Large numbers of students tend to experience failure and dropout in their first year at university. The fundamental aim of this research was to explore protective factors that could foster resilience amongst first year students. It is hoped that resilience research can give young adults the skills and support to survive academic challenges with the help of the university. This study undertook to determine resilience traits that could contribute to academic success. Students who enrolled at the University of the Western Cape for the first time during the year 2003 participated in this study.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / In this day and age, technology keeps advancing thereby enabling electronic libraries to be one of the most useful sources of information. Traditional, physical libraries are, however, still in existence and one would wonder what the impact of online library is on physical libraries. In this research, the impact of electronic libraries on physical libraries in a South African university is evaluated. The main purpose of this study was to explore the impact of electronic libraries on physical libraries. The goal of the study was to conceptualize a framework for understanding the impact of Electronic library on Physical library which was accomplished by finding out whether the number of physical library users had increased or decreased in terms of the usage of the physical library in the past five years, what challenges are being faced by physical libraries due to the availability of electronic libraries and finally by evaluating the impact of electronic libraries on physical libraries.

Submitted in Fulfillment of the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Aim The aim of the study was to examine students’ perspectives regarding their learning in a community based undergraduate nursing programme at the Durban University of Technology in South Africa. Methodology A quantitative descriptive design was used to examine student nurses’ perspectives regarding their experiences in community-based education (CBE), with specific reference to perceived academic gains, local and global gains, intrapersonal gains and interpersonal gains. Hours spent by students outside their CBE schedule as well as most preferred clinical practice Participants included 203 undergraduate nursing students drawn from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 cohorts. A stratified random sampling technique was used. A modified 4-point Likert scale version of a questionnaire designed by Ibrahim (2010), which also comprised of open-ended questions for supportive qualitative information, was used to collect data. Analysis was done accomplished using SPSS Version 22 for the quantitative data and identification of themes for the supportive qualitative information. Results The study results revealed that students had benefited from CBE in all the four domains under study. Participants rated the impact of CBE on academic gains lowest ( ̅x = 3.09, SD = .38) with perceived impact of CBE on local and global gains rated highest ( ̅x = 3.33, SD = .38). The personal gains subscale was the second highly rated subscale with a mean of 3.27 (SD = .43), followed by the intrapersonal gains domain ( ̅x = 3.15, SD .48). No significant differences were found between groups on all the variables of interest. Furthermore, the results revealed that participants spent a varying number of hours outside of scheduled CBE placement. The majority of the participants spent 200 hours to 399 hours (n= 119) = 58.6% in the first semester and (n = 120) = 59% in the second semester. The majority (72%) of the participants indicated that their preferred clinical practice environment was Primary Health Care. / M

M.A. / This study entailed research into the variables that play a significant role in the development of student culture, the specific nature of student culture at RAU and extent of the relationship between student participation in student culture and their work ethic/work orientation. In the qualitative phase of this study a total of 10 in-depth group interviews were conducted with 21 students in order to determine the nature of student culture at RAU. From these interviews certain variables of student culture at the RAU were identified and used to construct a questionnaire that was completed by a representative sample of 1000 students (quantitative phase). The questionnaire consisted of questions on the biographical- and academic background of students, their work ethic/work orientation and various aspects of student culture and -subcultures. By means of factor analysis and item analysis, eight scales were developed. These scales measured the work ethic/work orientation of students, the extent to which students regard academic merit as important, their participation in student culture, their conformation to academic student norms and the extent of their identification with the academic-, occupational-, college- and outside-campus student subcultures. The scales were further analysed in terms of the biographical- and academic background of students, making use of one-way analysis of variance and Scheffe's paired comparisons, Hotelling T2 and t-tests and Pearsons correlation's. Using bundle analysis four student subcultures, namely the active-, passive-, hardworking- and occupational subcultures, were identified at the RAU. These subcultures were also analysed in terms of students' backgrounds making use of crosstabulations with Chi t- tests. It was found that students have a relatively high work ethic/work orientation: The most important factors that bring about a difference in terms of students work ethic/work orientation are gender, the faculty within which students study, the method students use to pay for their studies and the RAUstudent subculture that students belong to.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Abstract The HIV pandemic continues to intensify in most countries, especially in Sub­ Saharan Africa, with 1.8 million new people becoming infected with the disease in 2011. Sub- Saharan Africa is the world's worst HIV and AIDS affected region. The intensity of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa creates additional challenges for health workers. Apart from the fact that they could be infected, they have to deal with an increasing number of people who suffer from a fatal disease for which no cure has been found. Nurses are expected to give all the necessary care to these patients. The HIV and AIDS epidemic in South Africa poses challenges for an overburdened health care system. There is limited knowledge about health care perceptions and emotional experiences of providing HIV and AIDS related care and support. It is against this backdrop that the researcher has chosen to explore the experiences of first-year student nurses, caring for HIV and AIDS patients. Aim of the study The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of first-year student nurses, nursing HIV and AIDS patients. Methodology A descriptive phenomenological research design was used to explore the experiences of first-year student nurses, caring for HIV and AIDS patients. The research setting was two colleges of nursing in the uMgungundlovu District that offer the four-year nursing diploma programme. The type of purposeful sampling that was used was criterion sampling, which entailed studying cases which met pre-set criteria. In-depth interviews with the first-year student nurses, who had experienced nursing HIV and AIDS patients, were conducted. The data was analysed manually and put into categories and sub-categories as they emerged. Results The findings revealed that the participants had positive and negative experiences when they provided nursing care to HIV positive patients. The positive experiences were that the participants did not fear meeting HIV positive patients and they were not traumatized. These participants nursed HIV positive patients like any other patient. The participants expressed their feelings as sad and bad. Participants who had negative experiences were shocked, scared and cried when they met HIV positive patients. Six participants reported that they did not know of any facilities available for debriefing and sharing of experiences. The remaining participants identified the group lecturer, group mates, the psychologist and registered nurse in the ward. There was a lesson in class that was dedicated to debriefing and the sharing of experiences. The majority of the participants (n=10) stated that HIV and AIDS was transmitted through contact with infected body fluids and blood. The participants identified similar methods of transmission, which were unprotected sexual intercourse, needle-stick injuries, use of contaminated needles and mother- to- child transmission of HIV and AIDS. The participants were able to correctly identify the modes of transmission, except for one participant who was not sure if HIV and AIDS was transmitted through breast-feeding, due to a lack of knowledge of the modes of transmission. Six participants identified voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) as a support service available for nurses exposed to HIV and AIDS. Three participants verbalised that they did not know of any services available to student nurses. Some participants were not sure if the services were available and accessible and had no idea if the services were available and accessible to the student nurses. There were various problems that were encountered by the participants with regards to accessing the services. These included a lack of privacy, fear of giving information to colleagues, early closure of the clinic and unavailability of the counsellor when needed. Recommendations were made concerning the need for adequate preparation of student nurses in their early training, with regard to VCT, PMTCT, home- based care and support groups. The stigma for HIV and AIDS needs to be adequately addressed. Support for student nurses needs to be provided when dealing with death of HIV and AIDS patients, as a large majority voiced not being able to cope. Conclusion Student nurses who shared their experiences nursing HIV and AIDS patients had positive and negative experiences when they provided nursing care to HIV positive patients. The participants needed the relevant support and counselling to be available when needed. Stigma still exists, even though HIV and AIDS has existed for at least thirty years. / PDF copy unavailable. please refer to hard copy for full text information / M

