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Exploring the use of culturally responsive leadership for conflict management in secondary schools to enhance teaching and learning
No full textConflict takes place in schools repeatedly, involving both teachers and learners. Susceptibility to conflict in various forms could seriously harm the development of a victim in the aspects of his or her emotional soundness, commitment levels, communication, physical well-being, and academic achievement. To successfully enhance teaching and learning in South African secondary schools, a country referred to as a rainbow nation due to its cultural diversity, conflict resolution and management should be a key focus area. How school conflict is managed successfully is of paramount importance, particularly in a country that still grappling with socio-economic restructuring after the end of an apartheid regime characterised by social injustice. Since the emphasis of school conflict management is to create an atmosphere conducive to effective teaching and learning and the successful integration of learners of diverse backgrounds, a vision of the knowledge and application of culturally responsive leadership in conflict management in schools is offered as a tool that school leaders can embrace to effectively manage conflicts in schools to enhance teaching and learning.
A total of twenty-four participants were purposively selected from the three secondary schools in the Johannesburg east district, South Africa.The sample of participants included two heads of department, three teachers, and three learners from the Learner Representative Council from three secondary schools in Johannesburg East district, Gauteng. The heads of the department were interviewed whilst the teachers and learners answered a questionnaire. This research gives an overview of the (i) conceptualisation of the term “conflict management” to enhance teaching and learning
(ii) the use of school policies in addressing culturally responsive leadership (iii) the use of culturally responsive leadership strategies by the school management to resolve conflict (iv) challenges and successes in implementing conflict management in schools
(vi) the use of conflict management to enhance teaching and learning in schools.
This study aimed at exploring a culturally responsive leadership approach on
conflict management to enhance teaching and learning in selected secondary schools ‘
in the Johannesburg East district, South Africa. This study adopted a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews as well as the answering of a questionnaire. Findings revealed that the school management team understood the concept of culturally responsive leadership as a form of leadership that is conscious of cultural differences that exist within the school environment. Secondly, data revealed that in the handling of conflict, the school management team’s ability in resolving conflict through culturally responsive leadership strategies was limited as members lacked the necessary skills to deal with it effectively. Participants often resort to different unconventional methods which are not necessarily culturally responsive in dealing with conflict. There is an overreliance on educational policies in handling school conflict. The study closes with recommendations and among these is the need to empower the school management team and teachers with culturally responsive conflict management strategies training before they assume their leadership roles to enhance teaching and learning. The researcher recommends that developmental workshops and seminars be established frequently to train existing school management members and that new school management team appointees be empowered with culturally responsive conflict management skills before they assume their leadership positions in the different schools assigned to them.M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)Curriculum and Instructional Studie
The effects of an inquiry-based teaching approach on the Grade 10 learners' conceptual understanding of chemical change topic in Physical Sciences
No full textThe study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. The quantitative part of the study used quasi-experimental design, involving pretest and posttest non-equivalent groups to determine the effects of the 5E inquiry-based approach on Grade 10 learners’ conceptual understanding of chemical change topic in Physics, with the view to improve their performance in the subject. Meanwhile the qualitative aspect involved focus group interviews to determine the perception of the learners on their learning of chemical change under the inquiry-based and traditional-based learning environments. There were 142 Grade 10 Physical Sciences learners who participated in the study, 73 of which were in the experimental group, and 69 of which were assigned to the control group. Moreover, 16 learners from the control group and 16 from the experimental group who were conveniently sampled participated in the interviews. Quantitative data from the pretest and posttest, as well as qualitative data from focus group interviews, were gathered to test the null hypothesis of the study and to answer the research questions, formulated as: there is no statistical significance difference in conceptual understanding of chemical change between Grade 10 learners taught using inquiry-based approaches and those taught using the traditional teaching methods in the posttest results (tested at significance level α=0.05). The null hypothesis was rejected, as the p value showed that p=0.000<0.05. The study found that, despite the improvement in the level of conceptual understanding in the posttests of both the experimental and control groups, learners taught using the inquiry based approach have a higher level of conceptual understanding than those taught using the traditional teaching approach. The interviews also found that learners taught using the inquiry-based teaching method perceive their learning environment as one that allows active learning, encourages group and individual learning, and promotes knowledge gain. The study posits that, instead of relying on traditional teaching methods, science teachers can use properly planned traditional methods together with inquiry methods in their lessons especially in cases when it is not possible to use inquiry-based teaching methods alone.M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)Science and Technology Educatio
The efficacy of social work supervision: a case study in Bojanala District
No full textSupervision has been recognised as a critical component in the provision of social services by the Department of Social Development in South Africa. The SACSSP also recognise supervision as an obligatory practice. Social workers are thus required to be supervised on social work issues by experienced and duly authorised social work supervisors as stipulated by the Social Services Profession Act 110 of 1978. Therefore, because frontline social workers receive supervision, their views on how supervision influences they day-to-day functioning including service provision is critical to provide compelling advice on practice hence the study.
