Using alternative inter-disciplinary pedagogies in teaching poetry to Grade 10 English first additional language learners at a township school

Submitted to the University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of EducationThe purpose of this project was to explore and establish whether the introduction of alternative inter-disciplinary pedagogies such as multiliteracy, multimodality and translanguaging would help improve learners' understanding of poetry specifically and improve their reading in general. The methodology adopted was action research, specifically, reflective classroom enquiry an educator my focus was on questioning my own practice for not only personal development, better professional practice and more, self-development through rigorous evaluation and critical self-examination to improve pedagogy. In other words, improving of professional practice is side by side with increase of knowledge in one’s practice. Crucial is involvement of another colleague in designing pedagogical instruments which cause for openness to alternative view points in the implementation. In collaboration with my colleague, findings seem to suggest that mixing translanguaging and multimodality in poetry teaching and learning can result favourably in an increase across four crucial pedagogical learning areas: more participation, increased engagement with the text and one another, positive interest in poetry, better clarity in expression of thoughts, feelings and emotions compared to the traditional way of teaching. Rigorous planning combined with relevant pedagogical tools are key in enhancement of poetry teaching and learning for better understanding and can thus change the negative attitude in poetry teaching, another element in this report is professional development from knowledge gained. Ultimately, the result is that more engagement in reflective practice improved my own pedagogical practice. This reflective classroom inquiry in poetry teaching enhances understanding in my own practice for better lesson delivery.XL201

A Mixed-Methods Study of Students’ Success and Persistence in Biology

Undergraduate success and persistence in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields is of critical importance to the United States (U.S.) maintenance of its position as the world leader in scientific innovations. While the total number of undergraduate degrees awarded annually has nearly tripled over the past 40 years, the same cannot be said for the proportion of degrees in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The U.S. share of the world’s STEM graduates is sharply declining, on average less than 40% of incoming college freshmen elect to pursue a degree in a STEM field each year, with more than half of those individuals declaring a major in the biological sciences or a closely related area (e.g., premedicine, pre-health or nursing). Research indicates that, there is need to promote success and persistence among the undergraduates undertaking STEM fields. In an effort to address this call, a majority of research has employed a variety of empirically validated instruction strategies designed to promote undergraduate success and persistence in biological sciences. Although of integral importance, such studies have often not extensively explored the impact of motivational and attitudinal factors in tandem with demographic and educational characteristics, especially in the field of biology. The current study used quantitative methods utilizing Quasi experimental design to examine the impact of motivational and attitudinal factors alongside with demographic and secondary characteristics in relation to students’ success and persistence in biology among students enrolled in two introductory biology courses (Principles of Biology and Organismal Biology) at a mid-size research and teaching university. Additionally, the study examined to what extent do such factors differentially predict success and persistence among underrepresented minority and first generation students within the aforementioned cohort. A second component of the study used qualitative inquiry and thematic data analysis techniques, to explore the persistence of both average and below average performing students in biology by examining their experiences in biology program. Analyses examining student success found that motivational factors were equally important predictors of success among all student types. The top demographic predictors of success were: index score (a combination of high school GPA, SAT and ACT scores), minority status and first generation status, uniquely explaining 4.7%, 3.0% and 1% of variance in students’ course grade, respectively. The attitudinal predictors of students’ success were: students’ ability to apply knowledge to solve biology-specific tasks and enjoyment of the biology major each explaining 1.0% of variance in students’ final course grade. Among the underrepresented minority students, dual enrollment in an active learning-based supplemental instruction course explained 1.1% of the variance. Analyses examining predictors of persistence in biology found that self-efficacy and grade motivation were the important motivational factors predicting students’ persistence. Strategies employed by students to solve biology problems was the only attitudinal factor important for persistence in biology. Students’ final percent course grade in introductory biology courses also emerged as a significant predictor of student persistence in biology. Interestingly, first generation students were more likely to persist in biology compared to continuing students, while minority students were less likely to persist in biology compared to non-minority students. The qualitative aspects of this study involved 12 participants, among these, 10 had persisted in biology while 2 had switched from biology to other majors. The four most important factors highlighted by the participants were: challenges associated with transitioning from high school to college, instructional aspects of the introductory biology courses, effects of participants’ social interactions and aspects of competition and weeding out in biology introductory courses. The results and findings from this study suggests several things. First, developing and nurturing proper motivations and positive attitudes in post-secondary classrooms alongside with factoring motivational and attitudinal factors that are important for URMs and FGs success and persistence may be a step forward in addressing the critical problem of success in STEM fields in general. Second, meaningful engagement of students in solving biology related problems appears to be an essential task of educators leading first-semester biology experiences. Thirdly, approaches geared towards increasing student success in introductory courses seem to be essential in students’ persistence in specific majors. Finally, the study findings suggest that students’ success and persistence in biology may be reduced with sufficient streamlining of high school preparation to meet college level expectations with respect to what high school graduates entering college need to know and be able to do for success and persistence in college

Drivers for Suppliers’ Responsiveness in the Government Tendering Process: A Case of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Department of Public Works in Gatundu, Kiambu County, Kenya

