MPH / Department of Public Health / High blood pressure is a global public health problem. High blood pressure shows no signs or symptoms and it can only be detected through BP measurements by a health professionals. It’s a chronic condition which requires long term management. Poor control of high blood pressure can lead to complications and even death. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of high blood pressure among University of Venda academic staff. UNIVEN is situated in Thohoyandou, Vhembe District in Limpopo. A cross-sectional design was used. A modified WHO stepwise questionnaire for non-communicable diseases version 3.1 was used to collect data regarding demographic characteristics, BP status, and stress and lifestyle characteristics. Charts and graphs were used to present the results of the study. The Statistical Package of Social Sciences was used to analyse data. The Chi-square test was used to determine the association between blood pressure and risk factors. A total of 179 respondents were selected, their ages of were ranged from 22 to 68 years. Their blood pressure, weight and height of the participants were also measured. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 20%, while 46% were on prehypertension stage and about 34% had a normal BP. About 23% had been previously diagnosed with HBP, while about 90% were on treatment for high blood pressure. Only 13% had their BP under control. The prevalence of high blood pressure was associated with gender, family history, vegetable intake and diabetes. Department of Sports need to introduce sports among academic staff as a way of prevention and management of high blood pressure.

There has been a surge in the involvement of service users and carers in health and social care education, research, and practice in the last three decades within the United Kingdom. However, there are few studies that have evaluated the impact of Involvement in health and social care students' education. This study explored the impact of active involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration education. It provided a tripartite perspective from the perceptions of the three main stakeholders involved: students, academic staff and service users/carers in a specific Higher Education setting in the United Kingdom. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods approach was employed in this study. The study sample was drawn from the three participating stakeholder groups. A total of 38 participants took part in this study. Qualitative information was gathered using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, which explored participants' perspectives of the impact of active involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degrees. Questionnaires was the data collection tool for the quantitative information required in this study. Questionnaire was helpful in obtaining contextual information about the participants and service users and carers' involvement at the research site. It was used to gather factual information about the participants and the current nature of the involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degree as it was being practiced at the time of data collection and characteristics that may influence or affect the impact of involvement Qualitative data was analysed thematically from the semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Additionally, descriptive and cross-tab analysis of quantitative data was carried out. Then, a side-by-side comparison was used to identify aspects of the qualitative and quantitative findings that were convergent and conflicting. Findings of this study indicated that the scope and integration of service users and carers in educational activities varied greatly within and between subjects even within the same university. Social Work degree reported a wider scope and greater inclusion than the Adult nursing degree. Two main factors account for this notable differences between the two degrees. These are: the duration of involvement being a regulatory requirement by the Professional Regulatory and Statutory Bodies as well as the duration of conducting involvement. Furthermore, this study revealed that involvement influences all three main stakeholders in Higher Education. Some beneficial outcomes of involvement were similar in the academic staff and students' participant groups. Academic staff and service users/carers raised similar concerns. Overall, the participants indicated that service users and carers' involvement is generally positive and makes an important and unique contribution to the education of nurses and Social Workers supporting the delivery of patient/client-centred care. This study contributed to new knowledge about involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degrees by generating a holistic view of its impact. This was achieved by exploring these impacts from a tripartite perspective of the three main stakeholders in Higher Education. This study also developed a modified six rung model that helps to involvement is active and meaningful. A partnership framework was proposed to inform future involvement practices and research about ways of optimising the beneficial outcomes and limiting the inhibitory factors of service users and carers' involvement in students' education. Overall, this study provided insights into best practices and pitfalls to avoid, which may be of value to HE providers, education commissioners as well as Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies regarding the practices of service users and carers' involvement in Higher Education.

The present study attempted to answer two questions: do academic library users have a distinctive and useful input to make to library strategic planning? If they do, what mechanisms will permit them to participate effectively in this planning process? To address these questions research was carried out in two stages at a single institutional site, the Canberra College of Advanced Education. The first of these utilised a structured group discussion process, Nominal Group Technique (NGT). This was used both as an indicator of user planning priorities and as a pilot research technique contributing to the design of a subsequent survey. This survey obtained a response rate of over 90 percent from a sample of 379. The study attempted to establish that academic staff and students do have a worthwhile input to make to planning by testing for congruence between the rankings of library planning priorities of these user groups and the rankings of planning priorities of Library staff. No strong positive correlations were established between the priorities of student groups and Library staff, although in the survey the priorities of academic staff and Library staff were found to be related. These results suggest users do have a worthwhile input to make to library strategic planning. Other tests for congruence were also applied between and within respondent groups, because if a group was found to have different priorities there would be a prima facie case for consulting members of that group as part of the planning process. Both mechanisms used in the present study were considered successful. User surveys have been employed for planning in previous studies with a future-oriented component. However, it appears that this may have been the first formally reported application of NGT to library management. Experience in the present study suggests it is a highly suitable technique for situations such as strategic planning, where generation of ideas or comment on priorities is required. However, an attempt to establish congruence between the results obtained using NGT and those obtained from the survey yielded inconclusive results. It is believed that major changes in the institutional environment were principally responsible for this, although a methodological limitation may also have contributed. The study concludes with suggestions for further research.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

L’internazionalizzazione di un curriculum accademico è un processo globale volto al miglioramento complessivo della qualità dei curricula attraverso l’aggiunta di una dimensione interculturale e internazionale. L’internazionalizzazione del curriculum è riconosciuta come un processo altamente contestualizzato che viene accolto e interpretato in modo diverso a seconda delle discipline accademiche o dagli ambiti territoriali. Precedenti ricerche comunicano che si tratta di un processo in cui il personale accademico svolge un ruolo critico e il loro continuo impegno è necessario alla sua riuscita. Sono state individuate molte sfide nel reclutamento del personale addetto all’internazionalizzazione dei programmi di studio. Negli ultimi anni, l’internazionalizzazione dell’educazione superiore è divenuta una priorità strategica per i politici e la leadership istituzionale in Israele. Le risorse sono state dirette allo sviluppo di strategie istituzionali per l’internazionalizzazione, con l’obiettivo di aumentare la mobilità degli studenti e del personale, e migliorare la qualità dell’insegnamento e della ricerca. L’internazionalizzazione del curriculum è vista come parte integrante di questa tendenza. Sebbene in Israele vi siano ricerche sul processo di istituzionalizzazione dell’istruzione superiore, in questo campo esistono pochi studi sul processo di internazionalizzazione del curriculum. L’obiettivo di questo studio è quello di esplorare il processo di internazionalizzazione del curriculum in tre dipartimenti accademici in un’università israeliana e registrare l’impegno del personale accademico in questo processo, prestando particolare attenzione alle loro risposte, motivazioni, interpretazioni e attuazioni. Lo studio utilizza, come lente teorica, il quadro concettuale di Leask (2015) per l’internazionalizzazione del curriculum, in cui il processo di internazionalizzazione è posizionato all’interno di un ambiente estremamente complesso e influenzato da molteplici strati di contesto. La ricerca adotta un approccio partecipativo con un disegno di ricerca qualitativa, costruito intorno a tre casi di studio. Quest’ultimi sono triangolati utilizzando tre canali di dati: interviste approfondite, analisi di programmi dei corsi, canali informali. Un totale di 17 partecipanti provenienti da tre dipartimenti accademici sono stati intervistati e le trascrizioni delle interviste sono state analizzate tematicamente. Inoltre, 15 programmi dei corsi sono stati sottoposti ad analisi documentale, utilizzando gli Indicatori dell’Internazionalizzazione del Curriculum, strumento sviluppato come parte dello studio. I risultati della ricerca dimostrano che l’internazionalizzazione del curriculum funge da catalizzatore per la progettazione di programmi di studio per individui e team accademici in un istituto di istruzione superiore in Israele. Lo studio segnala che gli accademici sono motivati ad avviare il processo anche nel caso in cui non vi sia una necessità evidente, come la presenza di studenti internazionali nel campus. Inoltre, questo lavoro mostra modalità contestualizzate di coinvolgimento nell’internazionalizzazione del curriculum in tutte le discipline, sostenendo ed estendendo le ricerche precedenti in questo settore. Nella fattispecie, lo studio offre importanti spunti di riflessione sul processo di internazionalizzazione del curriculum, suggerisce miglioramenti al quadro di Leask (2015), e formula diverse raccomandazioni pratiche che sono rilevanti per il singolo ambito dell’istruzione superiore in Israele, ma che potrebbero estendersi anche oltre. / Internationalising an academic curriculum is a comprehensive process directed towards the overall improvement of curricula quality through the addition of intercultural and international dimensions. Internationalisation of the curriculum is recognised as a highly contextualised process which is received and interpreted in many different ways across academic disciplines and regional settings. Previous research also reports that it is a process where academic staff play a critical role and their continuous engagement with it is necessary. Many challenges in recruiting staff to engage in internationalisation of the curriculum have been raised. Internationalisation of higher education has become a strategic priority of policy makers and institutional leadership in Israel in the past few years. Resources are directed towards the development of institutional strategies for internationalisation, with the goal of increasing student and staff mobility and raising the quality of teaching and research. Internationalisation of the curriculum is seen as an integral part of this trend. Although there is research on the process of internationalisation in higher education in Israel, little research exists on the process of internationalisation of the curriculum in this space. The objective of this study is to explore the process of internationalisation of the curriculum in one Israeli college across three academic departments and record the engagement of academic staff in it focusing on responses, motivations, interpretations and enactment. The study uses Leask’s (2015) conceptual framework for internationalisation of the curriculum as a theoretical lens, where the process of internationalisation of the curriculum is positioned within a super complex environment and impacted by multiple layers of context. The research assumes a participatory action research approach with a qualitative research design, constructed around three case studies. The case studies are triangulated using three data channels: in-depth interviews, analysis of syllabi documents and insider, informal channels. A total of 17 participants from three academic departments were interviewed and interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. In addition, 15 syllabi documents were subjected to document analysis, using the Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators tool which was developed as part of this study. The results of the research demonstrate the role of internationalisation of the curriculum as a catalyst for curriculum design for academic individuals and teams in one higher education institution in Israel. It shows that academics are motivated to embark on the process even in a case when there is no obvious need such as the presence of international students on campus. In addition, it shows contextualised modes of engagement with internationalisation of the curriculum across the disciplines, supporting and extending previous research in this area. Specifically, the study offers important insights into the process of internationalisation of the curriculum and suggests enhancements to Leask's (2015) framework and makes several practical recommendations which are relevant for the unique space of Israeli higher education and possibly beyond.

Thesis (M.A. ( Information Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study aimed to examine the extent of awareness and the adoption of Open Access (OA) publishing for the purpose of scholarly communication by academic staff at the University of Limpopo (UL). The study was guided by Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory (1) to measure the level of awareness of academics on the availability and use of OA resources; (2) to determine the adoption and usage levels of OA publishing as a platform for information sharing by academics in scholarly communication; (3) to establish academics’ attitudes towards the use of the OA publishing platforms; and (4) to identify perspectives of academic staff with regards to challenges and benefits presented by OA publishing. A dominantly quantitative research approach was adopted using a google forms questionnaire with closed ended questions to collect data from 250 academics at the University of Limpopo. Academics were selected using the systematic simple random sampling method. To ensure the survey instrument’s reliability and validity, the researcher conducted a pilot study through a web-based survey. A descriptive statistics method of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data. The study established that the majority (82%) of academics were aware of OA publishing platforms. The internet and subject librarians were the main communication channels through which they became aware of OA publishing. The study also found that there was minimal the adoption and usage of OA publishing among academics. Their attitudes towards OA and their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of OA. The general attitudes of academics about OA were positive, signifying the acceptance of this scholarly communication mode. However, some of the challenges encountered in adopting and using OA publishing include slow internet connectivity and access, publication charges by some publishers, lack of skills to publish online, power interruptions, lack of policies on OA, fake and predatory v publishers and OA articles not being peer-reviewed. These were reported as problems that directly or indirectly hinder academics from publishing in OA platforms. The study recommends the institutionalisation of OA publishing at UL to improve research output dissemination. An area for further research will be to establish more insights regarding the feasibility of OA development and possible ways of dealing with article processing fees. Keywords: Open Access publishing, scholarly communication, Academic staff, Institutional Repositories, Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory, University of Limpopo.