The study explored the efficacy of social work supervision for the supervisees within the Department of Social Development (DSD) in the Bojanala District, North West Province of South Africa. The study followed a qualitative research approach and was confined within a case study research design. The strength-based approach was adopted. A sample was drawn from social work supervisees employed by DSD at the Bojanala District. Data from participants was generated through individual interviews and focus group interviews to identify their day-to-day experiences, challenges, and to determine the efficacy of social work supervision in Bojanala District. Data was analysed by means of Dudley’s twelve steps of qualitative data analysis to establish recurring themes and interpret the data provided by participants. Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) model of data verification was utilised to verify the authenticity of the information. Research ethics were considered to protect the human rights of participants in this study.
Amongst other findings, it has been revealed in the study that some supervisors in the Bojanala District are knowledgeable about social work supervision because they can support supervisees in work and personal matters. There was also a cohort of supervisors who were also not competent because they lacked knowledge regarding social work supervision. The supervisee pointed out that supervisors do not conduct supervision sessions, lack information on how to handle critical cases like child neglect, cannot foster relationships with internal and external stakeholders thus unable to connect practitioners with resources. Consequently, among other recommendations, the practitioners recommended that extensive supervision training is required for supervisors to strengthen their knowledge and boost their confidence to supervise.M. S. W.Social Wor
The role of language and cultural practices in portraying women in selected Vhavenda communities
No full textGender inequality appears to be a universal problem especially in African countries. This inequality between men and women was also identified in the Vhavenḓa nation. The study investigated the socio-cultural content manifested and reflected in the composition and pragmatic use of Tshivenḓa folktales, proverbs, and the lexical items describing women’s behaviour.
Literature reviewed covered worldview, African worldview, roles of Vhavenḓa women, studies related to language usage and gender, and folklore. Feminism theory was applied to review the empowerment of women and equal treatment between men and women in Vhavenḓa society. By examining African feminism, and Africana womanism theories, the study has confirmed that Vhavenḓa women need equal opportunities to redress patriarchal dominance while they follow their traditional culture. For instance, men and women should be respected in their respective positions while men still retain their authority as the head of the family.
A mixed methods approach was applied in this study. Questionnaires and interviews were the instruments used to collect data from Vhavenḓa men and women. The study employed the purposive sampling technique. The quantitative method was used to present findings in graphs while the qualitative method was utilised to analyse data in narrative form.
Findings indicated that gender inequality occurs in Vhavenḓa society as women are still under patriarchal practice which is dominated by men. The study will serve as an eye opener to African people to treat each other equally and with respect.D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)African Language
Strategies employed by first-year trainee accountants in the Mafikeng area to overcome information technology challenges
No full textText in English, with summaries and keywords in English, Afrikaans and TshwanaGlobalisation and changes in the business environment, coupled with rapid
advancement in information technology (IT) in the 20th century, have brought about
various changes in the way accountants carry out their tasks. The purpose of this study
was to explore the IT challenges first-year trainee accountants in the Mafikeng area in
South Africa encounter and to report on their perceptions regarding the strategies they
employ to overcome these challenges in the workplace.
The study adopted a qualitative research process and a phenomenological approach.
