MEdPsych--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: After the apartheid regime of the white minority was dismantled, a new democratically elected government took power for the first time in the history of South Africa. This newly elected government brought new curriculum policies that have completely changed the education system in the country. Among was the Curriculum 2005,which used outcomes based education (OBE) for as the organising principle. The aim of this study is to gain insight in to the experiences of Grade 12 learners who attended a Life Skills programme run by Association for Educational transformation (ASSET). ASSET is a non-governmental organisation that provided supplementary tuition to Grade 11 and 12 learners in the Khayelitsha and Langa Centre. The research methodology was a qualitative case study of Xhosa-speaking boys and girls who were between seventeen and twenty-one years of age. The participants were selected from learners who lived in Khayelitsha and who are attending the Life Skills programme at the centre. The methods used during data collection were interviews, note taking and a literature review. The data analysis was done by using a procedure of content analysis where manageable units of data were coded into categories and themes. These themes and categories were interpreted and matched with the relevant literature. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ IV The findings of the study suggest that the Life Skills programme run by ASSET helped learners in acquiring life skills that may help them to handle challenges they may face. The learners interviewed for the study indicated that the programme had helped them to deal effectively with challenges such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and relationships. In addition, the learners suggested that the programme had expanded their knowledge about careers, tertiary institutions and the field of work. The findings of the study will be used by ASSET for further programme development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nadat die apartheidsregime van die wit minderheid afgetakel is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika die mag oorgeneem. Hierdie nuutverkose regering het nuwe kurrikulumbeleid bepaal wat die onderwysstelsel in die land heeltemal verander het, en onder andere Kurrikulum 2005 en uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys (UGO) vir skole ingesluit het. Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die lewensvaardigheidsprogram vir graad I2-leerders wat deur ASSET by die Khayelitsha Sentrum bedryf word. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om insig te kry in die ervaring van graad I2-leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram van ASSET bygewoon het. Nadat die apartheideidsbewind van die wit minderheidsgroep ontbind is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika aan bewind gekom." Die ondersoek is belangrik omdat dit leerders sal help om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om vraagstukke wat met MIVNigs, persoonlike probleme, misdaad en geweld, armoede, tienerswangerskap, verhoudings en beroepskeuses verband hou, te hanteer. Die navorsingsmetode was 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie met Xhosasprekende seuns en dogters van tussen sewentien en een-en-twintig jaar oud. Die proefpersone is geselekteer uit leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram by die Sentrum bygewoon het, veral dié wat in Khayelitsha woon, omdat hulle die Sentrum maklik kon bereik. Die metodes wat tydens data-insameling gebruik is, was onderhoude, aantekeninge en literatuuroorsig. Die data-analise is gedoen volgens 'n prosedure van oop kodering waartydens hanteerbare data-eenhede volgens kategorieë en temas gekodeer is. Hierdie temas en kategorieë is geïnterpreteer en met die literatuur vergelyk. Die navorsingsresultate dui daarop dat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram wat deur ASSET bedryf word, leerders gehelp het om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om uitdagings te hanteer. Die leerders met wie daar vir die ondersoek onderhoude gevoer is, het aangetoon dat die program hulle gehelp het om uitdagings soos tienerswangerskap, MIV/Vigs, dwelmmisbruik en verhoudings doeltreffend te hanteer. Verder het die leerders aangedui dat die program hulle kennis aangaande beroepe, tersiêre instellings en die wêreld van werk uitgebrei het. Voorstelle met betrekking tot die ondersoek is gemaak.

