1,720,962 research outputs found
Work Readiness in an Emergency Digital Learning Environment: Students' Self-Perception and Employer Expectation
Full text linkThe employability of university of technology graduates in South Africa remains a pressing issue, with youth unemployment rates alarming at 63.9% for ages 15–24 and 42.1% for ages 25–34. Even graduates face significant unemployment, with 32.6% of those aged 15-24 years and 22.4% of those aged 25–34 years still jobless. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, shifting education to digital platforms, which exposed deficiencies in digital literacy, infrastructure, and resources among students. Despite these obstacles, graduating students maintain a positive outlook on employment opportunities, evaluated through the perceived future employability (PFE) model. This model assesses graduates' perceptions of future skills, experience, networks, personal traits, labour market knowledge, and institutional reputation. Employers, however, rate graduates low on work readiness, particularly in soft skills like critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, which are deemed more crucial than the specific field of study. This disparity underscores higher education institutions' need to focus on developing these non-technical skills to enhance graduates' employability. The study used a mixed-method design to gather data from 140 marketing and retail students and seven employers. Results indicated that while students had a positive self-perception of their employability, employers highlighted deficiencies in soft skills. Work-integrated learning (WIL) programmes are essential, providing practical experience and mentoring that bridge the gap between theory and practice and instil confidence and essential workplace skills in students. These programmes, encompassing internships, graduate programmes, and project-based learning, are crucial for preparing students for the evolving Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) labour market and should be integral to university curricula
Ukufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe ngesiZulu ulimi lwasekhaya ngohlelo lwe CAPS kubafundi bebanga le 10 ezikoleni ezimbili esiyingini saseMhlathuzana.
Full text linkMaster of Education in Education Studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood 2016.Aphansi amazinga okufunda okubhaliwe kubafundi baseNingizimu Afrika futhi kuseyinkinga engakasitholi isisombululo. Kuze kube yimanje awukho umbiko usuke wabika ubungcono kule nkinga, nakuba ikhona imizamo eyenziwayo ukulwa nale nkinga kodwa asikabi bikho isisombululo.
Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukubheka Ukufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe ngesiZulu uLimi Lwasekhaya ngokohlelo lwe-CAPS kubafundi bebanga le-10. Ucwaningo luhlose ukuphendula imibuzongqangi emithathu elandelayo: (i) Othisha besiZulu ulimi lwasekhaya bebanga le-10 basezikoleni zaseMhlathuzana bakuqonda kanjani ukufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe belandela uhlelo lwe-CAPS? (ii) Othisha besiZulu ulimi lwasekhaya bakufundisa kanjani ukufunda okubhaliwe ebangeni le-10 ezikoleni ezisesiyingini zaseMhlathuzana? (iii) Zizathu zini ezenza othisha besiZulu uLimi lwaseKhaya bafundise ukufunda okubhaliwe ngendlela abenza ngayo ebangeni le-10 lapho belandela uhlelo lwe-CAPS ezikoleni ezisesiyingini saseMhlathuzana?
Ucwaningo lwenziwe elokishini lakwaNdengezi ePinetown, lapho isiZulu siwulimi olukhulunywa emphakathini, kanti nasezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu kusetshenziswa sona njengolimi lwasekhaya ekufundeni. Ucwaningo lwenziwe ezikoleni ezimbili ezisesiyingini saseMhlathuzana. Othisha ababeyingxenye yocwaningo babebane, isikole nesikole kwakuba othisha ababili.
Ucwaningo lulucwaningo lobunjalo besimo (qualitative case study), ngaphansi kwe-interpretivist paradigm. Kusetshenziswe izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka (semi-structured interviews) nokubukela othisha befundisa (observations), njengezindlela zokuqoqa ulwazi locwaningo. Kusetshenziswe insizakuhlaziya i-schema theory (Bartlett, 1932) njengohlaka lwenjulalwazi kanye nohlaka lwemicabango ukuhlaziya ulwazi olutholakele.
Kugqama izindikimba ezinhlanu olwazini olutholakalayo. Kukhona emayelana nolwazi ngesifundo sokufundisa okubhaliwe kothisha abafundisa isiZulu uLimi Lwasekhaya ngohlelo lwe-CAPS. Lapha kuvela ukuthi sengathi othisha badinga ukulekelelwa ngolwazi lwesifundo ikakhulukazi ukufunda okubhaliwe nokufundisa. Enye imayelana namasu okuzakhela izinsizakufundisa. Lapha kuvela ukuthi othisha bathembele ezincwadini ezifundwa ngabafundi zemibhalo efundwa ekilasini. Enye imayelana nezinselelo ezimayelana nokuqeqesheka kothisha ohlelweni lwe-CAPS. Othisha baveza ukuthi abaqeqeshekile ngokwanele ekulandeleni uhlelo lwe-CAPS ezifundweni abazifundisayo.
