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COVID-19, Poverty and sustainable development goals (SDGs): A Zimbabwean experience with a comparison to South Africa.
Get PDFAbstract: This article focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the achievement of sustainable development goals with a direct focus on poverty (goal one) taking Zimbabwe as a case study and comparing it to South Africa. The neoclassical economics theory of poverty was used in the analysis. The study used a literature review approach where document and conceptual analyses were conducted. The information gathered from the secondary sources of data which include several peer-reviewed journals on the neoclassical economics, reports and even newspaper articles indicated that poverty will rise because of COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe and South Africa. This will be more prevalent among the low-income earners and those who are already in the poverty bracket. The conclusion is that the rise in poverty will impact negatively on the attainment of SDGs. Therefore, governments in various countries especially in developing nations should avail grants for the poor, the low-income earners whose income has been disrupted by the pandemic and to come up with strong mechanisms to bail out businesses especially small businesses who have challenges to cope with the crisis
Understanding wildlife crime from Eco-Existential and African Perspectives: A psycho-philosophical investigation
Get PDFAbstract: Wildlife crime has huge consequences regarding global environmental changes to animals, plants and the entire ecosystem. Combatting wildlife crime effectively requires a deep understanding of human–wildlife interactions and an analysis of the influencing factors. Conservation and green criminology are important in reducing wildlife crime, protecting wildlife and the ecosystem and informing policy-makers about best practices and strategies. However, the past years have shown that wildlife crime is not easy to combat and it is argued in this article that there are underlying existential “givens” and culture-specific aspects that need to be investigated to understand why wildlife crime is still on the rise. This theoretical article explores (eco-)existential perspectives, Greening’s four givens and selected African philosophical concepts, aiming to understand the complexities behind the prevalence of wildlife crime within global and African contexts
A dark green religious analysis of the life and work of Wangari Maathai (1940 - 2011)
Get PDFAbstract: Dark Green Religion (DGR), is an umbrella term formulated by Bron Taylor, to describe nature revering movements that do not fit into the category of organized religion. These movements use religious-like emotions to express their convictions and display a sincere commitment towards the environment. A central focus of DGR is a deep-felt kinship with all living organisms on Earth (arising from a Darwinian understanding that all forms of life have developed from a common ancestor), accompanied by feelings of humility coupled with a critical view of human moral superiority. This article presents a Dark Green Religious analysis of the life and work of Wangari Maathai (1940-2011). She was the first woman in East Africa to receive a doctorate, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work with the Green Belt Movement (GBM). In the DGR analysis, it is illustrated that the principles of belonging, interconnectedness and sacredness are revealed through Maathai’s written legacy. Evidence is also presented that she could be viewed as an example of Naturalistic Gaianism, one of the four types of DGR. In conclusion, a link between ecofeminism and DGR is proposed by highlighting the shared concepts between the two phenomena
Libreville residents’ perspective on tourism at Akanda National Park
Get PDFAbstract: Akanda National Park (ANP) is one of thirteen national parks in Gabon. ANP was established in 2002 in support of the Gabonese government strategy to diversify the country’s hydrocarbon dependent economy by developing a tourism industry. However, ANP remains one of the less popular of Gabon’s tourism attractions despite its natural assets and geographical location in close proximity to Gabon’s capital, Libreville. This study investigated residents’ opinions about the tourism industry at ANP in terms of both leisure and business opportunities. Semi-structured interview schedules were employed for data collection from residents in residential areas of Libreville abutting ANP. Findings revealed that local people saw no value in the ANP either as a leisure pursuit or to generate a business leveraging the park as a business resource. This study recommends that the Gabonese government and relevant stakeholders need to redevelop tourism strategies with community stakeholders promoting the role of ANP for all Gabonese not only foreign tourists. Furthermore, there is a need to provide tourism infrastructure at ANP with facilities that help to foster the tourism environment
An Assessment of the Energy Poverty and Gender Nexus towards Clean Energy Adoption in Rural South Africa
Get PDFAbstract: South Africa has about 2.5 million households without electricity access, most of which are located in rural areas and urban informal settlements. The nexus of energy poverty and gender is at play in the affected communities, as women and girls are culturally stereotyped with the task of collecting unclean fuels (e.g., firewood) and using these for their households’ energy demands. Therefore, this study prioritized rural women and girls as respondents in the provinces most affected by gendered energy poverty (GEP) in the country. The study was carried out in selected rural unelectrified areas of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces using structured interviews. The study revealed that GEP in the rural areas has exposed women and girls living there to security concerns, health hazards, premature death, domestic fire accidents, time poverty, income poverty, illiteracy, drudgery in households and farm tasks, etc., at different levels of severity. It also showed the effects of perceptions, age, income, and culture on the choice of energy use among the respondents. Mitigation strategies against GEP in rural South African communities through clean energy adoption are also proposed in this paper
Factors affecting e-Health adoption in South African public hospitals : a case of Edendale Hospital
Get PDFAbstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) play a crucial role in improving healthcare by providing innovative and more efficient ways of accessing, communicating and storing medical information. The use of ICT in healthcare is often referred to as e-health. Nowadays, e-health has become an essential in the health sector, due to the shortage of healthcare professionals, as well as the increase in the costs of healthcare services. Additionally, e-health ensures efficient and costeffective healthcare services, which in turn allows healthcare providers to streamline their processes. However, the literature shows that the adoption of e-health in South African public hospitals has been slow. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting e-health adoption in South African public hospitals. A quantitative research methodology was employed: 265 questionnaires were distributed to staff at the Edendale Hospital, South Africa. Results showed that the presence of facilitating conditions, such as low-cost internet access; adequate ICT infrastructure; relevant computer skills training; government support; and the involvement of the hospital management, would encourage healthcare professionals to adopt and use an e-health system. Furthermore, healthcare professionals expect an e-health system to produce an accurate patient diagnosis, improve patients’ awareness regarding their health, and ensure enhanced information security. The study concludes with recommendations for e-health systems developers, hospital management and government
Learning management systems in higher education : the attitudes, expectations and experiences of academic staff at selected Nigerian higher Eeducation institutions
Get PDFAbstract: The research investigated the attitudes, expectations and experiences of academic staff at selected Nigerian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), on the use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) for teaching and learning. Typically, HEIs want to advance the teaching and learning processes by capitalising on the affordances of digital technologies for teaching and learning. This most often manifests in efficient adoption and utilisation of digital LMSs. In Nigeria, the educational system has been somewhat slow and inconsistent in its response to integrating digital technologies in its practices. However, HEIs are often attempting digital technologies integration by the adoption and use of LMSs to encourage the teaching and learning processes. Accordingly, HEIs have either developed LMSs suited to their needs or subscribed to the proprietary ones for online course delivery to meet students’ learning needs and faculties’ instructional needs. Nonetheless, there is dearth of published research that reports on the extent of the uptake of LMSs by Nigerian academic staff or the way they used these for teaching and learning. Additionally, several impediments abound to appropriate planning and implementation of LMSs in Nigerian HEIs. For these reasons, the study explored how teaching staff at three selected universities in Nigeria implemented and used LMSs in their teaching and learning practices, and particularly examined those factors that facilitated and hindered the adoption and use of LMSs. The methodological design was a quantitative, explanatory correlational survey. Therefore, the Technology Acceptance Model 2 and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology were integrated and modified, by adding the ‘Design decision’ and ‘Staff performance’ variables to better adapt the research in the context of Nigerian HEIs. Teaching staff (n=122) from three universities were targeted using a simple random sampling method and requested to complete an online survey. Firstly, the results revealed that despite respondents’ (teaching staff) reasonable knowledge and skills of digital technologies, their utilisation, satisfaction, frequency and rating levels on the features of LMSs for teaching and learning were less than optimal. Secondly, respondents at the three selected universities had positive attitude and intention toward LMSs, but the technical and organisational infrastructure, and institutional support and policies, required to make competent use of LMSs for teaching and learning were not made available to them. Additionally, the r2 values during data analysis, inferred that ‘effort expectancy’ and ‘facilitating xviii conditions’ variables explained 43% and 42% respectively of the variance in teaching staff’s adoption of LMSs for teaching and learning. The work made an important contribution to the knowledge set which described how teaching staff at HEIs in Nigeria implemented and used LMSs in their teaching and learning practices. Therefore, the research findings were used to identify deficits in the institutional implementation and staff use of LMSs, which in turn allowed for proposing implementation strategies and professional development programmes to HEIs, that could build the capacity of teaching staff to use LMSs proficiently and may also be useful to other institutional managers to plan and implement LMSs, in a manner that may meet the instructional needs of teaching staff.Ph.D. (Information and Communications Technology in Education
Using assistive technology in supporting a learner with learning barriers during assessments
