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Strategies to develop more efficient novice primary school teachers in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa
Get PDFThe researcher chose a qualitative methodology due to its flexibility and basic interpretive design. This approach offered a subjective perspective of human experience. Constructivist principles underpinned this study, which incorporated the works of prominent theorists such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Dewey, and Bruner. The constructivist learning approach assisted novice teachers in building their knowledge and understanding of essential concepts through real-world experiences.
The study's target population consisted of primary school teachers from the King Cetshwayo District in the northeastern part of KwaZulu-Natal Province. The sample was the five primary schools selected using a purposive selection technique. The participants were from a 50-kilometre radius and included fifteen novice teachers, ten experienced teachers, five department heads, and four senior management members. A total of thirty-four participants were engaged in the interview process. The researcher intentionally selected qualitative methods since they offered flexibility between the researcher and the participant. Explored the research question by dividing it into four sub-questions and four objectives. These sub-questions and objectives focused on the challenges faced by novice teachers, the role of mentors and school management team and research-based strategies to assist novice teachers.
The study utilised semi-structured interviews and a literature review to gain valuable insights into the strategies employed by novice teachers to overcome challenges. The findings clearly indicated that new teachers encountered significant challenges in time management, classroom management, discipline, as well as insufficient mentoring and induction. As a result, the recommendations included implementing strategies such as organised mentoring and coaching, knowledge sharing and collaboration among personnel, classroom management practices, and structured ongoing professional development.Ph. D. (Education Management)Educational Leadership and Managemen
The efficacy of effective teamwork model in education leadership: a case of rural secondary schools in Kwazulu Natal province
No full textThis study was entitled: “The Efficacy of Effective Teamwork Model in Education Leadership: A Case Study of Rural Secondary Schools in Kwazulu- Natal Province”. Leadership styles and teamwork the 21st century due to global changes warrant a shift toward a reformation. This study aimed to investigate how school leadership has been effective in achieving educational goals for quality teaching and learning in rural secondary schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The study sought to explore how the most suitable leadership style of the principal could be used in team building and teamwork in achieving educational goals in KwaZulu Natal. The literature study explores existing theories, policies, programmes, management, and leadership styles of principals vis-à-vis teamwork and team building in consummating quality teaching and learning. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were the 10 emerging leadership styles. These frameworks emerging from the review of literature, provided an expressive perspective for the interpretation of data and recommendations in the final chapter of the study. The study utilised a qualitative methodology approach with a case study shrouded in phenomenological research design. This was deemed appropriate as data was collected through the medium of semi-structured individual interviews and observation with 24 participants and data was analysed using content analysis. The findings that were revealed were interpreted and discussed considering the literature reviewed and existing analogous fields of study. The study found that teamwork policy only exists in rural secondary schools by inference and practice as educators and principals make utilisation of other departmental policy documents that make a mere mention of teamwork. The study recommends that comprehensive knowledge concerning the phenomenon of teamwork and leadership styles of the principal should be compiled into a national policy and practice, which should be considered vital for all secondary schools with greater emphasis on rural secondary schools in South Africa.Ph.D. (Educational management)Educational Leadership and Managemen
Quantification of credit-risk models using machine learning and statistical analysis
No full textThe main aim of this study is to compare machine learning models with traditional statistical models in predicting credit risk for a commercial bank. Furthermore, the evaluation is conducted on varying levels of data balancing to determine the impact of data balancing on the performance of the models under study. The Logistic Regression is considered the statistical baseline model, while the machine learning techniques in relation to the literature reviewed are k-NN, SVM, Decision Tree, MLP, and RBFNN. Logistic Regression showed consistent AUC values around 0,72, while SVM excelled at higher balance levels with an AUC of 0,73. The MLP model was superior in a fully bal-anced dataset, achieving a 0,78 AUC. However, Decision Tree and k-NN’s performance varied with dataset balance, and RBFNN underperformed. The analysis concludes that no single model is universally superior. Therefore, the choice of credit risk models by financial institutions should be based on the specifics of the data and predictive requirements, considering prediction errors’ financial impacts.M. Com. (Quantitative Management)Colleges of Economic and Management Science
Search for short- and long-lived axion-like particles in H → a a → 4 γ decays with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC
No full textAbstract
Presented is the search for anomalous Higgs boson decays into two axion-like particles (ALPs) using the full Run 2 data set of
140
fb
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1
of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of
13
TeV
recorded by the ATLAS experiment. The ALPs are assumed to decay into two photons, providing sensitivity to recently proposed models that could explain the
(
g
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2
)
μ
discrepancy. This analysis covers an ALP mass range from 100 to
62
GeV
and ALP-photon couplings in the range
10
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TeV
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1
<
C
a
γ
γ
/
Λ
<
1
TeV
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1
, and therefore includes signatures with significantly displaced vertices and highly collinear photons. No significant excess of events above the Standard Model background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are placed on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson to two ALPs in the four-photon final state, and are in the range of
10
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5
to
3
×
10
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2
, depending on the hypothesized ALP mass and ALP-photon coupling strength
Development of a model to support primary eye-care service provision in rural south Omo Zone, Ethiopia
No full textPrimary eye-care is an important component of comprehensive eye-care services, enabling communities to enjoy high-quality basic services. However, due to various factors, the community does not use the service properly. The purpose of this study was to develop a model to support optimal provision and utilisation of primary eye-care services by exploring and describing the provision and use.