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Education University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy / In the mid 1970s certain hitherto white private schools began admitting pupils of other race groups. As desegregated schools become more common in this country, there is need for curriculum research that can inform both policy makers and practioners. This study explores curriculum issues at a secondary school ten years after it admitted pupils of all race groups. Located within the qualitative research paradigm, this research is an ethnographic case study based on a year's participant observation in the school The study focused on teachers' approaches to their work, their aims, choice of material and methodology, academic achievement patterns, perceptions of factors influencing these and strategies for dealing with them; pupils' responses to different curriculum content, teaching styles and strategies, and the interplay between social interaction and learning. Within a framework of Similarity, there were differences among black and white pupils' expectations of the school, their evaluation of subjects, their prioritization of constructs of good teaching and their evaluation of the school in fulfilling key expectations. Black pupils underachieved academically. and were relatively more sensitive to the subtle tension underlying race group interaction. The curriculum was perceived as basically assimilationist, and most teaching conservative. geared toward narrow academic aims. A small group of teachers who promoted a less Eurocentric approach which tended to be more pupil-centered, activity-based and issue-centered met some opposition from their colleagues. The study highlights the interplay between social interaction and achievement, the need to address both social and personal educational aims together with academic achievement. The findings suggest that unless certain key curriculum changes are implemented, black pupils are likely to remain academically marginalized in open schools, and desegregated schools run the risk of contributing little to social change. / AC2017

Thesis (M. Ed.) --University of the North, 1998 / Refer to the document / HSRC (Human Science Research Council)

Text in English / The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions and attitudes of student nurses towards anatomy and physiology. The study was conducted in the nursing education setting at three campuses of one college of nursing in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive research design was utilised, with a survey and a self-administered questionnaire as data collection method and instrument respectively. Probability sampling was utilised to select a sample of 2nd year student nurses registered for the 4-year diploma at the selected college of nursing. Data was analysed by means of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. The results revealed both positive and negative perceptions and attitudes towards anatomy and physiology. Positive attitudes and perceptions were that the subject is enjoyable, easy, interesting and relevant to nursing practice. Negative attitudes were shown towards the classroom as not being conducive to learning and towards teaching methods that were not interactive. Recommendations were made to include interactive, evidence-based teaching learning methods in anatomy and physiology. / Health Studies / M. A. (Nursing Science)

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Refer to document

There is a paucity of South African data concerning the cross-cultural incidence of attitudes and behaviours associated with eating disorders. Research in this area has recognised that acculturation to a Western value system appears to have a pathogenic impact on the prevalence of disordered eating among non-Western ethnic groups. This study aimed to explore the relationship between acculturation and disordered eating, and to compare the level of disordered eating (as measured by the Eating Disorders Inventory [EDI]) among black and white female university students in KwaZulu-Natal. The roles of Body Mass Index (BMI) and socioeconomic status were also examined. The sample consisted of one hundred and twenty-two white female undergraduate students from the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg), fifteen black female undergraduate students from the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg), and one hundred and fifty-four black female undergraduate students from the University of Zululand. It was found that although black subjects obtained significantly higher scores on the Drive for Thinness subscale of the EDI, white subjects obtained significantly higher scores on a combination of the three subscales designated to assess disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. Black subjects obtained significantly higher BMI scores than white subjects, and BMI was positively correlated with Body Dissatisfaction in both groups, and with Drive for Thinness in the white group only. No relationship was found between socioeconomic status and disordered eating. Similarly, no relationship was found between acculturation and disordered eating. This latter result is partly a function of problems experienced with the measures of acculturation. A comparison of black subjects from the two universities suggests that greater contact with white students is influential in terms of the development of disordered eating. The above results are discussed in terms of the available literature, and recommendations for future research are made on the basis of the limitations of this study. The data from this study is included in a nation wide cross-cultural study of eating disorders initiated by the Eating Disorders Co-ordinating Committee. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.