A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, (South Africa), in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Research Psychology degree, 2004. / The purpose of the study was to examine certain aspects of educational and occupational development in adolescent females. Specifically, the aims were: (1) to ascertain the nature of occupational aspirations of black adolescent girls, (2) to determine the relationship between black adolescents self esteem and occupational aspirations, and (3) to find out whether parents' level of education has an influence on black adolescents' occupational aspirations. Subjects were 161 black girls, aged between 14 and 23 years, from two schools (one a private school and the other a government school) in the township of Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria. The overall results on the educational aspirations of this sample of adolescent girls indicated that these girls intend to graduate from, high school and achieve higher levels of education beyond high school. Occupational aspirations were assessed on the basis of their training requirements, on the first choice of occupation, which the students wanted more than the others; a majority of them aspired to occupations necessitating a degree. The type of schooling did play a role in influencing occupational aspirations, it is thus important to acknowledge that socioeconomic factor is the important variable , since socioeconomic influences which children go to public schools and which go to private schools. It was interesting to find that individual value for educational aspirations and social approval for educational aspirations were significantly related, and that the individual value for occupational aspirations and social approval for occupational aspirations were significant. The t-test for equality of means showed that the government school girls were slightly higher than the private school girls on school ability, while the private school girls were significantly higher on occupational aspirations than the government school girls

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Education in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Zululand, 2005. / Schools are judged by their results and the quality of learners they produce. The quality of learners depends, among other things, on the amount of knowledge and skills he or she acquired at school. Motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, plays a crucial role in the learner's performance and acquisition of knowledge. The principal, through the effective exercise of his leadership role, motivates learners to make concerted efforts to improve their academic performance. A literature study and empirical investigation were conducted to determine the principal's role in influencing learner academic performance. The study investigated the kind of leadership that the principal has to exercise in order to contribute to the improvement of learner academic performance. It also investigated the leadership style that the principal has to adopt to improve learner performance. Factors that hinder effective leadership and negatively affect learner performance were also highlighted. A key finding was that principals do not involve learners in making decisions on matters affecting them. Their leadership style has an autocratic bias and they cannot strike a balance between democratic and autocratic leadership. Most principals also did not provide instructional leadership in their schools by, among other things, monitoring learner progress, showing high expectations of learners and visiting classes regularly to ensure that teaching and learning take place. A key recommendation was that principals should keep communication channels open so that they are informed about the feelings, needs and problems learners encounter in schools. Monitoring of learner progress cannot be overemphasized. It was recommended that principals should involve learners in making decisions on matters affecting them. It was also recommended that effective leadership requires a balance between democratic and autocratic leadership styles.

Summaries in Afrikaans and Engish / Hierdie studie handel oor 'n hulpverleningsprogram vir die begaafde seun wat onderpresteer in die sekondere skool. Navorsing toon dat aansienlik meer seuns as meisies met hierdie probleem worstel en gevolglik word hulle voile potensiaal nie verwesenlik nie. Dit het 'n doeltreffende hulpverleningsprogram in die brandpunt van die studie gestel. Literatuurstudie toon dat baie bestaande hulpverleningsprogramme gerig is op primereskoolleerders en dat Suid-Afiikaanse hulpverleningsprogramme beperk is. Die doelstelling van die studie fokus op hulpverlening deur 'n interdissiplinere spanbenadering aan die adolessente begaafde seun wat onderpresteer. Die twee vraelyste vergemaklik identifisering van die eiesoortige probleme en behoeftes van die kind en fokus op die funksioneringsbeeld van die kind-in-totaliteit. Hulpverleningsvoorstelle word in die Akkumulatiewe BINGO-Plantabel vervat. Hulpverlening geskied intensief op 'n een-tot-een-basis en moet ortodidakties en ortopedagogies verantwoordbaar wees. Volgehoue bemoeienis met die opvoedeling lei tot noukeurige evaluering van die leerder, asook van die hulpverleningsprogram / This study deals with a support programme for the gifted boy who underachieves in the secondary school Research shows that more boys than girls experience these problems and consequently their full potential is not realised. Hence the focus on an effective assistance and support programme. Literary studies show that many existing support programmes target the primary school pupils and that South Afiican support programmes are limited. The aim of the study focuses on assistance to the gifted adolescent boy who underachieves, through an interdisciplinary team approach. The two questionnaires facilitate identification of the unique problems and needs of the child and focus on his totality. The Accumulative BINGO Plan chart contains suggestions for assistance. Support is intensive on a one-to-one basis and must be according to orthodidactic and orthopedagogical principles. Continuous involvement with the educand leads to an accurate evaluation of the learner and the support programme. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Orthopedagogiek)

