Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-234). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Neil Abell, Florida State University, School of Social Work. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Mar. 2, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

This research project attempted to determine whether play therapy used to treat elementary and junior high school children in a School-Based Counseling program is effective. There is conflicting evidence in the literature as to the effectiveness of therapy with children, especially play therapy. This project used a qualitative design to evaluate play therapy used in a School-Base Counseling program (SBC). Randomly selected case files from the 1998-99 academic year were analyzed using questions considering demographic information for each child, the reason the child was referred to the program, the intervention used by the therapist, and the outcomes of therapy. The results of this project are inconclusive, but support the need for more research to be conducted in the area of play therapy.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Educ. Psych.)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013 / Learners who demonstrate inappropriate, anti-social, and/or disruptive behaviours are becoming more prevalent. School personnel are dealing with disruptive behaviours that occur more frequently and that affect staff and learners’ performance. According to Farrell, Meyer, Sullivan and Kung (2003) this prevalence of disruptive behaviour and underperformance in secondary schools is posing a threat to education in South Africa and learners struggle with problems that predispose them to long-term negative outcomes. As children become adolescents, they experience a variety of physical, emotional and interpersonal changes while simultaneously transitioning from elementary to middle school. If the transition is stressful and the climate of the school appears unwelcoming, low self-esteem, a decline in academic achievement and inappropriate behaviour problems may follow (Wagerman & Funder, 2007).Escalating concern regarding disruptive behaviour in schools has led to intensified efforts to understand its causes and consequences, and to identify effective practices and strategies to reduce its occurrence. It is against this backdrop that the researcher attempts to determine the cognitive and social well-being of adolescents regarding emotional intelligence in the Lejweleputswa school district. The research followed a mixed method approach, using the sequential explanatory triangulation type; where questionnaires were completed by secondary school learners followed by interviews with teachers from conveniently selected secondary schools in the Lejweleputswa district of the Free State. The Literature study showed that factors such as learning, intelligence and emotional intelligence were associated with cognitive and social well-being of secondary schools learners. The following data collection instruments were used to gather information regarding the topic. For the quantitative study, a closed ended questionnaire was developed and utilised by one hundred and seventy four (174) learners. For the qualitative part, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten (10) teachers. By using COSOC, the three-way ANOVA and T-test, the seven hypotheses of the study were tested and the findings indicated that there is a significant relationship between and within the independent variables being; gender, grade and residential with regard to cognitive and social emotional intelligence. This study will reveal what aspects of education practices are viewed as helpful as well as areas needing improvement. It will also give insight into whether selected schools are using proactive strategies and techniques demonstrated in the research as being the most effective in terms of changing inappropriate behaviour and underperformance.

Doctor of Education / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / James Teagarden / This study investigated the effectiveness of an early literacy program for first grade students classified as at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, who were nonresponsive to previous schoolwide interventions, and who performed in the bottom one-third of their class on a standardized reading assessment. This study, which consisted of a multiple-probe across intervention groups experimental design aimed to produce literacy and behavior results previously obtained by other well-known researchers. Results indicated growth in oral reading fluency for all five participants, in nonsense word fluency for four out of the five participants, and a decreased display of total disruptive behaviors for all. Findings reaffirm outcomes obtained in previous investigations; specifically, improved early literacy skills are concomitant with ongoing decreases in disruptive classroom behavior. Limitations are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite the fact that a large proportion of learners in schools today is seen as displaying behavioural problems / difficulties, the area of teachers understanding the learners' needs to behave in a certain way is underresearched. A review of traditional psychological literature also suggests that the area of teachers' understanding of their learners' behaviour in the classroom is a marginalised subject. It is generally postulated that teachers have a profound influence on learners and how they behave. A teacher's understanding of a learner's behaviour, or the lack thereof, could be accompanied by a host of psychological and social consequences. The focus of this study will be to determine whether teachers understand the need/function of their learners' behaviour in the classroom. A qualitative study will be conducted. The instrument to be employed in the study is a self-constructed questionnaire and focus group interviews to clarify certain responses to the questionnaire. These will be administered to teachers at two mainstream primary schools in Bonteheuwel. Content and thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data. The primary aim of the study is to determine teachers' understanding of their learners' difficult/inappropriate/unacceptable behaviour in the classroom. The understanding of learners' behaviour in the classroom will inform teachers of the intervention strategies and behaviour management programmes to be used. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ondanks die feit dat 'n aansienlike aantal leerders in skole gedragsprobleme ervaar, bly die begrip van onderwysers aangaande leerders se onderliggende motivering vir hul gedrag 'n braak navorsingsarea. 'n Oorsig van sielkundige literatuur insinieër dat onderwysers se verstaan van hul leerders se gedrag in die klaskamer erg gemarginaliseerd is. Dit word algemeen gepostuleer dat onderwysers 'n fenomenale invloed op leerders en hulle gedrag het. 'n Onderwyser se begrip (verstaan) aangaande 'n leerder se gedrag of gebrek daaraan, gaan heel waarskynlik gepaard met verskeie sielkundige asook sosiale gevolge. Hierdie studie sal voorts probeer om vas te stelof onderwysers die behoefte/funksie van hul leerders se gedrag in die klaskamer verstaan. 'n Kwalitatiewe studie salonderneem word. 'n Self gekonstrueerde vraelys, asook fokus groep onderhoude, met die doelom sekere response op die vraelys uit te klaar, sal as instrument gebruik word. Die vraelys sowel as die fokus groep onderhoude sal aan onderwysers van twee hoofstroom primêre skole in Bonteheuwel geadminstreer word. Inhouds- en tematiese analise sal gebruik word om die data te analiseer. Die pnrnere doel van die studie sal wees om onderwysers se begrip rondom hulle leerders se moeilike/ontoepaslike/onaanvaarbare gedrag in die klaskamer vas te stel. Die verstaan (begrip) van leerders se gedrag in die klaskamer sal meer lig werp op intervensiestrategieë, asook gedragsbestuurprogramme wat deur onderwysers gebruik kan word.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The increase in violence in our society has a huge impact on learning in some schools. Learners become more and more disruptive and educators experience schools as an unsafe environment. This causes an impediment to learning and teaching. Even educators who have a wealth of experience find it difficult to control and discipline learners in a constructive and positive way. Because of their lack of knowledge and skills, many educators shift their responsibility to teach social skills to the parent whom they believe should actually be responsible for the discipline of their children. The realization that academic achievement and discipline goes hand in hand has compelled educationists and psychologists to address disciplinary problems. Educators are also aware that parents and the education department expect all learners to receive quality education. A definite need has, therefore, arisen to support educators to deal with the youth at risk, disruptive learners, those who are at risk of dropping out, and those who are being expelled or suspended. The purpose of this research is, therefore, to develop guidelines and strategies for educators to deal with disruptive behaviour in the classroom. Many strategies have been developed In the past to address disruptive behaviour. Despite implementing these strategies, disruptive behaviour is on the increase. The research revealed that the failure of these strategies can be attributed to their punitiveness and the emphasis that was placed on control and compliance. These strategies also have failed, because it did not teach the learners insight in their selfdefeating behaviour and how it impacts on themselves and others. The Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) strategy was developed to support educators to teach these learners self-control' skills by teaching them to gain insight in their destructive behaviour. According to the LSCI model the behaviour of learners can be grouped according to the six central issues: • Displacement of Conflict • Lack of Social Skills • Peer Manipulation and Vulnerability to Peer Influence • Anti-social Behaviour without Guilt • Irrational Beliefs • Impulsivity with Guilt. The LSCI Model was structured in such a way to give educators a clear guideline how to support disruptive learners and youth at risk. Although educators were given a clear cognitive map to apply the LSCI strategy, research revealed that they were not very successful in teaching learners the necessary skills to apply self-control and to become resilient. To apply the LSCI model successfully, it is crucial for educators to acquire the appropriate skills to teach learners to gain insight in their self-defeating behaviour and to apply self-control. The assumption can be made that educators do not only need guidelines, but they also need the necessary skills to teach learners to apply self-control. They also need to know what specific strategies are needed to support a learner that exhibit a specific central issue. The researcher attempted to develop strategies and guidelines for educators to deal with the following central issues: • Peer Manipulation and Vulnerability to Influence • Impulsivity with guilt and • Anti-social behaviour without Guilt This research attempted to draw upon the vanous literature, and where necessary developed strategies to support educators by looking at what skills educators need to support disruptive learners and what strategies can be implemented to teach these learners insight in their self-defeating behaviour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toename in geweld in ons samelwing het 'n groot impak op leer in ons skole. Leerders raak al hoe meer ontwrigtend en opvoeders ervaar skole as onveilig. Selfs opvoeders wat jare ervaring het vind dit moeilik om leerders op 'n konstruktiewe en positiewe manier te beheer en te dissiplineer. Omdat hulle die kennis en vaardighede ontbreek, skuif baie opvoeders hul verantwoordelikheid om leerders sosiale vaardighede te onderrig na die ouers. Hulle glo dat ouers verantwoordelik is vir die dissiplinering van hul kinders en nie die skool nie. Omdat opvoeders en sielkundiges besef dat akademiese prestasie en dissipline hand aan hand gaan, het dit hulle genoop om dissiplinêre probleme wat ervaar word aan te spreek. Opvoeders is ook bewus van die feit dat ouers en die onderwys departement verwag dat alle leerders kwaliteit opvoeding en onderwys moet ontvang. 'n Behoefte het dus ontstaan om opvoeders te ondersteun in die hantering van risiko leerders, gedragsmoeilike leerders, diegene wat moontlik mag uitval op skool en diegene wat uitgeset of geskors word. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is dus om riglyne en strategieë vir opvoeders te ontwikkelom ontwrigtende gedrag in die klaskamer te hanteer. In die verlede is verskeie strategieë ontwikkelom ontwrigtende gedrag aan te spreek. Alhoewel hierdie strategieë geïmplementeer word, neem ontwrigtende gedrag in die klaskamer toe. Navorsing het bewys dat die mislukking van hierdie strategieë toegeskryf kan word aan die feit dat dit te ingestel was op straf, beheer en onderworpenheid. Die feit dat hierdie strategieë gefaal het, kan ook toegeskryf word aan die feit dat dit leerders nie insig in hul destruktiewe gedrag en watter invloed dit op hulself en ander het, geleer het nie. Die "Life Space Crisis Intervention" (LSCI) strategie was ontwikkelom opvoeders te help om leerders seltbeheersingsvaardighede aan te leer deur vir hulle insig te gee in hul destruktiewe gedrag. Volgens die LSCI model kan leerders se gedrag in ses sentrale gedragspatrone gegroepeer word: • Verplasing van konflik • Gebrek aan sosiale vaardighede • Portuur manupilasie en weerloosheid aan portuur invloede • Anti-sosiale gedrag sonder skuldgevoelens • Irrasionele denke • Impulsiwiteit met skuldgevoelens Die LSCI model is op so 'n manier gestruktureer dat dit opvoeders duidelike riglyne bied hoe om gedragsmoeilike en hoe risiko leerders te ondersteun. Alhoewelopvoeders 'n duidelike kognitiewe raamwerk gegee IS om die LSCI strategie toe te pas, het navorsing getoon dat hulle me baie suksesvol was om leerders seltbeheersingsvaardighede aan te leer om hul meer weerbaar te maak nie. Dit is noodsaaklik dat opvoeders toepaslike vaardighede bekom om hierdie leerders insig in hul destruktiewe gedrag te leer, sodat hulle die nodige seltbeheersing kan toepas. Daar kan van die veronderstelling uit gegaan word dat opvoeders nie net die nodige riglyne benodig nie, maar dat hulle ook die nodige vaardighede benodig om leerders te leer hoe om seltbeheersing toe te pas. Dit is ook belangrik dat hulle moet weet watter spesifieke strategieë nodig is om ondersteuning te bied aan 'n leerder wat 'n spesifieke gedragspatroon openbaar. In hierdie navorsing sal daar gepoog word om strategieë en riglyne vir opvoeders te ontwikkelom die onderstaande sentrale aspekte te hanteer: • Portuur manupilasie en weerloosheid aan portuur invloede • Anti-sosiale gedrag sonder skuldgevoelens • Impulsiwiteit met skuldgevoelens Die navorsing poog om deur literatuurverkenning na bestaande strategieë te kyk, en waar nodig, strategieë te ontwikkel wat opvoeders sal help om leerders wat ontwrigtend is, te ondersteun. Daar salook gekyk word na watter vaardighede opvoeders nodig het en watter strategieë kan geïmplementeer word om hierdie leerders insig in hul destruktiewe gedrag te gee.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work