The aim of this study was to investigate the design and implementation of early intervention programmes used for disadvantaged learners in South Africa. The focus was on the Grade R class since it has been introduced to prepare learners for formal schooling. The extent to which the programme could influence the learner's skills were investigated. The design is defined in terms of the structure, goals, and content of the programme. The implementation strategy in this investigation is explained in broad terms to include ECD policies, delivery structures and modes, teacher preparedness and arrangements made at school level. The investigation was conducted as a case study in disadvantaged school-based Grade R classes of the Gauteng province. It established that the design of the Grade R programme followed the constructivist approach by combining the developmental and behavioural approaches to teaching. The design was commendable with regard to its goals and its duration. However, concerns were raised with regard to the structure and content of the Learning Area Programmes. An alternative design is recommended. The success of any programme depends to a large extent on implementation strategies used for delivery. This investigation established that policy formulation at national level followed international trends. Implementation power was devolved to the provincial departments in order to accommodate provincial diversity. However, structural deficits and undefined line functions were identified at provincial and district levels. The impact of this deficiency was evident in the Grade R classes. Finally this study concluded that although learners showed developmental gains, this cannot be regarded as the influence of the Grade R teaching because this age group is still developing and the change could be ascribed to maturation. The learners did not acquire basic literacy skills. Their poor language and intellectual abilities remain extremely low. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Psychology of Education)

The study explored how a practitioner and a teacher accommodated children living with cerebral palsy in Grade R, also referred to as the reception year, at two special schools, especially how they adapted the environment and used assistive devices. Cerebral Palsy is the most common form of a neurological disorder that appears in infancy or early childhood, permanently affecting body movement and muscle coordination. Research has illuminated that early specialist intervention such as assistive devices, augmentative and alternative commutation methods and assistive technology can make the world of difference to the future of the child. My research afforded me the opportunity to observe the children in Grade R living with cerebral palsy, with the practitioner and the teacher in their natural setting at school level. I followed the deductive paradigm, and adopted a case study design. The use of assistive devices and argumentative and alternative communication has historically been the domain of occupational-, speech- and physiotherapists. With the introduction of inclusive education and the new screening, identification, assessment and support policy to be conducted in all Grade R classes at all schools in South Africa, my research will be beneficial to mainstream and full-service schools, as well as special schools. Young children living with cerebral palsy will be included in all these schools and will need support from expert teachers and practitioners, who are knowledgeable about their requirements for an adapted environment and the use of assistive devices and augmentative and alternative communication methods. The study found that the Grade R staff at the special schools were knowledgeable, but their knowledge was superficial, their classrooms lacked adapted toys, and assistive technology was non-existent. Teachers and practitioners need practical training on the importance of movement for children living with cerebral palsy and the training should emphasize that experiencing the world through assistive devices alleviates barriers to learning and development. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This study aimed to test the efficacy of the memory box as a medium in Gestalt Therapy, specifically within a therapeutic group with AIDS orphans in the middle childhood phase of development. The aim was to explore and describe the utilisation of the memory box, as a medium for telling one's story, within the safety of the Gestalt play therapy group. It was felt that the increased self-awareness fostered by belonging to a supportive group could enhance self-concept. The research included qualitative and quantitative data. Theoretical and the meta-theoretical assumptions affecting children, in the middle childhood phase, orphaned through HIV/AIDS, were reviewed. The group sessions were described and the data obtained from the pre and post-test was graphically illustrated. The information was then compared to ascertain whether the objectives had been met. Results show that the memory box, used in Gestalt play therapy groups, with AIDS orphans was effective. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study was conducted in order to assess the effects of cognitive stimulation in early childhood. The quantitative study set out to test a target group of 40 children, ranging in age from two years to three and a half years, in order to determine the importance of stimulation and intervention from a young age. A pre-test evaluated the initial level of each child‟s cognitive abilities (mathematics, literacy and life skills). This was followed by a random selection of the subjects into experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent an eight-week intervention programme which focused on the primary concepts in each area of cognitive development. The control and experimental groups continued with their normal school learning programmes. The results indicate that the impact of stimulation on young children is significant and there is a great difference in the abilities and understanding of concepts for those children which were stimulated individually, as compared with those children who were not so stimulated. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study constitutes an attempt to describe and analyse the quality of selected early childhood development programmes in South Africa, and provide criteria by which the quality of programmes could be assessed. The need for, and importance of, providing quality early childhood development programmes is highlighted. The influence of educational pf:lilosophies on programmes is recognised, hence the total development of the child and educational philosophies related thereto are discussed. Factors and components within programmes that contribute to high quality are explored. Moreover, criteria by means of which quality early childhood development programmes may be assessed, are provided. In this regard criteria for the formulation of aims, selection and the organisation of content, assessment, role of the teacher and parent involvement in programmes are suggested. It is against these criteria that selected early childhood development programmes in South Africa are described and analysed. programmes conclude the study. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

School readiness is a stage in a child's development when he learns easily and effectively. A child who is not yet ready for school on school entry is already at a disadvantage in the formal learning situation. This in itself can affect his school performance in the later years. The researcher, being a primary school teacher noticed that the children from the informal settlements that had no pre-school intervention arrived at school unready to learn. This investigation set out to evaluate the school readiness of children from an informal settlement without a pre-school programme. The school readiness of these children were compared against children from an informal settlement with a pre-school programme. Test and questionnaires were used to determine the five year olds' school readiness. The researcher used the idiographic method of research. The findings of the research were based on the interpretations of the tests and questionnaires. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Through document analysis, one-on-one interviews with parents, and observations the researcher aimed to explore early intervention in pre-school children with learning difficulties in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The researcher set out to determine whether parents were aware of the importance of early intervention in addressing learning difficulties in their children, what support existed to help parents give support to children with learning difficulties, and how support could be improved to enable parents to help their children. This study found that parents in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape needed support that would enable them to provide early intervention for their children with learning difficulties. The study also showed that parents were aware of the importance of early intervention to help their children with learning difficulties. Most parents were receiving support, but there was room for improvement in the support that they were receiving. Flowing from this, the study also found that parents needed different forms of support, e.g. emotional and financial support. Based on the findings, recommendations were made. Recommendations were aimed at improving support for parents, so they can provide successful early intervention for their pre-school children, e. g. through the creation of open channels of communication between parents and other role players, like government departments and service providers. Recommendations were also made for future research, e. g. research into ways to create open channels of communication. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Many learners enter Grade 1 underprepared, because they have not had the chance to develop the necessary skills, values or attitudes expected of learners in this year. This results in academic backlogs and school underachievement, with many learners from poor socio-economic backgrounds in which poverty and unemployment are rife. Early identification of gaps in their learning as well as the support is crucial. Landsberg (2005, p.80) states that addressing early intervention implies not only a focus on the child and the needs of children but also facilitation of the environment in which they live. Against this background the study aims to investigate the needs and challenges of underachieving Grade R learners in a Mitchell’s Plain primary school. A phenomenological qualitative research approach was adopted, using purposeful sampling to obtain participants, and semi-structured interviews, observations and documents to collect data from two Grade R practitioners. A thematic document analysis of 20 underachieving Grade R learners followed to support the findings. The researcher argues that not enough support is being provided for these learners; hence the study seeks to determine their needs and challenges in the school. It is believed that the findings will contribute meaningfully by making recommendations for focused support for these learners. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