Data were collected from two accounting firm managers and 13 first-year trainee
accountants through face-to-face interviews. The data were analysed using an
ATLAS.ti software program package and thematic data analysis. The findings indicate
that first-year trainee accountants face various IT challenges, such as sophisticated
software, technological stress and employers’ expectations. The study further revealed
that strategies such as practical solutions, being innovative and creative with IT
software, consulting IT helpdesks and internet searches were adopted by the
participants to overcome IT challenges in the workplace. The results of this study
provide useful insights to accounting firms’ managers, accounting professional bodies
and other stakeholders into various IT challenges first-year trainee accountants are
facing and the strategies they employ to overcome these challenges.Globalisering, omwentelings in die sakewêreld, en vooruitgang in inligtingstegnologie
(IT) in die 20e eeu het die werkswyse van rekenmeesters in verskeie opsigte verander.
In hierdie studie word ondersoek ingestel na die IT-probleme wat eerstejaars wat vir
rekenmeester leer, in die omgewing van Mafikeng in Suid-Afrika ondervind. Verslag
word ook gedoen van die strategieë wat hulle volg om aan hierdie probleme in die
werkplek die hoof te bied.
Die navorsing is kwalitatief en fenomenologies benader. Onderhoude is in lewende
lywe gevoer met twee bestuurders van rekenmeesterfirmas en 13 eerstejaars wat vir
rekenmeester leer, om die data in te samel. Die data is met behulp van ’n ATLAS.tisagtewareprogram
en tematies ontleed. Volgens die bevindings ondervind eerste jaars
wat vir rekenmeester leer, verskeie IT-probleme, waaronder gevorderde sagteware,
tegnologiestres en werkgewers se verwagtings. Daar is bevind dat die eerstejaars
hulle IT-probleme in die werkplek te bowe kom deur praktiese oplossings daarvoor te
vind, innoverend en kreatief met IT-sagteware om te gaan, IT-hulptoonbanke te nader,
en internetsoektogte te doen. Die bevindings gee die bestuurders van
rekenmeestersfirmas, beroepsliggame en ander belanghebbendes insig in die ITprobleme
waarmee eerstejaars te kampe het en die strategieë wat hulle volg om dit op
te los.Tshusumetsano ya batho lefatshe ka bophara le diphetogo mo tikologong ya kgwebo,
gammogo le tswelelopele e e akofileng mo thekenolojing ya tshedimosetso (IT) mo
ngwagakgolong wa bo20, di tlile ka diphetogo tse di farologaneng mo mokgweng o
babalatlotlo ba dirang ditiro tsa bona ka ona. Maikemisetso a thutopatlisiso e ne e le
go tlhotlhomisa dikgwetlho tsa IT tse bakatisiwa ba babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha
kwa tikologong ya Mafikeng mo Aforikaborwa ba kopanang nao le go bega ka
megopolo ya bona malebana le ditogamaano tse ba di dirisang go samagana le
dikgwetlho tseno mo lefolotirong.
Thutopatlisiso e dirisitse tirego ya patlisiso e e lebelelang mabaka le molebo wa go
lebelela maitemogelo/fenomenoloji. Go kokoantswe data go tswa kwa batsamaising
ba babedi ba difeme tsa palotlotlo le bakatisiwa ba babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha
ba le 13 ka dikopanopotsolotso tsa namana. Data e lokolotswe ka tiriso ya serweboleta
sa ATLAS.ti le tokololo ya data ka meono. Diphitlhelelo di bontsha gore bakatisiwa ba
babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha ba lebagana le dikgwetlho di le mmalwa tsa IT, di
tshwana le dirweboleta tse di marara, kgatelelo ya maikutlo e e bakwang ke thekenoloji
le ditsholofelo tsa mothapi. Thutopatlisiso e senotse gape gore bannileseabe ba
dirisitse ditogamaano di tshwana le ditharabololo tse di dirang, go dirisa dirweboleta
tsa IT ka boitlhamedi le boitshimololedi, go golagana le didesekethuso tsa IT le
ditshenko tsa inthanete go kgona dikgwetlho tsa IT mo lefelotirong. Dipoelo tsa
thutopatlisiso eno di tlamela ka tshedimosetso e e mosola go batsamaisi ba difeme tsa
palotlotlo, mekgatlho ya porofešenale ya babalatlotlo gammogo le baamegi ba
bangwe, malebana le dikgwetlho tse di farologaneng tsa IT tse bakatisiwa ba
babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha ba kopanang natso gammogo le ditogamaano tse ba
di dirisang go kgona dikgwetlho tseno.Centre for Accounting Studie
Assessing Public Transport Policies for Driver Fitness in the South African Road Transport Context
No full textThis paper analyses the public transport policies with specific reference to driver fitness. The main purpose of this article is to sketch a holistic policy cycle through a historical overview of policy developments. The complexities of developing policy from the governmental to an operational level were attended to. Directions towards online booking systems and electronic drivers licence cards were established by identifying significant features in the formation of transport policy from the early 1800s to 2022. Primary information was acquired from licensing and road traffic legislation, policy circulars issued by the national Department of Transport as well as official eNaTIS guidelines. The literature found that: (1) the provision of driver fitness and related licensing and transport services remains a crucial challenge for the government, and (2) there is a need for online booking systems and digital driver's licences in all provinces. In essence, the literature review specifies how the history of public transport policies shaped the future of driver fitness in a predominantly new online environment. The primary limitation of this study was that it is a policy review, relying heavily on a document analysis to set the scene for future research. The research results are useful in the legislative environment, law enforcement practice fields, and in scientific research in this area.Public Administration and Managemen
An exploration of the policing approach of youth drug abuse in Katlehong
No full textChapter 1 was the General orientation and research methodology. This is the first chapter
of the research wherein the topic and its background was thoroughly discussed. Problem
statement, aim of the research, purpose of the research, research questions and the
research hypothesis were established in this chapter. The methodology used in this
research was discussed and applied in chapter 3 when collecting data. This includes the
research approach, population and sampling, data collection and analysis, measures for
trustworthiness and ethical requirements.
The research objectives of this study were as follows:
Establish the nature, processes and outcome of current policing methods used to
police youth problem drug users in Katlehong.
Analyse and describe the content of NDMP in youth problem drug use.
Identify challenges in the policing approach of youth drug abusers.
Identify the role of NGOs and churches in the handling of youth who are drug
abusers.
Make recommendations to the youth desk of the Katlehong police on how to best deal with youth problem drug users.
The aim of the study was to explore the policing approach in youth drug abuse in
Katlehong the data was collected through face to face interview which was from four
groups namely, SAPS, NGO, Church and SANCA.
Key theoretical concepts were defined for the understanding of the meaning of key words
used in this study.
Chapter 2 An overview of the literature review on youth drug abuse, this chapter covered
and the brief content overview of the NDMP 4th edition. The history of the NDMP was
explained from the first to the currently fourth edition, to understand where South Africa
come. The NDMP aim to work with different stakeholders and for the purpose of this study
the role of police and the community in implementing the NDMP and the related Acts
were discussed. The police mandate in preventing the use of drugs amongst the youth
was also discussed in this chapter.
In Chapter 3 presentation and discussion of the findings were discussed in the form of
themes this were presented according to the responses obtain from the participants
interviewed. The four themes discussed were as follows:
Theme 1: Policing approach towards youth drug use.
Theme 2: Impact of drug abuse in Katlehong.
Theme 3: The relationship between the different stakeholders in fighting the abuse of
drugs by youth in Katlehong.
Theme 4: Challenges in policing youth drug abuse.
