Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Bibliography / This study is an investigation of the link between the current South African Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) as an assessment process and teacher professional development in South Africa. A review of literature confirms that teacher assessment should and could facilitate teacher professional development. However, how teacher assessment affects teacher professional development has not been fully recognized. There is, however, little empirical research available on how teacher assessment affects teacher professional development. Steyn and van Niekerk (2002) have noticed that little is known on the kind of support that teachers should receive as a result of teacher assessment. As a result, people are unclear on how teacher assessment should be implemented in order to yield effective teacher professional development. Though the government took numerous efforts to ensure greater teacher accountability and functional schools over some years via policy interventions such as IQMS, there are still deep-seated challenges that hamper these interventions from working effectively. Therefore, the qualitative case study has used three secondary schools in Limpopo, Capricorn District as the research sites to explore the role of IQMS in teacher professional development. The results from the participants indicate that IQMS is effective but only if a numbers of issues can be considered. Participants highlighted issues like, if every teacher can be trained, and there could be quality training with competitive facilitators, also, if there could be a conducive culture and the climate of the school then that could impact positively on teacher development.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of the North, 2001 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.A. (Translation studies and linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2010 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.Dev. (Management and Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / This study investigates the impact of community development projects (CDPs) on the empowerment of women in the Malamulele area of the Thulamela Municipality in Limpopo Province. The study investigates whether the implementation of CDPs really changes the living conditions of women or whether it is merely a smokescreen to cover the failure of the government to provide decent jobs for people who are living in absolute poverty. The aim of the study, however, is to assess the impact that CDPs have on women empowerment. The objectives of the study that were derived from the main aim include identifying the types of projects, and their impact on women and men. The findings of the study would contribute to social science knowledge and would also help to develop new strategies that could be used to solve problems of poverty. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this study. The population of the study were projects in which both women and men were involved. However, more women were selected from sampled projects because the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of CDPs on women. Stratified random sampling was used to select respondents in order to ensure that all strata were represented in the sample. The findings of the study suggest that CDPs improve decision-making capacity, the acquisition of assets and skills, and create job opportunities for women. It is, therefore, recommended that development planners consider increased funding in order to implement more projects in the area as these are the tools through which women in rural communities can eradicate poverty.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The intent of this research was to evaluate the participation in the IDP process by the people with disabilities at the Malemati Village in Limpopo Province: Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality. This intent has been achieved. The question under investigation was whether people with disabilities in Malemati Village Limpopo: Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality participate in the IDP process. The objective was thus to phantom this topic and come out with necessary findings and recommendation of the targeted population in the process under investigation had been provided. The study covered reading of both the primary and secondary sources, group focus interview of people with disabilities, interview of the assistant head men, ward committee member residing in Malemati, the mayor, the municipal manager and the IDP manager Data was collected in the manner as explained in the above paragraph following the quantitative approach. Necessary recommendations have been made in this regard.

Thesis (MEd. (Adult Education)) --University of Limpopo, 2014 / This mini-dissertation is about educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult prisoners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. It is a study of grade twelve (12) learners. The aim of the study is to get an insight into educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. This study has attempted to contribute towards solutions to educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The management of Kutama-Sinthumule and the Department of Correctional Services were made aware of the problems that young adult prisoners face while doing grade twelve (12) in that prison. In order to achieve the aims outlined above, I formulated the following main research question: What are the educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult Prisoners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre? I tried to answer the question outlined above by undertaking an explorative study which has elements of needs assessment and case study. I have decided to undertake an explorative study because very little is known about educational challenges facing prisoners prior to this research. Since the study has elements of needs assessment, the situation of grade twelve (12) young adult prisoners and values of an education system with desired outcomes was looked against. The needs are stated by grade twelve (12) learners; their educators; their facilitators; and the coordinator of the programme in relation to the system. I have decided to select grade twelve (12) learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre as my case. There are other educational programmes at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre, but I have decided to concentrate on a grade twelve programme. I have decided to undertake a case study because a case study promotes a better understanding of a practice or issue and facilitates informed decision making. Chapter two outlines the theoretical framework of the study. I began chapter two by defining important concepts. The concepts such as Prisoner; Prison; and Young Adult are defined thoroughly. I formulated assumptions about what could be educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. I read documents and conducted exploratory interviews with grade twelve learners, educators and other role players at Kutama-Sinthumule, hence I identified the following educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) learners at the Correctional Centre: lack of access to the internet; lack of resources; lack of motivation; communicating in the medium of instruction; shortage of better trained staff; overcrowded classrooms; insufficient study time; duration of the programme; shortage of staff; and insufficient time allocated to lessons. In chapter three, I describe the design of the study. The main focus of this chapter was to discuss the two routes of data collection. The first route had to do with reviewing relevant documents from the Department of Correctional Services and operational policies and procedures at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The second route has to do with the data that has been collected in the field using different data collection instruments. How data has been analyzed using a data matrix is also shown in this chapter. The chapter concludes by presenting ethical considerations. Chapter four begins by highlighting the setting of the study. It goes on to describe the town of Louis Trichardt where Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre is situated. It further gives a brief history of the town. The Climate, Geography, Demography, Population, Key Statistics, Name change, and Economy are outlined in this chapter. This chapter also presents the findings of the study. I have also outlined in detail the views of the interviewees in relation to the critical factors of this study. A description of subjects offered for this grade twelve programme is done in this chapter. The chapter concludes by discussing the findings of this study. Chapter five presents the final recommendations, conclusion, and reflections of this study. This chapter harmonizes information from all the previous chapters in discussing educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult prisoners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The chapter also suggests possible solutions to these educational challenges facing grade twelve (12) young adult learners at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre. The chapter concludes by making recommendations for furtherstudy, as education and its related challenges in the prisons seems to be under-researched, particularly for grade twelve (12) young adult learners.

<p>The main objective of this study was to identify ways in which transaction costs can be lowered to improve small-scale farmers&rsquo / participation in and returns from agricultural output markets, with specific reference to small-scale mango farmers in Limpopo province. This study hypothesizes that transaction costs are lower in informal spot markets and increase when small-scale farmers sell in more structured markets (formal markets). This study builds on transaction cost economics (TCE) to demonstrate how to overcome transaction cost barriers that small-scale mango farmers face in the agro-food markets. The approach to collect primary information was sequenced in two steps: first, key informant and focus group interviews were conducted and, secondly, a structured survey instrument was administered in two districts of Limpopo. A total of 235 smallscale mango farmers were interviewed. A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the impact of transaction costs on the likelihood of households&rsquo / participation in formal (=1) and informal (=0) agro-food markets. STATA Version 10 was used to analyse the data. This study found that a larger proportion of male than female farming households reported participation in the formal markets, suggesting deep-seated gender differentiation in market participation. The average age of small farmers participating in formal markets is 52, compared to 44 for those in informal markets, implying that older farmers might have established stronger networks and acquired experience over a longer period. Farmers staying very far from the densely populated towns (more than 50 km) participate less in the formal markets than those staying closer (0 &ndash / 25 km and 26 &ndash / 49 km), which implies that the further they are from the towns, the less the likelihood of farmers selling in the formal markets. Farmers who own storage facilities and a bakkie (transportation means) participate more in formal markets compared to those who do not own these assets, which suggests that these farmers are able to store mangoes, retaining their freshness and subsequently delivering them to various agro-food markets on time. Households that participate in formal markets have high mean values of income and social grants. However, this study found that the likelihood of a household&rsquo / s participation in the markets is less as income and social grants increase. This suggests that households do not invest their financial assets in order to overcome market access barriers. A large proportion of households that own larger pieces of arable land participate in the formal markets, which implies that they are able to produce marketable surplus. Households that have a high mean value (in Rand) of cattle participate more in formal markets than in informal markets. However, this study found that the likelihood of a household&rsquo / s participation in the markets does not change with an increase in the value of its livestock. These findings suggest that households do not sell their cattle in order to overcome market access barriers. Reduced transaction costs for small-scale mango farmers in Limpopo should improve their participation in and returns from the agro-food markets. Policy interventions to support this need to focus on: access to storage and transportation facilities, enforcement of gender equity requirements in existing policies, and better access to information about markets.</p>

<p>The main objective of this study was to identify ways in which transaction costs can be lowered to improve small-scale farmers&rsquo / participation in and returns from agricultural output markets, with specific reference to small-scale mango farmers in Limpopo province. This study hypothesizes that transaction costs are lower in informal spot markets and increase when small-scale farmers sell in more structured markets (formal markets). This study builds on transaction cost economics (TCE) to demonstrate how to overcome transaction cost barriers that small-scale mango farmers face in the agro-food markets. The approach to collect primary information was sequenced in two steps: first, key informant and focus group interviews were conducted and, secondly, a structured survey instrument was administered in two districts of Limpopo. A total of 235 smallscale mango farmers were interviewed. A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the impact of transaction costs on the likelihood of households&rsquo / participation in formal (=1) and informal (=0) agro-food markets. STATA Version 10 was used to analyse the data. This study found that a larger proportion of male than female farming households reported participation in the formal markets, suggesting deep-seated gender differentiation in market participation. The average age of small farmers participating in formal markets is 52, compared to 44 for those in informal markets, implying that older farmers might have established stronger networks and acquired experience over a longer period. Farmers staying very far from the densely populated towns (more than 50 km) participate less in the formal markets than those staying closer (0 &ndash / 25 km and 26 &ndash / 49 km), which implies that the further they are from the towns, the less the likelihood of farmers selling in the formal markets. Farmers who own storage facilities and a bakkie (transportation means) participate more in formal markets compared to those who do not own these assets, which suggests that these farmers are able to store mangoes, retaining their freshness and subsequently delivering them to various agro-food markets on time. Households that participate in formal markets have high mean values of income and social grants. However, this study found that the likelihood of a household&rsquo / s participation in the markets is less as income and social grants increase. This suggests that households do not invest their financial assets in order to overcome market access barriers. A large proportion of households that own larger pieces of arable land participate in the formal markets, which implies that they are able to produce marketable surplus. Households that have a high mean value (in Rand) of cattle participate more in formal markets than in informal markets. However, this study found that the likelihood of a household&rsquo / s participation in the markets does not change with an increase in the value of its livestock. These findings suggest that households do not sell their cattle in order to overcome market access barriers. Reduced transaction costs for small-scale mango farmers in Limpopo should improve their participation in and returns from the agro-food markets. Policy interventions to support this need to focus on: access to storage and transportation facilities, enforcement of gender equity requirements in existing policies, and better access to information about markets.</p>

Extensive drought - and elephant-related dieback of Colophospermum mopane and Acacia tortitis, respectively, offered an opportunity for increasing understanding of the causes of drought-related patch dieback, the factors influencing elephant utilization of woody plants, and the response of woody plants to both aforementioned determinants of savanna structure and function. The dendrochronological analysis of both species was undertaken to estimate potential rates of replacement, following extensive mortality. Areas of discrete dieback were compared with adjacent paired areas of 'healthy' vegetation, which revealed, on average, 87% and 13% loss of basal area by mortality, respectively. 'Live' and 'dead' plots did not differ in soil type, topography or mean slope, but differed in vegetation structure, soil surface condition, and soil chemistry. Although there was evidence of self-thinning, neither inter - nor intra-specific competition explained dieback. 'Dead', by comparison with 'live' plots, had changed from functioning as sinks of sediment and water to sources, were less likely to retain water because of a poor soil surface condition, and were predisposed to drought effects because of a greater proportion of fines, and Na concentration. Dieback resulted from insufficient soil water for survival during a drought owing to the development of a dysfunctional landscape during 50 years of livestock ranching. Spatial heterogeneity within a landscape was suggested to enhance woodland resilience to severe droughts by ensuring the survival of plants in run-on sinks or 'drought refuge' sites. Stem sections were removed from 40 multi-stemmed C. mopane trees and prepared for examination under a dissecting microscope. It was impossible to age C. mopane, owing to a hollow and/or dark heartwood. Nevertheless, the distribution of stem diameters suggested a single recruitment event. Fire scars attributed to the last recorded fire in 1948 could explain the trees' multi-stemmed growth form and indicate that most trees of VLNR were > 50 years of age. Growth rings were identified in 29 A. tortilis trees of unknown age, but were not correlated with annual rainfall records. Growth rates varied between trees; mean ring width ranged from 1.4 to 3.5 mm (overall mean 2.4 ± 0.1 mm). A technique was proposed for predicting growth rate from annual rainfall, using selected data, and several factors potentially influencing ring width in semiarid environs were identified. Permanent ground-based transects were located within riparian (n = 16) and Acacia (n = 5) woodlands to monitor elephant utilization. Elephant had not changed the population structure of the woodlands by 2000, but had reduced stem density from 215.6 stems ha -1 (1996) to 84.4 stems ha -I (2000). Acacia tortitis trees in the woodlands had branches removed, were debarked, uprooted and broken. Acacia tortitis trees in the riverine had lower levels of utilization, whilst Acacia nilotica trees were mostly debarked. The method of elephant feeding varies within and between woody species, provided it is within the mechanical constraints of a certain size or species. Elephant behaviour is concluded to depend on spatiotemporal variation of forage abundance/quality, abundance of a preferred species, and species response (coppice or mortality). Elephant can cause a change of vegetation state, and increase spatial homogeneity of a plant population. The remnant population of woodland trees should provide the potential for recolonization, in which case the system would reflect the stable limit cycle. However, if browsing inhibits seedling recruitment, the system could reflect either a multiple stable state system or an artificial equilibrium imposed on a stable limit cycle. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

School evaluation has increased in importance in recent years, particularly at the level of the whole school. It is the process which assesses the worth and merits of the institution. Due to the fact that, in most cases, evaluation is judgemental, the notion of Whole School Evaluation (WSE) was introduced into the South African education system by the national Department of Education after the 1994 democratic election. WSE has since then became the official evaluation system in South Africa. In WSE schools undergo internal as well as external evaluation. The results of the evaluation are then used by schools to draw the School Improvement Plans which are aimed at school improvement. This study explores the implementation of WSE in rural primary schools in Limpopo Province. A literature study investigated school evaluation within the international and the South African context, the provision of education in Limpopo Province and existing models of WSE. Against the background of the conceptual framework provided by the literature, a qualitative investigation was done in four primary schools in the Vhembe district in Limpopo Province. Data were gathered by means of in-depth interviews with principals of schools and supervisors. The researcher also conducted focus group interviews with School Management Team (SMT) members from participating schools. Data was analysed, discussed and synthesized. Analysed data revealed the following findings: schools experience difficulties in conducting self-evaluation, educator development in rural primary schools in Limpopo is a problem and the district and the Department of Education do not assist schools concerning development after WSE has been conducted. As a result of these findings, there is a need to assist schools in their development endeavours after WSE. The district officials as well as supervisors should find ways and means of assisting schools in the route to development. Areas for further investigation that would enhance WSE in rural primary schools have been identified. Finally, the conclusion is drawn that schools need to be rehabilitated after WSE. This will assist in developing the whole institution and improving the level of education in South African schools. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)