Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

M.Ed. / Traditionally schools for learning disabled pupils taught the language arts within a behaviouristic model where language was broken down into its component parts and sub-skills, which were then taught in a stepwise, sequential manner from the most simplistic towards the whole complex language. In the 1980's there was a grassroots, teacher-initiated movement away from this reductionist orientation towards the teaching of language in a meaningful, integrated manner. A variety of teaching methods developed which were consistent with this new whole language approach. The whole language approach became an inherent part of teachers, encompassing all aspects of a classroom and thus it was referred to as the whole language philosophy. This research focused on the process of a teacher changing from the behaviouristic approach towards the whole language philosophy. Although the research focused on one teacher, it had broader implications for the process of whole language implementation in all schools for learning disabled children. This process of a teacher changing towards the whole language philosophy was explored within the theoretical framework of a model described by Watson. The model presented three dimensions of philosophy formation. The dimensions were practice, theory, and beliefs which were inter-related and constantly evolving as the teacher's philosophy formed. The methodological format used to achieve the research aim was a qualitative single case study. The qualitative design allowed for the process of teacher change to unfold without constraints. It accommodated the explorative, flexible nature of the research and allowed for rich, interpretative descriptions of the process. The research was limited to a single case since the scope of the research allowed for only one teacher to be purposefully selected and educated. The researcher introduced the teacher to the whole language approach by providing suitable reading material, by building a trusting relationship with her, and consulting with her on the practical implementation in her classroom. Simultaneously with the researcher facilitating the change process in the teacher, the researcher collected data from various sources - interviews, documents and journal field notes. Data analysis was done using the content analysis procedure of open coding where manageable units of data were subjected to pre-determined criteria in order to code them into themes. The themes were then clustered into regularly occurring patterns for consolidation and interpretations were then made which led to the research conclusions. The findings of the study supported Watson's three dimensional model. Whole language philosophy formation began with the implementation of borrowed practices, which resulted in successful experiences and prompted the activation of a quest for the underlying theory. Theory activation led to the examination of previously held beliefs which altered with time towards the whole language philosophy. Added to this model, this study indicated that a teacher's whole language philosophy formation is a dynamic process. The process was facilitated by an agent of change and contextualised within the educational system where it required a supportive environment in order to develop. These findings suggested that the agent of change be added to Watson's model as the fourth dimension and that the entire process be contextualised within the educational system.

M.Ed. / The difficulties experienced by children with Asperger syndrome are complex and pervasive and the resultant impact on the successful accommodation of such children in classes of mixed abilities is considerable. Teachers who teach children with Asperger syndrome within a specialised school require formal training and ongoing support so that they can provide the specific and often individualized interventions to cater for the diverse needs of these learners. This study was informed by a critical theory perspective and used a qualitative research design that focused on the emic or insider’s point of view. A participatory action research approach was chosen as it suited small-scale research conducted within a school setting where teachers experienced specific problems. The aim of this enquiry was to identify the support required for teachers to effectively teach children with Asperger syndrome within classes of mixed abilities from Grade R to Grade 3 at a specialised school. The study incorporated qualitative methods of data collection that gave voice to the participants. These inductive methods included open-ended interviews, observations and written documents in the form of a researcher’s and a teacher’s journal.

