Thesis (M. A. (Nursing)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / A master’s program in nursing is an essential tool to prepare students to manage and offer health care services to the public professionally and successfully. However, there has been low enrolment of professional nurses into masters studies of nursing in a higher educational institution. Therefore the study aimed to develop recruitment strategies for professional nurses into Master studies of Nursing at a higher educational institution. METHODS The qualitative research method was used to develop recruitment strategies of professional nurses in Mankweng Hospital into a Master's Studies at the University of Limpopo. The population were professional nurses with honours equivalent and those with honours degree.Semi-structured interviews were conducted from eighteen professional nurses who were purposely selected to participate in the study. Tech`s coding method of data analysis was used to analyze audio-recorded data. RESULTS The results indicated that lack of study leaves, shortage of nurses, lack of information about requirements for enrolling into masters, lack of recognition for postgraduates and financial instability contributed to most professional nurses not registering for master's studies. CONCLUSION The study concludes that the institution of higher learning should develop recruitment strategies for master's studies in nursing. Findings revealed lack of recruitment strategies, information about the masters degree, and scholarship as well as employer related factors such as lack of study leaves as challenges for recruiting nurses into a masters studies. Such strategies vi include the increase of funding scholarships by the universities that can facilitate the postgraduate uptake and allocation of study leaves for professional nurses by the Department of Health.

A research report submitted to the WITS School of Education, Faculty of Humanities; University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education by combination of coursework and research, Johannesburg, 2017 / Student success at university is dependent on various academic and non-academic factors. Some students may face barriers to their success due to these factors. Academic development for students and staff, as well as student support programmes can play an important role in helping students to overcome the barriers they may be experiencing. This study aims to differentiate between different forms of academic development and student support, and their functions as well as to understand how these types of programmes or initiatives were conceptualised and operationalized at WITS. An important aim was to understand the provision of academic development and student support from the top-down, through examining WITS‟s policies on these issues. This was done through a comparative case study of two Schools in different Faculties at WITS. A series of interviews was conducted with practitioners working within programmes, at Faculty and School-level, and those who have had extensive experience within the field. What emerges from this research is that there are different programmes or initiatives in place in both Schools. These include teaching and learning development initiatives, student academic development programmes and student support programmes. However, without a policy or guidelines, the nature of academic development and student support tends to be uneven and each of the practitioners had varied perspectives based on their experiences in the field. There are various challenges faced by the programmes, but these are navigated differently by the practitioners given their context and agency. This unevenness and the varied experiences of the practitioners in this study tend to suggest the need for a policy to guide the implementation of academic development and student support. / XL2019

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The use and abuse of illicit drugs is a challenge which affects people on a global scale and South Africa. The use of a new street drug known as nyaope (whonga) has been on the rise in the country amongst the youth, including university students. Its use is associated with a wide range of negative consequences such as poor academic performance, aggression, vandalism, rape, risky sexual behaviours, and social dysfunctionality. The main objective of this study was to explore the self-reported experiences and behaviours of students who use nyaope at the University of Limpopo. The study was qualitative in nature as the researcher wanted to gather first-hand, in-depth information. The sample was purposive in nature and consisted of 6 participants. Quality criteria were used to ensure the quality and rigour of the findings. Thematic content analysis (TCA) was used to analyse data. Six major themes emerged from the analysis which were supported by existing findings. The themes were identified as: causes of drug use, frequency of drug use, experiences of students, knowledge about the negative implications of the drug and self-reported behaviours. Participants reported experiencing a decline in academic performance, deteriorating relationships with others, poor physical and psychological wellbeing, behavioural changes and perceiving that they were discriminated against. The findings of this study are useful to aid in informing policy and interventions at the University. They may also help psychologists who work with drug abusers

Thesis(M.A.(Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The aim of this study was to explore the forms of address and terms of reference used by students to address their lecturers at the University of Limpopo. The study discovered that, there were many ways in which forms of address and terms of reference are used. The theory of pronouns of power and solidarity by Brown and Gilman (1960) is implemented. Data are collected using face-to-face and telephone interviews from a sample of fifteen (15) University of Limpopo postgraduate students majoring in languages and linguistics in Turfloop, Limpopo, South Africa, however, ten (10) participants satisfied the notion of data saturation. This is because the participants were giving slightly similar information. The study found that there are two types of forms of address which are used by the University of Limpopo students which are Names and Titles. Addressing lecturers by first name, last name, nickname or title plus first name symbolises closer relationship between student and lecturers whereas, addressing lecturers by title only or title plus last name represents a limited relationship between the lecturer and student. It is found that most of postgraduate students address lecturers depending on the relationship existing between them and the lecturers. It has been found that, the factors that influence choice of forms of address are setting, respect, degree of intimacy, age and culture; and factors that influence the use of terms of reference are setting and respect. The data obtained reveal that undergraduate students, especially first years are not aware of the importance of forms of address. And it has been found that students promote the idea of the implementation of a rule(s) or policy regarding the importance of forms of address.