It is currently May Fri 29, 2020 4:13 am
IMG_5509.jpg [ 76.86 KiB | Viewed 603 times ]
Pioneer SX-780 Power Meter Crcuit.JPG [ 70.99 KiB | Viewed 485 times ]
Pioneer SX-780 Power Meter Calibration.JPG [ 90.97 KiB | Viewed 485 times ] Moolman, Tiani (2015-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Okahandja has been identified as one of the ‘dirtiest towns’ in Namibia. The town’s location makes it an important node serving as a gateway to the leisure and tourism periphery in Namibia. However, environmental problems such as littering and the burning of household waste are threatening the local cultural and nature-based tourism industry and the aesthetic beauty of the town. These forms of pollution pose various health risks to people living in the area, to those who interact with the spaces as well as for grazing animals and the natural environment. The aim of the study was to explore the environmental reasoning of secondary-level schoolchildren of Okahandja and to establish the main determinants of their environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The research objectives of the study were (1) to study the literature on and understand the concepts and models related to pro-environmental behaviour (PEB), environmental worldview, environmental concern and place attachment; (2) conduct transect walks through the communities to gain a contextual understanding; (3) question secondary-level schoolchildren at JG van der Wath Secondary School about their environmental knowledge and concern that influence their environmental reasoning; (4) investigate the influences (im)mobility (low access to transport) and place attachment to Okahandja have on the schoolchildren’s views and perceptions of the environment; (5) explore how the children view their local environment and how they want their living environment to change; and (6) examine whether children from different ethnic groups reason differently about the environment and whether these distinctions influence their interactions with their surroundings. The study followed a mixed-methods approach. A questionnaire survey among schoolchildren elicited information supplemented by observations made during transect walks, focus group discussions and participatory drawing exercises. Data was captured and analysed using STATISTICA, Excel and ArcGIS. The findings indicate that the children are aware of and relatively well-informed about the significance of a clean and protected environment. They were also well able to identify the importance of Okahandja within the Namibian landscape. Participants, especially female participants are concerned about protecting the natural environment. Greater emphasis was placed on environmental problems that are apparent and aesthetically unpleasing such as littering, than on other environmental issues such as the chopping down of trees and the burning of household waste. Participants only have a moderate sense of attachment to Okahandja so causing them to have a weak sense of responsibility and desire to behave pro-environmentally. Although community cohesion and social ties are strong within the communities, mistrust and miscommunication between residents and local authorities were identified as major stumbling blocks to PEB. Dissatisfaction with structural opportunities was displayed through a lack of concern and cooperation, leading to high levels of environmental degradation in and around Okahandja. The children seem to possess a ‘balanced’ environmental worldview as they believe that the natural environment should be protected yet used to sustain human life. The importance of positive role models such as parents and teachers was highlighted. It is recommended that environmental education (EE) and awareness should be implemented on three levels, namely parental, school and community.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Okahandja staan bekend as een van die ‘vuilste dorpe’ in Namibië. Die ligging van die dorp maak dit ’n belangrike nodus wat dien as ’n poort na die ontspannings- en toerisme-periferie in Namibië. Maar omgewingskwessies soos rommelstrooiing en die verbranding van huishoudelike afval bedreig die plaaslike toerismebedryf en estetiese skoonheid van die dorp wat gegrondves is op sy kultuur en die natuur. Hierdie vorme van besoedeling hou gesondheidsrisiko’s in vir bewoners in die gebied, vir diegene wat beweeg in die ruimte, vir diere wat wei en die natuurlike omgewing. Die doel van die studie was om sekondêre skoolleerlinge van Okahandja se redenering oor die omgewing te ondersoek en die bepalende faktore van hul kennis van die omgewing en hul houding en gedrag teenoor die omgewing vas te stel. Die navorsingsdoelwitte van die studie was (1) om die literatuur oor pro-omgewingsgedrag (POG), die wêreldbeskouing oor die omgewing, besorgdheid oor die omgewing en verbondenheid aan ’n plek te bestudeer en die konsepte en modelle verwant daaraan te verstaan; (2) om deur die gemeenskappe te stap (of te deurkruis) om ’n kontekstuele begrip te verkry; (3) om sekondêre skoolleerlinge van JG van der Wath Sekondêre Skool te ondervra oor hul kennis en besorgtheid vir die omgewing en vas te stel hoe dit hul redenering oor die omgewing beïnvloed; (4) om die invloed wat (im)mobiliteit (beperkte toegang tot vervoer) en plekgehegtheid aan Okahandja het op die skoolleerlinge se omgewingsienings en –persepsies te ondersoek; (5) te ontdek hoe die kinders hul plaaslike omgewing sien en hoe hulle wil hê die omgewing waarin hul leef, moet verander; en (6) om vas te stel of kinders van verskillende etniese groepe verskillend redeneer oor die omgewing en of hierdie onderskeid hul interaksie met hul omgewing beïnvloed. Die studie maak van verskillende metodes gebruik. ’n Vraelys-opname het sekere inligting aan die lig gebring, dit is aangevul deur waarnemings tydens staptogte wat die studiegebied deurkruis het, fokusgroepbesprekings en deelnemende tekenoefeninge. Inligting is opgeteken en geanaliseer deur middel van STATISTICA, Excel en ArcGIS. Die bevindings toon dat die kinders bewus en relatief goed ingelig is oor die belangrikheid van ’n skoon en beskermde omgewing. Hulle was goed in staat om die belangrikheid van Okahandja binne die Namibiese landskap te identifiseer. Deelnemers, veral vroulike deelnemers, is besorg oor die beskerming van die natuurlike omgewing. Respondente het groter klem geplaas op omgewingsprobleme wat duidelik en esteties onaangenaam is soos rommelstrooiing, eerder as ander omgewingskwessies soos die afkap van bome en die verbranding van huishoudelike afval. Deelnemers het slegs ’n redelike sin van gehegtheid aan Okahandja wat veroorsaak dat hulle ’n swak sin van verantwoordelikheid en begeerte om pro-omgewing op te tree, het. Alhoewel gemeenskapsamehorigheid en sosiale bande sterk is binne die gemeenskappe, is wantroue en gebrekkige kommunikasie tussen inwoners en plaaslike owerhede geïdentifiseer as die hoofstruikelblokke van POG. Ontevredenheid met strukturele geleenthede is geopenbaar deur ’n gebrek aan besorgdheid en samewerking wat lei tot hoë vlakke van omgewingsdegradasie in en rondom Okahandja. Dit lyk of die kinders ’n ‘gebalanseerde’ wêreldbeskouing van die omgewing het, want hulle glo dat die natuurlike omgewing beskerm moet word, maar tog gebruik moet word om menselewens te onderhou. Die belangrikheid van positiewe rolmodelle soos ouers en onderwysers het uitgestaan. Daar word aanbeveel dat omgewingsopvoeding en –bewustheid op drie vlakke, naamlik ouer-, skool- en gemeenskapsvlak geïmplementeer moet word.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98100