M.Ed. / The birth of a democratic South Africa demanded that all people of this country be integrated into one society (Hariparsad, 2005:1). This implies that people from various cultural backgrounds brought with them their individual, cultural and normative values into the integrative process. For example, there were more than one education system in this country and all were integrated into one system (Bray, 2000:31). According to Bennet (1997:71), the term 'work ethic' describes the preposition that work is a moral obligation and that work occupies a central position in a person's life. Van der Westhuizen (2003:71) argues that a school reflects traits of both societal relationships and organizations. The school is a formal organization consisting of structure and activity that has to be managed to fulfill the intended function. A fundamental management function is leadership (Smith & Cronje, 2001:278), which Gunter (2001:19) defines as the process of directing the behaviour of others towards the accomplishment of objectives and goals of the organization. In a school environment, the task of leadership is accorded to the principal, who needs to be responsible in his/her job for maintaining an effective school environment. Organizations do not achieve their objectives on their own. Someone has to deploy the basic resources that the organization has at its disposal to help it achieve its goals. This important element is management. Managers must activate and guide the organization (Hariparsad, 2005:4), and the responsibility for professional management of a public school is also vested in the principal (South African Schools Act, 1996:16[3]). The researcher believes that the work ethic of the educators will dictate the manner in which the school functions. Hariparsad (2005:5) states that if the work ethic of the educators is based on sound principles of efficient and effective work practices, emerging from a sound value system and a strong individual moral fibre, it can be expected that the school will function as a meaningful organization in society. It seems, however, that some schools face management problems which emanate from the work ethic of the educators. In addition, the management practices and procedures selected by the principal impact on the ethos of the school which in all likelihood will affect the work ethic of the educators (Hariparsad 2005: 6). Educators in South Africa have recently been accused by the public of going on strike far too easily; and hence have been labeled as having a poor work ethic (Makgoba, 2007:7). The work ethic among South African educators has, however, not been determined in any empirical way and this research will attempt to obtain a benchmark for educators in the Limpopo Province of South

Aeromonas hydrophila is distributed widely in nature and is responsible for an array of human infections. Several studies on the isolation and characterisation of the organism abound. Although there are reports on the antibiotic resistance profiles of the organism, these reports have not been updated in Limpopo province, South Africa despite the established fact that antibiograms vary with time and geographical area. Antibiotic resistance and pathogenesis of an organism are dependent on a host of factors such as the production of extended spectrum beta-lactamases and the genetic profiles such as the genes coding for resistance and possession of integrons and how these characteristics overach with the phylogenetic inter-relatedness of isolates from different sources. In spite of the aforementioned concerns on the efficacy of antibiotics due to the acquisition or endowment of microorganisms with intrinsic and extrinsic factors , which enhances resistance to antibiotics , medicinal plants are reportedly offering promise as alternative sources of efficacious management of infections. Medicinal plants are employed by traditional healers in the management of infections in developing countries especially in Africa. However, the antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants against Aeromonas hydrophila have received only a cursory attention. In an endeavour to undertake a comprehensive study on the isolation, characterisation, antibiograms, activities of medicinal plants as well as the genetic profiles, including phylogenetics relatedness of Aeromonas isolates from different sources, stool and water samples were collected over a two year period from designated places in Limpopo Province and analysed using standard techniques applicable to the constituent research activity. The research findings are presented in six chapters as presented hereunder. The first chapter focussed on the literature review of the organism and reflects areas such as the morphology, laboratory diagnosis, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, antibacterial activities of medicinal plants as well as the genetic aspects of Aeromonas hydrophila. / Environmental Science / D.Phil. (Environmental Science)

Aeromonas hydrophila is distributed widely in nature and is responsible for an array of human infections. Several studies on the isolation and characterisation of the organism abound. Although there are reports on the antibiotic resistance profiles of the organism, these reports have not been updated in Limpopo province, South Africa despite the established fact that antibiograms vary with time and geographical area. Antibiotic resistance and pathogenesis of an organism are dependent on a host of factors such as the production of extended spectrum beta-lactamases and the genetic profiles such as the genes coding for resistance and possession of integrons and how these characteristics overach with the phylogenetic inter-relatedness of isolates from different sources. In spite of the aforementioned concerns on the efficacy of antibiotics due to the acquisition or endowment of microorganisms with intrinsic and extrinsic factors , which enhances resistance to antibiotics , medicinal plants are reportedly offering promise as alternative sources of efficacious management of infections. Medicinal plants are employed by traditional healers in the management of infections in developing countries especially in Africa. However, the antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants against Aeromonas hydrophila have received only a cursory attention. In an endeavour to undertake a comprehensive study on the isolation, characterisation, antibiograms, activities of medicinal plants as well as the genetic profiles, including phylogenetics relatedness of Aeromonas isolates from different sources, stool and water samples were collected over a two year period from designated places in Limpopo Province and analysed using standard techniques applicable to the constituent research activity. The research findings are presented in six chapters as presented hereunder. The first chapter focussed on the literature review of the organism and reflects areas such as the morphology, laboratory diagnosis, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, antibacterial activities of medicinal plants as well as the genetic aspects of Aeromonas hydrophila. / Environmental Science / D.Phil. (Environmental Science)

Thesis (Ph. D. (Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The purpose of this research was to investigate teachers’ professional proficiency in terms of geography as a subject and English as the language of learning and teaching, the level of difficulty of the textbooks in terms of their difficulty of terminologies and structure, and the impact of code-switching from LoLT into local African languages on learners’ growth in geographical terminologies and communicativeness in English thinking in geography. These issues were considered by the researcher as barriers to learning and teaching of geography in grade 12 in the Limpopo Province. For the investigation of the barriers, the researcher chose research design comprising qualitative, quantitative, explorative and descriptive approaches pertinent to the study. The central figure in the investigation was the learner; the study was underpinned by the constructivist approach. The researcher considered triangulation of methods when gathering data due to the comprehensiveness of the sought data. The method employed was to gather literature on similar studies conducted by scholars elsewhere to shed light to the researcher of the problem under investigation. Structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, participant observations were used to collect data on focal learning and teaching activities. The researcher was keen in determining how teachers employed their preferred methods of teaching geography and the attitudes and perceptions of the learners to the activities that were part of the lessons. The researcher involved (n=16) subject teachers, and administered a 20-item questionnaire to learners. (n=407) responded to a 15-item questionnaire. Curriculum teachers (n=10) were interviewed separately from the pool of the said (n=16), subject advisers (n=2) were interviewed to provide first-hand experience. The findings affirmed that there was poor professional proficiency; textbooks were a recognized learning barrier to second language English learners in terms of the difficulty of the language which was linked to geographical concepts coined in English, teachers’ lack of linguistic competence in LoLT to supplement the difficult textbooks. The result was that this led to resorting to code-switching that deprived learners of practice in the language to attain effective learning and good performance in examinations.

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

Participatory development is believed to be an essential ingredient of the development process because it enables the people to influence the policy and decision-making process. It facilitates the designing of and enhances the implementation of plans and programmes or projects and that participation results in the development of ownership and belonging among the people themselves. This feeling in turn goes a long way to ensure the success of a programme or project. This study highlights some of the elements that led to the successful implementation of an income-generating project with women. The study also demonstrates that the people's own ideas are able to command adequate levels of participation, support and commitment to enhance their ability to meet their needs. The study further looks at the ownership of the project as very important for successful implementation and that projects or programmes should be facilitated within the means of the local participants to manage and control them. The elements mentioned in this study are an essential part of participatory development and enable the people to learn to take charge of their lives and solve their own problems. The study further looks at cultural and traditional values as an essential part of human growth, because local action taken by the women is very important in promoting overall success of the project. / Social work / M.A. (SS) (Mental Health)

Participatory development is believed to be an essential ingredient of the development process because it enables the people to influence the policy and decision-making process. It facilitates the designing of and enhances the implementation of plans and programmes or projects and that participation results in the development of ownership and belonging among the people themselves. This feeling in turn goes a long way to ensure the success of a programme or project. This study highlights some of the elements that led to the successful implementation of an income-generating project with women. The study also demonstrates that the people's own ideas are able to command adequate levels of participation, support and commitment to enhance their ability to meet their needs. The study further looks at the ownership of the project as very important for successful implementation and that projects or programmes should be facilitated within the means of the local participants to manage and control them. The elements mentioned in this study are an essential part of participatory development and enable the people to learn to take charge of their lives and solve their own problems. The study further looks at cultural and traditional values as an essential part of human growth, because local action taken by the women is very important in promoting overall success of the project. / Social work / M.A. (SS) (Mental Health)