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.

This study sets out to investigate democratic participation in South Africa and the role that media play and can potentially play within this context. It considers a social movement, as one way in which citizens can organise themselves and make their voices heard to improve their chances of making a meaningful contribution to democracy. It employs Susan Bickford's theory of 'political listening', which offers a potential solution to the lack of political representativeness and inclusiveness, by focusing on the way citizens relate to each other through speaking, listening and dialogue. This study examines whether the interaction between learners and the social movement Equal Education could be considered 'political listening', and the current and possible role of the media within this context of participation. The study also attempts to develop and make a contribution to the language of description for the theory of political listening in order to map it onto the data. Using evidence or data gathered through observation of Equal Education's youth group meetings with learners and in-depth interviews with learners, youth group facilitators, Equal Education staff members and journalists, this study shows how the interaction amongst learners and between Equal Education and learners could be considered political listening and how the social movement works as a democratic project which offers learners an opportunity to exercise their citizenship. Furthermore, it also details the current role of the media and possible role of the media as perceived by Equal Education, learners and by journalists who report on Equal Education's activities. The study does not make conclusive claims about whether 'political listening' occurs between Equal Education and learners and the media because the study is exploratory in nature and involves a lot of trial and error when it comes to applying the theory of political listening to interview and textual data, which is a communication context that the theory is only beginning to chart.

The endangered Western Leopard Toad (Amietophrynus pantherinus) is endemic to the winter-rainfall parts of the Western Cape, areas which are also favoured for human settlement. Residents in the Noordhoek area witnessed many toads being killed on roads during their annual migration to breeding ponds. Concerned citizens mobilised a volunteer group to mitigate this threat to the species. Toad NUTS (Noordhoek Unpaid Toad Savers), a well-established and successful citizen science group is explored as a case study of how environmental citizenship emerges in a citizen science group. This research has three research goals. Firstly to probe the enabling and constraining factors shaping the Toad NUTS practices, secondly to investigate the learning dynamics in the citizen science group and thirdly to understand how participation in citizen science develops environmental citizenship. Practice architectures theory (Kemmis & Grootenboer, 2008) was used to explore how cultural-discursive, economic-material and social-political arrangements shape the practices of the Toad NUTS group. The Toad NUTS group was identified as a community of practice, therefore Lave and Wenger’s (1991) communities of practice theory was used to better understand the social learning processes within the group. The Global Citizenship Education international policy document was used to capture the aims of citizenship education as it relates to environmental issues and identifies the competencies that citizenship education initiatives should develop. The practices of the Toad NUTS group were investigated for evidence of the goals and competencies identified in the Global Citizenship Education policy documents of environmental citizenship. Data was generated through documentary research, surveys, a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and observations. The data was stored, organised and analysed using NVivo data management software in three phases corresponding to the three research goals. With respect to Goal 1, the evidence suggested that there are various shaping arrangements of cultural-discursive, material-economic and social-political configurations which influence Toad NUTS practices. Volunteers must learn to navigate these arrangements in order to successfully implement conservation strategies. The shaping features identified were the WhatsApp group communication system used by volunteers; public awareness and education strategies; equipment, material and funding required for implementing the group’s practices; power balances and exchanges between stakeholders in the conservation field; bureaucratic processes and scientist-lay person exchanges. Very important for facilitating social-political connections to various stakeholders, is the membership Toad NUTS enjoys on the Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee. With respect to Goal 2, four interconnected components of learning were investigated. These were: learning as belonging, learning as doing, learning as meaning-making experience and learning as becoming. Members learn by doing things together like training, patrolling and deliberating problems in the field. They learn by exploring what is collectively known from past and unfolding experiences. Evidence showed that learning deepens as Toad NUTS members perceive their praxis as meaningful and their identities evolve as their knowledge and experience grows. This strengthens members’ sense of belonging and identification with the Toad NUTS group. In time the group develops a reputation and the wider community acknowledges the expertise and knowledge that resides with the group. With respect to Goal 3, it was found that volunteers who have a predisposition for environmental citizenship are more likely to join a citizen science group. Although volunteers care about nature and want to make a difference, it is after gaining access to the embedded knowledge and knowledge processes of the citizen science group that they realise meaningful sustainable solutions to the issue(s) that the project is concerned with. It was found that knowledge paired with reasoned practice enables the agency of volunteers to bring about positive and meaningful change in the local environment. If facilitated carefully, citizen science can make positive contributions to the field, in this instance, conservation, while allowing volunteers to exercise environmental citizenship engaging in participative governance with regard to the project.