Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been an increase in the popularity of adventure programming over the past few years, with the result that the practice of high-risk recreational activities is growing phenomenally. This study examined how students who are enrolled in a full time adventure education programme involving high-risk recreational activities would differ in terms of sensation-seeking, locus of control and self-efficacy when compared to their non-participative peers. The research group devoted a whole year towards an adventure-based gap year programme that utilises high-risk recreational activities as a core aspect of the programme’s curriculum. It was hypothesised that the research group will measure higher in sensation-seeking, locus of control and self-efficacy when compared to the research equivalent group. For this cross- sectional quantitative study, the research group consisted of 25 students participating in the high-risk iALA recreational adventure programme. The research equivalent group consisted of 34 first year university students. The two sample groups were assessed in terms of their attribute differences on Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale, Sherer’s General Self-efficacy Scale, and Rotter’s Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. MANOVA and ANOVA analyses were performed in order to analyse the data. The study indicated that there was a significant difference in sensation-seeking between the two samples. There was, however, no significant difference in levels of locus of control and self-efficacy between the two samples. The study’s significant findings support trends in previous studies concerning greater sensation-seeking among participants of high-risk recreation activities. Important considerations for the results obtained are provided together with implications for further research in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Avontuurprogramme het die afgelope paar jaar in gewildheid toegeneem en het tot gevolg dat daar al hoe meer van hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite gebruik gemaak word. Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe studente wat aan hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite deelneem, verskil ten opsigte van die soeke na sensasie, lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit in vergelyking met hul niedeelnemende portuurs. Die eksperimentele groep het vir ʼn jaar deelgeneem aan ʼn gapingsjaar-avontuurprogram met hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite wat ʼn kernsaspek van die kurrikulum uitmaak. Die hipotese was dat die eksperimentele groep hoër sou meet in die soeke na sensasie, lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit as die kontrolegroep. Vir die doel van hierdie kwantitatiewe studie het die eksperimentele groep uit 25 studente bestaan wat aan hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite deelgeneem het gedurende die gapingsjaar-avontuurprogram. Die kontrolegroep het uit 34 eerstejaar universiteitstudente bestaan. Ten einde die verskil tussen die twee groepe te assesseer, is Zuckerman se Sensation-Seeking Scale, Sherer se General self-efficacy scale, en Rotter se Internal external locus of control scale gebruik. ʼn MANOVA en ANOVA is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die studie het getoon dat daar ʼn betekenisvolle verskil tussen die twee groepe was ten opsigte van die soeke na sensasie. Daar was egter geen betekenisvolle verskil in die vlakke van lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit tussen die twee groepe nie. Bevindings van die huidige studie oor die soeke na sensasie het bevindings van vorige studies rakende die soeke na sensasie en hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite ondersteun. Belangrike afleidings kan gemaak word uit die resultate wat verkry is wat moontlikhede bied vir verdere navorsing in hierdie veld.

