Browsing by Title
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Segobye, A.K. (Routledge (Taylor and Francis) www.routledge.com, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: The colonial and postcolonial experiences of Africans reflect the myriad changes which African societies have undergone over the last few centuries. These include cultural, political and economic transformations mainly carried through formal education and the entrenching of western knowledge and technologies. The material and ideological changes were facilitated by a number of factors which varied over time and place. Formal education via religious missions became one of the tools for accelerated cultural transformation. It instilled new values and cultural aspirations for Africans caught in the complexities of colonial life. Education became the main vehicle for many forms of liberation from poverty, oppression and the inequities oflife. It offered an escape from what was perceived as the inadequacies of African knowledge systems creating new classes and voices within African societies. University education, as and when it became accessible to Africans, was invariably laden with multiple expectations for those who gained entry from their families and the wider communities within which they lived. The university thus became a complex landscape steeped in often contradictory aspirations including the transformation of individual and collective ideas. For some, it marked the attainment of a position of superiority, elite status, and often new forms of power, whilst for others it was a place of learning and enlightenment, associated with the creation of new liberties, and tools for realising broader freedoms. The idea of transformation in the university in Africa can thus be situated in the contradictions and opportunities that university education in Africa has come to represent. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/741 Files in this item: 1
Segobye_SD_2007.pdf (995.1Kb) -
Tesfaye, G.; Teketay, D.; Fetene, M.; Beck, E. (Elsevier, www.elsevier.com, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Regeneration of seven indigenous tree species having significant ecological and economic importance was investigated in the Munessa-Shashemene dry Afromontane forest (MSF), southern Ethiopia. Densities and distributions of seedlings, saplings and trees were assessed along gradients of altitude, light and disturbance using quadrat sizes of 10×5 m (for seedlings) and 20×20 m (saplings and trees) following line transects. The number of individuals, frequency and height of the study species were recorded in the quadrats at every 100 m drop in altitude. Seedling densities varied markedly among the species and altitudes. Mean densities (number of individuals ha−1) of seedlings ranged from zero (Polyscias fulva) to 5334 (Prunus africana), and from three (Polyscias fulva) to 102 (Podocarpus falcatus) for trees and saplings. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that seedlings of Celtis africana and Croton macrostachyus were highly favored by disturbance and, hence, were concentrated in canopy gaps within the forest. Based on their population structures, the study species could be categorized into three groups: (1) Species that showed the highest proportion of individuals in the lowest height class and with a gradual decrease towards the upper height classes, which suggests good regeneration; Podocarpus falcatus, C. africana, C. macrostachys and P. africana belonged to this group. (2) Species that showed higher proportions of individuals in the lowest height class and with missing individuals in the subsequent middle height classes, indicative of hampered regeneration; Syzygium guineense and Pouteria adolfi-friederici belonged to this group. (3) Species with no individuals in the lowest and middle height classes but represented by individuals in upper height classes; P. fulva belonged to this group. The species categorized in the last two groups exhibited hampered regeneration, and P. fulva is in the verge of local extermination. High seedling densities (e.g. C. africana and P. africana) and/or adaptive defense mechanisms to herbivory (e.g. P. falcatus and C. macrostachyus) were common attributes of species, which exhibited good regeneration. Regeneration problems were largely attributed to human disturbance, lack of suitable habitat for seed germination or problems associated to seed set (seed predation or abortion). Our study indicated that P. fulva, P. adolfi-friederici and S. guineense require the highest immediate attention for conservation in the MSF. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/827 Files in this item: 1
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Temtime, Z.T.; Shunda, J.P.W. (Science Publications / ANSI Journals; http://www.ansijournals.com/3/c4p.php?id=1&theme=3&jid=itj, June NaN, 2002)[more][less]
Abstract: The relationship between the degree of information technology usage, company size and its strategic planning practices has critical implications for sustainability of firm competitiveness. However the relationship has been conceptualised and operationalised in relation to only large firms. Only a few studies have attempted to examine the nature of this relationship in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies. This article examines three things: (1) the perception of SMEs about the role of IT in firm competitiveness, (2) the planning behaviour and practices of SMEs, and (3) the relationship between SMEs IT usage and planning behaviour. Data were collected from 44 SMEs in the Republic of Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/198 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)temtime_PJIT_2002.pdf (2.582Mb) -
