Thesis (M. Ed.(Educational Psychology)) - Central University of technology, Free State, 2010 / The purpose of this study was to: * Investigate how school management understands and responds to the impact of HIV and AIDS on educators at Botshabelo primary schools. * Formulate recommendations, based on the findings of the study, for the design of programmes to develop school principals and heads of department so that they can proactively deal with HIV and AIDS. The method of research consists of an investigation in which a sample of thirty (30) primary schools at Botshabelo in the Free State Province was used. Questionnaires were distributed among the principals and heads of department. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the experiences and perceptions of the principals and heads of department towards understanding and responding to the impact of HIV and AIDS on educators. The empirical research was undertaken so as to gather information that could provide answers to the following research questions: * What is the impact and effect of HIV and AIDS on educators? * How can educators be assisted to cope with the impact that HIV and AIDS may have on their lives? * What impact do HIV and AIDS infected educators have on school management? The literature study showed that HIV and AIDS impact on education in various ways. It also indicated that the pandemic has a psychological-social impact on educators. Questionnaires revealed that most educators lose interest in their career. The study also revealed that HIV and AIDS education has not been extensively covered and standardised at the primary schools in Botshabelo. The findings derived from questionnaires provided several implications for planning, teaching and implementation of HIV and AIDS awareness programmes. Although the majority of the principals and heads of department believed that it is necessary to implement the HIV and AIDS policies in their schools, the results revealed that some are neglecting the implementation of HIV and AIDS policies. Lastly, the specific HIV and AIDS programmes should be co-ordinated by the Free State Department of Education in order to ensure that the support programmes achieve what they are intended to achieve. Principals and heads of department should be encouraged to take the lead in the fight against the impact of HIV and AIDS on education.

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008 / Local government (LG) is under increasing pressure from the milk industry and consumers regarding their ability and willingness to carry out their mandate with regard to the quality control of milk, especially in the informal sector. The government and the milk industry currently have programmes underway to stimulate economic activities in the informal sector, targeting emerging cattle farmers for the production of milk as part of government’s Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA). These initiatives further increase the number of informal milk producers and distributors, which holds a further challenge to regulatory authorities. At the same time, the quality of milk from the informal milk-producing sector poses a serious public health concern. Most of the milk produced and sold by the informal sector is raw (unpasteurised), which does not meet the minimum statutory requirements, and the milking practices applied by the informal sector also do not comply with best practice compliance standards. Local authorities (LAs) are statutorily responsible for registering milking parlours and controlling milk hygiene quality from production stage to purchase stage in order to ensure safe and wholesome dairy products to the consumer. Therefore, LG should play an increasingly important role in ensuring that safe and wholesome milk is produced and distributed to the consumers. All metropolitan municipalities (metros) and district municipalities (DMs) should be authorised by the Ministry of Health to enforce the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972) through their authorised officials – mainly environmental health practitioners (EHPs). Secondly, LG should have specific programmes, systems and resources to register, monitor, evaluate and control milk production and distribution outlets for continued compliance

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006 / The demand for continuing reform to technical and vocational education system and its products and services had been inevitable. The challenge for both the Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Lerotholi Polytechnic had been to develop strategies, which would enable both economic and social goals to be realized. However, it had been a major concern that the present training system had been having some limitations and the Government’s investments in technical and vocational education produced un-healthy results and returns. The private sector had a poor few of the quality and relevance of the training offered by the public technical institutions; more specifically the Lerotholi Polytechnic, and majority of the labour market had been reluctant to employ the graduates from the institution. If quality assurance and relevance prevailed the private sector would send their employees, supervisors and managers for skills upgrading to the Lerotholi Polytechnic. The Government of Lesotho could promote its economic growth and poverty alleviation objectives if the existing tailored training substantiated to impact on the socio-economic development. The study was intended to investigate the impact of the Lerotholi Polytechnic programmes on the socio-economic development on Lesotho with special reference to Maseru district. The premises lied upon access to the Lerotholi Polytechnic technical and vocational education programmes, relevance of these programmes towards socioeconomic development, their quality assurance for the contribution towards the socioeconomic development and the training and learning strategies employed in the Lerotholi Polytechnic. Management issues such as planning, control and coordination also had to be envisaged with respect to the legal framework of technical and vocational education. Both the Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Lerotholi Polytechnic formed the sample population whose responses had been triangulated in the quest for the imperative epistemic of the impact of technical and vocational education on the socio-economic development of Lesotho with special reference to Maseru district. Results had been presented and findings acknowledged. Recommendations had been advocated for the better functioning of the Lerotholi Polytechnic programmes in the contribution towards socio-economic development of Lesotho with special reference to Maseru district.

Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008 / The purpose of this study was to evaluate brewing and consumption practices and to screen for micro-organisms and mycotoxins associated with traditional beer produced and consumed in the marginal urban settlements of the city of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The survey study revealed that traditional beer is no longer being brewed for traditional purposes only, as was the case in the past, but rather for commercial gain. Both brewers and consumers, however, appeared to be largely unaware of disease-causing micro-organisms present on the hands or bodies of handlers that can be transferred to the beverage during the handling process, and were seemingly not conversant with regard to the effects of hazardous ingredients sometimes incorporated during the brewing process. Unemployment and a lack of education emerged as pivotal factors related to the production of traditional beer and the ignorance of the associated safety thereof. The survey further indicated that although facilities such as the availability of potable water (taps in yards) and flushing toilets were sometimes in place, other facilities such as basins with hot running water were often not available. In commercially produced and homebrewed traditional beer the mean counts for total coliforms and Staphylococcus spp. were circa 105 cfu.ml-1 whereas the TVC (Total Viable Counts) and total fungi counts were 106 and 107 cfu.ml-1 respectively. The total coliforms and Staphylococcus spp. counts for homebrewed traditional beer were approximately one log-phase higher than the commercial version. The counts in the homebrewed beer probably originated from contamination during handling, while in the commercial product contamination originated either in the raw ingredients or during postprocessing and consumption. Apart from staphylococci, considerable numbers of total coliforms indicating faecal contamination were noted. A rapid, easy, reliable and accurate technique that could be used to quantify the level of mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol and citrinin) in the beer was developed through validation of the ELISA Ridascreen methodology. Using this method, the deoxynivalenol (DON) level in the beer samples was found to exceed the recommended levels suggested by the European Union, while citrinin levels in the samples varied between 35.6 ppb and 942.2 ppb. In the case of citrinin there were statistically significant differences between spring, summer and winter samples, confirming the seasonal impact on fungal growth and consequent mycotoxin production. An R2-value of 0.409 was noted between DON and citrinin, indicating a weak positive association. Finally, an awareness programme in the format of a poster with accompanying subscripts was developed to address issues of safety and hygiene of traditional beer in the study area. The poster utilises animatedstyle colour images of selected practices that need to be addressed, accompanied by slogans summarising the particular image in English, Afrikaans and Setswana. It is envisaged that, as part of a comprehensive awareness programme, the poster will contribute greatly to the quality, safety and promotion of traditional beer in the area.

Thesis (M. Ed. Educational management) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2012 / The purpose of the study was to investigate Life Skills as an intervention strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS among the teenagers at Senakangwedi Senior Secondary School in Botshabelo, Free State. Life Skills as an intervention strategy were implemented in one secondary school in Free State Province in Motheo District. A cohort of 30 learners and 10 educators from secondary schools in Botshabelo, Free State Province participated in the study. The respondents comprised of 10 learners from Grade 10, 10 from grade 11 and 10 learners from Grade 12 as well as ten educators. Learners were between the ages of 15 and 20 years. Between these ages their cognitive development allows them to be more aware of Life Skills as an intervention strategy to combat HIV/AIDS at school. Thus, it was easy for them to verbalise Life Skills as an intervention strategy to fight HIV/AIDS. Due to their ages, their operational thinking allowed them to develop hypotheses about the possible outcomes of problems and to evaluate these outcomes comparatively. Educators were controlled by the level of their education, being respondents with a diploma or university degree. Comparatively learners who are 18 years of age were themselves concerned as they were heads of households. To arrive at the reported findings the study used the qualitative research approach methodology. This qualitative approach enabled the researcher to access information relating to the learners’ and educators' perceptions about HIV/AIDS. A life history approach was adopted in conducting the interviews to obtain a holistic understanding of participants’ life events in relation to their home environment. The interview guide covered such dimensions as family background and schooling. In the interviewing process, the researcher used the techniques of crystallisation and confrontation to enhance the clarity and trustworthiness of the narratives. In cases of ambiguity, the researcher asked the respondents for detailed and concrete examples and, in case of inconsistence, for further clarification and re-interpretation. The interview data were later transcribed for data analysis. The grounded theory approach was adopted to analyse the interview data, through which the categories of learner’s perceived motivations emerged naturally from their narratives. The evolving process comprised the following steps: (1) careful and repeated reading of transcriptions; (2) open content coding to signify any units of meaningful narratives in the passages. Ethical approval to conduct the study was sought and obtained from participating respondents and institutions. The results showed that most learners in the sample are orphans as result of AIDS and that many households are now headed by teenagers who have had to take on parental responsibilities. The results showed that Life Skills reduce teenage pregnancy and absenteeism at school. According to the results, life skills changed the behaviour of the learners and their attitude towards HIV/AIDS and therefore, learners should be educated about HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and its prevention, as a strategy to reduce HIV/AIDS in schools. Life Skills is fundamental in empowering learners to live meaningful lives in a society that demands rapid transformation that enhances the community. The pandemic undermines the efforts of poverty reduction, part of the manifesto of the African National Congress (ANC) led Government; which aims at improving economic growth. In addition, the study revealed that learners feel free to talk to one another and that coaching by a Life Skills educator, assists in ensuring that HIV/AIDS-related topics are discussed with ease. The results showed that most learners agree that Life skills empower them with a sound and helpful background to prevent HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, learners admitted that the Life Skills programme effectively empowered them with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions regarding sexuality. From the study a few valuable lessons were learned by the learners’ as an awareness of the pandemic and its consequences for their lives.