Chapter 4 was the discussion and the interpretation of the themes that were presented in
chapter 3. The data collected in a face to face interviews as mentioned in the previous
chapters were to explore the policing of youth drug abuse in Katlehong and was analysed
and interpreted to get a clear understanding and meaning. Each theme was summarised
stating the differences and similarities between the literature review and the participants’
responses and the possible meaning was explored.M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)Police Practic
Analysis of childhood overweight and obesity in Namibia using spatio-temporal quantile interval models
No full textThe global prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in children under 5 years of age was 7% in 2012, and it is
expected to rise to 11% by the year 2025. The main objective of this study was to ft spatio-temporal quantile interval
regression models for childhood overweight (including obesity) in Namibia from 2000 to 2013 using fully Bayesian
inference implemented in R-INLA package in R version 3.5.1. All the available Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)
datasets for Namibia since 2000 were used in this study. Signifcant determinants of childhood overweight (including obesity) ranged from socio-demographic factors to child and maternal factors. Child age and preceding birth
interval had signifcant nonlinear efects on childhood overweight (including obesity). Furthermore, we observed
signifcant spatial and temporal efects on childhood overweight (including obesity) in Namibia between 2000 and
2013. To achieve the World Health Organisation (WHO) global nutrition target 2025 in Namibia, the existing scaling-up
nutrition programme and childhood malnutrition policy makers in this country may consider interventions based on
socio-demographic determinants, and spatio-temporal variations presented in this paperHealth Studie
Function of family structures in the story of Jacob : a literary analysis
No full textDie vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Funktion der Familie Jakobs im Buch
Genesis, konkret in der Jakobserzählung. Dazu wird narratologisch untersucht, welche
Bedeutung den familiären Strukturen in der Erzählung gegeben wird und insbesondere
welche Funktion sie für den Fortgang der Ereignisse im vorliegenden Text und in dem im
Erzähltext beschriebenen Handeln Gottes einnehmen. Um den Befund der Arbeit angemessen
zu kommunizieren, wird eine Annäherung sowohl an den Begriff der Familie im
deutschsprachigen Raum als auch an das Buch Genesis mit umfangreichen Wortstudien
gewagt. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Verwendung von „Familie“ nicht ohne Probleme ist,
aber als sprachlich-kommunikatives Hilfskonstrukt für diese Arbeit verwendet wird. Die
Auswahl der Texte in der Jakobserzählung folgt dem narratologischen Spannungsbogen,
dessen Aspekte für die Forschungsfrage erarbeitet wurden. Als Ergänzung verwendet diese
Arbeit die Soziale Netzwerkanalyse, um sich den Konflikten und Veränderungen im
Zusammenleben zu nähern. Zusätzlich wird die Veränderung der Protagonisten und ihrer
Motive analysiert sowie ein Vergleich von Esaus und Jakobs Familie diskutiert. Es fallen
dabei eine ganze Reihe von Spannungsfeldern auf, etwa in familiären Strukturen wie
Erstgeburtsrecht, Eheschließung und Kinder, aber auch die Thematik der Verheißung im
Kontext von Land, Nachkommen und Segen. Weiterhin sind Gegensätze wie materieller
Reichtum und Flucht, sowie Frieden und Versöhnung in ihrer literarischen Darstellung
im Familienkontext zu beleuchten. Da in der gegenwärtigen wissenschaftlichen Diskussion
vor allem die Brüche in familiären Strukturen betrachtet werden, ergibt die vorliegende
Arbeit einen neuen Horizont.
Bei vielen Aspekten lassen sich keine explizite narratologische Beschreibung von Funktionen
von Familie in der Jakobserzählung finden. Die Jakobserzählung beschreibt primär
die Familie Jakobs, weswegen eine mögliche literarische Perspektive auf Familien im Allgemeinen
in einem weiteren Schritt untersucht werden muss. Als Hauptthema und damit
Funktion der Jakobsfamilie konnte der Segen und die Verheißungen herausgearbeitet werden,
die mit allen anderen Aspekten literarisch eng verwoben sind. Sie ergeben sich aus
der Verheißung Gottes, die bereits Abraham gegeben wurde, dann an Isaak und hier auch
mehrmals an Jakob ergangen ist. Thematisch geht es um die Verheißung von Land, einer
Vielzahl von Nachkommen und dass diese große Familie zum Segen für andere Völker
wird. Daraus ergibt sich der Segen bzw. das Segenstragen als Funktion von Familie.In this thesis, we propose a novel narrative approach to examine the function of family
in the Old Testament in particular in the story of Jacob. To adequately communicate
the findings of the work, both the concept of family in the German-speaking world and
the Book of Genesis are approached using extensive word studies. In doing so, it becomes
apparent that the use the term “family” is not without problems, but is used as an auxiliary
linguistic-communicative construct for this work. The selection of texts in the Jacob
narrative highlights the narratological tensions, for example within family and relations,
God’s actions and the blessing of Abraham. In addition, this thesis uses social network
analysis to approach the conflicts and changes of familial coexistence. Also, their motives
are analyzed and a comparison of Esau’s and Jacob’s family is discussed. Several areas
of tension become apparent, for example in family structures such as birthright, marriage,
and children, but also the theme of promise in the context of land, descendants, and
blessing. Furthermore, contrasts such as material wealth and flight, as well as peace and
reconciliation are examined in their literary representation in the family context. Since
the current theological discourse focuses above all on the rifts in family structures, the
present work offers new perspectives on the matter.
In many aspects, no explicit narratological description of functions of family in the
Jacob narrative can be found. The Jacob narrative primarily describes Jacob’s family.
Consequently, a possible literary perspective on families in general is examined in a further
step. The examination shows that the main theme, and thus the function of Jacob’s family,
is the blessing which is literarely interwoven with all other aspects. which was already given
to Abraham, then to Isaac and here also several times to Jacob. Thematically, concerns
about the promise of land, a multitude of descendants and that this great family will
become a blessing for other peoples. This results in the blessing or the bearing of the
blessing as a function of family.M. Th. (Old Testament)Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studie
The role of cobalt species in Fischer Tropsch synthesis: effects of support characteristics and reducing conditions
Get PDFThe industry’s great interest is to intensify the cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS)
process by increasing the per-pass conversion and the production of long chain hydrocarbons. To
achieve this goal, it is imperative to understand the effect of pre-treatment conditions on the
resulting cobalt species, their reactivity and selectivity for FTS. Herein, we focused on the surface
phase transformations during the reduction of cobalt catalysts supported on SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3
and their influence on the catalytic performance during FTS by either varying the reduction
temperature or reduction agent (H2/CO/syngas). We conducted in-situ PXRD and additional TPR
measurements during H2 activation, using special temperature programs which proved that the
abundances of the cobalt species i.e., Co3O4, CoO and Co0
could be controlled by the reduction
atmosphere. A multiphase Co-CoO/SiO2 was obtained when the catalyst was reduced in H2 at a
lower temperature (250 ˚C). This Co-CoO multiphase demonstrated a high activity for both
Fischer-Tropsch (FT) and water gas shift (WGS) reactions. From the experimental data, we
postulated that the Co-CoO interface dispersed on the SiO2 support assisted the CO dissociation and
the hydrogenation of the R-CHx intermediates. A new mechanism, called “CoO-Co H-assisted CO
dissociation” was hypothesised to explain the high FT activity and selectivity of paraffinic products.
Furthermore, the experimental data also proved that pure CoO, which was obtained from the partial
reduction of the Co/TiO2 catalyst reduced by H2 at both 220 and 250 ˚C, was found to be active for
the FT reaction rather than for the WGS reaction. In addition, an increase in the reduction
temperature led to a shift in the product distribution in favor of paraffinic products. This was
attributed to an increase in the secondary hydrogenation of olefins due to the surface restructuring
of cobalt phases from CoO to Co0
. For syngas reduction, the Co2C phase was detected by both
PXRD and XPS analysis. The formation of the Co2C phase suppressed the hydrogenation reaction,
and this resulted in the high selectivity of olefins. Based on the experimental results, it is postulated
that a synergistic effect between Co0
and Co2C species promotes the production of the long chain
hydrocarbons (C5+) and suppresses the formation of CH4. In addition, the effect of Ru promotion
and the activation by hydrogenation-carburisation-hydrogenation (H-C-H) method was also studied and found to have a positive influence on the activity of the supported cobalt catalysts. It is worth
noting that the use of the syngas reduction could potentially replace the high temperature H2
reduction step, which is a benefit for a cost-effective FT process, such as for small scale biomass
(waste) to liquid plant.Ph. D. (Engineering)College of Engineering, Science and Technolog