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Postgraduate certificate in Education student teachers’ perceptions about communities of practice at schools : work integrated learning reflections
Get PDFAbstract: Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) student teachers participate in work-integrated learning to develop their professional skills by critically reflecting on their school experience. This study examined how PGCE student teachers perceived Communities of Practice during their work-integrated learning. This study adopted a generic qualitative research design and involved a group of PGCE student teachers at a South African university. Data, which was thematically analysed, was generated by means of reflective group discussions and summaries. The study was underpinned by the Cultural Historical Activity Theory as the underlying theoretical framework. The study revealed that student teachers perceived Communities of Practice as a sustainable and collaborative means through which their professional practices can be enhanced. In addition, Communities of Practice are viewed as an effective catalyst to strengthen school management in its broadest sense. Contextually appropriate recommendations for strengthening initial pre-service teacher training within the broader South African context are provided
Population collapse in Congo rainforest from 400 CE urges reassessment of the Bantu Expansion
Get PDFAbstract: The present-day distribution of Bantu languages is commonly thought to reflect the early stages of the Bantu Expansion, the greatest migration event in African prehistory. Using 1149 radiocarbon dates linked to 115 pottery styles recovered from 726 sites throughout the Congo rainforest and adjacent areas, we show that this is not the case. Two periods of more intense human activity, each consisting of an expansion phase with widespread pottery styles and a regionalization phase with many more local pottery styles, are separated by a widespread population collapse between 400 and 600 CE followed by major resettlement centuries later. Coinciding with wetter climatic conditions, the collapse was possibly promoted by a prolonged epidemic. Comparison of our data with genetic and linguistic evidence further supports a spread-over-spread model for the dispersal of Bantu speakers and their languages
Roman land division in Istria, Croatia : historiography, LiDAR, structural survey and excavations
Get PDFAbstract: Many interpretations of the ancient cadastre of the Roman colonies of Pola and Parentium on the Istrian pen-insula in Croatia have been offered recently on the basis of satellite imagery and the Croatian topographic map. This grid, spreading continuously over an area of roughly 1200 km2, was identified through numerous structures which correspond to the ancient Roman metric system, but they were never a part of further re-search. This approach enabled identification of structures that were most often visible in the contemporary cadastre, like modern roads or field boundaries, but gaps were left in areas where the modern cadastre did not reflect the ancient one. Until the commission of airborne laser scanning (ALS or LiDAR), from which our research began, one of these gaps was on the northern side of the Lim bay, in the Municipality of Vrsar. Inter-pretation of ALS data resulted in detecting different, multi-temporal spatial organisations of the landscape, among which were numerous, previously unidentified, remains of the Roman limites. The results of this inter-pretation guided the field inspection. Different surface manifestations of individual remains were categorized, and it was defined which are the original Roman structures. The results of this structural survey subsequently guided the archaeological excavations. Only with the combination of these procedures it was possible to un-derstand the original construction of the limites
Grade 12 teachers' experiences in using interactive whiteboards when teaching Life Sciences
Get PDFAbstract: Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) have taken Gauteng township schools by storm, and teachers are left with no choice but to adapt to the new ways of teaching and learning. This change came with both opportunities and challenges for the grade 12 Life Sciences teachers. These opportunities include embracing the IWBs and taking full advantage of its affordances. Not much training has been provided to teachers at both provincial and district levels on how to utilise the new technology of IWBs. To this end, this research study was founded on whether the teachers were utilising the affordances accorded by IWBs to enhance the teaching and learning of Life Sciences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and skills of the grade 12 Life Sciences teachers when utilising IWBs for teaching and learning purposes with the aim to design a professional IWB training and development programme. It was envisaged that the results emanating from such an assessment would lead to development and designing of a professional intervention and development programme considering that the researcher was the Life Sciences Subject Facilitator. To achieve the purpose, the following research questions were set: 1. What are grade 12 Life Sciences teachers’ experiences when teaching using interactive whiteboards? 2. How do teachers utilise the interactive whiteboards when teaching Life Sciences to grade 12 learners? The study followed a generic qualitative approach. The sample consisted of four grade 12 Life Sciences teachers purposively selected from four different Ekurhuleni township schools. The participants were selected based on the performance of their schools in grade 12 Life Sciences examinations in the past three years (i.e., 2016 to 2018). All the schools where the selected teachers ply their trade have consistently achieved a pass rate of at least 80% during the aforementioned period. Data collection involved an analysis of two lesson plans, observation of two lessons and a single virtual interview for each of the teachers. Analysis of the data using content analysis allowed the data to be classified under specific categories and themes. Data generated from the interviews was used to answer the following first research question was: What are grade 12 Life Sciences teachers’ experiences when teaching using interactive whiteboards? Findings from the interviews suggest that teachers are aware of the advantages of using the IWBs to teach Life Sciences. In addition, the teachers acknowledged that the IWBs simplify their planning and preparation of lessons. Some of the affordances