Thesis (MEd. (Mathematics Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / In this study, I presented the exploration of Mpho’s growth in mathematical understanding. Mpho is a grade 10 mathematics learner. To fulfil such, a qualitative research method was employed. I explored her growth in understandings in the context of co-ordinate geometry, exponents, and functions. Data generation, management and representation were guided by the notion of teaching experiments. Analysis was done through mapping learner’s growth of mathematical understanding using Pirie-Kieren’s (1994) model. Findings suggest that learner’s growth in mathematical understanding can be observed, mapped and improved with the aid of probing questions.

Thesis (M.A. (Translation and Lingustics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / The research reported in this mini-dissertation is a qualitative study, which sought to investigate the patterns of translanguaging in classrooms in the Foundation phase in a primary school in the Limpopo province. The aim of the study was to investigate the ways in which translanguaging is used by teachers and learners in the Foundation phase in a selected primary school in the Limpopo Province. The research focuses on how Grade 1 and Grade 3 learners and their teachers engage with texts and the strategies that teachers use to promote the use of two languages in classrooms to help learners to understand content and concepts in English and Sepedi. An innovative element of the research was the intervention teaching done by university lecturers to provide alternate practices for regular teachers in the school to discuss and engage with. The data collection instruments included classroom observations, audio and video recordings, interviews with the class teachers and a focus group discussion between the teachers. The data analysis involved identifying all instances of translanguaging that occurred in the lessons and to explore in what ways they facilitated learning. The results showed that hardly any translanguaging took place in the regular lessons and teachers seemed to be operating with a monolingual consciousness. Teachers also revealed in the focus group discussion that the Curriculum assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS) required them to keep the two languages apart and not to use both of them in lessons. In the intervention lessons, however, there were some examples of translanguaging, which seemed to facilitate interaction and greater participation from the learners. The mini-dissertation ends with some reflections on the findings, implications of the findings for future research and training, and recommendations to use the languages of school children as rich resources for teaching and learning.

M. Tech. Education / Transformation in the education system of South Africa brought new trends in education on policies, curriculum and teacher education. The educational reforms resulted in the negative implications to all role players in the teaching profession, as well as quality of teaching and learning programmes. Quality support services, at all levels of the new educational system, were, and continue to be in great demand for sustainability and development. This research provides an analysis and critique of the role of school management support teams with respect to the professional support and also prescribed by White Paper 6 of 2002. The aim of this research is to investigate the provision of professional teacher support and the role of teacher support teams or school management of the programme.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Education.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The improvement of the teaching-learning process in schools is enhanced by the involvement of parents in their children's learning. Parental involvement has the capacity to create a partnership between the most important role players in the education system, namely; teachers, parents and learners. According to this approach, parents are the most effective and reliable individuals who play a significant part in their children's education. The aim of this study is to investigate the nature of parental involvement in the education of learners in the Vhuronga II Circuit.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Nature Conservation.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2010. / To a varying degree and for a variety of reasons black rhino require large areas of land but increasingly they are moved to smaller properties. Specific spatial and temporal problems are foreseen when keeping black rhino on small properties. The temporal problems under investigation on the Mokopane Biodiversity Conservation Centre where two black rhino are kept on 700 ha are: browse availability, browse utilisation as well as browse quality.

Pentecostalism is well known for its active involvement in evangelism. But it is true to say as well that questions have been asked about the social upliftment dimension of the Pentecostal mission. This study will focus on the Assemblies of God church. The main reason for this is that, of all the Pentecostal churches in South Africa, the Assemblies of God has probably had the biggest impact in the rural black communities. To undertake the study I will do the following: • Outline the problem that necessitated commencement of this study, formulate hypotheses and identify methods of research in this first chapter. • Attempt, in chapter two, to outline the historical background of the Pentecostal mission in general and the AOG in particular, describing its theology and evangelism and their impact on the socio-political situation in South Africa. • Conduct in-depth Case Studies, in chapter three, of a range of individuals who are converts of the AOG mission. • The fourth chapter will ask whether the Redemption and lift hypothesis throws any light on the study. • The last chapter will consider how other theological models consider the issue of mission. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

Indigenous forests are an integral part of rural communities in Africa, and they are socio-ecologically managed and conserved by customary laws. Most of these forests are important reserves of cultural and ecological values, although they are threatened by modern economic and political developments and often by foreign religious intrusion. Based on this background the Thathe sacred forest in the Zoutpansberg mountains of the Northern Province, in South Africa, was chosen for investigation. The perceptions and conservation attitudes of the rural communities living around the forest were investigated. In addition, the contribution of the traditional ethics of the local people to forest biodiversity management were also assessed. The extent to which the rural communities attach consumptive and/or non-consumptive values to the Thathe forest was examined for insight to the survival of the forest into the future. Data collection included a field survey, interviews with key informants, structured and semi-structured interviews, and a documentary survey (documents or records such as monthly or annual reports of an institution like the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) about its activities, and government gazettes). Responses of 201 interviewees from around the Thathe forest were analysed. Data was arranged by age, sex, educational background and area of residence. The majority of the respondents (76.6%) across the gender categories regarded the forest as sacred, while 20.4% felt it is an area of conservation importance. A strong cultural link between the local people and the forest is inferred from these positive attitudes! in spite of a history of forced removals of the surrounding communities from the Thathe-Vondo forest area. The attitudes of the people around the forest are wide-spread and consistent across the tribal areas. Nevertheless, cultural usage of the forest has waned in recent years (a consequence of restrictions on access to the forest) and few people (13.4%) actively use it for cultural rituals. Based on the research findings it is imperative that an attempt is made to reconcile the local people and the government institution managing indigenous forests and policing forestry in general (DWAF). The relevance of conventional conservation principles must be brought to the attention of the local people! and these ought to be integrated with cultural methods of forest resource management and conservation. This will serve as a foundation for sustainable indigenous forest resource management in Thathe forest. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

With apartheid having left an imprint of spatial fragmentation in the South African urban and rural landscape, there is a major challenge in most places in South Africa to create integrated systems of local governance. Achieving integration of the remnants of selfgoverning territories, independent homelands, old provincial administrations and tricameral structures, is very difficult. The new political dispensation has raised the aspirations and expectations of both the rural and urban areas but more especially poor rural dwellers. Transitional Local Councils, appointed in 1995, inherited the task of integration and service delivery. This was to be achieved, in part, through the fannulation of an Integrated Development Plan for each TLC. This study examines local governance and development planning in the Transitional Local Council area of Greater Louis Trichardt in the Northern Province. The study provides a background to the history of urban planning and changing urban space in South Africa and in Louis Trichardt in particular. Structuration theory, Local Economic Development theory and literature on public participation and local governance, were used to raise questions about the planning and delivery of development in Louis Trichardt. These questions were then answered through an intensive and extensive research process in which both the residents of the TLC area, and the members of the TLC structures, were interviewed about their perceptions. The study found that there are still major constraints to the achievement of effective development, integration and service delivery in the Greater Louis Trichardt Transitional Local Council area. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This study has engaged in a critical exploration of the relationship between the Church and Culture in Ga-Marishane village in Limpopo. A Case Study of the Anglican martyr Manche Masemola of Sekhukhune has been used to reveal the extent of tension between the Church and culture in the same village during the Colonial-Missionary era. The topic of this study reflects on the contestation of the Anglican rite of passage of initiation through the baptism sacrament of adults, and the traditional Pedi rite of initiation with special reference to the initiation of girls in Ga-Marishane. These initiation rites live in missional-tension in what they ought to do and to be in the village and therefore an interface has to be arrived at. Christianity as a western culture comes into contact with African culture through the process of evangelizing the African continent, through missionary engagement. The missionaries come into contact with African indigenous people, who have their own system of beliefs and cultural practices, and they want to impose their Christian tradition upon the residents who in turn oppose the teachings of the Church, and harmony is lost. This brings a lot of controversy amongst the Christian converts and the Pedi traditionalists. In the process of this turmoil, a family is deprived of their daughter through death, and the Church loses a catechumen. Manche Masemola’s parents were not happy that she wanted to join the Christian faith, more especially because they said that her behavior was very absurd, especially when she prayed, and they claimed that she acted like someone who had been bewitched. According to Pedi custom, a girl was supposed to eventually get married after she had been proclaimed marriageable. Manche’s parents were not happy when she joined the Church, as there were nuns in the village, who had made vows of remaining celibate and only be married to Jesus Christ. The presence of nuns suggested to them that Manche might want to be one of them, and then they would be deprived of magadi, as well as grandchildren, which would have been perceived by the community as their failure as parents to bring their daughter up. Manche’s determination to be a Christian impacted a lot on her parents, and they never considered their daughter’s desire to be a Christian, i.e. what it meant for her and what her ultimate goal was. This study reveals that both these institutions, the Church and the village are staunch in their practices to the extent that no one wants to compromise their beliefs. Inculturation is found to be one of the methods to be implemented in order to promote wholesome living in Ga-Marishane between the Christian converts (bakriste) and the Pedi traditionalists (baditshaba), in order to eliminate further ‘Blood baptisms.’ / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

South Africa's water resources are, in global terms, scarce and extremely limited (DWAF, 2004). Groundwater is a valuable source of potable water in South Africa. It was found that most of the health facilities in the Limpopo Province depend on groundwater as sole source of potable water. Groundwater quality is to a great extent influenced by the dominant land use in the vicinity of an aquifer. It is therefore important to carefully manage possible pollution sources of anthropogenic origin. This may be seen as pro–active water quality management that may result in significant saving on water treatment. This aim of this study is to obtain a regional view of the water quality situation at clinics and other health facilities in the Limpopo Province. It was found that the general water quality at health facilities in the Province is questionable. It is of concern to note that 56% of health facilities use water that is unacceptable for human consumption. Water quality may be managed by introducing appropriate treatment options to treat the water to ideal water quality standards. This dissertation explores some treatment options used at health facilities in the Province. The efficiency of these treatment systems is also investigated. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.