Abstracts in English, Sotho and Afrikaans / The purpose of this study was to explore the classroom practices of Senior Phase Natural Sciences teachers in some of the schools of the Vhembe District. Qualitative case study approach was employed and three teachers participated. The following research questions were explored: What is the level of the teacher’s subject-matter knowledge in the teaching of Natural Sciences (NS)? What is the nature of the teacher’s instructional strategies in the teaching of NS? How does the teacher’s subject-matter knowledge and instructional strategies shape the teachers’ classroom interaction and discourse in the teaching of NS? Interviews, observations and a questionnaire have been used for data collection. Teachers used their teaching experiences to teach NS. Results indicated lack of teachers, facilities and resources. It is recommended that the Department of Education as an arm of government should see that schools have the facilities, resources and teachers they need for proper teaching and learning as well as providing sufficient workshops to improve teachers’ classroom practices. / Sepheo sa thuto ena e ne e le ho hlahloba mekhoa ea litlelase tsa matichere a Phahameng ea Setsebi sa Tlhaho ea Setsebi tse ling tsa sekolo sa Vhembe. Ho ne ho sebelisoa mokhoa o nepahetseng oa ho ithuta litsebo le matichere a mararo. Lipotso tse latelang tsa lipatlisiso li ile tsa hlahlojoa: Mokhoa oa mosuoe oa mosuoe ke oa mofuta ofe thutong ea Saense ea tlhaho? Mokhoa oa mekhoa ea koetliso ea tichere ke efe tabeng ea thuto ea saense ea tlhaho? Mosuoe oa mosuoe o tseba joang le mekhoa ea ho ruta e amanang le ho sebelisana ha tichere le ho bua ka thutho ea saense ea tlhaho? Lipuisano, litlhaloso le lipotso. E sebeliselitsoe ho bokella data. Barupeluao ba ile ba sebelisa liphihlelo tsa bona tsa thutho ho ruta saense ea tlhaho. Liphello li bonst’a ho haelloa ke matichere a saense ea tlhaho, mehaho le thepa. Ho khothalletsoa hore Muso le Lefapha la Thuto lo bone hore likolo li na le mehaho, lisebelisoa le matichere bakeng sa thuto le thutho e nepahetseng hammoho le ho fana ka lithupelo tse lekaneng bakeng sa ho ntlafatsa mekhoa ea matichere ea tlelase. / Die doel van die studie was om die klaskamerpraktyke van senior Fase Natuurwetenskappe-onderwysers in sommige skole van skole in die Vhembe-distrik te ondersoek. Kwantitatiewe gevallestudie-benadering was in diens en drie onderwysers het deelgeneem. Die volgende navorsingsvrae is ondersoek: Wat is die aard van die onderwyser se onderwyser kennis in die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe? Wat is die aard van onderwyser se onderrigstrategiee in die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe? Hoe vorm die onderwyser se kennis en onderrigstrategiee die onderwyser se klasinteraksie en-diskoers in die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe? Onderhoude, waarnemings en vraelys wat gebruik word vir data-insameling. Deelnemers het hul onderrigervarings gebruik om Natuurwetenskappe te onderrig. Resultate dui op gebrek aan Natuurwetenskappeonderwysers, fasiliteite en-bronne. Dit word aanbeveel dat die regering en die Departement van Onderwys moet sien dat skole fasiliteite, hulpbronne en onderwysers het vir behoorlike onderrig en leer, asook voldoende werkwinkels om onderwysers se klaskamerpraktyke te verbeter. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)

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MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / The main objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of municipal solid waste management system, its potential implication in Vhembe District Municipality, South Africa and to recommend strategies for effective management of municipal solid waste in the district. To achieve this, structured questionnaires, interviews, field observations and focus group discussions were used to collect primary data within the district. The study focused on the four local municipalities: Makhado, Thulamela, Musina and Collins Chabane. Desktop study was also undertaken to gather secondary data by reviewing journals, technical reports, books and articles. The study adopted a mixed method approach comprising of triangulation of qualitative and quantitative design. The target groups of the study were selected through purposive sampling. The respondents in the study were 21 officials from local municipalities including directors, waste managers, superintendents, landfill supervisor and interns. Data was collected using focus group interviews and questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics which involve the presentation of numerical facts, or data, in either tables or graphs form. Municipalities in the district are producing a considerable amount of solid waste. Municipalities do not adhere to the existing guidelines on waste minimization at source, for example; they do not have zero waste strategy (3R) reduce, reuse and recycle, which is the highest priority of the National Waste Management Policy. Lack of the application of existing waste management policy leads to large amount of solid waste eventually ending up in landfill sites. The study recommends to municipalities to develop operational and monitoring waste management plans which will create continuous improvement on waste management. In the district, it was observed that the bulk of waste generated per month within municipalities is general waste comprising 64%, as compared to garden waste and building rubbles. There are no equipment and programs in place by municipalities to encourage waste separation at source, for example, municipalities do not have household‟s recyclable receptacles to encourage separation at source. Municipalities do not have weighbridge to quantify waste entering the site. It was observed that Thulamela and Collins Chabane Local municipalities create compost from garden waste received at the landfill sites, whereas Musina and Makhado Local Municipalities do not create compost from garden waste. Garden waste is dumped and compacted with other waste materials in the landfills. All municipalities should create compost from garden waste received at the landfill sites as it helps to extend the life span of the landfills because it v reduces the amount of waste to the landfill. There is lack of prioritization within municipalities, for example, in Makhado Local Municipality, when the new financial start, budget is allocated to other proposed projects by councilors as they consider waste management projects not a priority. It was observed that within the district, there is high level of illegal dumping in catchment areas and open spaces especially at Musina Local Municipality. Musina Local Municipality is using a quarry as disposal site which was not lined and it has led to contamination of underground water by leachate, whereas Thulamela, Collins Chabane and Makhado Local Municipalities are using lined landfill sites to avoid contamination of underground water. The available vehicles within the municipalities are not enough to meet the demand and some of them are too old, for example, tractors and trucks used by Makhado Local Municipality are 20 years old and they often breakdown, whereas Thulamela, Collins Chabane and Musina Local Municipalities are not using old vehicles as they auctioned old vehicles and bought new ones. Vhembe District Municipality should manage waste in accordance to the new approach of source separation, waste reduction, reuse and recycling by developing environmental awareness programmes supported by the placement of the recyclable receptacles at strategic points to collect recyclable materials which will reduce large amount of waste which eventually ends up in landfills. The study recommends that municipalities should have law enforcement structure which will create and enforce the laws/policies as it helps municipalities to implement effective waste management system and monitoring structure to monitor prioritization and budget allocation to avoid any wastage. Municipalities should have landfill monitoring committees to facilitate the compliance on the development and operation of the landfills to avoid the use of quarry as landfill sites. / NRF