The study applied a three-phased exploratory sequential mixed method research design in four districts of the Southern Omo Zone, Ethiopia, that involved qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. The study population was adult service users, primary eye-care workers, mid-level healthcare workers, and primary eye-care units. Qualitative data was collected through 6 focus group discussions and 12 in-depth individual face-to-face interviews. A purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants. Quantitative data was collected using 103 self-administered questionnaires and 32 checklists. A simple random sampling technique was used to select respondents. ATLAS.ti version 23.2.2 and SPSS version 28 were used to analyse the data.
The study results reveal different determinants and barriers to the provision and use of primary eye-care services. The emerging themes of the study were the perspective of the community and service providers, preference for the service, barriers to service, and suggestions for improvement. Only a third of primary eye-care units were ready in infrastructure, equipment, and service delivery. Less than half of primary eye-care service providers were found to have intermediate knowledge and skills required to provide services. Multivariate analysis showed serving more patients per month [AOR 25.44; 95% CI 4.06-159.45], receiving additional training [AOR 100.49; 95% CI 3.96-2,551.58], and
having a first-degree [AOR 23.92; 95% CI 4.88-117.23] had a statistically significant association with knowledge and skill.
The use of primary eye-care services is low and fenced with many barriers. Therefore, this study developed an integrated community-based primary eye-care model to support optimal service provision. Experts validated the developed model. The model is new to the country and will greatly contribute to improving the provision and use, resulting in a reduced burden of avoidable blindness and low vision.D. Phil. (Public Health)Health Studie
Comparative immune profiling of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression among South African patients
Get PDFAbstract
Background
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer characterized by an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Patients from specific ethnicities and population groups have poorer prognoses than others. Therefore, a better understanding of the immune landscape in such groups is necessary for disease elucidation, predicting patient outcomes and therapeutic targeting. This study investigated the expression of circulating key immune cell markers in South African PDAC patients of African ancestry.
Methods
Blood samples were obtained from a total of 6 healthy volunteers (HC), 6 Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) and 34 PDAC patients consisting of 22 resectable (RPC), 8 locally advanced (LAPC) and 4 metastatic (MPC). Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain reactions (RT-qPCR), Metabolomics, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and Immunophenotyping assays were conducted. Statistical analysis was conducted in R (v 4.3.2). Additional analysis of single-cell RNA data from 20 patients (16 PDAC and 4 controls) was conducted to interrogate the distribution of T-cell and Natural Killer cell populations.
Results
Granulocyte and neutrophil levels were significantly elevated while lymphocytes decreased with PDAC severity. The total percentages of CD3 T-cell subpopulations (helper and double negative T-cells) decreased when compared to HC. Although both NK (p = 0.014) and NKT (p < 0.001) cell levels increased as the disease progressed, their subsets: NK CD56dimCD16− (p = 0.024) and NKTs CD56+ (p = 0.008) cell levels reduced significantly. Of note is the negative association of NK CD56dimCD16− (p < 0.001) cell levels with survival time. The gene expression analyses showed no statistically significant correlation when comparing the PDAC groups with the controls. The inflammatory status of PDAC was assessed by ROS levels of serum which were elevated in CP (p = 0.025), (RPC (p = 0.003) and LAPC (p = 0.008)) while no significant change was observed in MPC, compared to the HC group. ROS was shown to be positively correlated with GlycA (R = 0.45, p = 0.0096). Single-cell analyses showed a significant difference in the ratio of NKT cells per total cell counts in LAPC (p < 0.001) and MPC (p < 0.001) groups compared with HC, confirming observations in our sample group.