Thesis (M. Tech)(Education) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2007 / The aim of the study is to determine the impediments to parental involvement in the governance of selected primary schools in the Bloemfontein area. It also examines the impact of the principals’ attitudes as perceived by the parents towards their involvement in the governance of the school; the means of communication between the school and parents; whether co-operation between the principal and parents affects school governance; and whether familiarity with parents’ roles as stipulated in the South African Schools Act affects their participation in school governance. The literature was consulted on the segregated education of the previously disadvantaged people under apartheid. The transition from apartheid to education under the new political dispensation, as set out in the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 also received attention. The study further addresses the issue of parents’ reluctance to participate in school governance and the views of teachers and parents on their roles in school governance. Ministerial investigation into the effectiveness of school governing bodies is presented and an international perspective on school governing bodies is also provided. A quantitative method using survey research method was employed in this study and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The aim was to elicit responses from the parents in as far as impediments to parental involvement in the governance of schools is concerned. It was revealed, however, that despite the parents’ reluctance to take part in school governance, principals’ attitudes were found to have a positive effect on parental participation in school governance. Methods of communication between the school and the parents were found to be effective, though a suggestion is made for improvement. Parents were found to be willing to co-operate with one another for the betterment of the school. Furthermore, parents were found to be familiar with the roles of members of the school governing body, irrespective of whether they are members of the school governing body or not.

Thesis (Ph.d.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006 / The research investigates the use of the Communicative Learning Programmes in the English First Additional Language (EFAL) Senior phase classrooms in the Free State province. During the turn of the twentieth century, syllabi were tools that were designed and provided by the Department of Education to the schools. Recent changes in education in South Africa now expect educators to design these learning programmes. The Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) details steps that educators can follow in order to design the learning programmes for their learning areas. Outcomes-Based Education encompasses the eight learning areas in the Senior phase, namely Languages, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Social Science, Technology, Life Orientation, and Arts and Culture. The learning area that this study focuses on is Languages. EFAL is one of the languages that form the learning area of Languages. EFAL comprises six learning outcomes that have to be interpreted by the educators and achieved by the learners by linking teaching and learning with the accompanying assessment standards. Through the use of the communicative approach and co-operative strategies during group work, this study adds to the body of knowledge communicative learning programmes that Senior phase EFAL educators can use to assist and complement their current strategies.

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009

The aim of this study is to determine the role that innovation plays in economic development and how an economic environment can be created that is conducive to innovation. The urgent need for development in large parts of the world indicates the importance of the increase in innovative activities because innovation is indicated as the “engine of growth and development”. It was found that innovation takes place within an innovation system and should be studied from a system perspective. The system perspective implies that there are different participants and that these participants function individually but that they also interact (wittingly or unwittingly) with one another. The innovation system is defined as a system that includes the participants or actors and their activities and interactions, as well as the socio-economic environment within which these actors or participants function, which determine the innovative performance of the system. A system approach is therefore necessary to study the influence of innovation on development. The role that innovation plays in economic development has been established by means of the historical patterns of economic development and major innovations as well as an analysis of literature of empirical studies. The historical pattern indicates the importance of innovation for economic development, but literature revealed the complexity of the relationship due to the non-linear relationship among different actors or participants in an innovation system. The main determinants of innovation was identified and a conceptual, descriptive model for an innovation system was developed, indicating the different participants, their roles, the interaction among them, and the economic environment within which the participants function. The model was applied to the Mpumalanga province in South Africa as case study. Strengths and weaknesses were identified in the Mpumalanga innovation system and recommendations were made for the improvement of the Mpumalanga innovation system which in turn should lead to an improvement in the economic development of the province. / Economics / D.Comm. (Economics)

Thesis (Master of Military Studies)-Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 2008. / Title from title page of PDF document (viewed on: Feb 2, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.