that accrue from a streamlined and simplified lesson planning and preparation process ranged from time saving emanating from once-off preparation and storing lessons for future use, and capturing the vi learners’ attention, to simulation of experimental investigations. The teachers acknowledged that they were not using the IWB to its maximum capacity because of challenges such as technical problems, connectivity issues and insufficient training. Data collected through lesson observations was used to address the second research question, namely: How do teachers utilise the interactive whiteboards when teaching Life Sciences to grade 12 learners? It is evident from the findings of this research that teachers have embraced the versatility and multimodality of IWBs and were, therefore, using it: to project PowerPoint presentations and images; to play videos; and, for assessment purposes. The research findings also indicate that learners were not actively involved in the teaching and learning process because they were not even afforded an opportunity to interact with the IWB. The whole class teaching strategy, a pedagogical strategy that is more focussed on the teacher than learner, appeared to be prominent in all lessons. Recommendations that materialised from the findings were intensified professional development programmes that are subject specific so that pedagogical practices are addressed. It is recommended that the Gauteng Department of Education should review the elements that underpin the sixth pillar of ICT in Education, one of the ten pillar programmes for transformation, modernisation, and re-industrialisation of education in the Gauteng province. The suggested review should be targeted at improving Internet connectivity, ICT training and development of the teachers, and technical ICT support to ensure full utilisation of IWBs by the schools.M.Ed. (Science and Technology Education
The development of a self-assessment GAAR framework
Get PDFAbstract: History paints a picture of tax avoidance that has always plagued the tax man’s efforts in collecting taxes. The general anti-avoidance provisions (hereinafter referred to as the GAAR) has been refined since its inception in 1941 to its current form in 2006, in an effort to stay abreast of the ever-changing tax landscape. Tax avoidance schemes continue to persist in various sophisticated forms. To date, our tax authorities have been cautious in providing formal guidance on tax avoidance, which is perpetuated by the concern that any guidance provided may be abused by taxpayers and promoters by inducing the creation of more sophisticated schemes. Tax planning, avoidance and evasion will always remain a risk to the fiscus, but perhaps it is time for our tax administration to contemplate a different approach to combat tax avoidance. This study considers a progressive approach to counteracting tax avoidance by presenting a self-assessment GAAR framework to determine the levels of acceptability in relation to tax planning and avoidance arrangements. Admittedly, this approach requires a shift in the mindset of our tax administration by transitioning into a more service-oriented attitude and letting go of the inhibitions that this guidance will instigate in more sophisticated tax avoidance schemes. The study furthermore presents a journey beginning with the history of tax avoidance, continuing with a discussion of the differences between tax planning and tax avoidance, working through an analysis of the current GAAR rules and ending with the final arguments in supporting a self-assessment GAAR framework subject to certain requirements. Whilst it is acknowledged that the initiation, planning, design, and implementation of the recommendations provided will certainly be no easy feat; the conclusion drawn is that a self-assessment GAAR framework will fall within the primary objective of our overall self-assessment regime within which our law operates.M.Com. (South African and International Taxation
Mindful culturally intelligent leadership enhancing transformation and inclusivity in financial internships
Get PDFAbstract: The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) Academy’s Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) internship was initiated in 2016 by four ASISA member investment firms. The internship is one of a two-pronged transformation initiative of the ASISA Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) initiative aimed at addressing the problem of a largely untransformed, White, male-dominated IFA sector. While another service provider was contracted to deliver a support programme for existing Black-owned IFA practices, the ASISA Academy was tasked with developing a pipeline of young Black talent into the IFA space through an internship. These two initiatives run concurrently over 12 months and their respective objectives are to bring about transformation by the inclusion and development of young Black talent in largely white-owned IFA practices around the country, and the development of Black IFA businesses, thus creating a much more inclusive sector where Black people are empowered at a leadership level, and no longer mainly serve in support roles. There are no explicit objectives with regards to race and gender targets; however, the internship has seen an average of approximately 65% Black females being selected for the internship almost every year. This study focuses solely on the IFA internship and seeks to establish in what ways Mindful Culturally Intelligent Leadership (MCQL) may contribute to transformation and inclusion in this highly successful internship. Findings would ultimately be shared with the programme sponsors and broader industry in an endeavour to inform and scale up the programme countrywide and speed up transformation in the IFA sector. Employing mixed research methodologies, qualitative data were gathered by means of nine semi-structured interviews with individuals regarded as leaders on the internship. Quantitative data were gathered by conducting online surveys with a sample of five IFA interns from the 2020 cohort and three alumni from the 2019 cohort. Participants were selected from IFA practices across different regions, where both managers and interns have reported highly positive experiences of the internship. Apart from managers and interns, other participants included two ASISA Academy programme champions (individuals responsible for leading the internships in five of six regions) and two mentors. Since all intern participants were Black, the selection of White leaders was intentional. Findings vi established that MCQL contributed to transformation and inclusion in this internship in that leaders exhibited aspects of Livermore’s (2011) four CQ capabilities – CQ drive, CQ knowledge, CQ strategy, and CQ action. While there were some feelings of exclusion based on language, a lack of social networks, and common backgrounds, interns’ responses strongly reflected feelings of acceptance and respect.M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management
