The protection of stakeholders: the South African social and ethics committee and the United Kingdom’s enlightened shareholder value approach: part 1

No abstract available

The protection of stakeholders: the South African social and ethics committee and the United Kingdom’s enlightened shareholder value approach: part 2

No abstract available

An academic writing skills framework for doctoral candidates at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT)

Doctoral thesis writing proves to be difficult and poses various challenges to candidates during their postgraduate journey. This article seeks to contribute to the knowledge base underpinning academic writing at doctoral level by proposing an academic writing skills framework for doctoral candidates at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT). Participants include students who study towards a doctoral qualification, their supervisors and language editors who regularly proof-read doctoral theses. A qualitative research design is employed to investigate problems, obstacles and challenges experienced with academic writing; and to explore opportunities for promoting academic writing. Based on the perspectives from the literature and the findings from the study, a framework is proposed reflecting six levels at which academic writing skills of doctoral candidates may be promoted. These are: the creative level (mind-mapping); social level (workshops and meetings); intellectual level (reading); pedagogical level (reflective practice); scholarly level (addressing academic writing at undergraduate level); and spiritual level (determination and resilience). This framework may be a valuable tool to offer support for doctoral writing and skills development

"I hate Tuesdays!" The self-efficacy beliefs of postgraduate language practice students

The high drop-out and low throughput rates in higher educational institutions is a matter of concern.  Students must overcome many psychological barriers in the pursuit of an under- and postgraduate qualification.  Self-efficacy is regarded as an under-researched psychological variable that may impact on students’ success at tertiary level.  Drawing on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, this study explores the self-efficacy beliefs of postgraduate Language Practice students.  A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design was used. Eleven narrative essays were completed and analysed by means of directive coding. Tuesdays were identified as the worst day of the week due to the module Research Methods and Techniques, that impacted negatively on the students’ self-efficacy beliefs.  Social engagement in the form of support groups is seen as an important role player in self-efficacy beliefs.  Educators should consider students’ various backgrounds when engaging with students, since this aspect proves to be an important factor in the development of self-efficacy beliefs.  The findings may help navigate educators towards rendering the necessary emotional and social student support as a strategy to address the low success rate in universities

Numeracy students' perspectives on a new digital learning tool at a South African university

Students thrive in learning environments in which they stay engaged, interested and motivated.  MindTap Math Foundations, a digital learning tool, claims to bring elements from the interactive, gamified world to transform learning so that students stay engaged, persist through challenges, feel more supported and connected to instructors, other students, as well as their own learning experience.  A South African university was the first higher education institution in South Africa to make use of this personalised learning system.  A survey was employed to assess the effectiveness of MindTap Math Foundations as a digital learning tool. The focus of the article is on the analysis of the open-ended questions in the survey. The findings of this research support the claims Cengage make regarding the platform’s benefits.  Participants’ responses revealed that the new digital learning tool is generally perceived as positive and beneficial for learning numeracy.  Students’ feedback also provided ideas and proposals for potential enhancement.  Through students’ experiences shared it was possible to pinpoint the strengths and challenges about aspects needing consideration and improvement.  

Piano sonatas by South African composers, 1900-2015: a catalogue and compositional analyses of selected works

The piano sonata’s prominent position in Western art music is reflected in both its long history and its presence in the oeuvres of composers from across the globe. While some information on piano sonatas by South African composers has been included in academic literature, no comprehensive research has been done in the field. This lacuna is addressed in this thesis of which the main research strategy is analytical, without precluding other data-collection methods such as literature studies, archival research and consultation with composers. The thesis comprises an introductory chapter with background information and an outline of the principal research aim and objectives; a general literature review of scholarly work in the field; a summary of academic literature on solo piano sonatas by South African composers; detailed analyses of two recent and diametrically opposed 21st-century solo piano sonatas, by Hendrik Hofmeyr (1957- ) and Graham Newcater (1941- ) respectively; and a final chapter with concluding remarks. Detailed catalogues of sonatas by South African composers, for piano as well as for other instruments, are included as appendices. Findings show that in correspondence with international trends, the piano sonata has held a prominent role in South African music-making with more than 230 works completed since 1900. A chronological estimation shows a more-or-less gradual increase in the number of sonatas composed up to 1975. 30 works were finalised between 2006 and 2015, suggesting that many contemporary composers continue to reference sonata structures as a guiding principle in largescale forms. The characteristics of the majority of sonatas analysed and those discussed in the literature summary correlate to some extent with 19th- and 20th-century traditions. There are nevertheless also various exceptions and novel explorations of traditional sonata practices. From a stylistic perspective, the works engage with a range of international aesthetic discourses, constantly repositioned within the post-colonial, South African zeitgeist. The sonata’s prominent position in South African art music is not only reflected in the historically high frequency of its use, but also in the ways the sonata paradigm is continuously being reinvented, deconstructed and developed to reflect the country’s idiosyncratic and dynamic cultural identit

A thyroid-related endocrine emergency in pregnancy

A 28-year-old woman presented with a thyroid storm while pregnant. Thyroid storm in pregnancy is a rare, life threatening endocrinological emergency. The diagnosis and management can be challenging. Even with early aggressive therapy the maternal mortality is still high and adverse effects on the pregnancy and fetus are common.Keywords: thyroid storm; pregnancy, endocrine emergenc

Physical control, transformation and damage in the First World War: War bodies

No abstract

Creating an effective and equitable legal carbon taxing regime for South Africa

Human accelerated climate change presents a worldwide threat. It is a problem that requires international as well as local solutions. Human accelerated climate change is induced by the release of so called greenhouse gasses (GHG's) as a result of human activity, most notably by converting fossil fuels into energy. GHG's include Carbon dioxide (CO₂), Methane (CH₄), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆). The most notable of these gasses is Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), this gas is released into the atmosphere in vast amounts and is primarily responsible for the human contribution to climate change. In recent years, Governments all over the world have begun implementing strategies in order to decrease the amount of GHG's released into the atmosphere. The South African Government set out a range of options in the National Climate Change Response White Paper that could be used to reduce GHG emissions. The specific option which forms the subject matter of this dissertation is referred to as the Carbon Tax. Stripped down to its bare essentials a Carbon Tax entails that producers of GHG emitting products would pay a tax that corresponds to the amount of CO₂ emitted in the production of that product, or the CO₂ equivalent of the product if it emits one of the other GHG's. This amount of money is then incorporated into the price of the product making those emission intensive products more expensive. Theoretically, this should result in a decline in the consumption of the product and/or cleaner methods to produce the product. The underlying idea is to change consumers' behaviour to promote environmental goals by reducing GHG emissions. Carbon Taxing falls under a category of regulation which is referred to as the 'incentive based approach to environmental regulation' with the incentive being financial or market based. Incentive based measures are used in environmental regulation where traditional command and control measures would be insufficient or where they could be supplemented. This paper will examine the proposed Carbon Taxing regime for South Africa. It will assess the proposed regime in terms of its effectiveness as an instrument to reduce GHG emissions. It will also assess the equitability of the regime by assessing how the tax will affect citizens in different income classes

On-site screening for maternal syphilis in an antenatal clinic

Study objective. To determine the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test as performed on site in an antenatal clinic to facilitate immediate diagnosis and treatment of maternal syphilis.Design. Open, descriptive study.Setting. Antenatal clinic, Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria.Patients. One thousand two hundred and thirty-seven pregnant patients attending an antenatal clinic for the flrst time were entered into the study.Methods. An RPR test was performed on site in the antenatal clinic and by the reference laboratory where a Treponema pallidum haemagglutination test was also performed.Measurements and results. The results of the RPR test were compared with results reported by the laboratory for sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values. The RPR test performed on site had a sensitivity of 92,8%, a negative predictive value of 99,5%, a specificity of 96,3%, and a positive predictive value of64,7%.Conclusion. Maternal syphilis can be diagnosed in the majority of cases during the first visit to an antenatal clinic