MGS / Institute for Gender and Youth Studies / See the attached abstract below

MSCAGR (Agricutural Economics) / Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness / See the attached abstract below

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / See the attached abstract below

MRDV / Institute of Rural Development / See the attached abstract below

MEd (Educational Management) / Department of Educational Management / This longitudinal research study investigated the attendance and academic performance of teen mothers enrolled at two schools in the Luvuvhu Circuit, Vhembe District, of the Limpopo Province over a period of two years, 2014 and 2015. Apart from this, it also sought out to examine factors in the school and home that influenced the schooling of teen mother learners (TMLs) and the available support that were provided to teen mothers with the aim of improving their poor performance in schools. The study used a qualitative approach and data were collected by means of school documents such as mark schedules and attendance registers and focus group interviews from a total of 40 participants from the two sampled schools. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 teen mother learners, 10 teachers and 20 other learners who were in the same school with the teen mother learners. Tables were used to present data on teen mother learners’ school performance and attendance in 2014 and 2015 in order to find out how their performance changed before, during and after pregnancy. Data from interviews was analysed using the thematic approach according to four themes. The main findings from the study were that both schools had over 20 teen mother learners, teen mother learners performance was good to fair in Tshivenda but poor in English and extremely poor in Mathematics and Science and most of them did not have marks in the last two subjects. Every month, teen mothers did not come to school for some days due to home problems such as baby being ill, taking baby to clinic for immunisation, collecting grant money and household duties. The general picture that actually emerged relationship-wise, within the school between teachers and non-mother or ordinary learners could generally be referred to as differing depending mostly on the pregnancy stages. This study revealed that teen mothers had some causes for being absent from school and for not being able to perform well at school. The factors were found both in the home and the school, such as illness during pregnancy, baby sitting and taking baby to clinic for immunisation, home duties, having to collect monthly government child grants, being ridiculed by other learners at school. With respect to support given to teen mothers by the school and the family or in the home, most teen mothers and teachers indicated in the interviews that not much was given to them. Based on little support for teen mother learners from the school and the home, the study recommended that there should be nurses and counsellors or social workers at schools, extra lessons to be organised by principals, religious leaders to be invited to pray for them and rules to be formulated by the school so that they are not ridiculed by other learners and teachers

MENVSC / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / This is a case study research that focuses on the assessment of the impacts of land use changes on the Duthuni wetland ecosystem in Limpopo Province using geospatial techniques and Social Survey. SPOT 4 satellite images which covered the time frame between 1999, 2005 to 2012, were used. The unit of analysis included different institutions such as the local municipality, farmers, the heads of the households and Chief of the Village. In this study, different methods of sampling were used in different context for selecting participants and for sample size determination. The different instruments for data collection included the questionnaires, interviews, focus group interviews and documents review. Socio-economic survey and review of documents were carried out to understand historical trends, collect ground truth and other secondary information required. Data collected from the survey were captured and analysed using the Statistical Package for Scientific Solutions (SPSS). For quantitative analysis, Chi-Square and cross tabulation were employed in SPSS. Analysis of satellite imagery was accomplished through integrated use of ERDAS Imagine (version 2015) and ArcGIS (version 10.1) software package. The themes were identified and analysed using the content analysis based on the main research topics. The results show that the land use/ cover changes have occurred at an unprecedented rate over the years 1999 to 2012. From the year 1999 to the year 2012, the total land use/ cover conversions equal to 299.984 ha of land. The trend and spatial extent of land use/ cover changes had undergone considerable changes over the years in the study period. The major contributing factors included population increase, expansion of agriculture and lack of space to settle. The residential area was found to be the major factor contributing to land use change over the years with an increase of (102.87ha.). People residing in Duthuni village especially along the wetland ecosystem consist of the majority of female-headed households. There is no proper facilitation and mentoring in the village by the government in order to resolve social problems when it comes to land use change. Water pollution and soil erosion were found to be the major concern by wetland users such as farmers and residents. Lack of knowledge has also been identified as one of the driving factors of environmental impacts of land use change in the area. Food was the most resources with 41% which the community gets from the wetland.

MPH / Department of Public Health / See the attached abstract below

MENVSC / Department of Mining and Environmental Gelogy / In the present study, the physico-chemical, applications, mineralogy, geochemistry and stable isotope of Lwamondo and Zebediela kaolin is documented, in order to understand the genesis, paleoenvironmental conditions and possible utilization. Mineral identification studies were conducted using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray micro analysis (SEM-EDX). Major oxides were identified by X-ray Florescence (XRF) whereas trace elements were identified by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition were determined by δ18O and δD isotopic measurements. Kaolinite was dominant mineral in all the kaolin samples whereas muscovite, quartz, goethite, hematite, smectite, anatase occurred in minor to trace quantities. The chemical data show that the kaolins are composed mainly of SiO2 and Al2O3 due to the presence of quartz and kaolinite, with minor to trace amounts of other elements such as Ca, Na, Cr, K, Fe, Mn, Mg, P and Ti which affected the kaolin application negatively. Lower concentration of Ca, Na, K, Fe, Mn, Mg, and Ti show the extent of the kaolinitisation. The samples were enriched in Ni and depleted in some other trace elements. The chondrite-normalised rare earth elements patterns show enrichmnent in Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) than Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) with slight positive Eu anomaly. The Rare Earth Elements (REE) pattern and the content of other trace elements show evidence of weathering processes related to kaolinitisatioon. Kaolin genesis is explained using kaolin mineralogy, particle morphology, structural order (functional group), major and trace elements geochemical data. The data suggest that kaolin is derived from the intensive chemical weathering of intermediate to mafic rocks deposited in non-marine environment. The stable isotopes were used to determine the paleoenvironmental conditions which influenced kaolinitisation of Lwamondo and Zebediela kaolins. Stable isotopes mean values for kaolinite from both Lwamondo and Zebediela were as follows: δ18O for Lwamondo= +18.57‰ and for Zebediela = +16.67 ‰ vii and δD for Lwamondo = -65‰ and for Zebediela = -64‰. The calculated mean temperatures were 26.94 ⁰C for Lwamondo kaolin and 36 ⁰C for Zebediela kaolin. Low temperatures were inferred from stable isotope values to have been involved in the kaolinitisation wherein hydrothermal processes were eliminated. The data suggests that kaolin was formed in a weathering environment. The kaolin is found to be suitable for brick making and based on the physico-chemical, mineralogical and chemical data it was suggested that the kaolin could also be used in producing low temperature ceramics, refractory materials, pottery and stoneware

MSc (Botany)