Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
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Item Gemeenskapsontwikkeling in n stedelike derdewereld konteks(19941100) Grobler, Maria E.; ;Item Gender and other student level factors influencing the science achievement of 13- and 14-year-old Australian students(2000) Nandjila, Mwetulundila P.Item A survey to determine how experiential learning is applied during clinical teaching of student nurses in training institutions in Namibia(2000) Nelumbu, Lucia N.This study was undertaken to determine how the experiential learning cycle is applied during clinical sessions in the nursing training institutions in Namibia. The main objectives of this study were: to find out how learning experiences were selected by registered nurses and nurse educators for concrete exposure by the students and to evaluate how students were assisted for future actionsItem Attitudes towards performance appraisal: A case of the Ministry of Basic Education, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Labour in Windhoek(University of Namibia, 2000) Amunkete, S.L.The present study presents the results of a survey that determines the current status of the employees’ attitudes towards performance appraisal in the Namibian Public Service, with specific reference to the Ministry of Basic Education, Sports & Culture and the Ministry of Labour. The performance appraisal system in question was implemented in 1997 and suspended in 1998. The study was conducted within the theoretical framework of the “three-component model” on attitudes, which was applied to performance appraisal. Against this background, the variable ‘attitudes towards performance appraisal’ was operationalised and a questionnaire was developed in order to investigate attitudes towards performance appraisal. It was hypothesised that the overall attitude of employees towards performance appraisal will be negative. Survey data collected from 136 employees supported this prediction. No significant differences were found in the employees’ attitudes towards performance appraisal regarding gender, age, income and years of employment. The study could also not find a significant difference in the two ministries. As a surprising result, significant differences in attitudes towards performance appraisal on cognitive level could be found with regard to qualification, quite in contrast to the expectations: the higher the qualification the more negative was the attitude. The results are discussed based on attempts of interpretation and recommendations for the design and implementation of a performance appraisal system.Item The health status and needs of displaced children in Windhoek, Namibia(2000) Kloppers, Joan M.Item Item The relationship between locus of control and the big five personality dimensions among black managers in Namibia(University of Namibia, 2001) Nuuyoma, Beata K.This study investigated the relation of locus of control to the “big five” personality dimensions (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) for 36 black managers in the private and semi-state organizations in Namibia. Spector’s (1988) work locus of control scale and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory were used to assess locus of control and the big five factors, respectively. It was hypothesized that external locus of control would correlate with low scores on Neuroticism and high scores on Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Contrary to the hypothesis, internal locus of control correlated significantly (p < .05) with high scores on Extraversion, Openness to Experience, and Agreeableness. The correlation coefficients for Conscientiousness and Neuroticism did not reach statistical significance. The sample reported an internal locus of control. Although the sample’s mean scores for all the five factors fell in the average range, the sample had relatively higher mean scores on Conscientiousness and Extraversion, and relatively lower mean score on Agreeableness than the normative sample. The mean scores for Neuroticism and Openness to Experience did not differ much from that of the normative sample. The results of this study are, in most cases, consistent with findings of studies that investigated the same or similar personality traits, which suggest relevancy of personality constructs investigated in this study among research participants. The results are discussed in context of their relation to the findings of previous studies and controversy over cultural portability of personality assessment instruments in general. Suggestions and recommendations for future research and practice of personality assessment in work context are discussed.Item The psychological repercussions of unemployment: A study of Windhoek's "street unemployment"(2001) Gonzo, WebsterThis thesis sought to investigate unemployment from a psychological perspective in an African country in general, and in Namibia in particular. The research question aimed to investigate what the situation of Namibia's "street unemployed" (men who wait at certain street points to be picked up for a day-job) entails and what its psychological repercussions are. Seligman's reformulated Theory of Learned Helplessness was chosen as the theoretical framework for the study. The empirical investigation followed a qualitative-quantitative research approach. In the qualitative part of the study ten "street unemployed" were interviewed and evaluated through Qualitative Content Analysis. Based on the outcomes a questionnaire was developed for the quantitative part of the study which was answered by 160 respondents. Amongst others the results of the study have shown that most of Namibia's "street unemployed" are youth or young adults who lack education and vocational training. Many of them have either never been fully employed before or are long-term unemployed. Their psychological well-being is characterised by high levels of stress experience about not having a job and about their financial and social network situation. Of major concern should be the fact that 66.3% of the respondents scored on a low level of self-esteem, and that 95% of the respondents showed signs of depression. The results of the study not only challenge some of the findings usually found in western countries (for instance, regarding job seeking behaviour) but also Seligman's theory. It became clear that Windhoek's "street unemployed" do not follow the classical patterns of causal attribution which are assumed to cause depression. Contrary to the expectations the results rather indicate support for the notion that it is not uncontrollability per se which could cause the depression but the stress linked to it.Item Time perspective and identity(University of Namibia, 2001) Janik, ManfredTime perspective is the subjective perception a person holds about his/her past, present and future. Past, present and future are regarded as the dimensions of time perspective. All experiences/events are sorted into the dimensions and are called "contentss" of time perspective. The events/experiences of the different dimensions of time perspective are connected to each other, which provides the person with a perception of continuity over the life span. A perception of continuity over the life span is crucial for identity formation. However, certain factors can prevent the connection between the dimensions of time perspective. A person then "freezes" within one dimension. It was anticipated that past, political circumstances and poverty might "freeze" many Namibians in one dimension of time perspective, which would affect the collective Namibian identity as well. Therefor, the objective of this study was to investigate the contents of time perspectives of Namibians and then draw conclusions about the relevance of time perspective for a collective Namibian identity. The research question was: what contents of time perspectives can be found in Namibia, how can that contents be characterized and does this contents indicate a subjective sense of life continuity? A qualitative study was conducted. Four middle-age interviewees from four different socio-economic classes were selected. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English with these interviewees. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed according to the transcription rules of Mayring (1997). The interviews were analyzed with the Summarizing Qualitative Contents Analysis of Mayring (1997). An investigation of the time perspectives of four Namibians from different socio-economic classes showed that all four interviewees experienced an interplay between their past, present and future dimensions. Therefor the interviewees experienced their own lives as a continuity. From these findings of the time perspectives of the four interviewees, hypotheses can be drawn as to the relevance of time perspective for a collective Namibian identity.Item The competence of registered nurses in managing emergencies at a teaching hospital in Zambia(2002) Nkhata, James K.Item A study on family and caregiver support to psychiatric patients in Katutura: A psychiatric social work perspective(University of Namibia, 2002) Ananias, Janetta A.De-institutionalization brought with it a shift in the care taking of psychiatric patients from institutional care to community care. As a result, people with mental illnesses have to rely on families for support and care. Existing literature in the field of psychiatry tend to over concentrate on the well-being of the mentally ill, while the experiences of caregivers are understudied. This exploratory study was designed to investigate family and caregivers support to psychiatric patients. The objectives of this study were to determine the nature and extent of family support which psychiatric patients receive, investigated the need for family and caregivers support amongst psychiatric patients, and also searched for options to improve family and caregiver support. The purposive sample method was employed to select fourty- five family caregiver of psychiatric patients who lives in Katutura. The hospital files of all the psychiatric patients whose families formed part of the sample was studied, contact details of the family caregivers as well as some background information of the ill person was recorded. A structured interview schedule consisting of both closed and open-ended questions was used as an instrument for data collection, and in-depth interviews took place with family caregivers. Other methods of data collection were focus group discussions as well as discussions with key informants. A pilot study was undertaken before the actual data collection with the sample population. The data were processed manually and are presented in tables, graphs and charts. The findings indicate that families provide in the basic needs of the mentally ill person, such as shelter, food and clothing. Families were less likely to provide in emotional support to the mentally ill. The study also found that family caregivers do not have much contact with mental health professionals, and they lack knowledge on mental illness. The results suggest that the relationship between mental health professionals and family caregivers need to be strengthened in order to address the needs of family caregivers. Effective intervention by mental health professionals should focus on both the family and the mentally ill, and should be based on a positive attitude towards the family caregivers of psychiatric patient. Education campaigns to people with mental illnesses, family caregivers and the community at large need to be embarked upon. Further studies on family and caregiver support need to investigate the family caregivers of mentally ill patients who have been diagnosed with a specific mental illness.