Die ontwikkeling en evaluerying van ‘n visuele geletterdheidsprogram vir dowe grondslagfaseleerders met lees- en spellingagerstande

No Abstract.Journal for Language Teaching vol Vol. 42 (1) 2008: pp. 49-6

Exploring the Role of Environmental Quality and Time Perspective in the Academic Performance of Grade 12 Learners

The aim of this study was to determine to what extent environmental quality and time perspective can account for the variance in the academic performance of Grade 12 learners. Time perspective was assessed utilising the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). Environmental quality was measured by means of a self-compiled questionnaire. A total of 413 Grade 12 learners from four English mediumschools in the Mangaung area of the Free State Province in South Africa were involved in the study. It was found that time perspective together with environmental quality accounts for approximately 14% of the variance found in the academic performance of Grade 12 learners. Although statistically significant relationships were found between time perspective and academic performance, these relationships were concluded to be of little practical importance. The academic performance of Grade 12 learners is of great importance as the results obtained from their final examinations are generally viewed as primary selection criteria for access to higher education institutions (Swartz, 1998; Uys, 1993; Huysamen, 2001). Various cognitive, personal and environmental factors have been found to influence learners’ academic performance (Moller, 1995; Louw, Van Ede & Louw, 1998; Malefo, 2000). Only a limited number of researchers have investigated the influence of environmental quality as well as time perspective on academic performance within the South African context. It is the aim of this study to explore the concepts of environmental quality and time perspective and their role in the academic performance of Grade 12 learners

Die rol van taalvaardigheid in die verband tussen matrieken universiteitsprestasie van swart eerstejaarstudente

This article highlights some of the factors that play a role in the academic success of black first year students who receive non mother-tongue education in English. Students in the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, as well as the Humanities/Law at the University of the Free State were involved in the study. It was evident that both matric performance and language ability have predictive value. It was also found that the predictive value of these variables differed between the various faculties (which implies that students’ field of study should be taken into account when decisions regarding access with success is made).Key words: language proficiency, matric performance, academic achievement, non mother-tongue education, black first year students.Hierdie artikel werp lig op sommige faktore wat ’n rol speel in die akademiese prestasie van swart eerstejaarstudente wat nie-moedertaalonderrig in Engels ontvang. Studente in die Fakulteite Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Natuur- en Landbouwetenskappe, asook Geesteswetenskappe/Regte aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat is by die studie betrek. Dit het geblyk dat beide matriekprestasie en taalvaardigheid voorspellingswaarde het. Verder is ook bevind dat die voorspellingswaarde van hierdie veranderlikes verskil tussen verskillende fakulteite (wat impliseer dat studente se studieveld in ag geneem moet word wanneer besluite rakende toelating met sukses geneem word).Sleutelwoorde: taalvaardigheid; matriekprestasie; akademiese prestasie; niemoedertaalonderrig, swart eerstejaarstudente.The article is in Afrikaans

Depression among Sesotho speakers in Mangaung, South Africa

Objective: Depression will be the most common mental disorder by 2020, and it is also expected to be the second leading cause of disability, after cardiac diseases. Moreover, depression is likely to be a major public health burden in the future. This study evaluates the influences of culture on the symptoms of depression among Sesotho speakers. Method: An evaluation of a sample of 100 participants diagnosed with depression was conducted, using the Psychiatric Interview Questionnaire. Results: It was found that depression among Sesotho speakers is manifested in three areas: somatic symptoms, perceptual disturbances and disturbances of the thought processes. Conclusion: Since it has become clear, on the basis of the investigation, that depression is a culturally diverse phenomenon, the authors also recommend that research in this regard should be conducted from a multidisciplinary perspective, so that other paradigms, including those of sociology and anthropology, can also be included.African Psychiatry Review Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp. 35-4

Job satisfaction amongst teachers at special needs schools

The aim of this study was to establish the level of job satisfaction amongst teachers at special schools. Teachers in special schools need to cope with curriculum changes, the administrative duties that come with these changes, and the learners with their diverse needs. Learners with special needs require a specific educational programme and also schools that cater for the needs of learners with emotional, social, neurological or physical problems. The research group consisted of 101 teachers working at six different special schools situated in various parts of the Bloemfontein area, two in the Mangaung area, and four were situated in suburban areas. The group consisted of English- and Afrikaans-speaking teachers of both genders and from different race groups. The data for this study were compiled by means of a short biographical questionnaire and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. The results indicated that the teachers experienced an average level of job satisfaction. In addition to this finding, differences were also found in the levels of job satisfaction between different races, but not between genders.Keywords: job satisfaction; Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire; South African education; special school

Post-traumatic stress disorder and exposure to violence among Venda and northern Sotho adolescents

In this study, two research questions were posed. In the first place, this study investigated the levels of exposure to violence among the adolescents as a total group (Venda- and Northern Sotho-speaking), as well as the exposure levels of the two ethnic groups. Opsomming Twee navorsingsvrae is in hierdie studie gestel. Eerstens het hierdie studie ondersoek ingestel na die vlakke van blootstelling aan geweld onder die groep adolessente as geheel (Venda- en Noord-Sotho-sprekers), asook na die blootstellingsvlakke van die twee etniese groepe. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text

Revival of the magnetar PSR J1622-4950: observations with MeerKAT, Parkes, XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR

New radio (MeerKAT and Parkes) and X-ray (XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR) observations of PSR J1622-4950 indicate that the magnetar, in a quiescent state since at least early 2015, reactivated between 2017 March 19 and April 5. The radio flux density, while variable, is approximately 100x larger than during its dormant state. The X-ray flux one month after reactivation was at least 800x larger than during quiescence, and has been decaying exponentially on a 111+/-19 day timescale. This high-flux state, together with a radio-derived rotational ephemeris, enabled for the first time the detection of X-ray pulsations for this magnetar. At 5%, the 0.3-6 keV pulsed fraction is comparable to the smallest observed for magnetars. The overall pulsar geometry inferred from polarized radio emission appears to be broadly consistent with that determined 6-8 years earlier. However, rotating vector model fits suggest that we are now seeing radio emission from a different location in the magnetosphere than previously. This indicates a novel way in which radio emission from magnetars can differ from that of ordinary pulsars. The torque on the neutron star is varying rapidly and unsteadily, as is common for magnetars following outburst, having changed by a factor of 7 within six months of reactivation.Comment: Published in ApJ (2018 April 5); 13 pages, 4 figure

Confronting historical legacies of biological anthropology in South Africa-Restitution, redress and community-centered science: The Sutherland Nine

We describe a process of restitution of nine unethically acquired human skeletons to their families, together with attempts at redress. Between 1925-1927 C.E., the skeletonised remains of nine San or Khoekhoe people, eight of them known-in-life, were removed from their graves on the farm Kruisrivier, near Sutherland in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. They were donated to the Anatomy Department at the University of Cape Town. This was done without the knowledge or permission of their families. The donor was a medical student who removed the remains from the labourers' cemetery on his family farm. Nearly 100 years later, the remains are being returned to their community, accompanied by a range of community-driven interdisciplinary historical, archaeological and analytical (osteobiographic, craniofacial, ancient DNA, stable isotope) studies to document, as far as possible, their lives and deaths. The restitution process began by contacting families living in the same area with the same surnames as the deceased. The restitution and redress process prioritises the descendant families' memories, wishes and desire to understand the situation, and learn more about their ancestors. The descendant families have described the process as helping them to reconnect with their ancestors. A richer appreciation of their ancestors' lives, gained in part from scientific analyses, culminating with reburial, is hoped to aid the descendant families and wider community in [re-]connecting with their heritage and culture, and contribute to restorative justice, reconciliation and healing while confronting a traumatic historical moment. While these nine individuals were exhumed as specimens, they will be reburied as people

Setting a baseline for global urban virome surveillance in sewage

The rapid development of megacities, and their growing connectedness across the world is becoming a distinct driver for emerging disease outbreaks. Early detection of unusual disease emergence and spread should therefore include such cities as part of risk-based surveillance. A catch-all metagenomic sequencing approach of urban sewage could potentially provide an unbiased insight into the dynamics of viral pathogens circulating in a community irrespective of access to care, a potential which already has been proven for the surveillance of poliovirus. Here, we present a detailed characterization of sewage viromes from a snapshot of 81 high density urban areas across the globe, including in-depth assessment of potential biases, as a proof of concept for catch-all viral pathogen surveillance. We show the ability to detect a wide range of viruses and geographical and seasonal differences for specific viral groups. Our findings offer a cross-sectional baseline for further research in viral surveillance from urban sewage samples and place previous studies in a global perspective

Global monitoring of antimicrobial resistance based on metagenomics analyses of urban sewage

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health, but obtaining representative data on AMR for healthy human populations is difficult. Here, we use meta-genomic analysis of untreated sewage to characterize the bacterial resistome from 79 sites in 60 countries. We find systematic differences in abundance and diversity of AMR genes between Europe/North-America/Oceania and Africa/Asia/South-America. Antimicrobial use data and bacterial taxonomy only explains a minor part of the AMR variation that we observe. We find no evidence for cross-selection between antimicrobial classes, or for effect of air travel between sites. However, AMR gene abundance strongly correlates with socio-economic, health and environmental factors, which we use to predict AMR gene abundances in all countries in the world. Our findings suggest that global AMR gene diversity and abundance vary by region, and that improving sanitation and health could potentially limit the global burden of AMR. We propose metagenomic analysis of sewage as an ethically acceptable and economically feasible approach for continuous global surveillance and prediction of AMR.Peer reviewe