Enye imayelana nobude besikhathi sokufundisa. Kutholakale ukuthi isikhathi sokufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe asanele uthisha uze angakwazi ukuhlola abafundi esifundweni sokufunda okubhaliwe. Enye indikimba imayelana nokungasebenzi kwebhodi uma kufundwa isifundo sokufunda okubhaliwe. Lokhu akujwayelekile ukusebenzisa ibhodi uma ufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe.
Imiphumela yocwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi abakwenzayo othisha kunomthelela ongemuhle kubafundi abafundisayo ekufundiseni kwabo ukufunda okubhaliwe
Residents’ perceptions on the socio-cultural impacts of tourism and recreation activities on the Golden Mile of Durban
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management Sciences, specialising in Hospitality and Tourism at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2023.The study was designed to investigate the Residents perceptions on the socio-cultural
impacts of tourism and recreation activities on the Golden Mile of Durban. This study is
underpinned by Adaptive Level theory. Adaptation is the process of change by which
individuals and communities become better suited to surroundings and circumstances.
The AL theory holds that people and organizations can return to baseline level of
operation following a destabilizing event and are able to meet standards of personal
independence and social responsibilities. One of the objectives was to determine
residents’ mechanisms of coping with bustling activities in the place that they call home.
It is for this reason that the Adaptive Level theory was used to cement this study.
The aim of the study was to determine the socio-cultural impacts of mass tourism and
recreation activities on the residents of the Golden Mile of Durban. It was guided by
research objectives, aiming to establish nature of tourism, verify socio-cultural visitor
factors, establish feelings and attitudes of residents, to determine residents coping and
resilience mechanism and lastly to make recommendations for strategies to enhance
residents’ socio-cultural resilience. The study took form of a mixed method due to the
nature of the research topic and due to the research questions, the study aimed to
answer. A questionnaire is a tool that was used to collect data from the residents of the
Mile. A total of 101 residents participated in the study.
The results of the study suggested that residents or communities living in places where
tourism and recreation activities take place suffer from the negative impacts associated
with those activities taking place in the vicinity of their place. The study also revealed that
residents have developed certain strategies that they use to cope with all the negative
impact that suffer from. Tourism planners, local municipalities, together with communities
can ensure that negative impacts are minimized, with positive impacts maximized when
working together.
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Barriers to organic food purchases in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Full text linkMaster of Commerce. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2017.Concern about food quality has been increasing. The change from conventional to organic foods has been found to have benefits for the environment and for consumers Although a market for organic fresh produce has been found to exist in South Africa, there is incomplete understanding on South African organic consumers as research that relates to organic consumption is limited. Most research on organic consumption is conducted in international markets. Despite there being a market for organic produce, consumption levels in South Africa are low. The purpose of this research is therefore to explore organic consumption barriers in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
A review of literature discusses the profile of organic consumers, reasons for organic consumption and barriers to organic consumption found in other research. The study adopted the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and particularly the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour as the theoretical lens. A Conceptual Framework was developed to better unpack barriers to organic purchases. After Ethical Clearance was granted, data was collected using the Interview Guide. The researcher conducted interviews with participants who were aware of organic products but were not regular consumers of organic products. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants to the study to better understand barriers to organic purchases in South Africa.
Generally, participants appear to be concerned about the environment, however, their concern for the environment is not leading to organic consumption (they were recruited for their non-consumption of organic products). Furthermore, participants have positive attitudes toward organic products, are not influenced by friends and family but are deterred by issues such as price, availability and labelling of organic products.
