School climate is a determinant of academic performance, as supported by evidence in developed countries. However, there are limited studies from developing countries to test this hypothesis. The few studies that have attempted to explore this topic are often limited to educators. Studies in South Africa show this limitation, hence the motivation to explore school climate from the students' perspective. This study is focused on students' perception of school climate and how it impacts their academic lives. Two schools from the Western Cape Province were used as case studies. They were Pinelands and Langa High Schools, institutions that are distinct in terms of their history, location, resources, demographics and academic performance. The results of the study revealed that most students do not feel safe physically and emotionally in the school environment. In a multiracial school, the main concern is around interpersonal relationship, particularly the level of social support received from teachers; while in a black and disadvantaged school, the concerns are around institutional environment relating to the physical environment and facilities in school. Additionally, students from the privileged school had more emotional concerns, and did not believe that teachers supported them socially, while those from the disadvantaged school had physical safety concerns but believed that their teachers are supportive both academically and socially. The study concludes with a recommendation for future studies to consider more than two schools, expand the geographical scope, employ rigorous data collection, and assess multi-stakeholder perceptions of school climate and the link it has to academic performance so as to improve reliability and generalisability of the findings.

Heaviside's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) is a poorly studied coastal delphinid with a limited inshore distribution off the west coast of southern Africa where it is sympatric with the similar sized dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus). It is exposed to an unknown level of bycatch particularly in near-shore set-net fisheries and is also potentially impacted by the growing boat-based whale watching industry in South Africa. In this thesis I describe the results of a study investigating the distribution, movements, behaviour and abundance of Heaviside's dolphins in the near-shore environment of the Western Cape of South Africa as a precursor to assessing its potential vulnerability to anthropogenic threats. Data were gathered using three different approaches in the field; diurnal shore based observations, boat based photo-ID surveys along ~390 km of coastline and satellite telemetry. Data were collected for dusky dolphins where feasible. Heaviside’s dolphins exhibited a strong pattern of resting inshore during daytime and foraging offshore at night that was presumed to be related to the movement of juvenile hake (Merluccius capensis) closer to the surface at night. In addition, despite near-shore observations failing to indicate feeding, dolphins were consistently found to be more abundant along regions of the coast which over the long term had higher levels of small hake available offshore. In contrast the near-shore distribution of dusky dolphins varied considerably between years possibly due to the very near-shore environment being at the edge of their habitat. A tendency for dusky dolphins to move offshore during upwelling conditions was observed from shore in St Helena Bay, the site of a strong predictable upwelling cell. However this was the only location in which very large groups of animals (50-500) were seen during coastal boat surveys suggesting this pattern may have been area specific and feeding strategies may vary throughout their range. Sympatric appears to be mediated by differences in overall range and prey type and size differentiation. Heaviside’s dolphins were found to have small home ranges and show a high degree of site fidelity over several years, at least during summer months. Dolphins fitted with satellitelinked transmitters used only limited home ranges (~876 to 1990 km2) which scaled positively with body size within the ~50 day tracking period, while photographically identified animals did not disperse significantly further than this over 3 years. The maximum coastwise displacement observed for an individual (88.4 km after 1 year) was considerably less than the 390 km length of the overall study area, and equivalent to the maximum coastwise movement seen during satellite-tagging (83.1 km). This suggests that measured home ranges may be stable over several years, although the number of resighted individuals (n = 76) was small and (as data collection was restricted to summer months) seasonal differences in movements or migrations cannot be ruled out. Associations among photographically identified animals did not differ from a random mixing of individuals, suggesting that this species has a fission-fusion type social structure at least over the short term. The abundance of Heaviside's dolphins was calculated from photo-ID mark-recapture data at three spatial scales using Chapman’s modified Petersen estimators. The proportion ofdistinctively marked individuals in this species is low (14 - 17%) reducing sample sizes and introducing a large extrapolation factor, both of which contribute to an increase in the variance of any resultant population estimate. Using resightings after one year, the total number of animals over the whole 390km study area was calculated to be 6345 (CV = 0.26, CI = 3573 – 11 267) while using same-season re-sightings the total number of animals using a 20km long section of coastline in the centre of the study area was calculated as 527 (CV = 0.35, CI = 272 – 1020). These estimates may be significantly biased downwards by the effects of heterogeneity in the capture probability of individuals which it was not possible to account for analytically due to small sample sizes. Sympatry of Heaviside's and dusky dolphins appears to be mediated by differences in the overall range and in the type and size of prey consumed. From a conservation point of view, our findings for Heaviside's dolphins are encouraging in that they indicate a relatively large population size, although their strong site fidelity does make them more vulnerable to localised impacts than a more widely ranging species like dusky dolphins and this needs to be considered during management of the population. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / In the last few years, women’s rugby has experienced unprecedented growth globally and is the fastest growing sport among women and girls. Owing to increasing support and expo-sure, the sport has grown exponentially. However, women’s rugby programmes face signif-icant obstacles globally and locally. Women’s rugby is not well researched, and there is a lack of relevant literature on existing programmes, in particular, the perspectives and expe-riences of those involved in the programmes. Consequently, the purpose of the study was to offer insight into stakeholders and their lived experiences, thoughts and views on the management and implementation of development programmes for women’s rugby in the Western Cape Province.

D/deaf people typically are not employed, or work in menial jobs, although they have been through high1 school in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The researcher has not observed them in professional careers. However, there is no empirical evidence why the D/deaf are excluded from the formal labour market after schooling. Understanding the underlying factors influencing such observations was important. The problem manifested in unemployment in the formal labour sector, but the researcher wanted to understand the root cause of this problem in depth. The aim of the study is to explore and critically analyse the D/deaf high school learners' construction of their careers and the supports available to them in constructing and realising their career aspirations. The international literature reviewed identifies knowledge gaps concerning career construction and supportive imperatives of D/deaf high school learners. The theory of career construction by Savickas (2005) frames this study and has been used throughout to guide and inform the study. This is a descriptive qualitative case study of career construction and support (Creswell, 2013). It was conducted in two of the five schools for the Deaf in two districts of the Eastern Cape. The learners came from rural, semi-rural and semi-urban homes. The schools (rural and semirural) were purposefully selected to participate in the study. The study population includes four participant groups; the deaf learners in high school (grade 10 -12), their parents, the teachers involved in the career guidance of the learners and members of the Department of Basic Education who were responsible for career guidance in deaf high schools. The data was collected using multiple methods: focus group discussions, individual interviews and document reviews. The findings indicate that careers are constructed under adverse conditions. These lead to learners' perceptions of limited support. The challenges with learning the school curriculum was a barrier to acquiring basic skills required for their careers. The challenges include an inability to use of South African Sign Language, a critical barrier affecting communication across participants (learners, teachers, Department of Education officials and parents). This impacted on teaching, learning, support, guidance and general communication. The contextual challenges and limited support structures negatively influence the way D/deaf high school learners in the Eastern Cape Province construct their future careers, their parents, the education system and the role played by organisations of Deaf people. The study shows that careers are constructed in a context of both positive and negative influences. The combination of both the negative influences and limited supports impacts more heavily on career construction than do the positive influences. D/deaf people in the Eastern Cape have limited opportunities to obtain employment in professional occupations because of the way the education system and society prepares them for such careers. The issues of colonialism and the previous apartheid regime still influence both the education system and the South African society.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Research on children’s well-being has increased over the past decade, largely driven by advancements in children’s rights legislation and the emergence of innovative theoretical and epistemological frameworks. While there has been a notable increase in empirical research on children’s objective standards of living, less data has been available in relation to their subjective perceptions and evaluations of their life. The measurement of children’s subjective well-being (SWB) has been a particular focus of empirical research especially as it relates to the development of valid scales for use with children across age groups and contexts. An area of concern is the lack of psychometrically sound measurement instruments for use with younger children and especially in low-to-middle income contexts.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / An epidemiological study was conducted with the main goal of describing the occurrences of the various STTs in the Eastern Cape province as well as biographical factors such as age, gender, and geographical location influencing them. Ten primary health care (PHC) centres located throughout the province served as sentinel sites for surveillance data collection for a period of 3 months using Daily and Monthly Report Forms. The surveillance data was analysed using relative frequencies to determine STis prevalence. The main findings from the present study suggest that the most frequently encountered female syndromes were vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pains and most frequent male syndrome was Urethral discharge. Other syndromes accounted for less than 10% of the ST! cases observed at the PHC centres during the study. The study also indicate that more STI patients were seen at urban PHC centres compared to rural ones and that most of the STI patients seen at PHC centres were women. These findings are helpfol for the Health Department in the Eastern Cape Province to effectively plan for the control and prevention of all ST!s including HIV I AIDS

No description available.

Magister Educationis - MEd / Schools played an important role during apartheid in shaping the mindsets of learners. In contemporary South Africa schools can now play a similar role in promoting democratic values in order to build a more just, humane and democratic society in a democratic South Africa. Through democratic citizenship, democratic schools can be created. Apple and Beane (1999, p. 10) state that democratic schools are the result of specific attempts by educators to put arrangements in place that will bring democracy to life. These arrangements and opportunities involve the production of democratic structures and processes through which life in a school is carried out and the creation of a curriculum that will allow young people the opportunity to experience the nature of democracy.

Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / The world is home for 1.2 billion individuals aged between 10-19 years who have lived most of their lives under United Nations the Millennium Declaration, which has sought 2000 has sought a better world for all. In this context, parental involvement in sport for development can be looked at as a continuum ranging from not being involved at all, to over involved; from low to high, and from positive to negative. Positive parental involvement includes supporting a child through ways such as verbal encouragement, presence at a game and allowing a child to make his/her own mistakes. Negative behaviour involves directive behaviour and pressure to win and perform up to parent’s expectations.

A total of 143 blood samples of nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) from two regions in South Africa were tested for the presence of tick-borne haemoparasites by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot (RLB) hybridisation. While most blood samples taken in EDTA blood turned out negative for the presence of haemoparasites, the majority of blood samples collected on Whatman® filter paper contained several different haemoparasites, often in combination. Samples from the Eastern Cape Province as well as from KwaZulu- Natal turned out positive. Prevalent haemoparasites were Theileria sp. (kudu), T. buffeli, T. bicornis, Theileria sp. (sable), T. taurotragi, Ehrlichia sp. Omatjenne, Anaplasma bovis and A. marginale. This serves as the first report of T. buffeli, T. sp. (kudu), T. bicornis, T. taurotragi, Ehrlichia sp. Omatjenne, A. marginale and A. bovis in nyala. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Tropical Diseases))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted