The current democratic climate in South Africa, along with current educational reform has called for a re-consideration of assessment and intervention procedures in the education and psychology context. Historical procedures of assessment and intervention programmes have been seen to be culturally biased, unfair, and unethical to children. These methods have been further regarded as too simplistic. A call for an approach to assessing and supporting children, which takes into consideration many factors of the child’s environment, has been placed. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the constructivist ecosystemic approach to assessment and intervention used with a case study, Matthew, who was assessed and supported in this approach prior to the onset of this study. A constructivist, ecosystemic assessment process, The Initial Assessment and Consultation (IAC) was used in understanding the child’s development. Such an assessment process called for an ecosystemic intervention programme, including, learning support through the application of the Cognitive Approach to Literacy Instruction (CATLI) as well as play therapy for the child and parent counselling for the parents. Methods of qualitative data collection were used, such as surveys completed by all the participants and extant data, such as learning support exams, lesson plans and a journal as well as counselling process notes. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings of this study suggest that a holistic constructivist ecosystemic approach to assessment and interventions is a viable process in understanding and supporting an underachieving anxious child. However, it is acknowledged that a considerable body of research needs to be achieved before this finding can be considered conclusive. In addition, certain constraints to using this approach were acknowledged, such as time and expertise.

How people survive and thrive through adversity is a question which has prompted much research. There is little agreement on the definition of resilience beyond the basic idea of "bouncing back", resulting in many studies which offer contradictory and confusing information. This study sought to organise the literature into broad conceptual categories, and attempted to explain some of the differences in definitions and research methods at the level of paradigm. A need to reconceptualise resilience was identified and undertaken in view of input from ecosystemic, cybernetic and postmodem paradigms. Attention was given especially to the role oflanguage, meaning and description, and the role of the observer/researcher in such a reconceptualisation. Guidelines were offered for approaching research in future. Finally, the context of the researcher was examined in an attempt at self-reflexivity as part of the process of research as proposed in the reconceptualisation. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

How people survive and thrive through adversity is a question which has prompted much research. There is little agreement on the definition of resilience beyond the basic idea of "bouncing back", resulting in many studies which offer contradictory and confusing information. This study sought to organise the literature into broad conceptual categories, and attempted to explain some of the differences in definitions and research methods at the level of paradigm. A need to reconceptualise resilience was identified and undertaken in view of input from ecosystemic, cybernetic and postmodem paradigms. Attention was given especially to the role oflanguage, meaning and description, and the role of the observer/researcher in such a reconceptualisation. Guidelines were offered for approaching research in future. Finally, the context of the researcher was examined in an attempt at self-reflexivity as part of the process of research as proposed in the reconceptualisation. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

The aim of this study was to explore the self-concept of battered South African women. The ecosystemic approach was used to ground the battering experience. This qualitative framework was exploratory and also included an in-depth analysis of the battering experiences as narrated by abused women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data obtained were analysed through the use of the hermeneutic method. The following were the themes that emerged out of the narratives: dominance, control versus loss of control, connection versus disconnection, security versus insecurity, and feelings of degradation. The study provides a holistic understanding of battering and its impact on women’s selfconcept. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Communication can be divied into two broad areas namely, the verbal and nonverbal levels. While attention has been paid to nonverbal communication in the literature, few studies address the nonverbal communication that takes place in the natural setting of a therapeutic session. The present study provides such a naturalistic study, where the verbal content of actual therapy sessions are integrated with the nonverbal content to yield a holistic view of the session. An ecosystemic epistemology is adopted in this study, and represents a move away from more traditional approaches to nonverbal behaviour which are largely confined to a positivistic framework of thought and design. Symlog Interaction Scoring is employed as a practical method of assisting observers in distinguishing nonverbal behaviours, which are usually perceived unconsciously, and lifting them into consciousness, allowing this infonnation to be integrated with the meanings and hypotheses generated during therapy. By deliberately including descriptions of nonverbal behaviour, the descriptions of therapy were broadened, thereby providing a more holistic approach to therapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die tradisionele Newtoniaanse wetenskapsbeskouing berus op drie basiese aannames, naamlik lineere oorsaaklikheid, reduksionisme en objektiwiteit. Ernstige kritiek word al hoe meer teen hierdie basiese aannames van die Newtoniaanse benadering geopper. Veral vanuit die sistemiese en ekosistemiese benaderings is alternatiewelike denkraamwerke tot hierdie benadering voorgestel. Die mees kontemporere denkraamwerk (epistemologie), naamlik die ekosistemiese benadering, is gebaseer op outonomie, struktuurgedetermineerdheid, attribusie van betekenis en konstruktivisme. Hierdie ekosistemiese beginsels is in hierdie studie gebruik om gevangenisproblematiek (wat tot op hede gekenmerk was deur Newtoniaanse denke) te herkonseptualiseer. Die nuwe konseptualisering is prakties in die psigoterapeutiese proses met gevangenes ge'lllustreer. In hierdie proses is outonomie op drie vlakke (die van gevangene, terapeut en gevangenisstelsel) bevorder. Hierdie konseptualisering skyn dus 'n wetenskaplikverantwoordbare basis te bied waarbinne gevangenisstelsels beskou kan word. / The traditional Newtonian approach to science is based on three fundamental assumtions, namely linear causality, reductionism and objectivity. Serious criticism is increasingly being brought against these fundamental assumptions of the Newtonian approach. Specifically the systemic and ecosystemic approaches have presented alternative ways of thought (epistemology). The mos t contemporary epistemology, namely the ecosystemic approach, is based on autonomy, structure-determinism, attribution of meaning and constructivism. These ecosystemic principles were used in this study to reconceptualize problems associated with prisoners, problems previously approached in a Newtonian way. This new conceptualization was practically illustrated in the psychotherapeutic process with prisoners. In this process autonomy of the prisoner, therapist and the prison system was promoted. This conceptualization present a scientifically justified basis for thinking about correctional systems. / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkunde)

The aim of this study was to explore the self-concept of battered South African women. The ecosystemic approach was used to ground the battering experience. This qualitative framework was exploratory and also included an in-depth analysis of the battering experiences as narrated by abused women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data obtained were analysed through the use of the hermeneutic method. The following were the themes that emerged out of the narratives: dominance, control versus loss of control, connection versus disconnection, security versus insecurity, and feelings of degradation. The study provides a holistic understanding of battering and its impact on women’s selfconcept. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Communication can be divied into two broad areas namely, the verbal and nonverbal levels. While attention has been paid to nonverbal communication in the literature, few studies address the nonverbal communication that takes place in the natural setting of a therapeutic session. The present study provides such a naturalistic study, where the verbal content of actual therapy sessions are integrated with the nonverbal content to yield a holistic view of the session. An ecosystemic epistemology is adopted in this study, and represents a move away from more traditional approaches to nonverbal behaviour which are largely confined to a positivistic framework of thought and design. Symlog Interaction Scoring is employed as a practical method of assisting observers in distinguishing nonverbal behaviours, which are usually perceived unconsciously, and lifting them into consciousness, allowing this infonnation to be integrated with the meanings and hypotheses generated during therapy. By deliberately including descriptions of nonverbal behaviour, the descriptions of therapy were broadened, thereby providing a more holistic approach to therapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die tradisionele Newtoniaanse wetenskapsbeskouing berus op drie basiese aannames, naamlik lineere oorsaaklikheid, reduksionisme en objektiwiteit. Ernstige kritiek word al hoe meer teen hierdie basiese aannames van die Newtoniaanse benadering geopper. Veral vanuit die sistemiese en ekosistemiese benaderings is alternatiewelike denkraamwerke tot hierdie benadering voorgestel. Die mees kontemporere denkraamwerk (epistemologie), naamlik die ekosistemiese benadering, is gebaseer op outonomie, struktuurgedetermineerdheid, attribusie van betekenis en konstruktivisme. Hierdie ekosistemiese beginsels is in hierdie studie gebruik om gevangenisproblematiek (wat tot op hede gekenmerk was deur Newtoniaanse denke) te herkonseptualiseer. Die nuwe konseptualisering is prakties in die psigoterapeutiese proses met gevangenes ge'lllustreer. In hierdie proses is outonomie op drie vlakke (die van gevangene, terapeut en gevangenisstelsel) bevorder. Hierdie konseptualisering skyn dus 'n wetenskaplikverantwoordbare basis te bied waarbinne gevangenisstelsels beskou kan word. / The traditional Newtonian approach to science is based on three fundamental assumtions, namely linear causality, reductionism and objectivity. Serious criticism is increasingly being brought against these fundamental assumptions of the Newtonian approach. Specifically the systemic and ecosystemic approaches have presented alternative ways of thought (epistemology). The mos t contemporary epistemology, namely the ecosystemic approach, is based on autonomy, structure-determinism, attribution of meaning and constructivism. These ecosystemic principles were used in this study to reconceptualize problems associated with prisoners, problems previously approached in a Newtonian way. This new conceptualization was practically illustrated in the psychotherapeutic process with prisoners. In this process autonomy of the prisoner, therapist and the prison system was promoted. This conceptualization present a scientifically justified basis for thinking about correctional systems. / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkunde)

