Vaal Triangle Research Articles

Differences in the Wellbeing of Dual-earner Parents with Young Children

ABSTRACT The general objective of this research was to investigate the wellbeing (i.e. health and work–life interference) of dual-earner parents with different sociodemographic characteristics (i.e. age and gender) and family situations (i.e. number of children and household support). A cross-sectional survey design was used in which a convenience sample of dual-earner parents (n=207) with children in nursery schools in South Africa's Vaal Triangle region was taken. The sample group primarily consisted of white females between the ages of 40 and 50. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, product-moment correlations, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse the data. The results indicate statistically significant differences in wellbeing outcomes in terms of family situation, specifically regarding physical ill health, number of children and household support. Further statistically significant differences were found in work–life interference (i.e. parent–work, spouse–work, domestic–work, religion/spiritual-work, work–parent, work–spouse, work–domestic and work–religion/spiritual interference) for dual-earner parents with different types of household support. In summary, the research provided evidence that dual-earner parents with different types of household support structures experience wellbeing and work–life interference differently. Based on the detailed findings, specific recommendations were made for future research and for dual-earner parents. Recommendations include investigating specific household support structure opportunities for dual-earner parents. This research builds on current literature related to dual-earner parents, especially within South Africa, where limited research has been done.

Academic preparedness of students – an exploratory study

The high level of student failure, accompanied by an increased drop-out rate, is problematic in higher education. It is especially a concern in programmes with the subjects of Mathematics, Accounting and Science. Over many years, models of student admission and selection have been widely researched both internationally and in South Africa. Research indicates that in the academic domain, underpreparedness results from a combination of a lack of English proficiency, mathematical ability and effective study skills. In view of the above, and government policy directives to broaden access in the scarce skills areas to increase student throughput, foundation provision was introduced for students of Commerce, Information Technology, Business, Mathematics and Informatics courses at the Vaal Triangle Campus (VTC) of North-West University (NWU) in 2010. The question at that time then arose as to what criteria should be used for placing students in the extended programme. The placement of first-year students in appropriate programmes should be done with sensitivity to enhance academic success but, at the same time, should not ‘label’ students as underprepared. This paper provides perspectives on the selection criteria available for predicting academic success/preparedness, and then reports on students’ own experiences. An action research study was conducted on the academic achievement of two cohorts of first-year students at the VTC of NWU. The quantitative results of the performance of first-year students in their core modules are compared to the results of predictive tests written after admission. The results provide valuable insight into the placement of students.Keywords: Academic preparedness, extended programmes, national senior certificate, national benchmark testDisciplines: Education management studies, higher education studies

Flourishing functional multilingualism: evidence from language repertoires in the Vaal Triangle region

Currently, there is a debate about the potential language shift among speakers of African languages towards English. Scholars hold conflicting views about this issue and the debates are complicated because of the widespread multilingualism in the South African society. The main aim of this article is to revisit current claims of language shift among speakers of African languages by analyzing relevant data from a larger scale survey of the language repertoires of an identified population. The research method involved the adaptation of language history or experience questionnaires designed by bilingualism researchers to describe the language repertoires of a large population of multilingual students. The main findings of the study are: (a) multilingualism is flourishing among the participants; (b) the multilingual repertoires of the participants are expanding because of the addition of African languages to the repertoires; and (c) the position of English is confined to specific functions. A pattern of flourishing functional multilingualism emerges. The value of adding larger scale quantitative studies to complement smaller, qualitative studies in discussions of language shift and maintenance is confirmed by this study.