Thesis (MEdPsyc)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: After the apartheid regime of the white minority was dismantled, a new democratically elected government took power for the first time in the history of South Africa. This newly elected government brought new curriculum policies that have completely changed the education system in the country. Among was the Curriculum 2005,which used outcomes based education (OBE) for as the organising principle. The aim of this study is to gain insight in to the experiences of Grade 12 learners who attended a Life Skills programme run by Association for Educational transformation (ASSET). ASSET is a non-governmental organisation that provided supplementary tuition to Grade 11 and 12 learners in the Khayelitsha and Langa Centre. The research methodology was a qualitative case study of Xhosa-speaking boys and girls who were between seventeen and twenty-one years of age. The participants were selected from learners who lived in Khayelitsha and who are attending the Life Skills programme at the centre. The methods used during data collection were interviews, note taking and a literature review. The data analysis was done by using a procedure of content analysis where manageable units of data were coded into categories and themes. These themes and categories were interpreted and matched with the relevant literature. The findings of the study suggest that the Life Skills programme run by ASSET helped learners in acquiring life skills that may help them to handle challenges they may face. The learners interviewed for the study indicated that the programme had helped them to deal effectively with challenges such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and relationships. In addition, the learners suggested that the programme had expanded their knowledge about careers, tertiary institutions and the field of work. The findings of the study will be used by ASSET for further programme development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nadat die apartheidsregime van die wit minderheid afgetakel is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika die mag oorgeneem. Hierdie nuutverkose regering het nuwe kurrikulumbeleid bepaal wat die onderwysstelsel in die land heeltemal verander het, en onder andere Kurrikulum 2005 en uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys (UGO) vir skole ingesluit het. Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die lewensvaardigheidsprogram vir graad I2-leerders wat deur ASSET by die Khayelitsha Sentrum bedryf word. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om insig te kry in die ervaring van graad I2-leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram van ASSET bygewoon het. Nadat die apartheideidsbewind van die wit minderheidsgroep ontbind is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika aan bewind gekom." Die ondersoek is belangrik omdat dit leerders sal help om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om vraagstukke wat met MIVNigs, persoonlike probleme, misdaad en geweld, armoede, tienerswangerskap, verhoudings en beroepskeuses verband hou, te hanteer. Die navorsingsmetode was 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie met Xhosasprekende seuns en dogters van tussen sewentien en een-en-twintig jaar oud. Die proefpersone is geselekteer uit leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram by die Sentrum bygewoon het, veral dié wat in Khayelitsha woon, omdat hulle die Sentrum maklik kon bereik. Die metodes wat tydens data-insameling gebruik is, was onderhoude, aantekeninge en literatuuroorsig. Die data-analise is gedoen volgens 'n prosedure van oop kodering waartydens hanteerbare data-eenhede volgens kategorieë en temas gekodeer is. Hierdie temas en kategorieë is geïnterpreteer en met die literatuur vergelyk. Die navorsingsresultate dui daarop dat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram wat deur ASSET bedryf word, leerders gehelp het om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om uitdagings te hanteer. Die leerders met wie daar vir die ondersoek onderhoude gevoer is, het aangetoon dat die program hulle gehelp het om uitdagings soos tienerswangerskap, MIV/Vigs, dwelmmisbruik en verhoudings doeltreffend te hanteer. Verder het die leerders aangedui dat die program hulle kennis aangaande beroepe, tersiêre instellings en die wêreld van werk uitgebrei het. Voorstelle met betrekking tot die ondersoek is gemaak.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

M.Ed. (Environmental Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Continuing education advances society. For every student, our educational system should provide a seamless transition from one level to the next until a degree or certificate is earned that reflects a mastery of skills needed to secure employment. This helps prepare each individual for a successful life after exiting the educational system and greatly benefit our society. Today, however, many students graduating from high schools are not ready for a postsecondary education. Transitioning students from high school to college is a complex process that requires many different approaches. Students making this transition are finding it more difficult to enter and succeed at a higher level of education because of the complexity of this process. Preparing students for postsecondary options is critical for every student. Students from low-income families and some ethnic and racial minority groups are most dependent on the ability of their high school to prepare them properly for college success (Conley, 2010). In what ways can schools better prepare students for postsecondary success? This study focuses on the creation of a Postsecondary Readiness Guidebook (PRG) which