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023 / Introduction: Nutritional knowledge is essential for selecting healthy and nutritious meals. However, access to consistent, adequate and nutritious food was unattainable for university students, despite the fact that food was considered a human basic right. Food insecurity is a real issue in South African universities, but it is poorly documented. Numerous studies have used one approach to measure food insecurity rates in various universities, either quantitative or qualitative. There is a scarcity of data on food insecurity among students in institutions of higher learning in Limpopo Province. Food insecure students used a variety of coping mechanisms such as, borrowing money, buying cheap food, skipping meals, sharing food, and reducing portion size in order to cope with food insecurity. The goal of the study was to investigate the level of nutrition knowledge, food insecurity, and coping strategies among students at the School of Health Care Sciences. at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. Methodology: The explanatory sequential mixed-method approach was used in this study. The quantitative survey employed convenience sampling, with 237 undergraduate participants from the Health Care Sciences. Nutritional knowledge was assessed using a multiple-choice questionnaire adapted from the Perlstein study. Food security status was assessed using the eight (8) questions from Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Fourteen purposefully selected in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted to explore life experiences and coping strategies of food-insecure students. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 11.0, Fischer’s exact test to test the association between food insecurity and nutritional knowledge with regards to age, gender and study level and thematic analysis for the qualitative data. Findings: Students were on average 21 years old, in level II and level III years of study. Fifteen percent (n=36) had poor nutritional knowledge, 69% (n=164) had moderate nutrition knowledge, and 14.7% (n=35) had good nutritional knowledge. Both males and females in the current study had a fair amount of dietary knowledge. Twenty-four percent (n=57) experienced moderate food insecurity and 16% (n=37) had severe food insecurity. The rate of food insecurity in the study exceeded the national rate. Lack of budgeting skills, delayed distribution of bursary money, unforeseen costs, and household obligations were among the factors that aided in food insecurity. Food-insecure students applied numerous coping mechanisms, such as borrowing money from friends, sharing food, buying cheap food, and cutting portion sizes. The study found a significant association between a study level and nutrition knowledge with a P-value of 0.02 for both study levels less than and more than two years. Six themes emerged from interviews with food-insecure students i.e., coping strategies, nutrition knowledge, hunger and academic effect, competing expenses, health triangle and contributing factors to lack of money to buy food. Conclusion: This study provided insight into the food insecurity levels and the nutritional knowledge of the students in the Health Care Sciences at the University of Limpopo. It further offered an understanding of how students experienced food insecurity and the various coping mechanisms employed to deal with the situation. The rate of food insecurity in the study exceeded the national rate. Nutrition education programmes and interventions that address food insecurity are important and the strengthening of existing support systems to ensure that students cope and succeed in their studies. Future research is needed to cover a large scale of students.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is the contention of this study that competence in science and mathematics is a necessary condition for access to higher education, but that it is a general interest in science that will inspire learners to pursue careers in science and technology. The objective of this study was to develop a profile of the individual who chooses to study science and engineering. The three research questions were, firstly, what is the background profile of a group of learners who have decided to study science and engineering? Secondly, what are the characteristic features of the school-science experience of these learners? Lastly, what are the factors that learners think most influenced their decision to study science and engineering? This study was formulated as having a descriptive purpose and hence a survey research design was used. Self-reported retrospective data were collected using a questionnaire which was designed with reference to a number of sources (e.g., Woolnough, 1994). After piloting the questionnaire, it was administered to all firstyear students registered in the faculties of Science and Engineering at the University of Cape Town. A total of 204 first-year science and 247 first-year engineering students formed the final sample of this study. Quantitative analysis of the students’ responses showed that 66% of respondents were male. The majority of female students were registered in the science faculty. English was the home language of 55% of the sample, with 32% of students reported speaking one of the other nine official languages at home. Parents, career counselors and teachers most influenced students’ decision to study science or engineering. The vast majority of respondents took Physical Science at school. Students’ experiences of school science were diverse. Students’ responses generally reflected a poor commitment on the part of schools to expose students to noncurriculum activities generally thought to promote an interest in science. Overall, the majority of students reflected an enthusiasm for learning to do science through scientific experiments, albeit with preference for a teacher-driven approach to classroom activities. Personal motivation, receiving a bursary, and access to information were the main factors that students said influenced their decision to study science and engineering. While information received at a careers open day and participating in a school science competition was crucial for science students, engineering students showed a general curiosity for science, for knowing how things work, and for creating and designing things. For most African students information received at a careers open day was important, while a curiosity for science and receiving a bursary were equally important in influencing non-African students to pursue further study in science or engineering. The results of this study suggest that what parents say, and the information that learners have access to, is important to the decisions that learners make in regard to future careers in science and engineering. It is suggested that future strategies for promoting science in general must include parents, teachers and senior learners in the dissemination of general information about science, about people in science, about using science in everyday life, and about the possibilities for further study in science and engineering. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is die uitgangspunt van hierdie ondersoek dat vaardigheid in die wetenskap en wiskunde ‘n noodsaaklike voorwaarde is vir toegang to tersiêre onderwys, maar dat ‘n algemene belangstelling in die wetenskap leerders sal inspireer om loopbane in die natuurwetenskappe en tegnologie te volg. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om ‘n profiel te ontwikkel van die individu wat die natuurwetenskappe en ingenieurswese kies as studierigting. Die drie navorsingsvrae was, eerstens, wat is die agtergrondsprofiel van leerders wat besluit om in die natuurwetenskappe en ingenieurswese te studeer? Tweedens, wat is die kenmerkende eienskappe van hierdie leerders se skoolervaring? Laastens, watter faktore dink hierdie leerders het hulle besluit om in die natuurwetenskappe en ingenieurswese te studeer, die meeste beïnvloed? Hierdie ondersoek is beskrywend van aard en dus is ‘n steekproef as navorsingsontwerp gebruik. Selfgerapporteerde retrospektiewe data is ingesamel deur middel van ‘n vraelys wat ontwerp is met verwysings na ‘n verskeidenheid bronne (bv., Woolnough, 1994). Die vraelys is versprei aan alle eerste-jaar geregistreerde studente in die Natuurwetenskappe en Ingenieurswese Fakulteite by die Universiteit van Kaapstad, nadat ‘n voortoetsing van die vraelys uitgevoer is. ‘n Totaal van 204 eerste-jaar natuurwetensakppe en 247 eerste-jaar ingenieurswese studente was deel van die finale steekproef van hierdie ondersoek. Die kwantitatiewe ontleding van die studenteterugvoer toon dat 66% van die respondente manlik is. Die meerderheid vroulike studente was geregistreer in die natuurwetenskappe fakulteit. Engels was die huistaal van 55% van die steekproef, en 32% van die studente het aangedui dat hulle een of meer van die ander nege amptelike landstale praat. Ouers, beroepsvoorligters en onderwysers het die meeste invloed gehad op die studente se besluit om in die natuurwetenskappe of ingenieurswese te studeer. Die oorgrote meerderheid respondente het Natuur- en Skeikunde op skool geneem. Studente se skoolervarings en ervaring van die wetenskap op skool was uiteenlopend. Studente se terugvoer het in die algemeen gedui op ‘n swak verbintenis van skole tot die blootstelling van studente aan niekurrikulêre aktiwiteite wat oor die algemeen belangstelling in die wetenskap kweek. Die meerderheid studente het in die geheel ‘n entoesiasme getoon om meer te leer van die wetenskap deur die uitvoer van wetenskaplike eksperimente, hoewel met ‘n voorkeur vir ‘n onderwyser-gedrewe benadering tot klaskamer aktiwiteite. Persoonlike motivering, om ‘n beurs te ontvang, en toegang tot inligting is deur studente aangedui as van die vernaamste faktore wat ‘n invloed op hulle keuse van die natuurwetenskappe en ingenieurswese as studierigting gehad het. Die inligting wat die natuurwetenskappe studente ontvang het by beroepsgeoriënteerde opedae en deelname in ‘n skool wetenskapskompetisie was beslissend in hulle besluit. Die ingenieurswese studente daarteenoor het ‘n algemene nuurskierigheid vir die wetenskap en hoe dinge werk, hoe om dinge te skep en te ontwerp, getoon. Die inligting wat swart studente by beroepsgeoriënteerde opedae ontvang het, was belangrik, terwyl ‘n wetenskaplike nuuskierigheid en die toekenning van ‘n beurs ‘n ewe belangrike invloed gehad het op ander studente se keuse om verdere studie in die natuurwetenskappe of ingenieurswese voort te sit. Die resultate van hierdie ondersoek dui daarop dat wat ouers sê, en die inligting waartoe leerders toegang het, belangrik is vir die besluite wat leerders neem met betrekking tot toekomstige loopbane in die natuurwetenskappe en ingenieurswese. Daar word voorgestel dat toekomstige strategieë vir die bevordering van die wetenskap in die algemeen ouers, onderwysers en senior leerders moet insluit in die verspreiding van algemene inligting oor die wetenskap, oor mense in die wetenskap, oor die gebruik van die wetenskap in die alledaagse lewe, en die moontlikhede van verdere studies in die natuurwetenskappe en ingenieurswese.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Information Technology)) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2013 / The aim of this study was to create a dynamic software system that captures all information related to a student and delivers it to the educators, principal, higher authorities and parents. In order to achieve this aim, an investigation was launched as to the development of a cost-effective school management system for disadvantaged schools in the Free State Province using the Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model. Although a variety of other school management systems exist in the market, they are often expensive and difficult to maintain. Details such as previous academic performances, disciplinary actions taken against a student in the current school, ailments the student suffers from and parental details are some of the information that will help an educator to better understand a student. The software that is currently in use fails to deliver this information. Designing the software as a multitenant system, helps accommodate different schools under the same database, while the shared database, shared schema reduces back-end costs. Database design was carried out in such a way that tenant data is logically isolated and that data integrity is maintained throughout. What makes the software explained in this study cost effective is the method of delivery that was employed, which is SaaS. Here, software is not purchased, there is no upfront capital and the yearly license fee is eliminated, as schools need only pay a monthly rental fee for the services they use. Since all services are provided through the Internet, there is no need for system space; the only requirement is a high-speed Internet network.

