Throwing a light on oral narrative data in order to inform language and literacy research

Narrative methodologies are valuable to language and literacy research. Oral narratives told in situations of face-to-face interaction are used in research methodologies and in scaffolding pedagogic activities. Nevertheless oral narratives often present limiting cases in which narrative accounts are less easily distinguishable from other genres such as interrogative, expository, descriptive or argumentative accounts. The resulting confusion around genre has an impact on data selection and weighing and thereby on how narrative is mobilised in research and in pedagogic situations. This paper presents the results of a corpus-based statistical investigation into the interactional features of oral narrative accounts collected during academic literacy interviews. Common claims made about narratives, such as that they are structurally differentiated, that they rely on more turns at talk or that they are a unique manner of presenting discrete experiences are not supported in a straightforward way in the corpus data. Narratives do promote more involvement, self-reference, complex embeddings and constructed dialogue. Conversely they are less frequent, less on task and are more consistently aligned with their context. In language and literacy research these findings suggest a need to reflect on the relationship between types of participant response, types of solicitation and allocated response times. The study contributes to differentiating discourse types more accurately and emphasises the particularities of oral narrative interaction

The Practice of Oral Medicine in South Africa

Oral medicine is a clinical discipline, practiced by periodontists, which concerns itself mostly with the nonsurgical management of oral mucosal diseases. Many of these diseases are rare and the discipline less well known – making it essential to identify the obstacles this discipline faces. The purpose of this study was to describe the private and academic practice of Oral Medicine. A self-administered, internet-based, questionnaire was distributed to South African periodontists which questioned the clinician’s competency, diseases managed, special investigations performed, referral sources, proportional time and monetary distribution of the discipline, and perceived barriers to the practice. Twenty-six periodontists completed the questionnaire. In comparison to periodontology and implantology, periodontists generally feel less competent, spend less time on, and receive less money from Oral Medicine. Lack of awareness of the speciality (55.6% - 59.3%) was identified as the biggest constraint, with only 11.2% of referrals received from medical doctors. Immune-mediated diseases (29.3%) and benign neoplasms (26.5%) are managed the most, and surgical biopsies (80.2%) are used most regularly to diagnose oral mucosal disease. Oral Medicine is still a lesser-known clinical speciality. Despite the heavy burden of HIV-related oral disease and oral mucosal malignancies, this speciality remains underutilised

The adult learner self-directedness scale : validity and reliability assessment

ORIENTATION : The absence of a scale to assess the academic self-directedness of adult learners in South African open, distance and e-learning milieus. RESEARCH PURPOSE : This article describes the further validity and reliability assessment of the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale (ALSDS), which assesses adult learners' academic self-directedness in an open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) university in South Africa. An initial validity and reliability study yielded a four-factor scale with 35 items loading onto it, while this study reports on a three-factor scale with 15 items loading onto it. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Factors such as socio-economic conditions and past education practices make South African open, distance and e-learning higher education (ODeLHE) challenging for socio-economically disadvantaged students. The growing trend of online tuition and assessment in South African universities requires research into strategies that may improve a student's success and throughput. In ODeLHE, student self-directedness may contribute to academic success, and thus a reliable scale is needed to assess it. Currently, there is no such South African scale. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD : A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was implemented, using self-report data from the students of the College of Economic and Management Sciences at a South African ODeL university. The ALSDS comprises three factors: success orientation for ODeLHE (self-efficacy beliefs), active academic behaviour (learner agency) and use of strategic resources (learning context management). MAIN FINDINGS : The findings indicate that the ALSDS appears to be a valid, internally consistent and reliable scale suitable for assessing ODeLHE adult learners' academic self-directedness. Further research is, however, required to establish metric and scalar invariance PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : The scale may provide a reliable starting point for developing a scale for assessing ODeLHE students' existing academic self-directedness. Knowledge of existing self-directedness capacity may be useful in designing and implementing holistic learner support programmes. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : The ALSDS may provide a reliable Afrocentric starting point for developing a measure for assessing the academic self-directedness of South African ODeLHE students.J.B. was responsible for the conceptualisation, methodology, funding acquisition and writing the original draft of the article. A.M. contributed to the methodology, formal analysis and software, as well as reviewing and editing the article. Both J.B. and A.M. contributed equally to the completion of the article.This research is based on a DCom postgraduate study conducted by the author J.-A. Botha, in 2018 at the University of South Africa that was funded through an internal bursary by University of South Africa (Unisa) for postgraduate studies by academic employees.http://www.sajip.co.zaam2023Statistic