As many as a quarter of undergraduate college students are placed on academic probation at least once during their college career. In addition, first-generation college students are even more at-risk for stopping out or dropping out due to being less academically prepared than their non-first-generation peers. In order to examine factors that influence first generation student academic risk and success, this exploratory study examined the intersection of academic standing and four primary conceptual contributors: academic integration, personal adjustment, family and social adjustment, and psychological factors. Survey data were collected from first generation undergraduate students at an urban research university who were placed on academic probation and those who returned to good standing. Six overarching themes emerged that demonstrate critical importance in first generation student academic success: 1) overall study skills, 2) class attendance 3) health-related issues, 4) financial difficulties, 5) family and personal issues, and 6) physiological symptoms. In addition, these factors appear to have additive and multiplier affects for students. First generation students may be able to overcome one set of factors but each new dimension can further inhibit academic good standing. Recommendations include mandatory advising and college success classes.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Trans-national migration to English-speaking countries has become increasingly popular among Asian families. Their aim is for their children to obtain overseas educational credentials and to gain the English language as cultural capital in the global market. Over the past few years, South Africa has been perceived as a place where immigrants, as well as migrants can make a new life for themselves and their families. The study aimed to explore the support given by parents/guardians of Korean migrant learners with regard to the learners' primary schooling experiences. In seeking to understand the phenomenon of parent/guardian support of Korean migrant learners' primary schooling experiences, I use the ecosystemic approach, which is constructed by both the general systems and the ecological theories. I discuss the ecosystemic framework by dividing it into its micro-, meso- and macro-systems. In the research, within the micro- and meso-systems the parent/guardian was considered to be part of a larger system of family, school, education system and community. These systems interact with each other. Acculturation theory, which focuses on psychological adjustment of the migrant learners, influenced the inquiry. Furthermore, Korean migrant families struggle within various ecological social systems outside the family system. These include the educational, physical, mental health, economic and political systems, which can influence the reasons for migration. The matter of cultural differences and the way in which they influence Korean migrant learners' schooling experiences were also explored. The macro-systems analysis includes Bourdieu's theory on cultural capital and the social closure theory. The specific design selected for this study is a case study that is qualitative and explorative in nature. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual parents/guardians and a focus group to gather information regarding the support given to Korean migrants in their primary schooling experiences. The data was analysed within the micro-, meso- and macro-systems and themes emerged during the interviews. The findings revealed that the macro-systems focused on the reasons for migration, which were gaining English skills and experiencing the process of globalisation. The study also focused on the micro-systems and thus dealt with the diverse experiences of the participants, which included the family dynamics, the support given to Korean migrant learners and parents'/ guardians' perceptions of schooling experiences. The trans-national migrant families in South Africa vary between 'wild goose families', nuclear families and guardianships. The support given to Korean migrant learners ranges from emotional support (e.g. hugs, kisses and motivation), financial support (e.g. money for various things) and physical support (e.g. transport) to spiritual support (e.g. praying and going to church). It was concluded from the study that cultural capital and global positional competition play an important role in Korean migrant learners' primary schooling experiences. Although these parents/guardians bring the learners to South Africa to move away from the very formal education system of Korea, it seems as if they are still reinscribing familiar patterns of living in South Africa. It is questioned whether it is not better for Korean learners to be educated in Korea. They appear to improve their English language in South Africa, but may be compromised in other areas, such as emotional well-being, which could cause poor psychological adjustment. Therefore it is recommended that more knowledge be gained in order know how to support these learners effectively. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Transnasionale migrasie na Engelssprekende lande het aansienlik uitgebrei onder Asiatiese families. Die rede hiervoor is om oorsese opvoedkundige getuigskrifte vir hulle kinders, en taalvaardigheid in Engels as kulturele kapitaal in die globale mark te verwerf. Oor die afgelope paar jaar was Suid-Afrika ʼn gewilde bestemming waar beide immigrante en migrante saam met hulle families ʼn nuwe toekoms vir hulself kan skep. Daar is met die studie gepoog om ondersoek in te stel na die ondersteuning wat die ouers/voogde van Koreaanse migrante leerders aan die kinders bied met betrekking tot hul skoolervaringe. Die ekosistemiese benadering brei uit op die algemene sisteme en die ekologiese teorieë om die verskynsel van ouer/voog-ondersteuning van Koreaanse migrante leerders tydens die leerders se ervaring in die primêre skool te verstaan. Ek het die ekosistemiese benadering as raamwerk vir my bespreking gebruik deur dit te verdeel in mikro-, meso- en makro-sisteme. Binne die mikro- en meso-sisteme word ouers/voogde bespreek as deel van die wyer sisteem van familie, skool, onderwysstelsel en gemeenskap. Hierdie sisteme is interverweef en in konstante wisselwerking met mekaar. Akkulturasieteorie, wat op die sielkundige aanpassing van die migrant leerders fokus, het hierdie ondersoek gerig. Die Koreaanse migrant families ervaar ook hindernisse binne verskeie ekologiese sosiale sisteme buite die familie-sisteem. Hierdie hindernisse word ervaar binne die opvoedkundige, fisiese en geestesgesondheid-, ekonomiese en politieke sisteme, wat die redes vir migrasie kan beïnvloed, asook die kulturele verskille en hoe dit die Koreaanse migrant leerders se skoolervaringe beïnvloed. Die makro-sisteme fokus op Bourdieu se teorie aangaande kulturele kapitaal en die sosiale sluitingsteorie. Die navorsingsontwerp van hierdie studie is ʼn gevallestudie en is kwalitatief en ondersoekend van aard. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met die deelnemers en ʼn fokusgroep gevoer om inligting rakende die ondersteuning van Koreaanse migrante leerders in die laerskool te verkry. Die data is ontleed binne die mikro-, meso- en makro-sisteme, asook die temas wat uit die onderhoude met die deelnemers ontstaan het. Die bevindinge het die deelnemers se diverse ondervindings binne die mikro-sisteem aan die lig gebring. Dit sluit in: familie dinamika, deelnemers se ervaring van ondersteuning aan Koreaanse migrante leerders, asook ouers/voogde se persepsies van die Koreaanse migrante-leerders se skoolervarings. Die studie was verder op die makro-sisteme gerig, waar die fokus op die redes vir migrasie was. Laasgenoemde verwys na die verwerwing van Engelse vaardighede en die belewing van globalisasie. Die slotsom van die studie is dat kulturele kapitaal en globale posisionele kompetisie ʼn belangrike rol speel in die Koreaanse migrante leerders se laerskool-ervaring. Alhoewel die ouers/voogde die leerders Suid-Afrika toe bring sodat hulle kan wegbeweeg van die baie formele opvoedingsisteem in Korea, blyk dit egter dat hul presies dieselfde patrone van onderrig en leer in Suid-Afrika beleef. Die vraag is dus: Sal dit nie beter wees vir sulke leerders om in Korea onderrig te ontvang nie? Onderrig in Suid-Afrika bied wel die geleentheid om beter vaardighede in Engels aan te leer, maar die vraag ontstaan: Wat is die prys wat hulle daarvoor moet betaal? In die lig hiervan is my aanbeveling dat meer kennis aangaande hierdie leerders se ervaring verwerf behoort te word ten einde meer effektiewe ondersteuning aan hulle te fasiliteer.

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Stress has become endemic amongst teachers globally. Although there are common factors that account for the increased levels of stress among teachers, the particular factors involved differ from country to country. South Africa has gone through more than a decade of political and social change. Coping with the extended transitions within the educational system has affected teachers’ wellness. Emotional intelligence or emotionalsocial competencies, the term used in the study, offers a way of viewing the means of primary prevention as a whole, rather as loosely related elements. This offers a practical way of describing the key range of competencies that make it possible to modulate emotions, to solve social problems creatively, to be effective leaders or collaborators, to be assertive and responsible, or to be able to ask evocative and/or social questions that lead to new learning. This study focuses on the need for teachers to develop specific social and coping skills, as well the need for them to have the necessary environmental support, to prevent stress and promote wellness in teachers. This interpretive study used questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and "a day in the life of" interviews to explore the perceptions of Life Orientation teachers about the emotionalsocial competencies that improve and support their wellness. The South African teachers surveyed consider that certain emotionalsocial competencies enhance their wellness. In their view, all teachers would benefit from having a toolkit emotionalsocial competencies. They also expressed the need for pre-service teacher education to offer training in these competencies.

