs have a role in poverty reduction. In terms of recommendations, this study recommends that NGO sponsors should pay attention to the challenges relating to the buildings structures where NGOs’ operate. The study also recommends that NGO sponsors have to review the wages of NGO workers against the wages of retails workers. Moreover, it is further recommended that NGO staff needed to be capacitated by developing some skills, such as proposal writing. Lastly, this study recommends that NGOs develop new strategies for sustaining themselves, such as starting other income streams. All-in-all, the study concludes that NGOs in the Nkomazi Local Municipality play a meaningful role in addressing symptoms of poverty
Experiences of Primary school teachers in full service schools in Umlazi District
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2018The dispute of inclusion is one that has not only been a challenge for South African schools but for the country as a whole. The success of the implementation of the inclusion policy will not only talk to the progress at the schools in South Africa (SA), but it will also provide us with a glimpse of the nation’s progress towards the implementation of democracy itself. Considerable work has been done internationally with regards to the practicality of full-service schooling; however, a limited expanse locally. The objectives of the study were: (i) To determine the nature of experiences of primary school teachers in full service schools; and (ii) To establish if there is any relationship between the teachers’ experiences in full service primary schools and the variables of interest: gender, age, qualification, race and teaching experience. In order to address the study questions, a mixed method research design was employed. A sample of 63 teachers in Full Service Schools (FSSs) in Umlazi district was purposefully selected based on experience and expertise. For data collection, self-developed questionnaires comprising a demographic information section and a Likert-type inventory were used. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) accounted for statistical and descriptive analysis; and Thematic Analysis for qualitative analysis. The findings of this study revealed that a greater number of teachers had positive experiences within FSSs in Umlazi district. However, disabling conditions that prevent teachers to be completely convinced of Inclusive Education (IE) were found to be: Lack of support from the Department of Education (DoE), teachers’ perceived incompetency when dealing with impaired children, insufficient resources, maltreatment of disabled children by their non-disabled peers, lack of parental support, large class sizes and shortage of staff. With regards to the variables of interest in relation to the experiences of teachers in FSSs, it was discovered that: male teachers expressed more positive experiences than their female counterparts; it appeared that the higher the qualification, the more teachers felt confident about teaching in FSSs; more Indian teachers reported having favorable experience than black African teachers; and teachers with more years of teaching experience indicated optimism towards teaching in FSSs than teachers with less teaching experience. Recommendations from the current study suggest that teacher pre-service training be tailored in accordance with the requirements of teaching in a FSS. Workshops and conferences should be conducted to provide teachers with recent updated teaching material that will allow them to stay relevant with the IE curriculum. Furthermore, psycho-education around the maltreatment of disabled children should be provided to schools and communities in an attempt to bring awareness about disability and advocacy against the exclusion and the ill-treatment of the disabled. Again, psycho-education should be provided to families to bring awareness regarding the importance of the caregiver’s active role in the academic and personal life of a child. This would entail the process of providing education and information to families of children that attend FSSs. These recommendations would bridge a gap in the challenges that are experienced in FSSs