This was a descriptive study based on identifying and assessing factors that impinge on the potential development of learners. A probability sample of 50 learners was selected from 5 high schools in the Mafikeng District in the North West Province. A questionnaire identifying and assessing factors that impinge on the development of learners was designed and administered by the researcher. The literature reviewed identified the following factors as detrimental to the potential development of learners: lack of parental involvement, lack of finances, attendance and lack of resources. Strategies such as community support groups, up to date technology in schools to be provided by the department of education and parental involvement strategies were also revealed in the literature study. It was hypothesized that lack of parental involvement and lack of finances accounts more on the potential development of learners. The result obtained correlated with the hypothesis that lack of parental involvement of learners and lack of finances are the major factors that impinge on the potential development of learners. / (M.A. LSC) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

The purpose of the project was to examine the relationship between the social development of preschool children and parenting styles. Preschool social development was accessed by the use of sociometry. Parenting styles of mothers and fathers were determined by a questionnaire. The parenting styles and the sociometric status of the children were analyzed to determine a relationship using the chi-square analysis. The analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between parenting styles and the sociometric status of preschool children. It is recommended that more research be done in the fields of parenting styles and sociometry.

The purpose of this study was to analyze scores of urban parochial elementary school pupils for The Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale (behavior, intellectual/school status, and anxiety) and for the Torrance Tests of Creativity (fluency, originality, and elaboration). Second, differences between groups divided according to grade, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) were examined. Third, relationships between self-concept and creative potential were investigated. The sample population included 163 pupils, grades 1-6, in a large midwestern city. Multivariate and univariate analysis of variance were used to test four null hypotheses applying the .05 level of confidence.Findings1. Significant differences were found in mean scores obtained by the total group of parochial school pupils indicating more positive self-concepts and lower degree of creativity when compared with the normative population for the two instruments employed.2. No statistical differences were found between primary and intermediate levels for the total group nor for the non-black subgroup. When the subgroup of Blacks was examined separately, differences indicated that intermediate pupils scored significantly higher in creativity than Blacks at the primary level.3. No statistically significant differences were found between any of the groups when divided between high and low socio-economic status.4. Differences were evidenced within certain subgroups when the subjects were divided into Black/non-black groups on the following variables on the Piers-Harris instrument (behavior and anxiety) and on the Torrance instrument (fluency, originality, and elaboration).Conclusions1. Positive self-concept revealed by the sample might be associated with environmental factors, school setting, selectivity of the study body and influence as reference group, philosophical foundations of the parochial schools, or other contributing factors.2. Lower degree of creativity could result from environmental atmosphere, academic expectations of the schools, and/or parential influences.3. Differences evidenced by Blacks on the variables (behavior, anxiety, fluency, originality, and elaboration) might be related to the influences of peer/referent groups, particularly in intermediate grades.4. Parochial school attendance appears to be a stabilizing influence in self-concept of behavior.5. Black students showed an increase in spontaneity and confidence in measures of creative tendencies. How this related to a reduction in positive experiences of self-concept is less obvious.Recommendations for additional research were provided.

published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-81). / vii, 81 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

No description available.

Sociometric status in childhood, despite its predictive validity, remains determinants.The relatively poorly understood construct with regard to its aim of the present study was to attempt a better understanding. Like most research studies, for every question answered, several were raised. Results of the present study indicated that, undoubtedly, an interaction of factors relate to sociometric standing. These include behavioral and cognitive skills as well as personal attributes such as athletic ability and physical attractiveness. The direction of these relationships remains unanswered. Exemplary of this causal confusion is the finding from this and other studies of a positive relationship between various cognitive social skills and popularity. This relationship has been demonstrated most reliably with withdrawn children. However, it is unclear whether cognitive skill deficits discourage interaction or whether reluctance to engage in social interaction impedes the development of social understanding. With this, as with other variables, it is likely best represented as a transactional model. Hence, acceptance by peers for whatever reason encourages, through social reinforcement, continued pursuit in that and other dimensions which, in turn, facilitate increased skill. Further, the importance of many of these dimensions varies with age and sex. Results of the present study partially replicated previous findings of the importance of peer behavior to sociometric status. However, the finding of a positive relationship between popularity and peer initiated negative interactions underscored the importance of differentiating rejected and neglected subgroups of unpopular children. For treatment studies, the accurate identification of these subgroups as well as the development of different treatment programs for withdrawn versus aggressive children is indicated. Although the results of the present study indicated that unpopular children, as a whole, demonstrated poorer skills in social perception, findings from previous studies, coupled with the small magnitude of difference in present findings, suggest that these skills may vary according to the type of unpopular child. Further, it appears that the importance of these cognitive skills is age dependent. Future research in the area of sociometric status should continue to focus on the identification of behaviors, cognitive skills, and personal attributes associated with peer popularity. Rejected and neglected children should be considered as significantly different subgroups of unpopular children. Finally, it is recommended that future research focus on developing more refined and standardized procedures for measuring affective social perception skills since this appears to be a fruitful and relatively unexplored area in relation to sociometric status. / Ph. D.

Socioeconomic status (SES) influences many aspects of a person's life, and stereotypes concerning level of SES and the domain of creativity exist. It was hypothesized that children classified as low SES would perform more creatively in the visual arts and language arts domains of creativity than in the mathematic and scientific domains.

The study "Can recipients of the Child Social Grants in Banana City Informal Settlement generate an adequate standard of living from the Grant?" examines whether the child support grants is accessible and sufficient to generate the livelihoods of beneficiaries. The study evaluates the impact of the grant on low income households particularly beneficiaries in Banana City Informal Settlement. The challenges facing the recipients in accessing the grant are identified and recommendations advanced. The lack of proper Identity Documents was identified as the key challenge facing qualifying and intended beneficiaries of the Child Support Grant. The findings of the study reveal that there is a need for continuous synergy between various governmental departments in ensuring that the Millennium Goal of halving poverty by 2015 is achieved. The research draws from international practices of social welfare measures in countries such as Brazil, India and China. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This research topic presents a discussion on psychosocial deprivation and how it impacts on learners academic performance. It is a case study guided by the following questions: To what extent does psychosocial deprivation influence scholastic performance of grade seven learners? How can the school counteract the effects of psychosocial deprivation? What forms of assistance do parents and teachers need in order to work together to benefit the learners? This is a quantitative study underpinned by the ecosystemic perspective as well as the social constructivist theory. The sample size consisted of seventy learners taken from a primary school which was later reduced to twenty eight learners. The findings of the study were lack of motivation, absenteeism, learning disabilities, difficulties learning English as a second language, stressful family life, poverty and the like were some of the factors that affect learners and eventually results in their poor academic performance. The learners’ environment or neighbourhood is seen as one of the many social contexts that shape children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. However the neighborhood context does not simply “imprint” itself on children, but can be mediated or moderated by other social contexts, in particular the family. Learners who struggle with schoolwork without receiving effective intervention often drop out of school and, as a consequence, have increasingly dire employment prospects. Many learners are invisible strugglers, falling through the cracks and being written off as not needing the extra effort and intervention that educators can provide. Schools, educators and education policy makers must strive to level the playing field by counteracting or minimizing the impact of socio-economic factors on learner’s academic performance by doing the following: Supplying educational materials timeously. Preparing syllabi suited to the age, level and language of learners. Provide ongoing learner support with the help of guidance counselors and social workers. Provide nutritious programmes to supplement those with inadequate diets. Parents and teachers should work together to promote teaching and learning. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.