Complexos de Subluxação vertebral são disfunções biomecânicas articulares que cursam com hipomobilidade, disfunção neural e de tecido conectivo. Avaliou-se a presença de complexos de subluxação vertebral (CS) em 492 equinos praticantes da atividade de salto, observados na rotina clínica de um examinador com 9 anos de experiência em quiropraxia veterinária. Os animais incluídos no estudo formam divididos por sexo e 4 grupos de idade. As idades variaram entre 4 e 19 anos (média de 9,9 anos), sendo 207 machos castrados, 249 fêmeas e 36 garanhões. O número médio de complexos de subluxação encontrado na coluna dos animais foi de 11,9 num total de 30 segmentos motores vertebrais avaliados. O número médio de complexos de subluxação da coluna cervical foi de 2,7; de 5,8 na coluna torácica, e de 2,6 na coluna lombar. Os segmentos motores acometidos com maior frequência foram L3, L2 e L1, nesta ordem. Não houve diferença significativa (p>0,05) nas médias do número de complexos de subluxação entre os sexos. Também não houve diferença significativa nas médias do número de complexos de subluxação entre grupos de idade para a coluna lombar e torácica, porém houve diferença significativa (p=0,028) no número médio de complexos de subluxação entre os grupos de idades de 0-5anos e acima de 15 anos na coluna cervical. Apresentaram complexo de subluxação no sacro 24,4% dos animais. A maioria dos animais não apresentou dor à palpação muscular, porém demonstraram aumento do tônus muscular. Pode-se concluir que a incidência de complexos de subluxação na coluna cervical aumenta com a idade. / Vertebral subluxation complexes are dysfunctional spinal segments characterized by hypomobility with altered neural and connective tissue function. Data collected from 492 showjumping horses evaluated by a veterinary chiropractor with 9 years of experience was analyzed for the presence of Vertebral Subluxation Complexes. The animals were divided into age groups and sex categories. Their age varied from 4 to 19 (mean=9.9) and there were 207 geldings, 249 females and 36 stallions included in the study. The animals had in average 11.9 vertebral subluxation complexes in 30 analyzed spinal segments along their spine. Per spinal segment, the animals presented in average 2.7 cervical, 5.8 thoracic and 2.6 lumbar subluxation complexes and 24,4% of the horses had subluxation complex in the sacrum. The most affected vertebrae were L3, L2 and L4, in this order. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the mean of subluxation complexes between sexes and between age groups for the lumbar and thoracic spine. There were significant difference (p=0.028) in the mean of subluxation complexes at the cervical spine between the age groups of 0-6 years and 15 years and above. Most of the animals had no pain to muscle palpation, but they showed an increase in muscle tone. It was concluded that the prevalence of subluxation complexes in the cervical spine increases with age.

Complexos de Subluxação vertebral são disfunções biomecânicas articulares que cursam com hipomobilidade, disfunção neural e de tecido conectivo. Avaliou-se a presença de complexos de subluxação vertebral (CS) em 492 equinos praticantes da atividade de salto, observados na rotina clínica de um examinador com 9 anos de experiência em quiropraxia veterinária. Os animais incluídos no estudo formam divididos por sexo e 4 grupos de idade. As idades variaram entre 4 e 19 anos (média de 9,9 anos), sendo 207 machos castrados, 249 fêmeas e 36 garanhões. O número médio de complexos de subluxação encontrado na coluna dos animais foi de 11,9 num total de 30 segmentos motores vertebrais avaliados. O número médio de complexos de subluxação da coluna cervical foi de 2,7; de 5,8 na coluna torácica, e de 2,6 na coluna lombar. Os segmentos motores acometidos com maior frequência foram L3, L2 e L1, nesta ordem. Não houve diferença significativa (p>0,05) nas médias do número de complexos de subluxação entre os sexos. Também não houve diferença significativa nas médias do número de complexos de subluxação entre grupos de idade para a coluna lombar e torácica, porém houve diferença significativa (p=0,028) no número médio de complexos de subluxação entre os grupos de idades de 0-5anos e acima de 15 anos na coluna cervical. Apresentaram complexo de subluxação no sacro 24,4% dos animais. A maioria dos animais não apresentou dor à palpação muscular, porém demonstraram aumento do tônus muscular. Pode-se concluir que a incidência de complexos de subluxação na coluna cervical aumenta com a idade. / Vertebral subluxation complexes are dysfunctional spinal segments characterized by hypomobility with altered neural and connective tissue function. Data collected from 492 showjumping horses evaluated by a veterinary chiropractor with 9 years of experience was analyzed for the presence of Vertebral Subluxation Complexes. The animals were divided into age groups and sex categories. Their age varied from 4 to 19 (mean=9.9) and there were 207 geldings, 249 females and 36 stallions included in the study. The animals had in average 11.9 vertebral subluxation complexes in 30 analyzed spinal segments along their spine. Per spinal segment, the animals presented in average 2.7 cervical, 5.8 thoracic and 2.6 lumbar subluxation complexes and 24,4% of the horses had subluxation complex in the sacrum. The most affected vertebrae were L3, L2 and L4, in this order. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the mean of subluxation complexes between sexes and between age groups for the lumbar and thoracic spine. There were significant difference (p=0.028) in the mean of subluxation complexes at the cervical spine between the age groups of 0-6 years and 15 years and above. Most of the animals had no pain to muscle palpation, but they showed an increase in muscle tone. It was concluded that the prevalence of subluxation complexes in the cervical spine increases with age.

MEDSED / Department of Maths, Science and Technology Education

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Excessive shrinkage threatens the viability of retailers, especially grocery retailers because they operate on low profit margins. One possibility is for retailers to dismiss employees who are perceived to be responsible for excessive shrinkage, but South African law generally requires that the employer prove individual culpability or poor performance to justify a dismissal. In most cases, retailers are not able to identify the exact causes of shrinkage or those employees who may be responsible for the shrinkage. Pep Stores has developed a novel group dismissal model, using a poor performance process, in terms of which a store's entire staff complement is dismissed on the basis of collective responsibility for failing to avoid excessive shrinkage. The Pep model is attractive to retailers because it overcomes the retailer's inability to produce evidence relating to excessive shrinkage. This Study Project seeks to determine whether collective responsibility for shrinkage may be introduced in owner-managed grocery stores and, if not, whether adaptation of the model or new technology might facilitate its introduction. A further objective is to determine whether the applicability of the Pep model correlates to factors such as the size, activity level and complexity of retail stores. Three barriers to the application of the Pep model in grocery retail stores were identified: firstly, the determination of an "acceptable level of shrinkage" that is reasonably attainable; secondly, the conducting of sufficiently accurate stock takes to support dismissals and, thirdly, the existence or creation of circumstances allowing the implementation of collective responsibility for shrinkage. Grocery retailers have no difficulty in identifying an attainable "acceptable level of shrinkage" or in conducting highly accurate stock takes and stock counts. Circumstances allowing the imposition of collective responsibility for shrinkage were, however, clearly not present. Collective responsibility was precluded by the specialised nature of the employees' tasks and a lack of co-responsibility arising from employees' inability to directly observe each other. However, an adapted Pep model is applicable in grocery retail stores at departmental level if the departments are insulated from fraud or error by receiving clerks and cashiers. This insulation may be achieved by implementing joint receiving procedures that involve each department in receiving departmental stock and an increase in cashier monitoring. The introduction of Radio Frequency Identification Technology will ultimately facilitate the implementation of the Pep model through the enhanced insulation of departments. This enhanced insulation is achieved through the ability to track the movement of individual items in stores and the reduction of receiving and cashier error and fraud as a result of the automation of aspects of these functions. This technology, however, is unlikely to be implemented in the short term given the significant cost of RFID tags and the technical and organisational constraints to adoption. Perceptions on the applicability of the Pep model are correlated in smaller stores to total store floor areas, while the applicability of the model in larger stores is correlated to the size of staff complements. This suggests that the model may be ideally applicable in smaller stores, where the total store floor area is relatively smaller and in larger stores, where the staff complements are relatively larger. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oormatige voorraadverlies bedreig die lewensvatbaarheid van kleinhandelaars, veral kruidenierswarehandelaars, omdat hulle met klein winsmarges werk. Een moontlikheid is dat kleinhandelaars werknemers ontslaan wat gesien word as die verantwoordelikes vir oormatige voorraadverlies, maar die Suid-Afrikaanse reg vereis oor die algemeen dat die werkgewer indiwiduele skuld of swak prestasie bewys om ontslag te regverdig. In die meeste gevalle is kleinhandelaars nie in staat om die presiese oorsake van voorraadverlies, of die werknemers wat vir die voorraadverlies verantwoordelik mag wees, te identifiseer nie. Pep Stores het 'n vindingryke groep-ontslagmodel ontwikkel, met gebruik van 'n swakprestasieproses, ingevolge waarvan 'n winkel se hele personeel ontslaan word op grond van kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid weens versuim om oormatige voorraadverlies te vermy. Die Pep-model is aantreklik vir kleinhandelaars, want dit oorkom die kleinhandelaar se onvermoë om bewys te lewer in verband met oormatige voorraadverlies. Hierdie navorsingsprojek probeer vasstel of kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid vir voorraadverlies ingestel kan word in eienaarbestuurde kruidenierswinkels en, indien nie, of aanpassing van die model, of nuwe tegnologie, die invoer daarvan sou kon fasiliteer. 'n Verdere doelstelling is om vas te stel of die toepaslikheid van die Pepmodel korreleer met faktore soos die grootte, bedrywigheidsvlak en kompleksiteit van kleinhandelwinkels. Drie struikelblokke vir toepassing van die Pep-model in kleinhandelkruidenierswinkels is geidentifiseer: eerstens, die bepaal van 'n "aanvaarbare voorraadverliesvlak" wat redelik haalbaar is; tweedens, die uitvoer van voldoende akkurate voorraadopnames om ontslag te steun en derdens die bestaan of skep van omstandighede wat die implementering van kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid vir voorraadverlies moontlik sal maak. Kruidenierskleinhandelaars ondervind geen probleme met die identifisering van haalbare "aanvaarbare voorraadverliesvlakke" of met die uitvoer van hoogs akkurate voorraadopnames en - tellings nie. Omstandighede wat die oplê van kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid vir voorraadverlies moontlik maak, was egter duidelik nie aanwesig nie. Kllektiewe verantwoordelikheid is uitgesluit weens die gespesialiseerde aard van die werknemers se take en 'n gebrek aan mede-verantwoordelikheid weens werknemers se onvermoë am mekaar direk waar te neem. 'n Aangepaste Pep-model is egter toepasbaar in kruidenierskleinhandelwinkels op departementele vlak indien die departemente van bedrog of foute deur ontvangsklerke en kassiere afgeskerm word. Die afskerming kan bereik word deur die implementering van gesamentlike ontvangsprosedures wat elke departement betrek by die ontvangs van departementele voorraad en verskerpte kassiermonitering. Die invoer van Radiofrekwensie-identifikasietegnologie sal uiteindelik die implementering van die Pep-model fassiliteer deur die verhoogde afskerming van departemente. Hierdie verhoogde afskerming word bereik deur die vermoë om die beweging van indiwiduele items in winkels na te speur en die vermindering van ontvangs- en kassierfoute en -bedrog as gevolg van die outomatisering van aspekte van die funksies. Hierdie tegnologie sal egter waarskynlik nie oor die korttermyn toegepas word nie weens die aansienlike koste van RFIO-etikette en die tegniese en organisatoriese beperkings op die invoer daarvan. Persepsies oor die toepasbaarheid van die Pep-model word in kleiner winkels gekorreleer met die totale winkelvloeroppervlak, terwyl die toepasbaarheid van die model in groter winkels gekorreleer word met die grootte van die personeelkorps. Dit suggereer dat die model ideaal toepasbaar mag wees in kleiner winkels waar die totale winkelvloeroppervlak relatief kleiner is en in groter winkels waar die personeelkorps relatief groter is.

