Although previous research has been done on adolescents with learning difficulties or barriers to learning such as dyslexia and ADHD, no research has been done in South Africa on their self-perceptions of these difficulties. A phenomenological study was conducted through means of semi-structured, individual, face-to-face interviews. Self-perceptions that adolescents with dyslexia and ADHD form were explored. Selfperceptions are formed through comparisons with other learners and friends. Self-perceptions were left as an open-term in order to investigate the adolescents' own idiosyncratic interpretations of dyslexia and ADHD. From the interviews themes could be identified concerning their understanding of dyslexia and ADHD, feelings and cognitions associated with dyslexia and ADHD, the importance that significant others such as educators, parents and friends play, as well as the adolescents' way of coping with dyslexia and ADHD. Selfperceptions were both negative and positive and found to be influenced by factors such as age, type of support systems and sufficient coping strategies. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

In this qualitative research study the focus is on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Three respondents specialising in sensory integration in the Durbanville area were involved. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the respondents in order to gain knowledge on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by a professional other than an occupational therapist. After permission had been obtained, the interviews were captured on video tape and transcribed for use in the empirical study. Seven themes were identified from the interviews and a literature control was done with each of the themes. The researcher did not attempt to generalise the results of the research, but tried to reflect on the information that the respondents provided. The researcher summarised the findings of the empirical study and made recommendations. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die kind in die middelkinderjare met leerprobleme se belewenis van remediëring binne die skoolmilieu te verken en te beskryf. Ten einde hierdie doelstelling te bereik is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Die doelwitte het onder andere die daarstelling van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk behels wat met behulp van ‘n literatuurstudie en konsultasie met kundiges die kind in die middelkinderjare met leerprobleme wat remediëring binne die skoolmilieu ontvang binne die konteks van hierdie studie gedefinieer het. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met die deelnemers gevoer, waarna data geanaliseer is en gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak is na aanleiding van die deelnemers se belewenis. Hooftemas, subtemas en kategorieë is uit die onderhoude geïdentifiseer en met bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die data is daar gepoog om nie bevindings te veralgemeen nie en aangesien dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was, is elke deelnemer toegelaat om sy of haar belewenis te deel. / During this research, the aim was to explore and describe the experiences of remedial education within the school milieu of the child in middle childhood with learning problems. In order to reach the required goal, a number of objectives were set. The objectives included conceptualising a theoretical framework by means of a literature study and consultation with experts in order to define the child in middle childhood with learning difficulties that receives remedial education within the school milieu. Semi-structured interviews with participants were conducted, whereupon data were analysed and conclusions and recommendations were made according to the participants’ experiences. Main themes, sub-themes and categories were identified in the transcriptions and were verified with existing literature. During the discussion of data the aim was not to generalise the findings, as it was a qualitative study and each participant was allowed to share his or her experience / M.Diac. (Spelterapie) / Social Work

The purpose of the study was to explore problems encountered in the teaching and learning of statistics in grade 11 and to offer ways of addressing them. A convenient sample of 100 grade 11 mathematics teachers and 448 grade 11 mathematics learners participated in the study. A descriptive survey design was used. Data were collected from the teachers using a teacher questionnaire, classroom observation schedule and teacher interview, and from learners through the use of a learner questionnaire, classroom observation schedule, diagnostic test and learner interview. The validity and reliability of all these instruments was established. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to analyse learner questionnaires, teacher questionnaires and learners‟ responses to a diagnostic test. Teacher and learner interviews were transcribed and classified according to themes. Classroom observations were analysed by using themes and checking for similarities and differences. The results showed that teachers had difficulty with the interpretation and calculation of measures of dispersion; representation and interpretation of data on graphs or plots; determining the five number summary; constructing and interpreting probability diagrams and tables; and interpreting probability terminology. Also, the results showed that learners experienced difficulties when using graphs to predict the results; interpreting and determining measures of dispersion; computation of quartiles when the total number of data values was even; representing data on graphs or plots; interpreting and determining measures of central tendency; constructing and interpreting probability graphs and tables; and interpreting probability terminology. The results found possible causes of the teachers‟ difficulties to be (1) their lack of statistics content knowledge; (2) inadequate textbooks; (3) in-service programmes which did not cover statistical topics, or which did not pay adequate attention to probability; and (4) teachers failure to attend these in-service teacher workshops. Further, the findings of the study were that the probable causes of learners‟ difficulties were (1) inadequate teaching of statistics topics in previous grades; (2) teachers‟ lack of content knowledge in statistics meant they had difficulty explaining concepts to learners; (3) inadequate learning material and learners‟ inability to use the statistics function mode on their calculators; and (4) learners‟ lack of conceptual knowledge of certain aspects of statistics. Lastly, the results of the study found that the possible ways to address the problems in the teaching and learning of statistics in grade 11 to be: (1) teachers should receive financial support from their schools/districts to attend in-service education and training programmes; (2) textbooks should be well written (provide thorough explanations) and contain all the information necessary to teach data handling and probability (i.e. formulae, more examples); (3) in-service teacher programmes should meet the needs of the teachers by offering topics that teachers find difficult to teach; and (4) more and longer inset programmes on probability, preferably five-day workshops, should be arranged. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

Abstract The present study reports the results of an intervention in year two based on proven methods to enhance students decoding and reading speed. Since a slow and uncertain decoding can affect reading comprehension. I have conducted tests in two classes in year 2, in decoding, and reading comprehension. I identified 16 students who received results stanine 1 to 3 on one or both tests. These students were given further tests in listening comprehension and in decoding. A standardized test was used both as a pretest and as a posttest, measuring literally awareness, decoding of the content, form and nonsense words and RAN. Five of the students become members in the intervention group, denoted The reading club.  Four students got constitute a control group. Another four pupils lacked sufficient prerequisites for participation, and three students received too high results of decoding test for participation in the study. Should the intervention study, which lasted for 45 minutes three times a week for five weeks, enhance the students decoding skills and reading speed? After completion of the intervention I compared the results from the intervention group with the pupils from the control group and the students who normed the test. The students who participate in The Reading club enhance the reading speed compare to the control group.

Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka hur elever med diagnosen dyslexi upplever sin grundskoletid och det stöd de får och har fått för sina svårigheter under åren, samt i vilken utsträckning lärare anser sig ha tillräcklig utbildning i läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Detta arbete består av dels intervjuer med elever samt enkät med lärare. I studien är sju elever med diagnosen dyslexi intervjuade. De är idag elever i grundskolans årskurs 9. Studiens enkätundersökning, vilken riktar sig mot lärare som undervisar i årskurserna 7-9, skickades till totalt 45 lärare varav det var 30 stycken som svarade. Eleverna berättar att efter betygens införande, så ser man annorlunda på sig själv jämfört med vad man gjorde innan betygen. De säger att de har en större press på sig att leverera eftersom allt nu betygssätts. De berättar också om hur svårt det är med läsning, skrivning och stavning. Eleverna berättar också om sina hjälpmedel och andra anpassningar. De berättar att de alla känner att de måste “plugga” mycket hårdare än sina kamrater samtidigt som de anger att lärarna behöver förstå deras svårigheter bättre. Lärarenkäten visade att 24 lärare (80%) av de som svarat har utbildning som lärare i någon form, medan 6 stycken (20%) har annan utbildning som ligger utanför pedagogiken. Av alla 30 svaranden är det cirka hälften som anger att de behöver kompetensutveckling. Drygt hälften av lärarna anger att de inte har tillräckligt med utbildning i barns läs- och skrivutveckling. De som ges möjlighet till kompetensutveckling är något färre än hälften. Flertalet anger att man ser positivt på hur stödet kan se ut för lärarna. Däremot ser de inte på samarbetet i arbetslagen som odelat positivt. Mindre än hälften av lärarna anser att det finns ett samarbete. Lärarna menar också att det används och erbjuds hjälpmedel till elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter/ dyslexi. Slutsatser som kan dras av denna studie är att många lärare behöver mer genuin kunskap och kompetens gällande barns läs-och skrivutveckling. Eleverna är väl medvetna om sina svårigheter och bekymrade över att de får så olika stöd.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka några elevers uppfattningar angående det stöd de fått under sin skoltid med anledning av deras läs- och skrivsvårigheter. De intervjuade eleverna i studien går i årskurs tre och årskurs fyra. Alla de intervjuade eleverna uppvisar läs- och skrivsvårigheter alternativt dyslexi. Data har samlats in genom kvalitativa intervjuer. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt är de tre specialpedagogiska perspektiven: det kompensatoriska, det kritiska och dilemmaperspektivet. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån de specialpedagogiska perspektiven genom att försöka hitta ett mönster och tema i de intervjuade elevernas svar. I resultatet framkommer det att stödinsatserna som utformats för eleverna mestadels utgår ifrån det kompensatoriska perspektivet. Det framkommer även att elevernas uppfattningar av stöd i skolan ser olika ut. En gemensam uppfattning som de intervjuade eleverna har är att de får stöd både enskilt och i klass med anledning av deras läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Det visar sig dock i resultatet att det stöd som eleverna får inte alltid är välplanerat mellan specialläraren och läraren. Något som kommer fram i resultatet är att eleverna vill vara delaktiga i hur stödet ska se ut och var de ska få stödet. Det visar sig också i studien att stödet som ges till eleverna måste utgå ifrån varje enskild individ för att stödet ska gynna elevernas kunskapsutveckling. / The aim of this study is to examine how pupils in grades three and four perceive the support they receive with regards to their reading and writing difficulties. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the three perspectives connected to special education, namely the compensatory perspective, the critical perspective and the dilemma perspective. In order to collect data, interviews are used and the results are then categorized and analyzed by using the three perspectives connected to special education, as mentioned above. To begin with, the results indicate that the compensatory perspective was the predominant measure used when supporting pupils but it also becomes clear that pupils perceive the support they get in different ways. Moreover, all of the pupils state that they receive help connected to their reading and writing difficulties, both individually and in class. At the same time, though, it becomes clear that the collaboration between the special education teacher and the class teacher is sometimes lacking. Finally, this study shows that pupils wish to be more involved in the process of deciding the frames for the support they need. Another conclusion is that the support given has to focus on the demands and needs of each individual in order for the support to be beneficial to each pupil’s learning process.