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the support of juvenile offender learners in correctional schools from a wellness perspective. The support of juvenile offender learners on the six dimensions of wellness is crucial since it has a wide range of benefits, it links achievement of teaching and learning, and rehabilitation and avoid recidivism. The study integrates Ubuntu and Wellness frameworks (Hettler, 1984) as a lens to understand the support of juvenile offender learners’ wellness in the correctional schools. The two frameworks informed the formulated Wellness framework as an approach to address and support wellness in active teaching and learning of the juvenile learners in the correctional schools. Data collection methods used was semi- structured interviews, open-ended questionnaires and observations. The research used purposive sampling of 12 teachers and 21 juvenile offender learners from seven correctional schools in four different provinces in South Africa. Ethical considerations are followed this include how best to negotiate access to the correctional schools, signed consent forms, anonymity, and confidentiality. The findings of the study revealed inadequate support structures and challenges that threaten the wellness of juvenile learners. However, it was revealed that teachers make an effort to support juvenile offender learners’ wellness in the correctional schools. Conversely, there are gaps in terms of policy, theory, and practice on how they can effectively support juvenile learners. The major impediment is that teachers are trained to teach in mainstream schools not in the environment of imprisonment. The study recommends that teachers, Learner Support Assistant (LSA), Peer Educators (PE), and security official be trained on how to identify intellectual, physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and career challenges of juvenile learners and address them in order to improve their learning, and rehabilitate. The DCS can do this through collaboration with various stakeholders who have knowledge and expertise in the six-wellness dimensions. Hence, the study formulated the model called Collaborative Intervention Support for Wellness framework. It consists of five strategic support structures (DCS, and other governmental department, non-governmental stakeholders LSA and PE) that are to assist the teachers in the correctional schools to support and enhance the juvenile offender learners’ wellness. / Morero oa thuto ena ea boleng bo phahameng ene e le ho hlahloba tšehetso ea baithuti ba tlolo ea molao dikolong tsa tikolo tsa tikoloho ho tloha boemong bo botle. Ts’ehetso ea baithuti ba tlolo ea molao lilemong tse tšeletseng tsa bophelo bo bottle e bohlokoa, hobane enale melemo e mengata, e hokela phihlello ea ho ruta le ho ithuta, le ntlafatso le ho qoba ho iphapanya. Boithuto bona bo hokahanya meralo ea Ubuntu le Wellness (Hettler, 1984) joalo ka lense la ho utloisisa tšehetso ea bophelo ba barutoana ba litlolo tsa molao dikolong tsa tlhabollo. Meralo ena e mebedi e tsebesitse sebopeho se hlophisitseong sa Wellness e le mokhoa oa ho sebetsana le ho ts’ehetsa bophelo bo botle ho ruteng le ho ithuteng ha barutoana ba basenye dikolong tsa khalemelo. Mekhoa ea ho bokella ya tsebo ya ditaba e sebedisetsoeng ene ele dipuisano tse hlophisitsoeng hantle, dipotso tse bulehileng le dipotso. Patlisiso e sebelisitse sampole e nang le morero ae barutisi ba 12 le baithuti ba 21 ba molato hotsoa dikolong tse supileng tsa khalemelo diprofinseng tse nne tse fapaneng tsa Afrika Boroa. Mehopolo ea boit’oaro e lateloa ho kenyeletsa kamoo ho ka buisanang ka mokhoa oa ho buisana leho kena dikolong, liforomo tsa tumello tse saennoeng, ho se tsejoe lekunutu. Se fumanoeng ke liphuputsi li fumane meetso e sa lekaneng ea tšehetso le liphephetso tse sokelang boiketlo ba barutoana. Leha ho le joalo, ho ile ha senoloa hore barutise ba etsa boiteko ba ho tšehetsa bophelo ba bana ba botlokotsebe bo bottle dikolong tsa khalemelo. Ka lehlakoreng le leng, ho na le likheo ho latela melaoana, teori, le boikoetliso bah ore nab a ka tšehetsa baithuti ba basenye joang. Tši tiso e kholo ke hore barutisi a koetliselitsoe ho ruta dikolong tsa kantle eseng tikolohong ea chankaneng. Boithuto bona bo khothaletsa hore barutisi, LSA, PE, le ofisiri ea tšireletso ba koetlisoe mabapi le mokhoa oa ho khetholla mathata a kelello, mmele, sechaba, maikutlo, memoya le tsa mosebetsi oa baithuti tsa bana ba basenye