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No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Christine Garrido Marquez - 2016.pdf: 6917394 bytes, checksum: 526d6b5f8053bab6b76ca9985fe07da9 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-28 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / This research integrates the project of Public Policy and Education of Children in Goiás: history, concepts, projects and practices developed by the Center of Studies and Research of Childhood and its Education in Different Contexts (NEPIEC) which is inserted in the research line: Education, Teaching Professionalization, Educational Work of the Postgraduate Program in the School of Education of the Federal University of Goiás. Propositions of multisectoral policies and integrated development of Early Childhood of the World Bank for developing countries have been investigated, which involve interconnected actions in education, health, nutrition, social protection (child protection and social assistance) and basic sanitation, in order to understand how this process has been set up in Brazil as of the 1990s. A documentary and literature research was carried out and we propose as reference of analysis historical and dialectical materialism. The starting point being a survey called State of the Art on the studied subject, in order to map out the academic and scientific production in the field, to enable a look at the production, observing the evolution of research, its features, focus and gaps. Presenting the multiple aspects of the organizational structure of the World Bank and its development policy propositions on Early Childhood supported in the six Education Sectoral Documents and the eight publications produced from 1974 to 2014 by the International Organization, which were formulated to instruct the political debate with governments, development partners and civil society in developing countries, including Brazil. The strategic entry points of investment have been analyzed, classified into four themes based on: 1) programs based on Early Childhood Development Centers focusing on school readiness; 2) residential programs based on behavioral change in relation to health, nutrition and child care; 3) communication / media campaigns aimed at families with young children on child health, nutrition and overall development; and, 4) conditional cash transfer for families with small children. It is concluded that the World Bank since its inception in 1944, besides project financing, policy-making, technical assistance to governments, also plays an important role in the meeting, synthesis and dissemination of knowledge about the specific development issues covering its extensive practice area, including the development of Early Childhood, services in the area and around the world. Since the seventies, the World Bank references the relevance of the adoption of multisectoral and integrated programs designed for Early Childhood, with the theoretical support based on the political theory of human capital, which seeks the reproduction and accumulation of capital, as opposed to a project that aims to guarantee full rights the children in Brazil. / Esta pesquisa integra o projeto Políticas Públicas e Educação da Infância em Goiás: história, concepções, projetos e práticas, desenvolvido pelo Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas da Infância e sua Educação em Diferentes Contextos (NEPIEC) e está inserida na Linha de Pesquisa: Formação, Profissionalização Docente, Traballho Educativo do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal de Goiás. Investigamos as proposições de políticas multissetoriais e integradas de Desenvolvimento da Primeira Infância do Banco Mundial para os países em desenvolvimento, os quais envolvem ações interligadas no campo da educação, saúde, nutrição, proteção social (proteção à criança e assistência social) e de saneamento básico, a fim de compreender como este processo tem se configurado no Brasil, a partir dos anos de 1990. Foi realizada uma pesquisa documental e bibliográfica e propomos como referencial de análise o materialismo histórico e dialético. A metodologia de pesquisa abrange a constituição do Estado da Arte acerca da temática em estudo, com o propósito de mapearmos as produções acadêmicas e científicas na área, possibilitando um olhar sobre a produção, observando a evolução das pesquisas, suas características, foco e as lacunas existentes. Apresentamos os múltiplos aspectos da estrutura organizacional do Banco Mundial e as suas proposições políticas de Desenvolvimento da Primeira Infância apoiadas nos seis Documentos Setoriais de Educação e nas oito publicações produzidas no período de 1974 a 2014 pela referida Organização Internacional sobre a temática, as quais foram formuladas para instruir o debate político com governos, parceiros de desenvolvimento e a sociedade civil dos países em desenvolvimento, inclusive com o Brasil. Analisamos os pontos de entrada estratégicos de investimento, classificados em quatro eixos temáticos baseados em: 1) programas baseados em Centros de Desenvolvimento da Primeira Infância com foco na prontidão escolar; 2) programas domiciliares baseados na mudança de comportamento em relação à saúde, à nutrição e aos cuidados parentais; 3) campanhas de comunicação/mídia destinadas a família com crianças pequenas sobre saúde infantil, nutrição e desenvolvimento global; e, 4) transferência condicionada de renda para famílias com crianças pequenas. Com base na pesquisa realizada, conclui-se que o Banco Mundial desde sua criação, em 1944, além do financiamento de projetos, formulação de políticas, da assistência técnica a governos, desempenha um papel relevante na reunião, síntese e disseminação do conhecimento sobre os temas específicos de desenvolvimento que abrangem sua extensa área de atuação, inclusive sobre o desenvolvimento da primeira infância e serviços na área em todo o mundo. Desde os anos setenta, o Banco Mundial referencia a relevância da adoção de programas multissetoriais e integrados dirigidos à primeira infância, tendo como base de sustentação teórica das políticas a teoria do capital humano, que busca a reprodução e a acumulação do capital, em contraposição a um projeto que objetive a garantia dos direitos plenos da criança no Brasil.

La mise à l’échelle (scaling up) est un processus qui vise à accroitre l’impact et la pérennité des effets d’innovations jugées prometteuses. Les publications à ce sujet sont en progression importante dans le domaine de la santé depuis une vingtaine d’années. Toutefois, ces processus ont été étudiés de manière essentiellement technique malgré l’importance soulignée dans la littérature d’y prendre en compte des questions évolutives de sens et de valeurs. Ceci est particulièrement significatif pour les innovations de promotion de la santé, construites sur les capacités et collaborations de différents acteurs qui y partagent et négocient diverses vues sur les problèmes, les actions à entreprendre et leur but. Les contenus de ces innovations sont susceptibles d’évoluer de manière significative dans la mise à l’échelle, et d’affecter la fonction d’impact et pérennité du processus. Peu d’études, cependant, mobilisent des théories et méthodologies explicites à cet égard. Cette thèse s’inscrit dans une vision sociale de la mise à l’échelle et propose d’ajouter le concept de cadre interprétatif, ou « frame », à son outillage conceptuel ; elle vise à explorer l’utilité de cette notion au regard de la dynamique sociale de la mise à l’échelle d’innovations complexes de promotion de la santé. La thèse poursuit deux objectifs : 1) développer une articulation théorique de nature sociale pour la mise à l’échelle intégrant la notion de frame ; et 2) explorer l’utilité des frames comme ‘représentations’ pour documenter l’évolution du contenu des innovations au cours de leur mise à l’échelle. La réponse au premier objectif s’appuie sur une perspective de complexité des interventions en tant que réseaux dynamiques d’acteurs pour conceptualiser la mise à l’échelle comme une expansion de réseaux où le framing des questions de santé évolue au travers des relations entre acteurs. L’articulation théorique développée combine la sociologie de l’innovation - théorie de l’acteur-réseau - et les perspectives des frames pour envisager ceux-ci en tant que ‘représentations’ ou ‘interactions’. En réponse au second objectif, l’approche ‘représentationnelle’ aux frames est appliquée à l’étude d’un cas de mise à l’échelle d’innovation éducative à caractère intersectoriel concernant le développement de jeunes enfants socialement désavantagés. Sur la base de documents cadres qui balisent les phases ‘pilote’ et ‘programme à l’échelle’ de l'innovation, une analyse critique de frames est pratiquée au regard de la capacité du programme à grande échelle à supporter l’action sur les inégalités sociales de développement des enfants et l’équité. Les résultats illustrent des différences significatives de définitions du ‘problème’ du DJE et de la solution préconisée pour le programme à grande échelle, qui constituent des améliorations, mais aussi certaines ‘détériorations’ au regard des inégalités et de l’équité. En tant que constructions réalisées à partir des ‘produits’ du processus social qui s’opère dans le réseau intersectoriel des acteurs, les frames comme ‘représentations’ analysés de manière critique sont utiles pour expliciter et caractériser l’évolution des contenus des innovations et leurs conséquences pour la mise à l’échelle. Mobilisés dans un échange constructif avec les acteurs concernés, les frames pourraient constituer un outil intéressant pour favoriser la réflexivité à l’égard de ces processus et de l’impact et de la durabilité des effets des innovations portées à grande échelle. Cette thèse contribue de manière théorique à la littérature de santé publique en clarifiant l’utilité des frames et la manière dont ce concept peut être mobilisé pour documenter la dynamique de la mise à l’échelle d’innovations complexes de promotion de la santé. / Scaling up is a process that aims to increase the impact and sustainability of the effects of innovations deemed promising. Publications on this subject have markedly increased in the field of health over the past twenty years. However, these processes have essentially been studied in a technical way, despite the importance underlined in the literature to take into account their evolving meanings and values. This is particularly significant for health promotion innovations, built on the capacities and collaborations of different actors who share and negotiate various views on the problems, the actions to be taken and their goal. The contents of these innovations are likely to evolve significantly during scaling up, affecting impact and sustainability goals of the process. Few studies, however, mobilize explicit theories and methodologies in this respect. This thesis is part of a social vision of scaling up, and proposes to add the concept of ‘frame’ to its conceptual tools; it aims to explore the usefulness of this notion with regard to the social dynamics of scaling up health promotion innovations. The thesis pursues two objectives: 1) to develop a theoretical articulation of a social nature for scaling up, integrating the notion of frame; and 2) to explore the usefulness of frames as ‘representations’ to document the evolution of the content of innovations during their scaling up. The response to the first objective is based on a complexity perspective of interventions as dynamic networks of actors to conceptualize scaling up as an expansion of networks where the framing of health issues evolves through the relationships between the actors. The theoretical articulation developed combines the sociology of innovation - actor-network theory - and the perspectives of frames to consider them as 'representations' or 'interactions'. In response to the second objective, the 'representational' approach to frames is applied to the study of a scaling up case concerning an intersectoral educational innovation for the development of socially disadvantaged young children. On the basis of framework documents which mark out the 'pilot' and 'at scale program' phases of the innovation, a critical analysis of frames is carried out with regard to the capacity of the large-scale program to support action on the social inequalities in child development and equity. The results illustrate significant differences in definitions of the ECD ‘problem’ and of the recommended ‘solution’ for the at scale program, which constitute improvements, but also some ‘deteriorations’ with regard to inequalities and equity. As constructions made from the 'products' of the social process that takes place in the intersectoral network of actors, the frames as 'representations' critically analyzed are useful for explaining and characterizing the evolution of the contents of innovations and their consequences for scaling up. Mobilized in a constructive exchange with the actors concerned, the frames could constitute an interesting tool to promote reflexivity with regard to these processes and to the impact and sustainability of the effects of innovations carried out on a large scale. This thesis contributes theoretically to the public health literature by clarifying the usefulness of frames and the way in which this concept can be mobilized to document the dynamics of the scaling up of complex health promotion innovations.