Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Human Resources Management in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008 / Spirituality has made its mark in the global business world. For a long time the spiritual component has been ignored by organisations, possibly out of fear that the workplace will be turned into a religious war-zone. However, the time has arrived for organisations to start engaging their employees spiritually, and give attention to the concept of bringing the whole person to work. In most workplaces today the environment is fertile with elements of materialism, competition, distrust, insecurity, suspicion, corruption and dishonesty. These elements normally manifest in the behaviour of individuals which create a misalignment to the organisations’ values. The value system of an organisation is an important tool for steering the actions of employees in the direction of its mission and purpose. It is crucial however, for organisations to firstly understand the personal or spiritual values of its employees and then attempt to align those values with the organisations’ values. This research established a link between the personal values of employees and the company values however, the value of Integrity was misaligned. Organisations should note that spiritual employees are concerned with values relating to moral or ethical conduct such as Integrity, Honesty, Respect, Equality, Empathy, Trust and Openness. If the moral or ethical values of spiritual employees are perceived to be dishonoured in the workplace, it may cause a negative effect on the organisation as a whole if one considers that employees spend most of their time at work. Spiritual employees will strive to integrate their spiritual beliefs and values in their daily activities at work as it is fundamental to their being. Such employees regard their spiritual beliefs and values as their moral compass which guides factors such as their decision making, attitude at work and overall their mission and purpose in life. Leaders should set an example in living the organisations’ values by acting with integrity, honesty, respect and trust. When this alignment in the leaders conduct is perceived by employees, it builds employees’ confidence and trust in the leadership and organisation as a whole. Organisations today may need to consider taking an inside-out approach to changing employees’ behaviour addressing it at the core, which is the spirit. Integrating spirituality in the workplace must be done with authenticity. The true intent of spirituality is having employees functioning as whole persons in the workplace.

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Science at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / Education has become an area of concern both in South Africa and the rest of the world. As a result there has been an increase of about one per cent on the average number of learners in South Africa schools (Collin, 2005), especially with the ‘education for all’ policy. Learner increase requires large numbers of teachers because they play a critical role in achieving the post-apartheid transformation and development agenda (Asmal, 1999). However, there are many disturbing reports that point towards large numbers of teachers leaving the education profession in both primary and secondary sectors. Many factors have rendered education an area of distress both in the Western Cape, South Africa and elsewhere in the world today. One of these factors is the mismatch between demand and supply of teachers which is arguably exacerbated by shortage of teachers. The aim of this study is to (i) uncover factors that influence demand, supply and shortages of teachers among a select Western Cape Secondary Schools in order to (ii) primarily explore mechanisms and strategies that the selected schools employ for combating teacher demands, supply and shortages. The question following from these aims is: “How do some secondary schools in the Western Cape manage the tensions created by demand, supply and shortages of teachers?” The study employs the qualitative research method that has utilised an exploratory research design to meet the research objectives. Secondary school teachers, principals, ex-secondary school teachers and deans/directors of schools/faculties of education make up the target population for this study. The sample constituted thirty participants that were purposefully and conveniently selected. The finding in the study reveals that teacher demand and supply in the Western Cape is influenced by similar factors that occur elsewhere in the world. However the schools employ many ways to deal with teacher shortages, some of which are preventative or curative of the problem of teacher shortages. What is worth-noting is that since public schools in Western Cape are owned and funded by the provincial government, principals are limited in what they can do as most of the strategies require a high level of monetary commitment.

Dissertation (Magister Educationis(Education Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / The Policy Document, Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) states that all learners irrespective of their barriers to learning and development, have a right to be educated in ordinary schools, together with their peers. The inclusion of learners who are deaf/hearing impaired in mainstream Further Education and Training (FET) classrooms means that these learners are no longer being taught by special educators who are trained to cater for their special needs. In this study the learners are taught in regular classrooms by non-special education subject teachers who have had no formal training in how to teach learners with special needs specifically learners who are deaf/hearing impaired. A qualitative exploratory design with multiple methods for data collection (questionnaires, informal discussions, nonparticipant classroom observations and video footage) was employed in this study. A non-random purposive sampling which consisted of three non-special education subject teachers who teach two learners who are deaf/hearing impaired in the Further Education and Training phase at two mainstream educational institutions participated in the research. The aim of this study was to explore the kind of strategies these teachers use when they mediate learning in classrooms where there are deaf/hearing impaired learners. The study has indicated that while the educators might express a lack of confidence in their abilities, they do cater for the needs of deaf/hearing impaired learners who experience barriers to learning albeit in different ways.

