MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Research Psychology), 2017 / ADHD is one of the most prevalent disorders in child psychiatry today. Whilst the phenomenon of ADHD is well researched in Europe and North America, there are limited studies available in South Africa that explore the link between ADHD and different forms of schooling. Furthermore, few studies focus on the children who have been socially positioned in this way. This study focused on the prevalence of ADHD with a particular aim to explore how gender, race and class play out in an unequal schooling system. The secondary aim was to contribute to the knowledge about adolescents’ own understandings and experiences of ADHD. The research was conducted in two distinct phases, Phase 1 included the administration of a demographic questionnaire to determine the prevalence of the disorder within four different Gauteng schools. Phase 2 of the project included semi-structured interviews to explore the understandings, perceptions and experiences of children living with this diagnosis. This study explored the prevalence of ADHD across four different schools in Gauteng. Results of the study propose that the diagnosis and prevalence of this phenomena is strongly influenced by gender, race and class, as the majority of children diagnosed are boys (65%), more than half are from upper class families (61%) and most of the children are white (71%). The adolescents who were interviewed indicated that teachers were mostly the initiators of their diagnosis due to deviations from classroom behaviour and academic performance. While the children claimed that the diagnosis and the medication had certain benefits, they also identified distinct disadvantages with the most notable adverse effects on mood and interactions with their peers. The predominant biomedical view of the disorder seemed to be internalised by the children which positioned them in a subordinate relationship with health care professionals. A strong theme of disempowerment emerged, with medical experts and mothers, identified as gatekeepers to their sense of agency. / XL2018

This study investigates teachers‟ experiences in identifying learners with learning barriers in one primary school in the East London District. It focuses on diversity and inclusive education as well as practices and procedures within the school. This is a phenomenological study conceptualized in terms of social constructivism(Leatherman, 2007), Kurt Lewin‟s Field Theory(Neill, 2004) and ecological systems theory(Maddock, 2000).The literature review encompasses four focal points: conceptualisation of inclusive education, inclusive education in South Africa, policy implementation, and lessons learned from inclusive education implementation both internationally and in South Africa. A qualitative research method is employed in this study through the use of semistructured interviews and observations. The findings are analysed using content analysis. The key findings of this might help the teachers working in full service or mainstream schools to have a good understanding and a sense of what diversity and inclusive education entails. The findings might attempt to examine how educators manage inclusion in the classroom, their competencies and the strategies they need in order to be competent inclusive teachers. Recommendations are developed that point to how practices could be put in place to facilitate an effective implementation strategy for the development of an inclusive education system.

Many secondary schools in deprived environments are characterized by teenage pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, high dropout rates, gangsterism and low pass rates. Teachers are confronted on a daily basis with learners who are exposed to barriers to learning. The purpose of this study is in line with the formulated problem, namely to: investigate the various dimensions of the relationship that exists between psychosocial barriers to learning and environmental deprivation; provide guidelines based on the findings of the research and present them as recommendations for teachers to support learners from a deprived environment who experience barriers to learning. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and interpretative research design was utilized to provide acceptable answers to the research problem. A literature study regarding psychosocial barriers to learning was done to explain the concept along with concepts related to environmental deprivation. This study was conducted in two phases: Phase 1 presented an exploration of the problem in the form of a single openended question: What hindrances to learning are you experiencing in your specific physical and social environment? Eight focus group interviews with learners were undertaken at a secondary school in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. A purposive sampling method was used. Data collection took place through open-ended interviews and Tesch’s model was used to analyse the data. After the research investigation was completed the researcher and an independent coder analyzed iv the results from the transcriptions of a voice-recorder. Guba’s model of data verification was used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Ethical measures were adhered to during the study. The research findings were evaluated for educational purposes. Consensus was reached between the researcher and the independent coder with regard to the identification of themes, categories and sub-categories. Phase 2 generated recommendations from the findings of Phase 1 to assist the teachers in dealing competently with learners from deprived environments. The following four themes emerged from the results which led to various conclusions: 1. A deprived home situation (relationships, abuse, no privacy, and poverty) generates barriers to learning. Neglect: no interest and a don’t care attitude of parents, no parents at home, rejection and no communication have a negative effect on the learners. Physical, sexual, alcohol and drug abuse in the home situation influence the learners negatively. No privacy: sexual behaviour of parents and overcrowding have a decisive effect on the learners. Poverty: factors such as unemployment, cannot afford school fees, no electricity and no breadwinner make the learner feel desperate and despondent. 2. A deprived school situation (social relationships, physical factors, no resources, racism and distances to school) creates barriers to learning. The following features of social relationships were identified as contributing factors to poor social relationships at school, namely: peer pressure: drugs, dropping out of school, unsafe school environment; relationships with teachers: no respect for teachers and teachers who degrade learners. The following physical factors have a detrimental effect on a learner’s progress: broken windows and roofs, lack of water, electricity and lights, the state of the school grounds, ablutions and big classes. Schools with no resources such as libraries and counselling centres contribute to the poor performance of the learners. Racism, language issues and no mixing of races are contributing factors to barriers to learning. The long distances to school, the cost of transport and the fact that they do not have time for homework affect the learners as hindrances to learning. 3. A deprived environment (with factors such as HIV/AIDS and TB, a community not conducive to learning, unsafe communities and overpopulation) causes barriers to learning. HIV/AIDS and TB, taking care of parents, tiredness, illnesses and discrimination are seen as factors that hamper learning. A community that is not conducive to learning, with a don’t care attitude and that is not very helpful, causes barriers to learning. Unsafe communities, where crime is rampant, with ineffective police services and overpopulation, where noise and loud music are the order of the day, have a negative effect on learning. 4. Learner-related factors (early pregnancies and the susceptibility of youth) create barriers to learning. Teenage pregnancies are detrimental to education where the mother must baby-sit, and is not studying, as well as sexual abuse and rape, are factors that contribute to school dropouts. Cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, taverns, discos, taxis and gangs were identified as factors contributing to learner delinquency. The conclusion was reached that learners in deprived environments are exposed to psychosocial barriers to learning. Recommendations in this regard were proposed to assist the teacher in understanding these learners and the barriers that they are exposed to on a daily basis.

Much emphasis has been placed on democracy, equality and human rights since the dawn of the democratic South Africa in 1994. Efforts to align the South African education system with the democratic principles of the Constitution, not only in terms of eradicating past racial divides, but also in terms of accessibility to learners who experience barriers to learning are eminent. The South African Government issued various policies to ensure quality, equitable and accessible education for all, irrespective of ability. Theoretically, no learner should therefore being discriminated against on any basis. In practice, however, thousands of learners, especially those who experience barriers to learning are denied the opportunity to receive meaningful development opportunities in many mainstream primary schools, resulting in their early drop out from school without having acquired the basic skills and knowledge to become self sustainable members of their communities. With the adoption of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model as theoretical framework for this study, the primary aim of this qualitative investigation was to investigate and describe how effective learners who experience barriers to learning are managed in mainstream primary schools and to develop a framework for the creation of more sustainable management systems to ensure that the needs of all learners are met. The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that most learners who experience barriers to learning are currently not managed effectively in mainstream primary schools due to factors situated across the whole education system, to the detriment of learners who experience barriers to learning. Based on the findings of the empirical investigation, this study proposes a framework which will ensure the effective management of learners who experience barriers to learning in mainstream primary schools. The framework include recommendations to be implemented across all layers of the ecological system.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die kind in die middelkinderjare met leerprobleme se belewenis van remediëring binne die skoolmilieu te verken en te beskryf. Ten einde hierdie doelstelling te bereik is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Die doelwitte het onder andere die daarstelling van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk behels wat met behulp van ‘n literatuurstudie en konsultasie met kundiges die kind in die middelkinderjare met leerprobleme wat remediëring binne die skoolmilieu ontvang binne die konteks van hierdie studie gedefinieer het. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met die deelnemers gevoer, waarna data geanaliseer is en gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak is na aanleiding van die deelnemers se belewenis. Hooftemas, subtemas en kategorieë is uit die onderhoude geïdentifiseer en met bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die data is daar gepoog om nie bevindings te veralgemeen nie en aangesien dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was, is elke deelnemer toegelaat om sy of haar belewenis te deel. / During this research, the aim was to explore and describe the experiences of remedial education within the school milieu of the child in middle childhood with learning problems. In order to reach the required goal, a number of objectives were set. The objectives included conceptualising a theoretical framework by means of a literature study and consultation with experts in order to define the child in middle childhood with learning difficulties that receives remedial education within the school milieu. Semi-structured interviews with participants were conducted, whereupon data were analysed and conclusions and recommendations were made according to the participants’ experiences. Main themes, sub-themes and categories were identified in the transcriptions and were verified with existing literature. During the discussion of data the aim was not to generalise the findings, as it was a qualitative study and each participant was allowed to share his or her experience / M.Diac. (Spelterapie) / Social Work

Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die kind in die middelkinderjare met leerprobleme se belewenis van remediëring binne die skoolmilieu te verken en te beskryf. Ten einde hierdie doelstelling te bereik is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Die doelwitte het onder andere die daarstelling van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk behels wat met behulp van ‘n literatuurstudie en konsultasie met kundiges die kind in die middelkinderjare met leerprobleme wat remediëring binne die skoolmilieu ontvang binne die konteks van hierdie studie gedefinieer het. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met die deelnemers gevoer, waarna data geanaliseer is en gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak is na aanleiding van die deelnemers se belewenis. Hooftemas, subtemas en kategorieë is uit die onderhoude geïdentifiseer en met bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die data is daar gepoog om nie bevindings te veralgemeen nie en aangesien dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was, is elke deelnemer toegelaat om sy of haar belewenis te deel. / During this research, the aim was to explore and describe the experiences of remedial education within the school milieu of the child in middle childhood with learning problems. In order to reach the required goal, a number of objectives were set. The objectives included conceptualising a theoretical framework by means of a literature study and consultation with experts in order to define the child in middle childhood with learning difficulties that receives remedial education within the school milieu. Semi-structured interviews with participants were conducted, whereupon data were analysed and conclusions and recommendations were made according to the participants’ experiences. Main themes, sub-themes and categories were identified in the transcriptions and were verified with existing literature. During the discussion of data the aim was not to generalise the findings, as it was a qualitative study and each participant was allowed to share his or her experience / M.Diac. (Spelterapie) / Social Work

Educational underachievement is a big problem in all schools, but it is especially prevalent in poverty stricken areas. The main objective of this research was to investigate the possible reasons for, consequences of and strategies to address the problem of educational underachievement in poverty stricken areas. The research conducted was based on the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach was used to gather data. A case study approach was used as a research design. The data collection methods were questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study found that the home conditions, individual factors, family and psychological factors are the main reasons for academic underachievement. The main consequences of academic underachievement were found to be unemployment, behavioural problems, a negative self-perception, high failure rates, high drop-out rates and teenage pregnancies. The main strategies to address the problem which the study revealed are: teachers familiarising themselves with the home conditions of the child, addressing the problem of overcrowding, and poverty, involving the parents in the education of their children, enhancing the self-esteem of learners, improving teaching, implementing cooperative learning and providing study facilities for these learners at the school after hours.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, 2006. / The purpose of this study is to show the association between learning problems and demographic factors, to examine the assessment of learning problems and to describe the profiles of learners with learning problems. Knowledge regarding the above-mentioned could be of assistance in paving the way to examine the relative impact of these variables to predict, assess and treat learning problems. The method used in this study entails a retrospective review of records. This means that previous psychological records were examined. These psychological reports consist of information on psychodiagnoses, intervention procedures and prognoses. In the light of the findings from the present study, it appears that there exists a need in South Africa for a solution-focused approach in the prevention and treatment of learning problems. According to the findings of the present study, learning problems can be caused by various demographic factors. Furthermore, attention is drawn to guide psychologists regarding the assessment of learning problems. A comprehensive test battery is necessary when assessing learning problems, because learning and emotional problems often co-exist. Finally, findings from the present study show variations in learners' profiles. Profiles of learners with learning problems seem to differ in a unique way from one another. Therefore, unique remedial programmes for the treatment of learning problems can be designed accordingly.

Thesis (MEd)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Poverty and a lack of parental involvement have a dual negative effect on the academic performance of learners with learning disabilities, and are prevalent in rural areas. While parental involvement in schools in impoverished rural communities is very low, research also indicates parental involvement is key in addressing barriers to learning and associated learning disabilities. This study sought to explore the nature and extent of parental involvement of learners with learning disabilities at schools in impoverished rural communities. The study targeted a specific impoverished rural community in the Western Cape where the combination of learning disability and a lack of parental involvement negatively affects the literacy and numeracy skills, resulting in learning outputs that are below standard. The study drew on Epstein’s theory of parental involvement. Thematic data analysis was used in employing a constant comparative method. By applying Epstein’s model, this study not only contributes to understanding the nature and dynamics of parental involvement in impoverished rural schools as well as factors contributing towards the improvement of parental involvement; it also contributes towards an understanding of Epstein by applying her model to a rural setting.