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Creating a framework to enhance entrepreneurial education at the bhive Enterprise Development Centre of the North-West University
(North-West University, 2022) Landsberg,Johann; Van der Merwe, Stephan, Prof.; Verona, Leendertz, Prof.
South Africa faces unique challenges with low economic growth linked to a high unemployment rate. Statistics SA reported that women (regardless of the population group) made up a higher percentage compared to men in the Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) in quarter four of 2017. Entrepreneurship education can be a very handy tool to assist with job creation, especially for female entrepreneurs. Most South African universities have a form of entrepreneurial training or incubation service. The North-West University (NWU) Vanderbijlpark campus established the bhive Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) in 2013, focussing on female entrepreneurship. Female entrepreneurs face additional challenges such as a lack of confidence and lower education levels. Research previously conducted agrees that it is possible to teach someone to become an entrepreneur. The bhive EDC offers a short course for female entrepreneurs - Enterprising Women Programme (EWP) to assist with the start-up phases of business development. Furthermore, the exponential growth in international popularity of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education (EE) over the last ten years has led to the imminent adaptation of the EWP. The primary objective of the study was to create a framework for EE at the bhive EDC of the NWU that is aligned with international best practices and is sustainable and relevant. The research question that guides this study falls into the interpretive paradigm. A qualitative research design is best suitable to address the subjective nature of this research. The research was conducted in three phases. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted as part of Phase I to investigate the current best practices in EE. In addition, a document analysis was performed to examine the fundamental requirements for a sustainable EE programme. Furthermore, documents were analysed to examine the current models for entrepreneurship education in both developing and developed countries. During Phase I, open-ended questions were conceptualised for the Phase II individual interviews. Phase III concluded is the development of a framework for EE. Qualitative research focuses on understanding the social experience of the participants' perceptions. Qualitative researchers firmly believe that the surroundings influence human actions. In this study, the qualitative methods are used to establish which sections of the existing EWP have benefited the participants, what gaps the programme does not address currently, and to identify the learning preferences of the participants. Interviews were conducted with previous EWP participants to obtain empirical evidence about the shortcomings and successes of the current EWP. The researcher utilised codes, code groups and smart groups in the data organising, management, and evaluation process. The interviews confirm that new and aspiring entrepreneurs are not content with the traditional classroom-based entrepreneurial training. New entrepreneurs prefer entrepreneurial training customised to fit their specific needs above a one-size-fits-all approach. The creativity training teaches participants how to think outside the box, which positively affects the businesses of the new entrepreneurs. Participants of the EWP indicated that the variety of activities that included teamwork, presentations by the participants and individual assignments made it easier to learn. The participants realised the importance of continuous learning to run and grow their businesses. Participants accentuated the importance of soft skills like time management skills, goals, spiritual intelligence, basic life skills, and a positive attitude. In addition, the brand development training was considered valuable, and the participants found the financial management and customer discovery training topics challenging. The findings of the study provide a framework to enhance EE at the bhive Enterprise Development Centre of the North-West University. According to the literature reviewed, the framework reflects the most important EE components that should be included in EE activities and the important components as identified by the participants of the EWP.
