published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Examines and rationalizes the instructional strategies used to teach young children with autism early literacy skills using a balanced, multilevel approach to reading. Explores the five domains of reading in a way that brings light to the areas of reading deficits in young children diagnosed with autism. Additionally, attempts to bring the concept of best reading practices to the attention of educators who serve children with autism. The project provides a handbook of literacy activities geared towards children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South African schools teachers are currently being expected to make major changes in the way they understand teaching and learning in the process of adapting to an entirely new curriculum like Curriculum 2005 or Outcomes Based Education (Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker & Engelbrecht, 1999:70). Research asked the question about what the needs of teachers are towards support to facilitate the implementation of inclusive education in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A case study was conducted, the purpose being to inform support programmes for teachers. The target population included a selected primary school, the Mutondo Primary School in the Vuwani Area of the Limpopo Province. Participants included 20 voluntary teachers. A literature review was undertaken on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa. It indicated that teachers showed negative and positive attitudes towards inclusive education in schools. It also showed that that teachers needed support to facilitate positive change in their attitudes toward inclusion in South Africa. Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker and Engelbrecht (1999:157) also emphasised that support was crucial for teachers as they felt that they did not have enough training in order to meet many challenges they come across. The aims of the study was to identify the need for a support programme towards inclusive education for teachers in the Vuwani Area of the Limpopo Province, to provide information to teachers on the implementation of inclusive education and to evaluate the needs for a support programme on the implementation of inclusive education in this area. Information was gathered at the hand of workshops with focus group interviews. The main themes that emerged from the data was the number of learners in a class, resources, the need for in-service training, a culture of respect and acceptance and a flexible curriculum. Findings suggested that a support programme could implement the policy of inclusive education more effectively when teachers' needs for training and support were being met. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika word dit tans van onderwysers verwag om groot veranderinge aan te bring in die wyse waarop hulle onderrig en leer om sodoende te kan aanpas by 'n nuwe kurrikulum soos Kurrikulum 2005 of Uitkomsgebasseerde Onderwys (Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker & Engelbrecht, 1999:70). Hierdie stuk navorsing vra die vraag oor die behoeftes van onderwysers ten opsigte ondersteuning om die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys binne die Limpopo Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te fasiliteer. 'n Gevallestudie is onderneem met as doelom inligting te verskaf ten opsigte van 'n ondersteuningsprogram vir onderwysers. Die teikenbevolking het ingesluit 'n geselekteerde primêre skool in die Vuwani gebied van die Limpopo Provinsie, naamlik die Mutondo Primêre Skool. Deelnemers het 20 vrywillige onderwysers ingesluit. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem oor die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys binne Suid-Afrika. Dit het getoon dat onderwysers beide positiewe en negatiewe houdings openbaar teenoor inklusiewe onderwys binne skole. Dit het verder aangetoon dat onderwysers ondersteuning benodig ten opsigte van die fasilitering van positiewe veranderings in hul houdings jeens inklusiewe onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker en Engelbrecht (1999: 157) beklemtoon dat ondersteuning uiters belangrik is vir onderwysers aangesien hulle voel dat hulle nie genoegsame opleiding het om nuwe uitdagings aan te spreek nie. Doelwitte binne hierdie studie het ingesluit die identifisering van die behoefte aan 'n ondersteuningsprogram vir onderwysers binne die Vuwani area van die Limpopo Provinsie, die deurgee van inligting aan onderwysers rakende inklusiewe onderwys en die evaluering van behoeftes vir 'n ondersteuningsprogram rakende die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys in hierdie gebied. Data is ingesamel aan die hand van werkswinkels met fokusgroeponderhoude. Die hooftemas wat uit die navorsing na vore getree het, was die aantalleerders binne klasse, hulpmiddele, die behoefte van indiensopleiding, 'n kultuur van respek en aanvaarding en laastens 'n buigsame kurrikulum. In kort is bevind dat 'n ondersteuningsprogram die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys kan vergemaklik.