Lesotho High School students' conceptions of earthquakes

Degree: Master of Science Department: ScienceThis study examined conceptions about earthquakes held by the selected high school students in Lesotho. A survey was carried out at one high school with students from three different grades; Form A students who had not yet received formal instruction about earthquakes, and Form C and Form D students who had dealt with the topic in school. Some of the students in the sample had experienced an earthquake. A diagnostic test was used to elicit conceptions from 130 students. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 6 students, with the purpose of probing certain responses from the test. In particular, test responses that were probed included; first, those which showed confusion between earthquakes and volcanoes, and second, those which used indigenous beliefs to explain causes of earthquakes. The conceptions held by students in the three grades were analysed and compared. From the results the following findings emerged: First, many students appear to be confused in their understanding between earthquakes and volcanoes, particularly those who had received classroom instruction on these concepts. Some of the students could not distinguish between an earthquake and a volcano, while others seem to think that earthquake occurrences are always linked to volcanic activity. Second, several students across the three grades could not differentiate between movements of the earth’s crust which result in earthquakes and the larger scale movements, i.e. the rotation and revolution of the earth. Third, generally students across the three grades appear to have scientifically correct ideas about the causes of earthquakes. Also, the majority of students attributed the causes of earthquakes to water, perhaps because the earthquake in their area was caused by impoundment of the dam. However, students seemed to be uninformed about the mechanisms or processes behind the occurrence of earthquakes. Finally, a few students across the grades used indigenous beliefs to explain earthquakes. With an awareness of the conceptual and cultural difficulties students in Lesotho are likely to encounter in the learning of earthquakes, teachers can prepare in advance to handle such issues, as they are critical in the understanding of the phenomenon of earthquakes

The Growth of Health Expenditure in Lesotho

The study analyses the factors behind the growth of health expenditure in Lesotho over the period 1980 to 2011. The cointegration test results reveal that income is one of the important factors explaining the  growth of health spending in Lesotho, with public health expenditure being more responsive to changes in income than private health spending. Although the government’s role in disease patterns may be  overshadowed by increased external funding, the findings highlight that Lesotho is still committed to  improving the overall healthiness of its people. On the other hand, public and private health expenditure  are found to follow different paths, with the ability of the citizens to finance their healthcare needs reducing the government’s pressure to offer more health services. External aid programmes also seem to have  impacted positively on Lesotho’s public health spending while reducing a burden for privately-financed  health services.Keywords: Public Health Expenditure, Private Health Expenditure, Cointegration, Lesoth

Content analysis of the LGCSE Geography and Sesotho syllabi for alignment with the Lesotho Curriculum and Assessment Policy

The purpose of the study was to examine the alignment or misalignment between the Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE) programme and the Lesotho Curriculum and Assessment Policy (CAP), with a focus on Geography and Sesotho syllabi. The study employed content analysis of the two syllabi to identify areas of alignment with the aims of secondary education and the idea of curriculum integration as conceived in the policy document. The content analysis revealed that, while there are some areas of alignment, especially between the syllabus aims of the two subjects and the aims of secondary education as stated in CAP, the syllabi offer limited opportunities for promoting political values and integrated approach to teaching and learning as envisaged in the policy. To this end, it is argued that the teaching of the two LGCSE syllabi is unlikely to change classroom practice as was intended in the policy.Keywords: curriculum alignment; Geography; integration; policy; Sesoth

Food infl ation in Lesotho: Implications for monetary policy

The article examines the transmission mechanism between food and nonfood prices in Lesotho within the vector autoregression framework for the period 2003–2012. The results confirm that food inflation in Lesotho is more persistent than nonfood and headline inflation. This implies that shocks to food inflation have had a more lasting adverse impact on food prices than is the case for nonfood inflation. The findings also support the existence of a significant transmission of shocks between food and nonfood prices. As a result, the monetary authorities have to be vigilant when supply shocks hit food, since such shocks could be propagated into nonfood prices and could exert upward pressure on nonfood, headline and core inflation.Keywords: Core inflation; food inflation; Lesotho; monetary policy; nonfood inflatio

Interaction of sulfur dioxide and cyanide with cobalt (II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine in aqueous media

Kinetic and equilibrium studies for the coordination of cyanide or sulfur dioxide to the cobalt(II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine ([CoTSPc]4−) complex are reported. The equilibrium constant for the coordination of the cyanide under pH 11 conditions and an oxygen atmosphere, and the formation of [(CN−)2Co(III)TSPc]5− species, was found to be 2.1×101 dm3 mol−1 and the rate constant, kf was found to be 7.4 dm3 mol−1 s−1. Similarly, the coordination of SO2 to [CoTSPc]4− occurred with an equilibrium constant of 8.7×101 dm3 mol−1 and a rate constant of 2.1×102 dm3 mol−1 s−1, at pH 11. These rate and equilibrium constants represent the coordination of the second cyanide or sulfur dioxide ligands to the [CoTSPc]4− species. Coordination of the first ligand occurred faster than that of the second ligand in both cases. The coordination is accompanied by the oxidation of the central Co(II) metal with the formation of a Co(III) tetrasulfophthalocyanine species

High academic achievement among black South African students : enabling and constraining processes.

