Text in English / Climate change has become part of daily conversations for scholars and activists. Everyone feels entitled to an opinion on either the causes or the prescriptions of mitigation measures. Very few question the ontological existence of climate change or wonder whether their perceptions are pre-empted by over-arching metanarratives or discourses articulated elsewhere. The impact of media and other sources of information on people’s perceptions of climate change are often taken for granted. By using discourse theory, this study aims to uncover taken-for-granted metanarratives within environmentally oriented university Honours student’s perceptions of climate change. These students are majoring in the key areas of Environmental Management studies. It aims at assessing whether their perceptions are, consciously or inadvertently, mis (aligned) to any climate change discourses. In discourse theory, Laclau and Mouffe (1985) argued that within a particular knowledge domain, there are several meaning-conferring articulations (discourses) in a struggle of fixing meaning for particular social events and activities. As such, each discourse aims at negating alternative meanings from alternative discourses and naturalising its own interpretations. Within a particular discourse, actors (individuals or groups) are interpellated i.e. defined within specific confines of action and articulations. This study uses this discourse theory to test these hypotheses. As such, the study came up with three conclusions. First, there is a metanarrative of climate change realism, in which the ontological reality of climate change is taken as a given, with no attempt at individual reflection on its ontology. Secondly, the respondents held a mediated concept of climate change, in which their views largely mirror the conceptualisations of the media and other information sources. Lastly, there is an overarching climate-change aversion metanarrative, in which climate change is regarded as negative, without any distinction between its causes and effects. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Background: In many developing countries, maternal deaths occur mainly as a result of unsafe abortions, a situation reflecting the inaccessibility of safe abortion services in such countries. In Ethiopia, unsafe abortion accounts for 32% of maternal deaths and almost 60% of gynaecological admissions, and is one of the top ten causes of general hospital admissions. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the views of women about the accessibility of safe abortion services in governmental health centres. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive and non-experimental study using structured questionnaires was conducted. 342 women who had received abortion care services in governmental health centres participated. Findings: 46.8% of the participants do not know about the penal code regarding safe abortion care. 52.9% of the participants viewed safe abortion care as inaccessible because there are various and competing factors which make abortion service to be viewed as accessible or inaccessible and these include distance to nearest health centre, the time it takes to receive the service, the cost of the service, and the lack of appropriate skills in the service providers. Conclusion: An improvement in the accessibility of abortion services will prevent deaths resulting from unsafe abortions / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The current mainstream classroom presents several challenges for teachers and principals. Leaner diversity is seen as one of these challenges that teachers face. The Education White Paper 6 (South-Africa, 1996) recognizes all learner diversities, yet gifted-education is given minimal attention. The purpose of this qualitative research is to create a clear picture about the perspectives of high-school teachers, principals and parents of academically-gifted learners. This study seeks to identify the participants’ views about the education of academically-gifted learners and identify possibly gaps in ways of how academically-gifted learners can be supported productively. The research found that there is currently a lack of adequate educational support to academically-gifted learners. Research shows that there is a gap between official educational policies and the classroom situation. Participants in the study admit that academically-gifted learners are not effectively included in the mainstream classroom. Participants believe that the lack of a national definition of academic-giftedness, the deficit to appropriate training for teachers and the views of inclusive education puts strain on the education of these learners. Secondary school teachers and principals believe that the successful implementation of a policy an appropriate education of academically-gifted learners can only be accomplished if there is cooperation between all interested parties. Participants believe that both the parent and the teachers of academically-gifted learners should work together to form a support network for these learners. The findings of the research confirm the need for appropriate productive education and training to academically-gifted learners, so that all stakeholders can work together to help those learners develop. / MEd (Comparative Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

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Paper One: Social and emotional literacy has become an educational agenda on a national and international level. Schools universally are addressing deviant behaviour through a social learning perspective. Emotional literacy (EL) reflects three of the five outcomes for “Every Child Matters: Change for Children” (DfES, 2003): to be healthy, to enjoy and achieve and to make a positive contribution. EI is also embedded in the legal framework for the associated reform that is set out in the Children Act (2004). The five outcomes for Every Child Matters are statutory demands on educational institutions and welfare services. Since EL is reflected in the outcomes, it suggests that it too needs to be addressed. However, schools have the flexibility in how they chose to address it. This study aims to evaluate a personalised approach in promoting EL in Key Stage Two (KS2) children in one primary school. A pre and post design was used to evaluate the school’s new approach (NA). Class teachers completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) for 75 children pre-NA and post-NA. Statistical tests were used to: 1) Compare the pre SDQ scores to the post SDQ scores to determine whether the NA produced a significant change. 