Nel presente lavoro di tesi sono riportati i risultati di un innovativo progetto di ricerca longitudinale nell'ambito della psicobiologia. I recenti progressi nel campo dell'epigenetica sono stati applicati allo studio delle conseguenze di esperienze avverse precoci sullo sviluppo socio-emozionale in bambini nati fortemente pretermine. La nascita pretermine costituisce un fattore di rischio per lo sviluppo socio-emozionale, in parte per l'esposizione ad eventi stressanti (es.: dolore neonatale) durante l'ospedalizzazione in terapia intensiva neonatale (TIN). L'epigenetica si riferisce a processi biochimici altamente sensibili alle esperienze ambientali e che alterano la funzione di trascrizione di specifici geni, senza modificare la struttura della sequenza di DNA. Il candidato ha sviluppato un razionale clinicamente rilevante per la ricerca epigenetica comportamentale della prematurità. Inoltre il progetto di ricerca ha dimostrato che il livello di esposizione a procedure dolorose si associa a esiti avversi sul piano temperamentale e della risposta allo stress a tre mesi e che tale associazione è mediata da alterazioni epigenetiche a livello del gene che codifica per il trasportatore della serotonina. Le implicazioni teoriche, cliniche ed etiche di questi risultati sono trattate nella sezione conclusiva. Il progetto di epigenetica comportamentale della prematurità fornisce una nuova prospettiva teorica ed empirica sul tema dell’interazione tra genetica ed ambiente. / In the present work, the candidate reports the results of an innovative longitudinal research project in the field of psychobiology. The recent epigenetic progresses have been applied to the study of the consequences of early adverse event exposures on the socio-emotional development of very preterm infants. Preterm birth is a major concern for socio-emotional development, partly due to the exposure to adverse stressful stimulations (i.e., skin-breaking procedures) during the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay. Epigenetics refers to biochemical processes which are sensitive to environmental cues and which alter the transcriptional activity of specific genes without changing the DNA structure. The candidate has developed a clinically relevant rationale for preterm behavioral epigenetics (PBE). The research project has demonstrated that the early exposure to high levels of skin-breaking procedures during NICU stay associate with non-optimal temperamental profile and stress regulation at 3 months of age. This association was mediated by epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation) of the stress-related gene encoding for serotonin transporter. The theoretical, clinical and ethical implications of these findings are discussed further in the final section of the thesis. The PBE project provides a new framework for the issue of the interconnections between nature and nurture.

<p>The purpose of my work is to investigate the experiences in school for pupils with Asperger syndrome around the question, what is a good school for them. I´m also interested in what experiences the staff has about this question. I made a qualitative interview study. I have interviewed three pupils with Asperger syndrome, a teacher and a pupil assistant. To give the reader background information I have written about what the researchers say about what it is like to have Asperger syndrome. I have also in the literature information about experiences from people with Asperger syndrome. The interviewed pupils are in senior level and the interviewed staff is their supporting staff. All the pupils in this investigation are included in “their own” class. They can leave the class to get support in a small group, either to get help in a special subject, or because they decide that they want help or peace and quiet. My results show that the interviewed pupils have it rather good at school, except in relations to friends. Both the staff and the pupils say that the relationship to the staff is very important. To get an even better school the pupils want that the teachers in the class listen carefully what pupils say to each other.</p> / <p>Syftet med mitt arbete är att undersöka skolerfarenheter hos elever med Aspergers syndrom kring frågan hur en bra skola ser ut för dem. Jag är också intresserad av uppfattningarna hos personalen. För att nå mitt syfte har jag gjort en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning, där jag har intervjuat tre elever med Aspergers syndrom, en lärare och en elevassistent. För att läsaren ska få en bakgrundsinformation har jag tagit upp vad forskarna säger om hur det är att ha Aspergers syndrom. I litteraturgenomgången finns information om hur personer med Aspergers syndrom själva upplever sitt funktionshinder. Eleverna går på högstadiet och den intervjuade personalen är deras stödpersonal. Alla elever i den här undersökningen är inkluderade i ”sin” klass. De går ifrån till en stödgrupp, antingen för att få hjälp i ett speciellt ämne, som är schemalagt, eller för att de själva bestämmer att nu behöver jag hjälp eller lugn och ro. Mitt resultat visar att de intervjuade eleverna har det ganska bra i sin skola, förutom när det gäller kamratrelationer. Relationen till skolpersonalen är mycket viktig, enligt både elever och personal. För att få en ännu bättre skola vill eleverna att lärarna i klassen ska vara mer vaksamma på vad som sägs mellan eleverna.</p>

The purpose of my work is to investigate the experiences in school for pupils with Asperger syndrome around the question, what is a good school for them. I´m also interested in what experiences the staff has about this question. I made a qualitative interview study. I have interviewed three pupils with Asperger syndrome, a teacher and a pupil assistant. To give the reader background information I have written about what the researchers say about what it is like to have Asperger syndrome. I have also in the literature information about experiences from people with Asperger syndrome. The interviewed pupils are in senior level and the interviewed staff is their supporting staff. All the pupils in this investigation are included in “their own” class. They can leave the class to get support in a small group, either to get help in a special subject, or because they decide that they want help or peace and quiet. My results show that the interviewed pupils have it rather good at school, except in relations to friends. Both the staff and the pupils say that the relationship to the staff is very important. To get an even better school the pupils want that the teachers in the class listen carefully what pupils say to each other. / Syftet med mitt arbete är att undersöka skolerfarenheter hos elever med Aspergers syndrom kring frågan hur en bra skola ser ut för dem. Jag är också intresserad av uppfattningarna hos personalen. För att nå mitt syfte har jag gjort en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning, där jag har intervjuat tre elever med Aspergers syndrom, en lärare och en elevassistent. För att läsaren ska få en bakgrundsinformation har jag tagit upp vad forskarna säger om hur det är att ha Aspergers syndrom. I litteraturgenomgången finns information om hur personer med Aspergers syndrom själva upplever sitt funktionshinder. Eleverna går på högstadiet och den intervjuade personalen är deras stödpersonal. Alla elever i den här undersökningen är inkluderade i ”sin” klass. De går ifrån till en stödgrupp, antingen för att få hjälp i ett speciellt ämne, som är schemalagt, eller för att de själva bestämmer att nu behöver jag hjälp eller lugn och ro. Mitt resultat visar att de intervjuade eleverna har det ganska bra i sin skola, förutom när det gäller kamratrelationer. Relationen till skolpersonalen är mycket viktig, enligt både elever och personal. För att få en ännu bättre skola vill eleverna att lärarna i klassen ska vara mer vaksamma på vad som sägs mellan eleverna.

The deaf child’s primary handicap is his inability to hear human speech. The whole functioning of the deaf child is hampered by his hearing loss. This implicates that deafness can cause secondary problems such as: -- language problems; -- speech problems; -- thinking problems; -- social problems; -- emotional problems; -- educational problems; -- occupational problems; and -- family problems. These problems impose a special challenge to people who intervene with deaf children. The deaf child cannot communicate intelligibly. The therapist has to pay special attention to this problem and to the way in which communication will commence and continue. Pedotherapeutic intervention implicates effective communication. The use of language plays an important role in the Educational-psychological practice. Diagnostic tests and therapeutic techniques require an average language capability. The therapist must seek alternative concrete ways in which to assess the deaf child and to solve the child’s problems. The creation of a work of art is a concrete sensory act. A variety of authors state that, most children can project their deepest inner feelings through a work of art without fear and pain. The instructions given for art therapy are simple and most children feel safe to create. A child’s work of art has diagnostic as well as therapeutic value. It is important that the therapist will recognize and interpret the projected symbols and that he will use it to change and expand the deaf child’s world of meaning. During the assessment of a child’s drawing the therapist must take aspects of the art work, such as colour, form, line, art material, the content of the drawing, the perceptual and motor development of the child, the child’s age, non-verbal communication and verbal communication during the creative process, into consideration. The therapist must not use above-mentioned directions at random. Every individual’s work of art must be assessed in a phenomenological way, before any conclusions can be made. A private, well equipped art therapy room is necessary for the child in order to feel safe to explore and create. The therapist who intervenes with deaf children has to be well trained. He must have knowledge and experience of deafness, know sign language and should have exceptional language abilities. In this study the therapist applied art therapy with a deaf child. Both the child and his educators were involved in therapy. The therapy was successful. Most of the therapeutic goals were achieved. The therapist needed to adapt the way of communication in order to enhance the level of communication between her and the deaf child. Art therapy can be successfully used with the deaf child because adequate communication is possible, the deaf child can identify with the therapeutic content and transcendence is possible. Some deaf children do not respond well to art therapy. The uniqueness of each deaf child should be taken into consideration before a therapeutic technique can be chosen. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Orthopaedic Surgery / unrestricted

This thesis defines social-emotional skills that need to be refined among pre-school children within the context of the beginning of schooling. The work also verifies the possibilities and limits of artefiletics in the development of social and emotional skills of pre-school children. The thesis is of a theoretical- empirical character and is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. The chapters of the theoretical part deal with social and emotional development of pre-school children, the meaning of a play in social-emotional development and also with social-emotional constituent part of school maturity. The last chapter is devoted to artefiletics as an innovative approach towards the development of social- emotional skills of pre-school children. The practical part of this thesis consists of two parts - action research and questionnaire survey. The action research focuses on verifying the possibilities and limits of artefiletics when developing and refining social-emotional skills of pre-school children in kindergarten.The action research aimed at increasing the quality of complex maturity preparation for entering primary school, respectively adaptation to school environment. The second part of the practical part consists of questionnaire survey, the aim of which was above all to discover...

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-190) / Abstract in English and Afrikaans / This study aimed to determine whether classroom climate or school climate is a greater predictor of emotional intelligence in South African primary school learners from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, as well as which factors promote and which inhibit its development. A purposive sample of 119 primary school learners from six classes in two government schools in Durban was obtained. The learners assessed their classroom climate with the My Class Inventory (short form) (MCI-SF), and their emotional intelligence with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Child Short Form) (TEIQue-CSF). The six teachers assessed the school climate with the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ). Results suggest that classroom climate is a predictor of emotional intelligence while school climate is not; that satisfaction and cohesiveness positively correlate with emotional intelligence levels, and friction, competitiveness, and difficulty negatively correlate with emotional intelligence levels. The identified relationship between classroom climate factors and emotional intelligence warrants further research into the topic. / M.A. (Psychology) / Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om te bepaal of klaskamerklimaat of skoolklimaat 'n groter voorspeller van emosionele intelligensie by Suid-Afrikaanse laerskool leerlinge van Durban, Kwazulu-Natal is, asook watter faktore die ontwikkeling bevorder en watter die ontwikkeling daarvan belemmer. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef van 119 laerskool leerlinge van ses klasse in twee regering skole in Durban is verkry. Die leerlinge het hulle klasklimaat beoordeel met behulp van die ‘My Class Inventory (short form) (MCI-SF)’, en hulle emosionele intelligensie met die ‘Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Child Short Form) (TEIQue-CSF)’. Die ses onderwysers het die skoolklimaat beoordeel met die ‘School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)’.. Resultate dui daarop dat klasklimaat 'n voorspeller van emosionele intelligensie is terwyl skoolklimaat nie is nie; dat tevredenheid en samehorigheid positief korreleer met emosionele intelligensievlakke, en wrywing, mededingendheid en probleme negatief korreleer met emosionele intelligensievlakke. Die geïdentifiseerde verwantskap tussen klimaatfaktore in die klaskamer en emosionele intelligensie regverdig verdere navorsing oor die onderwerp. / Psychology

The dissertation entitled Art-educational contexts of music pedagogy in the innovation of primary education characterizes from the scientific point of view philosophy, psychology, music psychology, neurophysiology, pedagogy and music pedagogy the importance of music education for the development of human personality. It follows the stimuli of the new academic discipline of transdidactics and deducts it to the practical level of primary education, in the focus of which they are strong activating means of musical activity. Through authorial creation and the use of artistic inspirations, it aims at the synergy of musical activities with other aesthetic and educational disciplines, whose cooperation deepens emotional experience and develops a relationship with artistic and ethical values, leading to the discovery of beauty. Deepening experiences with artistic activities based on polyesthetics and integrativity enables quality communication of cognitive and emotional processes in the child's consciousness. They are deepening, which represents an irreplaceable influence on the improvement and development of the child's personal integration in a very important period of the beginning of schooling. Contemporary education can positively influence this process through transdidactics using polyesthetics and...

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As female adolescents go through the transition phase of adolescence, they respond to a variety of factors influencing their sexual development, for instance, cultural practices, socioeconomic status, media exposure, internet access, increased autonomy to explore their sexuality, as well as quality of care, guidance and supervision by primary caregivers. If they do not get enough guidance from caregivers, teachers or medical clinics, adolescents often fall pregnant. The consequences of unexpected pregnancies prove to be negative on intrapersonal as well as interpersonal levels. There is a need to reduce such pregnancies to give adolescents a better chance in life and to enhance optimal development on individual, social, emotional and moral levels. This study explored female adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of teenage pregnancy in Belfast, Mpumalanga, in South Africa. The researcher tried to make a positive contribution towards reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy in South Africa, especially in rural, farm and semi-urban settings, through an inductive study of African female adolescents in selected secondary schools. Data were collected through individual in-depth audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with 20 African adolescent girls who were purposefully selected for the study. The researcher used Tesch’s method of analysis to analyse the data collected and to deduce themes and categories. Adolescents mostly fell pregnant, because of changes in sexual interest, emotional experiences, social development dynamics, adolescent thinking patterns and failure to use contraceptives. Teenage pregnancy affected the life-world of adolescents by influencing negatively on their physical health, psycho-emotional wellbeing, moral behaviour, social and school lives. The researcher established that the adolescents, their families, communities and society would continue to face the adverse outcomes of teenage pregnancy if the rates of teenage pregnancy remained unabated. The study therefore recommended collaborative efforts of adults in various governmental and private spheres for prevention of teenage pregnancy and for support of adolescent mothers and their babies during and after early-unexpected pregnancies. Some of the recommendations were: national awareness campaigns to curb teenage pregnancies; the review of the Life Orientation curriculum by the Department of Basic Education; the re-orientation of health delivery services; the positive inputs of teachers and schools; and a re-orientation of the responsibilities of primary caregivers and other adults / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This single case study was undertaken to determine how the Gestalt approach can be used to guide the child to adjust in a children's home. The study dealt with two models of children's homes, namely the traditional setting and the family centered home setting, as well as adjustment and attachment of a single child's experience in the middle school years, in the family centered home setting. In addition, the trauma, loss and culture shock are highlighted to demonstrate the difficulty children experience in adjusting to a new environment such as a children's home. Data were captured around the participant's experience and process, entering the children's home and the facilitating through intervention. Through the intervention the participant's process was identified, helping him to cope with his new situation. Through Gestalt play therapy the participant's active involvement in his adjustment process was clear and his adjustment was increased. / Social work / MDIAC (PLAY THERAPY)