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Information-seeking behaviour of history and international studies postgraduates in an academic hybrid library in Nigeria
Get PDFText in EnglishThis thesis was designed with the purpose of investigating the “Information-Seeking Behaviour” (ISB) of history and international studies postgraduates in an academic hybrid library in Nigeria. The study consisted of eight objectives and research questions. The study’s scope focused mainly on postgraduates of history and international studies department, and on librarians, in a federal university in Nigeria. Wilson’s (1999:251) model of information behaviour, and his (1999:252) model of ISB were selected as the study’s theoretical framework. Qualitative case study was selected as the research design, and interpretivism research paradigm was used to shape the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to draw samples from the study’s population. Focus group, observation and interview were used as data collection instruments. The data obtained were analysed using qualitative analysis method. Among the study’s findings, it was revealed that: the postgraduates need information from the library mainly for their academic and personal activities; the postgraduates are regular users of the library, and they usually use the library for different purposes; the postgraduates usually employ technology or manual method to access information in various sources; there are different ways the library uses to satisfy the information needs of the postgraduates, and to an extent, the library information resources are meeting the postgraduates’ information needs; apart from the library, the postgraduates also consult other information sources, but their most preferred information source is the Internet; the postgraduates’ ISB also involve information exchange and transfer; and there are certain factors that determine the postgraduates’ perceived information needs satisfaction and end of their information-seeking. Finally, it was revealed that there are barriers to the postgraduates’ information-seeking and use of information in the library and beyond. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the library should establish a personal librarian program, and the postgraduates should be trained on how to search the library digital resources. Also, based on the findings, the theoretical framework of the study was modified. The study contributed to knowledge by providing an insight into the ISB of history and international studies scholars, and by extending the research on humanities postgraduates’ ISB.D. Phil. (Information Science)Information Scienc
The relationship between anxiety, working memory and achievement in mathematics in grade 5 learners : a case study of Tshepisong schools
Get PDFThis study investigated the relationship between anxiety, working memory and achievement in mathematics in grade 5 learners at Tshepisong schools. A sample of 300 grade 5 learners from Tshepisong schools was selected using convenience sampling. The relationship between anxiety, working memory and achievement in mathematics were theoretically deliberated using the deficit theory and the two-component theories. The study adopted a quantitative approach that involved a correlational survey design. There were four research questions, and two hypotheses were tested at 5% level of significance. Data were collected using working memory and mathematics achievement tests, mathematics anxiety questionnaires and memory booster activities. These instruments were developed by the researcher. The reliability of mathematics anxiety questionnaire, determined using Cronbach’s alpha, was found to be 0.716. The reliability of mathematics achievement test and memory booster activities determined using Pearson correlation coefficient was found to be 0.985 and 0.985, respectively. The results indicated that mathematics anxiety compromises the working memory capacity by causing intrusion thoughts and anxiety. This culminates into a reduction in mathematics achievement. The study recommended that instructional strategies such as use of visual strategies, explicitly teaching the mathematics vocabulary of a concept, and mental mathematics strategies must be implemented to reduce mathematics anxiety and developing intervention programs to address learners with high levels of mathematics anxiety.M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)Mathematics Educatio
Exploring psychosocial impact of gender-based violence among silenced and marginalized women in Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province
No full textGender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most severe social challenges confronting South African society. The purpose of the study was to explore the psychosocial impact of gender-based violence among silenced and marginalised women in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province.
The study opted for the exploratory qualitative research design approach with a total of 15 purposively sampled participants who are women in the 19-35 years age cohort selected to provide their lived experiences concerning gender-based violence in the Vhembe district. Semi-structured interviews were utilised as the study’s primary data collection method.
The primary study findings revealed that victims of gender-based violence suffered from the immense psychological and social effects of their experiences. These effects included levels of depression, isolation, stigmatisation, and suicidal ideations. Among some of its recommendations, the study proposes protracted interventions by multiple stakeholders to address gender-based violence, especially in rural communities that are still fraught with increasing patriarchal values and norms that reinforce gender attitudes and unequal power relations.Sociolog
Social work services for older persons in LeSotho : guidelines for practice
No full textLesotho, like many other African countries is confronted with the clinical, social and fiscal
challenges of meeting the needs and demands of an ageing population. Though, historically, the extended family’s multi-generational householdold has been an important source of care for older persons in African settings, it has been rendered ineffective by factors such as poverty, modernisation, urbanisation and globalisation.
