From a positive psychology perspective, the last few decades have seen continuous growth in research emphasising well-being in school communities. Schools should be viewed as spaces that enable life success, as opposed to mere learning environments aimed at academic success. Well-being is often associated with relational well-being and building, enhancing and maintaining positive relationships at schools. Along with academic performance, relational well-being is vital to learners‟ current and future development. Such social well-being may, in turn, affect psychological well-being positively, as these two influence each other greatly. In this context, positive educator-learner relationships must be based on mutual respect, as it may provide a vast array of benefits to secondary learners‟ well-being and academic performance. Moreover, positive interpersonal connections between educators and learners based on mutual respect are valuable tools for managing effective discipline in classrooms, which means that educators also benefit from protecting and promoting good relationships with their learners. Positive educator-learner relationships are highly relevant for secondary school learners living in high-risk communities, where support and resources for enhancing and developing their psychosocial well-being are limited. For such leaners school is often the only safe and supportive environment they have. It is therefore imperative to bring the personal into the educational environment by building, enhancing and maintaining respectful educator-learner relationships based on mutual respect. However, educator-learner relationships have specifically been neglected in regard to learners‟ perceptions of respect as experienced from and given to educators. Due to the identified gap in the literature, the main aim of this study was to qualitatively explore and describe, through qualitative, phenomenological research design, learners‟ perceptions of respect in educator-learner relationships in a secondary school community within a high-risk environment in the South African context. The participants for this study were fifteen secondary school Grade 12 learners. The data were gathered in two phases, namely written assignments, and, the World Café technique was applied. Thematic analysis was used to identify relevant themes. The findings revealed three main themes, and each theme includes several subthemes. Firstly, respect is well-intended behaviour, with the subthemes being listening and paying attention; good communication; obeying educators and school rules; good manners such as being helpful, polite and kind, and greeting others; saying thank you and please; academic responsibility; and receiving support and praise from educators. Secondly, respect is positive relationships, with the subthemes being building a relationship; parent-child relationship; as well as trust and confidentiality. Thirdly, respect is consistent, fair and mutual, with the subthemes being respect as a two-way street; respect as something to be earned; respect as something that is consistent over time; and respect that means treating everyone equally, fairly and with acceptance. It can be summarised that all participants‟ responses illustrated a collective yet subjective learners‟ perceptions of respect in educator-learner relationships in a secondary school community within a high risk community in South Africa. For further research it was recommended to gain better understanding how learners in secondary school communities perceive respect in educator-learner relationships in regard to various cultures. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

From a positive psychology perspective, the last few decades have seen continuous growth in research emphasising well-being in school communities. Schools should be viewed as spaces that enable life success, as opposed to mere learning environments aimed at academic success. Well-being is often associated with relational well-being and building, enhancing and maintaining positive relationships at schools. Along with academic performance, relational well-being is vital to learners‟ current and future development. Such social well-being may, in turn, affect psychological well-being positively, as these two influence each other greatly. In this context, positive educator-learner relationships must be based on mutual respect, as it may provide a vast array of benefits to secondary learners‟ well-being and academic performance. Moreover, positive interpersonal connections between educators and learners based on mutual respect are valuable tools for managing effective discipline in classrooms, which means that educators also benefit from protecting and promoting good relationships with their learners. Positive educator-learner relationships are highly relevant for secondary school learners living in high-risk communities, where support and resources for enhancing and developing their psychosocial well-being are limited. For such leaners school is often the only safe and supportive environment they have. It is therefore imperative to bring the personal into the educational environment by building, enhancing and maintaining respectful educator-learner relationships based on mutual respect. However, educator-learner relationships have specifically been neglected in regard to learners‟ perceptions of respect as experienced from and given to educators. Due to the identified gap in the literature, the main aim of this study was to qualitatively explore and describe, through qualitative, phenomenological research design, learners‟ perceptions of respect in educator-learner relationships in a secondary school community within a high-risk environment in the South African context. The participants for this study were fifteen secondary school Grade 12 learners. The data were gathered in two phases, namely written assignments, and, the World Café technique was applied. Thematic analysis was used to identify relevant themes. The findings revealed three main themes, and each theme includes several subthemes. Firstly, respect is well-intended behaviour, with the subthemes being listening and paying attention; good communication; obeying educators and school rules; good manners such as being helpful, polite and kind, and greeting others; saying thank you and please; academic responsibility; and receiving support and praise from educators. Secondly, respect is positive relationships, with the subthemes being building a relationship; parent-child relationship; as well as trust and confidentiality. Thirdly, respect is consistent, fair and mutual, with the subthemes being respect as a two-way street; respect as something to be earned; respect as something that is consistent over time; and respect that means treating everyone equally, fairly and with acceptance. It can be summarised that all participants‟ responses illustrated a collective yet subjective learners‟ perceptions of respect in educator-learner relationships in a secondary school community within a high risk community in South Africa. For further research it was recommended to gain better understanding how learners in secondary school communities perceive respect in educator-learner relationships in regard to various cultures. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research involves the exploration of the potential, as well as the problems, of early adolescents’ relationships in the context of the school-and-home in a high-risk community in South Africa. Although researchers indicate that school performance and academic success is of key importance concerning positive youth development (You & Nguen, 2011), many South African adolescents are still part of the high incidence of repeating greades and drop-out statictics in this country (Louw, Bayat & Eigelaar-Meets, 2011). This study highlights one of the factors for school success, namely, the involvement of primary care givers in the school community. There is a need to explore adolescents’ perceptions of their primary care givers’ involvement in the school community, within the context of a high-risk South African community, since research within Positive Psychology also explores those resources which promote wellbeing and resilient coping. This study made use of the qualitative method and the results have been presented in an article format, as part of the dissertation. The aim of the article was to explore early adolescents’ perceptions of their primary care-givers’ involvement in the school community in a high-risk community. Participants (N=12) between the ages of twelve to fourteen years, from one school in the Delft Community, Cape Peninsula, were chosen in an un-biased fashion. The Delft community is one of the twenty identified high-risk communities in South Africa. Demographic information shows that the majority of the participants’ care-givers are not the biological parents. The findings indicate that early adolescents percieve their primary caregivers’ involvement in the school community, in a high-risk community, in the following ways: The meeting of basic needs, such as the provision of food, clothing and a home is essential for the adolescent’s school career; the emotional colour of the involvement of care givers is mostly negative, since school visitations involve the handling of problems, or the prevention of further problems; the early adolescent’s understanding of school success greatly matches that of his/her primary care- givers and is seen mostly in terms of either “pass” or “fail”; and early adolescents’ school careers and primary care-givers’ involvement within the context of a high-risk community involve experiences such as the exposure to continued poverty with various implications such as hunger, walking to school in an unsafe environment, as well as gang-violence, crime and substance abuse. This study shows that, besides the challenges that are associated with the adolescent life-phase, early adolescents also have to deal with various other problems that emanate from a high-risk community. These problems are generally matters of survival, and it is clear that these risks further strain well-being and the development thereof. Poor involvement of primary caregivers in the school community is one of the realities which early adolescents in a high-risk community have to deal with, and this poor involvement is indicative of not providing life essentials, as well as personal interest and encouragement. It is further the experience of negative emotions, such as fear in general and the “scared-ness” indicates adolescents’ fear for their own safety, as well as that of their friends and family. The participants in this study have all been affected directly and/or indirectly by the trauma of gang violence and the untimely death of a family member. In the midst of these challenges, the primary caregivers are mostly uninvolved in these vulnerable adolescents’ lives. Primary care-givers visit the school community mainly when they are summoned to handle “problems”. Primary care-givers generally have a negative association with the school community. The less negative experience of emotions indicates the absence of serious problems, such as the not-completion of school work. The scarce occurrence of positive emotions, such as primary care-givers that show compassion with early adolescents when they experience disappointment, is actually part of the participants’ experiences. The primary care- givers’ active helping with the early adolescents’ school tasks is uncommon and it is mostly focused on the prevention of the repetition of school grades. The presence of a family member (extended family) with school meetings has great value for the early adolescents’ perception of family as a protective factor for the well-being of the young person. This study presents an important contribution to Positive Psychology, as valuable information is presented to understand the early adolescent’s well-being and the context thereof. The specific descriptions of early adolescents’ perceptions of the involvement of their primary care-givers in the school community provide a description of the potential which can be unlocked in school-and-life choices. Findings have implications for policies regarding the promotion of well-being. Recommendations for further study are given. Possibilities for application includes the importance of the ecological impact and of partnerships, so that problems and the development of well-being can be addressed by primary care givers, school communities, faith communities, NGOs and universities. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This research involves the exploration of the potential, as well as the problems, of early adolescents’ relationships in the context of the school-and-home in a high-risk community in South Africa. Although researchers indicate that school performance and academic success is of key importance concerning positive youth development (You & Nguen, 2011), many South African adolescents are still part of the high incidence of repeating greades and drop-out statictics in this country (Louw, Bayat & Eigelaar-Meets, 2011). This study highlights one of the factors for school success, namely, the involvement of primary care givers in the school community. There is a need to explore adolescents’ perceptions of their primary care givers’ involvement in the school community, within the context of a high-risk South African community, since research within Positive Psychology also explores those resources which promote wellbeing and resilient coping. This study made use of the qualitative method and the results have been presented in an article format, as part of the dissertation. The aim of the article was to explore early adolescents’ perceptions of their primary care-givers’ involvement in the school community in a high-risk community. Participants (N=12) between the ages of twelve to fourteen years, from one school in the Delft Community, Cape Peninsula, were chosen in an un-biased fashion. The Delft community is one of the twenty identified high-risk communities in South Africa. Demographic information shows that the majority of the participants’ care-givers are not the biological parents. The findings indicate that early adolescents percieve their primary caregivers’ involvement in the school community, in a high-risk community, in the following ways: The meeting of basic needs, such as the provision of food, clothing and a home is essential for the adolescent’s school career; the emotional colour of the involvement of care givers is mostly negative, since school visitations involve the handling of problems, or the prevention of further problems; the early adolescent’s understanding of school success greatly matches that of his/her primary care- givers and is seen mostly in terms of either “pass” or “fail”; and early adolescents’ school careers and primary care-givers’ involvement within the context of a high-risk community involve experiences such as the exposure to continued poverty with various implications such as hunger, walking to school in an unsafe environment, as well as gang-violence, crime and substance abuse. This study shows that, besides the challenges that are associated with the adolescent life-phase, early adolescents also have to deal with various other problems that emanate from a high-risk community. These problems are generally matters of survival, and it is clear that these risks further strain well-being and the development thereof. Poor involvement of primary caregivers in the school community is one of the realities which early adolescents in a high-risk community have to deal with, and this poor involvement is indicative of not providing life essentials, as well as personal interest and encouragement. It is further the experience of negative emotions, such as fear in general and the “scared-ness” indicates adolescents’ fear for their own safety, as well as that of their friends and family. The participants in this study have all been affected directly and/or indirectly by the trauma of gang violence and the untimely death of a family member. In the midst of these challenges, the primary caregivers are mostly uninvolved in these vulnerable adolescents’ lives. Primary care-givers visit the school community mainly when they are summoned to handle “problems”. Primary care-givers generally have a negative association with the school community. The less negative experience of emotions indicates the absence of serious problems, such as the not-completion of school work. The scarce occurrence of positive emotions, such as primary care-givers that show compassion with early adolescents when they experience disappointment, is actually part of the participants’ experiences. The primary care- givers’ active helping with the early adolescents’ school tasks is uncommon and it is mostly focused on the prevention of the repetition of school grades. The presence of a family member (extended family) with school meetings has great value for the early adolescents’ perception of family as a protective factor for the well-being of the young person. This study presents an important contribution to Positive Psychology, as valuable information is presented to understand the early adolescent’s well-being and the context thereof. The specific descriptions of early adolescents’ perceptions of the involvement of their primary care-givers in the school community provide a description of the potential which can be unlocked in school-and-life choices. Findings have implications for policies regarding the promotion of well-being. Recommendations for further study are given. Possibilities for application includes the importance of the ecological impact and of partnerships, so that problems and the development of well-being can be addressed by primary care givers, school communities, faith communities, NGOs and universities. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to gain a contextual understanding of the dropout phenomenon in a specific school in a high-risk community. An applied, interpretive, qualitative research design was used. This involved an investigation of the subjective experiences of learners at risk of dropping out of school during the post-compulsory phase of their education at a specific school. Informants were purposively selected according to specific criteria. Data were collected through eight semi-structured interviews with learners at risk of dropping out of school; a semi-structured interview with a member of the community; a focus-group interview and collages. The data was transcribed and analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis, and compared to previous research gleaned from an extensive literature review. Results that emerged from this study indicated that the participants experienced several barriers to learning embedded in the interconnected systems, which could cause them to drop out of school. This included issues such as single-parent families, family conflict, lack of parental support, emotional difficulties due to home circumstances, substance abuse and socio-economic issues. Although results showed that the school of study had seemingly adopted an inclusive policy and had made some adaptations to accommodate learners, it became evident that the existing support structures within the school and the community were experienced as insufficient. Due to the nature of unsupportive and conflicting family systems reported by some learners, teachers are expected to perform additional nurturing roles that add pressure to an already overburdened educational system. The practical implications of the results are that, in order to support adolescents in a high-risk environment and to prevent them from dropping out of school, the focus should be on protective factors. This could be achieved through, for example, early identification and targeting of learners at risk of dropping out of school, the implementation of strategies aimed to increase engagement of all learners in the school, the implementation of an ongoing supportive drug-free programme in the school and the community in conjunction with supportive organisations, professional development workshops and in-service training for teachers, altered school schedules, and career guidance and work internships for interested learners that could be arranged in union with the local university. The results from this study therefore highlighted areas that could receive attention in the specific school to address the problem for learners at risk of dropping out of school. Further qualitative research is recommended to investigate this phenomenon in a broader spectrum of South African learners. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om ’n kontekstuele begrip te kry van die uitsak-verskynsel in ’n spesifieke skool wat in ’n hoërisiko-gemeenskap geleë is. ’n Toegepaste, vertolkende, kwalitatiewe navorsingsmodel is gebruik. Die gevolg was ’n ondersoek van die subjektiewe ondervindinge van leerders wat die risiko geloop het om op skoolvlak uit te sak gedurende die naverpligte fase van hulle opvoeding aan ’n spesifieke skool. Informante is doelbewus volgens spesifieke kriteria gekies. Data is versamel deur middel van agt semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met leerders wat ’n risiko geloop het om op skoolvlak uit te sak; ’n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoud met ’n lid van die gemeenskap; ’n fokusgroeponderhoud en plakskilderye. Die data is getranskribeer en geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van ’n kwalitatiewe tematiese analise en is vergelyk met vorige navorsing wat versamel is uit ’n uitgebreide literatuuroorsig. Resultate wat uit hierdie studie geblyk het, het daarop gedui dat die deelnemers verskeie leerhindernisse ondervind het wat veranker is in die onderling-verbonde stelsels wat kon veroorsaak het dat hulle op skoolvlak uitsak. Hierby was ingesluit kwessies soos enkelouer-gesinne, gesinskonflik, ’n gebrek aan ouerlike ondersteuning, emosionele probleme as gevolg van huislike omstandighede, dwelmmisbruik en sosio-ekonomiese kwessies. Alhoewel resultate gewys het dat die studieskool skynbaar ’n inklusiewe beleid volg en ’n paar aanpassings gemaak het om leerders te akkommodeer, het dit duidelik geword dat die bestaande ondersteuning-strukture binne die skool en gemeenskap as onvoldoende ervaar is. As gevolg van die aard van nie-ondersteunende en teenstrydige gesinstelsels soos meegedeel deur sommige leerders, word daar van onderwysers verwag om bykomende opvoedingsrolle te vervul wat spanning veroorsaak in ’n reeds oorlaaide opvoedingstelsel. Die praktiese implikasies van die resultate is, dat die fokus op beskermende faktore moet wees, om adolessente in ’n hoërisiko-omgewing te ondersteun en te verhoed dat hulle op skoolvlak uitsak. Dit sou bereik kon word deur byvoorbeeld, vroeë identifisering en teikengroepvorming van leerders wat die risiko loop om op skoolvlak uit te sak, die implementering van strategieë wat daarop gemik is om die betrokkenheid van alle leerders in die skool te verhoog, die implementering van ’n deurlopende ondersteunende dwelmvrye program in die skool en gemeenskap in samewerking met ondersteuningsorganisasies, professionele-ontwikkelingswerkswinkels en indiensopleiding vir onderwysers, veranderde skoolskedules en beroepsvoorligting en werk-internskappe vir belangstellende leerders wat gereël kan word in samewerking met die plaaslike universiteit. Die resultate van hierdie studie het areas in die spesifieke skool uitgewys wat kan aandag kry om die probleem van leerders wat die risiko loop om op skoolvlak uit te sak, aan te spreek. Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere kwalitatiewe navorsing gedoen word om hierdie verskynsel in ’n breër spektrum van Suid-Afrikaanse leerders te ondersoek.