Master of Social Science in Psychology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2018.One priority for South African higher education has been on increasing the numbers of students who are able to access higher education. Moreover, it has been important to increase access for students from historically disadvantaged race groups (Higher Education South Africa, 2015). As a consequence of this focus, higher education access has indeed increased in post-apartheid South Africa; however, the academic achievement of students who manage to access higher education still needs improvement. Findings from studies locally and internationally, indicate that academic achievement is constrained and/or enabled by the complex interplay of internal and external processes (Council on Higher Education, 2013). For the purposes of this study, academic achievement was understood to include the attainment of final marks for modules that students pass, while high academic achievement was consequently understood as marks attained in the 70 – 100 % range. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore the processes which enable and constrain high academic achievement for black South African students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study used a qualitative methodology to achieve this purpose. Three focus group discussions and an interview were conducted with high achieving black South African students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A semi-structured focus-group discussion and interview schedule were used to guide the data collection process, while thematic analysis was employed for data analysis purposes. Findings suggest that high achieving black South African students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal found multiple enabling and constraining processes as important in their high academic achievement trajectories. Specifically, being motivated to break the family poverty cycle, time management skills, studying a preferred course/degree, emotional and financial support from family, association with likeminded peers, positive attitude from lecturers, and having access to resources (such as the internet, library services, textbooks and laptops) were isolated as key enabling processes in the participants’ high academic achievement. In contrast, losing focus and motivation in one’s academics, lacking time management skills, some lecturers’ negative attitudes, complex university structures and procedures with slow and bureaucratic services, and English language as the primary medium of instruction were reported as barriers to the participants’ high academic achievement. These findings suggest that high academic achievement at university for black students is affected by both internal and external enabling and constraining processes. University interventions aimed at improving academic achievement levels need to consider both internal and external processes in their execution

The effectiveness of an employee assistance programme in addressing occupational stress

Abstract: The main purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) as a management intervention tool to address occupational stress. Special focus was on employees who suffered from occupational stress to find out their perceptions of, and experiences with, the EAP. This is important because occupational stress affects employee-employer relations. How organisations deal with occupational stress, and the contributions that EAPs make to foster employer-employee relations, make knowledge of such phenomena valuable in the people relations field of study. Understanding the causes of occupational stress would make it possible to establish the impact of EAP to address occupational stress. Evidence gathered may be used to extend, revise, and test the effectiveness of EAP in addressing occupational stress. Hence, more will be learned by examining cases that could enlighten the reader on the effects of the EAP, thereby enhancing knowledge about EAP in organisations. As social scientists learn more, scientific knowledge increases, generally, and it becomes possible to systematise knowledge, and make connections that might otherwise not be made. In addition, scientific arguments have been established based on empirical data about the capabilities of the programme to relieve symptoms of stress, and improve the psychological well-being of employees. This should achieve a better understanding of the effectiveness of the EAP. Thus, organisations will gain early recognition of occupational stress, allowing employers to allocate more resources for stress management in the workplace.M.Phil. (Employee Relations

Cobalt (II) porphyrazine catalysed reduction of nitrite

Studies on the catalytic reduction of nitrite on carbon electrodes modified with Co(II) tetra-2,3-pyridinoporphyrazine (CoTppa, 1), N,N′,N′′,N′′′-tetramethyltetra-2,3-pyridinoporphyrazine ([CoTm-2,3-tppa]4+, 2) and Co(II) N,N′,N′′,N′′′-tetramethyltetra-3,4-pyridinoporphyrazine ([CoTm-3,4-tppa]4+, 3) are reported. There is a close correspondence between the proximity of the methyl groups to the porphyrazine ring and the catalytic activity of the porphyrazine complexes. Bulk electrolysis gave ammonia and hydroxylamine as some of the products. The catalytic activity of the cationic complex, 3, towards the detection of low concentrations of nitrite (less than 10−9 M) in water containing sodium sulfate, was compared with the activities of the anionic cobalt(II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine ([CoTSPc]4−, 4) and the mixed [CoIITm-3,4-tppa]4+·[CoTSPc]4− (5) complexes. Complex 5 showed the best catalytic activity of the three in that large currents were obtained for very low concentrations of nitrite

Econometric Analysis of the Dynamic Relationship between Agricultural Research Expenditures and Agricultural Output: Case of Lesotho

Agriculture is an important sector in the economy of Lesotho. However its contribution to the country's economy is handicapped by a multiplicity of factors, most importantly, by shortage of arable land, acute soil erosion and poor agricultural practices. As an attempt to improve productivity of the sector, the government of Lesotho has embarked on a number of activities including the establishment of the Lesotho Agricultural Research Division and the agricultural research system. These efforts may have an important impact on the growth of agriculture in Lesotho. It is therefore important to know the extent of contribution of agricultural research to agricultural output. In this study an attempt has been made to investigate the causal relationship between public agricultural research expenditures and agricultural output as well as the lagged response of agricultural output to changes in public agricultural research expenditures. To accomplish these objectives cointegration tests and then Granger-causality tests were performed through the ECM models. Also, the lag length tests were performed through the AIC and SC to investigate the lagged response of agricultural output to agricultural research. The findings of the study suggest that agriculture in Lesotho is driven by agricultural research. Additionally, the study suggest that it takes seven or eight years for public agricultural research expenditures to have a significant impact on agricultural output in Lesotho

Metallophthalocyanine derivatives as catalysts for the detection of sulphur dioxide, cyanide, nitrite and amino acids

Electrocatalytic reduction and oxidation of nitrite using cobalt phthalocyanine derivatives was studied. The detection limit of 1 x 10⁻¹° mol dm⁻³ was achieved when these molecules were employed as catalysts for nitrite detection. The mechanisms for nitrite catalysis were proposed. The position of the peripheral substituents on cobalt porphyrazines (related to cobalt phthalocyanines) affected the catalytic activity of these complexes. The highest activity for nitrite reduction was observed on the cobalt(II) 2,3-tetramethyltetrapyridinoporphyrazine ([CoTm-2,3-tppa]⁴⁺), with cobalt phthalocyanine showing the lowest activity, and the cobalt(II) 3,4- tetramethyltetrapyridinoporphyrazine ([CoTm-3,4-tppa]⁴⁺), showing intermediate behaviour. A mixture of a negatively charged cobalt(II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine ([Co¹¹TSPc]⁴⁻) and a positively charged [CoTm-3,4-tppa]⁴⁺ showed better activity for nitrite reduction than did the individual components. Cobalt porphyrazines lowered the potentials for nitrite reduction in that peaking was observed, as opposed to cobalt phthalocyanine, where only the increase in currents was observed without peaking. Using the cobalt phthalocyanine derivatives, nitrite can be reduced to ammonia with high current efficiency. A glassy carbon electrode modified with [Co¹¹TSPc]⁴⁻ was employed for the determination of nitrite. Nitrate had an insignificant effect on nitrite oxidation on these modified electrodes. Electrocatalytic determination of S0₂ was studied as a function of pH at a glassy carbon electrode modified with iron(II) tetrasulfophthalocaynine. It was found that depending on pH, S0₂.xH₂0, HS0₃⁻ and/or SO₃²⁻ are the main compounds in solution and that these compounds behave differently at the electrode surface. Detection limits ranging from 4.0 ± 0.1 x 10⁻⁵ to 7.5 ± 0.1 x 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³ depending on pH were observed. Similar results were obtained when cobalt(II) tetrasulfophthalocaynine was employed for S0₂ catalysis under the same experimental conditions. Cysteine and histidine determination using oxidation currents was performed on glassy carbon electrodes modified with [CoTm-3,4-tppa]⁴⁺ (represented as [CoTm-3,4-tppa]⁴⁺-GCE) in pH 7 Tris buffer. The detection limit of 1.0 x 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³ for cysteine and 2.24 x 10⁻⁷ mol dm⁻³ for histidine were obtained. Cyanide can be detected down to 1 x 10⁻¹¹ mol dm⁻³ using [CoTm-3,4-tppa]⁴⁺-GCE in pH 10.8 buffer. Cyanide and S0₂ coordinate to the [CoTSPc]⁴⁻ species. The coordination is accompanied by oxidation of the central Co(II) metal, forming a [Co¹¹¹CoTSPc]³⁻ species. The rate constants for cyanide coordination to the [Co¹¹TSPc]⁴⁻ complex are larger than those reported for the coordination of cyanide to FePc and RuPc complexes in non-aqueous media. Autoreduction of [Co¹¹Tmtppa]⁴⁺ occurred in the presence of either histidine or cysteine, with the formation of metal reduced species, [Co¹Tmtppa(-2)]³⁺. Nitric oxide and nitrite coordinate to the [Co¹¹Tmtppa]⁴⁺ species, without auto-reduction of this species, which was observed for cysteine or histidine. The use of [Co¹¹TSPc]⁴ resulted in improved rate of interaction with nitrite when compared to the [Co¹¹Tmtppa]⁴⁺ species