with the emergence of multiculturalism and the opening up of schools to all races in South Africa, the education system is undergoing enormous changes. Educators and pupils are faced with unfamiliar cultures, languages and backgrounds. This diversity has resulted in a need for schools to evolve I with the changing circumstances. The complexities associated with racial integration necessitates an educational programme suitable to meet the I needs of our culturally diverse society. A change strategy is necessary to provide teachers with a multicultural approach to education which is ultimately aimed at providing pupils o e cultures with equal opportunities to learn and succeed in a multicultural society. It is the concern of this dissertation to examine the role and function of the school guidance counsellor in attempting to meet the needs of educators, and pupils coming from different cultural, ethnic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

with the emergence of multiculturalism and the opening up of schools to all races in South Africa, the education system is undergoing enormous changes. Educators and pupils are faced with unfamiliar cultures, languages and backgrounds. This diversity has resulted in a need for schools to evolve I with the changing circumstances. The complexities associated with racial integration necessitates an educational programme suitable to meet the I needs of our culturally diverse society. A change strategy is necessary to provide teachers with a multicultural approach to education which is ultimately aimed at providing pupils o e cultures with equal opportunities to learn and succeed in a multicultural society. It is the concern of this dissertation to examine the role and function of the school guidance counsellor in attempting to meet the needs of educators, and pupils coming from different cultural, ethnic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Ons bevind ons in 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika waar die klem baie sterk op die uitwissing van die spore van die apartheidsera gele word. Die oopstelling van skole het nie daartoe bygedra dat kinders hulle vooroordele oorboord gooi en mekaar spontaan aanvaar nie. Die verandering in wetgewing wat 'n eksterne verandering is, het nie noodwendig tot verandering van gesindhede gelei nie. Daar kan derhalwe tereg gevra word hoe versoening tussen mense van verskillende kulture tot stand kan kom. In hierdie studie is gepoog om vas te stel of 'n verrykingsprogram in groepverband interpersoonlike vaardighede en verhoudinge van persone van uiteenlopende kulturele agtergronde kan bevorder. Die program is onder gekontroleerde omstandighede aangebied en die idiografiese navorsingsmetode is gebruik. Daar is bepaal watter faktore die aard en die kwaliteit van verhoudinge tussen persone van verskillende kulturele herkoms be'invloed. Riglyne is gestruktrueer en kriteria is ge'identifiseer waarvolgens die program saamgestel is. Die ouderdomme van die leertinge het tussen 15 en 21 jaar gewissel. Tydens die multikulturele groepsbelewing het die leertinge die geleentheid gehad om persoonlike en interpersoonlike vaardighede te ontwikkel sodat daar 'n openheid en 'n beg rip vir mekaar ontstaan het. Die interaksie met persone afkomstig van 'n verskeidenheid oriemtasies het daartoe gelei dat raakpunte in die diversiteit ontdek is en hulle het mekaar as individue begin erken en verstaan. Nuutgestigte verhoudings was gekenmerk deur vertroue, warmte en empatie. Deur middel van verbeterde selfbegrip en interpersoonlike vaardighede het die verhoudings tussen groeplede in verskeie dimensies beduidend verbeter. Hierdie navorsing het aangetoon dat mense van uiteenlopende kulturele orientasies soos in Suid-Afrika die geval is, deur middel van ervaringsleer in groepverband, tot grater eenheid en verdraagsaamheid saamgesnoer kan word. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The research was undertaken to analyse and evaluate the nature and quality of interactions in multicultural primary school classrooms. Special attention was focused on the influence 25 independent variables had on the dependent variable, namely group membership. Literature indicates that warm and nurturant relationships within the family help the child to achieve independence and promote social adjustment outside the home. Literature also reveals that self-acceptance and acceptance of others are dependent on the self-concept, and that acceptability in peer groups is enhanced by characteristics such as friendliness, cooperation, emotional stability and intellectual ability. It is essential to mention that some researchers claim that within multicultural classrooms, pupils often interact in racially and culturally segregated patterns. Others maintain that no racial and cultural discrimination is evident in the choice of friends in multicultural classrooms. The empirical research was undertal<.en by administering four measuring instruments, namely own designed questionnaire, the sociogram, the self-concept scale for primary school pupils and the children's personality questionnaire to 121 standard five pupils in multicultural primary schools. The administering of these instruments was aimed at determining the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The stepwise discriminant analysis method revealed that of the 25 