The main purpose of this thesis is the comparative analysis of the funding of public universities with the focus on the issues of the coefficients of economic difficulty. At the beginning of the thesis the education is provided in universities set into the Czech educational system. Furthermore the thesis is targeted on the history of the Czech higher education and its development since its founding and establishing to the present status. In the theoretical part the basic concepts of funding and financing public universities and the history of the coefficient of economic difficulty, which is compared from different perspectives in the analytical part, are explained. The aim of this thesis is the comparison of the values of the coefficients of economic difficulty in selected public universities, while taking into account the development of the share of personal and non-capital costs in the main function, the number of students and the number of academic staff. The target of this thesis is the comparison of the values of the coefficients of economic difficulty in selected public universities taking into account the development of the share of personal and non-capital costs in the core business, the number of students and academic staff. The result is a proposed amendment to the values of these coefficients and the level of the amount of funding provided to public universities in the Czech Republic.

Text in English / The study investigated the usage of Open Access Institutional Repositories (OAIR) in university libraries in Ghana to develop a strategy on how the usage of OAIR in university libraries in Ghana may be enhanced. The study adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was then modified to fit the study. Accessibility, availability and visibility were proposed in addition to the conventional variables of TAM to improve the fit between the data and the theoretical model. Pragmatism paradigm, mixed methods research approach and convergent parallel mixed method design (survey and case study designs) was used for the study. Simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, purposive sampling techniques and the sample size converter were the sampling procedures and methods employed. A total of nine hundred and ninety-eight (998) respondents completed the questionnaires distributed, but for the qualitative phase twelve (12) OAIR managers were purposively selected. The questionnaire and interview guide were used as research instruments to gather relevant data for the study. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multinomial logistic regression and CFA using SEM) were used as statistical tools to analyse quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The study revealed that there was a low level of OAIR usage in universities among academic staff, notwithstanding the high level of understanding of OAIR. This was evident in the number of research work uploaded onto the OAIR by the OAIR team. Inadequate advocacy, ICT connectivity, infrastructure, funding, power supply, insufficient technological skills, institutional repository policy, absence of incentives, institutional culture and politics and copyright issues were the challenges facing the usage of OAIR in university libraries in Ghana. The study concluded that advocacy, policies, software and staffing enshrined in an institutional guideline on OAIR would enhance OAIR usage. The study developed an OAIR Usage Model and OAIR User Manual, which would be very instrumental in the usage of OAIR in university libraries in Ghana. The model will enhance user satisfaction and intention to reuse the OAIR and making OAIR research outputs available, accessible and visible. The manual specifies the contents and documentsaccepted by the OAIR and ensuring the quality of documents archived. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

В условиях существенного сокращения финансирования образования возникает задача сохранения потенциала преподавательского корпуса вузов. Автор, рассматривая профессиональную деятельность преподавателей российских вузов, выявляет инновационный потенциал как личностную готовность представителей преподавательской общности к потенциальной возможности использования внутренних ресурсов. В работе полноценно представлена визуализация структуры инновационного потенциала преподавателей вузов. / In case of a substantial reduction of funding for education arises the problem of maintaining the capacity of the academic staff. The author considers the professional activity of the academic staff and identifies innovative potential as personal readiness of the academic community to the potential use of internal resources. Innovative potential of the academic staff is visualized through its structure.