Optimum Tilt Angles for Photovoltaic Panels during Winter Months in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa

Optimizing the output power of a photovoltaic panel improves the efficiency of a solar driven energy system. The maximum output power of a photovoltaic panel depends on atmospheric conditions, such as (direct solar radiation, air pollution and cloud movements), load profile and the tilt and orientation angles. This paper describes an experimental analysis of maximizing output power of a photovoltaic panel, based on the use of existing equations of tilt angles derived from mathematical models and simulation packages. Power regulation is achieved by the use of a DC-DC converter, a fixed load resistance and a single photovoltaic panel. A data logger is used to make repeated measurements which ensure reliability of the results. The results of the paper were taken over a four month period from April through July. The photovoltaic panel was set to an orientation angle of 0? with tilt angles of 16?, 26? and 36?. Preliminary results indicate that tilt angles between 26? and 36? provide optimum photovoltaic output power for winter months in South Africa.

Air Quality and Human Health among a Low Income Community in the Highveld Priority Area

Human exposure to poor air quality is linked to adverse health effects. The largest burden of air pollution-related diseases is in developing countries where air pollution levels are also among the highest in the world. In South Africa, two geographic areas, the Vaal Triangle and the Highveld, have been identified for air quality managementinterventions to ensure compliance with National Air Quality Management Standards and to control potential harmful air pollution impacts on human health. The Highveld Priority Area (HPA) is characterised by intense mining, coal-fired power plants, industries, including iron and steel manufacturing, chemical plants, agricultural activity, motor vehicles and domestic fuel burning. Apart from two previous studies, no respiratory health studies have been carried out in the HPA. This paper describes the results of a recent, comprehensive study of ambient air quality, potential exposure to air pollution and air-related human health among a low income community living in the HPA in order to better understand the impact of air pollution on human health in South Africa.

Barriers to e-marketing adoption among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Vaal Triangle

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to complement existing literature by examining the relevant barriers contributing to the non-adoption of electronic marketing practices by SMEs in the Vaal Triangle. Methodology: Primary data was collected using a quantitative research technique with the use of a structured questionnaire as the survey instrument. A total of 168 businesses were selected randomly and visited within the various municipal areas in the Vaal Triangle. These businesses were visited between August and November 2008. Thirty-two small, medium and medium enterprises SMEs refused to participate resulting in 123 usable questionnaires for the purposes of the analysis. Factor analysis was used to examine the robustness of the factor structure using principal component analysis. Findings: A five-dimensional structure was established comprising a 16 item-scale. The major impediments towards the non-adoption of e-marketing include technology incompatibility with target markets, lack of knowledge, stakeholder unreadiness, technology disorientation and technology perception. The reliability analysis, reflected coefficient values ranging from 0.70 to 0.88 indicating satisfactory internal consistency amongst variables within each dimension. Implications: By analysing the barriers that inhibit the adoption of e-marketing strategies among SMEs, marketers are presented with recommended strategies and implications on how to approach the challenges presented by Internet technological advancements. Internet capacities of SMEs may be strengthened through nurturing e-marketing awareness and providing adequate information tools through diverse Internet Marketing training programmes. Originality/Value: SMEs can prove to be a major source of economic growth for many African countries if sufficient guidance and support on how best to overcome the challenges of adopting advanced marketing practices is available.

The relevance of operational skills towards business sustainability: A focus on SMME manufacturers in the Vaal triangle region

Purpose: Activities in the manufacturing sector are often considered the bedrock of an economy and a key driver of growth and development. Within the South African manufacturing sector, operations skills are reported to be deficient and are often cited as a main cause of failure in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). This study explores and tests this fragile relationship between operations skills and SMME sustainability. Empirical investigations are conducted in a high-density SMME manufacturing environment - the Vaal Triangle Region. Design/Methodology/Approach: Building on previously established literature on SMME sustainability and operations skills, various measures are developed and tested for reliability and validity. Factor analysis is used to identify relevant factors in terms of operations skills. Co-relational analysis is then employed to test the hypothesised relationship. The study is cross-sectional in design and relies on trained fieldworkers administering surveys for data collection. Findings: Five clear factors for operations skills are identified through factor analysis with an overall high reliability value. Based on descriptive and co-relational analysis results reveal that operations skills are positively associated with sustainability. Implications: SMME owners, educators and service providers may benefit from the study's findings in terms of the nature and associations that operational skills have on developing sustainable SMME's. Originality/Value: The study focused on a neglected area of SMMEs - the importance of operations towards business sustainability, and made an important contribution towards theory development through empirical explorations. In South Africa, this is the first time an instrument measuring operations skills has been validated and associated with SMMEs in a manufacturing context.

