In der vorliegenden Dissertation wird untersucht, wie die Beschulungsart mit den schulischen Kompetenzen und der schulischen Motivation von Schülerinnen und Schülern mit sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf (SPF) in der vierten Jahrgangsstufe zusammenhängt. In der ersten Teilstudie wurde geprüft, ob die Kompetenztests im IQB-Ländervergleich 2011 geeignet sind, die schulischen Kompetenzen von Kindern mit SPF in Förderschulen und allgemeinen Schulen reliabel und valide zu erfassen. Die Messeigenschaften der Kompetenztests waren zwischen den Schülergruppen mit SPF in Förderschulen und allgemeinen Schulen vergleichbar. Jedoch zeigten sich Einschränkungen in der Testgüte für die Kompetenztests im Fach Mathematik für Kinder mit SPF in Förderschulen. In der zweiten Teilstudie wurden die schulischen Kompetenzen in den Fächern Deutsch und Mathematik zwischen Kindern mit SPF in Förderschulen und allgemeinen Schulen miteinander verglichen. Kinder mit SPF in allgemeinen Schulen erzielten in beiden Fächern höhere schulische Kompetenzen als Kinder mit SPF in Förderschulen mit vergleichbaren Lernvoraussetzungen und Hintergrundmerkmalen. Insbesondere Kinder mit dem Förderschwerpunkt Lernen profitierten von einer Beschulung in allgemeinen Schulen. In der dritten Teilstudie zeigte sich, dass die fähigkeitsbezogene Klassenkomposition unter Berücksichtigung individueller Hintergrundmerkmale und Schulart positiv mit den schulischen Kompetenzen von Kindern mit SPF zusammenhing. In der vierten Teilstudie wurden Zusammenhänge zwischen der Beschulungsart und Merkmalen der schulischen Motivation untersucht. Kinder mit SPF in Förderschulen wiesen ein höheres akademisches Selbstkonzept in den Fächern Deutsch und Mathematik sowie fächerübergreifend eine höhere Lernfreude auf als Kinder mit SPF in allgemeinen Schulen. Diese motivationalen Unterschiede konnten auf die geringere Leistungsstärke in Förderschulen im Vergleich zu allgemeinen Schulen zurückgeführt werden. / The present dissertation examines the relation between the educational placement of students with special educational needs (SEN) in special education schools or regular schools and their school achievement and achievement motivation at the end of fourth grade. In the first study, we investigated if the achievement tests in German and mathematics assess SEN students’ proficiencies reliably and validly. Overall, the interpretation of the test scores was comparable between students with SEN in special education schools and regular schools. Comparability of the achievement tests in mathematics, however, was constrained for SEN students in special education schools compared to students without SEN. In the second study, we compared SEN students’ school achievement in German and mathematics between special education schools and regular schools. SEN students in regular schools had significantly higher test scores across both domains than comparable SEN students in special education schools. In particular, students with special needs in learning benefitted from an education in regular schools. In the third study, we found a significant positive relationship between the average cognitive abilities at the class level and SEN students’ individual school achievement in German and mathematics after accounting for students’ achievement-related characteristics and educational placement in special education schools or regular schools. The fourth study focused on the relation between SEN students’ educational placement and their achievement motivation. SEN students in special education schools reported higher academic self-concepts in German and mathematics as well as more enjoyment of learning than SEN students in regular schools. Placement differences could be explained by the lower class-average achievement in special education schools compared to regular schools.

Several children immigrate to South Africa every year and it has been shown that some migrant children experience challenges in their host countries. These challenges have been documented to affect their academic performance in school. A total number of 164 immigrant learners from Gauteng schools, in grade 11 and 12 participated in the study. The study first, determined the positive correlation between academic motivation, academic self-concept and perceived support and academic performance. Second, the study established whether academic motivation, academic self-concept and perceived support would predict academic performance. Third, the study determined whether academic self-concept would mediate the relationship between academic motivation and academic performance. Correlation, regression and mediation analyses were used to address the aims of the study. There was a positive relationship between academic motivation, academic self-concept, perceived support and academic performance. Only academic self-concept predicted academic performance. Academic self-concept significantly mediated the relationship between academic motivation and academic performance. The results from the study demonstrate the importance of psychological factors informing immigrant learners’ academic performance in school. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This research was triggered by the need to assist first year students in a way which had not been addressed by the people involved with the upliftment of disadvantaged students. The aspect which was addressed was the personal growth of the adult learner within the academic situation with consideration of his own personal circumstances and ideals. This means that a micro level approach was generated by creating the Academic Enhancement Programme (AEP). The purpose of the programme is to give adult learners the opportunity to understand themselves and their own value systems better on a micro, meso and macro level, to experience personal growth or self-actualisation and to see how these factors influence the adult learners' interaction with the tertiary academic situation. Eight possible value systems were discussed and introduced to the adult learners who participated in the Academic Enhancement Programme. The adult learners were given the opportunity to measure themselves against the value systems and to evaluate how these influenced their realistic academic self-actualisation. The psycho-andragogical categories were utilised during the application of the programme as criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. The following recommendations were made • the creation of a faculty specific induction programme • linking study packages directly to the context of adult learners • organising personal academic contact • giving personal academic support • making the evaluation procedures transparent • creating and supporting informal study groups Although the study has certain limitations, it should be of great value to the university system during the transformation phase that it is experiencing at present. The main aim of the study is, however, the contribution to the academic growth of the adult learner in the tertiary situation / Hierdie navorsing het ontstaan vanuit die behoefte om eerstejaarstudente op 'n bepaalde wyse te ondersteun. Hierdie wyse is nog nie aangespreek deur mense wat met benadeelde studente gewerk het nie. Die aspek wat ondersoek is, is die persoonlike groei wat volwasse leerders ervaar binne die akademiese situasie met inagneming van hulle eie persoonlike omstandighede en ideale. Dit het beteken dat daar deur middel van 'n mikrobenadering 'n Akademiese Verrykingsprogram geskep moes word. Die doel van die program is drievoudig: Dit meet aan volwasse leerders die geleentheid bied om hulleself en hulle waardesisteme beter te verstaan in 'n mikro-, meso- en makroverband; om persoonlike groei I selfaktualisering te ervaar en om tot die besef te kom dat hierdie aangeleenthede hulle interaksie met die tersiere akademiese situasie be'invloed. Agt verskillende waardesisteme is bespreek en aan die volwasse leerders wat aan die Akademiese Verrykingsprogram deelgeneem het, voorgehou. Die volwasse leerders het die geleentheid gekry om hulself aan hierdie waardesisteme te meet. Hulle kon ook in die loop van die program vasstel hoe dit hulle realistiese akademiese selfaktualisering be'invloed. Die psigo-andragogiese kategoriee is tydens die toepassing van die program as kriteria gebruik om die effektiwiteit van die program te bepaal. Die volgende aanbevelings is gemaak: • dat 'n fakulteit-spesifieke induksieprogram geskep meet word, • dat studiepakkette direk aan die volwasse leerder se verwysingsraamwerk gekoppel meet word, • dat persoonlike akademiese ondersteuning gebied meet word, • dat persoonlike kontak op akademiese gebied bewerkstellig moet word, • dat evalueringsprosedures deursigtig gemaak meet word, • dat informele studiegroepe tot stand gebring en onderhou meet word. Alhoewel die studie aan verskeie beperkings onderhewig is, behoort dit vir die universiteitswese tydens die huidige transformasiegebeure van groot waarde te wees. Die belangrikste doel van die navorsing is egter die bydrae wat dit kan lewer tot die akademiese groei van die volwasse leerder in die tersiere situasie. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Le présent travail de thèse aborde la problématique des effets de pairs en contexte scolaire. A partir de l’analyse détaillée d’une large base des données issue d’une enquête nationale au Chili (SIMCE 2004), on s’interroge sur les mécanismes qui véhiculent les influences entre élèves différemment dotés d’un point de vue de leurs capitaux culturels, humains et scolaires. Ces influences sembleraient présentes sur différents résultats à l’école, y compris ceux de type académique. Considérant la littérature produite sous différentes approches disciplinaires —sociologie, économie, psychologie sociale et sciences de l’éducation — on s’attarde sur les manières d’identifier et de mesurer lesdits effets de pairs. En même temps, on considère la présence de dimensions subjectives capables d’exprimer, en partie, le vécu scolaire des élèves. Ces dimensions seraient, par ailleurs, reliées à la présence des pairs et aux interactions entre élèves. De manière additionnelle, on propose une révision de la littérature sur le système scolaire au Chili, notamment sur sa segmentation socio-scolaire et sa relation avec le mécanisme de vouchers. Dans ce cadre, trois interrogations principales organisent ce travail. D’une part, l’existence ou non d’un impact net sur les acquis scolaires des pratiques d’étude faisant appel aux camarades. Ensuite, la présence probable des influences sous la forme des « transferts des capitaux » entre élèves différemment dotés et déclarant pratiquer l’entraide. Enfin, les relations qui s’avèrent visibles entre ces pratiques et des dimensions telles que le bien-être à l’école ou le concept du soi académique, mais aussi, entre ces dernières et les acquis scolaires. Une séquence d’analyses est entreprise visant à donner des bases robustes aux éventuelles réponses à ces questions. Entre autres, différentes séries d’analyses de régression hiérarchique et par quantiles ont été conduites sur quatre disciplines scolaires. Les principaux résultats de recherche indiquent, d’un côté, que les interactions entre élèves sont assez répandues en milieux scolaire (entre 22% et 41% en moyenne), mais leur proportion varie d’une discipline à l’autre et selon la direction qui prend l’aide. Plus encore, ces interactions sont significativement liées aux résultats scolaires. A conditions comparables, les élèves académiquement faibles gagnent à être aidés par leurs camarades, quelque soit la discipline concernée. En même temps, les élèves qui aident leurs camarades montrent toujours un profil académique fortement associé à des gains de score assez importants. D’un autre côté, on trouve que les élèves possédant plus de capital culturel ont, toutes choses égales par ailleurs, de plus fortes chances de déclarer aider leurs camarades. Enfin, les analyses confirment que les interactions entre élèves sont, de manière importante et significative, liées aux sentiments de bien-être à l’école et au concept de soi académique. La construction d’indices pertinents pour ces derniers est, d’ailleurs, discutée. Différents résultats secondaires ont été aussi produits et discutés, notamment la confirmation, pour la première fois dans le cas chilien, des hypothèses associées au paradigme BFLPE (Marsh, 1987). Ces résultats sont discutés dans leurs probables conséquences en termes de politique éducative, notamment dans le cadre des systèmes éducatifs à forte ségrégation sociale et scolaire. / This Thesis addresses the issue of peer-effects in the context of school. From analysis of a large database produced by a Chilean national study (SIMCE 2004), this work investigates the mechanisms through which pupils with different levels of scholastic, human and cultural capital influence each other. These influences seem present for a diverse range of school outcomes, including academic achievement. Drawing on the literature produced by different disciplinary approaches —sociology, economics, social psychology and education— the study focuses on ways of identifying and measuring peer-effects. The presence of subjective dimensions capable of reflecting, in part, the school experience of pupils is also taken into consideration. Beside, those dimensions are connected both with peers presence and peer interactions. In addition, the thesis re-examines the existing literature on the Chilean school system, including its social and academic segregation and its relationship with the voucher system. Within this framework, three main points of interrogation organize this work. First, whether study practices which involve peer assistance have a clear impact on standardized school test scores. Second, the likely presence of influences, —in the form of “capitals transfers”— between pupils with different backgrounds who practice peer assistance. Finally, the visible relationships between peer assistance and feelings of well-being at school or academic self-concept, but also, between the latter and school achievement. A sequence of analysis was undertaken out to provide robust foundations for possible answers to those questions. Among other things, different sets of hierarchical and quantile regression analysis were conducted in four school subjects. The main research findings show, on the one hand, that peer assistance between pupils is fairly widespread in the school context (between 22% and 41% in average) but its prevalence varies according to the subjects and the directionality of the assistance. Further, those peer assistance is significantly related at school achievement. In all subjects and at similar conditions, poor achievers benefit from help by their classmates. At the same time, those that help their classmates always showed a strong academic profile related to the higher and greater gains in test scores. In the other hand, we find that pupils with more cultural capital, all other things held constant, are more likely to report help other pupils. Finally, this research confirms that the relationship peer assistance and feelings of school well-being and academic self-concept is large and significant. Several secondary findings were also produced and discussed, including confirmation, for the first time in Chilean case, of the hypothesis associated with the paradigm BFLPE (Marsh, 1987). Those results are discussed with regard for their probable consequences in terms of educational policy, particularly in systems with high academic and social segregation.

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This research was triggered by the need to assist first year students in a way which had not been addressed by the people involved with the upliftment of disadvantaged students. The aspect which was addressed was the personal growth of the adult learner within the academic situation with consideration of his own personal circumstances and ideals. This means that a micro level approach was generated by creating the Academic Enhancement Programme (AEP). The purpose of the programme is to give adult learners the opportunity to understand themselves and their own value systems better on a micro, meso and macro level, to experience personal growth or self-actualisation and to see how these factors influence the adult learners' interaction with the tertiary academic situation. Eight possible value systems were discussed and introduced to the adult learners who participated in the Academic Enhancement Programme. The adult learners were given the opportunity to measure themselves against the value systems and to evaluate how these influenced their realistic academic self-actualisation. The psycho-andragogical categories were utilised during the application of the programme as criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. The following recommendations were made • the creation of a faculty specific induction programme • linking study packages directly to the context of adult learners • organising personal academic contact • giving personal academic support • making the evaluation procedures transparent • creating and supporting informal study groups Although the study has certain limitations, it should be of great value to the university system during the transformation phase that it is experiencing at present. The main aim of the study is, however, the contribution to the academic growth of the adult learner in the tertiary situation / Hierdie navorsing het ontstaan vanuit die behoefte om eerstejaarstudente op 'n bepaalde wyse te ondersteun. Hierdie wyse is nog nie aangespreek deur mense wat met benadeelde studente gewerk het nie. Die aspek wat ondersoek is, is die persoonlike groei wat volwasse leerders ervaar binne die akademiese situasie met inagneming van hulle eie persoonlike omstandighede en ideale. Dit het beteken dat daar deur middel van 'n mikrobenadering 'n Akademiese Verrykingsprogram geskep moes word. Die doel van die program is drievoudig: Dit meet aan volwasse leerders die geleentheid bied om hulleself en hulle waardesisteme beter te verstaan in 'n mikro-, meso- en makroverband; om persoonlike groei I selfaktualisering te ervaar en om tot die besef te kom dat hierdie aangeleenthede hulle interaksie met die tersiere akademiese situasie be'invloed. Agt verskillende waardesisteme is bespreek en aan die volwasse leerders wat aan die Akademiese Verrykingsprogram deelgeneem het, voorgehou. Die volwasse leerders het die geleentheid gekry om hulself aan hierdie waardesisteme te meet. Hulle kon ook in die loop van die program vasstel hoe dit hulle realistiese akademiese selfaktualisering be'invloed. Die psigo-andragogiese kategoriee is tydens die toepassing van die program as kriteria gebruik om die effektiwiteit van die program te bepaal. Die volgende aanbevelings is gemaak: • dat 'n fakulteit-spesifieke induksieprogram geskep meet word, • dat studiepakkette direk aan die volwasse leerder se verwysingsraamwerk gekoppel meet word, • dat persoonlike akademiese ondersteuning gebied meet word, • dat persoonlike kontak op akademiese gebied bewerkstellig moet word, • dat evalueringsprosedures deursigtig gemaak meet word, • dat informele studiegroepe tot stand gebring en onderhou meet word. Alhoewel die studie aan verskeie beperkings onderhewig is, behoort dit vir die universiteitswese tydens die huidige transformasiegebeure van groot waarde te wees. Die belangrikste doel van die navorsing is egter die bydrae wat dit kan lewer tot die akademiese groei van die volwasse leerder in die tersiere situasie. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)