Includes bibliographical references / The South African policy document of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) for Natural Science (Department of Education, 2002), the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Life Science (Department of Education, 2003), and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Natural Science and Life Science (Department of Education, 2011) recognises and affirms the critical role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in science education. These policy documents expect the science teachers to integrate indigenous knowledge in their lessons. This study strove to establish how selected high school science teachers in the Western Cape Province responded to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in their teaching. The present study employed a multi-method approach, involving different research methods used in parallel or sequence but are not integrated until inferences are made (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie & Turner, 2007). This study took place in two main sequential data collection phases, namely, the quantitative data collection phase ((QUAN) and the qualitative data collection phase (qual). This contemporary approach was employed in order to provide credible and trustworthy answers to the following research questions, namely, 1) To what extent are the science teachers in the Western Cape Province integrating scientific and indigenous knowledge, as required by the Department of Education? If not, what are their reasons for this? 2) What are the teachers' views about and understanding of the nature of science and indigenous knowledge as well as their views on how the two worldviews can be integrated in the classroom? 3) How effective was the treatment in enhancing the teachers' ability to integrate science and indigenous knowledge in the classroom? 4) To what extent can the model of Snively and Corsiglia (2001) be useful for measuring change as the teachers implement the integration of indigenous knowledge in the science classroom? For the QUAN phase, the researcher adapted a questionnaire and a new questionnaire, the Nature of Indigenous Knowledge Questionnaire (NOIKQ), was developed. The purpose of this questionnaire was to obtain a detailed description of high schools science teachers' understanding of scientific and indigenous knowledge, as well as the problems the teachers encounter in their implementation of Learning Outcome 3 of Life Sciences and Natural Science. After the pilot study of the questionnaire and subsequent modifications to it, data were collected. Convenience sampling and purposeful sampling characterised the samples of respondents and schools. This sampling strategy ensured a total sample of 370 high school science teachers in 80 public schools, represented by urban and township schools in the Western Cape Province. The results of the QUAN phase indicated that the teachers did not receive training on how to integrate science and indigenous knowledge, and that they did not have sufficient knowledge of indigenous knowledge to teach this aspect confidently to their learners. An inquiry was embarked on in order to train the science teachers in how to integrate indigenous knowledge in the science classrooms. A workshop was chosen as an intervention to improve the teaching skills of the teachers and to develop new methods of teaching. A quasi-experimental design was chosen to establish how effective the intervention was. In this quasi-experimental design, one group of five teachers was assigned to the intervention, whilst the other group of six teachers received no intervention at all. This intervention was based on the model of Snively and Corsiglia (2001) for integrating IK in the science curriculum. These teachers had participated in the survey and were selected for their particular interest in the research study. Classroom observations and three teacher and six learner interviews were used for collecting qualitative data to establish the effectiveness of the intervention. A finding from this study is that the worldviews that the teachers bring into the classroom have implications for approaches they take to include IKS in their lessons. The results of the qualitative phase indicated that, given the teachers background (i.e., cultural, political and social), teachers interpreted and implemented IKS in different ways in the curriculum. The teachers who attended the workshop and were trained to integrate indigenous knowledge in the science curriculum were more confident than those teachers who were not trained to integrate IK in the science curriculum. This increased confidence resulted from the workshop which enhanced the teachers' IK content knowledge and made them less dependent on the learners for examples of IKS. The study offers important implications and recommendations to teachers and policy- makers regarding the implementation of the integration of IKS in the science curriculum, as well as fruitful avenues for further research.

This study investigated the library research support services in the Faculty of Education at Hifikepunye Pohamba (HP) Campus, University of Namibia. The research problem is that UNAM has an interest in growing its research, but the library does not have strong research support services; these needed to be investigated, along with researchers’ support needs. The study explored the research support services currently in place at HP campus in order find out to what extent the campus’ library services meet the needs and expectations of the researchers and academic staff. The study further examined how the research support service at the HP campus library could be re-conceptualised. The results of the study aimed at guiding librarians on what research related services should be offered to researchers in order to improve research outputs. The study was guided by the Research Librarianship conceptual approach which provided direction and ideas on an ideal research support service which responds to country, institution and individual research needs and changes in scholarly communication. A mixed methods approach was used to collect and analyse both quantitative and qualitative data. Data was collected using two sampling methods. They are: a census which was conducted for academics and convenience sampling for emerging researchers. Questionnaires were distributed to academic (established researchers) and postgraduate students who are referred as emerging researchers in the study. The findings are that the HP campus library does provide research support services, but they are not really core activities of the research support services as the concept would suggest. Many researchers felt their needs were being met but the current services are not specifically research-related activities and therefore do not help improve on research outputs as much as more targeted research services would. The findings indicated that there is a need to advance the campus’ traditional library services by adding activities which respond to research needs. The study therefore recommended that the library at the HP campus should enhance the research support services by responding to new trends in an academic library which fit into the new higher education teaching environment. Furthermore, the library should develop awareness programmes of the library research support services for academics. It is also recommended that the library should integrate IT skills into library training and that new set of skills such as research and subject-related skills are required by academic librarians. Therefore, staff development should be a continuing programme for UNAM librarians to constantly adapt to new trends and ensure library services are on par with the changes in research. The main recommendation is that the librarians should adapt to new trends and ensure that the library services remain relevant by contributing to research outputs. This will mainly be made possible if librarians have relevant qualifications to enable them to have the competence and skills in research related activities.

