Extant literature on academic identities claims that academic identities not only represent academics’ subjectively construed understandings of who they are but they also derive from roles, statuses, membership in disciplinary communities and characteristics that make academics unique individuals. Even so, research focusing exclusively on academic identities is unprecedented in the Lesotho higher education (HE) sector; therefore, this study describes how narratives of experiences and meanings attached to being an academic relate to the construction of academic identities at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). How do reflexive interpretations of cultural expectations tied to membership in disciplinary communities influence the negotiation of academic identities and work behaviour of academic staff? How do descriptions of the (mis)alignment between job facets, individual values and expectations influence the meaningfulness and fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts? How do stories of internalised meanings of involvement and symbolic identification with NUL influence academic identity trajectories? Being interpretive in nature, this study used narrative interviews to collect data from a sample of thirty-one academics from NUL. The findings revealed that ‘who’ an academic is derives from meanings of ‘lived experiences’ of work enjoyment, applicability, exploitation, facilitation, multitasking, prestige and burnout. The findings also showed that academic identities were negotiated by reflexively interpreting the cultural expectation of ‘finishing work on time’ through work behaviours such as managing time, working overtime, self-motivation, underperforming, balancing roles and seeking work assistance. The participants’ narratives also revealed that the fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts derived from autonomy, accomplishments, learning, interdependencies, work environment, students’ attitudes and recognition. Lastly, the study showed that participants’ academic identity trajectories were influenced by altruism, passion, options, disillusions and relations. Overall, the ‘narratives of experience’ reiterated that academic identities at NUL were contextualised constructs of ‘work experiences’, ‘membership in communities’, ‘job attitudes’ and ‘self -discovery,’ based on the self as a unique individual, a group member and a role holder. Consistent with the interactionist perspective, academic identities at NUL represent structurally, culturally and institutionally located stories of experiences and meanings derived from the work situation, the setting and social relationships that academics participate in daily at NUL. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

Text in English / The Muslim population in South Africa has its origins in the 17th Century when they were initially brought in as slaves or political exiles by the Dutch colonisers. Christian-Muslim relations have not always been good and especially the topic of 'conversion' has often caused conflict between the members of the two faiths. Additional problems such as the apartheid era has caused many Christians, especially Africans, to question their faith and turn their back on Christianity by converting to Islam. There are other areas which have caused conflict in the relations such as mistrust, misinformation and discrimination. In South Africa's religiously pluralistic society people convert from Christianity to Islam, and vice versa, from a variety of motives. This study first discusses various Christian missiological debates on understandings of conversion and then surveys psychological approaches to the motivational structures of 'decision-making'. The heart of the study is the presentation and analysis of the conversion narratives of 20 converts (10 from Islam to Christianity and 10 from Christianity to Islam). These narratives are analysed in terms of five key conversion motives, as a result of which various patterns of conversion motives emerge. In church practice and missiology, conversion is often understood only in one direction (towards Christianity) and with only one valid motive, namely a strictly religious one. This study reveals, however, that such a view is inadequate. Conversion should rather be understood as a two-way movement and based on combinations of various motives. This study concludes with the presentation of a holistic missiological understanding of conversion which applies more adequately to the South African context. This new understanding of conversion may help to promote better understanding and respect between faith communities. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

This explorative study originated from the researcher’s personal encounters with “disappointment, regret and purposelessness” in retirement. The aim of this research study is thus exploring what the opposite of these negative sentiments, namely “successful” aging or "successful" adaptation to retirement could constitute and, most importantly, the role of FLOW therein. Initial indications are that FLOW could play a key role in “successful” retirement. Another focus has been to explore whether and how retirees with post-matric qualifications or training could redeploy their accumulated expertise in the post-retirement years. Various models of social entrepreneurship, ranging from voluntary work to paid work, were found to enhance successful adaptation to retirement, addressing society’s needs at the same time. In this qualitative research study, I have followed a case study approach, interviewing nine participants, whose results were analysed individually and then integrated in a comparative fashion to answer the research questions. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The purpose of this study is to investigate how positive discipline of Grade 9 boys should be managed at a selected public fee paying school in KwaZulu-Natal and to determine how learner behaviour would improve through educators acting as mentors. Furthermore, how educators could assist in implementing positive discipline management strategies to help in improving learner behaviour, and which positive discipline management strategies have been successful. This study could be regarded as primarily descriptive and exploratory in nature, incorporating the basic characteristics associated with quantitative research. As such, it was predominantly deductive and positivistic in nature. This study highlighted the importance of effective management systems that would assist the educator in the classroom. Several theories regarding learner management were explained and the literature review focused on the need for positive discipline strategies to be employed in the classroom, which would ultimately make for better relationships between the educator and the learner. The study found that it is essential that the SGB, principal and senior management all get behind and support a managing behaviour mentor system as it has the potential to create a pleasurable work environment resulting in a reduction in the number of disciplinary matters for both the educator and the learner. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This explorative study originated from the researcher’s personal encounters with “disappointment, regret and purposelessness” in retirement. The aim of this research study is thus exploring what the opposite of these negative sentiments, namely “successful” aging or "successful" adaptation to retirement could constitute and, most importantly, the role of FLOW therein. Initial indications are that FLOW could play a key role in “successful” retirement. Another focus has been to explore whether and how retirees with post-matric qualifications or training could redeploy their accumulated expertise in the post-retirement years. Various models of social entrepreneurship, ranging from voluntary work to paid work, were found to enhance successful adaptation to retirement, addressing society’s needs at the same time. In this qualitative research study, I have followed a case study approach, interviewing nine participants, whose results were analysed individually and then integrated in a comparative fashion to answer the research questions. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Text in English, abstract in English, Afrikaans and Northern Sotho / This study examines why post-colonial African states are not able to institutionalise the ideal ethical and democratic societies, given their access to international best practices and the abundance of human and natural resources; why the future of democracy in Africa remains uncertain despite the current efforts at democratisation; if western democracy can be implemented in Africa; why the West is able to produce better systems of governance; why leaders and managers find it daunting to create the kind of society that is inspiring, ethical, immune to bureaucracy, and that possesses excellent economic performance; how leaders, members of the community, bureaucrats, corporate executives and managers can contribute to the realisation of the ethical and ideal African state; and the options for alternative democratic order for the African continent. The inability of post-colonial African states to institute systems and strategies that adequately address the needs and expectations of their citizens has created chaos and anarchy that in some states can be likened to Hobbes state of nature where the weak is at the mercy of the strong and life is nasty, brutish and short. While the West has been largely blamed for playing a significant role in Africa’s inability to effectively manage itself, other theorists criticise African leaders and the community members for their inability to conduct themselves ethically and to implement a constructive and effective system of governance. It is imperative that African states devise adequate means of ethically administering their territories in a manner that meets societal expectations and needs, and in order to avoid intractable socio-political and economic complications. / Hierdie studie ondersoek die redes waarom postkoloniale Afrika-lande nie die ideale etiese en demokratiese samelewings instabiliseer nie, gegewe hul toegang tot internasionale beste praktyke en die oorvloed van menslike en natuurlike hulpbronne; waarom die toekoms van demokrasie in Afrika onduidelik bly ten spyte van die huidige pogings vir demokratisering; as westerse demokrasie in Afrika geïmplementeer kan word; waarom die Weste beter stelsels van bestuur kan lewer; hoekom leiers en bestuurders dit skrikwekkend vind om die soort samelewing wat inspirerend, eties, immuun vir burokrasie is, te skep en wat uitstekende ekonomiese prestasie besit; hoe leiers, lede van die gemeenskap, burokrate, korporatiewe bestuurders en bestuurders kan bydra tot die verwesenliking van die etiese en ideale Afrika-staat; en die opsies vir alternatiewe demokratiese orde vir die Afrika-kontinent. Die onvermoë van post-koloniale Afrika-state om stelsels en strategieë in te stel wat die behoeftes en verwagtinge van hul burgers voldoende aanspreek, het chaos en anargie geskep wat in sommige state vergelykbaar kan wees met Hobbes se toestand van die natuur, waar die swakeling aan die genade van die wat sterk is afhanklik is en die lewe ‘n nare, brutaal en kort lewe is. Terwyl die Weste grotendeels die blaam kry in terme van hul groot bydra in Afrika se onvermoë om homself doeltreffend te bestuur, kritiseer ander teoretici Afrika-leiers en die gemeenskapslede vir hul eie onvermoë om eties op te tree en om 'n konstruktiewe en effektiewe bestuurstelsel te implementeer. Dit is noodsaaklik dat Afrika-state voldoende middele voorsien om hul gebiede eties te administreer op 'n wyse wat voldoen aan maatskaplike verwagtinge en behoeftes, en om onwikkelbare sosio-politieke en ekonomiese komplikasies te vermy. / Thuto ye e lekola mabaka a gore ke eng dinaga tša ka morago ga bokoloneale di sa kgone go hloma dipeakanyo tša maswanedi tša maitshwaro le ditšhaba tša temokrasi, tšeo di filwego phihlelelo go ditiro tše kaonekaone tša boditšhabatšhaba le bontši bja methopo ya semotho le tlhago: ke ka lebaka la eng Bodikela bo kgona go tšweletša mekgwa ye kaone ya pušo; ke ka lebaka la eng baetapele le balaodi ba hwetša go le boima go hlama mokgwa wa setšhaba seo se nago le mafolofolo, maitshwaro, se sa huetšwego ke mokgwa wa pušo wo o diphetho di tšewago ke bahlanka ba mmušo bao ba sa kgethwago, gomme ba na le tiro ye kgahlišago ka ikonomi; ka moo baetapele, maloko a setšhaba, batšeasephetho ba mmušo ba sa kgethwago, malokopharephare a dikoporasi le balaodi ba ka aba mo go phihlelelong ya maitshwaro le naga ya maswanedi ya Afrika; le go dikgetho tša peakanyo ye e hlatlolanago ya temokrasi mo kontinenteng ya Afrika. Go se kgone ga dinaga tša ka morago ga bokoloneale go hlama mekgwa le maano ao a maleba a go bolela ka ga dinyakwa le ditetelo tša baagi ba bona di hlotše tlhakatlhakano le tlhokapušo yeo mo go dinaga tše dingwe e ka bapetšwago le naga ya Hobbes ka tlhago moo mofokodi a lego ka fase ga yo maatla gomme bophelo bo se bose, bo le šoro le go ba bjo bokopana. Mola Bodikela bo pharwa molato kudu mo go bapaleng karolo ye e tšweletšego mo go se kgonego ga Afrika go itaola ka tshwanelo, borateori ba bangwe ba solago baetapele ba Afrika le maloko a setšhaba mo go se kgonego go itshwara gabotse le go phethagatša mokgwa wo hlamilwego gabotse wo o šomago wa pušo. A bonagala gore dinaga tša Afrika di loga maano a makaone a go laola ka tshwanelo dinagadilete tša bona ka mokgwa wo o tla fihlelelago ditetelo tša setšhaba le dinyakwa, le gore go thibelwe go se boelemorago ga dipolotiki tša selegae le tlhakatlhakano ya ikonomi. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Philosophy)

Ongoing public concern has been expressed concerning the improvement of academic performance of learners in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools, South Africa. Statistics gathered since 2008 demonstrate that the overall performance of secondary schools in the Grade 12 examinations in this region has been consistently poor. This study focused on the stakeholder perceptions of effect of indiscipline on academic performance of learners in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools. Lack of learner discipline in this region prompted this investigation. The general aim of the study was to understand manifestations of indiscipline in relation to learner performance in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools. The study used qualitative research methods and the sample comprised four secondary schools selected by purposive sampling. Individual structured interviews and focus group interviews were used to gather data. In each school, one school management team (SMT) and three educators participated in individual interviews, while four learners participated in focus group interviews. The findings indicated that schools which yielded poor academic performance were faced with learners’ disciplinary problems, which manifested in poor class attendance, late coming, persistent class disruptions, learners’ retaliation when disciplined by educators, alcohol and drug abuse, mocking and ignoring educators and plagiarism. Educators in school C and D lacked a disciplinary mechanism to enforce discipline in their classes since corporal punishment was abolished, hence the poor academic performance of learners. The implementation of the Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS), a departmental strategy aimed at developing educators in order to equip them with all the necessary skills to ensure the success of their schools which is measured against the academic achievement of the learners, had predominantly failed in schools to reach its goal. Educators mainly relied on parental support to deal with serious learner offences but this strategy was largely inadequate. The conceptual framework, ‘putting a plan into practice’, was used to explain the importance of learner discipline for the betterment of academic performance by expounding the five pillars that can be used to attain quality schools. These pillars, if put into practice, create an organizational climate which provides both educators and learners with an opportunity to function as partners in defining and creating success in schools. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.