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how teachers implement school-based psychosocial support to Grade 12 learners who have behavioural and emotional problems. As a secondary school teacher herself, the researcher frequently interacts with Grade 12 learners who have behavioural and emotional problems. Occurrences of behavioural and emotional problems are on the increase. This inference is based on the large number of reported learner problems in the School-based Support Team (SBST) records of a secondary school. The behavioural and emotional problems reported included violent aggressive behaviour, sexual and substance dependency, teenage pregnancy, early school drop-out and truancy. Learner problems may be caused by a variety of factors emanating from unmet development needs (Mwawenda, 2003), as well as biological factors and family and /or school factors (Papalia, Olds and Feldman, 2008). Kapp (2003), on the other hand, is of the opinion that a conducive environment may reduce learner problems and enhance improved learner wellbeing. This study forms part of the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI) introduced to certain secondary schools in 2008. Ten teachers, who were part of the school-based team of the secondary school researched, participated in this initiative. REPPSI’s initial objective was to provide psychosocial support to children orphaned by HIV/Aids in South African Development Countries (SADC). The initiative focused on taking care of children’s developmental needs– social, emotional, behavioural, physical and spiritual. In the case of the school researched, this study was a pilot project to use REPPSI guidelines to provide psychosocial support to learners who have behavioural and emotional problems in participating schools. The study investigates how teachers implement psychosocial support based on the REPSSI Initiative. The study further explores how an ecosystemic approach can be used as an alternative approach to enhance the implementation of psychosocial services provided to learners. The study anticipates that an alternative approach will improve the school-based psychosocial initiative for adolescent learners who have behavioural and emotional problems in schools. The researcher used a constructivist paradigm to describe the school-based psychosocial support provided to adolescent learners who have behavioural and emotional problems. A case study design with 10 teachers in the school-based support team was selected. The participant teachers were conveniently and purposefully selected from REPSSI trained teachers. A focus group was used to facilitate semi-structured interviews. Ten participants shared their common perceptions and concerns (De Vos, Strydom Fouche’ and Delport, 2006) in a fairly short period (two sessions of one and half hours duration with teachers). Observations, photographs, reflective notes and field notes were used to gather information. A thematic content analysis of data was used to interpret data. To ensure rigour, it was verified with participants that they agreed with the results of the data analysis process. Debriefing meetings were also held with the researcher’s supervisor. The results of this study showed that teachers view need the pre and in-service training in ecosystemic approach to reduce behavioural and emotional problems of learners important. The results reveal that the use of ecosystemic approach by teachers and all role players in the adolescent learner’s life may enhance the effectiveness of school-based psychosocial support. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)