Thesis (Magister Technologiae (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / This study traces the effects of a children’s literature intervention on first year B Ed students’ reading habits and attitudes. A review of relevant literature includes concepts of literacy, with specific reference to family literacy, adolescent literacy and critical literacy; effective literacy practices; reading, reader response and theoretical perspectives of literature, including children’s literature, and its application in the classroom; motivation and reader-identity. A variety of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather data over a period of eighteen months. The data captured attitudes to reading and traced changes in attitudes, habits and motivation resulting from an intervention that required students to engage in reading a range of children’s literature texts. Findings showed movement from apathy to engagement at the lowest levels of change and from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation at successive levels of change. Most significantly, the intervention caused discontinuous (permanent) change in students’ constructions of themselves as readers. Key words: critical literacy; adolescent literacy; reader response; children’s literature; extrinsic / intrinsic motivation; discontinuous change; reader identity.

A full dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Education. Presented to the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / This research was prompted by the discrepancy between levels of achievement in Grade 9 in a township school and the expectations at Further Education and Training (FET) Grades 10-12 levels. The literacy practices of Grade 9 learners were investigated to establish whether these practices prepared them adequately for Grade10. This research then sought to describe practices that were carried out in reading and writing in a Grade 9 classroom, with a specific focus on a township school in which the language of teaching and learning was English, which was not the learners’ mother-tongue. This research looked at the literacy gaps in reading and writing between the General Education and Training (GET) Phase and the FET Phase that impact on their preparation for the final phase of schooling and entry to tertiary level. Statistics show that in South Africa learners still perform poorly in reading and writing compared to their counterparts in Africa, especially in English. This is an empirical study using qualitative methods that include personal narratives, interviews and learner portfolios. The purpose was to establish how societal and pedagogical factors impact on literacy practices for effective learning and teaching in order for learners to acquire academic proficiency in English as a First Additional Language. The findings from this study revealed that the literacy practices that were investigated and the use of English as LoLT did not fully facilitate their preparedness for Grade10. Learners in this study still face challenges of acquiring basic reading and writing skills. Although they view English as an emancipatory and economic tool, it is still a difficult language to learn. Therefore their readiness to proceed to the FET level is minimal.

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technologiae: Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Supervisor: Dr I Venter Co-supervisor: Ms L du Toit Cape Town September 2013 / Objective: To develop a valid and reliable test to determine the food knowledge of first-year students at a university of technology (UOT) in the Western Cape, South Africa. Design: Two preliminary food knowledge tests were developed covering the content domains, namely fruit and vegetables and fats and oils, as these topics attend to the areas of concern in the dietary intake of young adults. Both tests consisted of multiple-choice questions and incomplete statements compiled following the test item construction rules. The items of both tests were evaluated by experts in the field of food science and nutrition to ensure item content and face validity. Both tests were independently administered to two sample groups represented by knowledgeable students (having food-orientated subjects as part of their course) and less knowledgeable students (not having food-orientated subjects as part of their course syllabus) at a UOT in the Western Cape, SA for the item analysis and test construct validity and reliability determinations. The second preliminary test incorporating three response alternatives was developed as the number of items retained after the item analysis of the first preliminary test incorporating four alternatives was less than the envisaged number of about 20 items. Results: After the item analysis of the first preliminary test (n = 72 items) only 10 and 13 items were respectively retained after two administrations to two sample groups. The second preliminary test (n = 135 items) completed by knowledgeable (n=119) and less-knowledgeable (n=91) student sample groups delivered 74 items after its item analysis across the two content domains, namely fruit and vegetables (n=49) and fats and oils (n=25). The test was found valid, with a significant difference (p < 0.001) in the knowledge scores between the two sample groups (Mann-Whitney test, z = 9.74) and highly reliable (KR20 and Cronbach's alpha= 0.934). Conclusions: The test being a valid and reliable assessment tool can be used to determine the food knowledge of first-year students at a UOT in the Western Cape, SA, across the two content domains to establish if guidance and possible teaching is necessary to equip them with basic food knowledge to support them in their food provision. / Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Horticulture in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / This article based thesis includes two individual studies evaluating the role of silicon (Si) in mitigating the negative effects that are associated with sodium chloride (NaCl) induced toxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sative L. 'Eish!').

Mini Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of MAGISTER TECHNOLOGIAE: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION in the FACULTY OF BUSINESS at the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, 2012 / This research study assesses the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the credit card spending habits within a leading South African food retailer by determining whether a relationship exists between interest rates and credit card spending and whether this relationship is significant. Although there are many factors that influence consumer use of credit cards such as fuel prices, cost of food and affordability, interest rates play a role in the decision making process whether to purchase on credit or not. To assess the effect of interest rates on credit card spending within the food retailer, turnover data by tender type were obtained from the retailer and were compared to interest rate changes as announced by the Governor of the South African Reserve Bank. By using non-parametric Spearman Rank Order Correlations the nature and significance of the relationship between interest rate data and tender data was determined by using a confidence level of 95 %. Customer surveys were conducted within the Cape Town area to understand the effect interest rates have on credit card usage, what the preferred methods of payments are, retailer preference, shopping frequency, average grocery spend and the perception of interest rate fairness of respondents. A total of 213 completed questionnaires were analysed and significant correlations between various variables were determined and discussed. The result of the data analysis revealed that a significant adverse relationship exists between interest rates and credit card spending within the selected food retailer. Key Words: Credit Card, Turnover, Interest Rates, Food Retailer, Retail Food Sector, Average Transaction Value, Transaction Volume, Tender Type, Consumers, Customers, ShopriteCheckers, Spar, Pick n Pay, Woolworths, South African Reserve Bank, SARB

Thesis presented in ful lment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Technologiae in Electrical Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / The power system is essentially one of the most critical subsystems to any satellite, without some form of power system a satellite would simply cease to function. The research within these pages investigates the areas pertaining to satellite power systems with the main focus towards the CubeSat platform. The end objective of this research was the development of a reliable analogue based switch-mode power system for a CubeSat. The research began with an investigation into the CubeSat platform, the space environment and a basic overview of a satellite and its systems. The research then focussed on satellite power systems, focussing primarily on satellite power system topologies and switch-mode power systems. Various components and concepts surrounding the satellite power system were investigate and included the photovoltaic (PV) solar cell, batteries, satellite power system topologies, protection concepts and typical CubeSat power systems. The nal part of the literature review included research into typical CubeSat power systems. The space environment complicates the design of satellite systems. The developed electrical power system harnessed electrical power from a PV solar panel by means of a fractional opencircuit voltage (FOCV) based maximum power point tracker (MPPT) with the use of a SEPIC DC-DC converter. The use of a SEPIC DC-DC converter allowed the system to operate at a greater e ciency than could be expected from linear designs. The requirement for an e cient system was important as the heat generated by the power system could bring rise to dissipation issues, resulting in over-heating of various components. The design took into account component sizing, as larger components would be more prone to damage during the high accelerations and vibrations associated with being launched into space. The use of a MPPT allowed the power system to better utilise the available PV solar panel power, by maintaining the PV solar panel near its optimum operating voltage. The design slid between MPPT and voltage regulation to harness as much power as possible while not over-charging the Lithium polymer battery. The power system consisted of battery under-voltage protection as well as over-current protection for the attached payloads and satellite subsystems. The SEPIC DC-DC converter was selected over other SMPS topologies, as this topology could be used in a 1U and 3U CubeSat with a wide variety of PV solar panel cell con gurations. The bene ts of this SMPS topology are due to the SEPIC DC-DC converter's ability to produce an output voltage greater than, less than or equal to the input voltage (National Semiconductor, 2008; Texas Instruments, 2008a). This, along with the operation of the FOCV based MPPT, allowed the power system to be very exible. The designed FOCV based MPPT could be pre-set to di ering PV solar cell technologies due to the adjustable ratio between the maximum power point voltage, Vmpp, and the open-circuit voltage, Voc of the PV solar panel. It was decided not to select a Buck or Boost DC-DC converter based power system as this would limit the exibility of the system. Additionally, the SEPIC DC-DC converter brings with it the ability to isolate the input and output voltage upon shut down. This isolation is due to the SEPIC DC-DC converter's coupling capacitor and this topologies operation as described by National Semiconductor (2008) and Texas Instruments (2008a). The prototype was versatile allowing a wide variety of PV solar cell technologies to be used. The wide operating voltage of the prototype allowed the design to be connected to a series or parallel combination of solar cells with an operating voltage of 3 V to 20 V. The power handling capability of the prototype per solar panel channel allows the design to be applied to a 1 U or 3 U CubeSat given that the channel did not exceed 10 W. All components of the prototype operated without fault, e ectively charging the Li-poly battery safely while protecting payloads and subsystems. The SEPIC DC-DC converter utilised by the MPPT achieved an e ciency of 71 % under full load and with an input voltage of 10 V.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / In order to effectively determine the occurrences of space weather anomalies in near Earth orbit, a highly sensitive space-grade magnetometer system is needed for measuring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, which is the aftermath of space weather storms. This research is a foundational work, aimed at evaluating a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) high temperature DC SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometer, and establishing the possibility of using it for space weather applications. A SQUID magnetometer is a magnetic field measuring in strument that produces an electrical signal relative to the sensed external magnetic field intensity.