Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / Students with albinism experience social and academic challenges in society. These challenges are mainly influenced by their disability. Studies indicate that because they look different from most people they are treated differently and socially excluded and marginalised. Albino individual’ are also murdered in South Africa which is motivated by myths, beliefs and misconceptions in traditional African societies. The Social Model of Disability (SMD) underpinned the study as it is used to explore social experiences in different life contexts. The study used a qualitative approach with an exploratory research design. Purposive sampling was used to select the 18 participants. Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was used to analyse data collected from the three focus groups. The findings of the study revealed that the social experiences of students with albinism are be difficult. They experience discrimination and stigmatisation from their peers and are often called derogatory names. It was also found that students with albinism have academic challenges because of their impaired vision, lecturers’ negative attitudes and insensitivity towards them. It was also found that the lack adequate assistive devices. Social experiences and academic challenges lead to a self-reported negative impact for instance, depression for these students. Ultimately, more awareness initiatives about the condition are required at the institution in order to improve the experiences of students with albinism.

College football is big business, earning slightly more than $1 billion in profit in the last few years. As a result of its popularity, fans of the game devour massive amounts of information about college teams and their players. Less known are the non-academic challenges college football players face, in addition to the typical concerns shared with their non-athletic peers. Along with academic and cognitive challenges, the ability to effectively navigate non-academic areas - such as personal, social and cultural - is critical to the development and holistic growth of today’s college football players. These factors can affect a student's ability to thrive or persist toward graduation. In this report, I explore the specific challenges of African American college football players at predominantly White institutions. Within this scope, I will examine the growth of college football in addition to the reach and impact it has on African American families. Within these communities, research shows a pervasive focus on playing professional football. Some players believe that college football is a mere stepping stone on the road to a professional career. The reality is that very few college football players are chosen to play professionally – actually less than .2%. This report explores some of the psychosocial issues that can impact the on and off the field success of African American college football players at predominantly White institutions The goal of this work is to lay a foundation and make an argument for counseling and therapeutic support targeted to, but not exclusively for African American college football players. As systems that seek to understand growth and change for optimum mental and physical well-being, the field of counseling and sports psychology present intervention models that can be useful for today’s African American college football players. / text

First-generation students are individuals whose parents have not attended college. These students often face challenges such as academic pressures, lack of social support, and mental health problems. Research has found that first-generation students experience a culture shock when transitioning from high school to college. These factors can impact academic success and affect overall health. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined the impact of stress on mental health among first-generation and non-first-generation students. The study also examined if social and emotional support had a buffering effect on levels of depression, anxiety, and academic stress among first-generation college students. A survey measuring these constructs was distributed to 117 students at the University of Central Florida who consented to participate in the study in the Fall of 2023. Findings revealed that first-generation college students reported having higher levels of self-perceived stress (p < .05), anxiety (p < .01), and depressive symptoms (p < .05) than non-first-generation students. Family and peer social and emotional support served as a protective factor for first-generation students; however, family support played a larger role in reducing depressive symptoms (p < .05) and different dimensions of stress (p < .05). Study findings shed light on the need for universities to implement mental health screening and other wellness programs to address the mental health needs of first-generation students.

A large number of English language learners (ELLs) in secondary school are long-term ELLs who have attended public schools in the United States for at least seven years, having received English language support services, yet have not acquired English proficiency (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel, & Herwantoro., 2005). Formal or informal programs and educational services to address the particular needs of long-term ELLs are scant to non-exist (Zehr, 2010). In spite of the growing presence of long-term ELLs in secondary schools, little research has been conducted about their academic challenges. Due to the scarcity of research, effective practices for long-term ELLs in secondary school are very limited (Ruix-de-Velasco & Fix, 2000). Research is needed to better understand risk factors associated with dropping out, retention, and the high incidence of disproportionate representation of long-term ELLs in special education programs. Equally absent from available literature are the voices of students themselves. This study aims to expand the existing database about long-term ELLs' academic challenges from the perspective of students themselves about their language and academic learning experiences. A qualitative, naturalistic inquiry (NI) approach was utilized to explore the perceptions of long-term ELLs about their learning experiences in the context of their school history, including program placements, special education referral, and academic outcomes. Thirteen long-term ELLs at a high school in metropolitan area of Texas were participated in this study. Data were generated from semi-structured, in-depth interviews and various documents, including students' cumulative folders, language proficiency assessment records, and the state assessment data, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The findings of the study indicate that participants experienced multiple layers of lack of opportunity to learn as they moved through the educational process. Participants perceived themselves as English-proficient, motivated learners who were successful in spite of challenges they had experienced, which they attributed mainly to their limited development of academic language proficiency in English. The study also revealed a gap between participants' postsecondary aspirations and the reality of their academic underachievement, which raises questions about the adequacy of general educational programs for this population and appropriate identifications of ELLs with disabilities. / text

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Many secondary students with autism (SWA) included in the general education (GE) classroom demonstrate academic and behavioral challenges. Most GE teachers who have inclusive SWA in their classes receive little or no training on evidence-based practices to address these challenges. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore secondary GE teachers' perceptions of and experiences with the academic and behavioral challenges of inclusive SWA. Theoretical frameworks of the weak central coherence theory for autism and executive dysfunction grounded the study. Data from 6 purposefully chosen secondary GE inclusion teachers, who educated SWA and students with autism spectrum disorder from one middle school setting, were collected using individual semistructured telephone interviews and independent participant journals. Criteria to be a participant included teachers who had taught more than 5 years, earned a master's degree, and taught inclusive SWA. The data were thematically analyzed using a segmenting-and-labeling open coding process. Participants revealed that secondary inclusive SWA had low cognitive processing, difficulty understanding content and maintaining an adequate pace while working on tasks, and demand of teacher attention. Furthermore, SWA demonstrated behavioral challenges controlling emotional outbursts, being organized, and socialization with peers. It is recommended that GE teachers have paraprofessionals with SWA preparation, opportunities for multilevel collaboration, and increased autism-specific training to assist in meeting academic and emotional needs of SWA. These actions could contribute to positive social change through assisting GE teachers in planning and improved instruction and postsecondary outcomes for secondary inclusive SWA.