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / This study investigates students’ perception of factors that contributed to dropouts at a selected FET college. Despite receiving government funding, drop-out continues to increase. An understanding of perceived factors influencing drop-out rate would help to develop and deploy retention strategy for FET college students. Previous studies on drop-out shows that students that have dropped out are more likely to be unemployed and living in poverty compared to those students that have successfully completed their programmes. In 2006 the Minister of Labour declared that FET Colleges in South Africa have a major role to play in assisting youth in gaining skills and thereby halving poverty and the unemployment rate by the year 2014. This declaration highlights the importance of FET colleges and amplifies the need for a strategy to maximise students’ retention and minimise drop-out rate. This study utilise a random sampling method to select respondents. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a quantitative approach and designed in a Likert scale format. The study was limited to students at West Coast FET College’s campuses namely: Atlantis, Vredenburg, Malmesbury and Citrusdal. One hundred and fifty students were used as respondents and data were gathered from the questionnaires. The findings derived from the data revealed that multiple factors are perceived to be the cause of high student dropout. These factors are lack of finances for transport and accommodation especially for the first years and social context of individual learners. The study concludes that although finance and social context of individual learner are perceived drop-out factors, other personal attributes like learners’ attitude to learning and commitment also plays a role in students drop-out and drop-out intention.

A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DIVISION OF SPECIALIZED EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DSGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION (SCHOOL COUNSELLING) / There is generally a lack of research in the area of self concept development in the classroom, as related to Black education in general, and at Black colleges of education in particular. The importance of self-concept in the academic situation and the need to develop it in Black education was a motivating reason for the current research study. The study was undertaken at the Soweto College of Education. (Abbreviation abstract) / Andrew Chakane 2019