The goals of this study were to develop an in-depth understanding of the social work services offered to older persons, to determine the kind or type of services they require and offer practice guidelines for social work services in Lesotho. This study employed the qualitative research approach, guided by phenomenological, exploratory, descriptive and contectual research designs. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with a sample of 13 older persons, 11 social workers and 10 social auxiliary workers. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to identify suitable participants for the study. Furthermore, five steps were used in the analysis of data (Terre Blanche, Durrrheim & Painter, 2011:33). Despite the shift in orientation from welfare to the developmental approach, in the delivery of services by social workers, services for older persons in Lesotho remain largely welfare and residual in nature. There is also slow progress in the implementation of the developmental approach. This has been attributed mainly to inadequate financial and human resources in Lesotho’s Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), and the lack of interagency and multidisciplinary collaboration and coordination among stakeholders.Though ageing cannot be prevented, it is possible that some of its consequences can be mitigated or delayed, to enable older persons to enter old age successfully and with dignity. The guidelines for social work practice include the fact that the social workers should reach out to older persons at their homes as well as carry out an assessment/s to determine their needs and appropriate intervention. The social workers should also play a lead role in facilitating interdiscipilinary and interagency collaboration and coordination, to ensure the provision of comprehensive services to older persons.D. Phil. (Social Work)Social Wor
Your freedom to choose is important to me, isn't it?
No full textBeing socially mindful is important for constructing and maintaining social relationships and social interactions. Social mindfulness, which requires an acknowledgement of another person’s interests and needs, is reduced when the other person is perceived as a member of the upper social class as shown repeatedly for relatively socially and economically better off majority groups from Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democracies (i.e., WEIRD countries). The overall question addressed in the present research project asked, and tested in two experimental studies (Study 1: N = 266; Study 2: N = 448) whether these findings also hold for relatively socially and economically worse off majority groups in non-WEIRD countries. Different from previous findings, the results for the South African sample showed that the other person’s social class does not influence social mindfulness and that only objective self-social class but not subjective self-social class is related to social mindfulness. More specifically, the results showed that the majority group (i.e., Black South Africans) was less socially mindful than the minority groups (i.e., White, Indian, and Coloured South Africans) which, however, are not explainable by economic differences alone. These findings have significant implications for research on social mindfulness and social class in non-WEIRD contexts.M. A. (Psychology)Psycholog
The lived experiences of psychologists working in correctional centres in Gauteng, South Africa
Get PDFText in English with summaries in English, Afrikaans and MalagasyPsychologists are one of the groups of professionals tasked with the quintessential role of correcting offending behaviour through a rehabilitation process, thereby curbing the rate of recidivism and enhancing societies. However, the turnover rate of psychology professionals in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has become a significant concern over the years. The number of psychologists employed in the DCS is relatively low in relation to the number of offenders incarcerated at the correctional centres. This becomes a challenge in providing effective rehabilitative services to offenders. To make sense of the high turnover rate, this study explored the lived experiences of psychologists working in the Gauteng Region correctional centres. A qualitative, interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was employed to explore and interpret how psychologists experience, perceive and make meaning of themselves and their world within the correctional context. Purposive sampling was employed to select a sample of thirteen (13) participants, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences within the correctional context. The transcripts were analysed using IPA methods to interpret and derive meanings about the participant’s experiences. Nine (09) master themes and 47 superordinate themes were identified and extensively discussed. The outcome of the study clearly identified the reasoning’s / motivations as to why psychologists choose to resign from the DCS after working for only a limited period. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations have been provided that will assist the DCS in the implementation of an effective retention strategy for psychologists.Sielkundiges is een van die groepe professionele persone wat die hoofrol het om oortredende gedrag deur 'n rehabilitasieproses reg te stel en sodoende die tempo van herhaling te beperk en samelewings te verbeter. Die omsetkoers van sielkundige professionele persone in die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste (DKD) het egter oor die jare 'n groot bekommernis geword. Die aantal sielkundiges wat in die DKD in diens is, is relatief minder in verhouding tot die aantal oortreders wat by die korrektiewe sentrums opgesluit is. Dit word 'n uitdaging om effektiewe rehabilitasiedienste aan oortreders te verskaf. In 'n poging om sin te maak van die hoë omsetkoers, het hierdie studie die geleefde ervarings van sielkundiges wat in die Gauteng Streek korrektiewe sentrums werk, ondersoek. 'n Kwalitatiewe, interpretatiewe fenomenologiese benadering (IPA) is aangewend om te verken en te interpreteer hoe sielkundiges ervaar, waarneem en betekenis van hulself en hul wêreld binne die korrektiewe konteks maak. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om 'n steekproef van dertien (13) deelnemers te kies en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met elke deelnemer gevoer om 'n dieper begrip van hul ervarings binne die korrektiewe konteks te verkry. Die transkripsies is met behulp van IPA-metodes ontleed om die deelnemer se ervarings te interpreteer en betekenisse af te lei. Nege (09) meestertemas en 47 superordinate temas is geïdentifiseer en breedvoerig bespreek. Die uitkoms van die studie het duidelik die redenasies/motiverings geïdentifiseer oor hoekom sielkundiges kies om uit die DKD te bedank nadat hulle vir slegs 'n beperkte tydperk gewerk het. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van die studie, is aanbevelings verskaf wat die DKD sal help met die implementering van 'n effektiewe retensiestrategie vir sielkundigesSehlopha sa dingaka tsa mahloko a kelello ke se seng sa dihlopha tsa bohlokwa tse itshupileng haholo ha re tla lefapheng la Tlhabollo ya Batshwaruwa (DCS), haholo jwang ha re tla tabeng tsa ho leka ho fokotsa botlokotsebe le ntshetso pele ntlafatsong ya sechaba sa rona. Ke ka hona re bonang Lefapha la Tlhabollo ya Ba Tshwaruwa (DCS) le tsitlalleng ho hira ditsebi tsa mahloko a kellello ho leka ho lwantshwana le taba ena ya botlokotsebe bo jeleng setsi ha ka na. Ho bonahala e le taba e tla nka nako e telele pele e tla loka hobane dipalopalo di bothsa e le hore lenale la dingaka tsa mahloko a kelello le tlase haholo ha re le bapisa le lenane la batshwaruwa ba leng ditlamong ka sena sebaka. Ka hona ho batla ho ba boima ho lefapha ho fana ka tshebeletso tsa otlolohileng ha re tla ntlheng ya thlabollo ya batshwaruwa. E le ho leka ho utlwisisa kapa ho na ho fihlela sehlohlolong sa ditaba ha re tla nthleng a sitisang tlhabollo ya batshwaruwa. Ke ka hona ke ileng ka nka qeto ya ho etsa dipatliso ho latela sengolwa sena (research/study), ka hona ke bile le dipuisano le dingaka tse sebelletsang lefapha la Tlhabollo ya Batshwaruwa tlase ho Profinisi ya lebatowa la Gauteng. Mme dipatlisios tsena di entswe ho latela mokhoa o bitswang (Qualitative Research) mme wa qapodiswa ka mokgwa wa boleng o bitswang feela ho re ke (IPA: Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis) ho leka ho ba le boiphihlelo kapa boitsibelo ba ho re na dingaka tsena tsa mahloko a kelello di fihlella jwang moelelo mosebetsing wa bona ha re tla mosebetsing wa bona wa ho hlabolla batshwaruwa. Ke ngaka tsa mahloko a kellello tse ka bang (13) leshome le nang le metso e meraro tseo ke ileng ka kena dipuiosanong le tsona e le ho seka seka taba ya tlhabollo ya batshwaruwa. Dipuisano tsaka le bona di ile tsa qapodiswa ho latela mokgwa wa (IPA) ho leka ho utlwisisa ho re dingaka tsena tsa mahloko a kelello di fumana moelelo jwang mosebetsing ona wa bona o boima wa ho hlabolla batshwaruwa. Mme dipuisanong tsena ke fihlelletse lenane la dihlooho tse ka bang robong (09) le tse (47) mashome a mane a metso e supileng tse ka sehloohong tseo sengolwa kapa thuto ena e di hlalositseng ka botebo. Ka hona dipatlisiso di bontshitse ka botlalo mabaka a etsang hore dingaka tsena tsa mahloko a kellello di phumane di tsamaya lefapheng la tlhabollo ya batshwaruwa ka morao ho sebetsa nako e kgutshwane haholo lefapheng ka baka la ho senatefelwe ke ho etsa mosebetsi wa bona wa thlabollo ya batshwaruwa. Mme ho ya ka dipatlisiso tsa sengolwa sena ke lekile ho tla ka metjha eo lefapha la Tlhabollo ya batshwaruwa e ka latelang ho fokotsa tshubutlhellano eo dingaka tsa mahloko a kellello di tsamayang ka yona lefapheng.Ph. D. (Psychology)Psycholog
Cooperative control and optimization of robotic agents
No full textThe cooperate behavior that emerges from the interactions among simple multi-agent robots along with the solution possibilities these interactions provide, has formed part of the growing research areas in recent years within the confines of artificial intelligence. In this thesis, we explore these possibilities leveraging single and multi-objective optimization on a machine-learning algorithm: the artificial neural network. The rationale is to achieve goal oriented collaborative control (group behavior) with regard to localizing multiple gradient sources during search operations. With a view to solving the multisource localization problem, we develop an ingenious hybrid metaheuristics algorithm for optimizing exploration (search-oriented) and exploitation (goal-oriented) in both fully observable and partially observable domains. We compared the performance of our model with the existing state of the art metaheuristic algorithms such as Simulated Annealing (SA), Cuckoo-search (CK), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) using 30 standard benchmark complex objective functions. Results showed significant improvement. The homing (goal-oriented) operation introduced novel concepts for accelerating off-policy reinforcement learning algorithm for Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDP) via dynamic programming on a multi-agent framework. Finally, we demonstrated an ingenious approach to the resampling phase of Monte Carlo’s particle filter (for robot localization) which showed relatively significant improvement in the belief state estimation accuracy with respect to ground truth within POMDP domains. The contribution of this research is twofold: firstly, it presents a framework for search optimization while localizing multiple emission sources. Secondly, it presents ingenious concepts for foraging, gradient source localization along with the potential for search and rescue operations within POMDP environments.Ph. D. (Computer Science)School of Computin
Communication support for learners with autism : a case of special schools in Umlazi district, Kwazulu-Natal province
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to investigate ways of providing communication support for learners with autism and to determine the challenges the teachers faced in special schools in Umlazi District in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Some of the learners with autism are non-verbal so communication support is so important for them.
