Thesis (M.A. (Dev. Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / This study analyzes challenges facing housing programmes, predominantly low cost housing projects. An assessment of the Nobody Mothapo low cost housing project in the Polokwane Municipality was done. The officials of the Department of Local Government and Housing, Polokwane Municipality, and beneficiaries of the Nobody Mothapo project participated in the study. The sample consisted of 43 participants with different characteristics. Group discussions were conducted during the data collection process. The findings of this study are that government is attempting to fulfill its obligations by providing shelter to the needy people although there are negative effects hampering the implementation process. The slow housing delivery process and poor quality houses are negatively affecting homeless people. Human settlements are still established without the necessary infrastructure such as electricity, roads and other social amenities. In this study the challenges facing this housing delivery process are discussed. Recommendations are made regarding the role of government. Consumer education is emphasized to enhance community participation in their development and adherence to project management principles in the planning and implementation of low cost housing projects. / Not listed

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2006 / Nutrition is a basic human right as well as a prerequisite for the realization of full intellectual and physical potential. This is also stipulated in the South African Constitution and the Bill of rights. The Limpopo Province is known as one of the most poverty and drought stricken provinces in the RSA with a very high rate of unemployment. To alleviate poverty and to improve health and school attendance, the state president enhanced the Primary School Nutrition Programme on 1 September1994 in a number of targeted primary schools according to their poverty level. This study focused on the formative phase of the evaluation of the Primary School Nutrition Programme in the Mogodumo Circuit of the Capricorn District in the Limpopo province. It is a formative phase as it is an ongoing process. Mogodumo circuit is situated ± 56 km, west of Polokwane City, with 90% of the primary schools situated in the rural area. For this study, the researcher employed the probability sampling method in two stages. A simple random sampling of five schools selected was done while the stratified sample was obtained at each of those five selected schools. Through qualitative research, the qualitative data were obtained through a questionnaire, interviews and observation. The final results from the study show that though the learners’ school attendance had improved, they (learners) were eating the food because “beggars are not choosers”. The food they were receiving was of a poor quality, not delicious and not according to the tender specifications. There were no community involvement in the education of their children, unfaithful suppliers and helper mothers (volunteers), principals were forced to sign for the quality of food that was not received, passive participation of the teachers and their involvement in the decision making of the PSNP issues, a lack of facilities such as water, electricity, kitchens and fences. The helper mothers (volunteers) were complaining about the heavy job they were doing without a living wage as they only received a thankyou token of R110-00 per month. The programme was thus functioning in contradiction to rules and policies laid down for it. / Limpopo Department of Education

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2006

No description available.