University students’ context-dependent conscious attitudes towards the official South African languages

This paper considers the results of an empirical investigation of overt language attitudes held by students attending North-West University, South Africa. Attitudes elicited from 325 students with mainly Setswana, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English as home languages are analysed comparatively. The study explores the relationship between language preferences in an educational environment and language preferences in other domains of students’ daily lives. The study thus indicates how different languages fulfil different roles in a multilingual university environment. The results presented are compared with findings reported in earlier attitudinal investigations from the Eastern Cape. In addition, a comparative analysis of attitudes by Afrikaans speakers is conducted considering students attending classes at two different campuses of the North-West University. At the traditional Afrikaans university campus, Potchefstroom, students show a higher regard for Afrikaans than students who attend classes at the Vaal Triangle. These findings are used in a discussion of context dependency of overt language preferences.

Distribution profiles of selected organic pollutants in soils and sediments of industrial, residential and agricultural areas of South Africa

Currently very little data exists on the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the South African environment. To address this data gap a preliminary study of a highly industrialised area of South Africa, the Vaal Triangle, was done. Soil and sediment samples from the Vaal Triangle, as well as other areas in central South Africa, were analysed with high resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) for the presence of PAHs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin-like chemicals and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Results showed that these chemicals are present in the South African environment with concentrations ranging between 39,000 ng g(-1) for SigmaPAHs and 0.01 ng g(-1) for dicofol. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated different pollution sources in industrial and agricultural areas.

Recentering the teacher: from transmitter of knowledge to mediator of learning

In this article we report on the findings of a pilot study conducted with a multi-cultural group of 40 practising teachers who are currently enrolled for an Honours B.Ed.-degree at a South African university to determine their understanding of a mediational approach to teaching. The results, based on the findings of a quantitative survey, revealed deficiencies with regard to the group of teachers' understanding of the meaning of the concept mediation and its related processes and competences. The significance of the article lies in the exploration of both the understanding of the concept mediation that focuses on nurturing and advancing a culture of human rights in teaching and learning, and the possible translation of this understanding into teaching practice in South African classrooms. The data were analysed by the Statistical Consultation Services ot the North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, making use of descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means and percentages were calculated.

Multilingual universities: A national and international overview

This article focuses on language planning and management in higher education, specifically at comprehensive research-oriented universities, with a view to comparing and analysing implementation processes and issues at different national and international institutions. Universities included in the study were the Universities of Ottawa (Canada), Helsinki and AGbo Akademi (both in Finland), Barcelona (Spain), Fribourg (Switzerland) and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium). Inside South Africa a similar investigation was conducted with two historically Afrikaans universities; one urban (University of Pretoria) and one rural university (University of North-West, Potchefstroom and Vaal Triangle Campuses). The researchers interviewed vice-chancellors, registrars and other officials with the executive responsibility to implement institutional language policies, plans and/ or procedures. The situation elsewhere in Africa is also described by looking at the available literature. The study concludes that the way in which multilingualism is managed is very context-dependent. The implications for South African institutions are discussed by looking at cultural mandates that are supported by state or regional governments, the perceived cost of multilingualism and the status of mother tongues in different environments. The discussion concludes by discussing national and international agendas that compete for equal treatment and limited budgets. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 19 (4) 2005: pp.822-851

A transition in health status from childhood to adulthood and associated lifestyle risk factors: a 13-year interval follow-up study in South Africa

South Africa is a developing country that also has developed aspects and as a result, has to cope with issues related to both worlds. There has been a definite change in the global patterns of diseases from a situation dominated by infectious diseases to a predominance of non-communicable diseases where the risk factors are largely associated with lifestyle. Results from a follow-up study were used to investigate a transition in health status of the study sample. Questionnaires were used in this historical cohort study, which reviews the health status and lifestyle aspects of young adults who participated as children in the Vaal Triangle Air Pollution Health Study (VAPS) during 1990. In general, the study sample had a higher prevalence of chronic diseases compared to the general South African population. Findings indicate that the transition in health status recorded elsewhere in the world can be demonstrated in this South African group.

Teaching Practice In The Greater Vaal Triangle Area: The Student Teachers Experience

Teaching Practice as observed by (Ngidi and Sibaya 2003) forms an integral part of teacher training. It exposes the students to a teaching environment in which they will contextualise their theoretical knowledge gained during their training. It also grants student teachers experience in the actual teaching and learning environment. Given the importance of teaching practice, the researcher sought to investigate the experiences of student teachers doing their teaching practice. This paper examines of the positive experiences and challenges faced by Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Post Graduate Certificate Education (PGCE) student teachers (n=24) during their 10 week teaching practice in the Vaal area. A qualitative research design was followed. Semi-structured interviews with all student teachers were used to collect the data while content analysis was used to identify themes and analyse the data. The research established that despite the enriching experiences during teaching practice, student teachers experienced many challenges which significantly affected their ability to fully achieve the desired outcomes from the exercise. Based on the findings of this study, measures were suggested on how to improve teaching Practice in order to enable the student teachers to accrue maximum benefits/ outcomes from the experience.

From apathy to oblivion? The shameful history of heritage resource management in the Vaal Triangle

The Vaal Triangle is richly endowed with a prehistory that commenced c. 1.5 million years ago, when a succession of Stone Age cultures flourished in the fertile Vaal-Klip valley in the environs of the modern industrial city of Vereeniging. The numerous stone artefacts scattered throughout the area, attest to these ancient settlements. During the Iron Age, the sandstone outcrops in the valley provided a durable surface for engraving – a manifestation of the burgeoning ability of humankind to give pictorial form to experiences and ideas. Due to the efforts of a few concerned individuals, the prehistoric sites in the Vaal-Klip valley received international acclaim and recognition. In 1943 and 1944, the two most important Stone Age archaeological reserves were officially declared national monuments, followed by the Redan rockengraving site in 1971. Over an extended period of time the two bodies responsible for their maintenance, the local government and the official heritage body of the day, conducted extensive negotiations, but failed to save these sites. With the exception of Redan, all the previously listed rock engraving sites, and the two Stone Agearchaeological reserves, have been completely obliterated. Redan has become progressively neglected and abandoned. This paper examines the impasse presently surrounding Redan, and the failure of the relevant bodies, to conserve and sustain the non-renewable prehistoric culture remains of the Vaal Triangle.

The Vaal River Barrage, South Africa’s hardest working water way: an historical contemplation·

South Africa’s Vaal River is the country’s hardest working rivers. It has been instrumental in securing valuable water supplies in the development of the country’s economic hub – the Gauteng Province. Since the mid-twentieth century there have been increasing indications of water pollution threatening the storage facility of the Vaal River Barrage, built by the water utility, Rand Water, at the start of the twentieth century. Currently, as a result of a variety of factors, untreated wastewater is posing a severe environmental threat in the Vaal River Barrage Catchment area. In the article attention is given to the origins of pollution and recent events that had the effect of mobilising grassroots anger in civil society with the state of affairs. The article forms part of a transdisciplinary research project that is currently conducted at North-West University’s Vaal Triangle campus in Vanderbijlpark.

Training text editors as part of a general programme in language practice: a process-oriented approach

This article sets out the argument that the training of text editors may be done effectively and productively as part of university undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in language practice, alongside disciplines such as translation and interpreting. It is postulated that such programmes should be broadly based in the humanities and social sciences, but with significant emphasis on and links with the industry for which learners are being prepared. While it is believed that the practical aspects of becoming a text editor are of paramount importance in such a course, a great deal of emphasis is also placed on a solid theoretical foundation, so that learners will be able critically to reflect on the practice of text editing and the decision-making processes that it involves. Based on these assumptions, the article presents an outline of an undergraduate and honours course in language practice (offered at the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University), integrating the training of text editors with other subjects in language practice and the humanities. Furthermore, a process-oriented approach, based on the approach outlined by Gile (1995) for the training of translators, is put forward, together with an idealised sequential model of the editing process that may be useful for teaching-learning purposes.

The specific Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners in the Vaal Triangle region

We report on a study aimed at understanding adolescence as a period of heightened vulnerability, and investigate Life Orientation as a possible means of addressing the risk associated with adolescence. However, if Life Orientation is to be an effective solution to the problem, it needs to respond to Life Orientation needs as perceived by adolescents. An empirical study (n = 445) was conducted to survey the specific Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners in the Vaal Triangle region. The study aimed to consult with Grade 9 learners in order to determine and rank their specific Life Orientation needs, thus providing insight as to whether the Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners differ according to gender and race, and to examine whether these needs are met by the current Life Orientation programme.

Poverty, household food insecurity and nutrition: Coping strategies in an informal settlement in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa

The objective of this study was to determine household food security and coping strategies of an informal settlement in the Vaal Triangle. A survey study design was used. Pre-tested socio-demographic questionnaires were administered to 357 randomly selected caregivers and 149 children aged 9-13 years old. A validated quantified food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) and 24-h recall were used to measure dietary intake and food consumption patterns and the Cornell hunger scale to determine coping strategies. Data were statistically analysed for means and standard deviations. The results indicated that the majority of caregivers (68.8%) had an income of <R500 (77 US dollars) per month, 70.5% (n=190) indicated a frequent shortage of money and 58.3% spent less than R100 (15 US dollars) per week on food. The coping strategies used were: limiting the variety of foods served (74.7%), limiting portion sizes (80%), skipping of meals (68.4%) and maternal buffering (75.8%). It can be concluded that this is a poverty-stricken community with household food insecurity where the caregivers changed their food consumption patterns to cope, resulting in compromised nutrition.

P88: Is There a Need for Nutrition Education amongst Pregnant Women in the Vaal Triangle, Gauteng, South Africa?

This study formed part of a clinical intervention trial under controlled conditions to determine the anthropometric indications and nutritional intake of the pregnant women in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa. The main purpose of this study was to determine the need for nutrition education for pregnant women (n = 84). A validated demographic, health and medical questionnaire, and QFFQ was used and statistically analysed. Trained fieldworkers conducted interviews with the help of food models to estimate portion size. The anthropometric measurements included weight, height and weight- for- height. The top ten items most often consumed by pregnant women were, in descending order: Maize meal-stiff, tea, milk, maize meal-soft, apples, oranges, cold drink, brown bread, rice and coffee. Daily intakes (mean ± SD) were: 11284.59 ± 4002.16 kJ, 85.85 ± 36.88 g protein, 97.99 ± 43.66 g fat, 337.04 ± 132.96 g carbohydrate, 13.74 ± 7.48 mg iron, 295.80 ± 237.79 μg folic acid. The results showed that 81% of the pregnant women are unemployed and majority of the sample population is overweight or obese. There is a clear indication that the sample population is not aware of proper dietary guidelines since 56% of the pregnant women have been overweight before and during pregnancy and 35% of the women had no physical activity during pregnancy. Therefore there is an urgent need for nutrition education for these low-income, pregnant women in order to improve and encourage healthy eating patterns to prevent malnutrition during pregnancy and therefore have healthier pregnancy outcomes. This project was funded by the NRF.

An NGO’s report on pollution and its effects in the Vaal Triangle

No abstract available.