le ho libua le bona bakeng sa ho ntlafatsa thuto ea bona, le ho nchafatsa.DCS e ka etsa sena ka tšebedisano mmoho le bankakarolo ba fapaneng ba nang le tsebo le boiphihlelo maemong a tšeletseng a bophelo bo bottle. Kahoo, thuto e thehile mohlala o bitsoang Collaborative Intervention Support for Wellness. E beha maemong a bohlano a tšehetso (DCS, le Lefapa le leng la mmoso, barekisi basing bammuso, LSA, le barupeli ba dithaka) tse tla thusa barutiši dikolong tsa khalemelo ho tse’etsa le ho ntlafatsa boiketlo ba barutoana ba molato. / Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe, fenomenologiese studie was om die ondersteuning van jeugoortredende leerders in korrektiewe skole vanuit ‘n welstandsperspektief te ondersoek. Die ondersteuning van jong jeugdige oortreders in die ses dimensies van welstand is van kardinale belang, aangesien dit ‘n wye verskeidenheid voordele inhou, verbind dit die prestasie van onderrig en leer, en rehabilitasie en vermy herhaling. Die studie integreer Ubuntu en wellness-raamwerke (Hettler,1984) as ‘n lens om die ondersteumning van jeugoortreders se welstand in die skole vir korrektiewe te verstaan. Die twee raamwerke het die geformuleerde welstand-raamwerk ingelig as ‘n benadering om welstand in die aktiewe onderrig en leer van jong leerder in die korrektiewe skole aan te spreek en te ondersteun. Metodes vir die insameling van data wat gebruik is, was semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, oop vraelyste en waarnemings. In die navorsing is doelgerigte steekproefneming van 12 onderwysers en 21 jong oortreders van sewe korrektiewe skole in vier verskillende provinsies in Suid-Afrika gebruik. Etiese oorwegings word gevolg, dit sluit in hoe om die beste toegang tot die skole vir korrektiewe, ondertekende vorms van toestemming, anonimiteit en vertroulikheid te beding. Die bevindings van die studie het onvoldoende ondersteuningstrukture en uitdagings ontdek wat die welstand van jong leerders bedreig. Dit is egter aan die lig gebring dat onderwysers moeite doen om die welstand van die jeugoortreders in die korrektiewe skole te ondersteun. Daarteenoor is daar leemtes in terme van beleid, toerie en praktyk oor hoe hulle jong leerders effektief kan ondersteun. Die grooste struikelblok is dat onderwysers opgelei word om in hoofstroomskole onderrig te gee, nie die omgewing van gevangenisstraf nie. Die studie beveel aan dat onderwysers, LSA, PT en veiligheidsbeampte opgelei word in die identifisering van intellektuelle, fisieke, sosiale, emosionele, geestelike en loopbaanuitdagings van jong leerders en om hulle aan te spreek ten einde hul leer te verbeter en te rehabiliteer. Die DKD kan dit doen deur samewerking met verskillende belanghebbendes wat kennis en kundigheid het in die dimensies van ses welstand. Daarom het die studie die model genaamd “Collaborative Intervention Support for Wellness raamwerk geformuleer. Dit is ‘n kompromie van vyf strategies ondersteuningstrukture (DKD, en ander regeringsdepartemente, nie- regeringsbelangheggendes LSA, en portuurstudente) wat die onderwysers in die korrektiewe skole moet help om die welstand van die jeugoortreder te help en te verbeter. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)

Text in English / There is increasing reliance on youth mentoring in South Africa to help the young person better negotiate life's difficulties. Within the framework of Social Cognitive and Social Learning theories, mentoring is viewed as a learning process in which modelling, scaffolding and cooperative dialogue are key to behavioural change and improved academic performance. However, little research has assessed the efficacy of South African mentoring programmes. This study aimed to examine the effect of the Educhange Research Foundation mentorship programme on the behaviour and academic performance of mentees over a six (6) month period. Mentees in Grades 9 to 12 (n = 18), parents/guardians (n = 18), and mentors (n=19) participated in the study. Parents/guardians reported significantly decreased numbers of behavioural problems (Z = -2.087, p = .037) amongst mentees but academic performance fell significantly (Z-3.661, p=.000). The variability in reports of behavioural change is accounted for by using Social Cognitive and Social Learning constructs including the conditions under which modelling took place as well as expectancy bias and the quality of cooperative dialogue. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)