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the present study was an exploratory examination/study of the self-concept of learners with Special Education Needs. To this end, all 1005 subjects completed the Piers-Harris Self Concept Questionnaire once. This questionnaire consists of 80 statements divided into six subscales i.e. : Behaviour, Intellectual and School status, Physical appearance, Anxiety, Popularity and Happiness and satisfaction. A total score is then culculated from those separate dimensions. Learners in the four Special Schools were selected per school as follows: • in random order • sex • medium of instruction • technical subject • hostel/day scholar • grade/standard Correlations between self-concept variables were examined, but two other questionnaires containing certain biographical details and information concerning the learners' academic and technical marks and the parents' marital status, were also used in the study. By using these two questionnaires, correlations between self-concept variables and certain biographical variables such as the following were possible : • sex and self-concept • medium of instruction and self-concept • living in the school hostel and self-concept • evaluation of relationship with technical teacher and self-concept • academic achievement and self-concept • technical subject and self-concept and • marital status of parents and self-concept correlations The following decisive correlations emerged as a result of the study : • regarding the correlation between self-concept variables, Happiness and satisfaction as well as Popularity featured strongly with limited Anxiety. Physical Appearance correlated strongly with Popularity and with Happiness and satisfaction. • regarding the correlation between sex and self-concept, it appeared that boys have a better/higher self-concept than girls with regard to Physical Appearance, Happiness and satisfaction and limited Anxiety. • regarding the correlation between medium of instruction and self-concept, there appeared to be a significant link between the self-concept variables: Anxiety, Popularity and Happiness and satisfaction. English speaking learners registered higher values on the scores than Afrikaans speaking learners in all three self-concept variables. • regarding the correlation between living in the school hostel and self-concept, it appeared that day scholars had higher self-concept scores with regard to Physical Appearance, Popularity, Happiness and satisfaction than hostel residents. • regarding the correlation between evaluation of relationship with technical teacher and self-concept, it appeared that there was a significant link between evaluation of the relationship with the teacher and two self-concept variables : Behaviour and Intellectual and School Status. Learners to whom the technical teacher meant a great deal, had higher self-concept scores in Intellectual and School Status than those to whom the technical teacher meant little. regarding the correlation between academic achievement and self-concept and sex, there were significant correlations between academic achievement and self-concept variables such as : Behaviour, Intellectual and School Status and Happiness and satisfaction. Differences between the size of correlations between boys and girls were however, insignificant. • regarding the correlation between technical subject and self-concept, there are significant links between technical subject and Physical Appearance, Anxiety, Popularity and Happiness and satisfaction. • regarding the correlation between marital status of parents and self-concept variables, it appeared that learners whose parents are in the process of divorce, scored lower for Anxiety. They experienced a reasonably high degree of Anxiety and also less Happiness and satisfaction compared to persons whose parents were married or divorced. From the results of this study, it appears that the placing of a learner in a special school, despite the criticisms expressed by opponents, does show positive correlations between self-concept and certain biographical variables as discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die huidige ondersoek was In verkennende ondersoek na die selfkonsep van leerders met Spesiale Onderwysbehoeftes. Om dit te bewerkstellig, het al 1005 proefpersone die Piers - Harris Selfkonsepvraelys eenmalig beantwoord. Dié vraelys bestaan uit 80 stellings wat in ses subskale onderverdeel word, naamlik : Gedrag, Intellektuele- en skoolstatus, Fisiese voorkoms, Angs, Populariteit en Geluk en tevredenheid. In Totaaltelling word dan uit hierdie afsonderlike dimensies bereken. Leerders in die vier Spesiale Skole is per skool