Makgala, C.J. (Oxford university press/www.oup.com, NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: This article assesses the weaknesses of opposition in Botswana through the case of Kenneth Koma, the influential President of the Botswana National Front (BNF) from 1977 to 2001. This is done by examining the perception that from 1997 Koma’s relationship with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) destabilized and weakened the opposition in the country. The article challenges a view, held by some of his detractors in the opposition, that his leadership style was out of tune with global trends. It also argues that what some people have viewed as ‘tribalism’ — the domination of the BDP leadership by members of the Bangwato tribe (of which Koma is also a member) — seems to be primarily a matter of expediency. This alleged tribalism is used by Koma’s critics as a smear. The article analyzes the relationship between Koma and the BDP at both political and personal levels. At the political level, Koma’s failure to keep the BNF united has been capitalized on by the BDP to tighten its grip on power. At the personal level, Koma has used his connections in the BDP to advantage in his business dealings. Koma’s cult status and his personal and political choices have therefore significantly contributed to de facto one-party rule in Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/505 Files in this item: 1
Makgala_AA_2005.pdf (2.367Mb) -
Magogwe, J.M. (University of Botswana, www.ub.bw, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: This article is about the relationship between proficiency, gender and self-efficacy beliefs. It further says that self-efficacy beliefs are important in learning and have been found to influence learning meanwhile Univesity of Botswana first year students have been found to perform badly in English language learning. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/871 Files in this item: 1
Magogwe_MJLL_2006.pdf (1.989Mb) -
Caylor, K.K.; Dowty, P.R.; Shugart, H.H.; Ringrose, S. (November 23, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: The observed variability in vegetation structure within landscapes was used as the basis for model estimates of the range of annual productivity of landscape patches at four sites along a moisture gradient in southern Africa ranging from 879 to 365 mm mean annual rainfall. Principal components of patch-scale variability in leaf area, woody biomass and vertical leaf profiles were derived from intensive characterization of the small-scale spatial structure of woody vegetation at each site. For each site, the mean and extremes of the principal component distribution parameterized an ecophysiology model of vegetation productivity. Vegetation was most heterogeneous at intermediate locations along the rainfall gradient. Variability in vegetation structure led to a range of annual productivity within one site (600 mm) that accounted for 68% of the total range in mean productivity across all sites. Patch-scale estimates of tree productivity were found to be primarily correlated to annual rainfall (r2=0.66, P=0.001) and not woody leaf area (r2=0.01, P=0.75), while grass productivity was found to be related to values of woody leaf area (r2=0.77, P<0.001) and not annual rainfall (r2=0.11, P=0.29). This result indicates that life-form interactions have a significant role in controlling vegetation productivity across the rainfall gradient. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of considering heterogeneity rather than mean structure when modeling productivity, particularly when considering dynamic vegetation structure, where differences between landscape patches may not be well represented in the mean structure. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/933 Files in this item: 1
Caylor Ringrose 2004.pdf (1.770Mb) -
Thakadu, O.; Irani, T.; Telg, R. (http://www.informaworld.com, April 12, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: The present study examined the relative effectiveness of 2 public instructional communication methods in improving selected predictors of knowledge-sharing behaviors among communities in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. A total of 120 subjects took part in a quasi experimental study, with 2 experimental treatments: (a) visualized Power Point presentation and (b) verbal presentation with no visual aids. The results showed that neither method was more effective than the other. However, significant differential effects of method by grouping factor, position, were found among belief and intention measures. The study concluded that neither method was more effective, but recommended use of integrated public instructional communication methods. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/778 Files in this item: 1
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Nleya, P.T. (Athabasca University Press, http://www.aupress.ca/index.php, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The rapid growth and modernization of economies in developing countries like Botswana creates new and unmet demands for certain kinds of educated and skilled labour. The expansion of secondary and tertiary school systems has also created a problem of unemployed school leavers. The growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), globalization and the digital divide likewise, have together put new pressures on developing countries to accelerate their development to meet these demands. This paper reports the results of a survey that sought to assess levels of eLearning readiness, applications and trainee requirements in Botswana’s private sector. Such baseline data can inform policymakers and researchers and promote the transformation required of private sector companies to become learning organizations. The findings suggested that eLearning readiness (eReadiness) levels were moderate to low, and that archaic technology (i.e., overhead projection) was used by more than half of the private sector organizations for training (with far less than half using digital eLearning applications). While the overall findings suggested low levels of eLearning readiness, applications and trainee requirements in Botswana’s private sector, seventy percent of trainers reported that their organizations encouraged them to acquire basic computer skills to facilitate eLearning. The current eLearning situation in Botswana, and the literature reviewed, demonstrates that the integration of ICTs in both developing and developed countries was a gradual process. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have expedited the change process in developed countries. However, several limitations are associated with such partnerships and this renders lessons for developing countries to emulate. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1046 Files in this item: 1
Nleya_CJLT_2009.pdf (2.629Mb) -
Nthomang, K. (Cambridge University Press, http://www.cambridge.org/journals/journal_catalogue.asp?mnemonic=MOA, August NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: Colonial processes continue to dominate many Indigenous peoples development programmes in countries around the world. This paper examines some of the underlying factors that contribute to continued failure in the implementation of the Remote Area Development Programme (RADP) in Botswana. It argues that it is not just failed implementation that is the problem, but a more fundamental problem found in its philosophy, which suggests relentless colonialism. This paper is based on the empirical findings of a recent study in one Basarwa settlement in Botswana and draws on the practical experience of the author. Case examples from this study are used to unravel and illustrate embedded colonial practices of the RADP. Recommendations from the findings argue for the development of a decolonising approach of development practice that may respond effectively to problems that result from this relentless colonialism. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/164 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)nthomang_radp_ modernafricans_2003.pdf (173.3Kb) -
Oduaran, A.; Modise, O.M. (Washington State University, http://www.wsu.edu/~wjbs, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The Department of Out of School Education and Training, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Republic of Botswana has been engaged in a rigorous exercise to reform the adult basic education program. In this paper, we discuss briefly how the issues of relevance, equivalence and progression have been applied to the planning process built into the adult basic education program. We argue that a suitable progression scheme is required to enable adult learners to move on to an adult relevant post-basic education program which would enable them to acquire a recognisable certificate that can help them fit into the learning society and knowledge economy being created in Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/638 Files in this item: 1
ODUARAN_WJBS_2009.pdf (2.972Mb) -
Jain, P.K.; Lungu, E.M.; Mogotsi, B. (Elsevier Science Ltd. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09601481, January NaN, 2002)[more][less]
Abstract: Lack of trained manpower for repair and maintenance of solar energy devices in Botswana has resulted in failure of devices, loss of revenue, and dwindling of consumer faith in solar technologies. The government of Botswana commissioned a study to assess the needs for trained manpower in New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE) technologies, to identify the required training programs and their levels, and the facilities that need to be upgraded and/or created for the implementation of such training programs at the existing technical and educational institutions within the country. The paper presents the findings of the study, and the recommendations made. The study proposed seven training programs at progressively increasing skills and expertise levels that include two certificate courses in each of the solar water heating and photovoltaic technologies for maintenance personnel, a national craft certificate program in solar energy technologies, a higher diploma in energy technologies for supervisory personnel, and a short course for upper management personnel in decision-making positions in order to raise their skills in the procurement of equipment and services, and to provide overall effective leadership. A short course to upgrade the skills of the present maintenance personnel to alleviate the immediate problems is also proposed. Required upgrading of existing technical training facilities, the creation of new facilities and estimated budgetary requirements constitute some of the recommendations. The recommendations have gone through various channels of discussions, and have been accepted in principle. The report is currently under consideration for implementation by relevant government departments. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/137 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb) -
Nenty, H.J. (Kamla-Raj Enterprises http://www.krepublishers.com, April NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: At the students’ level, researchers’ orientation tends to be undefined and hence students easily fall prey to having their orientation determined by factors other than those related to the nature of their research problems. The difficulties they experience especially in quantitative methods, biased supervisory advice, research orientations and motivational factors constitute some level of impediment to content learning, choice of research problem and to students’ views of the importance of research skills for their future work. The tendency is for them to narrow their choice of problem to only that which will suit their non-crystallized orientation. This exploratory study tried to look at such interconnected web and to determine the influence of research orientation on some research-related affective and cognitive behviour of UB graduate education students. To test the six research hypotheses posited to guide the study, data were collected from 78 UB graduate education students who registered for education research courses in 2006. These hypotheses were tested by carrying out z-test of independent proportion, chi-square analyses and one-way ANOVA statistical analyses. The results showed that a significantly higher proportion of the students prefer qualitative to quantitative research and gender has a significant influence on such preference. Research orientation was found to have significant influence on attitude towards research, research motivation, and perceived level of intellectual demand by research; but not on intention to enroll in a doctoral programme; willingness to be involved in research study; and their self-reported academic performance in research course. Problem with numbers was found to be a significant determinant of students’ research orientation. These results were discussed and recommendations made. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/732 Files in this item: 1
Nenty_JSS_2009.pdf (637.8Kb) -
Stephenson, D.; Kgomotso, A.K.; Matladi, T. (University of Botswana, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: Water reservoir storage requirements are a function of demand and variation in inflow. The greater the variation the greater the storage required to meet a specified draft. The selected recurrence interval of failure also affects the storage required. It is found that the variation in flow increases the lower the average flow. Arid countries such as Botswana are therefore more vulnerable to drought than low mean annual flows would indicate. Rainfall and river flow records for Botswana were analyzed to produce maps that show the coefficients of variation (COV's) over the country.Examples of the use of the charts are given.The COV of river flow is significantly higher than for rainfall. This means that it is theoritically more economic to harvest rain than to attempt to store river flow. There is also less evaporation from rain tanks owing to the smaller surface area to depth ratio. However, the scale of storage also affects economics and rain harvesting affects catchment water balance. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/625 Files in this item: 1
Stephenson_BJT_2006.pdf (1.089Mb) -
Mpoloka, S.W. (Academic Journals, www.academicjournals.org, August 18, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Residual long-term effects of increased UV-B radiation were investigated in an indigenous plant species, Dimorphotheca sinuata, by analysing photosynthetic gene expression. Reductions were observed in the amount of the rbcL and psbA mRNA expressed in progeny of plants that were previously subjected to enhanced UV-B levels. However, observed reductions did not attain statistical significance. This could explain the reduction in net biomass and physiological and biochemical parameters observed by other researchers as a result of UV-B exposure. Results from this study with plants grown in the absence of UV-B point to changes in the regulation of photosynthetic genes and such mutations due to raised UV-B levels could cause permanent changes in plant populations. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1011 Files in this item: 1
Mpoloka SRE 2010.pdf (122.9Kb) -
Chilisa, B.; Ntseane, G. (GE, http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cgee20, November NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: In this paper we explore tensions between Western gender theory and research, and post‐colonial and indigenous feminist standpoints, which challenge us to re-define our roles as feminist-activist educators and researchers working with formerly colonised and historically marginalised communities. We discuss how African and Black feminist approaches can enable the construction of context-specific knowledge of African women’s power via relational world views of motherhood, family, sisterhood and friendship. In contrast, the application of Western gender theory and policy in Botswana has tended to reduce women and girls’ experiences to the categories of ‘victim’ and ‘other’. We illustrate how Western male hegemony enters the school through subjects such as religion and can be typically reinforced through Tswana culture, embodied in language and rituals, generating multiple centres of oppression for girls/women in the education system and the public space. The paper explores ethical and transformative ways of approaching this complexity that can account for how girls and women negotiate and resist patriarchal power. Through analysis of empirical research narratives from several gender‐ and education-focused studies, we explore strategies for decolonising Euro-Western archival knowledge and challenging dominant, patriarchal, colonial research methodologies. Finally, we outline the role of the activist feminist researcher as transformative healer, who resists dominant research discourses in order to develop processes of social justice and healing in the community. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1074 Files in this item: 1
Chilisa_GE_2010.pdf (4.065Mb) -
Moleele, N.M.; Mainah, J. (Elsevier http://www.linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140196302910992, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: The Kalahari ecosystem is characterized by natural resource conflicts and land-use pressure resulting from intensification of human activities. This paper addresses three issues of concern associated with the Kalahari ecosystem resource management: (i) the major land-use/land cover shifts in the Kalahari ecosystem since 1970 and the resulting pattern in vegetation species composition, cover and density; (ii) the possible explanations for the observed shifts; and (iii) the possible resource conflicts likely to arise. Data collection involved the comparison of two sets of panchromatic photographs along two transects (Hukunsti–Ngwatle and Tshane–Tsabong) to study land-use/cover shifts that have occurred in the Kalahari ecosystem between 1971 and 1986. Secondly, the nature of possible conflicts resulting from population pressure and associated patterns of land-use was investigated by making observations on selected environmental variables along a 300km transect with diverse environments comprising different-sized settlements, vegetation communities and land-uses. Land-use/land cover shifts have occurred within the Kalahari ecosystem as evidenced by the two transects analysed in this paper. The main changes are the retreat of grass cover up to 18 kms from settlements and the increase in thorny and non-thorny woody encroachers closer to the settlements. In the Matsheng area, land-use/land cover gradients reflect marked differences in human pressure. For instance, while settlements (kraals/households) and fields around Tshane (smaller and dwindling settlement) have declined to 5% at the 4 km distance in 1986, these landuses account for 22?3% of land cover at 4 km around Hukuntsi (bigger and expanding village). Five major vegetation communities were identified using key plant species during the dry season. However, these communities do not have distinct land-use activities associated with them. Cattle densities were higher in communities found far away from settlements and water points where the grass cover was abundant. Cattle graze far from settlements to obtain quality fodder and trek to the water points around village pans or at cattle posts. There are no definite boundaries between vegetation communities and land-use activities, hence a lot of interaction between activities of these zones depends on the dispersion of resources. Shifts in land-use/cover changes can be accounted for by anthropogenic activities (arable agriculture, livestock grazing and human settlements) enhanced by natural factors like seasonal variations and prolonged droughts of the mid-1980s. It is argued in this paper that potential remedial measures include biosphere conservation areas, resource zoning and resource modeling plans to determine land suitability. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/411 Files in this item: 1
