Within the parameters of the development, since the 1970s, of the National Teacher Appraisal Scheme, and the current changes in Education, a research programme of observation, video-recording and analysis of teaching performance is described and evaluated. The aim was to ascertain, by means of specific techniques, the value and benefits to teachers in developing their personal and professional levels of experience on the path to becoming self-organised learners. The potential of two specific methods of appraising teachers' classroom performance to generate developmental Learning Conversations is examined and compared. Using video-recordings of their lessons, two groups of ten teachers in one secondary school, individually reflected, discussed and evaluated their own performance with the researcher, by using either conversational repertory grid or conversational rating scale techniques, as the basis for an extended focused Learning Conversation. A third group of ten teachers was intended as a control group. The immediate and longer term developmental effects on the individual teachers, and on the school, were examined as the research activities gradually evolved from an original positivist experimental research paradigm to a conversational action research paradigm. Parallel to the account of the changes and developments in the research project, the impact of the research journey on the personal and professional development of the researcher is also related.

Debugging is an important and critical phase during the software development process. Software debugging is serious and tough practice involved in functional base test driven development. Software vendors encourages their programmers to practice test driven development during the initial development phases to capture the bug traces and the associated code coverage infected from diagnosed bugs. Application’s source code with fewer threats of bug existence or faulty executions is assumed as highly efficient and stable especially when real time software products are in consideration. Due to the fact that process of development of software projects relies on great number of users and testers which required having an effective fault localization technique. This specific fault localization technique can highlight the most critical areas of software system at code as well as modular level so that debugging algorithm can be used to debug the application source code. Nowadays many complex or simple software systems are in corporation with open bug repositories to localize the bugs. Any inconsistency or imperfection in early development phase of software product results in low efficient system and less reliability. Statistical debugging of program source code for visualization of fault is an important and efficient way to select and rank the suspicious lines of code. This research provides guidelines for practicing statistical debugging technique for programs coded in Ruby programming language. This thesis presents statistical debugging techniques available for dynamic programming languages. Firstly, the statistical debugging techniques were thoroughly observed with different predicate base approaches followed in previous work done in the subject area. Secondly, the new process of statistical debugging for programs coded in Ruby programming language is introduced by generating dynamic predicates. Results were analyzed by implementing multiple programs written in Ruby programming language with different complexity level. The analysis of experimentation performed on candidate programs depict that SOBER is more efficient and accurate in bug identification than Cause Isolation Scheme. It is concluded that despite of extensive research in the field of statistical debugging and fault localization it is not possible to identify majority of the bugs. Moreover SOBER and Cause Isolation Scheme algorithms are found to be two most mature and effective statistical debugging algorithms for bug identification with in software source code. / Address: School of Computing Blekinge Institute of Technology SE-371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden Phone: +46-(0)455-385804 Fax: +46-(0)455-385057

Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) is a collection of communication devices or nodes that wish to communicate without any fixed infrastructure and pre-determined organization of available links. The nodes in MANET themselves are responsible for dynamically discovering other nodes to communicate. Although the ongoing trend is to adopt ad hoc networks for commercial uses due to their certain unique properties, the main challenge is the vulnerability to security attacks. A number of challenges like open peer-to-peer network architecture, stringent resource constraints, shared wireless medium, dynamic network topology etc. are posed in MANET. As MANET is quickly spreading for the property of its capability in forming temporary network without the aid of any established infrastructure or centralized administration, security challenges has become a primary concern to provide secure communication. In this thesis, we identify the existent security threats an ad hoc network faces, the security services required to be achieved and the countermeasures for attacks in each layer. To accomplish our goal, we have done literature survey in gathering information related to various types of attacks and solutions, as well as we have made comparative study to address the threats in different layers. Finally, we have identified the challenges and proposed solutions to overcome them. In our study, we have found that necessity of secure routing protocol is still a burning question. There is no general algorithm that suits well against the most commonly known attacks such as wormhole, rushing attack etc. In conclusion, we focus on the findings and future works which may be interesting for the researchers like robust key management, trust based systems, data security in different layer etc. However, in short, we can say that the complete security solution requires the prevention, detection and reaction mechanisms applied in MANET.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Across the globe, land reform has become a key strategy for improving people’s livelihoods aimed at reducing poverty and increasing food security for resilient livelihoods. In sub-Saharan Africa, redistributive land reform has been implemented since the post-colonial period as a developmental approach. Since independence, Zimbabwe implemented two forms of land reform programmes which are the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme (LRRP) (1980-1997) and the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) (2000). The LRRP was based on the willing buyer willing seller approach with the state buying land for redistribution, while the FTLRP emerged from the chaotic and sporadic invasion of white owned commercial farms led by liberation war veterans and other politically affiliated people. In this thesis, I will focus on the LRRP which provided small farming land to many beneficiaries to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Land is an important livelihood source for the people of Zimbabwe, but on its own it cannot sustain the living standards of resettled farmers. Contemporary literature shows the catastrophic failure of land reform in Zimbabwe. Despite all the problems, land still remains the spring board of livelihoods in Zimbabwe. There is, however, less empirical research undertaken to assess how the LRRP has benefited and enhanced livelihoods of resettled farmers. This research will assess how the LRRP improved the livelihoods of Nyahukwe resettled farmers in Rusape, Zimbabwe. The study’s investigation will focus and add literature on how LRRP has been successful in empowering resettled farmers to enhance their livelihoods, to be more food secure as well as to improve their well-being. Using qualitative research methods, the research aimed to assess the livelihoods of farmers since they resettled. In particular, assessing the assets and capital available and how the farmers have been able to cope, strategies implemented to diversify their livelihoods and the outcomes achieved. The Sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA) was used as a theoretical framework to assess the new livelihoods patterns established after resettlement. Purposive non-random sampling was employed to interview 3 Nyahukwe government officials such as the extension managers, Environmental health officer and Veterinary officer. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 30 participants from Village F. A focus group 10 - 15 purposefully selected farmers was conducted. Data analysis was performed on the narrative and information from interviews, focus groups and questionnaires conducted during data collection. The findings show that land reform has enhanced the livelihoods of farmers since they were resettled as they reckon food selfsufficiency and better well-being. The research findings also illustrate that land remain the livelihood base of Nyahukwe farmers although they have adopted coping strategies to expand income generation. Coping strategies are farm and off farm activities that have diversified the farmers’ livelihoods through the interaction of assets. Land as a natural asset has been used with human, physical, financial and social capital to sustain the farmers. The findings revealed positive livelihood outcomes by assessing the assets before and after resettlement and outcomes achieved after adopting strategies as all farmers have increased income, self-sufficiency and improved well-being.

Objectives: This diploma thesis briefly summarizes the current knowledge about the neurophysiological and functional somatosensory influence of sedentary and non-sedentary occupations on the individual. The experimental part compares the quality of somatognostic functions in cohorts with sedentary occupations (SO) versus non-sedentary occupations (NSO). The NSO group positions and movements often alternate and static positions are not held for long periods. Methods: Both groups had the same number of probands. Ore-emptive questionnaires provided anamnestic data for each individual. Afterwards, somatosensory functions were assessed using six selected tests; 2 tests for upper extremity proprioception (UEP), 2 tests for lower extremity proprioception (LEP) and 2 tests for body size perception. Results: There was a significant difference in the results of the four tests measuring quality of proprioception of the upper and lower extremities. The NSO group showed more accurate results. In the UEP test measured in sitting posture, there was an average deviation 4,4ř in the SO group, and 3,1ř in the NSO group (p = 0,021). In the UEP test measured in standing posture, there was an average deviation 4.0 cm in the SO group, and 3,0 cm in the NSO group (p = 0.025). In the LEP test measured in standing posture,...