The researcher used the qualitative method to collect data from the two special schools that were sampled. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis.
The findings of the study were presented according to four themes that emerged from the data that was gathered. It emerged that there were different ways of providing communication support to learners with autism, namely; Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Social Stories and TEACCH
The resources needed were also identified by the teachers and they were of importance in supporting communication to the learners with autism. The recommendations were noted that schools should provide resources for communications support.M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)Inclusive Educatio
Till death do us part : perceptions and experiences of premarital and marriage counselling in the Boland, Heidelberg and Tygerberg sub-district areas, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Get PDFMarriage is an important part of society that affects the way society is formed, organised and functions. With the growing trend in divorce rates, the institution of marriage is under threat. Divorce affects divorcees, children and society as a whole due to its severe negative effects, causing disruption on a micro, meso and macro-level of society. Several counselling programmes have been developed over the years to help couples deal with and overcome their adversities in order to find happiness in their relationships. However, even with such interventions, divorce rates continue to rise. The current study aimed at exploring and understanding the perceptions and experiences of the usefulness of premarital and marriage counselling from the perspectives of counselling providers and married individuals. The study further aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of how counselling providers can better cater to the needs of couples and for couples to voice their needs and expectations from counselling. In order to do this, a qualitative research approach with a phenomenological design was employed. Data were drawn from semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with counselling providers who resided in the Boland and Heidelberg area, and from married individuals from the Tygerberg sub-district, who took part in focus groups and a workshop. Overall, the study was mainly focused on the Western Cape areas. A theoretical framework, Social Role Theory, was utilised as a lens through which marriage can be viewed, specifically in terms of role socialization and expectation. The findings demonstrate that couples regard premarital and marriage counselling as beneficial and useful, and that effectiveness increases when couples commit to each other and the process. Additionally, training for counselling providers is critical, as this has an impact on the effectiveness of counselling. As a result, this study developed a strategy that could be useful to counsellors by identifying topics for premarital and marriage counselling that were recommended by married individuals. This strategy should potentially add value to the existing approaches used by counselling providers.D.Phil. (Psychology)Psycholog
Poverty alleviation in the city of Windhoek : a local economic development management perspective
Get PDFPoverty is a global phenomenon which affects people in various depths overtime, and there is no nation that is absolutely free from incidences of poverty. In Namibia, two thirds of the population were living in conditions of absolute poverty at independence in 1990, and since then, alleviating poverty has been on the government agenda. The aim of the study was to explore whether the City of Windhoek can alleviate poverty through its local economic development strategies to improve the lives of its citizens. The study adopted a qualitative research approach to address the research objectives. Empirical data were collected by means of survey questionnaires from the residents of the City of Windhoek and from officials of stakeholder organisations. Secondary data were collected by means of documentary analysis.
The study found that poverty alleviation is when the governments and various organisations both local and international seek to improve the standard of living of the poor. The study found that the main goal of any local economic development strategy is to provide quality jobs and this makes it to be an important component in the broader effort to alleviate poverty. The study also found that most of the residents of the City of Windhoek and officials of the stakeholder organisations are Generation Y and they are educated. The study further discovered that 3% of the residents of the City of Windhoek are food poor, while 5% are severely poor and 9% are poor. The study further found that both the community members (76%) and officials from the stakeholder organisations (96%) hold the views that the alleviation of poverty can translate into a better quality of life for the citizens of City of Windhoek.
The study recommended that to encourage local employment by the private sector in the area, CoW should give tax exemptions of 5% to businesses operating within its area of jurisdiction that have 90% or more of staff members that are local employees. To ensure that the residents increase their income, CoW should urge the residents to take up extra jobs and become entrepreneurs. With increased income the residents can invest in their health which is one of the important aspects of a better quality of life. The study to this end proposed the IDP sequential model that City of Windhoek can implement to assist the residents to permanently pull themselves out of poverty.D.Phil. (Public Administration)Public Administration and Managemen