Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die leerder in die primêre skool, wat ander afknou, se psigiese lewensaktualisering te verken en te beskryf. Om hierdie doelstelling te bereik, is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie is ondersoek ingestel na die ontwikkeling van die leerder in die middelkinderjare. Voorts is die konsep van afknouery ondersoek, om sodoende ‘n psigiese beeld te kan skep van die leerder wat ander afknou. Projeksiemedia is in drie gevallestudies gebruik om empiriese inligting rakende die doel van die navorsing te bekom. Temas is uit die projeksiemedia geïdentifiseer en teen die bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die inligting wat uit die projeksiemedia verkry is, is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Daar is gepoog om die bevindinge nie te veralgemeen nie, omdat dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was. / The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the psychological life actualization of the learner in primary school who bullies others. To achieve this goal, specific objectives were set. The development of the learner in middle childhood was examined by means of a literature investigation. Furthermore, the concept of bullying was investigated, thus creating a psychological image of the learner who bullies others. Projection media were used in three case studies to obtain empirical information regarding the objective of the research. Themes from the projection media were identified and verified against the existing literature. During the discussion of the information acquired from the projection media, conclusions and recommendations were made. An attempt was made not to generalize the findings, because this was a qualitative study. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

I became aware of the frequency of the traumatic effect of parental divorce on the lives of the children involved. My research intervention is investigating what value working with clay as therapeutic medium could have for young children from divorced homes. I used non-directive instruction to see whether it enabled children to relate and express their personal experiences more easily . Some children seemed hesitant about projecting their own emotions onto the clay models but, in the end, rich information and spontaneous communication was achieved. The analysis and interpretation of the data from the therapy sessions clearly showed the value of using clay as a therapeutic medium when working with children from divorced homes. By expressing and sharing feelings and emotions experienced during and after parental divorce, the participants indicated that it helped them to work through guilt and other issues, and to come to terms with the reality of the changes in their lives. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

South African schools provide an enormous challenge for transformation towards inclusive and caring communities of learners, facilitators and caregivers. This qualitative study conducted at a primary school used narrative pastoral therapy-as-research and participatory action research-as-therapy to develop inclusive and caring practices. Co-authoring conversations with learners and caregivers from a diverse cultural and religious traditions and collaborating with facilitators challenged me to develop pastoral care as political care. This paved a way for future transformation of a school as a multi-religious community of care and respect. I engaged with participants in finding alternative ways of dealing with loss due to death of loved ones or separartion from caregivers. Children with chronic illness challenged their experiences of rejection and marginalisation at school by writing and producing a play while those whose voices were silenced chose other ways to inform learners and facilitators about their illness. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Practical research has shown that children experiencing learning restraints may suffer from high stress levels. These children encounter difficulty adapting to normal scholastic challenges and their performance often appear marginalised. The objective of this study is to explore the phenomenon of stress experienced by three eleven year old learners with learning restraints in the intermediate phase. The literature study on this topic has shown that learning restraints not only affect a child scholastically, but in his entire being. Based on this understanding, learning restraints may cause stress due to habitual underachievement in the learning environment. These learners might not necessarily have extremely poor cognitive abilities, but perceive themselves as incompetent or "dumb". In the empirical study, projection techniques were mainly utilised to determine stress levels experienced by learning restrained learners, from their internal frame of reference. From these findings, certain recommendations are proposed for psychotherapy. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die leerder in die primêre skool, wat ander afknou, se psigiese lewensaktualisering te verken en te beskryf. Om hierdie doelstelling te bereik, is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie is ondersoek ingestel na die ontwikkeling van die leerder in die middelkinderjare. Voorts is die konsep van afknouery ondersoek, om sodoende ‘n psigiese beeld te kan skep van die leerder wat ander afknou. Projeksiemedia is in drie gevallestudies gebruik om empiriese inligting rakende die doel van die navorsing te bekom. Temas is uit die projeksiemedia geïdentifiseer en teen die bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die inligting wat uit die projeksiemedia verkry is, is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Daar is gepoog om die bevindinge nie te veralgemeen nie, omdat dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was. / The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the psychological life actualization of the learner in primary school who bullies others. To achieve this goal, specific objectives were set. The development of the learner in middle childhood was examined by means of a literature investigation. Furthermore, the concept of bullying was investigated, thus creating a psychological image of the learner who bullies others. Projection media were used in three case studies to obtain empirical information regarding the objective of the research. Themes from the projection media were identified and verified against the existing literature. During the discussion of the information acquired from the projection media, conclusions and recommendations were made. An attempt was made not to generalize the findings, because this was a qualitative study. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

