M.A. (Linguistics) / The gold rush to the Witwatersrand Goldfields in 1886 attracted a diverse cross-section of European settlers. 10 % of this new community consisted of Germans. As Johannesburg developed, the need for education (schools) became acute, and in 1890 the DSJ (Deutsche Schule zu Johannesburg) was founded for the children of the German settlers. The founder of this private school was pastor Herrmann Kuschke, a Berlin missionary. He commenced tuition with only one pupil and by the end of 1891, the DSJ boasted 20 scholars. In his endeavour, the pastor not only taught all the sciences and the language German, but all scholars were expected to learn English, and the then ‘official’ language Dutch. After 1899, teaching Dutch to DSJ pupils was used to assist and obtain state funding.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The street child that is driven by circumstances to Jive outside the supportive structure of the family, is on his own. He doesn't have the educational developmental opportunities that children who grow up in families and societies do. He finds himself in a unique educational and living environment. From an educational psychologist point of view, this environment is abnormal. It is therefore a great challenge for the educational psychologist to try and avoid or resolve negative effects of the child's living environment. The aim of the study is to investigate and describe the experiences of the Hillbrow street child, as well as to determine guidelines for supporting these children. An exploratory-, descriptive-, contextual- and qualitative study was done, with the aim of gaining insight and understanding into the life of the street child in Hillbrow as well as his experiences of his situation. The phenomenological interview was used to gather data. The interviews were recorded on a tape recorder and later transcribed. The purposive sample consists of four street children who were selected specifically for the study. The data was processed according to a combination of the Giorgi's & Kerlinger's methods. The results obtained from the interviews were placed in four categories. These categories are: The street child's continuous struggle to survive, his need for a 'normal child life', his inability to accept responsibility and the presence of a normative awareness within the street child. Guidelines for supportive action towards street children by the educational psychologist are discussed in regard to the four categories. These categories are interdependent, as work in one category inevitably influences the other categories. For this reason the educational psychologist's supportive action needs to be holistic to include all four categories. In conclusion it is clear that the experiences of the street child are multi-faceted. In general it appears that the street child has many limitations and difficulties which he experiences, and that input by an educational psychologist can have meaningful influence in his life.

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M. Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The aim of this study is to investigate some aspects of the validity of the LASSI as a gauge of the learning strategies of first year students, specifically those at the Rand Afrikaans Univeristy. This study consists of two parts. Firstly, a literature survey to provide an educational and psychological framework and to indicate the cohesion between learning strategies and related concepts, as well as to demonstrate the important role of validity pertaining to valid measurement of the learning strategies of a student. Secondly an empirical, statistical and quantitative evaluation was used to depict the content and construct validity as important priorities in the design or the LASSI as a gauge of the learning strategies of the students mentioned.

The Jesus People of Hillbrow, Johannesburg, assert that since joining the Jesus movement they have undergone radical changes; from a life of turmoil to a life of relative serenity. Such claims, if valid, have implications for the counter-culture, which is comprised largely of youth alienated from mainstream society and church. The present study then, was an investigation to determine whether the members of the Jesus movement have changed and if so, attempts were made to delineate such changes. The Jesus People investigated were members of the "Invisible Church", who had been residing communally for a period of not less than three months. A battery of questionnaires was administered on two occasions. The first occasion required the subjects to complete the questionnaires as they would have prior to their conversion, while the second administration required that the subjects complete the questionnaires according to their attitudes, values and opinions presently held. To counter any practice effects, the requirements for completion of the questionnaires were reversed for one half of the group randomly chosen. The order of presentation of the questionnaires was kept the same to counter any fatigue-effects. (The control group being matched with the experimental group should experience the same degree of fatigue.) The individuals selected for the control group were recruited from established-church youth clubs. These individuals were matched with the members of the Jesus movement for age, sex, home-language, general intelligence and occupation of father. The procedure of questionnaire administration for the control group was identical to that adopted for the experimental group. Both the experimental and the control group comprised 22 individuals. Incidental to the major design of the present study was the generation of a small (eight) group of Pentecostals, the results of which were analysed separately from those of the experimental and control groups. The finding that this group underwent the least change did not support the a priori expectation that Pentecostals should show changes which are intermediate to those of the experimental and control groups. It is argued however, that this Pentecostal group is not representative of Pentecostals per se. Bearing in mind, that the answers received depend, to a large extent, on the nature of the questions posed, the Jesus People, as a function of conversion (operationally defined as a "Jesus Experience"), underwent significant increases in their degree of perceived security but revealed significant decreases on attributes related to self-actualization. In addition, their predominant life-style orientation changed from personalistic to sociocentric, and there was an increased support for biblicistic fundamentalism. Associated with the above changes were decreases on the majority of the Wilson conservatism-scale dimensions, together with changes on a questionnaire explicitly developed for the present study. It is argued that the changes undergone by the members of the Jesus movement are in a positive direction, the "Invisible Church" serving as a 'half-way house'. Such changes are posited to be a function of an operationally defined "Jesus Experience"; a psycho-sociological experience rather than a theological, ecclesiastical experience.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The creatively gifted individual is generally regarded as a valuable natural resource. Some of the solutions to the threats that endanger the future of mankind, are possibly lodged in the abilities of the creatively gifted. These individuals, however, often experience social isolation because of their ability to question the status quo. The creatively gifted student at university is the focus of this investigation in which an attempt has been made to ascertain how the creatively gifted individual experiences university culture. This was done with a view to describing ideographically how students perceive their university culture. In Chapter I the problem and objectives were presented. The research question of this study pertains to the nature of creatively gifted students' experience of university culture. The rationale for the study is the fact that creatively gifted students often fail to be accommodated in an educational environment, both socially, personally and with regard to their academic activities. The objective of the study was to investigate the creatively gifted student's experience of the university environment. The latter refers to the social, personal and academic milieu. The aim of the investigation was to contribute to theory by highlighting the theoretical dimensions of the problem. It was also the objective of the study to use the interpreted data as a basis for recommendations to accommodate the creatively gifted student in the university environment. In Chapters 2, 3 and 4 a literature review was conducted. Chapter 2 dealt with the concept creativity and its interrelatedness with concepts such as giftedness and intelligence. Creativity is often confused with intelligence while they are both different aspects of giftedness. The concepts experience and university culture were also clarified. The creatively gifted personality was the focus of Chapter 3. The creatively gifted often display characteristics which may alienate them from society. In Chapter 4 the interaction between the creatively gifted individual and the environment was discussed. The environment can either encourage or demotivate the individual's creativity. Although the creatively gifted often resists the environment, they need assistance and support from the environment to actualize their creative potential. The design and method of research was formulated in Chapter 5. A case study design was selected for this study. The rationale for choosing this method of research was discussed. Issues such as validity, reliability and generalizability were also addressed. To identify the students with whom the case studies were conducted, certain procedures were followed. The study was structured in 4 phases in which quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were combined. In phase 1 the Torrance test of creative thinking (Figural, Form A) was administered to 400 first-year students at the Rand Afrikaans University. By means of a stratified sample 12 students were selected for phase 2 of this study. This group was constituted of 4 highly creative students, 4 students who obtained average scores for creativity and 4 students who performed poorly on the creativity test. In phase 3 a focus group interview was conducted with these students. The data obtained from this interview were analyzed according to qualitative research methodological procedures. The two creatively gifted students were identified with whom the double case study was conducted in phase 4 of the research. In Chapter 6 the data obtained from the double case study was reported and displayed. Examples were given from each procedural stage of the research process in order to establish a "chain of evidence". Patterns of each student's experience of the university environment were isolated. In Chapter 7 the final patterns obtained from the analysis of the data were interpreted against the theoretical background of previous chapters. The patterns for these students correlated well. The conclusion was reached that creatively gifted students could experience isolation within their environment which has a negative effect on their social and academic functioning. They might experience the isolation partly because of distinct characteristics of the creatively gifted individual and also because of the university structure in which they function. It was also concluded that the creatively gifted individuals in the study have the ability to adapt to the milieu although it demands much from them on an emotional level. Both testees have sound faith in their own abilities. Recommendations were made for the practical accommodation of these students as well as for possible further research. It is the wish of the author that this research should serve as an inspiration for researchers in this fundamental and crucial aspect of human functioning.

