Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study explored the different teaching strategies which teachers use to teach mathematics in order to improve the performance of Grade 9 learners in the subject in Mkhuhlu Circuit; Bohlabela District of Education in Mpumalanga Province. The inability of Grade 9 learners to achieve the set minimum performance standard of a pass at level 3 (40%) in mathematics poses a challenge because mathematics is set as a pass requirement in the said grade and it is compulsory for all learners to enrol for this subject. The poor performance of learners in mathematics is attributed to inappropriate teaching strategies that teachers use in the teaching of this subject. There are lessons to be drawn from the practices of leading countries in learner performance in mathematics and this study sought to find alternative strategies that are appropriate for teaching Grade 9 learners and to improve their performance in mathematics in the circuit. The study used constructivism as its lens to look at the realities about learner performance in mathematics. Constructivism as a theory presents and unpacks the manner in which people learn and acquire knowledge. The participants for this study were sampled using a purposive sampling technique and samples were drawn from two secondary schools representing good and poor performance of Grade 9 learners in mathematics. Seven participants were engaged in this study and this sample included a principal, SMT member, and mathematics teacher from each school. A subject advisor for mathematics in the GET was also interviewed. This study adopted and followed a qualitative design of inquiry which included interviews, observation, and the analysis of documents and artefacts to collect data from the different respondents that were identified for this study. The inquiry was guided by the following research questions: Which teaching strategies do teachers normally use to teach mathematics in Grade 9 at Mkhuhlu circuit? There are two sub-questions which were used to support the main research question and they are: To what extent do teachers vary the strategies of teaching and which strategies and LTSM do the teachers use to teach mathematics in Grade 9? What is the level of support that teachers receive from the different levels of the system? Data was analysed by organizing the data collected using codes to summarize it and then interpret the coded data to identify themes, patterns and relationships. This study revealed that different teaching strategies have an impact on the learners’ academic performance in mathematics. It also emerged from this study that quality and effective teaching and learning of mathematics are grounded on the constructivist theory. This study also established that the choice and use of appropriate teaching strategies coupled with the availability of relevant resources contribute towards positive learning gains. Similarly, learners’ preferences of teaching and learning strategies must be considered towards the development and sustenance of a positive attitude towards mathematics. The study recommended that the Annual Teaching Plans should suggest teaching strategies to be used for a particular topic; and that teachers must specify their teaching strategies and their choice of resources in the planning of every lesson. The provision of resources, particularly for mathematics teaching must be made an apex priority. Subject advisors must give attention to the teaching strategies that teachers use in curriculum delivery and not only on content mastery and coverage. School Management Teams must follow-up on the implementation of ICT in their curriculum management and monitoring. The study further recommended that an analysis of results must shift from concentrating on the pass percentages and focus on the quality of the passes. The identified limitations of this study were methodological limitations and sample characteristic limitations where the size of the research sample was relatively small.

In a stroke-certified 500-bed acute care hospital, the 30-day readmission rates for patients discharged to rehabilitation centers or skilled nursing facilities were higher than the rates for patients discharged to home. A review of data by the stroke team showed 44 patients readmitted within 30 days of initial stroke discharge between October 2016 and January 2017. The rate of re-admission for those discharged home was 41% (18 patients), whereas the rate for those discharged to acute inpatient rehabilitation, long-term acute care, or skilled nursing facilities was 59% (26 patients). The practice-focused question for this project assessed whether using a re-admission risk-assessment tool and implementing interventions during the initial acute-care admission, would help to identify and improve risk for 30-day re-admissions for patients diagnosed with stroke. The goal of this research project was to adopt, test, and recommend the implementation of a readmission risk assessment tool to enable discharge planners to identify stroke patients at risk for readmission and implement interventions to help reduce this risk. Lewin’s theory of change was used to inform the project. A stroke re-admission risk-assessment tool in use at a similar hospital was adopted and tested for 1 week on the hospital’s 28-bed stroke unit by nurse case managers. The test was conducted among 5 patients with confirmed diagnosis of stroke. A re-admission data review was performed 30 days after their discharge, which showed no readmissions for the 5 patients involved in the trial. The tool helped to improve case manager awareness of increased risk for readmissions, guide interventions, and improve patient transition and outcomes. The implications of this project for positive change include the potential to improve risk for patients with stroke in the acute-care facility.

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M. Tech. (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The influence of measuring Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) is becoming a vital issue in organisations simply because it affects the organisation in different ways. Organisations seek ways to improve their B-BBEE status level in order to be conducive when conducting business and they believe that B-BBEE is necessary. The B-BBEE verification agencies are responsible for carrying out a factual, thorough evaluation of a measured entity’s B-BBEE status and, based on the result, for determining a B-BBEE score. The overall aim of conducting verification is to give confidence to all parties that rely upon the score set out in the verification certificate that the information on which the certificate is based has been tested for validity and accuracy. The study provided more information on how verification agencies can improve their competencies and how this affects the Department of Trade and Industry and the verification agencies. The study focused on educating the verification agencies and the Department of Trade and Industry about the importance and processes of developing a competency framework. Its purpose was to develop a competency framework for verification agencies. A survey consisted of about 300 verification practitioners employed by 80 verification agencies. Data was collected using the consensus sampling technique. All of these practitioners constituted a ‘universe’ or ‘population’ and 87 respondents were utilised. The Social Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and AMOS software packages were used for descriptive and factor analysis. Finally, the findings for the study are highlighted and the conclusions, implications and recommendations drawn.