The overall purpose of this study was to analyse the perceptions and experiences of students from disadvantaged schools regarding their academic progress at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The study focused on the students’ material and social circumstances, their learning environment while at University, their connections to their home community, and their career aspirations. It set to answer three key research questions, namely: (1) what are the contours of disadvantage that can be discovered through investigating samples of students from disadvantaged schools at UKZN? (2) How do the ‘contours’ seem to co-occur with factors relating to academic progress? (3) What are the perceptions of students from disadvantaged schools at UKZN about their pre-university experience and the learning environment at university? The notion of disadvantage was defined using the Department of Education (DoE)’s classification of schools into the quintile system which is based on measurements of the poverty of the catchment community. Thus, this study shows that the notion of disadvantaged students in higher education can be investigated through class-based, rather than merely racially-based definitions. This study was conducted within a three-fold conceptual framework based on sustainable livelihoods approaches (SLA), social capital theory and social justice ideology. The SLA approach teaches us that livelihoods can only be understood and captured in particular contexts. This research project therefore aimed to gain a clearer understanding of such a context, in this case, the campus environment. Through the phenomenological approach of the openended questions in the interviews, this thesis taps into the perceptions of students themselves about their environment and how they cope. Social capital theory postulates five spheres: the academic, the social, the economic, the support, and the democratic. These were probed in both a survey of a sample of disadvantaged students, and by interviewing eight students. With regard to academic progress, the measurements used were the matric aggregate, the grade point average for salient years and programmes, and the time it took for students to graduate or dropout. Comparisons are made between the norm of students, the disadvantaged (those from low quintile schools), and those in the sample. The purpose of utilizing such measurements is to contribute to the social justice discourse about university education based on Taylor’s notion of Fair Equality of Opportunity (FEO), where disadvantaged students’ abilities and aspirations can best be developed and exercised, leading to the attainment of self-realization. Until disadvantaged students show academic progress that fits the norm, the contours of their disadvantage need to be continually investigated; it is hoped that the findings of this thesis will contribute to further research and concrete proposals which can be implemented to improve conditions so that students who are already disadvantaged as a result of their schooling are not further disadvantaged while at University . / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Summaries in Afrikaans and Engish / Hierdie studie handel oor 'n hulpverleningsprogram vir die begaafde seun wat onderpresteer in die sekondere skool. Navorsing toon dat aansienlik meer seuns as meisies met hierdie probleem worstel en gevolglik word hulle voile potensiaal nie verwesenlik nie. Dit het 'n doeltreffende hulpverleningsprogram in die brandpunt van die studie gestel. Literatuurstudie toon dat baie bestaande hulpverleningsprogramme gerig is op primereskoolleerders en dat Suid-Afiikaanse hulpverleningsprogramme beperk is. Die doelstelling van die studie fokus op hulpverlening deur 'n interdissiplinere spanbenadering aan die adolessente begaafde seun wat onderpresteer. Die twee vraelyste vergemaklik identifisering van die eiesoortige probleme en behoeftes van die kind en fokus op die funksioneringsbeeld van die kind-in-totaliteit. Hulpverleningsvoorstelle word in die Akkumulatiewe BINGO-Plantabel vervat. Hulpverlening geskied intensief op 'n een-tot-een-basis en moet ortodidakties en ortopedagogies verantwoordbaar wees. Volgehoue bemoeienis met die opvoedeling lei tot noukeurige evaluering van die leerder, asook van die hulpverleningsprogram / This study deals with a support programme for the gifted boy who underachieves in the secondary school Research shows that more boys than girls experience these problems and consequently their full potential is not realised. Hence the focus on an effective assistance and support programme. Literary studies show that many existing support programmes target the primary school pupils and that South Afiican support programmes are limited. The aim of the study focuses on assistance to the gifted adolescent boy who underachieves, through an interdisciplinary team approach. The two questionnaires facilitate identification of the unique problems and needs of the child and focus on his totality. The Accumulative BINGO Plan chart contains suggestions for assistance. Support is intensive on a one-to-one basis and must be according to orthodidactic and orthopedagogical principles. Continuous involvement with the educand leads to an accurate evaluation of the learner and the support programme. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Orthopedagogiek)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship that exists between academic self-concept, motivation and academic achievement at the University of the Free State. The primary aim of this study was to determine if academic self-concept and motivation of quantity surveying students at the University of the Free State could predict their level of academic achievement. The sample was selected by means of convenience sampling. Relevant literature indicated that there are contrasting findings about whether a relationship exists between students’ academic self-concepts and motivation, and academic achievement. The empirical investigation revealed that there are only significant correlations between academic self-concept, motivation and academic achievement in some of the study year levels and not in all of them. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Adult education)

The central theme of the research is an investigation into what motivates FET phase learners to learn. All learners are interested in learning certain things however, learners interests often do not correspond with what teachers are required to teach. Teachers are therefore constantly searching for ways to motivate learners to learn. This challenge is not easy for teachers in a culturally homogenous classroom, but becomes even greater when the classes are comprised of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. So then how does a teacher motivate learners in general, and more specifically learners from different cultural orientations? This is a difficult question to answer but one that needs to be addressed considering the diversity of cultures found in the South African classroom. In this study an attempt is made to examine what motivates learners to learn, and the influence of culture on the motivation to learn of Further Education and Training (FET) phase learners in a multicultural classroom. Data on these two elements is collected through the use of structured questionnaires and focus group interviews and is analysed in order to answer the research question. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Existing scales were modified and factor-analysed through "prepilof' and pilot studies for exploring relations between academic motivation, achievement, and cognitive factors such as locus of control (LOC), attributions, perceived self-determination and ability. Distinct, conceptually meaningful factors emerged. Thirty-seven hypotheses were tested on Unisa students. Among notable findings were: • Internal LOC related to academic motivation, but treating LOC as a set of distinct factors rather than a bipolar dimension offered more insights (e.g. "Impotence" rather than other external LOC factors related negatively to · achievement). • Little was gained from categorising attributions according to Weiner's dimensions. • Intrinsic motivation and "identified regulation" related positively to motivation. • Students' (especially unsuccessful students') expectations of success and perceptions of their ability were over-estimated. • Different factors related to motivation and achievement in different cultural groups. • Although motivation and achievement are usually positively related, this did not apply to disadvantaged groups. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)