Foundation phase teachers of an urban, primary school at which the researcher is presently teaching, often complain about the behaviour of learners. Learners are sent out of the classrooms almost everyday, which contravenes education policy. Some of the problems foundation phase teachers complain about are disobedience, fighting, aggression as well as stealing and un-cooperative behaviour. These teachers often send learners with behavioural difficulties out of classes, and then call in parents but this intervention does not result in any changes. Teachers seem not to understand the nature of behaviours and strategies of behaviour management. They resort to losing control, using corporal punishment and think of resigning. Successful management of behavioural difficulties in foundation phase classes is crucial for learner development. Learners are still young and it is their first year at school. They come from different homes and neighbourhoods. Their background often influences their behaviour. Some of foundation phase learners practice the unacceptable behaviour practiced at home or by neighbours not knowing that the behaviour is not acceptable at school. Foundation phase teachers therefore do not always understand learners with behavioural difficulties because of lack of understanding of the nature of the causes of behavioural difficulties as well as the lack of strategies in managing learners with behavioural difficulties. Against this background the purpose of this study is therefore to investigate, explore and describe the support needs of foundation phase teachers in managing behavioural difficulties. In this study the research was conducted in a qualitative research paradigm. The data collection methods were individual interviews and field notes from individual interviews, which were taken as supportive data. A literature survey on the nature and causes of behavioural difficulties as well as the support needs of teachers is discussed in section two. Data was analysed through the qualitative content analysis method. Four categories emerged which are types of behavioural difficulties, causes of behavioural difficulties as well teachers’ present behavioural management strategies and the support needs of foundation phase teachers. Summary of the findings, recommendations for the study as well as critical discussion of the findings is also stated. Recommendations for further research are then suggested. / Mrs. J.V. Fourie

M.Ed. / A lack of optimal self-realization in the pursuit of a career does not only cause career frustration, but also implies a waste of human potential. For this reason vocational guidance at school should function in such a way that the particular needs of intellectually gifted pupils should be observed so that help and support can be given to contribute to the optimal attainment of their potential. The problems related to vocational guidance to the intellectually gifted are mainly due to the fact that these pupils are often able to choose from a large variety of professions due to their particular intellectual abilities, but that these potential do not necessarily correlate with their other personal possibilities. Seen from this point of view, the most important aim of this 'investigation' is to supply pedagogic guidelines based on an analysis and integration of the personal options and career preferences of the gifted in order to assist them in achieving more meaningful self-realization and to prevent the problem of non-optimal utilization of gifted human potential. The manifestation of intrinsic personal potential such as intelligence, ability, interest and personality was researched to determine how it operates within the development of a career image in the highly gifted. The results of the investigation indicate a correlation between different combinations of personal potential and specific career-orientated directions of study. Amore meaningful integration between personal potential and career preference is made possible with the result that the gifted can display ideals and aspirations congruent with their personal potential. Findings led to the following deductions: if the personal potential of the highly gifted is seen in totality there appears to be a combination of personal qualities related to career image development which manifest in clear career tendencies. From these findings one may be justified to assume that the highly gifted may be led to more meaningful self-realization if personal potential such as intelligence, ability, interest and personality are applied as a whole for identification purposes in terms of career recommendations. In addition to the guidelines laid down from the findings of this investigation it is recommended that individual career guidance should be given to the highly gifted in terms of the principles of the Discover system. This system can help the gifted to orientate their values in such a way that the basis for decisionmaking, which implies long-term events, may be founded on a rational basis. It will also help to highlight preferences for certain areas of work through which the attitude to, skills and interest in certain activities may become visible in highly gifted persons.

M.E. (Educational Psychology) / The phenomenon of learning disability is evident within many children. This problem obstructs the mastering of basic didactical skills in children. Despite the fact that these children appear to have adequate intellectual abilities, they experience serious .problems in mastering such skills as reading, spelling and writing as well as arithmetical skills. These problems lead to a low selfesteeIll and causes incessant failure in scholastic achievement. Learning disabled children are in need of a highly specialized instructional programme.in order to overcome their learning problems. In Transvaal, provision is made for learning disabled children by aid class placement. Many parents however have objections against placement in aid classes in that their children become "exeptional children". They believe that their children can overcome their learning problems by means of their remedial programmes. It was thus essential to arrive at a psychological and a didactical view of the learning disabled child. Furthermore it was necessary to undertake a psycho-didactic consideration of reading- and arithmetic problems. Aid class instruction and alternative remedial procedures as such, were emphasized. The purpose of this study therefore was to determine whether learning disabled children could adequately overcome their learning problems by means of alternative remedial procedures. Two groups of learning disabled children were identified id est those who were placed in aid classes and those who were for various reasons not placed in aid classes. Three different reading tests as well as addition and subtraction tests were administered to ascertain the children I s level of scholastic achievement.

D.Ed. / This study focuses on disability and specific learning difficulties as barriers to learning. With the introduction of inclusive education in South Africa, the fundamental rights of learners with disabilities to access educational opportunities equal to their non-disabled peers, were recognised. Many learners with physical disabilities and specific learning difficulties started attending mainstream schools, instead of being referred to special schools. The inclusion of these learners brought about many challenges to them, as well as to their teachers. It was now expected from teachers to make instructional, curriculum and assessment adaptions, in order to support and assist learners with a variety of disabilities and learning difficulties and to cater for their diverse needs. Learners with physical-, sensory- or neurological disabilities, as well as those with specific learning difficulties, may experience reading and writing difficulties which prevent them from giving a true reflection of their acquired knowledge in classroom tests and examinations. These barriers to learning are therefore causing barriers to assessment. The purpose of adaptive methods of assessment (also called special concessions) is to minimize the effects of a learner’s intrinsic or extrinsic barriers upon assessment performance and to place him/her on par with other learners. It provides the opportunity for learners experiencing barriers to assessment, to participate in the assessment process and to reach their full potential - which is in accordance to an inclusive learning community. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers should be familiar with the various types of disabilities and learning difficulties, as well as the appropriate special concessions that should be implemented, should a learner experience a barrier to assessment. The purpose of this research study was to explore and describe Grade 7 teachers’ understanding and implementation of adaptive methods of assessment (particularly amanuenses), for learners with reading and writing difficulties. A qualitative research study from an interpretative research paradigm was conducted. In this study I used a qualitative case study design. Sixteen teachers from four primary schools, as well as the four principals of the respective schools in the district of Gauteng East, were selected purposively as participants. Openended questionnaires, focus group interviews, observations and field notes, as well as document analysis of the schools’ assessment policies, were used as methods of data collection. The data was transcribed and analysed, using Tesch’s method of open coding and was interpreted on the basis of the literature.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / This study is concerned with the acquisition of language skills by the learning disabled child. A thorough literature survey was conducted, in which the acquisition of both the oral language and the written word were investigated. The survey reveals the importance of certain prerequisites for the mastering of language skills. The research also identifies the causes for and consequences of delay in language development. As a result of this survey, the importance of auditory perceptual skills in the acquisition of reading and spelling performances is emphasized in the design of a model for language acquisition. This survey was conducted to design a model for the acquisition of language skills, with special emphasis on auditory perception. Auditory perception skills are used as aids in the reading process to acquire the necessary skills to decode unfamiliar words in the text to be read. In the design of the model attention was given to the relevant and important matters as described in the literature, as well as to some didactical principles in the teaching of the learning disabled. The design of the model is based on the guidelines as deduced from the description as found in the literature, as well as the investigator's own empirical experience for a number of years in the teaching of identified learning disabled children in an aid class of the TED. This model was applied with great success on a group basis in an aid class at a primary school. It was also successfully applied on a great number of children in need of individual remedial teaching. The applicability and value of the model are verified by an ideographic survey conducted on the pupils in the aid class. A case study on six pupils is described in the thesis and the expected improvement in reading and spelling performance is verified.

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This thesis advances the proposition that learning disabled students' participation in kinesthetic or dance and mime performance activities provides an alternative expressive mode to the verbally oriented activities through which creativity has traditionally been examined and evaluated. Between February and May, 1989, I designed and carried out research project in an elementary school in Vancouver, B.C. A group of students, characterized as "learning disabled," participated under my direction in the design, rehearsal, and presentation of a performance of mime and movement to a narrated text developed mainly by the students. Techniques of participant observation and interview (as well as videotape recordings) were used to document both students' activities and the responses of students and their teachers The technique of cognitive mapping was used to analyze observations of the students in kinesthetic activities. Results of this case study have implications for theory and practice. Theoretical implications relate to conceptions o creativity derived from Maslow's description of "peak experiences" and from analyzing Weisberg's definition of creativity. An applied outcome of this research allows practical generalizations about the use, design, and implementation of programmed kinesthetic activities as a means of encouraging creativity among learning disabled students. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate