The study contributed to preschool education by highlighting the attitudes and perceptions of parents and preschool teachers and practitioners concerning preschool education in general, and the teaching of thinking skills in particular. Furthermore, information with regard to developing guidelines for a preschool learning programme to assist unqualified and underqualified preschool practitioners in predominantly rural areas was generated. The literature study revealed that all areas of development, that is, cognitive, physical, social, moral and emotional are interrelated. Therefore, development in cognition is influenced by, and influences the other areas. Cognitive development in particular, is most rapid during the preschool years and should be stimulated at this stage. A qualitative study was undertaken to determine the attitudes and perceptions of preschool teachers/practitioners and parents with regard to preschool education in general, and the teaching of thinking skills to enhance cognitive development in particular. Four preschools in Region 3 of the Northern Province were observed to investigate the teaching of thinking skills and also the learning programmes used in these institutions. The findings from the literature and research studies led to the following conclusions: * Parents are uninformed concerning their role in stimulating the cognitive development of their children. * Preschool education is regarded as being very important for children. * There are no prescribed learning programmes or explicitly stated guidelines underlying preschool education. * Thinking skills are taught to a greater or lesser extent in preschools, although the intentional mediation is missing. *The training of preschool practitioners is a neglected area. In view of the conclusions, the following recommendations were made: * Underqualified and unqualified preschool practitioners should receive training. * Partnership between parents and preschool practitioners should be encouraged to ensure continuity between the home and the preschool. * Parents' support programmes should be developed to empower them as their children's most significant mediators. * Thinking skills should be infused in preschool learning programmes and activities. * Remote, rural areas should be supported by the goverment and NGOs with the provision of preschool education. * Prescribed guidelines and learning programmes should be developed to assist unqualified and underqualified practitioners in rural and disadvantaged areas in the Northern Province. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The study contributed to preschool education by highlighting the attitudes and perceptions of parents and preschool teachers and practitioners concerning preschool education in general, and the teaching of thinking skills in particular. Furthermore, information with regard to developing guidelines for a preschool learning programme to assist unqualified and underqualified preschool practitioners in predominantly rural areas was generated. The literature study revealed that all areas of development, that is, cognitive, physical, social, moral and emotional are interrelated. Therefore, development in cognition is influenced by, and influences the other areas. Cognitive development in particular, is most rapid during the preschool years and should be stimulated at this stage. A qualitative study was undertaken to determine the attitudes and perceptions of preschool teachers/practitioners and parents with regard to preschool education in general, and the teaching of thinking skills to enhance cognitive development in particular. Four preschools in Region 3 of the Northern Province were observed to investigate the teaching of thinking skills and also the learning programmes used in these institutions. The findings from the literature and research studies led to the following conclusions: * Parents are uninformed concerning their role in stimulating the cognitive development of their children. * Preschool education is regarded as being very important for children. * There are no prescribed learning programmes or explicitly stated guidelines underlying preschool education. * Thinking skills are taught to a greater or lesser extent in preschools, although the intentional mediation is missing. *The training of preschool practitioners is a neglected area. In view of the conclusions, the following recommendations were made: * Underqualified and unqualified preschool practitioners should receive training. * Partnership between parents and preschool practitioners should be encouraged to ensure continuity between the home and the preschool. * Parents' support programmes should be developed to empower them as their children's most significant mediators. * Thinking skills should be infused in preschool learning programmes and activities. * Remote, rural areas should be supported by the goverment and NGOs with the provision of preschool education. * Prescribed guidelines and learning programmes should be developed to assist unqualified and underqualified practitioners in rural and disadvantaged areas in the Northern Province. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

L’objectif général de ce travail doctoral était d’étudier les effets de la fatigue (physique et mentale) sur le contrôle postural. Tout d’abord, les effets de la fatigue musculaire du quadriceps fémoral induite par des contractions volontaires et des contractions électro-induites ont été comparés. Les résultats ont montré que des contractions volontaires altéraient davantage le contrôle postural que des contractions électro-induites pour une perte de force musculaire équivalente. Ceci s’expliquerait par la présence d’une fatigue centrale après les contractions volontaires, ainsi qu’une sollicitation différente des fibres musculaires entre les deux modalités de contraction. Des mécanismes compensatoires seraient mis en œuvre après ces deux modalités de contractions fatigantes, mais de façon plus prononcée pour les contractions volontaires. Concernant la fatigue mentale, les effets d’une tâche cognitive exigeante et prolongée sur ordinateur (induisant un état de fatigue mentale) et d’un visionnage de documentaire (tâche contrôle) sur le contrôle postural ont été comparés. De prime abord, la fatigue mentale affecterait le contrôle postural en condition de privation visuelle, en réduisant l’efficacité des stratégies d’attention associatives. De façon surprenante, visionner un documentaire conduirait également à une altération du contrôle postural, potentiellement en raison du maintien prolongé d’une posture assise affaissée. La posture assise pourrait ainsi constituer un facteur confondant dans les protocoles expérimentaux comportant une évaluation posturale. Une analyse statistique de classification en cluster hiérarchique a permis de mettre en évidence des sensibilités différentes au sein des individus à l’égard de la tâche mentalement fatigante. Le niveau de fatigue mentale serait associé au niveau de dégradation du contrôle postural sur un support stable avec les yeux ouverts. La réalisation d’une tâche cognitive prolongée exigeant une attention visuelle soutenue face à un écran d’ordinateur provoquerait une fatigue visuelle. Cette fatigue visuelle affecterait différemment les individus. Elle toucherait plus particulièrement les sujets les plus dépendants des informations visuelles, pour lesquels le contrôle postural se dégraderait davantage que les autres individus. / The overall objective of this doctoral work was to study the effects of fatigue (physical and mental) on postural control. First, the effects of femoral quadriceps muscle fatigue induced by voluntary contractions and electro-induced contractions were compared. The results showed that voluntary contractions affected postural control more than electro-induced contractions for an equivalent loss of muscle strength. This could be explained by the presence of central fatigue after voluntary contractions, as well as a different strain on muscle fibres between the two modes of contraction. Compensatory mechanisms would be implemented after these two modes of tiresome contractions, but more pronounced for voluntary contractions. With regard to mental fatigue, the effects of demanding and prolonged cognitive computer work (inducing mental fatigue) and documentary viewing (task control) on postural control were compared. At first glance, mental fatigue would affect postural control in conditions of visual deprivation, reducing the effectiveness of associative attention strategies. Surprisingly, viewing a documentary would also lead to an alteration in postural control, potentially due to the prolonged maintenance of a collapsed sitting posture. Sitting posture could thus be a confounding factor in experimental protocols involving postural evaluation. A statistical analysis of hierarchical cluster classification revealed different sensitivities within individuals towards the mentally demanding task. The level of mental fatigue would be associated with the level of degradation of postural control on a stable support with eyes open. Performing a prolonged cognitive task requiring sustained visual attention to a computer screen would cause visual fatigue. This visual fatigue would affect individuals differently. It would particularly affect the subjects most dependent on visual information, for which postural control would be more degraded than other individuals.