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

Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The purpose of the study was to investigate citizens’ level of trust in service delivery in Makhado Municipality by assessing the relationship between the performance of local government and the level of trust of citizens in the Municipality. In addition, the study sought to establish whether citizens’ involvement in decision-making in local government has an effect on their level of trust; and to establish the approaches which are important to improve citizens’ trust in local government. Data was collected through a questionnaire which was administered to 100 residents of Makhado Municipality. The findings of the study revealed that the citizens of Makhado Municipality do not trust in the service delivery in the Municipality. Residents are dissatisfied with most of the services they are receiving from the Municipality. It was determined that water shortage is the biggest problem in the Municipality, and residents spend days without water which poses serious risks to their health. Housing provision is another area that residents are displeased with. There is no transparency in the allocation of RDP houses, nepotism and corruption are rife and the quality of these houses is also poor. The area of roads and storm water supply is also of concern. Roads and streets in the municipality are in a bad state with potholes everywhere. Some roads and streets that were tarred have been turned into gravel roads, gravel roads in villages are also in a bad state of disrepair because they are not consistently maintained. The findings further revealed that service delivery challenges in the Municipality are caused by a lack of consultation and leadership, as well as corruption and if these three factors are addressed, service delivery will improve and trust would be fostered amongst citizens. This study recommends that the Municipality should develop its own anti-corruption strategies; invest in research and form partnerships with tertiary institutions; improve public participation and consultation; and collaborate with other government departments. Unfortunately, the research findings cannot be generalised to other municipalities since they differ in terms of categories and responsibilities. Nonetheless, some ideologies of the recommendations can be applied to other municipalities.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The blame for the decline in performance of Grade 11 and 12 Economics learners in District has been levelled on poor school resources, poorly trained teachers, and teachers’ ability to execute their duties. Other stakeholders blame teachers for the poor performance of learners. Due to that this study was conducted to explore teachers’ views on causes of poor performance in Economics among Grade 11 and 12 learners in Matlalane Circuit, Limpopo Province. Quantitative surveys and qualitative case study were used as research design. Data was collected using survey questionnaires and interviews. The study distributed 80 questionnaires to Economics teachers across Mogalakwena District and 100% response rate was achieved. The researcher also conducted one-to-one interviews among six Economics teachers and 3 Heads of Department (HoDs). Quantitative data was analysed using mathematical and statistical tools and was presented using tables, graphs, and charts. Qualitative data was presented using thematic and narrative analysis. This study identified seven (7) themes, namely, the (1) poor teaching environment and lack of teaching and learning resources; (2) lack of interest and negative attitudes by Economics learners; (3) poor teaching experience and content gap; (4) teachers perceive Economics as a difficult subject; (5) inadequate support from parents, school leadership and department; (6) poor discipline in schools; and (7) increased teenage pregnancy in schools in mining areas. This study recommends in-serve training of Economics teachers; provision of teaching and learning resources to schools; promotion of parents’ involvement and participation in their children’s learning; provision of support from the Department of Education in addressing school discipline and teenage pregnancy. This study identified the factors that cause poor learners’ performance in Economics. However, other aspects that are critical for changing the course of action, as required by the pragmatic paradigm, were not explored because they were not focus areas for this study. I therefore recommend further studies that on teaching and assessment strategies used by Economics teachers. There is a need for further study on strategies used by the Economics teachers; the level of commitment to their work; amount of written work given to Economics learners and the discipline in schools.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study investigated the poor performance of learners in mathematics in a rural secondary schools in Bohlabela District in Mpumalanga province. Mathematics is one of the most critical subjects globally and in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa, specifically. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible causes of poor performance of learners in mathematics in schools. In this study, non-probability sampling was used whereby a purposive sampling strategy was adopted. The participants in this study were secondary school teachers and learners. Twenty mathematics (20) learners participated in this research. These learners were sampled from a pool of 54 Grade 12 learners in one school. Learners were then grouped according to their level of understanding to the subject. The focus was on Grade 12 because it is the exit point of FET. In this study, a case study approach was adopted whereby interviews, documents and observation were used to collect data. The choice of the research design was guided by the following research question: What are the causes of poor performance of Grade 12 learners in mathematics in rural secondary schools? The sub–questions were: What strategies do teachers use to address poor performance of learners in mathematics in Grade 12 in rural secondary schools? What is the role of the department of education in addressing poor performance of learners in mathematics in rural secondary schools? The data analysis involved the generating of themes related to the data collected. In this way, different parts of the narratives were grouped under identified categories. The study found that lack of resources, poor teaching methods, anxiety and attitude towards mathematics contribute to learners’ poor performance in mathematics in Grade 12 in rural secondary schools. The research concludes that teachers should engage learners in more writing activities in order for them to learn effectively and to perform better in mathematics. The study also recommends that teachers should use a variety of teaching methods to teach mathematics and the schools should be well-resourced and teachers should address learners’ anxiety in mathematics to develop the love for mathematics and also enhance positive attitude towards mathematics

This study investigated factors that cause the poor performance of learners in the science subjects at the Ingwavuma Circuit. Using a mixed method design, samples were chosen purposefully in four high schools in the Ingwavuma Circuit. The schools identified were schools that underperformed in the science subjects in the year 2014. Grade 12 science teachers and Grade 12 science learners participated in this study. The data were collected by means of two closed-ended questionnaires. One of the questionnaires was designed for completion by the teachers (3) and one by the learners (98). In addition, structured interviews were conducted with eight teachers and eight learners. The data were analysed using SPSS and manual analysis. The data were recorded and summarized by means of descriptive statistics and was interpreted using literature review. The results of this study indicate that factors that contribute to poor performance are, namely a change in the curriculum, the time allocated for each science topic, the teachers’ teaching load, resources, the educators’ lack of specialized content knowledge, the medium of instruction, the involvement of the parents, poverty, and motivation. From these results recommendations for policy were suggested. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

Thesis (M.Ed.(Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The liability for the decline in performance in Grade 12 Accounting learners in Ehlanzeni District has been levelled against lack of resources in schools, teachers’ inability to execute their duties and poorly trained teachers. Arising from this indictment, this study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of assessment methods used for Grade 12 Accounting learners in Sikhulile and Mgwenya Circuits in Ehlanzeni District of Mpumalanga Province. A qualitative survey case study was used as a research design. Data was collected using one-to-one interviews among five Accounting teachers, five Heads of Department and five Principals. Qualitative data was presented using thematic and narrative analysis. The key findings were: (1) inadequacy of Accounting workshops and non-attendance by teachers, (2) lack of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) by Accounting teachers, (3) Accounting content gaps among learners and difficulties in the content area such as Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement, (4) shortage of Accounting Learning Teaching Support (LTSM), (5) inadequacies in pedagogical technological devices for teaching, learning and assessment in Accounting, (6) poor teaching and assessment methods used in Accounting and (7) inadequate support from the Department of Education. The study recommends increased frequency of workshops and making attendance compulsory, strategies to improve the pedagogical content knowledge of Accounting teachers, providing in-service training in Accounting to EMS teachers, improved supply of educational resources, improving the schools’ digital infrastructure such as internet connectivity and accessibility to digital devices, improving teachers’ pedagogical skills and digital skills and palpable Departmental support to teachers