Moleele_JAE_2003.pdf (1.813Mb) -
Neuenschwander, A.L.; Crawford, M.M.; Ringrose, S. (Taylor & Francis; http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/01431161.asp, October NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: The Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite acquired a sequence of data in 2001 and 2002 that highlighted the annual flooding of the lower Okavango Delta. The data were collected as part of the calibration/validation programme for the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) sensor on the NASA EO-1 satellite. The primary purpose of this study was to compare the capability of ALI to that of Landsat ETM+ for large-scale mapping applications in the Okavango Delta. While the extent and inaccessibility of many areas of the Delta make application of remote sensing attractive, the availability of data with adequate spatial and spectral resolution has limited the characterization of the complex patterns of land cover and geomorphology in the Delta. Initial analysis of the ALI data via supervised classification clearly showed macro-flood features, delineation of downstream channel flow areas, and lateral-downstream inundation of the floodplain. These patterns and the proportions of flooding of the channel compared to that of the floodplain (impoundment) varied annually, from the wetter seasonal swamps through the drier seasonal and occasional swamps. Consistently higher classification accuracies achieved using ALI data relative to ETM+ data are attributed to the higher signal-to-noise ratio and the increased dynamic range of the ALI data. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/169 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)neuenschwander_ringrose_ijrs_2005.pdf (2.296Mb) -
Ikpe, I.B. (crencas religioes e poderes dos individuos as sociabilidades, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Gender relations in Africa have always been important especially given the active involvement of women in production as well as reproduction processes. Women have always been actively involved in traditional economies as sole providers of food and nourishment whether such societies are agricultural or pastoral. More recently, women have been intricately involved in the production of goods and services which buoy both local and national economies of diferent African countries and could easily be noticed in various economic activities in both the trasitional and cosmopolitan locale. But more importantly , women are sometimes solely responsible for social reproduction in their capacity as minders of children and young adults. It is usually their responsibility to pass on societal norms and values to the next generation of Africans by helping them understand the ethos and cultural practices of the society. What this suggests is that Africa women have always held an important place in society both traditional and modern. The difficulty, however, has always been in analysing the power relationships between the sexes in African societies and understanding them in relation to the objectives of the feminist movement, especially, its call for womens emancipation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/369 Files in this item: 1
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Gizejowski, M.A.; Barszcz, A.M.; Branicki, C.J.; Uzoegbo, H.C. (Elsevier http://www.linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0143974X05001057, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: Three groups of methods for the inelastic analysis of steel plane frames with semi-rigid joints are considered in this paper. The first one consists of simplified second-order (or P–Δ) plastic-hinge methods for the determination of member internal forces in semi-continuous frames subjected to moderate sway deformations. For these methods, a set of notional loads to simulate second-order effects in the first-order plastic-hinge analysis is used. The second group of methods presented in the paper refers to the general second-order methods of analysis. These methods are based on the concept of a refined plastic hinge in the form of a two-surface degradation model or a spring-in-series model. Refined plastic-hinge methods allow the simulation of the combined effect of gradual joint-stiffness degradation, and distributed plasticity along the member length as well as across the member sections. Finally, the third group consists of more general advanced analysis methods. They are based on second-order refined plastic-hinge methods of analysis in which the effects of residual stresses and geometric imperfections of individual members are accounted for in the global analysis. This type of analysis has recently become more important, since modern design codes (e.g. Eurocode 3: part 1.1) now require the structural engineer to address more rigorously instability problems of real structural systems. An illustrative example is presented. Conclusions are drawn regarding methods of analysis currently used in the design of sway frames, and their future development. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/417 Files in this item: 1
Gizejowski_JCSR_2006.pdf (1.547Mb) -
Mnjama, N.M. (Archlib and Information Services, http:/www.hwwilson.com/journals, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: This article provides a summary of the major issues addressed during the general conferences of the Eastern and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) held between 1969 and 2005. It discusses some of the major resolutions passed during the general conferences showing the progress that has been made in implementing them within ESARBICA member states. The article concludes by suggesting that, as a professional association, ESARBICA has been a major instrument in the development of archives and records management programmes and services in the region. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/758 Files in this item: 1
Mnjama_AJLAIS_2007.pdf (896.6Kb)