2) Determine where there was a significant difference between the research sample scores and the expected value scores according to the classification of the SDQ scores. 3) Compare the research sample SDQ scores to the SDQ scores from the norm data of the British population. Results of the statistical analysis suggest that the NA was effective as there was a significant improvement in the overall general behaviour according to the total difficulties scores. The statistical analysis revealed mixed results for the five scale scores. The hyperactivity scale, the peer problems scale and the emotional symptoms scale showed significant improvements. However, the pro social scale showed a significant decline and the conduct problems scale was the only scale that showed no significant difference between pre-NA and post- NA. Further tests conducted to strengthen the quality of the sample showed the pro social scale was in line with the British norms even with the significant decline. Similarly, the conduct problems scale was in line with the British norm post-NA. The research has produced encouraging statistics for the effectiveness of NA on the children’s behaviour, however, it calls for a re-evaluation of the NA in order to improve the pro social behaviour and lessen conduct problems. Section One Introduction 1.1 Purpose Personal, social and emotional development is as much a concern as academic development in children. Research suggests that social and emotional skills are needed to succeed in school (Thompson, 2002) to establish and sustain relationships, reduce aggressive behaviour (Nagin & Tremblay, 1999) and create an ideal learning and teaching environment. The objective of this research is to determine whether the school’s personalised EL programme (NA) produces favourable behavioural outcomes in children. Paper Two: Social and emotional literacy has become an educational agenda on a national and international level. Schools universally are addressing deviant behaviour through a social learning perspective. Emotional literacy (EL) reflects three of the five outcomes for “Every Child Matters: Change for Children” (DfES, 2003): to be healthy, to enjoy and achieve and to make a positive contribution. EI is also embedded in the legal framework for the associated reform that is set out in the Children Act (2004). The five outcomes for Every Child Matters are statutory demands on educational institutions and welfare services. Since EL is reflected in the outcomes, it suggests that it too needs to be addressed. However, schools have the flexibility in how they chose to address it. This study aims to evaluate a personalised approach in promoting EL in Key Stage Two (KS2) children in one primary school. A pre and post design was used to evaluate the school’s new approach (NA). Class teachers completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) for 75 children pre-NA and post-NA. Statistical tests were used to: 1) Compare the pre SDQ scores to the post SDQ scores to determine whether the NA produced a significant change. 2) Determine where there was a significant difference between the research sample scores and the expected value scores according to the classification of the SDQ scores. 3) Compare the research sample SDQ scores to the SDQ scores from the norm data of the British population. Results of the statistical analysis suggest that the NA was effective as there was a significant improvement in the overall general behaviour according to the total difficulties scores. The statistical analysis revealed mixed results for the five scale scores. The hyperactivity scale, the peer problems scale and the emotional symptoms scale showed significant improvements. However, the pro social scale showed a significant decline and the conduct problems scale was the only scale that showed no significant difference between pre-NA and post- NA. Further tests conducted to strengthen the quality of the sample showed the pro social scale was in line with the British norms even with the significant decline. Similarly, the conduct problems scale was in line with the British norm post-NA. The research has produced encouraging statistics for the effectiveness of NA on the children’s behaviour, however, it calls for a re-evaluation of the NA in order to improve the pro social behaviour and lessen conduct problems.

In this study of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, and Measure for Measure I argue that the surface plots of these comedies point us to a philosophic understanding seldom discussed in either contemporary public discourse or in Shakespearean scholarship. The comedies usually involve questions arising from the conflict between the enforcement of law (whether just or not) and the private longings (whether noble or base) of citizens whose yearnings for happiness tend to be sub- or even supra-political. No regime, it appears, is able to respond to the whole variety of circumstances that it may be called upon to judge. Even the best written laws meet with occasional exceptions and these ulterior instances must be judged by something other than a legal code. When these extra-legal instances do arise, political communities become aware of their reliance on a kind of political judgment that is usually unnoticed in the day-to-day affairs of public life. Further, it is evident that the characters who are able to exercise this political judgment, are the very characters whose presence averts a potentially tragic situation and makes a comedy possible. By presenting examples of how moral and political problems are dealt with by the prudent use of wisdom, Shakespeare is pointing the reader to a standard of judgment that transcends any particular (or actual) political arrangement. Once we see the importance of the prudent use of such a standard, we are in a position to judge what this philosophic wisdom consists of and where it is to be acquired. It is just such an education with which Shakespeare intends to aid his readers.