soos volg geselekteer : • op In gelykkansige wyse • geslag • onderrigtaal • tegniese vak • koshuis/dagskoliere • graad/standerd Verbande tussen selfkonsepveranderlikes onderling is ondersoek, maar twee ander vraelyste waarin sekere biografiese besonderhede en inligting oor leerders se akademiese en - tegniese punte en ouers se huwelikstatus bekom is, is ook in die ondersoek gebruik. Deur dié twee vaelyste ook te gebruik, kon verbande tussen selfkonsepveranderlikes en sekere biografiese veranderlikes soos die volgende ondersoek word: • verband tussen geslag en selfkonsep • verband tussen onderrigtaal en selfkonsep • verband tussen koshuisinwoning en selfkonsep verband tussen evaluering van verhouding met tegniese onderwyser en selfkonsep • verband tussen akademiese prestasie en selfkonsep • verband tussen tegniese vak en selfkonsep en • verband tussen huwelikstatus van ouers en selfkonsepveranderlikes Uit die resultate van die ondersoek is die volgende beduidende verbande, gevind: • ten opsigte van die verband tussen selfkonsepveranderlikes onderling, het Geluk en Tevredenheid asook Populariteit redelik sterk gekorreleer met lae Angsgevoelens. Fisiese Voorkoms korreleer ook redelik sterk met Populariteit en met Geluk en Tevredenheid. • ten opsigte van die verband tussen geslag en selfkonsep blyk dit dat seuns 'n hoër selfkonsep het as dogters wat betrefFisiese Voorkoms, Geluk en Tevredenheid en laer Angsgevoelens. • ten opsigte van die verband tussen onderrigtaal en selfkonsep blyk dit dat daar 'n beduidende verband is tussen selfkonsepveranderlikes : Angs, Populariteit en Geluk en Tevredenheid. Byal drie selfkonsepveranderlikes toon Engelssprekende leerders hoër waardes op die tellings as Afrikaanssprekendes. • ten opsigte van die verband tussen koshuisinwoning en selfkonsep blyk dit dat leerders wat nie inwoon nie, hoër selfkonseptellings het ten opsigte van Fisiese Voorkoms, Populariteit, Geluk en Tevredenheid as leerders wat inwoon. • ten opsigte van die verband tussen evaluering van verhouding met tegniese onderwyser en selfkonsep blyk dit dat daar 'n beduidende verband is tussen evaluering van verhouding met tegniese onderwyser en twee selfkonsepveranderlikes : Gedrag en Intellektuele en Skoolstatus. Leerders vir wie die tegniese onderwyser baie tot geweldig baie beteken, het hoër selfkonseptellings op Intellektuele en Skoolstatus as diegene vir wie die tegniese onderwyser baie min tot min beteken. • ten opsigte van die verband tussen akademiese prestasie en seljkonsep en per geslag is daar beduidende korrelasies tussen akademiese prestasie en selfkonsepveranderlikes soos : Gedrag, Intellektuele en Skoolstatus en Geluk en Tevredenheid. Verskille tussen grootte van korrelasies tussen seuns en dogters is egter baie gering. • ten opsigte van die verband tussen tegniese vak en seljkonsep is daar beduidende verbande tussen tegniese vak en Fisiese Voorkoms, Angs, Populariteit en Geluk en Tevredenheid en • ten opsigte van die verband tussen huwelikstatus van ouers en seljkonsepveranderlikes blyk dit dat persone wie se ouers besig is om te skei, laer angstellings het, met ander woorde hulle ervaar 'n redelik hoë mate van Angs en ook minder Geluk en Tevredenheid in vergelyking met persone waarvan die ouers in ander huwelikstate verkeer. Uit die resultate van die ondersoek wil dit tog voorkom asof die plasing van 'n leerder in 'n spesiale skool, nieteenstaande al die kritiek wat deur teenstanders uitgespreek word, tog positiewe verbande toon tussen selfkonsepveranderlikes en sekere biografiese veranderlikes soos bespreek

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With current legislation focusing on the implementation of inclusive education, more learners with diverse needs are entering the regular classroom. In order to effectively address the needs of all learners, it is necessary for educators to implement effective teaching 'strategies in educating learners with diverse needs. Many educators have not been trained to address the needs of learners with special educational needs with the help of specific teaching strategies. Because of this, effective in-service training programmes for educators are necessary. The primary aim of this research study was to determine whether the following outcomes of an in-service programme on co-operative learning for educators have materialised in the academic achievement, social skills and motivation of learners with special educational needs have improved. The research design was evaluative in nature and specifically addressed the question of whether the participants (the learners with special educational needs) changed in the direction that the programme was planned. An integrated qualitative and quantitative methodology in evaluation research was followed and involved observations before, during and after the intervention. Research findings indicated that both learners with special educational needs