Conclusion
The expression of these immune cell markers observed in this pilot study provides insight into their potential roles in tumour progression in the patient group and suggests their potential utility in the development of immunotherapeutic strategies
A phylogenetic study of the genus Dianthus L. (Caryophyllaceae) in South Africa
No full textThis study addresses the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Dianthus in South Africa,
employing molecular analysis approach and the distribution pattern of the genus. We extracted
DNA and sequenced South African taxa which were then added into other Dianthus sequence
data including Petrorhagia species (outgroup) from GenBank. A robust phylogenetic tree
comprising of three plastids (trnH-psbA, trnK-matK and trnK-psbA) and ITS nuclear region was
assembled based on 94 taxa of Dianthus species and Petrorhagia using Mr Bayes analysis.
Furthermore, we generated the distribution map for each Dianthus species using QGIS, points
extracted from BRAHMS database. Our results have revealed Dianthus as monophyletic when
Petrorhagia was used as an outgroup (s). Four strongly supported clades were identified (Africa
Lineage, Eurasian radiation, Section Verruculosi and Section Armerium), indicating geographical
distinctions. We identified potential discrepancies, notably in the placement of D. mooiensis and
D. namaensis. An unexpected relationship between D. thunbergii and D. bolusii was also
highlighted, challenging current morphological classifications. Defined clades were further
observed within African Dianthus (Ethiopia & Northern African species; BS/100), and Western
& Eastern region of South Africa; BS/100), while two subclades (BS/100 & BS/72) were observed
within the South African clade. Additionally, ITS generated unsupported and unresolved trees
independently, as did the three plastids (trnH-psbA, trnK-matK, and trnK-psbA). The identified
clades and unresolved species placements warrant further investigation, possibly through
additional molecular gene markers or broader taxon sampling. This study sets the groundwork for
future research aimed at resolving the taxonomic revision of Dianthus in South Africa.M. Sc. (Life Sciences (Botany Stream))Life and Consumer Science
Exploring the limiting issues inhibiting sustainability embeddedness in Denel
No full textAbstracts in English, Northern Sotho and ZuluSouth African State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) often face liquidity challenges, treasury bailouts, political cronyism, productivity inefficiencies, leadership deficiencies, and unsustainability. A review of recent literature revealed that there is a shortage of studies exploring the limiting issues inhibiting sustainability embeddedness within SOEs and the role of sustainable leadership in embedding sustainability in the South African context. Furthermore, sustainability embeddedness and its practical application have not been widely studied. This research explores the limiting issues inhibiting sustainability embeddedness within the defence industry, more specifically in the Denel group, by conducting 12 semi-structured qualitative interviews. A thematic analysis of the data revealed six inhibitors to sustainability embeddedness, namely: political meddling, working in silos, beggarly communication, an unconducive legal framework, corruption, and the decreasing budget of the Department of Defence; and six sustainable leadership roles, namely: educating stakeholders, adopting good organisational values, establishing inclusivity, practicing total quality management, clear communication and continuously improving organisational systems and resources investment. The study’s findings revealed that sustainable leadership roles assist in addressing the limiting issues inhibiting sustainability embeddedness. Furthermore, sustainable leadership plays a critical role in embedding sustainability within the organisation. The study’s findings are potentially transferable to other SOE’s which could benefit from a better understanding of the inhibitors to sustainability embeddedness and the role of sustainable leadership in embedding sustainability.Amabhizinisi Kahulumeni eNingizimu Afrika (ama-SOE) avame ukubhekana nezinselelo zokungabi namali, ukutakulwa ngezezimali, ukwenzelelwa kwezepolitiki, ukungasebenzi kahle kwezokukhiqiza, ukuntuleka kwezobuholi, kanye nokungacaci kwezokusimama. Ukubuyekezwa ekubhaleni nasekufundeni izincwadi kamuva nje kuveze ukuthi kunokwentuleka ekucwaningeni izinkinga eziphazamisa ukusimama kahle ngaphakathi kuma-SOE ngokunjalo neqhaza lobuholi obusebenza kahle ekusimamiseni isimo eNingizimu Afrika. Ngaphezu kwalokho, akukaze kucwaningwe kabanzi mayelana nokusimama okuhle kanye nokusebenza kwakho ngokubonakalayo.
