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)

The study focuses on the emotional experiences of parental bereavement of African adolescents who live in a rural environment. Findings revealed that the loss of a parent is very devastating for African adolescents. The adolescents received inadequate assistance from family, peers, community members or educators. It is essential after this study to uncover ways in which these adolescents could be assisted to cope with the loss of a parent who had been providing love, care, financial and material support, as well as safety and security. To gather data the researcher drew meaning from eight participants’ lived experiences from transcriptions of interviews with the participants. The participants, seven girls and one boy, were adolescents between the ages of twelve and fifteen years, who had lost their fathers. This study recommended that educators be equipped to take a major role in dealing with children in bereavement, since there are no educational psychologists or other professionals based in the school or neighbourhood. The community needs to be made aware of the plight of bereaved adolescents and should be introduced into giving positive and constructive assistance to these young people. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The study focuses on the emotional experiences of parental bereavement of African adolescents who live in a rural environment. Findings revealed that the loss of a parent is very devastating for African adolescents. The adolescents received inadequate assistance from family, peers, community members or educators. It is essential after this study to uncover ways in which these adolescents could be assisted to cope with the loss of a parent who had been providing love, care, financial and material support, as well as safety and security. To gather data the researcher drew meaning from eight participants’ lived experiences from transcriptions of interviews with the participants. The participants, seven girls and one boy, were adolescents between the ages of twelve and fifteen years, who had lost their fathers. This study recommended that educators be equipped to take a major role in dealing with children in bereavement, since there are no educational psychologists or other professionals based in the school or neighbourhood. The community needs to be made aware of the plight of bereaved adolescents and should be introduced into giving positive and constructive assistance to these young people. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

This study was undertaken to explore the indigenous religious identities of African adolescents in selected secondary schools in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The empirical investigation used a qualitative, phenomenological collective case study design. The framework for the study was provided by constructivist theory and African indigenous knowledge and was justified by an extensive literature study. Purposive sampling was used to select forty-two learners from Grades 8 to 11, thirty- three of whom were from African initiated churches, eight belonged to various Christian denominations and one was an atheist. The most significant finding was that the indigenous religious identities of adolescents are not adequately accommodated and supported in South African secondary schools. Accordingly, recommendations were made for affirming adolescents’ indigenous religious identities in the implementation of RE in the classroom. / Lolu cwaningo lwenziwa ngenhloso yokuhlaziya nokuhlolisisa izimo nezici zobunjalo bentsha empisholo esesigabeni sokuthomba (adolescents) elandela izinkolo zomdabu noma zendabuko efunda ezikoleni ezingamasekhondari ezikhethiweyo esifundazweni saseMpumalanga, eNingizimu Afrika. Lolu cwaningo obelugxile ezintweni eziphathekayo nezibonakalayo lwasebenzisa idizayini yocwaningo lwezigameko ekhwalithethivu ebhekisisa isigameko ngasinye ngenhloso yokuhlaziya izimo kanye nezinto ezinokufana okuthile phakathi kweqoqwana lwezigameko ezimbadlwana (phenomenological collective case study design). Uhlaka locwaningo kwahlinzekwa yitiyori egxile ekutheni abantu bakha ulwazi kanye nokuqonda kwabo ngokususela ezimweni abadlule kuzona futhi abahlangabezane nazo ezimpilweni zabo (constructivist theory) kanye nolwazi lwendabuko lwase-Afrika, futhi lokhu kwasekelwa kwaphinde kwafakazelwa ngohlaziyo olubanzi lwemibhalo ephathelene nezihloko ezihlobene nalokhu. Kwasetshenziswa indlela yokukhetha ababambiqhaza ngokubheka izimo nezici zabo kanye nezinhloso zocwaningo (purposive sampling) futhi ngaleyo ndlela kwaqokwa abafundi abangama-42 abafunda iBanga lesi-8 kuya kwele-11; futhi abangama-33 kulaba bafundi ngabalandeli bamabandla endabuko ase-Afrika, kanti abayisishiyagalombili bebevela emabandleni obuKhrestu ahlukahlukene, futhi bekunomfundi oyedwa ongumhedeni (ongakholelwa kuNkulunkulu). Umphumela osemqoka kakhulu owatholwa ocwaningweni wukuthi azibhekelelwa futhi azisekelwa ngokwanele nangokugculisayo izimo nezici zobunjalo bentsha esesigabeni sokuthomba elandela izinkolo zendabuko efunda ezikoleni ezingamasekhondari eNingizimu Afrika. Ngenxa yalokho-ke kwenziwa izincomo zokuthi kumele zibhekelelwe izimo nezici zobunjalo bentsha esesigabeni sokuthomba elandela izinkolo zomdabu ekufundisweni kwesifundo sezenkolo (RE) ekilasini. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)