21 research outputs found
'n Ondersoek na die rol van strukturele groepfaktore en groepprosesse met betrekking tot bestuurspaninnoverendheid
Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation and creativity are established research areas but both are relatively new
research areas within the field of organisational psychology. Early research on
innovation and creativity were primarily the focus area of academics in related social
sciences disciplines. Research on innovation and creativity was integrated with the
orientations and perspectives of organisational psychologists over a period of time. In
other words the development and identification of innovation as a success factor of the
work environment is something that took place over decades. Changes in the competitive
environment over the last few decades contributed to the increasing interest in the
concept of innovation. Today managers recognise innovation as a necessity that needs to
be managed and developed.
Three levels of analyses (the individual, group and organisation) can be identified in the
innovation literature. Until recently researchers focused primarily on the individual and
the organisation as units of analysis. As a results of this, research that focuses on the
individual and the organisation are quite comprehensive compared to studies that focus
on the group as a unit of analysis. The utilisation of teams have increased in
organisations, but our knowledge of the factors and dimensions that determine group
innovation are still restricted. The complex nature of group innovation could perhaps be a contributing factor in terms of the amount of research studies that have been done on
group innovation.
It is especially in this regard that this study sets out to thoroughly investigate existing
group innovation literature and to combine this with an investigation into the possible
contributions of related social psychological research (for example group decision
making, intragroup conflict and creative problem solving) to the innovation literature.
Each one of the three units of analysis (individual, group and organisation) has a unique
impact on group innovation, but not one of them explains exclusively the innovativeness
of a team. An interdependent relationship exists between these factors. This stresses the
complexity of the concept and as a result of this, researchers are encouraged to
investigate the possible contributions of related social psychological themes to the
innovation research and literature.
In this regard this study focused extensively on a input, process and output model of
group innovation by West and Anderson (1996) to determine to what extend some of the
aspects of the model explained the innovativeness of a group. This is a comprehensive
model and for the purposes of this study only certain aspects of the model were included
in the research process. The size of the team and team tenure were the two input
elements that were included in the study. The process elements of the model includes
clarity and commitment to team objectives, participation, task orientation and support for
innovation. In terms of the output aspects of the model the focus was on the following:
how radical, effective, new and extensive the innovation is, as well as the number of
innovations per team. The results of the study indicate that there are a relationship
between the variables of West and Anderson's input, process and output model (1996)
and the innovativeness of the team. The results of this study indicate that the model by
West and Anderson is a valuable contribution to the research literature on group
innovation behaviour. Although group innovation has not been researched extensively, it seems that group
innovation is starting to make an impact on the organisational psychology domain and
that it will be a central aspect of the research agenda of organisational psychologists in
future. If we are able to establish a sound theoretical basis organisations will be able to
understand and predict group innovation behaviour.
It can be concluded that this study made a contribution to the research literature on group
innovation behaviour in terms of an awareness of the impact and necessity of innovation
in today's work environment, and also in extending the existing knowledge base of group
innovation behaviourAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel innovasie al VIr 'n geruime tyd as navorsingsdomein gevestig IS, het
organisasiesielkundiges eers redelik onlangs aan innovasie en kreatiwiteit begin aandag
skenk. Een van die redes waarom dit so lank geneem het voordat innovasie as 'n
waardige wetenskaplike navorsingsonderwerp besef was, was die feit dat vroeëre
navorsing oor hierdie onderwerp deur akademici in ander sosiaal wetenskaplike
dissiplines uitgevoer was. Die integrering van sodanige navorsing met
organisasiesielkundiges se perspektiewe en oriëntasies het skynbaar slegs met verloop
van tyd plaasgevind.
Die ontwikkeling van innovasie as 'n verskynsel van die werksomgewing het dus
stelselmatig oor dekades heen plaasgevind. Die impak van omgewingsveranderinge op
organisasies het ook oor die afgelope paar dekades beduidende belangstelling ten opsigte
van innovasie ontsluit. Innovasie, as 'n komponent van organisatoriese-kompeterendheid
en -effektiwiteit, is vandag 'n noodsaaklikheid wat toenemend deur hedendaagse
bedryfsleiers ondersteun en bestuur word.
