published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The primary aim of this research was to determine whether the home environment of secondary school children has an influence on their academic performance. A literature study was done where the major aspects of the home environment were identified: family lifestyle, parental involvement and attitude, physical living conditions. An analysis of academic performance and the factors affecting it was done. A measuring instrument was developed in order to measure the home environment in terms of being positive or negative. The results of the empirical research indicated that while home environment and age do play a significant role in the academic performance of secondary school children, gender, maternal employment, and whether the child lives permanently with both parents, did not. The educational implications of the findings and the teacher's role are discussed, and guidelines regarding the development of a home environment conducive to better academic performance are given. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

No description available.

No description available.

This exploratory study investigated the influence of grandparent-headed families on the academic performance of secondary school learners in Port Elizabeth education district. It draws on Family systems theory and Role Theory to allow one to understand the organizational complexity of families, as well as the interactive patterns that guide family interactions.These theories capture the essence of this study which argues that grandparent-headed family is a very important family unit that needs to be supported in order to function well and thereby giving a better parental support and guidance to those learners who are in need. The study was conducted in five secondary schools and also in fifteen grandparent-headed homes. The participants included sixteen learners, 5 Life Orientation educators and sixteen grandparents who are caregivers to these learners. The learners were interviewed at their schools, after obtaining consent from them, the school personnel, their grandparents and the Department of Education in Port Elizabeth. The educators were interviewed at their respective schools after they signed written consent. The grandparents were interviewed in a naturalistic setting, namely at their homes after they have given their written consent. Data was gathered using semi-structured open-ended interviews. Interpretive analysis was used to analyse the audio-taped data. The interviews were voluntarily and anonymity was guaranteed. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

Poverty has and will continue to precipitate enormous suffering for countless children in Zimbabwe. This study examines how the psychosocial effects of poverty affect the academic performance of the girl child. At the same time it identifies various policies and programmes designed to attenuate the negative effects of poverty on children. It is estimated that about seven out of ten families in Zimbabwe live in dire poverty because of political unrest, socioeconomic instability, economic and political sanctions, drought, environmental degradation, and HIV/AIDS. This study is informed by Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, and the humanistic perspective. A qualitative phenomenological design was used with focus group discussions, interviews and observations as data-collection instruments, with fifteen (15) Form 2 girls, six (6) teachers, and three (3) headmasters in three secondary schools in Masvingo Province. The use of the phenomenological design helped to bring to the surface deep issues, and to make the voices of the girl children heard. The Tesch’s open coding method of data analysis was used to identify themes and categories. Findings from this study revealed that the majority of the families in Zimbabwe cannot afford even the basic human needs (food and non-food items) which are necessary to sustain life, thus adversely affecting the children’s health, and their emotional, physical, moral, social and academic achievements. This study also established that the girls’ academic performance is affected by household chores/child labour, financial constraints, a lack of motivation, early marriages, and the lack of food, as well as health issues and sanitation, delinquent behaviour, child abuse, prostitution, the long distances to and from school, stigmatisation and marginalisation. This study recommends early intervention programmes for children, and the sustainable development of mining, rural and urban communities. The government, and the families, should make basic education affordable to all children, irrespective of their gender. This study also recommends that the problems be addressed by the microsystems of the school, and of the families, and the neighbourhood mesosystems (linkages) and exosystems, as well as by the macro-systems (political, ideology). Collaborative work is also needed among Zimbabweans and all stakeholders to revisit the root causes of poverty. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Les études antérieures ont démontré les bénéfices de la satisfaction des besoins intrinsèques et du soutien à l’autonomie dans le domaine de l’éducation. Or, l’applicabilité des tenants principaux de la Théorie de l’Auto-Détermination (TAD; Deci & Ryan, 2000) n’a pas été investiguée auprès d’une population clinique d’adolescents. L’objectif de cette thèse doctorale est de faire la lumière sur la façon dont l'adaptation scolaire et sociale peut être favorisée par les agents de socialisation dans le contexte de la réadaptation sociale. Cette thèse est composée de deux études s’intéressant à l’application des tenants clés de la TAD auprès de deux échantillons d’adolescents vivant des problèmes d’adaptation et recevant des services d’éducation spécialisée et de réadaptation sociale. Les relations entre les concepts motivationnels de base sont étudiés afin de déterminer si, comme la TAD le propose, la satisfaction des besoins intrinsèques des jeunes peut être soutenue par le style interpersonnel des agents de socialisation (c.-à-d., le soutien à l’autonomie, l’implication et la structure). Il est aussi vérifié si ces concepts motivationnels améliorent la motivation ainsi que d’autres conséquences qui résultent de leur expérience, proposées par la TAD. La première étude a évalué si le style interpersonnel des enseignants peut favoriser la satisfaction des besoins des élèves, leur style de motivationl, tout comme leur ajustement scolaire. Les élèves en difficulté d’adaptation (N = 115) inscrits aux écoles internes des Centres de Réadaptation en raison de leurs problématiques émotionnelles et comportementales ont rempli les questionnaires à deux reprises, au début et à la fin de l’année scolaire. Les analyses de modèles d’équations structurelles révèlent que l’augmentation du soutien à l’autonomie et de l’implication (mais pas de la structure) des enseignants pendant l’année est associée à une augmentation de la satisfaction des besoins des élèves qui, conséquemment, conduit à une motivation scolaire plus auto-déterminée et à une diminution d’intentions de décrochage à la fin de l’année scolaire. De plus, l’amélioration de la satisfaction des besoins mène directement à une meilleure expérience affective à l’école. La deuxième étude consiste en une recherche expérimentale conduite auprès d’adolescentes en difficulté d’adaptation (N = 29). Le devis expérimental a permis de comparer l’impact de la présence (c. absence) du soutien à l’autonomie sur l’internalisation d’une tâche et sur les conséquences motivationnelles et expérientielles des jeunes. La tâche, fastidieuse mais importante, consistait à de la résolution de problèmes interpersonnels (activité clinique). Les résultats suggèrent qu’un style interpersonnel soutenant l’autonomie a augmenté la motivation auto-déterminée, la perception de la valeur de la tâche et son appréciation, ainsi que diminué les affects négatifs comparativement à la condition sans soutien à l’autonomie. Les résultats sont discutés en lien avec les implications théoriques et pratiques d’étendre la portée de la TAD à une population clinique d’adolescents aux prises avec des difficultés d’adaptation. / Prior studies have demonstrated the benefits of intrinsic need satisfaction and autonomy support in the domain of education. It remains unclear whether the motivational constructs, derived from Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) are also beneficial for clinical populations. The purpose of this thesis is to shed light on how social and academic adjustment might be promoted by socializing agents in the context of social rehabilitation. This dissertation is composed of two studies investing SDT key tenets within two samples of maladjusted teenagers receiving special education and social rehabilitation services. The relations between key motivational constructs are investigated to determine if, as proposed by SDT, youths’ intrinsic need satisfaction might by promoted by socializing agents’ interpersonal style (i.e., autonomy support, involvement, and structure). It is also predicted that these constructs will lead to motivational and experiential benefits as proposed by SDT. The first study tested whether teachers’ interpersonal style can foster students’ need satisfaction, motivation style, as well as their academic adjustment. Teenagers (N = 115) enrolled in Social Rehabilitation Centers’ special schools for maladjusted youths with severe emotional and behavioral problems completed questionnaires twice, at the beginning and the end of the school year. Structural equation modeling analysis supports a model in which teachers’ improvements in autonomy support and involvement (but not structure) are associated with students’ higher need satisfaction, which in turns leads to self-determined academic motivation and less dropout intentions at the end of the school year. Furthermore, improvement in need satisfaction leads directly to a better affective experience at school. The second study was an experimental research conducted with maladjusted female adolescents (N = 29). The experimental design allowed comparing the impact of learning a tedious, but important clinical workshop with (vs. without) autonomy support on the internalization of the interpersonal problem solving task and positive motivational and experiential outcomes. The results suggest that an autonomy-supportive interpersonal style is beneficial to youths’ experience, leading to higher self-determined motivation, perceived task’s value, task liking as well as less negative affect compared to a condition without autonomy support. Results are discussed along with the theoretical and practical implications of extending the reach of SDT to a clinical population of maladjusted teenagers.

English text with English, Northern Sotho and Afrikaans summaries / South Africa has a long and troubled educational history, from pre-colonial education to the fall of apartheid, and eventually the acquisition of equal education for all (Christie, 2006). Many changes took place during this transitional period in the democracy and liberation of the New South Africa by means of pupil-centred classrooms, Curriculum 2005 (Taylor, 1995) and Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). Although numerous studies have been conducted internationally and in South Africa on underperforming in schools, the focus of this study is to ascertain the key elements of why learners underperform. The study’s aim is to determine the influence of a learner’s socio-economic situation on scholastic performance with references to nutrition, family structure, and parental support of learners in primary schools in Tshwane. In this full dissertation, the researcher found that most of the selected home environmental factors had no significant impact on the selected learners. It was, however, found (as many research already proved) that diet and sleep did have an influence on primary school learner academic performance. In presenting this argument, the theoretical framework, socio-constructivism learning theory, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, were used, as socio-constructivism states that although biological factors are a requirement for basic development to emerge, socio-cultural factors are crucial for basic natural processes to develop. Vygotsky’s socio constructivism theory indicates the uniqueness of the social environment and regards socio-cultural background as the primary and determining factor in the development of higher forms of human mental activity such as voluntary attention, intentional memory, logical thought, planning, and problem solving. In conjunction with Vygotsky, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs sets the foundation for this study as it states that in order for a being to move to the next level, the lower level of needs, need to be satisfied first. The objectives of the study were: - to determine what the impact of selected home environment factors on primary school learners’ academic performance is. To determine the relationship between poverty, family structure, and scholastic performance; to determine the influence of the type of dwelling on scholastic performance; to determine the influence nutrition have on a learners’ scholastic performance; and to determine the influence sleep deprivation has on learners’ academic performance. The study used a quantitative approach, and the method included questionnaires that learners in Grade 5, Grade 6, and Grade 7 of the selected school completed anonymously. The study revealed that poverty, family structure, and dwelling type did not have a significant impact on the learners of the selected school. The study did however reveal and confirmed what various other researchers have already found that sleep and nutrition did have an influence on academic performance. It is recommended that specific guidelines should be provided to parents about economical lunchbox ideas. Parents should be supplied with lists of foods best to pack in lunchboxes and food that is not allowed. Schools should further monitor the food provided at tuck shops, as the food provided should be nutritious as well as sustain learners’ energy. Food high in saturated fats and sugar should not be allowed at school tuck shops. Children should also be educated about nutrition and better or alternative choices they can make. Lunches that are supplied as part of the school nutrition program should be monitored to ensure that it is nutritious, low in sodium, and that a variety of fruit and vegetables are included in the meal. Studies have concluded that children should sleep on average nine hours per night. Unfortunately, due to increase in academic pressure and work load, more learners go to bed later. It is therefore recommended that schools adhere to guidelines on the amount of homework given to learners daily. It is further recommended that parents should ensure that their children have a set routine regarding sleep patterns. The use of electronic equipment, such as television, computers, and cellular phones prior to sleeping time should be limited as it affects sleep. Surprisingly, this study has also revealed that some of the data supplied to the school by the parents or guardians and the data that was obtained from the learners did not correlate. It is therefore recommended that schools should be more scrupulous with learner performance data as it could be a possible indicator of household problems or the quality of education. If it is found that the decline is due to quality of education, the school management team should act immediately to assist the necessary educators with the necessary skills to enable better quality of education. A pro-active plan of action should be put in place by the school for those learners whose marks decreased. An educator could talk to the learner and the parents to try and determine the possible causes for the decrease in marks. Remedial classes or remedial exercises should be given to the learners to assist in the areas of need. In addition, if it is determined that the cause is due to home environment factors then necessary assistance should be provided either by the school or other entities. / Afrika Borwa e na le histori ya thuto ye telele gape ya mathata, go tloga go thuto ya pele ga bokoloni go ya go go fedišwa ga kgatelelo le go hwetša mafelelong thuto ya go lekana go bohle (Christie, 2006). Go bile le diphetogo tše dintši nakong ye ya phetogo mo temokrasing le tokologong ya Afrika Borwa ye mpsha ka mokgwa wa diphapošiborutelo tšeo di nepišago morutwana, Lenaneothuto la 2005 (Taylor,1995) le Setatamente sa Pholisi ya Lenaneothuto le Kelo (CAPS). Le ge go dirilwe dinyakišišo tše mmalwa ditšhabatšhabeng le mo Afrika Borwa ka ga go se šome gabotse dikolong, nepišo ya dinyakišišo ke go utolla mabaka a motheo ao a dirago gore barutwana ba se šome gabotse. Maikemišetšo a dinyakišišo ke go utolla khuetšo ya maemo a ekonomi le leago a barutwana go go šoma dithutong go lebeletšwe phepo, sebopego sa lapa le thekgo ya batswadi go barutwana ba dikolo tša praemari ka Tshwane. Mo tesitheišeneng ye e feletšego, monyakišiši o hweditše e le gore bontši bja mabaka a tikologo ya gae ao a kgethilwego ga a na khuetšo ye bohlokwa mo go barutwana bao ba kgethilwego. Le ge go le bjalo, go hweditšwe e le gore (bjale ka ge go kgonthišitšwe ke banyakišiši ba bantši) go ja le go robala di na le khuetšo go go šoma dithutong ga barutwana ba dikolo tša praemari. Ge go abja mabaka a, tlhako ya teori, teori ya go ithuta ya tsebo ya leago le dinyakwa tša maemo a Maslow di šomišitšwe. Tsebo ya leago e bolela gore le ge mabaka a go phela e le senyakwa sa kgolo ya motheo go thoma, mabaka a setšo sa leago a bohlokwa kudu go ditshepedišo tša tlhago tša motheo gore di gole. Teori ya Vygotsky ya tsebo ya leago e bontšha boswananoši bja tikologo ya leago gomme e tšea botšo bja setšo sa leago bjalo ka lebaka la motheo le taolo mo go godišeng mekgwa ya godimo ya mošongwana wa kgopolo ya motho go swana le šedi ya boithaopo, le kelelo ye e nepišago, kgopolo ya go kwagala, peakanyo le tharollo ya mathata. Ka tirišano le Vygotsky, maemo a dinyakwa a Maslow a dira motheo wa dinyakišišo tše ka ge a bolela gore sebopiwa se ye legatong la go latela, legato la fase la dinyakwa le swanetše go kgotsofatšwa pele. Dinepo tša dinyakišišo tše e be e le go utolla: gore khuetšo ya mabaka a tikologo ya gae ao a kgethilwego go barutwana ba dikolo tša praemari mo go šomeng gabotse dithutong ke efe; kamano gare ga bohloki, sebopego sa lapa le go šoma dithutong; khuetšo ya mohuta wa legae mo go šomeng dithutong; khuetšo yeo phepo e nago le yona mo go šomeng dithutong; le khuetšo yeo go se robale go nago le yona go barutwana mo go šomeng dithutong. Dinyakišišo di šomiša mokgwa wa bokaakang, gomme mokgwa o akaretša letlakala la dipotšišo leo barutwana ba Kreiti ya 5, Kreiti ya 6 le Kreiti ya 7 ba sekolo seo se kgethilwego ba le tladitšego ka sephiri. Dinyakišišo di utollotše gore bohloki, sebopego sa lapa le mohuta wa legae ga di na khuetšo mo go barutwana ba sekolo seo se kgethiwego. Le ge go le bjale, dinyakišišo di utolla le go kgonthiša ka moo banyakišiši ba go fapana ba šetšego ba hweditše gore boroko le phepo di na le khuetšo mo go šomeng dithutong. Go digetšwe gore ditlhahli tše di itšego di swanetše go fiwa batswadi ka ga kgopolo ya dijo tša letena tša ekonomi. Batswadi ba swanetše go fiwa lenaneo la dijo tše dikaone go feta tšeo ba ka di fago bana go ja ka letena le dijo tšeo di se a lokago. Dikolo gape di swanetše go lekola dijo tšeo di fiwa mabenkeleng a dijo a ka sekolong, ka ge dijo tšeo di fiwago di swanetše go ba le phepo gomme di swarelele maatla a barutwana. Dijo tšeo di nago le makhura ao a se a lokago le swikiri ga se tša swanela go dumelelwa mo mabenkeleng a dijo a ka sekolong. Go tlaleletša, bana ba swanetše go rutwa ka phepo le dikgetho tše kaone goba tša go fapana tšeo ba ka di dirago. Dijo tša matena tšeo di fiwago bjalo ka karolo ya lenaneo la phepo la sekolo di swanetše go lekolwa go kgonthiša gore di na le phepo, ga di na letswai le lentši, le gore mehuta ya dienywa le merogo e a akaretšwa mo dijong. Dinyakišišo di phethile ka gore ka palogare bana ba swanetše go robala diiri tše senyane bošego bjo bongwe le bjo bongwe. Go hloka mahlatse, ka lebaka la koketšego ya kgatelelo ya dithuto le mošomo wo montši, bana ba bantši ba robala ka morago ga nako. Ka gona go digelwa gore dikolo di latele ditlhahli tša bokaalo bja mošomo wa gae woo o fiwago barutwana letšatši le lengwe le lengwe. Go digetšwe gape gore batswadi ba swanetše go kgonthiša gore bana ba bona ba na le lenaneo leo le beakantšwego la go robala. Tšhomišo ya didirišwa tša elektroniki, go swana le thelebišene, dikhomphutha le diselefouno pele ga nako ya go robala e swanetše go fokotšwa ka ge e ama boroko. Selo sa go makatša, dinyakišišo tše di utollotše gore data ye nngwe yeo e filwego sekolo ke batswadi goba bahlokomedi le data yeo e filwego ke barutwana ga di sepelelane. Ka gona go digelwa gore dikolo di swanetše go hlokomela ka data ya go šoma ga barutwana ka ge e ka ba sešupo sa kgonagalo ya mathata a ka gae goba boleng bja thuto. Ge go hweditšwe gore go palelwa ke ka lebaka la boleng bja thuto, sehlopha sa taolo ya sekolo se swanetše go tšea magato ka bjako go thuša barutiši ka mabokgoni ao a hlokegago go kgontšha boleng bjo bokaone bja thuto. Sekolo se swanetše go dira lenaneo la tiro la mohola go barutwana bao meputso ya bona e fokotšegile. Morutiši a ka bolela le morutwana le batswadi go leka go utolla gore ke eng seo se hlolago go fokotšega ga meputso. Dithuto tša tlaleletšo goba mešongwana ya tlaleletšo e swanetše go fiwa go thuša barutwana mo dikarolong tšeo ba hlokago thušo. Go tlaletša, ge go utollotšwe gore se se hlolwa ke mabaka a tikologo ya gae, gona go swanetše go fiwa thušo yeo e hlokegago e ka fiwa ke sekolo goba makala a mangwe. / Suid-Afrika het ’n lang en veelbewoë onderwysgeskiedenis, van voorkoloniale onderwys tot die val van apartheid en die uiteindelike bereiking van gelyke onderwys vir almal (Christie, 2006). Baie veranderinge het gedurende hierdie oorgangsperiode in die demokrasie en bevryding van die Nuwe Suid-Afrika plaasgevind deur middel van leerdergesentreerde klaskamers, Kurrikulum 2005 (Taylor, 1995) en die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV). Hoewel talle studies oor onderprestasie in skole internasionaal en in Suid-Afrika uitgevoer is, is die fokus van hierdie studie om die kernfaktore vas te stel wat tot onderprestasie van leerders lei. Die studie het ten doel om die invloed van ’n leerder se sosioëkonomiese situasie op skolastiese prestasie te bepaal met verwysing na voeding, gesinstruktuur en ouerondersteuning van leerders in primêre skole in Tshwane. In hierdie volledige proefskrif het die navorser bevind dat die meeste geselekteerde tuisomgewingfaktore geen beduidende uitwerking op die geselekteerde leerders gehad het nie. Daar is egter bevind (soos deur baie navorsers bewys is) dat dieet en slaap wel ʼn invloed op primêreskoolleerders se akademiese prestasie gehad het. In die aanbieding van hierdie argument is die teoretiese raamwerk, sosiaal-konstruktivistiese leerteorie en Maslow se behoeftehiërargie gebruik. Sosiaalkonstruktivisme bepaal dat, hoewel biologiese faktore ’n vereiste is sodat basiese ontwikkeling kan plaasvind, sosiaalkulturele faktore deurslaggewend vir die ontwikkeling van basiese natuurlike prosesse is. Vygotsky se teorie oor sosiaalkonstruktivisme dui op die uniekheid van die sosiale omgewing en beskou die sosiaalkulturele agtergrond as die primêre en bepalende faktor in die ontwikkeling van hoër vorms van menslike verstandelike aktiwiteit, soos vrywillige aandag, intensionele geheue, logiese denke, beplanning en probleemoplossing. Tesame met Vygotsky, maak Maslow se behoeftehiërargie die grondslag van hierdie studie uit, aangesien dit bepaal dat, ten einde na die volgende vlak te beweeg, ’n mens se laer vlak van behoeftes eers bevredig moet word. Die doelwitte van die studie was om die volgende te bepaal: watter uitwerking geselekteerde tuisomgewingfaktore op primêreskoolleerders se akademiese prestasie het; die verhouding tussen armoede, gesinstruktuur en skolastiese prestasie; die invloed van die tipe woning op skolastiese prestasie; die invloed wat voeding op ’n leerder se skolastiese prestasie het; en die invloed wat slaapontneming op ’n leerder se akademiese prestasie het. Die studie het ’n kwantitatiewe benadering gebruik, en die metode het vraelyste ingesluit wat leerders in Graad 5, Graad 6 en Graad 7 van die geselekteerde skool anoniem voltooi het. Die studie het aan die lig gebring dat armoede, gesinstruktuur en tipe woning nie ’n beduidende uitwerking op die leerders van die geselekteerde skool gehad het nie. Die studie het egter wel aan die lig gebring en bevestig wat verskeie ander navorsers reeds bevind het: dat slaap en voeding ʼn invloed op akademiese prestasie het. Daar word aanbeveel dat spesifieke riglyne oor ekonomiese kosblik-idees aan ouers verskaf moet word. Ouers behoort voorsien te word van lyste van die beste kossoorte om in kosblikke te pak, en kossoorte wat nie toegelaat word nie. Skole behoort voorts die kos te monitor wat by snoepwinkels te koop aangebied word, aangesien sodanige kos voedsaam moet wees en leerders se energie moet volhou. Kos wat ryk aan versadigde vette en suiker is, behoort nie by skoolsnoepwinkels toegelaat te word nie. Daarbenewens behoort kinders opgevoed te word oor voeding en beter of alternatiewe keuses wat hulle kan maak. Middagetes wat as deel van die skoolvoedingsprogram voorsien word, moet gemonitor word om te verseker dat hulle voedsaam en laag in sout is, en dat ’n verskeidenheid vrugte en groente by die maaltyd ingesluit word. Studies het tot die slotsom gekom dat kinders gemiddeld nege uur per nag behoort te slaap. Ongelukkig, weens ʼn toename in akademiese druk en werklading, gaan al hoe meer leerders later slaap. Daar word dus aanbeveel dat skole riglyne nakom rakende die hoeveelheid huiswerk wat daagliks aan leerders gegee word. Daar word verder aanbeveel dat ouers moet verseker dat hul kinders ’n vaste slaaproetine het. Die gebruik van elektroniese toerusting, soos televisie, rekenaars en selfone voor slaaptyd, behoort beperk te word omdat dit slaap beïnvloed. Dit is verrassend dat die studie ook aan die lig gebring het dat sommige van die data wat deur die ouers of voogde aan die skool verskaf is en die data wat van die leerders bekom is, nie ooreengestem het nie. Daar word dus aanbeveel dat skole meer nougeset met leerderprestasiedata moet omgaan, aangesien dit ’n moontlike aanwyser van huishoudelike probleme of die gehalte van onderwys kan wees. Indien daar bevind word dat die afname as gevolg van die gehalte van onderwys is, moet die skoolbestuurspan onmiddellik optree om opvoeders te help om die nodige vaardighede te verwerf om ’n beter gehalte onderwys moontlik te maak. Die skool behoort ’n proaktiewe plan van aksie in werking te stel vir daardie leerders wie se punte gedaal het. ʼn Opvoeder kan met die leerder en die ouers gesels en probeer vasstel wat die moontlike oorsake vir die daling in punte is. Remediërende klasse of remediërende oefeninge behoort aan die leerders gegee te word om met die behoefteareas te help. Daarbenewens, indien vasgestel word dat die oorsaak tuisomgewingfaktore is, behoort die nodige bystand gegee te word, hetsy deur die skool of ander entiteite. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

Contexte. Depuis dix ans, en France comme au Québec, le nombre d’adolescents présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme sans déficience intellectuelle [TSA SDI] en milieu secondaire ordinaire s’est considérablement accru. Alors que les études internationales et les plans d’action gouvernementaux soulignent la nécessité d’impliquer directement ces jeunes dans les protocoles de recherche, leur parole est très rarement prise en compte dans le milieu francophone. Or, leur appréhension du monde singulière et leurs difficultés de compréhension sociale peuvent constituer des obstacles à leur épanouissement social et scolaire, particulièrement à l’adolescence. Objectif général. Ancré dans une approche écologique où les participants sont reconnus comme experts et coproducteurs de la connaissance, ce travail a pour objectif de comprendre leur vécu de l’inclusion scolaire au secondaire. Méthodologie. 26 adolescents avec TSA (de 13 à 17 ans) et leurs parents ont collaboré à cette recherche, en France (n=17) et au Québec (n=9). Tous ont participé à un entretien semi-dirigé et complété des questionnaires (Échelle des qualités des relations amicale (EQRA) et Profil des perceptions de soi à l’adolescence (PPSA) pour les jeunes ; Questionnaire des forces et difficultés (SDQ) et fiche signalétique pour les parents). Résultats. Analyse des questionnaires. L’analyse par regroupements hiérarchiques a mis en évidence trois profils de représentations amicales (EQRA) se distinguant principalement au niveau de la camaraderie et de l’aide reçue par l’ami. Concernant la perception de soi (PPSA), ce sont majoritairement les dimensions sociale, amicale et corporelle qui différencient les 4 profils d’adolescents. De plus, la présence d’une aide humaine en classe et les accompagnements visant l’amélioration des compétences sociales (séances de groupe ou individuelles) apparaissent corrélés aux représentations de soi et des relations amicales. Malgré des scores d’impact et de fardeau parental jugés modérés à élevés, l’analyse des 4 profils parentaux (SDQ) montre que les comportements prosociaux du jeune, le fait pour la mère de travailler à temps plein et le fait d’avoir soi-même un diagnostic de TSA sont corrélés à des représentations parentales plus satisfaisantes. Analyse thématique des entretiens avec les adolescents. La gestion des aspects sensoriels, le comportement jugé immature de leurs pairs et la fatigue liée à charge de travail importante sont identifiés comme les principaux obstacles au bien vécu de l’inclusion. À l’inverse, la participation à un programme d’études internationales, le fait d’être guidé par une passion et la présence d’un ami dans l’établissement sont jugés particulièrement aidants. Bien que fortement dépendante du regard des pairs, leur identité