In the new global economy, knowledge is recognised as one of the most valuable organisational assets and an important competitive advantage. Therefore organisations need to concede that knowledge sharing is imperative in order to survive and compete effectively in the global economy. This study examined the extent to which culture impacted the effectiveness of knowledge sharing in an organisation. There were four dimensions of culture identified that influence knowledge sharing namely individualism/collectivism, power distance, masculinity/feminity and uncertainty avoidance. This research was quantitative in nature. A web based questionnaire was administered to a sample of 96 respondents in top and middle management by means of convenience sampling. The findings in this study indicate that age, gender and work experience have no influence on the impact of culture on knowledge sharing. It was further found that three out of the four cultural dimensions impacted knowledge sharing positively. They were low individualism and high collectivism, low power distance and low masculinity and high feminity. The fourth cultural dimension uncertainty avoidance was found to be high indicating a negative impact on knowledge sharing. Recommendations for future research include a larger sample size for a more comprehensive study, a comparative study with other chrome manufacturing operations and identifying the necessary tools required to reduce high uncertainty avoidance cultures. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to explore the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) educators in teaching Financial Literacy (FL) in Grades 8 and 9. Literature revealed that PCK is used internationally by scholars as a suitable theoretical framework to investigate the knowledge base of educators; hence, it was adopted for this study. Its components were used to develop a conceptual framework which was used in exploring the knowledge base of EMS educators in teaching FL in the grades mentioned. FL is a subject discipline embedded within EMS – it consists of accounting concepts. The study is informed by the interpretivism paradigm; thus, a qualitative methodology and phenomenological design were adopted for data collection. The descriptive and narrative data needed for the study were collected from 16 EMS educators from eight public ordinary secondary schools in Ekurhuleni North District situated in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan through lesson observations, semi-structured individual interviews, and the analysis of educators’ and learners’ records. Purposeful sampling was used to select these educators. A thematic method was used to analyse data. The findings of the study reveal that the PCK of EMS educators in teaching FL is not comprehensive. Educators are not conversant with various types of knowledge dimensions and the framework within which to teach them. The study revealed that educators who do not have an accounting background will have challenges in teaching FL effectively. The teaching of FL learning content is not driven by lesson objectives. This meant that the teaching of knowledge, skills, and values is not aligned to any lesson objectives. Teaching and learning do not occur with the lesson objectives in learners’ mind. Some limitations were noted regarding the application of formative assessment. FL is a practical subject – its teaching requires the promotion of meaningful learner involvement. However, the social interactive methods of teaching were not applied as required by the Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement which promotes teamwork. PCK was found to be a useful framework to investigate the knowledge base of educators in teaching a subject discipline. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies

Social media presents new possibilities of creating knowledge that would not have been possible using other computer-mediated forms. Social media enables enrichment of organisations’ knowledge resources with the extracted insights; however, what is not certain is the factors that are at play when taking a decision to consider social media data as the source of insight that will translate into valuable knowledge that organisations may benefit from. The purpose of this study is to investigate how organisations integrate social media into their knowledge base. The dynamic capabilities and organisational resilience in turbulent environments framework was used as a lens to look into how organisations integrate social media into their knowledge base. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was performed to identify, evaluate and interpret all the relevant material or primary studies that are available to answer the research question. Furthermore, an empirical investigation was conducted through the use of interviews and questionnaires. The contribution of the current study to the body of knowledge is twofold. Firstly, synthesis of the existing literature on the uses of social media and knowledge management as well as the evaluation of the model resulted in a revised dynamic capabilities model (DCF) where three capabilities were added, namely validating capability due to questionable SM data quality, crisis management capability for safeguarding the organisations’ reputation, and innovating capability to stay ahead of the fiercely competitive dynamic environment. Secondly, this study produced a significant number of factors that both the literature and the research participants considered key to the implementation of the proposed model. These factors can be categorised into people, processes and technology aspects. The study is significant in the sense that 1) the research findings should be of interest to organisations that are open to innovation and therefore can be used as yardsticks for decision-making; 2) the emergence of the crisis management capability is a major contribution to the body of knowledge as it highlights the importance of proactivity and alertness to responding to conversations of the organisations’ audiences and avoiding the social media backlash suffered by organisations. As the study focused on only one case study, it serves a basis for further research in different sectors of the business with the aim of validating the generality of the proposed model. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Informatics / MCom / Unrestricted