Get PDFAbstract: Learners with barriers to learning are often placed at a disadvantage in educational environments. Learners with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and SLD, frequently underperform, especially during assessments, compared to their agerelated peers. In recognising that all learners have the right to an education, the DOE drafted and implemented the Screening, Identification, Assessment, and Support (SIAS) policy in 2014. This policy aims to provide a framework for identifying and addressing barriers to learning through collaborative, individualised support plans. Through the SIAS policy, a range of accommodations are available to support learners with barriers to learning. This study investigated how assistive technology (AT) could be utilised during assessments to support one specific learner through a qualitative case study design. Multiple data collection methods were used to produce a detailed report of a Grade 8 learner with barriers at a remedial school using AT during assessments. The study revealed several challenges with providing accommodation support and highlighted the critical importance of individually adapted support plans. These challenges with staffing, scheduling, availability of separate venues, training and implementation, individual differences as well as specific device features. AT exists on a continuum, ranging from low-tech to high-tech. As such, a range of ATs can benefit learners with barriers when they are carefully considered in relation to each assessment and individual's demands. When considering the allocation of accommodations to support a learner with barriers, individual circumstances such as diagnostic features, preferences, perceptions, competencies, and technological skills and support needs must be carefully considered. In addition, social and contextual factors such as organisational and community perceptions, policies, competencies and practices, as well as infrastructure, are vital contributors towards ensuring the effectiveness of the support provided.M.Ed. (Educational Psychology
Mentorship programmes in fee paying public schools : beginner teachers’ perspectives
Get PDFAbstract: Globally, and within the South African context, when entering the teaching profession beginner teachers find themselves grappling with basic educational competencies. Beginner teachers find it difficult to adjust to the work environment and culture of a school, often resulting in anxiety and low self-esteem. Mentorship programmes could provide beginner teachers with the guidance and support that they require in order to meet the challenges that they face such as administration, classroom management and the working environment. Within the South African context, research has been conducted into mentorship programmes for beginner teachers from mentor and School Management Team perspectives. However, previous work has failed to address beginner teachers’ perspectives on mentorship programmes. Therefore, this research study was designed to address the research gap regarding the perspectives of beginner teachers on mentorship programmes in fee paying public schools. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach, where data was to be collected through the implementation of face-to-face interviews. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time of research, the interview schedule with the open-ended questions was sent to participants via email. The data was collected through the participants completing the interview questions and emailing them back to the researcher. The data collection highlighted the obstacles that are faced by beginner teachers, shortfalls of mentorship programmes and the need for formal mentorship programmes. This research study recommends that the Department of Education and School Management Teams create and implement mentorship programmes in order to assist beginner teachers in addressing and overcoming challenges they face. These programmes can contribute to producing personal and professional growth within beginner teachers.M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management
Teachers’ stress during Covid-19 : implications for public school leaders
Get PDFAbstract: The study investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the stress levels of public primary school teachers. It explores how extended crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates work-related stress for the teaching profession which is emotionally and physically demanding. As extended crisis occurs infrequently, and the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, this study contributes to a better understanding of its effects on teacher stress and more importantly stress management. This study uses Conservation of Resources and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as the theoretical framework and investigates the phenomenon through the lens of stress and support as resources, as well as needs to be fulfilled at different levels of Maslow’s hierarchy. About 120 teachers in three semi-urban public primary schools in the Zululand District were invited to participate in an online survey, including those in either DoE or SGB posts. 24 teachers responded to the survey and three completed follow-up interviews. This research indicates that teachers’ emotional and physical resources are threatened on every level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main findings point to the complicated changes and challenges in teaching resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 regulations. Teacher stress has not decreased due to small class sizes; the health status of many have deteriorated. However, many remain positive and hopeful and retain a sense of control. Overall, the top stressors have not changed much when comparing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers largely use solo activities to assist with relaxation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and turn to family and friends for support. The potential to draw support from colleagues and management is largely unrealised.M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management
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