Syftet med studien är att identifiera hinder och möjligheter för kommuner att arbeta med klimatomställning genom att analysera hur medborgare förstår, uppfattar och ställer sig till olika klimatrelaterade risker och åtgärder. Kvalitativa individuella intervjuer, samt fokusgruppsintervjuer med invånare i Lagerlunda, Norrköping har genomförts för att studera vad invånarna prioriterar och värdesätter, samt hur de ser på klimatrisker och klimatomställning i Norrköping och i sitt eget bostadsområde. För att identifiera hinder och möjligheter för en lyckad omställning har materialet analyserats med hjälp av Burch et al (2014) faktorer för en lyckad omställning. Studien visar att det största hindret för omställning ur detta perspektiv är en underskattning av klimatriskernas betydelse hos invånarna. Detta visar sig genom invånarnas låga prioritering av klimatrisker, samt svårigheter att få medborgare att ändra sitt beteende för att minska klimatrelaterade risker. Andra hinder som uppkom var bristande information från kommunen om den planerade utvecklingen i Norrköping, möjliga åtgärder för klimatanpassning och utsläppsminskning, samt en bristande kommunikation mellan kommun och invånare. De möjligheter för en lyckad omställning som framkom av studien var invånarnas positiva inställning till att öka cykelmöjligheterna, att prioritera utvecklingen av grönområden och att minska biltrafiken, samt att det finns en vilja att kunna bidra med åsikter i kommunens planeringsprocess. För att lyckas med en hållbar omställning bör Norrköpings kommun fokusera på att informera invånare kring miljö- och klimatfrågor, bakomliggande tankar kring stadens utveckling och öka medborgardeltagandet i planeringsprocesser. / The purpose of this study is to identify difficulties and opportunities for municipalities to work with climate transition by analyzing how citizens understand, perceive and position their selves towards climate-related risks and measures. Qualitative individual interviews and focus group interviews with residents in Lagerlunda, Norrköping has been conducted to study what residents prioritize and values, and how they view climate risks and climate adaptation in Norrköping and in their own neighborhood. In order to identify difficulties and opportunities for transition Burch et al (2014) factors for a successful transition are applied. The study shows that the biggest difficulty toward climate transition is an underestimation of the importance of climate risks among residents. This is manifested by the residents’ low prioritization of climate risks, and in difficulties to get people to change their behavior to reduce climate-related risks. Other identified difficulties are the lack of information from the municipality about the planned development of the city and possible measures for climate adaptation and mitigation, as well as a lack of communication between the municipality and citizens. The opportunities for a successful transition that emerged from the study was the residents' positive attitudes to increase cycling, to prioritize the development of green areas and to reduce car traffic, and that there is a desire to be able to contribute in the municipal planning process. To succeed in a sustainable transition Norrköping, the municipality should focus on informing people about environment and climate issues, underlying thoughts about the development of the city and increase citizen participation in planning processes.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to the results of the Annual National Assessment (ANA) of 2011 in South African schools, approximately 53% of learners in grade 3 and 70% of learners in grade 6 did not reach a partially achieved level of reading. As a result of the reading difficulties, these learners have varying degrees of learning and behavioural difficulties and also experience psychological and emotional challenges. This figure indicates that a high number of people are parenting a child identified as having reading difficulties. Bronfenbrenner’s theory of the ecology of human development indicated the importance of interconnections between school, home, and community settings in order to foster children’s learning. Parents may be better supported and empowered to assist their child by collaboration among teachers and families. This collaboration may be strengthened by utilising knowledge gained from parents’ lived experiences of parenting a child identified as having reading difficulties. The primary research question guiding this phenomenological study involved understanding the experiences of parents with children identified as having reading difficulties. The study’s research methodology can be described as basic qualitative research which is embedded within an interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to select three parents as research participants. Three methods of data collection were employed, namely written reflective notes, structured individual interviews and observations. Furthermore, qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The analysis revealed that four interconnected contexts emerged concerning parents’ lived experiences, namely their relationship with their identified child, their relationships with other family members, their interactions with teachers and the child’s school, and their perception of social support in raising their child. The study found that parents experienced a variety of dismaying emotions regarding their child’s reading difficulties and that parents adopted roles such as caretaker, motivator and advocate in order to obtain the intervention and educational services needed for their child. The findings of this study inform and encourage educators and other support personnel to support parents and promote collaboration with parents of children identified as having reading difficulties, potentially enabling those parents to better support their identified child. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na aanleiding van die uitslae van die Jaarlikse Nasionale Assessering (ANA) van 2011 in Suid- Afrikaanse skole, het ongeveer 53% van leerders in graad 3 en 70% van leerders in graad 6 nie ‘n gedeeltelik bereikte vlak van lees behaal nie. As gevolg van die struikelblokke met lees, ervaar hierdie leerders verskeie grade van leer- en gedragsuitdagings, asook sielkundige en emosionele uitdagings. Hierdie syfers dui aan dat ‘n beduidende hoeveelheid mense in die rol staan van die ouer van ‘n kind met leesstruikelblokke. Bronfenbrenner se teorie van die ekologie van menslike ontwikkeling dui op die belangrikheid van interkonneksies tussen die leerder se skool, tuiste en die konteks van sy gemeenskap vir die bevordering van leer. Ouers kan moontlik meer effektief ondersteun en bemagtig word om hul kind meer effektief te ondersteun, indien ‘n medewerking tussen ouers en onderwysers bewerkstellig kan word. Hierdie medewerking kan versterk word deur kennis aan te wend aangaande ouers se ervaringe in hul rol as die ouer van ‘n kind met leesstruikelblokke. Die navorsingsvraag wat hierdie fenomenologiese studie lei, handel oor ’n begrip van die ervaringe van ouers van kinders wat met leesstruikelblokke geïdentifiseer is. Die navorsingsmetodologie wat in hierdie studie gebruik is, kan beskryf word as basiese kwalitatiewe navorsing binne ’n interpretivistiese paradigma. ’n Doelgerigte steekproef is gebruik om drie ouers as deelnemers te identifiseer. Drie metodes van data insameling is gebruik, naamlik geskrewe, reflektiewe notas; gestruktureerde, individuele onderhoude en waarnemings. Verder is kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die data analise het aan die lig gebring dat vier kontekste wat telkens met mekaar verband hou, na vore gekom het rakende ouers se ervaringe as die ouer van ‘n kind met leesstruikelblokke, naamlik die ouers se verhouding met hul kind, die ouers se verhoudinge met ander lede van die gesin, die ouers se interaksies met die kind se onderwysers en skool asook die ouers se persepsie van die sosiale ondersteuning wat hulle ontvang in hul rol as ouers. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het aangetoon dat ouers verskeie ontmoedigende emosies ervaar rakende hul kind se leesstruikelblokke en dat ouers in die rol van versorger, motiveerder en advokaat optree om sodoende die nodige intervensie en opvoedkundige dienste wat hul kind benodig, te bekom. Die bevindinge het ten doel om opvoeders en ander ondersteuningspersoneel in te lig en aan te moedig om ouers te ondersteun en medewerking tussen opvoeders en ouers van kinders met leesstruikelblokke te bevorder. Sodanige medewerking kan ouers in staat stel om hul kinders meer effektief te ondersteun.

The purpose of this study is to describe some students' own experiences and involvement of remedial instruction during year seven to nine in compulsory school in Sweden. My hope is that the study may contribute in possible ways of supporting students in reading and writing difficulties. The study is qualitative with a life-world approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with four upper secondary school students. The study is retrospective and describes the students´ experiences and perceptions of remedial instruction. The result shows that all four students have their unique perspectives on reading and writing difficulties or dyslexia as a phenomenon. As individuals, they have positive experiences of support and individual teachers´ commitment. These students interviewed have in common an experience of struggling and fight to get their rights respected, and that this has consuming power and energy that otherwise could have been used in the learning process. / Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva några elevers egna upplevelser och deltagande av stödinsatser under svenska grundskolans årskurser sju till nio. Min förhoppning är att studien kan bidra med möjliga vägar att stödja elever i läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Undersökningen är kvalitativ med en livsvärldsansats. Data har samlats in genom halvstrukturerade intervjuer med fyra gymnasieelever. Studien är retroperspektiv och eleverna har sett tillbaka på sin grundskoletid och beskriver sina erfarenheter och upplevelser av det stöd de fick då. Resultatet visar att alla fyra eleverna har sitt unika perspektiv på läs- och skrivsvårigheter eller dyslexi som fenomen. Som individer har de positiva erfarenheter av stödinsatser och enskilda pedagogers engagemang. Gemensamt har eleverna en upplevelse av att ha fått kämpa för att få sina rättigheter tillgodosedda och att detta tagit kraft och energi som annars kunnat komma deras lärprocess till gagn.