La présente thèse a pour objet l'étude de l'appropriation de nouvelles pratiques au sein des organisations. Cette problématique est abordée par le prisme des processus psychologiques développementaux, cognitifs et sociaux en jeu dans le développement des compétences des acteurs. Notre réflexion théorique nous amène à présenter les travaux précurseurs lewiniens, quelques modèles significatifs du changement organisationnel et de l'apprentissage organisationnel, puis un modèle d'analyse des compétences permettant de décrire les schèmes d'activité des acteurs en matière d'invariants opératoires (i.e., ce qui est tenu pour vrai ou pertinent) et de règles d'action (i.e., actions effectrices sur l'environnement). La mise en place d'une série d'études expérimentales nous permet de conclure que le développement des compétences individuelles et collectives est facilité lorsque le dispositif d'apprentissage permet aux acteurs d'associer la conceptualisation des invariants opératoires à la production des règles d'action. Ces résultats sont expliqués principalement au regard du concept piagétien de prise de conscience. Les contributions et limites de la thèse sont finalement discutées. / This thesis focuses on the appropriation of new practices within organizations. This topic is analyzed through the lens of the developmental, cognitive and social psychological processes involved in the development of stakeholders' competencies. Our theoretical discussion presents the Lewinian approach to change management, several significant organizational change and organizational learning models, as well as a model of competencies analysis that breaks down stakeholder's activity schemes into operational invariants (i.e., what is held for true or relevant) and action rules (i.e., actions effecting the environment). A series of experimental studies reveals that the development of individual and collective competencies is facilitated when the learning material allows stakeholders to link the conceptualization of operational invariants to the production of action rules. These results are mostly explained in terms of the Piagetian concept of awareness. The contributions and limits of the thesis are finally discusse

D.Phil (Aquatic Health) / Pesticides have been used to control and eliminate agricultural pests for many years thereby increasing crop yield in agriculture; however, the increasing human population worldwide has put increased pressure on agriculture to produce food. This is especially true in developing countries where the population growth has exceeded the predicted growth. Agriculture has therefore become more reliant on pesticides to increase the crop yield to meet the food demand. Many of the pesticides that are used in developing countries are not well studied in these countries and only limited information on their effects on the local environment is known. The information that is available is often from temperate regions and the effects of the pesticides in more arid, subtropical areas are not known. This is especially true in South Africa where a limited amount of studies on pesticides and their effects on the environment have been completed. The problem developing countries (including South Africa) face is the lack of funding which limit the studies on pesticides. Thus, a method was developed in Sri Lanka and Thailand whereby the risk and effects of pesticides to the environment, specifically non-target organisms, can be estimated using an international database which contains predominantly temperate data of pesticides. The first time this model was tested in South Africa was on the Crocodile River (West) Irrigation Scheme in the North West province. This model is initially dependant on the input of information from local farmers on the usage of pesticides. The data were then combined with secondary data on the pesticide characteristics to establish a preliminary risk posed by the pesticides. This risk could then be validated through biological monitoring and the actual pesticide values measured in the environment. This current study was initiated to test these probabilistic models in another part of South Africa with a more arid climate. The Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme (VHIS) comprises an area of 40 000ha where intensive agriculture activities take place and pesticide use is evident. The water for the irrigation scheme is transferred from a weir in the Vaal River to various irrigation canals and dams downstream. Water is then pumped out of the dams to irrigate the various crops. The runoff and drainage water is routed to drainage canals that return to the Harts River. The main crops in the area are wheat, maize and groundnuts, and a wide range of pesticides are used from the time the crops are planted until they are ready to be harvested. The current study was based on the Crocodile (West) River study in terms of the methodology followed, to further validate the use of the risk assessment methodology in southern Africa. Based on a situation analysis of the study area the following two hypotheses were formulated: the predictive and integrated risk models can be used to assess the ecological risk of pesticides when applied on the VHIS; and the risk information generated with these models can be communicated in an effective manner by using a Decision Support System (DSS).

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Lying in a rapidly-changing transitional region between nuclei that may behave as spherical vibrators (N ≤ 88) or good rotors (N ≥ 92), the N = 90 isotones present a unique testing ground where new nuclear collective phenomena may be uncovered. As part of a general investigation of collective structures and the coupling of single-particle states to these structures, the 150Sm(12C,4nγγ) and 150Sm(13C,4nγγ) reactions at a beam energy of Elab = 65 MeV were used to study the low and medium spin structure of 158,159Er nuclei below spin 20~. The γ-γ coincidence events were detected in the nine escape-suppressed HPGe Clover detectors using the AFRODITE γ-ray spectrometer at the iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences. DCO ratios and γ-ray polarization measurements were used to establish the spins and parities of newly observed and confirm previously established rotational bands. The observed bands will be discussed in terms of both traditional quadrupole rotational-vibration models and recent predictions of octupole correlations in the N = 90 isotones and neighbouring nuclei. The data obtained will be compared with the spectroscopic systematics of neighbouring nuclei.

Magister Philosophiae (Land and Agrarian Studies) - MPhil(LAS) / The study explores trends in women’s participation in agriculture at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province. The overall objective is to assess the trends in women’s participation in agricultural activities and to find out if this enhances their livelihoods. The study seeks to answer four core questions: 1) To what extent do women at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme participate in agriculture, and what is the nature of their participation, e.g. in respect of labour provision, decision-making, and determining who benefits? (2) What are the main factors that over time lead men to withdraw from agriculture and women’s role in agriculture to become more prominent? (3) To what extent does women’s increased participation in production activities contribute to a better and more secure livelihood for themselves? (4) What are the main challenges women experiences in agriculture at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme?Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the collection and analysis of data, and a case study approach was used at three villages under study, namely Mutshenzheni,Matombotswuka and Maraxwe.The main research findings are: 1) over time, women have come to dominate farming at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme to prevent poverty and therefore their participation improves food security in their households; 2) men’s decline in agriculture is attributed to water shortages, commitment to off-farm jobs and high production costs; 3) women are faced with a number of challenges in agricultural production which include amongst others water shortages, high input costs and lack of skill in marketing their products.The following recommendations were made: 1) government should seek ways of lowering the cost of ploughing services, whether this means encouraging farmers to return to animal traction, or encouraging more providers of tractor services, so that the prices are reduced through competition; 2) extension officers should encourage farmers to make more use of cow dung or other natural fertilizers, because this would assist in lowering input costs as well as benefiting the soil; 3) in terms of water shortages, the government is installing the floppy irrigation systems through Revitalization of Irrigation Schemes; however, in the interim,farmers should try to upgrade and maintain the storage dams which are currently not in use; 4)the re-introduction of water bailiffs could help to supervise and manage water, which in turn could ease water shortages and prevent conflict among farmers; 5) the Department of Agriculture should train women farmers in marketing skills. The study will be of primary benefit to amongst others, policy makers, scholars, and civil society organisations.

Magister Public Health - MPH / India has the highest prevalence of child malnutrition in the world and is ranked among the worst performing Commonwealth countries in terms of child undernutrition. This poor performance is despite the implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) since 1975, which seeks to combat malnutrition through community-based Anganwadi workers. Anganwadi workers play a pivotal role in the implementation of the ICDS Programme and thus their understanding of the key concepts relating to the services provided at the centres is crucial. This study is carried out in the Indian state of Jharkhand, where almost half of the population is undernourished. The study seeks to gain insights on the understanding and perceptions of Anganwadi workers and the mothers with whom they interact, regarding the long term impact of being malnourished in the first 3 years of life. The study used a qualitative approach, with data collection methods including focus group discussions as well as individual in-depth interviews. The study findings suggest that the majority of Anganwadi workers know about the services provided. However, they were unable to state the reasons underlying why these services are important. Mothers on the other hand could only mention three out of six services and many mentioned that the services were scheduled on certain days. In addition, mothers were concerned about the services provided and mentioned that there was poor information sharing even though at times they expressed an interest in the programme. The knowledge of Anganwadi workers about the importance of nutrition in the first three years of life was limited. The same was observed among the mothers in this study. Anganwadi workers identified deficiencies in their training as a reason for their limited understanding about issues pertaining to nutrition within the programme. In conclusion, this study suggests a general lack of knowledge about programme components amongst the Anganwadi workers and mothers. The ICDS programme has failed to develop an understanding about the service components, its importance and consequences for malnutrition. Furthermore, there are limited services offered at the centre, presenting missed opportunities. This has resulted in mothers being deprived of important information which may be crucial in improving child survival and cognitive development. There is thus an urgent need to evaluate ICDS training provided to Anganwadi workers as well as constant retraining to reinforce critical messages. This will ensure that there is congruence between training and practice in the largest nutrition programme in the world.