Retiring in a prison cell : the South African sentenced older adult male offender

The purpose of this study was to create a profile of the sentenced older adult male offender incarcerated in South African prisons. The findings of this investigation are based on face-to-face surveys with 88 older adult male inmates. In order to develop a comprehensive profile, the study explored offenders’ backgrounds, previous and current offenses, lifestyle patterns, physical and mental health, institutional living conditions, release, reintegration, and mortality in prison. These domains are discussed in detail, and recommendations are offered for the treatment and care of this offender group. The recommendations may be applicable to other developing countries in the Global South.https://journals.sagepub.com/home/TPJhj2024Social Work and CriminologySDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

Validity and reliability of the Vigour Assessment Scale in avolitional schizophrenia outpatients

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WWqq_h8SgS3FDFWAyyHAMKbB3lf2qoZE/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16nq6QiwhGx2EUpkta8SjX1N1ezDIqA4B?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CUGyP5jEb32IKCrS3GI9_Ii6kSBgqjMV?usp=sharin

Community mental health literacy in Tshwane region 1 : a quantitative study

BACKGROUND: Although mental health literacy is a major determining factor of mental health outcomes and functional capacity of individuals, there is dearth of research on the issue in South Africa. AIM: To assess the literacy of three mental disorders, namely major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and to compare the resultant assumed literacy level between urban and townships participants. SETTING: Five clinics of region 1 in Tshwane, South Africa. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed between November 2019 and January 2020. A total of 385 questionnaires were distributed equally in all five clinics. By means of questions about three fictive cases with clinical pictures indicative of MDD, schizophrenia and GAD the following were assessed: recognising a mental disorder, identifying the cause and knowledge about what would help best. RESULTS: The majority of participants (67.3%) recognised the clinical picture indicative of schizophrenia as a mental disorder, almost half of the participants (49.9%) recognised the clinical picture indicative of MDD as a mental disorder, whilst just more than one third (36.3%) of participants recognised the clinical picture GAD as a mental disorder. Concerning the causes for the clinical pictures, most participants indicated that stress was the cause for MDD and GAD (77.4% and 68.1%, respectively), whilst indicating that biological or psychological (59.5%) causes are relevant to the clinical picture indicative of schizophrenia symptoms. Fewer participants indicated supernatural causes for any of the clinical case (MDD: 2.6%; schizophrenia 15.3%; GAD 4.2%). Most participants chose professional help as the best option for all three cases (MDD 81.3%, schizophrenia 82.2%, GAD 66.1%). The indicators for health literacy in this study show that urban participants had better knowledge than township participants across all questions about the cases. CONCLUSION: Overall, the study indicated a variable knowledge regarding the three mental disorders in region 1 of Tshwane and variable literacy levels in townships compared with urban settings. The results indicate that awareness campaigns should focus on the deficient areas.http://www.sajp.org.zadm2022PsychiatryStatistic

Validity and reliability of the Vigour Assessment Scale in avolitional schizophrenia outpatients

A few items of existing schizophrenia scales measure avolition, but no research has been reported on vigour in schizophrenia, including whether avolition would be more or less the inverse of vigour. Such research requires a valid and reliable measure of vigour. In the absence of this, this study developed and examined the validity and the reliability of the Vigour Assessment Scale (VAS) among 242 avolitional schizophrenia outpatients in relation to measures of workplace vigour, behavioral inhibition and activation, procrastination, fatigue, anxiety, depressive features, and active involvement in personal growth. Convergent validity was found in moderate to strong correlations (r = 0.5 to 0.714) between the VAS and measures approximate to vigour. Discriminant validity was found in lower and/or inverse correlations with depression (r = -0.423), anxiety (r = -0.279), behaviour inhibition (r = -0.045), procrastination (r = -0.656), and fatigue (r = -0.684). Internal consistency was good with Cronbach's alpha coefficients above 0.8, and strong correlations for split-half (r = 0.71) and test-retest (r = 0.77) reliability. The standard error of measurement was seven on a scale of 145 points. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a 27-item version with a six-factor structure accounting for 61.9% of the cumulative variance. These results suggest that the VAS is a valid and reliable instrument in avolitional schizophrenia outpatients, suitable for use in further research on vigour and when vigour is pursued therapeutically or in efficacy studies. Subject to further validation, the VAS may be used in other clinical populations (e.g., in depression) and healthy populations where vigour may be pursued as a desirable attribute.Appendix A. Interview and Observation Guide on Avolition.https://www.elsevier.com/locate/schreshj2022PsychiatryStatistic

The role of the Eagala model in promoting psychological wellbeing in adolescents : a mixed-methods approach

The aim of the study was to determine if the Eagala model, an equine-assisted intervention, would enhance the psychological wellbeing of adolescents living in a township in South Africa. An embedded mixed-methods research design with convenience sampling was used. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in the Eagala intervention. The Ryff Scale of Psychological Wellbeing (RSPWB) was used to collect quantitative data while letters to the horses were used as qualitative data. Independent t-tests indicated significant differences between the two groups on the overall score of the RSPWB and five of its dimensions. Using thematic analysis, qualitative themes that enhanced understanding of the quantitative findings were identified. The results confirmed the effectiveness of the Eagala intervention. A Kruskal-Wallis test, however, indicated that between four to eight sessions need to be attended in order for the intervention to be effective.https://brill.com/view/journals/soan/soan-overview.xmlhj2024PsychologyStatisticsSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

Development of the learning programme management and evaluation scale for the South African skills development context

Research purpose: The present study developed and tested the construct validity and reliability of the learning programme management and evaluation (LPME) scale. Motivation for the study: The LPME scale was developed to measure and enhance the effectiveness of the management and evaluation of occupational learning programmes in the South African skills development context. Currently no such instrument exists in the South African skills development context; hence there is a need for it. Research design, approach and method: This study followed a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design using primary data. The LPME scale was administered to a sample of 652 skills development practitioners and learners or apprentices drawn from six organisations representing at least five economic sectors in South Africa. Data were analysed using SPSS and Rasch modelling to test the validity and reliability of the new scale. Main findings: The findings show that the LPME scale is a valid and reliable 11-dimensional measure comprising 81 items. Practical/managerial implications: In view of the seriousness of the skills shortage challenge facing South Africa, this study provides a solid base upon which skills development practitioners can effectively manage and evaluate occupational learning programmes. Furthermore, the newly developed LPME scale provides a basis for further human resource development research in the quest for a solution to the skills shortage challenge. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes by developing a new scale and testing its validity and reliability. As a valid and reliable measure, the LPME scale can be applied with confidence in various South African workplaces.Industrial and Organisational Psycholog

Fetal dosimeter access, usage, and training among pregnant radiographers in South Africa

BACKGROUND : Pregnant radiographers require more stringent occupational safety monitoring through fetal dosimetry because of the sensitivity of their fetuses’ cells to radiation. This study aims to describe fetal dosimetry among pregnant radiographers as regards access, usage, and training. METHODS : Quantitative data were collected using an electronic national survey. The study collected 89 responses from pregnant and previously pregnant radiographers in South Africa between January 2021 and April 2021. FINDINGS : The responses revealed that 53.9% (n ¼ 48) of participants had never been issued with a fetal dosimeter. This situation was mostly attributed to the employer and financial constraints (n ¼ 29). Of those with access to fetal dosimeters, 46.1% (n ¼ 41), only 56% (n ¼ 28) indicated that they always wore it. An alarming 52% (n ¼ 26) never consistently recorded fetal doses. DISCUSSION : Most pregnant South African radiographers do not have access to fetal dosimeters.Many of them remain noncompliant, which might be attributed to a lack of training and knowledge about the device.The National Research Foundation of South Africa and the University Capacity Development Program (UCDP) grant of the Department of Higher Education.http://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ journal-of-radiology-nursingam2024InformaticsRadiographyStatisticsSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein