National University Of Lesotho Research Articles

Explaining performance in the Postgraduate Diploma in HRM at the National University of Lesotho

Based on the records of 70 participants in the Postgraduate Diploma in HRM, the purpose of this research note is to examine the influence on performance of gender, work experience, classification of undergraduate degree, type of undergraduate major and where it was obtained.Students with social sciences undergraduate majors, and/or with relevant experience performed significantly better than others. The classification of undergraduate degree and where the degree was obtained, as well as gender, did not influence academic performance.The paper empirically examines the relevance of work experience on academic performance and further calls for more research on the role of social sciences in HRM programmes.

An Anthropological Investigation of Sotho Worldviews, Myths and Stereotypes Attached to Immigrants in Lesotho, Southern Africa

It is universal for different societies of the world to attach myths and stereotypes towards strangers and people of other cultures. It should be noted that some of these myths are as a result of the historical experiences and encounters. The main assumption of this study is that generally, there are myths and stereotypes that are associated with foreigners in all human societies, in which case the Sotho of Southern Africa are no exception. However, the curiosity to know and document the extent to which this inclination really holds in daily interaction between foreigners and local population in Lesotho motivated this study. The population of this study consists of residents of Hata-Butle in Roma valley, near the National University of Lesotho. It is mainly characterized of homogeneous attribute 'local residents', from where a representative sample of twenty individuals which cuts across social categories was purposively selected. A combination of indepth and key informant interview methods was used as the efficient technique of collecting the required data. The study found mixed feelings of responses from the interviewees, which range from negative to positive notions. However, most of the negative notions were held comparably stronger than the positive ones. Immigrants have been described in various ways, including being labeled as makoerekoere and perceived as interlopers, opportunists, undesirable, witches, cheats, women snatchers among others. In addition, specific notions and stereotypes about different nationals, such as Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Chinese, Indians and the Whites were revealed. The conclusion suggests a need to strengthen the positive notions about these immigrants in Lesotho, owing to their highly quantifiable contributions to the economy of the country and that of Southern Africa in general.

CIES Bibliography 2011

CIES Bibliography 2011

Analyzing the Influence of Diffusion of Innovation Attributes on Lecturers’ Attitude Towards Information and Communication Technologies

This study investigated the influence of the five attributes of diffusion of innovation theory—relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, trialability, and observability—on lecturers' use of information and communication technologies. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 213 lecturers across the seven faculties and one institute at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument; the reliability of the multiple item scales ranged between 0.71 and 0.97. Collected data were first structured into grouped frequency distributions, and stepwise multiple regressions were used to test the five hypotheses formulated. At 0.05 level of significance, the attributes relative advantage, complexity, and observability were found to have a positive influence on attitude of lecturers toward using ICTs, with observability having the highest influence. To enhance widespread use of ICTs, it is recommended that NUL's administration organize relevant training and deploy user-friendly ICTs.

Carbon footprint of the University of Cape Town

Since signing the Talloires Declaration in 1990, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has been striving to set an example of environmental responsibility by establishing environmentally sound policies and practices, and by developing curricula and research initiatives to support an environmentally sustainable future. One of the most recent efforts in this quest was the release of a Green Campus Action Plan for the University of Cape Town by the Properties and Services Department in 2008. While the Plan proposed a number of carbon emission mitigation interventions for the University, it also stressed the need to conduct a detailed and comprehensive carbon footprint analysis for the whole University. The aim of this analysis was to determine the carbon footprint of UCT, not only to give a tangible number with which the University’s carbon sustainability level can be compared with other academic institutions, but also to provide the much needed baseline against which future mitigation efforts on the university campus can be measured. UCT’s carbon footprint for the year 2007 was found to be about 83 400 tons CO2-eq, with campus energy consumption, Transportation and Goods and Services contributing about 81%, 18% and 1% the footprint respectively. Electricity consumption alone contributes about 80% of all the emissions associated with university activities. UCT’s per-capita emissions for 2007 amount to about 4.0 tons CO2-eq emissions per student. For comparison only, South Africa’s 2007 per capita emissions were estimated at 10.4 tons CO2-eq. In terms of energy consumption only, UCT’s footprint is about 3.2 tons CO2-eq per student, higher than the National University of Lesotho’s value of 0.1 and much lower than Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s value of 33.1.

Proficiency in English as a second official language (ESOL) in Lesotho: a survey on views of examiners and moderators

The purpose of this article was to survey the views of external examiners and moderators regarding written English at the National University of Lesotho (NUL), Lesotho College of Education (LCE/NTCC) and other education institutions in the country. This has been motivated by the general concern that the standard of English in Lesotho is very low. The paper first presents a background to English as the international and global language and the second official language as well as the medium of instruction in Lesotho. It further discusses the meaning of proficiency in English and the rationale for teaching and learning English as well as using English as the medium of education. The authors then specifically present examples of poor performance in English at the NUL, LCE (NTTC), COSC, LJC and primary schools as seen through the eyes of examiners, moderators and researchers. Most importantly, the article proposes ways and means of how written English can be improved in Lesotho’s educational institutions. First, there has to be a drastic change of attitudes towards English. It should be considered positively as a global language that is here to stay. Secondly, all that whose responsibility is to teach English and through English should always strive to create communicative atmospheres for the students of English. Thirdly, the educational institutions should introduce and use consistently the concept and practice of language and learning across the curriculum (LLAC). That is, every teacher should be conscious of the position of English in the education system and, therefore, make every effort to help improve English. Finally, the article proposes that another strategy to improve performance in English writing skill is to establish a close cooperation and liaison between and among departments of English at the NUL, LCE, and Language and Social Education Department in the Faculty of Education at NUL. The article concludes by indicating that these are the challenges that face every English language teacher and teacher educator specifically and the entire teaching profession generally.

Dood governance for quality service delivery: National University of Lesotho (NUL) under a microscope and challenges therefrom

The purpose of this paper is to highlight occurrences of poor governance practices at the National University of Lesotho and to propose the way forward for the Institution in order to get itself out of the present quagmire. Qualitative data collection approaches have been used to get information for this study. These have included in-depth interviews with purposively selected key informants among university, staff “exit interviews” with some staff members who had recently resigned from the service of the University; content analysis of both local print and electronic media sources; the review of the relevant internal NUL documents such as policies and reports and general observations by the author during participation in deliberations over important issues at various significant policy making University committees such as Council and Senate. The major finding of this study has confirmed that the bulk of the critical operations of the Institution have not been guided by the existing policies and legal frameworks. Consequently, the various academic and related administrative service deliveries were adversely affected as earlier suspected. NUL must therefore make a deliberate effort to conduct business within the confines of the law; provide proper phased induction programmes particularly for academic and relevant administrative staff for them to understand how the university system operates and help them positively see their professional role in the whole scheme of things.

A Study of Politeness Strategies Used by the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Students

This paper provides an analysis of politeness strategies used by Students of the National University of Lesotho. The study examines how NUL students respond to, communicate with and address their lecturers. The paper thus illustrates how and when NUL students make use of address forms such as titles, kinship terms, nicknames, personal names, and other strategies like “face principle” in their verbal interactions with their lecturers. The paper equally examines the various moods of greetings employed by NUL students. The paradigm of the study includes that politeness is a required linguistic communicative behavior in the linguistic and cultural ideology of the Basotho people, thus NUL students. As such, impoliteness is penalized with the essence of preserving relationships and being at peace with oneself and others. The analysis reveals that the choices of linguistic strategies by NUL students are guided by the politeness principles in Lesotho and the social relationship that exists in the University setting. This relationship is based on age, social status, and kinship. The paper, however, demonstrates that age is not the dominant feature for expressing politeness between people. Another common feature found as a strategy by NUL students to express politeness is the extension of kinship terms to all lecturers (even non - kins). I finally argue that with urbanization, caused by exodus from cities to rural areas and vice versa, modernization, and adoption of Western way of life, the polite linguistic and cultural behavior of NUL students is gradually drifting away from their cultural expectations.Key words: Politeness, Strategies, Behavior, Students, Basotho, Culture, Status, Lecturer

Pastoral Counselling Programme at the National University of Lesotho: The Proto-Type Practicuum Case Report Guide and its Clinical Utility

This study examined the clinical utility of the application of the Practicuum Counselling Case Report Guide (PCCRG) in facilitating pastoral/counselling psychological functions at the National University of Lesotho (NUL).Using the Proto-Type Practicuum Interview Guide Questionnaire (P-TPIGQ) as the index of investigation, 139 Pastoral Care and Counselling Students were the sample. The P-TPIGQ was constructed in two sub-sections of ‘A’ and ‘B’ with ‘A’ having 13-items designed in the modified 3-Likert Point Scale. Sub-section ‘B’ examined the PCCRG along its perceived acceptability(r= 0.91), usability (r= 0.86), Compositionability (r= 0.82), language ease (r=0.89) and Comprehensionability (r=0.85) respectively while essentially the sub-sections showed that the PCCRG was statistically significant at (P

The Impact of the feelings of Economic powerlessness and alienation on self-employment intentions

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the feelings of economic powerlessness & alienation on self-employment intentions of young people. The data used in the study was collected through a survey of students at the National University of Lesotho, and the correlation and factor analyses, as well as standard multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Two clear factor distinctions resulted from self-employment intentions, namely, self-employment intentions regardless of unemployment, and self-employment intentions in response to unemployment. Similarly, the feelings of economic powerlessness and alienation separated into two factors, namely, economic powerlessness and 'business exploits'. The feelings of economic powerlessness impacted negatively on self-employment intentions, and the feeling that 'business exploits' impacted positively on self-employment intentions in response to unemployment. The results of the study suggest that young people who have high feelings of economic powerlessness would not normally plan to start their own businesses. Key words: economic, powerlessness, alienation, job, unemployment

INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE GAP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS: THE CASE OF A PRE-ENTRY SCIENCE PROGRAM

This study investigated a gap that may have existed between students’ expectations and perceptions of the 2007 Pre-Entry Science Program (PESP) cohort at the National University of Lesotho and factors that might have influenced these expectations and perceptions. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection and administered to students participating in PESP. The gaps between expectations and perceptions that existed were measured using Cohen′s effect size. A large effect size was found for the ability of presenters to give students a good grasp of concepts within the subject area. Factors that seem to have influenced the students′ expectations and perceptions were identified as students′ background knowledge, previous experience, informal communication, and individual needs. Suggestions made to narrow the gap include knowing students′ expectations at the beginning of the program and then making a conscious effort to meet them.

EPISTEMOLOGICAL OBSTACLES IN COMING TO UNDERSTAND THE LIMIT OF A FUNCTION AT UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL: A CASE FROM THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO

This article reports on part of a doctoral study in which epistemological obstacles that mathematics students at undergraduate level encounter in coming to understand the limit of functions in different modes of representation were investigated. A group of mathematics students at undergraduate level at the National University of Lesotho was the sample for the study. Empirical data were collected using questionnaires and interviews.

Reducing the Perceived impact of Mass Academic Failure on Significant People through Multi-Behaviour Techniques (MBTS)

The study examined the effectiveness of the multi-behaviour techniques (MBTS) in the reduction of academic failure of National University of Lesotho (NUL) students. Using 425 participants drawn from the Faculty of Humanities, it adopted the quasi-experimental and ex-post facto research designs. With the use of ANOVAR and the student-t statistics at the alpha levels of 0.05, the main findings show that the combined treatment effect was statistically significant with the comparison of Fisher\'s value [F (6, 418) =7.52; P

Working with Functions Without Understanding: An Assessment of the Perceptions of Basotho College Mathematics Specialists on the Idea of Function

It is a well-known fact that the idea of function plays a unifying role in the development of mathematical concepts. Yet research has shown that many students do not understand it adequately even though they have experienced a great deal of success in performing a plethora of operations on function, and on using functions to solve various types of problems. This paper will report about an assessment of the perceptions of Basotho college mathematics specialists on the notion of function. Four hundred and ninety one (491) mathematics specialists enrolled at the National University of Lesotho (Years 1 - 4) in the 2002/2003 academic year responded to the questionnaire that challenged them, amongst other things, to (a) define a function, (b) give an example of a function, and (b) distinguish between functional and non-functional situations embedded in a variety of contexts. In addition to the difficulties observed in their attempt to define a function and to provide an example of a function, results suggests that, for the majority of those who responded to the questionnaire, the idea of function seemed to be limited to common or prototypical linear and quadratic situations that could be expressed either in symbolic or graphical forms. Additionally, arbitrary correspondences and functional situations that were presented implicitly were not identified as functions by the majority of the students. This paper discusses instructional, curricular, and research implications of the findings.

Mathematics performance attributions of first year students enrolled in different areas of study at the National University of Lesotho

Explanations of why things happen the way they do are influenced by experiences, situations, and perceptions. Whereas students enrolled in one area of study might attribute success or failure on a task to one factor, those enrolled in a different area of study might attribute it to a different factor. This study investigated factors to which Basotho first year university students enrolled in different areas of study attribute success or failure in mathematics. Additionally, it examined the extent to which the students enjoyed and gender-typed mathematics. Five hundred and sixty-three (563) first year students enrolled at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) during the 2000/2001 academic year responded to a questionnaire that, among other things, identified factors to which the students attributed their success or failure in mathematics. Results showed that their explanations depended significantly on their area of study. Whereas science students attributed failing and successful performance to effort, students in other areas of study tended to attribute their performances to ability or luck. Instructional and research implications of these findings are identified and discussed.

The legal capacity of child-headed households

Article by Graham Ritchie setting out thoughts for a discussion topic for a multi-disciplinary group, aiming not at legal theory but at a signpost for the direction of work to be undertaken by the IALS; the Child Rights Unit of the Department of Law, Free State University, South Africa; and the National University of Lesotho. The article was published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.

Is performance in English as a second language a relevant criterion for admission to an English medium university

Since colonial times, many English-medium universities in developing countries require applicants to give proof of a high degree of proficiency in English language. Applicants with (very) good school results, but without the required score in school English are not admitted. This study focuses on the efficacy of such an entry requirement, using the performance of students at the National University of Lesotho. The results show that performance in school-level English is hardly correlated with academic performance, when controlling for the overall school performance. At the same time, overall school performance is a good predictor of performance. The study makes an attempt to quantify the implications of the current emphasis on performance in school English, and concludes that this emphasis cannot be justified, since it actually works to keep a number of very promising students outside the university. Finally, some reasons are suggested for the apparent lack of correlation between performance in school English and performance at university.

Gender Differences in Mathematics Performance Attributions Among First Year Students at National University of Lesotho: Implications for Access to and Performance in Mathematics

Personal factors tend to inhibit learners' opportunity to benefit from the provision of mathematics education and to achieve satisfactory performance in mathematics. Equity in the provision of such education is seen to be lacking if such factors relate significantly to one or the other of the demographic characteristics of a group of learners or of their schools. One of such factors relates to the reaction of the learner to his/her experience with this subject. According to Heider (1944), when we have a failing or successful experience, we may locate its origin in another person or thing, in fate or ourselves, and this might influence the way we relate to or perform in the subject in the future. Performance attribution in mathematics has been found in many populations to be gender related. To assess this for a population of 2000/2001 National University of Lesotho (NUL) first year students, attribution and performance data in mathematics were gathered from 563 students and then analysed using chi-square, independent t-test, and 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical techniques. The results showed that attribution of mathematics performance among these students is significantly gender-dependent, and that males tended to attribute their performance to effort significantly more their female counterparts. Additionally, both gender and attribution were found to relate significantly to performance in the subject. These results are discussed, and recommendations made with regard to diluting such gender influence, and hence enhancing achievement and equity in the provision of mathematics education.

Transition from Secondary School Science to University Science: Some Perceptions of Former Science Teachers in Lesotho

ABSTRACTFormer secondary school teachers registering for a university degree can be considered a valuable potential source of information about the difficulties experienced by students in the transition from secondary school to the first university year, because of their double experience, as teachers and as students. The current paper presents the results of a pilot study carried out among science students at the National University of Lesotho into the perceived difficulties of the transition from secondary school science to university science. Secondly, the study explores the potential of using former science teachers as sources of information about problems and opportunities regarding this transition. Data were collected though open-ended questionnaire items. Several areas of transition difficulties are identified and implications for course adjustments are suggested. The findings also indicate that obtaining direct information from former teachers is both promising and worthy of further investigation.

Developing a strategic plan: a case study from the National University of Lesotho

Developing a strategic plan: a case study from the National University of Lesotho