The purpose of the report is to look at some of the factors that impede the transfer of tacit knowledge within and between projects.The research involved the collection of quantitative data through non-probability purposive sampling. The data based on survey questionnaires obtained from the largest retail financial institution in South Africa, namely Absa Bank; was analysed using various descriptive statistical techniques.The report provides evidence that the lack of recognition of the value of tacit knowledge transfer; the lack of recognised, deliberate processes; the lack of a designated role, responsible for facilitating the transfer of tacit knowledge and the lack of rewards are core factors, the absence of which makes tacit knowledge transfer less likely to be successful within and between projects. The findings also show that trust and a collaborative culture are support factors. Further research would benefit from a broader number of factors and a broader base of companies and industries explored. The research offers the recommendation of placing emphasis and effort on core factors rather than support factors. This understanding could inform decision making and increase the success rate of the transfer of tacit knowledge within and between projects. The research provides a graphical representation of the factors that impede the transfer of tacit knowledge within and between projects. Future research recommendations are made that can benefit this research. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-79). / Knowledges are not distinct entities. They cannot be held in isolation as if bounded, discrete, or systematic. They are far too dynamic and complex to be thought of in this way. 'Scientific' and 'Indigenous' knowledge, however, are often discussed polemically and held in dialogical tension against one another. They are part of a set of dualisms that work under certain universal assumptions critical to Western epistemology. These dualisms include modernity/tradition; nature/culture; and subject/object. This study examines the multiple perspectives, including both scientists and local trackers, involved in the Western Kgalagadi Conservation Corridor Project (WKCC) in an attempt to resolve some of these dualisms. It focuses on the dimensions of tracking animals and data collection with a GPS technology known as 'Cybertracker'. Involving both scientists and people from the Kalahari with knowledge of tracking animals, the dynamics of knowledge production and the movement of knowledge are explored. Their work together demonstrates ways that movement and embodiment are central to the production of knowledge. Knowledge production and the relationship between diverse knowledges and approaches in the WKCC project are investigated without reducing them to the same epistemological foundation or holding them in dualistic opposition. Knowledges become part of networks and engage with one another through their movement, embodiment, and interaction with various non-human subject-objects. The use of the Cybertracker databasing technology shows that an engagement of multiple perspectives, the significance of movement, performance, historical connections, and subject-object relations in a variety of contexts are key to understanding the production of knowledge. The movement, agency, and relatedness demonstrated in various 'knowledge objects', including data, shows that the complexities involve a continual exchange of influence in which knowledges are always changing. The presence of diverse knowledges, expressed in both their relatedness and their tensions, are evident in their very movement in these networks as actors and the interwoven trails they leave behind. In the process, the boundaries between the dualisms become blurred, if not irrelevant.

A research report in partial fulfillment of the award of Master of Science (MSc.) in Science Education submitted to the Faculty of Science, School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2017 / Professional learning communities are generally regarded as having a positive impact in improving and developing teacher knowledge. Literature has shown that group planning and professional learning communities have an impact on the quality of teaching and subsequent improvement in learner performance. Practicing teachers, preservice teachers, education authorities, curriculum advisors and teacher educators all thrive to find out about the kind of teaching that brings about effective learning inside classrooms, the most appropriate approach to improve teaching and learning in class, and in particular, science classes, remains vague, though. This study examines how teacher knowledge is developed in the context of a lesson study within a specific concept of the topic stoichiometry: the ‘mole’. The case of three practicing science teachers is considered through the observation of their interactions with teacher educators during the five (5) weeks in which the participant teachers planned, taught and reflected on the mole concept together with science teacher educators and science teacher education specialists. A pretest is administered to the participant teachers at the beginning of the study; this is followed by intervention discussions based on the concept of the mole. Each of the participants then teaches the lesson to 11th grade learners in their school, each lesson is reflected upon and an iterative cycle of teaching and re-teaching the concept describes the lesson study approach used in this study. At the end of the intervention, a post-test is administered to the three participant teachers. The analysis and description of the teachers’ responses to structured test items before and after the topic specific intervention and verbal contributions during meetings are sources of qualitative data in this study. The qualitative data about topic specific pedagogy and the interaction of TSPCK components obtained in this study is used as evidence to show that topic-specific interventions assist teachers in developing pedagogical content knowledge in science education. / MT 2019

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