Актуальность темы исследования: В экономическом процессе инвестиции занимают центральное место, что в свою очередь, предопределяет общий рост экономики предприятия. Вследствие инвестирования в отраслях и на предприятиях растут объёмы производства, возрастает доход, развиваются и уходят вперёд экономическое соперничество между ними. Цель работы – исследовать пути повышения эффективности инвестиционной деятельности компании (на примере АО «KEGOC»). Предложена методика расчета интегрального показателя оценки ее эффективности инвестиционной политики на основе применения параметров функции желательности, что повышает объективность расчетов при определении эффективности инвестиционной политики. / Relevance of the research topic: In the economic process, investments occupy a central place, which in turn determines the overall growth of the enterprise's economy. As a result of investment in industries and enterprises, production volumes are increasing, income is growing, economic competition between them is developing and moving ahead. The purpose of the work is to investigate ways to improve the efficiency of the company's investment activity (by the example of KEGOC JSC). The methodology for calculating the integral indicator of the assessment of its effectiveness of investment policy based on the application of parameters of the desirability function is proposed, which increases the objectivity of calculations in determining the effectiveness of investment policy.

Within the Master’s program in mechanical engineering at Linköping University, this thesis project unfolds in collaboration with Metso Sweden, specifically at their Sala factory. Focused on addressing challenges in packaging processes for Metso’s VASA-line slurry pumps, the project endeavors to devise a concept that not only meets global shipping requirements but also enhances factory output. The research unfolds with an exploration of the background, emphasizing the complexities of manufacturing large-scale pumps for heavy-duty industries. Operating in 45 countries with a workforce of approximately 16,000 employees, Metso’s site in Sala specializes in pump production, particularly for the mining industry. The unique nature of slurry pumps, designed to handle liquid solutions containing solid particles, necessitates a tailored approach to packaging. The identified problem lies in the high variation of pump configurations, demanding flexibility in production and packaging. Currently, custom-made packages are crafted by experienced operators, who are lacking feedback on their performance. The packaging process involves standard pallets or custom-made packages, with the latter lacking standardization and documentation, introducing uncertainties in transport. This study aims to improve overall efficiency at Metso by addressing bottlenecks and knowledge gaps in packaging, focusing on the VASA-line slurry pumps. The goal is to present a concept that aligns with global shipping requirements and has the potential to significantly increase factory output. The findings, supported by production analysis and a detailed implementation plan, estimating a 3.38-fold increase in current production capacity. The thesis utilizes production analysis methods in supporting product development and optimizing packaging processes. It further highlights the influence of global shipping requirements on production dynamics, necessitating additional steps in package assembly. With a focus on time rather than costs, this thesis positions itself as a practical guide for enhancing production efficiency within a constrained time frame. In summary, this thesis unfolds as an exploration of packaging challenges, offering tangible insights for product development in a production setting and package development, especially in the context of global shipping.

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Recently, based on the physics of viscosity, we developed a new technology, which utilizes electric or magnetic fields to change the rheology of complex fluids to reduce the viscosity, while keeping the temperature unchanged. The method is universal and applicable to all complex fluids with suspended particles of nano-meter, sub-micrometer, or micrometer size. Completely different from the traditional viscosity reduction method, raising the temperature, this technology is energy-efficient, as it only requires small amount of energy to aggregate the suspended particles. In this thesis, we will first discuss this new technology in detail, both in theory and practice. Then, we will report applications of our technology to energy science research. Presently, 80% of all energy sources are liquid fuels. The viscosity of liquid fuels plays an important role in energy production and energy conservation. With an electric field, we can reduce the viscosity of asphalt-based crude oil. This is important and useful for heavy crude oil and off-shore crude oil production and transportation. Especially, since there is no practical way to raise the temperature of crude oil inside the deepwater pipelines, our technology may play a key role in future off-shore crude oil production. Electrorehology can also be used to reduce the viscosity of refinery fuels, such as diesel fuel and gasoline. When we apply this technology to fuel injection, the fuel droplets in the fuel atomization become smaller, leading to faster combustion in the engine chambers. As the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines depends on the combustion speed and timing, the fast combustion produces much higher fuel efficiency. Therefore, adding our technology on existing engines improves the engine efficiency significantly. A theoretical model for the engine combustion, which explains how fast combustion improves the engine efficiency, is also presented in the thesis. / Physics