Introduction Intraoral soft tissue infections (OSTI) are a common problem in dentistry and oral surgery. These abscesses are mostly exacerbated dental infections (OIDC), and some emerge as postoperative infections (POI) after tooth extraction (OITR) or apicoectomy (OIRR). The main aim of this study was to compare OIDC with POI, especially looking at the bacteria involved. An additional question was, therefore, if different antibiotic treatments should be used with OSTI of differing aetiologies. The impact of third molars on OSTI was evaluated and also the rates of POI after removal of third molars were specified. Materials and methods Patient data was collected from the patients' medical records and the results were statistically evaluated with SPSS (SPSS version 21.0; SPSS, IBM; Chicago, IL, USA). The inclusion criterion was the outpatient treatment of a patient with an exacerbated oral infection; the exclusion criteria were an early stage of infiltration without abscess formation; and a need for inpatient treatment. Results Periapical exacerbated infections, especially in the molar region were the commonest cause of OIDC. In the OITR group, mandibular tooth removal was the commonest factor (p=0.016). Remarkably, retained lower wisdom teeth led 91 to significant number of cases in the OITR group (p=0.022). Conclusions In our study we could not define differences between the causal bacteria found in patients with OIDC and POI. Due to resistance rates we conclude that amoxicillin combined with clavulanic acid seems to be the antibiotic standard for exacerbated intraoral infections independent of their aetiology. / Einführung Intraorale Weichteilinfektionen (OSTI) sind ein häufiges Problem in der Zahnmedizin und Kieferchirurgie. Diese Abszesse sind meist dentalen Ursprungs(OIDC), einige wiederum treten als postoperative Infektionen (POI) nach einer Zahnextraktion (OITR) oder Wurzelspitzenresektion (Oirr) auf. Das Hauptziel dieser Studie war es OIDC mit POI zu vergleichen. Ein weiteres Ziel war es, die unterschiedlichen antibiotischen Behandlungen bei OSTI unterschiedlicher Ätiologien gegeneinander abzuwägen. Die Auswirkungen der dritten Molaren auf OSTI wurde ebenfalls untersucht, und auch die Rate von POI nach Entfernung der dritten Molaren wurden angegeben. Material und Methode Die Patientendaten wurden durch die Analyse der Aufzeichnungen und Akten erhoben. Die Ergebnisse wurden statistisch ausgewertet mit SPSS (SPSS Version 21.0, SPSS, IBM, Chicago, IL, USA). Einschlusskriterium war die ambulante Behandlung eines Patienten mit dem Krankheitsbild einer intraoralen Infektion. Die Ausschlusskriterien waren ein frühes Stadium der Infiltration ohne Abszessbildung und die Notwendigkeit einer stationären Behandlung. Ergebnisse Apikale Parodontitiden, vor allem im Bereich der Molaren waren die häufigste Ursache für OIDC. In der OITR Gruppe war Zahnentfernung die häufigste Ursache (p = 0,016). Bemerkenswerterweise führte die Entfernung von unteren Weisheitszähnen zu einer erheblichen Anzahl von Fällen in der OITR Gruppe (p = 0,022). Schlussfolgerungen In unserer Studie konnten wir keine Unterschiede zwischen der bakteriellen Flora bei Patienten mit OIDC und POI erörtern. Aufgrund der aktuellen Resistenzraten, ziehen wir die Schlussfolgerung, dass Amoxicillin kombiniert mit Clavulansäure das Antibiotikum der Wahl für intraorale Infektionen, unabhängig von deren Ätiologie, zu sein scheint.

Le Cameroun a adopté un nouveau régime financier de l’Etat par la loi n°2007/006 du 26 Décembre 2007 entrée en vigueur le 1er janvier 2013. Cette loi introduit une nouvelle culture dans la façon de concevoir et de gérer les finances publiques et s’inscrit dans un mouvement de réforme de fond des finances publiques dans le monde. Le processus budgétaire est considérablement rénové par l’instauration d’une budgétisation par programmes. Grâce à ce nouveau dispositif, les décideurs publics, politiques ou gestionnaires cessent de raisonner uniquement en termes de moyens pour se tourner résolument vers la recherche de la performance. Ce travail se propose de faire un diagnostic du budget de l’Etat, de sa conception à son élaboration jusqu’à son exécution et à son contrôle. Il souligne et retrace les apports et les impacts de la nouvelle gouvernance financière publique dans un contexte marqué par des finances publiques dégradées. Il fait une analyse critique du cadre et des acteurs en charge des budgets publics, appréhende les enjeux et expose les défis auxquels nos finances publiques doivent désormais faire face. / Cameroon has adopted a new state financial regime by law n ° 2007/006 of 26 December 2007, which entered into force on 1 January 2013. This law introduces a new culture in the way public finances are conceived and managed and is part of a movement of fundamental reform of public finances in the world. The budgeting process is significantly improved through the introduction of program budgeting. Thanks to this new system, public decision-makers, politicians or managers stop thinking only in terms of means to turn resolutely towards the pursuit of performance. This work proposes to make a diagnosis of the state budget, from its conception to its elaboration until its execution and its control. It highlights and traces the contributions and impacts of the new public financial governance in a context marked by degraded public finances. It provides a critical analysis of the framework and actors in charge of public budgets, apprehends the stakes and exposes the challenges facing our public finances.