Investigating Grade 5 English reading comprehension proficiency and reading instruction: A case study
(North-West University, 2026) Moopelwa, Lerato
Reading comprehension remains a critical concern in South Africa, with many learners failing to acquire age-appropriate literacy skills in the early school years. The continued poor results in national and international testing, especially the Progress in International Reading Literacy Studies (PIRLS), highlight the systemic nature of this challenge. PIRLS 2021 found that 81% of South African Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning in any language, failing to reach the lowest international benchmark for reading comprehension. This points to a foundational literacy crisis with long-term consequences for learners' academic progress. The current study investigated the reading-comprehension achievement of Grade 5 learners. It examined the instructional and environmental factors which influenced the development of literacy in both public and private schools at Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, in the North-West Province of South Africa. A convergent mixed-methods case study approach was used to examine variations between English Home Language (HL) teaching in private schools and English FAL teaching in public schools. The quantitative data were collected using two PIRLS 2021 reading passages (informational and literary) and the Classroom Literacy Environment Profile (CLEP) checklist to assess literacy richness in classrooms with 85 Grade 5 learners. Qualitative data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with four Grade 5 English teachers. The results indicated that most of the learners had simple decoding and retention ability, and struggled with higher-order comprehending accomplishment, e.g., inference, integrating and evaluating, especially in Test 2, which was the literature test. The performance of learners in the private HL schools was higher compared to public FAL schools, although the difference between several categories of classroom environment was not statistically significant, which shows that the general foundational literacy offers converge. The research clarifies that the convergence of mind processes influences the development of reading comprehension, the instructional methods and classroom setting, optimal language of teaching and the learner involvement. The availability of resources alone was not sufficient to account for differences in reading comprehension outcomes. Instead, the findings point to the importance of systematic instruction that explicitly addresses the reading comprehension processes assessed in the study, together with consistent opportunities for learners to engage with literacy activities. These findings have implications for teacher professional development, assessment of literacy, and equitable literacy provision in multilingual and resource constrained educational contexts. The observed differences in structured literacy engagement, classroom environments, and technological resources further suggest variation in the organization and enrichment of classroom literacy environments. Therefore, schools should prioritize ongoing teacher development in reading comprehension instruction strategies and ensure that available literacy resources are used purposefully to provide learners with regular opportunities to engage with texts.
Exploring Grade 12 teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of Similarity in Euclidean geometry
(North-West University, 2024) Shoba, Goodness Njabulo; Nkhoma, P.; Kunene, N.
Studies show that Euclidean geometry is a section of school mathematics that takes more work to learn and teach in South Africa. Learners need to do better in Grade 12 matric examinations. The role of teachers in the learning and teaching process is critical for learners' success. This study explored Grade 12 teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) about similarity in Euclidean geometry, as their depth in a subject specific PCK influences their classroom practices. Issues raised in the Grade 12 NSC diagnostic reports of the five consecutive years, 2017 to 2021, formed a basis for what to pursue. A qualitative research method was followed to establish the teachers' PCK via their ability to identify and correct the misconceptions and errors of the Grade 12 learners using written work of similarity concepts in Euclidean geometry. Eight secondary school teachers who offer mathematics in the Gauteng North district in the Gauteng province were purposively sampled and participated in the study. The study's findings revealed that with some of the teachers, their PCK depth of similarity in Euclidean geometry is lacking in identifying and addressing learner misconceptions and errors. Their challenges are similar to those of learners, as reported in the NSC diagnostic reports. These findings have several implications. This highlights the greater challenge of breaking the cycle of learners' poor performance in Euclidean geometry in South African schools. Secondly, the study's outcomes identify where one can intervene in improving the teachers' PCK. Lastly, it poses the challenge of revisiting the school curriculum by the Department of Basic Education and for South African tertiary institutions that train secondary school teachers to also re-visit their training programmes.
Die toepassing van 'n nifedipien-2-hidroksiepropiel-β-siklodekstrien insluitingskompleks vir die ontwikkeling van parenterale doseervorme
(North-West University, 1994) Pienaar, Heindrich; van Wyk, C.J.; Kotze, A.F.