The research question the researcher set out to answer was: How do student nurses experience learning in the clinical field? The research question stemmed from years of experience in nursing education and a concern about student nurses' involvement in the clinical area. A phenomenological investigation was embarked upon involving principles from Wertz's (1983, 1984, 1985) empirical psychological reflection. The existential base-line for the research was stated as: Human experience results in learning. The base-line also supported the assumptions underlying the current research and are in line with phenomenological philosophy. Participants were selected from the student nurse population in the Limpopo Province via convenience and purposive sampling. Five students from second through fourth year of training according to SANC Regulation R425 were selected. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. One initial and one follow-up interview were conducted with each participant. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis at the idiographic and nomothetic levels was conducted through open coding, categorisation and constant comparative analysis. Four major themes emerged from the data namely: * Descriptive overview of clinical learning * The lived experience of student nurses * Motivational factors in clinical learning * Erosive factors in clinical learning Awareness figured as an all accommodating concept to theme and categories. It figured as a multi-dimensional concept that positions and orientates student nurses in the clinical setting. Awareness answers the student nurse's existential question: Where am I? Based on the findings OF the current research and guided by the concept of an integrated holistic awareness, conclusions were drawn and recommendations and guidelines were formulated relating to: nursing education, nursing management, cooperation between education and services, clinical teaching, future research and theory development. / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Clinical learning experiences form an integral part of the student nurse's training, for it is in the clinical setting that students acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary for professional practice. The purpose of this research was to explore student nurses experiences during clinical practice. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised, employing the phenomenological method. Unstructured interviews were conducted with student nurses in their final year of the four year nursing programme at a nursing college campus in the Limpopo Province. Tesch's method of data analysis was used. The findings indicate that there are aspects which impact negatively on student nurses' clinical learning experiences, such as lack of teaching and learning support, lack of opportunities for learning, poor theory-practice integration, and poor interpersonal relationships between the students, college tutors and ward staff. Recommendations to enhance the clinical learning experiences of student nurses were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

This study provides a critical interrogation of the perceptions held by the undergraduate Philosophy of Education students at an open and distance learning institution, towards African philosophy. The study is premised on famed Kenyan philosopher, Odera Henry Oruka‟s classification of African philosophy into four trends: ethno-philosophy, philosophic sagacity, nationalist-ideological philosophy and professional philosophy. These trends confirm that African philosophy is more than traditions, culture or ubuntu, and more complex than the students make it to be. The study makes a link between the students‟ flawed perceptions of African philosophy with their lack of critical thinking skills. The study has attempted to answer questions such as why students have flawed perceptions of African philosophy; how critical thinking assists in changing their perceptions of African philosophy, and what role can the education system play in equipping students with critical thinking skills. The study‟s findings show that undergraduate Philosophy of Education students conflate African philosophy with African people‟s traditions and cultures, and with ubuntu. Students perceive that African philosophy lacks reason and rationality - key elements of critical thinking. The study‟s findings show that students lack critical thinking skills. The study notes that the way students are taught makes a large contribution to their perceptions and lack of critical thinking skills. The study makes the following recommendations. Firstly, to deal with the problem of students‟ conflations, the study recommends the introduction of the principles of African philosophy, namely, ubuntu, communalism and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in the school curriculum, and to emphasise these principles in the curricula of higher education institutions. Secondly, the study recommends the introduction of philosophy for children (P4C) in schools. It is envisaged that P4C will assist learners to acquire critical thinking skills at an early stage of learning. Thirdly, the study recommends the teaching of critical thinking skills at universities. Finally, the study recommends that in- service training be made an integral part of teachers‟ and lecturers‟ professional training, to bring them up-to-date with new ideas and methods of teaching. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)