This thesis is comprised of a series of published papers relating to the evaluation of active assistance measures for the unemployed in Australia. It offers both applied evaluations of active assistance measures as well as critical assessment of the evaluation approaches that have dominated the literature and policy formation in Australia. "Active" assistance for the unemployed is distinguished from "passive" assistance, such as income support.The motivation behind the work lies in the fact that a very large amount of public expenditure is directed to active assistance for the unemployed. Over $2 billion dollars was spent on labour market programs at the height of the Working Nation package in each of 1995-96 and 1996-97, and $1.5 billion was allocated to "labour market assistance to jobseekers and industry" in the most recent (2001-02) Commonwealth budget. Despite this considerable past and ongoing expenditure, the evaluation effort in Australia has been far short of international best practice. As a consequence, there is no convincing empirical evidence as to how effectively these public resources are being used, or of the relative merits of various options in the design of active interventions for the unemployed.Ultimately, the goal of the research is to improve supply-side policies designed to address unemployment. As stated, it aims to do this through original empirical evaluations of programs and through critical assessment of existing evaluations and institutional arrangements.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the first two years of beginning teachers' professional development and learning. The study sought to document and understand the conditions and discursive practices of seven purposely selected schools that were implementing robust beginning teacher induction programmes. The focus was on induction, located in a comprehensive national system, to reveal the practices and tensions experienced by beginning teachers as they advanced their learning and development. It is anticipated that the seven case studies, along with the working theory of sound induction will add to the body of knowledge in the field of teacher learning and professional development and contribute to the debate about teachers' work and quality teaching. Few studies have investigated beginning teacher (BT) induction in comprehensively resourced systems. Much of the research investigates fragmented parts of BT experiences. The literature shows that when a holistic examination of induction is carried out it tends to be predominantly in the secondary school context. In-depth research into year one and year two teacher learning and professional development in sound primary school induction programmes was not found. The study provides a working theory of beginning teacher learning and, as Renwick (2001, p. 33) suggested, exemplars to maximise the effectiveness of schools to employ and support beginning teachers . Sound induction has the potential to positively influence teacher practice as research evidence indicates early career experiences affect future practice. The research is a multi-site collective case study that takes an interpretative, qualitative stance drawing on constructionism to inform the interplay between sociological and psychological theoretical disciplines, which make the information visible in different ways. The case studies scrutinise in depth, individual school contexts and are instrumental in providing better understanding and theorising about the collective case of beginning teacher induction. The primary sources of data were individual and focus group interview transcriptions. In addition, there were the accompanying notes and related school documentation. i Data analysis was an iterative process of inductive and deductive reasoning to make meaning that moved beyond description to identify categories and themes that emerged both within schools and across schools. Evidence of sound BT induction was found although variation in induction practices between schools was noted. Beginning teacher induction went beyond advice and guidance to incorporate educative mentoring in collaborative, collegial schools where high expectations prevailed. The findings suggest that teacher learning should be informed but not constrained by lock-step models of learning and development. Aspects of development as a professional were advanced and, in other respects, marginalised by the education policy focus on children's achievement. Feedback and children's learning and achievement underpin beginning teachers' judgements about their development as teachers. The socio-economic school contexts were less important than the quality of leadership, school cultures, expectations and the confidence of individual novice teachers. The study raises questions about the nature of teachers' work and teacher, government and societal expectations. It is anticipated that these findings will increase understanding of, and provoke debate about beginning teacher learning and their development as professionals.

This thesis seeks to gain greater knowledge of the process of transition and development that beginning primary teachers undergo over their first year of teaching. The research focus is on investigating and understanding this process from the standpoint of the beginning teacher. Of particular interest is an examination of how the teacher preparation programme, contextual features of the school, and participants' own beliefs and biographies influence and impact on their transition to teaching and their professional and identity development as first year teachers. This longitudinal study takes an interpretive approach to investigate the first year teaching experiences of 12 beginning teachers in 11 primary schools. The qualitative methodology used in this thesis shares characteristics with a case study approach and utilizes procedures associated with grounded theory. Data were gathered systematically over a year by way of 48 semi-structured, individual interviews, two focus group interviews, and 48 questionnaires, supplemented by field notes. The collected data were analyzed, coded, and categorized, and explanations and theory that emerged from this process were grounded in the data. The findings of this study have three broad sets of implications for the education and induction of beginning teachers. Firstly, they question the role that practicum plays in the transition from student to teacher. The findings suggest that the practicum component of teacher preparation programmes should be re-conceptualized and redesigned to provide authentic opportunities for student teachers to be exposed to the full range of work demands and complexity that they will encounter as beginning teachers. Secondly, becoming a successful teacher appears to depend on the quality of the school's professional and social relationships, particularly in terms of the frequency and type of formal and informal interactions that ii beginning teachers have with colleagues. While the major source of satisfaction and self-esteem came from seeing the children whom they taught achieving socially and academically, the beginning teachers also had a strong need for affiliation, which was enabled through positive, structured interactions and relationships with colleagues. The study also indicates that employment status influences the way that the beginning teachers view their work and themselves as teachers, with those in relieving positions displaying greater variability in terms of emotional reactions and a sense of professional confidence than those employed in permanent positions. The third set of implications relate to beginning teacher induction. The study points to variability in the quality of induction experiences and challenges policy makers and principals to ensure that all beginning teachers are provided with sound and systematic advice and guidance programmes which are necessary for their learning and development. While the study confirms the critical role played by tutor teachers in beginning teacher induction, it suggests that the focus is on emotional and practical support rather than on educative mentoring to enhance new teachers' thinking and practice. This thesis provides a comprehensive and nuanced view of how beginning to teach is experienced and interpreted. It paints a complex picture of the relationship between biography, beliefs, preparation, and context in the process of learning to teach. The study contributes to the literature on the education of beginning teachers. It highlights the need for developing a shared understanding amongst policy makers, teacher educators, and schools regarding the multiplicity and complexity of factors that influence the transition and development of beginning teachers.

Increasingly, student orientated service outreach programmes (community service) are being incorporated into the broad curriculum of Australian High Schools. The assumption made is that such programmes have tangible benefits for students, the community and the schools themselves. Schools that operate out of a Christian paradigm have the added incentive of seeking to assist students give personal expression to religious commitment through the service of others. This study tests the assumption that participation in community service or service outreach activities has positive benefits for the students involved. It explores the effect that student involvement in school-facilitated community service programmes has on three personal domains; self-esteem, sense of engagement with community, and attitude to Christianity. This is a quantitative study utilising a questionnaire instrument to collect data from participants. The questionnaire is a compilation of three pre-existing and previously validated instruments, each of which focus on one of the three research areas. Combined, they provide 74 items which are answered using a Likert scale with response choices ranging along a six point continuum from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’. The sample consists of a total of 225 participants drawn from students across years 10 to 12 from five Catholic High Schools in the Brisbane metropolitan area. All of these schools have single sex enrolment. Male and female participants are equally represented in the sample. In total, 80% of the sample participated in their school’s community service/service outreach programme. Information related to students’ community service involvement, the type of service undertaken, the duration of such service, and prior community service experience, was also collected from participants. No treatment is being introduced or manipulated in this study; rather, the research examines ‘between-participant’ and ‘within-sample’ differences associated with students’ participation (or non-participation) in existing community service/service outreach programmes in their schools. As such, the research is ex post factor in nature. Initial confirmatory factor analysis is undertaken to validate the integrity of the combined instrument. This is followed by a Cronbach’s alpha reliability study of the 12 component scales of the combined instrument; the results of which prove to be consistent with those previously reported. In subsequent analysis of the data, significant correlations are identified between six pairs of dependent variables. With statistical significance set at the 95% level, MANOVA is then utilised to determine the effect of a number of factors on scale scores. In addition to the primary focus on the effect that participation/non-participation in school community service programmes has on student selfesteem, engagement with community and attitude to Christianity, other influencing conditions explored include; type of community service, duration of community service, prior community service involvement, and gender. The principal finding of this research is that a statistically significant relationship is evident only between students’ participation in school-facilitated community service programmes and their attitude to social justice. Attitude to social justice is a constitutive element of the larger construct, ‘sense of engagement with community’. Analysis of the data reveals no significant association between community service participation and either self-esteem nor attitude to Christianity. The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings in the light of the earlier review of relevant literature.