provides a comprehensive approach to help educational leaders prepare students for postsecondary success. The guidebook uses a problem-based learning design and follows the research and development process. The guidebook was field tested by educational leaders in a K-12 public school though a workshop using a qualitative methodology. During the field-testing of the guidebook, data were collected through assessments, interviews with educators, and questionnaires completed by educational leaders at the school. Data were analyzed using inductive coding, facesheet coding, enumeration, and typology. The findings of the study reveal that using a guidebook with a comprehensive approach to postsecondary preparedness can help school leaders prepare students for postsecondary success. Educational leaders in the school collectively focused on best practices and programs aimed at preparing students for postsecondary options through the use and interaction of the PRG. The guidebook gave them a compass for which to navigate the complex process of preparing students for postsecondary success.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / A primary school child finds him or herself in the middle childhood years and it is considered to be a rich phase of life, since children have already reached important milestones. These children have the ability not only to act with empathy but also to maintain independent behaviour. As a result of the development in the cognitive and moral stage of development, these children can also distinguish between right and wrong and they show insight that social rules can be changed. As a result of this development, it is believed that this child will accept learners with different skills more confidently when the required awareness is provided. One group of learners with special skills, which I focused on during this research, are those who have been deformed by burn wounds. Statistics show that a growing number of children in South Africa are deformed by burn wounds. As a result of the changing policy on inclusive education, these children cannot be denied into the mainstream education system because of deformity or disability anymore. It is therefore believed that an increasing number of deformed or disabled children will be entering the mainstream education system. Information is gathered through various methods by using triangulation. The literature study, semi-structured interviews with children as well as teachers for experimental subjects, who completed an incomplete sentence test and open questions, added valuable information. Research indicated that children in this phase of life are indeed equipped with certain life skills, which place them in a privileged position to handle interaction with the deformed child, if they receive the required awareness. The information also indicated that the gestalt approach could be used as theoretical perspective for the compilation of the guideline. This approach recognises that play is the child's natural communication medium but also recognises that awareness is created through means of experimentation. To my knowledge, there is no program or guideline from the gestalt approach that enables education staff to address children's awareness in respect of their inherent skills in the middle childhood years. The researcher made a breakthrough in the integration of the gestalt approach with the education environment by constructing a practical guideline from the gestalt approach for education staff. Education staff should, however, receive training with regards to the gestalt approach in order to use this guideline effectively. / Laerskoolkind bevind hom- of haarself in die middelkinderjare en dit word as ryk lewensfase beskou, aangesien kinders reeds belangrike mylpale bereik het. Hierdie kinders beskik oor die vermoe om nie slegs empaties op te tree nie, maar om ook selfstandige gedrag te handhaaf. As gevolg van die ontwikkeling in die kognitiewe en morele ontwikkelingsterrein, kan hulle ook tussen reg en verkeerd onderskei en toon hulle insig dat sosiale reels verander kan word. As gevolg van hierdie ontwikkeling word daar verwag dat hierdie kind met die nodige bewusmaking, leerders wat oor verskillende bekwaamhede beskik, met meer selfvertroue sal kan aanvaar. Een groep leerders, waarop daar tydens hierdie navorsing gefokus sal word, wat oor spesiale bekwaamheid beskik, is diegene wat deur brandwonde geskend is. Statistieke toon dat toenemende aantal kinders jaarliks in Suid-Afrika, weens brandwonde geskend word. As gevolg van die veranderende beleid op insluitende onderwys, kan kinders weens geskend- of gestremdheid nie meer tot die hoofstroomonderwysstelsel geweier word nie. Die verwagting is dus dat toenemende aantal geskende of gestremde kinders die hoofstroomonderwysstelsel sal betree. Inligting is deur verskeie metodes ingesamel deur die benutting van triangulering. Die literatuurstudie, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met kinders asook onderwysers as proefpersone wat 'n onvoltooide sinnetoets en oop vrae voltooi het, het bruikbare inligting tot gevolg gehad. Daar is gevind dat kinders in hierdie lewensfase wei oor bepaalde lewensvaardighede beskik, wat hulle in 'n bevoorregte posisie plaas om, indien hulle die nodige bewusmaking ontvang, interaksie met die geskende kind sal kan behartig. Die inligting het verder ook daarop gedui dat die gestaltspelbenadering as teoretiese perspektief vir die samestelling van die riglyn benut kan word. Hierdie benadering erken dat spel die kind se natuurlike kommunikasiemedium is, maar ook dat bewuswording geskied deur middel van eksperimentasie. Sover bekend is daar geen program of riglyn vanuit die gestaltbenadering, wat opvoedkundige personeel in staat stel om kinders in die middelkinderjare se bewustheid ten opsigte van hulle inherente vaardighede aan te spreek nie. Die navorser het 'n deurbraak in die integrering van die gestaltbenadering met die opvoedkundige omgewing gemaak deurdat 'n praktiese riglyn vanuit die gestaltspelbenadering vir opvoedkundige personeel saamgestel is. Opvoedkundige personeel behoort egter opleiding met betrekking tot die gestaltspelbenadering te ontvang ten einde hierdie riglyn effektief te kan benut. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The purpose ofthis study is to understand and describe the experiences ofthe demands that Life-orientation, in practice, place on the educator. These experiences relate to the skills, knowledge, attitudes, values and method of instruction. This study is descriptive and a qualitative research strategy was employed. A case study was used as a research method. A literature study ofLife-orientation, the demands that the subject place on educators and Invitational Education as a possible method of instruction were described. An interview with a focus group consisting of five educators in Life-orientation from High School X was done. A class presentation ofthese five educators was observed. The data collected were analysed and categories and themes identified. The themes or subjects identified were the following: the importance ofthe doctrine of Life-orientation, focus on the learner, atmosphere in the classroom and the educational and instructional demands Life-orientation place on the educator. These themes were linked to theory and findings and conclusions were made. The following findings were made: the themes identified allude to the four assumptions and four elements of Invitational Education. It became apparent that educators implicitly acted in a professionally and personally inviting manner towards themselves and the learners in teaching Life-orientation. It can be concluded that Invitational Education may be a possible workable model used in the teaching of Life-orientation according to an outcomes-based education model and it may aid the educators to adhere to the demands of Life-orientation.

The first cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were reported in 1981 and in 1983 the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was identified. Today, over 40 million individuals globally are living with HIV/AIDS. As there is currently no cure for the disease, it is projected to reach pandemic proportions in the 21st century. In South Africa at the end of 2006, over 5.3 million individuals were living with HIV/AIDS, with affluent and educated South Africans showing the highest HIVprevalence growth rate. The HIV prevalence amongst 15 to 24 year old South Africans is 10.4 percent. It has become vital that youth receive education about HIV/AIDS as early as possible, to ensure that they do not contract the virus. Psycho-education seeks to teach psychological knowledge and skills to individuals. This is also known as life skills teaching. The National Departments of Health and Education have developed a life skills programme for schools. This programme aims to, amongst others; educate young people about HIV/AIDS. The effectiveness of this programme will be assessed in two schools in the Port Elizabeth area. In this exploratory descriptive, triangulation research study, a quasiexperimental, one group pre- and post-test design was used to assess the effectiveness of the life skills programme amongst 211 Grade nine middle to upper socio-economic group learners. Four focus groups were conducted after the programme to explore the learner’s attitudes and perceptions of HIV/AIDS and their experiences of the programme. Tesch’s model of content analysis and Guba’s model of trustworthiness were used to analyse the data obtained from the focus groups.

This study examines how the implementation of CAPS Life Skills curriculum training (as a recontextualising process) is engaging teachers in environmental education. The research was centred on training manuals for Life Skills (Official Recontextualisation Field) and their use in CAPS training at district level in two Eastern Cape sites of recontextualisation (Professional Recontextualisation Field). During the training, teachers developed lesson plans that were reviewed and group interviews were conducted on the training process and its outcomes. The manuals, training process, lesson plans and interview transcripts were analysed for evidence of environmental education, notably content, teaching and learning methods and assessment strategies. Bernstein’s (1990) framework of the pedagogic device underpins this study. Here the concept of the relay is key for tracking the "relay” of the content, teaching and learning methods and assessment strategies through the processes of recontextualisation into the lesson plans for the field of production. During the process of de-location and relocation, gaps are created and this study sought to track and probe patterns of omissions that took place during the relay process in two cases of training. The review of the in-service training course process of recontextualisation and its cascading approach exposed challenges of omission as it became clear that at each level of the recontextualisation process, gaps were apparent. The study highlighted how the 3-5 day workshop process reviewed was not a robust model for professional development. It was not effective and changes in the mode of delivery and processes of support that reach into curriculum practice in the context of the school are recommended. The study concludes that there is a need for continuous professional development as teachers need ongoing support especially for a "new” curriculum like CAPS that is content driven.