Empowering marginalised women through souvenir making : the case of Alexandra, Johannesburg
Get PDFAbstract: This case study seeks to explore the role of souvenir making in empowering marginalised women in Alexandra, Johannesburg. Souvenir making contributes to social and economic empowerment of marginalised women, which enhances their standards of living. The women in Alexandra live under a number of socio-economic challenges, such as high levels of crime, overcrowding, informal settlements, high rate of unemployment, lack of proper sanitation and most notably poverty. Poverty among women is perpetuated by patriarchy, low levels of education, cultural and religious systems and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Both the government and non-governmental organisations have implemented a number of initiatives and policies to empower women through tourism in Alexandra, such as the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP) and the Alexandra Tourism Development Project (ATDP), with the aim to offer women and young the opportunity to participate in tourism. Even though this has been the case, the challenges women face still persist. This was a qualitative study based on a case study approach, which followed a sequential exploratory design consisting of four phases: situation analysis, focus groups, face-to-face interviews and triangulation of the data. The non-probability sampling methods, namely: snowball, convenience and purposive sampling were used for data collection. The results of the study revealed that souvenir making in Alexandra empowers women both socially and economically, looking at the socio-economic challenges women face, the biggest being lack of employment, women found souvenir making providing economic independence, getting access to food, clothing, medication and paying school fees for their children and grandchildren was a priority. Even though this is the case, there is still room for improvement in regard to tourism and souvenir making in Alexandra and how it can assist women to maximise the benefits thereof. Some of the women found souvenir making in Alexandra not beneficial, which is the reason why they resorted to sell their souvenirs in other areas, such as Soweto and Rosebank craft markets. Lack of access to funding due to bureaucracy and crime and corruption were mentioned as one of the main challenges women are facing, which affects their opportunities to make an income from souvenir making. Moreover, lack of training and skills development is a major barrier for women, as they lack knowledge in regards to product design, tourist preferences and taste. The fact that women made their v souvenirs by hand, which were inspired by their cultures and life stories, offered women a competitive advantage over mass produced souvenirs. Women making souvenirs need to work together with different stakeholders to benefit from support services designed to assist marginalised women in the townships. The results of study contribute to deeper understanding of the importance of economic activites of marginalised women in townships to sustain their livelihoods, the importance of souvenir making as a tool to empower marginalised women socially and ecnomically, since they capitilise of the craft making skills they already possess and the importance of tourism as an industry that can create opportunities for the empowerment of womeM.A. (Tourism and Hospitality Management
Contextualized social work education: A critical understanding of the local
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Investigating the challenges of information technology on the supply chain of the pharmaceutical industry
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Ensuring global IT project performance through effective stakeholder management
Get PDFAbstract: Multinational organisations continue to operate and invest in Information Technology (IT) projects across numerous national borders in order to expand the business operations, increase performance and meet the needs of stakeholders. The implementation of global IT projects requires adherence to multiple governance frameworks, as well as appropriately managing stakeholders’ expectations. It is evident that the implementation of governance frameworks is still not followed in most of the multinational organisations. Meeting the heterogeneous stakeholders’ needs and expectations across different countries, adds to the complexity of managing global IT projects. This study explores the multinational organisations’ perceptions and practices of the governance and stakeholder management practices in global IT projects. The study examined the key governance structures followed during the implementation of global IT projects. It determined what key stakeholders required from the governance structures for global IT project performance and how they were managed. In order to establish the relationship of the governance frameworks and stakeholder management, a conceptual framework was developed to ensure global IT project performance. A qualitative method was used in this study to collect the data. Interviews were conducted with project managers and practitioners, who had implemented global IT projects for multinational organisations. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti. Causal loop diagrams were developed to determine the causal relationship between the performance factors. The key findings of this study were that governance structures, global factors and stakeholder management processes were inseparable when managing global IT projects. The theoretical implication of this findings are that both local and foreign governance frameworks, as well as the stakeholders in the global perspectives, are key for global IT project performance. The practical implications of this findings is that proposed conceptual framework provided a good understanding for project managers to proactively identify, analyse, engage and monitor the key stakeholders from the corporate governance-, IT governance- and project governance frameworks, as well as the global factors.Ph.D. (Information Technology Management
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