Lolu cwaningo lubheka kabanzi izithiyo ezivimbela ukusimama okuhle emkhakheni wezokuvikela, ikakhulu kwa-Denel group, ngokwenza izinhlolovo eziyi-12 ezimayelana nokuhlola iqophelo. Ukuhlaziywa kwemininingwane kuveze izivimbeli eziyisithupha ezithikameza ukusimama okuhle, nokuyilezi: ukugxambukela kwezepolitiki, ukusebenza ngawedwana, ukungaxhumani kahle, uhlaka lwezomthetho olungeluhle, inkohlakalo, kanye nokwehla kwesabelomali soMnyango Wezokuvikela; ngokunjalo nezinhla eziyisithupha zobuholi obusimeme, nokuyilezi: ababambiqhaza kwezemfundo, ukwamukela izimiso ezinhle zesikhungo, ukusungula ukuzibandakanya, ukwengamela amaqophelo aphelele, ukuxhumana okucacile kanye nokuqhubekisa ukuphuculwa kwezinhlelo zesikhungo kanjalo nokutshalwa kwezinsiza. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveze ukuthi iqhaza lobuholi obusimeme kahle liyasiza ekuxazululeni izinkinga ezivimbela ukusimama okuhle. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubuholi obusimeme kahle budlala indima ebalulekile ekusimamiseni okuhle esikhungweni. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo kungenzeka idluliselwe kwamanye ama-SOE angase azuze ekuqondeni kangcono izivimbelo ezithikameza ukusimama okuhle kanye nendima yobuholi obusimeme kahle.M. Com. (Business Management)Business Managemen
Teachers’ experiences in managing sexual harassment among learners in secondary schools, Seshego Circuit, Limpopo province
No full textThis study, titled ‘Teachers’ Experiences in Managing Sexual Harassment Among Learners in Secondary Schools, Seshego Circuit, Limpopo Province, was conducted with the purpose of probing the experiences of teachers in dealing with sexual harassment among learners in secondary schools. The study took place in selected schools in a rural/semi-rural area, where high incidences of sexual harassment had been recorded. The study was undertaken in an effort to address the problem and identify why this was occurring as well as what teachers and school management were doing or could undertake to reduce and even stop this scourge.. The researcher made use of qualitative research to identify and study in depth the phenomenon and yield insight into and understanding of the problem. Findings from the study revealed disparities in teachers’ understanding of sexual harassment and this contributed to the separate way sexual harassment is handled when reported. The study revealed that teachers do not proactively prevent sexual harassment at these schools, nor are there any corrective measures in place for the different levels of offences.Educational Studie
Are they Pentecostal? A theological perspective on the inclusion or exclusion of Zionist African Independent Churches into the Pentecostal tradition
No full textOne of the contended issues in Pentecostal studies is the exclusion or inclusion of African
Independent Churches (AICs) as part of the Pentecostal tradition. This article resuscitates this
old debate by looking specifically into the inclusion or exclusion of Zionist AICs in the
Pentecostal tradition to make a theological contribution. This will be achieved by briefly
discussing the Zionist AICs in the South African context. The various factors that contribute to
who or what qualifies to be Pentecostal will be discussed by conceptualising Pentecostal
identity. In other words, the research question to be answered is on top of which mountain do
we stand to include or exclude Zionist AICs in the Pentecostal tradition? Therefore, this article
will discuss the theological criteria used to include the Zionist AICs in Pentecostalism.
Similarly, the theological criteria for the exclusion of the Zionist AICs will be discussed in detail.
The aim and objective of this article are to attempt to answer the question are Zionist AICs
Pentecostal? This will have implications for the study of Pentecostal theology in the South
African context. Data was collected by reviewing and analysing literature on the AICs and their
relationship with the Pentecostal tradition within a theological framework.Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiolog