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The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on teaching practices and teacher-learner professional relationships in a rural school context.
(2023) Ngubane, Siphesihle Nomvelo.; Zulu, Free-Queen Bongiwe.
This study explores the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on teaching practices and teacher-learner professional relationships in a rural school context, examining the lived experiences of teachers. The teaching practices that rural context teachers used prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and those they employed during the lockdown begun in March 2020 when schools shut down are examined. Framed by the Hargreaves (2001) conceptual framework of emotional geographies, this study illuminates the subjective experiences of teachers in rural geographical contexts. The study adopted a qualitative approach, grounded within interpretive paradigm and using case study research design. Semi-structured interviews and collages were used as data generation method. A total of eight teachers (four from each school) were sampled to participate in the study. The deductive approach was best suited to analyse the data. The findings of study suggest that teachers in rural context schools adopted various teaching practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily embracing online teaching methods and using social platforms to distribute learning materials. However, these adopted practices encountered significant challenges including limited internet connectivity, teachers' insufficient ICT skills, and the overarching digital divide posed formidable obstacles, impeding the sustained effectiveness of these methods. These challenges worsened the existing disparities in access to education between rural and urban areas. The findings also indicate that the impact of teaching practices amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional relationship between teachers and learners in rural context schools revealed predominantly negative outcomes. It came out from the findings that the lack of communication due to contextual factors strained professional relationships significantly. Furthermore, the introduction of a rotation timetable created emotional voids for teachers, hindering their ability to deliver academic content and maintain previous interaction levels with learners. COVID-19 restrictions prevented teachers from offering pastoral care or engaging in non-curricular discussions, diminishing the overall teacher-learner relationship. Disruptions caused by the pandemic hindered teachers' multifaceted roles, impeding their capacity to identify and address individual learner needs. The physical distance enforced by the pandemic limited teachers' ability to detect struggling learners, eroding the efficacy of a prior learner-centered and interactive teaching approach. This led to emotional strain on teachers, underscoring the importance of a deeper connection beyond curriculum delivery. Contrary to assumptions, emotional bonds couldn't compensate for physical distance, impacting the professional relationships between teachers and learners adversely and leaving teachers questioning their teaching purpose amidst this perplexing period.
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The effect of digital technology in agriculture on market access and household food security among smallholder vegetable farmers in Ntfonjeni and Sidvokodvo communities of Eswatini.
(2024) Lukhele , Busile Glory.; Thamaga-Chitja , Joyce Magoshi.
Many industries, big and small, including agriculture, are being affected by the 4th industrial revolution. The inclusion and adaptation of digital technology in agriculture can advance market participation and improve food security of smallholder farmers in developing countries. In Eswatini, rural households primarily participate in farming as a means of improving their livelihoods. However, there is still a research gap on the scope on the impact of digital technology in agriculture on market access and household food security among smallholder vegetable farmers in Eswatini. This study sought to assess the role of digital technology in agriculture among smallholder farmers in accessing markets and household food security in Eswatini. The study was conducted at Ntfonjeni and Sidvokodvo community in Eswatini. A mixed method approach was employed in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 100 active long-term smallholder vegetable farmer. They were interviewed face to face using a questionnaire. Moreover, two extension officers were interviewed as key informants to understand their perception regarding the awareness and adoption of smallholder vegetable farmers on using digital technology when accessing markets. The data was analysed using SPSS version 28. Descriptives statistics revealed that there were more male famers (56%) compared to female farmers (44%), cabbage was the most grown vegetable. Moreover, results indicated that a normal phone (23.58%) was the most owned digital tool among farmers and phone calls were the common means used by farmers when advertising. Most farmers sold their produce at farm gate and the most common market were the local community members. Farmers received most of their market information from other agricultural cooperative members and through extension officers through phone calls. In addition, majority of, the farmers (36.7%) indicated that that they did not receive training on digital marketing. Mobile money was the most used digital platform for money transaction among smallholder farmers. Furthermore, most farmers received their farm credit from micro finance institutions, particularly Fincorp. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HHFIAS) score revealed that 24% farmers were food secure, 39% farmers were moderately food insecure, 31% farmers were mildly food insecure and 6% were severely food insecure. It was concluded that the use digital technology on market access had less impact on household food security. The policy makers and supporting organizations should develop programmes aimed to empowering social capital and human capital assets of the farmers through designing a ‘Siswati’ digital marketing platform. Campaigns that promote using of the digital platforms should create an awareness amongst vegetable farmers. Moreover, vegetable farmers should be educated on the benefits and operation of digital technology platforms used for marketing and its benefits. Extension officers must ensure that vegetable farmers are not only trained on growing marketable vegetables but also understand the benefits of consuming a more diverse diet to improve their food insecurity status. KEYWORDS: Digital technology, market access, smallholder farmer, food security.
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Control of the sweet potato weevil (cylas puncticollis) with entomopathogenic nematodes.
(2023) Zulu, Sinethemba.; Ramakuwela, Tshimangadzo.; Laing, Mark Delmege.
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L) is one of the important crops worldwide because of its high calorific value. Sweet potato weevils (SPW) are the major pest affecting sweet potato, leading to a massive yield loss annually. An initial goal was to evaluate the diversity, incidence and damage severity caused to sweet potato by SPW in fields and in storage in three provinces, and the knowledge of small scale farmers about SPW. A survey was conducted in the Gauteng, North West and Limpopo provinces. Most of the farmers (96%) planted sweet potato for income generation, 3% farm for home consumption and 1% farm for employment. About 64% farmers knew about SPW, 28% had no knowledge and 8% were not sure. The crop was worst affected by SPW (79%), with rats, porcupines and other pests posing less of a problem (12%, 8% and 1%, respectively). Farmers were affected by SPW throughout the year. Farmers agreed that SPW had a negative impact on their production, with 34% of them expressing this sentiment, 28 were not sure and 14% did not think that SPW affected their crop yields. About 67% lost a quarter of their yield annually, 27% of the farmers lost a third of their yield and 6% lost half of their yield. All the three provinces are affected by SPW. Despite the majority of the farmers being aware of SPW damage, they had little knowledge of how to control the pest. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have potential as biocontrol agents of economically important pests. This study was conducted to explore the potential of EPNs for the biological control of the SPW, Cylas puncticollis (Boheman) 1883, in an artificially infested field using larvae-infested sweet potato pieces placed in perforated containers. A total of six treatments were applied in the field, namely A - control, B - chemical insecticide, C - Steinernema tophus Cimen isolate ROOI 352 Formulation 1 with 2% Barricade® gel, D - S. tophus Formulation 2 (cadavers) E - Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, isolate SGI 245 Formulation 1 with 2% Barricade® gel, F - H. bacteriophora Formulation 2 (cadavers). After two weeks, larvae, pupae and adult SPW numbers were counted to determine the SPW populations. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Treatment F, cadaver formulation) was the most effective treatment with 0% live larvae and 36% dead larvae. Larvae, pupue and adult weevils were evaluated, Treatment F obtained 0% for live LPW and 48% for dead LPW. This short-term field trial demonstrated a successful reduction of all life stages of SPW by H. bacteriophoraSGI 245. Further trials of this EPN for the control of SPW are needed throughout the crop production cycle. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are of current research interest because of their ability to kill insect pests as biocontrol agents. However, EPNs are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, high temperatures and desiccation. The aim of one study was to analyse the survival and efficacy of two strains of EPNs, produced either in vivo or in vitro, and formulated in either Barricade® gel or Potassium polyacrylate hydrogel (PPH) formulations. EPNs were produced in vivo using Galleria mellonella (Fabricius) 1798 (the greater wax moth), and in vitro using an artificial medium containing ground, desiccated larvae of Musca domestica (Linnaeus), the housefly. IJs of the three selected strains of EPNs were suspended in 2% gel formulations of Barricade® gel or PPH by mixing 98 ml of water containing infective juveniles (1000 IJs / ml) with 2 g of Barricade® gel or PPH. The formulations were stored in 2 ml Eppendorf tubes held at 15˚C. The survival of the IJs was then tested at two week intervals. The efficacy of formulated IJs was tested by infecting 10 mealworms with IJs (1000 IJs / ml), incubated for 72 hours at 25oC, and counting the number of dead mealworms at two weeks intervals. On Day One, the survival of the EPNs of both isolates, in both formulations, and the controls were 100%. After two weeks, the controls had zero IJs survival for all the isolates, produced either in vivo or in vitro. The three isolates in both the Barricade® gel and PPH formulations had a zero IJs survival after eight weeks. On Day One, the mortality of mealworms was 100% for all the formulations. Both formulations of the three isolates caused zero mortality of mealworms after eight weeks. The use of Barricade® gel and PPH in formulating three isolates of EPNs enhanced their survival for up to six weeks. The in vitro-produced EPNs had a higher level of survival than the in vivo produced EPNs. However, the in vivo production resulted in EPNs that were more effective at killing mealworms than the in vitro produced EPNs. However, these differences were marginal. Differences between the three strains of EPNs were also marginal. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae, coupled with their symbiotic bacteria, are utilised for the biological control of a wide range of agricultural insect pests. Persistence of EPNs in the field is affected by a number of abiotic factors such as UV light, fluctuation in temperature and desiccation. The aim of this study was to assess the persistence of EPNs under field conditions, applied in two different formulations (cadaver formulation and Barricade® gel formulation). Persistence was assessed after one and two months post treatment application by baiting soil with the greater wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) and observing the insect mortality. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (SGI 245) cadaver formulation showed better survival in all the five sites, followed by H. bacteriophora Barricade® gel formulation. Persistence declined drastically two months post treatment from a maximum 100% to 0%. The findings suggest that EPNs post application survival in the field can be enhanced by both cadaver and Barricade® gel formulations. Sweet potato weevils is one of the most important insect pests of sweet potato. The control of SPW is difficult due to the cryptic nature of the larvae, and night activity of the adults. In Africa, control of SPW relies primarily on the use of synthetic insecticides. However, the insect has developed some level of resistance against a wide range of insecticides. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), which are cosmopolitan soil-borne entomopathogens, have gained interest as potential biological control agents of various economically important insect pests. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of EPN isolates from the families Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae as biological control agents of SPW and their effect on different sweet potato cultivars, under field conditions. Plant resistance has also been viewed as an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-safe form of pest control methods of SPW under field conditions. Four different cultivars were planted and six biocontrol treatment were applied after a month. Overall, both the cadaver and Barricade® gel formulations of H. bacteriophora SGI 245 were more effective in reducing the plant damage caused by SPW than the Barricade® gel formulation of S. tophus ROOI 352. Overall, the cultivar Monate suffered less insect damage (0.103) than the cultivars Blesbok and Bophelo, and it was the best yielding cultivar. A combination of Treatment F of H.bacteriophora and the sweet potato cultivar Monate can be recommended for further field testing.
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The impact of ownership structures on the financial performance and corporate governance of JSE-listed firms.
(2023) Naidu , Delane Deborah.; Peerbhai , Faeezah.; McCullough , Kerry-Ann Frances.
The ownership structure of a firm plays an important role in decision making and cost control, as ownership signifies a source of authority over the company’s operations, strategy, and financial decisions. The evolution of finance has resulted in increased globalisation and increasingly open markets, which has consequently led to ownership structures of companies becoming more widely distributed among various types of owners. The ownership structure has significant implications for several fundamental aspects of firms, most notably, its financial performance. In addition to the financial performance of firms, the composition of ownership structures also holds significant importance for corporate governance systems, as owners have the capacity to influence the level of compliance that firms demonstrate towards corporate governance policies. This thesis, therefore, investigates the impacts of different ownership identities (managerial, foreign, institutional, government and family) on both the financial performance and corporate governance of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study uses panel data for non-financial JSE-listed firms, covering the 18-year period from 2004-2021. Financial performance is measured with Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Earnings per Share (EPS), and Tobin’s q. The study provides a novel contribution to corporate governance research by constructing a reliable and valid index and corresponding subindices to measure the corporate governance compliance of JSE-listed firms. The main index is predicated on the provisions of the King Reports that pertain to the categories of board characteristics and structure, accounting and auditing, and risk management and internal audit. These three categories form the subindices that are used to measure the individual compliance of provisions relating to boards, audit committees, and risk management committees. The reliability and validity of these constructs are confirmed by the Cronbach’s alpha test and the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), respectively. The study adopts the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach to estimate the impact of ownership structures, as it accounts for endogeneity, thus ensuring unbiased results. The results for ownership and financial performance revealed that managerial ownership shared a positive relationship with ROE, but a negative relationship with Tobin’s q. Similarly, foreign ownership had a positive impact on ROE, while institutional ownership had a negative effect on EPS. Lastly, family ownership was associated with a decline in Tobin’s q. The study also makes an original contribution to ownership research in South Africa by discovering a non-linear inverse U-shaped relationship between foreign ownership and ROE, with an optimal value of 39.6%. This infers that foreign ownership positively affects ROE when shareholdings are below 39.6%. However, when foreign ownership exceeds this threshold, firm performance is eroded. Regarding the analysis of ownership structure and corporate governance, the results showed that managerial ownership exhibited a negative effect on the board characteristics and structure subindex, while foreign ownership depicted positive effects on the main index and the accounting and auditing subindex. Regulators should therefore formulate policies that cultivate the benefits associated with managerial and foreign ownership, whilst also developing strategies to mitigate the negative effects of managerial, institutional, and family ownership.