Binne die werksomgewing kom innovasie op drie verskillende vlakke (die individu, die
groep en die organisasie) voor. Tot dusver het innovasienavorsers egter in hoofsaak op
die individu en organisasie as ontledingseenheid gefokus. Navorsing wat die individu of
organisasie as ontledingseenheid gebruik, is volop in vergelyking met studies wat die
groep as ontledingseenheid gebruik. Met ander woorde, alhoewel die gebruikmaking van
spanne in organisasies toeneem, is ons kennis van die faktore en dimensies wat spaninnoverendheid bepaal, steeds beperk. Die beperkte teoretiese basis van bestaande
groepinnovasienavorsing kan deels aan die omvangryke en komplekse aard van die
verskynsel toegeskryf word.
Dit is juis in hierdie opsig dat hierdie studie dit ten doel gestel het om bestaande
groepinnovasieliteratuur deeglik te ondersoek en om vas te stel tot watter mate verwante
sosiaal-sielkundige navorsing (onder andere groepbesluitneming, intragroepkonflik en
kreatiewe probleemoplossing) 'n bydrae tot die innovasieliteratuur kan lewer.
Elk van die drie ontledingsvlakke (individu, groep, organisasie) het 'n unieke effek op die
innoverendheid van 'n span, maar nie een van hierdie kategorieë verklaar uitsluitlik die
innoverendheid van 'n span nie. Die interafhanklike verhouding van hierdie faktore
beklemtoon die kompleksiteit van die verskynsel en dit moedig toekomstige navorsers
aan om die nuttige bydraes van verwante sosiaal-sielkundige temas te ondersoek.
In hierdie verband is daar ook breedvoerig gebruik gemaak van 'n inset, proses en uitset
model van groepinnoverendheid deur West en Anderson (1996), ten einde vas te stel tot
watter mate sekere aspekte van die model die innoverendheid van 'n span voorspel.
Vanweë die omvangrykheid van die model is slegs sekere veranderlikes in die navorsing
ingesluit. In terme van die insette is daar op grootte en spandienstydperk gefokus. Die
proses faset van die model verwys na die duidelikheid en verbondenheid tot doelwitte,
deelname, taakoriëntasie en ondersteuning vir innovasie. Ten opsigte van die uitset faset
van die model is daar op die volgende aspekte gefokus: die radikaalheid,
omvangrykheid, nuutheid en effektiwiteit van die innovasie asook die getal innovasie
items binne die groep. Die resultate van die studie dui daarop dat daar wel 'n verband
tussen hierdie veranderlikes van West en Anderson (1996) se model en die
innoverendheid van groepe bestaan. Hierdie model van groepinnoverendheid blyk vanuit
die resultate van hierdie studie, en vorige studies, nuttig te wees vir die bestudering van
groepinnovasiegedrag. Alhoewel daar tot dusver min lig gewerp is op die faktore wat groepinnoverendheid
bepaal, wil dit voorkom asof groepinnovasienavorsing 'n sentrale faset van die
organisasiesielkunde se navorsingsagenda in die toekoms sal wees. Die vestiging en
uitbreiding van 'n teoretiese basis salorganisasies in staat stelom die innovasiegedrag
van spanne beter te verstaan en te voorspel.
Ten slotte kan dit vermeld word dat hierdie studie In bydrae gelewer het tot
groepinnovasiegedrag, nie net in terme van 'n bewusmaking van die impak en
noodsaaklikheid van innovasie in die hedendaagse werksomgewing nie, maar ook in
terme van die uitbreiding van die bestaande kennisbasis oor groepinnovasiegedrag
'n Ondersoek na die rol van strukturele groepfaktore en groepprosesse met betrekking tot bestuurspaninnoverendheid
Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation and creativity are established research areas but both are relatively new
research areas within the field of organisational psychology. Early research on
innovation and creativity were primarily the focus area of academics in related social
sciences disciplines. Research on innovation and creativity was integrated with the
orientations and perspectives of organisational psychologists over a period of time. In
other words the development and identification of innovation as a success factor of the
work environment is something that took place over decades. Changes in the competitive
environment over the last few decades contributed to the increasing interest in the
concept of innovation. Today managers recognise innovation as a necessity that needs to
be managed and developed.
Three levels of analyses (the individual, group and organisation) can be identified in the
innovation literature. Until recently researchers focused primarily on the individual and
the organisation as units of analysis. As a results of this, research that focuses on the
individual and the organisation are quite comprehensive compared to studies that focus
on the group as a unit of analysis. The utilisation of teams have increased in
organisations, but our knowledge of the factors and dimensions that determine group
innovation are still restricted. The complex nature of group innovation could perhaps be a contributing factor in terms of the amount of research studies that have been done on
group innovation.
It is especially in this regard that this study sets out to thoroughly investigate existing
group innovation literature and to combine this with an investigation into the possible
contributions of related social psychological research (for example group decision
making, intragroup conflict and creative problem solving) to the innovation literature.
Each one of the three units of analysis (individual, group and organisation) has a unique
impact on group innovation, but not one of them explains exclusively the innovativeness
of a team. An interdependent relationship exists between these factors. This stresses the
complexity of the concept and as a result of this, researchers are encouraged to
investigate the possible contributions of related social psychological themes to the
innovation research and literature.
In this regard this study focused extensively on a input, process and output model of
group innovation by West and Anderson (1996) to determine to what extend some of the
aspects of the model explained the innovativeness of a group. This is a comprehensive
model and for the purposes of this study only certain aspects of the model were included
in the research process. The size of the team and team tenure were the two input
elements that were included in the study. The process elements of the model includes
clarity and commitment to team objectives, participation, task orientation and support for
innovation. In terms of the output aspects of the model the focus was on the following:
how radical, effective, new and extensive the innovation is, as well as the number of
innovations per team. The results of the study indicate that there are a relationship
between the variables of West and Anderson's input, process and output model (1996)
and the innovativeness of the team. The results of this study indicate that the model by
West and Anderson is a valuable contribution to the research literature on group
innovation behaviour. Although group innovation has not been researched extensively, it seems that group
innovation is starting to make an impact on the organisational psychology domain and
that it will be a central aspect of the research agenda of organisational psychologists in
future. If we are able to establish a sound theoretical basis organisations will be able to
understand and predict group innovation behaviour.
It can be concluded that this study made a contribution to the research literature on group
innovation behaviour in terms of an awareness of the impact and necessity of innovation
in today's work environment, and also in extending the existing knowledge base of group
innovation behaviourAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel innovasie al VIr 'n geruime tyd as navorsingsdomein gevestig IS, het
organisasiesielkundiges eers redelik onlangs aan innovasie en kreatiwiteit begin aandag
skenk. Een van die redes waarom dit so lank geneem het voordat innovasie as 'n
waardige wetenskaplike navorsingsonderwerp besef was, was die feit dat vroeëre
navorsing oor hierdie onderwerp deur akademici in ander sosiaal wetenskaplike
dissiplines uitgevoer was. Die integrering van sodanige navorsing met
organisasiesielkundiges se perspektiewe en oriëntasies het skynbaar slegs met verloop
van tyd plaasgevind.
Die ontwikkeling van innovasie as 'n verskynsel van die werksomgewing het dus
stelselmatig oor dekades heen plaasgevind. Die impak van omgewingsveranderinge op
organisasies het ook oor die afgelope paar dekades beduidende belangstelling ten opsigte
van innovasie ontsluit. Innovasie, as 'n komponent van organisatoriese-kompeterendheid
en -effektiwiteit, is vandag 'n noodsaaklikheid wat toenemend deur hedendaagse
bedryfsleiers ondersteun en bestuur word.
Binne die werksomgewing kom innovasie op drie verskillende vlakke (die individu, die
groep en die organisasie) voor. Tot dusver het innovasienavorsers egter in hoofsaak op
die individu en organisasie as ontledingseenheid gefokus. Navorsing wat die individu of
organisasie as ontledingseenheid gebruik, is volop in vergelyking met studies wat die
groep as ontledingseenheid gebruik. Met ander woorde, alhoewel die gebruikmaking van
spanne in organisasies toeneem, is ons kennis van die faktore en dimensies wat spaninnoverendheid bepaal, steeds beperk. Die beperkte teoretiese basis van bestaande
groepinnovasienavorsing kan deels aan die omvangryke en komplekse aard van die
verskynsel toegeskryf word.