The study aimed at determining the factors affecting suppliers’ responsiveness in the Government tendering process with reference to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Department of Public Works Gatundu Sub-County. The study focused on the management and activities of the staff as well as suppliers and customers of the department.  The researcher adopted a descriptive research design as there are variables which cannot be quantified but can only be described in descriptive statistics. Through random stratified sampling method the researcher selected 33 respondents out of 105 who constituted the total population of the staff, suppliers and customers in the department and were stratified in to senior level management, middle level management, procurement and stores staff as well as suppliers and customers in the department. Data was collected through administering questionnaires to the respondents. Quantitative and qualitative techniques of data analysis was used to analyze Data and included the use of SPSS Version 21 data analysis software as well as Microsoft Excel and the findings presented through charts, tables and graphs. The ideas conveyed in this study are in response to the research questions set forth. This study achieved its primary objectives which were: to determine the extent to which order specifications affect Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process; to assess the extent to which use of information technology affects Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process; to examine the extent to which market price increases affect Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process; and to establish the extent to which buyer-supplier relationships affect Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process. This result shows that there are relationships existing among the constructs of the study, and it confirms proposed ideas in the first three chapters. Hence, it is concluded with some contributions to the literature. From the findings the study has drawn conclusions and made recommendation on how supplier responsiveness to Government tendering processes can be enhanced. Importance of specifications cannot be over-emphasised. Specifications indicate, fitness for purpose or use; communicate the requirements of a user or purchaser to the supplier; compare what is actually supplied with the requirements in terms of purpose, quality and performance as stated and provide evidence in the event of a dispute, of what the purchaser required and what the supplier agreed to provide. Since the key objective of purchasing is to contribute to the profitability of an undertaking by obtaining the best quality products or services in terms of fitness for use at the least possible total cost. It is therefore higly recommedned that negotiating with suppliers, purchasing staff must know what they are negotiating for because the satisfaction of user requirements depends on obtaining reliable supplier. Findings of the study reveal the importance of Information technology, by way of transforming the way that business is conducted. There is need for purchasing entities to embrace the strategic implications of IT and e-procurement so as to effectively coordinate demand requests, transportation and inventory management organizations should utilize the benefit of strategic supply chain tools such as information technology to lower and make ordering more efficient. Keywords: Suppliers’ responsiveness, Tendering process, Order specifications, Information technology, Market price increases, buyer-supplier relationships

How does the work environment affect court interpreters working in Zimbabwe's magistrates courts?

This study investigated stress factors caused by the working environment, and stress coping, by court interpreters in Zimbabwe. The research adopted a case study approach anchored on a mixed-methods design. The researchers planned to collect data for the study through focus group discussions, interviews, document analysis, and questionnaires. However, due to the Covid-19 environment in the country at the time of the study, an online questionnaire, virtual focus group discussions and telephonic interviews were used to collect data from the research participants. The study participants were court interpreters at Marondera Magistrates Court, and BA Honours Translation and Interpretation students at the University of Zimbabwe who were attached at various magistrates courts in the country as part of their industrial attachment. Among the main stress factors identified by the study are autonomy, the workload, insufficient resources, poor organisation of work, and working hours. Court interpreters were found to experience fatigue, back pain, headaches, and throat irritation. Task-oriented coping was identified as one predominant coping style used by study respondents. The study recommends that court interpreter training programmes should include content on the impact of common stressors, and provide self-care education, because court interpreters must be able to identify and address the negative impacts of such stressors at an early stage, to avoid it affecting their physical and mental health. The results of the study are, therefore, a valuable contribution to translation and interpreting studies, stress research, and the human factors in court interpreting

The Misinformation Paradox: Older Adults are Cynical about News Media, but Engage with It Anyway

Misinformation can be easily spread with the click of a button, but can cause irreversible harm and negatively impact news consumers’ ability to discern false information. Some prior work suggests that older adults may engage with (read, share, or believe) misinformation at higher rates than others. However, engagement explanations vary. In an effort to understand older adults' engagement with misinformation better, we investigate the misinformation experiences of older adults through their perception of prior media experiences. Analyzing 69 semi-structured interviews with adults ages 59+ from the US, the Netherlands, Bosnia, and Turkey, we find that people who have decades of potential exposure or experience with both online and traditional news media have reached a state of media cynicism in which they distrust most, or even all, of the news they receive. Yet, despite this media cynicism, the older adults we study rarely fact-check the media they see and continue to read and share news they distrust. These findings suggest that this paradoxical reaction to media cynicism, in addition to prior explanations such as cognitive issues and digital literacy, may in part explain older adults' engagement with misinformation. Thus, we introduce the misinformation paradox, an additional area of research worth explorin

The relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and the intention to quit in a South African manufacturing organisation

Grounded in the positive psychology paradigm the recently recognised core construct of psychological capital was focussed in a South African study. A non-experimental, correlational study (n=204) examined the relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. The present study was exploratory in nature and the pattern of relationships being investigated had not been previously tested in a South African context. A self-administered composite questionnaire consisting of five psychological scales were distributed to employees in the junior to senior management level at a global tyre manufacturing organisation based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The five scales were the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire by Walumbwa, Psychological Capital Questionnaire by Luthans, Psychological Climate by Koys and DeCotiis, Team Commitment by Bennett and the Intention to Quit Scale by Cohen. All the measures applied on the South African sample were developed outside South Africa and model equivalence had to be established. The content and structure of the measures were investigated through confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. With the exception of the Cohen scale of intention to quit, all other measures changed their factorial structures to suit the present data. The propositions in the study were tested through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, post hoc tests, Cohen’s d, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regressions. Structural equation models were built to test the relationships between the scales and sub scales of authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. Results of the analyses carried out, show significantly strong relationships between the variables. Of note is the marked relationship between authentic leadership and psychological climate. Most of the propositions were accepted in light of the relationships that emerged. The proposition indicating structural equation models was rejected because none of the models built in the study successfully produced an adequate fit on the data. Contributions of the study were in terms of the portability of the measurement instruments applied in the study as well as the relationships that emerged. Re-validation of the measures is required to enable clarity on how the variables in the study are interpreted across cultural contexts. Directions for future research include extending the study to other samples and other cultures. Measuring social desirability of the instruments could possibly provide clarity on how the different samples respond to the measures. Studies that compare the reading ability as well as the ability to comprehend the items in the measures would provide valuable information

The relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and the intention to quit in a South African manufacturing organisation

Grounded in the positive psychology paradigm the recently recognised core construct of psychological capital was focussed in a South African study. A non-experimental, correlational study (n=204) examined the relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. The present study was exploratory in nature and the pattern of relationships being investigated had not been previously tested in a South African context. A self-administered composite questionnaire consisting of five psychological scales were distributed to employees in the junior to senior management level at a global tyre manufacturing organisation based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The five scales were the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire by Walumbwa, Psychological Capital Questionnaire by Luthans, Psychological Climate by Koys and DeCotiis, Team Commitment by Bennett and the Intention to Quit Scale by Cohen. All the measures applied on the South African sample were developed outside South Africa and model equivalence had to be established. The content and structure of the measures were investigated through confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. With the exception of the Cohen scale of intention to quit, all other measures changed their factorial structures to suit the present data. The propositions in the study were tested through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, post hoc tests, Cohen’s d, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regressions. Structural equation models were built to test the relationships between the scales and sub scales of authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. Results of the analyses carried out, show significantly strong relationships between the variables. Of note is the marked relationship between authentic leadership and psychological climate. Most of the propositions were accepted in light of the relationships that emerged. The proposition indicating structural equation models was rejected because none of the models built in the study successfully produced an adequate fit on the data. Contributions of the study were in terms of the portability of the measurement instruments applied in the study as well as the relationships that emerged. Re-validation of the measures is required to enable clarity on how the variables in the study are interpreted across cultural contexts. Directions for future research include extending the study to other samples and other cultures. Measuring social desirability of the instruments could possibly provide clarity on how the different samples respond to the measures. Studies that compare the reading ability as well as the ability to comprehend the items in the measures would provide valuable information

Factors Influencing Individual Investor Behaviour during Initial Public Offers (IPOs) in Kenya

Kenyan equity market exhibits trends of over-subscriptions during Initial Public Offer in the recent years.Though the profit gains in IPOs are dismal in the short run and majority of Kenyan retail investors are also shortterm, there still exists a market rush whenever there is an IPO issue. Descriptive research design was appliedduring this survey which involved interviewing the retail investors at NSE. The study established that investorsfeel awareness is the most important factor before making investment decision. Adoption of internet and mobilemarketing and awareness program will enhance the public knowledge on IPO and investment at the stockexchange. In general, it has been observed that women are more risk averse than men, the young are more riskseeking than the old, wealthier individuals manifest a greater willingness to invest in equities and the poor arerisk averse. Access to information about the performance of companies was suggested to be the key element instakeholder recognition of a company’s share index performance. Internet is increasingly important since theweb gives better and freer exchange of information. Finally, CMA should put in place stringent regulations toprotect retail investors from fraudulent and unhealthy practices in the market.Keywords: Initial Public Offer, Nairobi Securities Exchange, Share Index, Retail Investors, Capital MarketAuthorit

Community health clubs growth monitoring: experience from Zimbabwe’s Small Towns WASH Programme

The Government of Zimbabwe and UNICEF are implementing a Small Towns WASH Programme in 14 small urban towns of Zimbabwe. Hygiene Promotion is one of the key programme components and activities are being delivered through community, school and market health clubs. An adaptation of a tool, known as the Group Maturity Index for tracking the development and growth of the health clubs by measuring progress of the clubs across five domains of objectives, governance, systems, resourcing and impact has been developed; two assessments of clubs have been done in October 2015 and May 2016 respectively. This paper compares the results of the two assessments and looks at the usefulness of the tool for programming. It provides a basis for development workers to adapt and obtain an objective means of tracking areas of weakness and strengths when working with health clubs and community based groups