The recommendations include initiatives that will assist marketers with communicating organic benefits to consumers thereby explaining the reasons for higher prices and leading to consumer trust
Exploring attitudes, aetiology and help-seeking behaviours for Mental illness in the community of Diepsloot
No full textA research report submitted in fulfilment for the degree Master of Arts by Research Dissertation in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, School of Human and Community Development, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023.Mental illness is a serious nation-wide health concern, with many individuals suffering from mental disorders. This study explored the attitudes of Diepsloot community members towards mental illness, their beliefs about the aetiology of mental illness and their help-seeking behaviours. Further the study explored whether attitudes and aetiology beliefs predict help-seeking behaviours in Diepsloot community members. Furthermore, issues of stigma and poverty were explored as factors contributing to understanding of and help-seeking behaviours for mental illnesses. A convenience sample of 154 community members in Diepsloot completed a questionnaire consisting of a demographics section, the Living Standards Measure, the Public Perceptions of Mental Illness questionnaire and two open ended questions asking about the factors that contribute to mental illness and the kind of advice the participants would give to a person who has mental illness. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. The open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The results indicated that the participants had more neutral attitudes towards mental illness overall but an item-by-item analysis of the attitudes scale indicated negative attitudes. The participants perceived mental illness to be caused by biological and stress related causes but did identify other causes in their responses to the open ended question. In particular, psychological factors, substance use, social components/aspects in their community, financial challenges, biological influences and cultural influences were all identified. Among the participants, there was an endorsement of help-seeking behaviours that were aligned with western medicine, hospitalization, consulting with family and friends, and religion in both the quantitative and qualitative analyses. Seeking help from traditional healers was less dominant in the responses to the open ended question. The multiple regression results, with regard to predicting attitudes towards mental illness, suggested that the participants had positive attitudes towards mental illness if their level of knowledge was higher. A variety of predictors were revealed regarding the various help-seeking behaviours. An overlap was observed among the stress aetiology and the cultural beliefs aetiology as predictors. These results are discussed within the broader context of access to mental healthcare in South Africa as well as the need for more collaborative interventions.MM202
Unpacking cultural creative’s demand for transmodern tourist experiences in Soweto
Full text linkAbstract: As an opportune discussion, this research study investigates a possibility for the development of transmodern township tourism through an underlying paradigm revision within the South African cultural tourism market. In an attempt to show how tourism in South Africa can be aligned with the contemporary transmodern paradigm of humanity, this study explores the motivations, values and lifestyles of tourists visiting the iconic township of Soweto. The focus is to extract a clearly identifiable segment of tourists, the Cultural Creatives, whom uphold a transmodern value system amongst the general tourists coming into Soweto and to determine what tourists experiences appeal most to them. Therefore, the research question addressed by this dissertation is: Are there Cultural Creatives visiting Soweto and how many? If so, what experiences are they looking for in Soweto and what does this mean for Soweto? The main justification for undertaking this research is that the transmodern paradigm in relation to tourism in an African context lacks considerable empirical evidence. In order to understand the subjective meanings and realities of the tourists coming into South Africa in relation to the transmodern paradigm, the explorative nature of this research investigates the differences in tourist’s choice of tourism experiences and level of authenticity experienced. More specifically, the relationship between upholding a transmodern value system and having a more authentic tourist experience. The research framework for this study comprises a non-probability, convenience sampling and mixed method to quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews serve as the survey instrument for this research. Data collection commenced in January 2018 to May 2018 in different places around Soweto. The final sample size consists of N=252 survey respondents from all tourist generating continents...M.A
Assessment of a biological nutrient removal process for the remediation of edible oil effluent
Full text linkDissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements of the Master's Degree in Technology in Biotechnology, Technikon Natal, Durban, 2002.Eutrophication is a natural process that is greatly aggravated by the action of man in the natural environment. Deterioration of South Africa's natural water resources results directly or indirectly from the discharge of industrial effluent rich in nutrient nitrogen and phosphorus. The South African edible oil refmeries generally discharge poor quality effluent which impacts negatively on the water resources and wastewater treatment installations. The main aim of this study was to assess the capacity of a laboratory scale effluent treatment process that will produce final effluent of acceptable quality with regards to organic load and phosphate concentration prior to its discharge into the municipal sewerage system. The study was conducted in three stages: wastewater characterization, treatability studies, and laboratory scale treatment investigations. After analysing various effluent parameters, treatability studies were conducted using an aerobic-anaerobic sequencing batch reactor with a total hydraulic retention time of 24 hours. The results showed an average of 75 % reduction of COD and more than 90 % removal of fats, oils and grease (FOG). Based on the results of effluent characterisation and treatability studies, a laboratory scale activated sludge effluent treatment process was designed and operated with two bioreactors (aerobic and anaerobic) in series. The system was operated for a period of one-month resulting in 70 % removal of COD and 4% reduction in phosphate (P04-P). After some structural and operational changes from the original design configuration, the system was the operated continuously for the duration of the study period. An optimum COD removal of 75 % and 107 mgll P04-P reduction was achieved during the last operational phase of the system. More than 95 % reduction in fats, oils and grease (FOG) had been achieved in both semi-continuously and continuously operated systems.b.7
Factors affecting the organic products market in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal: A diffusion of innovation perspective.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Organic products, cultivated using agricultural practices that avoid synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, offer a sustainable alternative to conventional farming methods. However, in South Africa, adoption remains limited, hindered by consumer perceptions of organic food as unfamiliar and niche. This study explores the determinants of organic food adoption, integrating traditional consumer behaviour factors with innovation-oriented constructs from Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Consumer Innovativeness (CI). Employing a two-stage methodology, the study first conducted a systematic literature review to identify traditional and innovation-related drivers, followed by a quantitative analysis of survey data from 500 participants using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Results reveal that while traditional factors such as health consciousness and trust are significant, DOI constructs, including compatibility and relative advantage, also substantially influence adoption. These findings advance theoretical frameworks on consumer behaviour and offer actionable recommendations for marketers and policymakers to promote sustainable consumption practices in emerging markets
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