and regular classroom learners benefited favourably from the co-operative learning lessons in terms of academic achievement, motivation and social skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die huidige wetgewing wat die fokus toenemend op die implementering van inklusiewe onderrig laat val, betree al hoe meer leerders met diverse behoeftes die gewone klaskamer. Ten einde in die behoeftes van alle leerders te voorsien, is dit nodig dat opvoeders by die opvoeding van leerders met diverse behoeftes effektiewe onderrigstrategieë implementeer. Baie opvoeders is nie opgelei om met behulp van spesifieke onderrigstrategieë die behoeftes van leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes aan te spreek nie. Vir hierdie rede is effektiewe indiensopleidingsprogramme vir opvoeders noodsaaklik. Die hoofdoel van hiedie navorsingstudie was om vas te stelof die uitkomste van 'n indiensopleidingsprogram in kooperatiewe leer vir opvoeders verwerklik is en of die akademiese prestasie, sosiale vaardighede en motivering van leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes verbeter het. Die navorsingsontwerp was evaluerend van aard en het spesifiek die vraag aangespreek of die deelnemers (die leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes) verandering getoon het in die rigting wat deur die programbeplanning in die vooruitsig gestel is. 'n Geïntegreerde kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodologie in evalueringsnavorsing is gevolg en het waarneming voor, tydens en ná die intervensie behels. Navorsingsbevindings het getoon dat sowel leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes as gewoneklaskamer-Ieerders ten opsigte van akademiese prestasie, motivering en sosiale vaardighede by die koëperatieweleer-lesse baat gevind het.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was undertaken to explore the asset-based approach to community involvement with learners with learning barriers. The extent to which the asset-based approach serves as an extension of the medical and ecosystemic models as well as the role of the educational psychologist was examined. Action-research was used in a qualitative research design that entailed a study of learners with learning barriers of the ELSEN-Unit at Parow Preparatory School. The utilization of the community's assets was directed at the stimulation and further development of the learners' identified assets. It was found that the collaborative relationship within the asset-based approach contributes to community involvement with learners with learning barriers. The study further showed that certain aspects of the medical and ecosystemic models are still utilized during the application of the asset-based approach. However, the latter approach serves as an extension of these existing models, as the focus is directed at the identification and mobilization of the learners' and the community's assets, rather than at their shortcomings and needs. The extension of the medical and ecosystemic models in the management of learners with learning barriers implies certain degree of role modification an expansion of the educational psychologist. The findings concerning the role of the educational psychologist within the asset-based approach is examined and discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem om die bate-gebaseerde benadering tot gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid by leerders met leerhindernisse te ondersoek. Die mate waarin die bate-gebaseerde benadering dien as 'n uitbreiding van die mediese en ekosistemiese modelle, asook die rol van die opvoedkundige sielkundige word ondersoek. In In kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp is gebruik gemaak van aksie-navorsing wat In studie van die leerders met leerhindernisse van die OLSO-Eenheid by Voorbereidingskool Parow behels het. Die aanwending van die gemeenskap se bates was gerig op die stimulering en verdere ontwikkeling van die leerders se geïdentifiseerde bates. Daar is gevind dat hierdie kollaboratiewe verhouding binne die bate-gebaseerde benadering bydra tot gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid by leerders met leerhindernisse. Die studie het verder getoon dat sekere fasette van die mediese en ekosistemiese modelle steeds aangewend word tydens die toepassing van die bate-gebaseerde benadering. Laasgenoemde benadering dien egter as uitbreiding van hierdie bestaande modelle, aangesien op die identifisering en mobilisering van die leerders en die gemeenskap se bates gefokus word, eerder as op hul tekortkominge en behoeftes. Die uitbreiding van die mediese en ekosistemiese modelle in die hantering van leerders met leerhindernisse impliseer sekere rolveranderinge en -uitbreidings van die opvoedkundige sielkundige. Die bevindinge ten opsigte van die opvoedkundige sielkundige se rol binne die bate-gebaseerde benadering word ondersoek en bespreek.