independent variables, only six, namely family background, friendship skills, gender, scholastic achievement and personality factors E (submissive versus dominant) and Q3 (undisciplined versus controlled) contributed to the variance in group membership. The multiple discriminant function was used to determine how close the individual scores of children were, in a given friendship group. The general pattern obtained, indicated that children choose each other on the basis of similar characteristics. A point that clearly came to light, is that race and language/culture do not contribute to the variance in group membership. Children formed various friendship groups across racial and cultural lines. In view of the aforementioned findings, the researcher made recommendations on ways in which parents and teachers can create suitable teaching and learning environments for children from diverse cultural milieus. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Ons bevind ons in 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika waar die klem baie sterk op die uitwissing van die spore van die apartheidsera gele word. Die oopstelling van skole het nie daartoe bygedra dat kinders hulle vooroordele oorboord gooi en mekaar spontaan aanvaar nie. Die verandering in wetgewing wat 'n eksterne verandering is, het nie noodwendig tot verandering van gesindhede gelei nie. Daar kan derhalwe tereg gevra word hoe versoening tussen mense van verskillende kulture tot stand kan kom. In hierdie studie is gepoog om vas te stel of 'n verrykingsprogram in groepverband interpersoonlike vaardighede en verhoudinge van persone van uiteenlopende kulturele agtergronde kan bevorder. Die program is onder gekontroleerde omstandighede aangebied en die idiografiese navorsingsmetode is gebruik. Daar is bepaal watter faktore die aard en die kwaliteit van verhoudinge tussen persone van verskillende kulturele herkoms be'invloed. Riglyne is gestruktrueer en kriteria is ge'identifiseer waarvolgens die program saamgestel is. Die ouderdomme van die leertinge het tussen 15 en 21 jaar gewissel. Tydens die multikulturele groepsbelewing het die leertinge die geleentheid gehad om persoonlike en interpersoonlike vaardighede te ontwikkel sodat daar 'n openheid en 'n beg rip vir mekaar ontstaan het. Die interaksie met persone afkomstig van 'n verskeidenheid oriemtasies het daartoe gelei dat raakpunte in die diversiteit ontdek is en hulle het mekaar as individue begin erken en verstaan. Nuutgestigte verhoudings was gekenmerk deur vertroue, warmte en empatie. Deur middel van verbeterde selfbegrip en interpersoonlike vaardighede het die verhoudings tussen groeplede in verskeie dimensies beduidend verbeter. Hierdie navorsing het aangetoon dat mense van uiteenlopende kulturele orientasies soos in Suid-Afrika die geval is, deur middel van ervaringsleer in groepverband, tot grater eenheid en verdraagsaamheid saamgesnoer kan word. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The research was undertaken to analyse and evaluate the nature and quality of interactions in multicultural primary school classrooms. Special attention was focused on the influence 25 independent variables had on the dependent variable, namely group membership. Literature indicates that warm and nurturant relationships within the family help the child to achieve independence and promote social adjustment outside the home. Literature also reveals that self-acceptance and acceptance of others are dependent on the self-concept, and that acceptability in peer groups is enhanced by characteristics such as friendliness, cooperation, emotional stability and intellectual ability. It is essential to mention that some researchers claim that within multicultural classrooms, pupils often interact in racially and culturally segregated patterns. Others maintain that no racial and cultural discrimination is evident in the choice of friends in multicultural classrooms. The empirical research was undertal<.en by administering four measuring instruments, namely own designed questionnaire, the sociogram, the self-concept scale for primary school pupils and the children's personality questionnaire to 121 standard five pupils in multicultural primary schools. The administering of these instruments was aimed at determining the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The stepwise discriminant analysis method revealed that of the 25 independent variables, only six, namely family background, friendship skills, gender, scholastic achievement and personality factors E (submissive versus dominant) and Q3 (undisciplined versus controlled) contributed to the variance in group membership. The multiple discriminant function was used to determine how close the individual scores of children were, in a given friendship group. The general pattern obtained, indicated that children choose each other on the basis of similar characteristics. A point that clearly came to light, is that race and language/culture do not contribute to the variance in group membership. Children formed various friendship groups across racial and cultural lines. In view of the aforementioned findings, the researcher made recommendations on ways in which parents and teachers can create suitable teaching and learning environments for children from diverse cultural milieus. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)