Dit is juis in hierdie opsig dat hierdie studie dit ten doel gestel het om bestaande
groepinnovasieliteratuur deeglik te ondersoek en om vas te stel tot watter mate verwante
sosiaal-sielkundige navorsing (onder andere groepbesluitneming, intragroepkonflik en
kreatiewe probleemoplossing) 'n bydrae tot die innovasieliteratuur kan lewer.
Elk van die drie ontledingsvlakke (individu, groep, organisasie) het 'n unieke effek op die
innoverendheid van 'n span, maar nie een van hierdie kategorieë verklaar uitsluitlik die
innoverendheid van 'n span nie. Die interafhanklike verhouding van hierdie faktore
beklemtoon die kompleksiteit van die verskynsel en dit moedig toekomstige navorsers
aan om die nuttige bydraes van verwante sosiaal-sielkundige temas te ondersoek.
In hierdie verband is daar ook breedvoerig gebruik gemaak van 'n inset, proses en uitset
model van groepinnoverendheid deur West en Anderson (1996), ten einde vas te stel tot
watter mate sekere aspekte van die model die innoverendheid van 'n span voorspel.
Vanweë die omvangrykheid van die model is slegs sekere veranderlikes in die navorsing
ingesluit. In terme van die insette is daar op grootte en spandienstydperk gefokus. Die
proses faset van die model verwys na die duidelikheid en verbondenheid tot doelwitte,
deelname, taakoriëntasie en ondersteuning vir innovasie. Ten opsigte van die uitset faset
van die model is daar op die volgende aspekte gefokus: die radikaalheid,
omvangrykheid, nuutheid en effektiwiteit van die innovasie asook die getal innovasie
items binne die groep. Die resultate van die studie dui daarop dat daar wel 'n verband
tussen hierdie veranderlikes van West en Anderson (1996) se model en die
innoverendheid van groepe bestaan. Hierdie model van groepinnoverendheid blyk vanuit
die resultate van hierdie studie, en vorige studies, nuttig te wees vir die bestudering van
groepinnovasiegedrag. Alhoewel daar tot dusver min lig gewerp is op die faktore wat groepinnoverendheid
bepaal, wil dit voorkom asof groepinnovasienavorsing 'n sentrale faset van die
organisasiesielkunde se navorsingsagenda in die toekoms sal wees. Die vestiging en
uitbreiding van 'n teoretiese basis salorganisasies in staat stelom die innovasiegedrag
van spanne beter te verstaan en te voorspel.
Ten slotte kan dit vermeld word dat hierdie studie In bydrae gelewer het tot
groepinnovasiegedrag, nie net in terme van 'n bewusmaking van die impak en
noodsaaklikheid van innovasie in die hedendaagse werksomgewing nie, maar ook in
terme van die uitbreiding van die bestaande kennisbasis oor groepinnovasiegedrag
Nowhere to hide : interrogating different metabolic parameters of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in a transmission blocking drug discovery pipeline towards malaria elimination
BACKGROUND : The discovery of malaria transmission-blocking compounds is seen as key to malaria elimination strategies and gametocyte-screening platforms are critical filters to identify active molecules. However, unlike asexual parasite assays measuring parasite proliferation, greater variability in end-point readout exists between different gametocytocidal assays. This is compounded by difficulties in routinely producing viable, functional and stage-specific gametocyte populations. Here, a parallel evaluation of four assay platforms on the same gametocyte populations was performed for the first time. This allowed the direct comparison of the ability of different assay platforms to detect compounds with gametocytocidal activity and revealed caveats in some assay readouts that interrogate different parasite biological functions. METHODS : Gametocytogenesis from Plasmodium falciparum (NF54) was optimized with a robust and standardized protocol. ATP, pLDH, luciferase reporter and PrestoBlue® assays were compared in context of a set of 10 reference compounds. The assays were performed in parallel on the same gametocyte preparation (except for luciferase reporter lines) using the same drug preparations (48 h). The remaining parameters for each assay were all comparable. RESULTS : A highly robust method for generating viable and functional gametocytes was developed and comprehensively validated resulting in an average gametocytaemia of 4 %. Subsequent parallel assays for gametocytocidal activity indicated that different assay platforms were not able to screen compounds with variant chemical scaffolds similarly. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that synchronized stage-specific gametocyte production is essential for drug discovery, as differential susceptibility in various gametocyte developmental populations is evident. CONCLUSIONS : With this study, the key parameters for assays aiming at testing the gametocytocidal activity of potential transmission blocking molecules against Plasmodium gametocytes were accurately dissected. This first and uniquely comparative study emphasizes differential effects seen with the use of different assay platforms interrogating variant biological systems. Whilst this data is informative from a biological perspective and may provide indications of the drug mode of action, it does highlight the care that must be taken when screening broaddiversity chemotypes with a single assay platform against gametocytes for which the biology is not clearly understood.South African Medical Research Council Strategic Health Initiatives
Partnerships with the Medicines for Malaria Venture as well as the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research, and the 3R Foundation (project 118–10).http://www.malariajournal.comhb201
Estrategia para conservar las poblaciones de buitres del viejo mundo utilizando el enfoque de una salud
One Health brings the powerful interrelationship between human and wildlife health together
with ecosystem health. The initial concept of One Health was formulated decades ago and focused on
disease transfer from wildlife to human populations. More recently, the concept has been used to associate
resilience to disease with the health of the ecosystem and resilience to environmental stressors. The need for
a One Health approach is particularly evident in the plight of Old World vultures, which are facing a
conservation crisis due to drastic reductions in populations across their entire range. Moreover, vulture
conservation exemplifies many contemporary tenets of One Health; vultures are critical to a sustainable and
resilient ecosystem, which in turn is essential for the socio-ecological health of human communities. In this
review, we examine the complex factors contributing to the demise of Old World vulture populations, using
the lens of One Health to conceptualize the primary drivers impacting the health and sustainability of these
populations. The One Health concept provides the basis for the development of a framework that
incorporates a multidimensional approach and includes human health, wildlife health, environmental and
disease-related stressors, disease incidences, societal pressures, and environmental contaminants.
Integrating societal needs with management aimed at maintaining healthy vulture populations is key for
successfully using a One Health framework to optimize the health of human and wildlife populations and
ensure ecosystem health.El enfoque ‘‘Una Salud’’ promueve una poderosa interrelacio´n entre la salud de los humanos y
de la fauna salvaje asociados a la salud de los ecosistemas. El concepto inicial de Una Salud fue formulado
de´cadas atra´s y se enfocaba en la transferencia de enfermedades de la fauna salvaje a las poblaciones
humanas. Ma´s recientemente, el concepto ha sido usado para asociar la resiliencia a las enfermedades con la
salud de los ecosistemas y la resiliencia a factores de estre´s ambiental. La necesidad de utilizar el enfoque de
Una Salud es particularmente evidente ante la dif´ıcil situacio´n de los buitres del Viejo Mundo, los cuales se enfrentan a una situacio´n de crisis de conservacio´n debido a la reduccio´n dra´stica en sus poblaciones a lo
largo de toda su a´rea de distribucio´n. Adema´s, la conservacio´n de los buitres ejemplifica mucho de los
principios contempora´neos de Una Salud; los buitres son cr´ıticos para un ecosistema sostenible y resiliente,
lo que a su vez es esencial para la salud socio-ecolo´gica de las comunidades humanas. En esta revisio´n,
examinamos los factores complejos que contribuyen al descenso de las poblaciones de buitres del Viejo
Mundo, usando el enfoque de Una Salud para conceptualizar los factores principales que impactan en la
salud y la sostenibilidad de estas poblaciones. El concepto de Una Salud proporciona las bases para el
desarrollo de un marco de referencia que incorpora un enfoque multidimensional, incluyendo la salud