Die siklodekstriene en hulle derivate het unieke ringvormige strukture wat hulle geskik maak vir die vorming van insluitingskomplekse met 'n verskeidenheid geneesmiddels. Hulle word veral in die farmasie gebruik om die biobeskikbaarheid, oplosbaarheid en stabiliteit van geneesmiddels te verhoog. Die derivate van beta-siklodekstrien, veral 2- hidroksiepropiel-beta-siklodekstrien, beskik oor beter oplosbaarheids-eienskappe as die natuurlike siklodekstriene en is hierbenewens ook minder nefrotoksies en hemolities. Hulle hou dus groot potensiaal in vir die formulering van geneesmiddels in parenterale doseervorme. Verskeie metodes vir die bereiding van geneesmiddelsiklodekstrienkomplekse word in die literatuur beskryf, waaronder die vloeistofvloeistofmetode die geskikste metode blyk te wees. Vries- en sproeidroging word algemeen gebruik om geneesmiddel-siklodekstrienkomplekse te isoleer vir identifikasie, analise en heroplossing. Verskeie metodes word ook gebruik vir die bestudering en beskrywing van die eienskappe van geneesmiddel-siklodekstrienkomplekse waaronder X-straalpoeierdiffraksie, fase-oplosbaarheidsdiagramme, kernmagnetiese resonansspektrometrie, en differensiele skanderingskalorimetrie die bekendste is. Nifedipien, 'n kalsiumkanaal antagonis, is 'n tipiese geneesmiddel wat swak wateroplosbaar is, en vinnige fotochemiese afbraak ondergaan. Hierdie eienskappe van nifedipien maak dit prakties onmoontlik om 'n stabiele waterige oplossing van nifedipien vir inspuiting te formuleer. Die voordele wat 'n parenterale doseervorm kan inhou, is van groot waarde veral ten opsigte van die biobeskikbaarheid en tempo van werking en die verspreiding daarvan in gehospitaliseerde pasiente. In hierdie ondersoek is daar 'n insluitingskompleks van nifedipien met 2- hidroksiepropiel-beta-siklodekstrien berei, en die invloed daarvan op die oplosbaarheid en stabiliteit van nifedipien ondersoek. Uit die ondersoek blyk dit dat die wateroplosbaarheid van nifedipien dramaties verhoog is, naamlik van ongeveer 6, 1 tot 261,4 µg/ml (0,0176 M tot 0,7548 M) by 'n 0,3846 M 2-hidroksiepropiel-betasiklodekstrienkonsentrasie. Op grond van hierdie resultate is dit wel moontlik om 'n waterige inspuiting met 'n dosis van 1 mg/5 ml te formuleer indien dit teen fotochemiese afbraak gestabiliseer kan word. 'n Stabiliteitsondersoek in deursigtige en amberglasampulle, onder verskillende ligtoestande is uitgevoer. Daar is gevind dat 2-hidroksiepropiel-beta-siklodekstrien nie die stabiliteit van nifedipien in deursigtige glasampulle vookom. Veranderinge in die ultravioletspektraaleienskappe, massaspektra, infrarooispektra, DSC-termogramme en X-straal poeierdiffraksiepatrone van nifedipien is gebruik om die insluitingskompleks van nifedipien met 2-hidroksiepropiel-beta-siklodekstrien te beskryf en aan te toon. Die resultate van hierdie ondersoek, tesame met die dramatiese verhoging in die wateroplosbaarheid van nifedipien na kompleksering met 2- hidroksiepropiel-beta-siklodekstrien toon duidelik aan dat molekulere interaksie tussen nifedipien en 2 hidroskiepropiel-beta-siklodekstrien bestaan.
Data Pruning: Redundant, Problematic, and Interdependent Samples
(2026) Freese, Leon; Marthinus, W; Theunissen
The performance of deep learning models is affected by not only data quantity but also data quality. Data pruning is a process by which practitioners can reduce the size of a dataset by only keeping the most important training data points, thereby achieving similar test set performance. We empirically investigate two popular data pruning methods under noisy and noiseless conditions and show that these methods fail in the presence of significant label noise. We highlight that the success of data pruning is distinctly affected by three factors: redundancy in the dataset, the presence of problematic samples, and interdependence between samples. We perform a detailed investigation on commonly used benchmark classification datasets and neural network architectures. We find that our observa- tions are consistent across data distributions and training protocols