Rooms’ and ‘spaces’ are two closely linked forms of accommodation where the unit of occupation and exchange is a portion of a larger building or property, within which services and facilities are shared. ‘Rooms’ and ‘spaces’ in the inner city represented two of very few typologies research participants were aware of that allowed them access to the livelihood opportunities Johannesburg had to offer. Through participant observation and qualitative interviews this study explores two buildings featuring informal rooms and spaces and one building featuring formal rooms and spaces in Johannesburg’s inner city. While formal rooms represented the most stable support to those specific occupants, there were several ‘barriers to entry’ including the prerequisite of a stable income. There was much to be learnt from the flexibility and diversity of rooms and spaces on the informal market, which enabled occupants to cope with insecure livelihood opportunities. The research demonstrated the incredible resilience of occupants in the face of an extreme shortage of affordable accommodation in Johannesburg’s inner city (Tissington, 2013). However, the findings suggested an adverse relationship between accommodation and livelihoods demonstrated by the three ‘forms’ of rooms and spaces, where the only form available to people with the least secure livelihoods is that which, in turn, subjects them to the greatest insecurity.

The aim of the study is to provide an account of the present state of Portuguese in the Johannesburg Portuguese community, and to identify factors influencing the maintenance of, and shift from the mother tongue. South African society necessitates a knowledge and daily use of English, and sometimes Afrikaans. Literacy and proficiency in the Portuguese mother tongue is therefore rapidly decreasing, especially amongst the third generation. Despite this decline, certain factors play a role in maintaining Portuguese. The most important factors in the maintenance of the mother tongue are education, cultural activities, contact with Portugal, parental influence and positive attitudes. If measures are not taken, and an awareness created within the community of the need to create a situation of stable bilingualism, the Portuguese language will continue to be eroded. / 0 objectivo desta tese e analisar o nivel actual da lingua portuguesa, na comunidade Portuguesa em Joanesburgo, e identificar os factores que influenciam a manutenc;ao e ou o afastamento da lingua materna. A sociedade sul-africana necessita de urn conhecimento diario da lingua inglesa e, par vezes da lingua afrikaans. Por conseguinte, a capacidade de ler e escrever fluentemente na lingua portuguesa esta rapidamente a desaparecer, especialmente na 3a gerac;ao. Apesar deste declinio, existem ainda determinados factores que contribuem para a sobrevivencia da lingua portuguesa na comunidade. Os factores mais importantes sao: a educac;ao, as actividades culturais, o contacto com Portugal, a influencia familiar - atitudes positivas tomadas pela propria comunidade. Se nao forem criadas medidas pelos portugueses, que garantam a consciencializac; ao da lingua materna e urn determinado bilinguismo, a lingua portuguesa acasani par desaparecer na Africa do Sul. / Linguistics / M.A. (Linguistics)

The aim of this study was to identify types of behaviour manifested by learners during mathematics instruction, and the impact that this behaviour might have on the mathematics performance of learners. The study was conducted in Far East cluster of Johannesburg East District, in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. At the time of the study the Far East cluster of Johannesburg East District consisted of a population of seven public high schools, of which two schools were randomly sampled to participate in the study. Participants consisted of (n=10) Grade 10 mathematics learners, 2 mathematics teachers and 2 heads of mathematics departments (HODs). Data from learners were collected using a set of their assessment scores accumulated over a period of six months, that is, from January 2014 to June 2014 (Section 1.3.3). Also, semi-structured interviews were carried out with learners to determine types of classroom behaviour they perceived to influence their mathematical performance. The aim of documenting learners‟ assessment scores (document analysis) was to determine their average performance in Grade 10 mathematics over a stipulated period. Teachers and HODs completed questionnaires to identify types of classroom behaviour that learners manifested during mathematics instruction. The study followed a qualitative approach with phenomenology research design (Section 3.2). The study identified several types of classroom behaviour that characterized mathematics instruction in both schools, such as making noise and not doing classwork and homework activities. In addition, the study established that forms of behavioural patterns that are manifested by learners during a mathematics instruction influenced their performance in the subject. Huitt‟s (1997) model was used to conceptualize and interpret the results. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)