The art and act of Rapping is a form of scientific research that takes place, in part, through introspection and sociocultural reflection. The Umfundisi Rap Technique and the theory of Ubuntu Rap are undergirded by the notion that to Rap is to research and reflect. That is, the act and art of Rapping involves, if not requires, the interrogation of one’s own physical and/or social circumstances and reveals one’s worldview through the conscious and subconscious signaling of their psychosocial location. To locate a text is to recognize the predispositions and philosophical objectives of an author and interpret such language, attitude, and direction based on their proximity to/distance from an Afrocentric psychology. However, what if there were a way to quantifiably measure location? What might such signposts and signals actually look like and how exactly might such “signposts” (or “words”) relate to underlying attitudes and directions? Moreover, could the expression of Ma’at itself, or maybe some kind of psychosocial well-being, be measured? If it were possible to measure a person’s psychosocial attitude and direction, might that also mean that there could be a way to gauge what kinds of cultural notions an author’s location is nearest to? The early MCs that held initial reverence and significance within their communities were those who could move the crowd with displays of rhetorical dexterity and celebrations of community. Rap’s current condition where a substantial proportion, if not an overwhelming majority, of the contemporary Rap lyrics and aesthetics that receive the largest amounts of social and financial elevation endorse hegemonic social philosophies of xenophobia, patriarchal violence, and other forms of psychological & physical subjugation has, for the most part, largely been agreed upon by most who have sought to examine Rap through an Afrocentric lens. Analyzing the conversation of thoughts particularly between the works of Tricia Rose, Joan Morgan, M.K. Asante, Jr., Jeff Chang, S. Craig Watkins, and Byron Hurt reveals two exceptionally noteworthy “crossover” events that brought forth the end of the era of Rap in which its overall orientation was primarily dictated by (and through) Afrikan agency amidst capitalist influences and duplicitous assurances of money, power, and assimilation from patriarchal Eurocentristic corporate structures at the cost of the Afrikan cultural communal spirit. The theory of Ubuntu Rap serves to emphasize the need for a very specific form of Afrocentric creative expression that addresses a very specific crisis. There is an intellectual and spiritual yearning, both conscious and subconscious, throughout the Afrikan diaspora for a framework of communication that is wholeheartedly and emphatically grounded in community, harmony, and sustainability. Ultimately, that is this project’s purpose and functional aspect: what routes can Rappers draw to navigate their way across the map of language & human speech toward a kind of maa kheru, or “trueness of voice”, designation? Such yearnings were the underlying driving force behind this project's intentions to imagine Ubuntu Rap as a particular canon/sub-genre of Rap grounded in Afrikan cultural ethical notions of community, harmony, and sustainability and to construct an Afrocentric research project that envisions the Umfundisi Rap Technique as a valid and practical method for the production of Ubuntu Rap. / Africology and African American Studies / Accompanied by two .JPEG Image files: 1) Utulivu Check-In Page 1 2) Utulivu Check-In Page 2

The purpose of the study was to propose a model (framework) for effective implementation of curricula in accredited Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) operating in a highly regulated higher education environment in Botswana. The study used a mixed methods research approach that employed concurrent triangulation design. A structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were used to collect data on the views of both 306 lecturers and 12 academic middle managers (AMMs) respectively, on how the curriculum is implemented in the accredited PHEIs. Data analysis was done using statistical tables, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Mann Whitney U-Test, regression analysis, correlation analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). Results of the study showed that characteristics of the external environment, lecturer, institution as well as characteristics and conception of the curriculum were all statistically, significantly and positively related to effective curriculum implementation in accredited PHEIs and hence acted as predictors of effective curriculum implementation in these institutions. The study also showed that factors in the above predictor variables which included heavy workloads, lack of training on pedagogical issues, limited opportunities for staff development in some of the PHEIs, limited teaching resources as well as a highly regulated higher education environment were major challenges affecting effective curriculum implementation in the PHEIS. It emerged from the study that a 1% improvement on each of the predictor variables could lead to improvements in the way curriculum is currently implemented in these institutions. Based on these results, a framework was proposed for enhancing curriculum implementation in accredited PHEIs. / Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwabe kuwukuthuthukisa imodeli yokuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu ngempumelelo eziKhungweni Zemfundo Ephakeme Zangasese ezigunyaziwe (ama-PHEI) eziqhuba umsebenzi wazo ngaphansi kwesimo semfundo ephakeme esilawulwa kakhulu. Lolu cwaningo lwasebenzisa indlela yokucwaninga exubile ngokulandela i-concurrent triangulation design. Ucwaningo lwasebenzisa i-structured questionnaire kanye ne-semi-structured interview guide ukuqoqa idatha mayelana nemibono yabafundisi basenyuvesi abangama-306 kanye nabaphathi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme abasezikhundleni zokuphatha ezimaphakathi (ama-AMM) abayi-12, ngokulandelana, mayelana nendlela okuqaliswa ngayo ikharikhulamu kuma-PHEI agunyaziwe. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kwenziwa ngokusebenzisa amathebula ezibalo, i-Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), i-Mann Whitney U-Test, i-regression analysis, i-correlation analysis kanye ne-structural equation modelling (SEM). Imiphumela yocwaningo yabonisa ukuthi izici zobunjalo besimo sangaphandle, izici zomfundisi, izici zesikhungo kanye nezici eziphathelene nekharikhulamu kanye nomsuka womqondo wokusungulwa kwayo, konke kwabe kukhombisa ukuhlobana okucacile futhi obuboniswa nayizibalo phakathi kwalokhu nokuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu ngempumelelo kuma-PHEI agunyaziwe futhi ngalokho-ke lokhu kwasebenza njengezibikezeli zokuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu ngempumelelo kulezi zikhungo. Ucwaningo lwabonisa nokuthi ezinye izimo, ngaphezu kwezibikezeli, ezibandakanya umsebenzi omningi ngokweqile okumele wenziwe ngumfundisi ngamunye, ukuntuleka kokuqeqeshwa mayelana nezindaba eziphathelene nokufundisa, amathuba ayingcosana kakhulu okuthuthukiswa kwabasebenzi kwezinye zalezi zikhungo ezingama-PHEI, izinsizakufundisa eziyingcosana kanye nesimo semfundo ephakeme esilawulwa kakhulu, kwabe kuyizinselelo ezinkulu ezinomthelela ekuqalisweni kwekharikhulamu ngempumelelo ezikhungweni ezingama-PHEI. Kwahlaluka ocwaningweni ukuthi ukuphuculwa kwesimo nge-1% esibikezelweni ngasinye kungaholela ekutheni ibe ngcono indlela okusetshenziswa ngayo ikharikhulamu kulezi zikhungo. Ngokususela kule miphumela, kwathuthukiswa imodeli yokwenza ngcono ukuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu kuma-PHEI agunyaziwe. / Die doel van die studie was om ʼn model (raamwerk) voor te stel vir doeltreffende kurrikulumimplementering in geakkrediteerde private hoëronderwysinstellings (PHEIs) wat in ʼn hoogs gereguleerde hoëronderwysomgewing funksioneer. ʼn Gemengdemetode-navorsingsbenadering is gevolg, met gebruik van gelyktydige-triangulasie-ontwerp. ʼn Gestruktureerde vraelys en ʼn halfgestruktureerde onderhoudsgids is gebruik om data in te samel oor die sienings van 306 dosente en 12 akademiese middelbestuurders (AMMs) onderskeidelik, oor hoe die kurrikulum geïmplementeer word in die geakkrediteerde PHEIs. Data is ontleed met behulp van statistiese tabelle, Analise van Variansie (ANOVA), die Mann Whitney U-Test, regressieontleding, korrelasieontleding en strukturele vergelykingsmodellering (SEM). Die resultate van die studie het getoon dat eienskappe van die eksterne omgewing; van die dosent; van die instelling, sowel as eienskappe en beskouings van die kurrikulum, almal positiewe, beduidende en statistiese verwantskappe met doeltreffende kurrikulumimplementering in geakkrediteerde PHEIs het, en dus as voorspellers van doeltreffende kurrikulumimplementering in hierdie instellings opgetree het. Die studie het ook getoon dat faktore in die bogenoemde voorspellerveranderlikes – insluitende aansienlike werkslas, gebrek aan opleiding oor pedagogiese kwessies, beperkte geleenthede vir personeelontwikkeling in sommige van die PHEIs, beperkte onderrighulpbronne, sowel as ʼn hoogs gereguleerde hoëronderwysomgewing – groot uitdagings was wat doeltreffende kurrikulumimplementering in die PHEIs beïnvloed het. Dit het uit die studie geblyk dat ʼn 1%-verbetering in elk van die voorspellerveranderlikes verbeteringe kan teweegbring in die manier waarop die kurrikulum in hierdie instellings geïmplementeer word. Op grond van hierdie resultate is ʼn raamwerk voorgestel om kurrikulumimplementering in geakkrediteerde PHEIs te versterk. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)