humana y de la vida silvestre, factores estresantes ambientales y de enfermedades, incidencia de
enfermedades, presiones sociales y qu´ımicos ambientales. Integrar las necesidades de la sociedad con la
gestio´n destinada a mantener poblaciones saludables de buitres es clave para usar exitosamente el marco de
referencia de Una Salud y as´ı optimizar la salud de las poblaciones humanas y de la fauna salvaje asegurando
la salud del ecosistema.The National Science Foundationhttps://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-raptor-researcham2022Zoology and Entomolog
Defining the clinical and cognitive phenotype of child savants with autism spectrum disorder
Objective: Whilst savant syndrome is most commonly observed in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it has historically been associated with intellectual impairment, and little is known about the clinical and cognitive characteristics of intellectually able individuals with ASD and savant skills. Methods: Participants with ASD and validated savant skills were compared with age and intelligence matched non-savants with ASD using a range of diagnostic and standardised tests. Results: Although the analysis of the clinical data revealed few differences between the groups, striking differences emerged during cognitive testing. Children with savant skills exhibited highly superior working memory and their scores on tests of analytic skills were also superior to those of non-savants. Conclusion: We propose that obsessionality, focused attention, superior working memory and analytic skills facilitate veridical mapping and pattern perception abilities characteristic in savant syndrome
Towards ethical consumerism: bridging the gap between the obstacles and drivers of ethical consumerism
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Being an ethical consumer means making informed purchasing decisions. Ethical consumers buy products that are ethically produced and that are not harmful to the environment or to society. They value all stakeholders within the manufacturing process by using their consumption power to support ethical production throughout the product cycle. Through their consumption choices and by voicing their concerns, ethical consumers play an important role in shaping the ways in which companies direct their business. This interdependent relationship or co-responsibility between businesses and ethical consumers impacts positively on the sustainability of both the environment and society. Moreover, businesses need to convince their customers that they truly care about the impact of their operations on their consumers, society and the environment, and that they are not only interested in making a profit.
The main problem statement that this thesis addresses is that the majority of consumers are not currently committed to ethical consumption practices. In order to understand why there is such a weak uptake of ethical consumerism, the thesis investigates the different obstacles and drivers that may influence consumers as they make their consumption choices. After identifying and examining each of the obstacles to and drivers of ethical consumerism, possible change levers and change agents are proposed in an attempt to bridge the current gap that prevents consumers from committing to ethical consumerism.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om 'n etiese verbruiker te wees, beteken om ingeligte aankoopbesluite te neem. Etiese verbruikers koop produkte wat eties geproduseer word en wat nie skadelik vir die omgewing en die samelewing is nie. Etiese verbruikers ag alle belanghebbendes tydens die vervaardigingsproses as belangrik en gebruik hulle koopmag om etiese produksie tydens ‘n produk se lewensiklus te ondersteun. Deur middel van verbruikskeuses en die verwoording van hul besware, vervul etiese verbruikers 'n belangrike rol in die vorming van die wyse waarop maatskappye hul besighede rig. Hierdie interafhanklike verhouding of medeverantwoordelikheid tussen ondernemings en etiese verbruikers bring 'n positiewe uitwerking op die volhoubaarheid van beide die omgewing en die samelewing teweeg. Daarbenewens moet besighede hul kliënte oortuig dat hulle werklik omgee oor die impak van hul bedrywighede op hul verbruikers, die samelewing en die omgewing, en dat hulle nie slegs winsbehep is nie.
Die hoof probleemstelling waaroor hierdie tesis handel, is die feit dat die meerderheid verbruikers nie huidiglik verbind is tot etiese verbruikspraktyke nie. Ten doel om te begryp waarom daar 'n swak verbintenis tot etiese verbruikerswese bestaan, ondersoek die tesis die verskillende hindernisse en kragte wat verbruikers kan beïnvloed tydens hul verbruikskeuses. Nadat die struikelblokke en kragte van etiese verbruikerswese geïdentifiseer en ondersoek is, word moontlike hefbome van verandering asook veranderingsagente voorgestel in 'n poging om die huidige gaping wat verbruikers ervaar, te oorbrug en sodoende hulself tot etiese verbruikerswese te verbind
The experiential modification of a computer software package for graphing algebraic functions
Graphing software and graphics calculators are widely used in most of the world's larger economies to facilitate students' development of conceptual understanding of mathematical function analysis. This has proved to be an extremely effective vehicle in making complex mathematics more accessible to the majority of learners. In contrast, its use in South Africa has been limited. Possible reasons may be the
cost of graphics calculators, limited availability of supporting study material, and teachers who lack the necessary skills and confidence. At the School of Teacher Training, University of Pretoria, the Master Grapher for Windows was introduced by way of a pilot study in an effort to adapt the training of mathematics teachers-in-training to meet the specific needs of these students. The experiences of five students were monitored. The aim is to enhance and facilitate trainee-teachers' understanding of mathematics, but also to equip them to develop learner-centred, group-based learning experiences in future teaching situations. Action research was implemented to develop the course
Dysfunctional functions : the case of Zambian mathematics education students
This study investigated student mathematics teachers’ ability to recognise and explain their understanding of school level functions. We challenged the assumption that studying advanced mathematics automatically develops an understanding of school mathematics that is sufficient to explain concepts and justify reasoning. This case study tested this assumption by exploring the depth of pre-service mathematics student teachers’ understanding of school function concepts at the University of Zambia. The test items required calculation, as well as justification of the answers, and an explanation of the concepts. Of the 22 participants, all final year mathematics education students, 18 student teachers scored below the 50% pass mark. The average mark was 8 out of a possible 28 (27%). The majority of the participants found it difficult to explain and justify their reasoning. This study resulted in the development of a new school mathematics module for prospective mathematics teachers at the University of Zambia.The authors are grateful to Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance, and the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Education, for financial assistance regarding the preparation of this article.Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance, and the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Education.http://www.ejmste.comam2019Science, Mathematics and Technology Educatio
Risk factors for mortality in TB patients: a 10-year electronic record review in a South African province
Abstract
Background
Since 1990, reduction of tuberculosis (TB) mortality has been lower in South Africa than in other high-burden countries in Africa. This research investigated the influence of routinely captured demographic and clinical or programme variables on death in TB patients in the Free State Province.
Methods
A retrospective review of case information captured in the Electronic TB register (ETR.net) over the years 2003 to 2012 was conducted. Extracted data were subjected to descriptive and logistic regression analyses. The outcome variable was defined as all registered TB cases with \u2018died\u2019 as the recorded outcome. The variables associated with increased or decreased odds of dying in TB patients were established. The univariate and adjusted odds ratios (OR and AOR) together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated, taking the clustering effect of the districts into account.
Results
Of the 190,472\ua0TB cases included in the analysis, 30,991 (16.3%) had \u2018died\u2019 as the recorded treatment outcome. The proportion of TB patients that died increased from 15.1% in 2003 to 17.8% in 2009, before declining to 15.4% in 2012. The odds of dying was incrementally higher in the older age groups: 8\u201317 years (AOR: 2.0; CI: 1.5\u20132.7), 18\u201349 years (AOR: 5.8; CI: 4.0\u20138.4), 50\u201364 years (AOR: 7.7; CI: 4.6\u201312.7), and \u226565\ua0years (AOR: 14.4; CI: 10.3\u201320.2). Other factors associated with increased odds of mortality included: HIV co-infection (males \u2013 AOR: 2.4; CI: 2.1\u20132.8; females \u2013 AOR: 1.9; CI: 1.7\u20132.1) or unknown HIV status (males \u2013 AOR: 2.8; CI: 2.5\u20133.1; females \u2013 AOR: 2.4; CI: 2.2\u20132.6), having a negative (AOR: 1.4; CI: 1.3\u20131.6) or a missing (AOR: 2.1; CI: 1.4\u20133.2) pre-treatment sputum smear result, and being a retreatment case (AOR: 1.3; CI: 1.2\u20131.4).
Conclusions
Although mortality in TB patients in the Free State has been falling since 2009, it remained high at more than 15% in 2012. Appropriately targeted treatment and care for the identified high-risk groups could be considered