autistique est généralement bien assumée, notamment en dehors du milieu scolaire. Perspectives. Ainsi, la transition des jeunes TSA vers la vie adulte constitue l’un des enjeux majeurs pour les années à venir et doit être anticipée très en amont. Il s’agit de permettre aux adolescents d’acquérir l’autonomie et les compétences nécessaires pour plaider leur propre cause dans l’environnement postsecondaire puis professionnel. Ce travail souligne enfin l’importance d’abandonner l’approche centrée sur les déficits au profit d’une approche capacitante, qui favorise l’empowerment des adolescents et aborde les TSA sous l’angle de la neurodiversité. / Background. In the last years, an increasing number of students diagnosed with high functioning autistic spectrum disorders (HFASD) was able to attend mainstream high schools in both France and Quebec. Despite international studies and governmental recommendations to involve directly youth with HFASD in research, their own perspective is rarely taken into account in francophone research settings. Yet, their singular perception of the world and their difficulties with social understanding can be obstacles for their academic and social fulfillment, especially during adolescence. Objective. Grounded in an ecological approach where participants are acknowledged as experts and knowledge co producers, our work aims at understanding how they cope with mainstream education in high schools. Methods. 26 teenagers with HFASD (13-17) and their parents collaborated in this research, in France (n=17) and in Quebec (n=9). Both youth and parents took part in semi-structured in-depth interviews and completed questionnaires (Adolescents: Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS) and Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA); Parents: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and personal information sheet). Results. Questionnaire analysis. Cluster analysis identified three adolescent profiles for friendship representations, mainly distinguished regarding two dimensions: companionship and help/aid from the friend. Three dimensions (social acceptance, close friends and physical appearance) differentiate self-perception into a 4-group typology (SPPA). Moreover, the presence of a teaching assistant in class and the social skills training support (individual or group sessions) are correlated positive with self and friendship representations. Despite moderate to high scores of impact and parental burden (SDQ), results indicate that satisfying parental representations are positively correlated with adolescent’ prosocial behaviors, full-time job for mothers and diagnosis of ASD in parents. Thematic analysis of teenagers’ interviews. Managing school sensory aspects, perceived immature behaviors from their peers and tiredness resulting from to important workload are identified as the main obstacles for their wellbeing in high school. On the contrary, being included in an intensive or international academic program, being driven by a passion or a clear objective and having a friend in the school environment appear to be important enablers for inclusion success. Although strongly dependent of peers’ representations, the autistic identity is generally well lived and accepted, especially outside of high school. Prospects. Transition from adolescence to adult life will constitute one of the major challenges for youth with HFASD in the next few years and has to be anticipated as soon as possible. This preparation would allow the adolescents to gain autonomy and practical skills to understand their needs and strengths and be able to speak for themselves in a professional environment. Finally, our work highlights the urge for moving from a deficit-led approach to a neurodiversity paradigm, promoting empowerment of individuals and considering ASD as a valuable contribution to human diversity.

No description available.