I became aware of the frequency of the traumatic effect of parental divorce on the lives of the children involved. My research intervention is investigating what value working with clay as therapeutic medium could have for young children from divorced homes. I used non-directive instruction to see whether it enabled children to relate and express their personal experiences more easily . Some children seemed hesitant about projecting their own emotions onto the clay models but, in the end, rich information and spontaneous communication was achieved. The analysis and interpretation of the data from the therapy sessions clearly showed the value of using clay as a therapeutic medium when working with children from divorced homes. By expressing and sharing feelings and emotions experienced during and after parental divorce, the participants indicated that it helped them to work through guilt and other issues, and to come to terms with the reality of the changes in their lives. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This study is an investigation into the effective utilisation of Mmaskitlane, a psychotherapeutic African indigenous narrative play technique. The investigation was carried out with six primary school learners in the Tshwane North District of Education in Gauteng Province. The learners were referred for emotional problems and the play was used to enhance emotional healing. The technique was used in both its forms, namely, one which involves learners hitting one stone with another as they narrate their stories, and the other where learners draw symbols representing the characters in their stories. In order to render culturally appropriate services, therapy was carried out in the clients’ mother tongue which was mainly seTswana. The investigation adopted a constructivist interpretivist paradigm, involving the use of a qualitative research design that made use of multiple case studies. Because the research question explored a relatively new research area and there was the possibility of new literature coming up during the process of the study, case studies allowed for a certain flexibility. Qualitative analysis showed how Mmaskitlane helped participants to express global children’s beliefs, such as blaming themselves for dysfunctions occurring in their families and feeling guilty as a result. Through thematic analysis the clients were able to process and express their negative emotions and as a result catharsis was enhanced. The main focus of the study was on how Mmaskitlane could be best utilised in play therapy to achieve the above-mentioned effects. Ultimately, the findings were twofold, namely, that therapists could either be actively involved as participant players of the game during therapy, or secondly, that those who would rather not play along with the clients could be actively involved as participant observers, engaging only in the question and answer stage of the game. This investigation enabled me to effectively document guidelines for ways in which therapists can use Mmaskitlane effectively in play therapy. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

From a feminist theology of praxis the appreciative inquiry used in this research reflected on the constituting role the living of values by facilitators play in transforming the lives of children who suffer the effects of poverty, neglect and abuse. The concretisation or the living of values within the school community linked with the theme of solidarity with the marginalised. The facilitators' solidarity with children as "concrete others" became ways of doing participatory ethics. As part of a postmodern paradigm, a social constructionist discourse made it possible for therapist-researcher and participants to view the facilitators' work and the research itself as part of a relational process. Appreciative inquiry invited a reflective stance towards action, relating and personal knowledge. The research also reflected on poststructuralist theory and practice, and the power of imagination and language to re-describe of the work of facilitators. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

From a feminist theology of praxis the appreciative inquiry used in this research reflected on the constituting role the living of values by facilitators play in transforming the lives of children who suffer the effects of poverty, neglect and abuse. The concretisation or the living of values within the school community linked with the theme of solidarity with the marginalised. The facilitators' solidarity with children as "concrete others" became ways of doing participatory ethics. As part of a postmodern paradigm, a social constructionist discourse made it possible for therapist-researcher and participants to view the facilitators' work and the research itself as part of a relational process. Appreciative inquiry invited a reflective stance towards action, relating and personal knowledge. The research also reflected on poststructuralist theory and practice, and the power of imagination and language to re-describe of the work of facilitators. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

In the light of the HIVAIDS pandemic in South Africa and its potential impact on learners, counselling is still the best available tool that can be used by the school management team to deal with the loss, pain, trauma and suffering experienced by the lear:ners. This study focuses on the role and functions of the school management team in managing the counselling of primary school learners affected by HIV/AIDS in Mount Ayliff District in the Eastern Cape, using a literature review and empirical· investigation. The former discusses the HIV/AIDS phenomenon, school policy on HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS counselling, and the role and functions of the school management team in managing school counselling services. Egan's model, known as the skilled helper model was used to provide an understanding of counselling services. A qualitative study investigated the views of a sample of management teams of three primary schools in Mount Ayliff District in the Eastern Cape. Sites and participants were selected by purposeful sampling. Data were collected by use of indepth interviews with two principals, two deputy principals, four heads of departments (HODs) and one senior teacher. All the interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. Notes were also taken to supplement the audio-tapes. The data were later analysed. Essentially, findings illustrated that the school management team has a critical role in ensuring the provision of effective counselling services to those learners who are affected by HIV/AIDS. The data further reflected the importance of a school counsellor, an HIV/AIDS school policy and the Department of Education's intervention in training and empowering the management team in effectively managing the ravages of HIV/AIDS in schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)